{"title":"Revitalizing fallow lands: Towards food security and agricultural sustainability","authors":"Dhananjay Patra , Antu Jana , Nalin Bharti , Meghna Dutta , Saurabh Kumar","doi":"10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179841","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fallow land is a major concern in rural India, representing a missed opportunity for income security and agricultural sustainability. Recognizing its significance, this paper presents a novel experiment-based model for converting fallow land into fertile landscapes. Initially, we assess the extent of fallow land through Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes over a 12-year period from 2011 to 2023. We then analyse soil samples from these lands to determine their nutritional profile, ensuring future crop security. Our innovative approach involves applying an indigenous organic solution made from cow dung and urine to enhance the soil's nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) levels—essential for plant growth. Finally, by integrating soil nutrition data with microbial assessments, we propose a multi-tiered orchard model aimed at transforming fallow land into productive areas to boost food production and stimulate economic growth. This study has the potential to change the way fallow lands are perceived and utilized, offering a sustainable and profitable blueprint for rural agrarian communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":422,"journal":{"name":"Science of the Total Environment","volume":"989 ","pages":"Article 179841"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Science of the Total Environment","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725014822","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Fallow land is a major concern in rural India, representing a missed opportunity for income security and agricultural sustainability. Recognizing its significance, this paper presents a novel experiment-based model for converting fallow land into fertile landscapes. Initially, we assess the extent of fallow land through Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) changes over a 12-year period from 2011 to 2023. We then analyse soil samples from these lands to determine their nutritional profile, ensuring future crop security. Our innovative approach involves applying an indigenous organic solution made from cow dung and urine to enhance the soil's nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) levels—essential for plant growth. Finally, by integrating soil nutrition data with microbial assessments, we propose a multi-tiered orchard model aimed at transforming fallow land into productive areas to boost food production and stimulate economic growth. This study has the potential to change the way fallow lands are perceived and utilized, offering a sustainable and profitable blueprint for rural agrarian communities.
期刊介绍:
The Science of the Total Environment is an international journal dedicated to scientific research on the environment and its interaction with humanity. It covers a wide range of disciplines and seeks to publish innovative, hypothesis-driven, and impactful research that explores the entire environment, including the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and anthroposphere.
The journal's updated Aims & Scope emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary environmental research with broad impact. Priority is given to studies that advance fundamental understanding and explore the interconnectedness of multiple environmental spheres. Field studies are preferred, while laboratory experiments must demonstrate significant methodological advancements or mechanistic insights with direct relevance to the environment.