Abstract
Crop diversity through residue incorporation is the most important method for sustaining soil health. A field study was conducted over five consecutive years (2012–2017) to see the impact of residue incorporartions in Inceptisol of eastern India. The main plot treatments had five cropping systems (CS), namely, fallow−rice−rice (FRR), jute−rice−wheat (JRW), jute−rice−baby corn (JRBc), jute−rice−vegetable pea (JRGp), jute−rice−mustard−mungbean/green gram (JRMMu), which cinsisted of four sub-plots with varied nutrient and crop residue management (NCRM) levels, namely crops with no residue +75% of the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) (F1R0), crops with the residue of the previous crops +75% RDF (F1R1), crops with no resiude +100% RDF (F2R0), and crops with residue +100% RDF (F2R1). The highest system productivity was obtained for JRBc (15.3 Mg·ha−1), followed by JRGp (8.81 Mg·ha−1) and JRMMu (7.61 Mg·ha−1); however, the highest sustainability index was found with the JRGp cropping system (0.88), followed by JRMMu (0.82). Among the NCRMs, the highest productivity (8.78 Mg·ha−1) and sustainability index (0.83) were recorded in F2R1. Five soil parameters, namely, bulk density, available K, urease activity, dehydrogenase activity, and soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), were used in the minimum data-set (MDS) for the calculation of the soil quality index (SQI). The best attainment of SQI was found in the JRGp system (0.63), closely followed by the JRMMu (0.61) cropping system.
Highlights
IntroductionCrop intensification poses a major threat regarding sustainability issues for the rice-based system in this region
System productivity was significantly higher (15.3 Mg·ha−1 ) in jute−rice−baby corn (JRBc) compared with the other cropping systems
The highest system productivity was recorded in JRBc, followed by jute−rice−vegetable pea (JRGp)
Summary
Crop intensification poses a major threat regarding sustainability issues for the rice-based system in this region. Excess nutrient removal through crops being harvested in an area year after year have altered the soil fertility status [5]. Intensive and poor-planned inorganic nutrition in intensive cropping-system has led to nutrient imbalance in the soil, and a decline in soil fertility, which is of great concern for production sustainability and soil health in this region [2]. The current need is to sustain soil fertility with some alternative, but easy methods, like returning the crop residue back to the soil through suitable crop diversification, as well as using some promising crops that are believed to boost soil health
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