Carbon Sequestration Potential of Agronomic Practices in Agricultural Soil: A Review

Abstract

Soil carbon sequestration has emerged as a critical strategy for mitigating climate change while enhancing agricultural sustainability and soil health. Agricultural soils contain a substantial proportion of terrestrial carbon, with the potential to act as either carbon sources or sinks depending on management practices. This review synthesizes current scientific understanding of the carbon sequestration potential of various agronomic practices, including conservation tillage, crop residue management, crop rotation, cover cropping, organic amendments, integrated farming systems, and agroforestry. These practices influence carbon dynamics through biological, physical, and chemical mechanisms that regulate carbon input, transformation, and stabilization in soil systems. Empirical evidence indicates that improved agronomic management can sequester approximately 0.2–1.0 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹, depending on soil type, climate, and cropping systems. The review further examines factors affecting sequestration efficiency, including soil texture, mineralogy, climatic variability, and management intensity, highlighting their interactive effects on soil organic carbon accumulation. Methods for measuring and estimating soil carbon, such as field sampling, laboratory analysis, simulation models, and remote sensing tools, are critically evaluated to address uncertainties in carbon accounting. The role of conservation agriculture and organic farming systems in enhancing long-term carbon storage is emphasized, along with their co-benefits in improving soil structure, water retention, nutrient availability, and microbial activity. Constraints such as economic limitations, adoption barriers, measurement challenges, and policy gaps are identified as key obstacles to large-scale implementation. Policy frameworks, carbon credit systems, and payment for ecosystem services are discussed as mechanisms to incentivize adoption of carbon-enhancing practices. Future research priorities include long-term experimental studies, integration of advanced technologies such as precision agriculture and biotechnology, and development of region-specific strategies. The findings underscore the importance of integrated and sustainable agronomic approaches in optimizing soil carbon sequestration, contributing to climate change mitigation, and ensuring resilient agricultural systems.