• Authors:
    • Rajakumar
    • Kuchanur, P. K.
    • Nidagundi, J. M.
    • Konda, C. R.
  • Source: Electronic Journal of Plant Breeding
  • Volume: 3
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Twenty two Bt cotton hybrids were evaluated for seed cotton yield and fibre quality parameters over three environments viz., Agricultural Research Station, Siruguppa (E-1), Main Agricultural Research Station, Raichur (E-2) and Agricultural Research Station, Bheemarayanagudi (E-3), during Kharif 2010-11. The seed cotton yield ranged from 1478 to 2203 kg/ha among the Bt cotton hybrids. Pooled data of seed cotton yield revealed that two hybrids viz., MRC 7347 BG II (2203 kg/ha) and ACH 177-2 BG II (2054 kg/ha) recorded numerically superior seed cotton yield over the check, MRC-7351 BG-II (2053 kg/ha). The data on 2.5 per cent span length ranged from 29.2 mm to 33.6 mm, while the fibre strength of the hybrids ranged from 21.7 g/tex to 23.9 g/tex. Fibre fineness or micronaire value ranged from 3.9 to 4.6 g/inch. None of the hybrids were found to be stable across all the test environments indicating the need to undertake extensive testing of Bt cotton hybrids for recommending region specific hybrids possessing high yielding potential coupled with desirable fibre quality parameters.
  • Authors:
    • Amanullah, M. M.
    • Rajendran, K.
    • Vaiyapuri, K.
  • Source: Madras Agricultural Journal
  • Volume: 99
  • Issue: 1/3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Field experiments were conducted during winter 2006-07 and 2007-08 at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore to find out the effect of drip irrigation on the productivity and water use efficiency in Bt-cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum L.). The experiments were laid out in a randomized block design replicated four times. The treatments consisted of drip irrigation at 0.40, 0.60, 0.80 and 1.0 ET c (Crop evapotranspiration) compared with farmers' method (flood irrigation method). The results revealed that application of water to Bt-cotton through drip resulted in better growth, higher seed cotton yield and better quality of lint than the surface method. The yield advantage due to different irrigation schedules through drip based on ETc was 26.2 and 12.8% over surface method during 2006-07 and 2007-08, respectively. Among the irrigation through drip, irrigation at 0.80 ET c recorded better growth and gave higher seed cotton yield than irrigation at 0.60 ET c. The water use efficiency with drip irrigated Bt-cotton was 44.4% higher than the flood method of irrigation.
  • Authors:
    • Sukanta, P.
    • Aparajita, M.
    • Rajib, K.
  • Source: Potato Journal
  • Volume: 39
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: A field experiment was undertaken to evaluate the varietal tolerance and accumulation of arsenic by different potato cultivars at village Nonaghata in Nadia district of West Bengal during winter season of 2008-09 and 2009-10. Arsenic content in the irrigation water was 0.094 to 0.108 mg/l. Arsenic accumulation of different plant parts was in the following sequence: root > stem > leaf > tuber, irrespective of all cultivars. After harvesting, the least arsenic loading was observed in cultivar Kufri Jyoti (0.05 mg/kg) which also showed the highest productivity (32.32 t/ha). Cultivar Kufri Chandramukhi and locally grown variety Lal alu accumulated a lesser amount of arsenic and had also a higher yield compared with the other entries.
  • Authors:
    • Kumari, S.
  • Source: Journal of Agricultural Science
  • Volume: 4
  • Issue: 1
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: This study critically assessed the influence of frequent availability of water i. e. drip irrigation and mulch on optimum leaf area development of potato that control light interception and soil moisture conservation. Crop growth was stimulated in terms of early pick up of leaf areas that quickly covered the ground and improved transpiration efficiency. Drip irrigation increased water use efficiency three times as compared with furrow irrigation (conventional method of irrigation). Black Polyethylene mulch (25 m) conserved soil moisture, raised soil temperature by 9degreesC, stimulated shoot, solon and root growth, increased the total tuber number and yield but reduced the grade of tubers. Drip irrigation may prove a viable tool for source-sink alteration; stimulating early stolon initiation combined with ability to quick ground cover and sustained leaf growth for new tuber initiation for seed production as well as extended tuber bulking of early formed tubers for obtaining maximum yield with 50% saving of irrigation water and efficient use of nitrogen fertilizer.
  • Authors:
    • Muni, R.
    • Saudan, S.
    • Aparbal, S.
    • Man, S.
  • Source: Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science
  • Volume: 58
  • Issue: 4
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: The objective of the study was to determine the profitability and employment-generation potential of different cropping systems involving menthol mint ( Mentha arvensis L.) as a component of sequential/intercropping in comparison with the most common paddy-wheat-green gram cropping system. Field experiments were conducted at Lucknow, India (26°5′N, 80°5′E and 120 m above mean sea level) for three years from July 2004 to June 2007. Menthol mint yielded the maximum fresh shoot biomass and essential oil (21.0 t and 151 kg ha -1, respectively) grown after sweet basil ( Ocimum basillicum)-potato followed by paddy-potato-menthol mint (18.9 t and 136 kg ha -1, respectively) and maize-mustard-menthol mint (17.7 t and 131 kg ha -1, respectively). Net returns of all the menthol-mint-based cropping systems were 82.6-354% higher than traditional paddy-wheat-green gram cropping system. Maize-garlic-menthol mint+okra was found to be most profitable (77,200 Rs ha -1) followed by pigeon pea+sweet basil-menthol mint+okra (76,120 Rs ha -1). Employment-generation efficiency was much higher in cropping systems involving menthol mint and vegetable crops, the highest (2.21 man days ha -1 day -1) being in a maize-cauliflower-onion-menthol mint+okra cropping system.
  • Authors:
    • Kannan, K.
    • Verma, H.
    • Mishra, A.
  • Source: Irrigation and Drainage
  • Volume: 61
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: A model was developed to modify the canal delivery schedule of a major irrigation project of eastern India for both monsoon and dry seasons that adopted the procedure of daily water balance/moisture balance simulation in the root zone depth. In addition to the prevailing continuous schedule, four alternative rotational schedules during the monsoon and five alternative rotational schedules during the dry season were considered for simulation. Daily water balance simulation was performed for 17 and 15 years for the monsoon season and the dry seasons, respectively. Simulation results for the monsoon revealed that a 15-day rotational schedule (15 days canal operation followed by 15 days canal closure) was the best alternative over the prevailing continuous schedule. To agree with the findings of the study model, field experiments were conducted during the monsoon season for three consecutive years. Highest rice grain yields of 4.92 t/ha ( Swarna) and 4.46 t/ha ( Surendra) were recorded in plots with 15-day rotational schedules. During the dry season, considering both paddy and other dry season crops grown together in the command, a 7-day canal operation followed by a 7-day canal closure rotational schedule was found to be the best alternative. Besides creating a favourable water regime and better crop evapo-transpiration (ET), this schedule saved about 10.3% of water over actual water supplies.
  • Authors:
    • Jana, J.
    • Partha, C.
  • Source: Crop Research (Hisar)
  • Volume: 43
  • Issue: 1/2/3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: A field experiment was conducted at the Instructional Farm of UBKV during rabi seasons of 2008 and 2009 to assess the influence of intercropping on nutrient uptake and quality parameter estimation in potato. The treatments were:T 1-Sole potato (control), T 2-Sole mustard, T 3-Potato+mustard at 1:1 row ratio, T 4-Potato+mustard at 2:1 row ratio, T 5-Potato+mustard at 3:1 row ratio, T 6- Potato+mustard at 4:1 row ratio and T 7-Potato+mustard at 5:1 row ratio and were laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with four replications. The results showed that significantly maximum residual nitrogen per hectare was obtained in sole mustard plots (178.32 kg). Experimental results also revealed that among different treatment combinations, maximum phosphorus content of soil after harvesting was obtained from sole potato plots (30.09 kg/ha) closely followed by sole mustard plots (29.34 kg). Lowest phosphorus content of soil after harvesting was obtained from potato and mustard grown in 2:1 ratio plots (24.87 kg/ha). Maximum potassium content (159.93 kg/ha) in soil after harvesting of potato and mustard was recorded in sole mustard plots. No significant differences were found for quality parameters due to intercropping.
  • Authors:
    • Maity, S.
    • Suresh, G.
    • Nag, S.
    • Kundu, S.
    • Sultan, S.
  • Source: Indian Journal of Animal Sciences
  • Volume: 82
  • Issue: 3
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: A feeding trial was conducted for 3 months on 12 Tharparkar heifers equally distributed between inorganic (G 1) and organic dietary groups (G 2), (n,6) in each with mean body weight of 216.08.30 and 218.67.09 kg were offered ad lib. sorghum hay (cv PC 6) grown under inorganic and organic agronomic practices, respectively. Barley grain/oat grown inorganically and organically was used as energy sources in concentrate mixture with linseed cake as protein source to determine the intake, eating pattern, nutrients utilization, nitrogen balance and growth rate under both the feeding regimes. DMI (kg/d) was comparable in animals fed inorganic (G 1) and organically produced diets (G 2). OM and hemicellulose digestibility was significantly higher in animals of G 2 than G 1. The digestibility of fiber fractions was 3-3.5 units more in animals of G 2 than G 1. N retention was more animals fed organic diet (6.70) than inorganically produced diet (2.46%). Heifers fed organic fodder consumed more at early 2 and 4 h feeding than animals fed inorganic fodder and feed, however at later stages of eating animals offered inorganic fodder/feed, consumed relatively more. Growth rate (g/d) was identical in heifers of G 1 and G 2 dietary groups. Results revealed that nutrients digestibility and nitrogen balance is higher in animals fed organically grown fodder and feeds.
  • Authors:
    • Raghuwanshi, N. S.
    • Singh, R.
    • Mishra, A.
    • Patra, Jagadish P.
  • Source: CLIMATIC CHANGE
  • Volume: 111
  • Issue: 3-4
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Climate change has affected the temperature and rainfall characteristics worldwide. However, the changes are not equal for all regions and have localized intensity and must be quantified locally to manage the natural resources. Orissa is an eastern state in India where agricultural activities mainly depends on the rainfall and thus face problems due to changing patterns of rainfall due to changing climate. In the present study, attempts were made to study temporal variation in monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall over the state during the period from 1871 to 2006. Long term changes in rainfall characteristics were determined by both parametric and non-parametric tests. The analysis revealed a long term insignificant decline trend of annual as well as monsoon rainfall, where as increasing trend in post-monsoon season over the state of Orissa. Rainfall during winter and summer seasons showed an increasing trend. Statistically monsoon rainfall can be considered as very dependable as the coefficient of variation is 14.2%. However, there is decreasing monthly rainfall trend in June, July and September, where as increasing trend in August. This trend is more predominant in last 10 year. Based on departure from mean, rainfall analysis also showed an increased number of dry years compared to wet years after 1950. This changing rainfall trend during monsoon months is major concern for the rain-fed agriculture. More over, this will affect hydro power generation and reservoir operation in the region.
  • Authors:
    • Prasad, J. V. N. S.
    • Mishra, P. K.
    • Vittal, K. P. R.
    • Kundu, S.
    • Singh, A. K.
    • Lal, R.
    • Venkateswarlu, B.
    • Deshpande, A. N.
    • Srinivasarao, Ch
    • Mandal, U. K.
    • Sharma, K. L.
  • Source: GEODERMA
  • Volume: 175
  • Year: 2012
  • Summary: Soil fertility management and water conservation strongly impact soil quality and agronomic production of Vertisols. Thus the data from a 22-year of soil fertility management experiment conducted in semi arid tropical region of central India was used to evaluate the impact of input of crop residue carbon (C) through sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L) cultivation in post monsoon season in Vertisols. In addition, the use of chemical fertilizers and manuring on crop yield sustainability and soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration was assessed to 1-m depth. Retention of crop residues of sorghum, and application of farmyard manure (FYM) equivalent to 25 kg N ha(-1) along with 25 kg N ha(-1) supplied through chemical fertilizers increased and maintained the SOC stock. Green leaf manuring with Leucaena clippings along with chemical fertilizers did not increase the SOC stock However, a conjunctive use of crop residues and Leucaena clippings increased the profile SOC stock (68.5 Mg ha(-1)), an overall SOC build up (39.8%) and a high amount of SOC sequestration (14.4 Mg C ha(-1)). These parameters were positively correlated with cumulative C input and also reflected in the sustainable yield index (SYI). Higher grain yield (1.19 Mg ha(-1)) through the application of 25 kg N (CR) + 25 kg N (Leucaena) was obtained. For every Mg increase in SOC stock in the root zone there was 0.09 Mg ha(-1) increase in grain yield of sorghum. Stabilization of the SOC stock (zero change under cropping) requires a minimum input of 1.1 Mg C ha(-1)year(-1). Application of 50 kg N ha(-1) through chemical fertilizer also maintained the SOC stock at the antecedent SOC level. Therefore, a combined use of organic manure (crop residues and FYM) or green leaf manure along with chemical fertilizer is essential to enhancing SOC sequestration in sorghum cultivation in Vertisols during the post monsoon season in central India.