Indian Journal of Plant and Soil

The importance of Soil pH maintenance to optimize Calcium content in soil for keeping optimum Calcium content in tea tissues for unrelenting good performance of its physiological functions vital to have sustainable productivity levels for economic survival of tea industry.

Keywords Calcium in Soils; Soil pH; Plant Needs and Removal and Replacement. 

The field experiment was conducted during Kharif season of 2010-11 at Instructional Dairy farm, G B pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar to study the effect of seed rates and nitrogen levels on green fodder yield and quality of teosinte (Euchlaena mexicana Schrad) yield of teosinte. The growth and yield attributes, green and dry fodder yield, digestible dry matter, crude protein and nitrogen uptake increased with both seed rates and N levels. The green fodder yield was found signficantly higher at 50kg seed rate/ha that 16.8% higher yield than 40kg sed rates/ha. The same trend was also found in dry matter with highest value at 50kg seed rate with 14.5% more dry matter yield than 40kg seed rate/ha. Similarly, the green and dry fodder yield were recorded signficantly highest at 150kg N/ ha which gave 14.5 and 18.6% higher green and dry foder yield , respectively than 100kg N/ha. The crude protein and nitrogen uptake were also found higher at 50 kg seed rate and 150 kg N/ha. It is therefore concluded that 50 kg seed rate with 150 kg N/ha is required for production of high quality green and dry fooder yield of teosinte in Tarai region of India.

Keywords Crude Protein; Digestibility; Nitrogen Uptake; Teosinte; Seed Rate. 

 Decisions on population density to start with in new clearings or replanting old tea, depends on how soon the leaf area index attains optimum level to make the plants productive so that the break-even point is reached at the earliest to get back the cost of plants, planting and their maintenance till they become productive. Critical review of results from the experiments conducted over the years with varying population ranging from 408163 plants per ha (245 cm2 per plant) to 6944 plants /ha (1.44m2per plant) show the optimum population density lie between 10000 to 20000 plants per ha depending on the spreading habit of the cultivar and initial investments on cost of plants, planting and their maintenance.

Keywords: New Clearing; Replanting Old Tea; Viable Population Density at Planting.

Field experiment was conducted during 2009-10 at Instructional Dairy Farm, G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar to study the effect of tillage options on growth, forage yield and forage quality of berseem. The experimental site was silty loam in texture with 0.84% organic carbon and neutral in soil reaction (soil pH 7.1). The available N, P205 and K20 was 365, 36, 145 and kg/ha, respectively. The experiment consisted of 8 tillage options i.e. T1, Conventional tillage with 3 cultivation (one disc harrow+2 cultivator), T2, 2 Cultivation (1 disc harrow+1 cultivator), T3, 2 cultivation with Rotavator, T4, 1 cultivation with disc harrow, T5, 1 cultivation with Rotavator, T6, Broadcast seed before T3, T7, Broadcast Seed before T5, and T8, Zero tillage. The existing cropping system of the region i.e. ‘Sorghum- Wheat-Maize+Cowpea’ was grown with all recommended agro-techniques of all crops of the system. The conventional tillage gave highest green fodder yield equivalents, dry fodder yield, crude protein, net profit as well as B:C ratio followed by reduced tillage with broadcasting of seed before 2 cultivation with rotavator with respect of net profit and B:C ratio. Therefore conventional tillage or two pass of rotavator may be recommended for higher productivity, profitability and quality fodder production in Molliusols.

Keywords Crude Protein; Net Return; Productivity; Profitability; Tillage Options. 

Soil erosion were assessed at 30 sites in Ea Kao catchment of Vietnam by using fallout radio-nuclides. The soil samples was taken from top to foot of hill, in rectangular for Be-7 and cylindrical for analyzing Cs- 137. The radio-nuclides were determined by gamma spectrometry using high purity germanium detectors with a 30% relative efficiency. Soil erosion were estimated by models of He Q et al. (2002), Walling DE et al. (2002) and Tu TC and Hai PS (2014). The study results showed that soil erosion rates varied in a wide range and depended significantly on cover crops, slope, farming practices and soil conservation measures. Rate of soil loss in 2016 was higher than in average of 52 years (1964- 2016), because 20-30 years ago the land surface really covered by forest, which protected quite effectively soil from erosion. Land of annual crops had the highest rate of soil erosion, with 27.2-30.7 t ha-1 y-1 for upland rice and 29.8-33.6 t ha-1 y-1 for cassava, depend on model of Cs-137 or Be-7 applied. Coffee land had the least soil erosion rates. On high sloping land (more 25 degree), difference of average erosion in 52 years among land use types (coffee, tea, rubber, cashew, upland rice and cassava) were narrowed, due to the lands have just been used in recent time, 30-40 years before that they had been covered by forest. Making hedgerows of tephrosia between coffee rows, intercropping cassava and legumes, building terraces for upland rice were simple practices but high effectiveness to protect soil from erosion.

Keywords: Catchment; Farming Practices; Radio-Nuclides; Sloping Land; Soil Erosion.