Abstract
Terrestrial ecosystem is the biggest sink storing three times more carbon that is present in the atmosphere. In tropical regions, it is difficult to maintain soil organic carbon comparable to temperate regions. However, agricultural practices such as manuring, cover cropping, intercropping, and inclusion of grass and legumes in cropping systems promote higher carbon sequestration. High-diversity mixtures of perennial grassland plant species store 500–600% more soil C and N than same species under monoculture. Productivity and soil fertility of the natural grassland can be improved by introduction of the range legumes. Inclusion of Macroptilium lathyroides in natural grassland fetched 1.29 times increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) as compared to natural grassland. Productivity of the Cenchrus ciliaris could be improved in association with the range legumes such as Siratro, Stylosanthes, and Clitoria and also by application of nitrogenous fertilizers. In the present chapter, attempts have been made to elucidate the role of forage-based cropping systems, nutrient management, tillage, and silvipasture systems in SOC stock and productivity of different land-use systems. Additionally, the significance of the critical carbon input in maintaining the zero change in SOC values in different cropping systems, soil orders, and agroecological zones are discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aoyama M, Angers DA, N’Dayegamiye A, Bissonnette N (1999) Protected organic matter in water stable aggregates as affected by mineral fertilizer and manure applications. Can J Soil Sci 79:419–425
Benbi DK, Brar JS (2009) A 25-year record of carbon sequestration and soil properties in intensive agriculture. Agron Sustain Dev 29:257–265
Bhattacharyya R, Prakash V, Kundu S, Srivastava AK, Gupta HS (2009) Soil properties and their relationships with crop productivity after 30 years of different fertilization in the Indian Himalayas. Arch Agron Soil Sci 55:641–661
Blair N, Faulkner RD, Till AR, Poulton PR (2006) Long-term management impacts on soil C, N and physical fertility. Part I: Brodbalk Experiment. Soil Tillage Res 91(1–2):30–38
Brar BS, Singh K, Dheri GS, Kumar B (2013) Carbon sequestration and soil carbon pools in rice-wheat cropping systems: effect of long term use of inorganic fertilizers and organic manure. Soil Tillage Res 128:30–36
Bruce JP, Frome M, Haites E, Janzen H, Lal R, Paustian K (1999) Carbon sequestration in soils. J Soil Water Conserv 54(1):382–389
Conant RT, Paustian K, Elliott ET (2001) Grassland management and conversion into grassland: effects on soil carbon. Ecol Appl 11(2):343–355
Dixit AK, Agrawal RK, Das SK, Sahay CS, Choudhary M, Rai AK, Kumar S, Kantwa SR, Palsaniya DR (2018) Soil properties, crop productivity and energetics under different tillage practices in fodder sorghum + cowpea – wheat cropping system. Arch Agron Soil Sci. https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2018.1507024
Fornara DA, Tilman D (2008) Plant functional composition influences rates of soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation. J Ecol 96:314–322
Gebhart DL, Johnson HB, Mayeux HS, Polley HW (1994) The CRP increase in soil organic carbon. J Soil Water Conserv 49:488–492
Ghosh PK, Dayal D, Mandal KG, Wanjari RH, Hati KM (2003) Optimization of fertilizer schedules in fallow and groundnut-based cropping systems and an assessment of system sustainability. Field Crops Res 80:83–98
Ghosh PK, Venkatesh MS, Hazra KK, Kumar N (2012) Long-term effect of pulses and nutrient management on soil organic carbon dynamics and sustainability on an Inceptisol of Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Exp Agric 48:473–487
Gupta Choudhury S (2010) Pathways of carbon sequestration in soils under different agro-ecological zones in India using long-term fertility experiments. Ph.D. thesis, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India, pp 1–246
Hazra CR, Tripathi SB (1986) Soil properties, micrometeorological parameters, forage yield and phosphorus uptake of berseem as influenced by phosphate application under agroforestry system of production. J Agron Crop Sci 156:145–152
Kumar S, Faruqui SA (2009) Production potential and economic viability of food-forage based cropping system under irrigated conditions. Indian J Agron 54(1):36–41
Kumar S, Rawat CR, Dhar S, Rai SK (2005) Dry-matter accumulation, nutrient uptake and changes in soil fertility status as influenced by different organic and inorganic sources of nutrients to forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). Indian J Agric Sci 75(6):340–342
Lal R (2004) Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science 304:11
Lugo AE, Sanchez MJ, Brown S (1986) Land use and organic carbon content of some subtropical soils. Plant Soil 96:185–197
Majumder B, Mandal B, Bandyopadhyay PK (2008) Soil organic carbon pools and productivity in relation to nutrient management in a 20-year-old rice-berseem agro-ecosystem. Biol Fertil Soils 44:451–461
Mandal B, Majumder B, Bandyopadhyay PK, Hazra GC, Gangopadhyay A, Samantaray RN, Mishra AK, Chaudhury J, Saha MN, Kundu S (2007) The potential of cropping systems and soil amendments for carbon sequestration in soils under long-term experiments in subtropical India. Glob Chang Biol 13:357–369
Manna MC, Sahu A, Rao AS (2012) Impact of long-term fertilizers and manure application on C-sequestration efficiency under different cropping systems. Indian J Soil Conserv 40:70–77
Pathak H, Byjesh K, Chakrabarti B, Aggarwal PK (2011) Potential and cost of carbon sequestration in Indian agriculture: estimates from long-term field experiments. Field Crops Res 120:102–111
Rai P, Kanodia KC, Patil BD, Velayudhan KC, Agarwal R (1980) Nitrogen equivalence of range legumes introduced in natural grassland. Indian J Range Manag 1(2):97–101
Rai AK, Ghosh PK, Ram SN, Singh S, Kumar S, Mahanta SK, Maiti SB, Singh JP, Dixit AK, Tiwari SK, Roy AK, Kumar RV, Mishra AK, Tripathi SB (2013) Carbon sequestration in forage based land use systems. Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi, p 52
Raich JW, Potter CS (1995) Global patterns of carbon emissions from soils. Global Biogeochem Cycles 9:23–36
Reddy DD, Subba Rao A, Rupa TR (2000) Effects of continuous use of cattle manure and fertilizer phosphorus on crop yield and soil organic phosphorus in a Vertisol. Bioresour Technol 75:113–118
Six J, Feller C, Denef K (2002) Soil organic matter, biota, and aggregation in temperate and tropical soils effects of no-tillage. Agronomie 22:755–775
Srinivasarao CH, Venkateswarlu B, Lal R, Singh AK, Kundu S, Vittal KPR, Patel JJ, Patel MM (2011) Long-term manuring and fertilizer effects on depletion of soil organic carbon stocks under pearl millet-cluster bean-castor rotation in Western India. Land Degrad Dev https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.1158
Srinivasarao CH, Venkateswarlu B, Singh AK, Vittal KPR, Kundu S, Gajana GN, Ramachandrappa B, Chary GR (2012a) Critical carbon inputs to maintain soil organic carbon stocks under long term finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) cropping on Alfisols in semi arid tropical India. J Plant Nutr Soil Sci 175(5):681–688
Srinivasarao CH, Deshpande AN, Venkateswarlu B, Lal R, Singh AK, Kundu S, Vittal KPR, Mishra PK, Prasad JVNS, Mandal UK, Sharma KL (2012b) Grain yield and carbon sequestration potential of post monsoon sorghum cultivation in Vertisols in the semi arid tropics of Central India. Geoderma 175–176:90–97
Tripathi SB, Hazra CR (1986) Annual report. Indian Grassland and Fodder Research Institute, Jhansi
Trumper K, Bertzky M, Dickson B, Van Der Heijden G, Jenkins M, Manning P (2009) The natural fix? The role of ecosystems in climate mitigation. A UNEP rapid response assessment. United Nations Environment Programme, UNEPWCMC, Cambridge, UK
Vitousek P (2004) Nutrient cycling and limitation. Hawaii as a model system. Princeton University Press, Princeton, p 223
Vitousek PM, Howarth RW (1991) Nitrogen limitation on land and in the sea. How can it occur? Biogeochemistry 13:87–116
Yadav RL, Dwivedi BS, Prasad K, Tomar OK, Shurpali NJ, Pandey PS (2000) Yield trends and changes in soil organic-C and available NPK in a long-term rice–wheat system under integrated use of manures and fertilizers. Field Crop Res 68:219–246
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Rai, A.K., Ramakrishnan, S., Basak, N., Sundha, P., Dixit, A.K., Ghosh, P.K. (2020). Forage-Based Cropping Systems and Soil Organic Carbon Storage. In: Ghosh, P., Mahanta, S., Mandal, D., Mandal, B., Ramakrishnan, S. (eds) Carbon Management in Tropical and Sub-Tropical Terrestrial Systems. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9628-1_22
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-9628-1_22
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-13-9627-4
Online ISBN: 978-981-13-9628-1
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)