Improving Water Storage through Effective Soil Organic Matter Management Strategies under Dryland Farming in India

Abstract

With the rise in global population, food demand is increasing particularly in densely populated South Asia. In India, rainfed area covers about 55% of the net sown area (139.42 million ha) and about 61% of the farmers are cultivating crops under the rainfed region. Almost 80% of small and marginal farmers of the country depend on the rainfed farming for their livelihoods. Rainfall is the main source of water in drylands. Coping with the extreme variability in rainfall, high-intensity storms, and high frequency of dry spells are the key challenges in rainfed agriculture as it is complex, highly diverse, and risk prone. Soil organic carbon (SOC) has a critical role in soil plant water relationships and contributes to drought mitigation. Increasing SOC by 1% may increase the available water holding capacity (AWHC) by 2 to >5%. Soil organic matter content (SOM) is also vital to soil processes like nutrient dynamics, water interactions, and for maintaining the biological and physical health of soil. The low level of SOC content in rainfed drylands is due to rapid decomposition of added organic matter, loss of carbon through soil erosion and use of inappropriate crop management practices. Thus, improving SOC in drylands contributes to productivity enhancement and stability due to higher available water retention during mid-season droughts while improving other soil productivity factors. Therefore, intensive implementation of site-specific available C enrichment technologies in different agro-ecosystems can maintain the overall productivity functions of soil even under adverse conditions. Thus, the present chapter aims to cover the SOC status of rainfed drylands, drought management with improving SOC technologies along with various national programs which address to improve SOC content and stocks in agroecosystems of India. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Rattan Lal; individual chapters, the contributors.