Spatial Arrangement and Biofertilizers Enhance the Performance of Legume—Millet Intercropping System in Rainfed Areas of Southern India

Intercropping is a well-established practice to enhance the yield in low-input agriculture, and beneficial microbes such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) combined with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria are being used as an effective and sustainable measure to improve yields. In this study, we tested if biofertilizers can not only enhance the yield of crops in monoculture as has previously been demonstrated but can also enhance the yield of intercropping systems. We hypothesized that because AMF can form common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) that can transfer nutrients and water between different plant species, biofertilization can balance belowground competition between crop species and promote thus overall yields in intercropping systems. In our study, we used a pigeon pea (PP)—finger millet (FM) intercropping system that we grew for two consecutive growing seasons (2016/17 and 2017/18) at two contrasting sites in Bengaluru and Kolli Hills, India. We also tested if the spatial arrangement (i.e., different arrangement of component plants with similar plant density in intercropping system) of intercropped plants, using either a row-wise or a mosaic design, influences the effect of biofertilizers on yield and water relations of the PP-FM intercropping system. Our results demonstrate that intercropping can improve the straw and grain yield of PP and FM compared to the respective monocultures and that intercropping effects vary depending on the site characteristic such as climate and soil type. The spatial arrangement of component plants affected the total, straw, and grain biomass in intercropping treatments, but this effect also varied across sites. Most importantly, the results from the 2017/18 growing season clearly demonstrated a positive effect of biofertilizer on biomass yield, and this effect was irrespective of site, spatial arrangement, mixed or monoculture. Our study therefore shows that yield increase in intercropping systems can further be improved through the application of biofertilizers.

A Study on Adoption of Indigenous Technical Knowledge Practices among Tribal Farmers in Kolli Hills

Objectives: To make a quantitative study of Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK) practices pertinent to crops grown in Kolli hills tribes in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: The attempt was made to study the adoption level of the interpreted ITKs among Kolli hills tribes. The Kolli hill was picked purposively for its uniqueness in continuing their traditions age old practices in farming practices by the tribes. The present study has been carried out in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu state. The Namakkal district was administratively divided into seven taluks and fifteen blocks. Among these seven taluks and fifteen blocks, higher populations of tribes were seen at Kolli hills. For the selection of the respondents based on the proportionate random sampling technique and the data were collected from each respondent through personal interview method. The study was carried during 2019 with 150 respondents in highly populated villages of Kolli hills. The Adoption index was used to analyse the adoption level of the ITK’s by the tribes. Findings: More than half of the respondents (55.56 per cent) had a medium level of knowledge followed by high (25.10 per cent) and low (19.34 per cent) levels of knowledge on indigenous cultivation practices. Conclusion: Indigenous technical knowledge has a substantial heritage in agrarian civilization. The findings highlight the effectiveness of indigenous technical knowledge above its modern equivalent. Thus, extension workers should identify and incorporate them in the technology transfer action in order to ensure long-term or sustainable agricultural development.

Study on Marketing Channels of Black Pepper in Kolli Hills of Namakkal District in Tamil Nadu

Aim: The present study was conducted with the aim to analyze the marketing cost, margin, price spread and marketing efficiency of farmers in different marketing channels of Black pepper in Kolli Hills of Namakkal district. Methodology: About 80 farmers were interviewed for this study. Data related to marketing performance of black pepper was collected using the well-structured pre tested interview schedule and the results were tabulated. Results: Among the different marketing channels, total marketing cost was low in channel III (Rs.39/Qtl) as compared to channel II (Rs.92/Qtl) and channel I (Rs.74/Qtl). This shows that marketing cost was low if the channel does not have any market intermediaries. The best channel for both producer and consumer were found to be channel III in which producers receives the maximum share of consumers rupee (89.46 per cent) and consumers purchase the produce at the low price of Rs. 370/Qtl. Conclusion: This study reveals that, among the other marketing channels, channel III has the highest marketing efficiency of 9.48 per cent and 8.48 per cent. Middleman exploitation was the major problem which reduce the net income of the farmers in the study area.

On the status and validity of the recently described Raorchestes kollimalai Gowande, Ganesh & Mirza 2020

A recent addition to the Indian herpetofauna is Roarchestes kollimalai Gowande, Ganesh & Mirza 2020, a bush frog species, described based on a type series of three specimens from the Kolli hills in the lesser-known Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India (Gowande et al. 2020). The authors attempted to resolve the status of the previously ambiguously identified R. cf. leucolatus from this region (Ganesh & Arumugam 2016) through an integrated approach using morphology, molecular DNA and call acoustics. Gowande et al. (2020) described the new species based on their morphology, biogeographic and acoustic data, for a shallow divergent lineage differing with 1.2–1.9% in the mitochondrial 16S gene from a closely related species R. charius. After a thorough reading of Gowande et al. (2020), we found serious flaws in the publication, as the authors overlooked many errors and misrepresented their own data, leaving their new taxon questionable with respect to its validity and status. In this work, despite pointing out these errors made by the authors, we also discuss the validity of their new taxon based on their results and suggest the way forward to resolving the issue. ­­

Socio Economic Status of Scheduled Tribes in Kolli Hills of Tamil Nadu

Social and economic justice, equal status and opportunities and the assurance of the dignity of the individual are guaranteed by the Indian Constitution for all citizens among other things. Economic and social marginalization, primitive life, geographical isolation, and educational backwardness define the Scheduled Tribes communities in India. India's constitution is filled with several provisions for scheduling castes and scheduling tribes to protect and endorse them by improvising their socio- economic interests to bring them into the nation's mainstream. Two stage sampling method was used for this study. The majority of the people in the field of study are illiterate. The main occupation is agriculture and income from this helps the individuals in the field of research in their everyday expenses. More significance and emphasis needs to be given to the educational aspects to enhance their social standing in the future. In this study the researcher tries to understand the current socio-economic status of the Scheduled tribes in Kolli Hills Namakkal district Tamil Nadu.