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Critical carbon inputs to maintain soil organic carbon stocks under long‐term finger‐millet ( Eleusine coracana [L.] Gaertn.) cropping on Alfisols in semiarid tropical India
Author(s) -
Srinivasarao Cherukumalli,
Venkateswarlu Bandi,
Kumar Singh Anil,
Pandu Ranga Vittal Kanuparthy,
Kundu Sumanta,
Ravindra Chary Gajjala,
Narayanaiyer Gajanan Ganjigunte,
Kogganur Ramachandrappa Basavapura
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.201000429
Subject(s) - soil carbon , agronomy , randomized block design , eleusine , carbon sequestration , fertilizer , alfisol , cropping system , soil fertility , crop yield , environmental science , soil water , mathematics , crop , chemistry , biology , nitrogen , finger millet , soil science , organic chemistry
Enrichment of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks through sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 in agricultural soils is important because of its impacts on adaptation to and mitigation of climate change while also improving crop productivity and sustainability. In a long‐term fertility experiment carried out over 27 y under semiarid climatic condition, we evaluated the impact of crop‐residue C inputs through rainfed fingermillet ( Eleusine coracana [L.] Gaertn.) cropping, fertilization, and manuring on crop yield sustainability and SOC sequestration in a Alfisol soil profile up to a depth of 1 m and also derived the critical value of C inputs for maintenance of SOC. Five treatments, viz., control, farmyard manure (FYM) 10 Mg ha –1 , recommended dose of NPK (50 : 50 : 25 kg N, P 2 O 5 , K 2 O ha –1 ), FYM 10 Mg ha –1 + 50% recommended dose of NPK, and FYM 10 Mg ha –1 + 100% recommended dose of NPK imposed in a randomized block design replicated four times. Application of FYM alone or together with mineral fertilizer resulted in a higher C input and consequently built up a higher C stock. After 27 y, higher profile SOC stock (85.7 Mg ha –1 ), C build up (35.0%), and C sequestration (15.4 Mg C ha –1 ) was observed with the application of 10 Mg FYM ha –1 along with recommended dose of mineral fertilizer and these were positively correlated with cumulative C input and well reflected in sustainable yield index (SYI). For sustenance of SOC level (zero change due to cropping) a minimum quantity of 1.13 Mg C is required to be added per hectare per annum as inputs. While the control lost C, the application of mineral fertilizer served to maintain the priori C stock. Thus, the application of FYM increased the C stock, an effect which was even enhanced by additional amendment of mineral fertilizer. We conclude that organic amendments contribute to C sequestration counteracting climate change and at the same time improve soil fertility in the semiarid regions of India resulting in higher and more stable yields.