Tag: Harold van Es
Improved Crop Management Practices Can Help India’s Rice-Wheat Systems
Rice and wheat comprise the bulk of India’s diet, making them crucial crops for the country’s food system. However, the rice-wheat cropping system that dominates agriculture in states like Bihar damages soil quality. Rising temperatures and decreasing groundwater supplies further…
New Webinar Series Will Begin with Discussion on Sustainable Tech
The Transforming Food Systems Forum, a new webinar series from the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI), will start on Monday, September 14, with an examination of sustainable technologies for smallholder farmers.
The series will feature insightful, data-driven discussions…
Organic Inputs and Tillage Differentially Impact Soil Health and Yield in Rice–Wheat Systems in the Eastern Gangetic Plain
Abstract Background The rice (Oryza sativa L.) – wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotation is the dominant cropping system of the Indo-Gangetic Plain and is experiencing challenges from a variety of environmental and socio-economic factors. Organic matter cycling and zero-tillage (ZT) have been encouraged in the...
Soil Health-Human Health Nexus: Mineral Thresholds, Interlinkages and Rice System in Jharkhand, India
Abstract Understanding the role of minerals along biological pathways in the food chain (soil-crop-animal/human) is imperative to solving the global problem of human malnutrition and toxic exposure. This is especially relevant to rice (Oryza sativa L.)—a staple crop in highly populated regions, like India, that are...
Enhancing Soil Health in Rice Cultivation: Optimized Zn Application and Crop Residue Management in Calcareous Soils
Abstract Crop residue, a readily available biomass, is the largest source of organic matter in soil, and zinc (Zn) significantly influences microbial activity. Understanding the optimal Zn rates for enhanced biological activity in crop residue-amended soils is crucial. A study at RPCAU, Pusa, examined the...
Seasonal Variations in Soil Characteristics Control Microbial Respiration and Carbon Use Under Tree Plantations in the Middle Gangetic Region
Abstract Seasonal variations directly impact the biochemical and microbial properties of the soil, influence carbon and nutrient cycling within the soil system. Soils under tree plantation (TP) are rich in organic matter and microbial population, making them more susceptible to seasonal variation. We studied the...
A Data-Driven Approach for Devising and Assessing Precision Nitrogen Management Strategies Applied to Wheat Systems in India
Abstract Limiting nitrogen pollution from crop production is essential for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and protecting aquatic ecosystems while maintaining food security. Precision nitrogen management (PNM) provides a conceptual framework for achieving yield goals while maintaining nitrogen pollution within planetary boundaries by matching fertilizer rates...
Agronomic enhancements in the Indo-Gangetic Plain variably improve soil health depending on tillage and residue management
Abstract Changing climates, labor markets, scarcity of water and soil degradation threaten productivity in rice (Oryza sativa L.) – wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) rotations the eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP). Diversifying cropping systems, zero tillage, and residue addition can improve soil health and lead to increased system yields....
TCI Faculty Fellow Receives Three Awards
TCI Faculty Fellow Harold van Es received three honors from professional societies during CANVAS 2025, an annual gathering of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America, and the Soil Science Society of America.
The Soil Science…
A Multi-Use Agrivoltaics Model for Smallholder Communities
India, like many countries around the world, faces the daunting challenge of increasing food production to feed its growing population while attempting to mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, agri-photovoltaics (agrivoltaics…