Determination of Horizon, Its Boundary and Depth in the Soil Profiles of North Western Himalayas

The scientific study of the soil started almost 70-80 years ago with two school of thoughts, one worked in the lab and others in field. The main aim of the researchers studying in the field was to determine the profiles of soil along with its horizons so as to extent the knowledge on physical, chemical and biological properties. The distinctness of soil with depth means that soil has unique profile. All the soils in the world has some specific depth functions. The change of soil color or soil texture in a soil profile can be considered a good indicator of the soil formation and process and has been used as a proxy for degree of development or soil age. Uniform, gradational and rapidly changing soil textures are examples of soil profile forms used for soil classification. In the current study we studied twelve profiles having four different land uses and observed several horizons having various boundaries. The upper horizons were having diffused and wavy boundaries than the lower horizons. There was seen a clear relationship between the horizons and the various land uses. The study is very important as the soils in Himalayas are not very well developed and are prone to erosion. The study will help researchers and policy makers

Effect of Land use Change on Total Phosphorus and Its Fractions in North-Western Himalayas

Aims: Conversion of land from forest to cropping has a serious effect on soil phosphorus and its fractions Results: Land use is now widely understood to be a primary factor in environmental change across all time and space scales. The purpose of this research was to ascertain how different land uses affected the concentration of phosphorus in soil. Soil phosphorus (P) reserves are depleted when land is converted from natural vegetation to permanent agricultural cropping. The transformation of North-Western Himalayas from a forest-dominated to a grassland-dominated ecosystem is just one example of the diversity of land significantly less soil aggregation occurred when agricultural land was cleared of its native vegetation. Total organic carbon in soils was reduced when grassland was converted to cropland.  Reduced total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations by 62-79% and organic phosphorus (Po) concentrations by 47-53%. Even though, the total silt+clay fraction's contribution was negligible, it contained a significant amount of C and Po reserves and the C/Po ratio has been holding fairly steady, they have proven to be more robust. This impact of cropping on soil P reserves has been demonstrated in research, but changing land use practices can alleviate these problems significantly

Simulating Spatiotemporal Changes in Land Use and Land Cover of the North-Western Himalayan Region Using Markov Chain Analysis

Spatial variabilities and drivers of land use and land cover (LULC) change over time and are crucial for determining the region’s economic viability and ecological functionality. The North-Western Himalayan (NWH) regions have witnessed drastic changes in LULC over the last 50 years, as a result of which their ecological diversity has been under significant threat. There is a need to understand how LULC change has taken place so that appropriate conservation measures can be taken well in advance to understand the implications of the current trends of changing LULC. This study has been carried out in the Baramulla district of the North-Western Himalayas to assess its current and future LULC changes and determine the drivers responsible for future policy decisions. Using Landsat 2000, 2010, and 2020 satellite imagery, we performed LULC classification of the study area using the maximum likelihood supervised classification. The land-use transition matrix, Markov chain model, and CA-Markov model were used to determine the spatial patterns and temporal variation of LULC for 2030. The CA-Markov model was first used to predict the land cover for 2020, which was then verified by the actual land cover of 2020 (Kappa coefficient of 0.81) for the model’s validation. After calibration and validation of the model, LULC was predicted for the year 2030. Between the years 2000 and 2020, it was found that horticulture, urbanization, and built-up areas increased, while snow cover, forest cover, agricultural land, and water bodies all decreased. The significant drivers of LULC changes were economic compulsions, climate variability, and increased human population. The analysis finding of the study highlighted that technical, financial, policy, or legislative initiatives are required to restore fragile NWH regions experiencing comparable consequences

Comparative Analysis of Soil Quality Assessment and Its Perception by Rice Farmers

The present study was conducted in three villages of district Budgam in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, to find out how farmers differentiate the quality of soils and to determine the level of concurrence between farmers perception and scientific assessment of soil quality. Five fields in each village were selected and ranked on the basis of soil quality indices computed from the minimum data set of indicators, including plant available nutrients N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, OC, BD, WHC (water holding capacity), CEC (cation exchange capacity) as well as microbial count. The respondents ranked the same 5 selected fields on the bases of their experience and perceptions of soil quality. The study reveals that 58% of farmers ranked the best soils correctly whereas, the percentage of farmers who ranked 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th soils correctly was 40, 30, 40, and 45%, respectively. The study found that a greater number of farmers from the remotest village Dalwash were able to judge the soils properly, thereby indicating more profound knowledge and better cognitive abilities to understand soils in the local context. The results divulged by the current study highlight the remarkable local soil knowledge of the farmers and therefore, linking this knowledge system with scientific concepts would prove valuable for sustained land-use management

Role of Intercropping in Sustainable Insect-Pest Management: A Review

Reduced soil fertility and rising pest and disease pressures are contributing to the already serious problem of global food insecurity. Monoculture is the most labour and resource-intensive form of crop production around the globe. Unfortunately, monocultures are more vulnerable to pests, diseases, and weeds, so the expansion of this system is accompanied by a host of biological issues. Negative effects on the environment, human health, and ecosystem stability are all associated with monocropping because it relies so heavily on the use of chemical plant protection products of all generations of pesticides. Although crop production strategies are important for overall enhancement in production, the intercropping can help farmers in attaining raised economic returns by taking multiple crops in a single season. Intercropping is an alternative strategy for improved resource use efficiency, environmental safety, and sustainable pest management without the use of chemical pesticides that can help mitigate these risks. Intercropping (two or more crop species coexisting) is a cultural practice in pest management that reduces insect pests by increasing ecosystem diversity. Intercropping and planting crops that kill or repel pests, attract natural enemies, or have antibacterial effects can reduce disease and pest damage and pesticide use. Intercropping, where crops grow between main crops, reduces the likelihood of pest infestation. Intercropping is a potential pest management practice because it diversifies crops in an agro-ecosystem to reduce insect populations and attacks. Intercropping relies on a deep understanding of insect ecology and crop traits. Intercropping can be used alone or in combination with host-plant resistance and biological control. Intercropping ensures crop yield stability, protects against crop failure, improves soil fertility, increases soil conservation, and reduces pesticide use, minimizing agriculture's environmental impact. The aim is to define the role and importance of intercropping as a strategy in crop pest management and as a boost for crop production vis-à-vis soil fertility

Real-Time Nitrogen Application of Rice Varieties Based on Leaf Colour Chart under System of Rice Intensification in Temperate Climate

Increasing nitrogen use efficiency in rice intensification (SRI) is pivotal to achieving high crop yield and reducing nitrogen losses. To find the critical value of the leaf color chart (LCC) for real-time nitrogen (N) application in rice varieties under SRI, a field experiment was laid at the Research Farm, Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura, SKAUST-Kashmir in Kharif between 2019 and 2020. The experiment comprised two cultivars (SR-3 and SR-4) and eight LCC-based nitrogen managements (control, recommended dose of nitrogen (RDF), and three LCC scores (≤3, ≤4, ≤5 each with 20 and 30 kg N ha−1). SR-4 produced significantly higher values for growth and yield parameters, producing higher grain yield (7.02 and 6.86 t ha−1) compared to SR-3 (6.49 and 6.36 t ha−1) between 2019 and 2020, respectively. An LCC value of 5 with 30 kg N ha−1 produced maximum grain yield (7.84 and 7.70 t ha−1) in 2019 and 2020, respectively, which were statistically at par with the LCC value of 5 with 20 kg Nha−1. Pooled data revealed that the highest B: C ratio of 1.55 was recorded in cultivar SR-4 with an LCC value of 5 with 30 kg N ha−1. Furthermore, agronomic and recovery efficiency of nitrogen remained maximum in LCC 5 with 20 kg N ha−1 for both years. Grain yield recorded in LCC 3 20 kg N ha−1 was similar to recommended nitrogen. The present study highlighted the need-based N application through LCC and proved effective in increasing the N-use efficiency and yield in rice