The continuous rice–wheat cropping system in South Asia has caused irreversible environmental damage, raising concerns about the long-term sustainability of the region’s agricultural systems. To address this issue, farm experiments were conducted for two successive years (2019–20 and 2020–21) to assess the impact of different cropping systems under conservation agriculture (CA) practices on the yield, productivity, and profitability of wheat. Results showed that the highest grain yield of wheat was observed in scenarios Sc6, Sc4, and Sc2, which involved full CA permanent-bed soybean (PB)–permanent-bed wheat (PB)–permanent-bed summer moong (PB), full CA permanent-bed maize (PB)–permanent-bed wheat (PB)–permanent-bed summer moong (PB), and partial CA puddled transplanted rice–Happy Seeder wheat–zero-till summer moong (ZT). Additionally, the highest irrigation water productivity (IWP), wheat grain macronutrient uptake, net return, and benefit–cost ratio (B:C ratio) were recorded under Sc6, full CA permanent-bed soybean (PB)–permanent-bed wheat (PB)–permanent-bed summer moong (PB) compared to farmers’ practice puddled transplanted rice (PTR)–conventional-till wheat–summer moong (Sc1) during both years. The system productivity also increased in scenarios Sc2, Sc4, and Sc6 (by 9.72%, 9.65%, and 14.14% in the first year and 10.68%, 14.14%, and 15.55% in the second year) compared to Sc1—farmers’ practice puddled transplanted rice (PTR)–conventional-till wheat–summer moong, Sc3—farmers’ practice fresh-bed maize (FB)–conventional-till wheat–summer moong, and Sc5–farmers’ practice fresh-bed soybean (FB)–conventional-till wheat (CT)–summer moong. The findings suggest that the conservation agriculture soybean–wheat–summer moong (Sc6) on permanent-bed cropping systems with inclusion legumes can be a potential option to enhance yield attributes, productivity, and profitability, as well as the sustainability of natural resources in the region while decreasing environmental footprints.

Root system architecture plays a vital role in plant growth, development, and adaptation by absorbing water and nutrients and providing mechanical support for growing plants. Unfortunately, little information is available in the literature on the root dynamics of summer mung bean under conservation agriculture conditions. In this study, field experiments were conducted during the summer seasons of two consecutive years (2020 and 2021) to investigate the root system dynamics of summer mung bean under different conservation agriculture practices. The highest stem and system width, depth to width length, number of nodal roots, taproot diameter, secondary root length (both right and left) of summer mung bean were recorded in the Soybean (permanent bed; PB)-Wheat(PB)-Summer mung (PB)(+Residual; +R) based cropping systems, followed by Maize(PB)-Wheat(PB)-Summer mung (PB)(+R), while, the lowest values of above parameters were recorded in the Puddled Transplanted Rice–Conventional till (PTR-CT)Wheat-Summer mung (-R). Further, the pod length, number of seeds per pod, number of pods per plant, seed yield and symbiotic parameters (including number of nodules per plant, leghaemoglobin content) and root dry weight were recorded highest in Soybean (PB)-Wheat (PB)-Summer mung (PB)(+R). Interestingly, the yield of summer mung bean increased around 13.4–29.5% when residues were retained on the soil surface with treatments involving residual removal. The soil dehydrogenase enzyme activity increased significantly under Soybean (PB)-Wheat (PB)-Summer mung (PB)(+R) based cropping system as compared to PTR-CT Wheat-Summer mung (-R). In addition, the number of pods per plant exhibited a significantly positive correlation with yield during both crop seasons. Overall, this study suggests that the inclusion of summer mung in soybean-based cropping systems may substantially improve the root architecture and soil quality and increase crop yield under conservation agriculture.

Conservation agriculture (CA) practices have been widely promoted and recognized for their potential to enhance soil sustainability by improving soil properties. The purpose of the 2-year field experiment was to investigate the effect of diversified CA -based cropping systems on nutrient availability and soil characteristics. The study was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications at each site. Six cropping system (CS) scenarios were tested: S1—rice–wheat–mungbean (R-W-SM) under conventional tillage (CT) without residue retention (R0); S2—R-W-SM under CA with residue retention (R+); S3—maize–wheat–mungbean (M-W-SM) under CT (R0); S4—M-W-SM under permanent bed (PB) with R+; S5—soybean–wheat- mungbean (S-W-SM) under CT (R0); and S6—S-W-SM under PB with R +. Though each annual cropping cycle spanned 1 year, the inclusion of mungbean (summer mungbean) in the same year allowed the assessment of a three-crop rotation within each year. After two cropping years (effectively covering two complete crop rotation cycles), the results indicated that S6 significantly improved the soil properties: bulk density decreased by 4.4% and infiltration rate increased by 45.6% compared with S1. Soil organic carbon and macro- and micro-nutrient availability were notably higher under CA-based systems (S2, S4, and S6). The highest microbial biomass, enzymatic activity, and basal soil respiration (BSR) were recorded in S6. In both years, dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and BSR increased by 58.5%–64.6% under S6 compared with 40.7%–41.4% in S1. Micro-nutrients like Zn, Fe, Mn, and Cu were improved by 10%, 39%, 8%, and 63%, respectively, in S6 over S1. These findings suggest that CA-based soybean–wheat –mungbean systems (S6) can substantially enhance soil health and nutrient dynamics in a short-term rotation and may guide future sustainable agriculture.

In semi-arid areas, fodder oats (Avena sativa L.) are an essential crop for sustainable livestock production, especially for small and marginal farmers in the Hanumangarh district of Rajasthan, India. Through Frontline Demonstrations (FLDs) carried out by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Nohar in a number of locations around the Hanumangarh district, this study assessed the performance of the enhanced oat variety Central Oat OS 403. During two consecutive rabi seasons (2022-23 and 2023-24), thirty FLDs were planted across 3.0 hectares in order to evaluate the economic viability, technological gaps, and varietal performance under farmers' field circumstances. The objective of this study is to find high-performing fodder cultivars, enhance agricultural methods, and provide farmers in Nohar, Hanumangarh district, with training to increase fodder output and sustainability. Results revealed superior performance of OS 403 with an average green fodder yield of 411 q/ha compared to 360 q/ha under farmers' practice, representing a significant yield advantage of 51 q/ha (14.17% increase). The technology gap was recorded at 51 q/ha, while the extension gap stood at 123 q/ha, resulting in a technology index of 9.53%, indicating good technology transfer efficiency. Economic analysis demonstrated the profitability of improved variety, with OS 403 generating a net return of Rs. 71,445/ha and benefit-cost ratio of 4.10, compared to Rs. 60,800/ha net return and benefit cost ratio (BCR) of 3.76 under local practices. The enhanced variety's economic superiority was demonstrated by the Rs. 10,645/ha higher revenue it generated. The study unequivocally shows that Central Oat OS 403 is suited to the semi-arid climate of the Hanumangarh district and has a great deal of promise for raising livestock nutrition, fodder production, and farmer revenue. These results lend credence to the suggestion that OS 403 be widely adopted by successful extension initiatives in Rajasthan's comparable agroclimatic zones.