Integrated nutrient management using deoiled Jatropha cake for sustained and economic food production

With growing environmental and energy concerns, Jatropha plantations are promoted in degraded/waste lands for the biodiesel production. Nutrient rich nonedible deoiled seed cake, a by-product of Jatropha left out after oil extraction was evaluated at the ICRISAT centre at Patancheru, India as an environment friendly source of nutrients for rainy season maize and soybean followed by postrainy chickpea in rainfed systems. Deoiled cake as partial (50%) or full replacement of recommended basal nitrogen (N) was found superior in terms of increased crop yield over the equivalent chemical fertilizers treatments. Highest yield and net returns under full replacement of basal N for maize, while under 50% basal N replacement in case of soybean and chickpea crops were recorded by 8 to 27% in grain yield and 10 to 28% in straw yield. Deoiled Jatropha cake as a full replacement of N dose in maize also recorded higher N uptake and use efficiency in maize than chemical N source treatment along with increased organic C and nutrient contents in post-harvest soil samples. This study revealed the benefits of Jatropha deoiled seed cake as a good source of plant nutrients and soil organic C in the semi-arid tropics in addition to enhanced C sequestration under Jatropha plantation on degraded waste land

Building Soil Health, Improving Carbon Footprint and Minimizing Greenhouse Gas Emissions through CSR

Unabated soil degradation due to low soil organic carbon (C) levels, multiple nutrient deficiencies including micro- and secondary nutrients, rising salinity and soil loos due to erosion jeopardizes food security of swiftly rising global population projected to be 9.7 billion by 2050. Soils also play a major role in global C cycling and huge C sequestration potential offers opportunities for mitigating carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. The lessons learnt from CSR pilot and scaling-up initiatives indicated significant productivity benefits with soil health mapping based management..

An assessment of soil fertility status of the rainfed regions of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh

There are large yield gaps between farmers’ current yields and achievable yields in the semi-arid regions of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Lack of awareness about soil health is leading to indiscriminate or imbalanced use of chemical fertilizers exposing farm based livelihoods to soil health related risks. Soil fertility assessment of crop fields in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh showed Madhya Pradesh soils relatively poor in terms of soil organic C and available P. All fields in both the states were sufficient in K; and majority of the fields in Madhya Pradesh had adequate N and P. Results showed scope to cut use and cost of current N, P and K fertilizers. However, widespread deficiencies were recorded for S (52 to 90% fields), B (67 to 100%) and Zn (20 to 52%) in the selected sites for the study. Results showed that the deficiencies of S, B and Zn are apparently the stumbling block for realizing higher yields, and declining response to N, P and K fertilizers. An assessment of soil fertility status of the rainfed regions of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh

The timing of death in patients with tuberculosis who die during anti-tuberculosis treatment in Andhra Pradesh, South India

Background: India has 2.0 million estimated tuberculosis (TB) cases per annum with an estimated 280,000 TBrelated deaths per year. Understanding when in the course of TB treatment patients die is important for determining the type of intervention to be offered and crucially when this intervention should be given. The objectives of the current study were to determine in a large cohort of TB patients in India:- i) treatment outcomes including the number who died while on treatment, ii) the month of death and iii) characteristics associated with “early” death, occurring in the initial 8 weeks of treatment. Methods: This was a retrospective study in 16 selected Designated Microscopy Centres (DMCs) in Hyderabad, Krishna and Adilabad districts of Andhra Pradesh, South India. A review was performed of treatment cards and medical records of all TB patients (adults and children) registered and placed on standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment from January 2005 to September 2009. Results: There were 8,240 TB patients (5183 males) of whom 492 (6%) were known to have died during treatment. Case-fatality was higher in those previously treated (12%) and lower in those with extra-pulmonary TB (2%). There was an even distribution of deaths during anti-tuberculosis treatment, with 28% of all patients dying in the first 8 weeks of treatment. Increasing age and new as compared to recurrent TB disease were significantly associated with “early death”. Conclusion: In this large cohort of TB patients, deaths occurred with an even frequency throughout anti-TB treatment. Reasons may relate to i) the treatment of the disease itself, raising concerns about drug adherence, quality of anti-tuberculosis drugs or the presence of undetected drug resistance and ii) co-morbidities, such as HIV/ AIDS and diabetes mellitus, which are known to influence mortality. More research in this area from prospective and retrospective studies is needed

Microbial consortium culture and vermi-composting technologies for recycling on-farm wastes and food production

Purpose A study was conducted to characterize the ‘Madhyam culture’ (Excel Crop Care Limited.), an aerobic-composting microbial consortium culture, and understand composting dynamics, product quality and use in crop production vis-à-vis vermi-composting (using earthworms). Methods 16S rDNA analysis was used to characterize aerobic-composting culture. Aerobic-composting and vermi-composting technologies were evaluated to decompose sorghum straw and dung biomass (80:20 ratio; primed with 0.5% urea and 4% rock phosphate) to study days to maturity and composting dynamics in terms of changes in temperature and microbial population. Compost quality was tested for macro-, micro-nutrients and C:N ratio, and evaluated for food production in on-farm trials. Results 16S rDNA analysis screened sixteen bacterial isolates—eight related to genus Bacillus, three to each Halobacillus and Staphylococcus, one to each Microbacterium and Streptomyces. The population of bacteria was 4.5 cfu ml−1 at 10−7 dilution. Aerobic- and vermi-composts matured in around 50 and 60 days, respectively. Aerobic-composting throughout recorded relatively higher bacterial population, and higher temperatures during the initial phase. Aerobic-compost tested for high nutrient (1.55% N, 0.93% P, 1.00% K) content and stable C:N ratio (10.3) compared to vermi-compost (1.11% N, 0.43% P, 0.96% K and C:N ratio of 11.7). Field evaluation of both composts showed yield benefit and saving of chemical fertilizers up to 25%. Conclusions Aerobic-composting (using microbial consortium culture), like vermi-composting, proved to be an effective technology with advantage of no requirement to maintain ambient living conditions in lean periods as is required for earthworms in vermi-composting, but needs more energy/labor for biomass turnings. Keyword

Soil test-based nutrient balancing improved crop productivity and rural livelihoods: case study from rainfed semi-arid tropics in Andhra Pradesh, India

Widespread multinutrient deficiencies in the semi-arid tropics (SAT) are among major factors for large gaps between farmers’ current crop yields and potential yields. In this study, we adopted a stratified soil sampling method to assess soil fertility-related constraints in farmers’ fields in eight districts of Andhra Pradesh in the semi-arid tropics of India. Most of the fields across all eight districts were critical in sulfur (61%–98% deficient fields); and up to six districts each in boron (83%–98% deficient fields), zinc (50–85% deficient fields), and soil organic carbon (55–97% deficient fields). Low soil organic carbon specifically indicates nitrogen deficiency. Phosphorus deficiency was critical in three districts (60–84%) while potassium in general was adequate. Soil test-based nutrient balancing through the application of sulfur, boron, and zinc in addition to farmers’ practice of adding only nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium increased crop productivity by 8%–102%. Benefit–cost ratio (1.60–28.5) proved favourable to scale-up balanced nutrition. Better post-harvest soil health and residual benefits of sulfur, boron, and zinc up to four succeeding seasons indicated sustainability of the practice. Results showed that balanced nutrition is a way forward for sustainably improving farm productivity and livelihoods

Carbon sequestration and land rehabilitation through Jatropha curcas (L.) plantation in degraded lands

The effects of growing Jatropha in on-farm and on-station degraded lands were evaluated on carbon (C) sequestration and soil properties. Jatropha accumulated and added to soil significant amounts of C (305 kg ha−1 year−1) from the year one itself. Overall, a 3–5-year old plantation added per year around 4000 kg plant biomass equivalent to 1450 kg C ha−1 – 800 kg C through leaves, 150 kg C through pruned twigs, and 495 kg C as deoiled Jatropha cake. Biodiesel C replacement in the fossil fuel was 230 kg ha−1. Besides adding biomass to the soil, and C replacement in fossil fuel; the standing Jatropha rendered ecosystem service by fixing 5100–6100 kg ha−1 C as the aboveground plus belowground biomass. Carbon additions by Jatropha during 4 years increased C content in the degraded surface soil layer by 19%, resulting in about 2500 kg ha−1 C sequestered. Huge C additions and live root activity under Jatropha increased microbial population, respiration rate and microbial biomass C and N in soil. Along with C additions, 4000 kg ha−1 year−1 plant biomass recycled into the soil 85.5 kg nitrogen, 7.67 kg phosphorus, 43.9 kg potassium, 5.20 kg sulphur, 0.11 kg boron, 0.12 kg zinc and other nutrients. The C additions improved water holding capacity of the soil under Jatropha as compared with the adjacent control soil which increased by 35% at 30 kPa and 21% at 1500 kPa soil water potential

Macro Benefits from Zinc, Boron and Sulphur Fertilization of Rainfed Systems in the Semi Arid Zone of India

Crop productivity in the rainfed semi arid tropics (SAT) of India is low due to water shortage and poor fertility status of the soils. Earlier research have shown that SAT soils are critically deficient in Zn, B and S in addition to N and P (Sahrawat et al., 2008; Wani et. al. 2009). For a sustainable increase in productivity and enhancing the resilience in rainfed systems, the issues related to soil fertility needs to be addressed. The objective of this communication is to show as to how balanced nutrition involving Zn, B and S can be used to enhance crop productivity on sustainable basis in the semi‐arid regions of India...

Managing soil fertility constraints in market-led shift to high value agriculture for benefiting smallholders in the semi-arid tropics

Low productivity and cultivation of low value crops in the Indian semi-arid tropics (SAT) is the main cause for poor farm-based livelihoods. Poverty leading to low risktaking ability of farmers and production related constraints like widespread multi-nutrient deficiencies are major stumbling blocks for shifting to high value agriculture. Realizing the need to support povertyentrapped smallholders to connect to markets, the government of Karnataka state in India supported market-led shift to high value agriculture through a consortium of technical institutions and convergence of agricultural schemes. New widespread deficiencies of secondary and micronutrients like sulfur (52% farms), zinc (55%) and boron (62%) along with earlier known deficiencies of nitrogen (52%) and phosphorus (41%) were identified as main constraints for realizing productivity potential and a threat for sustainability. Policy supported initiative during 2011/12 showed more economic returns with diversified high value crops and strengthened 0.23 million smallholders. On-farm evaluations of soil test-based nutrient balancing to tomato, okra, brinjal, chilies, onion, cabbage and beans increased productivity by 5 to 58% over the farmers’ practice of adding macronutrients only. Small additional cost (` 770 to 1520 per ha) of balanced nutrition significantly increased additional benefits (` 5300 to 74,000 per ha) with fairly high cost-benefit ratio (1:4 to 1:82). Substantial returns enhanced risk-taking ability of smallholders to manage productivity constraints in future by themselves. Results showed that initial little investments in science and market-led social assistance programs should be a way forward for mainstreaming poverty-entrapped smallholders in other parts of SAT

Synthesis of YVO4:Eu3+/YBO3Heteronanostructures with Enhanced Photoluminescence Properties

Novel YVO4:Eu3+/YBO3core/shell heteronanostructures with different shell ratios (SRs) were successfully prepared by a facile two-step method. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to characterize the heteronanostructures. Photoluminescence (PL) study reveals that PL efficiency of the YVO4:Eu3+nanocrystals (cores) can be improved by the growth of YBO3nanocoatings onto the cores to form the YVO4:Eu3+/YBO3core/shell heteronanostructures. Furthermore, shell ratio plays a critical role in their PL efficiency. The heteronanostructures (SR = 1/7) exhibit the highest PL efficiency; its PL intensity of the5D0–7F2emission at 620 nm is 27% higher than that of the YVO4:Eu3+nanocrystals under the same conditions