Impact of carbon inputs on soil carbon fractionation, sequestration and biological responses under major nutrient management practices for rice-wheat cropping systems

Major nutrient management systems for rice-wheat cropping were compared for their potential to credit organic carbon (C) to the soil, its fractionation into active (very labile, VLc; labile, Lc) and passive (less labile, LLc; non-labile, NLc) pools, and crop yield responses. A ten-year long experiment was used to study effects of: (i) no inputs (Control, O), (ii) 100% inorganic fertilizers (F) compared to reduced fertilizers inputs (55%) supplemented with biomass incorporation from (iii) opportunity legume crop ( Vigna radiata ) (LE), (iv) green manure ( Sesbania aculeata ) (GM), (v) farmyard manure (FYM), (vi) wheat stubble (WS), and (vii) rice stubble (RS). Maximum C input to soil (as the percentage of C assimilated in the system) was in GM (36%) followed by RS (34%), WS (33%), LE (24%), and FYM (21%) compared to O (15%) and F (15%). Total C input to soil had a direct effect on soil C stock, soil C fractions (maximum in VLc and LLc), yet the responses in terms of biological yield were controlled by the quality of the biomass (C:N ratio, decomposition, etc. ) incorporated. Legume-based biomass inputs accrued most benefits for soil C sequestration and biological productivity.