Growth, productivity, physical and economic optima and yield gaps estimation in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) through site specific nutrient management approaches under inner-Terai region of Chitwan, Nepal

An on-farm field experiment was accomplished during the winter season of 2018/19 under inner Terai region at Khairahani, Chitwan for evaluating the influence of various site specific nutrient management approaches on growth, yield, optimum fertilizer dose and yield gaps of wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.). The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) in three replications with different eight nutrient management practices: T1- farmers fertilization practice (FFP) (52:33:18 kg NPKha-1), T2 - Blanket recommendation (BR) (100:50:25 kg NPK ha-1), T3 - SSNM-NE (110:47:46 kg NPK ha-1),T4 - LCC-N+NE-P&K, T5 - NE-N + farmers -P&K, T6 - LCC- N + farmers–P&K, T7 - Nitrogen Omission Plot (NOPT) + NE- P&K, and T8 - NARC recommendation (120:60:40 kg NPK ha-1). The result findings indicated that the NARC recommendation was comparatively superior over other treatments in terms of plant height, dry matter accumulation, crop growth rate and yield, but the profitability (B:C ratio) was found higher in SSNM-Nutrient Expert recommendation. The physical and economic optimum level of fertilizer for wheat obtained was 135:47.66:43.94 kg NPK ha-1 and 130: 47.86:43.61 kg NPK ha-1, respectively. The yield gaps between farmers practice and SSNM-Nutrient Expert was found to be 110% and 41%, respectively over potential yield of wheat. Thus, it could be suggested that there is great potential to improve the yield of wheat through the NARC recommendation and the SSNM- Nutrient Expert model to raise sustained productivity and income of wheat farmers in inner-Terai region of Nepal. &nbsp

Conservation tillage and preceding rainy-season crops on root: shoot characteristics, productivity, profitability and nutrient uptake of succeeding mustard under semi-arid rainfed ecosystem

Conservation tillage practices are poplar, environmental friendly and economically feasible approaches to increase the productivity and resource-use efficiency of arid and semi-arid rainfed ecosystems. Rainfed field experiments were accomplished at IARI, Pusa, New Delhi in 2010-11 and 2011-12 to evaluate root: shoot growth, productivity, profitability and nutrient uptake in mustard under the various conservation tillage practices with preceding rainy- season crops; pearlmillet, clusterbean and greengram; and organic mulches, viz. no residues, crop residues and Leucaena twigs applied to both rainy- season crops and mustard grown with common recommended package of practices. Higher root length density (RLD), root surface area (RSA), root volume density (RVD), average root diameter (RD), crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) were recorded under clusterbean–mustard and greengram–mustard systems over the pearlmillet- mustard system. Interaction between crop residues and preceding rainy-season crops on growth parameters exerted significant variations, while yield attributes showed the mixed responses. Mustard seed yield was significantly higher (+51%) in 2010-11 (1.80 t ha-1) than that of 2011-12 (1.19 t ha-1). Economic analysis exhibited the highest returns and net returns/ Rs invested after clusterbean with Leucaena twigs mulching. The nutrient uptake followed the same trend as that of seed and stalk yield. It was concluded that growing mustard after clusterbean with Leucaena twigs mulching was high-yielding and profitable cropping system under conservation tilled semi-arid rainfed ecosystem

A glimpse on post-graduate thesis researches of Agronomy Department of IAAS and prioritized future research directions

To appraise the major research outputs of agronomic crops and cropping systems and to direct the future research priorities of Agronomy Department of post-graduate (PG) program of Institute of Agriculture and Animal Sciences (IAAS), a rigorous review was accomplished on about two decadal (2000-2018) student’s thesis research works. The review revealed that the agronomic researches at IAAS from 2000 to 2012 were concentrated mostly in on-station farm of Rampur, Chitwan and found their focus on 11 food grain crops with five major themes viz. varietal evaluation, crop management, soil nutrient and weeds management, and crop simulation modeling. With the shifting of IAAS PG program from Rampur to Kirtipur in 2013, the major agronomic researches were found to be concentrated in on-farm stations due to transitional movement of IAAS to Agriculture and Forestry University, Nepal. A total of 115 agronomic studies were conducted on various crops, of which 92 were on cereals, 8 on legumes, oilseed and minor cereals including potato. There were records of 10 studies on rice-wheat and 3 studies on maize-based systems. The huge gaps between the potential and farmers' field yield and between the potential and research station yields for rice, maize and wheat crops suggested a great scope to raise yields of cereals by improved agronomical researches on varieties evaluation, crop and nutrient management and weed management. Simulation modeling study predicted that the varieties of rice and maize adopted at present could sustain the yields only for recent few years and needed for introduction of new climate resilient varieties, then after. Innovative and new researches on eco-region suited on-farm trails with variety identification, improved crop husbandry and soil nutrient management, improved weed and water management and on agro-meteorology, conservation agriculture, climate change adaptation and crop simulation modeling are advised as future research frontiers to uplift the productivity and reduce yield gaps of major food crops and to strengthen the academics of post-graduate research in near future

Response of varying levels of phyto-hormones and micro-nutrients on growth and yield of brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) in sub-tropical Terai region of India

A field study was conducted at Horticultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India during summer season of 2017-2018 to test the sole effect of phyto-hormones and micro-nutrients on growth of brinjal (Solanum melongena, L.). The thirteen treatments having six different concentration of phytohoromnes viz., T1 (20 ppm NAA), T2 (40 NAA), T3 (60 ppm NAA), T4 (25 ppm GA3), T5 (50 ppm GA3), T6 (75 ppm GA3), and six different concentrations of micronutrients viz., T7 (Boron 0.1%),T8 (Boron 0.2%), T9 (Boron 0.3%), T10 (Zinc 0.1%), T11 (Zinc 0.2%), T12 (Zinc 0.3%) and T13 (control-water spray) for a “Kashi Uttam” cultivar of brinjal were grown under randomized complete block design (RCBD) having three replications. The results findings indicated that treatment T4 (25 ppm GA3) had significant effect on growth parameters, mainly plant height, number of leaves, leaf length, leaf width, crop canopy, number of side roots and main root length. Similarly, yield parameters like number of fruits per plant, fruit weight, fruit yield per plant were found to be significantly superior under treatment T4 (25 ppm GA3). Number of branches per plant, stem diameter, main root length and fruit weight were found superior under treatment T1 (20 ppm NAA). Among the different concentrations of micronutrients treatment T9 (Boron 0.3%) and T12 (Zinc 0.3%) were found to be significant over control. It can be concluded that the phyto-hormones and micro-nutrients can be judiciously used for increasing the growth and yield of brinjal

Agronomic management and climate change scenario simulations on productivity of rice, maize and wheat in central Nepal using DSSAT ver 4.5 crop model

Average productivity of 3.50 t/ha of rice, 2.50 t/ha of maize and 2.45 t/ha of wheat in Nepal have been very less than their potential productivity  for which précised agronomic management and changing climatic scenarios have been reported the most challenging factors at present. Cropping system Model (CSM)-Crop Estimation through Resource and Environment Synthesis (CERES)- Rice, Maize and Wheat, embedded under Decision Support System for Agro-technology Transfer (DSSAT) ver. 4.5 was evaluated from a datasets of farmers’ field experimentations of the central Nepal (Terai-Nawalpur and mid-hill-Kaski districts), and showed high sensitivity of model over change in different agronomic management and climate change scenarios. Model calibration was done by using maximum attainable yield treatments for all tested cultivars while validation was accomplished by using the remaining treatments for predicting growth, phenology and yield of all crop cultivars and results were found perfectly matched with the observed results. Further, the different agronomic management options and climate change scenarios as advocated by IPCC for 2020, 2050 and 2080 from base line of 1995 was studied to simulate the growth and yield performance of diverse crop cultivars. The hybrids and short duration cultivars of all three cereals were found more affected due to climate change than the local and long duration crop cultivars. The model simulation results obtained on rice, maize and wheat using DSSAT ver 4.5 model highlighted that there is utmost importance to develop new climate ready crop cultivars to feed the future generation over different climate change scenarios as suggested by IPCC, 2007 and the simulation results should be extrapolated to the major domains of similar agro-ecozones in Nepal. It is suggested that CSM- CERES- model would be reliable and valid approach for getting strategic decision support system especially with regards to the climate change adaptation measures in Nepal

Potential of Crop Simulation Models to Increase Food and Nutrition Security Under a Changing Climate in Nepal

With current trends of increasing population, decreasing arable land, and a low yearly increment rate of cereal productivity, Nepal has an annual deficit of >1.3 million tons of edible rice, wheat, and maize. This indicates the urgent need for demand-led agricultural interventions for improving cereals productivity for food security. Crop simulation models and DSS tools have potential to predict potential yields, identify yield gaps, and help make decisions for improved crop, nutrient, water and pest management. Models can assess the impact of climate change, and help develop adaptation and mitigation measures to lesses the impact of climate change. To date, no review work has been conducted on the potential applications of crop simulation models and their relevance in Nepal. The objective of this chapter is to review and synthesize the relevant studies on the development and application of crop simulation models for major cereal crops: rice, wheat, and maize. We reviewed around 95 published papers and reports from South Asia and Nepal available in Scopus, SpringerLink, and ScienceDirect using the Google search engine. Analysis revealed that yield gaps (potential minus farmers' field yields) of 4.9–9.0, 3.1–6.9, and 4.5–12.5 t ha−1 exist in rice, wheat, and maize crops, respectively. For achieving self-sufficiency in cereal grains, the average national productivity of rice, wheat, and maize needs to be increased to 5.7, 3.9, and 4.9 t ha−1, respectively by 2030. Based on the review, climate change has both positive and negative consequences on cereal production across all agro-ecological zones. Crop simulation models have been applied for enhancing crop productivity and exploring adaptation strategies for climate change resilience. Models can generate various recommendations related to biophysical factors: crop, water, tillage, nutrient, and pest management, crop yield, and weather forecasting. Furthermore, models have shown the potential to determine the effects of climate change on crop productivity across a range of environments in Nepal. In conclusion, crop simulation models could be useful decision support tools for policy planning and implementation, increasing efficiency in research, prioritizing research and extension interventions for increasing crop yields, and the way forward to achieve food and nutritional security and some of the Sustainable Development Goals (particularly #1, #2 and #13)

Assessing the effect of phosphorus application on early growth of maize at Sunderbazar, Lamjung, Nepal

Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient element for maize production. A pot experiment was conducted during May-June, 2015 to assess the effects of different rates of P on early growth of maize plant at Sundarbazar, Lamjung. Two maize varieties (Rato Makai and Poshilo Makai-1) were subjected to four P levels (0 kg ha-1, 13 kg ha-1, 18 kg ha-1, and 23 kg ha-1) in randomized complete block design with four replications. The effects of different P level on root elongation, root biomass, plant height, root shoot biomass ratio and total dry matter were investigated at 45 days after sowing. For all parameters, the maximum value was obtained when soil was added with 18 kg P ha-1 & the minimum value under the control of 0 kg P ha-1. Maize varieties differed significantly in terms of all the parameters under study, and Poshilo Makai-1 performed better than Rato Makai at all P levels. So, from this result, it can be concluded that Poshilo Makai-1 appeared to be P efficient over Rato Makai at early growth stage. However, it would be necessary to look at the response of crop up to maturity and at wider range of P to have the better insight of their relative performance

Weed dynamics and productivity of spring maize under different tillage and weed management methods

A field experiment was conducted during spring season of 2013 on sandy loam soil at Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal to study the effect of tillage and weed management methods on weeds dynamics and productivity of spring maize (Zea mays L.). Two tillage methods namely zero and conventional and six weed management methods namely weedy check, weed free, atrazine 1.5 kg/ha as pre emergence, atrazine and glyphosate as pre emergence, atrazine pendimethalin as pre emergence and atrazine and one hand weeding (HW) at 40 Days after sowing were tested in a strip plot design with three replications. Total weed density and dry weight recorded in conventional tillage were significantly higher than that of zero tillage at almost all growth stages. The tank mixed application of atrazine with glyphosate was found significantly more effective than with pendimethalin and Hand Weeding at 40 Days after sowing. The grain yield of maize was not affected significantly by tillage methods but it was lower in conventional tillage in comparison to zero tillage. The grain yields obtained in double combinations of atrazine with glyphosate (6.69 t/ ha), pendimethalin (6.24 t/ha) and HW at 40 DAS (6.48 t/ ha) were comparable to each other but significantly superior over its sole application and equally effective as weed free condition (7.18 t/ ha). Thus, the maize can be successfully cultivated in zero tillage and combination of atrazine either with glyphosate or with HW at 40 DAS as alternatives of manual weeding to achieve higher grain yield in spring season

Production and Profitability of Hybrid Rice Is Influenced by Different Nutrient Management Practices

The government of Nepal has recommended blanket fertilizer application for rice cultivation, which results in lower nutrient use efficiency (NUE) particularly under rainfed conditions. With the aim of finding an appropriate nutrient management practices concerning rice production and profitability, a field experiment was conducted during rainy season of 2017 and 2018 at Kavrepalanchowk and Dang district of Nepal. Altogether, five treatments comprising various nutrient management practices viz. Nutrient Expert Model (NE), use of Leaf Color Chart (LCC), Government Recommended Fertilizer Dose (GON), Farm Yard Manure (FYM), and Farmers’ Field Practice (FFP), were laid out in RCBD with four replications in farmers’ fields. The analysis of variance showed significant difference between treatments for test weight and grain yield in Kavrepalanchowk whereas all traits except number of effective tillers were significant in Dang. The significantly higher grain yield and harvest index were obtained in NE, followed by LCC; and the overall straw yield was highest in LCC, followed by NE in both the locations. Also, yield gap analysis suggested the NE had 44.44% and 23.97% increase in yield as compared to FPP in Kavrepalanchowk and Dang, respectively. The combined analysis with Best Linear Unbiased Estimator revealed the interaction of nutrient management and location significantly effects the straw yield and harvest index across both the locations. The estimated mean straw yield and harvest index were 10.93 t/ha and 34.98%, respectively. Both correlation study and biplot of principal component analysis signaled grain yield had positive correlation with all other traits. Furthermore, the net revenue was maximum for NE, followed by LCC in both the locations. The benefit: cost ratio was highest for NE which was 1.55 in Kavrepalanchowk and 2.61 in Dang. On the basis of these findings, NE and LCC can be effectively used as nutrient management practice by the farmers to obtain maximum production and profitability in Rice

Production and Profitability of Hybrid Rice Is Influenced by Different Nutrient Management Practices

The government of Nepal has recommended blanket fertilizer application for rice cultivation, which results in lower nutrient use efficiency (NUE) particularly under rainfed conditions. With the aim of finding an appropriate nutrient management practices concerning rice production and profitability, a field experiment was conducted during rainy season of 2017 and 2018 at Kavrepalanchowk and Dang district of Nepal. Altogether, five treatments comprising various nutrient management practices viz. Nutrient Expert Model (NE), use of Leaf Color Chart (LCC), Government Recommended Fertilizer Dose (GON), Farm Yard Manure (FYM), and Farmers’ Field Practice (FFP), were laid out in RCBD with four replications in farmers’ fields. The analysis of variance showed significant difference between treatments for test weight and grain yield in Kavrepalanchowk whereas all traits except number of effective tillers were significant in Dang. The significantly higher grain yield and harvest index were obtained in NE, followed by LCC; and the overall straw yield was highest in LCC, followed by NE in both the locations. Also, yield gap analysis suggested the NE had 44.44% and 23.97% increase in yield as compared to FPP in Kavrepalanchowk and Dang, respectively. The combined analysis with Best Linear Unbiased Estimator revealed the interaction of nutrient management and location significantly effects the straw yield and harvest index across both the locations. The estimated mean straw yield and harvest index were 10.93 t/ha and 34.98%, respectively. Both correlation study and biplot of principal component analysis signaled grain yield had positive correlation with all other traits. Furthermore, the net revenue was maximum for NE, followed by LCC in both the locations. The benefit: cost ratio was highest for NE which was 1.55 in Kavrepalanchowk and 2.61 in Dang. On the basis of these findings, NE and LCC can be effectively used as nutrient management practice by the farmers to obtain maximum production and profitability in Rice