Six years of conservation agriculture and nutrient management in maize–mustard rotation: Impact on soil properties, system productivity and profitability

Effects of Long-Term (7 Years) Adoption of Conservation Agriculture and Nutrient Management Practices on the Soil Properties, System Crop and Water Productivity and Farm Economics of a Maize–Chickpea Rotation 

“…Diversifying the existing dominant rice-wheat system (RWS) towards maize-based, particularly maize followed by legumes under the CA-based CEP (ZTFB / PNB) along with the balanced nutrition, could enhance and stabilize yields and the farm pro ts 32,12 , besides the improved soil properties in long-run 33 . RWS in the IGPs of South Asia is facing challenges of exaggerating decline in the ground water table and the input use e ciencies 34 .…”

“…In this study, a relatively higher mean yields were exhibited in the NE®, however being comparable to the RDF. The yield differences in the NE® and RDF plots could be due to the variation in the fertilizer rates, besides the NE® entailed applications of the balanced and location-speci c, which is fundamentally based on the nutrient carrying capacity, thereby it may have enhanced the internal nutrient e ciency 19,39,12 . Possibly, optimal nutrition would have led to the better partitioning of the photosynthates, thereby, more vigorous plant growth with the stiffer rooting and greater resistance against the abiotic stresses 40 .…”

“…Conventional mode of crop production has been deemed un-sustainable, as it is less energy e cient, consumes more water with lesser productivity, employs improper usage of inputs and obsolete crop establishment methods 9,10 . Consequently, poor residue management under conventional tillage (CT) practices compelled the farmers either to burn them in-situ or feed to the cattle 11,12 . Moreover, intensive tillage not only degrades the soil organic matter (SOM) due to the enhanced oxidation but also disrupts the organic carbon (SOC), hence impairs the soil properties 13 .…”

“…The mismanagement and exacerbating environment through CT practices could be reoriented by adhering to the CA-based practices i.e., no-or minimum tillage, residue retention and diversifying the crops, thereby, enhancing the soil health and yields 14,15 . Also, adoption of the CA-based crop establishment practices (CEP) (ZTFB / PNB) in different rotations signi cantly improves the water use e ciency 16 , system yields 12 and net returns 13,17,10 . Besides, it improved the soil physical properties 18,19 , built-up the SOC 20,21 , and enhanced the soil MBC 22 .…”

Long-term conservation agriculture and best nutrient management improves productivity and profitability coupled with soil properties of a maize–chickpea rotation

“…The conventional crop production model has been deemed unsustainable, as it is less energy efficient, consumes more water with lesser productivity, employs improper inputs usage, and obsolete crop establishment methods 9 , 10 . Consequently, poor residue management under conventional tillage (CT) practices compelled the farmers either to burn them in-situ or feed to the cattle 11 , 12 . Moreover, intensive tillage not only degrades the soil organic matter due to the enhanced oxidation but also disrupts the organic carbon (SOC), hence impairs the soil properties 13 .…”