LBNF Practices Combined with Crop Diversification Achieves Soil Organic Carbon Principle ‘4p1000’ under Tropical Conditions

Abstract

Three separate field experiments were carried out at the Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Madurai, India during 2019-22 with the aim of assessing the possibility of achieving soil organic carbon principle '4p1000' a recent initiative in restoring soil health, through a novel farming system of Low Budget Naturalway Farming by cultivating millets and pulse crops,. The experiments focused on monocropping of millets, sequential multiple cropping and intercropping of millets, and pulses. The studies continuously assessed soil organic carbon status of the cultivated fields to see whether 4p1000 is feasible under tropical conditions. The results of the trials revealed that, despite the LBNF practice of using tree leaf biomass as a source of nutrients, monocropping failed to realize the principle. However, it was feasible to accomplish this when a millet-pulse system was employed and a black gram pulse crop was introduced to the system. The intercropping of pulses and millets would contribute further to the accumulation of soil organic carbon in the cultivated fields. The study proved that the 4p1000 principle is achievable in the tropics.