Residue recycling options and their implications for sustainable nitrogen management in rice–wheat agroecosystems
Abstract Background In the Indo-Gangetic Plain, rice–wheat is the most extensively practiced crop rotation. The escalating issue of crop residue burning, particularly rice straw, and the necessity to lower the exorbitant expenses associated with fertilizer inputs stand out as significant challenges...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Ecological Processes |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-023-00464-7 |
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| author | Ajay Kumar Bhardwaj Kapil Malik Manu Rani Uttam Kumar Mandal Nirmalendu Basak Awtar Singh Rajender Kumar Yadav Suresh Kumar Chaudhari Dinesh Kumar Sharma |
| author_facet | Ajay Kumar Bhardwaj Kapil Malik Manu Rani Uttam Kumar Mandal Nirmalendu Basak Awtar Singh Rajender Kumar Yadav Suresh Kumar Chaudhari Dinesh Kumar Sharma |
| author_sort | Ajay Kumar Bhardwaj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background In the Indo-Gangetic Plain, rice–wheat is the most extensively practiced crop rotation. The escalating issue of crop residue burning, particularly rice straw, and the necessity to lower the exorbitant expenses associated with fertilizer inputs stand out as significant challenges for farmers in the region. A well-suited integrated nutrient management (INM) strategy that focuses on recycling crop residues can serve as a solution to address these issues. Such a strategy not only mitigates air pollution resulting from residue burning but also helps combat water pollution due to nitrate losses from agroecosystems. Field experiments were used to evaluate the suitability of eight INM-modules that included various combinations of inorganic fertilizer rates (50%, 100%, 150% of recommended dose), crop residues (wheat and rice stubble retention at 30 cm standing stubble equivalent to 1/3 the straw yield), rice straw compost (RSC), farmyard manure (FYM), and green manuring (GM), compared to 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (F) and no fertilizer application. Results There was a considerable improvement in nitrogen mineralization, grain yields, and nitrogen use efficiency under GM + RSC-F50 and GM + FYM-F50. These INM modules would permit a 50% reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers. There was a little yield penalty with in situ rice residue incorporation at 100% F; however, this could be overcome with 150% F fertilizer application. In situ retention of wheat straw with a full application of fertilizer resulted in steadily rising crop yields over time. Changes in the redox potential, soil pH, and soil organic carbon best accounted for the observed trajectories in nitrogen use efficiency. Conclusion The most promising INM modules for adoption by farmers in the Indo-Gangetic Plain to judiciously use crop residues and curtail chemical fertilizer inputs are green manuring with Sesbania aculeata + rice straw compost at 5 t ha−1 + only 50% of recommended dose of fertilizers (GM + RSC-F50), and green manuring with Sesbania aculeata + farmyard manure at 5 t ha−1 + only 50% of recommended dose of fertilizers (GM + FYM-F50). Sole incorporation of crop residues without nitrogen augmentation from other sources might not help curtail chemical fertilizer use. Composting rice straw, which otherwise is widely burnt, proved a useful nitrogen source and a vital component of INM. Waste rice straw composting at the community scale and its application as a nutrient source can help achieve sustainable nitrogen management in the agroecosystems of Indo-Gangetic Plain. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:07:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1fe0948d4c664eb8864f54adab14bee0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2192-1709 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T11:07:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
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| series | Ecological Processes |
| spelling | doaj.art-1fe0948d4c664eb8864f54adab14bee02023-11-12T12:06:53ZengSpringerOpenEcological Processes2192-17092023-11-0112111910.1186/s13717-023-00464-7Residue recycling options and their implications for sustainable nitrogen management in rice–wheat agroecosystemsAjay Kumar Bhardwaj0Kapil Malik1Manu Rani2Uttam Kumar Mandal3Nirmalendu Basak4Awtar Singh5Rajender Kumar Yadav6Suresh Kumar Chaudhari7Dinesh Kumar Sharma8Central Soil Salinity Research InstituteCentral Soil Salinity Research InstituteCentral Soil Salinity Research InstituteCentral Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research StationCentral Soil Salinity Research InstituteCentral Soil Salinity Research InstituteCentral Soil Salinity Research InstituteIndian Council of Agricultural ResearchCentral Soil Salinity Research Institute, Regional Research StationAbstract Background In the Indo-Gangetic Plain, rice–wheat is the most extensively practiced crop rotation. The escalating issue of crop residue burning, particularly rice straw, and the necessity to lower the exorbitant expenses associated with fertilizer inputs stand out as significant challenges for farmers in the region. A well-suited integrated nutrient management (INM) strategy that focuses on recycling crop residues can serve as a solution to address these issues. Such a strategy not only mitigates air pollution resulting from residue burning but also helps combat water pollution due to nitrate losses from agroecosystems. Field experiments were used to evaluate the suitability of eight INM-modules that included various combinations of inorganic fertilizer rates (50%, 100%, 150% of recommended dose), crop residues (wheat and rice stubble retention at 30 cm standing stubble equivalent to 1/3 the straw yield), rice straw compost (RSC), farmyard manure (FYM), and green manuring (GM), compared to 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (F) and no fertilizer application. Results There was a considerable improvement in nitrogen mineralization, grain yields, and nitrogen use efficiency under GM + RSC-F50 and GM + FYM-F50. These INM modules would permit a 50% reduction in the use of chemical fertilizers. There was a little yield penalty with in situ rice residue incorporation at 100% F; however, this could be overcome with 150% F fertilizer application. In situ retention of wheat straw with a full application of fertilizer resulted in steadily rising crop yields over time. Changes in the redox potential, soil pH, and soil organic carbon best accounted for the observed trajectories in nitrogen use efficiency. Conclusion The most promising INM modules for adoption by farmers in the Indo-Gangetic Plain to judiciously use crop residues and curtail chemical fertilizer inputs are green manuring with Sesbania aculeata + rice straw compost at 5 t ha−1 + only 50% of recommended dose of fertilizers (GM + RSC-F50), and green manuring with Sesbania aculeata + farmyard manure at 5 t ha−1 + only 50% of recommended dose of fertilizers (GM + FYM-F50). Sole incorporation of crop residues without nitrogen augmentation from other sources might not help curtail chemical fertilizer use. Composting rice straw, which otherwise is widely burnt, proved a useful nitrogen source and a vital component of INM. Waste rice straw composting at the community scale and its application as a nutrient source can help achieve sustainable nitrogen management in the agroecosystems of Indo-Gangetic Plain.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-023-00464-7Rice–wheatNitrogen use efficiencySustainable nitrogen management indexCrop residueRice straw compost |
| spellingShingle | Ajay Kumar Bhardwaj Kapil Malik Manu Rani Uttam Kumar Mandal Nirmalendu Basak Awtar Singh Rajender Kumar Yadav Suresh Kumar Chaudhari Dinesh Kumar Sharma Residue recycling options and their implications for sustainable nitrogen management in rice–wheat agroecosystems Ecological Processes Rice–wheat Nitrogen use efficiency Sustainable nitrogen management index Crop residue Rice straw compost |
| title | Residue recycling options and their implications for sustainable nitrogen management in rice–wheat agroecosystems |
| title_full | Residue recycling options and their implications for sustainable nitrogen management in rice–wheat agroecosystems |
| title_fullStr | Residue recycling options and their implications for sustainable nitrogen management in rice–wheat agroecosystems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Residue recycling options and their implications for sustainable nitrogen management in rice–wheat agroecosystems |
| title_short | Residue recycling options and their implications for sustainable nitrogen management in rice–wheat agroecosystems |
| title_sort | residue recycling options and their implications for sustainable nitrogen management in rice wheat agroecosystems |
| topic | Rice–wheat Nitrogen use efficiency Sustainable nitrogen management index Crop residue Rice straw compost |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-023-00464-7 |
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