Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production systems are a major area of concern in mitigating climate change. Therefore, a study was conducted to investigate the effects of crop residue, nutrient management, and soil moisture on methane (CH₄) emissions from maize, rice, soybean, and wheat production systems. In this study, incubation experiments were conducted with four residue types (maize, rice, soybean, wheat), seven nutrient management treatments {N0P0K0 (no nutrients), N0PK, N100PK, N150PK, N100PK + manure@ 5 Mg ha⁻¹, N100PK + biochar@ 5 Mg ha⁻¹, N150PK+ biochar@ 5 Mg ha⁻¹}, and two soil moisture levels (80% FC, and 60% FC). The results of this study indicated that interactive effects of residue type, nutrient management, and soil moisture significantly affected methane (CH₄) fluxes. After 87 days of incubation, the treatment receiving rice residue with N100PK at 60% FC had the highest cumulative CH₄ mitigation of −19.4 µg C kg⁻¹ soil, and the highest emission of CH₄ was observed in wheat residue application with N0PK at 80% FC (+12.93 µg C kg⁻¹ soil). Nutrient management had mixed effects on CH₄ emissions across residue and soil moisture levels in the following order: N150PK > N0PK > N150PK + biochar > N0P0K0 > N100PK + manure > N100PK + biochar > N100PK. Decreasing soil moisture from 80% FC to 60% FC reduced methane emissions across all residue types and nutrient treatments. Wheat and maize residues exhibited the highest carbon mineralization rates, followed by rice and soybean residues. Nutrient inputs generally decreased residue carbon mineralization. The regression analysis indicated that soil moisture and residue C mineralization were the two dominant predictor variables that estimated 31% of soil methane fluxes in Vertisols. The results of this study show the complexity of methane dynamics and emphasize the importance of integrated crop, nutrient, and soil moisture (irrigation) management strategies that need to be developed to minimize methane emissions from agricultural production systems to mitigate climate change.

In order to support livelihoods, enhance food security, restore ecosystem services, and reduce pressure on forests, degraded land can be restored by utilising alternative land-use systems (ALUS), such as silviculture, silvipasture, and hortipasture techniques. ALUS significantly modify the dynamics of soil nutrients in both the surface and subsurface layers. Soils from the 0–15, 15–30, and 30–45 cm layers of Leucaena leucocephala (S)-, Hardwickia binata (H)-, Emblica officinalis (A)-, and Azadiracta indica (N)-based silviculture systems, Acacia nilotica-based silvipasture systems (SPS), natural grassland (NT), and fallow land (F) were sampled in order to better understand the nutrient dynamics of ALUS. Soils under S, H, and SPS had ~203%, 195%, and 129% higher organic carbon (SOC), respectively, than fallow land in the 0–15 cm soil layer. In the subsequent soil layer, those land-use systems had ~199%, 82%, and 110% higher SOC, respectively, than fallow land. Similarly, in the deeper layer, those land uses had ~232%, 23%, and 105% higher SOC, respectively, than fallow land. SPS and NT also improved the SOC concentration significantly over fallow land. Plots under S, H, and SPS had ~198%, 190%, and 125% higher available N, respectively, than fallow land in 0–15 cm soil layer. In the 15–30 cm soil layer, those land-use systems had ~19%9, 82%, and 110% higher available N, respectively, than fallow land. These systems also improved the P and K contents in subsurface soil. Micronutrient concentrations were also improved in soils under S, H, and SPS. Hence, ALUS’ adoption in degraded areas with trees provides a chance for C storage and improves the nutrient dynamics on degraded land.

Achieving an economically feasible and environmentally robust model in agriculture while satisfying the expanding population’s food demands is a global challenge. Hence, a three-year (2014–2017) study was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana to design environmentally clean, energy-efficient, and profitable cropping systems. Twelve cropping systems viz., rice-wheat (CS₁), basmati rice-hayola (transplanted)-mung bean (CS₂), basmati rice-radish-maize (CS₃), maize-potato-maize (CS₄), maize + turmeric-barley + linseed (CS₅), maize + turmeric-wheat + linseed (CS₆), maize + radish-wheat + linseed-mung bean (CS₇), groundnut + pigeon pea (5:1)-wheat + sarson (9:1) (CS₈), maize + black gram-pea (bed) + celery (furrows) (CS₉),_: maize + pigeon pea-chickpea (bed) + gobhi sarson (furrows) (CS₁₀), maize (green cobs) + vegetable cowpea + dhaincha (Sesbania spp.)-chickpea + gobhi sarson (CS₁₁) and sorghum + cowpea (fodder)-wheat + gobhi sarson (9:1) (CS₁₂) were tested in a four-times-replicated randomized block design. CS₁₁ had the maximum system productivity (28.57 Mg ha⁻¹), production efficiency (78.27 Kg Day⁻¹ ha⁻¹), irrigation water use efficiency (2.38 kg m⁻³), system net returns (4413.3 US$ ha⁻¹), and benefit to cost (B:C) ratio (2.83) over others. In comparison to the CS₁ system, this cropping system required ~78% less irrigation water for a unit economic production. However, the cultivation of CS₁₂ registered the highest energy use efficiency (49.06%), net energy returns (6.46 × 10³ MJ ha⁻¹), and global warming potential (GWP) (Mg CO₂ e ha⁻¹) at spatial scale. Among all the intensified systems, CS₁₁ had the lowest GHGI (0.29 kg CO₂ e kg⁻¹). Furthermore, cultivation of CS₆ resulted in the maximum bacterial and actinomycetes population in the soil, while CS₅ yielded the highest fungal count (23.8 × 10³ cfu g⁻¹ dry soil) in soil. Our study suggests that the cultivation of CS₁₁ is a resource-efficient, economically viable, and environmentally clean production system and could be a potential alternative to rice-wheat systems for developing a green economy policy for agricultural development in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) of India.

The present study reports, bioefficacy evaluation of effective compounds against Meloidogyne incognita and Sclerotium rolfsii in pot cultured tomato. The identified five most effective compounds, i.e. (2E)-1-(4-Methylphenyl)-3-ferrocenyl-prop-2-en-1-one (6g), (2E)-1-(4-Methoxyphenyl)-3-ferrocenyl-prop-2-en-1-one (6h), (2E)-1-(3-Bromophenyl)-3-ferrocenyl-prop-2-en-1-one (6j), (2E)-1-(2,4-Dichlorophenyl)-3-ferrocenyl-prop-2-en-1-one (6k) and (2E)-1-(3,5-Dichloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-ferrocenyl-prop-2-en-1-one (6p) along with Carbofuran 3G as positive control were tested at 20, 40 and 80 ppm by soil drenching and root dipping methods. The study revealed that all plant growth parameters were positively influenced by these compounds. The presence of an electron releasing group positively influenced the efficacy, and the activity was highest in compounds 6g and 6h at 80 ppm. Based on in vitro results against S. rolfsii, (2E)-1-Ferrocenyl-3-(4-bromophenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one (3b), (2E)-1-Ferrocenyl-3-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-prop-2-en-1-one (3o) and (2E)-1-(5-Chloro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-3-ferrocenyl-prop-2-en-1-one (6o) along with Tebuconazole 25.9% EC and Hexaconazole 5% SC as positive control were evaluated. The shoot length was found to be highest (24.50 cm) in plants treated with 3b followed by 3o and 6o at 1000 ppm. The percent disease incidence was significantly decreased as compared to control. The percent disease incidence was found to be minimum in plants treated with 3b at 1000 ppm. However, root dipping was not as effective as soil drenching. Therefore, ferrocenyl chalcone derivatives proved to be of great fungicidal and nematicidal potential opening new opportunities for expanding their effectiveness as new pest control agents.