Indian Journal of Plant and Soil

Plants need 17 elements for completion of growth and development successfully. The role and behaviourof these mineral nutrients in soil is different in context to their mobility in soil and reaction with other nutrients in soils. The immobility of nutrients in soil makes the nutrients deficient. Indiscriminate use of nitrogenous fertilizers is damaging soil and ground water resources besides lower efficiency to crop plants. The nitrogen from fertilizers after converting in nitrate through microbial action particularly bacteria residing in the soil enters into streams and rivers after leaching into groundwater and washes out of the soil surface.Balanced fertilizer i.e., use of fertilizer nutrients in right proportion and in adequate amount are considers as promising agro-techniques to sustain yield, increase fertilizer use efficiency and to restore soil health.The need of the hour is therefore, maximizing the production per unit drop of water. The foliar application makes the available plant nutrients at appropriate time and amount. Fertilizer application along with irrigation water through micro irrigation systemi.e sprinkler and drip irrigationare most advanced and efficient practice of fertilization particularly for degraded soils like problematic soils, light soils, sloppy soils reduce the fertilizer efficiency by fixation, leaching losses, denitrification, reaction with other nutrients.

Keywords: Fertigation; Micro irrigation; Crop Production.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plant symbiosis– is the oldest, fascinating and beneficial relationship on Earth for plant. AMF is the most common symbiotic association of crop plants occurring in most natural habitats and providing a range of essential ecological services i.e. mobilize nutrients form mainly phosphorus to plants, enhancing plant growth, induction of resistance and improving soil structure and fertility. AMF is commonly used bio-inoculants for most of the agricultural, horticultural and plantation crops, therefore they receive increasing attention now a days. The current mini review provides a comprehensive up-to-date understanding of AMF and its effect on host plants, their benefits and applications, and therefore the significance of the relationships between different plant nutrients and AMF.

Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Phosphorus; Soil; Plant growth.

The soil erosion risk in Harve 1 microwatershed of Chamarajnagar district, Karnataka, India was studied using CORINE model (Coordination of Information on the Environment). The input data for CORINE model was determined from soil survey data (soil erodibility, Topography and vegetation cover) and monthly meteorological data (erosivity) respectively. The soil map consists 15 series of Alfisols and Inceptisols with 37 phases. . Sixty eight per cent of area in watershed had loamy sand (39.39%) and sandy loam (29.46%) textures with moderate soil erodibility. The erosivity was calculated from the ratings of Modified Fournier index (MFI) and Bagnouls - Gaussen aridity index from climatic data over a period of 55 years. The study area has mean MFI of 141 and mean BGI of 169 to define as very dry. Both were rated as high to yield erosivity of more than 12. The study area had nearly level to very gently sloping granitic lands to generate potential soil erosion risk map. The results showed that the Harve 1 microwatershed has 52.06% of area at high erosion risk (267.35ha), 26.69% of area under moderate risk (138.09 ha) and low risk at10.52%. The land cover map showed that 55.45 per cent of area is fully protected area (forest, dense shrub etc) with high actual soil erosion risk in 33.05% of total area.

Keywords: Soil erodibility; Corine model; Modified fournier index; Aridity index; Soil erosion risk; Hot moist semiarid ecosystem.

Daily rainfall data (1994-2013) for Pune station was analysed to estimate the averages of weekly, monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall and its variability. Probability analysis showed that occurrence of probable rainfall was of 448.1 mm, 68.1 mm, 10.5 mm and 600.8 mm respectively for the Kharif, Rabi, summer and annual at 76% confidence level, the occurrence of rainy days was found to be 41, 33, 4 and 1 day for the annual, Kharif, Rabi and summer season, respectively. The highest rainfall of 1376.2 mm is recorded in the month of July 2013. The rainfall was assured during standard meteorological Week 24 to 27 and 32 to 40. Occurence of dry spell is also seen indicated the need of construction of water harvesting structures for life saving irrigation for the survival of crops. Keeping in view the rainfall pattern and its distribution in the area, suggestions have been made to modify the microclimate with respect to crop planning to increase the quality and productivity under rainfed conditions. Different cropping strategies are suggested such as selection of early maturing varieties, change in crops, cropping pattern, rainwater harvesting techniques.

Keywords: Crop planning; Probability; Rainfall; Weibull plotting method.

Study was under taken in Sitapur district of U.P. in central India. This state has record yield potential of the crops but, there is yield gap between farmers yield and yield potential of pulse crops due to unawareness about potential variety(s), use of poor quality and inadequate seed, conventional cultivation practices and poor crop management practices. The yield performance of pigeonpea was studied through front line demonstration in the year 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15. Existing farmers practice was taken as a control for comparison and recommended HYVs of pigeonpea Narendra Arhar-1 (NA-1) along with soil test value based fertilizer application and integrated crop management practices. The forty eight front line demonstrations covering 15.65 ha area were conducted. The study reveals that an average yield of pigeonpea under demonstration plot was fetched 2.24 t ha1 lowest in farmers practices (control plot) 1.53 t ha1 hence, 46.08 per cent yield was increased over control. The average technology gap was recorded 0.76 t ha1, average extension gap 0.71 t ha1 and average technology index was recorded 25.33 per cent.

Keywords: Extension gap; Front line demonstration; Pigeonpea; Pulses; Technological gap; Technological index; yield.