Intensive agriculture has led to generation of a vast volume of agri-residue, prompting a reliance on conservation tillage techniques for prudent management. However, to ascertain the long-term impacts of these practices, the interrelation with the carbon fractions and the biological properties of the soil must be identified. Therefore, in a long-term experiment, five different treatments involving the incorporation of paddy straw as mulch or through disc harrow and farmer practice, including the partial burning of rice straw, were evaluated. After the harvesting of the wheat crop, soil samples collected from 3 different depths (0–15, 15–30 and 30–45 cm) were analyzed for various attributes critical to assessing soil health. Crop residue retention in both seasons (T4) improved carbon fractions, soil microflora viable cell counts and enzyme activities. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed a positive interaction among the organic carbon, bacterial counts and soil enzyme activities. Thus, a positive impact of conservation tillage techniques involving a minimal disturbance was recorded as improvement in the soil properties, build-up of organic carbon, and wheat productivity in rice–wheat cropping systems.
A field experiment was carried out to examine the effect of potash and sulphur on yield and quality parameters under different planting methods in onion (Allium cepa L.) during Rabi 2014 and 2015. The experiment consists of 8 treatment combinations viz. 2 planting methods (bed and flat), 4 treatments of fertilizer viz. S 1 -N 100 P 50 K 0 S 0 (control), S 2 -N 100 P 50 K 50 S 0 , S 3 -N 100 P 50 K 0 S 40 , S 4 -N 100 P 50 K 50 S 40 . The experiment was laid in factorial randomized block design and replicated thrice. Uniform dose of farm Yard manure (50 t ha ) was applied to all the treatments. Data on plant height (cm), leaves /plant (No.), neck thickness (mm), fresh bulb weight (g), fresh bulb yield (q ha -1 ), total soluble solids (T.S.S), sprouting (%),rotting (%) and physiological weight loss (%) at 30 and 90 days after of harvest were recorded . It has been observed that planting methods and fertilizer treatments showed significant difference at 5% level of significance for plant height (cm), neck thickness (mm), fresh bulb weight (g), fresh bulb yield (q ha -1 ),total soluble solids (T.S.S), sprouting(%), rotting(%) and physiological weight loss (%) at 30 days after harvest. However their interaction was significant for Neck thickness (mm), fresh bulb yield (q ha -1 ) and rotting (%).It was found that application of potash and sulphur with recommended dose of Nitrogen and phosphorus gave better results in relation to yield as well as quality characters. The results revealed that application of potash and sulphur with recommended dose of nitrogen and phosphorus (S 4 -N 100 P 50 K 50 S 40 ) gave better results in relation to yield (339.6 q ha-1 ) as well as quality characters like sprouting (2.38 %) and rooting (12.18 %) and physiological weight loss at 30 and 90 days of harvest(10.22 and 20.50 % respectively).
A study was undertaken during three consecutive rabi seasons of 2014–15 to 2016–17 at the Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Punjab) to determine the effect of paddy straw mulch load and retention time on the germination and growth of celery and associated weeds. The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with nine treatments viz., paddy straw mulch @ 4 and 6 t ha-1 with retention time of 15, 20, 25 days after sowing (DAS), full time retention (60 DAS), and control (without mulch). The results indicated that application of paddy straw mulch @ 4 or 6 t ha-1 significantly improved the germination of celery in nursery as compared to no mulch treatment but retention of paddy straw mulch beyond 20 days after sowing suppressed the celery seedlings adversely resulting in lowering seedling population as well as fresh and dry weight of celery seedlings. Application of paddy straw mulch @ 4 or 6 t ha-1 resulted in significantly lower density and dry weight of weeds as compared to control. Further, each successive increase in retention time of paddy straw mulch from 15 DAS to full time retention (60 DAS) through 20 and 25 DAS significantly reduced the weed population in celery nursery.
On farm trial on the effect of intercropping of summer moong (Vigna radiata) on growth, yield, and economics of turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) was conducted at farmer’s fields in adopted villages of Krishi Vigyan Kendra viz., Kandola Kalan, Kaimwala, Mehsampur and Fatehpur in Jalandhar district during 2012 and 2013. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with nine treatments. The treatments were T1 - sole turmeric flat (30 cm x 20 cm), T2 - sole turmeric ridge (45 x 15 cm), T3 - sole turmeric ridge (60 x 10 cm), T4 - sole turmeric bed (67.5 cm), T5 - turmeric : summer moong (1:1) flat, T6 -turmeric : summer moong (1:1) ridge 45 x 20 cm, T7 - turmeric :summer moong (1:1) ridge 60 x 20 cm, T8 -turmeric : summer moong (2:1) bed 67.5 cm and T9 - turmeric : summer moong (2:2) bed 67.5 cm. In intercropping treatments, the planting of turmeric was done on the top of ridge and bed and summer moong was sown in furrows. The data on emergence count (30 and 60 DAS), plant height, tillers plant-1 (No.), dry matter accumulation, number of rhizomes (mother, primary, secondary), total rhizomes plant-1, rhizome yield (q ha-1) (fresh, dry and processed) were recorded. The treatments T8 and T9 where turmeric was planted on bed with summer moong in the furrow were found to be better for all the characters under study. The highest net returns of Rs 2.27 x 105 ha-1 with B : C ratio 4.89 was obtained in T9 -turmeric : summer moong (2:2) bed 67.5 cm followed by T8 -turmeric : summer moong (2:1) bed 67.5 cm and recorded lowest net returns of Rs 1.58 x 105 ha-1 with benefit: cost ratio 3.51 in T5 - turmeric : summer moong (1:1) flat. The study revealed that summer moong can be a better option as intercrop in turmeric than the sole turmeric crop for proper utilization of all resources.
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