Consider the following agricultural practices: 1. Contour bunding 2. Relay cropping 3. Zero tillage In the context of global climate change, which of the above helps/help in carbon sequestration/storage in the soil?
- A1 and 2 only
- B3 onlyCorrect
- C1, 2 and 3
- DNone of them
Explanation
The correct answer is B because zero tillage is the primary practice among the three specifically recognized for direct carbon sequestration in the soil.
Zero tillage involves planting crops without prior soil disturbance through ploughing. This lack of disturbance prevents the oxidation of soil organic matter and keeps carbon trapped within the soil layers. It also promotes the accumulation of crop residues which decompose into organic carbon.
In contrast, contour bunding is primarily a physical soil and water conservation technique used to prevent erosion on slopes. While it helps maintain soil health, it is not fundamentally a carbon storage practice. Relay cropping is a method of planting a second crop before the first is harvested to maximize land use, but it does not inherently guarantee increased carbon storage in the same direct way that eliminating tillage does.
According to standard ecological and agricultural assessments often used by the UPSC, zero tillage is the most definitive answer for carbon sequestration in this context.
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