Search

Context. Climate change can impact greatly on poorer and vulnerable communities, increasing the risk of natural disasters, and affecting agricultural production. Aims. This study aims to explore the potential impacts of climate smart agricultural practices (CSAP) on working farms in Karnal, Haryana, India. Methods. Practices studied included zero tillage, crop residue retention and crop diversification. We surveyed soil physical and chemical properties and greenhouse gas emissions on farms managed by either CSAP or conventional agriculture. Soil samples were collected at 0-20 cm depth under wheat grown in the winter season. Key results. Of the 70 farmers surveyed, 22 followed CSAP while 48 farmers used conventional practices. Soil pH was lower (7.76) for CSAP farms compared to conventional practices (7.99). Soil carbon was also higher (0.19% compared to 0.13%), as were total organic carbon stock (32.03 Mg [ha.sup.-1] compared to 25.26 Mg [ha.sup.-1]) and total carbon (0.24% compared to 0.16%). Significant interactions between farming type, pH and organic carbon, gravimetric and volumetric water content were observed. Conservation agriculture registered ~31% higher soil quality index over conventional practice. Higher wheat grain yield (5.99 t ha-l) was observed under conservation agriculture over conventional (5.49 t ha-l). Greenhouse gas emissions were also ~63% higher in conventional practices compared to CSAP. Conclusions. CSAP can improve soil properties through enrichment in soil organic carbon at the same time as reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. Implications. CSAP provide an alternative to conventional agriculture practices in north-west India, irrespective of farm type and size. CSAP not only improve soil carbon pools, but also improve the overall quality of the soil. Keywords: CCAFS-MOT, climate smart village, conservation agriculture, green house gas emission, soil organic carbon, soil properties, soil quality, wheat grain yield., Introduction Human civilisation is currently at risk due to climate change and food insecurity; both of these issues are linked to earth's carbon (C) cycle (Mandal 2011). The atmospheric concentration [...]

We investigated the effects of organic amendments, municipal solid waste compost (MSWC) and rice-straw compost (RSC) with and without mineral fertilisers on biological and chemical properties of a saline soil. Field experiments were conducted for two consecutive years during 2012-14. In the first year, application of 81 [ha.sup.-1] of MSWC + 50% of the recommended dose of fertilisers (RDF) resulted in higher microbial biomass carbon (MBC), enzyme activities, soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) than 7t [ha.sup.-1] of RSC + 50% RDF, after mustard (Brassica juncea) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) harvests. Combined use of 8 t [ha.sup.-1] of MSWC + 50% RDF resulted in 47% and 54% more MBC than the unfertilised control after mustard and pearl millet harvests, respectively. Dehydrogenase activity was significantly higher with 100% RDF than the control after 2 years of the cropping cycle. Among organic amendments, MSWC was superior to RSC in terms of MBC, and activities of dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and urease. SOC was significantly increased under MSWC + 50% RDF compared with 100% RDF alone. Significant build-up of soil fertility in terms of available N, P and K was observed with RSC+ 50% RDF compared with the control. During the second year of the cropping system, soil treated with RSC+ 50% RDF had 14%, 17% and 9% higher N, P and K than soil treated with 100% RDF, after pearl millet harvest. The magnitude of change in soil electrical conductivity and pH was low during 2012-13; however, soil salinity decreased by 55% and 48% with MSWC + 50% RDF and RSC + 50% RDF, respectively, relative to the control at 120 days of pearl millet growth in 2013-14. Application of MSWC +50% RDF produced 2.5 and 2.701 [ha.sup.-1] of mustard and pearl millet, and increased grain yield by 19% and 15%, respectively, compared with 100% RDF. Integrated use organic amendments and mineral fertiliser is recommended for promoting biological and chemical properties of saline soil in a mustard-pearl millet cropping system. Additional keywords: composting, enzyme activity, salinity, soil fertility. Received 21 November 2015, accepted 15 February 2016, published online 29 August 2016, Introduction Improving and maintaining fertility of saline soil is vital to meeting the demands of food grain production for an increasing population in many parts of the world. In India, [...]

Serious water deficits, diminishing profitability and deteriorating natural resources are threatening agricultural sustainability in many regions of South Asia. High water input and low water productivity of conventional irrigated rice–wheat (RW) systems has led to the depletion of surface water and ground waters in northwest India. Conservation agriculture (CA) practices with precision irrigation management and replacing rice with low water requiring maize crop may help to achieve sustainable crop production in the western Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) of India. A three-year field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of CA-based management (tillage, crop establishment, residue management mungbean integration), precision water management on crop and water productivity, and economic profitability in RW and maize-wheat (MW) systems. The treatments for RW systems included: i) conventional till rice-wheat with irrigation scheduling at critical growth stages (CTRW); ii) CTRW + mungbean (CTRW + MB); iii) Zero-till RW with residue retention (+R) scheduling precise irrigation (PI) based on soil matric potential approach (ZTRW + R + PI); and iv) ZTRW + MB + R + PI. A similar set of treatments was evaluated for MW systems, except the crops were established on raised fresh beds (FB) and permanent beds (PB). Treatment PBMW + MB + R + PI recorded 38% higher system productivity, saved 1660 mm of irrigation water, increased irrigation + rainfall water productivity (WP I+R ,) by 270% and increased net returns by 84% compared to CTRW. ZTRW + MB + R + PI recorded 24, 41 and 37% (3 yrs’ mean) higher system productivity, WP I+R and net returns, respectively, compared to CTRW. System productivity was increased by 19 and 33%, WP I+R by 223 and 29% and net returns by 84 and 57% with ZTRW and PBMW compared to CTRW, respectively irrespective of MB integration and residue management. On average, inclusion of MB in cereal systems (RW/MW) contributed an 18% increase in system productivity and a 15% increase in net returns. CA based sustainable intensification of MW systems (PBMW + MB + R + PI) is a better alternative to RW system (ZTRW + MB + R + PI) as it provides opportunities for saving 79% of precious water, enhancing crop and water productivity by 12 and 145%, respectively along with high (34%) economic benefits thereby helping to arrest decline in ground water table in the North-West IGP of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]