Weeds are the most severe and widespread biological constraint on agricultural production systems and cause damage to cropped and non-cropped lands. They reduce crop yield and degrade the quality of the produce, besides raising the cost of production. The intensification of agriculture in the Green Revolution era attracted chemical fertilizers and dwarf varieties coupled with mono-cropping and irrigation practices, which enhanced crop-associated weeds and the widespread use of herbicides for easy control. Pesticides may kill many organisms, both target and non-target species, in the environment, causing an imbalance in the ecosystem. Despite the significant increase in productivity, the environmental repercussions of industrial agriculture, characterized by the use of high-yielding crop varieties and the extensive application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, have prompted a quest for more sustainable agricultural practices worldwide. One potential alternative lies in innovative approaches that draw upon ecological insights gleaned from studying natural ecosystems. These approaches aim to create “ecologically intensive” agro-ecosystems. Developing ecologically intensive agro-ecosystems necessitates a deep understanding of the biological dynamics within ecosystems and the integration of traditional agricultural knowledge held by local farmers. Considering the potentiality of appropriate weed management technologies to substantially improve crop productivity, there is an opportunity for the development, popularization, and adoption of effective, economical, and eco-friendly weed management technologies.

Agricultural activities are responsible for greenhouse gases (GHGs) emission in the environment. Strategies are required to enhance the soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) sequestration to adapt and mitigate the climate change. We investigated GHGs emission, SOC and N enhancement under conventional tillage (CT) and zero tillage (ZT) with N management in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Seasonal carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission and global warming potential (GWP) reduced for ZT treatments over CT without residues and 100% of required N with a blanket split application (CT – R + 100N). The ZT with 5 t ha⁻¹ maize (Zea mays L.) residues retention and 75% of required N and GreenSeeker^TM (GS)-aided N management (ZT + R + 75N + GS) reduced yield-scaled GHGs emission and increased total organic carbon (C) stock over CT – R + 100N. However, nitrous oxide (N₂O) emission was lower in CT. The GS-based N management saved 26–35 kg N ha⁻¹ in different tillage systems in both years over blanket application with higher N uptake and associated reduction in N₂O emission. The study recommends that ZT with residues retention and GS-based N management can minimize the GHGs emission and improve the SOC.

Mono-cropping of maize–wheat, mechanical disintegration of soils, and continuous chemical fertilization have deteriorated soil health in the Indo-Gangetic Plains. We studied the long-term impact of pulse-based cropping systems with integrated nutrient management on soil physical and chemical properties and yield sustainability. We evaluated four different cropping systems: (1) maize–wheat (M–W), (2) maize–wheat–mungbean (M–W–Mb), (3) maize–wheat–maize–chickpea (M–W–M–C), (4) pigeonpea–wheat (P–W) each with three degrees of soil fertilization techniques: (1) unfertilized control (CT), (2) inorganic fertilization (RDF), and (3) integrated nutrient management (INM). The field experiment was undertaken in a split-plot design with three replications each year with a fixed layout. P–W and M–W–Mb systems enhanced soil properties such as volume expansion by 9–25% and porosity by 7–9% (p < 0.05) more than M–W, respectively. P–W and M–W–Mb increased soil organic carbon by 25–42% and 12–50% over M–W (RDF). P–W system enhanced water holding capacity and gravimetric moisture content by 10 and 11% (p < 0.05) than M–W. Pulse-based systems (P–W and M–W–Mb) had higher available nitrogen (8–11%), phosphorus (42–73%), and potassium (8–12%) over M–W (p < 0.05). M–W–Mb increased 26% maize yield and 21% wheat yield over M–W (p < 0.05) at the thirteenth crop cycle. P–W system had a higher sustainable yield index (p < 0.05) of wheat over the M–W. Thus, pulse inclusion in the cropping system in combination with INM can enhance physical and chemical properties vis-à-vis sustainable yield index over the cereal-cereal system.

An in-depth knowledge on impact of integrated nutrient management (INM) practice on yield sustainability and soil quality is important to scale INM practice across regions. Therefore, field experiment was initiated in 2006, which consisted of five treatments: absolute control, 100% recommended doses of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) (RDF), 50% recommended doses of NP + 100% K + biofertilizers, 50% recommended doses of NP + 100% K + 1 t ha⁻¹ enriched compost (ECM) and 25% recommended doses of NP + 100% K + 2 t ha⁻¹ ECM (25RDF + 2ECM). The use of 25RDF + 2ECM increased soil organic carbon by 32 and 24% over control and RDF, respectively, at 0–5 cm soil layer. It also increased soil microbial biomass carbon, microbial phosphorus and phenol oxidase activity by 13.7, 20.9 and 55.7% than RDF, respectively, at 0–5 cm layer. Notably, phenol oxidase activity, pH, DTPA-extractable iron, available K, mineral N and microbial biomass phosphorus came out as the key indicators of soil quality in acidic soil after 10 years. The study recommends that INM practice comprising ECM and reduced inorganic fertilizers could enhance soil quality and yield sustainability of rice in the long-run in acidic soil ecology.