Comprehensive environmental impact assessment for designing carbon-cum-energy efficient, cleaner and eco-friendly production system for rice-fallow agro-ecosystems of South Asia. (10th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kumar, Rakesh; Mishra, Janki Sharan; Mali, Santosh Sambhaji; Mondal, Surajit; Meena, Ram Swaroop; Lal, Rattan; Jha, Bal Krishna; Naik, Sushanta Kumar; Biswas, Ashis Kumar; Hans, Hansraj; Sundaram, Prem Kumar; Choudhary, Arbind Kumar; Monobrullah, Mohammad; Kumar, Sanjeev; Kumar, Santosh; Raman, Rohan Kumar; Bhatt, Bhagwati Prasad; Kumar, Ujjwal
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 331(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-01-10
• Subjects: Carbon-footprint -- Eco-efficiency index -- Greenhouse gases -- Energy ratio -- Residue management -- System productivity -- System profitability -- Zero-tillage production; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129973
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: High energy consumption and carbon emission are the major components of environmental pollution. Reducing carbon-footprints and improving energy use efficiency in rice ( Oryza sativa L.) - fallow production systems of South Asia is a great challenge. The present experiment was conducted for five consecutive years (2016–2020) with an aim to design the most carbon-cum-energy efficient, cleaner/safer and eco-friendly production systems for rice-fallows in eastern India. This split-plot experiment had crop establishment-cum-residue management (CERM) treatments in main-plots and post-rainy/winter season crops in sub-plots. The production systems selected for analysis included three crop establishment methods [(1) zero- till-direct-seeded rice (ZTDSR), (2) conventional-till direct-seeded rice (CTDSR), and (3) transplanted puddled rice (TPR)], and two residue management practices [(i) with residue, and (ii) without residue] in combination with five potential winter season crops i.e., chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.), lentil ( Lens culinaris L.), safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.), linseed ( Linum usitatissimum L.), and mustard ( Brassica juncea L.). Results revealed an increase in overall system productivity from 3.5 to 5.13 Mg ha −1 due to the diversification of rice-fallow systems with oilseed and pulse crops. Irrespective of residue management practices, ZTDSR increased the yield by 15 and 31% in chickpea, 15 and 34% in lentil, 33 and 50% in safflower, 9 and 19% in linseed, and 7 and 15% in mustard as compared to CTDSR and PTR, respectively. Moreover, adoption of ZTDSR reduced energy uses by 23.3%, while increased energy ratio and net returns by 14.3 and 10.9%, respectively, over TPR. Pulse based crop rotations (rice- lentil and rice- chickpea) under ZTDSR with surface crop residue yielded 21.5% higher system net returns as compared to rice-oilseed production systems. ZTDSR treatment also reduced carbon-footprint (C-footprint) by 2.8% compared to TPR-based production systems. Similarly, rice-oilseed systems had a 16.1% lower C-footprint in comparison to rice-pulse sequences. Hence, rice-chickpea, rice-lentil and rice-safflower production systems in combined with ZTDSR along with residue retention can be viable production systems with higher system productivity, better economic returns, higher energy ratio and lower C-footprint. These systems will ensure an efficient utilization of natural resources leading to long-term sustainability of the rice-fallow production systems of South Asia. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Crop intensification increased the ecological performance of the rice-fallow system. Including pulses/oilseeds after rice increased net income and decreased C-emissions. Conservation tillage increased net income and energy savings by 11% and 23%, respectively. Including pulses in the rice-fallow system increased the eco-efficiency index by 37%.