South Asia is a global hotspot for climate change with enormous pressure on land and water resources for feeding
the burgeoning population. The agricultural production systems are highly vulnerable in the region and is primarily
dominated by small and marginal farmers with intensive farming practices that had favored the loss of C
from soil. This review discusses the potential of soil and crop management practices such as minimum/reduced/
no-tillage, use of organic manure, balanced and integrated plant nutrient application, precision land levelling,
precision water and pest management, residue management and cropping system optimization to maintain the
C-equilibrium between soil and atmosphere and to enhance the C-sequestration in the long run. Results of metaanalysis
show a potential 36% increase in soil organic C stock in the top 0–15 cm layer in this region which
amounts to ∼18 Mg C stocks ha−1. Improved management practices across crops and environment may reduce
methane emission by 12% resulting in an 8% reduction in global warming potential (GWP), while nonsubmerged
condition led to a 51% GWP reduction in rice. Conservation agriculture and precision fertilization
also reduced GWP by 11 and 14%, respectively. Although several innovative climate resilient technologies having
significant potential for C-sequestration have been developed, there is an urgent need for their scaling and accelerated
adoption to increase soil C-sequestration. Policies and programs need to be devised for incentivizing
farmers to adopt more C-neutral or C-positive agricultural practices. The national governments and other agencies
should work towards carbon farming together with global initiatives such as the 4p1000 Initiative and
Global Soil Partnership, in addition to research and policy changes. This will be vital for the success of soil C sequestration
in South Asia.
