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

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Not AvailableSeveral resource use efficient technologies and practices have been developed and deployed to address the challenges related to natural resource degradation and climatic risks management in rice-wheat (RW) rotation of Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). However, the practices applied in isolation may not be effective as much as in combination due to changing input responses under varied weather abnormalities. Therefore, a multi-location farmer’s participatory strategic research was conducted to evaluate the effects of layering key technologies, practices and services in varied combinations and compared with business as usual (farmer’s practice) for productivity (crop, water and energy), profitability and global warming potential (GWP) in a RW system. Altogether, six scenarios were compared that includes; Farmer’s practice (FP); Improved FP (IFP) with low intensity of adaptive measures; IFP with high intensity of adaptive measures (IFP-AM); Climate smart agriculture (CSA) with low intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-L); CSA with medium intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-M); CSA with high intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-H). Results revealed that climate smart agricultural practice with high intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-H) recorded 7–9 and 19–26% higher system productivity and profitability, respectively compared to farmers’ practice in all the three years. CSAPs (mean of CSA-L, CSA-M and CSA-H) improved the system productivity and profitability by 6 and 19% (3 yrs’ mean) whereas, IFPs (mean of IFP and IFP-AM) by 2 and 5%, respectively compared to farmer’s practice (11.79tha−1 and USD 1833 ha−1). CSA with high (CSA-H) and medium (CSA-M) intensity of adaptive measures saved 17–30% of irrigation water and improved irrigation and total water productivity (WPI and WPI+R) by 29–54 and 21–38%, respectively compared to FP in the study years. Across the years, CSA-H improved the energy-use-efficiency (EUE) and energy productivity (EP) by 43–61 and 44–56% respectively, compared to farmers’ practice. On 3 years mean basis, CSA-H lowered global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity by 40 and 44% respectively, compared to FP (7653 kg CO2 eq ha−1 yr−1 and 0.64 kg kg−1 CO2 eq ha−1 yr−1). On 3 years mean basis, our study revealed that CSA with high intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-H) increased 8% in system productivity, 23% in profitability, 31% in total water productivity and 53% in energy productivity with 24% less water while reducing the GWP by 40%. The improvement in yield, income as well as use efficiency of water and energy and reduction in GHGs was increasing with layering of portfolio of practices on farmers’ practice. This study helps in prioritizing the technological practices from the portfolio of CSAPs for maximizing crop productivity, profitability and input use efficiency while improving the adaptive capacity and reducing the environmental footprints.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableA field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2011-12 and 2012-13at C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur to find out the combined effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on grain yield, fertilizer use efficiency and grain quality of wheat crop. The treatments were -Control (T1), RDF (150:60:40 NPK Kg/ha) (T2),125% RDF (T3), RDF + Vermicompost (VC) at 2.5 t/ha (T4), RDF + VC at 5t/ha (T5), RDF + FYM at 5t/ha (T6), RDF + FYM at 10t/ha (T7), RDF + VC at 2.5 t/ha + Azotobacter (T8), RDF + FYM at 5t/ha + Azotobacter (T9), and RDF + VC at 2.5 t/ha + FYM at 5 t/ha + Azotobacter (T10). Result showed that the treatment T10 produced higher grain yield than the other treatments. The higher yield led to higher NPK uptake by wheat. Further, the available NPK and organic carbon (%) content of soil also increased with integration of organic and inorganic fertilizer along with bio-fertilizer strain over control. Different fertilizer- use efficiencies were significantly improved with the application of manures, chemical fertilizers and bio-fertilizer over control as well as chemical fertilizer alone. All the fertilizer use efficiency was maximum in treatment T10followed by treatment T9 and the minimum value was quantified in T3, T2, T1 (control). The highest grain protein content was obtained from the application of organic and inorganic fertilizer along with azotobacter and lowest from control as well as NPK fertilizer alone.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThe present investigation entitled “Fertility status of irrigated soils of Jhotwara panchayat samiti of Jaipur district “was carried out during 2010-11. The soils were pH neutral to alkaline (pH 7.2–8.5) in reaction having electrical conductivity (EC) value in surface soil (0.53–2.51 dSm-1). The data on nutrient showed that the soils are low in organic carbon and available nitrogen and low to medium in available phosphorus and available sulphur whereas, medium to high in available potassium. Among the DTPA extractable micronutrient cations, manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) were found to be above critical limits, whereas the soils were deficient in iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) supply.Not Availabl

Performance of portfolios of climate smart agriculture practices in a rice-wheat system of western Indo-Gangetic plains

Several resource use efficient technologies and practices have been developed and deployed to address the challenges related to natural resource degradation and climatic risks management in rice-wheat (RW) rotation of Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). However, the practices applied in isolation may not be effective as much as in combination due to changing input responses under varied weather abnormalities. Therefore, a multi-location farmer’s participatory strategic research was conducted to evaluate the effects of layering key technologies, practices and services in varied combinations and compared with business as usual (farmer’s practice) for productivity (crop, water and energy), profitability and global warming potential (GWP) in a RW system. Altogether, six scenarios were compared that includes; Farmer’s practice (FP); Improved FP (IFP) with low intensity of adaptive measures; IFP with high intensity of adaptive measures (IFP-AM); Climate smart agriculture (CSA) with low intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-L); CSA with medium intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-M); CSA with high intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-H). Results revealed that climate smart agricultural practice with high intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-H) recorded 7–9 and 19–26% higher system productivity and profitability, respectively compared to farmers’ practice in all the three years. CSAPs (mean of CSA-L, CSA-M and CSA-H) improved the system productivity and profitability by 6 and 19% (3 yrs’ mean) whereas, IFPs (mean of IFP and IFP-AM) by 2 and 5%, respectively compared to farmer’s practice (11.79 t ha−1 and USD 1833 ha−1). CSA with high (CSA-H) and medium (CSA-M) intensity of adaptive measures saved 17–30% of irrigation water and improved irrigation and total water productivity (WPI and WPI+R) by 29–54 and 21–38%, respectively compared to FP in the study years. Across the years, CSA-H improved the energy-use-efficiency (EUE) and energy productivity (EP) by 43–61 and 44–56% respectively, compared to farmers’ practice. On 3 years mean basis, CSA-H lowered global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity by 40 and 44% respectively, compared to FP (7653 kg CO2 eq ha−1 yr−1 and 0.64 kg kg−1 CO2 eq ha−1 yr−1). On 3 years mean basis, our study revealed that CSA with high intensity of adaptive measures (CSA-H) increased 8% in system productivity, 23% in profitability, 31% in total water productivity and 53% in energy productivity with 24% less water while reducing the GWP by 40%. The improvement in yield, income as well as use efficiency of water and energy and reduction in GHGs was increasing with layering of portfolio of practices on farmers’ practice. This study helps in prioritizing the technological practices from the portfolio of CSAPs for maximizing crop productivity, profitability and input use efficiency while improving the adaptive capacity and reducing the environmental footprints

Advances in Rice Production Technologies

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Not AvailableConservation agriculture (CA) is being advocated as an alternative to conventional tillage based systems, as it not only holds the potential to enhance soil biological properties, but could also sustain production in the long-run. The impact of long-term tillage and nutrient management on soil biological properties, crops performance, yield and returns were evaluated under maize-mustard rotation. Three tillage practices viz. zero tilled flatbed (ZTFB), permanent bed (PNB) and conventional tillage (CT) along with three nutrient management practices; farmer’s fertilizer practices (FFP), recommended dose of fertilization (RDF) and nutrient expert assisted: site-specific nutrient management (NE®) were tested under the field conditions for six years (2013–2019). ZTFB produced the highest average maize grain yield, which was statistically similar to PNB; however it was 28.4% greater than CT. NE® and RDF recorded 27.4% and 24.8% higher yield over FFP, respectively. Similarly, ZTFB and PNB produced 8.0% greater mustard seed yield than CT, while NE® and RDF had 23.5% and 22.3% greater seed yield compared to FFP. Average of six years indicates, ZTFB and PNB produced 9.7% and 8.9% greater maize grain equivalent yield (MGEY) than CT. Furthermore, NE® and RDF had similar MGEY, but 24.9% and 23% greater than FFP. ZTFB and PNB gave the maximum economic benefits in comparison to CT plots. CT was 18.7% and 19.3% costlier than PNB and ZTFB, while RDF was more expensive than NE® and FFP. Plots under ZTFB and PNB had 13.9% and 17.8% (0.0 0.15 m soil profile) and 14.6% and 12.5% (0.16 0.30 m soil profile) greater soil organic carbon (SOC) than CT plots. These practices also had significant (p<0.05) positive impact on soil biological properties, such as, soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC), dehydrogenase (DH), alkaline phosphatase (AP) and urease (UA) activities. In 0.0 0.15 m soil layer, NE® had greater values for SOC and SMBC than FFP, but not significantly different to RDF. This study clearly demonstrated that the adoption of conservation tillage (ZTFB / PNB) coupled with NE® and RDF in maize-mustard rotation would definitely improve system MGEY, net returns and soil biological properties in semi-arid regions of the north-west India.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThe field experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2011-12 and 2012-13 C.S. Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur with the objectives to find out the combined effect of organic and inorganic fertilizers on grain yield, productivity and profitability of wheat crop. The 10 treatments were tested in Randomized Block Design with three replication. T1- Control, T2 - RDF (150:60:40 NPK Kg/ha), T3 - 125% RDF, T4 - RDF + Vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha, T5 - RDF + Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha, T6 - RDF + FYM @ 5t/ ha, T7 - RDF + FYM @ 10 t/ha, T8 - RDF + Vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha + Azotobacter, T9 - RDF + FYM @ 5t/ha + Azotobacter, and T10 - RDF + Vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha + FYM @ 5 t/ha + Azotobacter. Result showed that the treatment T10 produced higher yield attributes and grain yield than rest of the treatment. The higher yield led to higher NPK uptake by wheat. Further, the available NPK and Organic Carbon (%) content of soil also increased in above integration of organic and inorganic fertilizer along with bio-fertilizer strain over control as well as chemical fertilizers alone. The highest net return (INR/ha 53882) and benefit : cost (1.23) was also obtained from the application of RDF + Vermicompost @ 2.5 t/ha + FYM @ 5 t/ha + Azotobacter and lowest from control (21873) and (0.74), respectively.Not Availabl