Environmental crises, declining factor productivity, and shrinking natural resource is a threat to global agricultural sustainability. The task is much more daunting in the Indo-Gangetic northern plains of India, where depletion of the underground water table and erratic rains due to the changing climate pose a major challenge to agriculture. To address these challenges a field investigation was carried out during 2016–2018 to test the efficacy of biopolymeric superabsorbent hydrogels namely Pusa Hydrogel (P-hydrogel: a semi-synthetic cellulose derivative-based product) and kaolin derivative of Pusa Hydrogel (K-hydrogel: semi-synthetic cellulose derivative) to assess their effect on crop and water productivity, soil moisture, root dynamics, and economics of soybean (Glycine max L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) system under three irrigation regimes namely full irrigation, limited irrigation and rainfed. The results revealed that the full irrigation along with P-hydrogel led to enhanced grain yield, biomass yield, and water productivity (WP) of soybean (1.61–10.5%, 2.2–9.5%, and 2.15–21.8%, respectively) and wheat (11.1–18.3%, 12–54% and 11.1–13.1%, respectively) over control plots. Likewise, under water stressed plots of rainfed conditions with P-hydrogel exhibited 52.7 and 20.6% higher system yields (in terms of wheat equivalent yield) over control and other combinations during the respective study years. Whereas the magnitude of increase in system yield under limited irrigation with P-hydrogel was ~ 15.1% and under full irrigation with P-hydrogel was 8.0–19.4%. Plots treated with P-hydrogel retained 3.0–5.0% higher soil moisture compared to no-hydrogel plots, while K-hydrogel treated plots held the lower moisture (4.0–6.0%) than the control. In terms of profitability, full irrigation along with P-hydrogel plots registered 12.97% higher economic returns over control. The results suggested that P-hydrogel (2.5 kg ha−1) reduces runoff water loss in full irrigation applied plots and retained more water, where loss of water is more thus reduces number of irrigations. Hence P-hydrogel with irrigation water is a viable option for sustainable production of soybean-wheat systems in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India and other similar eco-regions of the world.
Field study was carried out to investigate fate of fipronil (Regent 0.3G) in cotton and soil applied at the time of sowing of cotton crop (Variety: H-1117)@56 (T₁) and 112 g a.i.ha⁻¹ (T₂) during kharif season (summer season, from April to November) 2006-07. The residues of fipronil in both the doses dissipated almost completely with in 90 days. Kinetic studies revealed that dissipation of fipronil followed first order kinetics with half-life period of 23.35 days in single dose and 24.31 days in double dose. At the time of harvest, residues in soil, cotton lint and seed were below the quantifiable limit of 0.01 mg kg⁻¹.
The mobility of pendimethalin in sandy loam soil was studied in soil columns under laboratory conditions at two application rates, 1.0 and 2.0 kg a.i. ha(-1), with simulated rainfall of 300 mm. The maximum concentration of the herbicide was found in the top 10 cm layer, though it was found distributed in soil at all the depths at both the doses.
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