Reconnaissance Basement Geology and Tectonics of South Zealandia

We report new U‐Pb zircon ages, geochemical and isotopic data for Mesozoic igneous rocks, and new seismic interpretations of mostly submerged South Zealandia (1.5 Mkm2). We use these data, along with existing geological and geophysical data sets, to refine the extent and nature of geological units. Our new 1:25 M geological map of South Zealandia provides a regional framework to investigate the rifting and breakup that formed Zealandia, Earth's most submerged continent. Samples of prerift (pre‐100 Ma) plutonic rocks can be matched with on‐land New Zealand igneous suites and indicate an east‐west strike for the subduction‐related 260 to 105‐Ma Median Batholith across the Campbell Plateau. The plutonic chronology of formerly contiguous plutonic rocks in West Antarctica reveals similar pulses and lulls to the Median Batholith. Contrary to previous interpretations, the Median Batholith does not coincide with the 1,600‐km‐long Campbell Magnetic Anomaly System. Instead we interpret the continental magnetic anomalies to represent a mainly mafic igneous unit, whose shape and extent is controlled by synrift structures related to Gondwana breakup. Correlatives of some of these unsampled igneous rocks may be exposed as circa 85 Ma alkalic volcanic rocks on the Chatham Islands. Extension directions varied by up to 65° from 100 to 80 Ma, and we suggest this allowed this large area to thin considerably before final rupture to form new oceanic crust. Synrift (90–80 Ma) structures cut the oroclinal bend in southern South Island and support a pre‐early Late Cretaceous age of orocline formation.The work was supported by Core Research Funding to GNS Science by the New Zealand Government Ministry of Business, Employment and Innovation

Tectonics, sedimentary facies development and maturity modelling in the Great South and Taranaki Basins, New Zealand

This thesis primarily investigates the regional evolution of rift faulting, sedimentary facies development and petroleum systems in the Great South Basin (GSB), together with a detailed study of coaly source rocks in the Taranaki Basin (TB). The TB source rock study serves as an analogue for similar rocks in the GSB, where there was insufficient data to study coaly source rocks in detail. These investigations primarily use seismic reflection and well data along with some outcrop and laboratory (geochemical, geophysical and geochronological) information. The thesis comprises four main chapters (excluding the Introduction and Conclusions chapters) that address thematic topics related to the geological history of Gondwana in the GSB and TB during, and subsequent to, Cretaceous rifting. Chapters 2, 3 and 5 have already been published in peer-reviewed journals and can read as stand-alone text. The results can be applied to similar basins elsewhere in New Zealand and worldwide to understand better their tectono-sedimentary evolution and petroleum systems. GSB initiated in the mid-Cretaceous from continental rifting at the southeastern margin of Gondwana (Chapter 2). Fault-growth analysis in the GSB revealed three stages of Cretaceous rift faulting, which collectively occurred over ~22 Myr (~105 to 83 Ma). The dominant fault set trends NE (NW‐SE extension) with a minor fault set trending NW that formed along basement terrane boundaries. Stage 1 (~105–101 Ma) faulting occurred mainly in the central GSB with rift depocentres mostly on, or close to, NW trending basement terrane boundaries. These pre-existing basement boundaries represent zones of weakness that locally promoted early localisation of NW faults and retarded the propagation of NE faults. During Stage 2 (~101–90 Ma), regional extension increased, with NE-trending faults increasing in length, number, displacements, and spatial distribution, and the influence of the basement fabric gradually diminishing. Finally, during Stage 3 (~90–83 Ma) the length, number and displacements of faults decreased. Rift faulting is interpreted to reflect the embryonic stages of Gondwana breakup. Analysis of seismic facies and paleogeographic evolution in the GSB provides an improved understanding of the interplay between normal faulting and the spatial distribution of sedimentary facies in the syn- and post-rift Cretaceous–Paleocene interval (Chapter 3). During the initial syn-rift (~105–101 Ma), an isolated northeast- trending graben formed, with resultant alluvial fan/fan delta, fluvial, coastal and lacustrine sediment fill. In the later stages of syn-rift (~101–90 and 90–83 Ma), marine transgression occurred, with deposition of shelfal, shoreface and marginal marine facies and increased connectivity between grabens. With marine transgression across the hinterland the sediment supply significantly reduced in the northern part of the basin leading to underfilled grabens (with respect to sediment supply). In the west, where the sediment supply was higher, rift topography was quickly filled. The NW-trending basement terrane boundaries controlled the development of accommodation space during the initial stages of graben formation. Later in the syn- and post-rift stages, these terrane boundaries formed long-lived sediment input points for the basin and controlled the position of repeated large deltaic depositional units. A multi-1D modelling study (Chapter 4) was carried out to understand the thermal history and maturity in the GSB, and to highlight key petroleum prospectivity risks. The rapid burial and the heating effects of rifting combined with insulating properties of the porous sediments caused temperatures to rapidly increase in the basin throughout the Cretaceous and Paleocene. In areas of continued deposition of sediments, similar temperatures are maintained throughout the Eocene. During decreasing subsidence and lowered sedimentation rates from Oligocene, the basin is predicted to cool. This burial history led to oil and gas generation/expulsion in the Cretaceous and peak expulsion during the Paleocene–Eocene with a reduction in expulsion of oil and gas since the Oligocene. One of the main risks in the basin is the timing of hydrocarbon expulsion with respect to the development of an effective seal rock. Significant volumes of early- generated oil and gas during the Cretaceous are likely to have been lost from the system due to poor or ineffective seals overlying reservoirs prior to Paleocene times. Mature source rock, effective seal during periods of peak hydrocarbon expulsion and reservoir rocks are interpreted to be present in many parts of the basin including the eastern part of the Central Sub-basin, areas east and south of this sub-basin, and the Kawau Sub- basin and therefore, these regions are considered to be most prospective in the basin

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Not AvailableThe operational farm holding in India is declining and over 85 million out of 105 million are below the size of 1 ha. Due to ever increasing population and decline in per capita availability of land in the country, practically there is no scope for horizontal expansion of land for agriculture. Only vertical expansion is possible by integrating farming components requiring lesser space and time and ensuring reasonable returns to farm families. The integrated farming system (IFS) therefore assumes greater importance for sound management of farm resources to enhance the farm productivity, reduce the environmental degradation, improve the quality of life of resource poor farmers and maintain sustainability. KVKs are thriving hard to empower farmers towards entrepreneurship through a combination of technological interventions for their betterment at macro-and micro-level trade, economy, health and happiness. This paper entails information on IFS adopted by 3 farmers in the Bhawaniptana block of Kalahandi district of Odisha promoted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kalahandi under Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology for two consecutive years from 2011–12 to 2012–2013. All the integrated farming systems analyzed were crop-based (fruits, vegetables, pulses etc) integrations involving dairy, duckery and fish as major enterprises. In case of farmer 1, the net profit obtained from IFS was Rs 298000 with a B:C ratio of 2.5:1 from 5 acres of land. He created employment opportunities of 845 man days for males and 250 man days for females from various enterprises. In case of farmer 2 net profit obtained was Rs 352300 with a B:C ratio of 4.7:1 and he created employment opportunities of 750 man days for males and 345 man days for females from various enterprises. Similarly in case of farmer 3, net profit of Rs 290700 was obtained with a B:C ratio of 2.96:1 and he created employment opportunities of 995 man days for males and 285 man days for females from integrated farming of different enterprises.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableAn experiment was conducted to evaluate the comparative performance of 10 tomato cultivars in the western undulating zone of Odisha during 2010–11 and 2011–12. The tallest plant was manifested by BT-106 (78.6 cm) followed by Utkal Pragyan (73.6 cm) and Swarna Lalima (69.5 cm) while shortest plant height (39.6 cm) was recorded in Utkal Urvashi. Maximum number of branches was found in BT-106 (10.8) followed by Utkal Pragyan (9.4) and minimum in Utkal Urvashi (5.7). The period required between transplanting and harvesting of first mature fruit varied between 73 to 90 days. The diameter of the fruit ranged between 3.3 cm in Utkal Pallavi to 4.9 cm in Utkal Raja. Similarly the length of fruit was highest in Utkal Urvashi (4.8 cm) and lowest in BT-106 (3.1 cm). Swarna Lalima produced the highest individual fruit weight (57.0 g) followed by Utkal Urvashi (50 g) and BT-10 (41.7 g) while lowest mean fruit weight was recorded in Utkal Dipti (23.3 g). The variety BT-106 recorded the highest fruit yield (2.2 kg/plant) followed by Utkal Pragyan (2.1 kg/plant) while minimum fruit yield of 1.5 kg/plant was notice in variety Utkal Urvashi (BT-12). Likewise the per hectare yield was highest in BT-106 (49.7 ton/ha) followed by Utkal Pragyan (45.8 ton/ha), Swarna Lalima (42 ton/ha) and Utkal Raja (40.4 ton/ha). Lowest fruit yield of 31.8 ton/ha was recorded in BT-12 ie Utkal Urvashi.Not Availabl

Ghara Aganare Kukuda Palana

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Not AvailableA field experiment was conducted, during wet season 2012, to study effects of replacing 25% of nitrogenous fertilizer by brown manuring in direct seeded rice on plant height, effective tiller number, vermcast per square meter, grain yield, organic carbon content and benefit to cost ratio. The plant height (1.57%), effective tiller number (9.09%), organic carbon content (13.04%) and grain yield (7.91%) were increased in the brown manuring plots as compared to farmers practice. The biomass incorporated in the field (133%) and vermcast/m 2 (63.26%) was significantly improved in the brown manuring fields indicating better soil health. The benefit to cost ratio was 7.79% more in the brown manuring plots than that of farmers practice. The findings from the present study indicated that use of nitrogenous fertilizer can be reduced up to 25% in the farmers’ field without affecting the economical attributes and saving the precious soil health in the farmer’s fields.Not Availabl