Prediction of green house gas emission in the integrated farming system model: Implication on soil environment

Abstract

Global warming is a important issue in this century. Among the different sectors contribution to the society, agriculture also got its own value interms of source as well as sink to the green house gases. To identify the source and sink of green house gas contribution towards the climate change in one of the farming system model of Tamil nadu, India work has been initiated. Model consists of different cropping systems viz., Maize - Cowpea (grain) – Tomato/ Radish, Bhendi - Maize + Cowpea (F) – Sunflower, Chillies- Maize - Green manure. Cowpea (veg.)- Cotton – Sunflower, along with perennial fodder grass and fodder legume and Fruit trees (Banana, Sapota, Anola, Guava) and border crops along with livestock components viz.,dairy and telicherry goat breed, Manure pit, threshing floor, vermicompost yard, etc. Among the different components, Livestock contribute more to the GHG emission (60%) followed by energy usage (20%) and then from crops (12%) and remaining by soil. In carbon sequestration, annual biomass contributed higher C removal followed by agroforestry (17%). Among cropping, forage crops contributes to 46% of carbon sequestration and forages can be recommended to build up underground carbon besides above ground biomass. Model as a whole, though crops contributed to green house gases, it also contributes for carbon sequestration and this will compensate the global warming potential created by livestock. The model for small and marginal farmers of western zone of Tamil nadu is carbon negative one. There is no harm to the environment by adopting the integrated farming system model consists of annual cropping along with agroforestry, livestock and vermicompost and fodder crops.