Moderation of nitrogen availability through the application of pyrolyzed and unpyrolyzed organic materials in saline water irrigated soil.

Soil application of pyrolyzed biomass (biochar) has been proposed as an effective strategy for managing degraded land, but its limitations as a sole nutrient supplier discourage its widespread application as a soil amendment. Excessive use of saline water for irrigation leads to buildup of salts and other toxic ions, which cause a decline in the availability of essential nutrients due to negative effects on the mineralization process. Therefore, a long-term incubation experiment was conducted for 52 weeks to study the individual or combined impact of pyrolyzed [biochar derived from rice residue (RB)] and unpyrolyzed organic materials [rice residue (RR) and animal manure (AM)] on nitrogen (N) dynamics in soil irrigated with water of varying electrical conductivity (EC) (EC [non-saline canal water), EC, and EC dS m (saline)].

Successive addition of rice straw biochar enhances carbon accumulation in soil irrigated with saline or non-saline water.

Biochar has been evaluated globally to improve soil fertility and mitigate climate change. However, the long-term effects of successive biochar application on carbon (C) accumulation in soil irrigated with saline versus non-saline water (canal water) has not been investigated. A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of rice straw biochar addition rates (0, 2, 4, 8 Mg ha) on C storage in soil irrigated with water of different electrical conductivity [EC, dS m]; 0.

Tillage, green manure and residue retention improves aggregate-associated phosphorus fractions under rice-wheat cropping.

The sustainability of the rice-wheat system is threatened due to the deterioration of soil health and emergence of new challenges of climate change caused by low nutrient use efficiency and large scale burning of crop residues. The conservation agriculture based on tillage intensity, crop residue retention and raising green manuring (GM) crops during the intervening period between wheat harvest and rice establishment offers opportunities for restoration of phosphorus (P) dynamics and stimulate phosphatase activities within the macro-and micro-aggregates. Phosphorus and phosphatase activities in the soil aggregates affected by different residue management practices remain poorly understood.

Rice straw biochar application to soil irrigated with saline water in a cotton-wheat system improves crop performance and soil functionality in north-west India.

Applications of biochar to degraded soils have attracted considerable interest because of its capacity to enhance nutrients availability to the plants, sequester C and immobilize organic and inorganic pollutants. A five-year field experiment was conducted in a cotton-wheat system to investigate the effect of different levels of irrigation water salinity (0.3, 5, 10, and 15 dS m) and rice straw biochar (0, 2, 4, and 8 t ha) on the crop yield and soil functions.

Soil Properties and Weed Dynamics in Wheat as Affected by Rice Residue Management in the Rice-Wheat Cropping System in South Asia: A Review.

The rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) has substantially contributed in making India self-sufficient in food grain production; however, rice residue management is of great concern, threatening the sustainability of this system. Rice residue is invariably disposed of by farmers through open burning. In addition to environmental pollution, residue burning of rice also leads to loss of soil nutrients.