Browsing by Author "Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot"

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Approaches for Efficient Management of Soil Fertility
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Ankita Trivedi; Richa Choudhary; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Sanju K. Choudhary; Ambikesh Tripathi; Arya Chaturvedi; Kareti Harika; Shaik Mohammad Shaid; Amit Yadav; Utkarsh Singh
Soil fertility refers to the inherent capacity of the soil to provide plants with sufficient amounts of nutrients in appropriate ratios. To keep this capacity of soil intact, there is a need to have an integrated approach which can bring a balance between amount of nutrients removed and added. In addition to optimizing crop yield, an integrated approach to soil fertility management can reduce soil nutrient depletion. Intensive agricultural practices mines soil nutrient in excess amount, while the application rate of external source of nutrient is both inadequate and most of the time disproportionate. Therefore, using fertilizer and organic matter in the right amounts at the right times, increasing their use efficiency, regularly monitoring soil health, and taking necessary action, growing cover crops, incorporating legumes into crop rotation, using improved germplasm, using appropriate microbial consortia, and adhering to good agricultural practices are the ways to address soil fertility management issues. All of these methods are primarily concerned with enhancing the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of soil in order to maintain its fertility throughout time. History has witnessed fertile soil turning barren for the lack of foresightedness and greed of human being leading to faulty management practices. But we have reasons to keep our hope high for sincere efforts have already been made in restoration of degraded soil following those location specific, well planned, and executed approaches. The same piece of land which has been generous enough in providing us food for generations needs to be taken care of as we owe it for our past reckless exploitation. Now the time has come to realize that soil’s future must not be at stake for our present greed. We need food today and will need more of it tomorrow for which the degraded soil needs to be restored, soil fertility needs to be sustained, and best of researched, validated approaches of soil fertility management to be followed. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Boosting resource use efficiency, soil fertility, food security, ecosystem services, and climate resilience with legume intercropping: a review
(Frontiers Media SA, 2025) K. Akchaya; Panneerselvam Parasuraman; Kannan Pandian; Shanmugam Vijayakumar; Kanthan Thirukumaran; Mohamed Roshan Abu Firnass Mustaffa; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Anil Kumar Choudhary
Adopting sustainable agricultural practices that enhance productivity while preserving ecosystem services is essential to ensure food security for a growing global population and address environmental challenges. This review examines the impact of legume intercropping on nitrogen (N) fixation, soil physio-chemical properties, water retention, pest and disease control, and crop yield across diverse agro-climatic zones and cropping systems. The findings consistently demonstrate that integrating legumes into the cropping system improves soil health by reducing bulk density, breaking up hardpan layers, reducing erosion, increasing soil organic matter, and fixing atmospheric nitrogen (~125 kg N/ha/season) reducing the need for inorganic N fertilizers. It boosts crop yields by 30–35% (in terms of main crop equivalent yield) and land productivity per unit area and time, mitigates total crop loss, and promotes biodiversity. It also improves water use efficiency by 20–25% and enhances nutrient use efficiency by 25–30%. Additionally, legume intercropping reduces yield losses from pests and diseases by 20–25% compared to sole cropping systems. The practice bolsters crop resilience through ecological processes like bio-littering, bio-ploughing, bio-irrigation, and bio-pumping (the “4Bs”), which are valuable for adapting to climate variability. However, research gaps remain, particularly in the optimal selection of legume species for specific regions, suitable agronomic practice for each system, and addressing socio-economic barriers to widespread adoption. © © 2025 Akchaya, Parasuraman, Pandian, Vijayakumar, Thirukumaran, Mustaffa, Rajpoot and Choudhary.
Comparative performance of Haloxyfop-R-methyl formulations on weed suppression, growth and energy use in soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivation
(Horizon e-Publishing Group, 2025) Alok Sinha; Jainendra Kumar Singh; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Kiranmoy Patra; K. Srikanth Reddy; Ayan Sarkar; Ankur Singh; Mrinal Sen
Soybean cultivation during the rainy (Kharif) season frequently encounters severe weed infestations, which compete with the crop for essential resources and result in substantial yield losses if not effectively managed. To address this challenge, a field experiment was conducted during the 2022-2023 rainy season at the Agricultural Research Farm of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study employed a randomized block design with three replications and eight treatments, comprising different doses and sources of haloxyfop-R-methyl 10.5 % EC, propaquizafop 10 % EC, a weed-free plot and an untreated control. Among the herbicidal treatments, haloxyfop-R-methyl 10.5 % w/w EC (BCSPL sample) applied at a concentration of 0.33 g/L (T3) demonstrated the most effective weed suppression, which translated into improved crop growth and higher yield performance. This treatment significantly reduced weed density and biomass accumulation, thereby enhancing weed control efficiency, weed control index, treatment efficiency index and crop resistance index, while simultaneously lowering the weed persistence index. As a result, T3 recorded a higher stover yield of 2152 kg/ha and a seed yield of 1499 kg/ha, along with an improved harvest index of 41.22 %. Additionally, substantial increases were observed in energy use efficiency (49.14 %), energy efficiency ratio (50.63 %), energy productivity (50.81 %) and energy profitability (53.83 %) in comparison to the untreated control. Thus, haloxyfop-R-methyl 10.5 % w/w EC (BCSPL sample) at 0.33 g/L represents a viable, efficient and sustainable weed management strategy for maximizing soybean productivity and profitability under rainy season conditions in the eastern Indo-Gangetic plains of India. © The Author(s).
Editorial: Integration of legume intercropping into sustainable farming systems for nitrogen fixation, soil health, and climate resilience
(Frontiers Media SA, 2025) Libert Brice Tonfack; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Keston Oliver Willard Njira
[No abstract available]
Editorial: Soil additives for sustaining the soil ecosystem services
(Frontiers Media SA, 2025) Anil Kumar Choudhary; Jay Prakash Prakash Verma; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot
[No abstract available]
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.
Herbicide and irrigation management options in conventionally-tilled wheat: deciphering water and energy budgeting, and grain and monetary output in north-Indian plains
(Nature Research, 2025) Sunil Kumar Verma; Chandra Bhushan; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Richa Chaudhary; Ramawatar Narayan Meena; Sanjeev K. Kashyap; Vijay Sai Pratap; Peeyush Kumar Jaysawal; Sukhchain B. Singh; Ram Kumar Singh; Deepak Kumar Yadav
In South Asia, declining water tables due to increased irrigation and labor shortages for manual weeding pose significant challenges for wheat production. Additionally, herbicide resistance, often resulting from poor management practices, further complicates weed problems. The objective of this study was to assess the impacts of traditional irrigation regimens (IRs) and herbicide application on wheat crops. The findings showed that when irrigation was applied at 100 mm CPE (IR4), and at 40 mm CPE (IR1), different combinations of herbicide to weed managment were tested. In comparison to the other treatments, application of irrigation at 40 mm cumulative pan evaporation (IR1) along with the Pendimethalin1000 g ha−1 (pre-em) in combination with clodinafop-propargyl 10% + metribuzin 22% + sulfosulfuron 4.2% at a rate of 1125 g ha−1 at 30 DAS (WM1) produced the best results in terms of crop yields, economic returns, relative water content, consumptive use, rate of water use, water use efficiency, water productivity, energy input–output, energy returns, energy productivity, energy intensity, specific energy, energy efficiency, maximum field capacity, available soil water, and soil profile moisture extraction pattern. The only exceptions were Pendimethalin1000g ha−1 (pre-em) combined with carfentrazone ethyl 20% + sulfosulfuron 25%WG), at the rate of 100 g ha−1 at 30 DAS (WM2) and the weed-free treatment (WM5), where the differences were not statistically significant. The yield of wheat grain (14.26 kg ha−1) and straw (14.41 kg ha−1) decreased as the unit dry matter production of weeds increased. The study recommends exploring additional weed control strategies and irrigation management options in future improve wheat yields in conventionally-tilled systems. © The Author(s) 2024.
Influence of tillage and herbicide strategies on weed dynamics and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) performance in saline soils of Northern India
(Horizon e-Publishing Group, 2025) Mohammad Vaheed; Chandra Bhushan; Sunil Kumar Verma; Sukhchain B. Singh; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Sidra Qidwai; Sameer Shrivastava
A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2019-20 at the Agronomy Research Farm, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya, to assess the effects of tillage and herbicide combinations on weed dynamics, crop growth and wheat yield under saline soil conditions. The study involved 15 treatment combinations arranged in a split-plot design (SPD) with three replications. The main plots included three tillage operations: T0-zero tillage (ZT), T1-minimum tillage (MT) and T2-conventional tillage (CT). The sub-plots consisted of five weed management treatments: pendimethalin 1.5 kg active ingredient/ha (pre-emergence), pendimethalin 1.0 kg active ingredient/ha (pre-emergence) followed by sulfosulfuron (SFS) at 0.025 kg active ingredient/ha (post-emergence), SFS + metsulfuron-methyl (MSM) at 0.032 kg active ingredient/ha (post-emergence), a weedy check and a weed-free control. The results revealed that ZT significantly reduced weed density and dry weight while enhancing weed control efficiency (WCE) compared to MT and CT. Among the herbicide treatments, the sequential application of pendimethalin (1.0 kg active ingredient/ha) followed by SFS (0.025 kg active ingredient/ha) was the most effective in suppressing weed growth and improving WCE and enhancing crop growth and yield. This treatment was statistically on par with the SFS + MSM application. The combination of ZT with pendimethalin followed by SFS (T0W2) recorded the lowest weed infestation and the highest values for plant height, dry matter accumulation, tillers per m row length and grain yield. This was closely followed by the ZT combined with SFS + MSM treatment (T0W3), highlighting the synergistic benefits of conservation tillage and sequential herbicide application. © The Author(s). This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/4.0/)
Rocky road for direct-seeded rice: understanding the adoption barriers of this climate resilient technology
(Indian Academy of Sciences, 2025) Shanmugam Vijayakumar; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot
Direct-seeded rice (DSR) offers several advantages over puddled transplanted rice (PTR), yet inconsistent adoption persists due to systemic gaps in farmer knowledge, skills and institutional support. Key challenges include imprecise land levelling, high seed rates, inefficient herbicide application and improper irrigation practices. Manual broadcasting and delayed weed control result in uneven crop geometry, increased production costs, yield penalty and reduced farmer confidence. Irrigation methods like sprinklers or alternate wetting and drying are recommended for DSR, yet farmers often replicate PTR’s continuous flooding, negating water-saving benefits. DSR feasibility is region-specific, contingent on soil texture, water availability and agroclimatic suitability. Scaling DSR requires targeting ecologically suitable regions and integrating technical, educational and policy interventions. Farmer-centric strategies (on-farm training, field demonstrations and peer learning) can address knowledge gaps. Policy measures, such as subsidies for seed drills, laser levellers, and weeders, alongside custom hiring centres, can enhance access to critical equipment. Financial incentives linked to water savings or emission reductions (carbon/water credits) may further motivate adoption. © (2025), (Indian Academy of Sciences). All rights reserved.
Smart Water Systems: AI and IoT in Precision Irrigation
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Abhishek Patidar; Richa Chaudhary; Neelkamal Mishra; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Saroj Kumar Prasad; Chandra Bhushan
Freshwater is the most extensively extracted natural resource worldwide, despite being essential to ecosystem health and human survival. A scarcity in the circulation rate, which occurs when the demand for freshwater exceeds the supply, can be caused by excessive freshwater use. The most water-intensive sector is agriculture, which accounts for around 70% of that withdrawal volume. As climate change exacerbates this issue, traditional irrigation methods prove inadequate, leading to unsustainable practices such as over-extraction and soil degradation. The integration of smart water systems, leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), presents innovative solutions for enhancing water use efficiency through precision irrigation. This approach enables farmers to deliver the right amount of water at optimal times, significantly improving crop yields and sustainability. The chapter explores the role of AI in precision irrigation, detailing various machine learning techniques that forecast water needs and optimize irrigation schedules based on real-time data. It also discusses the challenges of sensor accuracy, data integration, and economic barriers to adoption, particularly for smallholder farmers. Furthermore, the chapter highlights future trends in AI and IoT technologies, emphasizing the importance of government support and standardized practices for the widespread implementation of smart irrigation systems. Ultimately, in view of growing water scarcity, this chapter emphasizes how cutting-edge irrigation technologies may revolutionize agricultural water management and ensure food security. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Smart Weather-Based Irrigation Scheduling Technologies
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2025) Kareti Harika; P. Halesha; Abhishek Kumar Singh; Prajjwal Agnihotri; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Saroj Kumar Prasad; Chandra Bhushan
Traditional irrigation methods show their significance and adaptability through their simplicity, low upfront cost, ease of use, and minimal reliance on technology. However, they often show lower water use efficiency as they can lead to inadequate watering, resulting in either short supply of water or water wastage and reduced crop productivity per unit of water supplied. Weather-based irrigation scheduling (WBIS) represents a significant advancement in agricultural water management practices. This innovative approach utilizes local weather data, particularly evapotranspiration rates, to optimize irrigation schedules and thus facilitate efficient irrigation management based on crop water needs. Weather-based systems’ key components include collecting the weather data influencing water needs of crops, instruments, sources of weather data collection, a processing model, and automated controllers that adjust watering based on real-time conditions. By integrating these elements, weather-based irrigation not only conserves water and environment but also enhances crop yield and sustainability in agricultural practices. However, challenges, such as high initial costs and technical complexities, may hinder its widespread adoption. By addressing these barriers through financial incentives and improved data accuracy, WBIS can become more accessible and lay the pavement for improved irrigation efficiency and positioning it as a key strategy for sustainable water management in a changing climate. © 2025 The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
Three-way combination of post-emergence herbicides under DSR and TPR: deciphering weeds, energy budgeting, productivity and economic output in Northern Indo-Gangetic plains
(Indian Academy of Sciences, 2025) Satish K. Verma; Sameer Shrivastava; Mohammad Vaheed; Deepak Kumar Yadav; Chandra Bhushan; Mayank Srivastava; Sudhir Kumar S. Rajpoot; Sukhchain B. Singh; Himansi Singh
The herbicide formulations were used as post-emergence in direct-seeded rice (DSR) and transplanted rice (TPR) against manual weeding and weedy check during kharif season of 2017–18 and 2018–19 at Varanasi, focusing on different weed species, energy budgeting, productivity and economic outcomes. The results showed that TPR significantly reduced the density and biomass of weeds with a lower weed index (WI) and higher weed control efficiency (WCE), yield, profitability and energy use over DSR. Significantly lower density (45–60%) and dry biomass of weed, with lower WI and the highest WCE, yield, returns and energy efficiency over other herbicides were computed with the use of BMC-II (270 g/ha) at 30 days after sowing. © (2025), (Indian Academy of Sciences). All rights reserved.