Biodrainage and Carbon Sequestration

CANAL irrigation introduced for increasing crop production in arid and semi-arid regions also caused a rise in the groundwater table followed by waterlogging and secondary soil salinization. For the reclamation of waterlogged saline soils, the conventional technique is sub-surface drainage which is relatively expensive and generates harmful drainage effluents. A viable alternative of the above technique could be biodrainage, which is ‘pumping of excess soil water by deep-rooted plants using bioenergy’. Biodrainage is economical because it requires only initial investment for planting the vegetation, and when established, the system provides economic returns by means of fodder, wood or fibre harvested and additionally sequesters carbon in the timber. Cloned Eucalyptus tereticornis (Mysure gum) is fastgrowing, goes straight and thus has low shading effect and has luxurious water consumption where excess soil moisture conditions exist. It grows well under a wide range of climatic conditions. In waterlogged areas, it can be successfully grown by ridge planting. The world’s Eucalyptus plantation area has increased to 19 m ha because of its fast growth rate, and carbon sequestration.