?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Foar.icrisat.org%2F5534%2F&rft.title=Soil+Health+Improvement+with+Gliricidia+Green+Leaf+Manuring+in+Rainfed+Agriculture%3AOn+Farm+Experiences&rft.creator=Srinivasa+Rao%2C+Ch&rft.creator=et+al%2C+.&rft.subject=Soil+Science&rft.subject=Agriculture-Farming%2C+Production%2C+Technology%2C+Economics&rft.description=Enrichment+of+soil+organic+carbon+(SOC)+stocks+through+sequestration+of+atmospheric+CO2+in+agricultural%0D%0Asoils+is+important+because+of+its+impacts+on+soil+health%2C+agronomic+production%2C+as+well+as+adaptation+and%0D%0Amitigation+of+climate+change.+A+high+SOC+concentration+can+be+achieved+through+the+adoption+of+appropriate%0D%0Acrop+rotations%2C+integrated+nutrient+management+systems+and+conservation+agriculture+practices.+In+arid+and%0D%0Asemi-arid+regions%2C+crop+productivity+is+strongly+influenced+by+soil+fertility+and+moisture+retention+capacity.%0D%0ATherefore%2C+restoring+soil+health+and+enhancing+SOC+stocks+are+essential+for+improving+and+sustaining+agronomic%0D%0Aproductivity.%0D%0AIn+India%2C+rainfed+cropping+is+practiced+on+80+Mha+in+arid%2C+semi-arid+and+sub-humid+climatic+zones%2C%0D%0Aconstituting+nearly+60%25+of+the+net+cultivated+area.+These+regions+are+characterized+by+erratic+rainfall%2C+degraded%0D%0Asoils%2C+poor+infrastructure+and+tropical+or+subtropical+environments+where+ambient+temperature+rises+frequently%0D%0Aabove+40-4SoC+in+summer.+The+magnitude+of+change+in+SOC+due+to+continuous+cultivation+depends+on+the%0D%0Abalance+between+the+loss+of+C+by+oxidation+and+erosion%2C+the+quantity+and+quality+of+crop+residues+returned+and%0D%0Aadditional+biomass+C+added+to+the+soils.+Therefore%2C+crop+and+soil+management+practices+must+be+designed+to%0D%0Aensure+sustainability+of+long+term+cropping+systems.+There+are+several+strategies+to+improve+soil+carbon+status.%0D%0AGliricidia+green+leaf+manuring+is+one+of+the+important+strategies+that+improves+soil+organic+carbon%2C+adds+soil%0D%0Anutrients%2C+enhances+soil+moisture+storage+as+a+consequence+of+which+the+crops+can+cope+with+intermittent%0D%0Adroughts%2C+as+well+as+biological+health+of+the+soil.+I+congratulate+the+authors+for+documenting+this+commendable%0D%0Aaction+research+that+focused+on+promoting+Gliricidia+green+leaf+manuring+on+farmers+fields+in+degraded+lands+in+8+rain%C2%A3ed+tribal+districts+of+Andhra+Pradesh+and+several+other+regions.+This+bulletin+will+be+of+immense+use%0D%0Ato+field+level+workers%2C+administrators%2C+policy+makers+etc+for+promoting+Gliricidia+leaf+manuring+on+farm+bunds%0D%0Aand+waste+lands+and+on-farm+generation+of+organic+matter+to+improve+soil+health+and+sustainability+of+rainfed%0D%0Asystems+in+India.&rft.publisher=Central+Research+Institute+for+Dryland+Agriculture&rft.date=2011&rft.type=Monograph&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Foar.icrisat.org%2F5534%2F1%2FSoil%2520Health%2520Improvemet_with_Gliricidi_2011.pdf&rft.identifier=++Srinivasa+Rao%2C+Ch+and+et+al%2C+.++(2011)+Soil+Health+Improvement+with+Gliricidia+Green+Leaf+Manuring+in+Rainfed+Agriculture%3AOn+Farm+Experiences.++Documentation.+Central+Research+Institute+for+Dryland+Agriculture%2C+Hyderabad%2C+India.+++++