Abstract
Aim:
The objective of this study was to monitor the changes in soil fertility
parameters of Punjab soils for the last 15 years (2005/06 to 2019/20) and to
estimate the contribution of rice-wheat system to soil carbon sequestration.
Methodology: This investigation is based on 66.7 thousand surface
(0-15 cm) soil samples that were received in the Soil Testing Laboratory,
Department of Soil Science and were analyzed for different fertility
parameters such as pH, EC, organic carbon, phosphorous and potassium
following standard protocols.
Results:
Analysis of soil fertility parameters data of last 15 years indicated
positive trends of change in soil pH (7.7 to 7.4), organic carbon (4.0 to 5.4
g kg-1) and available P (9.9 to 15.4 mg kg-1). These
changes are very much synchronised with increase in average rice-wheat yield
trend (7.99 to 9.38 t ha-1) in the State of Punjab. Intensive
cultivation also helped in higher soil carbon sequestration (3.73 t ha-1).
Interpretation: There is an
indication of improved soil fertility/health, including increased soil carbon
sequestration in the Indian Punjab. The long-term trends of change in
different soil fertility parameters will help to regulate the fertilizers
usage to sustain the soil health as well as crop yields in this region.
Key words: Intensive
agriculture, Punjab, Rice-wheat cropping system, Soil organic carbon, Soil pH
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