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<p>Ecosystem services degradation due to unsustainable agricultural practices is a pressing challenge for environmental and agricultural sustainability. Hence, integrating legumes into cereal-based systems with balanced nitrogen application can be a promising strategy to enhance ecosystem functions. Therefore, the current study was conducted to quantify the effect of legume integration, viz., cowpea, <i>Sesbania</i>, and black gram with maize over sole maize with varying nitrogen levels (recommended dose of nitrogen; RDN, 125% RDN, and 75% RDN) on the monetary value of selected ecosystem services and changes in soil biological properties. Results indicate that maize integrated with <i>Sesbania</i> and cowpea registers the maximum air regulation value (28.5% and 23.6%, respectively) and organic matter accumulation over sole maize. Likewise, water regulation, nutrient cycling, and soil biological properties were also considerably higher under the maize + <i>Sesbania</i> and maize + cowpea systems compared to sole maize. Moreover, maize + <i>Sesbania</i> and maize + cowpea systems registered 28.0%, 22.6%, 63.8%, 45.2%, 26.0% and 42.0% higher regulating, supporting, and provisioning ecosystem services over sole maize, respectively. Overall, maize + <i>Sesbania</i> and maize + cowpea systems had 35.4% and 38.6% higher total ecosystem service values over sole maize, respectively. Compared to sole maize, <i>Sesbania</i> integration with maize increased the soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) by 12.8% and dehydrogenase activities (DHA) by 10.9% at the silking stage. Concerning nitrogen levels, enhancing N doses beyond the RDN does not support ecosystem services and changes in soil biological indicators. Although decreasing the N doses by 25% reduced the total ecosystem services by 9.6% over RDN. Hence, findings of a short-term study indicate that integrating legumes like <i>Sesbania</i> and/or cowpea and managing them as brown manuring along with RDN can be promoted as a cost-effective strategy for improving ecosystem services and soil biological indicators in humid subtropics.</p>

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Effect of legume integration and nitrogen levels on selected ecosystem services and soil biological indicators in maize farming under humid subtropics

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月13日

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  • Khushboo Devi,
  • Subhash Babu,
  • Sanjay Singh Rathore,
  • Rishi Raj,
  • Md Yeasin,
  • Veda Krishnan,
  • Sudesh,
  • Aastika Pandey,
  • Ananya Gairola,
  • Vipin Kumar,
  • Devideen Yadav

摘要

Ecosystem services degradation due to unsustainable agricultural practices is a pressing challenge for environmental and agricultural sustainability. Hence, integrating legumes into cereal-based systems with balanced nitrogen application can be a promising strategy to enhance ecosystem functions. Therefore, the current study was conducted to quantify the effect of legume integration, viz., cowpea, Sesbania, and black gram with maize over sole maize with varying nitrogen levels (recommended dose of nitrogen; RDN, 125% RDN, and 75% RDN) on the monetary value of selected ecosystem services and changes in soil biological properties. Results indicate that maize integrated with Sesbania and cowpea registers the maximum air regulation value (28.5% and 23.6%, respectively) and organic matter accumulation over sole maize. Likewise, water regulation, nutrient cycling, and soil biological properties were also considerably higher under the maize + Sesbania and maize + cowpea systems compared to sole maize. Moreover, maize + Sesbania and maize + cowpea systems registered 28.0%, 22.6%, 63.8%, 45.2%, 26.0% and 42.0% higher regulating, supporting, and provisioning ecosystem services over sole maize, respectively. Overall, maize + Sesbania and maize + cowpea systems had 35.4% and 38.6% higher total ecosystem service values over sole maize, respectively. Compared to sole maize, Sesbania integration with maize increased the soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) by 12.8% and dehydrogenase activities (DHA) by 10.9% at the silking stage. Concerning nitrogen levels, enhancing N doses beyond the RDN does not support ecosystem services and changes in soil biological indicators. Although decreasing the N doses by 25% reduced the total ecosystem services by 9.6% over RDN. Hence, findings of a short-term study indicate that integrating legumes like Sesbania and/or cowpea and managing them as brown manuring along with RDN can be promoted as a cost-effective strategy for improving ecosystem services and soil biological indicators in humid subtropics.