Simulating environmental impact of resource-conserving technologies in the rice-wheat system of the Indo-Gangetic Plains
2009
Pathak, H. | Saharawat, Y.S. | Gathala M. | Mohanty, S. | Ladha, J.K.
In recent years, efforts have been made to develop and deliver resource-conserving technologies (RCTs) with efficient and environmentally-friendly tillage/crop establishment and water use compared with conventional farmers practices. No tool, however, is available to evaluate RCTs quantitatively in terms of environmental impact. A simulation model, named lnfoRCT (Information on Use of Resource-Conserving Technologies), has been developed integrating biophysical, agronomic, and socioeconomic data to establish input-output relationships related to water, fertilizer, labor, and biocide uses as well as biocide residue in soil, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and N fluxes in the rice-wheat system of the Indo-Gangetic Plains. Different RCTs in the rice-wheat system had pronounced effects on the global warming potential (GWP), which varied between 2,290 kg CO2 equi. ha-1 En direct drill-seeded rice and wheat on beds and 3,680 kg CO2 equl. ha-1 in conventional puddled transplanted rice and tilled wheat. Compared with conventional practices, however, all the technologies reduced GWP by 13% to 38%. The assessment showed that zero-tillage with direct seeding of rice had a risk of high biocide residue in soil. RCTs reduced total N loss by 2% to 28% compared with conventional puddled transplanted rice and tilled wheat. The model provided a comparative assessment of RCTs in terms of environmental impact and this has application potential under different scenarios of soil, climate, and crop management.
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