Changes in physico-chemical and biological properties of soil under conservation agriculture based pearl millet – mustard cropping system in rainfed semi-arid region

Biomass production and macronutrient content in Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Brown as affected by organic fertilization and irrigation

“…We found a strong relationship between plant N and S contents with crude protein. Thus, we cannot exclude the results described by Borges et al (2019) and Choudhary et al (2019), that described both compost and goat manure as excellent organic sources of N and S, that in our study were both regressors affecting crude protein content in pearl millet plants cultivated on a Luvissolo. This phenomenon can be supported by the results on the plots where goat manure and compost were incorporated.…”

“…In this context, our hypotheses were based in two questions proposed by the regional farmers: (i) Could the different organic matter sources be affected by irrigation and the interaction between these two factors affect the quality of fodder and nutrient content of pearl millet? Based on the results of Borges et al (2019), and Choudhary et al (2019), we expected to find high crude protein and contents of macronutrients in plots where compost and goat manure was applied as organic fertilizers combined with irrigation. According these studies, both compost and goat manure in irrigated plots present faster decomposition rate and better chemical composition (i.e., N, P, K and Mg contents) when compared with bovine manure or even green manure.…”

Clipping Forage Sorghum Twice and Nitrogen Topdressing Offer an Option for Dual-Purpose Use for Cover Cropping and Fodder in Mixed Crop/Livestock Farming Systems

“…Furthermore, N is highly involved in the development of vegetative structures, and this can explain the higher yields obtained under topdressed treatments in forage sorghum as compared to the non-topdressed. For the purposes of reducing water runoff and erosion and increasing water infiltration and retention, residue amounts of 2 t ha −1 have been suggested [7][8][9][10]. From this study, forage sorghum treatments C1, C2, and C3 produced biomass yield that was above the minimum threshold figure (> 2 t ha −1 ) for soil cover benefits.…”

“…Several studies have suggested residues of 2 t ha −1 as the minimum threshold for soil cover purposes. Working in a semi-arid region that receives about 580 mm of rainfall per year, Choudhary et al [7] showed that water infiltration and retention increased significantly with 2 t ha −1 of crop residue. Similarly, research conducted by Swella et al [8], Nichols et al [9], and Ranaivoson et al [10] suggested 2 t ha −1 as the minimum threshold for improving water infiltration and retention, and also the ideal level for reducing soil loss and weed infestation.…”

Planting density and nitrogen management effects on productivity, quality and water-use-efficiency of Indian mustard under conservation agriculture based pearl millet –mustard system

“…Conservation agriculture (CA), which consists of no tillage, retaining surface residue cover and adoption of sustainable rotations, helps in achieving twin objectives of reduced production cost and lower land degradation (Castro et al 1991;Choudhary et al 2019) and improves soil physical, chemical and biological properties (Bana et al 2020). Moreover, mulch cover and less soil disturbance in CA systems enhances soil moisture and nutrients status in the rhizosphere, specifically under semi-arid dryland ecologies (Bamboriya et al 2017a).…”