Can Wet Aggregate Stability and Texture Regulate Organic Carbon Stock in Alluvial Soils of East Champaran (Bihar)?

Aims: Here in this experiment, the investigation was done for the relationship among the various soil health parameters i.e., soil organic carbon (SOC), soil texture, and wet aggregate stability (WAS).

Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Collection of soil samples were done from 0-15 cm depth from East Champaran is situated in Bihar and is located at 26038’N and 84054’E in the year 2019-2020.

Methodology: Soil texture: 14g (+/- 0.1g) of sieved soil was added to a 50 ml centrifuge tube holding 42 ml of a dispersant 3% sodium hexametaphosphate solution follwed by 2 hr shaking and 0.053 mm sieved. Water stable aggregates: Each 0.25-mm sieve contained 4g of air-dried, 2-mm aggregate soil. Each sample's precise weight was recorded. The soil samples were dispersed for 3 minutes with 100 mL distilled water and then for 10 minutes with a 2 g/L sodium hexametaphosphate solution. Pre-weighed filter sheets were used to filter both solutions. Each filter paper was weighed after being oven-dried at 105°C.

Soil organic carbon: The amount of soil organic carbon (SOC) was calculated using the Walkley and Black technique (1934).

Results: Wet aggregate stability and soil organic carbon storage were shown to have a strong positive connection. Soil carbon stock in soils of East Champaran varied between 5.27-19.60 Mg ha-1 with an average of 12.98 Mg ha-1. WAS ranged from 3.82 to 36.43% with a mean of 16.11%. The results revealed that WAS increased with increase in SOC stock. This experiment also revealed that clay (%) and silt (%) directly affect WAS and hence enhance SOC storage.

Conclusion: So, it can be concluded that WAS and soil texture directly and positively impact SOC storage in soils of East Champaran, Bihar.