Responses of phenology, yield attributes, and yield of wheat varieties under different sowing times in Indo-Gangetic Plains

A field experiment with wheat was conducted at Pusa (25.98°N, 85.67°E, 52 m amsl), Bihar (middle Gangetic plains of India), to assess the responses of phenology, yield attributes, and yield to growing season temperature and heat stress. For this purpose, wheat was planted on five dates (viz., 15 November, 25 November, 5 December, 15 December, and 25 December) for three consecutive years (viz., 2014–2015, 2015–2016, and 2016–2017) with three prominent cultivars of the region (viz., RAU-3711, HD-2824, and HD-2733). Five dates of sowing represent different wheat-growing micro-environments as imposed by varying sowing dates encompassing the entire sowing window. The study observed the significant effect of sowing dates on phenophase duration. In general, with progress in the date of sowing, tiller initiation was delayed, while the reverse trend was observed for later growth phases. Sowing environments significantly influenced the number of effective tillers m−2. Average numbers of effective tillers (ET) m−2 for the wheat sown during 15–25 November were almost 11.6% higher than those of the 25 December sown crop. Grain filling duration (GFD) showed a declining trend with the advancement of sowing dates due to increased thermal load on the crop during the reproductive period. 15 November planted crop exhibited the highest GFD (47 days), which was shortened significantly beyond 25 November, signifying agrometeorological non-suitability of wheat sowing beyond this window. Wheat sown on 25 November recorded the highest grain yield (3.21 Mg ha−1), 48.61% higher than the 25 December sown crop due to the congenial thermal regime. In this context, we have identified optimal and sub-optimal conditions to escape heat stress for higher wheat productivity. Moreover, the sum of deviation of temperature from optimum thresholds, computed for sensitive growth phases (50% flowering to physiological maturity), helped us to identify heat stress and its impact on wheat. Genotype-by-environment (GGE) biplot analysis revealed that RAU-3711 was found to be the most stable cultivar. A decrease in the yield of wheat by 4.9% to 12.0%, sown during November, and 33.8% to 42.4%, sown during December, is predicted in 2050-51 and 2080-81, respectively, under RCP 4.5

Not Available

Not AvailableFlue Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco (Nicotiana tobaccum L.) is a promising commercial crop in semi-arid and rain-fed areas delivering economic benefits to farmers in comparison to all other crops cultivated. In India, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are the major states cultivating FCV tobacco. In Karnataka, it is cultivated in Karnataka Light Soils (KLS) covering southern transitional zone during kharif season as a rainfed crop. Currently, Kanchan, FCH-222 and CH-3 are the popular cultivars grown in KLS region. Release of improved high yielding varieties/hybrids is the key for varietal diversification and yield enhancement of tobacco in this region. In this connection, commercial exploitation of F1 hybrids through heterosis breeding can play a significant role in enhancing yield and quality. Further very few reports on studies on standard heterosis in FCV Tobacco are available. Hence, the present study involving eight CMS hybrids was undertaken to estimate standard heterosis for yield and yield related traits, and to ascertain interrelationships among the yield related characters and their influence on cured leaf yield. Eight CMS based hybrids (CMS2×A4, CMS6×A4, CMS7×A4, CMS10×A4, CMS2×CY142, CMS6×CY142, CMS7×CY142, CMS10×CY14) were evaluated at ICAR- CTRI, Research Station, Hunsur, Karnataka, India along with checks for three years (2018-21). Significant higher heterosis in desirable direction for cured leaf yield and for various yield attributing characters was observed among the hybrids, which can be exploited commercially. Four promising CMS hybrids were identified, CMS7 × A4; CMS6 × A4; CMS10 × A4 and CMS2 × CY142 which recorded significant positive heterosis for cured leaf, can enhance the productivity limit set by present cultivars and would be the components for varietal diversification under KLS. Positive significant associations were noticed between plant height and number of leaves per plant, and intermodal length. The study revealed direct positive effect of plant height on cured leaf and negative indirect effect of number of leaves, intermodal length and leaf area suggesting that these characters should be judiciously selected for achieving higher yield.Not Availabl

Integrated Nutrient Management

Not AvailableThe real challenge is to keep the pace of sustainable production under condition of natural resources should be used to generate increased output and incomes, especially for low income groups without depleting the natural resource base. Rice is a component of widely varying cropping systems. Rice-based cropping systems form an integral part of agriculture in India. Several intensive rice-based cropping systems have been identified and are being practiced by the farmers in India. Productivity of this soil has remained low and unstable owing to climate and soil-related constraints. Intensive agriculture, involving exhaustive high yielding varieties of rice and other crops, has led to heavy withdrawal of nutrients from the soil. Also imbalanced and indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers has resulted in deterioration of soil quality or soil health. The basic concept underlying the principle of integrated nutrient management (INM) is to maintain or adjust plant nutrient supply to achieve a given level of sustainable crop production by optimizing the benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients. It involves utilization of local sources and hence, turned out to be the rational, realistic and economically viable way of supply of nutrients to crops. So that, environmentally benefiting manner without sacrificing soil productivity of future generations. Application of organic manure in conjunction with fertilizer and inclusion of legumes gave higher yield, net income and benefit: cost ratio under rice based cropping system. INM practices also improved the soil quality of the soils to some extent. Integrated nutrient management relies on a number of factors including appropriate nutrient application and conservation and the transfer of knowledge about INM practices to farmers through extension personal. Thus, INM is the only way to restore soil quality and make Indian agriculture sustainable.Not Availabl

Integrated Nutrient Management

Not AvailableThe real challenge is to keep the pace of sustainable production under condition of natural resources should be used to generate increased output and incomes, especially for low income groups without depleting the natural resource base. Rice is a component of widely varying cropping systems. Rice-based cropping systems form an integral part of agriculture in India. Several intensive rice-based cropping systems have been identified and are being practiced by the farmers in India. Productivity of this soil has remained low and unstable owing to climate and soil-related constraints. Intensive agriculture, involving exhaustive high yielding varieties of rice and other crops, has led to heavy withdrawal of nutrients from the soil. Also imbalanced and indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers has resulted in deterioration of soil quality or soil health. The basic concept underlying the principle of integrated nutrient management (INM) is to maintain or adjust plant nutrient supply to achieve a given level of sustainable crop production by optimizing the benefits from all possible sources of plant nutrients. It involves utilization of local sources and hence, turned out to be the rational, realistic and economically viable way of supply of nutrients to crops. So that, environmentally benefiting manner without sacrificing soil productivity of future generations. Application of organic manure in conjunction with fertilizer and inclusion of legumes gave higher yield, net income and benefit: cost ratio under rice based cropping system. INM practices also improved the soil quality of the soils to some extent. Integrated nutrient management relies on a number of factors including appropriate nutrient application and conservation and the transfer of knowledge about INM practices to farmers through extension personal. Thus, INM is the only way to restore soil quality and make Indian agriculture sustainable.Not Availabl

Soil Test Based Fertilizer Application Improves Productivity, Profitability and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) under Direct Seeded Condition

A field investigation on direct seeded rice (DSR) was carried out in the two consecutive rice growing seasons of 2017 and 2018 at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India for the development and validation of soil test crop response (STCR) to fertilizer and for assessing the performance of STCR-treatments as compared to the general recommended dose (GRD) in terms of yield, nutrient uptake and use efficiency, and the economics of DSR. For producing 1 Mg of rice-grain, the required nutrients (N, P, and K) were 2.01 kg, 0.44 kg, and 3.06 kg; the contribution from the soil was 22.05%, 37.34%, and 41.48%; from applied farmyard manure 23.25%, 28.34%, and 16.80%, from fertilizer 38.08%, 49.93%, and 252.98%; and from fertilizer with FYM 44.83%, 60.57%, and 278.70%; for N, P, and K, respectively. The STCR approach, with or without FYM, at both the target yields (4.5 Mg ha−1 and 5.0 Mg ha−1) markedly enhanced the grain yield (20.2% to 32.3%) and production efficiency over the GRD. It also exhibited a higher NPK uptake and use efficiency, along with better profitability, than the GRD. Therefore, the STCR-targeted yield approach could improve the yield, economics, and efficiency of nutrient use for direct seeded rice

Long-Term Field and Horticultural Crops Intensification in Semiarid Regions Influence the Soil Physiobiochemical Properties and Nutrients Status

The study was conducted to assess the long-term effects of predominant land uses on physicochemical properties, nutrient status and their interactions in soils of south-western Punjab representing the semi-arid soils of India. From each site, soil samples of three predominant land use viz. croplands, horticultural lands and uncultivated lands were collected from 0–15, 15–30, 30–60 and 60–90 cm depths. Soils of both croplands and horticultural lands were classified as sandy loam whereas uncultivated lands showed loamy sand texture with relatively higher pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and bulk density (Bd). Greater soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) in horticulture might be due to the higher addition of OC and mineral nutrients through the decomposition of leaf litterfall and root deposits over their removal from soils while long-term use of potassic fertilizer raised the available K contents in croplands. Profile study up to 90 cm depicted the largest sequestration of 74.89 Mg C ha−1 under orchards which was 40 and 70% higher than croplands and uncultivated lands respectively. Significant variability in water-stable aggregates (WSA) (R2 = 0.5843, p < 0.05) and mean weighted diameter (MWD) (R2 = 0.6497, p < 0.01) with SOC indicated better soil stability in horticulture due to the presence of higher SOC. Positive relations of soil available micronutrients with SOC and finer soil particles were supported by the results of correlation, Principal component analysis and dendrogram indicating horticulture as a potent source of available micronutrients. An overall superiority of horticultural land use over the other two land uses in terms of nutrient status and soil stability suggests its inclusion as a positive strategy that could be taken into account in policymaking for maintaining productivity along with the sustainability of the concerned land degradation prone area

Long-Term Field and Horticultural Crops Intensification in Semiarid Regions Influence the Soil Physiobiochemical Properties and Nutrients Status

The study was conducted to assess the long-term effects of predominant land uses on physicochemical properties, nutrient status and their interactions in soils of south-western Punjab representing the semi-arid soils of India. From each site, soil samples of three predominant land use viz. croplands, horticultural lands and uncultivated lands were collected from 0–15, 15–30, 30–60 and 60–90 cm depths. Soils of both croplands and horticultural lands were classified as sandy loam whereas uncultivated lands showed loamy sand texture with relatively higher pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and bulk density (Bd). Greater soil organic carbon (SOC), available nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and micronutrients (Zn, Cu, Fe and Mn) in horticulture might be due to the higher addition of OC and mineral nutrients through the decomposition of leaf litterfall and root deposits over their removal from soils while long-term use of potassic fertilizer raised the available K contents in croplands. Profile study up to 90 cm depicted the largest sequestration of 74.89 Mg C ha−1 under orchards which was 40 and 70% higher than croplands and uncultivated lands respectively. Significant variability in water-stable aggregates (WSA) (R2 = 0.5843, p R2 = 0.6497, p < 0.01) with SOC indicated better soil stability in horticulture due to the presence of higher SOC. Positive relations of soil available micronutrients with SOC and finer soil particles were supported by the results of correlation, Principal component analysis and dendrogram indicating horticulture as a potent source of available micronutrients. An overall superiority of horticultural land use over the other two land uses in terms of nutrient status and soil stability suggests its inclusion as a positive strategy that could be taken into account in policymaking for maintaining productivity along with the sustainability of the concerned land degradation prone area

Mechanistic Understanding of Leakage and Consequences and Recent Technological Advances in Improving Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Cereals

Although nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient for agricultural production, its overuse is associated with environmental pollution, increased concentration of greenhouse gases, and several human and animal health implications. These implications are greatly affected by biochemical transformations and losses of N such as volatilization, leaching, runoff, and denitrification. Half of the globally produced N fertilizers are used to grow three major cereals—rice, wheat, and maize—and their current level of N recovery is approximately 30–50%. The continuously increasing application of N fertilizers, despite lower recovery of cereals, can further intensify the environmental and health implications of leftover N. To address these implications, the improvement in N use efficiency (NUE) by adopting efficient agronomic practices and modern breeding and biotechnological tools for developing N efficient cultivars requires immediate attention. Conventional and marker-assisted selection methods can be used to map quantitative trait loci, and their introgression in elite germplasm leads to the creation of cultivars with better NUE. Moreover, gene-editing technology gives the opportunity to develop high-yielding cultivars with improved N utilization capacity. The most reliable and cheap methods include agronomic practices such as site-specific N management, enhanced use efficiency fertilizers, resource conservation practices, precision farming, and nano-fertilizers that can help farmers to reduce the environmental losses of N from the soil–plant system, thus improving NUE. Our review illuminates insights into recent advances in local and scientific soil and crop management technologies, along with conventional and modern breeding technologies on how to increase NUE that can help reduce linked N pollution and health implications