Soil organic carbon improvement, FYM compost, residue, reduced tillage, biology.
How to improve organic carbon and overall soil fertility long term?
MMallika Reddy7mo ago · 196 views
4 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓6mo ago
Raising soil organic carbon is the single best way to improve long-term fertility, water holding, and microbial life, and it happens through steady addition of organic matter, not one big dose. Regularly apply FYM, compost, and vermicompost; return crop residue instead of burning; grow green manures and include legumes in rotation; and use bio-fertilisers and natural inputs like jeevamrit to feed soil microbes. Minimise unnecessary tillage and keep the soil covered with mulch or crops so carbon is not lost. Balance chemical fertiliser with organics (integrated nutrient management) rather than relying on urea alone. Re-test soil every 2 to 3 years through the Soil Health Card to track organic carbon trend. Improvement is gradual over several seasons.
VVenkatesh Naik6mo ago
Returning crop residue instead of burning it was the easiest single change for me. Over a few years my soil got darker and softer to work, and held moisture longer between irrigations.
SShahnaz Begum5mo ago
Cutting back on extra ploughing helped too. I used to till more than needed; reducing passes and keeping the surface covered with mulch slowed the loss of organic matter.
MMohan Lal Verma4mo ago
Do not expect the organic carbon figure to jump in one season; it creeps up slowly. I track it on each new Soil Health Card every couple of years, and pairing organics with a balanced fertiliser dose from the card worked better than dropping chemicals entirely.