Phenological behaviour of gobhi sarson (Brassica napus L.) and thermal indices as influenced by drip irrigation and fertigation schedules under semi-arid subtropical condition of Punjab

A field experiment was conducted during rabi 2016-17 and 2017-18, at the Research Farm of Department of Agronomy, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, to study the phenological behaviour of gobhi sarson (Brassicanapus L.) and thermal indices as influenced by drip irrigation (60, 80 and 100% of cumulative pan-evaporation, CPE) and fertigation schedules (60, 80 and 100 % recommended dose of fertilizers, RDF) in comparison with conventional flood irrigation and manual application of fertilizers i.e. absolute control. The pooled data revealed that Brassica irrigated through drip at 100 % of CPE took maximum number of days to attain 50% flowering, 50% siliqua formation and physiological maturity, followed by 80 and 60% of CPE. Higher fertigation levels also delayed the number of days taken to attain various phenological stages. Maximum seed yield was observed at 100% of CPE with 100% RDF which was statistically at par with 100% of CPE with 80% RDF and 80% of CPE with 80 or 100% RDF, but significantly higher than absolute control. Maximum accumulation of heat units along with heat use efficiency (1.49 kg grains ha-1 °C day hour-1) was also obtained at 100% of CPE with 100% RDF.

Studies on Nutrigenetic Traits of Silkworm, Bombyxmori L. for Determining Growth and Development for Identifying Parental Breeds for Breeding under Subtropical Region of North West India

Study was conducted during spring and autumn season (2018 & 2019) to screen and identify rich nutrigenetic breeds from the selected breed’s for their nutrigenetic traits in silkworm, BombyxmoriL.(Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) is an essential prerequisite for better understanding and development of nutritionally efficient breeds under Subtropical condition of Jammu based on the breeds which shows less food consumption with higher efficiency conversion based on leaf to cocoon and leaf to shell ratio. Highly significant variations were found among all nutrigenetic traits of bivoltine silkworm breeds in the study. The nutritionally efficient silkworm breeds were shortlisted by utilizing nutrition consumption index and efficiency for conversion of ingesta/cocoon traits as the index for selection of highly promising breeds. Furthermore, based on the average of data from both the seasons, the overall rearing nutrigenetic traits utilized as index, eight bivoltine silkworm breeds (B.con 1, B.con 4, BHR 2, ATR 16, BHR 3, CSR 50, RSJ 14 and NB4D2) were identified as havingthe potential for nutrition efficiency conversion and can be utilized for further breeding programme. The data from the present study advances our knowledge for the development of nutritionally efficient silkworm breeds/hybrids and their effective commercial utilization in the sericulture industry.