Karma Yangzom* and Samten Choden
Soil orgnic carbon (SOC) one of the main components of soil organic matter (SOM), acts as a sink for carbon sequestration. It has been well documented that the rice cropping system and organic amendments could enhance SOC stocks. However, the capacity of rice fields to enhance SOC in Bhutan has not been well explored yet. The objective of this study was to understand the nutrient management practices in rice fields and analyse relationship between rice yield, SOC and nutrients (NPK). Soil samples from 23 households were collected and land owners were interviewed mainly focusing on rice yield and nutrient management practices. The mean rice yield in the year 2019 was 7.86 MT. The SOC ranged from 0.3% to 2.9%. The nutrients (NPK) in the soil ranged from very low (vL) to medium (M). The results showed no significant correlation between SOC and rice yield but a multiple regression equation between SOC showed a significant relationship between soil bulk density (r=0.46, with p-value=0.02679) and pH of the soil (r=0.53 with a p-value=0.009492).
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