Abstract
Cereal crop cultivation in arid and semiarid regions is an immense contest for farmers due to harsh climatic conditions, poor soil quality, limited nutrient and water availability, high temperature, elevated evapotranspiration rates, and soil salinity. Soil fertility in such harsh climatic conditions can be accomplished through inorganic fertilization and the incorporation of organic amendments. Although chemical fertilizers improve soil fertility by providing readily available nutrients, they simultaneously cause soil and environmental hazards and need their application regularly. Such hazards are now being overcome by applying slow-release fertilizers that frequently release nutrients according to the cereal crop’s needs. The application of organic amendments such as compost, manures, green manuring, and vermicompost improves soil organic carbon that is considered a nutrient reservoir, and improves nutrient cycling, soil aggregation, and stabilization of soil particles. Effective microbial fertilizers composed of nitrogen-fixing and mineral-solubilizing microorganisms offer promising solutions for nutrient requirements and contribute to long-term soil fertility and sustainability. The integrated application of chemical, organic, and microbial fertilizers optimizes soil fertility and plant growth and diversifies the soil microbiomes with organic carbon-rich soil ecology. Additionally, conservation agriculture demonstrated improvement in soil quality, nutrient availability, and water conservation, minimizing nutrient losses, reducing soil degradation, and enhancing resource use efficiency that ultimately improves crop yield and economic returns for farmers. It proves extremely beneficial in arid and semiarid regions and buffers agricultural output against frequently increasing extreme climates. In conservation technology, cereal crop rotation legumes promoted nitrogen availability and microbial diversity in the rhizosphere. This chapter examines the challenges faced by cereal crops in arid and semiarid regions and various strategies and technologies employed in the management of soil fertility. However, tailored soil fertility management approaches are more resilient and adaptable to local climatic conditions. The synergistic combinations of traditional practices and modern technologies need to be adopted in the future to address the challenges faced by cereal crops in arid and semiarid regions.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Sustainable Agriculture under Drought Stress
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
