Performance of pearl millet genotypes under irrigated and rainfed conditions at Hisar, India

A field experiment was carried out at Research Farm of Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India to evaluate the performance of pearl millet genotypes (HHB 67 ‘Improved’, HHB 197, HHB 223 and HHB 234) under different environment (rainfed and irrigated). Results showed that irrigated condition recorded significantly (p < 0.05) higher plant height, dry matter accumulation, root dry weight, ear head girth, test weight and yield of pearl millet than rainfed condition. Root length was significantly (p < 0.05) higher under rainfedthan irrigated condition. Genotypes were found significant (p < 0.05) with respect to plant height at harvest and HHB 234 recorded higher plant height. Genotype HHB 223 recorded higher earhead girth (2.6 cm) and test weight (11.16 g) compared to other genotypes. Interaction effect was also found significant (p < 0.05) with respect to plant height, dry matter accumulation, root length and weight and yield. These were higher in genotype HHB 223 and HHB 234 under irrigated and rainfed condition respectively but at 20 days after sowing, longest root was observed in genotype HHB 67 ‘Improved’ under rainfed condition and genotype HHB 197 under irrigated condition. To examine the performance of pearl millet genotypes in terms of survivality and yield potential, evaluation trials are necessary under different environment. Therefore, release of those varieties under different situations are essential for the sustainability of the fragile arid and semi arid regions of country

Long term impact of different cropping systems on soil quality under silty loam soils of Indo-Gangetic plains of India

In a multi-enterprise agriculture model, six different cropping systems have been evaluated at research farm of CSSRI Karnal for nutrient availability in surface soil. All the cropping systems left tremendous effect on soil quality. Among the different cropping systems, sorghum-berseem maintained lowest soil pH (8.14) followed by cowpea-cauliflower-potato cropping system (8.35). Sorghum-berseem cropping system was significantly build-up of soil fertility in terms of available nitrogen, (221.1kg/ha) and soil organic carbon (0.59%) as compared to other cropping systems. However, phosphorus (59.80 kg/ha) availability was higher in vegetable system followed by wheat-green gram cropping systems (48.85 kg/ha) than the other cropping systems. Vegetable system of multi-enterprise agriculture model showed more availability of Ca (3.20 me/L), Mg (2.63 me/L) and S (11.71 me/L) than other cropping systems. Higher amount of Fe (8.44 mg/kg) was observed in maize-wheat-green gram cropping system, whereas higher Mn (6.37 mg/kg) was noticed in sorghum-berseem fodder system than the other cropping system. Zn and Cu availability was relatively higher in vegetable system. Under prevailing climatic conditions of Karnal, sorghum-berseem fodder system was found to be the best with respect to soil quality and ready adaptability by the farmers as it was not much changed by climatic variability over the last 6 years. Vegetable system and fruits + vegetable were more or less similar in accelerating the availability of nutrients. Thus, leguminous crop (green gram) in any cropping system helped in improving the soil health, which is a good indicator of soil productivity

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Not AvailableIntensive tillage-based conventional cotton-wheat system (CWS) entails high production costs and has low crop and water productivity thereby threatening its sustainability in the north-western India. Conservation agriculture (CA) based management practices such as conservation tillage, permanent raised beds and relay planting have the potential to improve sustainability, profitability, and water use efficiency in CWS. A two-year (2013–2015) field experiment was conducted to evaluate CA based management practices such as zero tillage (ZT), permanent beds, relay seeding (RS) of wheat, seeding configuration, and integration of mungbean (MB) in terms of crop productivity, input use efficiency (water and energy) and profitability in the CWS system. Treatments included; permanent narrow (67.5 cm, PNB) and broad (102 cm, PBB) raised beds with cotton planted in the centre of beds, ZT narrow flats (67.5 cm, ZTNF) and broad flats (102 cm, ZTBF), and PBB with cotton planted on one side of bed and intercropped with MB (PBBc + MB) or no MB (PBBc). In the above treatments, wheat was relay seeded in standing cotton after second picking. In addition, conventional till (CT) CWS on flats was included as control treatment. PBBc + MB produced 37% and 10% higher system productivity (2 yrs’ mean) over CT and PBB, respectively. Relay seeded wheat on PBB produced 50% higher yield and required 40% less irrigation water compared to CT wheat in both the years. Mean system irrigation water productivity (WPI) was 131% higher with PBBc + MB compared with CT. The energy input was 61% higher in CT compared to PBB but energy output was 21% higher with PBB than with CT. PBB and PBBc + MB recorded 52–54% higher energy productivity and 64–69% higher net returns compared to CT. In conclusion, PBB and PBBc + MB were the best options for sustainable CWS under similar soil and climatic conditions in India.Not Availabl

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International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability

Not AvailableConventional- till (CT) agriculture is known to be ecologically indiscreet, economically and environmentally unsustainable, and leads to degradation of soil and environment in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). Conservation Agriculture (CA) approach was introduced to manage agro-ecosystems for improved and sustained productivity, and increased farmers? profits while maintaining the natural resources. This comprises the management of natural resources at the farm, village, and landscape scales to increase synergies between food production and ecosystem conservation. CA-based rice-wheat (RW) system integrated with mungbean improved the system productivity by ?10%, profitability by 20?30% using 15?30% less irrigation water, and 20?25% less energy input compared to conventional RW system in the IGP. However, the replacement of rice with maize improved the productivity by 10-15% and profitability by 40?50% using ?70% less irrigation water. CA layered with subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) in CA-based rice/maize systems recorded ?5% higher system productivity and saved ?50% of irrigation water compared to flood irrigation in CT-based systems. CA-based systems are found more adapted to extreme climatic conditions and can mitigate the negative effects of climatic stresses like terminal heat, water stress and thereby helps in increasing crop yields to the tune of 0.4?0.8 t ha?1 per season over the conventional system

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Not AvailableA field experiment was conducted for two years at Experimental Farm of IARI, New Delhi to study the effect of water regimes and nitrogen levels on growth and yield of rice-wheat cropping system in a sandy clay loam soil. Pooled analysis of yield over the years showed that continuous and intermittent flooding produced statistically at par grain yield of rice which was significantly higher (23.6% and 19.3%) as compared to alternate wetting and drying. Each successive dose of 60kg/ha N resulted in significantly higher plant height, tillers/hill, number of grains/panicle, panicle length and 1000-grain weight during both the years. Residual effect of nitrogen on the plant height and number of grains per ear of succeeding wheat crop was found significant with each successive dose of N up to 120 kg /ha applied in the preceding rice. Significantly higher grain yield of rice, 14.0% and 21.6% respectively over control was realized with each successive dose of N fertilization. Each successive dose of N fertilizer applied to wheat significantly increased the wheat grain yield by 16.3% and 23.0% as compared to control over the years. Direct effect of N application to wheat was more pronounced over residual effect. Alternate wetting and drying, and intermittent flooding produced at par grain yield of rice-wheat cropping system. The results revealed that productivity of rice-wheat system is more in case of shallow submergence. However, in case of water shortage one could go for alternate wetting and drying to save water over shallow submergence and intermittent flooding.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThe experiment was conducted during kharif 2011 and 2012 at Avikanagar on different genotypes of cluster bean to assess the response of Zn on productivity and profitability under tropical environment of Rajasthan. The results reveal that maximum seed (2.55 t ha-1) and stover yield (7.32 t ha-1), protein content (27.2 %) and protein yield and (168.10 kg ha-1), gum content (27%) and gum yield (180 kg ha-1) were recorded with application of Zn @20 kg ha-1. Further, quality traits viz. ADF, NDF, cellulose and lignin were also highest in grains. Maximum net return of 33,037 ha-1 with benefit: cost ratio (2.39) was received with the use of Zn @ 20 kg ha-1. Highest seed yield (2.21 t ha-1), protein content (25.6%), protein yield (166.20 kg ha-1), gum content (25.4%) and gum yield (172.37 kg ha-1) were obtained from genotype ‘RGC 936’ with the highest net returns of Rs 28,188 ha-1. Application of Zn@20 kg ha-1 to cluster bean genotype ‘RGC 936’ gives highest yield and economic returns under tropical condition of Rajasthan.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThe conversion of conventional agriculture to conservation agriculture (CA) affects the nitrogen (N) availability to crop plants. During the initial 2-3 years of CA-based management practices, more N immobilization is associated with the added crop residue retention and incorporation. This increase in N immobilization decreases the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops and cropping systems. After three years of organic residues buildup in soil under CA improved significantly the soil organic carbon (SOC) content and physical properties of soils; this improvement in physical and chemical soil health enhanced the NUE. This review article focuses on the impacts of CA principles namely, zero tillage (ZT), residue management, and crop diversification on N availability and its dynamics in the CA-based system, and their efficient N management strategies. Here, the impact of major N management tools and techniques, namely, chlorophyll meter, leaf color chart (LCC), GreenSeeker (GS), Nutrient Expert (NE), band placement, coated fertilizer application, fertigation etc. on the N availability and crop yields under the CA-based system is reviewed. It is concluded, that the adaptive N management with modern tools and techniques, and better agronomic management can enhance the N availability to crop plants in the CA-based systems, which can scale-up the areaunder CA. The judicious N management in CA can enhance: soil health by 50-100% depending on the residue load, crop productivity by 5-10%, NUE by 20-30%, and offer innumerable environmental benefits. The fertigation through subsurface drip irrigation saved about 40% of irrigation water and 20% of N in rice-wheat and maize-wheat cropping systems, respectively.Not Availabl

European Journal of Soil Biology

Not AvailableIn agriculture production system, soil enzymes are important indicators of soil quality. Measurements of soil quality parameter changes are essential for assessing the impact of soil and crop management practices. Keeping this in view, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the enzyme activities namely dehydrogenase (DHA), ?-glucosidase, acid and alkaline phosphatase (AcP & AlP), fluorescein diacetate hydrolases (FDH), cellulase, urease and aryl sulphatase in rhizosphere and bulk soil after 8 years of different management regimes. Soil organic carbon (SOC), moisture content and few enzyme indices such as enzymatic pH indicator (AcP/AlP), alteration index three (Al3) and geometric mean (GMea) were also measured. The treatments were conventional rice-wheat system (termed as scenario (Sc1), CT system), partial conservation agriculture (CA)-based rice-wheatmungbean system (Sc2, PCA-RW), partial climate smart agriculture (CSA)-based rice-wheat-mungbean system (Sc3), partial CSA-based maize-wheat-mungbean system (Sc4), full CSA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system (Sc5), and full CSA-based maize-wheat-mungbean system (Sc6). Soil samples were collected from rhizosphere and away from roots (bulk soil) at 0?15 cm soil depth before sowing (from rhizosphere of previous crops), at maximum tillering, flowering, and after harvesting of wheat crop. Results showed that DHA activity was higher before sowing (59.8%), at maximum tillering (48.4%), flowering (8.6%) and after harvesting (19.1%) in rice based CSA systems (mean of Sc3 and Sc5) over maize based CSA systems (mean of Sc4 and Sc6) in rhizospheric soil. On average, ?-glucosidase activity was significantly higher in rhizospheric soils of rice based system over maize based CSA system. Before sowing of wheat, significantly higher (21.4%) acid phosphatase activity was observed in rhizosphere over bulk soils of maize based CSA system. Significantly higher alkaline phosphatase activity was observed before sowing of wheat in bulk soils of rice (25.3%) and maize (38.5%) based CSA systems over rhizospheric soils. Rice based CSA systems showed 27% higher FDH activity than maize based systems. Significant interaction effect was observed between the managements and enzymes. SOC played an important role in regulating the enzymes activity both in rhizosphere and bulk soil. Significant variation in AcP/AlP, Al3 and GMea was observed among the managements. Therefore, CSA managements are beneficial in improving enzyme activities not only in rhizosphere but also in bulk soil where residues are retained thereby may help in improving nutrient cycling