Agronomic approaches to achieving net carbon-negative emissions in Indian agroecosystems
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59797/ija.v70.i2.5593Keywords:
Agroecosystem, Agronomic approaches, Soil organic carbon, Sustainable development goalsAbstract
India has a significant potential to store (C) in the diverse agroecosystems. In general, poor management techniques accelerate the terrestrial production and release of greenhouse gases (GHGs), which are also responsible for the variations in climate. India’s primary sources of GHGs are the burning of fossil fuels in the production of industrial goods, agricultural activities, and related energy consumption. Majority of state loss its soil organic carbon (SOC) 0.2–0.6% during last 60 years. Whereas, the decline in SOC concentrations in the southeast coast, western coast (very humid), western coast (humid), and Nagpur region of India were 0.30, 2.46, 1.36, and 1.86%, respectively, during the same period. With a cumulative SOC loss of 133 Pg (Petagram=1012 kg) C since the onset of agriculture, most agricultural soils worldwide have already lost 25–75% of their original SOC stock due to extractive farming practices. Globally, the technical potential of C sequestration is about 2.55-4.96 Pg C through the adaptation of best management practices, of which the potential of crop land is 0.4-1.2 Pg C. Therefore, to advance sustainability for India’s food, nutrition, economy, and environmental security, the priority lies in restoring the SOC pool by upscaling agronomical best management practices, developing focused policies, and upscaling environment- friendly and economically viable agricultural systems. Several agronomic strategies can be used to lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and enable agriculture to achieve a potential net negative C emission from agroecosystems. Using no-till or reduced-till farming techniques with crop diversification can minimize soil disturbance and create a positive soil/ecosystem C budget. Restoring SOC stock and soil health can be achieved by cover cropping, green manuring, and applying farmyard manure, compost, vermicompost, and biochar. Optimising fertiliser uses through data analytics, crop waste recycling, and precision farming can achieve net negative C emissions. By combining crops and trees, agroforestry techniques help to capture the atmospheric CO2, increase input and energy efficiency, and lower C emissions. To encourage farmers to participate in C credit programs through agronomic management, the Indian government at both the state and central levels has implemented measures to align existing natural, regenerative, and organic farming schemes and policies. By 2030, the demand for C credits is expected to increase by approximately 15 times, with the price per tonne of C credits, as of 2023, ranging from US$ 40 to 80. Therefore, this article is aimed at implementing viable plans for transforming agriculture from a problem to a part of the solution by adopting practices which achieve net C-negative emissions.
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