2. Speaker : Sunil Kumar
(A-2012-40-004)
Opportunities & Challenges of Soil Carbon
Sequestration in Indian Conditions

3.  Introduction
 Ways that carbon can be sequestered
 Soil carbon sequestration
 Opportunities to sequester carbon in soil
 Challenges in soil carbon sequestration
 Conclusion.
OUTLINE
3

4. INTRODUCTION
4

5.  Climate change is an important environmental issue
that has captured the world’s attention during the
recent past.
 Global climate change commonly referred to as
global warming, is a serious environmental issue
affecting human life and planet earth.
5

6.  The continued increase in CO2 concentration in the
atmosphere is believed to be accelerated by human
activities such as burning of fossil fuels and
deforestation.
 One of the approaches to reducing CO2
concentration in the atmosphere is carbon
sequestration.
6

7. Carbon sequestration
 Carbon Sequestration/CO2 storage is the placement
of CO2 into a depository in such a way that it
remains safely stored and not released back to the
atmosphere.

8. Carbon dioxide emission in top five countries
CHINA, 9700
USA, 5420
INDIA, 1970
RUSSIA, 1830
JAPAN, 1240
Million tonnes per annum
http://www.pbl.nl/en/, 2013Netherlands Environment Agency

9. Sources of carbon dioxide emission
Man made sources
 Industries
 Transportation
 Land use change
 Soil cultivation
 Biomass burning

10. Natural sources
 Volcanoes
 Wild fires
 Decomposition
 Respiration
Sources of carbon dioxide emission

11. Ways that carbon can be
sequestered
Geological sequestration: Underground
Ocean sequestration: Deep in ocean
Terrestrial sequestration: In plants and soil

12. Geological sequestration
Carbon extracted
from a coal or other
fossil fuel…
is currently burned and
emitted to air
CO2 is captured as concentrated
high pressure fluid.
CO2 is shipped as supercritical
fluid via pipeline to a selected,
permitted injection site.
CO2 injected at pressure into
pore space at depths below
and isolated (sequestered)
from potable water.
12

13.  Various physical and geochemical trapping mechanisms
would prevent the CO2 from escaping to the surface.
 For well-selected, designed and managed geological storage
sites, the IPCC estimates that CO2 could be trapped for
millions of years, and the sites are likely to retain over 99 per
cent of the injected CO2 over 1,000 years.
13

14. Ocean Sequestration
 Carbon is naturally stored in the ocean via two pumps, solubility and
biological and there are analogous man made methods, direct
injection and ocean fertilization, respectively.
 At the present time, approximately one third of human generated
emissions are estimated to be entering the ocean.

15.  Geological and ocean carbon sequestration is not yet
viable at a commercial level.
 Small scale projects demonstrated but carbon
sequestration is still a developing technology due to high
price of installing these carbon capture systems.
15

16. Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration
The process through which CO2 from the atmosphere is
absorbed naturally through photosynthesis & stored as
carbon in biomass & soils.

17. SOIL CARBON SEQUESTRATION
Soil is a major source and sink of atmospheric CO₂.
Soil carbon sequestration refers to the storage of carbon
in soil.
The awareness of green house gas emissions and
concerns about the global warming have led to an
increased interest in sequestering carbon in soils.
17

18. SOIL :THE LARGEST TERRESTRIAL CARBON POOL
 The global soil carbon pool amounts to 2500 Gt. The total soil
carbon pool is four times the biotic pool and three times the
atmospheric pool.
 Soil organic carbon stocks in soils of India have been estimated
to be 21 Pg (upper 30 cm) and 63 Pg (upper 150 cm).
Lal (2004)

19. Benefits of Soil Carbon Sequestration
Improved agricultural performance
Increased soil fertility
Healthier ecology
Improved soil structure
Less erosion
Better water use and storage
Improved biodiversity

20. Opportunities to sequester carbon in soil
Crop management
Tillage & Residue management
Nutrient management
Agroforestry & Grasslands
20

21. Crop Management Strategies for C Sequestration
Enhance C inputs Reduce C losses
Crop rotations Fallow management
 To increase soil carbon levels, we need crop rotations that
reduce fallow periods.
 Especially rotations with fallow periods during the summer
when temperatures result in maximum soil respiration rates.
21

22. Carbon sequestration rate in rice-wheat and maize-wheat
system (0-60 cm profile)
Kukal et al. (2009)
Sandy loam
pH=7.9
Ludhiana
Treatments
Carbon sequestration rate (kg ha-1 yr-1)
Rice -wheat Maize-wheat
N120 130 30
N120P 30 190 40
N120P30K 30 260 80
FYM 20 t ha-1 310 140
LSD (0.05) 40 30
22

23. Long term effect of manure and fertilizers on total organic carbon
(g kg-1) under rice-wheat-jute system
6.1
5.1
5.7
6.3
7.4
7.9
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Fallow Control N NP NPK NPK +
FYM
0-15 cm
Barrackpore (West Bengal), pH = 7.1 Manna et al. (2006)
Initial TOC=7.12

24. Treatments
Years
2004- 2005 2005- 2006
Coconut + banana 1.23 1.25
Coconut + maize 1.18 1.21
Coconut + pineapple 1.25 1.30
CD(0.05) 0.05 0.04
Sudha and George (2011)
Soil organic carbon (%) under different cropping systems at 0-15
cm soil depth
Thiruvananthapuram, Clay loam, pH-5.8 24

25. Change in total organic carbon (Mg ha-1) under different
treatments at 0-15 cm depth in rice-wheat cropping system
0
5
10
15
20
25
Fallow Control NPK NPK +
FYM
NPK +PS NPK + GM
18.8
14.7
17.8
21.3 19.9
18.3
BCKV, West Bengal (Sandy loam, pH- 7.2) Ghosh et al. (2012)
PS=Paddy straw, GM=Green manure

26. Soil organic carbon (g kg-1) in rice-wheat system
Benbi and Brar (2009)
26
Ludhiana

27. Tillage and Residue management
27

28. Effect of straw management and tillage system on organic carbon and
carbon sequestration in soil after wheat
Treatments Organic carbon (%) C sequestered (%)
Straw burned- CT 0.35 -
Straw burned- ZT 0.36 -
Straw incorporated- CT 0.44 16.6
Straw mulched- ZT 0.48 25.2
CD (0.05) 0.05
-
Singh et al. (2009)Ludhiana (Sandy loam, pH-7.8)
CT= Conventional tillage, ZT= Zero tillage
28

29. Soil organic carbon stock (Mg ha-1 yr-1) under lantana application
M0 F100% M10 F100% M20 F100% M30 F100%
0.06
0.31
0.41
0.46
Palampur Raina (2007)
Lantana application on fresh weight basis. M0= 0, M10=10 t/ha, M20= 20 t/ha, M30= 30 t/ha
Silty clay loam

30. Treatments
Year
2004- 2005 2005- 2006
Residue management
Surface mulching 1.31 1.37
Residue incorporation 1.13 1.13
CD (0.05) 0.04 0.04
Tillage
Conventional tillage 1.22 1.22
Reduced tillage 1.22 1.29
CD (0.05) NS 0.04
Sudha and George (2011)
Soil organic carbon (%) under residue management and tillage at 0-15 cm
soil depth
Thiruvananthapuram, Clay loam, pH-5.8
Coconut based cropping system, maize, banana, pineapple
30

31. Treatments
Mean annual C input (Mg ha−1)
Stubble Root RD
C input
through
crop
residue
C input
through
organics
Total
C
input
Control 0.05 0.22 0.31 0.59 e - 0.59
25 kg N (urea) 0.08 0.29 0.41 0.78 c - 0.78
50 kg N (urea) 0.09 0.33 0.46 0.85 b - 0.85
25 kg N (FYM)+25 kg N (urea) 0.10 0.31 0.44 0.87 b 1.48 2.35
25 kg N (CR)+25 kg N (urea) 0.09 0.29 0.41 0.80 c 2.22 3.02
25 kg N (Leucaena)+25 kg N
(urea)
0.08 0.24 0.33 0.65 d 0.28 0.93
25 kg N (CR)+25 kg N (Leucaena) 0.10 0.33 0.46 0.90 a 2.50 3.40
Srinivasarao et al. (2012)
Carbon input to soil from rainfed sorghum under different fertilizer
and manurial treatments
Hyderabad
Clay
pH= 8.0Mean (1985–2007)
RD= Rhizodeposition
31

32. NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
32

33. Treatments 0-15 cm 15-30 cm
Control
0.41 0.32
100% NPK
0.52 0.40
50% N (FYM ) + 50% NPK
0.62 0.46
50% N (wheat straw ) + 50% NPK
0.59 0.42
50% N (Sesbania aculeata) + 50% NPK
0.60 0.43
CD (0.05)
0.03 0.02
Kumar et al. (2012)Hisar (Sandy loam), pH = 7.82
Soil organic carbon (%) as affected by the application of fertilizers
and organics in pearl millet-wheat cropping system
33

34. Treatments
0–15 cm soil Depth
SOC
(g kg-1)
Carbon
sequestration
(Mg C ha-1)
Carbon
sequestration rate
(Mg C ha-1 yr-1)
Control 3.26 d 1.94 c 0.22 c
100% N 3.53 c 2.18 c 0.24 c
100% NP 3.60 c 2.16 c 0.24 c
100% NPK 4.11 b 3.30 b 0.37 b
100% NPK + FYM 4.55 a 4.10 a 0.46 a
Brar et al. (2013)
Effect of organic manure and inorganic fertilizers on carbon
sequestration under rice–wheat cropping system
Ludhiana Loamy sand pH = 8.3 34

35. Soil organic carbon (%) as influenced by organic nutrition in
rice-vegetable based sequence
0.44
0.47
0.5
0.4
0.45
0.48
0.52
0.46
0.49
0.54
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
100% FYM
100%VM
100%PM
100% UREA
125%FYM
125%VM
125%PM
150%FYM
150%VM
150%PM
Meena and Singh (2012)(Sandy clay loam, pH- 7.12)Varanasi
Initial SOC=0.38 VM=vermicompost, PM=Poultry manure

36. Soil organic carbon (g kg-1) as influenced by FYM and inorganic
fertilizer in rice-wheat system
Treatments
Soil Depth
Rice Wheat
0-15 15-30 0-15 15-30
N120 3.4 d 2.5 c 3.9 c 2.7 c
N12O P 30 3.8 c 2.7 c 4.4 b 2.9 bc
N120 P30 K 30 5.3 b 3.0 b 4.9 a 3.1 b
FYM 6.2 a 3.4 a 5.1 a 3.4 a
Control 3.0 d 2.0 d 2.9 d 2.3 d
Kukal et al. (2009)Sandy loam pH=8.1Ludhiana 36

37. Treatments
Soil organic carbon
SOC (g kg-1 soil) Amount (Mg ha-1)
Control 6.01 35.5
N20 P35 6.70 38.7
N20 K33 6.45 37.6
N20 P35 K33 7.51 43.1
N20 + FYM 10 Mg ha
-1 9.63 54.7
NPK+FYM 10.76 60.3
Initial 5.54 33.3
LSD (0.05) 0.9 0.8
Kundu et al. (2007)
Soil organic carbon at 0–45 cm as affected by 30 years of fertilizer
application in a rainfed soybean–wheat rotation
Sandy loam, pH= 6.1Almora 37

38. Treatments
0–20 cm soil Depth
SOC
(Mg ha-1)
CS
(Mg C ha-1)
CSR
(Mg C ha-1 yr-1)
Control
32.2 D -3.57 D -0.18 D
100% NPK
36.2 C 0.43 C 0.02 C
50% NPK + 4 Mg ha−1 GNS
47.2 A 11.43 A 0.57 A
50% NPK + 4 Mg ha−1 FYM
45.9 A 10.13 A 0.51 A
5Mg ha−1 FYM
42.4 B 6.63 B 0.33 B
Soil organic carbon and carbon sequestration (CS) and under different
fertilization in long term mono cropping of groundnut
Srinivasarao et al. (2012)Hyderabad
Sandy loam
pH= 6.1
CSR= Carbon sequestration rate
38

39. Organic carbon sequestered annually in soil profile (0-45cm) in a
long term fertilizer experiment
100
200
500
150 130
700
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
OCsequestered(kgha-1yr-1)
Rudrappa et al. (2006)New Delhi Sandy Clay loam, pH = 8.3
Maize-wheat-cowpea

40. Agroforestry

41. Land use
0-15 cm soil layer
Tree age (yrs)
One Three Six
Agroforestry 12.4 14.6 15.8
Sole crop (wheat) 9.0 9.6 9.2
LSD (0.05) 1.6 1.1 0.9
15-30 cm soil layer
Agroforestry 10.8 11.3 13.3
Sole crop (wheat) 8.10 8.32 8.10
LSD (0.05) 1.1 0.9 0.7
Gupta et al. (2009)
Total soil organic carbon pool (Mg ha -1) affected by poplar
(Poplulus deltoides) based agro-forestry
Ludhiana Sandy loam, pH = 7.9 41

42. Biomass
Systems
Above ground
biomass
Below ground
biomass
Above ground
carbon
Below ground
carbon
Horti pastoral 15.26 5.37 6.86 2.41
Silvi pastoral 32.72 11.50 14.72 5.17
Agri siliviculture 34.05 11.97 15.32 5.38
Horti silvipastoral 18.20 6.40 8.19 2.88
Pure forest 134.18 47.16 60.38 21.32
Natural grassland 3.44 1.03 1.54 0.46
CD= 0.05 13.31 4.45 0.03 5.99
Khaki and Wani (2011)
Biomass production (t ha-1) and carbon stock (t ha-1)
under different land use systems
Paonta Sahib 42

43. Soil carbon sequestration (t ha-1) of natural forest ecosystems
Treatments 0-20 cm 20-40 cm Total
Oak forest 52.6 a 49.1 ab 101.8
Pine forest 52.2 a 47.5 abc 99.7
Oak and Pine forest 63.5 a 54.1 a 111.4
Mixed Broad leaved forest 55.8 a 46.0 bcd 101.9
Acacia forest 55.0 a 47.9 abc 109.1
Scrub 53.6 a 39.0 bcd 92.6
Grassland 50.5 a 31.1 cd 81.6
Devi et al. (2013)Solan, Clay Loam, pH=6.3-8.0 43

44. Soil organic carbon concentration and stock under different land use
Treatments SOC (%) SOC stock (t ha-1)
Grassland 5.2 187
Acacia plantation 4.6 173
Cardamom plantation 4.0 154
Open scrub 3.9 151
Pine plantation 3.5 137
Tea plantation 2.9 118
Rubber plantation
2.4 95
Homestead 1.9 77
Sreekanth et al. (2013)Kottayam (Kerala), Clay loam 44

45. Clean development Mechanism (CDM)
45

46. Clean development Mechanism (CDM)
In the recent past CDM projects have been attracting
carbon trading. India has also caught with the trend.
At the global level, so for 299 such projects have been
registered with UNFCCC that have the capacity to
save 577 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
Out of these firms 32% are from India. Some of them
are in the agroforestry sector like the two biomass
based projects of LANCO group in Andhra Pradesh.
46

47. 32%
2%
2%
3%
3%
5%6%
7%
22%
18%
India
Rep. of Korea
Argentina
Malaysia
Honcuras
Chile
China
Mexico
Brazil
Other's
Registered CDM projects by countries with UNFCCC
47

48. Challenges in soil carbon sequestration
48
Deforestation
Residue burning
Conventional tillage
Imbalanced use of fertilizers
Reduced inputs of organic matter

49. Deforestation
 Forests are the most effective system of carbon sequestration in nature.
 Deforestation causes loss of a valuable resource of carbon sequestration along
with additional increase of CO2 in atmosphere.
 Deforestation accounts for an annual release of carbon between 90 – 250
Mt, about one third of which comes from oxidation of soil carbon in the tropics.
(Lal 2010)

50. Residue Burning
 This method is used to clear the land cheaply in short duration.
 It leads to emission of greenhouse gases namely carbon dioxide,
methane and nitrous oxide, causing global warming and loss of plant
nutrients like N, P and S.

51.  It releases 12 Mt CO2 ha-1 as well as other more potent
greenhouse gases.
 Heat generated from the burning of crop residues
elevates soil temperature causing death of active
beneficial microbial population.
 Repeated burnings in a field, however, diminishes the
microbial population permanently.

52. Conventional tillage
 Conventional agricultural practices such as ploughing, removal of
crop residues, soil fertility mining and accelerated soil erosion
are mainly responsible for low SOC in cultivated soils.
 Soil erosion alone leads to a soil C loss of 4.3 to 7.3 Tg C y-1
(Lal, 2004).

53. Imbalanced use
of fertilizers
 Chemical and physical properties of soil are degraded which reduces the
ability of soil to support plant and microbial growth.
 This results in reduced efficiency of soil and plants to sequester the
carbon from atmosphere.
 Several studies had shown that imbalanced fertilization leads to decrease
in crop yield and SOC buildup.
(Manna et al. 2005; Rudrappa et al. 2006; Kukal et al. 2009)
Reduced inputs of
organic matter

54.  Rainfed condition : Green manure crops will not decompose
readily due to lack of water.
 For higher cropping intensity land is unavailable for green
manure cultivation.
 Disease, insects and nematodes may come up due to
improper decomposition.
Green manuring

55. CONCLUSIONS
 Greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are
increasing and the threat of global climate change requires
our attention.
 Soil carbon sequestration is an effective tool to sequester
atmospheric CO2 with better practical application than other
approaches.
 Soil carbon sequestration provide vast opportunity to
sequester carbon in the soil.

56.  A diversity of agricultural management practices can be
employed to sequester more carbon in plants and soil:
 Crop management.
 Nutrient management.
 Residue management and conservation tillage.
 Agro-forestry.
 Soil carbon sequestration using innovative soil and crop
management practices is needed to augment soil carbon
storage.
 Combination of different agricultural management practices can
enhance soil carbon sequestration.
conti….

57. THANKS