Double zero-tillage and foliar-P nutrition coupled with bio-inoculants enhance physiological photosynthetic characteristics and resilience to nutritional and environmental stresses in maize–wheat rotation

Abstract

and Bhutia TL (2022) Double zero-tillage and foliar-P nutrition coupled with bio-inoculants enhance physiological photosynthetic characteristics and resilience to nutritional and environmental stresses in maize-wheat rotation.

Triple-Zero Tillage and System Intensification lead to enhanced Productivity, Micronutrient Biofortification and Moisture-Stress Tolerance Ability in Chickpea in a Pearlmillet–Chickpea Cropping System of Semi-arid Climate

“…This treatment combination improved the RWC by ~ 20.76% over ConvTill_PCFCS system. The improved RWC under CA c was a consequence of higher moisture retention and comparatively lower moisture stress in residue-retained CA c plots 9,10 . As, the legume intervention in the crop sequences enhances the water holding capacity due to better physical and biological rhizospheric environment, hence, resulting in favorable plant-soil-water relations with higher RWC 18,21,25 .…”

“…Higher decomposition rate of crop residues in CAc system might have also enhanced the N-acquisition and protein content in the plants 18,39 . Grain protein content was least in ConvTill_PCFCS be due to extensive N removal by two cereal components in the system 9,10 . The proline content was found to be inversely related with RWC.…”

“…Greater nutrient bioavailability as a result of optimal moisture conditions under CA plots could be the major factor for such observations 34 . Higher NPK uptake may also be accrued to higher yield under CA c owing to improved soil physico-chemical and biological properties 9,10 . Lowest NPK uptake was recorded from ConvTill_PCFCS owing to poor crop growth and biomass production in ConvTill plots compared to CAc 18, 19,35 .…”

“…Residue retention on the soil surface under CA-management prevents the soil erosion and evaporation losses, and regulates the soil thermal dynamics which maintains soil moisture, and consequently improves water-and nutrient-use e ciency and crop productivity 10 . CA systems also curtail the nutrient (~ 30%), labour (~ 50%), and fuel (~ 65%) requirement in various crops [11][12][13][14] .…”

“…CA management also promotes the soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, aggregate stability, and soil biological activity over intensive tillage 1,[15][16][17] . In addition, improved soil physico-chemical and biological properties and microclimate modulation under CA-management 9,10,18,19 , may also prove helpful in inducing the moisturestress tolerance ability in rainfed crops 20 . Hence, it is obligatory to generate robust scienti c evidences for CA based agronomic interventions for the water-scarce semi-arid regions that too under triple-zero tilled cropping systems, as most of the research till date is largely con ned to irrigation-based rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) in south-Asia 21 .…”