Using industrial wastes for rice-wheat cropping and food-energy-carbon-water-economic nexus to the sustainable food system

This experiment aimed to develop a long-term sustainable food-energy-water-carbon-economic nexus module by converting industrial wastes (IWs) to compost. In the methodology, a split-plot design was employed to apply a different recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) levels, and carbon decomposing microbes (CDMs) converted IWs compost in the rice-wheat cropping. Four RDF levels were used in the main-plot, and nine combinations of CDMs + IWs were used in the sub-plot and replicated thrice. The result indicated that in the interaction impact of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium (NPK)100% +zinc (Zn)5kg + iron (Fe)5kg x IW1+CDM1 produced 80.2% more grain yield, 68.1 and 176.2% more net energy output and energy balance. There was higher water productivity and lower WFP than those for NPK0 x IW3+CDM3. Further, the main-plot NPK100% +Zn5kg + Fe5kg was observed sequentially at a maximum of US$ 126 and 2149/ha carbon societal and credit value. Meanwhile, the IW1+CDM1 noted a higher US$ 124 and 2094/ha of carbon societal and credit values, respectively in the subplot. The first two components from principal component analysis (PCA) of various energy indices and carbon dynamics explained 81 and 14% of the variability, respectively. The hypothesis of the experiment was that the use of IWs combined with inorganic fertilizers and CDMs for rice-wheat cropping; may help to increase crop productivity, carbon dioxide (CO2) sequestration, soil organic carbon (SOC) pools, and reduce carbon footprints (CFs), water footprint (WFP), energy, and fertilizer load to feed the ever-growing population.