Nitrogen (N) is the most critical externally added input for any crop production system. The half of the global population directly or indirectly depends on nitrogenous fertilizers for food supply. Today, Rice, wheat, and maize are consuming more than 90% of total nitrogenous fertilizer used in cereals. Underuse of nitrogen is associated with lower crop production while overuse leads to several soil and environmental related consequences. Therefore, response to applied nitrogen and its use efficiency have to be monitored properly for obtaining the maximum potential and sustainable yield. Efficiency of applied nitrogenous fertilizers is very low due to its various losses i.e. volatilization, leaching, surface runoff and denitrification from soil-plant system. Therefore, the proper understanding of advanced soil and plant management practices which helps in enhancement of nitrogen recovery efficiency is one of the key factors to enhance crop output, decreasing cost of cultivation, and to maintain environmental quality which ultimately adds towards the goal of achieving long term sustainable production system. In this review, an attempt has been made summarize the locally as well as scientific soil and crop management technologies used for improving use efficiency of applied N. This paper also discusses nitrogen cycling in soil-plant systems, various N losses pathways, present status and most possible management options at the farm level for enhancing nitrogen use in crop production system.

The study was intended to investigate the status of soil properties and its relation to soil pH in Madhupur tract soil of Tangail district, Bangladesh. Thirty soil samples were collected during the period from June-July, 2016 covering four types of land as high land, medium high land, medium low land and low land. The interpretative data showed that the range of pH was strongly acidic to slightly acidic (5.27- 5.90), mean pH was slightly acidic (5.61). The organic matter (OM) status was medium (2.11 to 2.33 %) and mean OM was medium (2.24 %). The Nitrogen (N) status was low (0.11 to 0.13 %) and mean N status was medium (0.12 %). The range of the Phosphorus (P) status was found very low to medium (1.63 to 11.06 µg g-1 soil) and mean P status was medium (7.37 µg g-1 soil). The Potassium (K) status was low to very high (0.15 to 0.75meq/100 g soil) and mean K status was low (0.18 meq/100 g soil). The range of the Sulfur (S) status was found from low to medium (11.73 to 16.31 µg g-1 soil), mean S status was low (13.26 µg g-1 soil). The range of the Zinc (Zn) status was found from medium to high (0.96 to 2.23 µg g-1 soil), mean Zn status was optimum (1.55 µg g-1 soil). The range of the Boron (B) status was found from medium to very high (0.39 to 0.86 µg g-1 soil), mean B status was high (0.73 µg g-1 soil). The Calcium (Ca) status was medium to optimum (4.42 to 5.23meq/100 g soil), mean Ca status was optimum (4.83 meq/100 g soil). The Magnesium (Mg) status was optimum to high (1.21 to 1.75meq/100 g soil), mean Mg status was optimum (1.37 meq/100 g soil). No significant correlation of OM and other nutrients with pH. Progressive Agriculture 30 (3): 282-287, 2019

A field experiment was conducted during the season kharif 2008 and 2009 to find out response of cluster bean varieties to growth regulators. RGC-936 recorded in significantly higher amount of total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) uptake and protein content during both the years over RGC-1017, RGC-1003 and RGC-1002. Seed + foliar application with thiourea @ 500 ppm recorded maximum total N and P uptake. Quality parameters viz. gum and protein in seed, were found highest in cultivar RGC 1017 which was at par with RGC-1002 and RGC-1003 and all these three varieties were significantly superior over RGC 936. Variety RGC-1017 recorded 15.3% higher gum content over RGC-936. Among the growth regulators. maximum gum content in seed were recorded with the seed + foliar application of thiourea @ 500 ppm. However, it was found statistically at par with the seed + foliar application of TGA @ 100 ppm and significantly superior to rest of the treatments in current study.Key words: Clusterbean, Cultivars, Nutrient content, Quality, TGA, Thiourea, Uptake. INTRODUCTIONGuar (cluster bean) is generally grown in India as fodder, feed, food and cover crops mainly in complex, diverse, risky and under-invested rainfed (arid and semi-arid) regions. However, in recent past a vast range of value added products or derivatives appeared in the market with more than one lakh patents globally and, thus, guar has now become an important commercial crop of Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat. India contributes about 80% to global guar seed production. Guar gum is extracted from the seed and its derivatives have very unique properties of solubility over wide range of temperatures, as hydrocolloid, emulsifier, thickener, stabilizer, coating/filming agent, binder, thyrotrophic, non-ionic, cross-linking, gelling, preservation, non-calorific fibrous food etc. Guar gum and its derivatives are critical ingredients in about 100 products or processes in 21 sectors of food, petroleum/gas exploration, explosives, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, paper industry, textile, paints/ distempers, and aerial firefighting etc. Rajasthan alone contributes to 83% area and 65% to the production in India.

A field experiment was conducted at Forage Research and Management Centre, NDRI, Karnal during <italic>Kharif</italic> season of 2014 and 2015 to study the effect of zinc application on productivity and quality of fodder maize. The treatment consists of two fodder maize cultivars African tall and J-1006 in main plot and six zinc sulphate treatments <italic>viz.</italic> No zinc sulphate, 10 kg/ha ZnSO₄ as basal dose, 20 kg/ha ZnSO₄ as basal dose, 0.5% one foliar spray of ZnSO₄ at 30 DAS, 0.5% two foliar spray of ZnSO₄ at 30 and 45 DAS and 10 kg/ha ZnSO₄ as basal dose+0.5% one foliar spray at 30 DAS in subplots of split plot design. Soil and foliar applied zinc sulphate had significantly improved green fodder, dry matter yield and quality parameters <italic>viz</italic> leaf length, leaf width, leaf stem ratio of both the cultivars tested. From the results of two year study, it can be concluded that maize fodder productivity and quality can be enhanced with Zinc fertilization.