Indian Journal of Plant and Soil

The present investigation was conducted in the year 2020-2021 at the Department of Plant Protection, ASPEE College Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari with an aim to evaluate the impact of highly pathogenic isolates on seed germination, root length, shoot length and seedling vigour index of bottle gourd seeds var. ABG-1. Total ten seed mycoflora were isolated using agar plate method, standard blotter method and deep-freezing method viz., Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum sp., Curvularialunata, Fusarium oxysporum, Nigrospora oryzae, Penicillium sp., Rhizoctonia sp., and Rhizopus stolonifera. After the pathogenicity teston seeds of bottle gourd var. ABG-1 under in vitro (standard paper towel) and in vivo (pot method) condition, Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum sp. Curvularia lunata, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizopus stolonifer were evaluated to check their impact on the seed germination, shoot length, root length and seedling vigour using paper towel method. Result revealed that the seed inoculate with Fusarium oxysporum caused significantly lower per cent of germination (22.00%), shoot and root length (1.74cm, 4.31cm) and seedling vigour index 133.67 followed by Colletotrichum sp. (25.00%, 1.89cm, 4.10cm and 149.60).

Curcuma longa L. (family Zingiberaceae), one of the earliest spices cultivated in Southeast Asia, has been used for centuries as a natural remedy for chronic diseases. This study investigated the effects of triacontanol (TRIA) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) on turmeric’s development, biochemistry, and yield attributes. An experiment using a randomized block design (RBD) applied eight spray treatments at 5-day intervals: (T-0) DDW (control), (T-1) 1 ppm TRIA, (T-2) 2 ppm TRIA, (T-3) 4 ppm TRIA, (T-4) 200 ppm SiO2, (T-5) 1 ppm TRIA + 200 ppm SiO2, (T-6) 2 ppm TRIA + 200 ppm SiO2, and (T-7) 4 ppm TRIA + 200 ppm SiO2. Key results revealed that treatment T-7 (4 ppm TRIA + 200 ppm SiO2) produced the highest shoot length per plant (18.93% increase) and fresh weight (68.53% increase), whereas T-3 (4 ppm TRIA) yielded the maximum root length per plant (45.45%), number of leaves per plant (38.88%), leaf area (48.54%), and rhizome length (73.33%). Biochemically, T-3 showed the highest total chlorophyll content (10.97% increase), while T-7 displayed the maximum total carotenoids content increase (36.47%). Crucially, T-3 (4 ppm TRIA) significantly enhanced yield, increasing the number of rhizomes per plant by 52.94%, the weight of rhizome per plant by 112.28%, and essential oil (EO) content by 45.45%. The study concludes that 4 ppm TRIA (T-3) optimizes root growth, chlorophyll, rhizome yield, and EO content, while the combination of 4 ppm TRIA and 200 ppm SiO2 (T-7) is most effective for shoot growth, fresh weight, and carotenoids accumulation in turmeric.

A field experiment was planned and conducted during 2021-22 at Horticulture Research Block, School of Agricultural Sciences, SGRRU, Dehradun, Uttarakhand to assess the Growth and Yield attributes of Knol Khol (Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes L.) under multiple organic manure treatments. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications and nine treatments. The treatments comprised following levels of different organic manures with different concentrations viz. T1 (Control), T2 (FYM@ 10 t/ha), T3 (Vermicompost @5t/ ha), T4 (FYM @5t/ha+Vermicompost @2.5t/ha), T5 (FYM @5 t/ha+VC @2.5 t/ ha +Rhizobium@25%), T6 (Vermiwash @50%), T7 (FYM @5t/ha+Vermicompost @2.5t/ha+Vermiwash@25%), T8 (FYM @5t/ha+Vermicompost@2.5t/ ha+Vermiwash@25%+Rhizobium @25%) and T9 (Cow urine@ 50%) T10 (FYM @5t/ha+ Vermicompost@ 2.5t/ha+Vermiwash@ 25%+Rhizobium @25%+Cow urine @50%). The sowing of cultivar Suman was done on November 25, 2021. Observations on various growth and yield attributes were recorded. The treatment T10 (FYM@5t/ha+Vermicompost@2.5t/ha+Vermiwash@25%+Rhizobium @25%+Cow urine @50%) recorded the highest plant height (40.33 cm), number of leaves per plants (30.33), leaf length (42.41 cm), leaf width (26.80 cm), fresh plant weight (310.70 g), fresh weight of leaves (135.03 g), knob yield (1.62 Kg/plot) and knob yield (189.7q/ha).

Alluvial soils in the Godavari basin’s rice fields can be assessed for drainage using Munsell color. Munsell color gradations are converted to the CIELab system. Then, Mahalanobis distance is computed to create a drainage index. Soil samples from three landforms were analyzed: fluvial, fluvio-marine, and marine. The soil resource inventory was on 1:250000 scale. Fluvial plains had dark gray to very dark grayish-brown soil. The texture ranged from silty clay to clay. Fluvio-marine soils had intermittent sandy layers. Marine landforms showed varied colors in the C horizons’ sandy layers. Fluvial plains’ genetic horizons contained cambic (30.54±14.31cm) and slicken sided (104.5±15.57cm) features. Clay textured, very dark grayish brownish soils were most common (30%). Dark grayish-brown (12.8%) and silty clay dark brown (12.8%) soils followed Vertisols, except Fluventic Eutrudepts, had a mean L value of 32.2 ± 5.12 (CV of 15.91%). The mean “a” value was 3.26 ± 1.11. Variability was moderate (CV of 33.88%). An a*1 value less than 0.3 indicated low iron and poorly drained profiles. Fluvial soils had a mean drainage index (Di) of 2.96±0.35. Variability was low (CV of 11.73%), and drainage was imperfect. A strong positive relationship existed between the drainage index (DI) and CIE “L” values in fluvial soils (R²=0.29). Fluviomarine soils had a mean Di of 2.98±0.39 at 40 to 100 cm. The CV was 18.48%. These imperfectly drained soils had high “b” values. Di correlated with “a” and “b” values: Di = 4.02 - 1.09(a)+0.23(b) with an R² of 0.98.The study shows that CIELab values can define drainage class in alluvial soil profiles in the Godavari basin.

Plant releases many bioactive chemicals from its various parts such as leaves, stem, root and sometimes decomposed body through different mechanism into its surrounding environment. These bioactive chemicals are often termed as allelochemicals because they interact with the surrounding environment. This interaction is either positive or negative. Effects of allelochemicals to the agricultural and biological ecosystem are well documented. In leguminosae family many species are involved in releasing of allelochemicals. Many researchers found that this allelochemicals have both positive and detrimental effects on the successive legume crops. Legume monoculture is common in many parts of the world where they cause a numbers of ecological and economic problems such as decline in crop yield due to soil sickness, regeneration failure and replant problem. These negative effects of allelochemicals open a great concern on allelopathy research. This chapter will give the adverse effects of allelochemicals, their extraction and isolation, mechanism inside the plant body. These all are done to find out the possible selection methods of succeeding crops to avoid the allelopathic effects in the next crop of a monoculture farm field. The main purpose of this article is to highlight the adverse allelopathic effects of legume crops to provide ways for sustainable development in agro-ecosystem.