Intensification of Rice-Fallow Agroecosystem of South Asia with Oilseeds and Pulses: Impacts on System Productivity, Soil Carbon Dynamics and Energetics

Sushanta Kumar Naik, Santosh Sambhaji Mali, Bal Krishna Jha, Rakesh Kumar (), Surajit Mondal, Janki Sharan Mishra, Arun Kumar Singh, Ashis Kumar Biswas, Arbind Kumar Choudhary, Jaipal Singh Choudhary, Hansraj Hans, Anup Das, Subhash Babu, Jayanta Layek, Ashutosh Upadhyaya, Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt and Suresh Kumar Chaudhari
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Sushanta Kumar Naik: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Plandu, Ranchi 834 010, Jharkhand, India
Santosh Sambhaji Mali: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Plandu, Ranchi 834 010, Jharkhand, India
Bal Krishna Jha: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Plandu, Ranchi 834 010, Jharkhand, India
Rakesh Kumar: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna 800 014, Bihar, India
Surajit Mondal: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna 800 014, Bihar, India
Janki Sharan Mishra: ICAR Directorate of Weed Research, Jabalpur 482 004, Madhya Pradesh, India
Arun Kumar Singh: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Plandu, Ranchi 834 010, Jharkhand, India
Ashis Kumar Biswas: ICAR Indian Institute of Soil Science, Nabibagh, Bhopal 462 038, Madhya Pradesh, India
Arbind Kumar Choudhary: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna 800 014, Bihar, India
Jaipal Singh Choudhary: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Farming System Research Centre for Hill and Plateau Region, Plandu, Ranchi 834 010, Jharkhand, India
Hansraj Hans: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna 800 014, Bihar, India
Anup Das: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Lembucherra 799 210, Tripura, India
Subhash Babu: ICAR Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110 002, India
Jayanta Layek: ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam 793 103, Meghalaya, India
Ashutosh Upadhyaya: ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna 800 014, Bihar, India
Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt: Natural Resource Management Division, Krishi Anusandhan Bhawan-II, Pusa, New Delhi 110 012, India
Suresh Kumar Chaudhari: Natural Resource Management, ICAR Headquarters, New Delhi 110 002, India

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 2, 1-27

Abstract: Rice-fallow systems in South Asian countries play a pivotal role in increasing agricultural production. However, the productivity of these system is largely challenged by deteriorating soil health and limited residual soil moistures in dry-periods, precluding the possibility of winter and/or spring season crops after rice harvest. This investigation explores the possibilities of including winter and/or spring crops through conservation agriculture (CA)-based management practices and evaluates its effect on soil carbon dynamic, system productivity, energy and carbon budgeting. Field experiments were conducted at a farmer’s field in participatory modes at Chene Village, Jharkhand, India, and had five treatments comprising (1) fallow-land [FL]; (2) transplanted puddle rice (TPR)-fallow (winter)-fallow (summer), a typical cultivation practice of this region [RF]; (3) TPR–conventional-till mustard–conventional-till blackgram [CP]; (4) CA with zero-till transplanted rice (ZTTR)-ZT mustard–ZT blackgram [CA1]; (5) CA with zero-till direct seeded rice (ZTDSR)-ZT mustard–ZT blackgram [CA2]. Results revealed that CA2 comprising full CA practice of growing direct seeded rice, mustard and blackgram under ZT increased total soil organic carbon (TSOC) of 0–0.6 m soil layer by 14.3% and 10.3% over RF and CP, respectively. The C-sequestration rate was higher in CA treatments and varied from 0.55 to 0.64 Mg C ha −1 year −1 . The system rice equivalent yield in CA2 during the initial four years was lower than CP but it was 23.7% higher over CP in fifth year. The CA-based system (CA2) enhanced the water productivity of rice, mustard and blackgram by 7.0%, 23.6% and 14.1% over CP, respectively. The CA2 treatment, having higher system productivity, better C-sequestration potential, lower C-footprint, higher energy and water productivity has very good potential for sustaining soil health and crop yield of rice-fallow systems.

Keywords: conservation agriculture; carbon balance; energy budgeting; rice-fallow; soil C-pool; system productivity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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