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Oilseed Crops: Sustainable Management and Prospects for Crop Diversification

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 21712

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sanjay Singh Rathore

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Guest Editor

Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Pusa, New Delhi 110012, India
Interests: sustainable intensification with oilseeds crops, interest; crop diversification, interest; climate smart agronomic peccaries for higher productivity

Dr. Subhash Babu

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Guest Editor

Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 012, India
Interests: climate smart agri-food production systems; precision nutrients management; carbon sequestration

Dr. Kapila Shekhawat

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Guest Editor

Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Pusa, New Delhi 110012, India
Interests: improved weed management in CA based system- crop diversification; precision input management;

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oilseeds are an important crop group known for their climate-resilient characteristics and reduced environmental footprint compared to cereals and other commercial crops. Despite increased interest and attention among growers for oilseed crops, plateauing productivity and huge yield gaps across various ecologies remain major concerns. Sustainable management of oilseed crops will not only minimize the yield gaps but also reduce the burgeoning pressure on natural resources.

Limited adoption of high-yielding varieties and advanced crop-soil management practices often results in a variable productivity response and poor economic returns, even with the same level of input management. Hence, there is a dire need to explore and popularize location-specific genotypes, site-specific nutrients and water and insect pest management strategies for boosting oilseed productivity. Breeding, introduction and adoption of high-yielding genotypes, along with resource-efficient production technologies, can potentially pave the way for higher oilseed productivity. It is also imperative to refine farmers’ participatory technology and develop access to them under wide environmental conditions. Addressing biotic stresses through a well-designed crop diversification plan by exploring adaptive features of oilseed crops, viz. root behavior, crop duration, input responsiveness and crop-competitive ability would help to mitigate the environmental, economic, nutritional and food insecurities. Crop diversification, including oilseed crops, can potentially improve farm production, productivity and profitability against both biotic and abiotic stresses. Crop diversification, along with management diversification such as practicing organic farming, conservation-effective agricultural and input management practices, etc., are thoroughly taken into consideration while designing the diversified production systems. Suitability of oilseed crops for intercropping with cereals and other crops can be a promising strategy for addressing the multi-pronged challenges of food, nutritional and environmental uncertainties. Likewise, crop diversification through suitable oilseeds with appropriate management practices in mono-production system areas may be another effective strategy for mitigating the current production challenges and achieving self-reliance in oilseed production.

The objective of the present issue is to discuss the best management practices for oilseed production and their relevance and implications in diversified cropping. Original research/review/policy articles spanning various issues related to sustainable oilseed crop production and its perspective in diversified farming are welcome.

Dr. Sanjay Singh Rathore
Dr. Subhash Babu
Dr. Kapila Shekhawat
Guest Editors

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Keywords

ecosystem services
crop diversity
sustainable agricultural production systems
industrial crops input management
bio economy

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1547 KiB

Open AccessArticle

System-Based Integrated Nutrient Management Improves Productivity, Profitability, Energy Use Efficiency and Soil Quality in Peanut-Wheat Cropping Sequence in Light Black Soils

by Ram A. Jat, Navin K. Jain, Ranjit S. Yadav, Kiran K. Reddy, Raja Ram Choudhary, Pratap V. Zala, Har N. Meena, Susheel Sarkar, Sanjay S. Rathore, Gulshan K. Sharma, Anita Kumawat, Dinesh Jinger and Prakash K. Jha

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1361; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021361 - 11 Jan 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2507

Abstract

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), being an energy-rich crop, is sensitive to nutrient deficiencies and a scavenger of nutrients from the soil. Optimum and integrated nutrient management (INM) improves productivity and the quality of seeds. The objective of this study was to identify suitable system-based INM (S-INM) options for peanut–wheat cropping sequence in the Saurashtra region of India. Results showed that peanut growth, yield attributing parameters, pod, and haulm yield, and NPK uptake were higher when 100% recommended fertilizer doses (RDFs) + farmyard manure (FYM) @5 t/ha + plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) were applied. However, application of 75% RDFs + FYM @5 t/ha + PGPR in peanut and 100% RDF in wheat was most effective to improve growth and yield attributes, yields and nutrient uptake by wheat. Further, this FYM- and PGPR-amended treatment was found to increase system productivity by 15.3 and 17.1%, system profitability by 17.0 and 22.6%, and net energy gain by 10.0 and 17.9% over the reference treatment and over farmers’ practice (FF), respectively. This sustainable system approach will be helpful for agronomists and farmers in identifying and practicing suitable field practices with further study on the residual effect of organic manures on the peanut–wheat based cropping system in the western region of India with light black soils. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oilseed Crops: Sustainable Management and Prospects for Crop Diversification)

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17 pages, 1358 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sulfur Sources Mediated the Growth, Productivity, and Nutrient Acquisition Ability of Pearlmillet–Mustard Cropping Systems

by Sanjay Singh Rathore, Subhash Babu, Vinod Kumar Singh, Kapila Shekhawat, Rajiv Kumar Singh, Pravin Kumar Upadhyay, Mohammad Hashim, K. C. Sharma, Rameti Jangir and Raghavendra Singh

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 14857; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142214857 - 10 Nov 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1782

Abstract

Globally, excess soil nutrient mining is a serious challenge to sustainable agricultural production. The task is more daunting in the semi-arid region of the globe. In addition to the primary nutrient deficiency over the mining of secondary nutrients, especially sulfur is an emerging challenge in contemporary crop production systems. Hence, there is a dire need to devise an appropriate sulfur management protocol by searching for efficient and sustainable sulfur sources. Therefore, the efficacy of new sulfur molecules was evaluated on the performance and nutrient acquisition potential of the pearl millet–mustard system at the research farm of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi, India, for two years. The flexibility of urea–ES technology allows customized sulfur-enhanced urea formulations that suit unique crop needs, offering an all-in-one nitrogen and sulfur fertilizer solution. Hence, the study hypothesized that new sulfur molecules like sulfonated urea (SEU) will have a positive impact on crop growth, yield, and nutrient acquisition in the pearl millet–mustard system. The results revealed that the application of 50% sulfur (S) (15 kg/ha) as a base and 50% (15 kg/ha) as a topdressing (SEU 10-0-0-75) produced better growth, yield-contributing parameters, and economic productivity of the pearl millet–mustard system. However, both compositions of SEU (40-0-0-13 and 10-0-0-75) were significantly better than the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) and the RDF along with other S sources like single super phosphate and bentonite in enhancing crop growth and productivity. The agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AEn) and S (Aes) of SEU (40-0-0-13 and 10-0-0-75) were 9.1 and 10.3 kg seed yield/kg N and 51.2 and 28.9 kg seed/kg, respectively. The agronomic nitrogen use efficiency of SEU (40-0-0-13) and SEU (10-0-0-75) is significantly higher than those of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) alone. Thus, the findings inferred that splitting S (50% as a base and 50% as topdressing) through SEU is a practically feasible and economically robust S option for profitable and sustainable production of the pearl millet–mustard production model in the semi-arid region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oilseed Crops: Sustainable Management and Prospects for Crop Diversification)

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15 pages, 1438 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inheritance and Allelic Relationship among Gene(s) for White Rust Resistance in Indian Mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss]

by Subhash Chand, Naveen Singh, Lakshman Prasad, Joghee Nanjundan, Vijay Kamal Meena, Rajat Chaudhary, Manoj Kumar Patel, Yashpal Taak, Navinder Saini, Sujata Vasudev and Devendra Kumar Yadava

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11620; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811620 - 16 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3067

Abstract

White rust [Albugo candida (Pers. Ex. Lev) Kuntze] is an important oomycetes disease of Indian mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern & Coss] that causes a drastic reduction in seed yield and quality when the conditions are favorable. A set of 25 Indian mustard genotypes were screened against A. candida Delhi isolate (Ac-Dli) under both controlled and natural epiphytotic conditions. Out of 25, only six genotypes (Pusa Karishma, PDZ-3, Heera, BEC-144, BIO YSR, and Donskaja) were found highly resistant in both environments. To study the inheritance of resistance, four resistant genotypes (BEC-144, BIO YSR, Pusa Karishma, and Donskaja) were crossed with three susceptible genotypes (PM-24, Pusa Vijay, and MSTWR-17-15) in a definite design. The parents, F₁, F_2, and BC₁F₁ (F₁ backcrossed with susceptible parent) generations were screened under both artificially controlled and natural epiphytotic conditions and the results indicated that the resistance in BIO YSR, BEC-144, and Pusa Karishma is governed by a single dominant gene, but more than one dominant gene is responsible for resistance in Donskaja. A test of an allelism conducted on the F₂ population derived by crossing resistant (BEC-144) × resistant (BIO YSR) genotypes indicated that the gene imparting resistance to Ac-Dli isolate in the resistant parents BEC-144 and BIO YSR is the same and they are allelic to each other. Therefore, in broader terms, the information generated in the present study will be useful in Indian mustard breeding programs for the development of durable resistant cultivars. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oilseed Crops: Sustainable Management and Prospects for Crop Diversification)

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19 pages, 2363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Intensification of Rice Fallows with Oilseeds and Pulses: Effects on Soil Aggregation, Organic Carbon Dynamics, and Crop Productivity in Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains

by Kirti Saurabh, Rakesh Kumar, Janki Sharan Mishra, Anil Kumar Singh, Surajit Mondal, Ram Swaroop Meena, Jaipal Singh Choudhary, Ashis Kumar Biswas, Manoj Kumar, Himadri Shekhar Roy, Nongmaithem Raju Singh, Sushil Kumar Yadav, Ashutosh Upadhyaya, Hansraj Hans, Pawan Jeet, Prem Kumar Sundaram and Rohan Kumar Raman

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 11056; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141711056 - 5 Sep 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2365

Abstract

Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices are becoming increasingly important due to their better adaptability to harsh climatic conditions (in general) and the unpredictability of monsoons in India (in particular). Conventional rice cultivation (e.g., PTR) involves intensive tilling followed by intensive puddling in standing water that destroys the soil aggregation and depletes carbon pools. Therefore, alternative crop establishment methods need to be devised for the sustainability of system productivity, and the suitabilities of potential oilseeds and pulses need to be tested for cropping intensification in rice-fallow regions. Hence, an ongoing experiment (implemented in 2016) was evaluated to identify the appropriate CSA management practices in restoring soil C and physical health under diversified cropping systems in the rice-fallow system of eastern India. Six tillage and crop establishment methods along with residue management were kept as the main plots [zero-till-direct-seeded rice (ZTDSR), conventional-till-DSR (CT-DSR), puddled transplanted rice (PTR), ZTDSR with rice residue retentions (ZTDSR_R+), CTDSR with rice residue retention (CTDSR_R+), PTR with rice residue retention (PTR_R+)] while five winter/post-rainy crops (oilseeds and pulses) were raised in a subplot. In the ZTDSR_R+ production system, soil macro-aggregate (%), macro-aggregate-associated C, MWD, and GMD of aggregates increased by 60.1, 71.3, 42.1, and 17.1%, respectively, in comparison to conventional tillage practices (PTR). The carbon management index (CMI) was 58% more in the ZTDSR_R+ production system compared to PTR. Among the winter crops, chickpeas recorded higher values of soil structural indices and C content. In the PTR production system, system productivity, in terms of rice equivalent yield, was comparable to ZTDSR_R+. ZT with residue retention in rice followed by post-rainy/winter pulses led to higher C content and structural stability of the soil. Thus, CSA management practices can improve the crop productivity as well as soil health of rice-fallow production systems of eastern India and comparable agroecotypes of South Asia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oilseed Crops: Sustainable Management and Prospects for Crop Diversification)

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21 pages, 2848 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Codon Usage Bias for Fatty Acid Genes FAE1 and FAD2 in Oilseed Brassica Species

by Rajat Chaudhary, Subhash Chand, Bharath Kumar Alam, Prashant Yadav, Vijay Kamal Meena, Manoj Kumar Patel, Priya Pardeshi, Sanjay Singh Rathore, Yashpal Taak, Navinder Saini, Devendra Kumar Yadava and Sujata Vasudev

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 11035; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141711035 - 4 Sep 2022

Viewed by 2390

Abstract

Codon usage bias (CUB) phenomenon varies with the species and even within the genes of the same species, where few codons are preferred more frequently than their other synonymous codons. It also categorizes the differences between species. Nucleotide compositional analysis reveals the molecular mechanisms of genes and the evolutionary relationship of a gene in dissimilar plant species. In the present study, three orthologous sequences of each FAE1 (FAE1.1, FAE1.2, and FAE1.3) and FAD2 (FAD2.1, FAD2.2, and FAD2.3) genes, from six Brassica species were accessed using the GenBank database. Further, CUB-related parameters such as nucleotide composition (AT and GC content), relative synonymous codon usage (RSCU), the effective number of codons (ENC), frequency of optimal codons (Fop), relative codon usage bias (RCBS), neutrality plot (GC12 vs. GC3), parity rule-2 [(A3/(A3 + T3) vs. (G3/(G3 + C3)], and correspondence analysis (COA) were analyzed to compare codon bias in U’s triangle Brassica species. The FAE1 genes were AT-biased and FAD2 genes were GC-biased across the studied Brassica species. RSCU values indicated that both the genes had moderate codon usage frequency for selected amino acids. The evolutionary study confirmed that codon usage preference is similar within the species grouped into the same cluster for FAE1; however, B. nigra performed differently for FAD2.2 orthologue. The high ENC value, low Fop, and RSCU value highlighted that FAE1 and FAD2 genes had a low level of gene expression and moderate preference for codon usage across the Brassicas. In addition, neutrality plot, parity rule, and correspondence analysis revealed that natural selection pressure had significantly contributed to CUB for FAE1 genes, whereas mutation and selection pressure occurred for FAD2 genes. This study would help to decode codon optimization, improve the level of expression of exogenous genes, and transgenic engineering to increase fatty acid profiling for the betterment of seed oil in Brassica species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oilseed Crops: Sustainable Management and Prospects for Crop Diversification)

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13 pages, 2038 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Yield and Yield Criteria of Flax Fiber (Linum usititassimum L.) as Influenced by Different Plant Densities

by Şahane Funda Arslanoglu, Soner Sert, Hasan Alp Şahin, Selim Aytaç and Ayman El Sabagh

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4710; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084710 - 14 Apr 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3748

Abstract

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is mostly grown in temperate climate conditions. The rising demand for natural fibres other than cotton has re-introduced flax cultivation in to the agenda. This situation has necessitated the acceleration of flax production research in Turkey. The purpose of this research is to discover the best seeding density for flax fibre cultivation. The trials were carried out with the Rolin flax variety at the coordinates 41°21′53″ N and 36°11′17″ E, during the winter seasons of 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, at densities of 500, 750, 1000, 1250, 1500, 1750, and 2000 plant m⁻², by using a random block design. According to the results obtained from analysis of variance, where all these charectors examined viz, years, densities, year and density interaction were found statistically significant (p < 0.01). The highest straw, fiber and seed yields per decare were measured at 2000 plant m⁻² density, while as the lowest values were determined at 500 plant m⁻² density. However In the interaction of year and density, the highest plant height and technical length were measured in the first year at 1750 plant m⁻² density at 102.7 cm and 80.2 cm, respectively. Similarly the highest straw yield (764 kg da⁻¹), fiber yield (198.6 kg da⁻¹) and seed yield (133.9 kg da⁻¹) were measured in the first year at 2000 plant m⁻² density. Adequate rainfall during the rapid development stage of winter flax in April-May boosted plant height, technical length, straw, seed, and fibre yield. Although the yields were low during the second year, which was dry. While the positive significant correlation (**; p < 0.01) was found between plant density and plant height (r = 0.907 **), straw yield per decare (r = 0.981 **), seed yield per decare (r = 0.973 **), fiber yield per decare (0.978 **), technical length (r = 0.828; * p < 0.05), negative significant correlation (p < 0.01) was found between plant density and the number of secondary branches (r = −0.955 **), stem diameter (−0.955 **) and plant seed weight (r = −0.923 **). According to the data recorded in two-years. It was observed that for high straw, fiber and seed yield, 2000 plant m⁻² density was appropriate for cultivating flax fiber during the winter growing period in mild climate conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oilseed Crops: Sustainable Management and Prospects for Crop Diversification)

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18 pages, 1323 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Oilseed Brassica Species Diversification and Crop Geometry Influence the Productivity, Economics, and Environmental Footprints under Semi-Arid Regions

by Sanjay Singh Rathore, Subhash Babu, Kapila Shekhawat, Vinod K. Singh, Pravin Kumar Upadhyay, Rajiv Kumar Singh, Rishi Raj, Harveer Singh and Fida Mohammad Zaki

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2230; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042230 - 16 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3109

Abstract

The article presents the findings of three-year field experiments conducted during 2017–2020 on the productivity, economics, and environmental footprints of the oilseed Brassica (OSB) with species diversification and crop geometry alterations in semi-arid regions of India. The objectives of the field experimentation was to assess the system of mustard intensification (SMI) in enhancing productivity and profitability with ensuring fewer environmental footprints. The results revealed that Brassica carinata gave a maximum seed productivity (3173.8 kg ha⁻¹) and net returns (US$ 1141.72 ha⁻¹) under a crop geometry of 60 cm × 60 cm. Further, an increase of 38% and 54% in seed yield and net returns from B. carinata was observed over the existing traditional Brassica juncea with conventional crop geometry. The maximum energy output was also recorded from B. carinata (246,445 MJ ha⁻¹). The broader crop geometry (60 cm × 60 cm) also resulted in maximum energy output. The environmental footprint was lesser due to increased carbon gain (CG), carbon output (CO), and carbon production efficiency (CPE) and lower greenhouse gas intensity (GHGi) in B. carinata. However, the maximum water-use efficiency (WUE) was recorded in B. juncea (19.15 kg per ha-mm), with a minimum water footprint (WFP), whereas, greater crop geometry (60 cm × 60 cm) resulted in lower WFPs and better irrigation water use. Enhanced seed yield, economics, and fewer environmental footprints were observed at broader crop geometry in B. carinata over remaining OSBs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Oilseed Crops: Sustainable Management and Prospects for Crop Diversification)

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