Published Paper Details:

For increasing carbon stock in soil cropping of fodders with best fertilizer combination doses is necessary. As based on various research papers it is obvious that fodder crops have great opportunity to fix and store carbon in the soil. Carbon assimilation in fodder crops viz; oat (JHO 20-10), lathyrus (Ratan ), berseem (BB-3) & makhan grass ( Hybrid Variety) cultivated by farmers of M.P as influenced by four fertilizer treatments viz:100% RDF through vermi-compost (10 tonnes/ha), 100% RDF (NPK 50:50:40), 50% RDF through Vermi-compost + 50% RDF(NPK) through inorganic fertilizers (5tonnes/ha+NPK 25:25:20) & control fodders (no fertilizer) was assesed during 2017-18 & 2018-19 in Rabi season at the research farm of CoA, Gwalior. The field had homogenous fertility and uniform textural make up. The soil properties, soil organic carbon content, plant organic carbon, fodder yield, plant growth parameters, fresh and dry weight of fodders were studied. The results of the study revealed that growing of oat in comparison to lathyrus, berseem and makhan grass as a fodder crop in dry areas will play a vital role to some extent as it has a capacity to assimilate higher carbon from the atmosphere and so help in mitigating the global warming. Growing fodder crops will store carbon and by planting fodders will also provide a good quality green fodder for the animals reared by the farmers. Carbon assimilation in fodder crops revealed that oat crop when applied with 50% RDF through Vermi-compost + 50% RDF through (5 tonnes/ha+ N P K 25:25:20) was best among other fodder crops for higher carbon storage in the soil followed by 100% RDF (NPK 50:50:40) & 100 % vermi-compost (10 t/ha) application. Therefore, farmers may be advised to select oat crop, among other fodders for higher carbon assimilation. Consequently, higher carbon sequestration will be assured in successive years. The next better fertilizer dose combination was 100% RDF (NPK 50:50:40) followed by 100 % vermi compost (10 t/ha) for oat crop.