Pulses for sustainable agriculture: Enhancing productivity, soil health and environmental services
Keywords:
Crop diversification, Environmental services, Nitrogen fixation, Pulses, Sustainable agriculture, Soil healthAbstract
Pulses are leguminous crops that have a key role in improving the sustainability of agricultural production and delivering multiple environmental services. One reason is that they can fix atmospheric nitrogen (N) from symbiosis with rhizobia, leading to reduced dependence on synthetic N fertilizers and less greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production and usage of fertilizers. Pulses enrich soil fertility, which in turn leads to the sustainability of the cropping systems and strengthens the resilience under climate change by supporting long-term soil health. Pulses are grown in over 70 million ha worldwide. India is the largest producer as well as consumer. Adding pulses to crop rotations or including them in intercropping systems benefits the overall system by providing additional nutrient cycling, soil microbial diversity, and water-use efficiency. These sorts of practices not only add directly to overall farm productivity but also lower the environmental footprint of intensive agriculture. In addition, pulse-based systems promote agro-biodiversity by diversifying the crop landscapes and, in turn, providing habitats for beneficial organisms. Additionally, these crops have relatively lower carbon and water footprints than cereal-based systems, supporting the objectives of climate-smart agriculture. Beans have more to them than just a health-, agronomic- and economy-booster punch; their high protein content, thanks to which they are vital in diets as well as essential inputs for food and nutritional security for humans and animals. Lower fertilizer expenses and improved resilience to economic and climate shocks also have economic benefits. This review consolidates the ecology, agronomy, socioeconomics, and current research focused on the ecological and socio-economic contributions of pulses, emphasizing their importance in sustainable food production and environmental management. The incorporation of pulses in contemporary agriculture is a sustainable and economical solution to the conflicting pressures of rising food production and resource conservation.
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