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ThesisItem Open Access Productivity and soil quality assessment in maize-wheat system under zero budget natural farming(palampur, 2022-10-13) Thakur, Praveen; Paliyal, Sukhdev S.The present study on “Productivity and soil quality assessment in maize-wheat system under zero budget natural farming” was carried out during 2018-19 and 2019-20 at the experimental farm of CSKHPKV-Hill Agricultural Research and Extension Centre, Dhaulakuan, Sirmour (H.P.), India. The efficient utilization of available resources at farm and the restriction of their use in zero budget natural farming (ZBNF), warrant the need to study the soil quality and crop productivity under ZBNF system. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the soil quality in maize-wheat system using ZBNF components along with farm yard manure (FYM). The field experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) consisting of three factors (jeevamrit concentration, interval of its application and FYM) along with control. There were two levels of jeevamrit concentration [5% (J1) and 10% (J2)], two levels of interval of its application [15 days (I1) and 30 days (I2)] and three levels of FYM doses [0 t ha-1 (F1), 5 t ha-1 (F2) and 10 t ha-1 (F3)]. The soil samples at 0-0.15 m depth from each plot were collected before sowing as well as after harvest of the both crops and were analyzed for soil chemical properties such as pH, electric conductivity, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, macronutrient content (N, P and K), secondary nutrient content (Ca, Mg and S) and micronutrient content (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, B and Mo), physical properties (bulk density, mean weight diameter, saturated hydraulic conductivity and plant available water), biological properties (microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase activity and microbial count). The results revealed that growth and yield attributes of both maize + blackgram and wheat + chickpea were increased with application of higher concentration of jeevamrit (J2) at 15 days interval along with higher dose of FYM (F3). Maize grain equivalent yield with jeevamrit (J2) at 15 days interval+10 t FYM ha-1 treatment increased upto 4.71% during 2018 and 8.42% during 2019 whereas wheat grain-equivalent yield decreased upto 4.17% during 2018-19 and 0.47 % during 2019-20, over control (RDF). Soil physical, chemical and biological parameters were improved significantly under zero budget natural farming and these properties improved further when FYM was applied along with ZBNF component over RDF. Available nutrient status in soil under RDF treated plots showed slight decrease from initial value, however the plots treated with higher concentration of zero budget natural farming components along with higher dose of FYM showed significant increase from rest of the treatments. The SQI under maize and wheat crop ranged from 2.60 to 3.67 and 2.56 to 3.71, respectively and the highest was observed under T6 (J2I1F3). The maximum nutrient uptake in both crops and its concentration in their grain was found with higher concentration of jeevamrit at 15 days interval along with 10 t FYM ha-1 , whereas the lowest were recorded with lower concentration of jeevamrit at 30 days interval without FYM.ThesisItem Open Access :Effect of irrigation and tillage on water productivity and soil health in maize-wheat sequence under zero budget natural farming systems(Palampur, 2021-12-30) Jaswal, Richa; Sandal, Sanjeev K.The present study was conducted at experimental farm of Department of Organic Agriculture and Natural Farming, CSK HPKV, Palampur, during the year 2018-20 in maize -wheat cropping sequence with the objectives of evaluating the effect of irrigation and tillage under zero budget natural farming systems on soil and plant water content, total water use and water productivity, plant shoot and root growth and crop productivity and soil nutrient status, hydro-physical properties and microbial biomass. The treatments comprised of, T1: No irrigation to maize and 6 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and ZBNF, T2: No irrigation to maize and 4 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and ZBNF, T3: No irrigation to maize and 2 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and ZBNF, T4: No irrigation to maize and wheat grown with conventional tillage and ZBNF, T5: No irrigation to maize and wheat grown with minimum tillage + lantana mulch and ZBNF, T6: No irrigation to maize + soybean and 6 cm irrigation to wheat + gram gown with conventional tillage grown and ZBNF, T7: No irrigation to maize + soybean and wheat + gram grown with minimum tillage + lantana mulch and ZBNF, T8: No irrigation to maize and 6 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and organic farming and T9: No irrigation to maize and 6 cm irrigation to wheat grown with conventional tillage and no manure application (Absolute control) were imposed in a randomized block design replicated four times. The results indicated that the treatments of minimum tillage with mulch with (T7) or without (T5) intercropping of soybean/ gram resulted in higher soil and relative leaf water content, improved shoot and root growth and higher crop and water productivity with higher nutrient uptake in comparison to the conventional tillage and no mulch under rainfed conditions. Further, the treatments with 6 cm irrigation applied (T1, T6, T8) in wheat resulted in higher soil and relative leaf water content in comparison to the treatments of minimum tillage with mulch (T5 and T7). The treatments of minimum tillage with mulch (T5 and T7) resulted in increase in organic carbon, improvement in hydro-physical properties and increased microbial count in comparison to the conventional tillage and no mulch. The study concluded that the treatments of minimum tillage with mulch with or without intercropping of soybean/ gram resulted in higher crop and water productivity compared to conventional tillage with no mulch under ZBNF systems.ThesisItem Open Access SULPHUR DYNAMICS AND ITS CRITICAL LIMITS FOR FRENCH BEAN AND CAULIFLOWER IN ACIDIC SOILS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH(CSKHPKV. Palampur, 2019-07-30) GOURAV; Sankhyan, N. K.Sulphur is best known for its essentiality and vitality in crop production, but due to its widespread deficiency, it is imperative to study its transformations in acidic soils. In the present investigation, 500 soil samples were collected randomly from cultivated acidic soils of Himachal Pradesh, as identified during previous surveys conducted by Department of Soil Science, CSK HPKV Palampur. Processed soil samples were analyzed for pH, soil texture and available sulphur. Five soil profiles were also selected randomly to study the vertical distribution of S. The transformation of sulphur with externally added elemental sulphur was studied in twenty one incubated soil samples, which varied in pH and texture. Further, 10 locations were selectedthat varied in pH, clay content and available S to study the response and to establish critical limits of S for french bean and cauliflower; furthermore the detailed experiment was conductedin pots under glasshouse. In study area, textural class, pH (1:2.5) and available sulphur ranged from loamy sand to clay, 4.23 to 7.00 (extremely acidic to neutral) and 11 to 65 kg ha-1 (deficient to sufficient) respectively. Around 35 per cent of the soil samples were found deficient in available sulphur. Available S exhibited a significant positive correlation with clay and silt, whereas significantnegative correlation was found with sand and pH. All the S fractions (sulphate-S, water soluble-S, heat soluble-S, organic-S and total-S) increased with incubation of soil samples and added elemental S. The highest content of these S fractions were obtained with the application of 80 kg S ha-1. Sole incubation of soil for thirty days without the addition of S, increased all the S fractions except organic-S. Contents of all the S fractions in soils increased with increase in clay and decreased with increase in pH of soil. In soil profiles study, all the S fractions decreased with increase in depth and highest contents of all the S fractions were found in surface layer. Sulphur fractions followed the order as total-S>organic-S>heat soluble-S>sulphate-S>water soluble-S. French bean and cauliflower responded significantly to the S application. Highest yield and yield attributes were obtained with the application of 40 kg S ha-1 in both the crops. However, the green pod yield in french bean at 30 kg S ha-1 was statistically at par with 40 kg S ha-1. Critical limits for french bean and cauliflower in soil were found to be 9.5 mg kg-1 and 10.5 mg kg-1, respectively. Whereas, the critical limits for french bean and cauliflower in plantswere found to be 0.103 per cent and 0.337 per cent sulphur, respectivelyThesisItem Open Access SOIL QUALITY INDEXING OF AN ACID ALFISOL UNDER RICE-WHEAT CROPPING SYSTEM BASED ON CONTINUOUS INTEGRATED PLANT NUTRIENT SUPPLY IN MID-HILLS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH(CSKHPKV. Palampur, 2019-01-07) AJAY, KUMAR; Paliyal, S. S.Present investigation was carried out in a long-term integrated nutrient management experiment with rice–wheat cropping sequence initiated in kharif 1991 at Padhiyarkhar research farm of College of Agriculture, Palampur, District Kangra. Twelve treatments comprising of T1- Control (no fertilizer, no manure), T2-50% NPK to both rice and wheat, T3-50% NPK to rice and 100% NPK to wheat, T4-75% NPK to both rice and wheat,T5-100% NPK to both rice and wheat, T6-50% NPK + 50% N through FYM to rice and 100% NPK to wheat, T7-75% NPK + 25% N (FYM) to rice and 75% NPK to wheat, T8-50% NPK + 50% N through wheat straw to rice and 100% NPK to wheat, T9-75% NPK + 25% N (wheat straw) to rice and 75% NPK to wheat, T10- 50% NPK + 50% N through Dhaincha green manure to rice and 100% NPK to wheat, T11-75% NPK + 25% N (Dhaincha green manure) to rice and 75% NPK to wheat and T12-Farmers‟ Practice (40% NPK + FYM @ 5 t ha-1 to both the crops) were evaluated in a randomized block design with four replications. Surface (0–0.15 m) and sub-surface (0.15–0.30 m) soil samples were collected after the harvest of wheat crop during 2016-17 and analyzed for various soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Integrated use of organics and inorganics has sustained the crop productivity and significantly improved the soil properties. Sustainable yield index (SYI) was found lowest (0.33) in the treatment where no fertilizer or manure was applied (T1) and highest (0.66) where 50 per cent NPK through fertilizers and 50 per cent N through FYM to rice was followed by 100 per cent NPK to wheat (T6). Available nitrogen and potassium declined over the years in all the treatments whereas significant build-up in available phosphorus was observed through integrated use of organics and fertilizers over the respective initial values. Saturated hydraulic conductivity, pH, organic carbon, labile carbon, microbial biomass nitrogen and dehydrogenase activity were found to be the key minimum data set (MDS) indicators in this study. Multiple regression evaluated the efficacy of MDS taking SYI as goal (r2 =0.91 for surface and 0.88 for sub-surface soil). The soil quality index (SQI) was calculated by using weighting factors derived from principal component analysis for each scored MDS variable. The highest SQI values (2.81 for surface and 2.78 for sub-surface soil) were found in T6 followed by T10 (2.41 for surface and 2.56 for sub-surface soil) and the lowest (1.16 for surface and 1.23 for sub-surface soil) in T1. Application of 50% NPK through chemical fertilizers + 50% N through FYM in rice followed by 100% NPK in wheat (T6) was found to be better than other treatments in sustaining crop productivity as well as maintaining soil quality under rice-wheat cropping sequence.
