Restoring Soil Organic Carbon for Sustainable Agriculture | 11 Nov 2025

Source: TH 

Why in News?

A study by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) reveals that unscientific fertilizer use and climate change are depleting organic carbon in India’s arable lands, based on 254,236 soil samples from 620 districts across 29 States. 

• Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is the carbon in soil organic matter, including decomposed residues and microbes, and indicates soil health, fertility, water retention, and climate impact. 

What are the Key Findings of the ICAR Study on Soil Organic Carbon in India?

• Impact of Fertilisers and Climate Change: Unscientific fertiliser use and rising temperatures reduce soil organic carbon. States like Haryana, Punjab, and parts of Western Uttar Pradesh overuse urea and phosphorus, harming soil health, while Bihar, with balanced fertiliser use, fares better.

• Influence of Environmental Factors: Organic carbon is higher at higher elevations and lower in lowlands, and decreases with higher temperatures, as seen in Rajasthan and Telangana. Rainfall has a smaller effect compared to temperature and elevation. 
• Impact of Cropping Systems: Rice-based and pulse-based systems help retain higher organic carbon due to microbial activity and irrigation. Wheat and coarse-grain systems have lower organic carbon content. 
• Correlation with Micronutrients: Low organic carbon results in higher micronutrient deficiency, while high organic carbon improves soil fertility. 

What are the Key Implications of Depleting Organic Carbon? 

• Reduced Soil Fertility & Productivity: Organic carbon is vital for soil health, and its depletion causes poor soil structure, reduced water retention, and micronutrient deficiencies, affecting crop quality and yield.  
  • This leads to stagnating or declining crop yields, posing a long-term threat to India’s food security. 
• Climate Change Feedback Loop: Depleted soils create a two-way problem: they release stored carbon as CO₂, and their lighter, poorly structured surfaces reflect more heat, contributing to localized warming and altered microclimates. 
• Increased Cost of Cultivation: Declining soil fertility increases fertilizer use, costs, and farming risks, while depleted soils miss carbon credit opportunities, reducing profit incentives for sustainable practices. 
• Threat to Agricultural Sustainability: The current input-driven agriculture model is unsustainable, degrading soil and undermining initiatives like the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Soil Health Card Scheme, and targets for natural farming and carbon credits. 
• Loss of Biodiversity: Soil organic carbon is the primary energy source for a vast ecosystem of microorganisms, earthworms, and other biota essential for nutrient cycling. Its depletion decimates this underground biodiversity. 

What Steps are Needed for Sustainable Soil Management in India? 

• Sustainable Crop Management: Zero tillage, cover cropping, and residue retention can preserve Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) by improving soil health and carbon sequestration, with no-till systems and diverse crops building carbon over time. 
• Balanced Fertiliser Use: Strengthen the Soil Health Card Scheme by creating a digital soil database to provide farmers with site-specific nutrient management plans specifying N, P, K, and micronutrient dosages.  
  • Promote organic and alternative fertilisers and reform the subsidy policy to support balanced, soil-test-based fertilisation. 
• Carbon-Sequestering Cropping Systems: Promote cropping diversification and agroforestry to build biomass and enhance soil organic matter. Encourage carbon-rich practices like conservation agriculture, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), and cover cropping to improve soil health and retain organic carbon. 
• Carbon Credit Framework for Agriculture: Develop a National Carbon Credit Framework for agriculture using ICAR’s soil map to measure soil carbon stocks. 
  • Provide direct incentives for farmers to adopt carbon-sequestering practices like no-till farming and organic manuring, creating a new revenue stream and promoting sustainable farming. 
• Leveraging Technology: Develop digital platforms integrating Soil Health Card data, satellite imagery, and weather data for real-time irrigation and nutrient advisories. Promote drip irrigation and sprinklers under the "Per Drop, More Crop" initiative to ensure efficient water use and protect soil health. 
• Policy Integration: Incorporate soil health management into key schemes like PM-KISAN, NMSA, and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), focusing on areas with very low soil organic carbon (<0.25%).  
  • Provide farmer training through Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) on the relationship between soil organic carbon, fertiliser efficiency, and long-term profitability. 

Conclusion 

The ICAR study highlights that unscientific fertilizer use and climate change are depleting soil organic carbon, threatening soil fertility, biodiversity, and agricultural sustainability. Adoption of balanced fertilisation, carbon-sequestering cropping systems, digital monitoring, and carbon credit frameworks is critical to restore soil health, improve crop productivity, and achieve long-term sustainable agriculture in India.