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Not AvailableConventional tillage practices and imbalanced use of inorganic fertilizers is well known to result in poor soilhealth.Alternativetillageandprecisionnutrientmanagementareimportantstrategiesfortacklingtheissuesofsoilhealthdeterioration,particularlyincereal - basedintensivecroppingsystems.Therefore,weconducteda4 - yearstudywiththeobjectiveof(a)monitoringthechangesinsoilphysical,biologicalandchemicalpropertiesand crop productivity, (b) development of soil quality index - SQI, and monitor its’ changes against systemproductivityasmanagementgoal,and(c)studyingthechangesinsoilorganiccarbon - SOCinrelationtoannualCinput.Theexperimentwaslaidoutinasplit - plotdesignwith3 - tillagepractices[zerotillage - ZT;permanentbeds - PB; and conventional tillage - CT] and 4 - nutrient management strategies [Control (unfertilized), farmers’fertilizer practice - FFP, recommended fertilizers doses - Ad - hocand site specific nutrient management - SSNM]under a continuous maize (Zea maysL.) - wheat (Triticum aestivumL.) - mungbean (Vigna radiataL. Wilczek)rotationinasandyloamsoil(TypicHaplustept)ofnorth - westernIndo - Gangeticplains(NW - IGP)ofIndia.The (ZT/PBwithSSNM/Ad - hocnutrientmanagementresultedinhighervaluesofa) physicalparametersviz.,waterstable aggregates>250 μm, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) and mean weight diameter - MWD, (b che - micalparametersviz.,SOC,availableN,P,andK,andc)biologicalparametersviz.,microbialbiomasscarbonandenzymeactivities(fluoresceindiacetatehydrolase,dehydrogenase,ß - glucosidaseandalkalinephosphatase)comparedwithCTandunfertilizedtreatments.TheCApracticesrecordedanincreaseinWSA(12–21%),MWD(14–29%),andKsat(11–14%)comparedwithCTatthe0 - 0.15mand0.15–0.30msoildepths,respectively.ThePB - SSNMregistered(44.1%)higherSOCcontentascomparedtoCT - unfertilizedplots.ValuesforMBC,FDAandβGAdeclinedintheorderSSNM=Ad - hoc>FFP>Control.While,theDHAdeclinedintheorderSSNM>Ad - hoc=FFP>Control.PrincipalcomponentanalysisincludedMWD,SOCandavailableKintheminimumdataset(MDS) as the soil quality indicators. Adoption of PB/ZT resulted ∼22.5% higher SQI compared with CT. TheSSNM plots improved SQI by ∼19.3% and ∼5.3% over unfertilized and FFP. The SSNM based CA practicesattainedasignificantlyhigherannualCsequestrationratethanothertreatments.Therefore,adoptionofCAwithSSNMandAd - hocnutrientmanagementinintensivecerealbasedsystemsofNW - IGPisessentialforimprovingnutrientcycling,soilquality,cropproductivityandC - sequestrationpotential.Not Availabl