Productivity, Nutrient, and Soil Enzymes Influenced with Conservation Agriculture Practices in Peanut

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a soil-C depleting crop under a continuous monocropping system. A study was conducted comprising combinations of tillage practices (zero tillage [ZT] or conventional tillage [CT]), crop rotation (sole peanut, peanut-wheat [Triticum aestivum L.], or peanut+pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan L.]), and green manuring (GM) (green gram [Vigna radiata L.], sesbania [Sesbania aculeata Willd.], or wheat straw incorporation [WSI]). Peanut pod yield was found higher in peanut followed by wheat either zero tilled (ZTW) or conventional tilled (CTW), and GM either with sesbania/green gram/WSI. Green manuring in peanut-ZTW and peanut+pigeonpea recorded higher grain yield of wheat (3.11 t ha(-1)) and pigeonpea (1.76 t ha(-1)), respectively. Sesbania GM increased root biomass of peanut, wheat, and pigeonpea in all the systems. Peanut-pod equivalent yield recorded significantly higher in peanut-ZTW or CTW when included GM with either sesbania or green gram (3.64 t ha(-1)). Found higher accumulation of soil N in peanut-ZTW-sesbania (33.8 kg ha(-1)), P in peanut-CTW (6.4 kg ha(-1)), and S in peanut-CTW (3.7 kg ha(-1)) crop rotations. Activities of urease, beta-glucosidase, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase were increased in all the crop rotations that included green manuring or WSI over sole peanut. Soil bulk density (0-15 cm depth) was recorded lower in peanut-CTW, however, higher in peanut-ZTW. Peanut followed by ZTW or CTW and green manuring either with sesbania or green gram found more sustainable than sole peanut in terms of peanut-pod equivalent yield and improved soil enzyme activities.