Soil Health and Sustainability in the Age of Organic Amendments: A Review

Organic amendments have emerged as a pivotal component in the trajectory of sustainable agriculture, given their multifaceted contributions to soil health, crop yield, and environmental conservation. This comprehensive review delves into the intricacies of organic amendments, spanning their historical context, types, sources, nutrient profiles, and their interplay with soil and plant health. Special emphasis is laid on the integration of modern technological advancements with traditional amendment practices, exploring the synergistic potential of digital agriculture and precision farming in enhancing the efficacy of organic inputs. The review also sheds light on the economic, social, and environmental ramifications, emphasizing the role of organic amendments in smallholder versus large-scale agricultural systems and their influence on farmer resilience and consumer perceptions. Crucially, this review addresses the challenges and limitations inherent in organic amendment practices, including concerns related to quality variation, scalability, over-application, and regulatory nuances. Concomitantly, the work culminates with a forward-looking perspective, highlighting emergent trends and innovations that portend the future of organic amendments in global agriculture. The findings underscore the significance of organic amendments not merely as soil additives but as integral elements in the blueprint for a sustainable, resilient, and food-secure future.

Relationships between Different Growth and Yield Traits in Bottle Guord [Lagenaria siceraria (mol.) Standl] with Path Coefficient Analysis over Seasons under Salt Affected Soil

This study used 23 genotypes of bottle gourd—27 F1 hybrids, 12 Parents (9 lines, and 3 testers)—during two seasons (Y1 and Y2) and pooled analyses to analyze the correlations between fruit production per plant (Kg), growth, and economic features. The observations were evaluated based on qualities that are related to growth and yield. It was discovered that the fruit yield per plant had exhibited a significant and positive phenotypic correlation with the length of the male and female flowers' pedicels, the number of primary branches per plant, the length of the vine, the number of nodes per vine, the internodal length, the duration of picking, the length of the peduncle, the length of the fruit, the average fruit's circumference, the average fruit's weight, the number of fruits per plant. The highest positive direct effect on fruit yield per plant was exerted by number of fruit per plant followed by average fruit weight at phenotypic level. Whereas, higher negative direct effects exerted by days to first fruit harvest. The soil type of experimental site was sandy loam with average fertility level and pH in the range of 7.5-8.5