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Food security and environmental sustainability are threatened by the degradation of natural resources in India’s rice-based agricultural systems. On-farm and on-station experiments on the integrated farming system (IFS) were carried out at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, to develop a productive, profitable and long-term resource-conserving alternative agricultural system that secures the food, nutrition and energy requirements of small farmers. IFS helped in making the farming system sustainable through different cropping, biodiversity and ecosystem services. It provided food and nutrition security to the farmer family through the production of diversified food commodities such as cereal, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, fruits, eggs, milk, fish, meat, etc. Dairy–biogas integration offered a promising win–win opportunity to improve crop production while, at the same time, meeting the fuel needs of the farmer families. Field application of slurry reduced fertilizer burden on the farmers, besides improving the sustainability of their fields. Ecosystem services such as pollination of crops, run-off water harvesting, prevention of soil erosion, carbon sequestration by plants and soil, cultural services, etc. are vital for the sustainable supply of food and fibre. The experiment was conducted for three consecutive years (2015–18), and was observed that the IFS model generated net returns of INR 378,784 and employment of 628 mandays which are more than the conventional rice–wheat system. In the Indo-Gangetic Plains, IFS leads to sustainable intensification besides food security and poverty alleviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving nutrient use efficiency and system productivity with a positive nutrient balance in rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) is vital for long-term food security. Two-year field trials were conducted with the objective of computing the effect of different rates, time, method, and source of potassium (K) fertilization on nutrient recovery efficiency, nutrient balance, and system productivity in a dry direct-seeded RWCS with eight treatments. The two-split (half basal and half at panicle initiation) application of 60 kg K2O/ha resulted in 37.5% and 19.2% increase in recovery efficiency of K in rice and wheat, respectively over basal application of 60 kg K2O/ha. Besides, the split-application of K increased the nitrogen recovery efficiency in rice and wheat by 11.2% and 10.8%, respectively. Similarly, the phosphorus recovery efficiency was increased by 3.6% and 7.4% in rice and wheat, respectively. The split application of 60 kg K2O/ha also increased the K harvest index (% of the total K absorbed is transferred to grain) by 0.7% and 2.7% in rice and wheat, respectively over applying entire K at basal. Similarly, the system productivity (11.26 t/ha) was increased by 8% over applying entire K at basal. In the absence of top-dressing of K (30 kg/ha), two foliar-sprays of 2.5% K provide equal benefits of top dressing. Application of 90 kg K2O/ha lowered the K negative balance (−99 kg/ha/year) considerably compared to two-split application of 60 kg K2O/ha (−152.5 kg/ha/year). Thus, optimization of K fertilization in RWCS will increase the system productivity, nutrient use efficiency, and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]