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A Decade of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Major Agri-Food Systems: Earthworm Abundance and Soil Physico-Biochemical Properties

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Title A Decade of Climate-Smart Agriculture in Major Agri-Food Systems: Earthworm Abundance and Soil Physico-Biochemical Properties
 
Identifier https://hdl.handle.net/11529/10548706
 
Creator Jat, Hanuman S.
Choudhary, Madhu
Kakraliya, Suresh K.
Gora, Manoj K.
Kakraliya, Manish
Kumar, Vikash
Priyanka
Poonia, Tanuja
Mcdonald, Andrew J.
Jat, ML
Sharma, Parbodh C.
Abdallah, Ahmed M.
 
Publisher CIMMYT Research Data & Software Repository Network
 
Description Abstract: Earthworms (EWs) could be a viable indicator of soil biology and agri-food system management.
The influence of climate-smart agriculture (CSA)-based sustainable intensification practices
(zero tillage, crop rotations, crop residue retention, and precision water and nutrients application)
on earthworms’ (EWs) populations and soil physico-biochemical properties of rice-wheat cropping
system in the Indo-Gangetic plains of South Asia was investigated. This study investigates the effect
of 10-years adoption of various CSA practices on the abundance of earthworms and physical and
biochemical properties of the soil and EWs’ casts (EWC). Five scenarios (Sc) were included: conventionally
managed rice-wheat system (farmers’ practices, Sc1), CSA-based rice-wheat-mungbean
system with flood irrigation (FI) (Sc2) and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) (Sc3), CSA-based maizewheat-
mungbean system with FI (Sc4), and SDI (Sc5). Results revealed that EWs were absent under
Sc1, while the 10-year adoption of CSA-based scenarios (mean of Sc2–5) increased EWs’ density
and biomass to be 257.7 no. m􀀀2 and 36.05 g m􀀀2, respectively. CSA-based maize scenarios (Sc4
and Sc5) attained higher EWs’ density and biomass over rice-based CSA scenarios (Sc2 and Sc4).
Also, SDI-based scenarios (Sc3 and Sc5) recorded higher EWs’ density and biomass over FI (Sc2
and Sc4). Maize-based CSA with SDI recorded the highest EWs’ density and EWs’ biomass. The
higher total organic carbon in EWC (1.91%) than in the bulk soil of CSA-based scenarios (0.98%) and
farmers’ practices (0.65%) suggests the shift of crop residue to a stable SOC (in EWC). EWC contained
significant amounts of C and available NPK under CSA practices, which were nil under Sc1. All
CSA-based scenarios attained higher enzymes activities over Sc1. CSA-based scenarios, in particular,
maize-based scenarios using SDI, improved EWs’ proliferation, SOC, and nutrients storage (in soil
and EWC) and showed a better choice for the IGP farmers with respect to C sequestration, soil quality,
and nutrient availability.
 
Subject Agricultural Sciences
 
Language English
 
Contributor KALVANIA, Kailash Chandra