Effect of conservation agriculture on soil organic and inorganic carbon sequestration and lability: A study from a rice–wheat cropping system on a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains

Increasing soil carbon (C) in arable soils is an important strategy to achieve sustainable yields and mitigate climate change. We investigated changes in soil organic and inorganic carbon (SOC and SIC) under conservation agriculture (CA) in a calcareous soil of the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. The treatments were as follows: conventional-till rice and wheat (CT-CT), CT rice and zero-till wheat (CT-ZT), ZT direct seeded rice (DSR) and CT wheat (ZT-CT), ZTDSR and ZT wheat without crop residue retention (ZT-ZT), ZT-ZT with residue (ZT-ZT+R), and DSR and wheat both on permanent beds with residue (PB-PB+R). The ZT-ZT+R had the highest total SOC in both 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil layers (20% and 40% higher (p < .05) than CT-CT, respectively), whereas total SIC decreased by 11% and 15% in the respective layers under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. Non-labile SOC was the largest pool, followed by very labile, labile and less labile SOC. The benefits of ZT and residue retention were greatest for very labile SOC, which showed a significant (p < .05) increase (~50%) under ZT-ZT+R compared with CT-CT. The ZT-ZT+R sequestered ~2 Mg ha⁻¹ total SOC in the 0–15 cm soil layer in 6 years, where CT registered significant losses. Thus, the adoption of CA should be recommended in calcareous soils, for C sequestration, and also as a reclamation technique.     

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

A field study on assessment of crop establishment methods on yield, economics and water productivity of rice cultivars under upland and lowland production ecologies was conducted during wet seasons (June–November) of 2012 and 2013 in Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. The experiment was laid-out in a split-plot design (SPD) and replicated four times. The main-plot treatments included three crop establishment methods, viz. dry direct-seeded rice (DSR), system of rice intensification (SRI) and puddled transplanted rice (PTR). In sub-plots, five rice cultivars of different groups like aromatic (Improved Pusa Basmati 1 and Pusa Sugandh 5), inbreds (PNR 381 and Pusa 834) and hybrid (Arize 6444) were taken for their evaluations. These two sets of treatments were laid-out simultaneously in two production ecologies, upland and lowland during both years. In general, lowland ecology was found favourable for rice growth and yield and resulted in 13.2% higher grain yield as compared to upland ecology. Rice grown with SRI method produced 19.4 and 7.0% higher grain yield in 2012 and 20.6 and 7.1% higher in 2013, over DSR and PTR. However, PTR yielded 13.1 and 14.5% higher grain over DSR during 2012 and 2013, respectively. On an average, Arize 6444 produced 26.4, 26.9, 28.9 and 54.7% higher grain yield as compared to PS 5, P 834, PNR 381 and IPB1, respectively. Further, the interaction of production ecologies × crop establishment methods revealed that, in upland ecology, SRI recorded significantly higher grain yield as compared to PTR and DSR, but in lowland, grain yield resulting from SRI was similar to the yield obtained with PTR and significantly higher than DSR. The latter two methods (PTR and DSR) yielded alike in lowland ecology in both study years. The production ecologies × crop establishment methods × cultivars interaction on grain yield showed that the growing of Arize 6444 cultivar using SRI method in upland ecology resulted in the higher grain yield (8.87 t/ha). But the cost of production was also highest in SRI followed by PTR and DSR across production ecologies and cultivars. Cultivation of hybrid (Arize 6444) involved higher cost of production than all other cultivars. Irrespective of crop establishment methods and cultivars, gross returns, net returns and B:C ratio were significantly higher in lowland compared to upland ecology. Owing to higher grain yield, SRI method fetched significantly higher gross returns and net returns over PTR and DSR. Average increase in net return with Arize 6444 was 68.8, 41.0, 37.7 and 33.1% over IPB 1, PNR 381, P 834 and PS 5, respectively. There was a saving of 30.7% water in SRI and 19.9% in DSR over PTR under upland ecology. Similarly in lowland ecology, water saving of 30.2% was observed in SRI and 21.2% in DSR over PTR. Due to higher yield and saving on water, SRI returned significantly higher total water productivity (TWP) (5.9 kg/ha-mm) as compared to DSR (3.5 kg/ha-mm) and PTR (3.6 kg/ha-mm) under upland ecology. In lowland ecology, also SRI (6.2 kg/ha-mm) resulted in higher TWP as compared to other two methods. However, DSR gave significantly higher TWP as compared to PTR. Among cultivars, hybrid Arize 6444 recorded the highest TWP in both upland and lowland production ecologies across crop establishment methods. Hence, growing of hybrid Arize 6444 with SRI method can enhance rice productivity and water-use efficiency in lowland and upland production ecologies of Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains and in other similar regions.     

Tillage Effects on Crop Yield and Physicochemical Properties of Sodic Soils

Tillage modifies soil structure and has been suggested as a practice to improve physical, hydrological and chemical properties of compacted soils. But little is known about effect of long‐term tillage on physicochemical soil properties and crop yield on sodic soils in India. Our objective was to investigate the effect of different tillage regimes on crop yield (wheat and paddy rice) and physicochemical properties of sodic soils. Two sodic sites under conventional tillage for 5 (5‐YT; 5‐year tillage) and 9 (9‐YT; 9‐year tillage) years were selected for this study. Changes in crop yield and physicochemical soil properties were compared with a control, sodic land without any till history, that is, 0‐year tillage/untilled (0‐YT). Five replicated samples at 0‐ to 10‐cm and 10‐ to 20‐cm soils depths were analysed from each site. In the top, 0‐ to 10‐cm soil depth 5‐YT and 9‐YT sites had higher particle density (Pd), porosity, water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, organic carbon, total nitrogen (N_t), available nitrogen (N_avail), phosphorus (P_avail) and exchangeable calcium (Exch. Ca⁺⁺) than 0‐YT, whereas bulk density (Bd), C : N ratio and CaCO₃ were significantly lower. Bd, pH, EC and CaCO₃ increased significantly with depth in all the lands, whereas Pd, porosity, water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, organic carbon, N_t, N_avail, P_avail and Exch. Ca⁺⁺ decreased. We conclude that continuous tillage and cropping can be useful for physical and chemical restoration of sodic soils. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Growth potential and biocide tolerance of non-heterocystous filamentous cyanobacterial isolates from rice fields of Uttar Pradesh, India

Twenty-eight non-heterocystous filamentous cyanobacterial strains were isolated from different locations in the rice fields of Uttar Pradesh. These strains belonged to seven genera, namely Pseudanabaena, Limnothrix, Phormidium, Microcoleus, Plectonema, Lyngbya and Oscillatoria. A wide variation was observed in these strains with respect to dry weight, generation time and tolerance to biocides. Lyngbya palmarum and Oscillatoria acuminata showed maximum biomass (dry weight), while Pseudanabaena frigidum, Phormidium foveolarum, O. acuminata, Lyngbya palmarum and Lyngbya spiralis showed a significantly shorter generation time as compared to other strains studied. An interesting feature observed was that these non-heterocystous filamentous cyanobacteria possessed a remarkable tolerance to the biocides 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, Malathion and Dimecron, at doses much higher than those recommended for rice crops.     

Comparing System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) with standard recommended practices in the northwestern plain zone of India

The practices of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methodology have been extended to wheat and various other crops with reported good results. To assess such reports with respect to wheat, an experiment was conducted at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi during 2011–2012 and 2012–2013. This experiment compared the performance of wheat under System of Wheat Intensification (SWI) and standard recommended practices (SRPs). In 2011–2012, the SWI yield of 7.93 t ha^?1 was 30% higher than for SRP in 2012–2013, climatically a less favorable year, hence SWI performed relatively better with a 46% yield advantage under climate stress. SWI produced 12.5% less in the stressful year, while the reduction for the SRPs ranged from 18% to 31%. Differences in yield attributes and root traits were also observed in favor of SWI. Available N, P, and K in the soil after harvesting was increased with SWI, whereas depletion in nutrients with the SRPs indicated the scope for SWI sustaining soil fertility. Higher yield compensated for higher SWI costs of cultivation. A net return of US$ 1383 ha^?1 was obtained with SWI, 35% more than the US$ 1020 ha^?1 from SRPs. Overall, SWI outperformed the SRPs in terms of yields, climate resilience, and economics.     

Responses of aerobically grown iron chlorosis tolerant and susceptible rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes to soil iron management in an Inceptisol

Iron deficiency is a serious nutritional disorder in aerobic rice, causing chlorosis, poor yields and reduced grain nutritional quality. The problem can be managed by complementing the use of Fe-efficient plant type with a suitable Fe management strategy. In the present paper, we report the effect of eight iron management practices to resolve the problem of iron (Fe) chlorosis through the use of an iron deficiency tolerant (IDTR) and iron deficiency susceptible (IDSR) rice genotype, i.e. Pusa 33 and ADT 39, respectively. Fe deficiency tolerance of these genotypes was related to the root release of PS which enabled a higher uptake of Fe in the IDTR than the IDSR under Fe deficiency. In general, IDTR performed better than the IDSR as evident from a significant increase in total iron, active iron, chlorophyll content and grain and straw yield. IDSR produced the highest grain and straw yield under slow iron release nano clay complex source. Grain Fe content of the IDTR and IDSR increased by 18.9 and 13.4%, respectively, under recommended dose of Fe. The results identified the most effective soil management strategies for the alleviating Fe deficiency chlorosis and improving Fe nutrition of both IDTR and IDSR genotypes.     

一些竹种在不同季节不定根诱导的形式

考察了季节和植物激素、非植物激素生长调节剂对不定根形成的影响,以进行黄竹、孝顺竹、马甲竹和龙竹无性繁殖。在冬天,夏天和雨季的3个生长季节,将成熟秆截取成单节扦插方式,并用IAA,IBA、NAA、硼酸和水进行24h处理。之后,将扦插秆水平放置,盖上沙子,在喷雾箱中放2个月。     

Population viability risk management (PVRM) for in situ management of endangered tree species—A case study on a Taxus baccata L. population

Population viability risk management (PVRM) provides a framework for explicitly including qualitative information about the possible outcomes of a management decision with regard to the viability of an endangered population in conservation management. Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques enables managers to select the most preferred choice of action in a context where several criteria apply simultaneously. In that context a combined approach of the PVRM concept and a MCDM technique is presented for the development, evaluation and finally ranking of the in situ conservation strategies. We discuss the concept based on a case study for the maintenance of a gene conservation forest of an English yew population (Taxus baccata L.) in Styria, Austria. As part of the PVRM the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to evaluate six conservation strategies with regard to the viability of the yew population. The viability of the population is evaluated based on the results of an analysis of the current environmental, social and economical state and a characterization of the ecological parameters of its population. The most significant risk factors (illegal cutting, browsing by game, tree competition, light availability and genetic sustainability) are structured and prioritised according to their impact on the viability of the yew population applying the AHP. Effects of the six conservation strategies on the viability of the yew population are determined through a qualitative assessment of the probability of a decrease of the population along with four different environmental scenarios. In this context strategy IV combining selective thinning, protection measures, game control with public relation activities seems to be the most effective alternative. The benefits of the combined approach of the PVRM concept with the AHP for the rational analysis of conservation strategies for this endangered tree species are discussed.