Browsing by Author "Ambuj Kumar Singh"

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Agriculture models for restoring degraded land to enhance CO2 biosequestration and carbon credits in the Vindhyan region of India
(Elsevier B.V., 2024) Ram Swaroop Meena; Gourisankar Pradhan; Kanchan Singh; Sandeep Kumar; Ambuj Kumar Singh; K.S. Shashidhar; Krishan Kant Mina; Ch. Srinivasa Rao
The study's objective was to evaluate the status of converted degraded land into productive agricultural models by improving the physicochemical properties of the soil, soil organic matter (SOM), soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions (active and passive), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC), while also generating carbon (C) credit for additional farmers' income. Six models were analyzed, namely: (1) Arjun forest-based agroecosystems (AFBAE); (2) Lemon grass-based agroecosystems (LGBAE); (3) Legume-cereal-moong-based agroecosystems (LCMBAE); (4) Bael-black mustard-based agroecosystems (BMBAE); (5) Guava-wheat-based agroecosystems (GWBAE), and (6) Custard apple -lentil -based agroecosystems (CALBAE). These models were replicated three times in a randomized block design (RBD). Soil samples were collected from the study area at two depths (0–0.30 and 0.30–0.60 m). At a 0–0.30 m depth, the highest bulk density (ρb) of 1.50 Mg m−3 was observed in LCMBAE, while the lowest ρb of 1.43 Mg m−3 was recorded in BMBAE. The soil organic carbon (SOC) and SOC stock values exhibited a range of 4.2–7.7 g kg−1 and 19.0–33.4 Mg ha−1, respectively. In the AFBAE, the highest levels of 163.1 % MBC were found over LCMBAE. At a 0–0.30 m depth, the recalcitrant index (RI) and lability index (LI) ranged from 0.35–0.46 to 1.97–2.11, respectively. Additionally, the AFBAE exhibited the highest total biomass accumulation (39.23 Mg ha−1), carbon dioxide (CO2) biosequestration (287.9 Mg ha−1), and the total social cost of CO2 at US$ 277 ha−1. Furthermore, in the AFBAE, there was a 198.1 % increase in total C credit (US$ 161 ha−1) compared to LCMBAE (US$ 54 ha−1). However, at 0.30–0.60 m depths, GWBAE and CALBAE were statistically equivalent (p ≤ 0.05) in total C stocks. Principal component analysis (PCA) reveals that component-1 accounts for 77.4 % of the variability, while component-2 contributes 18.6 %. This article aimed to convert the degraded land into a sustainable agricultural module by increasing SOC and CO2 biosequestration and producing more C-credit, or climate currency, on underutilized land. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Diversified cropping modules designed for soil restoration, CO2 sequestration, and generating carbon credits
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2024) Ram Swaroop Meena; Gourisankar Pradhan; Nalani; Sandeep Kumar; Ambuj Kumar Singh; Sunil Kumar Verma; Krishan Kant Mina; Sunil Kumar; R.K. Chaturvedi
This study aimed to know the potential of different cropping modules (CMs) that started on the degraded land representing 4450 km2 of the Vindhyan region of India. The objective of the study was to know (i) the higher carbon dioxide (CO2) biosequestration, (ii) enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions, and (iii) generate carbon (C) credit to the additional income as a climate currency to the farmers. The experiment was carried out on 4–13 years (2010–2022) old practiced CMs viz; (1) Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus sp.) + bajra (Pennisetum glaucum), 13-year; (2) Guava (Psidium guajava) + phalsa (Grewia asiatica), 4-year; (3) Teak (Tectona grandis) + wheat (Triticum aestivum), 10-year; (4) Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), 13-year; (5) Pasture land, 13-year, and (6) Rice (Oryza sativa),13-year. Soil samples were collected from two depths (0–0.15 and 0.15–0.30 m) under 82.7 and 83.33 East longitude and 23.52 and 25.32 North latitudes. Results showed that the mean data of depths pH and electrical conductivity (EC) ranged from 4.4–8.1 and 0.10–0.77 dS m−1, respectively. Furthermore, the mean data of both depths' bulk density (ρb) varied between 1.3 and 1.5 Megagram (Mg) m−3. The mean data of both depths available soil organic C (ASOC) (7.25 g kg−1) and SOC stock (14.43 Mg ha−1) in the pasture land-based CMs found 137.7% and 111.0% more over rice-based CMs (3.05 g kg−1 and 6.84 Mg ha−1), respectively. The maximum permanganate oxidizable carbon (POX-C), microbial biomass C in soil (MBCS), and total organic C (TOC) stock based on mean data of both depths were 798.2 mg kg−1, 92.6 μg g−1, and 46.3 Mg ha−1 found in pasture land-based CMs. Regarding mean data of both depths, the recalcitrant index (RI) and lability index (LI) ranged about 0.4–0.9 and 1.7–2.0, respectively. Moreover, the highest total CO2 biosequestration (124.7 Mg ha−1), C credit (US$ 6233 ha−1), and the social cost (US$ 10,720 ha−1) were observed in eucalyptus + bajra-based CMs. Based on the principal component analysis (PCA) study, the principal component 1 (PC1) and PC2 explained 74.6 and 16.6% variability on various parameters, respectively. Furthermore, the correlation coefficient between ASOC and MBCS was 0.74. The hypothesis of this study was to create agricultural CMs that would restore degraded land levels of SOC fraction, enhance the CO2 biosequestration, and generate C-credit for farmers as a climate currency for additional income. Furthermore, it will fulfil the net zero emission goal and bring down neutral land degradation. © 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Legumes for eco-friendly weed management in agroecosystem
(Elsevier, 2022) Gourisankar Pradhan; Ram Swaroop Meena; Sandeep Kumar; Manoj Kumar Jhariya; Nahid Khan; Uma Nath Shukla; Ambuj Kumar Singh; Sindhu Sheoran
Food and nutritional security, environmental sustainability, mitigating climatic vulnerability, shifting of weed flora, weed developed resistance against the herbicide, high capital investment through manual weed management, and increasing the requirement for energy input in the agriculture sector are the major issues in crop production in the coming years. It is no doubt that the introduction of herbicide in the agriculture sector increases the income of farmers, which boost the economy of the nation, but its improper uses create several problems. The consumption of herbicide in the world during 2018 was 1.30Mt. The excess uses of herbicide in agriculture pose several consequences such as environmental pollution, increasing demand for energy in the industrial sector, increase resistance in different weed species, appearing novel weed flora in the cropping system, and incurred higher cost of cultivation in crop production. Sustainable food production is one of the important tools in maintaining ecological balance and soil health. In this circumstance, integrating legumes into cropping systems provides several ecosystem services which fulfill the objectives of ecological weed management. Sustainable intensification is fulfilling the demand for food and ensuring nutritional security in a sustainable manner while maintaining biodiversity and providing many ecosystem services. In a cropping system or single crop production weeds are poses a serious loss by reducing crop growth, yield, quality, depletes fertility status of soil, and act as an alternate host for several insects, pest, and diseases. The yields reduction in direct-seeded rice due to weeds was reported up to 90%. Globally, more than US$ 100 billion was a loss due to infestation of weed in annual crops. The weed seed of Argemone mexicana crushed mustard seed and the oil feed by human beings causes glaucoma or dropsy. The weed green Amaranthus (Amaranthus viridis) can accumulate about 3% N in its biomass and causes severe depletion of nitrogen (N) economy in soil. The three solanaceous weeds such as Solanum nigrum, Datura stramonium, and Datura ferox are act as an alternate host for tomato leaf minor. The application of herbicides during the crop production causes adverse effects on the environment, soil ecosystem, pollute ground water, damage ecological diversity, and affects human health. Besides, the use of herbicide for weed management incurred about US$ 25 billion annually across the globe. Therefore, to tackle such issues of weed the integration of legumes in the different crop production systems as cover crop, relay crop, green manure crop, brown manuring crop play a key role in providing many ecosystem services such as suppressing weed species by smothering or by allelopathy effect, break the life cycle of disease and pest, increasing carbon (C) and N pool in soil, enhancing soil organic matter content, enhance soil health by improving physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. In intercropping system, legumes have better suppression on weed flora by reducing their density and biomass. Further, legumes fulfill the requirement of N of the component crop. Legumes in the crop rotation system break the infestation of frequently occurrence weeds due to its allelopathic effects or smothering effects on the weed seed bank. Based on the diverse benefits of legumes, it is ensured that legumes either in the cropping system or alone as crop residue plays a key role in driving sustainable intensification. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Significance of soil organic carbon for regenerative agriculture and ecosystem services
(Elsevier, 2023) Ram Swaroop Meena; Ambuj Kumar Singh; Surendra Singh Jatav; Sanskriti Rai; Gourisankar Pradhan; Sandeep Kumar; Krishan Kant Mina; Manoj Kumar Jhariya
Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an essential part of the soil that influences its physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. It significantly aids in its healthy operation, essential to human societies. Advantages of SOC include enhancement of soil quality through higher retention of water and nutrients, resulting in greater production of plants in natural ecosystems and agricultural services. SOC increases soil structure and decreases erosion, improving the quality of above and belowground biodiversity and enhancing the ecosystem functions. This chapter investigates how carbon (C) plays a role in regenerative agriculture and might effectively and economically reduce atmospheric carbon dioxide while addressing global climate change, soil health issues, severe poverty, food insecurity, environmental preservation, and ecosystem services. © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.