​Performance of Different Farming Practices in Legume based Cropping System under Mid-hills of H.P. Himalayas

Background: Increasing demands of food, depleting land, degrading land resources and changing climate are some of the important factors driving the cropping systems of any agro-ecological zone in the world. Cropping systems have been traditionally structured to maximize crop yields. Now, there is a strong need to design cropping systems which take into consideration the emerging social, economical and ecological or environmental concerns. Legumes can provide opportunities for increased productivity to be sustained because of their adaptability to various cropping patterns and ability to fix nitrogen. Legume-based crop rotation helps to conserve organic matter, maximise soil nitrogen, balance soil nutrients, maintain soil physical properties and break soil-borne disease cycles. Moreover, with increasing fertilizer prices and emphasis of the government for doubling the farmer’s income by reducing cost of cultivation, the current trend is to explore the possibility of supplementing chemical fertilizer with the organic ones, more particularly organic manures and bio-fertilizer of microbial origin. The current study is aimed to increase small and marginal farmer’s income and to reduce cost of cultivation through legume based vegetable cropping systems and to find out best farming practices. Methods: Field experiments were conducted at Organic Farm Holta, Department of Organic Agriculture and Natural farming, CSK HPKV, Palampur (H.P.) during kharif and rabi seasons of 2018-19 and 2019-20 on silty clay loam soil to study the performance of different farming practices in legume based cropping system under mid- hills of H.P. Himalayas. The experiment was laid out under Split plot design with three replications comprising of three sequences in legume vegetable-based cropping systems i.e., “Soybean-Onion”, “Okra-Pea” and “Mash-Garlic” under different farming practices i.e., Organic farming, Natural farming, Inorganic and Integrated farming practices. For comparison of different crops soybean equivalent yield and pea equivalent yields were calculated in kharif and rabi seasons, respectively. Result: In kharif seasons okra crop attained highest soybean equivalent yield followed by soybean and mash crop. In rabi seasons garlic crop attained highest pea grain equivalent yield followed by onion and pea crop. During both kharif seasons organic farming practices attained highest yield and was at par with integrated farming practices. Significantly highest yield was attained from integrated farming practices and was at par with organic farming practices in both rabi seasons. Highest net returns, net returns per rupee attained was in inorganic farming system. Highest cost of cultivation was found in organic farming practices.

Comparative Studies of Soybean (Glycine max L.) based Cropping Systems for Sustainable Production in Malwa Plateau of Central India

Background: Large area under soybean is spread over Central India. Due to short growing season, soybean fits well in a number of cropping systems and is well suited for intercropping with a number of crops resulting in better land equivalent ratio and helps in the risk aversion due to climatic uncertainties in rainfed conditions. It has increased more cropping intensity and B;C ratio (profitability). All domestic demands of the farmers pertaining to agricultural produce could not be possible to fulfill by growing crops in existing soybean-wheat/gram cropping systems. Methods: A field trial was conducted during rainy, winter and late winter seasons of the year 2015-16 and 2016-17 at the research farm of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhar, M.P. to assess comparative studies of soybean (Glycine max L.) based cropping systems for sustainable production in Malwa Plateau of Central India. There were altogether16 treatments comprising of soybean sequenced with wheat, chick pea, garlic, onion, potato and garden pea with inclusion of garlic, onion in late winter and assessed in randomized block design with four replications. Result: Soybean (JS 93-05) - potato (Kufri jyoti) - onion (AFLR) cropping sequence recorded the highest system productivity 177.31 q/ha) in terms of soybean equivalent yield with greater production efficiency (56.55 kg/ha/day), land use efficiency (85.89%) and sustainable yield index (0.91) while existing crop sequence viz. T3- soybean (JS 95-60) - chickpea (JG-130) recorded minimum soybean equivalent yield (42.79 q/ha) with production efficiency (22.93 kg/ha/day), use efficiency of land (56.30%) and sustainable yield index (0.50).

Yield Potential and Monetary Advantage Index of Maize Intercropped with Grain Legumes in Anyigba, Kogi State, Nigeria

Traditional mixtures of food crop species involve intercrop of plants with dissimilar size and growth cycle on the field. However, the Relative Yield Potential (RYP) and Land Equivalent Ratios (LER) of these mixtures are given less prejudice especially in monetary terms by ancient farmers. This necessitate an experiment conducted during the 2016 and 2018 rainy seasons. The treatments consisted of Maize (TZESR – Open Pollinated), Cowpea (Sampea - 7), Peanut (Samnut - 24) and Soybean (TGX 713 – 09D) as sole crops sown at seed rates of 25 and 50 kgha-1 for maize and legumes respectively. The grain legumes were intercropped with maize in the ratio of 4:1, 2:1 or 1:1 as additional rows in between the normal rows of maize planted at a spacing of 75 x 25cm. Results revealed that intercropping of maize with either cowpea, peanut or soybean in 2:1 ratio was most productive in terms of maize equivalent yield and declined thereafter, with increase in the legume proportion, though maintained its superiority over sole planting of maize. Maize intercropped with soybean in the ratios 4:1 gave the highest mean biological maize equivalent compared to its sole planting at different combinations of legumes. Maize + Peanut gave the highest mean Land Equivalent Ratio (1.81) followed by maize + Cowpea (1.74) and maize + soybean (1.59) all sown in the ratio of 2:1. Intercropping of legumes with maize appeared to be more aggressive than sole planting of maize or legumes. Maize + Peanut (2:1) gave the highest mean Monetary Advantage Index (MAI) of 7789.0, Mean Yield Index (MYI) of 79.0. However, regardless of the ratio in which Maize + peanut was combined, result of 47% MAI showed a greater biological relationship, effective competition, hence recommended. Highest cost/benefit ratio (5.09 and 4.45) was obtained with maize + soybean (4:1) during 2016 and 2018, respectively.

Agrometeorological Indices, Crop Phenology and Yield of Pigeon pea as Influenced by Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) based Intercropping System

A field investigation was conducted at experimental farm, Department of Agricultural Meteorology, located at college of Agriculture, V.N.M.K.V, Parbhani during kharif season of 2019-20. The experiment was laid out in RBD with three replication, under this study there were nine treatments viz. T1 (Pigeon pea + Sorghum), T2 (Pigeon pea + Maize), T3 (Pigeon pea + Soybean), T4 (Pigeon pea + Sesamum), T5 (Pigeon pea), T6 (Sorghum), T7 (Maize), T8 (Soybean), T9 (Sesamum). In pigeon pea the highest total agrometeorological indices (GDD, HTU and PTU) accumulated by intercropped treatment T1 as compared to sole, by sorghum, maize and sesamum was highest in intercropped treatment i.e. (T1), (T2) and (T4) than in sole whereas, the accumulated agrometeorological indices by soybean was highest in sole treatment i.e. (T8) than intercropped (T3). Significantly higher Pigeon pea equivalent yield was attained with treatment T3 followed by T4, lowest recorded in T1 intercropping system. The highest stalk / stover yield was attained by T2 as compared to sole whereas, lowest was recorded in T8. Treatment T3 performed better than other and this treatment was better in terms of growth and yield attributing characters.

Effect of date of sowing and rainfall on sustainability of yield and rainwater use efficiency in cereal crops under arid alfisols

An assessment of the effects of date of sowing and crop seasonal rainfall on the sustainability of yield and rainwater use efficiency (RWUE) of sorghum, pearl millet and foxtail millet sown on five dates at 15 days interval from first fortnight of June to first fortnight of August during 2009 to 2014 under arid Alfisols at Anantapur has been made in this paper. A suitable date of sowing has been identified for each crop based on the relationships sorghum equivalent yield with crop seasonal rainfall and crop growing period observed in the 6-year study. The yield was significantly influenced by the variation in the crop seasonal rainfall and crop growing period when sown on different dates of sowing. It was significantly higher when crops were sown with the onset of monsoon in the first fortnight of June, and decreased with the subsequent sowings. Among crops, sorghum attained maximum mean yield of 923 kg ha-1 with RWUE of 2.73 kg ha-1 mm-1; while pearl millet attained mean yield of 873 kg ha-1 with RWUE of 2.95 kg ha-1 mm-1 and foxtail millet attained mean yield of 646 kg ha-1 with RWUE of 1.64 kg ha-1 mm-1 when sown during first fortnight of June. Based on the ranks assigned to the yield attained on different dates of sowing in different years, pearl millet was superior for sustaining maximum yield and RWUE comparedto sorghum and foxtail millet under arid Alfisols at Anantapur.

Effect of Maize (Zea mays L.) and Legume Intercropping Systems on Weed Dynamics

The field experiments were conducted during two consecutive seasons of kharif (June to October), 2016 and 2017 at the Experimental Research Farm, ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Nagaland Centre, Medziphema, Nagaland, India. The treatments consisted of four planting geometries i.e. maize+black gram (1:1), maize+black gram (2:2), maize+soybean (1:1) and maize+soybean (2:2) and three weed management practices i.e. weedy check, pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1+one hand weeding (1HW) at 30 DAS and two hand weedings (2HW) at 20 and 40 DAS. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with two factors comprising twelve treatment combinations and replicated three times. The results revealed that among the planting geometry, maize+soybean (2:2) recorded the highest weed control efficiency (WCE) and reduced the weed population, fresh weight and dry weight of monocot and dicot weed at 60 DAS and gave the maximum maize equivalent yield (4374.96 kg ha-1). Among the weed management, 2HW at 20 and 40 DAS recorded the lowest weed population, fresh weight, dry weight and the highest weed control efficiency (WCE) of monocot and dicot weed at 60 DAS and the maximum maize equivalent yield as 4591.10 kg ha-1 which was at par with the pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1+1HW at 30 DAS as 4461.80 kg ha-1. The highest net return (` ha-1), return per rupee invested and B: C ratio were recorded from the pre-emergence application of pendimethalin @ 1.0 kg a.i. ha-1+1HW at 30 DAS with ` 36624.05 ha-1 which was closely followed by 2HW at 20 and 40 DAS with Rs. 35428.81 ha-1.

Bio-Compost-Based Integrated Soil Fertility Management Improves Post-harvest Soil Structural and Elemental Quality in a Two-Year Conservation Agriculture Practice

The impacts of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) in conservation agriculture need short-term evaluation before continuation of its long-term practice. A split-split plot experiment with tillage (minimum tillage, MT vs. conventional tillage, CT) as the main plot, residue (20% residue, R vs. no residue as a control, NR) as the sub-plot, and compost (Trichocompost, LC; bio-slurry, BS; and recommended fertilization, RD) as the sub-sub plot treatment was conducted for two consecutive years. Composite soils were collected after harvesting the sixth crop of an annual mustard-rice-rice rotation to analyze for nutrient distribution and soil structural stability. The LC increased rice equivalent yield by 2% over RD and 4% over BS, and nitrogen (N) uptake by 11% over RD and 10% over BS. Likewise, LC had higher soil organic carbon (SOC), N, and available sulphur (S) than BS and RD. Conversion of CT to MT reduced rice equivalent yield by 11%, N uptake by 26%, and N-use efficiency by 28%. Conversely, soil structural stability and elemental quality was greater in MT than in CT, indicating the potential of MT to sequester C, N, P, and S in soil aggregates. Residue management increased rice yield in the second year by 4% and corresponding N uptake by 8%. While MT reduced the yield, our results suggest that ISFM with Trichocompost and residue retention under MT improves soil fertility and physical stability to sustain crop productivity.

Bolide Energetics and Infrasound Propagation: Exploring the 18 December 2018 Bering Sea Event to Identify Limitations of Empirical and Numerical Models

Infrasound observations are an important tool in assessing the energetics of bolides and can help quantify the flux of meteoroids through Earth’s atmosphere. Bolides are also important atmospheric sources for assessing long-range infrasound propagation models and can be used as benchmark events for validating the International Monitoring System (IMS) infrasound network, which is designed to detect nuclear tests in the atmosphere. This article exploits unique infrasound observations from a large bolide recorded on IMS infrasound arrays and high-density infrasound deployments in the United States to assess limitations in infrasound source scaling relationships. The observations provide an unprecedented sampling of infrasound propagation along a transect at an azimuth of 60° from the source to a distance of ∼8000 km. Widely used empirical laws for assessing bolide energetics and state-of-the-art numerical models for simulating infrasound propagation are assessed to quantify important discrepancies with the observations. In particular, empirical laws for equivalent yield, which are based on signal period and are assumed to be relatively unaffected by propagation effects, can be heavily contaminated by site noise. In addition, by modeling infrasound propagation over a range of ∼8000 km, we show that state-of-the-art models do not reproduce the observed amplitude decay over this long range (which decays by a rate of at least 2 higher than can be modeled).

Exploring possibilities of Potato cultivation in Rice-Fallow of Sikkim

Frontline demonstration on potato (Kufri Sindhuri) was conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, East Sikkim, India. A total 158 nos. of demonstration were conducted in rice-fallow (farmers’ practice) at farmer’s field in nine numbers of villages during the year 2019-20. Results revealed that average yield of rice and potato recorded was 2.09 t/ha and 14.13 t/ha, respectively. Higher system rice equivalent yield (REY) was recorded 16.22 t/ha in rice-potato and 2.1 t/ha and rice-fallow system. System production efficiency (SPE) was also higher in rice-potato (62.14 kg/ha/day) as compared to rice-fallow (14.51 kg/ha/day). Land use efficiency (LUE) was recorded 71.51 % and 39.45 % in rice-potato and rice-fallow system, respectively. Net return was found Rs.16032/ha in rice-fallow and Rs.183952/- with rice-potato system during the years of demonstration. Higher benefit to cost (B: C) ratio was found 2.82:1 in rice-potato than in rice-fallow (1.62:1) system. Economic efficiency was also recorded higher in rice -potato (704.80 Rs/ha/day) than rice-fallow (111.33 Rs/ha/day) during the demonstrated year. Hence, it may be concluded that the inclusion of potato in rice -fallow is an option for increasing the additional income of the farmers for their livelihood improvement.

Sustainability, productivity, profitability and soil health with conservation agriculture based sustainable intensification of oilseed brassica production system

Conservation agriculture (CA) practices are getting space world-wide to answer many emerging challenges like; declining factor productivity, deteriorating soil health, water scarcity, climate change, and farm profitability and sustainability. Oilseed brassica (Indian mustard, Brassica juncea L.), a winter oilseed grown under rainfed agro-ecosystem is vulnerable to low yields, high production cost, degrading soil and water quality, and climatic vagaries. The present study was undertaken on CA-based sustainable intensification of Indian mustard for enhancing inputs efficiencies, farm profitability and sustainability. Permanent beds with residue retention (PB + R) improved mustard equivalent yield (11.4%) and system grain yield (10.6%) compared with conventional tillage without residue (CT − R). Maize–mustard rotation (Mz–M) increased system grain yield (142.9%) as well as mustard equivalent yield (60.7%) compared with fallow-mustard (F-M). Mz–M system under PB + R increased sustainable yield index (376.5%), production efficiency (177.2%), economic efficiency (94%) and irrigation water productivity (66%) compared with F-M under CT − R. PB + R increased soil organic carbon (SOC) stock at 0–15 cm (17.7%) and 15–30 cm (29.5%) soil depth compared with CT − R. Addition of green gram in rotation with mustard improved SOC at 0–15 cm (27.4%) and 15–30 cm (20.5%) compared with F-M system. CA-based cluster bean-mustard/GG-M system increased N productivity, whereas, P and K productivity improved with Mz–M system compared with F-M under CT − R. Thus, CA-based Mz–M system should be out-scaled in the traditional rainfed fallow-mustard system to improve the farm production and income on holistic basis to make the country self-sufficient in edible oils.