Browsing by Author "Devideen Yadav"

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Crop Residue Management: A Novel Technique for Restoring Soil Health and Sustainable Intensification in India
(Springer Singapore, 2021) Anita Kumawat; Ram Swaroop Meena; I. Rashmi; Ashok Kumar; S.D. Bamboriya; Devideen Yadav; Kuldeep Kumar; Dinesh Kumar; Manoj Kumar Jhariya
India has achieved a record food grain production of ~300 million tonnes in 2019–2020. Simultaneous production of a large volume of crop residues (CRs) is natural. It is documented that ~700 million tonnes (Mt) of CRs are generated every year in India. But the proper disposal of CRs is of serious concern, especially in the irrigated and mechanized cropping systems of India. Hence, a huge quantity of CRs is burnt on-farm to clear the field for timely sowing of the next crop. The burning of CRs causes environmental pollution and loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrients, reduces microbial activities, and enhances soil erodibility. The continuous burning/removal of CRs leads to higher input costs in the short term and a decline in soil productivity in the long term. The burning of 1 ton of paddy straw release 1460 kg carbon dioxide (CO2), 60 kg carbon monoxide (CO), 3 kg particulate matter (PM), 200 kg ash, and 2 kg sulfur dioxide (SO2). Moreover, CR burning results in the loss of entire carbon (C), 80% of nitrogen (N), 25% of phosphorus (P), 20% potassium (K), and 50% sulfur (S). The inappropriate management of CRs will further lead to continuous depletion of soil fertility and deterioration of atmospheric quality. Hence, there is a need to develop efficient crop residue management (CRM) strategies to prevent the wastage of this valuable natural resource. The recycling of CRs offers a sustainable and ecologically sound option for restoring soil health and agricultural intensification. It can play an important role in C sequestration at 0.2 × l015 g year−1 to improve the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. This book chapter explains all the efficient CRM practices with respect to eco-intensification. Retaining CRs as mulch on the soil surface, in situ incorporation, and producing compost and biochar are the most effective approaches to improve soil, air, and water quality. Hence, the aim of this chapter is to explore the feasibility of different CRM options for replenishing and sustaining soil health and environmental security. This chapter is focused on the possible alternatives for efficient recycling of surplus CRs to improve soil and environmental security and sustainable crop production in cereal-centric intensive cropping systems of India. It will help producers, researchers, academicians, and policymakers to achieve the “Sustainable Development Goals” in India. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021.
Legume-based inter-cropping to achieve the crop, soil, and environmental health security
(Elsevier, 2022) Anita Kumawat; Shanti Devi Bamboriya; Ram Swaroop Meena; Devideen Yadav; Ashok Kumar; Sandeep Kumar; Abhishek Raj; Gourisankar Pradhan
In recent years, the increased pressure of food and nutritional insecurity, land degradation, climate change, continuous declining soil fertility, and low and stagnant crop productivity has derived the attention of many environmental, agricultural, and ecological researchers toward inter-cropping for sustaining soil, plant, and environmental health. Legumes are a key component for sustaining soil health and ecological security. Legume-based cropping systems not only ensure food and nutritional security, these are also beneficial in terms of monetary returns and sustaining ecosystem services. Including grain legumes in cropping systems helps to restore the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Inter-cropping is the agronomic practice of growing two or more crops simultaneously in the same field. Inter-cropping creates an ecologically strong agricultural system by reducing the use of external harmful chemical input and utilizing natural resources more efficiently, which produces healthy and good quality food. Moreover, legume inter-cropping may also help in meeting the sustainable development goals of the United Nations by enhancing agricultural production, the nutritional quality of the food, and soil health. The low productivity of cereals, vegetables, oilseeds, tuber/root crops, and other crops can be increased by including legumes in the production system as legume has the ability of nitrogen fixation (BNF), soil quality improvement, soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration, resource conservation, and adaptation in a wide range of environmental conditions. At the crop protection level, legume inter-cropping enhances biodiversity, which helps in breaking the continuous life cycle of harmful insect pests and diseases. Further, the higher canopy cover of legume inter-cropping also reduces the weed biomass because of their smothering effect. The production of cereals can be increased by 15%–25% by diminishing the attack of insectpests, diseases, and weeds. This chapter aims to highlight the vital role of legume inter-cropping in advancing food and feed quality by improving crop health and restoring soil physical, chemical, and biological health. Legume inter-cropping has multiple benefits, namely, increase SOC, improve soil fertility by adding nitrogen (N) through BNF, improve soil structure, conserve soil and water from erosion, and enhance water and nutrient use efficiencies. Thus, legume inter-cropping could be an advance agronomic strategy for restoring soil health and improving plant health with principles of sustainability while ensuring food and nutritional security of the burgeoning world population. In this corollary, introducing legume inter-cropping in the cropping systems is imperative to achieve the goal of agricultural sustainability and soil security in the diverse agroecosystems. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.