पोषण वाटिका: एक कदम पोषण सुरक्षा की ओर

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Effort towards the Livelihood Improvement of Schedule Cast Farming Communities in Nawada, Bihar - A Success Story

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Estimation of Actual Evapotranspiration and Crop Coefficient of Transplanted Puddled Rice Using a Modified Non-Weighing

Not AvailableA lysimeter and eddy covariance can be used to estimate actual evapotranspiration (AETc,) directly. However, these technologies are costly, making in-situ ET determination difficult, particularly in developing countries. In view of this, an attempt was made to determine AETc, and stage-wise crop coefficients (Kc) of transplanted puddled rice using a modified non-weighing paddy lysimeter. The results were compared to indirect methods using FAO Penman-Monteith and Pan Evaporation. Daily AETc, ranged from 1.9 to 8.2 mm/day, with a mean of 4.02? 1.35 mm/day, and their com-parison showed that the FAO Penman-Monteith equation performed well (R2:0.63; MSE: 0.64; RMSE: 0.80) and was highly correlated with AETc, throughout the crop season. However, the Pan evaporation approach was underestimated (R2=0.24; MSE=0.96; RMSE=0.98) due to a consistent pan coefficient (0.71), vegetation role and human error. In addition, Actual Kc values were de-termined to be 1.13, 1.27, 1.23, and 0.93, respectively, for the initial, crop development, mid-season and end season, higher than FAO Kc. Statistical analysis results revealed that the overall stage-wise derived Kc was in line with FAO values (R2= 0.97; p= 0.45) but different from derived pan Kc values (R2= 0.93; p= 0.33), although insignificant at 5% significance level. Therefore, such a methodology should be used without lysimeter availability. The derived regional Kc values may be utilized for precise irrigation scheduling to enhance paddy water productivity in similar agro-climatic regions worldwide

Scenario of Major Fruit Crops in Flood-Prone Areas in Eastern India: Case Study of Bihar

Not AvailableFlooding is a recurrent phenomenon in South Asian countries during the monsoon season. In the state of Bihar in eastern India, 55% of the geographical area is vulnerable to flood each year. Flood-tolerant fruit crops like banana (Musa sp.), mango (Mangifera indica), litchi (Litchi chinensis), and guava (Psidium guajava) provide an alternate source of income to farming communities in flood-prone areas where cereal crops would be damaged. Keeping in view the importance of fruit production as a mitigating option of flood risk, this study analyzed the trends in production of principal fruit crops of Bihar, i.e., banana, mango, litchi, and guava fruits. The 38 districts of Bihar, which were categorized into four zones (zone I, zone II, zone IIIA and zone IIIB), have been classified and mapped into high, medium, and low categories based on fruit productivity. For the study, annual time series data on fruit production and productivity in Bihar from 2001?2020 were used. The structural time series model (STSM), Kruskal?Wallis, and principal component analysis (PCA) were used for analysis . A significant increasing trend in banana production has been observed and is predicted through the year 2025. No significant increasing trend was observed for mango, litchi, or guava production. Zone I in Bihar produced significantly more banana, litchi, and mango than the other three zones. Zone IIIB produced significantly more guava. The districts were mapped into high, medium, and low productivity-based categories. Hence, the study results will be useful for researchers and policy makers to identify low productive areas and increase productivity through better management practices to support sustainable income to farmers in flood-prone areas

Efficiency of different cropping systems for sustaining productivity in middle Indo-Gangetic Plains

Not AvailableThere is an urgent need for identification of eco-friendly and cleaner production systems that are more productive, profitable, efficiently use energy/water/carbon input and are environmentally safer. Under that context, a long-term experiment was conducted during 2019?21 at the farmers? fields of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Gaya, Bihar. The main objective of the study was to evaluate the productivity of diverse cropping systems for irrigated and rainfed conditions. Nine cropping system, viz. transplanted puddled rice (TPR)?wheat (conventional-till)-fallow (farmers practices) [CS1],TPR-wheat(zero-till)-mung (ZT) [CS2], Conventional-till direct seeded rice (CTDSR)-mustard (ZT)-mung (ZT) [CS3], ZTDSR-lentil (ZT)-fallow [CS4], Maize (CT)-lentil (ZT)-mung (ZT) [CS5], Bajra (CT)-lentil (ZT)-mung (ZT) [CS6], Bajra (CT)-wheat (ZT)-mung (ZT) [CS7], TPR-chickpea (ZT)-fallow [CS8] and TPRmaize (CT)-fallow [CS9] were used for the present study. Maximum system productivity was recorded with maize (CT)-lentil (ZT)-mung (ZT) (13.2 t/ha), which was 46, 3.9, 13.8, 94.7, 22.2, 15.8, 39.5, 11.9% higher compared to CS1, CS2, CS3, CS4, CS6, CS7, CS8 and CS9, respectively. Net returns (`211677/ha) and Benefit cost (B:C) ratio (3.59) were recorded maximum with maize (CT)-lentil (ZT)-mung (ZT). Land use efficiency was the maximum with TPR-wheat (ZT)-mung (ZT) (92.6%). Carbohydrate equivalent yield was also maximum with TPR-wheat (ZT)-mung (ZT). Diversification of rice-wheat system with millets i.e. Bajra (CT)-lentil (ZT)-mung (ZT)/Bajra (CT)-wheat (ZT)-mung (ZT) improves the system productivity by 19.5?26.1% compared to TPR-wheat (CT)-fallow. Thus, the present study could be important to identify an alternate cropping systems for enhancing the overall system productivity and profitability sustainably through adoption of environment-friendly technologies

Sustainable Intensification of Rice Fallows with Oilseeds and Pulses: Effects on Soil-Aggregation, Organic Carbon Dynamics, and Crop Productivity in Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains

Not AvailableClimate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices are becoming increasingly important due to their better adaptability to harsh climatic conditions (in general) and the unpredictability of monsoons in India (in particular). Conventional rice cultivation (e.g., PTR) involves intensive tilling followed by intensive puddling in standing water that destroys the soil aggregation and depletes carbon pools. Therefore, alternative crop establishment methods need to be devised for the sustainability of system productivity, and the suitabilities of potential oilseeds and pulses need to be tested for cropping intensification in rice-fallow regions. Hence, an ongoing experiment (implemented in 2016) was evaluated to identify the appropriate CSA management practices in restoring soil C and physical health under diversified cropping systems in the rice-fallow system of eastern India. Six tillage and crop establishment methods along with residue management were kept as the main plots [zero-till-direct-seeded rice (ZTDSR), conventional-till-DSR (CT-DSR), puddled transplanted rice (PTR), ZTDSR with rice residue retentions (ZTDSRR+), CTDSR with rice residue retention (CTDSRR+), PTR with rice residue retention (PTRR+)] while five winter/post-rainy crops (oilseeds and pulses) were raised in a subplot. In the ZTDSRR+ production system, soil macro-aggregate (%), macro-aggregate-associated C, MWD, and GMD of aggregates increased by 60.1, 71.3, 42.1, and 17.1%, respectively, in comparison to conventional tillage practices (PTR). The carbon management index (CMI) was 58% more in the ZTDSRR+ production system compared to PTR. Among the winter crops, chickpeas recorded higher values of soil structural indices and C content. In the PTR production system, system productivity, in terms of rice equivalent yield, was comparable to ZTDSRR+. ZT with residue retention in rice followed by post-rainy/winter pulses led to higher C content and structural stability of the soil. Thus, CSA management practices can improve the crop productivity as well as soil health of rice-fallow production systems of eastern India and comparable agroecotypes of South Asia