In the Indo-Gangetic Plains of South Asia, the quadruple challenges of deteriorating soil quality, declining groundwater, energy shortages, and diminishing farm profitability threaten sustainability of conventional till (CT)-based cereal production systems. A 5-year study was conducted to evaluate the effect of conservation agriculture (CA)-based management (tillage, crop establishment, residue management, and system intensification through mungbean integration) on energy budget, water productivity, and economic profitability in cereal (rice–wheat, RW/maize–wheat, MW)-based systems compared with CT-based management. In CA systems, crop residues contributed the maximum (~76%) in total energy input (167,995 MJ ha −1 ); however, fertilizer application (nonrenewable energy source) contributed the maximum (43%) in total energy input (47,760 MJ ha −1 ) in CT-based systems. CA-based cereal (rice/maize) systems recorded higher net energy and energy-intensiveness (EI) levels of 251% and 300%, respectively, compared with those of the CT-based rice–wheat system (RW/CT) (295,217 MJ ha −1 and 46.05 MJ USD −1 ), irrespective of mungbean integration. MWMb/ZT+R utilized 204% more input energy, which resulted in 14% higher net energy and 229% higher EI compared with RW/CT. CA-based RW and MW systems enhanced the crop productivity by 10 and 16%, water productivity by 56 and 33%, and profitability by 34 and 36%, while saving in irrigation water by 38 and 32%, compared with their respective CT-based systems, respectively. CA-based system improved net energy, crop productivity, and profitability; therefore, it should be outscaled to improve the soil and environmental quality in north-west India.

中文翻译：

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以保护性农业为基础的谷物系统可持续集约化可实现节能、更高的生产力和农场盈利能力

在南亚的印度恒河平原，土壤质量恶化、地下水减少、能源短缺和农场盈利能力下降等四重挑战威胁着基于耕作 (CT) 的传统谷物生产系统的可持续性。进行了一项为期 5 年的研究，以评估基于保护性农业 (CA) 的管理（耕作、作物种植、残留管理和通过绿豆整合进行系统集约化）对谷物（水稻）能源预算、水生产力和经济盈利能力的影响。 –小麦、RW/玉米–小麦、MW) 的系统与基于 CT 的管理相比。在 CA 系统中，作物残留物在总能量输入（167,995 MJ ha -1 ）中贡献最大（~76%）；然而，施肥（不可再生能源）在总能量输入中贡献最大（43%）（47, 760 MJ ha -1 ) 在基于 CT 的系统中。与基于 CT 的稻麦系统 (RW/CT) 相比，基于 CA 的谷物（水稻/玉米）系统记录的净能量和能源密集度 (EI) 水平分别高出 251% 和 300%（295,217 MJ ha -1 和 46.05 MJ USD -1 )，与绿豆整合无关。MWMb/ZT+R 使用的输入能量多 204%，与 RW/CT 相比，净能量高 14%，EI 高 229%。与各自的 CT-相比，基于 CA 的 RW 和 MW 系统将作物生产力提高了 10% 和 16%，水生产力提高了 56% 和 33%，盈利能力提高了 34% 和 36%，同时节省了 38% 和 32% 的灌溉用水。分别基于系统。基于 CA 的系统提高了净能源、作物生产力和盈利能力；因此，在改善印度西北部的土壤和环境质量方面应该超越规模。