Publications by authors named "Kapila Shekhawat"

Intense cultivation with narrow row spacing in wheat, a common practice in the Indo-Gangetic plains of South Asia, renders the crop more susceptible to lodging during physiological maturity. This susceptibility, compounded by the use of traditional crop cultivars, has led to a substantial decline in overall crop productivity. In response to these challenges, a two-year field study on the system of wheat intensification (SWI) was conducted.

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Soybean-wheat is the predominant cropping system covering >2.5 Mha area in India. The lower productivity of soybean-wheat cropping system (SWCS), remains a serious concern primarily due to inadequate nutrient management.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effects of combining nano-fertilizers with conventional fertilizers on soil microbial structure and crop yield in a wheat-maize system, aiming to improve nutrient efficiency.
  • Results show that using 75% of the recommended nitrogen combined with full phosphorus and potassium via conventional methods, along with nano-urea or nano-zinc sprays, can achieve similar grain yields as the full recommended dose.
  • The application of nano-fertilizers boosted soil microbial diversity and certain beneficial microbial groups, suggesting that integrating nano and conventional fertilizers is an effective strategy for sustainable agricultural practices and enhancing soil health.
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Increasing complexity in crop nutrient requirement in intensive crop production systems needs alternate multi-nutrient sources. Polyhalite (POLY-4) which contains 14% KO along withcalcium (17% CaO), magnesium (6% MgO), and sulfur (19% S) can be a possible recourse in this regard. In maize-wheat systems, it was evaluated for productivity, profitability, nutrient usage, and nutrient use efficiency under Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP) zones for consecutive two years (2018-19 and 2019-20).

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One of the biggest challenges to be addressed in world agriculture is low nitrogen (N) use efficiency (<40%). To address this issue, researchers have repeatedly underlined the need for greater emphasis on the development and promotion of energy efficient, and environmentally sound novel fertilizers, in addition to improved agronomic management to augment nutrient use efficiency for restoring soil fertility and increasing farm profit. Hence, a fixed plot field experiment was conducted to assess the economic and environmental competency of conventional fertilizers with and without nano-urea (novel fertilizer) in two predominant cropping systems viz.

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Environmental crises, land degradation, and frequent crop failure threaten the livelihoods of millions of the populace in the semi-arid agroecosystems. Therefore, different combinations of annual crops with perennial fruit trees were assessed to restore the soil carbon, and enhance farm productivity and profitability in a semi-arid climate. The study hypothesized that the integration of perennial fruit trees with seasonal crops may enhance farm productivity, economic returns, and environmental sustainability.

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Globally agricultural production system generates a huge amount of solid waste. Improper agri-waste management causes environmental pollution which resulted in economic losses and human health-related problems. Hence, there is an urgent need to design and develop eco-friendly, cost-effective, and socially acceptable agri-waste management technologies.

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Paraquat is a highly toxic and persistent pesticide in soil but is still used for wheat crops in many countries. Paraquat can pose potential health hazards if it is translocated from soil into wheat grains, but no study is available for its possible translocation causing wheat grain contamination. The present study aimed at finding out Paraquat residue in wheat grains under field conditions for two crop seasons to explore the sustainability of this pesticide.

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Indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers in the agricultural production systems to keep pace with the food and nutritional demand of the galloping population had an adverse impact on ecosystem services and environmental quality. Hence, an alternative mechanism is to be developed to enhance farm production and environmental sustainability. A nanohybrid construct like nanofertilizers (NFs) is an excellent alternative to overcome the negative impact of traditional chemical fertilizers.

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A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of irrigation scheduling and use of superabsorbent polymers on growth, seed and water productivity, soil moisture dynamics in Indian mustard under semi-arid conditions. During the first year of the study, the increase in the mustard seed yield with irrigations applied at IW/CPE (Irrigation water, mm/Cumulative Pan Evaporation, mm (CPU) ratios 0.8, 0.

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