Rama Krishna Naresh

The aim of the study was to reduce the chemical fertilizers with microbial inoculant-rich vermicompost, which enhanced the growth, flowering, and soil health of the tuberose crop. A total of six treatments were applied with reducing doses of synthetic fertilizers under a factorial randomized design and replicated thrice. In this study, vermicompost (VC) made from cow dung and vegetable waste utilizing Eisenia foetida and their mixed biomass were enriched with microbial inoculants and assessed for their impact on microbial and enzymatic populations including urease, acid phosphatase activity and dehydrogenase activity in soil, nutrient availability, and tuberose development and flowering. The enriched vermicompost was effectively prepared through seventy- day incubation process involving rock phosphate, Azotobacter chroococcum, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium), and potassium-solubilizing bacteria (Frateuria aurantia). Compared with simple vermicompost, enriched vermicompost was found to be superior in terms of N, P, K, and micronutrient contents. The tuberose growth parameters revealed that treatment T₃ (8-ton enriched VC ha⁻¹) had the minimum number of days for 50% sprouting and the maximum number of leaves/plant among the different treatments, whereas T₅ (50% RDF ha⁻¹ + 4-ton enriched VC ha⁻¹) and T₆ (25% RDF ha⁻¹ + 6-ton enriched VC ha⁻¹) had the maximum plant height and the maximum number of shoots/bulb, respectively. With respect to the flowering parameters, plants fertilized with T₄ (75% RDF ha⁻¹ + 2-ton enriched VC ha⁻¹) resulted in a minimum of 50% blooming, and plants fertilized with T₅ presented a minimum number of days to spike visibility and opening of flowers and were superior in terms of the maximum floret and spike length, number of spikes/bulb, number of florets/spike, and vase life of the spike. Higher NP and K contents and soil microbial and enzymatic activities, such as those of soil bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, total microbial population, urease, acid phosphatase, and dehydrogenase activities, were recorded in treatment T₃, whereas the soil organic carbon content was on par with those in treatments T₃ and T₆. This study suggests that enriched vermicompost may replace 50% of synthetic fertilizers, increase flower yield, and improve soil health of tuberose. Graphical Abstract

A field experiment was conducted at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut (U.P.), India, during the kharif season (June–September) in 2019 to study the impact of planting techniques and nutrient management on the crop productivity and profitability of rice (Oryza sativa L.). The treatment comprised four planting techniques as the main (M) treatments and six fertility levels as subplot (S) treatments in a split-plot design with three replications. The results of the experimentation revealed that Conventional Tillage Transplanted rice and the combination of nitrogen chemical fertilizer with organic nitrogen from FYM (farmyard yard manure) resulted in the highest effective tillers, grains per panicle and grain yield. Conventional Tillage Transplanted rice (M2) stood out with the highest gross returns (USD 1151.27 per ha) and net returns (USD 690.03 per ha) due to its superior yield. The Reduce Tillage Transplanted rice (M1) and Unpuddled Transplanted rice (M4) techniques produced good yields, with net returns of USD 564.97 per ha and USD 634.93 per ha, respectively. Among the fertility levels, 75% NPK + 25% N FYM (S5) led with the highest gross returns (USD 1257.74 per ha) and net returns (USD 815.90 per ha). The treatment with 100% NPK + 25% N from FYM (S6) also performed well, with net returns of USD 837.70 per ha, emphasizing the value of combining chemical fertilizers and organic sources for optimal results. Among the planting techniques, M2 resulted in the highest benefit-cost ratio (1.5), while S5 yielded the highest benefit-cost ratio (1.85), indicating their economic viability

The Crop Research Centre of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology in Meerut (U.P.), India, conducted field experiments in a randomised block design, comprising three replicates, one late sown variety (DBW-90), and eight treatments, viz.: T1 was a conventional flood irrigation (CFI); T2, furrow irrigated with gated-pipe raised beds (FIGPRB); T3, all furrow irrigation (AFI); T4, alternate furrow irrigation (Alt. FI); T5, wide bed furrow irrigation (WBFI); T6, skip furrow irrigated (SFI); T7, Sprinkler irrigation (SI); and T8, Zero-till flat-irrigated using gated pipe/controlled-flood irrigation (ZTFIGP). These field experiments were conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2017–2018 and 2018–2019. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the yield, water productivity, and soil health under different tillage crop establishment methods. Test weight, spike length, and productive tillers were all considerably enhanced in treatment T5, with the treatment’s statistical significance being similar to that of treatments T8 and T2. Treatment T5 considerably outperformed the other treatments in terms of grain yield, straw yield, biological yield (44.32, 61.88, and 106.19 q ha⁻¹, respectively), as well as harvest index (41.73). Thirty to sixty centimetres of soil were mined for the most water, followed by fifteen to thirty centimetres, zero to fifteen centimetres, and sixty to ninety centimetres. Both water-use efficiency (2.86 q ha⁻¹ cm) and water productivity (1.91 kg cm⁻³) were highest under T7 (Sprinkler irrigation). The maximum total NPK (113.69; 27.45; 127.33 kg ha⁻¹) was found in crops grown with wide bed furrow irrigation. The data also showed that treatment T6 (skip furrow irrigated) had the highest levels of accessible NPK in soil, followed closely by treatment T4 (alternate furrow irrigated). Treatment T8 (zero-till flat-irrigated using gated-pipe/controlled flood irrigation) had the highest bacterial, fungal, and actinomycete populations, followed by T5 (wide bed furrow irrigated) and T2 (furrow irrigated with gated-pipe/elevated bed). Our research showed that there may be more options for maintaining wheat crop water productivity and soil health under different agroecological conditions, including crop productivity, conservation tillage-based establishing methods, and irrigation regimes.

By 2050, the population of the world is anticipated to increase from 7.7 billion to 9.7 billion people, and, and wheat is expected to continue to play a vital role in ensuring food security globally. It is the main diet for 40% of the world’s population and supplies food for more than 4.5 billion people in 94 countries contains 21% of the joules and 20% of the protein. The present investigations were carried out during rabi 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 to determine how optimal nutrient management (INM) practices enhance fertilizer usage efficiency, productivity, soil health, and viability in wheat (Variety DBW 71) through innovative nutritional sources and their modes of application methods. The treatments comprised of, viz., control, basal applications of recommended NPK (80:60:40)/NPK granules (200 kg/ha) + FYM (5 t ha⁻¹) + bio-stimulant granules (62.5 kg/ha), +NPK bio-fertilizer (seed treatment), along with a top dressing of urea (20 kg/ha)/bio-stimulant (625 mL ha⁻¹)/NPK Powder (1%) sprays (40/55/70 DAS), which had triplicated randomized block design (RBD) at the crop research farm of SVPUA&T, Meerut (U.P.). The results revealed that wheat grown with incorporation of FYM and bio-stimulant –L attained significantly better growth and higher dry matter accumulation across the stages. The crop contained 1.63% N, 0.31% P, 0.69% K in grain, and 0.57% N, 0.11% P and 1.34% K in straw. Such crops exhibited agronomic, physiological, and apparent recovery efficiency of NPK of the order of 3.2 kg kg⁻¹ of nutrient applied, 14.0 kg kg⁻¹ of nutrient uptake, and 0.23% against recommended NPK. Applications of FYM, NPK bio-fertilizer+ urea, and bio-stimulant + NPK sprays worked synergistically and increased grain yields by 29.8, 35.2, 50.3 and 41.1% over their respective controls. The results also indicated that soil organic carbon (0.47%), available NPK (227.0, 27.7, 172.1 kg/ha), dehydrogenase activity, and microbial population (bacteria, fungal and actinomycetes) in soil was also highest with the treatment. Finally, the wheat crop required an investment of Rs ha⁻¹ 131,453 and fetched a net reoccurrence of Rs. 96,154, with benefits of Rs. 3.72 over cost, respectively. Therefore, the study reveals that integrated nutrient management, viz., FYM 5 t ha⁻¹ +NPK (12–32–16) -G @ 200 kg/ha + NPK bio-fertilizer (seed treatment) + urea @ 20 kg/ha, foliar application NPK (18−18−18) -P@ 1% and bio-stimulant –L 0.62 L ha⁻¹ improved the better growth, productivity, soil health and profitability of wheat crops. Finally, to boost production, the region must emphasize the wheat crop’s part in integrated nutrition management with foliar application of bio-stimulants. Furthermore, these investigations must be reinvestigated at different sites with different agro-climatic conditions and texturally divergent soils.

The current study was conducted to assess how optimal tillage water and nitrogen management system are adopted to reduce various field inputs, to improve water footprint (WF), nutrient use efficiency (NUE), rice productivity and profitability. The W₁ (CS to a depth of 5 cm) achieved significantly higher total water footprint (TWFP) compared to all other irrigation strategies. When N₁ (control) and N₂ (80 kg N ha⁻¹) was used, the highest TWFP was observed. The rice transplanted on wide raised beds (WBed-TPR) (0.71 kg m⁻³) yielded the greatest water productivity (WP_IRRI), followed by reduced tillage transplanted rice (RT-TPR) and conventional tillage puddled transplanted rice (CT-TPR). The physiological NUE values ranged from 33.3 to 50.6 kg grain/kg N absorption, the values decreasing as the N doses rose. According to the findings, WBed-TPR and RT-TPR plots similarly drank more moisture from the deeper profile layer than CT-TPR practice. In plots of CT-TPR and WBed-TPR, the yield contributing characteristics of rice all increased, while grain yield increased by 16.8% and 10.6% over NBed-TPR technique, respectively. Finally, CT-TPR reported with maximum cultivation costs, followed by NBed-TPR and the lowest in RT-TPR plots, although WBed-TPR had the highest net profit, B: C ratio.

A six-year experiment (2009 to 2015) was conducted on sugarcane-based cropping systems in farmers’ fields to examine the effects of precision land leveling (PLL) compared to traditional land leveling (TLL) in terms of soil organic carbon (SOC), greenhouse gas emissions, irrigation water requirements, and system productivity and profitability. Twelve treatments compared different sugarcane sowing regimes and crops in rotation under both PLL and TLL. Spring-sown sugarcane grown in rotation with rice, potato, and wheat under PLL had the highest production (89.7 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹) and required 142 cm irrigation water, which was 35.1% less water than a commonly practiced cropping system with late-sown sugarcane grown in rotation with rice and wheat only under TLL). Cropping systems established under PLL had higher land use efficiency (ranging between 64.9 and 86.2%), higher energy productivity (90.7 to 198.6 GJ ha⁻¹), and lower greenhouse gas emissions (5249.33 to 944.19 kg CO₂ eq ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) than those under TLL. As well, treatments under PLL had increased levels of SOC, particularly in the upper soil layers, relative to SOC in treatments under TLL. Combining PLL with diversification of crops in sugarcane cropping systems has the potential to sustainably increase farmers’ land productivity and profitability while improving soil health and reducing irrigation requirements. These benefits are likely to have applications in other sugarcane-based cropping systems in similar agro-ecologies.

The role of soil microorganisms in the biogeochemical process and nutrient cycling of soil is critical and is colossally impacted by agronomic management practices. In order to establish climate-smart precision land leveling practices in cereal based cropping systems, comprehension of the land bacterial local area and supplement nutrient dynamics under differentiating management practices is of most extreme significance. Climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices are gaining traction in subtropical India as a viable alternative to conventional cereal-based cropping systems for reversing natural resource depletion. Sustainable soil management alternatives that sequester carbon in the soil, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and help intensify production, all while enhancing the natural resource base. Aggregate-associated soil organic carbon (SOC) contents in 0-15 cm depth were recorded highest SOC at 15-30 cm depth in Precision Land Leveling (PLL) systems as 9.4% for both M-P-MbPLL and M-W-MbPLL. Highest PON change in arable cropping system (30.9 & 40.1%) was found in O-W-Mb with precision land levelling plots followed by R-P-O with precision land levelling plots (26.1 & 35.8%) as compared to R-W and S-W system. The values of LFOC in surface soil were 194.7, 187.9, 176.2, 170.9, 168.5, 150.6, 132.8 and 123.8 mgkg−1 in R-P-O, R-C-O, M-W-Mb, O-W-Mb, M-P-Mb, R-P-Mb, R-W and S-W with precision land leveling treatments. Therefore, adopting Climate Smart Agriculture Precision Land leveling practices can dramatically boost system productivity in cereal-based cropping systems by improving SOC and soil biological quality. The overview literature accrued indicate that CSA based totally totally management has a remarkable impact on top soil resilience in phrases of relative abundances of bacterial groups, soil organic carbon & to be had plant nutrients and as a result may additionally play a vital function within the sustainability of the extensive cereal based cropping systems.

Residues of various crops are considered nuisance but they can be helpful in increasing organic matter in soil and better cycling of nutrients in soil if managed properly. Better management and utilization of crop residues (CR) is necessary for better productivity and quality of crops. Sowing into loose residues is the major issue in adapting the drill sowing method. Apart from the higher quantity of rice (192.82 mt) and wheat residue (120.70 mt), the residue of sorghum, maize, barley, chickpea, groundnut, rapeseed, mustard, sugarcane trash, potato, soybean, sunflower and some other minor cereals also contribute substantially towards total amount of about 462.93 million tonnes in India in 1997-98. Three quarters of the total residue is produced by rice, wheat and oil seed crops with remaining quarter coming from sugarcane and sorghum. Crop residue is important component of low external input for sustainable agriculture without sacrificing productivity. The crop residues left behind is considered as burden forcing farmers to burn them as cheap and easiest method with mistaken belief that it enhances the soil fertility and helps in controlling weeds, insects and pests. Different studies revealed that burning of residues causes air pollution and nutrient loss in soil. Improvements in soil properties and the sustainability in crop productivity could be achieved if CR are proper managed. Long-term field studies at sites carefully selected with variations in temperature, moisture, soil mineralogy and management of agricultural residues representing various cropping systems across regions should be identified and sustained. The possible benefits of crop residues for the improvement of degrading soil fertility would be completely understood only then. Owing to the competing requirements for such biomass for feed, fuel or building material, smallholder farmers typically find it difficult to maintain a soil cover for crop residue or a cover crop.