Agricultural Diversification for Sustainable Food Production

This book discusses agricultural diversification, nutritional security and environmental sustainability. It helps to address the multipronged challenges of nutritional security while preserving the dwindling natural resources in the current fluctuating climate conditions. Energy-intensive, conventional agricultural production systems accelerate environmental footprints, resource mining, biodiversity losses, and human health problems and reduce soil functionality. Diversified farming can potentially enhance yield, food security, and climate change buffering as it helps to achieve advanced food security by efficient resource use and profit maximization. This book covers the challenges faced during the adoption of diversified farming and opportunities to enhanced food production and minimize the environmental footprints.

This book is useful for academicians, researchers, ecologists, environmentalists, students, capacity builders, and policymakers to have in-depth knowledge of this complex and diverse field. This book also helps in devising a road map for policy planning and advancement of existing knowledge for various stakeholders working in this field.

1. Crop diversification in India: Implications to food security and soil health.- 2. Approaches for capturing soil carbon for sustained food and nutritional security.- 3. Biochar as new emerging tool to achieve food security and environmental sustainability under current climate change scenario.- 4. Integrated Farming Systems: A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Agriculture.- 5. Genetic gain enhancement in maize breeding for sustained food and nutritional security.- 6. Diversification of sugarcane-based cropping system with medicinal and aromatic plants.- 7. Diversification of rainfed maize-based systems in the Indian Himalayas.- 8. Enhancing nutrient use efficiency in pulses under diversified farming through agronomic manipulations.- 9. Crop Diversification with Legume for Sustainable Production and Environmental Gain.- 10. Agroforestry for sustainable livelihood and nutritional security.- 11. Food-water-energy nexus in designing sustainable food production systems.- 12. Harnessing below and above-ground interaction in diversified cropping for sustainable food production.- 13. Crop Diversification Opportunities in Rainfed Farming: Approaches and Strategies.- 14. Carbon Farming.- 15. Agroecological Approaches for Sustainable Intensification.- 16. Solar Energy for Farm Diversification: Implications in Sustainable Food Production.- 17. Integrated crop management practices for crop productivity and environmental sustainability.- 18. Climate smart tools and approaches in agriculture for sustainable food production.

DR. SUBHASH BABU is currently working as a Senior Scientist at the Division of Agronomy, ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. He is known for his work on carbon management in agroecosystems, soil health, integrated farming systems, and the integration of innovative climate resilient technology in agriculture. His research and initiatives aim to improve food security and environmental sustainability. Dr. Babu collaborates with various institutions and organizations to promote knowledge sharing and the adoption of best practices in farming, making a substantial impact on the agricultural sector.  Dr. Babu has 315+ publications in journals of national and international repute and 6 books. 

DR. RAGHAVENDRA SINGH is currently working as a Head, Division of Cropping Systems and Resource Management, ICAR-Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram, Meerut, UP (India). He has made significant contributions to soil health, nutrient management, and the development of innovative farming systems. Dr. Singh's research focuses on enhancing crop productivity, resource use efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Dr Singh is associated with the development of high yielding varieties of rice, maize, and rajmash for organic conditions of Sikkim. He has published 120+ research articles and 3 books. 

DR. SANJAY SINGH RATHORE is currently working as a Head, Division of Agronomy, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi and National Coordinator of World Bank funded National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP). He has developed IFS models under shifting cultivation, efficient irrigation water management, and resource conservation technologies for mustard-based cropping systems, suitable agri horti, and potential crop diversification options for maize-based systems under limited water conditions. Dr. Rathore's research focuses on enhancing crop yields, improving resource use efficiency, and promoting environmentally sustainable farming techniques. He has published 160+ international and national research papers and six books.

DR. ANUP DAS is currently serving as Director, ICAR Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, India and Vice President, ISA. His extensive research works led to the development of the conservation agriculture-based package of practices for production of pulses and oilseeds in rice and maize fallow areas; organic production packages of important crops in system approach and developed climate resilient integrated farming system & land use models. He has conceptualized and executed an Integrated Organic Farming System in a cluster approach for safe and healthy food production in northeast India. His research focuses primarily on developing innovative agronomic approaches for managing soil health and environmental security and providing practical solutions to challenges faced by small farmers. He has published 250+ research articles and 45 books and bulletins. 

Dr. VINOD KUMAR SINGH is currently serving as a Director, ICAR-Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad, India. Dr. Singh has made significant contributions to soil health and nutrient management, particularly in the rice-wheat system (RWS) and other intensive cropping systems. His innovations include site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) and induced defoliation technology. As the leader of the National Innovation for Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) program, he has developed technologies to mitigate climatic stress in high-risk districts. Dr. Singh has over 200 research publications.