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Land surface temperature (LST) and its interaction with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) are crucial for better understanding of environmental changes in current scenario. Therefore, the purpose of conducting this study was to examine, how LST and NDVI change as a function of elevation in Rajasthan. In present study, MODIS derived NDVI and LST and digital elevation model (DEM) from shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) have been used. Results revealed that the LST and NDVI both were significantly influenced by elevation. Elevation, NDVI and LST varied from -6 to 1698 m, -0.09 to 0.65 and 24 to 45°C throughout the study region. In contrast to LST, which has a decreasing gradient from western to eastern portions, the spatial variability of NDVI has decreasing gradients from southern and eastern to western regions. The highest mean LST value (39.76 ± 0.2.9 0C) was obtained in elevation range of -6 to 168 m, whereas NDVI value (0.38 ± 0.06) in elevation ranges of 589 - 1698 m. The elevation has strong positive correlation with NDVI (R² = 0.26) and negative correlation with LST (R² = 0.28). Findings from this research can be utilized as a platform for environmental and land use planning for sustainable ecosystem management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhanced vegetation index (EVI) time series data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) for the years 2001 to 2021 were used to understand the vegetation dynamics in the Rajasthan during last 21 years. Savitzky-Golay filtering technique was used for reconstruction of high-quality data. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall test was used to evaluate the EVI time series trend at 30m pixel resolution. The results showed that there was great variation in EVI spatial distribution, decreasing trend from the southern and south-eastern parts to the western parts of the state. The EVI increased in 93.3% pixels and decreased in 6.6% pixels, indicating that the vegetation is improving rather than degrading. The findings of this research provide a scientific understanding of how vegetation is changing over Rajasthan and could help in the implementation of sustainable ecosystem management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mustard and soybean are the most important edible oilseed crop of India. Oilseed crops like mustard and soybean in general have high sulphur requirement owing to higher seed and oil yield. Reports of sulphur (S) deficiency and consequent crop response, particularly in oilseed crops, are quite ostensible. Insufficient S can affect the yield and oil quality of oilseed crops. To overcome deficiency of S, gypsum is the cheapest and widely available source for correcting S deficiency and improving physico-chemical properties of the soil. Gypsum is a moderately soluble source of the essential plant nutrients, calcium and sulphur, and can improve overall plant growth. Gypsum also improves the physical and chemical properties of soils and reduces erosion losses of soils and nutrient concentrations (especially phosphorus) in surface water runoff. Gypsum in many studies are known to improve crop yield, which might be the result of synergistic effect of various parameters like crop, soil, climate and other parameters specific to a region. In oilseed crops, gypsum application is mostly confined to meet S requirements, but its effect on soil physical and chemical changes need to be evaluated for sustainable crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of suitable crop varieties that respond best to organic management is the key to achieving better crop yields. A field experiment was conducted during the winter season of 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 at Almora (Indian Himalayas) to evaluate the performance of five varieties of garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) and changes in the soil properties under organic and integrated nutrient management (INM) systems. The yield reduction under organic management was 14.4% in 2005-2006 and 10.1% in 2006-2007 compared with INM. Among the garden pea varieties 'Vivek Matar 9', 'Vivek Matar 8' and 'Azad pea 1' produced similar but significantly higher pod yield compared to other varieties. The soil pH, organic carbon, and microbial activities in terms of dehydrogenase and phosphatase (acid and alkaline) were higher in the plots under organic management compared to INM. The latter, however, had higher activity of urease, and N, P, and K contents in soil. We conclude that at least 15-20% price premium for organic garden pea may be required to offset the higher cost of cultivation and low yields under organic production system. Among the garden pea varieties, 'Azad pea 1', 'Vivek Matar 8' and 'Vivek Matar 9' were found suitable for organic cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

United Nation Sustainable Development Goal 15.3 make a note of growing significance of management and restoration strategies for degraded land, and advocating globally for collaborative frameworks of innovative applied research and policy. Present study, quantified the impacts of the staggered contour trenching (SCT) technology in conjunction with silvi-pasture production system on regulating and provisioning ecosystem services of degraded mini-watersheds. Impacts of the SCT on hydrologic regulating ecosystem services were quantified by employing the paired watershed approach. Concept of watersheds with and without treatments was employed for computing non-hydrologic regulating and provisioning ecosystem services of the SCT in conjunction with silvi-pasture system. Results of analyses revealed that the SCT density of 505 trenches ha -1 had the highest reduction in the hydrologic regulating services namely, mean annual runoff event, runoff amount and soil loss, which were 35.5, 63.3, and 3.73%, respectively followed by 378, and 186 trenches ha -1 . The highest improvement in the effective rainfall (9.9%) and effective rainfall efficiency (15.0%) was also with 505 trenches ha -1 . The SCT density of 505 trenches ha -1 had retained silt 23.1 and 1.2 times higher than that of 378 and 186 trenches ha -1 . The values of the post-treatment non-hydrologic regulating services of 505 trenches ha -1 were many folds higher compare to other trenching densities. Improvement in the non-hydrologic regulating services of the available -nitrogen, -potash and -potassium, and soil organic carbon values of the post-treatment of 505 trenches ha -1 were 36.7, 44.2, 25.8, and 25.0% than their pre-treatment values, respectively. Provisioning ecosystem services in term of the yields of the wood biomass of the Acacia nilotica and the Cenchrus ciliaris were the highest with 505 trenches ha -1 than the control (no trench) by 166.2 and 21.5%, respectively. Study indicated that 505 trenches ha -1 SCT density in the silvi-pasture production system was the best practices in conserving and maintaining the degraded land ecosystem services. These findings would be very supportive to the policy makers and degraded land managers for reclaiming and improving the sustainability and ecosystem functioning of the degraded land ecosystem for achieving the SDG 5.3 and maintaining the land degradation neutrality., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Potential impact of different levels and sources of organic composts on activities of phosphatases (acid and alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase, and inorganic pyrophosphatase) was studied after three years of continuous application. Enzyme activities were compared with microbial biomass P and available P. Experimental plots were divided based on the organic source into three groups: those receiving farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost (VC) and Lantana compost (LC). Microbial biomass P (11.7 g kg(-1) soil), available P (24.0 g kg(-1) soil) and acid phosphatase (1.3 mg g(-1) p-NP g(-1) soil h(-1)) was highest in highest dose of VC. Acid phosphatase activity was high in all plots, including those where microbial biomass P levels were low. Most of the phosphatase activities were significantly correlated with available P in FYM and VC. These relationships were negative for LC treatments. Results showed that application of earthworm casts is helpful in faster transformation of organic P by facilitating better environment to microbes and plant roots.