Meta-Analysis Approach to Measure the Effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on Crop Performance, Microbial Activity, and Carbon Stocks in Indian Soils

Abstract

Cereal crop production gains under conventional agricultural systems in India have been declining in recent years because of inadequate management practices, creating a considerable concern. These activities were shown to deplete soil organic matter stocks, resulting in a decrease in microbial activity and soil organic carbon (SOC) content. Moreover, even with minimal use of organic sources in cultivated land, soil carbon status deteriorated, particularly in subtropical climates. Integrated nutrient management (INM), a modified farming method, has the potential to effectively utilize organic and inorganic resources, to improve the quality of soils and crops, and making farming more economically viable and sustainable. The aim of this study was to use meta-analysis to quantify the effects of INM on crop production, soil carbon, and microbial activity in Indian soils. During the years 1989–2018, data from various research studies in India, mainly on nutrient management in rice and wheat crops, were collected. Meta-Win 2.1 software was used to analyze the results, and significance was determined at p < 0.05. The results showed that the yield of rice and wheat was 1.4 and 4.9% more in INM than that in 100% NPK (N: nitrogen, P: phosphorous, and K: potassium), and that respective yields were comparatively higher in loamy soils (2.8%) and clayey soils (1.0%). The INM treatment increased SOC and microbial biomass carbon (MBC), resulting in improved overall soil quality. The SOC stock was increased by 23.8% in rice, 15.1% in wheat, 25.3% in loamy soils, and 14.4% in clayey soils in INM over 100% NPK. Microbial quotient (MQ) data showed significant trends between different management systems in both soil types, for example, INM > 100% NPK > No NPK. Due to more soil cracking and reduced aggregate stability in the rice field (greater short-term soil structural changes), the SOC stock loss in rice was higher than that in wheat. The CO2 equivalent emissions were 7.9 Mg ha−1 higher in no NPK (control) than in 100% NPK, and 16.4 Mg ha−1 higher in control than in INM. In other words, INM increased soil carbon sequestration by 2.3 Mg ha−1 as compared to using 100% NPK. Overall, the findings of this study show that INM could be a viable farming system mode in India for improving crop production, increasing soil carbon sequestration, and improving microbial activity while remaining economically and environmentally sustainable.

Impact of Land-Use Changes on Soil Properties and Carbon Pools in India: A Meta-analysis

“…The MQ value can also reflect about the quality and nature of microbial activity in the soil. A large number of studies on MQ have shown its importance to evaluate or monitor the influence of short-or long-term changes in soil biological status due to management and other system-level manipulations (Brookes, 1995;Bastida et al, 2008;Anderson and Domsch, 2010;Padbhushan et al, 2021). Soil properties and SOC stocks may be altered due to soil disturbances (Guo and Gifford, 2002;Paul et al, 2002).…”

Biofortification—A Frontier Novel Approach to Enrich Micronutrients in Field Crops to Encounter the Nutritional Security

“…Thus, sole usage of organic inputs and mineral fertilizers are not sufficient to cover the gap between mineral deficiency and the requirement of grain crops. Thus, the combination of both interventions is effective as they have positive interactions and complementary functions [72].…”

Integrated Nutrient Management Boosts Productivity and Help Maintaining Sustained Yield of Upland Paddy under Jhum Cultivation in Hilly Region of Northeast India

“…Rice yield improved in RDF plots and they improved more when organic sources were substituted (Padbhushan et al, 2021;Singh et al, 2018). Sowmya et al (2011) also stated that integrated nutrient management, is necessary for long-term output.…”