Weed dynamics, wheat (Triticum aestivum) yield and irrigation water-use efficiency under conservation agriculture

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the impacts of a 12-year old conservation agriculture (CA)- based pigeon pea-wheat system on weeds, wheat crop, and resource use during winter (rabi) 2021–22. Results indicated that surface retention of residue irrespective of ZT permanent bed and N dose led to significant reduction in weed interference at 60 DAS. CA-based systems reduced weed density and dry weight considerably than CT. CA- based systems led to significantly higher wheat grain yield (by 11.6–14.9%) and net B:C (by 24.0 –28.0%) than CT, and PFBR100N and PBBR100N were slightly superior to others. PBBR100N and PBBR75N had lower irrigation water use and significantly higher irrigation water productivity than CT. Contrast analysis showed that wheat yield and water productivity were comparable between 75% N and 100% N in CA, indicating a saving of 25% N under CA

Survival, morphological variability, and performance of Opuntia ficus-indica in a semi-arid region of India

Cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill.) can survive extreme environmental condition and is known for its fodder potential in many parts of the world. The morphological diversity of 15 introduced accessions was evaluated at Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The plants were established in 2013. Survival and nutrient status were evaluated after two years. Above-ground plant height, biomass, primary and secondary cladode numbers, primary and secondary cladode lengths and below-ground root length, weight, and surface area measurements were done six years after cladode planting. Yellow San Cono, White Roccapalumba, and Seedless Roccapalumba survived 100%. The discriminant traits according to principal component analysis were: primary cladodes plant−1 (component loading, 0.87), primary cladodes biomass (0.95), secondary cladodes plant−1 (0.83), canopy width (0.84), and plant biomass (0.92). Hierarchical cluster analysis grouped 15 accessions into two main clusters based on 17 morphological traits. Cluster I showed favorable values for many above- and below-ground morphological traits while Cluster II showed higher performance for root system width, height, and biomass, and primary and secondary cladode numbers. The results indicate that cactus pear accessions have considerable morphological variability and genetic diversity suitable for promotion as alternative fodder resources in semi-arid regions of India

Sequential herbicide application coupled with mulch enhances the productivity and quality of winter onion (Allium cepa L.) while effectively controlling the mixed weed flora

Weed control poses substantial difficulties for winter season onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivation in the north-western Indo-Gangetic Plains, primarily due to the constrained efficacy of the existing herbicides. To address this issue, a 2-year field study was conducted to assess the efficacy of pre- and post-emergence herbicides (pendimethalin, ethoxysulfuron, imazethapyr, and quizalofop-p-ethyl) individually and in combination with crop residue mulch for weed control in winter onion. The results revealed that using herbicides or mulches in isolation did not provide satisfactory weed control. However, the integration of natural mulch with pendimethalin followed by quizalofop-p-ethyl application proved to be the most effective weed control strategy, resulting in the least reduction in bulb yield (10.3%) compared to other treatments. On the contrary, combinations of pendimethalin with ethoxysulfuron or imazethapyr showed adverse effects on the onion crop and inflicted the highest yield losses among all treatments (78.6 and 83.4%, respectively). However, the combination of pendimethalin with quizalofop-p-ethyl coupled with crop mulch resulted in season-long weed control and over 80% bulb yield (36.58 t/ha) gains compared to the weed-free condition. These findings emphasize the efficacy of combining herbicides and mulches as an integrated weed management strategy for onions. By adopting such integrated approaches, farmers could improve weed control while maintaining bulb yield and quality, reducing the risks associated with herbicide resistance, and promoting sustainable onion production in the north-western Indo-Gangetic Plains

Effect of Long-Term Tillage Practices on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Weed Population Dynamics in a 36-Year Old Experiment

Changes to tillage practices can influence soil physico-chemical properties and weed population dynamics. Experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 in a 36-year long tillage experiment at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX to study the impact of tillage regimes on soil physio-chemical properties and weed population dynamics in monoculture grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and weed dynamics alone in monoculture soybean (Glycine max). The tillage systems studied include conventional-tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). Results showed that tillage did not affect soil bulk density, total porosity, air filled porosity, water-filled pore space and volumetric water content. However, water holding capacity, soil organic carbon, and cumulative carbon mineralization were 25, 43, and 16% greater in the NT system, compared to CT, at the 0 to 5 cm soil depth. Conversely, cumulative water infiltration and CO2 emission were greater in the CT system (23.66 cm hr^–1 and 7.28 g m^–2) than NT (3.98 cm hr^–1 and 5.19 g m^–2) in 5 and 24 hrs study. The long-term tillage regimes also influenced weed population dynamics and seedling emergence in grain sorghum and soybean. Greater densities of Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), prostrate spurge (Chamaesyce humistrata), tall waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus), henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) and shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) were recorded in the NT system, compared to the CT system in both crops. The long-term NT system was characterized by greater weed diversity (Shannon-Wiener’s index, H = 0.8) and species richness (S = 6.2) compared to CT (H = 0.6; S = 4.2) in sorghum; however, no differences were found in weed species diversity in soybean. Moreover, a greater proportion of the viable seedbank was located in the top 5 cm soil depth in the NT system (24 to 96% depending on the weed species) compared to the CT system (22 to 61%). Overall, results illustrated that long-term NT practices can provide environmental benefits and are more sustainable than CT. However, growers shifting to NT practices should consider potential changes to weed population dynamics and adjust the management programs accordingly

Effect of Long-Term Tillage Practices on Soil Physico-Chemical Properties and Weed Population Dynamics in a 36-Year Old Experiment

Changes to tillage practices can influence soil physico-chemical properties and weed population dynamics. Experiments were conducted in 2016 and 2017 in a 36-year long tillage experiment at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX to study the impact of tillage regimes on soil physio-chemical properties and weed population dynamics in monoculture grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and weed dynamics alone in monoculture soybean (Glycine max). The tillage systems studied include conventional-tillage (CT) and no-tillage (NT). Results showed that tillage did not affect soil bulk density, total porosity, air filled porosity, water-filled pore space and volumetric water content. However, water holding capacity, soil organic carbon, and cumulative carbon mineralization were 25, 43, and 16% greater in the NT system, compared to CT, at the 0 to 5 cm soil depth. Conversely, cumulative water infiltration and CO2 emission were greater in the CT system (23.66 cm hr^–1 and 7.28 g m^–2) than NT (3.98 cm hr^–1 and 5.19 g m^–2) in 5 and 24 hrs study. The long-term tillage regimes also influenced weed population dynamics and seedling emergence in grain sorghum and soybean. Greater densities of Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), prostrate spurge (Chamaesyce humistrata), tall waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus), henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) and shepherd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) were recorded in the NT system, compared to the CT system in both crops. The long-term NT system was characterized by greater weed diversity (Shannon-Wiener’s index, H = 0.8) and species richness (S = 6.2) compared to CT (H = 0.6; S = 4.2) in sorghum; however, no differences were found in weed species diversity in soybean. Moreover, a greater proportion of the viable seedbank was located in the top 5 cm soil depth in the NT system (24 to 96% depending on the weed species) compared to the CT system (22 to 61%). Overall, results illustrated that long-term NT practices can provide environmental benefits and are more sustainable than CT. However, growers shifting to NT practices should consider potential changes to weed population dynamics and adjust the management programs accordingly

Resveratrol Nanoparticles: A Promising Therapeutic Advancement over Native Resveratrol

The importance of fruit-derived resveratrol (RES) in the treatment of various diseases has been discussed in various research publications. Those research findings have indicated the ability of the molecule as therapeutic in the context of in vitro and in vivo conditions. Mostly, the application of RES in in vivo conditions, encapsulation processes have been carried out using various nanoparticles that are made of biocompatible biomaterials, which are easily digested or metabolized, and RES is absorbed effectively. These biomaterials are non-toxic and are safe to be used as components in the biotherapeutics. They are made from naturally available by-products of food materials like zein or corn or components of the physiological system as with lipids. The versatility of the RES nanoparticles in their different materials, working range sizes, specificity in their targeting in various human diseases, and the mechanisms associated with them are discussed in this review

Economic Impression of On-Farm Research for Sustainable Crop Production, Milk Yield, and Livelihood Options in Semi-Arid Regions of Central India

Farming system research (FSR) is on-farm research that brings cutting-edge agricultural technologies to growers to enhance farm production, family income, and livelihood status. In 2007, an on-farm study was started on FSR in central India, and the effect was assessed after 5 yr (2012–2013) of implementation by comparing adopters and nonadopters of FSR-based promoted technologies. Further, in 2018–2019, the status of adoption of introduced technologies was also assessed. The study revealed that improved practices such as pre-sowing irrigation, high-yielding varieties, and crop protection measures collectively improved the system productivity of the adopters by 28%; the improved productivity was mainly due to increased yield of blackgram (Vigna mungo L., 157%), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L., 34%), and wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 12%). Adoption of ration balancing and healthcare practices promoted under the FSR project accentuated the milk yield of farm animals (200 L yr–1 cattle–1) of adopters. The farm diversification and sustainable production practices under the FSR-based interventions increased family income of adopters by 35% (US$1,517.7 yr–1) and employment by 42%. Adopter households averaged a 33.76% higher return per unit of investment than nonadopters. The estimated change is primarily due to the non-neutral technological change. The findings of the study offer important lessons for the promotion of FSR-based interventions for improving the livelihood of resource-poor farmers in arid and the semi-arid regions across the world

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Not AvailablePotassium (K) is the most neglected nutrient in Indian agriculture and accounts only 10% of the total fertilizer use. The increased cropping intensity and use of high yielding cultivars since the green revolution led to heavy withdrawal of K from soil. Persistent K mining over the past six decades has mined soil K level in many cultivated areas and continuously transforming sufficiency into deficiency. A recent soil test a little over 1 lakh samples from 33 states of India have categorized 41.1%, 29.3%, and 29.5% of soil samples as low, medium and high in available K respectively. Further, the trend of soil available K status showed a persistent decline in percentage of area under high and medium soil K. Consequently, the evidence of rice crop responding to K nutrition is increased. This review attempts the nexus of K nutrition in rice for devising strategies for potassium management in rice-based cropping systems in the countryNot Availabl

Assessment of Planting Method and Deficit Irrigation Impacts on Physio-Morphology, Grain Yield and Water Use Efficiency of Maize (Zea mays L.) on Vertisols of Semi-Arid Tropics

Agriculture in a water-limited environment is critically important for today and for the future. This research evaluates the impact of deficit irrigation in different planting methods on the physio-morphological traits, grain yield and WUE of maize (Zea mays L.). The experiment was carried out in 2015 and 2016, consisting of three planting methods (i.e., BBF, SNF, and DWF) and four irrigation levels (i.e., I10D: irrigation once in ten days, I40: irrigation at 40% DASM, I50: irrigation at 50% DASM, and I60: irrigation at 60% DASM). The results reveal that varying degrees of water stress due to planting methods and irrigation levels greatly influenced the maize physio-morphological traits and yield attributes. The combined effect of DWF + I50 benefited the maize in terms of higher leaf area, RWC, SPAD values, CGR, and LAD, followed by the SNF method at 60 DAS. As a result, DWF + I50 and SNF + I50 had higher 100 grain weight (30.5 to 31.8 g), cob weight (181.4 to 189.6 g cob−1) and grain yield (35.3% to 36.4%) compared to other treatments. However, the reduction in the number of irrigations (24.0%) under SNF + I50 resulted in a 34% water saving. Thus, under a water-limited situation in semi-arid tropics, the practice of the SNF method + I50 could be an alternative way to explore the physio-morphological benefits in maize

Long-Term Conservation Agriculture Influences Weed Diversity, Water Productivity, Grain Yield, and Energy Budgeting of Wheat in North-Western Indo-Gangetic Plains

Wheat is grown in an area totalling 31.1 million hectares in India. The North-western Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) constitutes the major share of area and production of wheat in India and is known as the wheat belt of India. However, sustaining wheat production under declining/lower resource-use efficiency in the existing rice–wheat cropping system has led to considerations about diversifying this system with a pigeon pea–wheat system (PWS) in the IGP of India. However, little or no information is available on the impact of CA-based PWS on weed dynamics, productivity, profitability, and resource-use efficiencies. Therefore, we studied these aspects in wheat under a long-term (~12 years) conservation agriculture (CA)-based PWS. Treatments were conventional till flatbed (CT), ZT permanent narrow beds (PNBR & PNB), broad beds (PBBR & PBB), and flat beds (PFBR & PFB) with and without residue (R) retention and different N levels (75% and 100% of the recommended N). The results showed that the Shannon–Weiner index and the Simpson dominance index were higher under the CA system in 2021–2022 than in 2010–2011 and 2015–2016, indicating a change in weed diversity over the period. Furthermore, the Sorensen similarity index showed that there was not much difference in weed diversity for 2010–2011. However, in 2015–2016 and 2021–2022 respectively, only 89% (0.89) and 62% (0.62) of weed species were common to both CT and CA systems, indicating a shift in weed species in the long-term CA system in 2021–2022. Residue retention and N dose decreased weed density at 30 days after sowing (DAS). All the CA-based (PFBR100N, PBBR100N, PNBR100N, PFBR75N, PBBR75N, and PNBR75N) treatments reduced the weed density and dry weight compared to CT at 30 DAS. Wheat grain yield and net returns increased by 11.6–14.9% and 19.4–23.8% over CT in CA treatments, of which PFBR100N and PBBR100N were superior. The PBBR100N and PBBR75N systems had water productivity significantly higher than CT. Residue retention in ZT permanent beds reduced energy productivity in CA than CT and no residue treatments. In the 12th year, CA with 75% N (PFBR75N, PBBR75N, PNBR75N) resulted in a higher partial factor productivity of N and total NPK applied. Contrast analysis showed that 75% N was comparable with 100% N on crop, water, and energy productivities and 75% N was superior to 100% N on partial factor productivity of N and total NPK. Thus, the permanent broad bed with residue and 100% N in the initial years and 75% N in later years can be adopted in the north-western IGP for better weed suppression, higher yield, profitability, and resource-use efficiency