Book of Extended summaries ISDA

International Conference on Reimagining Rainfed Agro-ecosystems: Challenges & Opportunities
during 22-24, December 2022 at ICAR-CRIDA, Hyderabad
Controversy has long surrounded the question of nutritional differences between crops grown
organically or using now-conventional methods, with studies dating back to the 1940s showing
that farming methods can affect the nutrient density of crops. More recent studies have shown
how reliance on tillage and synthetic nitrogen fertilizers influence soil life, and thereby soil
health, in ways that can reduce mineral micronutrient uptake by and phytochemical production in
crops. While organic farming tends to enhance soil health and conventional practices degrade it,
relying on tillage for weed control on both organic and conventional farms degrades soil organic
matter and can disrupt soil life in ways that reduce crop mineral uptake and phytochemical
production. Soil health reflects both biotic and abiotic (chemical and physical) aspects of the soil.
Conventional metrics for assessing soil quality have primarily focused on physical and chemical
factors that support crop production, yet growing awareness of the importance of soil ecology
and the diversity and abundance of soil life is reshaping agronomic thought to embrace
enhancing and sustaining soil health as a fundamental agronomic goal. To achieve sustainable
crop production, the primary requirement is the maintenance of soil fertility and soil health.
Organic farming systems being highly complex and integrated biological systems could be the
potential technology option to maintain good soil heath for sustainable crop production.
T4a-50P-1261
Type of Organic Manure and Biochar Affected Crop Production and Soil
Health in Maize-Black Gram System Under Changing Climate
Shaon Kumar Das 1 , B. U. Choudhury 2 , Ramgopal Laha 1 and V. K. Mishra 2
1 ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Sikkim Centre, Gangtok, Sikkim-737102
2 ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Umiam, Meghalaya-793103
With increase in pyrolysis temperature the higher heating value of all the four-biochar decreased.
The crystallinity index deceased (average 8.98%) in all biochar with increase in pyrolysis
temperature. At low temperature pyrolysis the polarity index tends to increase and vice-versa.
The biochar under study enhanced the seed germination and seedling growth significantly at a
reasonable application rate than higher rate which might be due to secretion of chemical
substances by the respective biochar. The organic manure/biochar (co-compost) ratio at 75:25
enhanced maximum yield in poultry manure (4528 and 1027 kg/ha) followed by goat manure
(4378 and 1016 kg/ha), vermicompost (4278 and 986 kg/ha), pig manure (4218 and 956 kg/ha),
and FYM (4178 and 949 kg/ha) for maize and black gram, respectively. The microbial biomass
carbon was highest in goat manure 5 t ha -1 +biochar 5 t ha -1 (476.58 mg kg -1 soil) and lowest in
FYM @ 10 t ha -1 +biochar 5 t ha -1 (458.53 mg kg -1 soil) than control (301.43 mg kg -1 soil). The
680 | Page Resource conservation and rainfed agriculture