Dual-crop basis residue-retained bed-planting and zinc fertilization lead to improved food-energy-water-carbon nexus in pearl millet-wheat cropping system in semi-arid agro-ecologies

Amaresh Pradhan, K.S. Rana, Anil K. Choudhary, R.S. Bana, Shobit Thapa, Amit K. Dash, Jyoti P. Singh, Amit Kumar, M.N. Harish, Mohammad Hasanain and Adarsh Kumar

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2025, vol. 215, issue C

Abstract: Amidst the current environmental challenges that exert immense pressure on the arable lands, adopting highly productive, eco-friendly conservation agriculture is crucial to feed the growing population. Low-cost approaches like residue-retention on permanent-beds with AM-fungi (AMF), can boost productivity, carbon-sequestration, and reduce energy and carbon footprints in water-scarce semi-arid areas. Current study quantified the crop and water productivity, energy and monetary budgeting, carbon-footprints, and carbon-sequestration of three planting-methods (PMs) and five Zn-fertilization practices (ZFPs) in pearl millet-wheat cropping system (PWCS). Results showed that BP + R + AMF (Bed-planting + residue-retention + AMF) registered 19.6, 15.4, 15.2, 20.6 and 16.3 % higher system-productivity, energy-output, carbon-output, SOC-stock, and net-returns in PWCS over FB-R (Flat-bed with no-residues), respectively. BP + R + AMF also registered significantly lower water-footprints by 21.2, 18.3 and 19.5 % in pearl millet, wheat, and PWCS over FB-R, respectively. Total CO2-e-emissions were higher (p < 0.05) under PMs, BP + R + AMF (4268.7 kg CO2-e ha−1) over FB-R (2905.5 kg CO2-e ha−1). Among ZFPs, Z4 (Soil + foliar applied Zn) had considerably higher system-productivity (17.7 %), bio-energy output (15.3 %), carbon-output (15.1 %) and net-returns (24.4 %) over no-Zn in PWCS. Overall, planting on permanent-beds with dual crop-basis residue-retention at 2.5 t ha−1 crop−1 coupled with AMF (BP + R + AMF) as well as combined Zn-fertilization may significantly enhance the system-productivity, net-returns, water-productivity, bioenergy-output, carbon-output, and carbon-stock in PWCS compared to FB-R and no-Zn. However, the farmers need to strike a balance while mulching crop-residues besides necessitating planting on raised-beds with AM-fungi and Zn-fertilization for clean, ecologically-friendly, and energy-efficient PWCS to ensure food security and mitigate climate-change in Zn-deficit semi-arid agro-ecologies.

Keywords: Bed planting; Crop residues; Carbon footprints; Energy budgeting; GHG-Emissions; Zinc (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2025.115579

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