Integrated Nutrient Management Improves the Growth and Yield of Rice and Greengram in a Rice—Greengram Cropping System under the Coastal Plain Agro-Climatic Condition

Continuous mono-cropping of rice has resulted in decline or stagnation of yield output due to the occurrence of multiple nutrient deficiencies and worsening of soil physicochemical properties accompanying increased pressure of insect pests and diseases. The basic concept of integrated nutrient management (INM) is maintenance or adjustment of soil fertility and supply of plant nutrients to an optimum level for sustaining the desired crop productivity through optimisation of benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients in an integrated way. Augmenting a rice-based cropping system with pulses is a prevalent and indigenous cropping system under rainfed conditions. Considering the above facts, experiments were conducted to evaluate the impacts of integrated nutrient management on productivity of aromatic rice–greengram cropping system and nutrient balance of the post-harvest soil for agricultural sustainability under rainfed conditions in two consecutive years (2017–2018 and 2018–2019) with six main plots and three subplots. The experimental findings revealed that the treatment comprised of 50% recommended dose of fertiliser (RDF) through chemicals + 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN) through farmyard manure (FYM) increased the plant height, tillers, dry matter accumulation, leaf area and leaf area duration, and yield parameters in short grain aromatic rice. Similarly, preceding application of 50% RDF + 50% RDN through FYM to rice and further application 75% RDF + Rhizobium+ phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to greengram increased the growth characteristics and yield parameters—such as pods/plant, seeds/pod, grain yield, stover yield, and harvest index—in greengram. It was concluded that the treatment consisting of 50% RDF (chemical fertiliser) + 50% RDN (FYM) to rice and 75% RDF + Rhizobium + PSB to greengram increased the productivity of the rice–greengram cropping system. Furthermore, the adoption of INM has positively impacted post-harvest soil nutrient balance.

Plant Nutrients Appears Decoupled from Soil: Increasing Influences from Changing Climate in the Grassland’s of Inner Mongolia, China

Extremes in weather episodes seem to be the new normal. We need to better understand how changing climatic conditions alter plant growth in grasslands, especially macro nutrient uptake and stoichiometry. However, few studies have examined how warmer/colder or wetter/drier climates influence the nutrient decoupling between plants and soils at the ecosystem level. Here, we investigated the changes in carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) concentrations and their stoichiometric ratios in plants and soils from 65 grassland sites along a geographic gradient of temperature and aridity in northern China. Often, we saw inverse responses between plant and soil nutrients with respect to temperature and aridity. Soil C and N were negatively correlated with temperature and aridity. Soil P was negatively correlated with aridity. Plant N was positively correlated with aridity and plant P was negatively correlated with temperature, while plant C had no relationship with either. Temperature and aridity were positively correlated with C:N and negatively correlated with C:P and N:P ratios in soils. However, aridity was negatively correlated with plant C:N ratios. Plant N:P ratios were positively correlated with temperature and aridity, whereas plant C:P ratios had no relationship with either. Our findings suggest at a broad geographic scale, plant nutrients do not always reflect soil nutrient availability. It is conceivable that rapid climate shifts and the resulting changes in element availability, turnover rates, absorption, and use efficiency might cause decoupling of C, N, and P cycles between plants and soils.

Formulation of Plant Nutrient with Synbiotic Enhancement

Oleochemical wastewater discharge from the industry into water sources is one of the main causes of water pollution. A proper treatment is required before the effluent is discharged to the environment. Since the oleochemical wastewater contains nutrients and probiotics that are good for plants, it could be used as a nutrient provider for the plants instead. Therefore, the formulation of synbiotic plant nutrients from this effluent is an effective way of using the oleochemical effluent. This study aimed to formulate the plant nutrients by using industrial wastewater, which contains the synbiotic enhancement and validating the significance of the formulated plant nutrients into three types of plants; Abelmoschus esculentus (Okra), Solanum Melongena (Brinjal), and Capsicum annuum (Chilli peppers). Synbiotic is a combination of both prebiotics and probiotics that benefit the host by stimulating the growth of a limited number of health-promoting bacteria. To formulate the plant nutrient, the wastewater was filtered using a cotton cloth before the pre-biotics solution was added. Sample A (filtered wastewater was mixed with Sample B (prebiotics solution) by different percentages, namely F1 (100%:0%), F2 (75%:25%), F3 (50%:50%), F3 (25%:75%), 0%:100% (Sample A to Sample B respectively) and lastly, 50%:50% (Sample C (unfiltered wastewater) to Sample B respectively). The height of the plant and the number of leaves are measured weekly for four months. From the data, it can be seen that F3 gave significant results for the okra plant, in which it gains the highest height of plant compared to the other two plants. On the other hand, F6 give the best results for both the brinjal and the chilli plant where their leaves grow the highest from the second until the fourth month of plant growth. Hence, this research gives an added value to the wastewater, whereas the wastewater is used as the synbiotic plant nutrient enhancer and work best for the plants.

What is a plant nutrient? Changing definitions to advance science and innovation in plant nutrition

Current definitions of essential or beneficial elements for plant growth rely on narrowly defined criteria that do not fully represent a new vision for plant nutrition and compromise fertilizer regulation and practice. A new definition of what is a plant nutrient that is founded in science and relevant in practice has the potential to revitalize innovation and discovery. A proposed new definition might read: A mineral plant nutrient is an element which is needed for plant growth and development or for the quality attributes of the harvested product, of a given plant species, grown in its natural or cultivated environment. It includes elements currently identified as essential, elements for which a clear plant metabolic function has been identified, as well as elements that have demonstrated clear benefits to plant productivity, crop quality, resource use efficiency, stress tolerance or pest and disease resistance. We propose an open scientific debate to refine and implement this updated definition of plant nutrients. Other outcomes of this debate could be a more precise definition of the experimental evidence required to classify an element as a plant nutrient, and an independent scientific body to regularly review the list of essential and beneficial nutrients. The debate could also attempt to refine the definition of plant nutrients to better align with nutrients deemed essential for animal and human nutrition, thus following a more holistic ’one nutrition‘ concept.

Technologies for recovery and reuse of plant nutrients from human excreta and domestic wastewater: a protocol for a systematic map and living evidence platform

Background Research and development on the recovery and reuse of nutrients found in human excreta and domestic wastewater has intensified over the past years, continuously producing new knowledge and technologies. However, research impact and knowledge transfer are limited. In particular, uptake and upscaling of new and innovative solutions in practice remain a key challenge. Achieving a more circular use of nutrients thus goes beyond technological innovation and will benefit from a synthesis of existing research being readily available to various stakeholders in the field. The aim of the systematic map and online evidence platform described in this protocol is threefold. First, to collate and summarise scientific research on technologies that facilitate the recovery and reuse of plant nutrients and organic matter found in human excreta and domestic and municipal wastewater. Second, to present this evidence in a way that can be easily navigated by stakeholders. Third, to report on new relevant research evidence to stakeholders as it becomes available. Methods Firstly, we will produce a baseline systematic map, which will consist of an extension of two previous related syntheses. In a next stage, with help of machine learning and other automation technologies, the baseline systematic map will be transformed into ‘living mode’ that allows for a continually updated evidence platform. The baseline systematic map searches will be performed in 4 bibliographic sources and Google Scholar. All searches will be performed in English. Coding and meta-data extraction will include bibliographic information, locations as well as the recovery and reuse pathways. The living mode will mostly rely on automation technologies in EPPI-Reviewer and the Microsoft Academic database. The new records will be automatically identified and ranked in terms of eligibility. Records above a certain ‘cut-off’ threshold will be manually screened for eligibility. The threshold will be devised based on the empirically informed machine learning model. The evidence from the baseline systematic map and living mode will be embedded in an online evidence platform that in an interactive manner allows stakeholders to visualise and explore the systematic map findings, including knowledge gaps and clusters.

Influence of Varieties and Integrated Nutrient Management Practices on Growth and Yield of Seed in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)

Background: Cowpea is one of the most important leguminous vegetable crops. It has a unique ability of biological nitrogen fixation and mobilization of insoluble soil nutrient and bringing qualitative changes in soil. The basic concept of integrated nutrient management system is to maintain of plant nutrients supply to achieve a good level of crop production by optimizing the benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients in an integrated manner, appropriate to each farming system. Considering these aspects, a field experiment was conducted to boost up productivity of cowpea seed. Methods: A field experiment was carried out during Rabi season, 2015-16 at Research Field of the Department of Vegetable Science, College of Horticulture, Mandsaur (Madhya Pradesh). The experiment was arranged in factorial randomized block design with twenty treatment combinations comprising four cowpea varieties, viz. V1-Pusa Sukomal, V2-Kashi Unnati, V3-Kashi Kanchan and V4-Kashi Shyamal and five integrated nutrient management (INM) practices, viz. N1-Vermicompost 2.5t + Rhizobium (10g/kg seeds) + PSB (10 g/kg seeds) + N (0 kg) + P2O5 (90 kg) + K2O (70 kg)/ha; N2 -Vermicompost 2.5t + Rhizobium (10 g/kg seeds) + PSB (10 g/kg seeds) + N (15kg) + P2O5 (90kg) + K2O (70 kg)/ha; N3 -Vermicompost 2.5t + Rhizobium (10 g/kg seeds) + PSB (10 g/kg seeds) + N (20 kg) + P2O5 (90 kg) + K2O (70 kg)/ha; N4 -Vermicompost 2.5 t + Rhizobium (10 g/kg of seeds) +PSB (10 g/kg seeds) + N (25 kg) + P2O5 (90 kg) + K2O (70 kg)/ha and N5-Vermicompost 2.5 t + Rhizobium (10 g/kg seeds) + PSB (10 g/kg seeds) + N (30 kg) + P2O5 (90 kg) + K2O (70 kg)/ha. Result: In present experiment the cowpea variety V1-Pusa Sukomal recorded superior performance for growth attributes, yield and yield attributes and quality attributes. This variety had taken minimum days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering and days to harvesting. Among the nutrient levels, application of Vermicompost 2.5 t + Rhizobium (10 g/kg seeds) + PSB (10 g/kg seeds) + N (30 kg) + P2O5 (90 kg) + K2O (70 kg)/ha resulted in the highest growth parameters, yield and yield parameters of cowpea seed.