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Not AvailableAtmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has considerably increased from about 280 in 1750 to 400 parts per million (ppm) in current situation. There are several negative consequences of rising CO2 concentration. Soil is a major reservoir of carbon. There are certain soils and crop management practices by which we can sequester atmospheric CO2 in soil, out of which growing bioenergy crops in soil is one of the most promising option. Bioenergy crops sequester atmospheric CO2 in soil through their profuse and deep rooting systems and their above ground biomass can be utilized for production of green energy. This article discusses various strategies of soil carbon sequestration and how to achieve it through growing bioenergy crops.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableA detailed soil survey was undertaken in central state farm Jetsar, Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India representing the arid climate with the aim of to assess the status and potential of land resources for the suitability and production potential of soils for chickpea. The area of the farm has been divided into three major landforms viz., sand dunes, reclaimed sand dunes and aeofluvial flood plain. Based on the variation in physiography and landforms, eight soil pedons were identified in the farm. Pedon P1 & P2 occurring on sand dune and reclaimed sand dune which are sandy deep, mixed, calcareous, Typic Torripsmments whereas pedons from P3 to P8 occurring on aeofluvial flood plains which are deep, calcareous, coarse loamy to fine silty Typic/Sodic/Fluventic Haplocambids and Oxyaquic Torrifluvents. Soils of the farm belong to very deep category ranged from 135- 195 cm, sandy to clay textured developed on aeolian and alluvium parent material. These soils are moderately alkaline (8.25 pH) to strongly alkaline (9.56 pH), very low (0.02%) to low (0.29%) in organic carbon, non saline (EC 0.13) to strongly saline (EC 7.50 dsm-1), low (1.95%) to high (19.51%) in calcium carbonate. Further, soils were low in available nitrogen, low to medium in available phosphorus, low to medium in available potassium whereas soils were low in available Fe and Mn, and high in available Zn and Cu. Soil has been assessed for suitability of chickpea as per the criteria given by Naidu et al 2004. Soils of the pedon P3, P6 and P7 were moderately suitable, whereas pedon P5 was marginally suitable for the cultivation of chickpea. Soils of pedon P1, P2, P4 and and P8 were not suitable for the chickpea cultivation due to extreme values of texture, pH and organic carbon respectively. Potentially soils of pedon P3, P5, P6 and P7 were moderately suitable in contrast to P2 and P8 which are marginally suitable. Yield of the farm can increased 9-36% with soil and fertility related managements.Not Availabl

Impacts of Land Use on Pools and Indices of Soil Organic Carbon and Nitrogen in the Ghaggar Flood Plains of Arid India

Changes in land use have several impacts on soil organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling, both of which are important for soil stability and fertility. Initially, the study area was barren uncultivated desert land. During the late 1960s, the introduction of a canal in the arid region converted the barren deserts into cultivated land. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of various land use systems on temporal changes in soil organic C and N pools, and to evaluate the usefulness of different C and N management indices for suitable and sustainable land use systems under arid conditions. We quantified soil organic C and N pools in five different land uses of the Ghaggar flood plains, in hot, arid Rajasthan, India. The study focused on five land use systems: uncultivated, agroforestry, citrus orchard, rice–wheat, and forage crop. These land use systems are ≥20 years old. Our results showed that total organic carbon (TOC) was highest (7.20 g kg−1) in the forage crop and lowest in uncultivated land (3.10 g kg−1), and it decreased with depth. Across different land uses, the very labile carbon (VLC) fraction varied from 36.11 to 42.74% of TOC. In comparison to the uncultivated system, forage cropping, rice–wheat, citrus orchard, and agroforestry systems increased active carbon by 103%, 68.3%, 42.5%, and 30.6%, respectively. Changes in management and land use are more likely to affect the VLC. In soil under the forage crop, there was a considerable improvement in total N, labile N, and mineral N. Lability index of C (LIC), carbon management index (CMI), and TOC/clay indices were more sensitive to distinguishing land uses. The highest value of CMI was observed in the forage crop system followed by rice–wheat and agroforestry. In the long term, adoption of the forage crop increased soil quality in the hot, arid desert environment by enhancing CMI and VLC, which are the useful parameters for assessing the capacity of land use systems to promote soil quality

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Not AvailableWith the increasing world’s population, higher demand for sustainable food production so as to meet the requirement. It has increased tremendously due to excessive use of agrochemicals. Since, the imbalanced application of agrochemicals in agricultural field leads to soil and environmental degradation. Nowadays, the scientific community has shifted their focus on alternative eco-friendly management approach. The plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and mycorrhizae has huge potential to substitute agrochemicals. These efficient eco-friendly microbes have different plant growth-promoting (PGP) activities; hence PGPR and mycorrhizae are gaining importance for restoring soil sustainability and agricultural productivity. Application of these efficient microbes in the soil–plant–environment system will be suitable strategies for improving the soil and crop productivity.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThe evaluation of soil quality is essential in monitoring the long term effects of rice cultivation. Present study investigated the effects of long term rice cultivation on soil properties and organic C pools and identified indicators for monitoring soil quality in Ghaggar-flood plains of hot arid India. Soil samples were collected from fields with 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 years of rice cultivation. The study revealed that electrical conductivity (EC) and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) increased after 30–40 years of rice cultivation. Available nutrients increased with increas- ing years of rice cultivation. The organic carbon pools namely, total organic carbon (TOC), Walkley Black carbon (WBC) and particulate organic carbon (POC) were increased above 50% in 20 and above years of rice cultivation. The TOC and POC were increased by 40.6 to 132.4% and 31.7% to 104.8% in 10 to 40 years of rice cultivation. Cation exchange capacity, WBC, ESP and CaCO3 could serve as soil monitoring indicators of long term rice cultivation in arid region. The findings clearly indicated that long term rice cultivation could aggravate soil salinity and have negative impact on soil quality in arid environment.Not Availabl

Modeling and Assessment of Land Degradation Vulnerability in Arid Ecosystem of Rajasthan Using Analytical Hierarchy Process and Geospatial Techniques

Wind erosion is a major natural disaster worldwide, and it is a key problem in western Rajasthan in India. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), the Geographic Information System (GIS), and remote sensing satellite images are effective tools for modeling and risk assessment of land degradation. The present study aimed to assess and model the land degradation vulnerable (LDV) zones based on the AHP and geospatial techniques in the Luni River basin in Rajasthan, India. This study was carried out by examining important thematic layers, such as vegetation parameters (normalized difference vegetation index and land use/land cover), a terrain parameter (slope), climatic parameters (mean annual rainfall and land surface temperature), and soil parameters (soil organic carbon, soil erosion, soil texture, and soil depth), using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) and geospatial techniques in the Luni River basin in Rajasthan, India. The weights derived for the thematic layers using AHP were as follows: NDVI (0.27) > MAR (0.22) > LST (0.15) > soil erosion (0.12) > slope (0.08) > LULC (0.06) > SOC (0.04) > soil texture (0.03) > soil depth (0.02). The result indicates that nearly 21.4 % of the total area is prone to very high degradation risks; 12.3% is prone to high risks; and 16%, 24.3%, and 26% are prone to moderate, low, and very low risks, respectively. The validation of LDV was carried out using high-resolution Google Earth images and field photographs. Additionally, the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve found an area under the curve (AUC) value of 82%, approving the prediction accuracy of the AHP technique in the study area. This study contributes by providing a better understanding of land degradation neutrality and sustainable soil and water management practices in the river basin