Browsing by Author "B. Venkateswarlu"

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Efficient tillage and nutrient management practices for sustainable yields, profitability and energy use efficiency for rice-based cropping system in different soils and agro-climatic conditions
(2013) G. R. Maruthi Sankar; K.L. Sharma; K. Srinivas Reddy; G. Pratibha; Reshma Shinde; S.R. Singh; A.K. Nema; R.P. Singh; B.S. Rath; A. Mishra; B.D. Behera; C.R. Subudhi; Bhagwan Singh; H.C. Singh; Ashok Kumar Singh; D.K. Rusia; M.S. Yadava; C.R. Thyagaraj; P.K. Mishra; M. Suma Chandrika; B. Venkateswarlu
Long-term tillage and fertilizer experiments were conducted in rice in kharif followed by lentil in dry subhumid Inceptisols at Varanasi and Faizabad; horse gram at Phulbani and linseed at Ranchi in moist subhumid Alfisols in rabi during 2001 to 2010. The study was conducted to assess the effect of conventional tillage (CT), low tillage + interculture (LT1) and low tillage + herbicide (LT2) together with 100% N (organic) (F1), 50% N (organic) + 50% N (inorganic) (F2) and 100% N (inorganic) (F3) on productivity, profitability, rainwater and energy use efficiencies. The results at Varanasi revealed that CT was superior with mean yield of 2389 kg ha-1, while F1 was superior with 2378 kg ha-1 in rice. At Faizabad, CT was superior with mean rice yield of 1851 kg ha-1 and lentil yield of 977 kg ha -1, while F1 was superior with 1704 and 993 kg ha-1 of rice and lentil, respectively. At Phulbani, F2 was superior with rice yield of 1170 kg ha-1. At Ranchi, F2 with rice yield of 986 kg ha-1 and F3 with linseed yield of 224 kg ha-1 were superior. The regression model of crop seasonal rainfall and yield deviations indicated an increasing trend in rice yield over mean (positive deviation) with increase in rainfall at all locations; while a decreasing trend (negative deviation) was found for lentil at Faizabad, horse gram at Phulbani and linseed at Ranchi. Based on economic analysis, CTF1 at Varanasi and Faizabad, CTF2 at Phulbani and LT2F2 at Ranchi were superior. Copyright © 2013 Cambridge University Press.
Integrated nutrient management improves soil organic matter and agronomic sustainability of semiarid rainfed Inceptisols of the Indo-Gangetic Plains
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2021) Ch. Srinivasarao; S.P. Singh; Sumanta Kundu; Vikas Abrol; Rattan Lal; P.C. Abhilash; G.R. Chary; Pravin B. Thakur; J.V.N.S. Prasad; B. Venkateswarlu
Background: Climate and management practices impact the soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks of agricultural soils. Especially under the semiarid climate of India, organic matter is rapidly decomposed, and imbalanced nutrient input further exacerbates its depletion, thus facilitating the decline in soil quality and crop yields. Improving SOC contents through integrated nutrient management (INM), that is, conjunctive use of organic and chemical sources of nutrients, could ameliorate soil health and sustain crop yields. Aim: To assess the potential of the INM approach to enhance the SOC status, soil quality, crop production, and drought adaptation of pearl millet under rainfed conditions. Methods: Nutrient inputs were supplied through mineral fertilizers, organic manures, and a combination of both. SOC sequestration, sustainable yield index, plant-available N, P, K, and water, bulk density, and KMnO4-oxidizable C were estimated. Results: Higher SOC sequestration rate (0.50 and 0.48 Mg ha−1 y−1 in 50% N (fertilizer) + 50% N (farmyard manure), and 50% N (fertilizer) + 50% N (crop residue), respectively) and significant increase in soil fertility were recorded in organically amended treatments. Improvement of 1 Mg ha−1 of SOC stock in the root zone (0.4 m depth) reduced the severity of drought and increased the yield by 38 kg ha−1. Plots under organic amendments suffered less yield losses under short-duration droughts, but this positive effect could only be exploited when the rainfall deficit was up to 25%. Conclusion: Managements that add up to 1.2 Mg ha−1 y−1 SOC are adaptive and climate-resilient strategies in dry semiarid degraded Inceptisols of the Indo-Gangetic Plains. © 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH
Long-term effects of soil fertility management on carbon sequestration in a rice-lentil cropping system of the indo-gangetic plains
(2012) Ch. Srinivasarao; B. Venkateswarlu; Rattan Lal; Anil Kumar Singh; K.P.R. Vittal; Sumanta Kundu; S.R. Singh; S.P. Singh
Enrichment of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks through sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 in agricultural soils is important because of its impacts on soil quality, agronomic production, and adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. In a 21-yr field experiment conducted under subhumid tropical conditions in India, the impacts of crop residue C inputs were assessed for the rice (Oryza sativa L.)-lentil (Lens esculenta Moench) cropping sequence. These impacts were evaluated in an experiment involving mineral fertilizers and manuring treatments on crop yield sustainability with reference to critical biomass requirements for maintenance of SOC in an Inceptisol. Application of farmyard manure (FYM) without and with mineral fertilizers increased C input and SOC concentration and stock. In comparison with the control, the 100% organic (FYM) treatment had significantly higher profile SOC (27.5 Mg ha -1), and more C build up (55.0%) and C sequestration (6.6 Mg C ha -1) to 1-m depth vis-à-vis the antecedent values in 1986. These parameters were also higher in 100% FYM treatment at a rate providing equivalent amount of the recommended dose of N followed by conjunctive use of FYM and mineral fertilizers. The SOC stock and rate of sequestration were positively correlated with cumulative C input, and with sustainable yield index (SYI) of upland rice and lentil. Higher grain yield (1.95 and 1.04 Mg ha -1 of rice and lentil, respectively) was obtained with the application of 50% organic (FYM)+50% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF). In comparison, higher SOC sequestration rate was measured with the application of 100% organic (FYM). For every Mg increase in SOC stock in the root zone there was 0.16 and 0.18 Mg ha -1yr -1 yield increase of rice and lentil, respectively. For maintaining a stable SOC level (zero change due to cropping), a minimum quantity of 2.47 Mg C ha -1 yr -1 is required for this soil, climate, cropping system, and fertilization treatments. To achieve this quantity of C, 7.1 Mg of biomass is required to be produced every year vs. average rice and lentil yields of 1.6 and 0.7 Mg ha -1, respectively. The sole application of mineral fertilizers at 50 or 100% of the RDF did not maintain the SOC stock. Thus, application of FYM (or other organics) in conjunction with mineral fertilizers is essential to maintaining and enhancing the SOC stock in the rice-based cropping systems. © Soil Science Society of America.
Soil potassium fertility and management strategies in South Asian agriculture
(Academic Press Inc., 2023) Ch. Srinivasarao; Sumanta Kundu; K.V. Rao; A.K. Shukla; A. Subba Rao; Patricia Imas; Nanthi S. Bolan; Rattan Lal; J.V.N.S. Prasad; P.C. Abhilash; G. Ranjith Kumar; R.S. Meena; G. Pratibha; G. Narayanaswami; S.K. Bansal; K.C. Nataraj; M. Jagadesh; K. Mrunalini; S. Jayaraman; M.L. Jat; S.N. Malleswari; Anthony Whitbread; B. Venkateswarlu
Almost one-fourth of the global population live in South Asia (SA) countries with 14% of cultivable land. Most of the countries in the South Asian region are facing multiple challenges like high population growth, declining farm land area, and low productivity in primary and secondary sectors leading to limited employment opportunities. Consequently, both availability and access to food are adversely affected. Regions exposed to natural disasters, tribal and the hilly regions of SA are amongst the most vulnerable in terms of food security. Accelerated efforts are required to ensure that conflicts do not exacerbate the already fragile food situation in SA. Despite recent strong gains in economic growth and agricultural productivity, food and nutritional security remains a major concern in SA. The region has the largest concentration of poverty and hunger in the world, with nearly 40% of the world's impoverished and 45% of the world's undernourished people. The enormity of malnutrition in SA can be gauged from the fact that it is the home to nearly two-thirds of the world's undernourished children. More than 56% of the world's low-birth-weight babies are born in SA. Furthermore, food and nutrition security remain major challenges with a large proportion of the world's poor living here and global hunger index (GHI) at 30.9. Overcoming these twin challenges require actions both at the national and regional level. Among production constraints and yield gaps, imbalanced nutrient use is a critical issue in many of the SA countries, with nutrient application focused mainly on nitrogen (N), leaving the possibility for other plant nutrient deficiencies including phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). In some cases, the use efficiency of N may be low due to losses in the form of N2O emissions, a potent greenhouse gas (GHG), or via leaching with the undesirable offsite effects. Among the primary nutrients, K is an essential nutrient for productivity, food quality and numerous functions in the plant system. It plays a major role in activating ∼60 enzymes, regulating stomatal functions, controlling water relations especially under rainfed crop production, influencing the water balance of plant systems, and underpinning agronomic productivity and sustainability. Negative K balance in soil under intensive cropping is reported because of low external input and large crop removal, leading to large scale K mining in soils. Declining yield trends were observed in several fertilizer experiments 30–40 years long with continuous application of either N alone or NP without K under both irrigated and rainfed crop production systems in the region. Recent K fertility analysis indicates widespread K deficiency in light-textured alluvial soils, red and lateritic soils beside acid soil types in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. The countries in SA depend largely on imported K fertilizers. Such imported fertilizer should be utilized most efficiently in the light of limited global K mineral reserves and 93% of world total K exports are from five countries viz. Canada (37.12%) followed by the Russian Federation, Belarus, Germany and Israel. Therefore, the current review addresses issues related to the K supplying capacity of soils in various crop production systems in SA, crop K responses, soil test methods followed, emerging issues in soil K fertility, K balance in major cropping systems and rationalizing K recommendations among crops, soil types and agro-ecological regions. The role of K in balanced nutrition, farm productivity, food and nutritional security in these countries is examined. The review also covers the critical role of K in climate change adaptation, mitigation of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions and improving overall nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in the SA region. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.