Abstract
Cereal crop production gains under conventional agricultural systems in India have been declining in recent years because of inadequate management practices, creating a considerable concern. These activities were shown to deplete soil organic matter stocks, resulting in a decrease in microbial activity and soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Moreover, even with minimal use of organic sources in cultivated land, soil carbon status deteriorated, particularly in subtropical climates. Integrated nutrient management (INM), a modified farming method, has the potential to effectively utilize organic and inorganic resources, to improve the quality of soils and crops, and making farming more economically viable and sustainable. The aim of this study was to use meta-analysis to quantify the effects of INM on crop production, soil carbon, and microbial activity in Indian soils. During the years 1989–2018, data from various research studies in India, mainly on nutrient management in rice and wheat crops, were collected. Meta-Win 2.1 software was used to analyze the results, and significance was determined at p < 0.05. The results showed that the yield of rice and wheat was 1.4 and 4.9% more in INM than that in 100% NPK (N: nitrogen, P: phosphorous, and K: potassium), and that respective yields were comparatively higher in loamy soils (2.8%) and clayey soils (1.0%). The INM treatment increased SOC and microbial biomass carbon (MBC), resulting in improved overall soil quality. The SOC stock was increased by 23.8% in rice, 15.1% in wheat, 25.3% in loamy soils, and 14.4% in clayey soils in INM over 100% NPK. Microbial quotient (MQ) data showed significant trends between different management systems in both soil types, for example, INM > 100% NPK > No NPK. Due to more soil cracking and reduced aggregate stability in the rice field (greater short-term soil structural changes), the SOC stock loss in rice was higher than that in wheat. The CO2 equivalent emissions were 7.9 Mg ha−1 higher in no NPK (control) than in 100% NPK, and 16.4 Mg ha−1 higher in control than in INM. In other words, INM increased soil carbon sequestration by 2.3 Mg ha−1 as compared to using 100% NPK. Overall, the findings of this study show that INM could be a viable farming system mode in India for improving crop production, increasing soil carbon sequestration, and improving microbial activity while remaining economically and environmentally sustainable.
Highlights
Soil organic matter (SOM) is an essential determinant of agricultural productivity, accounting for less than 5% of the overall soil weight (Banerjee et al, 2006), and it functions as a soil conditioner, source of nutrients, substrate for microbial activity, and protector of the environment (Schnitzer, 1991)
The overall grain yield irrespective of soil types was significantly increased in Integrated nutrient management (INM) than in control in rice and wheat crops by 80.5% (n 190) and 91.1% (n 95), respectively, whereas the yield for rice and wheat in INM was higher by 1.4% (n 186) and 4.9% (n 77), respectively, over 100% NPK (Table 1)
The grain yield of rice and wheat was significantly increased in INM than in control treatment by 80.4% (n 228) and 84.2% (n 57), whereas the yield for rice and wheat in INM was higher by 2.8% (n 206) and 1.0% (n 57), respectively, over 100% NPK (Table 1)
Summary
Soil organic matter (SOM) is an essential determinant of agricultural productivity, accounting for less than 5% of the overall soil weight (Banerjee et al, 2006), and it functions as a soil conditioner, source of nutrients, substrate for microbial activity, and protector of the environment (Schnitzer, 1991). Soil health status can be harmed from the continued adoption of intensive cultivation practices and the continued use of chemical fertilizers (Anwar et al, 2005; Kumar et al, 2017; Kumar et al, 2018; Sharma et al, 2019), often leading to declined soil organic carbon (SOC) (Singh et al, 1999) and unsustainable crop production systems. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC), the mass of living components of soil organic matter, is both a source and sink of biologically mediated nutrients. The microbial quotient (MQ) is the ratio of MBC to SOC (%), and has been observed to adjust in a consistent manner as a result of good management practices, and it is a useful indicator to measure soil health (Sparling, 1997)
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