Global warming potential and energy dynamics of conservation tillage practices for different rabi crops in the Indo-Gangetic Plains

A field experiment was conducted during 2007–2019 under various rabi (winter) crops (viz., wheat, maize, barley and mustard) on a Vertisol in sub-tropical Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) with different tillage systems to assess energy indices, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission and carbon sustainability index in assured irrigated fields. The tillage systems were: no tillage sown by a zero till drill (NT), no tillage with retention of previous crop residues at 6 t ha−1 and sowing by a happy turbo seeder (HT), and conventional tillage (CT) where sowing was performed by a multi-crop zero till drill after twice harrowing + twice tilling + once rotavator operations. Significantly higher input energy was observed in wheat followed by maize, barley and mustard. Among tillage systems, CT plots consumed higher input energy that was about 20, 21 to 22, 25 to 26 and 20–22% higher than HT and NT in wheat, maize, barley and mustard, respectively. However, output energy and energy use efficiency were highest in HT. The total GHG emission (kg CO2 equivalent ha−1) was highest in wheat (2,351) followed by maize (2,274), barley (1,859) and mustard (1,652). Among tillage systems, CT produced about 31–34%, 33–34%, 37–40% and 28–30% higher GHG emission than HT and NT under wheat, maize, barley and mustard, respectively. The CT plots had lower carbon sustainability index and carbon efficiency than ZT and HT in all crops. In short, HT recorded significantly higher energy use efficiency and lower global warming potential (GWP) than CT in all crops. Thus, HT could be a promising agro-technique for production of rabi crops in the IGP. Among rabi crops, barley production was energy efficient and had less GWP. In rabi crop production, the highest energy sources was mineral fertilizer use (25–49%) and second highest source was irrigation water (14–44%). These can be substituted with use of the organic sources of fertilizers and application of solar and wind power in irrigation, respectively. [Display omitted] •Higher input energy was recorded in wheat than maize, barley and mustard.•Energy use efficiency was higher in happy turbo seeder than no tillage.•Conventional tillage produced about 31–40% higher greenhouse gas emission than no tillage.•Less equivalent CO2 emission was observed in no tillage than conventional tillage.•The conventionally tilled plots had lower carbon sustainability index and carbon efficiency than no tillage.