Decomposition of Soil Organic Component under Organic Rice Cultivation in Bali, Indonesia

Abstract

As mentioned in numerous sources of literature, soil organic carbon is the major component of the terrestrial carbon pool. Soil organic carbon in agricultural soil is a potential sink for the atmospheric carbon. The need for major changes in the global food system has been emphasized by numerous reports. Organic farming is considered to be one of the keys for the establishment of sustainable agriculture. In this study, our research team tried to compare the decomposition intensity of soil organic components under organic and conventional rice cultivations to find the effects of organic farming on the accumulation of soil organic carbon. From the examinations conducted in two organic and conventional paddy cultivation fields in Bali, we observed that the intensity of the decomposition of soil organic component was low in the organic paddy field, while high in the conventional. Not only the low input of fertilizers but also the input of plant residues can be considered to contribute for the stabilization of soil organic component in the organic farming systems.