The Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers
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भारत की विकास गाथा पर इंजीनियरिंग और प्रौद्योगिकी का प्रभाव
No full textभारत की विकास गाथा पर इंजीनियरिंगऔर प्रौद्योगिकी का प्रभा
मृदा जल संरक्षण और प्रबंधन में सटीक कृषि की भूमिका
No full textदुनिया भर में और विशेष रूप से भारत जो बढ़ती जनसंख्या और अनियमित उपभोग पैटर्न के कारण पहले से ही जल तनाव क्षेत्र है, में जल स्रोत तेजी से कम हो रहे हैं। दुनिया अब अनुभव कर रही है कि पानी जो इस समय सबसे महत्वपूर्ण संसाधन है, की जल्द ही भारी कमी होने वाली है
Extending the Shelf Life of Guavas by Applying Composite Coating of Whey Protein Isolate, Xanthan Gum, and Clove Oil
No full textGuava (Psidium guajava) is a climacteric fruit belonging to the family Myrtaceae. This investigation aimed to explain the effect of coatings formulated from whey protein isolate (5% w/v; 5 g per 100 mL), xanthan gum (XG; 1% on a protein isolate basis to provide stability and consistency), clove oil (2 mL as an antimicrobial agent), and glycerol monostearate (2% w/v on a protein isolate basis to enhance the free volume within the polymer structure) on guavas. The guavas were divided into six distinct groups and subsequently coated using the dipping technique. Non-coated guavas, along with those subjected to various treatments, were evaluated under controlled environmental conditions (20°C and 70% relative humidity). The efficacy of the coatings on various quality attributes was investigated on the 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, and 15th day of storage. The shelf life of coated samples demonstrated an enhancement in firmness and color retention. Total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, total phenolic content, total sugars, and reducing sugars showed better retention in coated samples than in non-coated samples. The findings indicated that all formulated coatings have the capability to maintain quality attributes and prolong the shelf life of guavas. The study revealed that Guava Coating 2 (GC2, whey protein isolate and xanthan gum in 3:1 ratio) significantly enhanced the shelf life while preserving guava quality, including TSS (10.3° Brix), pH (7.2), ascorbic acid (143.23 mg 100g-1), total sugar (11.32%), reducing sugar (5.93%), total phenolic content (146.60 mg 100g-1), total flavonoid content (122.32 mg 100g-1), and total plate count (6.43 log CFU g-1) during 15 days of storage
Effectiveness of Drone Mounted Sprayer for Managing Brown Planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) in Paddy Eco-system
No full textThe introduction of drone-mounted sprayers in Indian agriculture has created opportunities for precision pesticide application, yet challenges remain in defining crop- and growth-stage-specific operational strategies. Farmers often adopt blanket applications that result in excessive drift, wastage of pesticides, and reduced efficacy. To address this, a field experiment was conducted in paddy field to evaluate the performance of flupyrimin 10% SC applied through a drone-mounted sprayer at varying dosage levels. Treatments included a lower dose (75 g a.i. ha⁻¹), the recommended dose (100 g a.i. ha⁻¹), a higher dose (125 g a.i. ha⁻¹), and a double dose (200 g a.i. ha⁻¹) to assess phytotoxicity. Comparative applications using motorised power and knapsack sprayers were also included. Results showed that drone-based applications at 75 and 100 g a.i. ha⁻¹ were statistically at par (p ≤ 0.05) in suppressing brown planthopper populations while achieving grain yields of 55.83 and 56.28 q ha⁻¹, respectively. The maximum benefit–cost ratio was obtained with 75 g a.i. ha⁻¹ (1.70), followed closely by 100 g a.i. ha⁻¹ (1.68) and 125 g a.i. ha⁻¹ (1.66). The natural enemy population did not differ significantly between drone and conventional spraying methods, and no phytotoxicity symptoms were observed even at double the recommended dose (200 g a.i. ha⁻¹). The improved performance of reduced dosages may be attributed to enhanced coverage and deposition efficiency of drone-mounted spraying. The findings suggested that in the paddy ecosystem, a 25% reduction in flupyrimin dosage (75 g a.i. ha⁻¹) delivered comparable pest suppression and yield outcomes to the recommended dose. This demonstrates the potential of drones to reduce pesticide usage without compromising efficacy, while providing farmers with benchmarks for operationally efficient and environmentally sustainable application practices
Spatiotemporal Changes in Land Use/Land Cover: A Case Study of Hamirpur Block, Himachal Pradesh
No full textAnthropogenic growth-oriented activities have resulted in climate change over the globe, and thus, it is important to detect changes in land use/land cover (LULC) over different parts of the world in order to assess their influence on climate change. This study presents development and verification of the LULC changes in Hamirpur block of Himachal Pradesh, India due to modern urbanization. The LULC changes were evaluated over three periods, i.e., 2002-2013, 2013-2021 and 2002-2021. High-resolution imageries of Landsat-7, Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 for the years 2002, 2013 and 2021, respectively, were used for developing the LULC maps by employing supervised classification techniques. The developed maps were verified by collecting ground truth data of 140 sites. The overall accuracy of the classified images for the years 2002, 2013, and 2021 was found to be 97.86%, 98.57% and 87.86%, respectively. The kappa coefficient values for 2002, 2013 and 2021 were 0.94, 0.98 and 0.95, respectively. Further, overlay analysis was carried out on the LULC maps for 2002-2013 and 2013-2021 to analyze the changes in LULC. The results revealed that area under agricultural land, barren/ shrub/ wasteland, and waterbody declined by 4.91%, 21.69%, and 25%, respectively during 2002-2021 period. An area of 0.992 km2 of waterbody class was converted to forest land, agriculture land, barren land and built-up area. The forest and agriculture classes (2.075 km2 area) were converted to built-up land. The reduction in waterbody is likely to affect water availability for irrigation and decrease crop production due to water shortage in future. However, built-up and forest areas increased by 2.39 km2 (22.05%) and 0.82 km2 (1.14%), respectively. These scientific observations support that anthropogenic growth-oriented activities are contributing to changes in LULC and climate
GIS-Integrated Water Quality Indices for Evaluating Irrigation Suitability of Groundwater
No full textThis study aimed to assess groundwater quality suitability for irrigation in the Sabi River basin of Rajasthan, India, using geographic information system (GIS). Water quality investigations, before and after the monsoon season of years 2022-23 and 2023-24, involved collection of groundwater samples from tubewells located at 83 sites. Total 13 chemical parameters, i.e., pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, carbonate, bicarbonate, chloride, sulphate, fluoride, and nitrate were analyzed to understand groundwater chemistry. From irrigation point of view, two parameters (TDS and EC) and nine water quality indices (WQIs), i.e., residual sodium carbonate (RSC), soluble sodium percentage (SSP), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Kelly’s ratio (KR), permeability index (PI), magnesium hazards (MH), residual sodium bicarbonate, percent sodium (%Na) and potential salinity (PS), were computed. The WQIs were compared with the standards of irrigation water quality. The results of the WQIs, except MH and PS, revealed that groundwater quality in majority of the basin area was within the acceptable threshold for irrigation. The WQI for the basin ranged from 76 to 147 in pre-monsoon and from 72 to 132 in post-monsoon. This suggested that groundwater quality in whole of the study area was unrestricted during both pre- and post-monsoon seasons and was usable for irrigation. The United States Salinity Laboratory (USSL) diagram indicated acceptability of groundwater at almost all the sites for irrigation during both seasons. Similar finding was revealed from Wilcox diagram, except for groundwater at nine and three sites lying in doubtful to unsuitable class during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon, respectively. In both the seasons, EC and TDS exhibited positive and highly significant correlations with most of the water quality parameters. The RSC and SSP also demonstrated highly significant and positive correlations with SSP, PI, KR and % Na during both seasons. The study provided valuable information to assist planners and decision makers in better managing groundwater resources and developing water use policies in the area
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Studies of Curcumin Adsorption on Corn Cob Powder
No full textThis study investigates the potential of native and alkali-treated corn cob powder as cost-effective adsorbents for curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound with immense pharmaceutical importance. The adsorption experiments were conducted by varying parameters, such as initial curcumin concentration, the amount of corn cob, and temperature. Alkali treatment altered the surface functional groups of corn cob powder, resulting in enhanced adsorption efficiency (65.12%) compared to the native corn cob powder (52.17%). Maximum adsorption capacity and per cent adsorption were achieved at an initial concentration of 0.5 µg mL⁻¹, a temperature of 30°C, and an adsorbent amount of 12 g L⁻¹. Kinetic analysis revealed that the adsorption process followed a pseudo-first-order, suggesting physisorption is a dominating phenomenon. Equilibrium data were best described by the Freundlich isotherm, confirming a heterogeneous and multilayer adsorption mechanism. Thermodynamic analysis showed negative Gibbs free energy (ΔG) values, demonstrating spontaneity, while the negative enthalpy (ΔH) values confirmed an exothermic nature of the process. Overall, these findings highlight corn cob powder as a low-cost, renewable source with strong potential as a sustainable adsorbent for curcumin. This approach not only enhances curcumin stability and bioavailability but also contributes to circular-economy goals by valorizing agricultural waste for pharmaceutical applications
Rainfall-Runoff Modeling in a Himalayan Watershed Using Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System with Gamma Test-based Input Selection
No full textIn this study, rainfall-runoff modeling was done using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) in a Himalayan watershed of Ramganga catchment in Uttarakhand, India. The daily observed rainfall and runoff data of monsoon season for 10 years (June 2000 to September 2009) were used for training and testing of the ANFIS models. Gamma test (GT) was applied for selection of the best combination of input variables prior to modeling the rainfall-runoff process. The performance of the developed ANFIS models was evaluated by comparing the simulated and observed runoff values by using the statistical indices, like correlation coefficient (r), root mean square error (RMSE), Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and pooled average relative error (PARE). Of the total 14 models, developed using seven membership functions, model ANFIS10 was found to be the best performing with gauss-3 membership function. For the best model, values of r, RMSE, NSE and R2 were found to be 0.97, 1.03 mm, 0.92 and 0.94, respectively, during calibration stage. Similarly, values of r, RMSE, NSE and R2 for the best model during testing stage were found to be 0.95, 0.70 mm, 0.89 and 0.90, respectively. The PARE value of 0.024% and 0.005% for best model during testing and training phase, respectively, indicated negligible (0.024% and 0.005%) over-prediction highlighting its accuracy and reliability. It was found that the runoff of the present day depends on current day rainfall as well as previous two consecutive days’ rainfall and runoff. Comparison of the results of this study with that reported in earlier study revealed a higher accuracy of ANFIS model than that of multilayer perceptron based neural network, radial basis function based neural network and multiple linear regression. This study concluded that ANFIS model can be effectively used for rainfall-runoff modelling with good accuracy in the study watershed
MORINGA: The Tree of Health and Wealth
No full textMoringaoleifera, known as the “miracle tree”, grows well in tropical and subtropical regions and is believed to have originated in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.It’s a fast-growing tropical deciduous plant of the Moringaceae family, has tuberous roots, light green leaves, abundant flowers, and pendulous fruits with seeds. It belongs to a family of 13 species, butM. oleifera is the most well-known for its nutritional, medicinal, and agricultural uses.It grows well in dry areas and can survive in different types of soil, especially well-drained sandy or loamy soil with a pH between 5 and 9. This plant is often called the “Miracle Tree” because almost every part like leaves, roots, seeds, bark can be used for food, medicine, or household products. This drought-tolerant tree is one of the most affordable sources of essential nutrients and plays a crucial role in combating malnutrition, particularly among infants and lactating mothers. Moringa is rich in nutrition owing to the presence of a variety of essential phytochemicals present in its leaves, pods and seeds. In fact, moringa is said to provide 7 times more vitamin C than oranges, 10 times more vitamin A than carrots, 17 times more calcium than milk, 9 times more protein than yoghurt, 15 times more potassium than bananas and 25 times more iron than spinach. Due to its low cost, high nutritional value, and resilience to harshclimates,Moringaoleifera is considered a valuable resourcefor addressing malnutrition, especially in rural areas, and improving food security, health, and environmental sustainability
The Triple Benefits of Biochar: Water Security, Yields, and Carbon Storage
No full textAgriculture is under pressure to produce more with less water amid rising climate variability. Biochar, a stable, carbon-rich material produced through the pyrolysis of organic waste, is emerging as a scientifically backed solution.Although the idea of using carbonized biomass is centuries old, as seen in the fertile “Terra Preta” soils of the Amazon, today’s innovation lies in tailoring biochar properties to specific soil and climate conditions. Its effectiveness comes from its unique physical structure and surface chemistry. With a high internal surface area, variable pore sizes, and reactive surface charges, biochar interacts with soil particles, water, and nutrients in ways that directly affect crop growth. When designed and applied properly, biochar can conserve water, stabilize nutrients, neutralize acidic soils, and create conditions that favor root development and microbial activity. Importantly, it is not a one-size-fitsall solution; its performance depends on the feedstock used, pyrolysis conditions, application method, and integration with other soil amendments