Sub-problem

Prevailing farm practices are depleting soil organic carbon

• National

In December 2024 the Ministry of Agriculture told the Lok Sabha that the major reasons for decreasing organic carbon in agricultural soils are injudicious or excessive chemical fertiliser use, frequent tillage, stubble burning, overgrazing and erosion, and the replacement of perennial vegetation with monoculture crops and pastures. Organic carbon is one of the parameters tested under the Soil Health Card scheme, but this entry does not have a published national trend for it. Evidence confidence: Medium — the causes are officially stated; the national extent of the decline is not quantified here.