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A 2‐year field experiment was conducted to investigate bitter gourd response to surface drip irrigation (DI, D0) and subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) at 5, 10 and 15 cm (D05, D10 and D15 respectively) in interaction with four fertigation levels (F1 50: 30: 30; F2 100: 60: 60; F3 120: 90: 90 and F4 150: 120: 120 kg NPK ha−1). It was observed that SDI having D10 and D15 treatments maintained a relatively drier soil surface and maintained higher soil water content in the crop root zone, providing more favourable conditions for plant growth. Vine length and fruit weight were less responsive to differences in lateral depth than marketable yield. Bitter gourd yield was significantly higher (21.9 and 21.2 t ha−1) under D10 and D15. At all fertigation levels, SDI recorded higher irrigation water productivity (IWP) over DI. Highest IWP (5.98 and 6.33 t ha−1 mm−1 in 2010–2011 and 2011–2012) was obtained under D10 treatments at the F4 level of fertigation. SDI fertigation level (F4) increased yields by increasing the mean weight of the fruits, and also by increasing fruit number. SDI with 10 cm depth of lateral placement and F4 level of fertigation is recommended as an optimum practice for improving yield and IWP of bitter gourd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The degradation of agricultural land, both chemical and biological, is a big concern all over the world. Crop cultivation practices that are distinctive to each location have negative consequences for agricultural production. Therefore, there is an urgent need for better crop and soil management techniques. This experiment was conducted for 5 years (2016–2020) to identify the best crop establishment‐cum‐residue management (CERM) practices and suitable crops for succession after the rice harvest in rice‐fallow ecosystems of India. Experimentation was conducted in the split‐plot design and each treatment was replicated thrice, having CERM in main‐plot and post‐rainy season/winter crops in sub‐plot. All the CERM treatments had two variants, with crop residue (R+) and without crop residue (R−). Rice yields were markedly higher (19.1%–32.2%) in transplanted puddled rice with residue (TPR‐R+) over conventional‐till direct seeded rice (CTDSR) and zero‐till DSR (ZTDSR) treatments. However, TPR adversely impacted the performance of all the post‐rainy pulses/oilseed crops. Post‐rainy season crop yields under ZTDSR/CTDSR were 14.9%–45.8% higher leading to higher system productivity as compared to TPR. ZTDSR with residue retention showed higher soil aggregation. The practice of ZTDSR increased the soil dehydrogenase activity (46.2%), urease activity (29.8%), soil microbial biomass carbon (65.4), and fluorescein diacetate activity (9.0%) in the crop root zone with 3.3‐ and 4.47‐times higher earthworm population and earthworm biomass, respectively. The rice‐pulse system showed 1.74‐times more earthworm population over rice‐oilseed sequences. Total soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in ZTDSR was 21.8% higher over TPR in 0–45 cm soil profile. Thus, the adoption of ZTDSR practices and diversification of rice‐fallows with pulses crops is recommended for enhancing the crop productivity, increasing SOC stock, and improving soil biological properties in the rice‐fallow ecosystems of India.

Rice-fallow systems in South Asian countries play a pivotal role in increasing agricultural production. However, the productivity of these system is largely challenged by deteriorating soil health and limited residual soil moistures in dry-periods, precluding the possibility of winter and/or spring season crops after rice harvest. This investigation explores the possibilities of including winter and/or spring crops through conservation agriculture (CA)-based management practices and evaluates its effect on soil carbon dynamic, system productivity, energy and carbon budgeting. Field experiments were conducted at a farmer’s field in participatory modes at Chene Village, Jharkhand, India, and had five treatments comprising (1) fallow-land [FL]; (2) transplanted puddle rice (TPR)-fallow (winter)-fallow (summer), a typical cultivation practice of this region [RF]; (3) TPR–conventional-till mustard–conventional-till blackgram [CP]; (4) CA with zero-till transplanted rice (ZTTR)-ZT mustard–ZT blackgram [CA1]; (5) CA with zero-till direct seeded rice (ZTDSR)-ZT mustard–ZT blackgram [CA2]. Results revealed that CA2 comprising full CA practice of growing direct seeded rice, mustard and blackgram under ZT increased total soil organic carbon (TSOC) of 0–0.6 m soil layer by 14.3% and 10.3% over RF and CP, respectively. The C-sequestration rate was higher in CA treatments and varied from 0.55 to 0.64 Mg C ha−1 year−1. The system rice equivalent yield in CA2 during the initial four years was lower than CP but it was 23.7% higher over CP in fifth year. The CA-based system (CA2) enhanced the water productivity of rice, mustard and blackgram by 7.0%, 23.6% and 14.1% over CP, respectively. The CA2 treatment, having higher system productivity, better C-sequestration potential, lower C-footprint, higher energy and water productivity has very good potential for sustaining soil health and crop yield of rice-fallow systems.