OBJECTIVES MAIN RESULTS - Food and Agriculture ... · Application of tank silt reduced the EC from...
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Enhancing Soil Organic Carbon through Tank Silt Application R. Adhinarayanan DHAN Foundation Climate Change and Soil Health Climate change poses threat to monsoon dependent rainfed farming worldwide. Increased dry spell often pushes them to re-sow failed crops. Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers changed the soil nutrient composition and physical properties (hardening of top soil). It prevents the soil from absorbing rain water, and in-turn surface runoff during rainfall erodes the top soil. The reduction of soil organic matter and moisture holding capacity also increases the risk of rainfed farming and increases the cost of cultivation, leading farmers to abstain from farming, lose employment and face food and nutritional insecurity. Study Area This farmers participatory research was conducted in T.Kallupatti (77.89 0 E longitude and 9.75 0 N latitude) block of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu in India. People locally classify the soil type as “pottal” (clay with less moisture holding capacity and fertility) and “karisal” (black cotton soil with high moisture holding capacity). Tank Silt Application Tank silt is a fine soil brought from surface runoff during rainfall from catchment area along with crop debris and is deposited as sediment in the tank water spread area and decomposed over a period time. This silt is considered to be rich in organic matter. The poor physical, chemical and biological property of the soil heightens the ill effects of climate change, which significantly affects the rainfed cropping. The study focused on application of tank silt along with goat penning to change the physical and nutritional characteristics of soil. Upto 2-3 feet sediment (tank silt) was excavated and transported and spread in agricultural field and incorporated during ploughing. In each acre of rainfed land 50 cubic metres tank silt was applied for 104 farmers (including 73 acres of pottal land and 31 acres of karisal land). Effect on Organic Carbon Tank silt has significant amount of organic carbon (0.89) that changed the organic carbon content of soil ranging from 0.03 to 0.40. It also increased its moisture holding capacity. Tank silt is a locally available and low-cost substitute for chemical fertilizer. It has demonstrated its efficacy in augmenting adaptation capacity of rainfed farms to climate change in the study area. It has proven for multiple benefits on climate resilient farming that can be promoted in large scale. Fig. 1: Tank Silt being Applied in Rainfed Land Effect of Tank Silt Application on Crop Yield Tab. 1 (a+b): Effect of Silt Application on Soil Organic Carbon Effect on Electrical Conductivity (EC) Application of tank silt reduced the EC from 0.02 to 1.21 dSm -1 , which was caused by use of saline ground water and excessive use of inorganic fertilizer. Effect on Crop Yield Yields of crops such as Barnyard millet, Maize, Paddy, Pearl-millet, Cotton and Chilly cultivated by the participant farmers in the study area with (treatment) and without tank silt (control) application were measured and compared with their average normal yields. Organic Carbon (%) Before After Change 0.29 0.69 0.40 0.34 0.37 0.03 0.27 0.36 0.09 0.2 0.31 0.11 0.13 0.29 0.16 0.19 0.31 0.12 Yield (Kg. per acre) Increase of yield (%) compared with Crop Control Normal Treatment Normal Control Barnyard millet 100 700 1400 100.00 1300.00 Maize 909 1400 1067 -23.78 17.38 Paddy 2448 2880 3500 21.52 42.97 Pearl millet 328 600 417 -30.50 27.13 Cotton 70 350 222 -36.57 217.14 Chilly 100 650 625 -3.84 525.00 0.24 0.39 Before After Organic Carbon (%) INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES MAIN RESULTS Fig 2: Increased crop yield CONCLUSION Fig. 3: Tank Silt Tab. 2: Effects of tank silt application on crop yield
Transcript of OBJECTIVES MAIN RESULTS - Food and Agriculture ... · Application of tank silt reduced the EC from...
Enhancing Soil Organic Carbon through Tank Silt Application
R. AdhinarayananDHAN Foundation
Climate Change and Soil Health
Climate change poses threat tomonsoon dependent rainfedfarming worldwide. Increased dryspell often pushes them to re-sowfailed crops. Indiscriminate use ofchemical fertilizers changed thesoil nutrient composition andphysical properties (hardening oftop soil). It prevents the soil fromabsorbing rain water, and in-turnsurface runoff during rainfallerodes the top soil. The reductionof soil organic matter and moistureholding capacity also increases therisk of rainfed farming andincreases the cost of cultivation,leading farmers to abstain fromfarming, lose employment and facefood and nutritional insecurity.
Study Area
This farmers participatoryresearch was conducted inT.Kallupatti (77.890 E longitudeand 9.750 N latitude) block ofMadurai district, Tamil Nadu inIndia. People locally classify thesoil type as “pottal” (clay with lessmoisture holding capacity andfertility) and “karisal” (blackcotton soil with high moistureholding capacity).
Tank Silt Application
Tank silt is a fine soil broughtfrom surface runoff duringrainfall from catchment areaalong with crop debris and isdeposited as sediment in thetank water spread area anddecomposed over a period time.This silt is considered to be richin organic matter. The poorphysical, chemical and biologicalproperty of the soil heightens theill effects of climate change,which significantly affects therainfed cropping. The studyfocused on application of tanksilt along with goat penning tochange the physical andnutritional characteristics of soil.Upto 2-3 feet sediment (tank silt)was excavated and transportedand spread in agricultural fieldand incorporated duringploughing. In each acre ofrainfed land 50 cubic metrestank silt was applied for 104farmers (including 73 acres ofpottal land and 31 acres ofkarisal land).
Effect on Organic Carbon
Tank silt has significant amountof organic carbon (0.89) thatchanged the organic carboncontent of soil ranging from 0.03to 0.40. It also increased itsmoisture holding capacity.
Tank silt is a locally available andlow-cost substitute for chemicalfertilizer. It has demonstrated itsefficacy in augmenting adaptationcapacity of rainfed farms toclimate change in the study area.It has proven for multiplebenefits on climate resilientfarming that can be promoted inlarge scale.
Fig. 1: Tank Silt being Applied in Rainfed Land
Effect of Tank Silt Application on Crop Yield
Tab. 1 (a+b): Effect of Silt Application on Soil Organic Carbon
Effect on ElectricalConductivity (EC)
Application of tank silt reducedthe EC from 0.02 to 1.21 dSm-1,which was caused by use of salineground water and excessive use ofinorganic fertilizer.
Effect on Crop Yield
Yields of crops such as Barnyardmillet, Maize, Paddy, Pearl-millet,Cotton and Chilly cultivated by theparticipant farmers in the studyarea with (treatment) and withouttank silt (control) application weremeasured and compared with theiraverage normal yields.
Organic Carbon (%)Before After Change
0.29 0.69 0.400.34 0.37 0.030.27 0.36 0.090.2 0.31 0.110.13 0.29 0.160.19 0.31 0.12
Yield (Kg. per acre) Increase of yield (%) compared with
Crop Control Normal Treatment Normal Control
Barnyard millet 100 700 1400 100.00 1300.00
Maize 909 1400 1067 -23.78 17.38
Paddy 2448 2880 3500 21.52 42.97Pearl millet 328 600 417 -30.50 27.13
Cotton 70 350 222 -36.57 217.14
Chilly 100 650 625 -3.84 525.00
0.24
0.39
Before After
Organic Carbon (%)
INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVES MAIN RESULTS
Fig 2: Increased crop yield
CONCLUSION
Fig. 3: Tank Silt
Tab. 2: Effects of tank silt application on crop yield
