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ThesisItem Restricted Response of soil and foliar applied zinc on wheat and its residual effect on moongbean(Punjab Agricultural University, 2023) Manjot Singh; Dr B. K. YadavMicronutrient deficiencies have rapidly emerged as a significant human health concern, particularly in developing nations. Zinc (Zn) is a basic ingredient and regulatory co-factor in enzymes and proteins involved in many metabolic activities. It is vital for both animals and plants. The experiment was conducted during the Rabi 2020-21 and Kharif 2021to study the response of soil and foliar applied zinc on wheat and its residual effect on moongbean. Soil and plant samples were analysed by standard methods. The present study results revealed that plant growth parameters such as plant height, spike length, test weight, grain and straw yield of wheat significantly differ among wheat cultivars and increased by spraying of 0.5% ZnSO4.7H2O along with 1% urea at the time of booting + grain filling stages. Macronutrients (N, P, and K) and micronutrients (Fe, Cu, Zn and Mn) content in wheat grains significantly varied among wheat cultivars. The macronutrients (N, P and K) and micronutrients (Fe, Cu and Mn) content in wheat grain and straw was non- significant due to spraying of Zn fertilizer irrespective of the source, however, Zn content in grain and straw varied significantly due to spraying of Zn fertilizer irrespective of the source. The soil chemical properties (pH, EC and OC), macronutrients (N, P and K) and micronutrients (Fe, Cu and Mn) showed nonsignificance and soil available Zn showed significance difference between two cultivars (PBW 725 and PBW 658), under different Zn treatments and time of spray. The residual effect of different Zn sources and time of application on soil chemical properties and available nutrients were also non-significant after succeeding moongbean crop. However, available Zn was significantly higher with applied Zn @ 5kg ha-1 in soil (T1). Similarly, the plant growth parameters and Zn content in succeeding moongbean was significantly higher with applied Zn @ 5kg ha-1 in soil (T1) as compared to other methods of Zn application. From the present study it is concluded that wheat variety PBW 725 showed the highest yield attributes, yield, Zn content and among all the Zn treatments, treatment T5 (2.5 kg Zn ha-1 applied in soil + 0.5% EDTA- Zn +1% urea - foliar spray) exhibited superior performance. Whereas, treatment T1 (5 kg Zn ha-1 -applied in soil) has the most beneficial residual effect on succeeding crops (moongbean) in terms of growth and yield.ThesisItem Restricted Effect of water quality and fertigation on yield and quality of onion (Allium cepa L.) under drip irrigation(Punjab Agricultural University, 2024) Sharma, Avni; Dr. K. S. SekhonAn on-going experiment with cotton-onion cropping system was selected under to study the effect of different water qualities viz. canal water (CW), poor quality saline tube well water (TW) and alternate CW and TW (CW-TW) and three N fertigation levels [ 100% (N100), 120% (N120) and 140% (N140) of recommended dose of N (RDN)] under drip irrigation and with 120% RDN under conventional flood irrigation on bulb yield and quality of onion (Allium cepa L.) at Jodhpur Farm of PAU Regional Research Station, Bathinda. The experiment was triplicated in randomized complete block design on a permanent layout in three strips of four rows keeping one drip lateral, having in-line emitter spacing of 30 cm and discharge rate 2.4 L hr-1. The onion plants were partitioned into leaves and bulb at 60 days after transplanting (DAT) and at final harvest stages and analysed for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Na and Cl elements. The plant height increased progressively till 90 DAT under drip irrigation (DI) and conventional irrigation (CI). At harvesting, CW gave significantly higher plant height than TW and CW-TW under DI which were superior than CI. Number of leaves per plant and dry matter (DM) accumulation in leaves and bulb in CW was at par with CW-TW. Dry matter accumulation (DM) in leaves and bulbs was recorded in the order- TW< CW-TW< CW. Under CI, DM accumulation with CW was at par with CW-TW. Onion bulb yield also decreased with increasing salinity. The highest total biomass at 60 DAT and bulb yield was obtained with CW which was at par with CW-TW. Among the fertigation levels, N140 recorded significantly higher DM which was at par with N120 biomass at 60 DAT. The increasing irrigation water salinity decreased N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S content whereas Na and Cl content increased in both plant parts. CW and TW under DI, registered the highest and the lowest macronutrient content in leaves and bulb at both the growth stages, whereas CW-TW held the intermediate values for the macronutrients. Highest fertigation of 140 % RDN under DI registered the maximum content of N, P, K, Ca, Mg and S at both the growth stages in both the plant parts. Increasing N dose decreased the Na and Cl content in leaves and bulbs at both the growth stages. CI recorded the significantly lower N, P, K, Ca, Mg, and S content in both plant parts with CW, TW and CW-TW at 120 % RDN than DI at the same 120% RDN. Ascorbic acid varied significantly with water quality under CI. The maximum content was observed with CW which was at par with CW-TW. DI recorded significantly higher TSS with TW and CW-TW at 120 % RDN than CI. The infiltration rate, mean weight diameter and organic carbon content decreased but bulk density, EC1:2 and pH1:2 increased with increasing water salinity. Increasing salinity decreased available N and P and increased available K, Ca,Mg,Na,Cl in the both surface (0-15 cm) and sub surface (15-30 cm) soil layers. Increasing N doses increased K and Ca content in the soil whereas Na and Cl decreased. It is concluded that cyclic use of good quality canal water and poor quality saline tube well water (CW-TW) with 20% higher N than the recommended dose can be adopted for irrigation on the sandy loam soil for sustainable production of rabi onion with minimal adverse effect on soil health in semiarid conditions using drip in case of scarce good quality water scenario.ThesisItem Restricted Optimizing the timing and levels of nitrogen application on growth and yield of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)(Punjab Agricultural University, 2023) Dimple; Gill, Arsh Alam SinghNitrogen (N) plays a significant role in plant metabolic and physiological exertions. As a key factor in ensuring sustainable soil fertility and fruit productivity, N management is crucial for maintaining or increasing fruit productivity. Therefore, the present investigation, “Optimizing the timing and levels of nitrogen application on growth and yield of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)” was conducted during 2022-23 at Research Farm, Department of Soil Science, PAU, Ludhiana. The soil of the experimental field was sandy loam in texture, low in available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and potassium. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design that comprised two main plots, i.e. without and with farmyard manure (FYM) @ 25 t ha-1and thirteen subplots consisting of four different N levels: 0, 75, 113 and 150 kg N ha-1 applied in 2, 3, 4 and 5 split doses. The results revealed that integrated nutrient management (INM) plots, i.e. combined integration of N-fertilizer with FYM resulted in significantly higher growth and yield attributes of chilli with respect to N plots without FYM. Higher fruit yield was attained by the application of 113 kg N ha-1 in 4 split doses integrated with FYM and recorded 45.8 % significantly higher fruit yield than the recommended dose of fertilizer treatment, i.e. 75 kg N ha-1 applied in 2 split doses integrated with FYM due to a greater number of fruits plant-1. Within each N level, 4 split doses of N-fertilizer performed better than 3, 2 and 5 split doses in both without and with FYM plots. Only two split doses were not ensured the optimum supply of N at later growth stages. Therefore, 113 kg N ha-1 in 4 equal split doses integrated with FYM can be recommended to farmers for achieving maximum yield in chilli under Punjab conditions.ThesisItem Embargo Effect of residue management practices on soil moisture dynamics and performance of wheat(Punjab Agricultural University, 2023) Manmeet Singh; Gupta, NaveenThe present investigation entitled “Effect of residue management practices on soil moisture dynamics and performance of wheat” was carried out at Research Farm, Department of Soil Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. The experiment was implemented in kharif season 2021 after a uniform crop of rice-wheat in 2020-2021. Three crop establishment methods viz. Puddled transplanted rice (PTR), Direct seeded rice (DSR) and Conventional till maize (Maize) in main plots and four residue management scenarios viz. Strip tillage and residue retention using Smart Seeder (ST+R), Zero tillage and residue retention using Happy Seeder (ZT+R), Conventional tillage and Residue incorporation using Mitter Seeder/Super Seeder (CT+I) and Zero till and residue burning after rice and residue removal after maize (ZT-B/RR) in sub-plots were evaluated in a split-plot design with three replications. Recommended practices were used for managing weeds, pests and disease stresses in wheat crop. Results demonstrated that retention and incorporation of residues over burning/removal of residues and crop establishment after PTR and DSR over Maize increased the grain yield, total water productivity, biomass accumulation and nutrient uptake in wheat and decreased total water use. Use of ZT+R after PTR (5.38 t ha-1) led to the highest wheat grain yield, which was attributed to higher average grain weight. Volumetric water content (VWC %) decreased as ZT+R≈ST+R>CT+I>ZT-B/RR and PTR≈DSR>Maize at all depths with more prominent effect up to 30 cm. Evaluation of different machine learning models for estimation of total N, P and K concentration in wheat leaves from hyper-spectral data revealed that nitrogen and potassium concentration was best predicted using Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) model, whereas phosphorous was best predicted using Random Forest (RF) model. Optimum wavelengths for N and K estimation mostly belonged to NIR region whereas for P estimation, it belonged to SWIR region. Stereo-micrographs of aggregates showed slightly darker colour, larger size, more root and straw deposits under residue retention and incorporation than burning/removal.ThesisItem Open Access Evaluation of some new chemical and organic amendments in rice-wheat system under sodic water irrigation(Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2022) Harjot Kaur; O.P. ChoudharyPersistent and continuous use of sodic water for irrigation in south-western regions of Punjab has led to the development of sodicity in soils which severely impacts the physical, chemical and biological properties. The deteriorated soil health proves futile to plant growth causing yield losses and lower farm income. The problems caused by the irrigation-induced sodicity can be rectified by the amelioration of the soils using amendments. Gypsum has been popular among farmers as a source to ameliorate sodic water irrigated soils but the issue with its availability and quality has propelled the scientific community to explore the potential of some others resources such as yellow gypsum, a by-product of steel industry which can help sustain growth in sodic soil environment. Organic amendments such as farm yard manure (FYM) has been studied extensively while others like rice straw compost, rice straw (RS) and biochar (BC) are presently getting attention in terms of their utility in restoring sodic soils. A pot experiment was conducted to collate the effect of application of inorganic (yellow; YG and grey gypsum; GG) and organic amendments (FYM, rice straw compost, RS and BC) on properties of soils (loamy sand; ls and sandy clay loam; scl) irrigated with sodic water and biomass yield of crops. Soils were irrigated with different levels of RSC of irrigation water i.e. RSC 0, 5, 7.5 and 10 meq L-1 . Organic amendments, FYM @ 15 t ha-1 , Rice straw compost @ 6 t ha-1 , RS 6 t ha-1 and BC @ 4 t ha-1 were applied once before sowing of wheat whereas gypsum (both types) @ 50%GR was applied on soil basis and later with each irrigation to neutralize sodicity of water. Individual effect of these amendments was studied through 56 treatment combinations in completely randomized design replicated three times. Results revealed decrease in biomass yield, photosynthetic activity, stomatal conductance and uptake of Ca, Mg and K on irrigation with sodic water in wheat and rice crop whereas uptake of Na and proline content increased. With regard to soil properties, irrigation with sodic water increased pH, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) (higher in scl), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) (higher in ls), and bulk density (BD) but decreased microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and mean weight diameter (MWD). Upon application of gypsum (both types), decrease in pH, SAR and ESP was observed along with significant improvement in biomass yield and other soil properties such as MBC and MWD. Among the organic amendments, BC reduced uptake of Na whereas rice straw compost and FYM gave promising results in restoration of soil properties and biomass yield in both the crops. Further, field studies need to be conducted to evaluate the restorative effect of yellow gypsum vis-à-vis grey (mined) gypsum and it combined application along with the organic amendments in soils receiving sodic water irrigation.ThesisItem Embargo Estimation of irrigation water requirement of wheat in rice-wheat system in Ludhiana district of Punjab using geo-spatial technologies(Punjab Agricultural University, 2022) Vullaganti, Niharika; Vashisht, B.B.One of the major global concerns is increasing population. With increase in the population, a proportional increase in food and water requirements is seen. To meet the increasing food requirements, the crop productivity should be increased with the limited resources available. Recent studies stated that there is a notable amount of water being lost in the form of excessive irrigation and ground water depletion. To tackle these problems and conserve water, improving water use efficiency is one of the best ways. Irrigation scheduling can play a crucial role in reducing wastage of water in agriculture. To schedule irrigation, evapotranspiration need to be estimated. This study aims to estimate evapotranspiration of wheat crop in Ludhiana district using geo spatial technologies. Evapotranspiration (ET) of the crop was estimated using satellite and meteorological data. Reference evapotranspiration was estimated with ETo calculator using climatic parameters like mean temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and wind speed as inputs to calculate reference evapotranspiration. Monthly evapotranspiration data obtained from satellite data was represented in ET maps generated using ArcGIS. The monthly ET maps were combined to form a seasonal evapotranspiration map. ET increased with the vegetative growth from November to February and decreased as the crop reached its maturity during March and April. Various factors like climatic parameters, crop and soil characteristics effect the evapotranspiration. Crop coefficient was estimated to represent the crop characteristics at a particular area at a particular period of time. It was calculated as the ratio of crop evapotranspiration and reference evapotranspiration. Crop coefficient were low during initial growth stages, increased during mid season and again decreased during later stages of crop growth. Irrigation water requirement of the crop was estimated by deducting the effective rainfall from evapotranspiration. Mapping of the crop coefficient, evapotranspiration and irrigation water requirement enabled to represent their spatial and temporal variation within the study area. This would help the farmers to easily identify the water requirement of the crop in their localities and irrigate the crop accordingly.ThesisItem Restricted Characterization of groundwater quality for irrigation in different blocks of district Bathinda(Punjab Agricultural University, 2022) Kirandeep Kaur; Sekhon, K. S.This study was conducted to characterize the groundwater quality of Bathinda district of Punjab, India for irrigation purpose. A total of 367 water samples were collected from the running tubewells from the seven blocks viz. Bhagta Bhai Ka, Phul, Nathana, Rampura, Goniana, Maur and Bathinda out of nine blocks of district Bathinda in June-July 2021. The geo-tagged groundwater samples were analysed for pH, EC, major ions and As. Based on these parameters, various water quality indices like sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), %Na, magnesium adsorption ratio (MAR), Kelly’s ratio (KR), CAI1, CAI2, total hardness (TH), total dissolved solids (TDS), r1, r2, corrosivity ratio (CR) and permeability index (PI) were also calculated. According to PAU classification of EC and RSC, in overall Bathinda district (based on seven blocks) as per EC, 58.3%, 37.1% and 4.6% of groundwater samples belong to fit, marginal and unfit category, respectively and as per RSC, 74.1%, 17.2% and 8.7% of samples belong to fit, marginal and unfit category, respectively. On the basis both EC and RSC together as per PAU classification 42.2%, 45.3% and 12.5% of samples are grouped under fit, marginal and unfit category, respectively for irrigation purpose in Bathinda district. Based on USSL (1954) classification, 4.1%, 60.8% and 34.6% of samples fall under C2, C3 and C4 category of EC; and 55.9%, 15.8%, and 28.3% of samples belong to fit, marginal and unfit category of RSC, respectively. In Wilcox diagram, most of the analysed samples fall under permissible to doubtful category and doubtful to unsuitable category and in USSL diagram, maximum groundwater samples fall under C3S2 and C4S3 category. The analysis's findings revealed that the groundwater samples fall in rock dominance and evaporation zone as indicated by Gibbs diagram, Piper diagram shows that the maximum samples of the area fall in Na-Cl type of groundwater category, whereas, as per scatter diagrams, silicate weathering and direct ion exchange process was dominant in the area. The irrigation water quality maps based on USSL classification of EC, RSC, SAR and both EC and RSC together were prepared for seven blocks of district Bathinda with the help of GIS techniques. This study thus concludes that as the groundwater of studied area was varying in water quality, therefore periodic monitoring is required to assess the water quality for its long-term use in agricultural production.ThesisItem Embargo Estimating soil erodibility and soil aggregate stability from basic soil properties using statistical and machine learning techniques for kandi region of Punjab(Punjab Agricultural University, 2022) Manpreet Singh; Manmohanjit SinghAccelerated soil erosion in the lower Shiwalik kandi region of Punjab results in deterioration of soil physical quality. Soil aggregation and soil erodibility are important parameters indicating soil physical quality but the quantification of these parameters is complex so efforts have been done to estimate these properties from easily measurable soil characteristics by using pedo-transfer functions (PTFs). Statistical PTFs are available for estimating of these properties but they don't explainthe sufficient variability in data. Machine learning techniques may play an important role in this context. Therefore, the present study was planned to compare PTFs developed using statistical and machine learning techniques for kandi region of Punjab. The basic soil physico-chemical properties were measured across four locations with five land uses at each location at three depths and with three replications. Three data sets were prepared for these soil properties. When dataset 1, having six basic soil properties, was used for estimation of mean weight diameter (MWD), water stable aggregates (wSA) and erodibility (K), the prediction using artificial neural network (ANN) was slightly better than generalized linear model (GLM). When dataset 2, having those six basic soil properties which were having high correlation with soil structural parameters, was used for estimation of MWD, WSA and K, the prediction using GLM was slightly better than ANN. When dataset 3, having all 11l basic soil properties, was used for estimation of MWD, WSA and K, the prediction using ANN was significantly better than GLM. When using data available from literature, ANN performed better for prediction of MWD and WSA whereas GLM performed better for prediction of K. So, it may be concluded that ANN performs better for a large set of data and for a complex system having a greater number of variables whereas for small set of data and for simple system having less variables, the statistical methods perform better.ThesisItem Open Access Impact of biochar and inorganic-P fertilizer on soil phosphorus dynamics and crop(Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2022) Jagmandeep Kaur; Mavi, Manpreet SinghOwing to its fixation in soil, phosphorus is one of the most limiting nutrients for crop productivity. Therefore, continued inputs of P to soil are necessary to sustain crop productivity. However, the non-renewable nature and cost associated with mineral P fertilizers necessitate the need to find alternate sources for sustainable P management. In this context, biochar produced upon thermochemical decomposition of biomass can serve as a viable P source. However, a clear understanding of the mechanisms affecting P availability with different biochar types and rates either applied alone or in combination with inorganic-P fertilizer levels remains elusive. Therefore, a pot and incubation study were conducted to study the impact of different biochar types and rates with or without inorganic-P fertilizer levels on crop biomass and phosphorous availability in soil with varying P status. For the pot study, low and high P status soil was amended with four rates of the maize stover biochar (0, 2, 4, and 8 t ha-1) and three levels of the inorganic-P (KH2PO4) (0, 30, and 60 mg kg-1) with wheat as a test crop. Increasing rates of biochar and inorganic-P led to a significant increase in P availability (Olsen-P, microbial biomass P, and P fractions) and crop biomass. Besides, grain yield achieved with application of 2 t ha-1 biochar alone was comparable to inorganic-P alone both with 30 and 60 mg kg-1 treatment in low and high P status soil. However, the changes in P dynamics with biochar application were more apparent in low P than the high P status soil. Furthermore, biochar (at the rate of 1%) derived from different feedstocks like maize stover (MSB), palm wood (PWB), and poultry manure (PMB) were applied in combination with two rates of inorganic-P (KH2PO4) (0 and 60 mg kg-1) to low and high P status soil for the incubation experiment. In general, a maximum increase in Olsen-P and soil P fractions was observed with PMB followed by MSB > PWB > inorganic-P. Thus, the results of the study indicated that biochar application improved the soil P availability either directly due to the release of P from biochar itself or indirectly through the decrease in P sorption of the amended soil or improved microbial biomass. Besides, an increase in organic-P and lower alkaline phosphomonoesterase activity upon biochar application indicated a slow P turnover rate in the soil. However, the increment observed in grain yield and soil P availability upon biochar application was better when applied alone rather than its co-application with the inorganic-P. Therefore, it may be concluded that biochar can serve as a suitable substitute for mineral P fertilizers for fulfilling crop P demand. However, future studies must carefully validate the potential of biochar derived from different feedstock and rates of application through long-term field trials before recommending its extensive use as a source of P in agriculture.
