High-value crops’ embedded groundnut-based production systems vis-à-vis system-mode integrated nutrient management: long-term impacts on system productivity, system profitability, and soil bio-fertility indicators in semi-arid climate
Ram Swaroop Bana, Anil K. Choudhary, Ravi C. Nirmal, Bhola Ram Kuri, Seema Sangwan, Samarth Godara, Ruchi Bansal, Deepak Singh, D.S. Rana
Abstract
The current study identified two new climate-resilient groundnut-based cropping systems (GBCSs), viz ., groundnut–fenugreek cropping system (GFCS) and groundnut–marigold cropping system (GMCS), with appropriate system-mode bio-compost embedded nutrient management schedules (SBINMSs) for semi-arid South Asia. This 5-year field study revealed that the GMCS along with leaf compost (LC) + 50% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF 50 ) in wet-season crop (groundnut) and 100% RDF (RDF 100 ) in winter-season crop (marigold) exhibited the highest system productivity (5.13–5.99 t/ha), system profits (US$ 1,767–2,688/ha), and soil fertility (available NPK). Among SBINMSs, the application of 5 t/ha leaf and cow dung mixture compost (LCMC) with RDF 50 showed the highest increase (0.41%) in soil organic carbon (SOC) followed by LC at 5 t/ha with RDF 50 and RDF 100 . Legume–legume rotation (GFCS) had significantly higher soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN) than legume–non-legume rotations (groundnut–wheat cropping system (GWCS) and GMCS). Among SBINMSs, the highest SMBC (201 µg/g dry soil) and SMBN (27.9 µg/g dry soil) were obtained when LCMC+RDF 50 was applied to groundnut. The SMBC : SMBN ratio was the highest in the GWCS. LC+RDF 50 exhibited the highest SMBC : SOC ratio (51.6). The largest increase in soil enzymatic activities was observed under LCMC+RDF 50 . Overall, the GMCS with LC+RDF 50 in the wet season and RDF 100 in the winter season proved highly productive and remunerative with better soil bio-fertility. SBINMSs saved chemical fertilizers by ~25%’ in addition to enhanced system productivity and system profits across GBCSs in semi-arid regions of South Asia. Future research needs to focus on studying the potential of diversified production systems on water and environmental footprints, carbon dynamics, and energy productivity under semi-arid ecologies.