Economic Analysis of Pearl Millet Cultivation in Rainfed Ecosystem of Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India

The Pearl millet is the staple and nutritive diet of farm households in developing and underdeveloped countries. It is grown as dual-purpose; grain and forage in drylands, marginal lands, and unirrigated lands of the Indian subcontinent. This study analysed the cost and returns, profitability, and resource productivity of the pearl millet growing farmers in a rainfed ecosystem of Thoothukudi District. Primary data were collected in selected blocks namely Vilathikulam and Pudur, based on the maximum area under pearl millet cultivation. The sampling design used in the study was Purposive random sampling. Totally 61 farmers were personally interviewed using a well-structured questionnaire. The Cost-C was Rs. 41115.65 per hectare. The proportionate expenditure of Hired Human Labour was 19.05 per cent to total costs. The net income was Rs. 4974.2 per hectare. The BCR was higher in small followed by medium and large farms. The partial regression coefficient of hired labour and fertilizers was 0.103, and 0.793 respectively, which were positive and highly significant. It indicated that gross return was increased by 0.793 per cent by increasing one per cent of expenses on fertilizers. The summation of all partial coefficients was 0.656 which indicated a decreasing return to scale. When the production function's returns to scale decrease, the average cost of production rises. Input prices have a significant impact on the economic profitability of farmers' crop cultivation. Rainfed pearl millet cultivation is unprofitable at market values in the Thoothukudi district. The current scenario requires the revising of minimum support prices and regulation in input market, particularly for crops grown in rainfed ecosystems.

Comparative Study of Growth and Yield of NERICA and PNR Rice Lines in Rainfed Ecosystem in the Eastern Interland of Kinshasa, DR Congo

The developing countries are rife with blatant pauperization. The agricultural sector, provider of food and a strong economy, has been in the hands of artisanal farmers for several decades. As a result, the yield is low to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population. Thus, in order to help support food security in tropical countries including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a study was conducted on the comparison of growth and yield of 15 lines / varieties of rice under natural conditions. On the Bateke plateau (Kinshasa, DRC) during season B, from January to June 2004. The number of tillers per plant, the number of tassels per plant, the height and flowering at 50% plant, the weight of a thousand kernels as well as the yield in kg / ha were used as observation variables to evaluate the performance of the plant. Each variety under study for 4 months following a randomized full block device with 3 replicates.From our observations, it emerges that although season B was less productive than season A, a few lines / varieties of rice have shown very distinct performances. Indeed, the varieties NERICA 7, P8.20.B3. 2.1. C1, PNR 1, NERICA 5 showed good height growth while NERICA 7, P10. 100. B1. N1B1, P10. 77. B2. N2. B3, P10. 51. B1. N1. gave a high dry grain yield.Therefore, given their high yield in dry grains, these lines / varieties would be a better substitute for the varieties already in circulation (PNR 1, IRAT 112, and IRAT 341) to increase the country's rice production and thus overcome the problem of low yield experienced by the DRCongo.

Conservation tillage and preceding rainy-season crops on root: shoot characteristics, productivity, profitability and nutrient uptake of succeeding mustard under semi-arid rainfed ecosystem

Conservation tillage practices are poplar, environmental friendly and economically feasible approaches to increase the productivity and resource-use efficiency of arid and semi-arid rainfed ecosystems. Rainfed field experiments were accomplished at IARI, Pusa, New Delhi in 2010-11 and 2011-12 to evaluate root: shoot growth, productivity, profitability and nutrient uptake in mustard under the various conservation tillage practices with preceding rainy- season crops; pearlmillet, clusterbean and greengram; and organic mulches, viz. no residues, crop residues and Leucaena twigs applied to both rainy- season crops and mustard grown with common recommended package of practices. Higher root length density (RLD), root surface area (RSA), root volume density (RVD), average root diameter (RD), crop growth rate (CGR), relative growth rate (RGR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) were recorded under clusterbean–mustard and greengram–mustard systems over the pearlmillet- mustard system. Interaction between crop residues and preceding rainy-season crops on growth parameters exerted significant variations, while yield attributes showed the mixed responses. Mustard seed yield was significantly higher (+51%) in 2010-11 (1.80 t ha-1) than that of 2011-12 (1.19 t ha-1). Economic analysis exhibited the highest returns and net returns/ Rs invested after clusterbean with Leucaena twigs mulching. The nutrient uptake followed the same trend as that of seed and stalk yield. It was concluded that growing mustard after clusterbean with Leucaena twigs mulching was high-yielding and profitable cropping system under conservation tilled semi-arid rainfed ecosystem.

Effect of Improved Agronomic Approaches on Growth and Yield of Redgram [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] under Rainfed Ecosystem

Background: Redgram is an important food legume which is largely cultivated under rainfed condition. In India rainfed agriculture contributes 80% of the total pulses production and the projected requirement will be 39 million tons by 2050 which necessitates an annual growth rate of 2.2%. The productivity has to be increased from the present level of 834 kg ha-1 to 1200 kg ha-1. With adoption of suitable agronomic management strategies the productivity could be increased to meet our demand and achieve self sufficiency in production. Hence the current study was carried out to increase the productivity of redgram under rainfed condition.Methods: Field experiment was conducted in farmer’s field in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu during North East Monsoon season of 2019 to study the effect of improved agronomic manipulations on growth and yield of redgram under rainfed ecosystem. Agronomic management approaches viz., nipping of primary branches at 45 and 60 days after receipt of soaking rain, high density planting at 30 cm × 30 cm in addition to recommended spacing of 60 cm × 30 cm and foliar application of 1% PPFM spray were compared with farmer’s practice in the redgram variety Co (RG) 7. Pre monsoon sowing has been taken up and the rainfall received during the cropping period was 521.7 mm received in 31 rainy days.Result: The field experimental results revealed that adoption of agronomic manipulation at the appropriate stage of the crop has increased the productivity of redgram. Nipping of primary branches at 45th day of the crop significantly increased the total number of productive branches, number of pods plant-1 and recorded the maximum seed yield of 1512 kg ha-1 (72 per cent increase over farmer’s practice) under rainfed condition.

Validation of Markers Linked to Yield under Drought, Blast Resistance and Assessment of Polymorphism among the Donors for Use in Marker Assisted Selection in Rice

Rice is one of the most widely cultivated crop species in the world. Drought, a major constraint in upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) led to the unstable yields. The inconsistent yields often aggravated by the severe incidence of blast disease in many areas of rainfed ecosystem. To improve upland rice, introgression of two traits viz., yield under drought stress and blast resistance is highly essential. We validated the markers linked to the qDTY12.1 (exhibits grain yield under drought stress) and two important blast resistance genes (Pi1 and Pi54) among the 12 important rice genotypes to use these markers in the foreground selection. Parental polymorphic survey was also conducted among the donor for the yield under drought (Vandana NIL possessing qDTY12.1), upland rice variety Varalu and donor for blast resistance (line possessing Pi1 and Pi54 genes) using 500 SSR markers distributed across the genome. The polymorphism between Varalu, Vandana NIL is 30% whereas it is 24% between Varalu, blast donor and around 16% between three parents. The identified polymorphic markers which are linked to the genes as well as the parental polymorphic markers are useful to carry out foreground and background selection in marker assisted selection programme. In addition, the markers lies proximal and distal ends of the target genes from the respective chromosomes were also identified which can be used in recombinant selection. Thus the results emanated from this investigation are useful for the combining yield under drought and blast resistance traits through molecular breeding programme for development of rice variety suitable to the rainfed ecosystem.

Effect of Foliar Feeding of Gluconate and EDTA Chelated Plant Nutrients on Yield, Chlorophyll Content and Nitrate Reductase Enzyme of Bt Cotton under Rainfed Ecosystem of Marathawada

An experiment was conducted to find out the “Effect of foliar feeding of Gluconate and EDTA chelated plant nutrients on yield, Chlorophyll content and Nitrate reductase enzyme activity of Bt-cotton under rainfed ecosystem of Marathawada” at Department of Soil Science and Agril Chemistry, VNMKV, Parbhani. The experiment includes sixteen treatments viz,T1-control,T2-ZnGluconate, T3-Zn EDTA, T4-Mn gluconate, T5- Mn EDTA, T6- Cu Gluconate, T7- Cu EDTA, T8- FeGluconate ,T9- Fe EDTA, T10- CaGluconate, T11- Ca EDTA, T12-MgGluconate, T13-MgEDTA, T14- Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Ca and Mg Gluconate, T15-Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Ca and Mg EDTA and T16- Govt. grade II and replicated twice. The treatments were fertilized with 120:60:60 N,P2O5 and K2O Kg ha-1 .Micronutrient sprays of gluconate and EDTA chelated plant nutrients were applied to the crop at the time of flowering i.e. at 55 DAS and second spray was applied at the time of boll development stage i.e.at 75 DAS. The treatment T2 showed more number of bolls per plant followed by treatment T3. The maximum boll weight was observed with treatment Zn gluconate. Spraying of Zn gluconate, Zn EDTA and Fe and Mg gluconate nutrients have produced more seed cotton yield. Quantitative analysis of chlorophyll was done by using DMSO as an extractant. Chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll content in leaves also influenced significantly due to different foliar feeding. The highest chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll was registered with the treatment Fe gluconate spray followed by Fe EDTA. Nitrate reductage and acid phosphate activity were improved by the application of T2 and was found to be significantly superior over control. This study was conducted under rainfed ecosystem.