International Journal of Plant & Soil Science
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Mechanization Enhancement in Maize Cultivation for Small Holder Farming Community
No full textPower tiller operated machines may play vital role in maize cultivation for small scale farming system as the average holding size is close to 1 ha and more than 86% of India’s farming community are small and marginal farmers. Present efforts were carried out for the development and testing of power tiller operated strip-till multi-crop planter for the mechanization of maize cultivation in small holder farming community. With increasing the level of mechanization by adopting appropriate matching implements for maize cultivation in small farming community, the production and productivity could be increased by reducing cost of cultivation and increasing input use efficiency. Efforts are being made to adopt conservation tillage practices with power tiller operated matching implements for small holder farming focusing on maize cultivation. The developed planter was tested under three different tillage practices as conventional tillage (CT), strip tillage (ST) and zero tillage (ZT). Three types of rotary blades viz. L-type, J-type and C-type were used in strip-tilling operation. The developed machine was evaluated in terms of field capacity, fuel consumption, draft, seed germination and crop yield. Average maize yield in ST was maximum (3.32 t ha-1) followed by ZT (3.26 t ha-1) and CT (3.23 t ha-1). The cost of cultivation was maximum for CT followed by ZT and ST
Effect of Conservation Agriculture-based Crop Establishment Options on Rice Growth in Rice-wheat System
No full textRice accounts for over 40% of India\u27s total crop production, thereby reinforces the country\u27s food security. However, rice production in India faces several challenges like high consumption of water, labour, and energy, which are becoming scarcer and more costly. Keeping above facts in view, an experiment was conducted during Kharif season of 2021and 2022 at the Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi to evaluate the effect of different conservation agriculture-based crop establishment options on growth of rice under rice-wheat system. The field experiment was arranged in a completely randomized block design having four replications and six different crop establishment methods, namely CE1: Conventional till puddled transplanted rice - Conventional till wheat (no residue retention/incorporation), CE2: Conventional till puddled transplanted rice - Conventional till wheat - Conventional till mung bean (Rice & Wheat residue removal, full mungbean residue incorporation), CE3: Conventional till direct seeded rice - Zero till wheat (anchored residue retentionof Rice), CE4: Conventional till direct seeded rice - Zero till wheat - Zero till mung bean (anchored residue retention of Riceand full Mungbean residue incorporation), CE5: Zero till direct seeded rice – Zero till wheat (anchored residue retention of Rice and Wheat), and CE6: Zero till direct seeded rice – Zero till wheat – Zero till mung bean (anchored residue retention of Rice and Wheat and full mungbean residue retention). The CE6 treatment (ZTR–ZTW–ZTMB) demonstrated significant superiority over the conventional CE1 (CTR–CTW) method across all assessed growth parameters. Specifically, CE6 resulted in an increase of up to 26% in plant height, 33% in number of tillers per m2, and nearly 16% in the leaf area index during the early growth stage of rice
Genetic Variability Assessment and Agro-morphological Profiling of Elite Maize (Zea mays L.) Genotypes
No full textMaize (Zea mays L.) is important to nutrition and farmers’ revenue in Nigeria. Forty-four genotypes of the crop were evaluated in Randomized Incomplete Blocks with three replications in 2021 to investigate the extent of genetic variability for grain yield and agro-morphological traits and to profile the genotypes for the traits. Data were collected on number of days to silking, plant and ear heights (cm), husk cover, plant and ear aspects, number of ears plant-1, leaf angle (o) and grain yield (kg/ha). Genetic components were estimated and principal component and cluster analyses were also performed. A genotype × yield-trait biplot was constructed to profile the genotypes. Phenotypic variance and coefficient of variance estimates were higher than genotypic values, underscoring the roles of genotype and environment in the observations. Heritability estimates were low and ranged from 0.03 to 18% for number of ears plant-1 and plant height, respectively, suggesting the possibility of low response to selection. The first three principal component axes controlled ≈ 60% of total variation and identified grain yield, ear and plant aspects, and husk cover as the main contributors. Cluster analysis produced four distinct clusters which suggested there was variability within the maize genotypes for selection. Genotype DK 920 Yellow was associated with number of ears per plant while LY1501-1, LY1914-14, LY1501-8, LY20001-5, and LY1901-23 were associated with the other measured traits. Genotypes could be selected across clusters to exploit heterosis for important traits. The trait profiles of genotypes that were not profiled could be determined in other studies
Role of Pre-Harvest Elicitors in Modifying Yield and Quality Parameters of Acid Lime cv. Balaji under Hasta Bahar Conditions
No full textAims: This study examined the impact of preharvest elicitors, specifically glycine betaine, potassium silicate and salicylic acid, on the enhanced growth of acid lime trees (Citrus aurantifolia Swingle) Cv. Balaji, as measured by fruit yield, physical and biochemical parameters and fruit storability.
Study Design: Eleven treatments and three replications were used in the Randomized Block Design (RBD) experiment.
Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out at a private orchard in the Chengalpattu District of Tamil Nadu, close to the State Horticultural Farm in Aathur during 2024-25.
Methodology: Treatments included T1 (25 mM) glycine betaine, T2 (50 mM) and T3 (75 mM) glycine betaine. T4 has 0.2 per cent potassium silicate, T5 contains 0.4 per cent potassium silicate and T6 contains 0.6 per cent potassium silicate. T7 - 50 ppm of salicylic acid, T8 - 100 ppm of salicylic acid and 150 ppm of salicylic acid T9, Water (T10) and Control (No Spray) (T11). Sprays were scheduled as follows: pre-bloom in early September (one month before flowering), post-peak bloom in early October and final application in early January by using a power sprayer.
Results: According to the findings, trees treated with potassium silicate 0.4 per cent K2SiO3 had the highest fruit length (7.23 cm), fruit diameter (4.29 cm), fruit weight (82.35 g), yield per tree (9.73 kg), fruit juice (52.47 per cent), TSS (8.26 o Brix), ascorbic acid (53.47 (mg 100 g -1), acidity (6.21 per cent), total sugar (1.74 per cent), reducing sugar (0.83 per cent), non-reducing sugar (0.91 per cent), PLW (10.30 per cent) and shelf life (21.74 days).
Conclusion: According to the research\u27s evidence-based recommendations, potassium silicate 0.4 per cent K2SiO3 registered application is recommended for acid lime fruit production, fruit storability and fruit physical and biochemical characteristics
The Effect of Genetic Variation and Trait Association in Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp]
No full textA field experiment was conducted for estimate the genetic variability and trait association for yield and yield attributing characters among eighteen genotypes of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp] in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications at Research Farm, College of Agriculture, Fatehpur-Shekhawati, Sikar during kharif 2024. The analysis of variance in genotypes for all the character revealed the significant genetic variability. The high magnitudes of phenotypic coefficient of variance (PCV) were observed for characters like plant height and pods per cluster. While, moderate magnitude of genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) were observed plant height, branches per plant, pods per plant, pods per cluster and 100-seed weight. The high heritability was estimated for plant height, 100-seed weight and pods per cluster. The high genetic advance was estimated for plant height, 100-seed weight and pods per cluster. Trait association estimate of grain yield per plant had significant and positive association with plant height, branches per plant, clusters per plant, pods per cluster and pods per plant at genotypic level and branches per plant, pods per cluster and seed per pod at phenotypic levels
Effect of Different Nitrogen Sources on Growth, Yield and Seed Quality Parameters in Onion under Mid-Hill Conditions of Himachal Pradesh, India
No full textSelecting the appropriate nitrogen source for onion cultivation requires alignment with specific production objectives. To improve seed yield and quality of onion, a study was conducted in 2020-2021 at Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (HP), using nine treatments with varying nitrogen sources (CAN, urea and calcium nitrate) in RCBD with three replications. Treatment Trt1 in which 100% N (147.5 g/plot)was applied as CAN showed superior vegetative growth, early bolting (91.33 days), highest umbel size (7.43 cm), seeds per umbel (1143.80), and seed quality traits such as germination (91.50%), seedling vigour and lowest electrical conductivity (0.109 dS m⁻¹). However, Treatment Trt5 (75% CAN + 25% calcium nitrate) excelled in leaf length and seed yield (766.52 kg ha⁻¹). Both Trt1 and Trt5 showed high nitrogen use efficiency and residual soil nitrogen. Moreover, T1 recorded the highest benefit-cost ratio (3.53), making it the most effective nitrogen source for enhancing onion seed yield and quality under mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh
Integrated Nutrient Management Strategies for Enhancing Yield and Economic Return of Baby Corn (Zea mays L.) Production under South Gujarat Conditions
No full textA field experiment was conducted during the summer seasons of 2022 and 2023 at the Horticulture Polytechnic Farm, Navsari Agricultural University, Gujarat, to assess the impact of integrated nutrient management (INM) on the yield and economics of baby corn (Zea mays L.). The study evaluated twelve treatment combinations involving three nitrogen levels (80, 100, and 120 kg N ha⁻¹), two organic nutrient sources (vermicompost and castor cake at 25 kg N ha⁻¹), and two levels of Novel Organic Liquid Nutrients (No spray and 1.5% spray). The experiment followed a Factorial Randomized Block Design (FRBD) with three replications. Results indicated that the highest cob yields, both with and without husk, were consistently recorded under the integrated treatment of 120 kg N ha⁻¹ + castor cake + 1.5% Novel Organic Liquid Nutrients (N₃O₂L₂). This combination significantly enhanced yield components and physiological efficiency compared to other treatments. Economically, treatments with 120 kg N ha⁻¹ + vermicompost (with and without NOVEL) resulted in the highest net income and benefit-cost ratios. The findings suggest that integrating higher nitrogen levels with castor cake and liquid organic nutrients can improve yield, profitability, and sustainability of baby corn cultivation under South Gujarat conditions
Morpho-agronomic Characterization of Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) Varieties Cultivated in Eastern India
No full textMarigold occupies the topmost position in loose flower production, and variability in productivity is attributed to genetic differences and genotype-environment interactions. This study evaluates the performance of ten flowering plant varieties (T1 to T10) over two years (2023 and 2024) based on morphological and yield attributes characters in randomized block design at the North-eastern Ghat Zone of Odisha. The experiment was conducted to identify varieties with superior traits for commercial floriculture. Results indicate significant variability among varieties, with T5-A. Vibha exhibiting the highest yield (34.2 q ha-1) and largest flower diameter (6.6cm) among tested varieties. The maximum shelf-life was observed in A. Vibha (6.40 days) with vibrant yellow and orange blooms. A. Vibha produced 3.4 times higher yield compared to GFM-1 with the higher net return of Rs. 200000 ha-1 respectively. A. Vibha not only produced good quality flowers but also provided a higher B:C ratio of 3.8, helping farmers to double their income. These findings provide valuable insights for selecting high-performing varieties and optimizing cultivation practices in floriculture
Nanotechnology Applications in Agriculture for Crop Protection and Nutrient Delivery: A Review
No full textNanotechnology has emerged as a revolutionary tool in modern agriculture, offering precision solutions for crop protection and nutrient management. The applications of nanotechnology in agriculture for crop protection and nutrient delivery. The application of engineered nanomaterials, including nano-fertilisers, nano-pesticides, and smart nanosensors, enables enhanced agricultural productivity, resource efficiency, and environmental sustainability. Nano-fertilisers, such as nano-urea, zinc oxide, and iron oxide nanoparticles, exhibit controlled release and improved bioavailability, resulting in up to 30–50% reduction in input use with comparable or superior yield outcomes. Nano-pesticides formulated with polymeric or metallic carriers enhance pest control efficacy at lower dosages through targeted delivery and reduced volatilisation. Nanosensors based on carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, and gold nanoparticles provide real-time monitoring of soil moisture, nutrient levels, and plant health, enabling site-specific management through integration with Internet of Things (IoT) platforms. Physiologically, nanoparticles modulate plant metabolic pathways, improve photosynthetic efficiency, and enhance abiotic stress tolerance by activating antioxidant defence mechanisms. Despite these advantages, environmental and biosafety concerns persist due to the potential mobility, persistence, and bioaccumulation of nanoparticles in soil, water, and food chains. Studies have confirmed nanoparticle translocation from roots to shoots and even into edible plant parts, raising the need for long-term ecotoxicological assessments. Regulatory bodies such as the OECD, FAO, and national agencies have developed initial safety, emphasising particle characterisation, exposure assessment, and lifecycle analysis. Field validation, transparent labelling, and stakeholder engagement remain key components for public acceptance and ethical deployment. As global agriculture faces increasing challenges from climate variability, resource depletion, and food insecurity, nanotechnology offers a scientifically grounded approach to optimise input use, reduce environmental footprints, and sustain crop productivity. Through interdisciplinary research, policy support, and inclusive education, nanotechnology can redefine the future of farming systems, contributing to climate-resilient, economically viable, and ecologically balanced agricultural practices
Response of Selected Rice Genotypes to Nitrogen Fertilizer Application in Taita Taveta County, Kenya
No full textEfficient nitrogen (N) management is critical for optimizing rice productivity, especially in nutrient-deficient soils of sub-Saharan Africa. A split-plot design with three replications was used, with rice variety as the main plot and nitrogen rate as the subplot. This study evaluated the response of five upland rice genotypes (Nerica 1, CSR36, Komboka, 17KH090014B, and AT058 to seven nitrogen application rates (0, 17, 34, 51, 67.5, 83.4 and 101 kg N ha-1) in two agro-ecological zones Bura and Taveta across two cropping seasons.The Nitrogen (N) treatments were applied as topdressing in 3 equal splits, at 15 Days after Transplanting (DAT), peak tillering (30 DAT) and panicle initiation stage (45 DAT). Data collected was subjected to ANOVA using Statistical Tool for Agricultural Research and means were separated using the Turkey\u27s Test Honest Significant Difference HSD test. All statistical analysis was performed at alpha=0.05. Nitrogen significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced vegetative and yield traits up to an optimal rate of 67.5 kg N ha⁻¹, beyond which gains were minimal. At this level, plant height, tiller number, leaf length, panicle length, and fertile grains per panicle increased by 12%, 15%, 9%, 8%, and 47%, respectively, over unfertilized plots. Genotype 17KH090014B exhibited superior performance, producing the highest total (142.22) and fertile (99.28) grains per panicle, longest panicles (20.65 cm), and most leaves per plant, while Nerica 1 was tallest (60.63 cm) and Komboka had the most tillers (25.2). The variety–nitrogen interaction peaked with 17KH090014B at 83.4 kg N ha⁻¹, yielding 143.8 grains per panicle. Findings suggest that 67.5 kg N ha⁻¹ for 17KH090014B during the long rains could be a variety- and site-specific recommendation for upland rice in Taita Taveta County, provided further validation is conducted using broader sampling across the region