Evaluation of an Organic Package of Practice Towards Green Gram Cultivation and Assessment of its Effectiveness in Terms of Crop Sustainability and Soil Quality Development

Restoration of soil has been identified as the option; to ensure crop sustainability. However, as per Trophobiosis Theory of French Scientist F. Chaboussou, focus on development of healthy plants is necessary to abate pest and disease invasion so as to ensure sustained crop performance, even under unfavorable environmental conditions. The present study, in randomized block design with green gram as test crop; was undertaken in Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Howrah, West Bengal) to evaluate the effectiveness of Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) Technology towards crop yield and soil quality development under different sustainable models viz. organic cultivation, integrated soil with organic crop management and non- chemical crop management; as compared to conventional farming practice. Highest yield was recorded under organic (933 kg ha-1) followed by integrated (921 kg ha-1) and non- chemical plant management (902 kg ha-1). The results were well corroborated with the plant development index obtained under these treatments. Favorable trend of soil quality under sustainable models especially in terms of microbial properties indicated the role of quality compost towards speedy rejuvenation of soil dynamics. The study indicated that reduction of synthetic fertilizers and qualitative management of soil is essential to restrict yield decline. However, plant management shall be prerequisite for ensuring crop sustainability without any time lag and under the changing climatic patterns. In this respect the potential of IRF Technology has been well accounted

Adoption of Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) Technology as an Organic Package of Practice towards Improvement of Nutrient Use Efficiency of Camellia Sinensis through Energization of Plant Physiological Functioning

The effectivity of Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) Technology towards energization of plant physiological functioning was evaluated in comparison to other organic packages of Practice under FAO-CFC-TBI Project at Maud Tea Estate, Dibrugarh, Assam, India during 2008 to 2013. The study area lies in 27.26. N latitude and 95.12 E longitude covering a total area of 154.58 ha area with level to nearly level landscape. The experiment was laid down as per randomized block design (RBD) with 8 treatments replicated 3 times. The treatments included available two organic methods viz. Biodynamic Farming (BD) and Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) (developed by Dr. P. Das Biswas, Founder, Inhana Biosciences, Kolkata) as well as organic inputs viz. vermicompost, bio-fertilizers, bio-pesticides, herbal formulations which are used in organic tea gardens in India on large scale. The organic inputs selected for evaluation were combined to form different ‘Packages of Practice’ based on scientific rationale. The different packages were : Biodynamic (BD) with Biodynamic compost, Conventional Organic Practice with Indigenous compost @ 13.5 ton/ha (CO), Inhana Rational Farming Tech-nology with 8 ton Novcom Compost (IRF-2), Inhana Rational Farming Technology with 5.1 ton Novcom Compost (IRF-4), Vermi-compost @ 9.4 ton/ha + Conventional Organic Practice (VCO), Vermicompost @ 9.4 ton/ha + Microbial Formulations for both soil and plant management (VMI), Vermicompost @ 9.4 ton/ha + Microbial Formulations for only plant management i.e. Bio-pesticides+ Bio-growth promoter (VMIP). Agronomic Efficiency (NUE), which among other factors depends upon the nutrient uptake and utilization efficiency of plant or con-versely the state of plant physiology was assessed to score the different organic packages as per N expensed for unit crop production. Highest NUE was obtained under IRF packages followed by VMI, VMIP and VCO. The highest crop yield along with high NUE under IRF-2 indicated an effective management approach towards activation of plant physiology. But the most significant finding was that there was a considerable enhancement of nutrient use efficiency under the treatment plots which received total package of practice(ie. both plant and soil management) in comparison to the plots which received only the soil management part of the same package of practice (12.35 to 93.77 % increase). The results indicated towards a definitive role of organic plant management w.r.t. enhancement of the plant physiological functioning. While the agronomic efficiency was found highest in both soil management as well as complete package under IRF technology but also the percent change in agronomic efficiency (total package vs. only soil management part of the same package) was highest in case of IRF package of practice. This indicated positive impact of IRF plant management programme towards plant physiological functioning leading to higher crop response

Evaluation of Different Organic ‘Packages of Practice’ in Young Tea Plantation: A case study under FAO-CFC-TBI Project at Maud Tea Estate, Assam, India

Maintenance of young tea under organic package of practice is a challenging task and needs a proper intervention. The present study under FAO-CFC-TBI project was done at Maud Tea Estate, Assam, India to find out an effective pathway for growing healthy and productive young tea plants. Seven different organic packages of practice were chosen to evaluate their potential in terms of crop efficiency as well as soil quality rejuvenation. Crop yield was recorded of highest value under Inhana Rational Farming (IRF-2: made tea 807 kgha-1) package of practice. Yield under the treatment was 55.2 percent higher than control and about 25.6 percent higher than the next best performing package of practice i.e. VMI (653 kgha-1). The third highest yield was obtained under IRF-1 and VCO, which recorded almost similar crop (made tea: 619 & 618 kgha-1 resp.) followed by BD (593 kgha-1), Co (567 kgha-1) and MI (556 kgha-1) packages. Value cost ratio (VCR), which is excess revenue generated per unit rupee invested; followed similar trend as observed in case of New Plantation experiment indicating highest economic sustainability under IRF-2 (4.37) followed by IRF-1 (2.33) package. Value cost ratio in case of other organic packages varied between 0.25 and 1.02, indicating economic vulnerability considering that VCR < 2.00 has been indicated by Agricultural economists as the critical mark below which there is no necessary risk coverage against investment towards input cost