Crop diversification and its associated practices support natural agroecosystem processes in local, diverse agricultural systems. The widespread appraisal of crop diversification is a fundamental alternative to simplified production systems for enhancing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Despite substantial evidence of crop diversification benefits for agroecology, the adoption of these practices lags behind. Despite strong scientific evidence of the benefits, the adoption of these practices remains significantly slower than necessary to address ecological and societal needs. Its adoption largely depends on farmers attitudes, intentions, perceived motivations, governance policies, incentives, and market acceptance. In contrast, successful agronomic interventions require redirecting subsidies toward incentives that promote biodiversity, achieve sustained high yields, and support soil-centric green revolutions. Achieving landscape-level mosaics of natural biotic populations and fine-grained crop diversification is key to restoring biodiversity lost during the Green Revolution era. Through this review, we discuss the benefits of crop diversification in promoting natural ecological processes. These outcomes arise from the complex interplay between structural elements—such as governance, cultural norms, and resource availability—and individual or collective agency, including priorities, collaboration, and strategic choices. This dynamic relationship shapes the pathways of crop diversification, influencing its role in promoting natural ecological processes and its adoption in diverse agricultural contexts. When individuals and communities collaborate through robust networks and well-supported institutions, the dissemination of sustainable practices across farms and landscapes becomes significantly more effective. This collective action, fueled by shared knowledge, innovation, and access to resources, enhances the capacity to integrate ecological principles that build resilient and sustainable agroecosystems. So, crop diversification practices contribute to a “win–win” outcome by supporting yield stability, enhancing environmental adaptability, and promoting long-term profitability. The upscaling adoption of diversification practices is crucial for conserving biodiversity, mitigating climate change, and transforming food systems on local to global scales. This needs to be urgently acknowledged by scientist to enable better governance and evidence-based policymaking for an agricultural paradigm shift rooted in natural ecologies.

Real-time monitoring of canopy chlorophyll content is crucial for understanding crop growth and guiding precision agricultural management. The SPAD chlorophyll meter is a valuable tool for assessing nitrogen status in maize (Zea mays L.), a key cereal crop used for food, feed, and biofuels. Efficient nitrogen management is essential to maximize maize yield, particularly under varying water regimes. A study conducted over two years (2020–2021) utilized a strip plot design to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of SPAD readings and their correlation with maize yield under rainfed (M1) and irrigated (M2) conditions. Eight precision nitrogen management practices were implemented, including SPAD at sufficiency index and Green Seeker at response index, achieving ranges of 86–100% and 1.11–1.41, respectively. The findings revealed that irrigated maize produced significantly higher grain yields (6347 kg ha^–1) compared to rainfed maize (5262 kg ha^–1). The highest yield (9508.2 kg ha^–1) was achieved when nitrogen was applied at a sufficiency index of 96–100%. The correlation between SPAD values and grain yield was strongest at reproductive stages (VT and R4), with R² values of 0.99 and 0.98 under rainfed conditions. In irrigated conditions, R² values ranged from 0.95 to 0.96 for earlier growth stages (V10, V12, VT, and R4). Multivariate analysis indicated critical management stages for optimizing yields in both conditions. Overall, SPAD-based nitrogen management strategies have the potential to enhance maize yields and resource efficiency while informing the development of sophisticated monitoring tools for real-time crop management.

Nitrogen (N) fertilizers are widely used worldwide to increase agricultural productivity. However, significant N losses contributing to air and water pollution ultimately reduce the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of crops. Numerous research studies have emphasized the use of a low dose of N fertilizer, but few have focused on screening N-efficient rice genotypes. This study aimed to identify and screen ten rice genotypes that are N-use-efficient under different N fertilization treatments using the surface placement of neem-oil-coated urea: N₀ (control), N₆₀ (½ of recommended N), and N₁₂₀ (recommended N) for two consecutive years (2020 and 2021) under a split plot design. In both growing seasons, the application of N₁₂₀ yielded the highest panicles m⁻² (PAN = 453), filled grains panicle⁻¹ (FGP = 133), leaf area index (LAI = 5.47), tillers m⁻² (TILL = 541), grain yield t ha⁻¹ (GY = 5.5) and harvest index (HI = 45.4%) by the genotype ‘Nidhi’, being closely followed by the genotype ‘Daya’. Four genotypes (‘Nidhi’, ‘Daya’, ‘PB 1728’ and ‘Nagina 22’), out of the ten genotypes evaluated, responded well to different fertilization treatments with N with respect to the grain yield efficiency index (GYEI ≥ 1). Regarding N fertilization, N₆₀ and N₁₂₀ recorded the highest increase in PAN (28.5%; 41.4%), FGP (29.5%; 39.3%), test weight (29.5%; 45.3%), LAI at 30 days after transplanting (DAT) (143.7%; 223.3%), and LAI at 60 DAT (61.6%; 70.1%) when compared with N₀. Furthermore, the application of N₆₀ and N₁₂₀ improved GY and HI by 47.6% and 59.4%, and 3.4% and 6.2%, respectively, over N₀. Nitrogen addition (N₆₀ and N₁₂₀) also significantly increased the chlorophyll content at 60 DAT (8.8%; 16.3%), TILL at 60 DAT (22.9%; 46.2%), TILL at harvest (28%; 41.4%), respectively, over N₀. Overall, our research findings clearly indicate that ‘Nidhi’ and ‘Daya’ could be efficient candidates for improved nitrogen use, grain yield and GYEI in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India.

Optimizing nitrogen (N) inputs is crucial for maximizing wheat yield and ensuring environmental sustainability. Wheat’s economic significance in India calls for a comprehensive evaluation of its ecological implications to develop a resilient production system. This study aimed to identify and evaluate ten wheat cultivars for their yield and N-use efficiency under varying nitrogen inputs (control (N₀), half of the recommended nitrogen (N₇₅), and the recommended nitrogen (N₁₅₀)) using the surface application of neem-oil-coated urea. All N inputs were applied in three splits, basal, crown root initiation, and tillering stages, and an experiment was conducted in a split-plot design. The application of N₁₅₀ gave the highest dry matter accumulation (DMA) at harvesting stage (AHS) (871 g m⁻²), seed/spike (60), grain yield (GY = 7.4 t ha⁻¹), straw yield (SY = 8.9 t ha⁻¹), harvest index (HI = 45.2%), protein (12.5%), and total uptake of N (TUN) (223 kg ha⁻¹) by the cultivar ‘HD 3249’, being closely followed by the cultivar ‘HD3117’. Six cultivars (‘HD 3298’, ‘HD 3117’, ‘HD 3249’, ‘PBW 550’, ‘HD 3086’, ‘HD 2967’) out of the ten cultivars evaluated responded well to different input treatments with respect to the grain yield efficiency index (GYEI ≥ 1). Regarding N input, N₇₅ and N₁₅₀ recorded the highest increases in plant height, AHS (16.5%; 21.2%), dry matter accumulation (DMA) at 30 days after sowing (DAS) (37.5%; 64%), DMA-60 DAS (42%; 53%), DMA-90 DAS (39.5%; 52.5%), TILL-30 DAS (19.8%; 26.4%), TILL-60 DAS (33.3%; 44%), TILL-90 DAS (37.2%; 47.2%), seed/spike (8%; 10%), 1000-grain weight (7.8%; 12.2%), and protein content (23.3%; and 33%) when compared with N₀. Furthermore, the application of N₇₅ and N₁₅₀ improved GY (72.1%; 142.6%), SY (61.1%; 110.6%), BY (65.5%; 123%), and HI by 4.4% and 9%, respectively, over N₀. Nitrogen addition (N₇₅ and N₁₅₀) also significantly increased total nitrogen uptake (104.7%; 205.6%), respectively, compared to N₀. The correlation analysis revealed a positive association among most of the crop parameters. Overall, our research results suggest that the cultivars ‘HD 3249’ and ‘HD 3117’ have the potential to be effective options for improving N utilization efficiency, grain yield, and GYEI in North-West India.

Nitrogen (N) losses from conventional N fertilizers contribute to environmental degradation and low N use efficiency. Highlighting the need for slow-release fertilizers (SRFs) to mitigate these problems, this study aims to develop slow-release N fertilizers using starch-grafted-poly[(acrylic acid)-co-acrylamide] based nanoclay polymer composites (NCPCs) and investigate their efficacy for slow N delivery in soil. Three types of NCPCs, NCPC(A) (poly [(acrylic acid)-co-acrylamide]), NCPC(W) (wheat starch-grafted-poly[(acrylic acid)-co-acrylamide), and NCPC(M) (maize starch-grafted-poly[(acrylic acid)-co-acrylamide) were prepared and characterized using FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques. N-release behaviour of the products was assessed under two distinct soils, i.e., Assam (Typic Hapludults, pH 4.2) and Delhi (Typic Haplustepts, pH 7.9) soils. Additionally, the effects of varying soil moisture and temperature levels on N release were studied in the Assam soil. The N-release kinetics of the synthesized fertilizers were assessed using zero-order, first-order, Higuchi, and Korsmeyer−Peppas models. Degradability of the NCPCs was evaluated by measuring evolved CO₂–C under various soil conditions as an indicator of microbial degradation. The results indicated that NCPC fertilizers significantly slowed down the release of N compared to urea. According to the R² values obtained, it was evident that the first-order kinetic model most accurately describes the N release from both urea and NCPC-based N fertilizers in the studied soils. Among the formulations, NCPC(A) exhibited the lowest N release (42.94–53.76%), followed by NCPC(M) (51.05–61.70%), NCPC(W) (54.86–67.75%), and urea (74.33–84.27%) after 21 days of incubation. The rate of N release was lower in the Assam soil compared to the Delhi soil, with higher soil moisture and temperature levels accelerating the release. Starch addition improved the biodegradability of the NCPCs, with NCPC(W) showing the highest cumulative CO₂-C evolution (18.18–22.62 mg g⁻¹), followed by NCPC(M) (15.54–20.97 mg g⁻¹) and NCPC(A) (10.89–19.53 mg g⁻¹). In conclusion, NCPC-based slow-release fertilizers demonstrated a more gradual N release compared to conventional urea and the inclusion of starch enhanced their degradability in the soil, which confirms their potential for sustainable agricultural applications. However, soil properties and environmental factors influenced the N release and degradation rates of NCPCs.

Imbalanced use (form, quantity, and ratio) of nitrogen fertilization can result in decreased grain yields and increased nitrogen loss, leading to adverse effects on overall environmental quality. Globally, limited empirical research has been conducted on the comprehensive effects of different levels of N that can significantly influence wheat agronomic and genotypic traits. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate wheat genotypes for two consecutive years (2020–2021 and 2021–2022) under different N fertilization treatments: N0 (native N, without external application of N), N75 (½ of the recommended dose of N), and N150 (recommended dose of N). The study findings revealed that ‘HD 3249’ and ‘HD 3117’ were the top-performing genotypes in terms of grain yield (5.3 t ha⁻¹; 5.0 t ha⁻¹), straw yield (6.9 t ha⁻¹; 6.7 t ha⁻¹), biological yield (12.2 t ha⁻¹; 11.8 t ha⁻¹), and harvest index (42.9%; 42.4%). In particular, the application of N75 and N150 increased grain yields by 142.6% and 61.3%, respectively; straw yields by 72.3%; and by 110.6% over N0. Furthermore, N levels (N75 and 150) significantly increased the higher concentration of N in grain (23.1% and 33%) and straw (21.1% and 29.8%); N uptake in grain (70.2 and 104.2) and straw (64.8 and 41.5); and total N uptake (68.8% and 101.4%) than N0, respectively. Additionally, correlation analysis revealed that there were positive correlations between yields, harvest index as well as N concentration and uptake. This study identified the two elite genotypes, ‘HD 3249’ and ‘HD 3117’, with N150 splits giving a better response, which can be used as selection criteria for developing wheat varieties that are more efficient in using nitrogen, leading to high yields and N uptake.