Conservation agriculture improves soil quality, system productivity, and profitability in semi-arid peanut–wheat rotation in medium black calcareous soils

Abstract

Sustainable land management is crucial for achieving multiple sustainable development goals, especially those related to poverty alleviation, food security, climate resilience, and sustainable land use. In semi-arid regions of India, the peanut–wheat cropping system (PWS) on medium black calcareous soils suffers from declining productivity due to soil degradation, moisture stress, and poor soil health. Hence, this study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of conservation agriculture (CA)-based tillage practices and residue management strategies on soil quality indicators, crop productivity, and profitability in a rainfed peanut (Arachis hypogaea)—wheat (Triticum aestivum) system in semi-arid western India. A field experiment was conducted over multiple seasons for testing CA-based practices involving three tillage systems—conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT), and zero tillage (ZT)—and three residue management treatments—no residue, wheat stubble, and wheat stubble + Cassia tora mulch (WSC). Soil physical, chemical, and biological indicators—including soil aggregates, soil organic carbon (SOC), water infiltration, and soil microbial biomass (SMBC)—along with yield components and economic returns were measured and compared across treatments. ZT significantly improved macro- and micro-aggregation by up to 113.6% and SOC by 31.9% over CT. Application of WSC increased water-stable aggregates by 45.6% and infiltration rate to 103.8 mm h⁻¹. SMBC increased by 40.5% under ZT compared to CT. MT resulted in 4.8% higher system yield and the highest net returns, while use of WSC recorded superior pod yield of peanut, grain yield of wheat, peanut pod equivalent yield, and profitability. Thus, this study provides strong evidence that CA-based practices, particularly MT with organic residue retention, offer a viable pathway for sustainable intensification of rainfed cropping systems in semi-arid regions, with co-benefits for soil ecosystem services.