Browsing by Author "S. S. Mali"

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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.
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.
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.