Plant Soil Nutrition and Carbon Sequestration

Leaching of nutrients is a notable problem in the agricultural sector. Conventional agricultural practices and intensive farming lead to the loss of essential nutrients and entrapped carbon from the soil, making soil flaccid and unfit for further crop cultivation. Retaining the nutrients in soil has become a major challenge. A judicious irrigation method is highly required depending on the land topography and soil quality. Soil dynamics reveal that soil is highly reactive and is a cradle of energy for microflora and fauna. It facilitates carbon sequestration through plants, adding carbon to the soil reservoir, which is available in organic and inorganic forms. Soil carbon sequestration improves food and nutrition stability, increases water cycling, and improves overall productivity, thereby strengthening nutrient recycling and increasing ecosystem services. Soil can sequester three times more carbon than the atmosphere, acting as a sink for carbon dioxide (CO2). Nutrients like nitrate, phosphate, and organic carbon can be retained by adding slowly decomposing sclerenchymatous organic matter like tamarind shells. It is rich in calcium and helps exchange cations and essential trace elements, making it available for plants. Therefore, the present chapter aims to converse the critical account of plant nutrition, soil nutrition, and carbon sequestration. It will also highlight the potential application of tamarind shells and the allied mechanisms facilitating the enhancement of plant soil nutrition and sequestering atmospheric carbon.