Pakistan’s agriculture is facing numerous climatic issues including salinity, health hazards of soil and pollution. Synthetic nitrogen fertilizers quick in action but reduce soil fertility and soil health. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is a very economical to nitrogen fertilizer in organic agriculture. By cereal legumes intercropping, we can obtain the advantage of BNF through legumes. To compare the biological nitrogen fixation by two legumes i.e. Gram (Cicer aretinum) and lentil (Lens culinaris Medic) in wheat (Triticum aestivum), an experiment was launched during 2018-19. The study consisted of two wheat based inter-cropping with legume i.e. wheat-gram and wheat-lentil in 1-row, 2-row and 3-row strips including sole cropping of all component crops. The results revealed that grain yield, number of grains and seed weight were significantly increased by both inter cropping system over sole cropping of each. However, number of tillers per plant registered maximum in wheat-lentil 1-row strip over other treatments. Land equipment ratio was fairly high in all inter-cropping treatments but the highest LER was recorded for wheat + lentil 3-rows inter-cropping treatment. The soil analysis done before and after harvesting the crop, showed a favorable impact on increasing the percentage of organic matter and nitrogen in the soil. So it is concluded from this research that organic agriculture system in D. I. Khan must rely on BNF for eco-friendly conditions in changing climate scenario. The process of BNF offered an economically attractive sound means of reducing synthetic fertilizer and improved the health of soil as in our case of all treatments. In addition to BNF, it enhanced the micro-flora and micro-fauna activities in the soil which induced the soil fertility.
Keywords:It is the opinion of many authors that one of the most important and essential sources of diffuse river contamination is improper farming [1-3] Riversides are a strategically advantageous location for agricultural activities since river floodplains are exceptionally fertile. However, the diffuse contamination from farms is caused by not only the riverbank activities but also the intensive farming throughout the river basin. In pursuit of a larger yield, farmers intensively use manure, various chemical fertilizers and pesticides. However, these materials are easily washed out from the soil by rainwater, which then contaminate rivers with the groundwater or surface runoff wastewater. It has been determined that approximately 30-35% of nitrogen and 10-15% of phosphorus, two main contaminates of the surface waters, originate from agricultural activities [4]. The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of agricultural activities on the state of surface water in Lithuania. Based on the studies conducted in 2014-2019, only 20 % of the studied lakes (total of 40 lakes studied) do not meet the criteria for good ecological status (0.100–0.140 mg/l) according to the phosphorus (Pb) concentration in water. At lakes Latežeris and Luksnėnai the concentration of Pb indicated a bad ecological class (0.231–0.470 mg/l), while at lakes Draudeniai, Paežeriai and Mastis these indicated very bad class (0.231–0.470 mg/l). The lake Talkša and in ponds Bubliai and Stepanioniai were in average ecological class (0.141–0.230 mg/l).
The load of biogenic material in the Lakes basins was calculated using SWAT model data. It has been determined that the largest amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus in the Lakes basin appear due to agricultural activities.
The increasing demand for timber and non-timber products from native forests in Chile and the cattle grazing has augmented the rate of degradation of these ecosystems. This process results in the need to know which of the dynamic variables are involved in its regulation. Soil quality indicators like soil organic carbon (SOC), soil microbial respiration (SMR), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), potential net N mineralization (N-min), and nitrification (N-NO), soil aggregates, and light fraction (LF), were evaluated at two different depths of the soil in Nothofagus obliqua (deciduous) and mixed N. dombeyi - N. obliqua (evergreen-deciduous) forests, where a 30-ha silvopastoral trial was established, after this evaluation, in early 2016 1. The SOC, SMR, MBC, N-min and N-NO were significantly higher in the N. obliqua forest than the mixed forest, 8%, 17%, 17%, 40%, 20%, respectively (p<0.05). The dry weight in soil fractions did not present differences between forest types. C and N contents in the LF (labile, un-decomposed organic matter of plant origin) were higher in the deciduous forest, 9% and 20%, respectively (p<0.05) 2. Our results suggest that soil quality was favored by the quality of organic matter in the site dominated by deciduous species, which translates into more favorable conditions for the activity of microorganisms, nitrogen dynamic, and C and N content in the light faction. The intrinsic characteristics of the plant residues associated with higher rates of decomposition, can stimulate the activity of the biota and especially the soil microorganisms, which would lead to higher values of the different indicators evaluated 3. This novel silvopastoral system will likely help restore the most degraded sites through improvement of the soil quality. This kind of information allows obtaining knowledge of forest areas and their sustainability, mainly for the planning of long-term, durable silvopastoral practices 4.
