Browsing by Author "Sushanta Kumar Naik"

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Comprehensive environmental impact assessment for designing carbon-cum-energy efficient, cleaner and eco-friendly production system for rice-fallow agro-ecosystems of South Asia
(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Rakesh Kumar; Janki Sharan Mishra; Santosh Sambhaji Mali; Surajit Mondal; Ram Swaroop Meena; Rattan Lal; Bal Krishna Jha; Sushanta Kumar Naik; Ashis Kumar Biswas; Hansraj Hans; Prem Kumar Sundaram; Arbind Kumar Choudhary; Mohammad Monobrullah; Sanjeev Kumar; Santosh Kumar; Rohan Kumar Raman; Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt; Ujjwal Kumar
High energy consumption and carbon emission are the major components of environmental pollution. Reducing carbon-footprints and improving energy use efficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.) - fallow production systems of South Asia is a great challenge. The present experiment was conducted for five consecutive years (2016–2020) with an aim to design the most carbon-cum-energy efficient, cleaner/safer and eco-friendly production systems for rice-fallows in eastern India. This split-plot experiment had crop establishment-cum-residue management (CERM) treatments in main-plots and post-rainy/winter season crops in sub-plots. The production systems selected for analysis included three crop establishment methods [(1) zero-till-direct-seeded rice (ZTDSR), (2) conventional-till direct-seeded rice (CTDSR), and (3) transplanted puddled rice (TPR)], and two residue management practices [(i) with residue, and (ii) without residue] in combination with five potential winter season crops i.e., chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris L.), safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.), and mustard (Brassica juncea L.). Results revealed an increase in overall system productivity from 3.5 to 5.13 Mg ha−1 due to the diversification of rice-fallow systems with oilseed and pulse crops. Irrespective of residue management practices, ZTDSR increased the yield by 15 and 31% in chickpea, 15 and 34% in lentil, 33 and 50% in safflower, 9 and 19% in linseed, and 7 and 15% in mustard as compared to CTDSR and PTR, respectively. Moreover, adoption of ZTDSR reduced energy uses by 23.3%, while increased energy ratio and net returns by 14.3 and 10.9%, respectively, over TPR. Pulse based crop rotations (rice-lentil and rice-chickpea) under ZTDSR with surface crop residue yielded 21.5% higher system net returns as compared to rice-oilseed production systems. ZTDSR treatment also reduced carbon-footprint (C-footprint) by 2.8% compared to TPR-based production systems. Similarly, rice-oilseed systems had a 16.1% lower C-footprint in comparison to rice-pulse sequences. Hence, rice-chickpea, rice-lentil and rice-safflower production systems in combined with ZTDSR along with residue retention can be viable production systems with higher system productivity, better economic returns, higher energy ratio and lower C-footprint. These systems will ensure an efficient utilization of natural resources leading to long-term sustainability of the rice-fallow production systems of South Asia. © 2021
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.
Impact of crop establishment and residue management on soil properties and productivity in rice-fallow ecosystems in India
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2022) Rakesh Kumar; Janki Sharan Mishra; Sushanta Kumar Naik; Surajit Mondal; Ram Swaroop Meena; Saurabh Kumar; Abhishek Kumar Dubey; Govind Makarana; Bal Krishna Jha; Santosh Sambhaji Mali; Ashis Kumar Biswas; Arbind Kumar Choudhary; Hansraj Hans; Rachana Dubey; Santosh Kumar; Prem Kumar Sundaram; Rohan Kumar Raman; Mohammad Monobrullah; Sanjeev Kumar; Ujjwal Kumar; Bhagwati Prasad Bhatt
The degradation of agricultural land, both chemical and biological, is a big concern all over the world. Crop cultivation practices that are distinctive to each location have negative consequences for agricultural production. Therefore, there is an urgent need for better crop and soil management techniques. This experiment was conducted for 5 years (2016–2020) to identify the best crop establishment-cum-residue management (CERM) practices and suitable crops for succession after the rice harvest in rice-fallow ecosystems of India. Experimentation was conducted in the split-plot design and each treatment was replicated thrice, having CERM in main-plot and post-rainy season/winter crops in sub-plot. All the CERM treatments had two variants, with crop residue (R+) and without crop residue (R−). Rice yields were markedly higher (19.1%–32.2%) in transplanted puddled rice with residue (TPR-R+) over conventional-till direct seeded rice (CTDSR) and zero-till DSR (ZTDSR) treatments. However, TPR adversely impacted the performance of all the post-rainy pulses/oilseed crops. Post-rainy season crop yields under ZTDSR/CTDSR were 14.9%–45.8% higher leading to higher system productivity as compared to TPR. ZTDSR with residue retention showed higher soil aggregation. The practice of ZTDSR increased the soil dehydrogenase activity (46.2%), urease activity (29.8%), soil microbial biomass carbon (65.4), and fluorescein diacetate activity (9.0%) in the crop root zone with 3.3- and 4.47-times higher earthworm population and earthworm biomass, respectively. The rice-pulse system showed 1.74-times more earthworm population over rice-oilseed sequences. Total soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in ZTDSR was 21.8% higher over TPR in 0–45 cm soil profile. Thus, the adoption of ZTDSR practices and diversification of rice-fallows with pulses crops is recommended for enhancing the crop productivity, increasing SOC stock, and improving soil biological properties in the rice-fallow ecosystems of India. © 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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.