Crop Production Systems Research Articles

Sustainable and Inflatable Aeroponics Smart Farm System for Water Efficiency and High-Value Crop Production

Sustainable and Inflatable Aeroponics Smart Farm System for Water Efficiency and High-Value Crop Production

Fertilizer Optimization through Machine Learning-driven Models: An Empirical Investigation on Smart Farming of Amaranth

Amaranth is a highly nutritious leafy vegetable cum pseudo-cereal crop known for its adaptability to various climatic conditions, making it a promising crop for addressing the food security and nutritional needs of a growing population. To enhance its quality and boost yields, farmers mainly depend on synthetic fertilizers. However, the excessive use of inorganic fertilizers to maximize crop yields poses significant ecological risks. This study aimed to investigate the impact of excessive inorganic fertilizer on the growth, yield, and physiological attributes of Amaranthus with the aid of advanced machine learning paradigm. An experimental pot trial was conducted using different NPK fertilizer dosage regimes, and agronomic parameters such as moisture level, crop yield, plant height, leaf length, leaf width etc. were measured and analyzed using statistical methods. The results demonstrated that the application of excessive inorganic fertilizer initially promoted plant growth but surpassed optimal levels resulting in negative effects, including stunted growth and reduced vigor. By identifying the Amaranthus's productivity and adaptability in different chemically treated soil conditions and automatically phenotyping its traits using image-based machine learning models, this study aims to determine the overuse of synthetic fertilizers. A comparative evaluation of different learning algorithms was carried out and the experimental result proves that SVM classifier could be a more appropriate learning algorithm for the proposed system with 80% accuracy. These findings highlight the importance of adopting sustainable fertilizer practices for the cultivation of Amaranthus and emphasize the need for ecological balance in crop production systems.

Reducing nitrogen and deficit irrigation is a practical solution for optimal forage barley production in semi-arid cropping systems

Given the scarcity of arable land and water resources in semi-arid regions, it becomes imperative to achieve maximum yield and early maturity for winter grains. In this regard, the present research was conducted to synchronize grain and shoot maturity in high-yielding barley (cv. Behrokh) by reducing nitrogen and deficit irrigation. The experimental factors included three levels of nitrogen (50, 75, and 100% plant nitrogen requirement; PNR) and three levels of irrigation (full irrigation, cutoff irrigation in the milk stage, and dough stage). Results showed that cutoff irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer caused early ripening. The interactions of irrigation and nitrogen were significant for the number of grains/spike, grain yield, straw yield, aboveground biomass, and protein yield. Grain yield in cutoff irrigation in the dough stage plus reducing 25% PNR was similar to full irrigation plus 100% PNR. In full and cutoff irrigation in the dough stage, reducing 25% PNR did not cause a significant change in straw yield. Cutoff irrigation in the dough and milk stages did not cause a significant difference in the grain protein content. In general, it is concluded that to maintain grain, straw yield, and protein quality, it is more appropriate to use 150 kg/ha of nitrogen in the conditions of cutoff irrigation in the dough stage, which could reduce the cost of fertilizer and water in addition to early ripening of the crop and minimize the environmental consequences of consuming these inputs. Early harvesting of barley also helps to prevent summer crops from encountering late-season chilling.

Assessment of Different Production Systems for Macro and Micronutrient Concentration in Selected kharif Crops in Low Hills of Himachal Pradesh

A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of different crop production systems on major kharif crops at Choudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Hill Agriculture Research and Extension Center, Dhualakuan (Himachal Pradesh) India. The experiment comprised of fifteen treatments involving three crop production systems (organic, natural and conventional) in subplot with five crops (maize, okra, sesame, black gram and rice) in the main plot replicated thrice in split-plot design during kharif season (July-October) of 2020. Among different production systems, macronutrient contents were found highest under conventional system followed by organic system and lowest in Subhas Palekar Natural Farming system. Sulfur and micronutrient content was recorded highest in organic farming system followed by Subhas Palekar Natural Farming system and lowest in conventional system. Among crops, black gram and sesame grain macro and micro nutrient content was found to be highest and lowest in okra among all crops.

A carbon dot toolbox for managing biotic and abiotic stresses in crop production systems

AbstractThe productivity of global crop production is under threat caused by various biotic and abiotic adverse conditions, such as plant diseases and pests, which are responsible for 20%–40% of global crop losses estimated at a value of USD 220 billion, and can be further exacerbated by climate change. Agricultural industries are calling for game‐changer technologies to enable productive and sustainable farming. Carbon dots (C‐dots) are carbon‐based nanoparticles, smaller than 50 nm, exhibiting unique opto‐electro‐properties. They have been shown to have positive impact on managing diverse biotic and abiotic stresses faced by the crops. Owing to their versatile carbon chemistry, the surface functionalities of C‐dots can be readily tuned to regulate plant physiological processes. This review is focussed on establishing the correlations between the physiochemical properties of C‐dots and their impacts on plants growth and health. The summary of the literature demonstrates that C‐dots hold great promise in improving plant tolerance to heat, drought, toxic chemicals, and invading pathogens.image

Palmer Amaranth in the Pacific Northwest

AbstractPalmer amaranth is one of the most troublesome pigweeds in crop production systems in the United States. It only recently started to appear in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). A coordinated extension and outreach effort among land grant universities (University of Idaho, Oregon State University, and Washington State University), Amalgamated Sugar, other commodity commissions, and industry was launched to track Palmer amaranth in the PNW. In 2023, tissue samples were collected from pigweeds suspected to be Palmer amaranth with tests providing confirmation. Palmer amaranth was detected in several crops as well as right‐of‐way and private property. Most of the Palmer amaranth populations were confirmed to be resistant to glyphosate. Additional surveys and resistance screening efforts are underway to map the distribution of Palmer amaranth and assess the level of herbicide resistance across the region. Earn 0.5 CEUs in Integrated Pest Management by reading this article and taking the quiz at https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning‐Center/Courses.

Effect of boron fertilization on productivity and sustainability of rice-wheat cropping system in Tarai region, North-West India

Extensive global dependency on rice and wheat crops has necessitated the adoption of intensive cultivation practices, thereby compelling to closely monitor the potential yield-limiting factors, among which, boron (B) deficiency stands out to be a prime concern. The present study explores the effects of B fertilization strategies within the Rice-Wheat Cropping System (RWCS) in the Tarai region of North-West India. A comprehensive six-year field experiment was conducted (2013–2019) at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttarakhand, India. The experiment tested graded B doses (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 kg ha−1) at varied frequencies (single, alternate, and annual) in a factorial design. The study revealed significant impacts of alternate B application at 1.5 kg ha−1 on crop yields and the Sustainable Yield Index (SYI). The System Rice Equivalent Yield (SREY) exhibited an increase of 6.7% with B supplementation over B-deprived plots, highlighting the pivotal role of B fertilizer in enhancing productivity within the RWCS. The economic optimum B dose was found to be 1.422 kg ha−1 using a linear plus plateau model, resulting in a calculated annual SREY of 9.73 t ha−1 when applied alternately to the cropping system. Continuous application and higher B rates demonstrated substantial increases in various B fractions, while the mobility factor remained within 10%, depicting safe ecological limits. The distribution of fractions in B-treated plots on average followed the order: residual B > organically-bound B > oxide bound B > specifically adsorbed B > readily soluble B. Similarities in the distribution patterns of B fractions between B-treated plots and the control indicated potential influence of biotic or abiotic processes on B fraction dynamics, even in the absence of external B application. To sum up, B application in alternate years at 1.5 kg ha−1 was most sustainable in enhancing the SREY, SYI, available soil B, and B fractions and lowering the environmental hazards.

Tracking Gross Primary Productivity Using Satellite Solar Induced Fluorescence: Insights Across Agricultural Ecosystems of India

AbstractAccurately estimating gross primary productivity (GPP) in heterogeneous cropping systems from satellite data poses a challenge. In this study, for the first time, we examined how satellite solar‐induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) tracks GPP in India's diverse cropping system. A significant correlation (r = 0.70–0.90, p ≤ 0.05) at 0.0833° spatial resolution is observed between 8daily and monthly FLUXCOM GPP and Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment‐2 (GOME‐2) SIF. Compared to GOME‐2 SIF the finer resolution, TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) SIF showed greater potential (r = 0.80–0.95, p ≤ 0.05) in estimating GPP and crop productivity, except for Southern and Northeastern parts of India. These regions of India have heterogeneous cropland and low crop area fraction as identified from normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), near‐infrared reflectance of vegetation and local moran's index map of NDVI. This heterogeneity leads to differences in the timing of growth stages across the annual cycle, such that the SIF signal is characterized by low seasonal variability across the cycle, leading to low correlation between GPP and SIF. Further, in addition to physiological control the intra‐annual variability of GPP‐SIF relationship (GPP/SIF ratio) is influenced by temperature, radiation, and moisture availability during peak/late growing seasons. However, in the early growing season, it primarily relies on soil moisture. Our findings should help improve GPP estimation using SIF across the agricultural ecosystems of India.

The introduction of legume-based crop rotations: an impact assessment on cereal cropping farms in Finland

ABSTRACT Grain legume production offers multiple environmental benefits and can enhance the sustainability of farming, but the legume area has been small and declining over the last decades in most European countries. Recently, grain legumes have gained importance because of the increases in prices of feed and food proteins, fertilizers and fuel, in addition to sustainability concerns. This study investigated the impacts of introducing grain legumes [faba beans (Vicia faba L.)] in cereal-dominated crop production systems typical for southwestern Finland. To investigate the economic effects as well as the effect grain legumes have on production and land use a dynamic optimization model was used. The results suggest significant crop yield gains if farmers consistently utilize the pre-crop value of legumes and other crops in crop rotations over several years. The farm economic gains of diversified legume rotations were found to be positive but relatively small assuming past prices, but they can be significantly higher if legume and nitrogen fertilizer prices increase in the future. Overall, faba bean-based rotations have positive long-term implications on soil quality and biodiversity and thus future viability and societal reputation of farming.

Vegetable Production in PFALs: Control of Micro-Environmental Factors, Principal Components and Automated Systems

Plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs) are indoor crop production systems aiming at the growth of high-value products in terms of yield and quality, while maximizing resource use efficiency. The emergence of PFALs opened a new world for crop production and offered an option to tackle problems related to climate change, land availability, and urban/peri-urban farming. This was made possible upon major technological advancements and extensive research in the field of controlled environment agriculture, which paved the way for the establishment of such cost-efficient and climate-unaffected modules of vegetable and other crops’ production. In the present review, we have examined the recent research achievements regarding the micro-environmental factors, the principal components, as well as the automated systems used for plant production in PFALs. Ultimately, we provide the reader with a number of future perspectives that can be considered for indoors cultivation in the following years.

Melatonin-Mediated Molecular Responses in Plants: Enhancing Stress Tolerance and Mitigating Environmental Challenges in Cereal Crop Production.

Cereal crops are crucial for global food security; however, they are susceptible to various environmental stresses that significantly hamper their productivity. In response, melatonin has emerged as a promising regulator, offering potential benefits for stress tolerance and crop growth. This review explores the effects of melatonin on maize, sorghum, millet, rice, barley, and wheat, aiming to enhance their resilience to stress. The application of melatonin has shown promising outcomes, improving water use efficiency and reducing transpiration rates in millet under drought stress conditions. Furthermore, it enhances the salinity and heavy metal tolerance of millet by regulating the activity of stress-responsive genes. Similarly, melatonin application in sorghum enhances its resistance to high temperatures, low humidity, and nutrient deficiency, potentially involving the modulation of antioxidant defense and aspects related to photosynthetic genes. Melatonin also exerts protective effects against drought, salinity, heavy metal, extreme temperatures, and waterlogging stresses in maize, wheat, rice, and barley crops by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production through regulating the antioxidant defense system. The molecular reactions of melatonin upregulated photosynthesis, antioxidant defense mechanisms, the metabolic pathway, and genes and downregulated stress susceptibility genes. In conclusion, melatonin serves as a versatile tool in cereal crops, bolstering stress resistance and promoting sustainable development. Further investigations are warranted to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and refine application techniques to fully harness the potential role of melatonin in cereal crop production systems.

The Effect of Crop Production Systems and Cultivars on Spring Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Yield in a Long-Term Experiment

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of different crop production systems (organic, integrated, and conventional) on the yields of several spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars. A field experiment was carried out at the Agricultural Experimental Station of the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation in Osiny (Poland) in three consecutive growing seasons (2014, 2015, and 2016). Two factors were included in the experiment: the crop production system (organic, integrated, and conventional) and spring wheat cultivars (Kandela, Izera, Ostka Smolicka, and Waluta). The crop production system significantly differentiated the yield, health, and weed infestation of the spring wheat. Wheat yield in the conventional system (6.12 t·ha−1) was higher than in the organic system (3.68 t·ha−1) by 67%, whereas, in the integrated system (7.61 t·ha−1), it was greater than in the organic system by 109%. The lower yields in the organic system were mainly due to fewer ears per m2 and a smaller 1000-grain weight. In the organic system, we also observed a higher infestation of wheat by foliar fungal pathogens and weeds compared with the conventional and integrated systems. The spring wheat cultivars differed in yield structure and resistance to infestation by fungal pathogens. The Waluta and Izera cultivars performed well in all systems but yielded the best in the integrated and conventional ones. The Kandela cultivar was the most suitable for the organic system, as it achieved the highest yield (4.16 t·ha−1). This was mainly due to its ability to form a compact canopy with relatively high ear density, a large 1000-grain weight, and the highest resistance to fungal pathogens. The results for cultivars’ performance in the organic system may be useful for farmers in decreasing yield gaps in relation to integrated and conventional systems.

Persistence and evidence for accelerated biodegradation of streptomycin in agricultural soils

Some antibiotics are used for the treatment of various bacterial crop diseases, and there is a concern that this practice may represent a selection pressure that increases the reservoir of antibiotic resistance carried by bacteria in crop production systems. Since the 1950s the aminoglycoside antibiotic streptomycin has been widely used for the treatment of some bacterial crop diseases such as fire blight in apples and pears. Following application, the time that bacteria will be exposed to the antibiotic, and therefore the pressure for selection of resistance, will vary according to the environmental persistence of the antibiotic. In the present study, the dissipation of streptomycin was examined in soils supplemented with 5 mg streptomycin/kg soil and incubated for 21 days under laboratory conditions. The impact of two key rate-controlling variables, soil texture (sandy loam, loam, clay loam) and temperature (4, 20, 30 °C) on streptomycin persistence were explored. -Robust methods for streptomycin extraction and analysis by LC-MS/MS were developed. Streptomycin dissipation followed first order kinetics, with the time to dissipate 50 % of the parent compound (DT50) in soils of varying texture incubated at 20 °C ranging from about seven to 15 days. In contrast, the DT50 of streptomycin in autoclaved loam soil incubated at 20 °C was about 111 days. At 4 °C the DT50 ranged from 49 to 137 days. Under no incubation conditions were any extractable transformation products obtained. Streptomycin was dissipated significantly more rapidly in field soil that had a prior history of exposure to the antibiotic than in soil that did not. Taken together, these results indicate that streptomycin is amenable to biodegradation in agricultural soils with DT50s of several days when temperature is permissive.

Strategies and Public Policies for Soil and Water Conservation and Food Production in Brazil

There is an urgent demand to change our intensive crop production systems, replacing them with soil use and management systems that recover, preserve, or improve soil health and are environmentally sustainable, producing healthy and good-quality food. In this work, we compile and present strategies and public policies aimed toward soil and water conservation and food production in Brazil. The results presented may help Brazilian farmers adopt practices to recover, maintain, or improve soil health and politicians to create or modify public policies for healthy soil and food, without the necessity of increasing agricultural areas. Food insecurity was also addressed, with family farming playing an important role in food production and decreasing food insecurity. But these challenges need the combined efforts and engagement of the whole society.

Assessing the effectiveness of cover crops on ecosystem services: a review of the benefits, challenges, and trade-offs

ABSTRACT While it is crucial to consider the ecological trade-offs of cover crop effects to promote sustainable agricultural production, there has been limited analysis of the combined effects of cover crops on various ecosystem services. For this purpose, we synthesized 43 meta-analysis and review studies comparing cover crops to monocropping in order to investigate benefits, challenges, and trade-offs among ecosystem services under cover crop implementation. We summarized the current state of knowledge of cover crops effectiveness across 11 ecosystem services in three categories (regulating, provisioning and supporting). We identified the factors influencing the relative benefits and risks of integrating cover crops into crop production systems. These factors include farm practices, planting and termination season, species of cover and main crop, climatic zone and soil properties, cover crop biomass, and residue management. Our findings highlight that compared to monocropping, in general, cover cropping enhances soil biodiversity and nutrient cycling, prevents runoff and Nitrogen leaching, improves soil physical properties and carbon sequestration over the long term, and suppresses pests and weeds. However, trade-offs comprise inconsistencies in primary crop yields and soil water provision. Overall, our result highlighted that a multifunctional cover crop implementation provides substantially more regulating and supporting than other ecosystem services.

Biological Approaches for Sustainable Pest and Disease Management in Pulse Crops

Pulse crops, including lentils, peas, chickpeas, and beans, play a crucial role in addressing global food security and nutritional needs. However, their production is often hampered by various pests and diseases, leading to significant yield losses. Conventional pest and disease management practices, heavily reliant on synthetic chemical pesticides, have raised concerns about environmental sustainability, human health, and the development of resistance in target organisms. In recent years, biological approaches have emerged as promising alternatives for sustainable pest and disease management in pulse crops. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various biological control strategies, including the use of beneficial microorganisms, plant extracts, and other eco-friendly methods. The review discusses the mode of action, efficacy, and potential applications of these approaches in combating major pests and diseases affecting pulse crops. Additionally, it highlights the challenges and future prospects of integrating biological control methods into integrated pest and disease management programs. By adopting these sustainable practices, pulse crop production can be enhanced while minimizing the environmental footprint and promoting long-term ecological balance. The review serves as a valuable resource for researchers, extension specialists, and stakeholders in the agricultural sector, emphasizing the importance of biological approaches in achieving sustainable and resilient pulse crop production systems.

Application and Management of Nitrogenous Fertilizer in Rice Field: A Review

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most significant cereal in the world. Globally, the top rice producing country is China, while India is the world’s second largest producer and the largest exporter of rice in the world. It covers one-third of the total cultivated area in India as it is one of the major staple food crops. The application of nitrogenous fertilizer in crop production system is an important aspect of modern crop management practices and one of the determining factors to increase crop yield and thereby keeping pace with the expanding human population. Rice production can be increased by the application of nitrogenous fertilizer whether organic or inorganic at an appropriate time and place. The fertilizer should be applied in multiple split doses depending on the soil’s nutritional status, crop demand and the sources of nutrients. However, most of the nitrogenous fertilizer applied to rice fields is not taken up by rice plants but instead lost to the environment as ammonia, nitrate and nitrous oxide. The ‘reactive N’ also known as fixed N has a negative impact on human health as well as causes serious environmental problems. Surface runoff, denitrification, ammonium volatilization and leaching should all be managed in order to reduce the nitrogen loss from rice fields. Sustainable and environmentally friendly fertilizer management techniques raise the crop yields and enhance the sustainable soil fertility status. So it is necessary to implement management practices in order to reduce nitrogen losses and increase the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice production.

How Do Mixed Cover Crops (White Mustard + Oats) Contribute to Labile Carbon Pools in an Organic Cropping System in Serbia?

Sustainable farming is one of the priority goals of the "4 per 1000" concept with regard to the preservation of soil fertility and carbon sequestration. This paper presents a study on the use of a mixture of cover crops of self-grown oats (Avena sativa L.) and sown white mustard (Sinapis alba L.) in organic farming under the agroecological conditions of Serbia. The main objective was to identify sensitive carbon pools (microbial carbon and nitrogen, basal respiration and a number of specific groups of soil microorganisms) in organic farming with and without cover crops. The inclusion of a mixture of white mustard and self-grown oats as a cover crop led to a significantly increased biogenity of the soil compared to a control after only a few years of investigation. The number of microorganisms, soil respiration and microbial biomass carbon were significantly higher in the cover crop treatment compared to the control soil on an organic farm in Serbia. This is the first study in Serbia to investigate the effect of self-grown oats as a cover crop. Further research will incorporate a wider range of variables and factors in order to develop a sustainable and effective site-specific system for organic crop production in Serbia.

Investing in the Pioneering Varieties as an Agreement to Attaining Economic Take-off on Smallholder Seed Firms in West Africa

Farmers everywhere depend on access to good quality seed, which is fundamental to their crop production systems. Most governments have made significant investments in strengthening national agricultural production capacities, yet farmers in developing countries still face difficulties in accessing the quality seed of the varieties that they require. Guaranteeing farmers’ access to quality seed can only be achieved through a viable seed supply system that can multiply and distribute seeds, which have been produced or preserved. This is better achieved by the private sector, but medium- to large-scale international seed companies concentrate on high-value crops and avoid dealing in the self-pollinating, open-pollinating and vegetative-propagated varieties on which most smallholder farmers depend for their food security as the biology of these crops makes it easy for farmers to keep their seeds for several seasons. However, smallholders are often seen as the driving force of economic growth, poverty reduction and food security. This is also true for smallholder seed enterprises, which, in the absence of large companies, provide a valid alternative for the production and distribution of food security crops. This paper reviews case studies on smallholder seed enterprise in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as relevant world literature in order to identify key issues that facilitate or constrain the development of the seed sector. The final section provides some guidelines on policy design and implementation to promote the development of sustainable seed enterprises at different stages in the evolution of national seed sectors. It provides examples of good practices and hence seeks to assist governments in identifying ways in which they can support the development of smallholder seed enterprises that will provide the most appropriate varieties to smallholder farmers in their efforts to boost food production.

Sustainable basmati rice yield and quality enhancement through long-term organic nutrient management in the Indo-Gangetic Plains

Context or problemThe extensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in modern agriculture, particularly since the green revolution, has led to profound consequences for agricultural ecosystems. This approach, while initially boosting yields, has disrupted soil health, biodiversity, and environmental balance. Moreover, it contributes silently to global climate change by releasing greenhouse gases. These challenges underscore the urgent need for a shift towards sustainable agricultural practices to safeguard soil health, biodiversity, and human nutrition while mitigating the impacts of climate change. Objective or research questionThe primary objective of this study is to assess the impact of the long-term (seventeen years) application of organic nutrient management on the physicochemical properties of basmati rice soil and its nutritional quality. The study aims to understand the effectiveness of different organic nutrient management practices in mitigating the negative consequences associated with conventional agricultural practices. MethodsThe experiment used a strip-plot design with three replications, assigning two cropping systems (basmati rice-wheat-green gram and basmati rice-wheat-sesbania) to vertical strips. Seven nutrient management practices, including control, farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost, farmyard manure + crop residues, vermicompost + crop residues, farmyard manure + crop residues + biofertilizers, and vermicompost + crop residues + biofertilizers [nitrogen-fixing Azospirillum, phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), potassium-solubilizing bacteria (KSB), and a cellulolytic culture (Aspergillus awamori, Trichoderma viride, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and Aspergillus wululens)] were applied to the horizontal strips. ResultsThe findings show that the cropping system with sesbania green manure significantly improved soil physicochemical attributes, nutritional content, and basmati rice yield compared to the green gram-based system. Continued application of organic manures, crop residues, and biofertilizers notably enhanced soil fertility, grain quality, and basmati rice productivity. The combined use of vermicompost, wheat residue, biofertilizers, and sesbania green manure treatment increased organic carbon content by 78.7% over the control, and soil available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium by 38.3–54.9%, 57.6–143.8%, and 27.9–64.1%, respectively. Additionally, it augmented diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid extractable iron, zinc, manganese, and copper content by up to 44.2%, 28.5%, 57.9%, and 71.0%, respectively. Co-application of the above organic sources also significantly enhanced grain and straw yields by 74.5–80.1% and 46.1–50.0%, respectively, compared to the control. ConclusionsEnhancing Basmati rice yield and quality in the Indo-Gangetic Plains can be sustainably achieved through sesbania green manuring and organic practices. Positive correlations with key soil parameters emphasize the significance of organic farming for long-term sustainability. Implications and significanceThe study suggests that adopting organic practices, including sesbania green manuring and combining organic inputs, can alleviate the adverse effects of conventional farming on soil health, biodiversity, and climate change. This aligns with the broader goal of establishing sustainable production and consumption in basmati rice-based cropping systems.