Healthy soil is one of the most critical resources for the health and sustainability of ecosystems, including agroecosystems. Although the agroforestry community has long been convinced of the soil health benefits of agroforestry practices, many of such practices remain to be fully accepted by the mainstream agriculture community. Agroforestry, as a sustainable land management practice, has shown solid evidence of its role in improving soil quality and health based on at least four decades of data gathered from the world over. This thematic issue presents 28 papers that add further to the body of knowledge to reaffirm that agroforestry can improve the major measurable soil metrics that define soil health. Collectively, these papers show that agroforestry has the ability to (1) enrich soil organic carbon better than monocropping systems, (2) improve soil nutrient availability and soil fertility due to the presence of trees in the system, and (3) enhance soil microbial dynamics, which would positively influence soil health. It is imperative that agroforestry, as part of a multifunctional land-use strategy, should receive increased attention in our policy discussion for the future of soil and soil health.

/pdf/agroforestry-for-soil-health-46pa2kjuxm.pdf

Agroforestry for soil health

Agroforestry integrates woody perennials with arable crops, livestock, or fodder in the same piece of land, promoting the more efficient utilization of resources as compared to monocropping via the structural and functional diversification of components. This integration of trees provides various soil-related ecological services such as fertility enhancements and improvements in soil physical, biological, and chemical properties, along with food, wood, and fodder. By providing a particular habitat, refugia for epigenic organisms, microclimate heterogeneity, buffering action, soil moisture, and humidity, agroforestry can enhance biodiversity more than monocropping. Various studies confirmed the internal restoration potential of agroforestry. Agroforestry reduces runoff, intercepts rainfall, and binds soil particles together, helping in erosion control. This trade-off between various non-cash ecological services and crop production is not a serious constraint in the integration of trees on the farmland and also provides other important co-benefits for practitioners. Tree-based systems increase livelihoods, yields, and resilience in agriculture, thereby ensuring nutrition and food security. Agroforestry can be a cost-effective and climate-smart farming practice, which will help to cope with the climate-related extremities of dryland areas cultivated by smallholders through diversifying food, improving and protecting soil, and reducing wind erosion. This review highlighted the role of agroforestry in soil improvements, microclimate amelioration, and improvements in productivity through agroforestry, particularly in semi-arid and degraded areas under careful consideration of management practices.

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/22/14877/pdf?version=1669103852

Agroforestry Systems for Soil Health Improvement and Maintenance

Fertilizer-N application and straw incorporation impacts crop productivity due to changes in total organic carbon (TOC), its labile pools and the soil enzymatic activity. A field experiment was established (in 2010) to study the effect of fertilizer-N application (0, 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1) and rice straw (RS) incorporation (0, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 Mg ha-1) on crop yield, C input, TOC and its labile pools and soil enzymatic activity under rice (Oryza sativa L.) - wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system (RWCS) in north-western India. Data showed that fertilizer-N application and RS incorporation significantly (p<0.05) increased the rice and wheat grain yield, compared with control (CK). However, the RS incorporation alone did not impact crop yields. The sustainable yield index (SYI) for wheat was significantly lower with RS incorporation alone as compared with the other treatments. For rice, SYI was significantly higher for RS7.5N120, and was non-significant compared with the RS10.0N120. Annual total C input in soil plough layer (0-15 cm) under RWCS varied between 3.34 and 9.78 Mg C ha-1, which was higher by 4.4 Mg C ha 1 yr-1 (~2.3-times) in RS10.0, compared with CK. The conjoint application of fertilizer-N and RS incorporation (RS10.0N150) significantly increased the TOC, water extractable organic C (WEOC), hot water C (HWC), microbial biomass C (MBC) and basal soil respiration (BSR) due to increased soil enzymatic activity viz. dehydrogenase activity (DHA), fluorescein diacetate (FDA) and alkaline phosphatise (Alk-P). A significant increase in potassium permanganate oxidizable C (KMnO4-C) with RS incorporation under RS10.0N150 increased the C management index (CMI), and hence the soil quality. The inter-correlations between highly weighted soil variables among different principle components (PCs) revealed that KMnO4-C in PC1, FDA activity in PC2, and BSR in PC3 with the highest correlation were the sensitive indicators for assessing soil quality in a RWCS.

/pdf/responses-of-soil-carbon-pools-enzymatic-activity-and-crop-4omgz495m4.pdf

Responses of Soil Carbon Pools, Enzymatic Activity, and Crop Yields to Nitrogen and Straw Incorporation in a Rice-Wheat Cropping System in North-Western India

Landscape position and slope aspects impacts on soil organic carbon pool and biological indicators of a fragile ecosystem in high-altitude cold arid region

http://www.cell.com/article/S2405844023007983/pdf

Interactive effect of land use systems on depth-wise soil properties and micronutrients minerals in North-Western, India

The growing of tree crops along with the field crops is a common practice in foothills of lower Himalayas with the twin objective of checking soil erosion by water and covering the risk of crop failure due to frequently occurring droughts. A study was conducted to evaluate dry and water stable aggregates for their soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks under different tree-based cropping systems. The treatments consisted of three cropping systems viz. maize-wheat (sole crop), agroforestry and agrohorticulture (tree-based) in the similar soil texture and in 6 year old plantations. The soil samples were obtained from different layers (0–15, 15–30, 30–60, 60–90 and 90–120 cm) and analyzed for SOC. The undisturbed aggregate samples (as big clods) were collected from 0–15 and 15–30 cm soil layer for dry and wet aggregate stability. The data so obtained was analyzed by using CRD factorial deigns at LSD (P ≤ 0.05). The SOC concentration decreased with soil depth, the decrease was higher (89.6%) in soils under maize-wheat than in soils under agrohorticulture (81.3%) and agroforestry (77.8%). The mean SOC concentration decreased with the size of the dry stable aggregates (DSA) and water stable aggregates (WSA). In DSA, the mean SOC concentration was 58.06 and 24.2% higher in large and small macroaggregates than in microaggregates respectively; in WSA it was 295.6 and 226.08% higher in large and small macroaggregates than in microaggregates respectively in surface soil layer. The mean SOC concentration in surface soil was higher in DSA (0.79%) and WSA (0.63%) as compared to bulk soil (0.52%). The SOC concentration and stock being highest in soils under agroforestry resulted in higher SOC concentration in dry as well as WSA.

Soil organic carbon stock in relation to aggregate size and stability under tree-based cropping systems in Typic Ustochrepts

Direct-seeded rice (DSR) is a potent option for north-west India considering the current shortages of labour and water. The formation of a subsurface compact layer in medium to coarse textured soils due to continuous puddling used for commonly grown puddled, transplanted rice hampers the root growth of DSR and wheat crops. It is thus imperative to study the deep tillage effects on water balance and water productivity of the DSR–wheat cropping system. A two-year field experiment was conducted during 2016–17 and 2017–18 in a sandy loam soil to study the soil water dynamics in relation to tillage and irrigation regimes in a DSR–wheat cropping system. There were two irrigation regimes both in DSR (irrigation at 4-day and 8-day intervals) and wheat (based on irrigation water to pan evaporation ratio of 1.0 (I1.0) and 0.5 (I0.5)) in main plots; with three tillage treatments in subplots: (1) conventional tillage for both DSR and wheat (DSRCT-WCT), (2) deep tillage before sowing of DSR during the first season + conventional tillage in wheat (DSRDT1-WCT) and (3) deep tillage before sowing of DSR during both seasons + conventional tillage in wheat (DSRDT2-WCT). The irrigation water input was lower by 325 mm under 8-day, I0.5 compared with 4-day, I1.0 irrigation regimes during both years. The evapotranspiration (ET) was significantly higher in plots with the 4-day compared to 8-day irrigation regime by 22.8% and 17.2% during 2016 and 2017 respectively. In wheat, ET was significantly higher in plots with I1.0 than I0.5 by 42.7% and 34.8% during 2016–17 and 2017–18 respectively. The ET was significantly higher in DSRDT2-WCT and DSRDT1-WCT than DSRCT-WCT in DSR. The water productivity was higher in less frequently (8-day and I0.5) than in frequently irrigated (4-day and I1.0) plots. Deep tillage during both seasons (DSRDT2-WCT) had no significant influence on the soil water balance components and water productivity in comparison to deep tillage only once in two years (DSRDT1-WCT). However, the ET and water productivity were significantly higher in plots with deep tillage compared to conventional tillage.

Deep tillage and irrigation impacts on soil water balance and water productivity of direct-seeded rice–wheat cropping system in north-west India

The subsurface compact layer found in medium- to coarse-textured soils of rice-grown areas hampers the root growth of crops. Moreover, the puddled transplanted rice is being faced by water and labour shortages in the region. It is thus imperative to study the effects of deep tillage and irrigation regimes on crop performance of direct seeded rice (DSR) and wheat. A 2-year field experiment was conducted during 2016–2017 and 2017–2018 in a sandy loam soil to investigate the effects of deep tillage and irrigation regimes on crop performance of DSR–wheat cropping system. There were two irrigation regimes both in DSR [irrigation to DSR at 4-day (4-d) and 8-day (8-d) interval] and in wheat crop [based on irrigation water to pan evaporation ratio of 1.0 (I1.0) and 0.5 (I0.5)] in main plots, with three tillage treatments, viz. (1) conventional tillage in DSR + conventional tillage in wheat (DSRCT-WCT), (2) deep tillage before the sowing of DSR during first season + conventional tillage in wheat (DSRDT1-WCT) and (3) deep tillage before the sowing of DSR during both the seasons + conventional tillage in wheat (DSRDT2-WCT) in subplots. The root growth was higher in plots with deep tillage in comparison with plots with conventional tillage. The increased root growth under deep tilled conditions attributed to higher grain yield of DSR (18.3 and 12.6% during 2016 and 2017, respectively), wheat (6.6 and 7.9% during 2016–2017 and 2017–2018, respectively) and cropping system a whole (12.6 and 10.9% during 2016–2017 and 2017–2018, respectively). Though the tillage treatments were imposed before the sowing of DSR, they had residual impact on the following wheat crop. Deep tillage during both the seasons (DSRDT2-WCT) had not any significant influence on the grain yield of DSR, wheat and cropping system as a whole in comparison with deep tillage only once in 2 years (DSRDT1-WCT).

Deep tillage and irrigation impacts on crop performance of direct seeded rice–wheat cropping system in north-west India

Soil organic carbon and its labile pools as modulated by soil microbes under different land use practices in Typic Ustochrepts

Contamination of soils with cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) poses serious threat to the environment as well as human health via their entry in the food web. Exploration of the viable remedial measures has become inevitable to prevent their entry into the food chain. Thus, the present screen house study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of rice residue biochar on bioavailability to Indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern) in a loamy sand soil spiked with four levels of Cd and Pb varying from 0 to 40 mg kg−1 and 0 to 200 mg kg−1 soil, respectively. The soil of the metal treated pots was further amended with four rates (0, 1%, 2% and 4%, w/w) of rice residue biochar. Crop was grown for 60 days with recommended doses of nitrogen and phosphorus. Addition of biochar up to 2% increased the above ground biomass of Indian mustard but decreased with application @ 4% as compared to unamended soil. Application of biochar significantly reduced the accumulation of Cd and Pb by the crop with increasing rates of its application. The ameliorative efficiency of biochar for Pb was more as compared to Cd. It was concluded that rice residue biochar has the potential to curtail the solubility, availability and translocation of Pb and Cd to Indian mustard. 

Bioavailability of cd and pb to indian mustard (Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.) as influenced by Biochar

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