Improving soil and crop productivity through resource conservation technologies in drought prone area

Resource conserving technologies (RCTs) enhance input use efficiency and provide immediate identifiable and demonstrate economic benefits such as reduction of production costs, savings in water, fuel and labor requirements and timely establishment of crops resulting in improve yields. Rice is transplanted in flat fields that are typically ponded for long periods that negatively affect soil properties for the non-puddled crop (Kumar et al. 2000). Wheat is then planted in structurally disturbed soils, often after many tillage operations to prepare the seedbed. Growing crops on the raised beds offers more effective control of irrigation water and drainage management. Permanent raised beds might offer significant advantages for crop yields and be further increased by using residue retention (Sayre et al. 2005). Yields of rice and wheat in heat and water-stressed environments can be raised significantly by adopting RCTs, which minimize unfavorable environmental impacts, especially in small and medium-scale farms. Inclusion of grain legumes in rice-wheat cropping system may be another option for increasing cropping intensity, soil fertility and productivity. Limon-Ortega et al. (2000) observed that permanent beds with straw retention had the highest wheat grain yields with positive implications for soil health. Thus, crop residue management along raised bed strategies, are likely to be key components of increase crop productivity and soil fertility in rice-wheat system

Increasing crop productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through resource conservation technologies in rice-wheat-mungbean cropping system

Resource conserving technologies (RCTs) enhance input use efficiency and provide immediate identifiable economic benefits like reduced production costs, savings in water, fuel and labor requirements and timely establishment of crops resulting in improved productivity. They can also reduce GHG emissions with less global warming impact (Aggarwal et.al. 2002). The CO2 mitigation strategy for intensive rice-wheat-mungbean cropping systems has not been well studied. Crop residue management, tillage type and N fertilization strategies are likely factors to increase crop productivity and alter fuel consumption. The objective of this trial is to assess the potential productivity and reduction in GHG emissions by using RCT in rice-wheat system

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Not AvailableIncreasing scarcity of resources (labour, water, and energy) and cost of production, along with climate variability, are major challenges for the sustainability of rice–wheat system in the northwesten Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). We hypothesized that adopting the principles of conservation agriculture together with best crop management practices would improve system productivity and overall efficiency, resulting in a higher profitability. To test this hypothesis, we evaluated the performance of four cropping system scenarios (treatments), which were designed to be adapted to current and future drivers of agricultural changes. The treatments including farmers practices varied in tillage and crop establishment methods,residue management, crop sequence, and crop management. Zero-tillage direct-seeded rice (ZT-DSR)with residue retention and best management practices provided equivalent or higher yield and 30–50%lower irrigation water use than those of farmer-managed puddled transplanted rice (CT-TPR). Overall,net economic returns increased up to 79% with a net reduction in production cost of up to US$ 55 ha−1 in ZT-DSR than CT-TPR. Substituting rice with ZT maize was equally profitable but with 88–95% less irrigation water use. Avoiding puddling in rice and dry tillage in maize with residue retention increased yield (by 0.5–1.2 t ha−1) and net economic returns of the succeeding wheat crop. Inclusion of mungbean in the rotation further increased system productivity and economic returns. In summary, our initial results of 2-year field study showed positive effects of CA-based improved management practices on yield and system efficiencies with greater benefits in the second year. There is a need of longer term monitoring to quantify cumulative effects of various interventions and to eventually make recommendations for wider dissemination.Not Availabl

Scientific Reports

Not AvailableClimate-smart agriculture (CSA)-based management practices are getting popular across South-Asia as an alternative to the conventional system for particular weed suppression, resources conservation and environmental quality. An 8-year study (2012?2013 to 2019?2020) was conducted to understand the shift in weed density and diversity under different CSA-based management practices called scenarios (Sc). These Sc involved: Sc1, conventional tillage (CT)-based rice?wheat system with flood irrigation (farmers? practice); Sc2, CT-rice, zero tillage (ZT)-wheat?mungbean with flood irrigation (partial CA-based); Sc3, ZT rice?wheat?mungbean with flood irrigation (partial CSA-based rice); Sc4, ZT maize?wheat?mungbean with flood irrigation (partial CSA-based maize); Sc5, ZT rice?wheat?mungbean with subsurface drip irrigation (full CSA-based rice); and Sc6, ZT maize?wheat?mungbean with subsurface drip irrigation (full CSA-based maize). The most abundant weed species were P. minor > A. arvensis > M. indicus > C. album and were favored by farmers? practice. However, CSA-based management practices suppressed these species and favored S. nigrum and R. dentatus and the effect of CSAPs was more evident in the long-term. Maximum total weed density was observed for Sc1, while minimum value was recorded under full CSA-based maize systems, where seven weed-species vanished, and P. minor density declined to 0.33 instead of 25.93 plant m?2 after 8-years of continuous cultivation. Full CSA-based maize?wheat system could be a promising alternative for the conveniently managed rice?wheat system in weed suppression in north-west India

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Not AvailableIn the most productive area of the Indo - Gangetic Plains in Northwest India where high yields of rice and wheat are commonplace, a medium - term cropping system trial was conducted in Haryana State. The goal of the study was to identify integrated management options for further improving productivity and profitability while rationalizing resource use and reducing environmental externalities (i.e., “sustainable intensification”, SI) by drawing on the principles of diversification, precision management, and conservation agriculture. Four scenarios were evaluated: Scenario 1 - “business - as - usual” [conventional puddled transplanted rice (PTR) followed by (fb) conventional - till wheat]; Scenario 2 - reduced tillage with opportunistic diversification and precision resource management [PTR fb zero - till (ZT) wheat fb ZT mungbean]; Scenario 3 - ZT for all crops with opportunistic diversification and precision resource management [ZT direct - seeded rice (ZT - DSR) fb ZT wheat fb ZT mungbean]; and Scenario 4 - ZT for all crops with strategic diversification and precision resource management [ZT maize fb ZT wheat fb ZT mungbean]. Results of this five - year study strongly suggest that, compared with business - as - usual practices, SI strategies that incorporate multi - objective yield, economic, and environmental criteria can be more productive when used in these production environments. For Scenarios 2, 3, and 4, system level increases in productivity (10 - 17%) and profitability (24 - 50%) were observed while using less irrigation water (15 - 71% reduction) and energy (17 - 47% reduction), leading to 15 - 30% lower global warming potential (GWP), with the ranges reflecting the implications of specific innovations. Scenario 3, where early wheat sowing was combined with ZT along with no puddling during the rice phase, resulted in a 13% gain in wheat yield compared with Scenario 2. A similar gain in wheat yield was observed in Scenario 4 vis - à - vis Scenario 2. Compared to Scenario 1, wheat yields in Scenarios 3 and 4 were 15 - 17% higher, whereas, in Scenario 2, yield was either similar in normal years or higher in warmer years. During the rainy (kharif) season, ZT - DSR provided yields similar to or higher than those of PTR in the first three years and lower (11 - 30%) in Years 4 and 5, a result that provides a note of caution for interpreting technology performance through short - term trials or simply averaging results over several years. The resource use and economic and environmental advantages of DSR were more stable through time, including reductions in irrigation water (22 - 40%), production cost (11 - 17%), energy inputs (13 - 34%), and total GWP (14 - 32%). The integration of “best practices” in PTR in Scenario 2 resulted in reductions of 24% in irrigation water and 21% in GWP, with a positive impact on yield (0.9 t/ha) and profitability compared to conventional PTR, demonstrating the power of simple management changes to generate improved SI outcomes. When ZT maize was used as a diversification option instead of rice in Scenario 4, reductions in resource use jumped to 82 - 89% for irrigation water and 49 - 66% for energy inputs, with 13 - 40% lower GWP, similar or higher rice equivalent yield, and higher profitability (27 - 73%) in comparison to the rice based scenarios. Despite these advantages, maize value chains are not robust in this part of India and public procurement is absent. Results do demonstrate that transformative opportunities exist to break the cycle of stagnating yields and inefficient resource use in the most productive cereal - based cropping systems of South Asia. However, these SI entry points need to be placed in the context of the major drivers of change in the region, including market conditions, risks, and declining labor availability, and matching with the needs and interests of different types of farmers.Not Availabl