An improved understanding of the effect of conservation tillage on soil physicochemical quality indicators is obligatory to manage and conserve soil in a climate change scenario. Tillage strategies change soil physicochemical characteristics, consequently modifying crop yields. Conservation tillage is generally used to improve the soil physicochemical characteristics globally. However, the impact of conservation tillage on different soil depths under wheat cultivation is not well documented. A 3-year study was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCDB). The objective of this research was to specifically study soil physicochemical indicators (soil bulk density, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, water content, temperature, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, C:N ratio, pH) and (crop yield) in conventional tillage (CT), straw incorporation into the conventionally tilled soil (CTS), no-tillage (NT), and stubble-retention to the no-tilled soil (NTS) measures under wheat monocropping system across different soil layers. Averaged over 0–40 cm soil layer, the results depicted scarce differences among the tillage practices regarding soil bulk density, porosity, water content and hydraulic conductivity. CT increased soil temperature over conservation tillage systems. Overall, conservation tillage improved soil total nitrogen, available phosphorous, total potassium, C:N ratio and yield than CT, whilst it decreased soil pH. We conclude that NTS and CTS are the best strategies to enhance soil health under wheat mono-cropping system conditions.

The potential interactions of rhizobium bacteria in enhancing nodulation, nitrogen (N) fixation for boosting N availability, and the yield of black gram under a temperate environment continue to remain unexplored. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the agronomic performance of black gram cultivars, their yield comparisons, and shoot–grain–soil N dynamics in a prevalently rainfed farming system. Two black gram cultivars, NARC Mash-I and NARC Mash-II, were subjected to rhizobia inoculation combined with different N doses (0, 25, 50, 75, 100 kg ha⁻¹). The response variables included root nodulation, agronomic yield attributes, grain yield, shoot–grain and soil N dynamics, and biological productivity. Black gram cultivar NARC Mash-II showed the maximum nodule formation (41 per plant), while each nodule obtained 0.69 g weight in response to RI combined with 25 kg N ha⁻¹. Additionally, this combination showed the highest pods per plant and thousand grain weight, which maximized the grain yield (1777 kg ha⁻¹) and biological productivity (3007 kg ha⁻¹). In contrast, NARC Mash-I under 50 kg N recorded the highest shoot N content, while the same cultivar under 100 kg N exhibited the maximum soil N content. The correlation analyses indicated a significantly robust association among the nodule numbers, grain weight, and N contents in different plant organs. These results give mechanistic insights into plant–microbe interactions based on the eco-friendly, sustainable, and smart agricultural practice of black gram production in a temperate environment.

Conservation farming practices using the least soil disturbance and straw-return benefits the crop agronomic attributes and soil nutrient accumulation. The four-year (2016-2019) research was conducted under randomized complete blocks design to explore the agronomic benefit of conservation tillage...

Fertilization, either in the form of organic or inorganic, always affects plant growth, yield, and nutritional quality of fruit crops. Further, the efficacy of fertilizers depends on various factors, including the area, climatic conditions, and cultivars. Rawalakot has ideal climatic conditions for growing strawberries. However, no studies related to the impact of different soil amendments on the growth habit and fruit quality of strawberries have been conducted so far. Therefore, in this study, different combinations of organic (farmyard manure (FYM) and poultry manure (PM)) and inorganic (urea) (N 150kg/ha) fertilizers were used for comparison of growth pattern and postharvest quality of strawberry cv. Chandler. The organic and inorganic fertilizer regimes showed comparatively better results in terms of all the parameters studied. However, plants grown on soils amended with FYM equivalent to 75kg N per ha+PM equivalent to 75kg N per ha and FYM equivalent to 50kg N per ha+PM equivalent to 50kg N per ha+urea 50kg N per ha showed 41 and 28 more survival percentage compared to control. Furthermore, the number of leaves, number of flowers, number of fruits, and yield were significantly high in plants grown on amended soil. Moreover, a significantly high amount of total soluble solids (10.0°Brix), titratable acidity (1.18), ash (0.84), fiber (3.03), total phenols (7.61μg gallic acid/g fresh weight), total flavonoids (7.93mmol quercetin/100g fresh weight), and total antioxidants (0.60 activity of FeSO₄ mg/g fresh weight) was noted in comparison with control. Similarly, a combined treatment of FYM, PM, and urea also showed good results in terms of all the growth and fruit quality parameters as compared with other fertilizer regimes as well as control. However, the overall results of this study revealed that strawberries grown on soil amended with a combined dose of FYM equivalent to 75kg N per ha+PM equivalent to 75kg N per ha could be a potential dose for maximum yield and better quality fruits of strawberry.

The cultivated soils in several semi-arid areas have very low organic matter due to climatic constraints that limit primary crop yield. Conservation tillage systems, outlined here as no tillage, no tillage with straw return and straw incorporation into the field, have been accepted as capable systems that preserve soil’s resources and sustain soil productivity. However, in semi-arid climates, there is presently no knowledge about the influence of different conservation tillage techniques on soil’s physical, chemical and biological properties at different soil depths in spring wheat fields and only little information about spring wheat yield in these management systems. Therefore, the present study was carried out with the objective of examining the impact of conservation tillage systems on soil properties (physical, chemical and biological) and spring wheat yield. The three conservation tillage treatments consisted of no tillage system (NT), wheat stubble return with no tillage (NTS) and straw incorporation with conventional tillage (CTS), as well as one conventional tillage (CT) control treatment, which were evaluated under randomized complete block design with three replications. The three conservation tillage treatments were compared with the conventional tillage control. Conservation tillage significantly increased the bulk density, gravimetric water content, water storage, hydraulic conductivity and soil aggregates and decreased the pore space and soil temperature compared to CT; however, no significant difference was found in the case of field capacity. Soil chemical properties in the 0–40 cm soil layer increased with conservation tillage compared to CT. Conservation tillage also notably increased the soil microbial counts, urease, alkaline phosphatase, invertase, cellulase and catalase activities relative to CT. Microbial biomasses (carbon and nitrogen) and wheat yield significantly elevated under conservation tillage compared to CT. Therefore, conservation tillage could significantly improve soil properties and maintain wheat yield for the research zone.