Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Air, Climate Change and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 39040

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ashim Datta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Scientist Division of Soil and Crop Management ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana 132001, India
Interests: soil carbon behaviour under different ecologies and environment; conservation agriculture; soil chemistry; salt affected soils

Dr. Md. Khairul Alam

E-Mail Website1 Website2 Website3
Guest Editor

1. Land Management Group, School of Science, Health, Engineering and Education, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
2. Principal Scientific Officer, Soil Unit, Natural Resources Management Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council, Farmgate, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh
3. Senior Scientific Officer, Soil Science Division, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh
Interests: conservation agriculture; cropping systems; climate change mitigation; life cycle assessment; environmental science; plant nutrition; soil physics; nutrient cycling in intensive cropping agro-ecosystems; carbon sequestration; C and N footprints; critical limits of nutrients for soils and crops; fertiliser rate determination; organic agriculture; heavy metal remediation; agronomic biofortification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Arvind Kumar Yadav

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Agriculture, Kishangarh Bas, Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jobner, India
Interests: conservation agriculture; precision nutrient management; nutrient cycling in conservation agriculture; crop diversification; precision water management

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In twenty first century, soil quality deterioration and scarcity of fresh water due to pollution (industrialization), salinization and ground water depletion are the greatest concerns to mankind for sustainable agriculture. Climate change in the form of extreme climate events is again making the situation more complex for sustainable crop production to feed the ever growing population particularly in Asia.

Recently Climate Resilient Agriculture (CRA) practices such as conservation agriculture, crop varieties capable of coping up with problem soils and ecologically unfavourable conditions and climate-smart water management/irrigation practices have emerged as promising avenues globally to adapt and mitigate the climate change and its effects. Loss of soil carbon due to poor soil and crop management practices leads to decline in soil fertility. For improved and sustainable agricultural productivity, soil and crop management are crucial under the changing climate conditions. Soil, water and crop management practices such as zero tillage, residue retention, crop diversification for enhancing soil organic carbon and judicious water use need to be popularized among the farmers. Recent changes observed in the weed spectrum in different cropping system throughout the world is associated with the climate change which impacts on the long-term interactions between crops and weeds. The pre-dominant practice for weed management is herbicides and tillage to remove weeds. However, evidence of negative environmental impacts from both practices is growing, and herbicide resistance is increasingly prevalent in several countries.

Resource-starved countries (including many Asian countries) are most vulnerable to climate change leading to land degradation, ground water depletion, change in weed flora and risk of significant decline in crop yield. Therefore, to feed the burgeoning population, sustainable crop production should be maintained by improving soil quality through enhancing soil carbon content, improving soil fertility and devising better water management options which are in line with the UN’s decade on “Ecosystem Restoration” (2021-2030).

We welcome papers covering diverse areas on

Soil, crop and water management through CRA practices including CA,
Sustainable agriculture production systems including intensive cropping, precision agriculture etc.,
Farm- or field-level studies explicitly covering soil and water issues and their sustainable management.
Soil quality improvement for intensive cropping systems,
Improved water use efficiency (WUE) under different cropping systems especially rice cropping,
Climate change impact, adaptation and mitigation technology for water management.
Climate-smart technologies for cereal and non-cereal crops and farming systems.
Crop varieties for soils under climate vulnerable ecosystems etc.
Climate change impact on weed flora
Improved nutrient use efficiency (NUE) through novel agronomic and edaphic practices,
Soil carbon behaviour under different managements,
Reclamation of salt affected soils,
Sustainable weed management including recent technological and ecological approaches.

Dr. Ashim Datta
Dr. Md. Khairul Alam
Dr. Arvind Kumar Yadav
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

climate change
climate smart agriculture
soil quality
soil-water-plant continuum under changing climate
soil carbon behaviour
salt affected soils
sustainable weed management
water mangement technology

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (14 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluating Sustainable and Environment Friendly Growing Media Composition for Pot Mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.)

by Ajay Kumar Singh, Rajat Singh, Rakesh Kumar, Arbind Kumar Gupta, Hitesh Kumar, Ashutosh Rai, Amit Kanawjia, Krishna Singh Tomar, Geeta Pandey, Babita Singh, Sunil Kumar, Satya Vart Dwivedi, Sanjeev Kumar, Kiran Pathania, Gurudutt Ojha and Anita Singh

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 536; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010536 - 28 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2549

Abstract

The use of different growing media offers a valuable alternative to the conventional use of soil for quality flower production due to their good water holding capacity, aeration and nutrient status. The experiment was conducted in a Completely Randomised Design with three replications in the years 2021–2022 to study the influence of different compositions of growing media [Soil, Sand, Vermicompost, Cocopeat, Vermiculite, Perlite and Leaf mould] in different ratios on the growth and development of pot mum (Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat.).The growing media compositions of cocopeat, vermicompost and leaf moulds improve the water retention and aeration of media. The results revealed vegetative growth with maximum plant height at first bud appearance, plant height at harvesting stage, number of primary branches per plant, number of secondary branches per plant, number of leaves per plant, leaf biomass, average fresh weight of leaf, dry weight of root and flowering parameters with maximum flower longevity, flower diameter, number of flowers per plant, number of ray florets, average fresh weight of flower, flower yield per plant and vase life of flower in case of media composition of Cocopeat + Vermicompost + Leaf mould (2:1:1) among all the growing media compositions. The combination of cocopeat with vermicompost and leaf mould (2:1:1 v/v/v) was found best for lighter media weight, better plant morphological development and sustained quality flower production of pot mum. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

14 pages, 1355 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Unlocking Wild Edible Fruits of Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hot Spot, Arunachal Pradesh, India, to Support Food Security and Sustainable Rural Livelihood

by Tridip Kumar Hazarika, Basik Tayeng, Rody Ngurthankhumi, Esther Lalruatsangi, Kalidas Upadhyaya and Nicolee Lyngdoh

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16088; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142316088 - 1 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3105

Abstract

Forests inhabit a large number of trees, shrubs, climbers, non-timber forest products and a number of wild edible fruits. These wild edible fruits are an indispensable constituent of human life and rich in vitamins, minerals, fibres, antioxidants, alkaloids, and phenolics. Many of them are good source of medicines. The present study was undertaken to document wild edible fruits of Arunachal Pradesh, India, and their socioeconomic importance in the sustainable rural economy. The study revealed that altogether 50 wild edible fruits belonging to 31 families are used against a number of ailments. They have a number of uses in the socioeconomic life of rural people such as constructional timbers, firewood, charcoal, fodder, fish poisoning, dyes, oils, etc. Although these fruits play an important role in the life of tribal people, these valuable species have been vanishing at a very fast rate. Therefore, promoting their sustainable use and increasing their abundance in different landscapes through the agroforestry system must immediately be undertaken. The claimed therapeutic values are to be critically studied and dynamic conservation of associated indigenous knowledge among local tribal communities should be carried out through policy interventions, implementation of farmer’s rights, and generation of awareness among the local people. Policy makers should immediately undertake strategic plans for both in situ and ex situ conservation of wild edible fruits that have ethno-medicinal values. In addition, the orally transmitted therapeutic values of wild edible fruits should be urgently documented to safeguard these valuable species from further extinction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 3050 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Genome-Wide In Silico Identification, Structural Analysis, Promoter Analysis, and Expression Profiling of PHT Gene Family in Sugarcane Root under Salinity Stress

by Naveenarani Murugan, Vignesh Palanisamy, Mahadevaiah Channappa, Valarmathi Ramanathan, Manimekalai Ramaswamy, Hemaprabha Govindakurup and Appunu Chinnaswamy

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15893; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315893 - 29 Nov 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2771

Abstract

The phosphate transporter (PHT) family of proteins plays an imperative role in regulating phosphorus (P) acquisition as well as in translocation from the soil into cells and organs. Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient required for plant life that is not readily available to crops, and resources are diminishing rapidly because of the huge needs of global agriculture. In this study, 23 ShPHT genes were identified in the sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) genome through a comprehensive genome-wide in silico analysis. Phylogeny, gene structure, and conserved motif analysis of PHT genes in sugarcane (ShPHTs) indicated five subfamilies (PHT1-4 and PHO1 subfamily). Gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that the ShPHT genes were largely involved in phosphate ion transport, phosphate starvation, stimulus response, stress response, and symporter activity. Gene expression analysis under salinity stress confirmed strong induction of PHT genes in wild genotype sugarcane (IND99-907). PHT1-1, PHT1-2, and PHT1-3 members were notably up-regulated in roots under salt stress. The upstream region of PHT genes contained PHR1-binding sites (P1BS), MYB-type, and WRKY- type binding elements. Overall, the present study paves the way for a deeper understanding of the evolution of sugarcane PHT genes and their role in salinity and Pi stress tolerance in sugarcane. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 621 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Mineral and Organic Fertilizer Management on the Performance of Oat-Chickpea Cropping Systems

by R. Joseph Koireng, Diana Shamurailatpam, T. Sunanda Devi, S. Dayananda Singh, Pushparani Senjam, Sonika Yumnam, Nilima Karam, L. Sophia Devi and Kholu Mary

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15431; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215431 - 20 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1844

Abstract

In India, particularly in Manipur, the cultivation of fodder crops is given the least attention as most of the agricultural land is devoted to food crops to meet the food demand of our enormous population. As a result, livestock productivity of the state is suffering. In addition, cultivation of single crops repeatedly over years using inorganic sources of nutrients as inputs for the growth and development of the crops in the same field leads to low production at the cost of soil quality deterioration and environmental issues. Therefore, an experiment was carried out to evaluate the productivity of the oat–chickpea intercropping system to assess the effect of mineral and organic fertilizer management using factorial randomized block design with three replications comprising four levels of the cropping system (CS1-sole oat, CS2-sole chickpea, CS3-intercropping of oat with chickpea in a 3:2 row ratio and CS4-intercropping of oat with chickpea in a 3:3 row ratio) in the main plot and three levels of nutrient management (F1—Full RDF(recommended dose of fertilizer)through inorganic source, F2—50% N of RDF + 50% N through FYM(farm yard manure)and F3—50% N of RDF + 50%N through vermicompost) in the sub plot to study their productivity and economic feasibility. Three years of pooled results revealed that the maximum green fodder yield (50.88 t/ha), dry matter yield (11.84 t/ha) and plant height (120.69 cm) of oat was recorded in CS1, which is among the intercropping systems with the highest green fodder yield (40.11 t/ha) and has a plant height of 115.06 cm; this was recorded in CS3 and the highest dry matter yield (8.44 t/ha) was recorded in CS4. Application of F3 to oats gave the highest green fodder yield, dry matter yield and maximum plant height in all three years of the growing period. The maximum seed yield (1.86 t/ha), harvest index (46.05%), stover yield (2.15 t/ha/ha) and plant height (53.55 cm) of chickpea was obtained in CS2, but among the intercropping system, CS4 was statistically significant at a 5% probability level and was superior in seed yield and stover yield, as compared to the CS3cropping system. The application of F2 showed a higher seed yield and stover yield of chickpea. The green forage equivalent yield (85.37 t/ha), land equivalent ratio (LER) (1.63), gross return ($1902/ha), net returns ($1436/ha) and benefit cost ratio (4.19) were recorded to be the highest in the CS4 cropping system of oat and chickpea. This study concludes that CS4, in combination with the application of F3, can be recommended as it provides a higher green forage equivalent yield, LER and other economic benefits, as compared to other cropping systems and nutrient management practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2079 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Phosphogypsum on Soil Physical Properties in Moroccan Salt-Affected Soils

by M Barka Outbakat, Khalil El Mejahed, Mohamed El Gharous, Kamal El Omari and Adnane Beniaich

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13087; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013087 - 12 Oct 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3309

Abstract

Salinity is one of the most critical challenges for crop production and soil and water management in arid and semi-arid regions, such as a large area of Morocco. These regions are characterized by low rainfall with an erratic distribution, long drought periods, and high evaporation, resulting in salt accumulation in the superficial layer of the soil and soil and water degradation. Therefore, phosphogypsum (PG) could be a promising amendment to reduce the salinity effect and improve soil quality in salt-affected soils. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of PG on the physical properties of Luvisols and Cambisols collected from salt-affected soils in four regions in Morocco: Chichaoua, Ras El Ain, Sidi Zouine, and Sed El Masjoune. The treatments consisted of different rates of PG (15, 30, and 45 t/ha), natural Gypsum (G) (15 t/ha), and control. Our findings revealed that PG application improved soil structure by promoting flocculant action provided by calcium. Linear regression indicated that Water Aggregate Stability (WAS) and PG doses were strongly correlated with a high coefficient of determination (R2 = 93.41%, p value < 0.05). Compared to the control, the overall efficiency of 45 t/ha of PG amendment reached 53%, 95%, and 36%, respectively, in Chichaoua, Ras El Ain, and Sed El Masjoune soils. PG application presented a positive effect on other soil physical properties (soil hydraulic properties, total porosity, and bulk density), especially for the soils of Chichaoua and Ras El Ain regions. The total porosity was increased by 8% with 45 t PG/ha in Ras El Ain soil, and in Chichaoua soil, the bulk density was 5% lower in the pot treated with 45 t PG/ha compared to the control. This study supports the use of PG as an amendment for reclaiming salt-affected soils through monitoring agronomic and environmental impacts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 828 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nutritional Composition and Antioxidant Properties of the Wild Edible Fruits of Tripura, Northeast India

by Suresh Chandra Biswas, Pramanand Kumar, Raj Kumar, Subrata Das, Tarun Kumar Misra and Dipankar Dey

Sustainability 2022, 14(19), 12194; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141912194 - 26 Sep 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2628

Abstract

Fruits that are rich in nutrients and have antioxidant properties are essentially required for human health. These fruits are quite demanding to use pharmaceutically to produce natural drugs. Tripura, a Northeast state of India, is abundant in wild edible fruits, the nutritional values of which have not yet been fully explored. The nutrient composition and antioxidant properties of 06 (six) wild edible fruits viz. Wild orange (Citrus macroptera), Chinese lard (Hodgsonia macrocarpa Cogn.), Madhabilata (Stixis suaveolens Roxb. Pierre), Wild small black Jamun (Syzygium assamicum), Indian coffee plum (Flacourtia jangomas Lour. Raeusch), and Gamboge (Garcinia gummi-gutta (L.) Robs) were explored and are reported in this paper. All the observations were statistically analyzed and properly presented here. The study reveals that wild orange (220.75 mg/100 g) and Indian coffee plum (223.25 mg/100 g) are vitamin C-rich fruits. Madhabilata has high protein content (0.744%), whereas Gamboge yields an energetic fruit (124.92 Kcal/100 g). The energy parameter has a good correlation with ash (correlation coefficient (r) = 0.68), TSS (r = 0.62), and protein (r = 0.83). Nutrient minerals (mg/100 g), in general, are found quite high in wild orange (Na, 170.4; K, 55.40; Mg, 61.53; Zn, 6.85; Cu, 6.25). There is a good correlation between Na and K (r = 0.58). Antioxidant activity (81.15 μmol/g) and metal chelating capacity (MCC) (39.45 mg/mL) are high in wild orange, and they have an excellent correlation (r = 0.97). It has quite a high value of total phenolic content (TPC) (303.89 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid content (TFC) (36.78 mg QE/g) as well. TPC and TFC have good correlations with antioxidant parameters (r = 0.81 with TPC and 0.86 with TFC). Chloride (4.35 mg/100 g), nitrate (0.639 μg/100 g), and As(III) (0.27 mg/100 g) contents are found high in Indian coffee plum, Madhabilata, and Wild black Jamun, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that total sugar, zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) are the important indicators to be given emphasis while studying the nutritional value of these minor fruits. Moreover, the results would provide a baseline database for the nutrient profile of these fruits as well as enhance awareness among the masses regarding the value of the fruit, which enhances and conserves the biodiversity of the forest area of Tripura. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

22 pages, 1021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Integrated Farming Systems as an Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change: Case Studies from Diverse Agro-Climatic Zones of India

by Venkatesh Paramesh, Parveen Kumar, Mohammad Shamim, Natesan Ravisankar, Vadivel Arunachalam, Arun Jyoti Nath, Trivesh Mayekar, Raghuveer Singh, Ashisa K. Prusty, Racharla Solomon Rajkumar, Azad Singh Panwar, Viswanatha K. Reddy, Malay Pramanik, Anup Das, Kallakeri Kannappa Manohara, Subhash Babu and Poonam Kashyap

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11629; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811629 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4529

Abstract

Climate change impacts agricultural productivity and farmers’ income, integrated farming systems (IFS) provide a mechanism to cope with such impacts. The nature and extent of climatic aberrations, perceived impact, and adaptation strategies by the farmers reduce the adverse effects of climate change on agriculture. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate 2160 IFS farmers about their perceptions of climate change, barriers, and the likelihood of adapting to the negative impacts of climate change. The study observed an increasing rainfall trend for humid (4.18 mm/year) and semi-arid (0.35 mm/year) regions, while a decreasing trend was observed in sub-humid (−2.02 mm/year) and arid (−0.20 mm/year) regions over the last 38 years. The annual rise in temperature trends observed in different ACZs varied between 0.011–0.014 °C. Nearly 79% of IFS farmers perceived an increase in temperature, decreasing rainfall, variability in the onset of monsoon, heavy terminal rains, mid-season dry spells, and frequent floods due to climate change. The arid, semi-arid, sub-humid, and humid farmers’ adapted several measures in different components with an adaption index of 50.2%, 66.6%, 83.3%, and 91.6%, respectively. The majority of the IFS farmers perceived constraints in adopting measures to climate change, such as meta barriers, capacity barriers, and water barriers. Therefore, we infer that educated farmers involved in diversified and profitable farms with small to medium landholdings are concerned more about climate change in undertaking adaptive strategies to reduce the environmental impact of climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1753 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Indigenous Nutrient Supplying Capacity of Young Alluvial Calcareous Soils Favours the Sustainable Productivity of Hybrid Rice and Maize Crops

by Shiveshwar Pratap Singh, Sudarshan Dutta, Shankar Jha, Shiv Shankar Prasad, Sanjay Kumar Chaudhary, Madhab Chandra Manna, Kaushik Majumdar, Prashant Srivastava, Pothula Srinivasa Brahmanand, Krishna Murari Singh and Krishna Kumar

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11585; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811585 - 15 Sep 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1631

Abstract

The crop productivity in calcareous soils is low due to their low organic matter content, high pH levels and improper nutrient management without considering the indigenous nutrient supplying capacity and crop yield potential; therefore, this study was conducted for a quantitative assessment of the nutrient supplying capacity of a calcareous soil on the productivity of hybrid and conventional rice and maize crops using an omission plot technique. The treatments included the ample application of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K), Sulphur (S) and Zinc (Zn), and an unfertilized check and omissions of N, P, K, S and Zn in rice and maize for six cropping seasons. The impact of the nutrient omission towards crop productivity was highest for nitrogen followed by phosphorous, potassium, zinc and sulphur. The total grain yield (3 yr average) in the hybrid rice–maize system was highest (16.32 t ha⁻¹) for the optimum fertilized plot and lowest (6.34 t ha⁻¹) for the unfertilized check. The sustainable yield index indicated that hybrid and conventional rice-maize cropping systems were more sustainable in the amply fertilized plot than in the nutrient-limited and unfertilized treatment plots. The average percent contributions of nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium from the soil towards total nutrient removal were 36, 80 and 137 kg ha⁻¹, in the hybrid system and 24, 54 and 104 kg ha⁻¹ in the conventional system, respectively. The return on investment (ROI) of the N, P, K, S and Zn for the hybrid rice was 21.2, 7.1, 6.7, 4.1, and 0.3 USD, respectively, while for the maize it was 28.8, 7.6, 4.9, 6.5, and 0.7 USD, respectively. The results suggest that there is a direct link between the soil nutrient supplying capacity and the nutrient requirements by different types of crops in calcareous soil; therefore, the omission plot technique used for the assessment of the indigenous nutrient supplying capacity could be used in the larger domain for improved nutrient management, through synchronization with a targeted crop yield for improved productivity, soil fertility, nutrient use efficiency and farm income. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1593 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Does Maturity Change the Chemical-Bromatological Makeup of Cladodes in Spineless Forage Cactus?

by Anandkumar Naorem, Mounir Louhaichi, Sawsan Hassan, Ashutosh Sarker, Shiva Kumar Udayana, Somasundaram Jayaraman and Sachin Patel

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11411; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811411 - 12 Sep 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1832

Abstract

In Kutch (Gujarat District, India), there is a growing concern about the lack of good quality forage owing to the arid climate and poor soil health. Opuntia ficus-indica has been increasingly recognized as a drought-resilient forage in arid Kutch. This study seeks to identify the maturity phase of cactus cladodes with the best forage qualities. Five accessions of spineless forage cactus (CBG, No. 1270, No. 1271, No. 1308, and Bianca Macomer) and three cladode maturity phases (young, intermediate, and mature) were examined in a randomized block design experiment in a 5 × 3 factorial arrangement. Although only mineral matter and total carbohydrate concentration were significantly different among the accessions, CBG showed better forage qualities than other accessions. Dry matter, organic matter, mineral matter, crude protein, ether extract, and total carbohydrate accumulations were higher in the intermediate phase. In the mature phase, relatively difficult to digest fiber components such as neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose increase. Our findings indicate that for spineless forage cactus grown in arid areas, the intermediate phase is the best phase to harvest cladodes for feeding livestock. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 4735 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Response of Wheat Cultivars to Organic and Inorganic Nutrition: Effect on the Yield and Soil Biological Properties

by Priyanka Chandra, Subhash Chander Gill, Kailash Prajapat, Arijit Barman, Rajender Singh Chhokar, Subhash Chandra Tripathi, Geeta Singh, Raj Kumar, Arvind Kumar Rai, Rinki Khobra, Poonam Jasrotia and Gyanendra P. Singh

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9578; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159578 - 4 Aug 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2233

Abstract

The deterioration of soil biological health is the most important aspect associated with the sustainability of cereal-based food production systems. The application of organic nutrient sources is widely accepted and recommended for sustaining crop productivity and preserving soil fertility. Therefore, a study was carried out to assess the effects of different levels of farmyard manure (FYM₁₀: 10 t ha⁻¹, FYM₂₀: 20 t ha⁻¹, FYM₃₀: 30 t ha⁻¹), including inorganic fertilizer (NPK) on the soil and the biological properties of five high-yielding wheat cultivars (HD 2967, DPW 621-50, PBW 550, and WH 1105) over a three-year period (2014–2015 to 2016–2017). The results showed that the application of NPK produced significantly higher yields compared to different levels of FYM and the control during all the study years. The continuous addition of a higher rate of FYM at 30 t ha⁻¹ was found to be beneficial in terms of enhancing crop yield gain, thereby bridging the yield gap to only 7.2% in the third year; the gap was 69.1% in the first year with NPK application. The microbial population and microbial biomass carbon were significantly higher in the FYM treatments compared to the NPK treatment. The activities of different soil enzymes were observed to be significantly maximum in the FYM₃₀ treatment. Similarly, the addition of FYM significantly improved the soil respiration and microbial activity over the NPK and control treatments. Based on the principal component analysis, fluorescein diacetate, bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes were observed as sensitive biological parameters for the assessing of soil biological health. The soil biological index (SBI) determined with the sensitive parameters was in the decreasing order of FYM₃₀ (0.70), FYM₂₀ (0.61), FYM₁₀ (0.55), NPK (0.18), and control (0.15). Considering both the SBI and the sustainability yield index together, the performance of WH 1105 was found to be better compared to the rest of the wheat cultivars. Our results conclude that the application of FYM in the long run increases the crop yield (24.3 to 38.9%) and improves the soil biological process, leading to the improved biological index of the soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 2496 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modification of Nutrient Requirements for a Four Crop-Based Cropping System to Increase System Productivity, Maintain Soil Fertility, and Achieve Sustainable Intensification

by Md. Abdul Quddus, Md. Babul Anwar, Md. Khairul Alam, Razu Ahmed, Khokan Kumer Sarker, Md. Anarul Islam, Md. Torikul Islam, Mohamed I. Kobeasy, Ahmed Gaber and Sharif Ahmed

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7194; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127194 - 12 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2523

Abstract

Sustainable and resilient cropping intensity is now a global focus to address the food demand and nutrition security of the growing population. For sustainable intensification, maintaining soil fertility is a key concern. The nutrient management for the recently developed four crop-based cropping system in Bangladesh has not yet been studied. Hence, field experiments were conducted on the nutrient management of the four crop-based cropping system [Aus (pre-monsoon rice), Aman (monsoon rice), lentil, and mungbean] in calcareous soil in Bangladesh during the years of 2016/17 and 2017/18 to determine the appropriate fertilizer management package to improve crop productivity and sustain soil fertility. The experiment had six treatments assigned in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments included T₁ = control (without synthetic fertilizer), T₂ = 50% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), T₃ = 75% RDF, T₄ = 100% RDF, T₅ = 125% RDF, and T₆ = farmers’ practice (FP). The results revealed that the 125% RDF significantly contributed to higher yields of all four crops. The rice equivalent yield (REY) was the highest for the fertilizer management of 125% RDF, which was 45.5%, 9.4%, and 12.2% higher than the control (T₁), 100% RDF (T₄), and FP, respectively. Considering the uptake of nutrients (N, P, K, S, Zn, and B) by the crops in the cropping system, the 125% RDF was superior to the other treatments. The nutrient management practices had a positive influence on the apparent nutrient recovery (ANR) efficiency of the cropping system. The fertilizer management of 125% RDF was also economically more profitable due to the increment in the cost–benefit ratio of 26.8%, 4.4%, and 4.9% over the control, 100% RDF, and FP, respectively. The results indicate that the current fertilizer recommendations and FP for aus, aman, lentil, and mungbean are not adequate for the change from the three crop to the four crop-based pattern, and an increased dose of fertilizer is required to increase the yield of each individual crop as well as the total system’s productivity. The fertilizer use efficiency is also higher for 125% RDF than the 100% RDF and FP indicating that to sustain the soil fertility in the four crop-based system, the current RDF and FP are not sufficient. This finding will help intensive cropping areas in preventing nutrient deficiencies that would lead to a reduction in the crop yield. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 7813 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Impact of Long Term Nutrient Management on Soil Quality Indices in Rice-Wheat System of Lower Indo-Gangetic Plain

by Nirmalendu Basak, Biswapati Mandal, Sunanda Biswas, Piu Basak, Tarik Mitran, Bholanath Saha, Arvind Kumar Rai, Md. Khairul Alam, Arvind Kumar Yadav and Ashim Datta

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6533; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116533 - 26 May 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2390

Abstract

Globally, soil degradation is an important issue for sustainable crop production. Soil quality indicators are the soil attributes that address the ecological functions of soil. Therefore, indicator-based soil quality assessment has been emphasized for quantifying the relative soil quality changes in different nutrient management systems. Soil quality underthe rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivam L.) cropping system was assessed using a modified “Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF)” model. Soil’s physical, chemical, nutritional, and biological indices were analyzed for different nutrient management strategies, viz., inorganic fertilizer (NPK), NPK + 7.5 Mg ha⁻¹ farmyard manure (NPKF), NPK + 10.0 Mg ha⁻¹ paddy straw (NPKP) and NPK + 8.0 Mg ha⁻¹Sesbania sesban L. green manure (NPKG). Nutrient management strategies significantly influenced soil quality indices. NPKF showed the highest SMAF score for soil physical quality index followed by NPKP > NPKG > NPK and control; whereas the score of soil chemical quality was greater in NPKP followed by NPKF/NPKG > NPK > control (p > 0.05). Overall, the soil nutritional quality index was greater in NPKF (0.96) followed by NPKG > NPKP > NPK, and the least was in control. The SMAF score of soil biological quality index was highest in NPKF compared to NPKG > NPKP > NPK > control. The wholesome index of SMAF (SQI) was developed withthehighest score in NPKF (0.94) followed by NPKG (0.90) > NPKP (0.89) > NPK (0.79) > control (0.71). The β-glucosidase activity, mineralizable C, KMnO₄ oxidizable N, microbial biomass C, and total water-stable aggregates explained 82% variability in the dataset and represented a good agreement with system yield (R² = 0.89, p < 0.05). This study concludes that the conjunctive application of NPK with manures restores the overall soil quality more than other management practices, and thatthe SQ indices can be utilized for screening the best management practices for rice-wheat and other similar cropping systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2563 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Salt Removal through Residue-Filled Cut-Soiler Simulated Preferential Shallow Subsurface Drainage Improves Yield, Quality and Plant Water Relations of Mustard (Brassica juncea L.)

by Neha, Gajender Yadav, Rajender Kumar Yadav, Ashwani Kumar, Aravind Kumar Rai, Junya Onishi, Keisuke Omori and Parbodh Chander Sharma

Sustainability 2022, 14(7), 4146; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074146 - 31 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1995

Abstract

Soil salinity and the use of saline groundwater are two major constraints in crop production, which covers a ~1.0 billion ha area of arid and semi-arid regions. The improved drainage function of soil can modify the salty growing environment for higher agricultural production. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of cut-soiler-constructed rice residue-filled preferential shallow subsurface drainage (PSSD) to improve the drainage function and its effect on the yield, quality and plant–water relations of mustard over 2019–2021. Cut-soiler-simulated drains were made in a semi-controlled lysimeter (2 × 2 × 3; L*W*H m) as the main plot treatment in a double replicated split–split experiment with two soil types (subplot) and three irrigation water salinities (4, 8 and 12 dS m⁻¹) as the sub-sub-plot treatment. The drainage volume of variable salinity (EC), dependent on the total water input, was substantially higher in the rainy season (April to October), i.e., 16.6, 7.76 and 12.0% during 2018, 2019 and 2020, with 1.7, 0.32 and 0.77 kg salt removal per lysimeter, compared to the post-rainy season. The mustard seed, straw and biological yields were improved by 31.4, 14.41 and 18.08%, respectively, due to a positive effect on plant–water relations. The mustard seeds produced in the cut-soiler-treated plots recorded higher oil, crude fiber and protein contents and a lower erucic acid content. The increase in salt load, by higher-salinity irrigation water, was also efficiently managed by using cut-soiler PSSD. It was found that the saline irrigation water up to 12.0 dS m⁻¹ can be used under such PSSD without any extra salt loading. The present study showed the potential of cut-soiler PSSD in root zone salinity management by improving drainage in salt-affected arid regions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

20 pages, 2022 KiB

Open AccessReview

Agronomic Biofortification of Zinc in Rice for Diminishing Malnutrition in South Asia

by Panneerselvam Peramaiyan, Peter Craufurd, Virender Kumar, Lavanya P. Seelan, Andrew J. McDonald, Balwinder-Singh, Avinash Kishore and Sudhanshu Singh

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7747; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137747 - 24 Jun 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3888

Abstract

Zinc (Zn) is increasingly recognized as an essential trace element in the human diet that mediates a plethora of health conditions, including immune responses to infectious diseases. Interestingly, the geographical distribution of human dietary Zn deficiency overlaps with soil Zn deficiency. In South Asia, Zn malnutrition is high due to excessive consumption of rice with low Zn content. Interventions such as dietary diversification, food fortification, supplementation, and biofortification are followed to address Zn malnutrition. Among these, Zn biofortification of rice is the most encouraging, cost-effective, and sustainable for South Asia. Biofortification through conventional breeding and transgenic approaches has been achieved in cereals; however, if the soil is deficient in Zn, then these approaches are not advantageous. Therefore, in this article, we review strategies for enhancing the Zn concentration of rice through agronomic biofortification such as timing, dose, and method of Zn fertilizer application, and how nitrogen and phosphorus application as well as crop establishment methods influence Zn concentration in rice. We also propose data-driven Zn recommendations to anticipate crop responses to Zn fertilization and targeted policies that support agronomic biofortification in regions where crop responses to Zn fertilizer are high. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Climate Resilient Agronomic, Water and Soil Management Practices for Sustainable Agriculture

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

Published Papers (14 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI