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Agronomy
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Integrated Nutrient Management for Farming Sustainability
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Integrated Nutrient Management for Farming Sustainability

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Farming Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2024 | Viewed by 10161

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Amitava Rakshit

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Guest Editor
Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh, Varanasi 221005, India
Interests: rhizosphere fertility; resource use efficiency; input quality control; environmental quality; soil remediation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sudhanshu Singh

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IRRI South Asia Regional Centre, International Rice Research Institute, Varanasi, India
Interests: agronomy; nutrient management; abiotic stress management; rainfed agronomy; mechanization; conservation agriculture; alternative establishment methods; precision agriculture
Dr. Cherukumalli Srinivasa Rao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad, Telangana 500030, India
Interests: climate change; soil carbon sequestration; soil fertility; potassium nutrition; research policy; adaptation and mitigation of climate change; dryland agriculture

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Amplifying crop productivity can be accomplished through the application of inorganic fertilizer; however, safeguarding the environment for future generations is overbearing, particularly for the continuous upsurge in the world population, with the most vital challenges facing humankind today. Over the coming decades, continued food security warrants an equilibrium between increasing crop production, preserving soil health and counteracting unreceptive effects on atmosphere and groundwater quality, triggering health hazards and climate change. Sustainable crop productivity might be accomplished through the prudent use of both organic and inorganic fertilizers, either through the substitution or supplementation principle. This promising strategy has multidimensional prospects for improvements in plant performance, fitness and resource use efficiency without impairing environment and resource quality and also imperative for small holders who cannot afford to supply crop nutrients through expensive and energy-intensive chemical fertilizers. From this perspective, the present Special Issue on "Integrated Nutrient Management for Farming Sustainability" is aimed to highlight this tailored integration that mimics nature as a smart and innovative practice achieving harmony, consistent with achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Special Issue is open to research, review papers and opinion articles on the following topics:

  1. Best practices for enhancing soil organic matter
  2. Soil microbiomes and nutrient cycling
  3. Innovative soil-conservation practices
  4. Soil Fertility and Sustainable Agriculture: Current Issues and Future Challenges
  5. Soil organic carbon dynamics, functions and management in different agro-ecosystems
  6. Organic–inorganic nutrient interactions in soil fertility replenishment
  7. Integrated Soil Fertility Management in different agro ecologies: Principles, Practices, and Developmental Process
  8. Soil management for climate-smart agriculture: concepts, principles and evidence
  9. Integrated nutrient managements for sustainable crop production and improving crop quality
  10. Sustainability of farmers' soil fertility management practices for soil health and minimizing environmental pollution: case studies from different agro ecologies

Dr. Amitava Rakshit
Dr. Sudhanshu Singh
Dr. Cherukumalli Srinivasa Rao
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food security
  • crop performance
  • nutrient transformations
  • organic fertilizer
  • resource use efficiency
  • sustainable agricultural development

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 711 KiB  
Article
Optimizing Nutrient and Energy Efficiency in a Direct-Seeded Rice Production System: A Northwestern Punjab Case Study
by Ranjot Kaur, Gurbax Singh Chhina, Mandeep Kaur, Rajan Bhatt, Khalid M. Elhindi and Mohamed A. Mattar
Agronomy 2024, 14(4), 671; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy14040671 - 26 Mar 2024
Viewed by 493
Abstract
This study was carried out in Amritsar, Punjab, to find out how efficiently nutrients were used and how much energy was employed in direct-seeded rice (DSR) production. In this study, four levels of nitrogen (0, 40, 50, and 60 kg N ha−1 [...] Read more.
This study was carried out in Amritsar, Punjab, to find out how efficiently nutrients were used and how much energy was employed in direct-seeded rice (DSR) production. In this study, four levels of nitrogen (0, 40, 50, and 60 kg N ha−1) and three levels of phosphorus (0, 37.5, and 45 kg P2O5 ha−1) were tested. In a rice production system, the energy indices of various inputs and outputs were evaluated through the application of energy equivalency. The nutrient-use efficiencies in rice were assessed using different efficiency indices. The maximum grain yields of 38.9 q ha−1 and 36.9 q ha −1 were recorded at 50 kg N ha−1 and 45 kg P2O5 ha−1, respectively. On the other hand, application of nitrogen at 60 kg N ha−1 and phosphorus at 45 kg P2O5 ha−1 resulted in maximum straw yield of 57.1 q ha−1 and 51.1 q ha−1, respectively. In comparison with the control, application of 60 and 50 kg N ha−1 resulted in 161.9% and 151.0% higher grain yield, respectively. On the other hand, with applications of 45 kg P2O5 ha−1 and 37.5 kg P2O5 ha−1, an increase in the grain yield of 17.3 and 28.6%, respectively, over the control was recorded. Moving further towards nutrient-use efficiencies (NUEs), the highest values of partial factor productivity of nitrogen (PFPN), agronomic efficiency of nitrogen (AEN), partial nutrient balance of nitrogen (PNBN), and recovery efficiency of nitrogen (REN) were 89.1, 50.4, 1.78 and 0.72, respectively, which were obtained at 40 kg N ha−1, after which the values started decreasing steadily. In the case of phosphorus, the partial factor productivity (PFPP) of 88.6 was the maximum at 37.5 kg P2O5 ha−1, but partial nutrient balance (PNBP) of 0.36 and recovery efficiency (REP) of 0.08 were highest at 45 kg P2O5 ha−1. The main results revealed that the farmer field had an excessive amount of non-renewable energy inputs. The experimental field depicted greater energy-usage efficiency (EUE) of 4.5, energy productivity (EP) of 0.14, and energy profitability (EP1) of 3.5. These results were primarily ascribed to a significant drop in energy inputs under direct-seeded rice (DSR). In the case of non-renewable energy inputs, fertilizer made the maximum contribution to energy input (47.9%) in the farmer’s field. We conclude that nutrient-use efficiencies and energy-use efficiency were highest at 50 kg N and 45 kg P2O5 ha−1. This recommendation is beneficial for farmers because lower inputs and higher outputs are the main objective of every farmer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Nutrient Management for Farming Sustainability)
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17 pages, 2038 KiB  
Article
The Use of Faba Bean Cover Crop to Enhance the Sustainability and Resiliency of No-Till Corn Silage Production and Soil Characteristics
by Samaneh Ghorbi, Ali Ebadi, Ghasem Parmoon, Arthur Siller and Masoud Hashemi
Agronomy 2023, 13(8), 2082; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy13082082 - 08 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1147
Abstract
Sustainable corn production requires a dramatic shift toward natural soil fertility rather than relying solely on synthetic fertilizers. Cover crops play an important role in improving the productivity of subsequent row crops through improving soil properties. The main goal of this study was [...] Read more.
Sustainable corn production requires a dramatic shift toward natural soil fertility rather than relying solely on synthetic fertilizers. Cover crops play an important role in improving the productivity of subsequent row crops through improving soil properties. The main goal of this study was to investigate if increasing cover crop biomass through applying a higher density can enhance soil characteristics in the short term and contribute more nitrogen to succeeding corn silage. In a two-year field study (2018–2019), the influence of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) as a cover crop on soil characteristics and corn silage (Zea mays L.) production was evaluated. Treatments consisted of five levels of faba bean density (0, 25, 35, 40, and 80 plants m−2) and four application rates of urea-based nitrogen fertilizer (0, 100, 200, and 300 kg ha−1) in a no-till system. The measured soil characteristics were not significantly affected through increasing cover crop density to 80 plants m−2. The faba bean roots comprised 33% of total biomass in densities ranging from 25–40 plants m−2. The highest total N yield (root + shoot) was 133 kg N ha−1, obtained from 40 faba bean plants m−2. The faba bean root decomposed faster than the shoot, and the addition of N to the corn accelerated 50% N release from the roots but had no significant effect on shoot decomposition. Corn planted after 40 plants m−2 faba bean yielded 28% more than the corn with no faba bean. Corn yielded less in no-cover-crop fields even when it received the highest synthetic N rate (300 kg N ha−1), indicating the value of including faba bean in rotation with corn. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Nutrient Management for Farming Sustainability)
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14 pages, 1172 KiB  
Article
Understanding Soil Carbon and Phosphorus Dynamics under Grass-Legume Intercropping in a Semi-Arid Region
by Amit Kumar Singh, Jai Bahadur Singh, Ramesh Singh, Sita Ram Kantwa, Prakash Kumar Jha, Safik Ahamad, Anand Singh, Avijit Ghosh, Mahendra Prasad, Shikha Singh, Surendra Singh and P. V. Vara Prasad
Agronomy 2023, 13(7), 1692; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy13071692 - 24 Jun 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1547
Abstract
An integrated forage-legume cropping system has immense potential to address the issue of land degradability. It provides a critical understanding of the capacity of diversified species mixes vs. monocultures to boost forage production and the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and phosphorus [...] Read more.
An integrated forage-legume cropping system has immense potential to address the issue of land degradability. It provides a critical understanding of the capacity of diversified species mixes vs. monocultures to boost forage production and the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and phosphorus (P). In this study, we assessed the performance of Napier Bajra Hybrid (NBH) (Pennisetum glaucum × P. purpureum) + cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and tri-specific hybrid (TSH) (P. glaucum × P. purpureum × P. squamulatum) + cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba) as compared to monocultures of NBH and TSH. The legume equivalent yield of NBH + cowpea and TSH + cluster bean intercropping systems were found −31% and −23% higher than monoculture systems. The SOC increased by −5% in the NBH + cowpea system as compared to NBH monoculture. The carbon mineralization rates under NBH + cowpea and TSH + cluster bean were −32% and −38% lower than the NBH and TSH monoculture cropping systems, respectively. It was found that the legume intensification with the forage significantly improved the soil’s P status. The research suggested that coalescing diverse crops (e.g., grass and legume) poses enormous potential for sustaining soil health and productivity in semi-arid regions of India. This study advances the research on characterizing the crucial factors of grass-legume-based cropping systems and helps in assessing the impact of these factors on long-term sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Nutrient Management for Farming Sustainability)
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16 pages, 1938 KiB  
Article
Integrated Nutrient Management Enhances Yield, Improves Soil Quality, and Conserves Energy under the Lowland Rice–Rice Cropping System
by Venkatesh Paramesh, Parveen Kumar, Tejasvi Bhagat, Arun Jyoti Nath, Kallakeri Kannappa Manohara, Bappa Das, Brijesh Fal Desai, Prakash Kumar Jha and P. V. Vara Prasad
Agronomy 2023, 13(6), 1557; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy13061557 - 05 Jun 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3011
Abstract
Identifying sustainable crop production systems that improve yield from existing farmland while improving resource use efficiency is critical to meet the growing demands of the increasing human population and diminishing natural resources. Considering the increasing cost associated with inorganic fertilizer, integrated nutrient management [...] Read more.
Identifying sustainable crop production systems that improve yield from existing farmland while improving resource use efficiency is critical to meet the growing demands of the increasing human population and diminishing natural resources. Considering the increasing cost associated with inorganic fertilizer, integrated nutrient management using both organic and inorganic sources is important. Therefore, optimizing nutrient management practices that increase yield, improve soil quality, build up soil organic carbon storage, and maintain energy balance can help achieve sustainability in farming systems. In this regard, different nutrient management practices under the rice–rice (Oryza sativa L.) cropping system were evaluated using five different criterions, namely, (i) crop yield response, (ii) soil quality, (iii) soil carbon stock, (iv) energy efficiency, and (v) profitability under lowland situations in the Goa state situated in the western coast of India. We tested six nutrient management treatments, namely, inorganic fertilizers, organic (farmyard manure), rice straw, and their combinations over three years from 2016 to 2019. The results revealed that integrated nutrient management improved soil carbon stock, microbial biomass carbon, and soil fertility more than the other treatments. The integrated use of farmyard manure and chemical fertilizer showed significantly higher crop yield (9.86 v/s 9.41 Mg ha−1), microbial biomass carbon (354 v/s 233.7 mg kg−1 soil), soil carbon stock (36.65 v/s 25.5 Mg C ha−1), energy efficiency (23.8 v/s 22.3), and net return (1776 v/s 1508 USD) than those associated with chemical fertilizer alone. We conclude that the application of chemical fertilizers/organic sources alone may not be sustainable for the rice–rice cropping system in the Goa state of India; the focus should be on integrated nutrient management systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Nutrient Management for Farming Sustainability)
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19 pages, 4012 KiB  
Article
Potential of Moisture Conservation Practices to Improve Soil Properties and Nutrient Status of Robusta Coffee Plant
by Judith Kobusinge, Geofrey Gabiri, Godfrey H. Kagezi, Godfrey Sseremba, Alice Nakitende, Geofrey Arinaitwe and Charles K. Twesigye
Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 1148; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy13041148 - 18 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1494
Abstract
Soil moisture conservation practices (SMCPs) have been adopted in Uganda to adapt to the effects of climate variability. However, limited information exists on how conservation measures influence the physico-chemical properties of soil and coffee leaf nutrient concentrations. Thus, we determined the effects of [...] Read more.
Soil moisture conservation practices (SMCPs) have been adopted in Uganda to adapt to the effects of climate variability. However, limited information exists on how conservation measures influence the physico-chemical properties of soil and coffee leaf nutrient concentrations. Thus, we determined the effects of selected SMCPs on the soil physio-chemical properties and leaf nutrient concentrations in Robusta coffee in a randomized incomplete block design, replicated three times, in Kituza, Uganda. Soil samples were collected from 0 to 20 cm and 20 to 40 cm depths, and analyzed in the laboratory following standard procedures for selected physio-chemical properties. Coffee leaf samples were picked from each treatment (open sun coffee (COSS), coffee cover crop, Desmodium intortum (CCS), coffee mulch, Miscanthidium violoceum (CMS), and coffee A. coriaria (ACS)). Bulk density was significantly (p < 0.001) the highest under ACS (1.61 gcm−3) and lowest under CCS (1.29 gcm−3), and it significantly (p < 0.001) increased with depth. The soil organic matter was higher than the optimum range of 1–3% at the 0–20 cm depth across different SMCPs, but within the optimum range at the 20–40 cm depth. Leaf nitrogen was significantly the highest under ACS (3.19%) and lowest under COSS (2.30%). Overall, the findings suggest that SMCPs improve the soil physio-chemical attributes and leaf nutrients for sustainable coffee productivity. However, ACS improved the leaf plant nutrition better compared to other SMCPs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Nutrient Management for Farming Sustainability)
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16 pages, 687 KiB  
Article
Biopriming with Bacillus subtilis Enhanced the Sulphur Use Efficiency of Indian Mustard under Graded Levels of Sulphur Fertilization
by Sonam Singh, Deepranjan Sarkar, S. Rakesh, Rajesh Kumar Singh and Amitava Rakshit
Agronomy 2023, 13(4), 974; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/agronomy13040974 - 25 Mar 2023
Viewed by 1485
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of bioinoculants (Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens) as biopriming agents under varied sulphur (S) fertilizer levels (0, 20, 30, and 40 kg S ha−1) to enhance sulphur use efficiency (SUE) in Indian mustard. The [...] Read more.
This study investigated the effect of bioinoculants (Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens) as biopriming agents under varied sulphur (S) fertilizer levels (0, 20, 30, and 40 kg S ha−1) to enhance sulphur use efficiency (SUE) in Indian mustard. The experiment was conducted during the 2018–19 and 2019–20 winter seasons at the research farm of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (25°26′ N, 82°99′ E). A randomized block design was employed to assess the combined effect of biopriming and S fertilization on the partitioning of S in different parts of mustard plants, S uptake, SUE, and soil urease, dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, and arylsulphatase activity. Results showed that the application of S fertilizers along with biopriming significantly increased the S content, uptake, and SUE by plants and enzymes involved in the S mineralization process. Application of 40 kg S ha−1 + B. subtilis resulted in the highest S content in the root (0.12%), stover (0.30%), and seed (0.67%), and the highest total S uptake (2.97 g m−2 in the first year and 3.37 g m−2 in the second year), agronomic use efficiency (8.80 g g−1), apparent S recovery (22.37%), urease activity (156.68 µg NH4+ g−1 hr−1), dehydrogenase activity (42.80 µg TPF g−1 24 hr−1), and arylsulphatase activity (39.94 µg pNP g−1 hr−1). However, the highest alkaline phosphatase activity (129.17 µg pNP g−1 hr−1) was found in the treatment that received 40 kg S ha−1 + P. fluorescens. Further, the different indices of SUE revealed that the effect of biopriming was more prominent in apparent recovery efficiency than agronomic SUE and physiological SUE. Conclusively, the present study demonstrated that seed biopriming with B. subtilis along with S fertilization is more rewarding and can promote sustainable production of Indian mustard. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrated Nutrient Management for Farming Sustainability)
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