Browsing by Author "Gulab Singh Yadav"

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Amino acid: Its dual role as nutrient and scavenger of free radicals in soil
(MDPI, 2017) Rahul Datta; Divyashri Baraniya; Yong-Feng Wang; Aditi Kelkar; Ram Swaroop Meena; Gulab Singh Yadav; Maria Teresa Ceccherini; Pavel Formanek
Ascorbic acid is a bacteriostatic agent; one of the many ways by which ascorbic acid hampers bacterial growth is by the production of hydrogen peroxide, which further converts into hydroxyl free radicals. Certain amino acids can counteract the inhibitory effect of hydroxyl free radicals by checking their oxidizing effect. Though ascorbic acid is bacteriostatic in nature, it facilitates prokaryotic respiration by decarboxylation. This study was carried out to understand how microbes from different horizons of the forest soil respond to the addition of a bacteriostatic agent (ascorbic acid) and growth promoting agent (amino acids), with respect to the soil respiration. We observed that the addition of either ascorbic acid or a combination of it with amino acid consistently results in increased soil respiration, and this increase is different for different soil types depending on soil composition and origin. Furthermore, we also found that beta alanine-induced maximum respiration in basic soils and L-glutamic in acidic soils. This study is significant because it can be used to explain how a strong reducing sugar, i.e., ascorbic acid, affects the soil respiration mediated via soil microbes. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first report that demonstrates the effect of bacteriostatic and the growth promoting agent together on microbe-mediated soil respiration. © 2017 by the authors.
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.
Effect of polymers and nutrient management on sesame (Sesamum indicum) under custard apple (Annona squamosa) based agri-horti system
(Indian Council of Agricultural Research, 2019) Shailesh Kumar; Ram Swaroop Meena; Nirmal De; D.S. Gurjar; Ajeet Singh; Gulab Singh Yadav; Gourisankar Pradhan
A field experiment was conducted in 2016–17 to study the effect of polymers and nutrient management on sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) under custard apple (Annona squamosa L.) based agri-horti system in rainfed conditions of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four replications. Three levels of polymers, viz. Control, NCPC @ 5 kg/ha and Hydrogel @ 5 kg/ha and four level of the nutrient management as Control, 100% RDF, 100% RDF + Azotobacter and 100% RDF + PSB were taken in main-plots and sub-plots. Results indicated that the application of NCPC @ 5 kg/ha produced the best results in terms of the sesame seed yield (448.51 kg/ha) and stalk yield (609.97 kg/ha). The nutrient management with 100% RDF + Azotobacter gave better results as compared to control (no fertilizers). Their conjoint application can be beneficial to farmers for sustaining the crop productivity in the rainfed condition of eastern Uttar Pradesh. © 2019 Indian Council of Agricultural Research. All rights reserved.
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
Growth, yield and quality of cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) as influenced by integrated nutrient management under alley cropping system
(Indian Council of Agricultural Research, 2019) Pankaj Sharma; Ram Swaroop Meena; Sunil Kumar; D.S. Gurjar; Gulab Singh Yadav; Sandeep Kumar
A field study was conducted to assess the impact of integrated nutrient management (INM) on cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) under alley cropping system in kharif 2018 at Banaras Hindu University, Mirzapur (UP). The six treatments, viz. 75% RDF + Rhizobium, 75% RDF + Biochar + Rhizobium, 100% RDF + Rhizobium, 75% RDF + farm yard manure + Rhizobium, 100% RDF + Vermicompost + Rhizobium and 75% RDF + pressmud + Rhizobium were laid out in randomized block design with four replications. Highest growth parameters, viz. plant height, dry matter accumulation, number of nodules/plant, dry weight of nodules, crop growth rate, leaf area index, chlorophyll content, number of secondary branches/plant, and the highest yield attributes and yield, viz. number of pods/plant, length of pod, number of seeds/pod, test weight, seed yield (922.60 kg/ha), straw yield (2496.10 kg/ha), biological yield (3418.70 kg/ha) were recorded with the application of 75 % RDF + pressmud + Rhizobium. Similarly, the highest NPK content and their uptake, protein and gum content, and economics, viz. gross return (77241 ₹/ha), net return (46461 `/ha) were seen with the application of 75% RDF + pressmud + Rhizobium, while the highest B: C ratio (1.59) was observed with the application of 100% RDF+ Rhizobium. © 2019 Indian Council of Agricultural Research. All rights reserved.
Impact of agrochemicals on soil microbiota and management: A review
(MDPI AG, 2020) Ram Swaroop Meena; Sandeep Kumar; Rahul Datta; Rattan Lal; Vinod Vijayakumar; Martin Brtnicky; Mahaveer Prasad Sharma; Gulab Singh Yadav; Manoj Kumar Jhariya; Chetan Kumar Jangir; Shamina Imran Pathan; Tereza Dokulilova; Vaclav Pecina; Theodore Danso Marfo
The World Health Organization (WHO) states that in developing nations, there are three million cases of agrochemical poisoning. The prolonged intensive and indiscriminate use of agrochemicals adversely affected the soil biodiversity, agricultural sustainability, and food safety, bringing in long-term harmful effects on nutritional security, human and animal health. Most of the agrochemicals negatively affect soil microbial functions and biochemical processes. The alteration in diversity and composition of the beneficial microbial community can be unfavorable to plant growth and development either by reducing nutrient availability or by increasing disease incidence. Currently, there is a need for qualitative, innovative, and demand-driven research in soil science, especially in developing countries for facilitating of high-quality eco-friendly research by creating a conducive and trustworthy work atmosphere, thereby rewarding productivity andmerits. Hence, we reviewed (1) the impact of various agrochemicals on the soil microbial diversity and environment; (2) the importance of smallholder farmers for sustainable crop protection and enhancement solutions, and (3) management strategies that serve the scientific community, policymakers, and land managers in integrating soil enhancement and sustainability practices in smallholder farming households. The current review provides an improved understanding of agricultural soilmanagement for food and nutritional security. © 2020 by the authors.
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.
Legumes for Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling: An Organic Approach
(Springer Singapore, 2019) Sandeep Kumar; Ram Swaroop Meena; Rahul Datta; Sunil Kumar Verma; Gulab Singh Yadav; Gourisankar Pradhan; Ali Molaei; G. K. M. Mustafizur Rahman; H.A. Mashuk
Food security, land degradation, eliminating the threats of climate change, soil sustainability, and crop productivity are the critical challenges in the coming years. Therefore, the sustainability of the agricultural production system is becoming a central component in enhancing food security and environmental sustainability. Legume crops could play a significant role in this perspective by carrying out numerous services in keeping with principles of sustainability. Incorporating legume crops into crop rotation is essential for implementing and integrating the conservation and improvement of soil health, quality, and fertility with diverse aspects of crop and livestock production into the natural farming systems. The source of nutrition to subsequent crops to maintain a continuous nitrogen (N) supply chain greatly varies with regard to the inclusion of legumes in the cropping system. The crop rotation, including pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), improved the total N content in the uppermost soil strata by around 100 μg g 1 soils, in comparison. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020.
Long term crop management effects on soil organic carbon, structure, and water retention in a cropland soil in central Ohio, USA
(Wiley-VCH Verlag, 2020) Surender Singh Yadav; Jose G. Guzman; Ram Swaroop Meena; Rattan Lal; Gulab Singh Yadav
The objective of this study was to determine 13-year management effects on soil properties between a corn–soybean (Zea mays–Glycine max) cropping system (CSRS) and vegetable production systems (VPS) on a soil in central Ohio. Three treatments included in the VPS were: (1) addition of wood chips, (2) permanent raised beds (PRB) with black polyethylene film (20 μm thick), and (3) bare soil surface (BSS). Additionally, (4) animal manure was applied in all CSRS and VPS treatments except for the wood chips (WCP) added plot in the VPS. Research data from the study show that relatively more soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in the 0–20 cm soil depth of the BSS treatment (100.6 Mg ha−1) was primarily due to differences in the type of soil amendments applied. For example, composted poultry manure was applied in the BSS and PRB plots, compared with input of fresh dairy manure mixed with straw being applied in the CSRS. Furthermore, soil management practices that aided in avoiding or reducing soil compaction (i.e., PRB or application of WCP in the surface) resulted in the overall improvement in soil structure and water retention, compared with that under chisel and disc ploughing done in the CSRS. The highest plant available water capacity (1.79 cm) was observed in the CSRS compared with 0.97 cm under BSS and PRB plots. These trends suggest that the type and amount of animal manure is critical to increasing SOC stocks in intensively cultivated VPS and CSRS in central Ohio, while also improving soil structure and water retention. © 2020 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Long-term impact of topsoil depth and amendments on carbon and nitrogen budgets in the surface layer of an Alfisol in Central Ohio
(Elsevier B.V., 2020) Ram Swaroop Meena; Rattan Lal; Gulab Singh Yadav
The impacts of 20-yr using amendments on the restoration of properties of an Alfisol was evaluated at the Waterman Farm, Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory, Columbus, Ohio. The objectives of the experiment were to assess: (1) the effects of organic and inorganic amendments on soil aggregates, and (2) carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) budgets of soil removed (20 cm deep) and undisturbed plots after 20-yr was used to conduct the experiment. Five treatmentents were used in the rendomized block design viz; (1) permanent grass field, (2) soil artificially removed-N fertilizer added, (3) soil artificially removed-compost added, (4) an undisturbed (surface soil not removed)-N fertilizer added, and (5) an undisturbed surface soil-compost added. The experiment field was permanently under the no-till since last 20 yr. The surface soil removal plots amended with compost and permanent grass plots registered the lowest bulk density (ρb) of 1.37 and 1.38 Mg/m3, respectively. The highest concentration of sand (30.4%) was observed in the treatment with surface soil removed and compost added, while the highest silt content (48.0%) was obtained in permanent grass plots. However, the clay content was the highest (38.2%) in fertilizer amended undisturbed treatment. The higher proportion of macroaggregates (88.0 and 87.6%) and the mean weight diameter (MWD) (4.47 and 4.5 mm) were recorded in the undisturbed compost-amended and permanent grass plots, respectively compare to fertilizer applied plots. There were no differences in soil pH among sampling depths, but higher electrical conductivity (EC) was observed at 0–10 cm depth of fertilizer application, disturbed (174.23 µS/cm) and undisturbed (166.63 µS/cm) plots than 10–20 cm. The highest C:N ratio (11.0) was observed at the of 0–10 cm depth in artificaly soil removed organic compost-amended treatments. The highest rate of build-up of stocks was 793.3 Kg/ha for C and 50.5 kg/ha for N in 0–10 cm depth of undisturbed and compost-amended plots. Furthermore, the highest magnitude of the stabilization was 2.8 Mg/ha for C and 0.7 Mg/ha for N in surface soil removed and compost-amended treatment. The magnitude and rate of SOC accretion were 27.5 Mg C/ha and 2.0 Mg/ha.yr, respectively, under undisturbed and compost-amended treatment. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
Response and interaction of Bradyrhizobium japonicum and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the soybean rhizosphere
(Springer Netherlands, 2018) Ram Swaroop Meena; Vinod Vijayakumar; Gulab Singh Yadav; Tarik Mitran
Regulatory response and interaction of Bradyrhizobium and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a vital role in rhizospheric soil processes and productivity of soybean (Glycine max L.). Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are essential nutrients for plant growth and productivity, the synergistic interaction(s) of AMF and Bradyrhizobium along with rhizospheric beneficial microorganisms stimulate soybean growth and development through enhanced mineral nutrient acquisition (N and P) and improved rhizosphere environment. Such interactions are crucial, especially under low-input eco-friendly agricultural cropping systems, which rely on biological processes rather than agrochemicals to maintain soil quality, sustainability, and productivity. Furthermore, enhancement of N-fixation by root nodules along with AMF-mediated synergism improves plant P nutrition and uptake, and proliferation of phosphate-solubilizing fungi. However, the genetic and/or allelic diversity among native strains, their genes/enzymes and many environmental factors (e.g., soil organic matter, fertilizers, light, temperature, soil moisture, and biotic interactors) affect the interactions between AMF and Bradyrhizobium. New information is available regarding the genetic composition of elite soybean inoculant strains in maximizing symbiotic performance, N-fixing capabilities and depending on N and P status the host-mediated regulation of root architecture. Overall, for sustainable soybean production systems, a deeper understanding of the interaction effects of Bradyrhizobium and AMF co-inoculation are expected in the future, so that optimized combinations of microorganisms can be applied as effective soil inoculants for plant growth promotion and fitness. The objective of this review is to offer insights into the mechanistic interactions of AMF and Bradyrhizobium and rhizopheric soil health, and elucidate the role of environmental factors in regulating growth, development and sustainable soybean productivity. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Response of alley cropping-grown sesame to lime and sulphur on yield and available nutrient status in an acidic soil of Eastern India
(Joint Center on Global Change and Earth System Science of the University of Maryland and Beijing Normal University, 2019) Ram Swaroop Meena; Sandeep Kumar; Jitendra Singh Bohra; Rattan Lal; Gulab Singh Yadav; Achyutanand Pandey
Applications of lime (CaCO 3 ) and elemental sulphur (S 0 –S) may be important to obtain high yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) in an acidic soil. Thus, the overall goal of the present study was to assess the impact of lime and S application on sesame yield under acidic soils in the Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. Sesame was grown in an alley cropping system, which integrated trees with grain crops. The impacts on sesame yields were assessed for different rates of lime (0, 100, 250 and 350 kg/ha) and S (0, 15, 30 and 45 kg/ha). The field experiment was laid out in a factorial randomized block design with three replications of 16 treatment combinations. Application of lime at 250 kg/ha produced the best results in terms of the sesame yield (286.1 kg/ha) and improvements in soil chemical properties. Liming at 250 kg/ha increased available nutrients reserves (NPKS: 206, 21.9, 26.9, 16.2 kg/ha, respectively), soil pH (4.95), electrical conductivity (0.039 dS/m) and organic carbon (0.32%) over those in plots without liming (control). Similarly, significant effects of S application were observed in terms of the sesame yield (282.8 kg/ha) and improvements in soil chemical properties, e.g. available nutrient reserves of NPKS (205.6, 21.5, 262.8, 16.0 kg/ha, respectively), soil pH (4.35), electrical conductivity (0.036 dS/m) and organic carbon (0.314%) over those under control, while the minimum soil pH (4.35) was recorded with the application of 45 kg S than that under control (4.89). The interaction effects were significant between the lime and S levels on seed (361 kg/ha), stalk (426 kg/ha) and biological yield (887 kg/ha) for the application of 350 kg lime and 45 kg S/ha. Considering S as an important component of oil and lime for neutralizing soil acidity, their conjoint application is beneficial for farmers to sustain crop productivity in acidic soil of Eastern India. © 2019, The Joint Center on Global Change and Earth System Science of the University of Maryland and Beijing Normal University.
Response of polymers and biofertilizers on soybean (Glycine max) yield under rainfed condition
(Indian Council of Agricultural Research, 2020) Ankesh Kumar; Ram Swaroop Meena; D.E. Nirmal; D.S. Gurjar; Ajeet Singh; Gulab Singh Yadav; Gourisankar Pradhan
A field experiment was conducted to find out the response of polymers and biofertilizers on yield and quality of soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) under rainfed condition at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India during 2015-16. The experiment was laid-out in split-plot design consisting three levels of polymer (Control, 5 kg/ha Nano clay-polymer composite (NCPC) and 5 kg/ha Hydrogel) in the mainplots and four levels of biofertilizer inoculation (Control, Rhizobiumjaponicum, Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria (PSB) and Mycorrhiza) were taken in sub-plots with three replications. Results indicated that the application of polymer @ 5 kg NCPC/ha improved growth parameters, yield attributes, yields, nutrient content, uptake, quality of seed in terms of protein and oil content. However, the application of 5 kg/ha Hydrogel was statically at par on all the parameters. Moreover, amongst the biofertilizers response was found significant on the growth parameters, yield attributes, yield quality parameters, nutrient content and their uptake. Their conjoint application is beneficial to farmers for sustaining the crop productivity in the rainfed condition of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India. © 2020 Indian Council of Agricultural Research. All rights reserved.
Response of sowing dates and bio regulators on yield of clusterbean under current climate in alley cropping system in eastern U.P., India
(Agricultural Research Communication Centre, 2018) Hemraj Meena; Ram Swaroop Meena; Rattan Lal; Gulab Singh Yadav; Tarik Mitran; Jayanta Layek; Somanagouda B. Patil; Sandeep Kumar; Tarun Verma
The impacts on yields of cluster bean were assessed for normal (15 July) and late (30 July) sowing environments and foliar spray of thiourea (500, 1000 ppm) and salicylic acid (50, 100 ppm) at 45 and 60 days after sowing (DAS).Significantly higher yield parameters, yield, economics, protein content and nutrient uptake were recorded with foliar spray of thiourea at 500 ppm as compared to all other bio regulator sprays. Similarly, spray of salicylic acid at 100 ppm enhanced yield and other growth parameters which were statistically at par with those for thiourea 500 ppm foliar spray at 45 and 60 DAS. The data show that the foliar application of bio regulators at normal sowing date enhances seed yield of clusterbean by improving the physiological processes. The interaction effects were significant between the sowing date and bio-regulators on the seed yield. The highest seed yield of 993 and 845 kg/ha was obtained with foliar spray of thiourea at 500 ppm in normal and late sowing, respectively, while the lowest yield of 775 and 769 kg/ha was obtained for the water spray control in normal and late sowing, respectively. © 2018, Agricultural Research Communication Centre. All rights reserved.
Soil carbon sequestration in crop production
(Springer Singapore, 2019) Ram Swaroop Meena; Sandeep Kumar; Gulab Singh Yadav
The carbon (C) sequestration potential of global soils are estimated between 0.4 and 1.2 Gt C year-1 or 5–15 % (1Pg = 1 × 105 g). The C emission is rising rapidly by 2.3% every year. If the emissions continue to rise, warming could reach the levels that are dangerous for the society, but it looks like global emissions might now be taking a different turn in the last few years. As we know the sustainability of agroecosystem largely depends on its C footprint as the soil organic carbon (SOC) stock; it is an indicator of soil health and quality and plays a key role to soil sustainability. At the same time, continuing unsustainable agricultural approaches under intensive farming have depleted most of the SOC pool of global agricultural lands. Still, the terrestrial ecosystem has enormous potential to store the atmospheric C for a considerable period of time. Therefore, promoting the cultivation of crops sustainably offers multiple advantages, e.g. augmenting crop and soil productivity, adapting climate change resilience, and high turnover of above- and below-ground biomass into the soil system, thus sequestering atmospheric C and dropping concentration of GHGs from the atmosphere. The continuous vegetation on soil surface ensures good soil health and soil C concentration at variable soil depth as per the specific crop. The C sequestration potential and the amount of organic C returned by crop plants rest on specific plant species, depending on the nature of growth, root morphology and physiology, leaf morphology, climatic conditions, soil texture, structure and aggregation, prevailing cropping system, and agronomic interventions during crop growth period. The above-ground plant biomass, e.g. plant leaves, branches, stem, foliage, fruits, wood, litter-fall, etc., and below-ground plant biomass, e.g. dead roots, released substances from root exudates, rhizospheric deposition, and plant-promoted microbial biomass C, directly contribute to the SOC buildup. Sustainable crop management practice that ensures the increased nitrogen (N) availability accelerates the C input in the soil ecosystem. Farming practices that improve nitrogen and water use efficiency (NUE and WUE) reduce soil disturbance and erosion, increase plant biomass, and together affect N availability and SOC stock. Conservation tillage together with surface residue retention and legume-based sensible crop rotation reduces soil disturbances, surface runoff, and erosion; increases N availability and SOC sequestration; increases soil sustainability by mixed cropping, intercropping, crop rotation, cover cropping, multiple cropping, and relay cropping; and generates and adds greater amount of qualitative plant biomass into the soil. The N addition, especially from bulky organic manure, green manures, leguminous crops, cover crops, biological N-fixing microbes, and farm and kitchen waste materials, is essential for agricultural productivity and SOC sequestration. The C sequestration benefits from addition of chemical nitrogenous fertilizers are compensated by the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O) during manufacturing, transportation, storage, and application of fertilizers. Therefore, approaching integrated nutrient management (INM) encompassing manures and other C-rich resources sustains soil health and increases N availability and SOC sequestration. Moreover, location-specific scientific research is needed to point out the best management practices that enhance NUE, maintain/improve soil health, boost crop production and SOC sequestration, and minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) release in the biosphere. In the view of above, in this chapter, quantifying the C sequestration potential with higher degree of confidence is required in agriculture management. The present book chapter is critically analyses the C sequestration potential of different soil and crop management practices under diverse ecological conditions for sustainable crop productivity. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020.
Soil microbial and nutrient dynamics under different sowings environment of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) in rice based cropping system
(Nature Research, 2021) Sunil Kumar; Ram Swaroop Meena; Rakesh Kumar Singh; Tariq Muhammad Munir; Rahul Datta; Subhan Danish; Gulab Singh Yadav; Sandeep Kumar
Farmers are not growing diversified crops and applying huge amounts of agrochemicals and imbalanced fertilizers in the rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS), since the 1960s. The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbial and nutrient dynamics in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea L.) under various sowing environments and nutrient sources during Rabi season (October–March), 2015–2016. The experiment was laid out in the split-plot design with three sowing dates in main-plots, and eight nutrient sources in sub-plots. The maximum bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes population, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), dehydrogenase activities, and available nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur (NPKS) were recorded on November 17 sown crop, and the lowest was observed on December 7 sowing during both the years, and in the pooled analysis. Furthermore, applied nutrient sources, highest bacteria, fungi, and actinomycetes population, available NPKS, SMBC, and dehydrogenase activity were observed in 75% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) + 25% N through pressmud (PM) + Azotobacto + phosphorus solubilizing bacteria (PSB) than other nutrient sources. In conclusion, high demand and cost of chemical fertilizers can be replaced by 25% amount easily and locally available organic manures like PM compost to sustain the soil health and crop productivity. It will be helpful to restore the soil biodiversity in the RWCS and provide a roadmap for the researchers, government planners, and policymakers for the use of PM as a source of organic matter and nutrients. © 2021, The Author(s).
Soil organic carbon restoration in India: Programs, policies, and thrust areas
(CRC Press, 2021) Ram Swaroop Meena; Sandeep Kumar; Seema Sheoran; Manoj Kumar Jhariya; Rajan Bhatt; Gulab Singh Yadav; Kodigal A. Gopinath; Cherukumalli Srinivasa Rao; Rattan Lal
[No abstract available]