Carbon Sequestration Through Miyawaki Plantation

Background: Deforestation is a worldwide issue, accounting to the annual forest loss estimate of about 9.4 million hectares. Land degradation and global warming have brought drastic environmental conditions affecting agriculture and human life. Therefore, finding solutions to mitigate climate change has become increasingly important. Turning the carbon clock to normal and protecting the environment is the need of the hour. Thus, the study aimed to mitigate the microclimate through the Modified Miyawaki plantation at SRM CAS with native plants. Methods: Soil amelioration, Modified Miyawaki Plantation (micro-rainwater harvesting pond), organic inputs and Mycorrhiza biofertilizer enhanced the growth of native plants Syzygium cumini, Madhuca longifolia and Millettia pinnata planted in a square pattern with four plants per square metre. The height, girth at the base of each native tree and soil carbon are measured every 3rd month from May 2022 till October 2024. The carbon sequestration by the native species was estimated by measuring the above and below-ground biomass. Result: The micro-rain water harvesting ponds in each experimental plot stored 32M3 water and supported the growth of the trees. During the study period of 29 months, the organic amendments such as paddy straw mulching, vermicompost and panchagavya enhanced the carbon from 0.154 to 0.601 in the experimental plots compared to 0.025 in the control plots. The average biomass recorded and estimated at the end of the study period recorded a maximum carbon by Madhuca longifolia (250532.71 Kg) and a minimum of 10649.2 Kg by Syzygium cumini. The trees are interconnected through mycorrhizal network.