Fortified Groundnut Shells as a Soil Amendment for Improved Productivity in Oilseed Based Cropping.

Abstract

Soil degradation in semi-arid regions is alarming due to changed climate impacting the rainfall patterns and temperature affecting soil physico-biological properties adversely. In India, cattle shed bedding technology (CSBT) using crop residues is cheaper, easy-to-use residue recycling method for small holders in semi-arid regions. The present research work was carried out with a specific objective of soil improvement leading to resilience of land use system using indigenously available fortified crop residue for enhanced crop and cropping system yields under both rainy and post rainy conditions in semi-arid tropics of India. Thus, a study was conducted for 2 years (2013–2014 and 2014–2015) in the farmers fields with treatments having various fortifications like bedding material with groundnut shell and its manure, compost over existing practice among farmers on rainfed groundnut-fallow (L-F), castor-groundnut (NL-L) and groundnut–groundnut (L–L) oilseed based cropping systems. These systems were evaluated for soil quality parameters, productivity, fertility, soil moisture retention, compaction, crop land utilization and economics. In different cropping systems, use of fortified groundnut shell @ 16.3–22.6 t ha− 1 year−1 was able to recoup the soil nutrient losses (183.0 kg N, 6.1 kg P, 227.0 kg K and 0.3 kg OC ha− 1 year−1) closely followed by compost and distantly by inorganics application with additional benefit of enhanced crop yields by 20.2–33.1% during subsequent rainy and 20.0–25.0% during post-rainy season, improved available water content (10.7–20.3%) and increased irrigation interval by 3–5 days in NL-L and L–L system. Hence, the principle of fortifying crop residues through CSBT could be utilized globally in similar agro-ecological regions for addressing soil degradation and effective crop residue utilization for small and marginal landholders farmers.