This study evaluated a horticulture-based integrated farming system for improving productivity, profitability, soil health, and biological activity compared with conventional rice-wheat and sugarcane monocropping systems in the Upper Gangetic Plains. A five-year field experiment (2020-21 to 2024-25) was conducted at ICAR–IIFSR, Modipuram, Meerut, India, in a 1.50 ha horticulture-based integrated farming system (horticulture, crop, aquaculture, poultry, boundary plantation, and vermicompost). System productivity, economic indicators, soil physical and chemical properties, microbial populations (bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi), enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, phosphatase, β-glucosidase, fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis), and microbial biomass carbon were assessed and compared with conventional rice–wheat and sugarcane monocropping systems. HIFS achieved system productivity of 43.06 t/ha, 3.23- and 3.20-fold higher than rice–wheat (13.33 t/ha) and sugarcane (13.44 t/ha), respectively. Gross returns (USD 9300.53/year), net returns (USD 5592.53/year), and benefit-cost ratio (1.51) were substantially greater than monocropping systems. Soil bulk density decreased, water-holding capacity improved, and soil organic carbon and nutrient availability increased markedly. Microbial populations, microbial biomass carbon, and enzymatic activities significantly increased, with strong positive associations among soil indicators (p ≤ 0.05–0.01). Horticulture-based integrated farming with resource recycling significantly improves productivity, profitability, and soil biological functioning and offers a sustainable alternative to monocropping systems in the Upper Gangetic Plains.
Groundwater remains an essential source of freshwater, but its levels have decreased in many areas due to various natural and anthropogenic activities. Therefore, evaluating groundwater level trends is critical for understanding these variations and promoting sustainable management. This research examined groundwater level trends over 23 years (1996–2018) across coastal districts of India. Groundwater level data were assessed for four distinct seasons: pre-monsoon (PREMON), monsoon (MON), post-monsoon kharif (POMKH), and post-monsoon rabi (POMRB). Temporal trends were analysed using Mann-Kendall (MK) and Spearman’s rho (SR) non-parametric tests, while Sen’s slope (SS) was applied to determine the rate of change. According to the MK test, significant increasing trends were detected in 45.20
Amid growing global concerns over environmental degradation, food security, and climate change, organic farming has emerged as a key pillar of sustainable agriculture. This scientometric analysis of global research from 2003 to 2023 examined trends across 11,561 publications, revealed an annual growth rate of 8.8 % and an average of 24.27 citations per document, emphasizing the growing significance of organic farming in both academic and practical spheres. Scientific collaborations across 33,576 authors, with an average of 4.4 co-authors per paper, underscore the interdisciplinary and international scope of organic farming research. The USA, Germany, and Italy played a major role in advancing the field of organic farming through publications in highimpact journals, facilitating the rapid and effective communication of research findings. The Scientometric analysis further revealed that the key research areas of organic farming include soil fertility, biological pest control, climate-resilient practices, and socioeconomic aspects. Emerging interest in precision agriculture and digital tools suggests a shift towards technologically enhanced organic farming. However, the concerns relating to the scalability and economic viability of organic farming practices, particularly for smallholders, remain critical challenges. This analysis offers strategic insights to inform future research directions, policy development, and sustainable agricultural transformation.
Carbon mapping through allometric equations and default factors offers a precise, non-destructive approach for quantifying biomass and carbon stocks, essential for greenhouse gas mitigation in agroecosystems. Despite the significant potential of fruit orchards to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration, few studies have focused on developing allometric models specifically for these systems. Hence, this study focuses on carbon sequestration potential, along with allometry model and conversion factors, for mango, coconut, and pomegranate orchards established on degraded lands. Biomass components were destructively sampled, sorted, dried, and analyzed. Among the species, mango exhibited the highest biomass, followed by pomegranate and coconut. Default factors were developed for non-destructive biomass estimation under the IPCC Tier-II methodology. Average carbon content was 42.01 % (mango), 42.73 % (pomegranate), and 39.84 % (coconut). The total carbon stock was highest in mango orchards (28.30 Mg C ha- 1), followed by pomegranate and coconut. Similarly, mango recorded the highest carbon sequestration rate (3.37 Mg C ha- 1 yr- 1), with comparatively lower rates in pomegranate and coconut. Collar diameter was identified as the most reliable predictor for mango and pomegranate biomass, while DBH2 x H was optimal for coconut. The Gompertz model best fitted the mango and pomegranate data, while the Chapman model was optimal for coconut, as confirmed by independent validation and standard model selection criteria. These findings highlight the role of fruit-based systems in supporting India's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets by enhancing carbon stocks (aiming to create an additional 2.5-3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent sink by 2030), reducing GHG emission intensity (by 45 % of GDP by 2030), and unlocking carbon credit potential under changing climate conditions. To realize this potential, robust, species- and site-specific MRV protocols is essential, as their accuracy determines carbon payments and the achievement of realistic mitigation goals.
Coconut (Cocos nucifera) is an important crop in peninsular India, where the red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is a key pest. Mass trapping of adult weevils using food baited pheromone traps (FBPTs) is widely used in RPW-IPM programmes. RPW originated in South Asia where it is a major pest of coconut, Cocus nucifera. Frequent servicing (change of food bait and insecticide solution) of RPW- FBPTs becomes cumbersome and costly, especially at a higher trap density. We field tested trap and bait free attract and kill (A K) technology by using Hook-RPW™ in RPW infested coconut plantations of Goa, India. Two FBPTs were located at 100 m distance on either side in the experimental plot with 50 coconut palms to record the weekly weevil captures. Pre and post-treatment weevil captures were recorded at weekly intervals for 17 weeks each. Further, in the post-treatment phase 50
