Title of project: Long-term conservation agriculture impact on microbiome and soil health indicators for resource efficiency and resilience in maize systems
Funding agency: ICAR-National Agriculture Science Fund, New Delhi
Total approved cost of the project: Rs 182 lakh

Objective:

• Quantify GHG mitigation potential, carbon dynamics & soil physical health and their relationship with crop yields and resource efficiency under long-term conservation agriculture in maize systems
• Understand, quantify and establish whole microbiome composition & soil fauna responsible for increased yield under long-term conservation agriculture in maize systems
• Quantify pathogens and pest dynamics in maize based cropping systems under long-term CA in maize systems
• Harnessing the maize microbial communities of CA for their potentiality to mitigate stresses and improving resource use efficiency in maize.

Project team: Drs. Bhupender Kumar and Suby SB (IIMR), Aundy Kumar, Robin Gogoi, C.M. Parihar and V. Govindaswamy (IARI), K. Rao and Rakesh Kumar (ICARER)
Major achievements: Started in November 2018