19972015
  • Authors:
    • Dass, A.
    • Sudhishri, S.
    • Choudhury, P. R.
    • Lenka, N. K.
    • Patnaik, U. S.
  • Source: Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment
  • Volume: 150
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Sloping hills ravaged by shifting cultivation often causes soil erosion problems in the downstream cultivated lands. This study was carried out in the highland zone of Eastern India to evaluate selected horti-silvi-pastoral systems in terms of soil carbon build up, soil aggregation and soil moisture retention in a degraded sloping land. The experiment was taken up during 2000-2006 in a degraded hillock of about 4.0 ha area with eight treatments involving two fruit species (cashew and guava), two grass species ( Stylosanthes hamata and natural grass) and two in situ (trench or no-trench) moisture conservation measures. Hedge rows of Indigofera teysmanni (silviculture component) were used uniformly for all the treatments. Trenches of 0.45 m * 0.45 m * 1.0 m dimension at 0.5 m u/s side of fruit plants conserved 2.18 g 100 g -1 higher soil moisture on an average in the 0-30 cm layer. The effect of fruit tree component was visible during 6th year of study in terms of soil organic carbon (SOC) only. In 6 years, the average increase in SOC and water stable aggregates in the 0-30 cm profile was 89% and 46% under rehabilitation treatments. The SOC stock at the end of 6 years was 34-40 Mg ha -1 in the 0-30 cm profile under treatments as compared to 21 Mg ha -1 under control. The SOC build up rate increased linearly with time and the average rates were 4.5, 3.5 and 0.64 Mg ha -1 yr -1 for Stylosanthes and natural grass based treatments and control, respectively. In all the systems, macroaggregates (>250 m) were higher in proportion and contained higher organic carbon. Guava+Stylosanthes+Trench system proved better in terms of soil carbon build up, soil aggregation and soil moisture retention.
  • Authors:
    • Sharma, S. K.
    • Vittal, K. P. R.
    • Kundu, S.
    • Singh, A. K.
    • Lal, R.
    • Venkateswarlu, B.
    • Srinivasarao, C.
    • Sharma, R. A.
    • Jain, M. P.
    • Chary, G. R.
  • Source: Canadian Journal of Soil Science
  • Volume: 92
  • Issue: 5
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Enrichment of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks through sequestration of atmospheric CO 2 in agricultural soils is important because of its impacts on improving soil quality and agronomic production, and also for adaptation to and mitigation of climate change. Thus, a 15-yr soil fertility management experiment was conducted in the semi-arid tropical region of central India to evaluate the impact of crop residue C input on soybean ( Glycine max L.)-safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L.) cropping sequence and SOC sequestration in soils of Vertisolic order (Vertisols). Retention of crop residues of soybean/safflower, and application of farmyard manure (FYM) at 6 Mg (t) ha -1 alone or in combination with 20 kg N and 13 kg P ha -1 supplied through chemical fertilizers or comparatively higher dose of chemical fertilizer (60 kg N and 35 kg P ha -1) either maintained or increased the SOC stock. However, the combination of FYM and chemical fertilizer increased the profile SOC stock (69.9 Mg ha -1), overall SOC build up (37.1%) and also sequestered high amount of SOC (11.9 Mg C ha -1 or 0.79 Mg C ha -1 yr -1) compared with control and chemical fertilizer alone. Higher grain yield (2.10 and 1.49 Mg ha -1 of soybean and safflower, respectively) was obtained through the application of FYM at 6 Mg ha -1+N 20P 13. For every Mg C ha -1 increase in the root zone, there was 0.145 and 0.059 Mg ha -1 increase in grain yield of soybean and safflower, respectively. Stabilization of the SOC stock requires a minimum input of 3.47 Mg C ha -1 yr -1. Application of 40 kg N+26 kg P ha -1 through chemical fertilizer also maintained the SOC stock at the antecedent level based on the SOC stocks in 1992. Therefore, the combined use of organic manure (crop residues and FYM) along with chemical fertilizer is essential to enhancing the SOC sequestration in a soybean-safflower sequence under rainfed conditions on Vertisols in central India.
  • Authors:
    • Pavani, M.
    • Susanna, P.
    • Raghvendra, G.
    • Rao, C. S.
    • Sahrawat, K. L.
    • Chander, G.
    • Wani, S. P.
  • Source: Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment
  • Volume: 161
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The effects of growing Jatropha in on-farm and on-station degraded lands were evaluated on carbon (C) sequestration and soil properties. Jatropha accumulated and added to soil significant amounts of C (305 kg ha -1 year -1) from the year one itself. Overall, a 3-5-year old plantation added per year around 4000 kg plant biomass equivalent to 1450 kg C ha -1-800 kg C through leaves, 150 kg C through pruned twigs, and 495 kg C as deoiled Jatropha cake. Biodiesel C replacement in the fossil fuel was 230 kg ha -1. Besides adding biomass to the soil, and C replacement in fossil fuel; the standing Jatropha rendered ecosystem service by fixing 5100-6100 kg ha -1 C as the aboveground plus belowground biomass. Carbon additions by Jatropha during 4 years increased C content in the degraded surface soil layer by 19%, resulting in about 2500 kg ha -1 C sequestered. Huge C additions and live root activity under Jatropha increased microbial population, respiration rate and microbial biomass C and N in soil. Along with C additions, 4000 kg ha -1 year -1 plant biomass recycled into the soil 85.5 kg nitrogen, 7.67 kg phosphorus, 43.9 kg potassium, 5.20 kg sulphur, 0.11 kg boron, 0.12 kg zinc and other nutrients. The C additions improved water holding capacity of the soil under Jatropha as compared with the adjacent control soil which increased by 35% at 30 kPa and 21% at 1500 kPa soil water potential.
  • Authors:
    • Dabar, S.
    • Soni, S. N.
  • Source: Journal of Soils and Crops
  • Volume: 22
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: After the green revolution and the development stage of cotton production in India the acceptance of improved cotton production technology/practices was getting the prime attention for increasing their production and productivity. Cotton research schemes and several extension education programmes were introduced to offer the education and training to farmers in respect of adopting the viable and proven improved cotton production technology/practices for their practical utilization in order to increase the income. In this context study was conducted in Dhar district. Madhya Pradesh to know the technological adoption level of cotton growers and to find out the association between socio personal and economic attributes of cotton growers with level of adoption. The study was conducted in the year of 2008-09. The study revealed that in respect of overall technology adoption, maximum cotton growers 50.22% adopted high level of technology followed by 34.11% respondents who adopted medium level and 15.67% respondents adopted low level of improved cotton production technology on their farms. The high level of adoption were reported in various extent i.e. in case of irrigation management (60.00%) followed by insect control measure (58.00%), rhizobium culture (58.00%), seed treatment (55.00%), recommended dose of fertilizer (52.00%), method of sowing (47.00%), weed management (46.00%), pest control measure (41.00%) and improved variety of seed (35.00%) respectively. The Study also revealed postive nature of phenomena the relationship between socio personal and economic characteristics of cotton growers and adoption level of improved cotton production technology. The zero order correlation coefficient of characteristic of cotton growers depicted in respect of age was 0.470**, for caste 0.283**, for level of income 0.392**, for level of employment 0.468**, for social participation 0.289** and for size of family 0.431. These characteristics were found to positively significant with adoption level of cotton production technology at 0.01 level of probability respectively. On the other hand, the characteristics like size of land holding had the correlation coefficient value of 0.200*, for material possession 0.248*, for economic motivation 0.201*, for attitude towards improved practices 0.215* and for extension participation 0.247* and these values were found positively significant with adoption level of cotton production technology at 0.05 level of probability respectively.
  • Authors:
    • Dahiya, S. S.
    • Pannu, R. K.
    • Singh, M.
    • Dhaka, A. K.
  • Source: Crop Research
  • Volume: 43
  • Issue: 1-3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The survey was conducted in Haryana state during rabi season of 2005-06 on 972 farmers in 54 villages of 16 districts with respective cropping system i. e. pearl millet-wheat, cotton-wheat and rice-wheat. The 18 farmers from each village were selected randomly covering small (4.0 ha) group of land holders. Only those farmers were selected, who had grown PBW 343 variety of wheat. The sample sizes for pearl millet-wheat, cotton-wheat and rice-wheat of all three small, medium and large farm size groups were 90, 108 and 126, respectively. Yield reported in rice-wheat system was higher than cotton-wheat and pearl millet-wheat system. Maximum yield was observed with the use of more than five bags urea/ha. Numbers of irrigations above 4 and seed rate above 100 kg/ha were also reported to increase in yield. Protein content of wheat in pearl millet-wheat system was the highest. Protein content in late sown wheat in pearl millet-wheat system was higher than cotton-wheat and rice-wheat systems. Seed rate of 100 kg/ha and nitrogen dose of five bags of urea/ha gave significantly higher protein content. Quantitative production of wheat in rice-wheat and cotton-wheat cropping systems was higher than pearl millet-wheat system but quality in. terms of protein content was significantly superior to both the rice-wheat and cotton-wheat systems. Hence, export market should be developed in quality grain producing zone i. e. in pearl millet-wheat growing areas, where lower percentage of farmers use higher nitrogen doses and cultivation practices were numerically better than other cropping systems.
  • Authors:
    • Srinivasan, G.
  • Source: Journal of Cotton Research and Development
  • Volume: 26
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Field experiment was conducted at Cotton Research Station, Srivilliputtur during 2005-2008 to study the response of summer irrigated cotton to the preceding crop, residue management and INM practices. The results revealed that maize as a preceding crop was advantageous with its stalk incorporated with the highest seed cotton yield of 1573 kg/ha and was comparable with maize as a preceding crop with stalk removed. With regard to INM practices, application of 100 per cent RD of fertilizers+azophos registered the highest seed cotton yield and was comparable with 75 per cent RD of fertilizers+azophos, 100 per cent RD of fertilizers+FYM and 100 per cent RD of fertilizers alone indicating that 75 per cent RD of fertilizers+azophos was optimum to get economic yield.
  • Authors:
    • Ghosh, P. D.
    • Tarafdar, A.
    • Biswas, K. K.
  • Source: Indian Phytopathology
  • Volume: 65
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: In planta accumulation of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) in different plant tissues of infected citrus host was determined using enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). CTV was not found to be evenly distributed in all the plant parts. The tender bark of 6 months to 1 year old, petiole and mid rib of young leaves, and apical bud showed high amount of CTV. The result was confirmed by RT-PCR assay showing amplicons of coat protein (CP) gene (672 nt) of CTV genome. Infected acid (Kagzi) lime ( C. aurantifolia) and sweet orange (Mosambi) ( C. sinensis) trees harbored accumulated higher amount of virus than Darjeeling mandarin ( C. reticulata). However, the severity of symptom caused by CTV in acid lime could not be correlated to virus titer. CTV was found to move faster in acid lime and sweet orange than mandarin tree. It was observed that virus persisted up to 180 days in crude sap prepared with 0.05 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.0 stored at 4°C, but only up to 2-4 days in same crude sap kept at 25-32°C.
  • Authors:
    • Wanjari, S. S.
    • Bhale, V. M.
    • Tupe, A. R.
    • Shingrup, P. V.
  • Source: Journal of Agrometeorology
  • Volume: 14
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: the effect of acid rain on physico-chemical and engineering properties of black cotton soil . ..... and validation of assay method for estimation of quetiapine fumarate by RP-HPLC
  • Authors:
    • Yelledalli, N. A.
    • Upperi, S. N.
  • Source: Environment and Ecology
  • Volume: 30
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The experiment was conducted by supplying both organics and inorganics with desi cotton (Laxmi) under limited irrigation in low fertility soil (sandy loam) during 1995. The results indicated significantly higher chlorophyll a (33.1 mg/g FW) and b (19.33 mg/g FW) contents, cotton yield (8.9 q/ha) and cotton stalk yield (20.5 q/ha) were recorded with RDF+FYM+all the micronutrients over rest of the treatments. Similar trend was recorded for cotton yield, with RDF+FYM (7.6 q/ha) and RDF+all micronutrients (8.5 q/ha) over rest of the treatments. Besides, significantly increased yields of cotton and chlorophyll a and b contents were observed with the application of micronutrients individually over only RDF (6.4 q/ha and 22 and 10.8 mg/g FW).
  • Authors:
    • Kumar, P
    • Spehia, R. S.
    • Sharma, I. P.
    • Sharma, V
  • Source: The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences
  • Volume: 82
  • Issue: 2
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: A experiment was laid in split-plot design and the treatments comprised sprinkler, drip and furrow irrigation as main plot along with three doses of fertilizers, viz F 1 (NPK @ 150:150:125 kg/ha), F 2 (NPK @ 125:125:100 kg/ha) and F 3 (NPK @ 100:100:75 kg/ha) as sub-plot treatments. Results of the study indicated that irrigation methods manipulated the hydrothermal regimes of the soil comprehensively and mean maximum monthly temperature was lowered by about 1.2degreesC under sprinkler irrigation. Under drip irrigation, moisture was near to the field capacity throughout the growth period, whereas, in conventional furrow irrigation, the moisture status curve traveled from above field capacity to 50% moisture depletion conditions. The yield of tubers was appreciably higher under sprinkler and drip, compared to furrow irrigation method. F 1 and F 2 exhibited non significant differences among themselves, in respect of tuber yield, but were significantly higher than F 3. Economic analysis indicated that sprinkler irrigation and F 2 resulted in optimum benefit:cost ratio.