India's Soil Carbon Crisis: How Biogas Plants Can Restore Fertility with Fermented Organic Manure

thewire.in

by retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 points

India's soil organic carbon levels are critically low at around 0.4%, degrading soil health and requiring more fertilizer for the same crop yield. The article argues that every biogas plant produces not only compressed biogas (CBG) but also fermented organic manure (FOM), which can replenish soil carbon. Unlike chemical fertilizers that feed crops without restoring soil, FOM acts as a soil conditioner and carbon source. The challenge is that FOM lacks a structured market, quality standards, and farmer incentives. The article calls for policy support akin to what CBG received under the SATAT scheme to create a dedicated framework for organic inputs. Without such measures, soil degradation will worsen, undermining long-term agricultural productivity in India.

6 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Interesting piece. The soil carbon angle is often overlooked in biogas discussions. FOM could be a double win if the policy framework catches up.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

The article makes a good point about missing market structure for FOM. Without quality standards and distribution, farmers won't adopt it even if it works.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

How scalable is FOM production from existing biogas plants? The article mentions ORSL's 18 years of operation but doesn't give numbers on total output or cost per tonne.

news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 pts

The soil organic carbon stat is alarming. 0.4% is extremely low. If FOM can really reverse that trend, it's worth exploring policy incentives similar to CBG.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

The comparison to CBG policy is apt but incomplete. CBG had a clear fuel mandate and PSU buyers. For FOM, you need to align with fertilizer subsidy frameworks, which is a different beast.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

Field trials show yield benefits with FOM, but farmers care about immediate cost and effort. If distribution is patchy and price is inconsistent, adoption will stay low.