Carbon Sequestration Potential in Rainfed Agriculture

Rainfed agriculture is at the cross roads. With 82% of cropland area in the world and 60% in India, there is a strong need to enhance, improve and sustain agronomic productivity of rainfed agriculture. Soil degradation and desertification, severe problems in rainfed agriculture, are being exacerbated by the abrupt climate change (ACC), and are a positive feedback. These degradative processes can be reversed by enhancing the soil and ecosystem carbon (C) pools and increasing their mean residence time (MRT). Enhancing C pool in soils and biota necessitate adoption of sustainable land management (SLM) options. Important among these are mulch farming, cover cropping, integrated nutrient management (INM), including the use of compost and other biofertilizers. The goal is to create positive C, water, and nutrients budgets in soils under rainfed agriculture. Payments to farmers for providing ecosystem services, and creating another income stream by trading of C credits are important to promote the adoption of SLM options. In this context, there is a strong need to establish and strengthen mechanisms of communication between scientists on the one hand, and land managers and policy makers on the other. Basic laws of soil management must be observed so that soil, water and other natural resources are not taken for granted.