In the eastern part of India, rice as the most vital staple food crop supports as well the livelihood security of a vast population. Rice is mostly grown under conventional flooded culture without proper nutrient management. Crop performance, water productivity and economic profitability of rice cultivation need to be assessed under water-saving rice production methodologies with proper integrated plant nutrient management strategies using locally available low-cost nutrient sources. A field trial was conducted at the Adaptive Research Farm, Polba (58.57 m msl), Agriculture Department, West Bengal, India, during the rainy/wet seasons of 2014 and 2015 under aerobic culture, the system of rice intensification (SRI) and conventional flooded culture. The experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of integrated plant nutrition and water-saving rice production methodologies on the crop performance and water productivity of rice and analyse the economic profitability of rice under different nutritional management and crop production methods such as aerobic culture, conventional flooded and SRI with an objective of sustainability in rice cultivation in the agroclimatic region. The results revealed that crop productivity significantly (p ≤ 0.05) varied from 4.68 t ha⁻¹ (average yield recorded under aerobic culture) to 6.21 t ha⁻¹ (average yield as achieved under SRI). Cultivation of rice under aerobic and conventional culture resulted in 24.6% and 20.9% yield reduction respectively as compared to SRI. Integrating 75% of the recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through chemicals with 25% RDN from vermicompost resulted in maximum crop productivity irrespective of crop culture. Aerobic rice culture registered maximum water economy in terms of both irrigation water productivity and total productivity. The study concludes that, for maximization of economic profitability, value cost ratio and partial factor productivity of nutrients the SRI method can be adopted along with integrated nutrient management (75% of RDN through chemicals with 25% RDN from vermicompost) in the lower Indo-Gangetic Plain Zone (IGPZ) of West Bengal, India.

Rice, the predominant food crop in India, is being grown traditionally with improper plant nutrient management mostly under the flooded situation. Recent advancement in research on crop science focuses on water-saving rice technologies for maximization in crop and water productivity under the backdrop of a shrinking water resource base for ensuring environmental and agricultural sustainability. Under this situation, an experiment was conducted in two consecutive years in a split-plot design keeping rice cultivation methodologies, viz., aerobic culture, System of Rice Intensification (SRI), and conventional flooded culture in main plots and integrated plant nutrient management (INM) treatments in sub-plots. The experiment was aimed at understanding the effects of different rice production systems and INM on nutrient content, uptake, and use efficiency. The change in soil quality parameters was also studied to understand the impact of crop establishment methods (CEM) and INM options. Significant reduction (p ≤ 0.05) in nutrient uptake and use efficiency was observed under aerobic culture compared to SRI and flooded method, although aerobic culture showed the highest physiological nitrogen use efficiency. Post-harvest available Fe status was significantly lower in aerobic rice (mean 10.39 ppm) compared to other crop establishment technologies; however, Zn status was higher in aerobic rice over the flooded situation. Although available potassium was not affected due to rice cultivation methods, available nitrogen and phosphorus status were influenced remarkably. Soil microbial quality was improved in aerobic rice in comparison to flooded rice. SRI proved to be the most efficient rice establishment method for enhancement in nutrient uptake, use efficiency, and enrichment of soil chemical and microbiological quality. Irrespective of crop culture, integrated plant nutrition in rice improved the nutrient uptake, use efficiency, and soil quality parameters. The study revealed that, under the alluvial soils of the Indo-Gangetic Plains of Eastern India, SRI can be considered as a water-saving rice production method. The method can also improve nutrient uptake, efficiency, and soil quality parameters if proper INM is adopted.

Performance of Zero-till Bio-mulching on Different Pulses under Maize-legume Sequence

Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient that plays a pivotal role in the soil–plant–human continuum, influencing soil health, crop productivity, and human nutrition. Its behavior in soil is governed by a complex interplay of physicochemical and biological factors, including soil pH, organic matter, clay content, redox conditions, and environmental variability. Zn availability typically decreases in alkaline, calcareous, and sandy soils, whereas its solubility increases markedly with decreasing pH, resulting in a 100‐fold decrease per unit decline. Organic matter exerts a dual influence by stabilizing Zn through complexation while also enhancing its mobility via soluble organometallic forms. Processes such as adsorption and desorption regulate Zn partitioning between the solid and solution phases of soil, thereby controlling its bioavailability and plant uptake. Zn plays essential roles in plant metabolism, including enzyme activation, membrane stabilization, and growth regulation, and contributes to human health by supporting immune function, endocrine regulation, and metabolic homeostasis. However, Zn imbalance remains a key challenge, as both Zn deficiency and excessive accumulation can adversely affect plant performance and human health, leading to impaired metabolism, oxidative stress, and micronutrient interactions. Furthermore, climate change is expected to alter Zn dynamics in soils, influencing its mobility, bioavailability, and transfer across trophic systems. This review provides a comprehensive, integrative synthesis of Zn dynamics across interconnected systems and highlights future research directions, emphasizing the need for integrated strategies that combine soil management, microbial interventions, crop improvement, and precision agriculture to increase Zn use efficiency and ensure sustainable agricultural and nutritional security.