Soil carbon sequestration through farming practices a carbon-negative technique to reduce global warming

Abstract

Widespread exploitation of natural resources resulted in many concomitant environmental hazards out of which global warming is utmost important. Rise in Green House Gases (GHGs) concentration especially CO2 in the atmosphere, causes global warming. Agriculture accounts for about 14% of global GHGs or about 6.8 Giga tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year. Agricultural activities serve as both source and sink for GHGs. Agriculture sinks of greenhouse gases are reservoirs of carbon that have been removed from the atmosphere through the process known as carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration involves innovative farming practices such as conservation tillage, organic production, improved cropping systems, land restoration, agroforestry system, microbial sequestration, biochar etc. which trap CO2 from the atmosphere. Soil carbon sequestration off-set emissions from fossil fuel combustion and other carbon-emitting activities while enhancing soil quality and long-term crop productivity.