Impact of Long-Term Conservation Agriculture Practices on Phosphorus Dynamics under Maize-Based Cropping Systems in a Sub-Tropical Soil

Ajin S. Anil, Vinod K. Sharma (), Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta, Chittar M. Parihar, Siba P. Datta, Mandira Barman, Kapil A. Chobhe, Chiranjeev Kumawat, Abhik Patra and Surendra Singh Jatav
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Ajin S. Anil: Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, Delhi, India
Vinod K. Sharma: Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, Delhi, India
Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta: Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Autónoma University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Chittar M. Parihar: Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, Delhi, India
Siba P. Datta: Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, Delhi, India
Mandira Barman: Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, Delhi, India
Kapil A. Chobhe: Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi 110012, Delhi, India
Chiranjeev Kumawat: Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University, Jaipur 303329, Rajasthan, India
Abhik Patra: Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India
Surendra Singh Jatav: Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India

Land, 2022, vol. 11, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: Over the past decade, scientific studies have increasingly concentrated on the effects of global phosphorus (P) scarcity on food security. A comprehensive strategy that considers demand reduction and recycling possibilities is needed to address the global P scarcity. Reduced tillage along with crop residue retention could decrease fixation of P in soil, improve labile P content and enhance organic-P (Po) buildup and its mineralization by phosphatases; this could be an extra benefit of conservation agriculture (CA) in soils. To study the impact of long-term CA on soil organic and inorganic P fractions and their distribution, a long-term field trial was conducted under a maize-based cropping system with different tillage (zero tillage (ZT), permanent bed (PB) and conventional till (CT) and cropping system (maize–wheat–mungbean (MWMb), maize–chickpea–sesbania (MCS), maize–mustard–mungbean (MMuMb) and maize–maize–sesbania (MMS)). Phosphorus dynamics were studied through sequential fractionation (organic and inorganic P) at 0–5 and 5–15 cm soil depth. The findings showed that a higher amount of soluble and loosely bound P (SL-P) was detected in ZT among the inorganic P fractions, whereas iron-bound P (Fe-P), aluminum-bound P (Al-P), reductant soluble P (RES-P) and calcium-bound P (Ca-P) were found higher in CT in both soil depths. Among Organic-P fractions, moderately labile and non-labile Po was found higher in PB and ZT but, in the case of labile Po, it was found insignificant with respect to tillage operations. Significant synergistic effects of winter legume (chickpea) with summer legumes (sesbania and mungbean) in crop rotation were observed on SL-P, Labile Po, Humic acid-Po, Alkaline phosphatase and MBP at 0–5 and 5–15 cm soil depths. Given the potential relevance of understanding P dynamics for efficient P management in long-term conservation agriculture practices, our findings offers critical new insight for the P management for sustainable development.

Keywords: conservation agriculture; crop residue; organic P; phosphorus fraction; zero tillage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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