The salinization of soil is responsible for the reduction in the growth and development of plants. As the global population increases day by day, there is a decrease in the cultivation of farmland due to the salinization of soil, which threatens food security. Salt-affected soils occur all over the world, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. The total area of global salt-affected soil is 1 billion ha, and in India, an area of nearly 6.74 million ha⁻¹ is salt-stressed, out of which 2.95 million ha⁻¹ are saline soil (including coastal) and 3.78 million ha⁻¹ are alkali soil. The rectification and management of salt-stressed soils require specific approaches for sustainable crop production. Remediating salt-affected soil by chemical, physical and biological methods with available resources is recommended for agricultural purposes. Bioremediation is an eco-friendly approach compared to chemical and physical methods. The role of microorganisms has been documented by many workers for the bioremediation of such problematic soils. Halophilic Bacteria, Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Cyanobacteria, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and microbial inoculation have been found to be effective for plant growth promotion under salt-stress conditions. The microbial mediated approaches can be adopted for the mitigation of salt-affected soil and help increase crop productivity. A microbial product consisting of beneficial halophiles maintains and enhances the soil health and the yield of the crop in salt-affected soil. This review will focus on the remediation of salt-affected soil by using microorganisms and their mechanisms in the soil and interaction with the plants.

Wind erosion is a major natural disaster worldwide, and it is a key problem in western Rajasthan in India. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), the Geographic Information System (GIS), and remote sensing satellite images are effective tools for modeling and risk assessment of land degradation. The present study aimed to assess and model the land degradation vulnerable (LDV) zones based on the AHP and geospatial techniques in the Luni River basin in Rajasthan, India. This study was carried out by examining important thematic layers, such as vegetation parameters (normalized difference vegetation index and land use/land cover), a terrain parameter (slope), climatic parameters (mean annual rainfall and land surface temperature), and soil parameters (soil organic carbon, soil erosion, soil texture, and soil depth), using the Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) and geospatial techniques in the Luni River basin in Rajasthan, India. The weights derived for the thematic layers using AHP were as follows: NDVI (0.27) > MAR (0.22) > LST (0.15) > soil erosion (0.12) > slope (0.08) > LULC (0.06) > SOC (0.04) > soil texture (0.03) > soil depth (0.02). The result indicates that nearly 21.4 % of the total area is prone to very high degradation risks; 12.3% is prone to high risks; and 16%, 24.3%, and 26% are prone to moderate, low, and very low risks, respectively. The validation of LDV was carried out using high-resolution Google Earth images and field photographs. Additionally, the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve found an area under the curve (AUC) value of 82%, approving the prediction accuracy of the AHP technique in the study area. This study contributes by providing a better understanding of land degradation neutrality and sustainable soil and water management practices in the river basin.

Over the past decade, scientific studies have increasingly concentrated on the effects of global phosphorus (P) scarcity on food security. A comprehensive strategy that considers demand reduction and recycling possibilities is needed to address the global P scarcity. Reduced tillage along with crop residue retention could decrease fixation of P in soil, improve labile P content and enhance organic-P (Po) buildup and its mineralization by phosphatases; this could be an extra benefit of conservation agriculture (CA) in soils. To study the impact of long-term CA on soil organic and inorganic P fractions and their distribution, a long-term field trial was conducted under a maize-based cropping system with different tillage (zero tillage (ZT), permanent bed (PB) and conventional till (CT) and cropping system (maize–wheat–mungbean (MWMb), maize–chickpea–sesbania (MCS), maize–mustard–mungbean (MMuMb) and maize–maize–sesbania (MMS)). Phosphorus dynamics were studied through sequential fractionation (organic and inorganic P) at 0–5 and 5–15 cm soil depth. The findings showed that a higher amount of soluble and loosely bound P (SL-P) was detected in ZT among the inorganic P fractions, whereas iron-bound P (Fe-P), aluminum-bound P (Al-P), reductant soluble P (RES-P) and calcium-bound P (Ca-P) were found higher in CT in both soil depths. Among Organic-P fractions, moderately labile and non-labile Po was found higher in PB and ZT but, in the case of labile Po, it was found insignificant with respect to tillage operations. Significant synergistic effects of winter legume (chickpea) with summer legumes (sesbania and mungbean) in crop rotation were observed on SL-P, Labile Po, Humic acid-Po, Alkaline phosphatase and MBP at 0–5 and 5–15 cm soil depths. Given the potential relevance of understanding P dynamics for efficient P management in long-term conservation agriculture practices, our findings offers critical new insight for the P management for sustainable development.

To explore the impact of different agroforestry systems on carbon sequestration, the carbon management index, and carbon fractions, a long-term (37 years) field trial was conducted using three tree-based agroforestry systems consisting of tree species, namely Acacia tortilis, Hardwickia binata, and Tecomella undulata, along with fallow land in a semi-arid region of India. The soil samples were taken at four distinct depths (0–15, 15–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm) with eight replications and analyzed for soil total organic carbon (TOC), soil organic carbon fractions, soil carbon stocks, and the carbon management index (CMI). In the topsoil layer (0–30 cm), the Acacia tortilis-based agroforestry system recorded a total organic carbon (TOC) content of 4.09%, which was 42.5% higher than that of fallow land. In this layer, the active carbon pool (ACP) was more prominent than the passive carbon pool (PCP). Compared to fallow land, the ACP increased by 68.3%, 59%, and 53.6% for the Acacia tortilis-, Hardwickia binata-, and Tecomella undulata-based systems, respectively. Similarly, the PCP increased by 18.4%, 11.8%, and 8.2% for the same respective systems in the topsoil layer. For the 0–90 cm soil layer, the Acacia tortilis-based agroforestry system sequestered the highest amount of total organic carbon (39.34 Mg C ha⁻¹), followed by agroforestry systems based on Hardwickia binata (37.86 Mg C ha⁻¹), Tecomella undulata (36.99 Mg C ha⁻¹), and fallow land (30.65 Mg C ha⁻¹). Carbon sequestration is higher in the subsurface soil layers (30–90 cm) than in the surface layers. This trend is observed across all agroforestry systems. The carbon management index registered higher for the Acacia tortilis-based agroforestry system (166.58) at the top soil layer than others. Hence, long-term agroforestry systems could improve soil carbon storage and the carbon management index as compared to fallow land. A 37-year field study in a semi-arid region of India revealed that Acacia tortilis-based agroforestry significantly enhances soil carbon sequestration, active carbon pools, and the carbon management index, especially in deeper soil layers, compared to fallow land.

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Soil salinity is one of the major problems in arid and semi-arid areas around the world. Salinity results in soil and water degradation. Cowpea is very sensitive to salinity and sodicity as compared to cereals and oilseed crops. Salinity reduced germination percentage and germination index. In saline soils, availability of phosphorus is low due to immobilization of applied P, fixation of P by Ca. The requirement of phosphorus for pulses is more important than nitrogen and potassium but the availability of phosphorus is low in Rajasthan. The experiment consisted of twelve treatment combinations including three levels of saline irrigation water [normal (1.26) and 6 dS m-1 keeping Cl-: SO42- ratio in 3:1 and 1:3] and four levels of phosphorus application (0, 10, 20 and 30 mg kg-1). The experiment was conducted in pots and carried out in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Phosphorus transformation in soil, yield attributes and yield of the crop were observed significantly higher with normal (1.26 dS m-1) irrigation water and 30 mg kg-1 phosphorus application in soil. The result indicated that irrigation with normal (1.26 dS m-1) water and 30 mg kg-1 phosphorus application in soil to the cowpea crop significantly increased the different forms of soil phosphorus viz., Al-P, Fe-P, saloid-P, organic-P and total-P, effective number of nodules per plant, nodule index, fresh and dry weight of nodules, plant height, pods per plant, seeds per pod, seed index, seed and straw yield.