Efficient nutrient management for enhancing crop productivity, quality and nutrient dynamics in lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) in the semi-arid region of northern India

Abstract

Various faulty farming practices and low-performance cultivars selection are reducing crop yields, factor productivity, and soil fertility. Therefore, there is an urgent need to achieve better nutrient dynamics and sustainable production by selecting more nutrient-responsive cultivars using efficient nutrient management. The present experiment aimed to enhance crop productivity, seed quality, nutrient efficiency, and soil nutrient dynamics through efficient nutrient management under different lentil cultivars. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design, assigning three cultivars (viz. Sapna, Garima, and HM-1) in the main plots and ten nutrient management practices in the sub-plots, replicating them thrice. Results revealed that cultivar HM-1 recorded significantly higher seed yield (1.59–1.61 Mg ha-1) and the uptake of N (67.2–67.6 kg ha-1), P (6.8–7.0 kg ha-1), K (13.8–13.9 kg ha-1), Zn (60.4–61.1 g ha-1), and Fe (162.5–165.2 g ha-1) in seed compared to Sapna and Garima. Also, the cultivar HM-1 was more efficient in terms of partial factor productivity for NPK (PFP; 24.27–24.59 kg kg-1), partial nutrient balance (PNB; 2.09–2.13 kg kg-1) and internal utilisation efficiency (IUE; 11.64–11.85 kg kg-1). The study showed that the lentil cultivar HM-1 could be successfully grown by substituting 50% RDN with organic manures, i.e., vermicompost, without compromising crop productivity and soil fertility, thereby sustaining soil-human-environment health.

Exploring the Impacts of Climate Change on the Nutritional Properties and Food Security of Various Cereal Grains

“…The utilisation of buckwheat in cover cropping and sorghum grains presents both opportunities and challenges in sustainable agriculture systems in Southern Australia, specifically in Mediterranean climatic conditions. Further evaluation and identification of appropriate cover crop species for the region are necessary [47,96].…”

“…The drying process minimises losses caused by factors such as time, infestations or storage and also prolongs the duration during which the crop may be used. The following are key factors to consider while drying and storing cereal grains [96,113].…”

“…The warehouse should be adequately ventilated and have a moisture level below 50%. Temperature and moisture changes during storage can affect the quality of cereal grains [96,113]. Packaging: Clean and dry cereals may be kept for 3 years, provided they have undergone appropriate drying treatment; it is important to use specialised agricultural technology to eliminate moisture, which may harm the storage process.…”

Assessing the Effects of Conservation Tillage and In-Situ Crop Residue Management on Crop Yield and Soil Properties in Rice–Wheat Cropping System

“…Similarly, K content was higher in both MHS and HS treatments compared to CT. The slow decomposition of crop residues under conservation practices, which limits exposure to soil microbiota, likely contributed to higher SOC and total soil nitrogen in the uppermost layer [52][53][54][55][56][57].…”

Assessment of Structural Components in the Formation of Productivity of Different Lens culinaris Varieties Against the Background of the Use of Mineral Fertilizers

“…The positive effect of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers on the structural components of lentil yield was noted: the mass of 1000 seeds, the number of seeds in a bean, the number of beans, opacity (Ali et al, 2017;Kumar et al, 2023;Louarn et al, 2021;Pandey et al, 2016;Sehgal et al, 2021;Singh et al, 2018). This is explained by the fact that fertilizers, namely phosphorous, stimulate flowering and fruiting, which leads to the formation of more beans and also increases the division of seed cells and the formation of fats and albumins (Kumar et al, 2022;Sharma et al, 2023).…”