Person: Jat, R.K.
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Jat
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R.K.
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Jat, R.K.
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- The optimization of conservation agriculture practices requires attention to location-specific performance: Evidence from large scale gridded simulations across South Asia(Elsevier, 2022) Tianning Zhang; Wei Xiong; Sapkota, T.; Jat, M.L.; Montes, C.; Krupnik, T.J.; Jat, R.K.; Karki, S.; Nayak, H.S.; Faisal, A.; Jat, H.S.
Publication - A compendium of key climate smart agriculture practices in intensive cereal based systems of South Asia(CIMMYT, 2020) Jat, M.L.; Jat, H.S.; Agarwal, T.; Bijarniya, D.; Kakraliya Suresh Kumar; Choudhary, K.M.; Kalvaniya, K.C.; Gupta, N.; Kumar, M.; Singh, L.K.; Kumar, Y.; Jat, R.K.; Sharma, P.C.; Sidhu, H.S.; Choudhary, M.; Datta, A.; Shirsath, P.B.; Lopez-Ridaura, S.
Publication - Greenhouse gas measurement from smallholder production systems: guidelines for static chamber method(CIMMYT, 2014) Sapkota, T.; Rai, M.; Singh, L.K.; Gathala, M.K.; Jat, M.L.; Sutaliya, J.M.; Bijarniya, D.; Jat, M.K.; Jat, R.K.; Parihar, C.M.; Kapoor, P.; Jat, H.S.; Dadarwal, R.S.; Sharma, P.C.; Sharma, D.K.Renewed interest in quantifying greenhouse gas emissions from soil has led to development and application of multitude of techniques. But, chamber-based flux measurement technique is most common and frequently used method for GHG flux measurement in smallholder production systems. Despite the apparent conceptual simplicity of chamber-based methods, chamber design, deployment, and data analyses can have marked effects on the quality of the flux data derived from chamber-based measurement. This also have implications on making comparisons of GHGs emissions from the studies by various researchers even within similar cropping systems and management practices. Therefore, harmonization of GHGs emission studies by chamber based method is necessary. This synthesis provides standard guidelines to scientists involved in GHG quantification by using chamber based methods as well as to facilitate inter study comparison. As any methodology or protocol, chamber methodology has also gone rigorous modification, refinement and improvement over time. Further, type of materials used, dimension, place and time of deployment, sampling time and frequency and analysis method differs slightly from location to location based on the systems being studied, resources availability and so on. Efforts have been made to summarize minimum requirement but also highlighting the need of site-specific consideration. Adoption of harmonized methods that is sensitive and unbiased will result into less error and allows accurate interpolation and extrapolation over time and space.
Publication - Operational manual for turbo happy seeder: technology for managing crop residues with environmental stewardship(CIMMYT, 2013) Jat, M.L.; Kapil; Kamboj, B.R.; Sidhu, H.S.; Singh, M.; Bana, A.; Bishnoi, D.K.; Gathala, M.K.; Saharawat, Y.S.; Kumar, V.; Kumar, A.; Jat, H.S.; Jat, R.K.; Sharma, P.C.; Sharma, R.; Singh, R.; Sapkota, T.; Malik, R.; Gupta, R.K.Multiple challenges associated with plough based conventional production practices that include deteriorating natural resources, declining factor productivity, yield plateau, shortages of water & labour and escalating costs of production inputs coupled with emerging challenges of climate change both in irrigated intensive systems as well as low intensity rainfed ecologies are the major threat to food security of South Asia (Jat et al, 2009; Ladha et al, 2009; Chauhan et al, 2012). Water and labour scarcity and timeliness of farming operations specially crop establishment under the emerging climatic uncertainties are becoming major concerns of farming all across farmer typologies, production systems and ecologies in the region (Chauhan et al, 2012). In many parts of South Asia, over-exploitation and poor management of groundwater has led to declining water table and negative environmental impacts. Conventional tillage based flooded rice receiving the largest amount of fresh water compared to any other crop is the major contributor to the problems of declining groundwater table ranging from 0.1– 1.0 m year-1 specially in north-west India and increasing energy use and costs. The problem has further been intensified with the unavailability of labour in time, and multi-fold increase in labour costs. Fragmented land holdings and nucleus farm families further exacerbates the problem of availability of farm labour. Potential solutions to address these issues include a shift from intensive tillage based practices to conservation agriculture (CA) based crop management systems (Saharawat et al, 2010; Jat et al, 2012; Gathala et al, 2013). Direct drilling (seeding/planting with zero tillage technology) is one such practice that potentially addresses the issues of labor, energy, water, soil health etc (Malik et al 2005; Gupta and Sayre, 2007; Jat et al, 2009; Ladha et al, 2009; Gathala et al, 2011; Jat et al, 2013) and adaptations to climatic variability (Jat et al, 2009; Malik et al, 2013). One of the key elements of CA is rational soil cover with organics (crop residues, cover crops etc) has greater relevance not only in terms of managing the agricultural waste but particularly for eliminating burning, improving soil health, conserve water, help in adaptation to and mitigating of climate change effects. Globally, annual production of crop residues is estimated at 3440 million tonnes of which large quantities are not managed properly. In India alone, more than 140 million tonnes of crop residues are disposed of by burning each year. In rice-wheat system of the IGP of South Asia, the disposal of rice residues is one of the major challenges due to poor quality for fodder, bioconversion, and engineering applications. In most combine harvested rice fields of western IGP, the rice residues are burnt before planting of wheat. The field burning of crop residues is a major contributor to poor air quality (particulates, greenhouse gases), human respiratory ailments, and the death of beneficial soil fauna and micro-organisms. During burning of crop residues around 80% of carbon is lost as CO2 and a small fraction is evolved as CO. Burning involving incomplete combustion can also be a source of net emissions of many greenhouse gases including CO, CH4, SO2 and N2O. Crop residue burning accounts 6.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent emission annually in India (INCCA, 2010). Apart from loss of carbon, up to 80% loss of N and S, 25% of P and 21% of K occurs during burning of crop residues (Ponnamperuma, 1984; Yadvinder-Singh et al., 2010). For managing residues of combine harvested crops and field (loose as well as anchored) as surface mulch and realize multiple benefits of improve crop yields, conserve soil moisture, saving of irrigation, buffer soil temperature, improve SOC, adapt to terminal heat effects in addition to environmental benefits through eliminating burning, ‘Turbo Happy Seeder’, is now available, which is capable of direct drilling (ZT) into heavy surface residue loads in a single operation. Many of the farmers in India and elsewhere have started using Turbo Happy Seeder for residue management. However, one of the major constraints in large scale adoption of this technology as well as sub-optimal use efficiency of planter is the lack of skills/knowledge on operation, calibration and maintenance of the machinery. There are different field situation specific adjustments needed before the use of the machine in the field. These adjustments include proper seeding depth, fertilizer rate and the seed rate etc as per the crop and field conditions to realize the potential benefits of the technology. There are several machinery manufacturers who supply these planters but the operational manuals are not available for making adjustments, calibrations under local conditions. In absence of the proper operational guidelines and protocols for efficient use of this machine by the farmers, service providers, extension agents, many a times the desirable results are not achieved and even contradictory results are observed. This results in slow down the adoption rates of the technology. Also, in absence of simple guidelines for maintenance of the machine, the farmers/service providers need to make huge investments on repairing at the start of the season. Therefore, we attempted to develop an operational manual to provide simple guidelines for calibration, operation, maintenance and troubleshooting for efficient use of turbo happy seeder by the range of stakeholders including farmers, service providers, extension agents and researchers.
Publication - Direct dry seeded rice production technology and weed management in rice based systems(CIMMYT, 2010) Singh, R.G.; Jat, R.K.; Kumar, V.; Alam, M.M.; Jat, M.L.; Mazid, M.A.; Saharawat, Y.S.; Mcdonald, A.; Gupta, R.K.In South Asia, rice-based cropping systems account for more than 50% of the total acreage with rice grown in sequence with rice or upland crops like wheat, maize or legumes. In most areas, rice is traditionally grown by transplanting seedlings into puddled fields (henceforth ‘TPR’). There are strong incentives in many parts of S. Asia to promote alternatives to puddled rice cultivation, including: Optimizing system productivity. Puddling is achieved by intensive tillage under ponded water conditions, which serves to break down soil aggregates, reduce macro-porosity, disperse the clay fraction, and form a dense zone of compaction (i.e. ‘plough pan’) at depth. In addition to facilitating transplanting, puddling serves several functions including weed control and to reduce deep percolation losses of water. Although the soil physical changes from puddling can be favorable for rice cultivation, they can also be very detrimental to the growth of subsequent non-rice crops by causing temporary water logging, poor crop emergence, and restricted root development. Reducing irrigation requirements. Around 30% of the total water (1400-1800 mm) required for rice culture is dedicated to puddling and transplanting. In cases where deep percolating waters are not recovered (e.g. in canal irrigated areas), these constitute true losses from the system. Water availability for agriculture is becoming increasingly scarce because of competition with other economic sectors and from accelerating demands for direct human consumption. Per capita availability of water has declined by 40-60% between 1955 and 1990 in several Asian countries, and in some areas this trend is accelerating. For areas with groundwater-based systems, pumping costs and energy consumption are directly related to the number of irrigations. Hence puddle rice cultivation aggravates the energy crisis in many parts of the Indo Gangetic Plains (IGP) and elsewhere. Reducing labor requirements. Timely transplanting of rice is based on the premise of cheap and readily available labor. Across S. Asia, labor scarcity is no longer a projection, but rather a hard felt reality. Rice production technologies that require less labor are urgently required. Fortunately, alternative establishment practices for rice such as direct seeding into dry, unpuddled soil (henceforth ‘DSR’) are suitable for different production environments in South Asia and may alleviate many of the problems associated with TPR. In South Asia, DSR is already practiced in many medium deep- and deep-water rice ecologies of eastern Gangetic plains of India and Bangladesh; and on terraced and sloping lands in the north-east and Western Himalayan region and the Ghats along west coast of India. The acreage of DSR in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh is 14.2 million hectares (M ha) of the total rice acreage of 55.3 Mha (ca. 26%). Without proper management, however, DSR productivity can be low. Common factors contributing to poor yields include supra-optimal seeding rates (60-100 kg/ha), increased weed competition, insufficient fertilizer use, and lack of improved cultivars selected for good stand establishment with direct seeding.
Publication - Resource conserving technologies in South Asia: frequently asked questions(CIMMYT, 2010) Jat, M.L.; Singh, R.G.; Sidhu, H.S.; Singh, U.; Malik, R.; Kamboj, B.R.; Jat, R.K.; Singh, V.P.; Hussain, I.; Mazid, M.A.; Sherchan, D.P.; Khan, Aaqil; Patil, S.G.; Gupta, R.K.Resource Conserving Technology (RCT) is a broad term that refers to any management approach or technology that increases factor productivity including land, labour, capital and inputs. RCTs include a wide range of practices including: no-till / minimum ti
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