The systematic research on the effect of medium-term conservation agriculture (CA) on soil quality, especially under the rice (Oryza sativa L.)-based cropping systems is limited. Hence, the specific objective of the study was to develop soil quality indices with key soil physical, chemical and biological indicators under the conservation and conventional tillage practices in a rice–mustard [Brassica juncea (L.) Czern.] cropping system. Eight treatment combinations including tillage and crop establishment, crop residue and cropping system intensification with inclusion of short duration summer mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] were adopted in rice - mustard cropping system in hot semi-arid, sub-tropical north-western Indo-Gangetic Plains agro-ecoregion of India. Soil samples collected from topsoil (0−5 cm) and 5−15 cm soil layer were analyzed for 15 physical, chemical and biological properties to develop unified soil quality index (SQI) through principal component analysis (PCA). The highest SQI was obtained in the zero till direct seeded rice (ZTDSR) – zero till mustard (ZTM) –ZT summer mungbean (ZTSMB (+R) (mungbean residue in ZTDSR - rice residue in ZTM- mustard residue in ZTSMB) treatment followed by the ZTDSR + BM (brown manuring) – ZTM (+R) (mustard residue in ZTDSR with BM – rice residue in ZTM). The lowest SQI was obtained in transplanted puddled rice (TPR) - conventional till mustard (CTM) for both soil layers. The identified key indicators for SQI in this Inceptisol were saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s), pH, total N, available P, and available K. Besides, the plots under ZTDSR – ZTM – ZTSMB (+R) resulted in 14 % higher total organic C in topsoil and 28 % higher aggregate stability than the TPR - CTM plots. This ZTDSR – ZTM -ZTSMB (+R) treatment had 65 % higher surface soil microbial biomass C than the TPR – CTM treatment. The ZTDSR – ZTM -ZTSMB (+R) treatment also led to higher K_s, which was in the order of triple ZT > double ZT > ZT > conventional tillage. Thus, the medium-term CA with triple or double zero tillage with crop residue retention could lead to maintain agricultural sustainability under rice-mustard system. Hence, it may be recommended to the farmers for adoption.

中期保护性农业（CA）对土壤质量的影响，特别是基于水稻（Oryza sativa L.）的耕作制度的系统研究有限。因此，该研究的具体目标是在稻-芥菜[ Brassica juncea（L.）Czern。]种植系统的保护和常规耕作实践下，开发具有关键土壤物理，化学和生物学指标的土壤质量指数。八个处理组合，包括耕作和农作物种植，作物残渣和种植系统的强化，包括短期夏季绿豆[ Vigna radiata（L.）Wilczek]被用于印度半热，亚热带西北印度-恒河平原农业生态区的水稻-芥菜种植系统。通过表层土壤（0-5 cm）和5-15 cm土层收集的土壤样品的15个物理，化学和生物学特性进行分析，通过主成分分析（PCA）建立统一的土壤质量指数（SQI）。在零耕直播稻（ZTDSR）–零耕芥菜（ZTM）– ZT夏季绿豆（ZTSMB（+ R）（ZTDSR中的绿豆渣-ZTM中的大米渣-ZTSMB中的芥菜渣））处理中获得最高的SQI通过ZTDSR + BM（棕肥）– ZTM（+ R）（ZTDSR中的芥菜渣和BM – ZTM中的稻渣），最低的SQI在移植的小米（TPR）–传统的芥菜（CTM）中获得土壤层。_s），pH，总氮，有效磷和有效钾。此外，与TPR-CTM相比，ZTDSR – ZTM – ZTSMB（+ R）下的样地使表土中的总有机碳高14％，集聚稳定性高28％。情节。ZTDSR – ZTM -ZTSMB（+ R）处理的土壤表层微生物生物量碳比TPR – CTM处理高65％。ZTDSR – ZTM -ZTSMB（+ R）处理还导致更高的K _s，其顺序为三倍ZT>两倍ZT> ZT>常规耕作。因此，在作物残渣保留的情况下，三倍或双零耕作的中期CA可以维持稻米-芥末系统下的农业可持续性。因此，可以推荐给农民采用。