Effect of Conservation Agriculture Practices on Carbon Pools in a Sandy Loam Soil of Indo-Gangetic Plains

Conservation agriculture practices have been globally recognized for improving soil quality by enhancing soil organic carbon, mitigating climate change, and boosting resilience, thereby supporting food security. However, declining soil organic carbon (SOC) is reported as a significant issue in Indian soil, particularly in Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). In this investigation, the experiment was conducted to assess the impacts of crop residue retention under conservation agriculture practices with green seeker (GS)-based nitrogen (N) application. The finding of this study revealed that passive carbon pools were 25% and 22% higher in Zero Tillage with Residue Retention (ZTWR) than in Zero Tillage without Residue Retention (ZTWoR) during 2018 and 2019, respectively. Active carbon pools were found to increase, 5.47 g kg(-1) in ZTWR plots and 4.34 g kg(-1) in ZTWoR plots, while passive carbon pools were recorded at 7.46 g kg(-1) in ZTWoR plots and 9.23 g kg(-1) in ZTWR plots. The passive carbon pool was recorded as highest in ZTWR 50% N+GS treatment (8.61 g kg(-1)) and lowest in ZTWoR 70%N+GS treatment (8.15 g kg(-1)). 50%N+GS subplot treatment performed well in precision nitrogen management treatment under conservation agriculture, and it also improved various carbon pools; Overall, ZTWR performed better than ZTWoR plots, and 50%N+GS improved SOC pools in the subplot, it is followed by RDN, 33%N+GS and RDN subplot treatment. The soil organic pools are positively correlated with crop yields. Hence, the present study recommends that residue retention in conservation agriculture and optimized precision nitrogen management improve the soil organic carbon pools, ultimately improving soil fertility and sustainability.

Automated summary

Conservation agriculture practices, specifically residue retention, have been found to improve soil quality by increasing soil organic carbon content. This study investigated the impacts of crop residue retention under conservation agriculture practices with the use of green seeker-based nitrogen application. The results showed that the passive carbon pools were higher in plots with residue retention compared to plots without residue retention.