Browsing by Author "Chaurasia, Rajan"

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    Animal manures and plant residue-based amendments for sustainable rice-wheat production and soil fertility improvement in eastern Uttar Pradesh, North India
    (Elsevier B.V., 2022) Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Singh, Ajeet; Chaurasia, Rajan; Pandey, Krishna Kumar; Bundela, Amit Kumar; Singh, Gopal Shankar; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil
    Agroecological interventions are imperative for boosting agricultural productivity and soil fertility while increasing profitability of subsistence farmers in low-income countries by replacing synthetic fertilizers. With this context, the present study was aimed to evaluate the impact of animal manures (sheep and poultry manure) and plant residue-based organic amendments (rice husk biochar and sugarcane pressmud) on soil quality, nutrient uptake and balance, yield, and sustainability of rice-wheat cropping in alluvial (rainfed) and red lateritic soil (dryland) of middle Gangetic plains (Narayanpur) and Vindhyan region (Rajgarh) of Mirzapur district in eastern UP. The field experiments were conducted for three years at the above two sites and amendments were done at a rate by replacing 30% standard recommended doses of fertilizer (RDF) for rice-wheat cropping system. Field trials were conducted with the 100% RDF as control, and 70% RDF with sheep manure, poultry manure, rice-husk biochar and sugarcane pressmud in a randomized block design. The organic amendments were done during the rice cultivation stage and the residual effect was observed during the subsequent wheat cultivation. Though soil organic carbon (SOC) was found to show significant (p ? 0.05) increase in biochar amended plots, animal manures followed by pressmud showed year wise increase in both SOC and microbial biomass carbon. In rainfed areas, plant growth and yield attributes for both rice and wheat were at par in amendments than control while in dryland, the 100% RDF showed better performance during the first year, after that amended plot showed better performance. All amendments resulted in higher benefit: cost ratio except biochar addition in Narayanpur, whereas in Rajgarh, the poultry manure resulted in significant improvement in benefit: cost ratio from second year onward. Our study advocates that validation of suitable amendment packages based on organic inputs are imperative for improving the yield, soil quality and nutrient balance of rice-wheat cropping system and thereby attaining the UN-SDGs at the village/local level. � 2022 Elsevier B.V.
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    Double transplantation as a climate resilient and sustainable resource management strategy for rice production in eastern Uttar Pradesh, north India
    (Academic Press, 2023) Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Chaurasia, Rajan; Pandey, Krishna Kumar; Bundela, Amit Kumar; Singh, Ajeet; Singh, Gopal Shankar; Mall, Rajesh Kumar; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil
    -Enhancing the productivity of rainfed crops, especially rice, while coping with climate adversities and saving critical natural resources is essential for ensuring the food and nutrition security of a growing population. With this context, the present study was undertaken to validate promising farm innovation and adaptation practices used by small-medium landholding farmers for rice cultivation in eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP), north India, as well as to examine the sustainability of innovative practices for large-scale adoption. For this, a 3-year study comprising extensive field surveys and experiments was undertaken to compare single transplantation (ST) and double transplantation (DT) in rice along with organic addition (farm-yard manure, FYM) on crop growth, yield, climate resilience, soil quality, and overall sustainability i.e., social (women involvements and labour productivity), environmental (water productivity and nutrient use efficiency), and economic (benefit:cost ratio) dimensions of sustainability. Field experiments were conducted in triplicate using two local rice varieties (MotiNP-360 and Sampurna Kaveri) in two agroclimatic zones, namely the middle Gangetic plains and the Vindhyan zone, in the Mirzapur district of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The DT practices of rice with and without farm yard manure (FYM) (replacing at a dose of 25% NPK) were evaluated over conventional methods of rice cultivation (i.e., ST, as control) and analysis was done periodically. The DT practice improved growth (p < 0.05), percent fertile tiller and grain (p < 0.05), and rice yield (15�20% higher than ST), while also improving soil quality, yield indices, water and labour productivity, and the benefit-cost ratio. The DT practice also resulted in early maturity (10�15 days earlier than ST), created more labour days for women, decreased lodging and pest/disease incidence, as well as a subsequent reduction in the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and associated environmental costs. Importantly, the residual effects of FYM application significantly improved (p < 0.05) the grain yield in subsequent years of cropping. Optimizing DT cultivation practices, preferably with FYM input for various agro-climatic regions, is essential for large-scale sustainable rice production under changing climatic conditions. � 2022 Elsevier Ltd
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    Engineering the Plant Microbiome for Biotic Stress Tolerance: Biotechnological Advances
    (Springer, 2022) Malviya, Deepti; Ilyas, Talat; Chaurasia, Rajan; Singh, Udai B.; Shahid, Mohammad; Vishwakarma, Shailesh K.; Shafi, Zaryab; Yadav, Bavita; Sharma, Sushil K.; Singh, Harsh V.
    The transformation of rhizosphere microbiota is essentially the result of a series of events that can enhance the formation of constant and different microbial associations in the plant microbiome/holobiome based on supportive information/communications. Beneficial microbial communities act as influential identities for the elevation of ecological stresses in plants and ultimately decrease the usage of fertilizer and pesticides in order to increase the crop yield. Microbiome has the capability to stimulate the growth of plants, develop resistance to stress, and enhance the health of plants. To accomplish these objectives, it is essential to learn more about the relationship between plant, microbiome, microbial community present in soil, and their resilience to environmental changes. The information acquired will help in understanding the effect of these microorganisms on the biotic resistance, biogeochemical cycles, and productivity of the crops. A comprehensive understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying stress-induced microbiome modifications would also allow for the development of personalized DefenseBiomes and chemicals in order to combat with crop stresses. � The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2022.
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    Impact of integrated agronomic practices on soil fertility and respiration on the indo-gangetic plain of North India
    (MDPI AG, 2021) Dubey, Rama Kant; Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Chaurasia, Rajan; Rao, Ch Srinivasa; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil
    Global agricultural production is accountable for the emission of ~30% of greenhouse gases. Therefore, the wide-scale adoptions of low-input, soil-friendly, and resource-conserving agronomic practices are imperative for the 'planet healthy food production' and also for reducing the carbon emissions from agricultural soil. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze the impacts of integrated agronomic interventions i.e., the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) + reduced tillage (RT), biochar + RT, and AMF + biochar + RT, on spatiotemporal variations in soil-quality and soil-sustainability indicators, including microbial and soil respiration, in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) of North India. For this, field experiments on the above-mentioned agronomic interventions were employed using three different staple crops (Zea mays, Vigna mungo, and Brassica juncea) growing in three different agro-climatic zones of IGP (Varanasi, Sultanpur, and Gorakhpur) in a randomized block design. Periodic data collection was done to analyze the changes in physiochemical, biological, and biochemical properties of the soil, and statistical analyses were done accordingly. Irrespective of the sites, the experimental results proved that the integrated application of AMF + biochar + RT in V. mungo resulted in the highest soil organic carbon (i.e., 135% increment over the control) and microbial biomass carbon (24%), whereas the same application (i.e., AMF + biochar + RT) in Z. mays had the maximum reduction in microbial (32%) and soil (44%) respiration. On the other hand, enhanced occurrence of glomalin activity (98%) was noted in Z. mays cropping for all the sites. Significant negative correlation between soil respiration and glomalin activity under AMF + biochar + RT (?0.85), AMF + RT (?0.82), and biochar + RT (?0.62) was an indication of glomalin's role in the reduced rate of soil respiration. The research results proved that the combined application of AMF + biochar + RT was the best practice for enhancing soil quality while reducing respiration. Therefore, the development of suitable packages of integrated agronomic practices is essential for agricultural sustainability. Copyright: � 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
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    Planet friendly agriculture: Farming for people and the planet
    (Elsevier B.V., 2021) Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Singh, Ajeet; Chaurasia, Rajan; Pandey, Krishna Kumar; Bundela, Amit Kumar; Dubey, Rama Kant; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil
    Agriculture is central to overall development of humankind and plays a decisive role in the timely realization of several UN-Sustainable Development Goals. Nevertheless, agriculture is the largest nonpoint source of pollution primarily due to rampant use of agrochemicals, and contributes ~34% of the annual greenhouse gases emission globally. Agricultural practices are also one of the major drivers of global biodiversity loss, and exerts a heavy footprint on water amounting to 70% of the world's freshwater withdrawal annually. As per projections of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, agricultural production has to be doubled by the year 2050 to feed a global population of ~9.7 billion. However, this intensification must be done in an ecological way (not at the cost of planetary resilience) while designing novel strategies to reinforce agriculture's crucial role in achieving Global Goals. Hence, the notion of �planet friendly agriculture� wherein food production has to be achieved within the planetary boundaries is getting global priority as a transitional as well as transformative solution for improving the wellbeing of people while safeguarding life-supporting systems of a heavily polluted, overexploited and resource crunched planet. This graphical review aimed to portray various planet friendly farming practices based on resource conservation and replenishment to strengthen food and nutrition security of the current and future generation while reducing pollution, greenhouse gases emission, biodiversity loss, and water footprint, even under changing climatic conditions. � 2021 The Author(s)
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    The Dasgupta Review: resetting the stage for a new paradigm
    (John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2022) Priyadarshini, Priya; Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Singh, Ajeet; Chaurasia, Rajan; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil
    Assessing the impacts of unprecedented biodiversity loss on planetary resilience, The Economics of Biodiversity: the Dasgupta Review (�Dasgupta Review�) asserts that sustainable engagement with nature is crucial for sustaining the livelihoods of present and future generations. It further urges the integration of biodiversity into national accounting and science-based decision-making processes in order to advance the well-being of both people and the planet. Here, we present the salient features of the Dasgupta Review along with several recommendations for strengthening global biodiversity and ecosystem conservation efforts. Although institutional transformations at regional and national scales are essential to facilitate the recognition of economies� dependence on nature, behavioral changes at the level of the individual are also needed to better understand, value, manage, and utilize biodiversity. Formulation of inclusive policies prioritizing biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource consumption is also essential for averting future public health risks associated with ecosystem degradation and species loss. � 2021 The Ecological Society of America.