Maintaining sustainable crop production on undulating, sloppy, and erodible soils in Shivalik foothills of North-west India is a challenging task. Intercropping is accepted as a highly sustainable system to reduce soil erosion and ensure sustainable production by making efficient use of resources. Field experiments were conducted in the rainy season (July to September) during 2015, 2016, and 2017 to evaluate the effect of land slopes and maize and cowpea strip-intercropping on productivity and resource conservation at the Regional Research Station, Ballowal Saunkhri located in the Shivalik foothills. During three years of experimentation, a total of 23–26 runoff events were observed in the maize crop grown in the rainy season. The results from this 3-year field study indicate that maize grain yield was significantly higher on a 1% slope and cowpea on a 2% slope. This accounted for significantly higher net returns (US$ 428 ha⁻¹) with a benefit-cost (BC) ratio of 2.0 on a 1% slope. Runoff, soil, and nutrient losses were higher on a 3% slope as compared to 1% and 2% slopes. N, P, and K loss on a 3% slope were 3.80, 1.82, and 4.10 kg ha⁻¹ higher, respectively than a 1% slope. The adoption of a strip-intercropping system with a 4.8 m maize strip width and 1.2 m cowpea strip width resulted in significantly higher maize equivalent yield than sole maize and other strip-intercropping systems. This system showed the highest land equivalent ratio value (1.24) indicating a 24% yield advantage over sole cropping systems of maize and cowpea, and fetched the highest net returns (US$ 530 ha⁻¹) with a benefit-cost ratio (BC ratio) of 2.09. This system also reduced runoff and soil loss by 10.9% and 8.3%, respectively than sole maize crop. On all the land slopes, maize and cowpea strip-intercropping systems showed a significant reduction in N, P, K, and organic carbon loss as compared to sole maize. Thus, on sloping land, the maize and cowpea strip-intercropping system decreases surface runoff, soil, and nutrient loss, and increases yield and income of the farmers as compared to a sole maize crop.

Potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg) are essential plant macronutrients responsible for mitigation of biotic and abiotic stresses as well as enhancement in yield of maize. In rainfed maize, low productivity due to imbalanced use of fertilizers, erratic rainfall and periodic dry spells are major constraints. Hence, a field experiment was conducted in rainy season during 2015, 2016 and 2017 on an Inceptisol to optimize the levels of K and Mg in rainfed maize. The experiment consisted of four levels of K; control, K @20 kg ha⁻¹, K@30 kg ha⁻¹ and K 40 kg ha⁻¹ and four levels of Mg; control, Mg@15 kg ha⁻¹, Mg@30 kg ha⁻¹, and Mg@45 kg ha⁻¹. Application of K and Mg improved leaf area Index, chlorophyll content and relative water content in maize. Yield attributes of maize also improved significantly with application of K and Mg over control. Highest grain yield (3205 and 3169 kg ha⁻¹) was recorded with the application of 40 kg K ha⁻¹and 45 kg Mg ha⁻¹, respectively which was at par with 30 kg K ha⁻¹ (3103 kg ha⁻¹) and 30 kg Mg ha⁻¹ (3106 kg ha⁻¹), respectively. The highest net returns (US $347 ha⁻¹) and BC ratio (1.72) was recorded with 40 kg K ha⁻¹ while application of 30 kg Mg ha⁻¹ recorded highest net returns (US $332 ha⁻¹) and BC ratio (1.71). Application of 30 kg K ha⁻¹ and 30 kg Mg ha⁻¹ was found to be optimum to improve growth, yield and nutrient uptake in rainfed maize.

A field experiment was conducted at five locations in Punjab, India to study the effect of foliar application of urea (nitrogen) on the symbiotic parameters, growth, yield, quality, and monetary parameters of chickpea under irrigated conditions. The experiment consisted of foliar application of 2% urea at flowering stage, pod formation stage, at both the stages (flowering + pod formation), and control (no application) treatment. Application of 2% urea at flowering and pod formation stages recorded the highest number of nodules, dry weight of nodules, plant height and yield parameters. Improvement in these parameters led to significantly higher chickpea yield, by a margin of 26.0, 39.7, 14.1, 12.6 and 22.4 per cent as compared to control at Ludhiana (2017-18), Ludhiana (2018-19), Bathinda, Ballowal Saunkhri and Faridkot, respectively. On the basis of pooled mean of all the trials, foliar application of urea at both stages (flowering as well as pod formation) improved the grain yield by 19.3% over control, protein content by 12.7% and net monetary returns by 30.4% as compared to control treatment. It can be concluded that foliar application of 2% urea at flowering as well as pod formation stages should be done in chickpea under irrigated conditions for obtaining higher grain yield and net returns along with improved protein content, which can help in the fulfillment of protein requirement of the vegetarian population.

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy (kharif) and winter (rabi) seasons from 2012–13 to 2014–15 at Ballowal Saunkhri, Punjab, to study the effect of tillage and sources of nitrogen (N) on crop productivity and soil health in maize (Zea mays L.) – wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system. The experiment was conducted under rainfed conditions in a split-plot design with 3 replications. In the main plots 2 tillage practices, viz. rotavator and conventional tillage, were assigned and in the subplots 6 nutrient-management practices, viz. control, 40 kg N/ha through urea, 80 kg N/ha through urea, 20 kg N/ha through compost + 20 kg N/ha through urea, 40 kg N/ha through urea + 40 kg N/ha through compost and 20 kg N/ha through compost + 20 kg N/ha through Leucaena leaves, were alloted. Conventional tillage resulted in 15.5 and 0.44 % higher grain yield of maize and wheat (3.10 and 2.26 t/ha respectively) over rotavator (2.62 and 2.25 t/ha respectively). Consequently, system productivity of conventional tillage (5.58 t/ha) in terms of wheat-equivalent yield was 9.7% higher than that with rotavator (5.04 t/ ha). Application of 80 kg N/ha through urea increased the maize yield by 45% and wheat yield by 43% over the control. System productivity was significantly higher when N was applied either through urea (5.65 to 6.51 t/ha) or through urea and organic sources (4.89 to 6.19 t/ha) than the control (3.61 t/ha). The input-energy requirement in conventional tillage was 6.3 and 4.4% higher in maize and wheat than rotavator. In maize, output energy, energy balance, energy-use efficiency and energy productivity were significantly higher in conventional tillage than rotavator. While in wheat energy values were higher in rotavator, these were at par with conventional tillage. Bulk density (1.44 Mg/m3) and soil organic carbon (0.59%) with rotavator improved significantly. Application of 40 kg/ ha N from urea + 40 kg N/ha from compost recorded the highest bulk density (1.41 Mg/m3 ), organic carbon (0.60%), available N (199 kg/ha) and P (29.6 kg/ha). Benefit: cost ratio of the system was significantly higher with rotavator (1.70) and application of 80 kg N/ha (2.07) from urea.

A field experiment was conducted during kharif season of 2015 and 2016 at the research farm of All India Coordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Ballowal Saunkhri to study the effect of real time contingency measures to mitigate mid-season dry spells in rainfed maize. Real time contingency measures viz., vegetative mulching (T₂), foliar spray of 1% KNO₃(T₃), vegetative mulching + foliar spray of 1% KNO₃(T₅), vegetative mulching + reduction in plant population (T₆) and foliar spray of 1% KNO₃ + reduction in plant population (T₇) recorded significantly higher yields as compared to control (T₁). Pooled data of two years showed that among different real time interventions in rainfed maize, T₅ treatment recorded highest grain yield (3571 kg ha⁻¹), straw yield (8000 kg ha⁻¹), rain water use efficiency (7.34 kg ha⁻¹ mm), net return ( 27737 ha⁻¹) and B:C ratio (1.80). This is due to highest soil moisture content (14%) and leaf area (4533 cm²) recorded in this treatment (T₅) during dry spell. Highest leaf area recorded in T₅ treatment was 21% more than that recorded in T₁. T₅ treatment also resulted in significant increase in cob length, cob girth and 1000-grain weight of maize as compared to T₁.