Carbon sequestration pattern in conventional and organic tea plantations

Abstract

A case study was undertaken to assess the terrestrial carbon sequestration potential of tea plantations under conventional (inorganic) and organic cultivation practices for a period of 10 years at Parry Agro Tea Plantations, located at Valparai, Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu. During the investigation period, the above-ground (carbon accumulation in shoots) and below ground (soil organic carbon in surface and sub-surface horizons) carbon stocks have been assessed. The data collected were critically analysed and reported. Overall, the data suggest that continuous cultivation of tea plantation organically has resulted in the production of higher biomass in the above ground by 43% (194.4 t ha') in comparison to conventional system of cultivation (136 t ha''). The below-ground carbon accumulation in organic tea plantation measured in terms of SOC stock was 135 tha"' while the conventional system had registered 125 tha"' with a gain in carbon stock of 10.26 t ha'' in the organic system. The results clearly demonstrated that the maintenance of tea plantation organically has a distinct advantage of additional carbon sequestration in the system to the tune of 38.61 h a ' which was gained over a period of 10 years, in comparison to conventional system.