Book of Extended summaries ISDA

International Conference on Reimagining Rainfed Agro-ecosystems: Challenges &
Opportunities during 22-24, December 2022 at ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad
involving trees have the potential to positively impact climate change by reducing
atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and providing long-term carbon (C) storage. Agroforestry
offers greater potential to increase C sequestration of predominantly agriculture-dominated
landscapes than mono-crop agriculture by storing C in above- and belowground biomass,
soil, and living and dead organisms and further extending the duration of C in soils. Trees
reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere by sequestering carbon in new growth every
year. The amount of carbon annually sequestered is increased with the size and health of the
tree. The CO 2 Fix model is an easy-to-use model which simulates carbon in trees, soil and
wood products as well. The objective of this study was to quantify carbon in trees in major
agroforestry systems practiced in different agroclimatic zones and altitudinal gradients of
different rainfed agro-ecologies.
Methodology
The study was conducted at three centers of All India Coordinated Research on Dryland
agriculture. The agroforestry systems comprised of Melia dubia (semi-arid vertisols) at
Raichur, Karnataka, Custard apple-based and Aonla-based agroforestry systems (semi-arid
alfisols) at Bengaluru Karnataka, and Tamarind and guava-based agroforestry systems (semiarid
vertisols) at vijaypura, Karnataka. The CO2 Fix model was usedto quantify carbon
sequestration potential. This model simulates carbon in trees, soil and wood products as
well.The present method is purely based on CAI (Current Annual Increment). The trees were
categorized as fast-growing and slow-growing based on their nature of growth. Where Melia
dubia was categorized as fast-growing (specific gravity -0.34), Tamarindus indica (specific
gravity -0.72), Emblicaofficianalis (specific gravity -0.78), and Annona squamosa (specific
gravity -0.65) was categorized as slow growing respectively.
Results
It was evident from the table that Melia dubia recorded the highest carbon sequestration
potential 6.74 Mg C ha -1 yr -1 followed by Guava and Custard apple (4.40) and (4.41) Mg C
ha -1 yr -1 respectively. The least was noticed in Aonla (2.16) and Tamarind-based agroforestry
system (3.72). the net carbon sequestered in agroforestry systems over the simulated period
of thirty years was found maximum in Melia dubia-based agroforestry systems 201.54 Mg C
ha -1 yr -1 and the least was noticed in Aonla-based agroforestry systems. 64.80 Mg C ha-1yr-1.
Ecosystem based approaches for climate change adaptation, ecosystem services, integrated farming system
models, Land degradation neutrality
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