Plummeting anthropogenic environmental degradation by amending nutrient-N input method in saffron growing soils of north-west Himalayas

Abstract

Nitrous-oxide emission and nitrate addition from agriculture to earth’s environment are two main agriculture related anthropogenic causes of environmental degradation that needs greater attention. For addressing the aforesaid issue, new techniques/practices need to be developed and implemented. The present investigation, which was focused on this issue, resulted in developing a new mode of nitrogen (N) placement, i.e. ‘mid rib placement upper to corms in two splits (MRPU-2S)’, that could reduce nitrous oxide N emission by around 70.11% and, nitrate N leaching and runoff by around 68.26 and 67.09%, respectively, over conventional method, in saffron growing soils of northwest Himalayas. Besides plummeting environmental degradation, MRPU-2S further resulted in enhancing saffron yield by 33.33% over conventional method. The findings of the present investigation were used to develop new empirical models for predicting saffron yield, nitrate N leaching and nitrous-oxide N emission. The threshold limits of nitrate N leaching and nitrous oxide N emission have also been reported exclusively in the present study.

Restricting depletion of soil organic carbon by amending nutrient‐N input to soils

“…In our investigation various modes of nutrient N application showed a significant influence on SOC and its fractions. In treatment MRPU-2S, relatively more SOC was observed that can be attributed to more nitrogen uptake in this treatment due to précised nutrient placement near to corms that resulted in minimum N losses (Sharma et al, 2021), more vegetative growth due to more uptake that further led to increased C retention in plant, which later return to the soil as crop residue or remainder (Aulakh, Khera, Doran, & Bronson, 2001). Besides relatively greater root exudate, due to more nitrogen use efficiency because of localizing N input can also be the reason for relatively more SOC impounding due to the treatment (Christopher & Lal, 2007).…”

“…Location A (33 58 0 54 00 N; 74 48 0 03 00 E), B (33 59 0 53 00 N; 74 55 0 51 00 E), C (33 57 0 15 00 N; 74 59 0 30 00 E), and D (33 21 0 08 00 N; 75 45 0 37 00 E), with two sites in each location. The common practice followed by farmers in these locations is either zero nitrogen or 90 kg N ha À1 applied through broadcasting either in one or two splits (Sharma et al, 2021). The saffron corms have the unique characteristic of moving slightly upward every season, so the N input (through urea) was adjusted with the help of a exclusively designed V-shaped single-sided pickaxe (tungroo).…”

“…Cumulative C addition through natural incorporation of aboveground biomass during the 5 years showed a significant variation in various treatments. More C addition in MRPU-2S than control and conventional methods can be attributed to improved efficiency of applied nitrogen due to its lower losses (Sharma et al, 2021) as carbon is placed in the rhizosphere near to corms that resulted in production of more biomass and its further incorporation as crop residue in soil.…”

“…For efficient C management in temperate soils, correct mode/ method of input of nutrients/fertilizers, especially nitrogen (dos Reis et al, 2011;Luo et al, 2018;Omay, Rice, Maddux, & Gordon, 1997) is very important. Mode of Nitrogen (N) application affects its utilization by plants that further influences plant biomass production and nutrient N losses (Sharma et al, 2021). Apart from this, mode of N application also influences microbial functional traits and subsequent availability of other nutrients too.…”

Assessment of Greenhouse Gases Emission in Maize-Wheat Cropping System Under Varied N Fertilizer Application Using Cool Farm Tool

“…is being adversely affected by climate change, and agricultural activities leading to emission of methane (CH 4 ), carbon di-oxide (CO 2 ), and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) (Malyan et al, 2021) serve as a major contributing factor to future climate change. The main anthropogenic source of CH 4 (77%) and N 2 O (60%) emissions contributes in Indian Agriculture (Sharma et al, 2021). Methane emissions are confined to rice and enteric fermentation (Kumar et al, 2020b), while CO 2 and N 2 O are uniformly released from all agricultural crops as consequences of crop raising activities such as soil manipulation and fertilizer applications (Kumar et al, 2016a;Kumar et al, 2016b;Bhattacharyya et al, 2018;Sapkota et al, 2021).…”