Evaluation of long-term conservation agriculture and crop intensification in rice-wheat rotation of Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia: Carbon dynamics and productivity

• DOI: 10.1016/j.eja.2017.08.006
• Publication Date: 2017-08-30T23:00:29Z
• Authors: S.K. Samal; K.K. Rao; S.P. Poonia; Rakesh Kumar; J.S. Mishra; Ved Prakash; S. Mondal; S.K. Dwivedi; B.P. Bhatt; Sushanta Kumar Naik; Anup Kumar Choubey; V. Kumar; R.K. Malik; Andrew Mc Donald
• Keywords: Soil carbon; Conservation Agriculture; Cropping system; Crop Rotation

In the context of deteriorating soil health, stagnation yield in rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) across Indo- Gangetic plains (IGP) and environmental pollution, a long term field experiment was conducted during 2009-2016 taking four crop scenarios with conservation agriculture (CA), intensification diversified as intervening technology aiming to evaluate sustainability systems. Scenario 1 (S1) represented conventional farmers' practice growing rice wheat summer fallow. scenario 2 (S2) 3 (S3), legume taken along partial CA full CA, respectively. Conventional RWCS replaced rice-potato + maize- cowpea 4 (S4). The S3 registered highest total organic carbon (TOC) stock 47.71 Mg C ha-1 resulted significant increase 14.57% over S1 (Farmer's practice) 0-30 cm depth after 7 years trial. S4 having intensified systems recorded lowest TOC 39.33 depletion 17.56% respect depth. enrichment higher S2, surface (0-10 cm) compared S1. At lower (20-30 cm), significantly S2 (12.82 ha-1) (13.10 soil) scenario. increased allocation (3.55 6.13 passive pool (15.72 t ha-1), (16.08 (16.39 equivalent (10.30 ha-1). Among scenarios, had greater amount carbon, yield, thus, is considered best management maintain health food security middle IGP.