This document discusses the impact of carbon sequestration on soil and crop productivity. It provides background on global carbon emissions and pools. Soil acts as both a source and sink of atmospheric carbon through processes like photosynthesis, respiration, and decomposition. Improving soil organic carbon through practices like conservation tillage, cover crops, nutrient management, and agroforestry can increase crop yields by improving soil quality properties. Maintaining or increasing soil organic carbon levels through appropriate land management practices helps mitigate climate change while enhancing soil health and agricultural productivity.

1. 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

2. Global warming

3. 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

4. Greenhouse gases
Gas Concentration
in 1985
Annual
increase since
1985 to
present (%)
Contribution
to global
warming (%)
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

5. Carbon
Loss in
India and
World

6. Atmosphere 748 Gt
Fossil fuels 4000 Gt
Terrestrial 2000 Gt
Soil 1550 Gt
Biota 450 Gt
Oceans 38, 000 Gt
Lal et al., 2004
World Carbon Pool

7. Role of soil in C cycling
Respiratio
n
Photosynthesi
s
SOIL
1550 Pg C
BIOTA
600 Pg C
ATMOSPHERE
750 Pg C
100 Pg/yr
80 Pg/yr
80 Pg/yr
100 Pg/yr
Humus
Soil respiration
and decomposition
Lal and Kimble., 1997

8. Organic carbon pool in soils of India and the
world
Lal, 2004

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

10. Total soil erosion in India
Yadav, 1996

11. 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

12. Total potential of carbon sequestration in soils of
India
World : 600 – 1200 Tg C/y
Lal, 2004

13. 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

15. Soil Carbon Sequestration
A t m o s p h e r i c
C O 2
P l a n t
r e s p i r a t i o n
A n i m a l
r e s p i r a t i o n
S o i l r e s p i r a t i o n
P h o t o s y n t h e s i s
S o i l
o r g a n i s m s
S o i l
o r g a n i c
m a t t e r
C O 2
D i s s o l v e d
C O
2
i n w a t e r
L e a c h a t e
A t m o s p h e r i c
N 2
3
M i n e r a l i z a t i o n
D e n i t r i f i c a t i o n
B i o l o g i c a l
N f i x a t i o n
C a r b o n a t e
m i n e r a l s
F o s s i l f u e l s
N
2
N O
2
N
O
N H
v o l a t i l i z a t i o n
N H
4
f i x a t i o n
P l a n t
u p t a k e
F e r t i l i z e r
Carbon
Input
Carbon
Output
Soil
Carbon
Sequestration

16. Soil acts as a source as well as sink of atmospheric CO2
X
Residue, Roots,
SSooiill CC
Decomposition/
Mineralization
Controls
Abiotic
Substrate Attributes
Nutrient Availability
Soil Disturbance
Decomposer Community
CO2, CH4
DOC
Manure
Compost CO2

17. C cycle in agricultural ecosystem
Climate Soils Management
CO2
Soil MMiiccrroobbiiaall AAccttiivviittyy
SSooiill OOrrggaanniicc MMaatttteerr ((CC))
Sunlight
Harvestable Yield

18. Soil carbon trajectories

19. 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]
Lal et al.,1999
Depletion : Cinput < Coutput
Sequestration: Cinput > Coutput

20. 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

21. Technological options for C sequestration in soil and biota
Lal., 2004

22. 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

23. Conservation-Tillage
Minimal disturbance of the
soil surface is critical in
avoiding soil organic matter
loss from erosion and
microbial decomposition.

24. Tillage effects on SOC and MBC after four crop cycles
Jat, 2006
of Rice-Wheat System

25. 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.

26. Carbon pools of subhumid, semiarid tropical and arid
ecosystems under different cropping system
Swarup et al., 2000

27. Intensification of cropping system and crop rotation and
fertilization effects on organic C in soil

28. 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

29. 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

30. Root biomass carbon
Treatments Avg. annual root biomass
yield (Mg/ha/yr)
Estimated return of
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

31. Management of Land
Degradation
Tree plantings
Conservation-tillage cropping
Animal manure application
Green-manure cropping systems
Improved grassland management
Cropland-grazingland rotations
Optimal fertilization

32. 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

33. 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

34. Improved Grassland Management
Low
grazing pressure
Unharvested
Unharvested
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Years of Management
Franzluebbers et al., 2001
Organic
Carbon
(Mg . ha-1)
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
Cut for hay
Soil
High
grazing
pressure
Soil organic carbon
sequestration rate (Mg ha-1
yr-1) (0-5 yr):
--------------------------------
Hayed 0.30
Unharvested 0.65
Grazed 1.40

35. C sequestration
impact on soil
and crop

36. Crop yield and productivity effects of SOC pool
Fertilized
SOC Pool
Crop Yield
Unfertilized
SOC Pool
Δ Yield

37. Soil Quality and SOC Pool
SOC Pool
Soil Quality
productivity
Agronomic NUE
WUE
Microbial biomass
Nutrient Retention
Available water capacity
Aggregation
Infiltration rate
Aeration porosity

38. Role of SOM in Soil and Plant Health
Haynes and Naidu., 1998

39. Role of SOM in Soil and Plant Health
Water retention
Soil temperature and aeration
Chelation
Cation exchange
Mineralization of nutrients
Buffer action

40. Soil aggregate formation
No-Till = Lower
disturbance
Tillage = Higher
disturbance
CO2 CO2
Plant C
Fungi Fungi
Micro-aggregates
SOM SOM
Soil Macroaggregate Soil Macroaggregate
White and Rice, 2007

41. Effect of soil management systems on
soil properties in the top layer of 0-7.5
cm
Properties Conventiona
l
Integrated Organic
OC (g/kg) 5.59 7.16 9.41
Bulk density
1.18 1.12 0.93
(Mg/m3)
Aggregate
stability (%)
10.6 22.8 13.5
Nitrate N
(kg/ha)
12.5 20.3 7.9
Extractable P
(kg/ha)
41.8 52.3 45.7
Earthworms
(number/m2)
35 212 106
Glover et al., 2000

42. 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

43. Physical and biological properties influence by OM
Treatmen
ts
(from 1990 to 2007)
Total C
(g/kg)
Bulk density
g/cm
Microbial
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

44. Response of soil organic C in different
particle size fractions
Majumder et al., 2007

45. Soil carbon sequestration and yield
increase of principal crops in India
Crop Area
(Mha)
Current yield
(kg/ha/yr)
Projected
increase
kg/ha/yr/
Mg of SOC
Total
increase in
production
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

46. Crop yield under different soil organic carbon
(from 1990 to 2007)
Treatments Total C (g/kg) Wheat yield
Kg/ha/yr
Maize yield
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

47. 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

48. Yields variation of jute and soybean
with SOC of the treatments
Years
Manna et al., 2005

49. 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.

50. 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

51. Save soil Save life….
…Thank you