Indian Journal of Plant and Soil

 The understory crop in an agroforestry system is exposed to varied above and below ground environment subjected to different trees and crops interactions thereby varied response on each component. Under changing climatic scenarios and scarce natural resources agroforestry is proved to be a boon for forthcoming agricultural scenario. There is both positive and negative interactions at the treecrop interface for below ground environment. This paper discusses the Modification of soil microenvironment in an agroforestry systems.

Keywords Wheat (Triticum Aetivum L.); Crop Growth;Modified Soil Ground Environment; Agroforestry.

 The general understanding of pruning in the various branches of Agriculture and its role in Tea growing for commercial purposes are reviewed. The objectives of pruning vary from crop to crop. Tea is basically a tree growing to a height of 20 to 30 feet and the periodical correction of its height by cutting branches to a specified intensity is indispensable to maintain the height of plucking table for efficient crop removal for economically viable and sustainable productivity.

Keywords Pruning, Objectives and Practices.

 Agronomy means field management and production agronomy refers to systems of field management meant to achieve high sustainable productivity. It involves planning and execution of intensive cultivation systems aimed to maximize productivity, vital to feed and clothe increasing population. Agronomist does it by pooling latest research information on all aspects of cultivation and plant growth on a continual basis and putting them in a system that is efficient and economically viable. Some of the contemporary reflections on this discipline
is spelt out. 

Keywords Agronomy; Productivity; Systemsmanagement.

Field experiment was carried out at Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand, India during Rabi season of 2015-16 to study the effect of biofertilizers on productivity of berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum ) in Tarai region of Western Himalayas. The experiment site was sandy loam in texture with soil pH (7.6), medium in organic carbon (0.848), nitrogen (278.48 kg/ha), phosphorus (27.7) and potassium (232.8 kg/ ha). The experiment consisted of 7 treatments i.e. T 1-Control, T2-Seed treatment with Azotobacter @2ml/ kg seed, T3-Seed treatment with Phosophobacter @ 2ml /kg seed, T4-Seed treatment with Azotobacter @3ml/kg seed, T5-Seed treatment with Phosphobacter @ 3m/kg seed, T6-Seed treatment with mixture of Azotobacter @ 2ml + Phosphorbacter @ 2ml /kg seed and T 7- Seed treatment with mixture of Azotobactor @3ml + Phosphorbacter @ 3ml /kg seed and replicated thrice in randomized block design. All treatments were fertilized with 30 kg N, 60kg P205 and 40 kg K20/ha before drilling of seed. Significantly higher plant height of berseem was recorded under seed treatment with mixture of Azotobacter and Phosphobacter @ 2ml/kg seed of each biofertiliser. Maximum number of plants per meter row length was recorded under seed treatment with mixture of Azotobacter @ 2ml + Phosphorbacter @ 2ml/kg seed. The green, dry fodder yield, gross returns, net return and B:C ratio were not affected significantly by biofertilisers, however the highest values were recorded under seed treatment with mixture of Azotobacter @ 2ml + Phosphorbacter @ 2ml/kg seed followed seed treatment with Azotobacter @ 3ml/kg seed. The seed treatment with mixture of Azotobacter @ 2ml + Phosphorbacter @ 2ml/kg seed gave 12.1, 12.4 and 13.4% higher green fodder yield, gross return and net return, respectively than control. Therefore it may be concluded that seed treatment with mixture of Azotobacter @ 2ml+ Phosphobacter @ 2ml/kg seed may be recommended for boosting the productivity and profitability of berseem in Tarai region of Western Himalayas.

Key Words: Bio-fertilizers; Berseem; Azotobacter; Phosphobacter; Productivity; Profitability.