International Journal of Plant & Soil Science
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Compatibility of Herbicides with Micronutrient Formulation for Foliar Application in Rice
No full textTank mixing of agrochemicals is a common practice among farmers in order to save time and labour cost involved in crop protection. An experiment was conducted from July to November 2022 at Kerala Agricultural University to study the compatibility of tank mixing micronutrient formulation (Sampoorna KAU multimix) with post emergence herbicides for rice. The design was Randomized Block Design with thirteen treatments replicated thrice. The treatments were bispyribac sodium 0.03 kg/ ha + Sampoorna (T1), cyhalofop butyl+ penoxsulam (premix) 0.15 kg/ ha + Sampoorna (T2), 2,4-D Na salt 0.8 kg/ ha + Sampoorna (T3), metsulfuron methyl + chlorimuron ethyl (premix) 0.004 kg/ ha + Sampoorna (T4), cyhalofop butyl 0.08 kg/ ha + Sampoorna (T5), bispyribac sodium 0.03 kg/ ha (T6), cyhalofop butyl+ penoxsulam (premix) 0.15 kg/ ha (T7), 2,4-D Na salt 0.8 kg/ ha (T8), metsulfuron methyl+ chlorimuron ethyl (premix) 0.004 kg/ ha (T9), cyhalofop butyl 0.08kg/ ha (T10), hand weeding at 20 & 40 DAT (days after transplanting)+ Sampoorna (T11) , hand weeding at 20 & 40 DAT (without Sampoorna) (T12) and unweeded check (T13). Sole application of herbicides and respective tank mix application with micronutrient formulation were carried out at 20 days after transplanting. Tank mix application of 2,4-D with Sampoorna resulted in severe crop phytotoxicity and registered significantly lower chlorophyll content at panicle initiation stage. The lower plant height, tiller number, productive tillers and yield were registered in tank mix application of 2,4-D or metsulfuron methyl+ chlorimuron ethyl (premix) with micronutrient formulation. Tank mixing of bispyribac sodium, cyhalofop butyl and cyhalofop butyl+ penoxsulam (premix) were found to be compatible with micronutrient formulation, and registered comparable weed control efficiency and grain yield to that of their sole application
Screening of Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.) Genotypes against Pod Borer Complex under Field Conditions in Eastern Plateau and Hill Region of India
No full textThe pod borer complex, including Helicoverpa armigera, Melanagromyza obtusa, and Exelastis atomosa are one of the major problems of pigeonpea cultivation in the eastern plateau and hill region (EPHR) of India. Field screening of fourteen medium-duration pigeonpea genotypes for their response to key pod borer complex was assessed during Kharif 2023-24 and 2024-25 in a randomized block design at the research farm of Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, India. The total pod damage caused by the pod borer complex varied from 9.27% in Ormanjhi-local to 21.70% in BAUPP 22-12. Per cent grain damage exhibited a comparable pattern, ranging between 5.70% and 13.90%, and showed a significant correlation with pod damage. Across both years, Ormanjhi-local consistently showed the lowest pod damage from 3.20 to 4.60 percent and showed the lowest pest susceptibility rating, ranging from 55.21% to 63.08% in both years. Ormanjhi-local proved to be the most promising genotype for resistance against major pod borer complex, exhibiting the lowest levels of pod and grain damage. The suggested genotype can further be utilized for pod borer-resistant breeding programmes
Response of Soil-dwelling Insects and Weed Communities to Fertilizer Management in Cassava Production: A Site Comparison Study in Agusan Del Sur, Philippines
No full textAims: Intensification of cassava production through improved fertilizer management requires understanding its impacts on agricultural biodiversity.
Study Design: A field experiment using a split-plot design with three replications.
Place and Duration of the Study: The study was conducted at two sites (Research Station and farmer\u27s field) from April 2021 to March 2022.
Methodology: The study compared eleven fertilizer treatments across two cassava varieties (Lakan 1 and Golden Yellow). Soil-inhabiting insects and weed communities were assessed across all treatments.
Results: Soil-inhabiting insects showed significantly higher populations in unfertilized control plots compared to fertilized treatments, with predatory ground beetles (Carabidae) dominating both sites. Shannon\u27s diversity indices (1.58-1.62) indicated moderate insect diversity across sites, suggesting simplified but functional communities. Weed assessments revealed distinct community structures between sites, dominated by perennial grasses from the Poaceae family. While fertilizer treatments significantly influenced soil insect abundance, weed community composition was more strongly affected by site-specific conditions, as demonstrated through cluster analysis.
Conclusion: The study demonstrates that agricultural intensification through fertilizer application may impact beneficial soil fauna while having limited effect on weed community structure. These findings suggest the need for integrated, site-specific management approaches that balance nutrient application with biodiversity conservation in cassava production systems
Influence of Weather Parameters on Seasonal Incidence of Pod Boring Weevil, Apion clavipes Gerst (Apionidae: Coleoptera) on Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] under West Bengal Conditions
No full textPigeon pea is a high protein legume cultivated by marginal farmers in the Indian sub-continent. It exposes a wide variety of biotic stresses especially insect pests. Pod boring weevil, Apion clavipes Gerst is a major concern in eastern India which causes direct damages to economic parts such as flowers and pods. Pod boring weevil, Apion clavipes Gerst infests pigeonpea during vegetative, flowering, pod formation and pod maturity stages. However, there is not much information on seasonal incidence of pod boring weevil, A. clavipes Gerst on this particular host, which is very much essential for forecasting and forewarning of pest incidence and development of Integrated Pest Management module. The seasonal incidence of pod boring weevil was studied in two consecutive years during 2016-17 and 2017-18. The grub and weevil populations in shoots, flower raceme and pods were recorded and obtained weather data from automatic weather station of BCKV, West Bengal and subjected to correlation and regression analysis. The experimental results revealed that pest population started during 43rd SMW (4th week of October) and pest population attained the maximum population of 45.00 grub/plant during 4th SMW (4th week of January). Pest population was observed till 11th SMW (3rd week of March). Seasonal incidence of pod boring weevil negatively correlated with maximum relative humidity, minimum relative humidity and rainfall, whereas, positively correlated with maximum temperature, minimum temperature and sunshine hours
Assessing Iron Fractions and Their Availability in Lateritic Soils of Kerala Using Structural Equation Modelling
No full textAims: The study aimed to investigate the different fractions of iron in the north central laterites of Kerala and their relative contribution to iron availability.
Study Design: Soil sampling, characterisation, fractionation, and structural equation modelling.
Location and Duration of Study: Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, Thrissur, from January 2024 to May 2024.
Methodology: Thirty georeferenced soil samples were collected from Agro Ecological Unit (AEU) 10, representing the north central laterites of Kerala. The samples were characterised, and different iron forms were extracted. Fractionation procedures were carried out to separate specific iron pools. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to determine the soil properties and iron fractions contributing to iron availability.
Results: The results showed that the dominant fractions in the soil were residual iron (32.06%) and crystalline iron oxide occluded iron (28.97%). Acid-soluble iron (Aci-Fe), crystalline iron oxide-occluded iron (Cry FeO-Fe), and manganese oxide-occluded iron (MnO-Fe) positively influenced available iron (path coefficients = 0.28*, 0.26*, and 0.55**, respectively). In contrast, fractions such as amorphous iron oxide-occluded iron (Am FeO-Fe), organic matter-bound iron (OM-Fe), and residual iron showed more indirect effects on iron availability.
Conclusion: In the laterites of north central Kerala, most iron is present in stable forms and only a small fraction is present as plant-available iron. Its availability is controlled by dynamic interactions between amorphous, crystalline, and organically bound forms of iron. Although pH did not show a strong direct effect on iron availability, it may still play an indirect role by influencing the stability of organic matter and the transformation between different iron forms
Unveiling Drought Tolerance Biomarkers in Cocoa: A Comparative Study under Controlled and Field Conditions
No full textDrought stress poses a significant threat to cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) cultivation, particularly as climate variability disrupts traditional rainfall patterns in expanding cocoa growing regions of India. This study aimed to identify reliable biochemical biomarkers indicative of drought tolerance in cocoa by comparing biochemical responses of eleven hybrids under controlled nursery and field-imposed drought conditions, and was conducted at KAU Vellanikkara, Thrissur. Four key biochemical parameters including proline, nitrate reductase activity (NRA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glycine betaine were quantified and analysed using paired t-tests. Results revealed statistically significant differences in SOD and glycine betaine levels between nursery and field conditions, while proline and NRA exhibited consistent responses across environments. Tolerant hybrids maintained higher proline and NRA levels under drought, highlighting their potential as predictive biomarkers for early-stage drought screening. This comparative approach bridges the gap between controlled and field research, offering a practical strategy for accelerating the selection of drought-resilient cocoa genotypes. The findings underscore the utility of integrating biochemical markers into breeding programs to enhance climate resilience in cocoa cultivation
Investigating the Genetics of Scab Resistance and Yield Components in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)
No full textBackground: Economically important traits have complex inheritance and are environmentally influenced, thus making selection for such traits more difficult. Breeding efforts to develop varieties with resistance to the disease require an understanding of the genes that confer resistance to the disease in terms of their heritability and gene action in Ugandan germplasm.
Purpose: This study was conducted to determine the relative importance of GCA and SCA, and hence additive and non-additive effects in the inheritance of resistance to scab infections, and heritability of yield and yield-related traits in the new breeding populations.
Research Method: Eleven cowpea lines (four resistant, five moderately resistant and two susceptible) were selected as parents and crossed using a half diallel mating design to generate information on the genetics of control of scab disease resistance, yield and yield-related traits in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata). 55 F2 progenies and their parents (11) were evaluated at two locations (Kabanyolo and Serere) using an 11 × 6 lattice design. Data were collected for grain yield and yield related traits such as days to 50% flowering, number of branches per plant, number of peduncles per plant, number of pods per peduncle, number of pods per plant, pod length (cm), seeds per pod, and 100 seed weight (g). Data were analysed using Griffing’s method 4 model 1. Phenotypic correlation coefficients (rp) for scab disease incidence, severity, AUDPC, yield and yield-related traits were determined using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.
Findings: Combined analysis of variance for the two locations revealed highly significant differences (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01) among the genotypes for all 12 traits studied but showed no significant genotype by location (G × L) interaction effect on any of the traits. Coefficient of genetic determination in the narrow and broad sense, analogous to narrow and broad sense heritability, respectively, were generally low, ranging from 1.23 % - 27.12% (h2) and 7.4 % -71.91 % (H2). The low values of Baker’s ratio (BR) (< 0.5) for most of the traits suggested that non-additive gene effects were more important except for number of pods per plant which indicated additive gene effects were more important (BR = 0.80) and number of seeds per pod (BR = 0.5) which indicated both additive and non-additive gene effects were important. Alegi, NE15 and NE48 were identified as parental lines with negative general combining ability (GCA) effects for improvement of scab disease resistance for both locations while SECOW5T was identified as the only parent with high positive GCA for improvement of both 100 seed weight (g) and grain yield (K/ha) of cowpea across the two locations. A cross between WC35B*WC66 had the best SCA effects for scab disease resistance.
Conclusion: The study confirmed earlier reports that additive gene effects were important for scab disease resistance. Six crosses, viz. Alegi*NE50, Alegi*WC36, ACC12.2W*SECOW5T, NE15*SECOW5T, NE48*WC36 and WC10*WC36 were identified as the best hybrids (crosses) for the improvement of cowpea yields across the locations.
Originality/Value: The study reveals potential parental lines and crosses for enhancing scab resistance and yield in cowpea, contributing to breeding strategies and crop improvement efforts
Assessment of Gladiolus Varieties Based on Growth, Flowering and Corm Characters
No full textGladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflora) renowned for its vibrant spike and commercial value, is widely cultivated for the cut flower industry. This study evaluated the growth, flowering and corm parameters of 27 gladiolus varieties under field conditions at Horticultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi during November 2023. The experiment followed a Randomized Block Design with five replications. The findings revealed significant varietal differences in growth attributes, with Pusa Manmohak recorded the maximum number of leaves per hill, while American Beauty exhibited the broadest leaf. Arka Darshan had the maximum scape width, whereas, Pusa Shubham showed the least. Flowering traits displayed notable differences; Pusa Kiran exhibited the earliest 3rd floret opening, while Arka Darshan had the most delayed. Variety Flevo Souvenir recorded the largest 3rd floret diameter, whereas, Arka Aarti had the smallest. Snow Princess had the highest number of open florets and Shubhangini demonstrated the longest internodal length. Corm characteristics varied considerably, with Shubhangini producing the highest number of cormels per hill and Pusa Sunayana attaining the maximum corm weight per hill. These results highlight the phenotypic variability among gladiolus cultivars, providing valuable insights for breeders and commercial growers to select superior varieties for cut flower production
Impact of Inorganic Fertilizers, Organic Manures, and their Integration on Soil Carbon Sequestration in a Long-term Rice-rice Cropping System
No full textThe present study highlights the impact of Inorganic Fertilizers, Organic Manures, and their integration on Soil Carbon Sequestration in a long-term rice-rice cropping system. Large scale changes in land use like deforestation and agricultural activities like biomass burning, ploughing, drainage, low input farming have resulted in significant changes in SOC pools. A field experiment was carried out under field conditions during both kharif and rabi seasons of 2016-2017 and 2017- 2018 at Andhra Pradesh Rice Research Institute and Regional Agricultural Research Station, Maruteru, West Godavari district in the ongoing All India Coordinated Research Project on Long Term Fertilizer Experiment Project. The results reported that the application of 100 % RDF along with ZnSO4 @ 40 kg ha-1 and application of 100 % RDF were not significant. Among different fertilized plots, SOC stocks and carbon sequestration rate in the 15 cm plough layer were significantly higher under 100% RDF + FYM + ZnSO4 (T7) followed by 50 % NPK + 50% N through FYM (T10). At the starting of the experiment in kharif, 1989, the soil organic carbon stock was 11.14 Mg ha-1 and after 29 years of continuous application of organic and inorganic fertilizers, SOC stocks ranged from 11.06 to 24.39 Mg ha-1 at harvest of rabi rice in 2018
Integrated Nutrient Management Strategies in Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) for Enhancing Nutrient Uptake and Post-Harvest Soil Properties
No full textIntegrated Nutrient Management (INM) aims to integrated applications of both natural and artificial sources of plant nutrients to boost crop productivity in an environmentally friendly manner, without compromising soil health for future generations. The synergistic benefits of integrating inorganic chemical fertilizers, organic materials, and biological sources of nutrients have been shown to be more effective than their sole applications. The present study assesses the impact of various nutrient sources on the nutrient uptake, recovery and post-harvest soil properties in test crop, cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). A field experiment was conducted at All India Coordinated Research Project on Vegetable Crops, located at OUAT in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India to study the impact of Integrated Nutrient Management on nutrient uptake, recovery and Post-Harvest Soil properties in cucumbers. The study spanned two years and took place in situ conditions in sandy loam acidic soil, which was of medium status in terms of organic carbon content and available major nutrients (N, P, and K). The study utilized four agro-inputs: fertilizers, farmyard manure (FYM), vermicompost and biofertilizers, which were combined in 12 different combinations with three replications and designed with RBD to determine the most effective practice for achieving optimum nutrient uptake while maintaining the soil health. Crops treated with the Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) practice had a shorter time to harvest, with the first and last harvest days being 45 and 80 days, respectively, compared to 51 and 72 days with only recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), 50 and 75 days with full FYM, and 51 and 73 days with full vermicompost. The INM practice resulted in the maximum N uptake (30.2 kg ha-1) with a recovery efficiency of 25%. P uptake was 19.1 kg ha-1 with a recovery efficiency of 33%, while K uptake (28.1 kg ha-1) had a recovery efficiency of 29%. Post-harvest soil analysis showed an increase in organic carbon but a decrease in available N, P, and K content, regardless of the agricultural practices used. The effectiveness of these nutrient sources depends on factors like the right source, amount, timing, and method of application. Soil factors like texture and organic carbon content also play a key role in nutrient efficiency. Adding organic inputs like vermicompost and biofertilizers not only improve growth and productivity of crops like cucumbers but also enhance the nutrient uptake and maintain the post-harvest soil health