"Farmers Receive India's First Soil Carbon Payments for Regenerative Farming"
Soil carbon credits
Payments for measurable increases in soil organic carbon stored by farming practices.
Regenerative agriculture
Farming that restores soil health, biodiversity and long-term productivity.
India's intensive paddy–wheat system in the north has long produced large volumes of crop residue and placed heavy demands on groundwater. The economics of fast field clearing and narrow sowing windows have sustained residue burning despite enforcement. Regenerative farming practices aim to reverse soil degradation and increase long-term soil organic carbon while restoring water and nutrient cycles. Over recent years, private programmes and research institutions have piloted methods to quantify carbon gains from changed practices so that farmers can be paid for measurable carbon sequestration.
A market mechanism requires three pieces:
Soil-carbon payments remunerate farmers for measurable increases in soil carbon stocks resulting from regenerative practices. Typical practices include Direct Seeded Rice (DSR), reduced or no-tillage, residue retention, crop diversification, and improved crop rotations. These measures alter soil biology and aggregate stability, slowing decomposition and storing more carbon in stable organic fractions. The same practices often reduce irrigation demand and lower air pollution from stubble burning.
Credible issuance of credits depends on standardised methodologies and independent verification. The programme reported here used the Verra VM0042 methodology to quantify soil-carbon changes. …
With reference to the circumstances in Indian agriculture, the concept of "Conservation Agriculture" assumes significance. Which of the following fall under the Conservation Agriculture ?
1.Avoiding the monoculture practices
2.Adopting minimum tillage
3.Avoiding the cultivation of plantation crops
4.Using crop residues to cover soil surface
5.Adopting spatial and temporal crop sequencing/crop rotations
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
What is the use of biochar in farming?
1.Biochar can be used as a part of the growing medium in vertical farming.
2.When biochar is a part of the growing medium, it promotes the growth of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms.
3.When biochar is a part of the growing medium, it enables the growing medium to retain water for longer time.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Which one of the following best describes the concept of 'Small Farmer Large Field'?
The Verra VM0042 methodology is primarily used to quantify changes in which of the following?
A.Soil organic carbon under agricultural land-use practices
B.Emissions from industrial point sources
C.Afforestation area extent using satellites
D.Renewable-energy generation credits
Which of the following practices were explicitly promoted under the farmer carbon programme described?
1.Direct Seeded Rice (DSR)
2.Reduced tillage
3.Crop residue management
4.Mono-cropping intensification Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A.1, 2 and 3 only
B.1 and 4 only
C.2 and 4 only
D.1, 2, 3 and 4
In the soil-carbon payment model described, what role does Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) play?
A.Channels digital payments directly to farmers' accounts
B.Certifies carbon credits for sale
C.Samples soil and conducts laboratory analysis
D.Issues regulatory permits for residue management
Under the payment options reported, farmers could choose which of the following?
A.An assured upfront payment from the programme
B.75% of net carbon revenue after credits sold
C.Both A and B as mutually exclusive choices
D.Neither A nor B; only fixed government subsidy was available
Which of the following is a reported co-benefit of adopting Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) versus conventional transplanting?
A.Reduced irrigation requirement
B.Higher stubble burning incidence
C.Increased time needed for field preparation
D.Guaranteed higher yield irrespective of inputs
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