Impact of carbon sequestration

On
soil and crop productivity

Pravash Chandra Moharana

Roll no. 4805
Division of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry
Indian Agricultural Research Institute
New Delhi-110 012
Global warming
 Top Ten CO2 Producing Nations

1. USA
2. China
3. Russia
4. Japan
5. India
6. Germany
7. Britain
8. Canada
9. South Korea
10.Ukraine

IPCC,2001
 Greenhouse gases
Gas Concentration Annual Contribution
in 1985 increase since to global
1985 to warming (%)
present (%)

CO2 345 ppm* 0.5 50

CH4 90ppb 0.8 19
N2O 1.65 ppm 1.0 5
CFC 0.24 ppb 3.0 15
Others ---------- ----------- 11
*Present level 386 ppm
IPCC,2001
 Carbon
Loss in
India and
World
 World Carbon Pool

Atmosphere 748 Gt
Fossil fuels 4000 Gt
Terrestrial 2000 Gt
Soil 1550 Gt
Biota 450 Gt
Oceans 38, 000 Gt

Lal et al., 2004

 Role of soil in C cycling
Respiratio
n
100 Pg/yr
BIOTA ATMOSPHERE
Photosynthesi
600 Pg C s 750 Pg C
100 Pg/yr
80

r
Hu

/y

ion
Pg

Pg
m

om ion
/y

sit
us

80
r

ec rat
po
d d spi
an il re
So
SOIL
1550 Pg C

Lal and Kimble., 1997

Organic carbon pool in soils of India and the
world

Lal, 2004
Depletion of soil organic carbon concentration of
cultivated compared with that in undisturbed soils

Lal, 2004
Total soil erosion in India

Yadav, 1996
Soil erosion and C emission in India

Processes Flux
Total soil erosion 2.98 Pg sediments/yr
(2979 Tg sediments/yr)

Total C loss at 8–12 g/kg 23.8–35.8 Tg C/yr

C emission at 20% of 4.8–7.2 Tg C/yr
displaced C

Lal, 2004
Total potential of carbon sequestration in soils of
India

World : 600 – 1200 Tg C/y

Lal, 2004
 Carbon Sequestration

It refers to the provision of long-term storage of

carbon in the terrestrial biosphere,
underground, or the oceans so that the buildup
of carbon dioxide (the principal greenhouse gas)
concentration in the atmosphere will reduce or
slow down

Lal,1995
 Soil Carbon Sequestration
Soil
Carbon
A tm o s p h e r ic A tm o s p h e r ic Carbon
Input
N 2 C O 2 Sequestration

N 2
B io lo g ic a l P h o t o s y n th e s is N 2O
N f ix a tio n N O
C O 2
A n im a l
F e r t iliz e r r e s p ir a t io n
P la n t
r e s p ir a t io n N H 3
v o la t iliz a tio n
D is s o lv e d
C O 2 S o il
S o il r e s p ir a t io n o r g a n ic P la n t
in w a t e r
S o il m a tte r u p ta k e
Carbon o r g a n is m s
C a rb o n a te
Output
m in e r a ls M in e r a liz a t io n
N H 4
F o s s il f u e ls f ix a tio n
L e a c h a te D e n itr ific a t io n
 Soil acts as a source as well as sink of atmospheric CO2

Residue, Roots,
Manure Decomposition/
Compost CO2 Mineralization
Controls
CO2, CH4 Abiotic
Substrate Attributes
X Nutrient Availability
Soil Disturbance
Decomposer Community

Soil C
DOC
 C cycle in agricultural ecosystem
Climate Soils Management

Sunlight CO 2

Harvestable Yield

Soil Microbial Activity

Soil Organic Matter (C)
Soil carbon trajectories
 CO2 EMISSIONS vs. CARBON SEQUESTRATION
 Current loss of organic carbon to the atmosphere as
CO2 is 3.2 Pg/yr.
 if all the degraded agricultural lands of the world (2
billion hectares or 2x 109 ha) having a bulk density of
1.5 Mg/m3 sequester OC @ 0.01%/yr, then the
carbon sequestered will be 3.0 Pg/yr, which is just
close to the SOC emitted to the atmosphere and can
offset the entire green house effect
[ (2x 109 ha) x (104 ha/m2) x (1m) x (1.5 Mg/m3) x (10-
4
/yr) = 3.0 Pg/yr]

Depletion : Cinput < Coutput

Lal et al.,1999
Sequestration: Cinput > Coutput
 Soil Processes Conducive to the
Enhanced Carbon Storage
1.Aggregation: Increase in stable micro-aggregates
through formation of organo-mineral complexes
encapsulates C and protects it against microbial
activities.
2.Humification: To sequester 10,000 kg of C in humus, 833
kg of N, 200 kg of P and 143 kg of S are needed
3.Translocation into the Sub-Soil: Translocation of SOC
into the sub-soil.
4.Formation of Secondary Carbonates:
5.Burial of SOC-Laden Sediments: Transport of SOC-
enriched sediments to depressional sites and/or
aquatic ecosystems
6.Plantation of Deep-Rooted Plants
Technological options for C sequestration in soil and biota

Lal., 2004
Recommended Management Practices and C
sequestration potential

Recommended practices C sequestration potential

(Mg C/ha/yr)
Conservation tillage 0.10-0.40
Winter cover crop 0.05-0.20
Soil fertility management 0.05-0.10
Elimination of summer fallow 0.05-0.20
Forages based rotation 0.05-0.20
Use of improved varieties 0.05-0.10
Organic amendments 0.20-0.30

Lal et al., 1998

 Conservation-Tillage
Minimal disturbance of the
soil surface is critical in
avoiding soil organic matter
loss from erosion and
microbial decomposition.
Tillage effects on SOC and MBC after four crop cycles
of Rice-Wheat System

Jat, 2006
 Intensification of cropping system

 Winter crops
 Forage in rotation
 Growing legume crops
 Eliminate fallow
 Deep rooted crops

Legumes can fix up to 60-100 kg of N/ha annually, depending on the

species and soil type. For each legume crop grown, approximately 1 ton
of CO2 –C emission is avoided. There is also increased plant residue
input and increased soil organic carbon content.
Carbon pools of subhumid, semiarid tropical and arid
ecosystems under different cropping system

Swarup et al., 2000

Intensification of cropping system and crop rotation and
fertilization effects on organic C in soil
 Integrated nutrient management
Soil organic carbon (SOC), changes in SOC and carbon
sequestration rate in 0-45 cm soil in a long-term fertilizer experiment
under maize-wheat-cowpea cropping system

Purakayastha et al., 2008

 Plant roots and carbon sequestration

Plant root acts as a medium for transfer of atmospheric carbon

into the soil
Root lysis and root exudates contribute significant quantities of
carbon deposited in sub-surface soil
 Root biomass carbon

Treatments Avg. annual root biomass Estimated return of

yield (Mg/ha/yr) carbon (Mg/ha/yr)
50% NPK 4.80 2.16
100% NPK 5.47 2.46
150% NPK 6.05 2.72
100% NP 4.94 2.24
100% N 4.63 2.09
100% NPK+FYM 6.27 8.07
Control 2.95 1.33

Purakayastha et al., 2008

 Management of Land
Degradation
Tree plantings
Conservation-tillage cropping
Animal manure application
Green-manure cropping systems
Improved grassland management
Cropland-grazingland rotations
Optimal fertilization
 Organic carbon content in soil
after six years under different
land uses
Land use Organic C (%)
0-15 cm 15-30 cm
Sole cropping 0.42 0.37
Agro forestry 0.71 0.73
Agro-horticulture 0.73 0.74
Agro-silviculture 0.38 0.56

Das et al., 1994

 Improved Grassland Management

Degradation of permanent grasslands can occur

from accelerated soil erosion, compaction, drought,
and salinization
Strategies to sequester carbon in soil should
improve quality of grasslands
Strategies for restoration should include:
 Enhancing soil cover
 Improving soil structure to
minimize water runoff and soil
erosion
 Improved Grassland Management
Soil organic carbon
24
sequestration rate (Mg ha-1
yr-1) (0-5 yr):
22 Low
-------------------------------- grazing pressure
Hayed 0.30 Soil 20
High
Unharvested 0.65 Organic grazing
Grazed 1.40 Carbon 18 pressure
Unharvested
(Mg . ha-1) Unharvested
16

14 Cut for hay

12
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Years of Management

Franzluebbers et al., 2001

C sequestration
impact on soil
and crop
 Crop yield and productivity effects of SOC pool

Fertilized

Unfertilized
Crop Yield

∆ Yield
SOC Pool SOC Pool
 tiv ity
c
Soil Quality and SOC Pool ic pro d u
ro n om
Ag
E
NU
U E a ss
W l b iom
ro bia n t ion ity
Mic R ete ap ac
r i e nt t e rc
a
Nut ble w
v a ila t ion e
A e ga r a t
g r
Ag ration rosity
lt o
Infi tion p
Soil Quality

a
Aer

SOC Pool
Role of SOM in Soil and Plant Health

Haynes and Naidu., 1998

Role of SOM in Soil and Plant Health

 Water retention
 Soil temperature and aeration
 Chelation
 Cation exchange
 Mineralization of nutrients
 Buffer action
 Soil aggregate formation

Tillage = Higher No-Till = Lower

disturbance disturbance

CO2 CO2
Plant C

Fungi
Fungi

Micro-
aggregates

SOM SOM

Soil Macroaggregate Soil Macroaggregate

White and Rice, 2007

Effect of soil management systems on
soil properties in the top layer of 0-7.5
cm
Properties Conventiona Integrated Organic
l
OC (g/kg) 5.59 7.16 9.41
Bulk density 1.18 1.12 0.93
(Mg/m 3 )
Aggregate 10.6 22.8 13.5
stability (%)
Nitrate N 12.5 20.3 7.9
(kg/ha)
Extractable P 41.8 52.3 45.7
(kg/ha)
Earthworms 35 212 106
(number/m 2 )

Glover et al., 2000

 Microbial Biomass
Microbial biomass is positively correlated to an estimate of
the organic N available to crops in no-tillage surface soil.
1 to 5% of SOC is in microbial biomass and 2 to 6% of soil
organic N.
Microbial biomass represents a significant amount of
potentially mineralizable N.

Microorganisms produce:
Plant growth hormones
Stimulate plant growth
hormones
Compete with disease
organisms
Physical and biological properties influence by OM
(from 1990 to 2007)

Treatmen Total C Bulk density Microbial

ts (g/kg) g/cm biomass
(mg/kg)
OM 9.41 1.20 135.8
1/2OMN 7.16 1.26 98.7
NPK 5.59 1.29 74.4
NP 5.21 1.30 65.5
PK 4.85 1.32 55.8
NK 4.23 1.35 46.8
C 3.92 1.40 41.7

Gong et al., 2008

Response of soil organic C in different
particle size fractions

Majumder et al., 2007

 Soil carbon sequestration and yield
increase of principal crops in India

Crop Area Current yield Projected Total

(Mha) (kg/ha/yr) increase increase in
kg/ha/yr/ production
Mg of SOC 106 Mg/yr
Barley 0.76 1800 20-50 0.02-0.03
Beans 9.0 400 30-50 0.3-0.5
Wheat 27.3 2640 30-50 0.8-1.4
Rice 42.5 2927 30-50 1.3 – 2.1
Maize 14.0 670 100-300 1.4 – 4.2
Sorghum 9.2 700 100-140 0.9 – 1.3

Total 6.9 – 12.5

Lal., 2005
Crop yield under different soil organic carbon
(from 1990 to 2007)

Treatments Total C (g/kg) Wheat yield Maize yield

Kg/ha/yr Kg/ha/yr

OM 9.41 3436 5994

1/2OMN 7.16 4484 6811
NPK 5.59 4609 6922
NP 5.21 4415 6544
PK 4.85 1078 1481
NK 4.23 594 870
C 3.92 568 766

Gong et al., 2008

 Comparison of rainfed maize yield
(kg/ha) on different tillage and residue
management practices
Year Zero tillage+residue Zero tillage- residue
1996 4000 2800
1997 6200 2100
1998 5000 3000
1999 1800 1700
2000 6000 4800
2001 6200 1500
2002 6500 2000

Thomas, 2009
Yields variation of jute and soybean
with SOC of the treatments

Years Manna et al., 2005

 Conclusion
Judicious application of bulky organic manures and balanced
fertilization , reduce tillage and forage and legumes helps in
restoring the organic carbon status of soil

Cultivation of fast growing trees with arable crops under agro-

forestry systems such as agrohorticulture or agro-silviculture
systems helps in improving soil organic carbon content

 SOC helps in improving physical, biological, chemical

properties soil and also improving crop productivity in long
term basis.
 Future steps

Standardised methodologies for estimating

above and below-ground C stocks to improve the
reliability of data

Prediction of models to accommodate future

climate ,land-use changes, crop production and
their implications for CO2 mitigation
Save soil Save life….

…Thank you