Integrated crop management enhances soil health, fibre productivity and carbon sustainability in jute agroecosystems

Abstract

Improving soil health and resource-use efficiency while reducing the environmental footprint of crop production is important for sustainable intensification. High-biomass crops such as jute ( Corchorus spp.) may enhance soil carbon inputs, but integrated evidence linking soil fertility, soil health, productivity, and carbon sustainability under farmer-field conditions remains limited. This study combined a regional soil fertility survey with a comparative on-farm assessment of farmer practices (FP) and improved practices (IP) across major jute-growing areas of Assam, Bihar, and West Bengal, India. A total of 394 georeferenced soil samples were assessed for soil fertility, while 20 paired FP and IP fields were evaluated for fibre yield, Soil Health Index (SHI), carbon footprint, seasonal net carbon accumulation, and Carbon Sustainability Index (CSI). Soils showed considerable spatial variability, with low nitrogen status (nutrient index 0.72–1.17), moderate SOC status (1.87–2.28), and high phosphorus status (2.59–2.88). Compared with FP, IP increased fibre yield by 23%, improved SHI by 12.7%, increased seasonal net carbon accumulation by 11.5%, reduced carbon footprint by approximately 25%, and increased CSI from 1.41 to 2.14. Strong positive associations among soil health, fibre productivity, and carbon sustainability indicate that integrated management can improve agronomic performance while enhancing carbon-use efficiency. Economic assessment further showed that IP increased mean net profit from approximately US$828 to US$1,313/ha and the benefit–cost ratio from 1.90 to 2.58 compared with FP. These findings demonstrate that integrated nutrient and crop management can simultaneously improve soil health, productivity, and carbon sustainability in jute-based cropping systems and provide a practical approach for sustainable intensification of high-biomass crops.