Improving quality and resilience of soils under rice-based cropping systems

Abstract

Soil degradation is a major threat to agricultural sustainability and environmental quality. Assessment of soil health/resilience and identification of key indicators for such assessment are one of the options for addressing the nature and diagnostic modules of such degradation. These tools will help to evolve management practices that optimize the combined goals of higher crop production, low soil degradation and sustained soil resources. Manouvering the C-cycle effectively for a net enrichment of SOC will have all the potential cobenefits of increasing food security, biodiversity and overall ecosystem resilience.