June 2023 VOLUME: 5 ISSUE-1

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES & ALLIED INDUSTRIES JOURNAL

Management of Dry Root Rot of Chickpea Through Biofortified Vermicompost

Kartikay Bisen, Vinay J Silas, Aneeta Yadav

  • Pages: 1-12
    • <p>Dry root rot of chickpea caused by Rhizoctonia bataticola (syn. Macrophomina phaseolina) is one of the major soilborne diseases responsible for significant yield losses under moisture stress conditions. The present study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of biofortified vermicompost against dry root rot of chickpea under field conditions. Treatments included vermicompost alone and vermicompost fortified separately with Trichoderma harzianum, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas fluorescens, along with an untreated control. Observations on plant height were recorded at 30, 60, and 90 days after sowing, while defense-related enzymes such as phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), peroxidase (PO), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were analyzed at 0, 1, 3, and 6 days after pathogen inoculation. The results revealed that vermicompost fortified with Trichoderma harzianum significantly enhanced plant growth and recorded the highest activities of PAL, PO, and PPO compared to other treatments and control. Treatments involving Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas fluorescens also showed considerable improvement in plant growth and induction of defense enzymes. The increased activity of defense enzymes indicated activation of induced resistance mechanisms in chickpea plants. The study suggests that biofortified vermicompost, particularly when combined with Trichoderma harzianum, can serve as an effective and eco-friendly approach for sustainable management of dry root rot of chickpea.</p>

Role of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in Enhancing Income and Livelihood Security of Mango Growers in Uttar Pradesh

Dr. Anuj Tiwari

  • Pages: 1-9
    • <p>Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have emerged as one of the most important institutional mechanisms for improving the socio-economic condition of small and marginal farmers in India. In Uttar Pradesh, especially in mango-growing regions such as Malihabad in Lucknow district, FPOs play a significant role in strengthening collective marketing, improving bargaining power, enhancing adoption of improved agricultural technologies, and ensuring better market access. The present review paper synthesizes available literature and findings related to the functioning of FPOs and their impact on mango growers. The review highlights the contribution of FPOs in reducing input costs, improving productivity, increasing income, promoting value addition, and generating employment opportunities. The paper also discusses major constraints faced by FPOs, including poor infrastructure, weak financial support, inadequate managerial skills, and low awareness among farmers. Finally, suitable policy recommendations and strategies are proposed to strengthen FPOs for sustainable agricultural and rural development.</p>

Recent Scenario of Development of Gene Editing Tools and Their Application in Crop Improvement

Syed Mohd Quatadah, Nagmi Praween, Aneeta Yadav, Vinay Joseph Silas and Jitendra Kumar

  • Pages: 1-6
    • <p>The rapid advancement of gene editing technologies has revolutionized modern agriculture and plant biotechnology. Traditional breeding methods, although successful in crop improvement, are often time-consuming and less precise. The emergence of targeted genome editing tools such as Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFNs), Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs), and especially Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-associated systems has transformed the field of crop improvement by enabling accurate and efficient genetic modifications. Recent developments including base editing, prime editing, multiplex genome editing, RNA editing, and AI-assisted CRISPR systems have further enhanced precision and minimized off-target effects. These tools are being widely utilized for developing crops with improved yield, nutritional quality, disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, and climate resilience. The present review discusses the recent scenario of development in gene editing technologies and highlights their significant applications in crop improvement programs. Furthermore, the review addresses regulatory concerns, biosafety issues, ethical considerations, and future prospects of genome editing in sustainable agriculture (Li, B., et. Al., 2024).</p>

Performance of Different Varieties of Garden Pea (Pisum sativum L.) for Growth and Yield under Open Field Conditions

1Dr. Jitendra Kumar, 1Dr. Sarvesh Kumar, 1Dr. Ravikesh kumar pal, Dr. Syad Mohd Quatadah and 1Dr. Vinay Joseph silas

  • Pages: 1-7
    • <p>A field experiment was conducted at the Agricultural Research Field of Rama University, Mandhana, Kanpur, during the rabi season of 2026 to evaluate the performance of eight garden pea (Pisum sativum L.) varieties under open field conditions. The trial was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with three replications. Significant differences were observed among the varieties for all growth and yield parameters. Pusa Pragati emerged as the superior variety, recording the highest plant height (89.50 cm), number of branches per plant (6.4), earliest germination (5.5 days), highest germination percentage (94.3%), earliest flowering (38.7 days to first flowering), longest pods (10.60 cm), maximum pods per plant (25.8), peas per pod (8.6), pod weight per plant (198.7 g), and green pod yield (12.40 t/ha). Kashi Mukti ranked second in performance. Economically, Pusa Pragati gave the highest net returns (Rs.2,30,000/ha) and benefit-cost ratio (3.87). The number of pods per plant showed strong positive correlation with most growth and yield traits. Overall, Pusa Pragati was found to be the most promising and economically viable variety for open-field cultivation under Kanpur conditions.</p>

Integrated Assessment of Minimum Tillage and Residue Retention for Improving Resource-Use Efficiency in Wheat Cultivation

Sarvesh Kumar and Mandeep Kumar

  • Pages: 1-8
    • <p>Conventional intensive tillage practices in cereal-based cropping systems have contributed significantly to soil degradation, declining soil organic carbon, reduced water-use efficiency, and increasing production costs. Conservation agriculture practices such as minimum tillage and crop residue retention have emerged as sustainable alternatives for improving soil health and enhancing resource-use efficiency in wheat cultivation. The present study evaluated the integrated effects of minimum tillage and residue retention on growth, yield, soil properties, nutrient dynamics, water-use efficiency, and energy productivity in Wheat cultivation. A field experiment comprising twelve treatment combinations involving conventional tillage, minimum tillage, zero tillage, residue retention levels, and integrated nutrient management was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results indicated that minimum tillage combined with crop residue retention significantly improved soil moisture conservation, soil organic carbon, microbial biomass, nutrient-use efficiency, and grain yield compared with conventional tillage systems. The highest grain yield (6.94 t ha?&sup1;), water-use efficiency (15.8 kg ha?&sup1; mm?&sup1;), and soil organic carbon (0.82%) were observed under minimum tillage with 100% residue retention and integrated nutrient management. Residue retention improved soil aggregation, moderated soil temperature, reduced bulk density, and enhanced nutrient cycling. The integrated conservation practices also reduced energy consumption and improved sustainability indices. The findings demonstrate that minimum tillage and residue retention are effective climate-smart strategies for sustainable wheat production and resource conservation in cereal-based systems.</p>

Integrated Nutrient Management Strategies for Improving Yield and Soil Health in Cereal-Based Cropping Systems

Mandeep Kumar1 , Ravikesh Kumar Pal2 , Sarvesh Kumr 3, and Durgesh kumar maurya 4

  • Pages: 1-9
    • <p>Intensive cereal-based cropping systems have substantially contributed to global food security; however, continuous cultivation coupled with excessive dependence on chemical fertilizers has resulted in declining soil fertility, nutrient imbalance, soil organic matter depletion, and reduced factor productivity. Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), involving the combined application of inorganic fertilizers, organic manures, crop residues, and biofertilizers, has emerged as a sustainable strategy for improving crop productivity while maintaining soil health. The present study evaluates the effects of integrated nutrient management strategies on yield performance, nutrient-use efficiency, soil biological properties, and sustainability in cereal-based cropping systems. Field experiments were conducted under rice&ndash;wheat and maize&ndash;wheat systems using combinations of farmyard manure (FYM), crop residues, green manures, biofertilizers, and recommended doses of chemical fertilizers. Results indicated that integrated nutrient application significantly improved grain yield, soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, enzymatic activity, nutrient availability, and water-use efficiency compared with sole inorganic fertilization. Integrated treatments enhanced nitrogen-use efficiency and reduced nutrient losses while sustaining long-term productivity. Soil physical properties such as aggregate stability, porosity, and water-holding capacity were also improved. The combined application of organic and inorganic nutrient sources promoted balanced nutrient cycling and enhanced resilience against climatic variability. The study concludes that INM is an essential component of sustainable cereal production systems and offers significant opportunities for climate-smart agriculture and soil restoration.</p>

Effect of nitrogen level on growth and yield Attributing characters of radish (RaphanussativusL.) cv. PusaChetki

Vinay J Silas, Jitendra Kumar, Sarvesh Kumar & Syed MohdQuatadah

  • Pages: 1-9
    • <p>The present investigation entitled &ldquo;Effect of nitrogen level on growth and yield Attributing character of radish (RaphanussativusL.) cv. PusaChetki &rdquo;was carried out during Rabi season in the year 2023-24 at Research plot of Department of Vegetable Science at Rama University Kanpur. The experiment was laid out in Randomised Block Design with eight treatments randomized thrice. PusaChetki variety was taken to study best suitable combination of Nitrogen to get highest yield in radish. The Different Nitrogen level used viz., N0 (Control); N1 (60 kg Nitrogen/ha); N2 (80 kg Nitrogen/ha); N3 (100 kg Nitrogen/ha); N4 (120 kg Nitrogen/ha); N5 (140 kg Nitrogen/ha); N6 (160 kg Nitrogen/ha) and N7 (180 kg Nitrogen/ha).It is observed from the investigation that the treatment N4- 120 kg Nitrogen/ha gave the highest growth and yield parameters viz., Plant height at 15 DAS, 30 DAS and at harvest(13.84,26.50 and 65.10cm), number of leaves per plant at 15 DAS, 30 DAS and at harvest(6.72,9.84and 17.10), Fresh weight of leaves at 15 DAS, 30 DAS and at harvest (44.10,83.28 and 118.32gm), Leaf area per plant at 15DAS, 30 DAS and at harvest (41.20,132.54 and 170.64cm2), Length of leaves at harvesting(38.22cm), Root length (26.78cm), Root girth (12.10cm), Average plant weight at Harvesting (224.15gm), Fresh root weight (150.45gm/plant), Yield per plot (34.15kg) and Yield per hectare (376.52q) respectively. While, the minimum results were found under N0 (Control) for all the parameters. So, we can suggest to farmers that the dose of 120 kg Nitrogen/ha gave the better results in term of growth and yield of Radish.</p>
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