Compatible package-based agriculture systems: an urgent need for agro-ecological balance and climate change adaptation

Abstract

• Resource-conservation practices are emerging for attaining sustainability in agriculture.

• The research is now progressing towards combined application of emergent agronomic practices.

• Role of agro-climatic zones is imperative in developing compatible agronomic packages.

• Compatible agriculture packages may help in buffering the yield penalty occurred one system.

• Compatible agriculture packages would be the need for attaining true sustainability in agriculture.

Besides contributing majorly in the growth of a country, agriculture is one of the severely affected sectors at present. Several modifications and adaptations are being made in agricultural practices to cope-up with the declining soil fertility and changing climate scenarios across the world. However, the development and adoption of a single agricultural practice may not help in the holistic mitigation of the impacts of climate change and may result in economic vulnerability to farmers. Therefore, it is high time to develop and recommend a group of agricultural practices i.e. package-based agriculture system having some compatibility for one another in the long term. In this article, a viewpoint has been given on some emergent agronomic practices adopted in the tropical agro-ecosystems which have potential to be developed as compatible agricultural package in combination. Moreover, we also emphasized on exploring some key indicators/environmental factors to assess the compatibility of different agronomic practices. For identifying the research transition from single to combined agricultural practices, a bibliometric analysis was performed by using conservation agriculture (CA), the system of rice intensification (SRI), organic agriculture and soil (biochar) amendment as the major agronomic practices being used for improving agro-ecological services such as improving nutrient cycling, soil fertility and crop productivity as well as climate change mitigation. The results revealed that scientific communities are now paying attention to exploring the role of combined agricultural practices for agro-ecological balance and climate change adaptation. Moreover, the limitations of the adoption of agronomic packages under different agro-climatic zones have also been highlighted. The recommendations of the study would further help the environmental decision-makers to develop potential measures for climate change mitigation without compromising the agro-ecological balance.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Agricultural policies / Bibliometric analysis / Biochar / Conservation agriculture / GHG emission / Organic farming / SRI / Sustainable agriculture

References

[1] Abdalla, K., Chivenge, P., Ciais, P., Chaplot, V., 2016. No-tillage lessens soil CO₂ emissions the most under arid and sandy soil conditions: results from a meta-analysis. Biogeosciences 13, 3619–3633

[2] Abdalla, M., Osborne, B., Lanigan, G., Forristal, D., Williams, M., Smith, P., Jones, M.B., 2013. Conservation tillage systems: a review of its consequences for greenhouse gas emissions. Soil Use and Management 29, 199–209

[3] Agbna, G.H., Dongli, S., Zhipeng, L., Elshaikh, N.A., Guangcheng, S., Timm, L.C., 2017. Effects of deficit irrigation and biochar addition on the growth, yield, and quality of tomato. Scientia Horticulturae 222, 90–101

[4] Alluvione, F., Halvorson, A.D., Del Grosso, S.J., 2009. Nitrogen, tillage, and crop rotation effects on carbon dioxide and methane fluxes from irrigated cropping systems. Journal of Environmental Quality 38, 2023–2033

[5] Alroe, H.F., Læssøe, J., Moller, H., Noe, E., 2016. Opportunities and challenges for multicriteria assessment of food system sustainability. Ecology and Society 21, 38

[6] Antichi, D., Sbrana, M., Martelloni, L., Abou Chehade, L., Fontanelli, M., Raffaelli, M., Mazzoncini, M., Peruzzi, A., Frasconi, C., 2019. Agronomic performances of organic field vegetables managed with conservation agriculture techniques: A study from Central Italy. Agronomy (Basel) 9, 810

[7] Aria, M., Cuccurullo, C., 2017. Bibliometrix: An R-tool for comprehensive science mapping analysis. Journal of Informetrics 11, 959–975

[8] Baldivieso-Freitas, P., Blanco-Moreno, J.M., Armengot, L., Chamorro, L., Romanyà J., Sans, F.X., 2018. Crop yield, weed infestation and soil fertility responses to contrasted ploughing intensity and manure additions in a Mediterranean organic crop rotation. Soil & Tillage Research 180, 10–20

[9] Barea, J.M., 2015. Future challenges and perspectives for applying microbial biotechnology in sustainable agriculture based on a better understanding of plant-microbiome interactions. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 15, 261–282

[10] Bhuiyan, S.I., Tuong, T.P., 1995. Water Use in Rice Production: Issues, Research Opportunities and Policy Implications. Proceedings of the Inter-Center Water Management Workshop. International Irrigation Management Institute, Colombo, and World Health Organization, Colombo.

[11] Biederman, L.A., Harpole, W.S., 2013. Biochar and its effects on plant productivity and nutrient cycling: a meta-analysis. Global Change Biology. Bioenergy 5, 202–214

[12] Bose, B., Mondal, S., 2013. Climate change and sustainable agriculture in context to seed priming and role of nitrate. Vegetos 26, 192–204

[13] Burney, J.A., Davis, S.J., Lobell, D.B., 2010. Greenhouse gas mitigation by agricultural intensification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107, 12052–12057

[14] Campiglia, E., Mancinelli, R., De Stefanis, E., Pucciarmati, S., Radicetti, E., 2015. The long-term effects of conventional and organic cropping systems, tillage managements and weather conditions on yield and grain quality of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) in the Mediterranean environment of Central Italy. Field Crops Research 176, 34–44

[15] Ceja-Navarro, J.A., Rivera-Orduna, F.N., Patiño-Zúñiga, L., Vila-Sanjurjo, A., Crossa, J., Govaerts, B., Dendooven, L., 2010. Phylogenetic and multivariate analyses to determine the effects of different tillage and residue management practices on soil bacterial communities. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 76, 3685–3691

[16] Chappell, M.J., LaValle, L.A., 2011. Food security and biodiversity: can we have both? An agroecological analysis. Agriculture and Human Values 28, 3–26

[17] Choi, J.D., Park, W.J., Park, K.W., Lim, K.J., 2013. Feasibility of SRI methods for reduction of irrigation and NPS pollution in Korea. Paddy and Water Environment 11, 241–248

[18] Cobo, M.J., López-Herrera, A.G., Herrera-Viedma, E., Herrera, F., 2011. An approach for detecting, quantifying, and visualizing the evolution of a research field: A practical application to the fuzzy sets theory field. Journal of Informetrics 5, 146–166

[19] Cooper, J., Baranski, M., Stewart, G., Nobel-de Lange, M., Bàrberi, P., Fließbach, A., Peigné J., Berner, A., Brock, C., Casagrande, M., Crowley, O., David, C., De Vliegher, A., Döring, T.F., Dupont, A., Entz, M., Grosse, M., Haase, T., Halde, C., Hammerl, V., Huiting, H., Leithold, G., Messmer, M., Schloter, M., Sukkel, W., van der Heijden, M.G.A., Willekens, K., Wittwer, R., Mäder, P., 2016. Shallow non-inversion tillage in organic farming maintains crop yields and increases soil C stocks: a meta-analysis. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 36, 22

[20] Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture and Development, CIIFAD, 2014. SRI methodology.

[21] Das, A., Layek, J., Ramkrushna, G.I., Patel, D.P., Choudhury, B.U., Krishnappa, R., Buragohain, J., Yadav, G.S., 2018. Modified system of rice intensification for higher crop and water productivity in Meghalaya, India: opportunities for improving livelihoods for resource-poor farmers. Paddy and Water Environment 16, 23–34

[22] Das, T.K., Bandyopadhyay, K.K., Bhattacharyya, R., Sudhishri, S., Sharma, A.R., Behera, U.K., Saharawat, Y.S., Sahoo, P.K., Pathak, H., Vyas, A.K., Bhar, L.M., Gupta, H.S., Gupta, R.K., Jat, M.L., 2016. Effects of conservation agriculture on crop productivity and water-use efficiency under an irrigated pigeonpea–wheat cropping system in the western Indo-Gangetic Plains. Journal of Agricultural Science 154, 1327–1342

[23] Dass, A., Kaur, R., Choudhary, A.K., Pooniya, V., Raj, R., Rana, K.S., 2015. System of rice (Oryza sativa) intensification for higher productivity and resource use efficiency—A review. Indian Journal of Agronomy 60, 1–19.

[24] Deelstra, J., Nagothu, U.S., Kakumanu, K.R., Kaluvai, Y.R., Kallam, S.R., 2018. Enhancing water productivity using alternative rice growing practices: a case study from Southern India. Journal of Agricultural Science 156, 673–679

[25] Delgado, J.A., Groffman, P.M., Nearing, M.A., Goddard, T., Reicosky, D., Lal, R., Kitchen, N.R., Rice, C.W., Towery, D., Salon, P., 2011. Conservation practices to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation 66, 118A–129A

[26] DeLuca, T.H., Gundale, M.J., MacKenzie, M.D., Jones, D.L., 2015. Biochar effects on soil nutrient transformations. Biochar for Environmental Management: Science. Technology and Implementation 2, 421–454.

[27] Dhillon, B.S., Kataria, P., Dhillon, P.K., 2010. National food security vis-à-vis sustainability of agriculture in high crop productivity regions. Current Science 98, 33–36.

[28] Doran, J.W., Parkin, T.B., 1994. Defining and Assessing Soil Quality. In: Doran, J.W., Coleman, D.C., Bezdicek, D.F., Stewart, B.A., eds. Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment, (definingsoilqua), pp.1–21.

[29] Du, T., Kang, S., Zhang, J., Davies, W.J., 2015. Deficit irrigation and sustainable water-resource strategies in agriculture for China’s food security. Journal of Experimental Botany 66, 2253–2269

[30] Ehrlich, P.R., Harte, J., 2015. Food security requires a new revolution. International Journal of Environmental Studies 72, 908–920

[31] Faloye, O.T., Alatise, M.O., Ajayi, A.E., Ewulo, B.S., 2019. Effects of biochar and inorganic fertiliser applications on growth, yield and water use efficiency of maize under deficit irrigation. Agricultural Water Management 217, 165–178

[32] Fischer, D., Glaser, B., 2012. Synergisms between Compost and Biochar for Sustain Able Soil Amelioration. In: Kumar, S., Bharti, A. eds. Management of Organic Waste. Rijeka, InTech, pp. 167–198.

[33] Foley, J.A., Ramankutty, N., Brauman, K.A., Cassidy, E.S., Gerber, J.S., Johnston, M., Mueller, N.D., O’Connell, C., Ray, D.K., West, P.C., Balzer, C., Bennett, E.M., Carpenter, S.R., Hill, J., Monfreda, C., Polasky, S., Rockström, J., Sheehan, J., Siebert, S., Tilman, D., Zaks, D.P.M., 2011. Solutions for a cultivated planet. Nature 478, 337–342

[34] Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO (2008) An international technical workshop Investing in sustainable crop intensification The case for improving soil health. Integrated Crop Management Vol. 6–2008. FAO Rome: 22–24 July 2008.

[35] Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO (2011) WFP,“The State of Food Insecurity in the World: How does international price volatility affect domestic economies and food security?”. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 99.

[36] Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, 2015. Status of the world’s soil resources (SWSR)–main report. Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations and intergovernmental technical panel on soils, Rome, Italy, 650.

[37] Garbach, K., Milder, J.C., DeClerck, F.A., Montenegro de Wit, M., Driscoll, L., Gemmill-Herren, B., 2017. Examining multi-functionality for crop yield and ecosystem services in five systems of agroecological intensification. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 15, 11–28

[38] Gathala, M.K., Ladha, J.K., Saharawat, Y.S., Kumar, V., Kumar, V., Sharma, P.K., 2011. Effect of tillage and crop establishment methods on physical properties of a medium-textured soil under a seven-year rice− wheat rotation. Soil Science Society of America Journal 75, 1851–1862

[39] Gill, S.S., Tuteja, N., 2010. Reactive oxygen species and antioxidant machinery in abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 48, 909–930

[40] Godfray, H.C.J., Garnett, T., 2014. Food security and sustainable intensification. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences 369, 20120273

[41] Gourley, C.J.P., Allan, D.L., Russelle, M.P., 1994. Plant nutrient efficiency: A comparison of definitions and suggested improvement. Plant and Soil 158, 29–37

[42] Granatstein, D., Kruger, C., Collins, H., Garcia-Perez, M., Yoder, J., 2009. Use of biochar from the pyrolysis of waste organic material as a soil amendment. Center for Sustaining Agric. Nat. Res. Washington State University, Wenatchee, WA. WSDA Interagency Agreement. C, 800248.

[43] Guo, L., Zheng, S., Cao, C., Li, C., 2016. Tillage practices and straw-returning methods affect topsoil bacterial community and organic C under a rice-wheat cropping system in central China. Scientific Reports 6, 33155

[44] Guo, L.J., Zhang, Z.S., Wang, D.D., Li, C.F., Cao, C.G., 2015. Effects of short-term conservation management practices on soil organic carbon fractions and microbial community composition under a rice-wheat rotation system. Biology and Fertility of Soils 51, 65–75

[45] Hadi, A., Inubushi, K., Yagi, K., 2010. Effect of water management on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial properties of paddy soils in Japan and Indonesia. Paddy and Water Environment 8, 319–324

[46] Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, 2007. Climate Change 2007—the PHYSICAL SCIENCE BAsis.

[47] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, 2015. Climate Change 2014: Agriculturre Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU).

[48] IWMI, 2007. Rice: Feeding the Billions, Chapter 14. In: Molden, D., ed. Water for Food, Water for Life: a Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. Earthscan/International Water Management Institute, London/Colombo.

[49] Jat, H.S., Kumar, P., Sutaliya, J.M., Kumar, S., Choudhary, M., Singh, Y., Jat, M.L., 2019. Conservation agriculture based sustainable intensification of basmati rice-wheat system in North-West India. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 65, 1370–1386

[50] Jat, R.K., Sapkota, T.B., Singh, R.G., Jat, M.L., Kumar, M., Gupta, R.K., 2014. Seven years of conservation agriculture in a rice–wheat rotation of Eastern Gangetic Plains of South Asia: yield trends and economic profitability. Field Crops Research 164, 199–210

[51] Kameyama, K., Miyamoto, T., Iwata, Y., Shiono, T., 2016. Influences of feedstock and pyrolysis temperature on the nitrate adsorption of biochar. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 62, 180–184

[52] Kassam, A., Brammer, H., 2013. Combining sustainable agricultural production with economic and environmental benefits. Geographical Journal 179, 11–18

[53] Kassam, A., Brammer, H., 2016. Environmental implications of three modern agricultural practices: Conservation agriculture, the system of rice intensification and precision agriculture. International Journal of Environmental Studies 73, 702–718

[54] Kassam, A., Friedrich, T., Derpsch, R., Kienzle, J., 2015. Overview of the worldwide spread of conservation agriculture. Field Actions Science Reports 8.

[55] Kassam, A., Friedrich, T., Shaxson, F., Pretty, J., 2009. The spread of conservation agriculture: justification, sustainability and uptake. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 7, 292–320

[56] Kassam, A., Stoop, W., Uphoff, N., 2011. Review of SRI modifications in rice crop and water management and research issues for making further improvements in agricultural and water productivity. Paddy and Water Environment 9, 163–180

[57] Khadka, R.B., Uphoff, N., 2019. Effects of Trichoderma seedling treatment with System of Rice Intensification management and with conventional management of transplanted rice. PeerJ 7, e5877

[58] Khorami, S., Kazemeini, S., Afzalinia, S., Gathala, M., 2018. Changes in soil properties and productivity under different tillage practices and wheat genotypes: a short-term study in Iran. Sustainability 10, 3273

[59] Kirkegaard, J.A., Hunt, J.R., McBeath, T.M., Lilley, J.M., Moore, A., Verburg, K., Robertson, M., Oliver, Y., Ward, P.R., Milroy, S., Whitbread, A.M., 2014. Improving water productivity in the Australian Grains industry—a nationally coordinated approach. Crop & Pasture Science 65, 583–601

[60] Knapp, S., van der Heijden, M.G., 2018. A global meta-analysis of yield stability in organic and conservation agriculture. Nature Communications 9, 3632

[61] Knowler, D., Bradshaw, B., 2007. Farmers’ adoption of conservation agriculture: A review and synthesis of recent research. Food Policy 32, 25–48

[62] Kumar, A., Verma, J.P., 2018. Does plant—microbe interaction confer stress tolerance in plants: a review? Microbiological Research 207, 41–52

[63] Kumar, M., Singh, D.P., Prabha, R., Sharma, A.K., 2015. Role of Cyanobacteria in Nutrient Cycle and Use Efficiency in the Soil. In: Rakshit, A., Avijit, H.B., Sen, S., eds. Nutrient Use Efficiency: from Basics to Advances. Springer, New Delhi. pp. 163–171.

[64] Kumar, V., Gathala, M.K., Saharawat, Y.S., Parihar, C.M., Kumar, R., Kumar, R., Jat, M.L., Jat, A.S., Mahala, D.M., Kumar, L., Nayak, H.S., Parihar, M.D., Rai, V., Jewlia, H., Kuri, B.R., 2019. Impact of tillage and crop establishment methods on crop yields, profitability and soil physical properties in rice–wheat system of Indo‐Gangetic Plains of India. Soil Use and Management 35, 303–313

[65] Kumara, O., Sannathimmappa, H.G., Danaraddi, V.S., Basavarajappa, D.N., Pasha, A., 2016. Resource conservation technology in different paddy ecosystems. Research on Crops 17, 407–414

[66] Kumari, M., Chakraborty, D., Gathala, M.K., Pathak, H., Dwivedi, B.S., Tomar, R.K., Garg, R.N., Singh, R., Ladha, J.K., 2011. Soil aggregation and associated organic carbon fractions as affected by tillage in a rice–wheat rotation in North India. Soil Science Society of America Journal 75, 560–567

[67] Lal, R., 2004. Soil carbon sequestration impacts on global climate change and food security. Science 304, 1623–1627

[68] Lal, R., 2008. Crop residues as soil amendments and feedstock for bioethanol production. Waste Management (New York, N.Y.) 28, 747–758

[69] Lal, R., 2013. Intensive agriculture and the soil carbon pool. Journal of Crop Improvement 27, 735–751

[70] Lal, R., 2015. Restoring soil quality to mitigate soil degradation. Sustainability 7, 5875–5895

[71] Lal, R., 2020. Managing soils for negative feedback to climate change and positive impact on food and nutritional security. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 66, 1–9

[72] Li, C., Xiong, Y., Qu, Z., Xu, X., Huang, Q., Huang, G., 2018. Impact of biochar addition on soil properties and water-fertilizer productivity of tomato in semi-arid region of Inner Mongolia, China. Geoderma 331, 100–108

[73] Lienhard, P., Tivet, F., Chabanne, A., Dequiedt, S., Lelièvre, M., Sayphoummie, S., Leudphanane, B., Prévost-Bouré N.C., Séguy, L., Maron, P.A., Ranjard, L., 2013. No-till and cover crops shift soil microbial abundance and diversity in Laos tropical grasslands. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 33, 375–384

[74] Lorenz, K., Lal, R., Ehlers, K., 2019. Soil organic carbon stock as an indicator for monitoring land and soil degradation in relation to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Land Degradation & Development 30, 824–838

[75] Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Board, 2005. Ecosystems and Human Well-Being Scenarios. Island Press, Washington DC.

[76] Mishra, A., Kumar, P., Noble, A., 2013. Assessing the potential of SRI management principles and the FFS approach in Northeast Thailand for sustainable rice intensification in the context of climate change. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 11, 4–22

[77] Mishra, A., Whitten, M., Ketelaar, J.W., Salokhe, V.M., 2006. The system of rice intensification (SRI): a challenge for science, and an opportunity for farmer empowerment towards sustainable agriculture. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability 4, 193–212

[78] Nyambo, P., Chiduza, C., Araya, T., 2020a. Effect of conservation agriculture on selected soil physical properties on a haplic cambisol in Alice, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 11, 1–4

[79] Nyambo, P., Cornelius, C., Araya, T., 2020b. Carbon dioxide fluxes and carbon stocks under conservation agricultural practices in South Africa. Agriculture 10, 374

[80] Oorts, K., Merckx, R., Gréhan, E., Labreuche, J., Nicolardot, B., 2007. Determinants of annual fluxes of CO₂ and N₂O in long-term no-tillage and conventional tillage systems in northern France. Soil & Tillage Research 95, 133–148

[81] Parihar, M.D., Parihar, C.M., Nanwal, R.K., Singh, A.K., Jat, S.L., Nayak, H.S., Ghasal, P.C., Jewlia, H.R., Choudhary, M., Jat, M.L., 2019. Effect of different tillage and residue management practices on crop and water productivity and economics in maize (Zea mays) based rotations. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 89, 360–366.

[82] Partey, S.T., Saito, K., Preziosi, R.F., Robson, G.D., 2016. Biochar use in a legume–rice rotation system: effects on soil fertility and crop performance. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science 62, 199–215

[83] Pascual, V., Wang, Y.M., 2017. Impact of water management on rice varieties, yield, and water productivity under the system of rice intensification in Southern Taiwan. Water (Basel) 9, 3

[84] Perfecto, I., Vandermeer, J., 2010. The agroecological matrix as alternative to the land-sparing/agriculture intensification model. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107, 5786–5791

[85] Peter, P.C., 2018. Biochar and conservation agriculture nexus: Synergy and research gaps for enhanced sustainable productivity in degraded soils. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 49, 389–403

[86] Pretty, J.N., 1995. Regenerating Agriculture: Policies and Practice for Sustainability and Self-reliance. Joseph Henry Press.

[87] Qu, J., Li, B., Wei, T., Li, C., Liu, B., 2014. Effects of rice-husk ash on soil consistency and compactibility. Catena 122, 54–60

[88] Raj, R., Kumar, A., Solanki, I.S., Dhar, S., Dass, A., Gupta, A.K., Pandey, U.C., 2017. Influence of crop establishment methods on yield, economics and water productivity of rice cultivars under upland and lowland production ecologies of Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains. Paddy and Water Environment 15, 861–877

[89] Reeves, S.H., Somasundaram, J., Wang, W.J., Heenan, M.A., Finn, D., Dalal, R.C., 2019. Effect of soil aggregate size and long-term contrasting tillage, stubble and nitrogen management regimes on CO₂ fluxes from a Vertisol. Geoderma 337, 1086–1096

[90] Rupela, O.P., Wani, S.P., Kranthi, M., Humayun, P., Satyanarayana, A., Goud, V., Reddy, P.L., 2006. Comparing soil properties of farmers’ fields growing rice by SRI and conventional methods. In: Proceedings of 1st National SRI Symposium. pp. 17–18.

[91] Saikia, S.P., Bora, D., Goswami, A., Mudoi, K.D., Gogoi, A., 2012. A review on the role of Azospirillum in the yield improvement of non-leguminous crops. African Journal of Microbiological Research 6, 1085–1102

[92] Sapkota, T.B., Mazzoncini, M., Bàrberi, P., Antichi, D., Silvestri, N., 2012. Fifteen years of no till increase soil organic matter, microbial biomass and arthropod diversity in cover crop-based arable cropping systems. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 32, 853–863

[93] Schmidt, J.H., Hallmann, J., Finckh, M.R., 2020. Bacterivorous nematodes correlate with soil fertility and improved crop production in an organic minimum tillage system. Sustainability 12, 6730

[94] Schulz, H., Glaser, B., 2012. Effects of biochar compared to organic and inorganic fertilizers on soil quality and plant growth in a greenhouse experiment. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 175, 410–422

[95] Seitz, S., Goebes, P., Puerta, V.L., Pereira, E.I., Wittwer, R., Six, J., van der Heijden, M.G., Scholten, T., 2019. Conservation tillage and organic farming reduce soil erosion. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 39, 4

[96] Sharif, A., 2011. Technical adaptations for mechanized SRI production to achieve water saving and increased profitability in Punjab, Pakistan. Paddy and Water Environment 9, 111–119

[97] Singh, J., Sidhu, R.S., 2006. Accounting for impact of environmental degradation in agriculture of Indian Punjab. Agricultural Economics Research Review 19, 37–48.

[98] Singh, K.P., Ghoshal, N., Singh, S., 2009. Soil carbon dioxide flux, carbon sequestration and crop productivity in a tropical dryland agroecosystem: influence of organic inputs of varying resource quality. Applied Soil Ecology 42, 243–253

[99] Singh, M., Kumar, P., Kumar, V., Solanki, I.S., McDonald, A.J., Kumar, A., Poonia, S.P., Kumar, V., Ajay, A., Kumar, A., Singh, D.K., Balwinder-Singh, S., Singh, R.K., Malik, 2020b. Intercomparison of crop establishment methods for improving yield and profitability in the rice-wheat system of Eastern India. Field Crops Research 250, 107776

[100] Singh, R., 2019. Environmental Impact Analysis of Traditional and Emergent Agronomic Practices in Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Ph.D. Thesis submitted to Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.

[101] Singh, R., Babu, J.N., Kumar, R., Srivastava, P., Singh, P., Raghubanshi, A.S., 2015. Multifaceted application of crop residue biochar as a tool for sustainable agriculture: an ecological perspective. Ecological Engineering 77, 324–347

[102] Singh, R., Singh, H., Raghubanshi, A.S., 2019a. Challenges and opportunities for agricultural sustainability in changing climate scenarios: a perspective on Indian agriculture. Tropical Ecology 60, 167–185

[103] Singh, R., Singh, P., Singh, H., Raghubanshi, A.S., 2019c. Impact of sole and combined application of biochar, organic and chemical fertilizers on wheat crop yield and water productivity in a dry tropical agro-ecosystem. Biochar 1, 229–235

[104] Singh, R., Srivastava, P., Bhadouria, R., Yadav, A., Singh, H., Raghubanshi, A.S., 2020a. Combined application of biochar and farmyard manure reduces wheat crop eco-physiological performance in a tropical dryland agro-ecosystem. Energy, Ecology & Environment 5, 171–183

[105] Singh, R., Srivastava, P., Singh, P., Sharma, A.K., Singh, H., Raghubanshi, A.S., 2019b. Impact of rice-husk ash on the soil biophysical and agronomic parameters of wheat crop under a dry tropical ecosystem. Ecological Indicators 105, 505–515

[106] Singh, Y., Sidhu, H.S., 2014. Management of cereal crop residues for sustainable rice-wheat production system in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy 80, 95–114

[107] Smith, P., Cotrufo, M.F., Rumpel, C., Paustian, K., Kuikman, P.J., Elliott, J.A., McDowell, R., Griffiths, R.I., Asakawa, S., Bustamante, M., House, J.I., Sobocká J., Harper, R., Pan, G., West, P.C., Gerber, J.S., Clark, J.M., Adhya, T., Scholes, R.J., Scholes, M.C., 2015. Biogeochemical cycles and biodiversity as key drivers of ecosystem services provided by soils. Soil 1, 665–685.

[108] Sparrevik, M., Field, J.L., Martinsen, V., Breedveld, G.D., Cornelissen, G., 2013. Life cycle assessment to evaluate the environmental impact of biochar implementation in conservation agriculture in Zambia. Environmental Science & Technology 47, 1206–1215

[109] Srivastava, P., Singh, R., Bhadouria, R., Tripathi, S., Singh, P., Singh, H., Raghubanshi, A.S., 2016b. Organic amendment impact on SOC dynamics in dry tropics: a possible role of relative availability of inorganic-N pools. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 235, 38–50

[110] Srivastava, P., Singh, R., Tripathi, S., Raghubanshi, A.S., 2016a. An urgent need for sustainable thinking in agriculture–An Indian scenario. Ecological Indicators 67, 611–622

[111] Srivastava, P., Singh, R., Tripathi, S., Singh, H., Raghubanshi, A.S., Mishra, P.K., 2018. A new insight into the warming potential of organically amended agro-ecosystems. Organic Agriculture 8, 275–284

[112] Suryavanshi, P., Singh, Y.V., Prasanna, R., Bhatia, A., Shivay, Y.S., 2013. Pattern of methane emission and water productivity under different methods of rice crop establishment. Paddy and Water Environment 11, 321–329

[113] Thakur, A.K., Mohanty, R.K., Patil, D.U., Kumar, A., 2014. Impact of water management on yield and water productivity with system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional transplanting system in rice. Paddy and Water Environment 12, 413–424

[114] Thakur, A.K., Rath, S., Roychowdhury, S., Uphoff, N., 2010. Comparative performance of rice with system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional management using different plant spacings. Journal Agronomy & Crop Science 196, 146–159

[115] Thakur, A.K., Uphoff, N.T., 2017. How the system of rice intensification can contribute to climate-smart agriculture. Agronomy Journal 109, 1163–1182

[116] Thierfelder, C., Chivenge, P., Mupangwa, W., Rosenstock, T.S., Lamanna, C., Eyre, J.X., 2017. How climate-smart is conservation agriculture (CA)?–its potential to deliver on adaptation, mitigation and productivity on smallholder farms in southern Africa. Food Security 9, 537–560

[117] Uphoff, N., Kassam, A., Harwood, R., 2011. SRI as a methodology for raising crop and water productivity: productive adaptations in rice agronomy and irrigation water management. Paddy and Water Environment 9, 3–11

[118] Vincent-Caboud, L., Casagrande, M., David, C., Ryan, M.R., Silva, E.M., Peigne, J., 2019. Using mulch from cover crops to facilitate organic no-till soybean and maize production. A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 39, 45

[119] Wang, J., Xiong, Z., Kuzyakov, Y., 2016. Biochar stability in soil: meta‐analysis of decomposition and priming effects. Global Change Biology. Bioenergy 8, 512–523

[120] Wang, Y., Tu, C., Cheng, L., Li, C., Gentry, L.F., Hoyt, G.D., Hu, S., 2011. Long-term impact of farming practices on soil organic carbon and nitrogen pools and microbial biomass and activity. Soil & Tillage Research 117, 8–16

[121] Warnock, D.D., Mummey, D.L., McBride, B., Major, J., Lehmann, J., Rillig, M.C., 2010. Influences of non-herbaceous biochar on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal abundances in roots and soils: results from growth-chamber and field experiments. Applied Soil Ecology 46, 450–456

[122] Yadav, D., Rangabhashiyam, S., Verma, P., Singh, P., Devi, P., Kumar, P., Hussain, C.M., Gaurav, G.K., Kumar, K.S., 2021. Environmental and health impacts of contaminants of emerging concerns: recent treatment challenges and approaches. Chemosphere 272, 129492

[123] Yang, J., Zhang, J., 2010. Crop management techniques to enhance harvest index in rice. Journal of Experimental Botany 61, 3177–3189

[124] Zhang, W.J., Lu, M., 2010. Innovational rice-wheat cropping system for higher yield with lower emissions in China, based on the concepts of SRI. Paper from Institute of Crop Science.

[125] Zhao, S., Li, K., Zhou, W., Qiu, S., Huang, S., He, P., 2016. Changes in soil microbial community, enzyme activities and organic matter fractions under long-term straw return in north-central China. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 216, 82–88

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press