No abstract

Unavailability of irrigation water for early sowing has remained a constant problem in cold arid deserts of Ladakh. In order to get a solution to this problem, a 2-yr farmers’ participatory research trial with best bet agronomic management on artificial glacier water harvesting technology was conducted. The technology involves collecting water from natural glaciers that melt during late December. The water is diverted toward a shed constructed with stone embankments set up at regular intervals. The area is chosen where there is minimum interference of solar radiation, generally between two mountain slopes or ridge that is on the leeward side. The melted water is that melts from the natural glacier impeded by the embankments and get frozen here. This frozen water starts melting in late March and is used for both pre sowing and initial crop water requirement. It also ensures early sowing of wheat by creating additional 45-day window which leads to introduction of long- and medium-duration wheat varieties to replace decades old locally grown short-duration varieties. The work was initiated with a benchmark survey of 100 farmers to get an understanding of present irrigation scenario, crop management practices and date of sowing. Data from 99 farmer participating trial of wheat conducted after or from bench mark survey clearly indicated that the effect of water shortage can be seen on yield and yield attributing characters due to unavailability of pre sowing irrigation and water requirement at imperative growth stages and may also lead to terminal heat stress in wheat crop. Out of total number of irrigations applied, initial two irrigations can be compensated by artificial glacier water harvesting technique, leading to a revolution in the agriculture scenario of the tribal population by introduction of long- and medium-duration wheat varieties in cold arid desert of Ladakh for the very first time. It was observed that wheat seeding done in first fortnight of April gave better yields in comparison to late seeded wheat. Moreover, the long-duration varieties (LDVs) or medium-duration varieties (MDVs) sown under late condition gave better yield in comparison to locally grown short-duration varieties sown at same time. Yield potential of LDVs and MDVs of wheat under late sowing was found quite low in comparison to early-sown wheat, still when compared with the performance of locally grown wheat the yields were more even if the local varieties were sown early. The outcome of this study will help the farmers of tribal, cold arid community in harvesting better wheat yields by timely sowing of the wheat crop accompanied with better bet agronomic management practices. Government initiative is further required to ensure better outreach of complete crop management strategies to the tribal farming community of the region in order to ensure food security and improve their socioeconomic status.

The core objective of conducting the current study was to evaluate the chemical compositions of different composts and their effect on wheat yield. Mineral matter content, ash and moisture were higher in all enriched composts and vermicompost in comparison to conventional compost whereas as total organic carbon, water soluble carbon and C:N ratio were higher in conventional compost.There was higher variation in the content of nutrients in different composts as that of the conventional one but nitrogen and phosphorus were higher in nitrogen enriched phosphorous-compost and phosphorous enriched vermicompost. Zinc was higher in nitrogen enriched phosphorous-compost, vermicompost and phosphorous enriched vermicompost whereas manganese was higher in vermicompost and phosphorous enriched vermicompost. Biochemical quality stated that conventional compost had lesser amount of total phenol, alkaline and acid phosphatase enzyme activity but higher dehydrogenase activity than those of enriched composts. The more dehydrogenase activity in conventional compost is an indicator of partial decomposition. The time period of decomposition was almost similar (120 ± 5 days) among the enriched composts, whereas in case of conventional compost, decomposition period was 160 ± 10 days.Crop yield was lower in conventional compost but highest yield was obtained by supplying nitrogen enriched phosphorous-compost and phosphorous enriched vermicompost, nitrogen enriched phosphorous-compost provided yield at par to inorganic fertilizer application at 90 kg ha -1 N, 20 kg ha -1 P and 20 kg ha -1 K.

Field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of incorporating fly ash and spent mushroom composts of varied C:N ratio with and without fertilizer nitrogen on yield, trace metal content, nitrogen uptake, metal fractions and soil properties. Fertilizer nitrogen, fly ash and white button spent mushroom compost of narrow C:N ratio increased whereas oyster spent mushroom compost of wider C:N ratio decreased the paddy and straw yield. Cd and Ni content in paddy and straw, in the treatment comprising oyster spent mushroom compost did www.ccsenet.org/jas Journal of Agricultural Science Vol. 4, No. 6; 2012 207 not vary significantly, however addition of fly ash or white button spent mushroom compost enhanced their content in paddy and straw. Zn content of paddy and straw in composts were higher as compared to fertilizer nitrogen, fly ash. Uptake of nitrogen by paddy and straw was higher under integrated nutrient treatments, however oyster spent mushroom compost resulted in initial nitrogen starvation, so reduction in nitrogen uptake. Compost mainly one with wider C: N ratio has shown more influence on adsorption of metals especially Zn. The exchangeable, organic matter bound and residual fractionation percentage were higher for Cd, Zn and Ni respectively in compost, especially one with wider C:N ratio.

Sericulture has great potential to alleviate poverty and unemployment in the areas where sericulture has not been introduced. High altitude belts of the J & K, like Kargil where scope of other agricultural crops is limited due to short growing seasons, sericulture has the scope to be introduced for long term basis to ensure the livelihood security and better socio-economic status of the people from this tribal region. To see how economic activities in Kargil district can be given right focus, a study on silkworm rearing cum demonstration program was launched by CoTS, SKUAST-K, Mirgund at high altitude Kargil-Ladakh during July-August 2018 and 19. In order to assess the feasibility and sustainability of sericulture in the region, a popular bivoltine silkworm double hybrid (FC2 x FC1) was procured from Nodal Silkworm Seed Agency, NSSO, CSB, GoI, Bangalore which was reared for two consecutive years in three different border villages of Kargil viz, Akchamal, Mangbour and Shilikchey. Although prior to this, small scale silkworm rearing trails were conducted at Kargil during 2012-13, 2015-17 and 2018-19 by CoTS, SKUAST-K, Mirgund and CSRTI, CSB, Pampore respectively and have reported encouraging results which laid the basis of this study for further expansion and strengthening of sericulture activities in new far flung border areas of Kargil.. As such, the present investigation was aimed to test the validity of the results obtained in previous study trails for commercialization and popularization of sericulture in the region. The results obtained in the current investigation were encouraging and revealed highest hatching percentage of 98.70 and 97.80 during the year 2018 and 2019 respectively. Average Cocoon yield of 48.20 and 47.40 Kg/100 DFLs' was obtained during 2018 and 19 respectively. Average Single Cocoon Weight (SCW) and average Single Shell Weight (SSW) of 1.78g and 0.38g was obtained during 2018. whereas in 2019 it was 1.76g and 0.39g respectively. Average Shell Ratio (SR%) of 21.34% and 22.15% was also obtained during the year 2018 and 19 respectively. Hence, results of the present investigation attest the validity of the previous study trails conducted in the region from time to time and established that sericulture can be promoted at high altitude Kargil region of Ladakh on sustainable basis, the prospectus of which are underlined in the study.