Background: Circular agriculture is a new way to grow food that is more sustainable because it puts waste streams back into nutrient cycles. This fixes the problems with linear agricultural systems. Such circular nutrient management strategies can help lentil (Lens culinaris) production a lot, especially in areas that are semiarid and short on resources.
Objectives: The goal of this study was to create and test a circular nutrient recycling framework that combines organic waste valorization with targeted biofertilizer application to improve productivity, soil health, and environmental sustainability in lentil cropping systems.
Methods: A field experiment was executed utilizing six treatment combinations, comprising lentil straw compost, cattle manure, poultry litter, blended vermicompost, and a comprehensive biological input regime. The latter included Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. viciae, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (Bacillus megaterium), arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus intraradices), and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) groups. We looked at greenhouse gas emissions, soil organic carbon, nutrient use efficiency, and agronomic performance.
Results: The fully circular treatment (T6) yielded the most grain (2.21 t/ha), which is 49.3% more than the standard mineral fertilizer control. The amount of nutrients used more efficiently went up by 66%, the amount of organic carbon in the soil went up by 75%, and the amount of greenhouse gases released went down by 64.1%.
Conclusion: The suggested circular nutrient recycling framework is a scalable, low-external-input way to grow lentils in a way that is good for the environment. Combining biofertilizers with valuable organic waste has big benefits for farming, the environment, and the economy.
Significance: This strategy is in line with global sustainability goals like Zero Hunger and Life on Land. It also offers a way to transition to resilient legume-based cropping systems in areas with little rain.