What impact does climate change have on organic matter and why is natural farming important in crop production and climate change?
Soil organic carbon is crucial for soil health, fertility, food production, and ecosystem services. Preserving and restoring soil organic carbon is essential for sustainable development, as farmers need to produce 60% more food by 2050 due to climate change and increasing global population. Soil with high carbon content is more productive and has better water filtration and purification abilities. The water stored in soil is the source for 90% of the world's agricultural production and represents about 65% of fresh water.
The top meter of soil globally holds an estimated 1,417 gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon, which is almost double the amount in our atmosphere and much higher than annual man-made emissions. Deeper soil layers contain even more carbon, three times as much as the atmosphere. However, poor land management practices cause soils to lose organic matter and release greenhouse gases, with one-third of the world's soils already degraded, resulting in the release of up to 78 Gt of carbon into the atmosphere. Deforestation is responsible for approximately 25% of soil organic carbon loss. Subsoils, which are soil depths greater than 20-30 cm with lower carbon content, have the potential for significant carbon sequestration. They can store up to an additional 760-1520 Gt of carbon.
Research should focus on management practices that allocate more carbon to deeper soils, such as cultivating deep rooting crops or forages.Another technique called deep ploughing, which moves carbon-rich soil material from the surface to a greater depth, can increase soil organic carbon levels by over 40% in five decades.
Soil organic matter levels commonly increase as mean annual precipitation increases. Conditions of elevated levels of soil moisture result in greater biomass production, which provides more residues, and thus more potential food for soil biota. Global warming increases the rate of decomposition of soil organic carbon (C), a major loss pathway of C from the land surface to the atmosphere, thus contributing to the increase in atmospheric CO2 and hence, global temperatures. The data suggest that a 1°C increase in temperature could ultimately lead to a loss of over 10% of soil organic C in regions of the world with an annual mean temperature of 5°C, whereas the same temperature increase would lead to a loss of only 3% of soil organic C for a soil at 30°C. As the climate changes, it is likely that more carbon will be lost to the atmosphere than be sequestered into the soil, resulting in a land carbon climate feedback loop that could further accelerate climate change. If the temperature is increased, the process is smoothly carried out and if the temperature is low, the process of decomposition is slow. The colder temperature decreases the rate of decomposition while warmer temperature increases the rate of decomposition. A decline in organic matter is caused by the reduced presence of decaying organisms, or an increased rate of decay as a result of changes in natural or anthropogenic factors. Organic matter is regarded as a vital component of a healthy soil; its decline results in a soil that is degraded. Warming can shift biomass, metabolic rate, and community composition of decomposers, and consequently influence litter decomposition rates and nutrient input into soils. Soil type, climate and management influence organic matter inputs to soil and its turnover or decomposition. Rainfall is a major driver of plant growth (biomass) and biological activity which results in the decomposition of organic matter that enters soil. It encourages farmers to use low-cost homegrown inputs, eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers, and industrial pesticides. Natural Farming has shown evidence of increased resilience of farmlands along with protecting crops against extreme weather conditions by improving the fertility and strength of the soil. Natural farmers do not use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, one of the primary contributors of greenhouse gases. Healthy soils help crops obtain nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients from organic soil organic matter. Natural Farming is a way of chemical free farming based on desi cow and locally available resources, with no chemical fertilizers and pesticides and promotes traditional indigenous practices which give freedom to farmers from externally purchased inputs and is largely based on on-farm biomass recycling. Climate change is projected to reduce wheat yield by 19.3% in 2050 and 40% in 2080 scenarios towards the end of the century with significant spatial and temporal variations. Climate change is projected to reduce the kharif maize yields by 18 and 23% in 2050 and 2080 scenarios, respectively. Climate change can affect agriculture in a variety of ways. Beyond a certain range of temperatures, warming tends to reduce yields because crops speed through their development, producing less grain in the process and higher temperatures also interfere with the ability of plants to get and use moisture.
Climate change is having a significant impact on organic matter and natural farming.
Impact of climate change on organic matter
Organic matter is essential for healthy soils. It helps to improve soil structure, water retention, and nutrient availability. It also plays a vital role in carbon sequestration, which is the process of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil.
Climate change is accelerating the decomposition of organic matter in soils. This is due to a number of factors, including rising temperatures, increased drought frequency and intensity, and more extreme weather events. When organic matter decomposes, it releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
The loss of organic matter from soils also makes them more vulnerable to erosion and compaction. This can lead to decreased crop yields and increased water pollution.
Why is natural farming important in crop production and climate change?
Natural farming is a holistic approach to agriculture that emphasizes the importance of soil health and biodiversity. Natural farmers use a variety of practices to build and maintain healthy soils, including crop rotation, cover cropping, and composting.
Natural farming practices can help to mitigate the impacts of climate change on organic matter in a number of ways:
- Increased soil organic matter content: Natural farming practices can help to increase soil organic matter content by adding organic matter to the soil and reducing the loss of organic matter through decomposition.
- Improved soil structure: Natural farming practices can help to improve soil structure, which can help to reduce soil erosion and compaction.
- Increased water retention: Natural farming practices can help to increase water retention in soils, which can help crops to withstand drought conditions.
- Improved nutrient availability: Natural farming practices can help to improve nutrient availability in soils, which can help to reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers.
In addition to mitigating the impacts of climate change on organic matter, natural farming practices can also help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. This is because natural farmers do not use synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, which are both major sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
Natural farming can also help to improve crop yields and resilience to climate change. Studies have shown that natural farming practices can lead to higher crop yields in drought years and can help crops to recover more quickly from extreme weather events.
Overall, natural farming is an important tool for both mitigating and adapting to climate change. It can help to improve soil health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve crop yields and resilience.
The increase in T and CO2 in the atmosphere will increase the OM content of soils globally.
CO2 is the greatest fertilizer that exists, in fact the green mass of the planet has increased in recent decades as CO2 has increased. The effect of CO2 on increasing yields is well known and used especially in greenhouses with high-value production. This increase in green mass also implies an increase in roots and available matter to increase the OM of the soil.
The increase in T will also increase the OM of the soil, since it accelerates the metabolism of the plants and allows the cultivation period and yields to be increased in temperate zones, as long as rainfall is maintained, as it seems to be.
It can be seen on the FAO website (https://www.fao.org/statistics/en) that the yields/ha of wheat and corn have not stopped increasing in the last 30 years, seed companies say it is merit yours, but the increase in T and CO2 has also had an influence.
To the extent that intensive agriculture increases production/ha much more than organic agriculture, it also increases soil OM much more.
Considering all these factors, the balance between the decomposition of OM due to the increase in T is widely compensated by the increase in yields caused by this increase and by the increase in CO2.
Natural Farming improves soil fertility, environmental health as well as helps in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and also promises the enhancement of farmer's income. In broad terms, Natural Farming can be considered as a prominent strategy to save the planet Earth for future generations. Natural farmers do not use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, one of the primary contributors of greenhouse gases. Healthy soils help crops obtain nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients from organic soil organic matter. Natural Farming is a way of chemical free farming based on desi cow and locally available resources, with no chemical fertilizers and pesticides and promotes traditional indigenous practices which give freedom to farmers from externally purchased inputs and is largely based on on-farm biomass recycling with crop residues. Natural Farming offers a solution to various problems, such as food insecurity, farmers' distress, and health problems arising due to pesticide and fertilizer residue in food and water, global warming, climate change and natural calamities. Warming might affect the decomposition rate of soil carbon (Song et al., 2021), and the soil DOC content probably increases when the decomposition rate of soil labile carbon is lower than that of recalcitrant organic carbon. Global warming increases the rate of decomposition of soil organic carbon (C), a major loss pathway of C from the land surface to the atmosphere, thus contributing to the increase in atmospheric CO2 and hence, global temperatures. Soil organic matter levels commonly increase as mean annual precipitation increases. Conditions of elevated levels of soil moisture result in greater biomass production, which provides more residues, and thus more potential food for soil biota. The transformation and movement of materials within soil organic matter pools is a dynamic process influenced by climate, soil type, and vegetation and soil organisms. All these factors operate within a hierarchical spatial scale. Soils in arid climates usually have low amounts of organic matter. In a very dry climate, such as a desert, there is little growth of vegetation. Decomposition is also low because of low amounts of organic inputs and low microorganism activity when the soil is dry.
The impacts of climate change on organic matter underscore the importance of sustainable agricultural practices, such as natural farming. By prioritizing soil health, biodiversity, and reduced reliance on synthetic inputs, natural farming contributes to both mitigating and adapting to the challenges posed by climate change in crop production.
Increased erosion in agricultural landscapes from anthropogenic factors can occur with losses of up to 22% of soil carbon in 50 years. Climate change will also cause soils to warm. In turn, this could cause the soil microbe population size to dramatically increase 40–150%. Climate change can affect agriculture in a variety of ways. Beyond a certain range of temperatures, warming tends to reduce yields because crops speed through their development, producing less grain in the process and higher temperatures also interfere with the ability of plants to get and use moisture. Natural farms do not use synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, one of the primary contributors of greenhouse gases. Healthy soils help crops obtain nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients from organic soil organic matter. However, it is a major source of hazardous greenhouse gases which contribute to the greenhouse effect and climate change. This climate change leads to higher temperatures and unanticipated rainfall across the country, resulting in reduced crop yields and overall food production. Natural farming promote and manage biodiversity, increased populations of natural enemies (helps control pests and diseases without chemicals), improved natural resources such as soil, water, air, and wildlife, and support pollinators, which are essential to maintaining a healthy environment as well as producing quality produce. Agriculture is the most significant source of income for the central and state governments. The government of the country has substantial revenue from rising land revenue. Also, the movement of agricultural goods helps generate revenue for the Indian railways, which helps the government in revenue generation. It encourages farmers to use low-cost homegrown inputs, eliminate the use of chemical fertilizers, and industrial pesticides. Natural Farming has shown evidence of increased resilience of farmlands along with protecting crops against extreme weather conditions by improving the fertility and strength of the soil.
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