• Authors:
    • Das, S. N.
    • Venkanna, R.
    • Nikhil, G. N.
    • Swamy, Y. V.
    • Chaudhury, G. Roy
  • Source: Atmósfera
  • Volume: 25
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide(N2O)emission estimates were made for Vigna mango and Vigna radiata legumes. The affecting soil parameters like redox potential, soil temperature were studied to evaluate CH4 and N2O emissions. The CH4 was negative and N2O was positive for Vigna mungo, almost throughout the cropping period. The redox potential was more than +100 mV during the entire cropping period with a maximum N2O flux of 11.67 mu g m(-2) h(-1). The raise in soil temperature and the redox potential during harvest further increased the N2O flux to 18.38 mu g m(-2) h(-1). The seasonally integrated flux E((SIF)) for CH4 and N2O for Vigna mungo was calculated to be -4.06 g.m(-2) and 3.38 mg m(-2) respectively. Similarly E((SIF))values estimated for Vigna radiata cropping season were 0.009 g m(-2) and -7.6 mg m-2, whereas for the post harvesting period the fluxes were 0.02 g m(-2) and 4.06 mg m(-2) for CH4 and N2O respectively. The soil parameters like organic carbon and nutrients such as ammonia, nitrate and nitrite during the cropping season were evaluated. The emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) was also correlated to various physicochemical parameters of soil.
  • Authors:
    • Nariya, J. N.
    • Khanpara, M. D.
    • Butani, A. M.
    • Kapadiya, H. J.
  • Source: Journal of Cotton Research and Development
  • Volume: 26
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: FLD's with participation of farmers' in production technology was conducted in seven districts of Saurashtra. Thirty four, 50 and 50 farmers were selected for FLD's during 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, respectively. Varietal, fertilizer, irrigation and inter cropping components were conducted in FLD's. Results indicated that 8.83 per cent average seed cotton yield was increased over improved varieties. In fertilizer components, there was no effect of DAP on seed cotton yield, however without DAP clearly showed the average saving of Rs. 1743/ha. The reduction of 3.98 per cent seed cotton yield was recorded in alternate furrow irrigation, but the cost of cultivation of Rs. 3370/ha was decreased as compared to local practices. In inter cropping practices, 10.13 per cent seed cotton yield was increased over local practices. Overall results clearly indicated that an additional net return of Rs. 5130, 3831, 1002 and 859 was recorded in improved varities, intercropping, irrigation and fertilizer components, respectively. Looking to the over all of three years average results with four improved production technologies of FLD's, recorded a increase of 4.6 per cent in seed cotton yield, reduced by 3.12 per cent in cost of cultivation and increased net return of 9.95 per cent with a net profit of 3371 Rs/ha during three years of cropping season.
  • Authors:
    • Rajput, T. B. S.
    • Sarangi, A.
    • Singh, M.
    • Abedinpour, M.
    • Pathak, H.
    • Ahmad, T.
  • Source: Agricultural Water Management
  • Volume: 110
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Crop growth simulation models of varying complexity have been developed for predicting the effects of soil, water and nutrients on grain and biomass yields and water productivity of different crops. These models are calibrated and validated for a given region using the data generated from field experiments. In this study, a water-driven crop model AquaCrop, developed by FAO was calibrated and validated for maize crop under varying irrigation and nitrogen regimes. The experiment was conducted at the research farm of the Water Technology Centre, IARI, New Delhi during kharif 2009 and 2010. Calibration was done using the data of 2009 and validation with the data of 2010. Irrigation applications comprised rainfed, i.e. no irrigation (W 1) irrigation at 50% of field capacity (FC) (W 2) at 75% FC (W 3) and full irrigation (W 4). Nitrogen application levels were no nitrogen (N 1), 75 kg ha -1 (N 2) and 150 kg ha -1 (N 3). Model efficiency ( E), coefficient of determination ( R2), Root Mean Square error (RMSE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE) were used to test the model performance. The model was calibrated for simulating maize grain and biomass yield for all treatment levels with the prediction error statistics 0.95
  • Authors:
    • Sood, A.
    • Jalota, S. K.
    • Buttar, G. S.
    • Bhushan, B.
  • Source: INDIAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
  • Volume: 82
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Cotton cultivation in semi-arid region of Indian Punjab is considered as most risky crop as its yield is very sensitive to weather parameters like rain and temperature. In future due to global warming increase in the temperature is expected, which is most likely to influence the growth and yield of this fiber crop like other cereal crops. Studies on the effect of temperature on the growth and seed yield of Bt cotton in this region are lacking. The present 2-year field and 15-year simulation studies concern to simulate the effect of temperature on duration of pheno-phases and seed yield of Bt cotton hybrid RCH 134 and also on crop water productivity. Simulations were run for 15 years (1991-2005) using the already customized CropSyst model. The simulated results indicated that with increase in temperature from 28 to 32degreesC, cotton seed yield was reduced to half (from 4 700 to 2 300 kg/ha) following a linear relation with high coefficient of determination (0.97), and the reduction was more with increased temperature during sowing to flowering stage than other pheno-phases. Total evapo-transpiration (ET) during crop period and crop water productivity was also decreased with increased temperature. Relationship of cotton seed yield was linear with ET and quadratic with total water supply (rain+irrigation). Real crop water productivity (yield/ET) and apparent crop water productivity (yield/irrigation water) were 0.3620.129 and 0.4850.120 kg/m 3, respectively.
  • Authors:
    • Ganesh-Kumar, A.
    • Pullabhotla, H.
    • Gupta, N.
    • Shreedhar, G.
    • Gulati, A.
  • Issue: 1159
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: This paper reviews the key policies with regard to agriculture inputs such as seed, fertilizer, water, agricultural equipment, research, extension, and agricultural credit. It also provides an overview of the policies and programs related to agricultural output markets that are crucial for improving cereal production in the country. A review of the past performance and policies of India's foodgrain sector reveals that the main drivers of growth have been modern inputs and technology, institutions, and markets with the changing role of the public and private sectors. The present challenge facing Indian policymakers is to efficiently balance food security concerns and higher growth objectives. This will require not only pushing the production frontier to sustainably augment supply, but also ensuring strategic management of foodgrains including procurement and distribution. The review of input policies highlights the pressure placed on foodgrain systems, in a business-as-usual scenario that extensively subsidizes input and promotes their intensive usage. Fallouts such as excessive groundwater withdrawals and distorted application of nitrogenous fertilizers have implications on the environmental sustainability of natural resources apart from being a considerable fiscal burden. The current policy of subsidizing agricultural power, irrigation, and fertilizers has outlived its relevance and is actually constraining agricultural investments in areas where the returns are higher. Although it is difficult to completely remove these subsidies, they still need to be gradually phased out and converted into investments in rural infrastructure (especially roads) and research and extension systems, which desperately need to be (re)vitalized. It is time the government started to actively partner with the private sector (in infrastructure creation and research) and civil society organizations (in extension), as they have played an increasingly important role in recent years. The review of the output management policies show that the current policy paradigm consisting of public procurement of grains at a preannounced minimum support price, public storage, and public distribution has resulted in distortions across crops, especially rice and wheat, as well periodic buildup of large stockpiles and stock rundown of these grains at a high cost to the government. Moreover, public procurement and stocking, coupled with interventionist international trade policies, is often at variance with the trends in international markets, resulting in lost opportunities for Indian exporters of rice and wheat. The regional concentration of the system of public procurement in the northern states, aided by intra-country trade and movement restrictions, has also resulted in large spatial disparity in agricultural productivity and farm income as well as uneven development of output markets across states. As a result, producer and consumer welfare is often compromised, even though the government's objective is to maintain a balance between them. Major reforms on the output side would include linking of MSPs with market prices, allowing futures markets in cereals, liberalizing international trade and bring forth greater competition in domestic trade to ensure output markets are more uniformly developed across states and that the country has a truly integrated market for foodgrains.
  • Authors:
    • Bansal, M.
    • Dudeja, S. S.
    • Kukreja, K.
  • Source: African Journal of Microbiology Research
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue: 21
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Thirty-four roots and rhizospheric soil samples of seven kharif and eight rabi season crops were collected from different areas of the university farm. The percent Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal infection in different crops ranged from 0 to 100%. Maximum AM fungal colonization (100%) was found in cowpea, chickpea and pea and minimum in urdbean, soybean, barley and even in chickpea (20 to 30%). Barley, tomato and few samples of mustard and wheat also did not show any AM fungal infection. The number of spores per 50 g of soil ranged from 0 to 925 in kharif season crops and 25 to 1150 in rabi season crops. Maximum number of AM fungi spores was found in the rhizospheric soil of sorghum with 925 spores 50 gm -1 of soil and minimum in case of cotton with 25 spores 50 gm -1 of soil, while no spores were found in case of pigeonpea and urdbean field soils. In case of rabi crops maximum numbers of AM fungal spores were found in the rhizospheric soil of mustard and wheat with 1150 spores 50 gm -1 of soil. On the basis of pattern of infection and spore morphology the AM genera identified was Glomus in kharif season crops and Glomus, Scutellospora, Acaulospora in rabi season crops. In few samples the external hyphae and clusters were identified as Glomus versiforme. The predominant genus identified was Glomus in university farm soils.
  • Authors:
    • Nayak, K. V.
    • Patil, V.
  • Source: Indian Journal of Fertilisers
  • Volume: 8
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Sulphur is one of the essential plant nutrients and in essence is a yield plus quality nutrient. Crops require sulphur in amounts similar to phosphorus to sustain growth, quality and yield. The increasing deficiencies of secondary and micronutrients have started affecting crop response to applied NPK. Sulphur deficiency is wide spread and is becoming an important constraint for sustainable development in agriculture. The low and declining crop response to fertilisers has become a cause of concern. The importance of sulphur for balanced nutrition and effective management is now widely recognized. Sulphur can be applied through a number of fertilisers, amendments, by products and elemental forms. Sulphur deficiency was observed not only in irrigated but rainfed areas too. In Maharashtra, it was reported to the extent of 54%. Now sulphur is emerging as the fourth most important nutrient in terms of extensiveness of deficiencies in India. Based on earlier delineation study, sulphur deficiency has been found to be widely spread in alkaline calcareous soils of Maharashtra (17.28%). In view of above, the crop response studies at 166 multi location multi crop two plot trials on Bensulf-(elemental sulphur in pastille form) in 1997-2001 covering cereals (57), oilseeds (38), vegetables (33) and cash crops (38). During 2010-2011, in all 20 field trials were also conducted at institutional and farmer's fields covering soybean (13), cotton (5), green gram (1) and sunflower (1) crops at different agro ecological conditions on variable soils. It was observed that oilseed crops like soybean, cotton and sunflower gave maximum yield and returns by application of Bensulf @ 37.5 kg/ha along with recommended doses of fertilisers for each crop while pulse crop like green gram performed better at 50 kg/ha Bensulf application along with recommended dose of fertilisers. Therefore, it is suggested to incorporate application of Bentonite sulphur along with NPK fertilisers which has been found to be effective on alkaline calcareous soils. Estimation of sulphur in soils and plant needs to be included in regular soil testing programmes by various Government and non-Government agencies on priority.
  • Authors:
    • Tiwari, S.
    • Tomar, N. S.
    • Tripathi, N.
    • Deshmukh, R.
  • Source: Physiology and Molecular Biology of Plants
  • Volume: 18
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Drought tolerance is the essential trait that needs to be incorporated in cereal crops, particularly those grown under the rainfed cultivation. Drought tolerance being contributed by several regions of the genome requires identification of these regions, using suitable molecular markers. Therefore, present investigation was aimed at analyzing the genetic diversity present among the cultivars of rainfed and the irrigated areas with respect to the drought tolerant trait. In all, 14 RAPD and 90 ISSR markers were used to identify these genomic regions. Out of 14 RAPD markers, one RAPD primer exhibited polymorphic banding pattern with 18.6% polymorphism, clearly separating drought tolerant and drought susceptible genotypes. Out of 90 ISSR primers, only 3 ISSR primers revealed polymorphism in relation to the drought tolerance trait exhibiting 21.38% polymorphism.
  • Authors:
    • Wilson, B.
    • Ghosh, S.
    • Mandal, B.
    • Senapati, N.
    • Ghoshal, S.
  • Source: Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment
  • Volume: 156
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Soil organic carbon is considered to be of central importance in maintaining soil quality. We assessed the effects of a range of commonly applied organic and inorganic amendments on soil quality in a rice-wheat cropping system in the Indo-Gangetic plains of eastern India and evaluated the carbon sequestration potential of such management approaches using a 25 year old long-term fertility experiment. Results showed that there were significant increases in soil nutrient availability with the application of farm yard manure (FYM @ 7.5 t ha -1), paddy straw (PS @ 10 t ha -1) and green manure (GM @ 8 t ha -1) along with inorganic fertilizer. Both microbial biomass C and mineralizable C increased following the addition of the organic inputs. Continuous cultivation, without application of organic inputs, significantly depleted total C content (by 39-43%) compared with treatments involving the addition of organic amendments. A significant increase in the non-labile C fraction resulted from both organic and inorganic amendments, but only 26, 18 and 6% of the C applied through FYM, PS and GM, respectively was sequestered in soils. A significant increase in yield of kharif rice was observed as a result of the addition of these organic amendments.
  • Authors:
    • Patnaik, U. S.
    • Dass, A.
    • Sudhishri, S.
    • Lenka, N. K.
  • Source: Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment
  • Volume: 158
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Contour hedgerows and grass filter strips are important towards enhancing and sustaining productivity of sloping agricultural lands in medium to high rainfall regions. However, impact of such measures on erosion control, soil carbon sequestration and agronomic productivity have not been widely assessed for the small land holders in eastern India. Therefore, an on-farm study was conducted between 2001 and 2006 to evaluate the impact of the techniques on soil organic carbon (SOC) concentration and pool; losses of water, soil and nutrients; soil moisture storage and agronomic yield on arable lands of 2-5% slope. The study was taken in 5.95 ha area with six treatments and nine replications. Treatments consisted of two hedgerow species ( Gliricidia sepium and Indigofera teysmanni) and a control, with or without grass filter strip (GFS) of a local species ( Saccharum spp.). Using finger millet ( Eleusine coracana) as the test crop, the hedgerow species were planted at 0.5 m * 0.5 m spacing in staggered double rows and the GFS in a single row at 0.3 m spacing. In general, Gliricidia + GFS was most conservation effective followed by Indigofera + GFS. It reduced runoff by 33% (10.7% runoff compared to 16.1% in control), soil loss by 35% (6.3 Mg ha -1 compared to 9.71 Mg ha -1 in control), and SOC loss through runoff by 50 kg ha -1 yr -1. In addition, it resulted SOC build up at 0.352-1.354 Mg ha -1 yr -1 at three graded distance from hedgerows, out of which 0.352 Mg ha -1 yr -1 was sequestered due to soil reclamation and about 1.0 Mg ha -1 yr -1 was retained due to barrier effect. With higher soil moisture storage by 28-37 mm and 22-43 mm at 12 and 17 days of dry spell, respectively, the grain yield of finger millet increased by 49% from 952 kg ha -1 in control to 1413 kg ha -1 in Gliricidia + GFS treatment. Addition of GFS significantly reduced the losses of water runoff, soil and nutrients in all the treatments, and increased SOC stock by 0.38-1.0 Mg ha -1 in the 0.6 m soil profile. The GFS also improved soil moisture storage by 9-12 mm and 6-15 mm at 12 and 17 days of dry spell, respectively. As compared to the pre-treated initial, the SOC stock decreased by 60-112 kg ha -1 yr -1 in the control indicating on-going erosion process in unprotected lands. The study showed the C sink potential of erosion control measures in the sloping agricultural lands of eastern India.