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In the Indo-Gangetic plains of South Asia, the triple challenges of diminishing farm profitability, deteriorating natural resources and energy deficits threaten conventional agricultural sustainability. This threat is intensified by the open field burning of crop residues that not only squander an indirect renewable source of energy but also impair the soil and environment quality. The crop residues can be used as organic manure by retaining the residues as mulch in the field. After a long term (5-yrs) study, it was concluded that crop residues biomass contributed maximum (∼79%) in total input energy (1,68,556 MJ ha−1) in conservation agriculture (CA) based systems, however fertilizer application (non-renewable energy source) contributed maximum (∼50%) to the total energy (40,636 MJ ha−1) in conventional tillage (CT) based maize-wheat cropping system.CA based maize systems recorded higher input energy and energy intensiveness by 23 and 57% respectively, and recorded almost 44% lower energy use efficiency and energy productivity compared to CT based maize systems. On 5 years average basis, Zero tillage based maize-wheat-mungbean with nutrient expert cropping system(ZT/MWMb + NE) utilized 351% more input energy, which resulted in25%higher output energy and 363% higher EI compared to CT/MW (40,636 MJ ha−1, 4,20,197 MJ ha−1, 39.60 MJ USD−1).

Generally, lentil seeds are sown following the traditional farming practice with 3-4 numbers of ploughing combined with broadcasting method in lentil growing countries. This is time consuming and costly. The objective of this study was to evaluate the lentil performance as affected by different mechanical seeding system as well as seeding device. There were seven different treatments of which two tillage systems like i) broadcasting after4 times tillage (CT) and ii) broadcasting after tillage with two wheeler driven High Speed Rotary Tiller (HSRT), and five direct mechanical seeding systems like TT+BP =one tillage + bed planting seeding (BP+Pl), TBP =Direct bed planting seeding (BP), TPTOS =Two wheeler operated Seeder (PTOS), TST = Strip tillage seeding (ST) and TZ =Zero tillage seeding (Z). The experiment was carried out by a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. From the results it was revealed that yield was increased from0.56 % to 10.42% in mechanical seeding system than CT. The findings also demonstrated that BP increased yield of about 10.42% with 49.31% of lower fuel consumption which saved 48.1% time compared to CT. The HSRT gave numerically higher yield compare to ST than CT but lower than BP, BP+Pl and PTOS. Zero tillage seeding system gave the minimum seed yield compare to others which was 9.67% and 19% lower than that of CT and BP, respectively. In mechanical seeding systems, bed planting exhibited higher root volume and density compare to that of others, but lower to CT and HSRT. SAARC J. Agri., 18(1): 51-60 (2020)

Climate change continues to hamper crop-based systems across sub-Sahara Africa. Adaptation strategies prove to be effective at improving production and enhancing livelihoods of farm households. This study employs Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) to assess the perceived economic profitability of adopting various on-farm climate change adaptation strategies among farmers in Zabzugu and South Tongu districts in the north and south of Ghana. A simple random sampling approach was used to select 300 farmers who had previously benefited from climate change projects. Major strategies adopted in both districts were: changing of planting dates, planting early maturing varieties, row planting, seed refilling and planting drought tolerant varieties. Adoption intensity was high in Zabzugu district compared to the South Tongu District. Generally, the adoption of each strategy was perceived to be profitable since the estimated average benefits outweighed the average costs. However, the most profitable strategies were strip cropping, repeated sowing, refilling, zero tillage and row planting. Less profitable strategies included land rotation, mixed farming, early planting, tractor ploughing and “A-frame” contour farming. Among others, drought tolerant varieties of rice, maize and soybeans, as well as zero tillage, repeated sowing and strip cropping, should be promoted and farmers encouraged to adopt these practices for enhanced benefits.

Sustainably enhancing wheat productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) is vital for ensuring future food security. While in controlled field trials zero-tillage (ZT) wheat has demonstrated cons...

Resilient cropping systems are required to achieve food security in the presence of climate change, and so several long-term conservation agriculture (CA) trials have been established in southern Africa – one of them at the Chitedze Agriculture Research Station in Malawi in 2007. The present study focused on a longitudinal analysis of 10 years of data from the trial to better understand the joint effects of variations between the seasons and particular contrasts among treatments on yield of maize. Of further interest was the variability of treatment responses in time and space and the implications for design of future trials with adequate statistical power. The analysis shows treatment differences of the mean effect which vary according to cropping season. There was a strong treatment effect between rotational treatments and other treatments and a weak effect between intercropping and monocropping. There was no evidence for an overall advantage of systems where residues are retained (in combination with direct seeding or planting basins) over conventional management with respect to maize yield. A season effect was evident although the strong benefit of rotation in El Niño season was also reduced, highlighting the strong interaction between treatment and climatic conditions. The power analysis shows that treatment effects of practically significant magnitude may be unlikely to be detected with just four replicates, as at Chitedze, under either a simple randomised control trial or a factorial experiment. Given logistical and financial constraints, it is important to design trials with fewer treatments but more replicates to gain enough statistical power and to pay attention to the selection of treatments to given an informative outcome.

The subsurface transport of dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) from artificially drained agricultural fields can impair water quality, especially in no-till fields. The distribution of soil P in the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-dominated Palouse region in the inland U.S. Pacific Northwest varies greatly due to its steep and complex topography, and a legacy (∼130 yr) of excessive soil erosion and deposition processes. The primary goal of this research was to better understand the magnitude and temporal dynamics of DRP export from an artificial drain line and the variability of subsurface DRP leaching within a long-term, no-till field. Dissolved reactive P in drain line effluent was monitored across three water years. Large intact soil cores were extracted at contrasting field locations (toe and top slope positions) to measure DRP leachate concentration and relative P sorption. Drain line DRP concentration was predominantly >0.05 mg L-1 and often exceeded 0.1 mg L-1 during winter and early spring. Mean leachate DRP levels were significantly higher in toe slope cores than in top slope cores (0.11 and 0.02 mg L-1 , respectively). Saturated hydraulic conductivity varied widely across cores and was not correlated with leachate DRP concentration. All soil cores exhibited high P sorption potential, even under conditions of preferential flow. These findings suggest that much of the DRP transport in these landscapes is derived from P hotspots located in toe slope positions. Application of soil P fertilizer amounts in variable rates that account for spatial variability in P transport may minimize P enrichment and subsequent leaching in these locations.

One of the ways to solve the problem of preserving soil fertility is the use of special soil protection measures and scientifically proven technologies. The main measures to increase crop productivity, preserve soil fertility and improve ecological state of the environment are the primary tillage and fertilization systems in modern high-intensity farming systems with scientifically proven methods, techniques, and depth of loosening, as well as doses of mineral and organic fertilizers. The article presents the results of experimental studies of changes in the humus reserves in the arable layer of the soil under the influence of longterm use of differentiated systems of primary tillage, in which different methods and depth of the primary tillage alternate during crop rotation, different depth (23–25 cm and 28–30 cm) subsurface chisel tillage, single-depth shallow (12–14 cm) disk and zero tillage, against the background of the fertilizer system using post-harvest green manure. The research was conducted during 2015–2019 on the irrigated lands of the Askaniya State Agricultural Research Station of the Institute of Irrigated Agriculture of NAAS, in the area of the Kakhovka irrigation system, in a fourfield row crop rotation with successive crop rotation of the following: soybean, winter wheat + mustard (postharvest for green manure), corn for grain, winter barley + mustard (postharvest for green manure). The soil of the experimental field is dark chestnut, slightly saline, medium loamy. Based on data from field, laboratory and analytical studies, it is established that in short-term row crops rotation on irrigated lands of southern Ukraine an effective measure to increase the fertility of dark chestnut soils is organic-mineral fertilizer systems with a mineral fertilizer dose of N120P40 (per hectare of crop rotation area), the use of spring mustard as fertilizer in post-harvest crops as well as the use of all by-products of crop rotation. Differentiated and different-depth subsurface systems of primary tillage against the background of organicmineral fertilization system provide productivity of short-term crop rotation at the level of 7.77 and 8.09 t/ha of grain units respectively, increase of humus by 1.25 and 1.33 t/ha, and total ecological economic efficiency of crop rotation operation by 61.50 and 64.63 thousand UAH/ha.

Conservation Agriculture (CA) is a Sustainable Agricultural Intensification strategy based on minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil coverage by living or dead biomass, and diversification of crop rotations. We reviewed the literature on benefits, trade-offs, adoption and adaptation of CA in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). While CA can improve soils and sustain crop yields, benefits are inconsistent and there are trade-offs with crop residue use, weeds and insect pests, labour demands and short-term yield penalties. Adoption rates by smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa are generally low. We hypothesize that underlying adoption constraints are 1) the magnitude of transformation of management practices required from farmers moving to CA, 2) the multiple inherent trade-offs associated with CA practices and 3) the incompatibility of CA practices to local conditions. We suggest CA adoption in SSA could be improved by focusing the promotion of CA to environments where it best fits, or by facilitating smallholders’ adaptation of the practices of CA to respond to their conditions and constraints. We, therefore, propose to move from Conservation Agriculture to Conservation Practices by: (A) identifying and overcoming locally important CA trade-offs through adaptations and complementary practices, and (B) finding farm-specific optimal combinations of practices in terms of feasibility and benefits.

This article presents the results of research on the impact of no-till technology on the natural bulk density and macro- and microaggregate composition of the topsoil (0–20 cm) in different subtypes of chernozems before sowing and during the growing season. Haplic Chernozems (Loamic, Aric, Pachic) and Haplic Chernozems (Loamic, Aric) were studied. For all chernozems, improvement of physical properties was recorded when no-till was introduced in comparison with the control. Four and six years of crop growing without tillage did not cause any compaction of Haplic Chernozems (typical and ordinary subtypes). On the plots with direct sowing, the microaggregate composition of typical chernozems was characterized by a higher proportion of coarse fractions (>50 µm) in comparison with the control. Probably, this indicates the development of microaggregation similar to that under natural cenoses, which are characterized by a relatively high content of the fraction 50–250 µm, upon the transition to no-till. In all subtypes of chernozems under no-till, the water stability of aggregates increased. The share of agronomically valuable aggregates in typical chernozem also increased, which may be associated with an increase in the input of water-soluble organic matter into the soil during no-till, because this technology excludes translocation of plant residues into the soil. In southern chernozems, this effect was manifested only for fractions >7 mm, while water stability of finer aggregates was mainly due to the calcium content regardless of the type of tillage.

A comparative assessment of the morphological properties of typical and ordinary chernozems using traditional technology of field crops cultivation with soil treatment and no-till revealed trends in morphological properties changing over time and space. After using no-till on typical chernozems of the Kursk region for 4 years, there was a tendency to increase in humus horizons A and A + AB thickness and in the level of carbonate detection line (10% HCl reaction), which uprose closer to the soil surface. In ordinary chernozems of Stavropol after 7 years of using no-till, this trend is typical only of A + AB horizon. When plowing chernozems, there is a trend to deeper carbonate accumulation level. The gradual accumulation and decomposition of crop residues on the soil surface, which play an important role in wind erosion protection, and less intensive evaporation over time leads to an increase in the thickness of humus horizons and the content of organic matter. The results obtained are indicative of the initialization of morphological properties transformation in chernozems when no-till is used. The decrease in the thickness of the humus horizon on arable lands in Stavropol region results from deflation caused by both numerous soil treatments and a specific wind regime, and direct sowing has demonstrated positive results in the fight against wind erosion processes. When no-till technology is used, chernozems acquire natural features typical of them – variability of properties, i. e. the initial heterogeneity of soil cover, which determines the sustainability of soils in natural ecosystem.

Kazakhstan is one of the top ten countries in the world that use careful farming with a total area of 2 million hectares, therefore, the priority area of scientific research in the field of agricul...

Intensified cover-cropping practices are increasingly viewed as a herbicide-resistance management tool but clear distinction between reactive and proactive resistance management performance targets is needed. We evaluated two proactive performance targets for integrating cover-cropping tactics, including (1) facilitation of reduced herbicide inputs and (2) reduced herbicide selection pressure. We conducted corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] field experiments in Pennsylvania and Delaware using synthetic weed seedbanks of horseweed [Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist] and smooth pigweed (Amaranthus hybridus L.) to assess winter and summer annual population dynamics, respectively. The effect of alternative cover crops was evaluated across a range of herbicide inputs. Cover crop biomass production ranged from 2,000 to 8,500 kg ha−1 in corn and 3,000 to 5,500 kg ha−1 in soybean. Experimental results demonstrated that herbicide-based tactics were the primary drivers of total weed biomass production, with cover-cropping tactics providing an additive weed-suppression benefit. Substitution of cover crops for PRE or POST herbicide programs did not reduce total weed control levels or cash crop yields but did result in lower net returns due to higher input costs. Cover-cropping tactics significantly reduced C. canadensis populations in three of four cover crop treatments and decreased the number of large rosettes (>7.6-cm diameter) at the time of preplant herbicide exposure. Substitution of cover crops for PRE herbicides resulted in increased selection pressure on POST herbicides, but reduced the number of large individuals (>10 cm) at POST applications. Collectively, our findings suggest that cover crops can reduce the intensity of selection pressure on POST herbicides, but the magnitude of the effect varies based on weed life-history traits. Additional work is needed to describe proactive resistance management concepts and performance targets for integrating cover crops so producers can apply these concepts in site-specific, within-field management practices.

Current recommendations for the control of glyphosate-resistant horseweed [Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist var. canadensis] in soybeans [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] consist of comprehensive herbicide programs, which often include herbicide applications outside the soybean growing season. Integration of cover crops with herbicides could potentially improve C. canadensis control and allow for a reduction in herbicide inputs. Two separate field studies were conducted from 2016 through 2018 with the objectives of: (1) determining the effect of planting date and seeding rate of a cereal rye (Secale cereale L.) cover crop on C. canadensis population density and control in the subsequent soybean crop; and (2) determining whether the cover crop could replace a fall herbicide treatment or allow for a reduction in the use of spring-applied residual herbicides. There was no effect of rye planting date, late September versus late October, on C. canadensis density in either study. In 2016 to 2017, C. canadensis density was greater in the absence of a rye cover crop in both studies, but otherwise not affected by seeding rates of 50 versus 100 kg ha−1. In the 2017 to 2018 season, the presence of rye resulted in an increased C. canadensis density in the spring residual herbicide study (Study I), and had no effect in the fall herbicide study (Study II). Conyza canadensis densities were lowest in the treatments where a comprehensive spring residual or fall herbicide treatment had been applied, averaged over rye planting date and seeding rate. Earlier-planted rye at a higher seeding rate produced the most biomass but did not result in lower C. canadensis densities. These results suggest that cereal rye planted at a density of 50 kg ha−1 as a cover crop before no-till soybeans may be sufficient to reduce glyphosate-resistant C. canadensis plant density, but cannot be relied upon to reduce the need for fall herbicide treatments and spring residual programs.

Soil samples at thirty (30) USDA organic-certified mixed vegetable farms in Michigan, USA were obtained and analyzed for their percentage of soil organic matter (SOM). The intent was to characterize the changes in SOM content, specifically the overall change since organic certification, the patterns of increase or decline, and whether certain agricultural practices are associated with levels of SOM. A short survey of farmers provided supplemental information about each sampling site, including tillage practices, pesticide use, and cover crops. The results indicate a significant majority (24/30) of organic farms showed increases in the percentage of organic matter content, with one farm exhibiting no change and five farms decreasing. These results were achieved in a variety of soil textures, climatic conditions, and over durations from 1–17 years of organic certification. Organic farms had more than twice the percentage of soil organic matter as the ten (10) conventional farms used as a benchmark. In addition, the soil at the sampled organic farms exhibited high positive correlations between SOM and cation exchange capacity, and between pH and cation exchange capacity. Tillage mean depth at those farms increasing their percentages of organic matter was 70% lower than those farms with decreasing percentages of SOM, which suggests low-till or no till practices may help preserve organic matter. In combination with other management methods, such as cover crop usage and soil amendments, a key indicator of soil health was improved and sustained—a primary objective of organic farming.

Of late, intensive farming for higher food production is often associated with many negative implications for soil systems, such as decline of soil organic matter (SOM), increase in risks of soil erosion by wind and/or water, decline in soil biological diversity, increase in degradation of soil physical quality, lower nutrient-use efficiency, high risks of groundwater pollution, falling water tables, increasing salinization and waterlogging, in-field burning of crop residues, pollution of air and emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), leading to global warming, and decline in factor productivity. These negative implications necessitate an objective review of strategies to develop sustainable management practices, which could not only sustain soil health and ensure food security, but also enhance carbon sequestration, decrease GHG emissions, and offer clean and better ecosystem services. Conservation agriculture (CA), that includes reduced or no-till practices along with crop residue retention and mixed crop rotations, offers multiple benefits. Adoption of a system-based CA conserves water, improves and creates more efficient use of natural resources through the integrated management of available soil nutrients, water, and biological resources, and enhances use efficiency of external inputs. Due to apparent benefits of CA, it is increasingly being adopted and now covers about 180 million hectares (Mha) worldwide. However, in South Asia its spread is low (

The field experiment was conducted during kharif 2017 and 2018 on sandy loam soil of the Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla with following treatments T1 : 100% RDF (100-60-40 kg N-P-K ha-1); T2: 100% RDF+ Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1; T3: 125% RDF+ Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1; T4: 75% RDF+ Poultry manure @ 0.82 t ha-1 + Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1; T5: 75% RDF+ FYM @ 5.0 t ha-1 + Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1; T6: 50% RDF+ Poultry manure @1.6 t ha-1+ Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50kg ha-1 and T7: 50% RDF+ FYM @ 10 t ha-1+ Soil application of ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design and replicated thrice among all the treatments, T7 recorded highest grain yield (5343, 5465 and 5404 kg ha-1) in both the years and in pooled data. All the quality parameters viz., protein, amylase, amylopectin content, head rice recovery, milling percent, water uptake and volume expansion ratio were said to be non significant in both the years of study because these quality parameters are highly governed by genes. To study the influence of organic manures on quality parameters, this experiment needs to be continued on the same site for more years.

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2016-17at Research farm of Bihar Agricultural College, Sabour, to evaluate the effect of tillage, sowing time and irrigation levels on soil available moisture and water use efficiency of maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment comprised of two tillage methods viz. conventional tillage (CT) and zero tillage (ZT) in main plot, two sowing dates- 30th October and 10th November as sub-plot and three irrigation levels (I2 - 2 irrigations at six-leaf stage and tasseling, I4 - 4 irrigations at four-leaf stage, ten leaf stage, tasseling and milking and I6 - 6 irrigations at four-leaf stage, eight leaf stage, ten leaf stage, tasseling, milking and dough stage) as sub-sub plot treatment. The results indicated that the seasonal evapotranspiration (SET) increased significantly with increase in number of irrigation application. With the increase in two irrigations from I2 to I4 the grain yield water use efficiency (WUEy) increased by 30 percent while with further increase in two irrigations (I6) resulted in 10 percent reduction in WUEy over I4 irrigation level. However, the I6 irrigation level recorded 17 percent higher WUEy over I2 irrigation level. Although grain yield were higher with six irrigations but ssignificantly higher water use efficiency was obtained due to ZT, early planting and I4 irrigation level.

A field study was conducted during three consecutive years of 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 at university farm at Bihar Agricultural University, to assess the impact of resource conservation and nutrient management on yield, economics, and energetics of rice-wheat cropping system. The experiment was conducted in split plot design replicated thrice with three cropping system establishment methods viz. system of rice intensification + conventional wheat, transplanted rice + conventional wheat with 30% rice residue incorporation and direct seeded rice + zero tilled wheat with 30% rice residue incorporation as main plot and with three nutrient management practices viz. 100% of Recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) through inorganic sources, 75% of RDF through inorganic sources + 25% of RDF through organic sources (vermicompost), 50% of RDF through inorganic sources + 50% of RDF through organic sources (vermicompost) and 100% of RDF through inorganic sources + mungbean as green manuring. It was obvious from the result that highest rice yield (48.7 qha-1) was from system of rice intensification + conventional wheat meanwhile highest wheat yield (47.0 qha-1) and system productivity (rice equivalent yield) (91.3 qha-1) was from direct seeded rice + zero tilled wheat with 30% rice residue incorporation. Moreover, the dominance of resource conservation practices on other practices was prevalent in the cropping system as highest B:C ratio (1.92) was obtained from direct seeded rice + zero tilled wheat with 30% rice residue incorporation. Lowest greenhouse gas emission i.e. CH4, CO2, N2O was from direct seeded rice with zero tilled wheat and residue incorporation at different stages of crop growth. Among different nutrient management practices highest yield both for rice (48.3qha-1) wheat (43.9qha-1) and rice equivalent yield (95.2 qha-1) was obtained from 100% of RDF through inorganic sources + mungbean as green manuring. Adding to this the B:C ratio was also least (1.84) from same, whereas lowest greenhouse gas emission (CH4, CO2) was from 100% inorganic fertilizers. And lowest nitrous oxide emission was from 50% inorganic and 50% organic fertilizers.

Field experiments were conducted to evaluate the combined effect of brown manuring with post emergence herbicide on weed management in planted sugarcane. Weeds are one of the major biotic stress and its management was the very costliest agronomic input in the successful crop production. Weeds can cause yield reduction in sugarcane up to 40%. Indiscriminate use of herbicides can accelerate weed flora shift and resistance besides causing environmental pollution and non-target toxicities and. Brown manuring is a no till version of green manuring using a post emergence herbicide. For brown manuring, Sesbania is grown as intercrop with sugarcane for initial 35 days, and then, is knocked down by 2,4-D. BM had multiple benefits including weed management. In Sugarcane its wider inter row space and its initial slow growth would allow to formulate an integrated weed management (IWM) module with brown manuring and herbicide. Therefore, this experiment was undertaken at Agricultural Collage and Research Institute, Madurai during 2016 to 2018 to evaluate the integrated effect of brown manure and herbicide on weed management in sugarcane. Among nine treatments, three were BM of sesbania and three were in- situ incorporation of sesbania, involving one intercultural operation at 90 DAP (Hand hoeing; Metribuzin: halosulfuron application). In addition, three controls, namely atrazine 1 kg /ha + power weeeding at 45 & 75 DAP, hand weeding twice and unweeded control were also adopted and the experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. A pre-emergence application of pendimethalin 2.0 kg/ha was made in all sesbaniarasied treatments. The results showed that application of pendimethalin 2.0 kg ha-1 + Sesbania (brown manuring) + hand hoeing at 90 DAP recorded minimum number of weeds and weed dry weight. The higher weed control efficiency (78.96%), cane yield (100.5 t /ha) and benefit cost ratio (2.72) were found with PE application of Pendimethalin + Sesbania(Brown manuring) + hand hoeing at 90 DAP compared to POE herbicides and insitu incorporation of Sesbania.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the long term effect of zero-tillage practices on physico-chemical properties of soil at 0-15 and 15-30 cm depth under rice-wheat cropping system in Karnal. Soil texture was loamy at Karnal sampling sites and results of the study revealed that pH, EC and BD (bulk density) was not significantly affected by zero-tillage (ZT) practices. On adopting ZT, soil organic carbon (SOC) increased from 0.49 to 0.52% at surface soil and 0.41 to 0.43% at sub-surface soil in comparison to CT. More available N, P, K, and total N were recorded in surface soil samples under zero tillage as compared to conventional system, however, C:N ratio was observed to be slightly affected by this management practice. Therefore, the ZT practices resulting, improved SOC, can be suitable for improving productivity and soil health under the rice- wheat cropping system (RWCS).

In integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), understanding residue dynamics is crucial to synchronize nutrient release from pasture litter to cash-crop nutrient demands and overcome potential deficiencies using suitable fertilization strategies. The present study evaluated how the inclusion of trees and N availability affected the release rates of K from pasture (black oat + ryegrass) residues to the subsequent maize crop in a no-till ICLS. The experimental design was randomized blocks with treatments set up in split-plots with three replications. Main plots were systems (crop-livestock only and crop-livestock with trees) and sub-plots N levels (90 and 180 kg N ha-1). Litter decomposition and K release from pasture residues were assessed using litterbags, which were installed at maize sowing, for retrieval at 8, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 165 days of incubation. Regardless of N level, shade of 7-year-old trees reduced pasture residue (-30%). Tree residues were unable to offset the shading effect on pasture growth. A faster dry matter decomposition was observed in treeless treatment and with 180 kg N ha-1, with a half-life ranging from 14 to 38 days. Despite no changes in K-release dynamics among treatments, total K released was significantly higher for treeless system (61 kg K ha-1) than in system with trees (40 kg K ha-1), due to changes in the initial amount of residue. These results must be taken into account in fertilization practices. Therefore, a few feasible silvicultural interventions should be considered to avoid losses in soil cover, maximizing nutrient cycling benefits.

There is a need to quantify agriculture’s potential to sequester carbon (C) to inform global approaches aimed at mitigating climate change effects. Many factors including climate, crop, soil manage...

Agriculture’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals requires climate-smart and profitable farm innovations. In the past decade, attention has been given to conservation agriculture as a ‘sustainable intensification’ strategy, although a lack of evidence-based consensus on the merits of conservation agriculture prevails in the context of intensive smallholder farming in South Asia. A meta-analysis using 9,686 paired site–year comparisons representing different indicators of cropping-system performance suggest significant (P

The effect of long-term (about 25 years) use of different farming practices on a set of soil properties and development of erosion in Lower Austria has been studied. Three tillage systems—zero, or no-till (NT); minimum, or conservation (CS); and conventional (CV)—are compared. The comparison demonstrates that the properties of Typic Argiudols (Luvic Phaeozems), formed on steep (13.2%) slopes, change depending on both the tillage type and the position on the slope. Unlike the CV tillage, the soil-saving technologies provide higher contents of nutrients, silt, and clay, as well as better water permeability and water stability of soil aggregates. Despite an almost doubled amount of lumpy fractions (>10 mm), the soil aggregate states after NT and CS tillage are estimated as “excellent”. Independently of the tillage system, all agrochemical, electrophysical, and hydrophysical parameters (except for pH and bulk density) increase downward the slope, which is associated with erosion, namely, the washout of suspended sediments by water flows. The Corg content in the soil tightly correlates with the water stability of soil aggregates (r = 0.91), the concentration of soluble humic substances and fine solids (SAK; r = 0.76), and electroconductivity (r = 0.75). An anti-erosion efficiency of tillage practice increases in the series CV–CS–NT. The NT or CS systems are recommended for the erosion-prone slopes of Alpine foothills.

Conservation agriculture (CA) relies on low soil disturbance, mulching, and crop rotation, and these characteristics present CA as a good candidate to control soil degradation and preserve soil fertility. Therefore, agricultural scientists promote it as an efficient technique to sustain agricultural production. Conventional tillage (CT) dominates many semi-arid regions of Morocco, like Chaouia. However, crop/livestock management worsens degradation of soil organic matter and thus soil fertility. Since the eighties’, controlled experimental trials tried to promote No-Till (NT) system in these regions. But it is still experiencing a low level of adoption. This on-farm research study aimed to evaluate NT effect on some Vertisols' physicochemical properties of this region. Analysis of variance only found a significant NT effect on soil organic matter (SOM), but factorial analysis provided evidence of a behavior of its effect on several physicochemical properties such as active limestone (CaCO3), total nitrogen (TN), nitrate (NO3-), calcium (Ca2+), potassium (K+) and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Furthermore, pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and sodium (Na+) did not show any significant difference between the two tillage treatments. This study also found that continuous cereal cropping with no mulching management mostly explains this low improvement in soil quality. This last approach, reduce CA to NT process. To promote CA in these regions, more efforts are still needed for a satisfactory up-scaling and a sustainable soil fertility conservation.

Climate change and soil fertility decline are major threats to smallholder farmers' food and nutrition security in southern Africa, and cropping systems that improve soil health are needed to address these challenges. Cropping systems that invest in soil organic matter, such as no-tillage (NT) with crop residue retention, have been proposed as potential solutions. However, a key challenge for assessing the sustainability of NT systems is that soil carbon (C) stocks develop over long timescales, and there is an urgent need to identify trajectory indicators of sustainability and crop productivity. Here we examined the effects of NT as compared with conventional tillage without residue retention on relationships between soil characteristics and maize (Zea mays L.) productivity in long-term on-farm and on-station trials in Zimbabwe. Our results show that relationships between soil characteristics and maize productivity, and the effects of management on these relationships, varied with soil type. Total soil nitrogen (N) and C were strong predictors of maize grain yield and above-ground biomass (i.e., stover) in the clayey soils, but not in the sandy soils, under both managements. This highlights context-specific benefits of management that fosters the accumulation of soil C and N stocks. Despite a strong effect of NT management on soil C and N in sandy soils, this accrual was not sufficient to support increased crop productivity in these soils. We suggest that sandy soils should be the priority target of NT with organic resource inputs interventions in southern Africa, as mineral fertilizer inputs alone will not halt the soil fertility decline. This will require a holistic management approach and input of C in various forms (e.g., biomass from cover crops and tree components, crop residues, in combination with mineral fertilizers). Clayey soils on the other hand have greater buffering capacity against detrimental effects of soil tillage and low C input.

The need for tillage in corn and soybean production in the Kansas River Valley continues to be debated. The soils of the Kansas River Valley are highly variable, with much of the soil sandy to silty loam in texture. These soils tend to be relatively low in organic matter (

Mulching and no-till are recommended practices to conserve soil water and soil health, but their effects on nutrient leaching in maize fields under monsoon rainfall need to be assessed. Soil water, soil temperature, and root and shoot growth of maize under plastic mulch, straw mulch, and no-till treatments were observed. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) leaching below a 110-cm deep lysimeter after heavy rainfall events were determined. The mulching and no-till treatments increased soil water content by 0.022–0.025 cm3/cm3 and reduced daytime soil temperature by 0.5–2.6 °C. Average leaching concentrations of total N and available P at 63 and 93 DAS (days after sowing) were 2.4 and 4.9 mg N/L and 0.12 and 0.08 mg P/L, respectively. For the control condition, the leaching concentrations of N and P decreased between 63 and 93 DAS. The mulching treatments did not influence nutrient leaching load at 63 DAS, but at 93 DAS the N leaching load increased by 181–248 g/ha and P load by 3.1–4.9 g/ha compared with the control treatment. The mulch treatments had taller shoots (5.1–18.3 cm) and a higher root-shoot ratio. The higher soil water content in the mulched treatments facilitated nutrient redistribution, plant growth, nutrient transport, and leaching. No-till increased N leaching by 103 g N/ha per leaching event but not P leaching. The no-till treatment had shorter shoots but longer roots than the conventional tillage treatment due to poor nutrient redistribution in the no-till soil. A modification in the nutrient management plan is needed to better control nutrient redistribution and minimize leaching.

The management of agricultural soils during crop establishment can affect root development due to changes in the soil structure. This paper assesses the influence of tillage depth (250 mm, 100 mm, and zero tillage) and traffic management (conventional tyre pressure, low tyre pressure, and no traffic) on wheat root system architecture during winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) tillering and flowering growth stages (GS) at a long-term tillage trial site. The study revealed that zero-tillage systems increased crop yield through significantly greater root biomass (P<0.001), root length density, and deeper seminal rooting analysed using X-ray computed tomography (CT) (P<0.001) compared with trafficked treatments. In general, conventional-pressure traffic had a significant negative influence on the crop yield (P<0.01), root development (0.001), bulk density (P<0.05), and total soil porosity (P<0.05) of deep- and shallow-tillage conventional-pressure systems compared with no-traffic zero- and deep-tillage systems. Visual improvements in soil structure under zero-tillage conditions may have improved crop rooting in zero-tillage treatments through vertical pore fissures (biopores), enhancing water uptake during the crop flowering period. This study highlights the increasing implications of soil structural damage on root system architecture created by machinery traffic in crop production. Although the tillage method was less important, the constricted root systems were more pronounced in conventional-pressure shallow-tillage and deep-tillage systems, emphasizing the importance of using controlled-traffic farming methods to improve soil management and reduce the trafficked areas of agricultural fields.

Reducing the amount of precipitation in summer in the Chernozems area alters soil organic matter (SOM). To compensate for the lack of moisture, farmers are introducing new agricultural technologies such as no-till cultivation. In turn, no-till practices influence the composition of SOM. We examined the impacts of the rise of aridity and no-till technology on the chemical composition of bioavailable and recalcitrant pools of OM. The properties of SOM were assessed using double-shot pyrolysis with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The thermolabile substances that are volatilised in the first stage of pyrolysis (300°C) are considered the bioavailable pool. Accordingly, substances are obtained in the second pyrolysis stage (500°C) were attributed to the recalcitrant pool. Identified in both steps of pyrolysis, products were assigned to different chemical groups (lignin-derivative, polysaccharide-fragments, indoles, etc.) and relative abundances were calculated. In work for the separation of substances, a polar column was used for chromatography of the thermolabile fraction. With an increase in aridity in Сhernozems, the content in the bioavailable pool of polysaccharide fragments decreased and the proportion of indoles increased. In the recalcitrant pool, the abundance of six-membered rings with nitrogen and aromatic compounds decreases at the same time the contents of unsubstituted and O-substituted acyclic compounds as well as pyridine increases. The influence of the NT was more noticeable in the recalcitrant OM. The NT practice promotes biological activity and to rich in nitrogen compounds the bioavailable OM; this process contributes to the accumulation of carbon in the recalcitrant OM.

The escalating scarcity of irrigation water, transplantation of rice on light-textured soils and labour cost acted as major drivers for the transition towards direct-seeded rice (DSR) cultivation from the conventionally flooded transplanting system. Despite these advantages, DSR is a challenge in light texture soil due to heavy weed infestation and a slight decline in crop yield. The weeds compete for nutrients and have an adverse effect on the growth and yield of crops. Hence, to assess the removal of macro and micronutrients by weeds and direct-seeded rice, a field experiment was carried out on sandy loam soil for two consecutive Kharif seasons (2018 and 2019). Three treatments from rice, namely: DSR under zero tillage (DSR-ZT), DSR under conventional tillage (DSR-CT) and DSR under reduced tillage (DSR-RT) were taken as main plots with three tillage treatments in wheat, namely: Conventional tillage without rice straw (CTW-R), Zero tillage without rice straw (ZTW-R) and Zero tillage with straw as mulch using Happy Seeder (ZTW+R) as subplots, replicated thrice. Among the rice establishment methods, DSR-RT showed an edge in terms of rice grain and straw yield (6.18 and 8.14 Mg ha−1, respectively) as well as macro- and micronutrient uptake by rice. Under management practices, ZTW+R proved as an efficient strategy in terms of yield and nutrient uptake by crops. The contribution of weeds towards biomass production was maximum under the ZTW-R (9.44%) treatment followed by DSR-ZT (7.72%). The nutrient budgeting showed that macro- and micronutrient removal by weeds was minimum under reduced tillage (24.51 and 50.35%, respectively), whereas it was 21.88 and 44.87% when wheat was grown under conventional tillage without rice straw. In overall, the research study concluded that weeds on an average remove 25.65 % macronutrients (N, P, K) and 51.47% of micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) in DSR under rice-wheat cropping system.

Ergothioneine (ERGO) is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory amino acid that is produced in nature mainly by non-yeast fungi, cyanobacteria, and mycobacteria. Mounting evidence suggests that ERGO can be considered a longevity vitamin that can mitigate chronic diseases of aging and thereby increase life expectancy. Humans must obtain ERGO from their diet, and it is therefore important to know which foods contain it. Although ERGO is not produced by plants it is found in plant products such as grain, apparently because detrital or symbiotic soil fungi pass on ERGO to plants through their roots. Besides differences between plant species in their ability to accumulate ERGO, how they are managed might also affect its concentration. Soil tillage has been shown to reduce soil fungal biomass, and therefore ERGO contents in maize, soybeans, and oats grown in soil managed with annual moldboard plowing (most intensive), chisel/disking (less intensive), or no-tillage (least intensive) in crop rotation were compared. ERGO concentrations declined in all three crops as tillage intensity increased, with reductions from no till to moldboard plow of approximately 30% in all three crops. Because crop yield was also negatively impacted by intensive tillage, ERGO yield per hectare was reduced even more due to increasing tillage intensity. This study is one of the first to show that soil health improving practices that minimize soil disturbance can directly enhance a key dietary factor associated with long-term human health.

Organic farming or organic agriculture has been adopted as a new and sustainable agriculture technology due to its environmentally friendly nature and healthy produce. It is an efficient technology to conserve soil fertility and health, improve crop yield and quality and reduce carbon concentrations in the atmosphere. It is more efficient in its use of non-renewable energy and has less detrimental effects on water quality and biodiversity. Different strategies are employed in organic farming for crop production. It uses biosolids in organic manures and amendments and crop rotations, mulching, non-synthetic fertilisers, zero tillage, integrated nutrient, pest management, etc., for crop management and productivity.

Achieving food security and environmental sustainability is a huge global challenge. Thus, the use of conservation Agriculture systems seems necessary. We investigated the effects of nitrogen fertilizer and various densities of faba bean ( vicia faba L.) on forage corn (Zea mays L.) production in the no-till system with faba bean residues preservation on the soil surface. The effect of faba bean densities on yield and its yield components, as well as soil chemical and physical properties, was studied Simultaneously. The results showed that various densities of faba bean and nitrogen fertilizer increased dry biomass production of forage corn by improving N content in plants, which was achieved by the density of 40 plants per m2 of faba bean + application of 200 kg N ha−1 of maize. Moreover, N content, crude protein, and fresh biomass production in forage corn were significantly increased by faba bean density and nitrogen fertilizer. Faba bean density also affected on yield and yield component of faba bean, and the highest nitrogen released value of faba bean root residues was obtained from the density of 40 plants per m2 and application of 200 kg N ha−1. Therefore, the density of 40 plants per m2 of faba bean in a rotation system with mays and application of 200 kg N ha−1 be recommended as a fertilizer control method where it reduces the application of N fertilizer and increases the sustainability of production in agricultural systems.