Browsing by Author "Anup Das"

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Active-Passive Approach for NISAR High Resolution Soil Moisture Products: Retrieval and Accuracy Assessment over Indian Cropland
(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2021) Dharmendra Kumar Pandey; Srinivasa Teja Noothi; M. Shashi; Prashant K. Srivastava; Anup Das; Om Pal; Kapil Rohilla; Ravindra Prawasi; Nijbul H. Sekh; Sushma Bisht; Deepak Putrevu; Arundhati Misra; Raj Kumar
Soil moisture is an essential variable in agricultural applications for irrigation scheduling, crop water requirements and pest management etc. However, currently available global satellite microwave radiometer derived soil moisture products are inadequate due to coarse spatial resolution for such applications. In order to improve spatial resolution, SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) mission has first time demonstrated the potential of combining microwave radiometer and radar data based on Active-Passive approach to produce 3-9 km soil moisture globally. However, this approach has not been well tested quantitatively at sub km (<1km) grid resolution using spaceborne observations. In this work, we adopted and tested active-passive approach to integrate radiometer derived coarse resolution soil moisture (SMAP L-band radiometer) with fine resolution radar backscatter (Sentinel-1 C-band SAR) to downscale soil moisture at multiple grid resolution (100 m, 500m and 1000 m). The impact of scale on the robustness of the algorithm is analyzed by assessing the soil moisture retrieval accuracy. Detailed validation was attempted using Multi-Scale Field Sampling Framework (MFSF) over selected agricultural cropland study site. The results obtained are very encouraging, showing the potential of Active-Passive approach for high spatial soil moisture with correlation of 0.75, 0.76 & 0.68 and ubRMSE of 4.94%, 6.07% & 7.21% for 100m, 500m and 1km respectively. Based on the above assessment as pre-cursor study, Active-Passive approach will be the potential candidate for utilizing NISAR data to deliver high spatial resolution soil moisture operational products along with radiometer. © 2021 IEEE.
Bioefficacy, environmental safety and synergistic impacts of biorational formulations against whitefly, leafhopper and blister beetle in organic okra ecosystem
(Cambridge University Press, 2021) Satyapriya Singh; Gulab Singh Yadav; Anup Das; Biswajit Das; Hidangmayum Lembisana Devi; Mahadevan Raghuraman; Amit Kumar
Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Gennadius), leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida) and large yellow-banded blister beetle (Mylabris phalerata) cause considerable damage to okra, especially under organic farming. Thus, the present study was carried out to test the bioefficacy and environmental safety of six naturally derived components [indigenous water plant extracts, i.e. chilli (Capsicum annum), garlic (Allium sativum L.) and neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) along with cow urine in three different combinations, one commercial botanical (azadirachtin 0.15%), and two formulated entomopathogenic fungi (Verticillium lecanii and Beauveria bassiana)] on aforesaid pests for two consecutive years at field scale. In addition to this, the eco-toxicological effect of naturally derived components was also studied on natural enemies' populations, viz. spiders and coccinellids. Quaternary mixture application of chilli, garlic, neem leaf and cow urine (CGNC) at 10% w/v was found effective in reducing leafhoppers (94.6%), whiteflies (95.2%) and blister beetle (94.6%) over control. Okra treated with CGNC produced a higher marketable fruit yield (18.44 mg/ha) than those of other treatments. It was also observed that the application of CGNC had no phytotoxic symptoms on okra plants. Application of CGNC was found safer to the natural enemy's population (spiders and coccinellids). Thus, the study suggests that CGNC can be considered as a potential source for managing the population of whitefly, leafhopper and blister beetle without affecting the ecology of natural enemies and it could be a viable eco-friendly option in organic okra production for ensuring food safety and healthy environment. Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press.
Conservation tillage and nutrient management effects on productivity and soil carbon sequestration under double cropping of rice in north eastern region of India
(Elsevier B.V., 2019) Gulab Singh Yadav; Rattan Lal; Ram Swaroop Meena; Subhash Babu; Anup Das; S.N. Bhowmik; Mrinmoy Datta; Jayanta Layak; Poulami Saha
The rice (Oryza sativa)–rice system (RRS) is the most important agricultural production system, and it provides staple food, income, employment, and livelihoods to millions of farmers in the Indian sub- continent, especially in the eastern and north eastern region (NER) of India. However, soil degradation, due to loss of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools, is declining the productivity of RRS and threatening the region's food security. Intensive tillage along with improper residues and nutrient management practices are among the reasons of the loss of soil C and N pools and decline in rice productivity. Therefore, a 3-year (2013-15) field study was conducted to evaluate the effects of tillage, residues and nutrient management practices on productivity, soil C and N sequestration in RRS at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Research Complex for the North Eastern Hill (NEH) Region, Lembucherra (52 m, above sea level), Tripura, India. The experiment consisted of five combinations of tillage [conventional tillage (CT), reduced tillage (RT) and no-till (NT)], residue [30% rice residue incorporation (RI) and/or residue retention (RR)] and nutrient management practices [inorganic, organic (FYM-farmyard manure, GLM-green leaf manuring) and biofertilizers] in wet (WR) and dry season rice (DR). Results revealed that RT along with improved plant nutrient management (IPNM) comprising 25% N (20 kg N) through GLM + 60 kg N, 9 kg phosphorus (P), 17 kg potassium (K), 2 kg Boron (B) and 5 kg zinc (Zn) ha−1 through fertilizer + cellulose decomposition microorganism and RR in WR produced significantly higher grain yield (5.15 Mg ha−1) as compared to other treatments. However, the DR transplanted under CT + integrated nutrient management (INM) comprising 25% N through FYM and 75% N and remaining P and K (after deducting quantity supplied by FYM) through inorganic fertilizer + RI produced more grain (5.1–5.3 Mg ha−1), straw (7.0–7.2 Mg ha−1), root (1.3–1.4 Mg ha−1) and total biomass (13.4–13.9 Mg ha−1) yield than that of the farmers’ practice (FP) and other treatment combinations, across the years. The highest system productivity of RRS was recorded under T3 (RT + IPNM + RR in WR and CT + INM + RI in DR). Therefore, the highest biomass, C, and N were also recycled in the system through the same treatment combinations. Soil under T3 had a lower bulk density (ρb), the highest soil organic carbon (SOC)/N concentration, pool, accumulation, sequestration, C retention efficiency, soil microbial biomass C and dehydrogenase activities than other treatments. A total amount of 1.30 Mg C ha−1 was accumulated under soils of T3 with the rate of SOC sequestration of 427.9 kg ha−1 yr−1 under RRS. Thus, adopting RRS under RT/NT with INM/IPNM and effective residue recycling is recommended for enhancing the system productivity, C and N sequestration in paddy soils of the NER of India. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd
Conservation tillage and organic nutrients management improve soil properties, productivity, and economics of a maize-vegetable pea system in the Eastern Himalayas
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2021) Raghavendra Singh; Subhash Babu; Ravi Kant Avasthe; Ram Swaroop Meena; Gulab Singh Yadav; Anup Das; Kamal Prasad Mohapatra; Sanjay Singh Rathore; Amit Kumar; Chandu Singh
Soil quality restoration and sustainable crop production in the rainfed ecosystem of the Indian Himalayas can be achieved through effective conservation tillage and organic management. Hence, a six-year (2013 to 2019) study was conducted to quantify the effect of tillage and organic nutrient management on soil properties, productivity, and profitability of the maize-vegetable pea (Pisum sativum) system. Three tillage practices [conventional (CT), reduced (RT), and no-till (NT)] and four organic nutrients management practices [(ONM)-farmyard manure @ 8 Mg ha−1 farmers practice (ONM1), 100% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through manures (ONM2), 75% RDN through manures + maize/vegetable pea stover in either of the crops (ONM3), and 50% RDN through manures + maize/vegetable pea stover in either of the crops (ONM4)] were tested. The results indicated that the NT had higher soil organic carbon (SOC, 16.49 g kg−1), available N (354.5 kg ha−1), and lesser bulk density (1.31 Mg m−3) and penetration resistance (1.85 MPa) in comparison with that of CT at 0–10 cm depth. The system productivity under NT was 9.6% higher than that obtained under CT. The ONM3 had higher SOC content, plant-available N, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), and dehydrogenase activity (DHA) than ONM1. The integration of RT-ONM2 enhanced SMBC, DHA, maize, and vegetable pea yield by 27.2%, 35.7%, 38.0%, and 60.3%, respectively, over CT-ONM1. Thus, the study suggested that the adoption of effective conservation tillage with adequate organic nutrient management has the potential to advance the soil properties and productivity of maize-vegetable pea system in the Himalayan Region. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Current challenges and solutions for sustainability of Farmers Producer Organisations through grassroots organisational ecosystem
(Indian Academy of Sciences, 2025) Anirban Mukherjee; Shubhadeep Roy; Kausik Pradhan; Vinod Kumar Yadav; Kumari Shubha; Dhiraj Kumar Singh; Shreya Anand; Sukanya Barua; Shantanu Rakshit; R. K. Raman; Ujjwal Kumar; Banda Sainath; Ajeet Kumar Pal; Anup Das
India’s agricultural landscape is largely dominated by marginal and small farmers, who constitute approximately 67% and 18% of the total farming community respectively. This translates to a staggering 92 million marginal farmers with less than 0.40 hectares of land and 24 million small farmers with an average landholding of 1.42 hectares. Despite their higher productivity compared to large farmers, these smallholders face significant resource constraints and market challenges. While the formation of Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs) has partially addressed these issues, newly established FPOs continue to encounter significant sustainability challenges. These include limited volumes, low capital, low member engagement and a subsidy-oriented rather than market-oriented approach. The present article identifies critical challenges such as limited capital, low member engagement and a predominant subsidy orientation. Currently, over 8875 FPOs are registered nationwide, but only 16–30% are sustainable. A significant issue is the inability of the majority of FPOs to raise more sizable amount of paid-up capital, highlighting the urgent need for a robust grassroots organisational ecosystem. This study proposes an eight-component ecosystem model for FPO sustainability, encompassing market, policy, infrastructure, services, inputs, HRD, finance and innovation. This model aims to create a comprehensive support structure for FPOs, facilitating better market access, financial resources, member participation and innovative practices. The implementation of this model, along with suggestive measures for strengthening FPOs, is crucial for their long-term viability in India’s evolving agricultural sector. © (2025), (Indian Academy of Sciences). All rights reserved.
Drought and Heat Stress in Agriculture: Implications, Mitigation and Policy Approaches
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Rachana Dubey; Kumari Shubha; Sanjeev Raj Kumar; Amitava Rakshit; Anup Das
This edited book provides critical insights into changing climate's impact on agriculture and innovative strategies for building resilience. The agricultural sector is highly dependent on climatic conditions, is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of drought and heat stress. It has been notices that crop yields in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East are reduced by 15–35% when temperatures rise by 3-4 °C. The book explores the impacts of climate change on agriculture and how farmers can adapt their practices to overcome the dual threat of drought and heat stress on cereals, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables, and other allied sectors. One of the key themes of the book is the importance of smart water management in building agricultural resilience to drought and heat stress. By adeptly managing water resources and nurturing soil health through practices like cover cropping and reduced tillage, farmers bolster their resilience. Additionally, livestock management strategies are explored to combat reduced productivity and health issues due to heat stress. Harnessing the power of AI-assisted solutions, the book showcases how cutting-edge technology aids data-driven decisions on crop management and irrigation. This book is a vital resource for farmers, researchers, policymakers, and those concerned about our food systems' future. It emphasizes the urgent need for climate-smart agricultural policies and technologies, offering prospects for sustainable practices and resilient food production. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
Earthworm Population and Diversity Enhanced Under Conservation Management Practices in Intensified Rice-Fallow System of South Asia
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2025) Rakesh Pradeep Kumar; Jaipal Singh Choudhary; S. K. Mondal; Janki Sharan Mishra; Govind Makarana; Sushanta Kumar Naik; S. S. Mali; Bal Krishna Jha; Ram Swaroop Meena; Ashish Kumar Biswas; Kumari Shubha; Ved Prakash; Anup Das; Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt; Suresh Kumar Chaudhari
The study was conducted in eastern India's rainfed lowland rice-fallow ecosystems. It aimed to assess the impact of different crop establishment methods on system productivity, earthworm activity and diversity, and soil quality parameters for long-term sustainability. Three distinct crop establishment methods viz. zero-till direct-seeded rice (ZTDSR), conventional-till direct-seeded rice (CTDSR), and transplanted puddle rice (TPR), were employed in conjunction with various crop residue management strategies. The TPR and conventional tillage methods consistently outperformed ZTDSR in terms of grain yield and recorded a 28.9% and 15.4% higher grain yield than ZTDSR and CTDSR, respectively. However, TPR had a detrimental impact on the performance of all winter crops, resulting in a lower grain yield by 29% and 44% than CTDSR and ZTDSR, respectively. The incorporation of a legume or oilseed during the fallow period in the winter season in a rice-fallow system resulted in an increase in system productivity from 5.44 to 9.54 Mg ha−1 (75% increase) demonstrating its potential to boost the food security of the region. Importantly, the study also quantified the critical role of conservation agriculture (CA) practices in enhancing soil health and earthworm activity. The CA-based production systems (CTDSR and ZTDSR) noted a 35.6%, 27.3%, 91.9%, and 73.4% higher earthworm casting, burrows count, total earthworm count, and biomass, respectively, over the TPR system. The TPR production system was associated with increased parameters of soil cracking, including length, width, depth, and volume compared to CA-based management systems. In conclusion, adopting CA-based practices and integrating short-duration pulses and legumes can enhance crop productivity, soil health, and earthworm populations, supporting food and nutritional security in India's rice-fallow regions and similar South Asian agro-ecotypes. © 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Energy budget and carbon footprint in a no-till and mulch based rice–mustard cropping system
(Elsevier Ltd, 2018) Gulab Singh Yadav; Anup Das; Rattan Lal; Subhash Babu; Ram Swaroop Meena; Poulami Saha; Raghavendra Singh; Mrinmoy Datta
The increase in emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) due to anthropogenic perturbation in both the agricultural and natural eco-systems are degrading the environmental quality. Conventional tillage (CT) and residue burning/removal exacerbates the land degradation and GHG emission, and the impacts are much more in the upland ecosystem than valley lands. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the energy budget, and carbon footprint (CF) of no-till (NT) and mulches under the upland rice (Oryza sativa)–mustard (Brassica campestris var. toria) cropping system over CT based system to develop a clean production technology for improving the environmental quality and conservingnatural resources. The novelty of the study is that integrated effect of NT, diverse mulches and cropping system effect has been considered together as a conservation measure for sustainable and clean agricultural practice over those of CT based technologies. The experiment comprised of two tillage systems as the main-plot and four mulch types as the sub-plot treatments under a split-plot design. Two tillage systems included: 1. CT-RI: CT with 100% residue incorporation (RI), and 2. NT-RR: NT with 100% residue retention (RR). Four mulch types included: 1. rice straw mulch (SM), 2. green manure (GM) - Gliricidia sp. (a leguminous shrub) mulch, 3. brown manuring (BM) mulch [cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) grown as an intercrop and killed with a spray of 2, 4-D, 40 days after sowing (DAS)] and 4. no mulch (NM) control. The adoption of NT-RR significantly (p = 0.05) reduced the energy use (16,727 MJ/ha) and the cost of production (INR 54,271/ha, 1 US$ = 64.46 INR) compared with those under CT-RI (27,630 MJ/ha and INR 76,903/ha, respectively). Thus, NT-RR also increased the energy use efficiency (EUE), energy productivity (EP), net returns, and reduced CF of the system compared with those under CT-RI. Use of different mulches also increased the energy use efficiency, system productivity, and net returnscompared with those under NM. The total CO2-e emission (CF) was higher under CT-RI (2307 kg CO2-e/ha) as compared to those under NT-RR (2013 kg CO2-e/ha). The savings of fossil fuel from less number of tillage operations and also low emissions associated with energy consumed in manufacture, transport, repair and use of machines contributed to the lowest GWP under NT-RR. Thus, the study supports and recommended that the NT-RR with BM is an environmentally safe and clean production technology for enhancing the energy use efficiency, reducing the CF and cost of production of direct-seeded upland rice-mustard cropping system in India and similar agro-eco-regions elsewhere in the rice based cropping system in the world. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
Energy budgeting for designing sustainable and environmentally clean/safer cropping systems for rainfed rice fallow lands in India
(Elsevier Ltd, 2017) Gulab Singh Yadav; Rattan Lal; Ram Swaroop Meena; Mrinmoy Datta; Subhash Babu; Anup Das; Jayanta Layek; Poulami Saha
Efficient utilization of rice (Oryza sativa L.) fallow (∼11.6 million hectares) systems can accelerate the growth of Indian agriculture. But, bringing more area under cultivation is an energy-demanding process and a source of gaseous emissions in the era of climate change. Hence, development of environmentally sustainable cropping systems require for efficient use of rice-fallow lands for sustainable productivity. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the objective to identify sustainable and environmentally safer cropping systems with low global worming potential (GWP) and low energy requirement for rice fallow land of India. Seven diverse crops (e.g., toria (Brassica campestris var. toria), lentil (Lens culinaris), field pea (Pisum arvense), garden pea (Pisum sativum L.), green gram (Vigna radiata), black gram (Vigna mungo) and maize (Zea mays)) were introduced in rice-fallow system by adopting no-till (NT) production technology to develop sustainable and environmentally cleaner production systems in a subtropical climate of Tripura, India. All these rice-based cropping systems were evaluated on the basis of the energy requirements and system productivity. Results indicated that rice had the highest energy input followed by that for maize and the least for lentil. System productivity regarding equivalent rice yield was the highest in rice–garden pea system. The relative amount of energy input in all cropping systems involved 44–54% for chemical fertilizers, 13–17% for land preparation, 12–15% for diesel and 11–14% for labor. Total energy input of 28,656 MJ per hectare (MJ/ha) was the highest for rice–maize and the lowest of 22,486 MJ/ha for rice–lentil systems. The highest system productivity and the highest energy productivity were obtained for the rice–garden pea system. The GWP was lower for legume-based than that for cereal and oilseed-based cropping systems. The lowest GWP of 7.97 Mg CO2e/ha per yr was observed for the rice-lentil cropping system and the highest GWP of 8.39 Mg CO2e/ha per yr for the rice-maize cropping system. The rice-vegetable pea and rice-lentil cropping systems also had low greenhouse gas emission intensity. The rice–pea and rice–lentil cropping systems are recommended for the region because of their low energy requirement, high energy and system productivity and low GWP. These systems are suited for the efficient utilization of rice fallow lands of eastern India to sustain productivity while adapting and mitigating the climate change. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd
Greening rice-fallow areas: integrating pulses and oilseeds for sustainable cropping in eastern India
(Frontiers Media SA, 2025) Rakesh Pradeep Kumar; Anup Das; S. K. Mondal; Pravin Kumar Upadhyay; Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt; Janki Sharan Mishra; Anil Kumar Singh; Jaipal Singh Choudhary; Sanjeev Kumar; Prem Kumar Sundaram; Ashish Kumar Biswas; Sanjay Singh Rathore; Rajiv Kumar Singh; Puspa Parameswari; Dhiraj Kumar Singh; Santosh Muthu Suresh Kumar; Akram Ahmad; Kirti Saurabh; Kumari Shubha; Ajay Vinod Kumar; Manibhushan; Pawan Jeet; Ved Prakash; Bal Krishna Jha; Sushant Kumar Naik; S. S. Mali; Surendra Kumar Ahirwal; Vinod Kumar Singh; Devendra Mandal; Manoj Kumar Roy; Arbind K. Choudhary; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Suresh Kumar Chaudhari
Rice-fallow areas, widespread in rainfed rice-growing regions of South Asia, remain uncultivated during the post-rainy (winter) season due to multiple challenges, including inadequate irrigation infrastructure, cultivation of long-duration rice varieties, and soil moisture imbalances. South Asia has approximately 22.3 million hectares of rice-fallow land, with India contributing the largest share (88.3%). Eastern Indian states, which account for 82% of India’s rice-fallow area, presents significant opportunities for cropping intensification. However, several constraints—such as biotic (pest and disease), abiotic stresses (temperature extremes, drought, etc.), rapid soil moisture depletion, and disturbances from free-grazing livestock-hinder efforts to cultivate a second crop, perpetuating poverty among the small and marginal farmers. Introducing stress-tolerant rabi crops, particularly pulses (chickpea, lentil, lathyrus, field pea) and oilseeds (mustard, toria, safflower, linseed), offers a promising solution to enhance system productivity and improve the farmers’ livelihoods. Policymakers have recently increased the public investment in rice-fallows intensification, yet fragmented and ad-hoc initiatives often fail to deliver sustainable outcomes due to complex and multidimensional challenges involved. This study critically examines the key issues affecting rice-fallow lands and provides strategic recommendations to convert these underutilized areas into the productive cropping systems during winter and spring. Additionally, it reviews Central and State Government programs related to rice-fallow management, emphasizing the need for research to align with ongoing policy initiatives for maximum impact. The findings of this study offers a valuable insights for the policymakers, planners, and stakeholders, highlighting the potential of pulses and oilseeds to enhance the food security, reduce poverty, and promote sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural production systems in the region. © © 2025 Kumar, Das, Mondal, Upadhyay, Bhatt, Mishra, Singh, Choudhary, Kumar, Sundaram, Biswas, Rathore, Singh, Parameswari, Singh, Kumar, Ahmad, Saurabh, Shubha, Kumar, Manibhushan, Jeet, Prakash, Jha, Naik, Mali, Kumar, Ahirwal, Singh, Mandal, Roy, Choudhary, Rajpoot and Chaudhari.
Harnessing weedy rice as functional food and source of novel traits for crop improvement
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2024) Ingudam Bhupenchandra; Sunil Kumar Chongtham; Ayam Gangarani; Pranab Dutta; Elangbam Lamalakshmi; Sansuta Mohanty; Anil K. Choudhary; Anup Das; Konsam Sarika; Sumit Kumar; Yumnam Sonika; Diana Sagolsem; Y. Rupert Anand; Dawa Dolma Bhutia; M. Victoria; S. Vinodh; Chongtham Tania; Adhikarimayum Dhanachandra Sharma; Lipa Deb; Manas Ranjan Sahoo; Chandra Shekhar Seth; Prashant Swapnil; Mukesh Meena
A relative of cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.), weedy or red rice (Oryza spp.) is currently recognized as the dominant weed, leading to a drastic loss of yield of cultivated rice due to its highly competitive abilities like producing more tillers, panicles, and biomass with better nutrient uptake. Due to its high nutritional value, antioxidant properties (anthocyanin and proanthocyanin), and nutrient absorption ability, weedy rice is gaining immense research attentions to understand its genetic constitution to augment future breeding strategies and to develop nutrition-rich functional foods. Consequently, this review focuses on the unique gene source of weedy rice to enhance the cultivated rice for its crucial features like water use efficiency, abiotic and biotic stress tolerance, early flowering, and the red pericarp of the seed. It explores the debating issues on the origin and evolution of weedy rice, including its high diversity, signalling aspects, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping under stress conditions, the intricacy of the mechanism in the expression of the gene flow, and ecological challenges of nutrient removal by weedy rice. This review may create a foundation for future researchers to understand the gene flow between cultivated crops and weedy traits and support an improved approach for the applicability of several models in predicting multiomics variables. © 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Impact of no-till and mulching on soil carbon sequestration under rice (Oryza sativa L.)-rapeseed (Brassica campestris L. var. rapeseed) cropping system in hilly agro-ecosystem of the Eastern Himalayas, India
(Elsevier B.V., 2019) Gulab Singh Yadav; Anup Das; Rattan Lal; Subhash Babu; Mrinmoy Datta; Ram Swaroop Meena; Somanagouda B. Patil; Raghavendra Singh
Decline in soil organic carbon (SOC) and low biomass production in sloping uplands are of growing concern for sustainable agriculture worldwide. This concern is in general in the Eastern Himalayan regions (EHR) of India in particular. A field experiment was conducted with the objectives to generate additional biomass and sequester more C in coarse-textured sloping lands. This experiment is done for four consecutive years in the EHR, India. The rice (Oryza sativa L.)–rapeseed (Brassica campestris L. var. rapeseed) cropping system was practiced during the first two years (2012-13 to 2013-14) and rice–rapeseed–cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) system during the two following years (2014-15 to 2015-16) of the study under different tillage and mulch systems. The tillage system included: 1) CT-RI: conventional tillage (CT) with 100% residue incorporation (RI) and 2) NT-RR: no-till (NT) with 100% residue retention (RR). The mulches included 1) rice straw mulch (SM), 2) Gliricidia sp. mulch (GM), 3) brown manuring mulch (BM)–cowpea grown as intercrop with rice up to 40 days after sowing (DAS), killed with 2,4-D and 4) no mulch (NM). The cowpea, as a cover crop was introduced during 2014 and 2015 as pre-rainy season crop before the sowing of rice to generate additional biomass in the system. The four year total above ground biomass yield of rice and rapeseed didn't vary significantly between CT-RI (31.93 and 17.40 Mg ha −1 ) and NT-RR (31.86 and 17.46 Mg ha −1 ), respectively. However, the total above ground biomass yield of cowpea was more under NT-RR (10.75 Mg ha −1 ) when compared to that under CT-RI (9.79 Mg ha −1 ). The amount of total biomass (above + below ground) and C added into the soil was more under NT-RR than that under the CT-RI. After 4 cropping cycles, the NT-RR had higher SOC concentration, pool (29.9 vs. 29.1 Mg ha −1 ), sequestration rate (450 vs. 265 kg ha -1 yr −1 ) and C retention efficiency (7.7 vs. 4.6%) than those under the CT-RI at 0–30 cm depth. The mulched plots produced more crop biomass (both above and below ground), recycled more C in soils with a trend of relatively more SOC pool (29.7–29.8 vs. 29.0 Mg ha −1 ), sequestration rate (391–428 vs. 221 kg ha -1 yr −1 ) and C retention efficiency (6.64–6.94% vs. 4.66%) than those of NM treatment. These results were seen despite difference among the mulch treatments (SM, GM and BM) which were statistically non-significant after 4 cropping cycles. Inclusion of cowpea as cover crop during pre-rainy season in the system doubled the rate of C sequestration (478 kg C ha -1 yr −1 ). Therefore, the data supports the recommendation of cultivation of the rice–rapeseed system under NT-RR along with cowpea intercropping up to 40 DAS (BM) in rice. Besides this, the inclusion of pre-rainy season cowpea before rice could generate additional biomass and enhance SOC sequestration on upland and sloping hills in the EHR of India and in similar conditions elsewhere. © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Index for refining soil health assessment through multivariate approach under diverse agro-climatic zones in the Indo-Gangetic basin of Bihar
(Elsevier B.V., 2024) Debabrata Nath; Ranjan Laik; Anup Das; Biswajit Pramanick; Panneerselvam Peramaiyan; Santosh Kumar Singh; Vandana Kumari; Surendra Singh Jatav; Abdus Sattar
A fundamental necessity in advancing sustainable crop production lies in the establishment of a reliable technique for assessing soil health. Soil health assessment is a challenge considering multiple interactions among dynamic indicators within various management strategies and agroecological contexts. Hence a study was conducted to determine the soil health variables, quantify the soil health index (SHI), and validate them with the productivity of rice (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) system for the Indo Gangetic basin of Bihar, India, under four contrasting agro-climatic zones (ACZ-I, II, IIIA & IIIB). For this study, 100 soil samples (0–15 cm) from each ACZ with a total of 400 soil samples were obtained for analyzing 20 soil health variables (soil physical, chemical, and biological properties). To identify SHI and important soil health variables, principal component analysis (PCA) was employed. Apart from specific variables, soil pH, soil organic carbon (SOC), available Zn and available water capacity (AWC) were identified as common indicators for the four ACZs. Results revealed that under the rice-wheat cropping system, ACZ-IIIB soils had a higher SHI (0.19–0.70) than other ACZs. SHI of ACZ-IIIB was significantly influenced by SOC (19.32 %), available P (10.52 %), clay (10.43 %), pH (10.80 %), and soil respiration (9.8 %). The strong relationship between SHI and system productivity of the rice-wheat (R2 = 0.79) system indicates that the selected soil health variables are representative of good soil health. It is concluded that ACZ-specific SHIs are a promising strategy for evaluating and monitoring soil health to achieve the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal of ‘zero hunger’ by 2030. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Microbes-mediated integrated nutrient management for improved rhizo-modulation, pigeonpea productivity, and soil bio-fertility in a semi-arid agro-ecology
(Frontiers Media S.A., 2022) Gaurendra Gupta; Shiva Dhar; Adarsh Kumar; Anil K. Choudhary; Anchal Dass; V.K. Sharma; Livleen Shukla; P.K. Upadhyay; Anup Das; Dinesh Jinger; Sudhir Kumar Rajpoot; Manjanagouda S. Sannagoudar; Amit Kumar; Ingudam Bhupenchandra; Vishal Tyagi; Ekta Joshi; Kamlesh Kumar; Padmanabh Dwivedi; Mahendra Vikram Singh Rajawat
Excessive dependence on chemical fertilizers and ignorance to organic and microbial inputs under intensive cropping systems are the basic components of contemporary agriculture, which evolves several sustainability issues, such as degraded soil health and sub-optimal crop productivity. This scenario urges for integrated nutrient management approaches, such as microbes-mediated integrated plant nutrition for curtailing the high doses as chemical fertilizers. Rationally, experiment has been conducted in pigeonpea at ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, with the aim of identifying the appropriate nutrient management technique involving microbial and organic nutrient sources for improved rhizo-modulation, crop productivity, and soil bio-fertility. The randomized block-designed experiment consisted nine treatments viz. Control, Recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), RDF+ Microbial inoculants (MI), Vermicompost (VC), Farm Yard Manure (FYM), Leaf Compost (LC), VC + MI, FYM + MI, and LC + MI. Rhizobium spp., Pseudomonas spp., Bacillus spp., and Frateuria aurantia were used as seed-inoculating microbes. The results indicated the significant response of integration following the trend VC + MI > FYM + MI > LC + MI > RDF + MI for various plant shoot-root growth attributes and soil microbial and enzymatic properties. FYM + MI significantly improved the water-stable aggregates (22%), mean weight diameter (1.13 mm), and geometric mean diameter (0.93 mm), soil organic carbon (SOC), SOC stock, and SOC sequestration. The chemical properties viz. available N, P, and K were significantly improved with VC + MI. The study summarizes that FYM + MI could result in better soil physico-chemical and biological properties and shoot-root development; however; VC + MI could improve available nutrients in the soil and may enhance the growth of pigeonpea more effectively. The outcomes of the study are postulated as a viable and alternative solution for excessive chemical fertilizer-based nutrient management and would also promote the microbial consortia and organic manures-based agro-industries. This would add to the goal of sustainable agricultural development by producing quality crop produce, maintaining agro-biodiversity and making the soils fertile and healthy that would be a “gift to the society.” Copyright © 2022 Gupta, Dhar, Kumar, Choudhary, Dass, Sharma, Shukla, Upadhyay, Das, Jinger, Rajpoot, Sannagoudar, Kumar, Bhupenchandra, Tyagi, Joshi, Kumar, Dwivedi and Rajawat.
Occurrence, Distribution, Damage Potential, and Farmers’ Perception on Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith): Evidence from the Eastern Himalayan Region
(MDPI, 2023) Satyapriya Singh; Mahadevan Raghuraman; Manikyanahalli Chandrashekara Keerthi; Anup Das; Saswat Kumar Kar; Biswajit Das; Hidangmayum Lembisana Devi; Sunil Kumar Sunani; Manas Ranjan Sahoo; Ryan Casini; Hosam O. Elansary; Gobinda Chandra Acharya
The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), is a polyphagous non-native pest identified as a serious threat to crop production and food security globally, including in India. Its unintentional introduction and quick coverage in large areas is a serious concern to millions of farmers in the eastern Himalayan region. However, detailed understanding of farmers’ perceptions and the biological attributes associated with the meteorological factors for FAW is limited. The present investigation, which aimed to create baseline data on this pest, concurs with the idea that the FAW is widely dispersed throughout the maize ecosystems of Tripura, with an average infestation rate of 21.33 percent. The severity ranged from 0 to 1.40, with an average leaf damage score of 1 on a 0–4 categorical scale. The findings indicate that pheromone trap catch was significantly correlated with the evaporation rate as other meteorological factors influenced variably. The biological attributes imply that the life cycle was completed in 32.82 ± 0.08 days, with a high fecundity potential (1068.57 ± 4.35 numbers) in controlled conditions (25 ± 1 °C, 70 ± 5% RH). Indigenous natural enemies, such as entomopathogens, spiders, and wasps, were found to be the first defence against this invasive pest. A minority of the population (17.51%) was aware of the incidence of FAW. Furthermore, respondents’ socio-demographic variables were associated significantly with FAW status. This is the first scientific report from the eastern Himalayan region about farmers’ knowledge and awareness of the invasiveness of FAW. This finding enumerates a detailed understanding of FAW from diverse perspectives. Further, the concerted data provide an important baseline that could help the development of holistic management strategies for FAW. © 2023 by the authors.
Preface
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Rachana Dubey; Kumari Shubha; Amitava Rakshit; Sanjeev Kumar; Anup Das
[No abstract available]
Sequential submergence and drought induce yield loss in rice by affecting redox homeostasis and source-to-sink sugar transport
(Elsevier B.V., 2024) Santosh Kumar; Sahana Basu; A.K. Choudhary; Shashi Shekhar; J.S. Mishra; Sanjeev Kumar; Kumari Shubha; Rachana Dubey; Surajit Mondal; S.K. Dwivedi; N. Bhakta; Rakesh Kumar; Sujoy Sarkar; Srustidhar Dhamudia; Sunny Kumari; Anup Das; Arvind Kumar; Gautam Kumar
Rice cultivation in the rainfed ecosystems of the eastern Indo-Gangetic plain (EIGP) frequently comes across abrupt alternation of submergence and drought during the vegetative and reproductive stages, respectively, within one growing season, and this may be exaggerated with climate change. Therefore, development of combined submergence and drought tolerant rice genotypes might be a timely effort to meet the growing food demand. However, till date no study has been executed on the combination of submergence and drought stress in the field conditions of the EIGP. The present study elucidated the performance of near isogenic lines (NILs) of rice developed for the EIGP through marker assisted pyramiding of quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with submergence (Sub1) and drought (qDTY1.1 + qDTY2.1 + qDTY3.1) in the background of the popular, high yielding Indo-Gangetic rice variety Swarna. This study included the screening of sixteen rice NILs along with the check varieties Swarna and Swarna Sub1 under cumulative submergence and drought for four consecutive rice growing years (2019–2022). Individual submergence or drought or cumulative stress caused 76, 47, and 85% respective loss in average productivity compared to that of the control conditions. However, rice NILs IR96321–558–563-B-2–1–1, IR96321–315–323-B-3–1–3, IR96321–315–294-B-1–1–1–1, and IR96321–558–209-B-6–1–1 showed outstanding cumulative stress tolerance with sustainable photosynthetic performance and membrane stability. Furthermore, these rice NILs exhibited effective reactive oxygen species scavenging mediated by enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities in source (flag-leaf) and sink (anther) tissues that contributed to conserving the source-to-sink mobilization, leading to improved pollen viability and spikelet fertility under sequential stress conditions. The study identified combined submergence-drought tolerant rice NILs along with an optimum yield level to support global food security and also represented a model crop system to establish mechanisms of multi-stress tolerance in plants. © 2024 Elsevier B.V.
Soil Carbon Dynamics and Soil Quality Index Under Different Agricultural Production Systems in Rain-Fed Ecosystems
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2025) Adarsha Divyadarshan; Sushanta Kumar Naik; Mahesh Kumar Dhakar; Tapan Jyoti Purakayastha; Dibakar Mahanta; Manoj Choudhary; S. S. Mali; Rakesh Pradeep Kumar; Ashish Kumar Dash; Anup Das; Ram Swaroop Meena
The single-tier mono-cropping systems in the rain-fed ecosystems are vulnerable to global climate change and are leading to the unsustainability of the production systems and deterioration of soil health. The present investigation evaluated the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) stock and soil quality index in different multitier agricultural production systems in the rain-fed ecosystems. The agricultural production systems comprise (1) fallow land (FL-control), (2) perennial napier fodder grass (Napier), (3) sole rice crop in the rainy season (Rice), (4) multitier cropping system of mango + mahogany + rice (MMR), (5) plum orchard, (6) multitier cropping system of mango + mahogany + aonla + rice (MMAR), and (7) multitier cropping system of mango + mahogany + peach + rice (MMPR). After 7 years of establishment, the highest total SOC (TSOC) stock was 62.8 Mg ha−1 in the MMAR system, which sequestered 2.71 Mg C ha−1 year−1. Compared to the control, the MMAR system stabilized 1.28, 1.57, 1.5, and 1.48 times more TSOC at 0.0–0.15, 0.15–0.30, 0.30–0.45, and 0.45–0.60 m soil depths, respectively. The MMAR system enhanced the non-labile recalcitrant carbon fraction by 21.1% over the control. The dehydrogenase, fluorescein diacetate, β-glucosidase, and acid phosphatase activities in the MMAR system were 1.48, 1.84, 1.59, and 1.9 times more than the control, respectively, at 0–0.60 m soil depth. The best soil quality indicators identified for the rain-fed ecosystems were fluorescein diacetate, soil microbial biomass carbon, EC, pH, and bulk density. The adoption of multitier systems in rain-fed agroecosystems builds-up a considerable amount of soil carbon stock and maintains better soil quality in comparison to single-tier mono-cropping. © 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.