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Abstract Background Indigenous populations across the world play a significant role in sustainable land management and conservation of biodiversity. However, indigenous agricultural practices are rarely studied in depth and remain poorly documented in many regions of the world. Documenting such practices and identifying policies and incentives that affect them can unlock their potential for better land management and biodiversity conservation. Methods We undertook household surveys and focus group discussions to document indigenous practices and the values of trees in Piper (Piper betle) agroforestry practiced by the ethnic Khasi (Pnar) community in the Indian Eastern Himalayas. We also undertook an in-depth vegetation sampling to quantify variations in phytosociology and tree diversity with stand age in Piper agroforestry and nearby native forests. In addition, we undertook strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis and a desk review to identify policies, market support structures and incentives affecting cultivation of Piper, a cash crop of global importance. Results Unlike in shifting cultivation, indigenous people do not fell trees in the Piper agroforestry; instead, they allow trees to regenerate naturally and also enrich by planting tree seedlings in the gaps. Depending on the stand age, 30–49 tree species were recorded in the Piper agroforestry compared to 39 in nearby natural forests. While tree density was higher in the natural forests, greater species richness, diversity and basal area was recorded in > 25 years old Piper agroforestry stands. However, landholders do not have legally transferable or heritable rights to the land or trees. Conclusion It is concluded that the Piper agroforestry provides a pathway for averting land degradation due to shifting cultivation, biodiversity conservation and improving livelihoods of the indigenous community. Although existing policies are supportive, Piper agroforestry is not currently benefiting from incentives and market support structures. We recommend implementation of policies, market support structures, incentives and payment for ecosystem services so that indigenous communities can benefit from the global ecosystem services they provide.

The experiment consisted of 12 treatments (weed interference until 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75 days after emergence (DAE), weedy until crop maturity, and weed-free until 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and a weed-free until crop maturity) and the treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. This study indicated increased weed interference period reduced the pod yield by 6.5–36 and 0.7–32%, and haulm yield by 6.4 – 34 and 6.5 – 34% during rainy and winter season respectively. Further, reduction in total biomass production by crop due to weed interference declined the total nutrient uptake by crop, i.e. nitrogen by 7.8–52.1 and 9.6–54.5%, phosphorus by 4.8–45.4 and 6–47.5%, potassium by 6.9–43.7 and 6.3–44.4%, sulphur by 18.4–53.3 and 18.8–53.9%, during rainy and winter season respectively. However, weed-free until crop harvest increased RUE by 293% and 314%, chlorophyll content by 8.7 and 10.7%, respectively, during rainy and winter seasons. This study indicated critical duration for crop-weed interference under 5% relative yield loss (RYL) was 16 to 66 DAE in rainy and 15 to 63 DAE in winter. Similarly, at 10%, RYL were 23 to 62 and 21 to 61 DAE, respectively, during the rainy and winter seasons. As a result, farmers should keep their groundnut crop weed-free between 15 and 66 DAE during the rainy and winter seasons.

Nutrition plays a key role in achieving higher crop productivity. Whereas, rainfed cropping greatly suffers due to imbalanced crop nutrition. Especially, crops like castor mostly face the utmost climatic and edaphic distress as it is predominantly cultured in poor soil of rainfed regions. Therefore, to know the performance of the rainfed castor to balanced nutrient management modules, a field experiment was conducted for two consecutive Kharif seasons in 2020 and 2021. Crop responded favorably to the balanced nutrition. We observed substantial improvement in seed yield (44%), oil yield (49%), gross return (54%), and net return (133%) with the application of the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) + 20 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 along with foliar spray of 2% water soluble complex fertilizer (WSCF) @ 40 days after sowing (DAS). + over soil application of RDF and 125 % RDF. Due to better crop response in terms of growth and yield, rainwater use efficiency (RWUE), partial factor productivity (PFP), and agronomic efficiency (AE) were also higher with RDF + 20 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 along with a foliar spray of 2% WSCF @ 40 DAS. Application of 125 % RDF showed enhanced energy consumption (11429 MJ ha−1). While RDF +20 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 along with a foliar spray of 2% WSCF @ 40 DAS showed 45% and 17% higher energy output compared to the RDF and 125% RDF. Due to higher energy output, the same treatment exhibited 55 and 21 % higher net energy gain over RDF and 125% RDF, respectively. As per as the carbon (C) footprint is concerned, RDF + 20 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 along with a foliar spray of 2% WSCF @ 40 DAS was observed to be slightly C expensive with 8 % higher carbon input due to higher rates of manpower and machinery utilized. However, it displayed higher C output (45%), net C gain (56%), C efficiency ratio (33%), C efficiency (37%), and C sustainability index (32%) indicating efficient C management over RDF. Overall, RDF +20 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 along with foliar spray of 2% WSCF @ 40 DAS appeared to be the productive, profitable, energy efficient, and even favorable in respect of C footprint than soil application of RDF or 125 % RDF.

In the Indian Eastern Himalayas, shifting cultivation has long been a major cause of land degradation. However, indigenous communities, like the Hmar, have successfully transitioned from shifting cultivation to agroforestry systems such as pineapple agroforestry, leading to land restoration and increased household incomes. Despite these positive outcomes, little is known about how soil health indicators change during this transition. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate changes in selected soil health indicators and erodibility across different age classes of pineapple agroforestry systems ( 15 years old) compared to shifting cultivation and nearby natural forests. Soil samples were collected from six sites, including different stages of pineapple agroforestry systems, shifting cultivation phases, and a natural forest. At each site, three (10 × 10 m) quadrats were selected, and two (1 × 1 × 1 m) vertical soil pits were dug in each quadrat, sampling soil depths from 0 to 100 cm. The transition from shifting cultivation to pineapple agroforestry improved soil organic carbon (SOC) and stratification ratios while reducing soil erodibility. SOC stocks were estimated at 182.7 Mg C/ha for natural forest land and 188.2 Mg C/ha for the cropping phase in shifting cultivation. On the other hand, estimated SOC stocks for 15 years old stands of pineapple agroforestry system were 169.7 Mg C/ha, 157.2 Mg C/ha, 168.9 Mg C/ha and 177 Mg C/ha respectively. Thus, the estimated SOC stocks under > 15 years of pineapple agroforestry were comparable with adjacent natural forest land. The stratification ratios (SR > 2) for SOC and macronutrients indicated better soil quality in the pineapple agroforestry system than in the cropped land. The clay and modified clay ratios decreased with increasing age of pineapple agroforestry stands. The highest clay ratio was recorded in the topsoil of

Corona has severely impacted many sectors in the past 2. 5 years, and forests are one of the major hits among all sectors affected by the pandemic. This study presents the consolidated data on deforestation patterns across the globe during COVID and also analyzes in depth the region-specific contributing factors. Exacerbated deforestation during COVID alarms biodiversity conservation concerns and pushes back the long-term efforts to combat pollution and climate change mitigation. Deforestation also increases the risk of the emergence of new zoonotic diseases in future, as deforestation and COVID are intricately related to each other. Therefore, there is a need to check deforestation and inculcation of conservation measures in building back better policies adopted post-COVID. This review is novel in specifically providing insight into the implications of COVID-19 on forests in tropical as well as temperate global regions, causal factors, green policies given by different nations, and recommendations that will help in designing nature-based recovery strategies for combating deforestation and augmenting afforestation, thus providing better livelihood, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and better environmental quality.

The 20-year study investigated the effects of conservation practices (CPs) and farmers' practices (FPs) on various soil quality parameters, yield, and economics of horticultural land use systems. CPs demonstrated significant improvements in soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), compared to FPs. Horticultural systems exhibited higher SOC and available N and P contents than FPs, with substantial variations among different fruit species. CPs also enhanced soil quality index, functional diversity, culturable microbial populations, enzyme activity, and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) compared to FPs. It was observed that the SMBC values were 25.0–36.6% and 4.12–25.7% higher in 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm, respectively, under CPs compared to FPs for all the land use systems. In CPs, dehydrogenase activities (DHAs) in surface soils were 9.30 and 7.50 times higher under mango- and citrus-based horticultural systems compared to FPs. The CPs adopted in aonla, guava, mango, litchi, and citrus-based horticultural systems increased SOC by ~27.6, 32.6, 24.4, 26.8, and 22.0%, respectively, over FPs. Canopy spread, fruit yield, litter yield, and soil moisture were significantly higher in fruit-based horticultural systems under CPs. Economic viability analysis indicated higher net present values (NPVs), benefit-cost ratio (BCR), and shorter payback periods (PBPs) for horticultural land use systems under CPs. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that CPs had a more positive influence on soil parameters, particularly DHA, acid and alkali phosphatase activity, available N, P, and K contents, soil microbial load, and organic carbon. The maximum ecosystem services were contributed through mango-based land uses among all land uses. Mango-based horticultural systems exhibited the least impact from both CPs and FPs, while peach-based systems were most affected by CPs. Overall, the findings highlight the benefits of conservation practices in improving soil quality, microbial populations, enzyme activity, and crop productivity in horticultural systems.

Excessive application of nitrogen (N) in wheat cultivation results in substantial decreases in yield and limited economic gains, leading to adverse environmental consequences. In this study, the main objective is to assess and optimize the values of different N-assessing tools at varying levels of N for three wheat cultivars. Three non-destructive sensing devices: Leaf color chart (LCC), soil plant analyzer development (SPAD), and Green Seeker, were optimized at three levels of N (0, 90, 120, and 150 kg N ha−1) in three wheat cultivars, HD 2967, HD 3059, and HD 3086. The results indicated that at 60 days after sowing (DAS), the optimum values for LCC, SPAD, and GreenSeeker were 4.17, 0.62, and 44.2, respectively. These values were observed at the flag leaf stage, where they measured 4.12, 0.60, and 43.8, respectively, and this could be achieved at 120 kg N ha−1 with a grain yield of 4.87 t ha−1. At 120 kg N ha−1, considerably better gross return (Rs. 97,444.4), net income (Rs. 66,681.4), and B:C ratio (2.2) were obtained. The highest agronomic efficiency of N (21.2%) was recorded at 120 kg N ha−1, while the N uptake and recovery (129 kg ha−1 and 59.2 %) were significantly higher, recorded at 150 kg N ha−1. We can conclude that optimized values of these sensors at different doses of N would provide better guidance for precision N management that may reduce the input cost, maximize return, and minimize N losses in wheat.

Banana is an excellent companion crop cultivated with coconut, areca nut, coffee, or cacao. The yield performance of bananas however differs due to cultivar response to light, water, and nutrient availability in the intercropping system. The current study aims to understand the performance of different banana varieties under the areca nut shaded system by trait variation in growth, phenology, fresh bunch mass (yield), and soil nutrient balance patterns. Five banana varieties were screened in a field experiment in a high-density areca garden for vegetative traits, phenology, yield components, and nutrient budgets. Variety Amti recorded wider leaves and greater leaf area and also recorded higher bunch yield in plant and first ratoon crop than other varieties. The Velchi variety recorded the highest leaf emergence rate during winter and recorded the highest percentage of plants with a bunch in both the plant and first ratoon crops. The study revealed nutrient mining of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium in the areca–banana system. The effective balance of the available soil phosphorus was found to be highly negative for Grand Nain (−50.3 kg·ha−1·year−1) and negative (−23.6 kg·ha−1·year−1) for Amti. The results reveal the role of choice variety, indicator traits, and nutrient management strategies in enhancing banana productivity in agroforestry systems.

Recently, most agrarian countries have witnessed either declining or stagnant crop yields. Inadequate soil organic matter (SOM) due to the poor physical, chemical, and biological properties of the soil leads to an overall decline in the productivity of farmlands. Therefore, the adoption of integrated nutrient management (INM) practices is vital to revive sustainable soil health without compromising yield potential. Integrated nutrient management is a modified nutrient management technique with multifarious benefits, wherein a combination of all possible sources of plant nutrients is used in a crop nutrition package. Several studies conducted in various parts of the world have demonstrated the benefits of INM in terms of steep gain in soil health and crop yields and at the same time, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other related problems. The INM practice in the cropped fields showed a 1,355% reduction in methane over conventional nutrient management. The increase in crop yields due to the adoption of INM over conventional nutrient management was as high as 1.3% to 66.5% across the major cropping systems. Owing to the integration of organic manure and residue retention in INM, there is a possibility of significant improvement in soil aggregates and microbiota. Furthermore, most studies conducted to determine the impact of INM on soil health indicated a significant increase in overall soil health, with lower bulk density, higher porosity, and water-holding capacity. Overall, practicing INM would enhance soil health and crop productivity, in addition to decreasing environmental pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and production costs.

Land degradation is one of the most important factors responsible for the alarming situation of food security, human health, and socioeconomic development in the country. Currently, 120.7 M ha of land in the country is affected by land degradation, out of which 85.7 M ha of land is affected by soil erosion caused by water and wind. Moreover, physical, chemical, and biological degradation are the major forms of land degradation in the country. Deforestation or tree cover loss (2.07 M ha) from 2001 to 2021, intensive rainfall (>7.5 mm ha−1), uncontrolled grazing (5.65 M ha), indiscriminate use of fertilizers (32 MT year−1), and shifting cultivation (7.6 M ha) are other major factors that further aggravate the process of land degradation. In order to alleviate the problem of land degradation, numerous agroforestry technologies have been developed after years of research in different agroclimatic zones of the country. The major agroforestry systems observed in the country are agri-horticulture, silvipasture, and agri-silviculture. This review indicates the potential of agroforestry in enhancing carbon sequestration (1.80 Mg C ha−1 year−1 in the Western Himalayan region to 3.50 Mg C ha−1 year−1 in the island regions) and reduced soil loss and runoff by 94% and 78%, respectively, in Northeast India. This can be concluded that the adoption of the agroforestry system is imperative for the rehabilitation of degraded lands and also found to have enough potential to address the issues of food, environmental, and livelihood security. This review’s findings will benefit researchers, land managers, and decision-makers in understanding the role of agroforestry in combating land degradation to enhance ecosystem service in India and planning suitable policies for eradicating the problem effectively.

Abstract Adoption of an integrated farming system (IFS) is essential to achieve food and nutritional security in small and marginal holdings. Assessment of IFS to know the resource availability and socio-economic condition of the farm household, farm typology plays a critical role. In this regard, a sample survey of 200 marginal households practicing mixed crop-livestock agriculture was conducted during 2018–2019 at Southern Coastal Plains, which occupies 19,344 ha in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, India. Farming system typology using multivariate statistical techniques of principal component analysis and cluster analysis characterized the diverse farm households coexisting within distinct homogenous farm types. Farming system typology identified four distinct farm types viz. resource constrained type-1 households with small land owned, high abundance of poultry, very low on-farm income, constituted 46.5%; resource endowed type-2 households oriented around fruit and vegetable, plantation crop, with a moderate abundance of large ruminant and poultry, high on-farm income, constituted 12.5%; resource endowed type-3 household oriented around food grain, extensive use of farm machinery, with a moderate abundance of large ruminant, low on-farm income, constituted 21.5%; and resource endowed type-4 household oriented around fodder, with high abundance of large ruminant, medium on-farm income, constituted 19.5% of sampled households. Constraint analysis using constraint severity index assessed the severity of constraints in food grain, horticulture, livestock, complementary and supplementary enterprises in each farm type, which allowed targeted farming systems interventions to be envisaged to overcome soil health problems, crops and animal production constraints. Farming system typology together with constraint analysis are therefore suggested as a practical framework capable of identifying type-specific farm households for targeted farming systems interventions.

Intercropping enhances diversity, productivity, resilience, and soil health. To achieve these benefits of the intercropping system, drilling patterns and species mixture play a key role. Therefore, to optimize the productivity, profitability, energetics, and carbon footprint of the castor-based millet intercropping system, a field experiment was conducted for two consecutive kharif seasons (2020 − 2021 and 2021 − 2022) at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, Karnataka (India). The results revealed that all the crops under monoculture outperformed their intercropping system for seed and stalk/stover yield. Among the different cropping systems, castor + finger millet (2:4) showed highest castor equivalent yield (CEY; 1911 kg ha−1) due to excellent land utilization efficiency (LUE; 106%), land equivalent ratio (LER; 1.13), land equivalent co-efficient (LEC; 0.32) compared to other cropping systems. Castor + finger millet (2:4) was even found superior in terms of monetary returns. Finger millet monoculture showed the highest energy consumption (10,770 MJ ha−1), energy output (96,507 MJ ha−1), and also net energy gain (85,737 MJ ha−1) compared to other cropping systems. However, it was comparable with castor + finger millet (2:4) despite its modest energy consumption (10,530 MJ ha−1). Castor monoculture showed the highest carbon (C) emission (2045 kg CO2-eq. ha−1) and also C output (1760 kg CE ha−1). While, net C gain (1210 kg CE ha−1), C efficiency (3.39 kg kg−1 CE), and C stability index (2.39) were highest in the castor + finger millet intercropping system. Consequently, the adoption of a castor + finger millet (2:4) intercropping system will be a viable alternative for achieving enhanced system productivity, and energy efficiency with lower C-footprints under semi-arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brassinosteroids (BRs) have emerged as pleiotropic phytohormone owing to their wide function in crop growth and metabolism. Homobrassinolide (HBR) being an analogue of BRs is known to improve the growth, yield and quality parameters in many crop plants. Thus, an evaluation study was conducted for two years (2018 and 2019) to elucidate the performance of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to a novel group of phytohormone,HBR. The field experiment comprised of seven treatments with homobrassinolide 0.04% (Emulsifiable Concentrate) EC at four different concentrations (0.06, 0.08, 0.10 and 0.12 g active ingredient (a.i.) ha−1) and two well-known growth promoters viz., Gibberellic acid (GA), Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) along with the untreated control. Plant height and chlorophyll concentration were found significantly different in both years of experiment as well as among the different treatments. HBR at 0.12 g a.i. ha−1 was found better with maximum number of fruits (77.36 plant−1), fruit length (6.72 cm), fruit breadth (6.45 cm) and fruit weight (80.52 g) over other concentrations and treatments. Fruit yield was more pronounced in the plots treated with plant growth regulators compared to untreated control. However, significantly higher fruit yield of 91.07 t ha−1 (62.58 t ha−1 with untreated control) along with improved quality traits viz., fruit firmness (4.11 kg cm−2), ascorbic acid content (24.09 mg 100 g−1), total soluble solids (4.43°Brix) and keeping quality (12.50 days) was recorded in 0.12 g a.i. ha−1 HBR treated plots. Thus, it can be inferred that HBRapplication would be a better option to enhance growth, yield as well as quality traits in tomato.

Identifying sustainable crop production systems that improve yield from existing farmland while improving resource use efficiency is critical to meet the growing demands of the increasing human population and diminishing natural resources. Considering the increasing cost associated with inorganic fertilizer, integrated nutrient management using both organic and inorganic sources is important. Therefore, optimizing nutrient management practices that increase yield, improve soil quality, build up soil organic carbon storage, and maintain energy balance can help achieve sustainability in farming systems. In this regard, different nutrient management practices under the rice–rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping system were evaluated using five different criterions, namely, (i) crop yield response, (ii) soil quality, (iii) soil carbon stock, (iv) energy efficiency, and (v) profitability under lowland situations in the Goa state situated in the western coast of India. We tested six nutrient management treatments, namely, inorganic fertilizers, organic (farmyard manure), rice straw, and their combinations over three years from 2016 to 2019. The results revealed that integrated nutrient management improved soil carbon stock, microbial biomass carbon, and soil fertility more than the other treatments. The integrated use of farmyard manure and chemical fertilizer showed significantly higher crop yield (9.86 v/s 9.41 Mg ha−1), microbial biomass carbon (354 v/s 233.7 mg kg−1 soil), soil carbon stock (36.65 v/s 25.5 Mg C ha−1), energy efficiency (23.8 v/s 22.3), and net return (1776 v/s 1508 USD) than those associated with chemical fertilizer alone. We conclude that the application of chemical fertilizers/organic sources alone may not be sustainable for the rice–rice cropping system in the Goa state of India; the focus should be on integrated nutrient management systems.

Abstract Integrated farming systems (IFS) entail a holistic approach to farming aimed at meeting the multiple demands (impart farm resilience, farmer livelihoods, food security, ecosystem services, and making farms adaptive and resilient, etc.). IFS are characterized by temporal and spatial mixing of crops, livestock, fishery, and allied activities in a single farm. It is hypothesized that these complex farms are more productive at a system level, are less vulnerable to volatility, and produce less negative externalities than simplified farms. Thereby, they cater the needs of small and marginal farmers, who are the backbone of agriculture in India. Our review of literature shows that IFS have the potential to improve farm profitability (265%) and employment (143%) compared to single enterprise farms. The literature showed that IFS enhance nutrient recycling through composting, mulching, and residue incorporation and, as a consequence, have the capacity to reduce the external purchase of inputs. The nutrient recycling in turn helps to increase the soil quality indicators such as soil nutrient availability and also improves soil microbial activity. The IFS play a major role in biodiversity conservation through adoption of diversified cropping system and through integration of indigenous livestock breeds. IFS also played important role in improving soil organic carbon from 0.75 to 0.82%. Due to increased carbon sequestration, biomass production by trees, reduced consumption of fertilizers, and pesticides the greenhouse gas emission could be reduced significantly. This results in a linked system making it sustainable and climate‐resilient. The main challenge associated with adoption of IFS is it requires skill, knowledge, resources, labor, and capital which are not always available with small and marginal farmers. There is a need for integrating productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability variables in a single evaluation framework to effectively generate information toward enhancing adaptability of IFS.

Climate change, land degradation, and desertification lead to the loss of carbon present in the soil and plants. The carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere has reached 412 ppm. This is a rise of 47% since the start of the industrial period, when the concentration was close to 280 ppm. Therefore, the sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere to earth is the need of the hour. Many scientists have suggested agroforestry as a potent instrument for climate change mitigation as well as to fetch lucrative benefits. The Indian government is also promulgating tree-based systems for increasing tree cover up to 33% of the total geographical area to mitigate climate change. Therefore, the expansion of the commercial agroforestry system of fast-growing tree species producing higher biomass could be a sustainable and ecologically benign technique to sequester carbon, increase green cover, and improve the financial status of farmers. This review highlights the commercial agroforestry systems, biomass and carbon sequestration potential, and case studies of poplar and eucalyptus. The species such as poplar (Populus deltoides), nilgiri (Eucalyptus spp.), subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), tree of heaven (Ailanthus excelsa), willow (Salix spp.), malabar neem (Melia dubia), cadamba (Neolamarckia cadamba), and white teak (Gmelina arborea) are the suitable tree species for carbon sequestration under agroforestry. Among these species, poplar and eucalyptus are major agroforestry tree species that have been adopted by millions of farmers in India since the 1990s. Indo-Gangetic plains are considered the birthplace of commercial or industrial agroforestry, as poplar and eucalyptus are widely planted. This review reports that poplar and eucalyptus have the potential to sequester carbon stock of 212.7 Mg C ha−1 and 237.2 Mg C ha−1, respectively. Further, the net carbon sequestration rate in poplar and eucalyptus was 10.3 and 12.7 Mg C ha−1 yr−1, respectively. In conclusion, the commercial agroforestry system was very successful in the Indo-Gangetic regions of the country but needs further expansion with suitable compatible crops in different parts of the country.

Crop diversification is essential in lowland rice cropping systems to achieve sustainability, improve soil health, and as a climate-resilient practice to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. A life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted for the farms in the west-coast region of India to assess the environmental impact of the rice–rice and rice–cowpea cropping systems. The life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) was evaluated in a “cradle-to-gate” perspective. A higher energy consumption was found in the rice–rice system (32,673 vs. 18,197 MJ/ha), while the net energy output was higher in the rice–cowpea system (211,071 vs. 157,409 MJ/ha). Energy consumption was 44% lower in the rice–cowpea system, which was coupled with a higher energy efficiency (11.6 vs. 4.8), attributed to the lower energy consumption and the higher energy output. Further, the results indicated an energy saving potentialin the rice–cowpea system due to the higher use of renewable resources such as farmyard manure. Field emissions, fertilizer production, and fuel consumption were the major contributors to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in both cropping systems. The total GHG emissions were 81% higher in the rice–rice system (13,894 ± 1329 kg CO2 eq./ha) than in the rice–cowpea system (7679 ± 719 kg CO2 eq./ha). The higher GHG emissions in the rice–rice system were largely due to the higher use of fertilizers, diesel fuel, and machinery. Hence, diversifying the winter rice with a cowpea crop and its large-scale adoption on the west coast of India would provide multiple benefits in decreasing the environmental impact and improving the energy efficiency to achieve sustainability and climate resilience in rice-based cropping systems.

The fall armyworm of maize, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera; Noctuidae) is capable of causing a 100% yield loss due to its unforeseen occurrence from the seedling to the cob formation stage. To manage this serious pest, maize growers are tending to apply a high dosage of pesticides. This indiscriminate usage of pesticides has resulted in an unacceptable amount of insect resurgence in maize, harming maize production and consumption. In this review, we prepared a list of practical pest management options, including host plant resistance, agronomical, cultural, biological, botanical, chemical, and biotechnology approaches. It was found that cultivation of tolerant genotypes, adjusting sowing windows, and practicing specific intercultural and cropping systems measures in addition to chemical and non-chemical pest management strategies showed encouraging results for sustainable management of fall armyworm, which could protect the crop. This review highlights novel and successful management options advocated in various parts of the world. Recommendations documented in this paper would certainly pave the way for successful management of fall armyworm in maize and other concerned crops.

Climate change is viewed as the main obstacle to agricultural development in developing countries. The high dependence on agriculture and allied sectors makes many countries vulnerable to the climate change phenomenon. There is a gap in macro and micro-level understanding of climate change. Thoughtful farmers’ perceptions and impacts of climate change on farming are fundamental for developing various mitigation and adaptation strategies. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to understand the pattern of climate variability, farmers’ perceptions about climate change, and farmers’ adaptation strategies based on their socio-cultural background in the villages of Goa, on the west coast of India. The results reveal that about 62% of the sampled farmers have experienced climate change in terms of meteorological indicators such as increased average temperature, decreased total rainfall, delayed onset of monsoon, and an increase in the length of the summer season. The temperature trend analysis (0.009 °C/year) validated farmers’ perceptions, while the perception of rainfall differed (−1.49 mm/year). Farmers are convinced that climate change has affected their farming (declining crop and livestock productivity, water depletion, and other related farm operations). They strive to adapt to climate change through crop diversification, an integrated crop-livestock system, contingency crop planning, and the adaptation of new crops and varieties. This study could be helpful for policymakers to establish a climate-resilient agriculture system by ensuring timely availability of farm inputs, accurate weather forecasting, and encouraging insurance products for crop and livestock enterprises, which will help farmers cope with the changing climate to enhance their income and economic wellbeing. Further, adaption of integrated farming, agroforestry, and indigenous technical knowledge is imperative to combat the ill effects of climate change.

In this study, the effects of integrated farming system on residue recycling and soil quality in rice-based integrated farming systems have been examined. The effective nutrient budget for nitrogen was found higher with rice-fishpoultry- cowpea and the negative values were obtained for rice-chili and rice-baby corn systems. However, the effective budgets for phosphorus and potassium were negative in all these cropping systems. The results indicated that, about ten tonnes of organic matter was recycled, and the major share was from the dairy unit (~52%) in the form of dung and cow urine. Total internal nutrient supply due to recycling was estimated at 55 kg of nitrogen, 17 kg phosphorus and 76 kg of potassium, which is equivalent to 118 kg urea, 106 kg single super phosphate and 126 kg muriate of potash, thus reduction in cost of inputs. In the rice+fish+poultry-cowpea system, the indices of soil quality showed higher values, which indicated the improvement in soil fertility due to availability of poultry manure, plankton production, and the continuous fish activity. The current study confirmed that available N, DHA, Zn, B and Fe as the key indicators of soil quality under humid tropics of west coast India, which greatly influence the soil functions and soil productivity. The study conclusively reveals that integration of dairy, fishery, poultry components with diversified cropping systems in coastal lowland ecosystem is essential to improve the nutrient use efficiency and for enrichment of soil fertility.

Intensive mono-cropping without a balanced supply of nutrients and declining water resources are degrading soil health, and as a consequence, agriculture production is becoming unsustainable and causing environmental degradation. The field experiment was conducted during Rabi season to assess the effect of an irrigation schedule, nutrient management, and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties on soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and soil enzymes activities. Two nutrient levels, recommended rate of chemical fertilizer (RDF) and 50% RDF + 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through farmyard manure (FYM) designated as Integrated Nutrient Sources (INS), and three irrigations levels, one irrigation at crown root initiation (CRI), two irrigations at CRI and flowering stages, and five irrigations at all main stages of the crop (CRI, tillering, jointing, flowering, and grain filling) were allocated to main-plots while four varieties of wheat, HD 2967, WR 544, HD 2987, and HD 2932, were allocated to sub-plots. The results revealed that SMBC and activities of dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase enzymes, and acid phosphatase were higher under restricted irrigation (irrigation at CRI stage) than other irrigation schedules. SMBC, dehydrogenase, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase activities were 73.0 µg g soil−1, 86.0 µg TPF g soil−1d−1, 39.6 µg PNP g soil−1 h1, and 81.8 µg PNP g−1 soil h−1, respectively, with the use of INS that was higher than RDF. Root weight and root volume followed a similar pattern. Applying single irrigation at CRI left behind the maximum available nitrogen (166.4 kg ha−1) in soil compared to other irrigation schedules and it was highest (149.31 kg ha−1) with the use of INS. Moreover, total organic carbon (TOC) was 0.44 and 0.43% higher with irrigation at CRI stages and the use of INS, respectively. The INS with single irrigation at the CRI stage is important to improve the root growth, SMBC dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and acid phosphatase enzyme activity in the wheat production system.

Understanding of the potassium (K) nutrient cycle and its microbial transformation of unavailable forms of soil K to plant-available K is crucial in any agroecosystem for strategic nutrient management through inorganic fertilizer, crop residue (CR), and microbial applications. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of crop residue and K management practices on crop productivity, K mobilization from native soil K-pool, and crop assimilation of K under a zero-till maize–wheat cropping system. The experiment consisted of four residue levels (0, 2, 4, and 6 Mg ha−1) and five K levels (0, 50%, 100%, 150% RDK [recommended dose of K] and 50% RDK + potassium solubilizing bacteria, KSB). Results showed that CR retention at 6.0 Mg ha−1 significantly improved grain yield (of maize by 10.17%; wheat by 9.87%), dry matter accumulation, K uptake and redistribution in native soil K pools (water soluble K (WSK), exchangeable K (EK) and non-exchangeable K (NEK)) at 30 and 60 days after sowing and at harvest as compared to no CR. Among the K management, 50% RDK+KSB reported significantly higher grain yield (of maize by 26.22%; wheat by 24.70%), dry matter accumulation, K uptake, and native K pools (WSK, EK, and NEK) at different growth stages compared to no K. Total K did not differ significantly due to residue and K management. The highest actual change of K reported with 6.0 Mg ha−1 CR (51 kg ha−1) and 50% RDK+KSB (59 kg ha−1) over control. Significant (p ≤ 0.01) positive correlation was found among grain yield, dry matter accumulation, K uptake, the actual change in K and different native K pools. It can be concluded that retention of 6 Mg ha−1 CR and supply of 50% K through inorganic fertilizer along with seed inoculation of KSB biofertilizers, improved crop growth, productivity by enhancing K assimilation as a consequence of the release of non-exchangeable K and through the application of CR and K treatments under a zero tillage maize–wheat system.