Converting primary forests to cultivated lands: Long-term effects on the vertical distribution of soil carbon and biological activity in the foothills of Eastern Himalaya

Ansari, Mukhtar; Choudhury, B. U.; Mandal, Satyabrata; Jat, Shankar Lal; Meitei, Ch. Bungbungcha

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113886

Cited by 29 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…Significant decline in MWD of water stable aggregates in shifting cultivation and other cultivated IFSs (MW 7&8 , MW 1 , and MW 4 ) indicated the deterioration in soil aggregation and the susceptibility of the soil to surface runoff and erosion. Reduction of SOC, TN, and particularly SMBC may have limited microbial activity, responsible for the release of soil binding agents (from the decomposition of organic matter), essential for soil aggregation (Ansari, Choudhury, Mandal, et al, 2022; Miltner et al, 2012). Stable land use practices (combination of trees, crops, and legume cover crops) and SWC (contours, terraces, and grassed waterways) measures could have helped restore and offset the relative deterioration of soil quality parameters in agroforestry (MW 3 ), agri‐horti‐silvi‐pastoral (MW 5 ), and horticulture (MW 6 ) than the traditional agriculture (MW 8 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term effect of integrated farming systems on soil erosion in hilly micro‐watersheds (Indian Eastern Himalayas)

et al. 2022

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Soil erosion from traditional hill agriculture is a major concern for agronomic development in the Eastern Himalayas (India). An integrated farming system (IFS: is the combination of multipurpose trees‐MPT interspersed with seasonal agricultural crops) may reduce the severity of erosion while ensuring food and nutritional security. The aim of our study was to identify an IFS, resistant to soil erosion in the hill ecosystem of Eastern Himalaya. For this, eight micro‐watershed (MW)‐based IFSs namely livestock with fodder crops (MW1), forestry (MW2), agroforestry (MW3), agriculture (MW4), agri‐horti‐silvi‐pastoral (MW5), horticulture (MW6), cultivated fallow (MW7), and abandoned shifting cultivation (MW8, as traditional land use) were established and soil erosion was measured for 24 years in the sloping land (32.0%–53.0%) of the Eastern Himalayas (Meghalaya, Northeast India). In the forests (MW2), annual average (IA: 1983–2006) runoff and soil losses were 405.5 (±113) mm and 11.0 (±2.4) Mg ha−1 yr−1, respectively. The conversion of forests to cultivation caused a decline in the parameters of hydro‐physical quality and fertility, more severely in the traditional farming (MW7&8) than in the IFS mode of cultivation (MW3,5,&6). Soil water conservation measures (SWCMs: contour bunding, terracing, and grassed waterways) were more effective at reducing erosion when used together compared to individually. Adoption of these SWCMs in cultivated MWs in IFS mode (MW3,5,&6), reduced the runoff by 13.0%–17.1% and soil loss by 12.6%–15.1% over forests (MW2). However, in traditional agriculture (MW7&8), runoff increased by 50.6%–87.6% while soil loss was 50.3%–59.8% higher over the forest. The study demonstrated that the adoption of agroforestry, agri‐silvi‐horti‐pastoral or horticulture‐based IFSs with appropriate SWCMs may be promoted to reduce soil erosion while sustaining soil quality attributes and food security in the hill ecosystem of the Indian Eastern Himalayas.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term effect of integrated farming systems on soil erosion in hilly micro‐watersheds (Indian Eastern Himalayas)

et al. 2022

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“…On the other hand, crop is not supplied with any external nutrient sources under farmer's practice. Thus, soil nutrient depletion was evident under traditional Jhum practice (Chatterjee et al, 2022) and leading to soil fertility decline (Ansari et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Energy input and output were obtained by converting the different inputs used (e.g., seeds, labor, organic manures, fertilizers, and agro-chemicals) and outputs obtained (i.e., rice grain and straw) into energy equivalent (MJ) term as per Table 1 (Ansari et al, 2021(Ansari et al, , 2022Devasenapathy et al, 2009;Tuti et al, 2012). The energy output was computed by multiplying the grain and straw yields with their respective energy equivalence and summing the two values to obtain output energy.…”

Section: Energeticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improved agronomic practices and high yielding rice varieties maintain soil health and enhance yield and energy use efficiency under shifting cultivation landscapes of easternHimalayas

et al. 2023

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Low productivity, depletion of soil fertility, and inefficient energy use are the major challenges of fragile Jhum (shifting cultivation: 280 M ha worldwide) agro‐ecosystems in north eastern Himalaya. Farmers' participatory field trials were conducted in sloping lands of Meghalaya, India over 3 years to identify suitable agronomic management practices and input responsive rice genotypes for sustaining soil health and enhance carrying capacity of Jhum land. Eleven genotypes of rice (six high yielding varieties [HYVs] and five landraces) were tested under two management practices, namely, improved Jhum (line‐sowing in contour, 50% recommended dose of nutrients (RDN) + farm yard manure 5 Mg ha−1 with two hand weeding operations) and traditional Jhum (broadcasting, no manure/fertilizer/pesticides, and single hand weeding) as reference. Improved Jhum practices significantly increased (p = 0.05) rice yield (103.8%–133.7%), improved soil health, farm profitability, net energy output, and energy intensity. The HYVs of rice, namely, RCM 5, Bhalum‐3, and IURON 514 (1.92–1. 96 Mg ha−1) significantly out yielded local landraces, namely, Mannar, Kbaslu, Kba Khasi, Pnahiong, and Pnahlaispah (1.44–1.65 Mg ha−1). The soils under improved Jhum practices had significantly higher SOC (16.9 g kg−1), available N (278.2 kg ha−1), P2O5% (12.8 kg ha−1), K (217.1 kg ha−1), and more water infiltration rate (74.1 mm h−1) over traditional practice after 3 years of our present study. The rice yield for second and third year of cropping were also significantly higher (p = 0.05) under improved Jhum practices (2.23 and 2.01 Mg ha−1, respectively) as compared to traditional Jhum. The net income enhanced by 53% and 85 to 104.6% owing to adoption of improved Jhum and HYVs over local practice and genotypes, respectively. Hence, growing HYVs of rice, namely, RCM 5, Bhalum‐3, and IURON 514 along with improved agronomic practices are recommended for achieving higher productivity, extending carrying capacity, and sustaining soil health in Jhum ecosystems of north eastern Himalaya.

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“…As a direct consequence of this, both researchers and policymakers are confronted with significant obstacles in their efforts to simultaneously achieve their goals (SDGs) in the areas of food, nutrition, and socioeconomic development. The North Eastern Himalayan (NEH) Region of India is a habitat of ~50 million people, is suffering from low-agriculture production as a result of massive soil degradation and inadequate agronomic management (2)(3)(4). In this region, large-scale adoption of mono-cropping generally results in yield stagnation (5), low farm income, and poor resource utilization (6,7).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating conservation agriculture with intensive crop diversification in the maize-based organic system: Impact on sustaining food and nutritional security

et al. 2023

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IntroductionDeveloping an intensive sustainable model and feeding a rising population are worldwide challenges. The task is much more daunting in the North Eastern Himalayas, where, low productive maize (Zea mays)maize (Zea mays) fallow is the main production system in the upland. To increase farm productivity, nutritional security, and energy dietary returns while maintaining environmental sustainability and economic viability, short-duration crops must be included in the maize–fallow system.MethodsA field study was conducted in sandy clay loam soil with a randomized complete block design with three replications for three continuous years (2018–2021) under organic management with two crop management practices, viz., (i) conservation agriculture and (ii) conventional agriculture, and six crop diversification options, viz., (i) maize–sweet corn (Zea mays saccharata)–vegetable pea (Pisum sativa) (M-SC-VP), (ii) maize–sweet corn-mustard (Brassica juncea) (M-SC-M), (iii) maize–sweet corn–lentil (Lens culinaris) (M-SC-L), (iv) maize–sweet corn–vegetable broad bean (Vicia faba) (M-SC-VB), (v) maize (local)–vegetable pea (M-VP), and (vi) maize (local)–fallow (M-F).ResultsThe results showed that, the average system productivity was 5.3% lower for conventional agriculture than conservation agriculture. System carbohydrate, protein, fat, dietary fiber, and dietary energy were ~6.9, 6.8, 7.8, 6.7, and 7%, higher in conservation agriculture than in conventional agriculture, respectively. Similarly, system macronutrients (Ca, Mg, P, and K) and system micronutrients yield (Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu) were, 5.2–8% and 6.9–7.4% higher in conservation agriculture than in conventional agriculture, respectively. On average, over the years, crop diversification with M-SC-VP/M-SC-VB intensive crop rotation had higher system productivity (158%), production efficiency (157%), net returns (benefit–cost ratio) (44%), and dietary net energy returns (16.6%) than the local maize–vegetable pea system. Similarly, the M-SC-VP/M-SC-VB system improved the nutritional security by improving Ca, Mg, P, K, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu yield by 35.5–135.7% than the local M-VP system.DiscussionConservation agriculture with M-SC-VP/M-SC-VB rotation showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher productivity, carbohydrate yield, protein yield, fat yield, and dietary fiber production. It is concluded that conservation agriculture improved soil health and performed better than conventional agriculture in maize-based intensive cropping systems. Overall results indicate that crop diversification with M-SC-VP/M-SC-VB can potentially increase calorie and protein consumption and farm profitability.

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Converting primary forests to cultivated lands: Long-term effects on the vertical distribution of soil carbon and biological activity in the foothills of Eastern Himalaya

Cited by 29 publications

References 40 publications

Long‐term effect of integrated farming systems on soil erosion in hilly micro‐watersheds (Indian Eastern Himalayas)

Long‐term effect of integrated farming systems on soil erosion in hilly micro‐watersheds (Indian Eastern Himalayas)

Improved agronomic practices and high yielding rice varieties maintain soil health and enhance yield and energy use efficiency under shifting cultivation landscapes of easternHimalayas

Integrating conservation agriculture with intensive crop diversification in the maize-based organic system: Impact on sustaining food and nutritional security

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