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Not AvailableA micro-lysimeter (1.0 meter deep and 0.3 m internal diameter) experiment was conducted to study the effect of different quality irrigation water on the soil chemical properties and their influence on growth, yield and other biometric parameters of rice (variety CSR 36). Irrigation water treatments included viz., normal tap water (NTW), dilute saline water (DSW, ECiw 5.0 dS m-1 and SAR 5.0 mmol1/2 L-1/2); concentrated saline water (CSW, ECiw 10.0 dS m-1, SAR 5.0 mmol1/2 L-1/2) , dilute alkali water (DAW, RSC 2.5 me L-1) and concentrated alkali water (CAW, RSC 10.0 me L-1). Three different type of sandy loam soils viz., normal (pH2 7.5 and ECe 1.0 dS m-1), saline (pH2 7.7 and ECe 10.6 dS m-1) and alkali (pH2 9.15 and ECe 2.9 dS m-1) soils were used for this investigation. Saline and alkali water irrigation affected the EC, pH and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) of normal, saline and alkali soils. In normal soil, ECe increased 8.5 to 12.5 times in DSW and CSW, respectively as compared to initial experimental soil whereas, it was increased 3.2 to 4.8 times, in the alkali soil. Decrease in ECe was observed in all water treatments except CSW in saline soil as compared to initial experimental soil. Increase in pH of normal and saline soil was more pronounced in case of CAW as compared to alkali soils but decrease in pH was observed in normal, saline and alkali soils on application of DSW and CSW. Significant increase in ESP (exchangeable sodium percentage) was observed in DAW and CAW particularly in alkali soils but it in case of normal and saline soil it was observed in surface samples. ESP decreased in case of DSW and CSW in alkali soil. Cations and anions build up was more pronounced in normal soil followed by alkali and saline soils as compared to exp soil. Rice yield was at par (93%) in DAW as compared to NTW in all soils, whereas, use of CAW reduced grain yield up to 50% for normal and saline soil and in case of alkali soil it is reduced to 15% for alkali soil. Yield was further reduced to 33% in DSW for normal and saline soil and 19% for alkali soil. Yield in CSW was found negligible as total loss of crop was observed in all soils.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableCytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is maternally inherited trait; its phenotypic expression generally is due to interaction between sterile cytoplasm and recessive nuclear genes. Presently, commercial hybrid seed production of Capsicum relies on hand emasculation and pollination resulting in higher seed production cost to the seed producers. However, exploitation of CMS in hybrid seed production could significantly diminish its production cost and has capability to provide genetically pure seed. The best CMS approach is a 3-line hybridization method involving male sterile line (A-line), Maintainer line (B-line) and Restorer of fertility line (C-line). Availability and identification of Restorer of fertility (Rf) line in sweet pepper for suppressing male sterile phenotype in F1 plants is difficult task. Thus identification of reproducible, co-dominant molecular markers linked to nuclear (Rf) and mitochondrial (S-cytoplasm) genes offers fast and reliable detection of parental lines during F1 hybrid seed production. In this review, we tried to present the possibilities of exploiting CMS in Capsicum with their merits and drawbacks

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Not AvailableMalnourishment is widespread and severe problems in most of the developing countries, and nutritionally rich food can address this issue efficiently by introducing nutritionally rich cultivars for cultivation. In this endeavor, 33 genotypes (30 agronomically superior advance lines and three cultivars) were analyzed for nutritional and essential agromorphological attributes. This set of materials has shown wide significant variations for most of the nutritional attributes indicating significant levels of genetic diversity. Antioxidant metabolites (total carotenoids and total polyphenols) and total chlorophyll were positively correlated with each other. First, four principal components explained 70.47% of the total variation. Best-performing lines were marked for important nutritional and agro-morphological attributes and may be tested in the multi-location trial to be released as new nutritionally rich cultivars for on-farm production. Alternatively, these could also be of instant significance as a donor in the future breeding program.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableMalnourishment is widespread and severe problems in most of the developing countries, and nutritionally rich food can address this issue efficiently by introducing nutritionally rich cultivars for cultivation. In this endeavor, 33 genotypes (30 agronomically superior advance lines and three cultivars) were analyzed for nutritional and essential agromorphological attributes. This set of materials has shown wide significant variations for most of the nutritional attributes indicating significant levels of genetic diversity. Antioxidant metabolites (total carotenoids and total polyphenols) and total chlorophyll were positively correlated with each other. First, four principal components explained 70.47% of the total variation. Best-performing lines were marked for important nutritional and agro-morphological attributes and may be tested in the multi-location trial to be released as new nutritionally rich cultivars for on-farm production. Alternatively, these could also be of instant significance as a donor in the future breeding program.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableEnhancing crop productivity with higher input use efficiency without any damage to the soil and water resources is a big challenge to Indian agriculture. Soil is a complex system having physical, chemical and biological properties which differ from soil type to soil type. These properties/characteristics play an important role in deciding the response of any management imposed and thus ultimately govern the soil productivity and inputs use efficiency. It is, therefore, important that before developing any technology for the judicious use of inputs, these characteristics including soil-water-plant relations are well understood. In the recent past various advancements have been made to understand the various soil physical processes and the flow mechanism of water, gases and heat into and from the soil profile which affects the soil environment and the atmosphere above it. Different models have been developed with an attempt to solve many problems related to complex and dynamic soil-water-tillage-nutrient-plant system. Also, techniques have been developed for rapid and precise estimation of various kinds of abiotic stresses which have a bearing on plant growth, grain yield and judicious use of various inputs in agriculture in order to arrive at sustainable and conservation agriculture. Our knowledge on the subject, however, is still limited owing to the complex nature of the soil system. There is need to study this dynamic system in-depth in multidisciplinary mode, including the root system architecture with respect to water and nutrient uptake and mitigation of various kinds of plant abiotic and biotic stresses. This paper discusses, in brief, the various advancements made in the area of soil physics and their impact on sustainable agriculture.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableOf late, intensive farming for higher food production is often associated with many negative implications for soil systems, such as decline of soil organic matter (SOM), increase in risks of soil erosion by wind and/or water, decline in soil biological diversity, increase in degradation of soil physical quality, lower nutrient-use efficiency, high risks of groundwater pollution, falling water tables, increasing salinization and waterlogging, in-field burning of crop residues, pollution of air and emission of greenhouse gases (GHG), leading to global warming, and decline in factor productivity. These negative implications necessitate an objective review of strategies to develop sustainable management practices, which could not only sustain soil health and ensure food security, but also enhance carbon sequestration, decrease GHG emissions, and offer clean and better ecosystem services. Conservation agriculture (CA), that includes reduced or no-till practices along with crop residue retention and mixed crop rotations, offers multiple benefits. Adoption of a system-based CA conserves water, improves and creates more efficient use of natural resources through the integrated management of available soil nutrients, water, and biological resources, and enhances use efficiency of external inputs. Due to apparent benefits of CA, it is increasingly being adopted and now covers about 180 million hectares (Mha) worldwide. However, in South Asia its spread is low (<5 Mha), mostly concentrated in the Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP). In this region, one of the serious issues is “residue burning” with severe environmental impacts. A huge amount of crop residue left over after the combine harvest of rice has forced farmers to practice widespread residue burning (∼140 M tonnes) to cope with excessive stubble and also for timely planting/sowing of succeeding crops. In rice-wheat cropping systems, which cover more than 10 Mha in the IGP, CA practices are relatively more accepted by farmers. In these systems, any delay in sowing leads to yield penalty of 1–1.5% per day after the optimum sowing date of wheat. The strong adoption of CA practices in IGP is mainly to overcome delayed sowing due to the field preparation and control of weeds, timely planting, and also escape from terminal heat during the grain-filling stage. Major challenges to CA adoption in South Asia are small land holdings (<1 ha), low technological reach to farmers, nonavailability of suitable farm implements for small farm holders, and the staunch conventional farming mind-set. South Asia region consists of many countries of diverse agro-ecologies with contrasting farming systems and management. This region, recently known for rapid economic growth and increasing population, necessitates higher food production and also hot-spots for adoption of CA technologies. Therefore, in this review critically explores the possibility, extent of area, prospects, challenges, and benefits of CA in South Asia.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableConservation agriculture (CA) including reduced or no-tillage and crop residue retention, is known to be a self–sustainable system as well as an alternative to residue burning. The present study evaluated the effect of reduced tillage coupled with residue retention under different cropping systems on soil properties and crop yields in a Vertisol of a semiarid region of central India. Two tillage systems – conventional tillage (CT) with residue removed, and reduced tillage (RT) with residue retained – and six major cropping systems of this region were examined after 3 years of experimentation. Results demonstrated that soil moisture content, mean weight diameter, percent water stable aggregates (>0.25 mm) for the 0–15 cm soil layer were significantly (P moderately labile > less labile. At the 0–15 cm depth, the contributions of moderately labile, less labile and non-labile C fractions to total organic C were 39.3%, 10.3% and 50.4% respectively in RT and corresponding values for CT were 38.9%, 11.7% and 49.4%. Significant differences in different C fractions were observed between RT and CT. Soil microbial biomass C concentration was significantly higher in RT than CT at 0–15 cm depth. The maize–chickpea cropping system had significantly (P < 0.05) higher soybean grain equivalent yield of 4.65 t ha–1 followed by soybean + pigeon pea (2 : 1) intercropping (3.50 t ha–1) and soybean–wheat cropping systems (2.97 t ha–1). Thus, CA practices could be sustainable management practices for improving soil health and crop yields of rainfed Vertisols in these semiarid regions.Not Availabl