A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2022-23 at the Saline Water Scheme, Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla. The study’s objective was to evaluate the effects of saline water on nutrient use efficiency and soil nutrient availability in maize under drip fertigation. The experiment consisted of eight treatments and four replications, arranged in a randomized block design. Irrigation with the best available water along with the application of a recommended dose of fertilizer (240-80-80 NPK kg ha-1) recorded the highest uptake of N (88.2 and 62.4 kg ha-1), P (21.2 and 16.20 kg ha-1), and K (25.4 and 126.7 kg ha-1) in grain and stover of maize, respectively, which were at par with the alternate use of fresh water with saline water of 2 dS m-1. Nutrient use efficiencies, i.e., agronomic efficiency (7.4, 18.4, and 18.4 kg kg-1), physiological efficiency (85.2, 225.3, and 159.4 kg kg-1), apparent recovery efficiency (22.5, 17.0 and 48.7 %) and utilization efficiency (15.7, 39.1 and 39.1 kg kg-1) of N, P, and K, respectively, were also observed to be the highest under irrigation with the best available water along with a recommended dose of fertilizer application. Soil pH remained unaffected with saline water irrigation, whereas the EC of the soil was the highest under irrigation with saline water of 4 dS m-1 without the application of fertilizers. Soil-available nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium were most elevated under irrigation with the best available water, with values of 152.5, 36.3, and 352.8 kg ha-1 respectively. The lowest values of nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiencies, and soil available nutrients were recorded under irrigation with a water salinity of 4 dS m-1 without applying fertilizers. The use of a cyclical approach in utilizing both freshwater and saline water has demonstrated its effectiveness in mitigating the adverse effects of salts, resulting in enhanced efficiency in nutrient utilization and greater accessibility of soil nutrients.

Soil degradation, nutrient depletion, and persistent weed pressure represent critical challenges in the adoption of sustainable agriculture practices in subtropical organic farming systems. Reliance on conventional inputs threatens long-term soil health and ecosystem resilience, highlighting the need for regenerative alternatives. Cover crops are widely recognized as multifunctional agroecological tools with the capacity to enhance nutrient cycling, perform weed suppression, and improve soil organic matter. To evaluate their effectiveness in South Florida's subtropical climate and organic raised bed systems, a field experiment was conducted as a Randomized Block Design (RBD) at the Florida International University Organic Garden during the 2024 summer season. The six cover crops species that were tested include green gram (Vigna radiata), hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), soybean (Glycine max), sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea), and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum). Data collected includes plant establishment, biomass accumulation, weed suppression, soil physiochemical properties, and plant nutrient composition. Sorghum and sunn hemp produced the highest fresh and dry biomass, with sorghum achieving the most effective weed suppression with the lowest weed biomass and weed population. Sunn hemp contributed to enhanced nitrogen content in plant tissues, while hibiscus promoted the highest soil P and N concentrations. Pearl millet exhibited the highest total carbon and organic matter content, indicating potential for enhancing soil carbon content and soil fertility. Results show that each cover crop species can provide a specialized or generalized ecosystem service depending on management goals.