The large uncertainty in soil carbon–climate feedback predictions has been attributed to the incorrect parameterization of decomposition temperature sensitivity and microbial carbon use efficiency. Empirical experiments have found that these parameters vary spatiotemporally, but such variability is not included in current ecosystem models. Here we use a thermodynamically based decomposition model to test the hypothesis that this observed variability arises from interactions between temperature, microbial biogeochemistry, and mineral surface sorptive reactions.

The sustenance of food and nutritional security are the major challenges of the 21st century. The domestic food production needs to increase per annum at the rate of 2% for cereals and 0.6% for oilseeds and pulses to meet the demand by 2030. The Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) and the black soil regions (BSR) are the two major food production zones of the country. Since irrigation potetential is limited and expansion of irrigated area is tardy, rainfed agriculture holds promise to satisfy future food needs.

Innovative methods are increasingly important to utilize existing soil information and in this context spatial soil information systems play an important role. Soil is an important component of land use planning as it acts both as a source and sink of energy for many functions of the land. In general, all living and non-living things on earth get their energy for functioning from the soil in the form of nutrients, water and air.

This paper examines the socio-economic impact of proposed dam on cropland productivity of Mahadayi project, Karnataka, India. Systematic appraisal of dam and their designing by categories of classes on the basis of physical and chemical characteristics of soil has been done in favour of development of agronomic conditions for the study of proposed dam sites in Karnataka. The study is aimed at the effective utilization of land according to their classes.

Carbon sequestration has been suggested as a means to help mitigate the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. Silvipastoral systems can better sequester carbon in soil and biomass and help to improve soil conditions. In the present study, carbon sequestration was quanitified both in biomass and soil.

Agriculture faces great challenges to ensure global food security by increasing yields while reducing environmental costs. Here we address this challenge by conducting a total of 153 site-year field experiments covering the main agro-ecological areas for rice, wheat and maize production in China.

Biomass burning ia a major contributor to the atmospheric carbon budget and increases the concentration of many trace gases apart from the adverse effects on soil properties. However, in manyy parts of India, crop residue burning is a recurrent and widespread practice for disposal of the residues after harvest of the previous crop to facilitate sowing of the succeeding crop. The residue burning on a larger scale also leads to severe atmospheric pollution.

Original Source

oils store about four times as much carbon as plant biomass, and soil microbial respiration releases about 60 petagrams of carbon per year to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Short-term experiments have shown that soil microbial respiration increases exponentially with temperature. This information has been incorporated into soil carbon and Earth-system models, which suggest that warming-induced increases in carbon dioxide release from soils represent an important positive feedback loop that could influence twenty-first-century climate change.

Agriculture faces great challenges to ensure global food security by increasing yields while reducing environmental costs. Here we address this challenge by conducting a total of 153 site-year field experiments covering the main agro-ecological areas for rice, wheat and maize production in China.