Indian Journal of Plant and Soil

 Sugarcane is one of the most high value crops of agronomic and economic importance enjoying the largest scientific and technological attention in field and factory. It is one of the efficient users of solar energy but sensitive to soil aeration, radiation intensities, temperature and ageing factors when water and nutrients are freely available. It has a long history of chasing the theoretical limits of productivity thru research on all branches of Science. A relook at the theoretical maximum yield is attempted with new data on Net Primary Production (NPP) from solar radiation incident on earth through satellite studies. Recent studies have shown Net Primary Production can reach a level of 200 t C ha-1yr-1 (roughly 450 t bio-mass ha-1yr-1) which is roughly two times the other estimates.( delucia et.al ). An attempt to understand the limiting factors to get nearer to maximum yields is made in this paper.

Keywords : Limiting Factors; Theoretical Maximum Productivity.

 When inputs and management practices are tuned to a target yield, then harvesting strategies play a crucial part in getting the full benefits   out of all the efforts put in to coerce the plants to respond to all resources made available to them. Harvesting techniques and problems encountered thereat vary from plant to plant; but one thing common is that they, all, involve human labor irrespective of the proportion of manual and mechanical components in them. A study made in harvesting management in tea crop is discussed in this paper.

 Co-inoculation effect of rhizospheric microorganisms viz. N2 fixer (Azotobacter chroococcum), PSB (Bacillus megaterium and B. polymyxa) and  PGPR (Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus sp.) on occupancy of inoculated Rhizobium sp. in root nodules of urdbean were examined in two separate studies under field conditions at Pantnagar. Inoculated Rhizobium sp. alone formed 23 to 58 % nodules in competition with native Rhizobium at different crop growth stages. Inoculation of A. chroococcum, B. megaterium and P. fluorescens with Rhizobium sp. significantly increased the percent nodule occupancy of inoculated Rhizobium sp., by 13.0 to 38.3, 6.2 to 52.9  and 6.2 19.6 % over Rhizobium sp. alone at different intervals, respectively. Bacillus sp. and B. polymyxa indicated adverse effect on competitive ability of inoculum Rhizobium sp..  Combined inoculation of Rhizobium sp. + A. chroococcum  + Bacillus sp. and Rhizobium sp. + B. megaterium + P. fluorescensb gave  significantly more  nodule occupancy, by 14.6 to 54.3 and 11.8 to 66.6 %,  and recorded better nodule number and nodule dry weight than Rhizobium sp. alone at different intervals.

Keywords : Urdbean; Vigna Mungo. Rhozobium; PSB; Rhizobacteria; Strain Competition.  

 The field experiment was conducted during Kharif season of 2008-09 and 2009-10 at Instructional Dairy farm, G B Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar to study the effect of varieties and phosphorus on yield and quality of cowpea fodder yield attributes of cowpea in Mollisols of Tarai region of Uttarakhand. The experimental site was high in organic carbon, 0.848 %, medium in available nitrogen, 278.48 kg/ha, available phosphorus, 27.7 kg/ha and available potassium, 232.8 kg/ha with neutral in reaction, pH 7.6. The experiment consisted of 6 cowpea entries namely UPC-9202, UPC-4200, UPC-626, UPC 628, UPC-629 and Bundel Lobia-1 and three phosphorus levels viz. 40, 60 & 80 kg P2O5/ha was laid out in factorial RBD with three replications.  The UPC-626 produced 2.7% higher green fodder yield than UPC-629, though remained non significant to each other. The green fodder yield was recorded 22% higher at 80 P/ha than 60 kg P/ha, while it was 21% higher at 60 kg P/ha than 40 kg P/ha. Similarly 80 kg P had 9.8% higher dry fodder yield than 60 kg P level, while it was 34.6% higher at 60 kg P than 40 Kg P /ha. The crude protein was also recorded highest in UPC-628 at application of 80 kg P/ha.

Keywords : Cowpea; Crude Protein; Phosphorus; Fertilization.

Agriculture is the backbone of Indian economy and it plays a prominent role for development of economy.  Around 70 per cent of the population in the State of Jammu and Kash mir gets livelihood directly or indirectly from the Agriculture and allied Sectors. The major fruits grown in the state are Apple, Walnut, Almond, Pear, Cherry, Apricot, Peach and Plum. Kashmiri apple is famous both in taste and appearance. It has gained fame in the export market and fetches a very good return. The horticulture industry contributes nearly 60 percent of the states revenue and 22 percent of gross state domestic product (GSDP). Looking to the specie-wise details of area figures under fruit for the year 2013-14, it is observed that largest area of 45.34% (161364 hectares) is occupied by apple out of total area of 355921 hectares under fruit. Walnut is the next major fruit occupying 26.86% in the overall area under fruit. Jammu and Kashmir is the major producer walnuts in India, 90 percent of walnut production in India belongs to Jammu and Kashmir and percentage share of state in India’s total production is showing an increasing trend and the state has been declared as the “ Agri. Export zone for Apples and Walnuts”. Agribusiness including export of fresh and dry fruits is the foundation of economy. Foreign exchange earned on account of export of dry fruit viz; Almond and Walnut (in shell and kernel) during the year 2013-14 was Rs 365.25 crore. In this paper an attempt has been made to explore potential and strength of Jammu and Kashmir with regard to its production and export of dry fruits.

Keywords : Export;  Dry fruits; Foreign Exchange.

 Amelioration of iron toxicity (i.e. Bronzing) by pulsed [Ca2+] through root dip treatment (RDT) of transplanted Bahadur (iron susceptible) and Mahsuri (iron resistant) rice varieties were studied in field condition (initial soil pH 4.68, mean [Fe2+] =954.98.ppm). An increase in [Ca2+] in leaf was detected commensuration with [CaCl2] » 100-1000ppm in RDT for 24h, which was higher in Bahadur > Mahsuri. A decline in soil pH (increased acidity) was observed along with the days after transplanting. So, available [Fe2+] in soil decreased from 67% to 80% at 30-90 DAT. The [Fe2+] in soil caused reduction in chlorophyll (»54%). Increase in [CaCl2] >100ppm in RDT lessened chlorophyll (»21.77%) and leaf area (»18.11%) at 90DAT of the crop. Over all, Bahadur was superior than Mahsuri in most of the physiological parameters viz., panicle no.m-2 (by 28.20%), no. of spikelet per panicle (by 23.76%), 1000 grain weight (by 24.78%), sink capacity (by 59.77%) and economic yield (by 43.09%). 100ppm CaCl2 RDT brought positive relationship between yield and its attributes viz., spikelet, r =0.264, 0.657, test weight, r=0.315, 0.402, sink capacity, r=0.196, 0.491) in Bahadur and Mahsuri respectively at 30 days after transplanting under higher iron condition in field. 

 A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Integrated Nutrient Management on growth, biomass yield and nutrient uptake by buckwheat and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium status of soil after harvest of crop. The experiment having fifteen treatments including recommended dose of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium alone and various combinations of  Farm Yard Manure, Azotobacter and Phosphorus  Solubilising Microorganisms with rest of recommended dose of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was conducted in Randomised Block Design at Crop Research Center of the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar.  Growth parameters, i.e., plant height and numbers of branches were not influenced by various INM  treatments, however, biomass yield and nitrogen uptake were significantly superior over control. Organic carbon and available phosphorus and potassium status were not affected by various INM treatments.

Keywords: Buckwheat; FYM; Azotobacter; PSM; Soil Fertility; NPK Uptake.

 Over the coming decades, our cities likely face an array of associated problems, including: rising temperature, water shortages, food scarcity and increased storminess with concomitant flooding, wind damage and coastal erosion. Less favourable aspects include contribution of gardens and gardening to green house gas emission, misuse of fertilizers and pesticides and introduction of alien plant species Effective environmental planning, including urban greening, can assist greatly in improving the quality of the urban environment and the livelihoods of the people who live in urban areas. There is need to plant trees that provide multiple benefits, particularly in house compounds for providing edible pods, flowers, fruits, leaves etc. As a result of impacts associated with urban infrastructure, arborists and urban landscape managers perform remedial management actions to make urban soils more suitable plant-growing environments, remedial soil management actions include irrigation, aeration, radial trenching, mulching, and fertilization, all of which further alter the physical, chemical and biological properties and thus the nitrogen status of urban soils. In urban environments human alter these soil-forming factors by impacts associated with urban infrastructure. The aim is to improve our quality of life in an increasingly densely populated, fast-living world. People have to find back to natural and green open spaces that become more and more important for our personal development, wellbeing and recreation due to increasing urbanization. In the present study fresh weight and dry weight of Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br., experimented  and the results were analyzed.

Keywords: Urban Greening; Tree Canopy Soil; Fresh Weight; Dry Weight; Pearl Millet.