Age Effects of Millet Crops on Phytolith Carbon Sequestration

R. Vidhya¹ and L. Arul Pragasan^1,

¹Department of Environmental Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu - 641 046, India

Cite this paper:
R. Vidhya and L. Arul Pragasan. Age Effects of Millet Crops on Phytolith Carbon Sequestration. Applied Ecology and Environmental Sciences. 2022; 10(12):747-753. doi: 10.12691/aees-10-12-7

Abstract

Carbon sequestration within the phytoliths plays an effective long-term carbon sequestration mechanism. This study explores the potential of carbon sequestration among the millet crops such as Pearl millet, Sorghum, Little millet, Finger millet and Foxtail millet at three different growth ages. The crop samples were divided into three growth ages: 30th day, 60th day and 90th day after sowing and divided into aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB) for analysis of carbon occluded within phytoliths (phytOC). This study revealed that the maximum accumulation of phytoliths and occlusion of carbon were observed on the 60th day. Among the millet crops, Finger millet showed the highest phytOC yield, flux and production rate. Therefore, cultivating high phytOC crops such as Finger millet could certainly contribute to terrestrial carbon sequestration in mitigation of global warming and climate change.

Keywords:
biomass millets phytolith occluded carbon terrestrial carbon sequestration growth stages

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