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Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa
In the imperial Gazetteer of India 1878, Pusa was recorded as a government estate of about 1350 acres in Darbhanba. It was acquired by East India Company for running a stud farm to supply better breed of horses mainly for the army. Frequent incidence of glanders disease (swelling of glands), mostly affecting the valuable imported bloodstock made the civil veterinary department to shift the entire stock out of Pusa. A British tobacco concern Beg Sutherland & co. got the estate on lease but it also left in 1897 abandoning the government estate of Pusa.
Lord Mayo, The Viceroy and Governor General, had been repeatedly trying to get through his proposal for setting up a directorate general of Agriculture that would take care of the soil and its productivity, formulate newer techniques of cultivation, improve the quality of seeds and livestock and also arrange for imparting agricultural education. The government of India had invited a British expert. Dr. J. A. Voelcker who had submitted as report on the development of Indian agriculture. As a follow-up action, three experts in different fields were appointed for the first time during 1885 to 1895 namely, agricultural chemist (Dr. J. W. Leafer), cryptogamic botanist (Dr. R. A. Butler) and entomologist (Dr. H. Maxwell Lefroy) with headquarters at Dehradun (U.P.) in the forest Research Institute complex.
Surprisingly, until now Pusa, which was destined to become the centre of agricultural revolution in the country, was lying as before an abandoned government estate. In 1898. Lord Curzon took over as the viceroy. A widely traveled person and an administrator, he salvaged out the earlier proposal and got London’s approval for the appointment of the inspector General of Agriculture to which the first incumbent Mr. J. Mollison (Dy. Director of Agriculture, Bombay) joined in 1901 with headquarters at Nagpur
The then government of Bengal had mooted in 1902 a proposal to the centre for setting up a model cattle farm for improving the dilapidated condition of the livestock at Pusa estate where plenty of land, water and feed would be available, and with Mr. Mollison’s support this was accepted in principle. Around Pusa, there were many British planters and also an indigo research centre Dalsing Sarai (near Pusa). Mr. Mollison’s visits to this mini British kingdom and his strong recommendations. In favour of Pusa as the most ideal place for the Bengal government project obviously caught the attention for the viceroy.
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ThesisItem Open Access Effect of nano urea on soil nitrogen status, uptake, yield and juice quality of Sugarcane in calcareous soil of Bihar(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Mallick, Jidan Ali; Thakur, S.K.The use of nano-fertilizers in agriculture is expanding quickly as a strategy to increase crop yields, nutrient use efficiency and decrease the use of synthetic fertilizers. A novel agricultural input developed through nano technology is called nano urea which provides nitrogen to plants.Nano urea which contains 4% N by weight in nano form. Its use efficiency is higher than that of regular urea and most crops can be benefited from nano urea as a source of nitrogen. A field experiment was therefore, conducted in 2022–2023 at the Crop Research farm Kalyanpur, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Bihar, with an objective to study the “Effect of nano urea on soil nitrogen status, uptake, yield and juice quality of Sugarcane in calcareous soil of Bihar”.The experiment was carried out in RBD design with 10 treatmentswith three replications comprising control, application of nitrogen @ 50, 75 &100 %recommended dose alone or in combination with spray of nano urea (NU) @ 1.0 &2.0% at tillering & grand growth stages. Spray of nano urea @ 2.5% was carried out only at tillering stage. The results revealed that the number of tillers increased significantly from 44.59 - 97.30×103 ha-1 and 62.36 - 110.53× 103 ha-1 at 90 and 120 days after planting with increasing levels of nitrogen. Significant increase in the number of millable cane (67.84 - 76.72 ×103 ha-1) over control was observed due to addition of different doses of nanourea. Applying nano urea had a positive effect on cane yield (61.24 to 79.24 t ha-1) and sugar yield (7.36 to 9.92 t ha-1) but highest cane and sugar yield (81.95 t ha-1 and 10.23 t ha-1 respectively) was observed due to application of recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN). The application of different doses of nano urea did not show significant variation in plant height, cane length, cane girth but single cane weight varied significantly (0.719-1.024 kg) across the different treatments. The application of nano urea in various combinations did not result in statistically significant improvements in cane juice quality parameters like brix, pol, purity, and commercial cane sugar. The highest available nitrogen content (246.14 kg ha-1) was observed in treatment received 100% recommended dose of nitrogen. The available nitrogen content in post-harvest soil varied 224.40 to 236.53 kg ha-1 due to application of nano urea @ 1.0, 2.0 & 2.5% along with 50% and 75% nitrogen fertilizer. Nano urea had no notable impact on the available phosphorus and potassium content of the post-harvest soil. The meanuptake of nitrogen (88.07 to 279.53 kg ha-1), phosphorus (12.4 to 15.36 kg ha-1) and potassium (113.07 to 154.75 kg ha-1) by sugarcane crop varied significantly across the treatments. The benefit-cost ratio in the treatments receiving 75% RDN along with spray of NU @ 1.0, 2.0 and 2.5% were found at par with the maximum BC ratio (1.89) observed in treatment receiving 100% RDN. Thus,application of 1% nano urea at tillering and grand growth stage along with 75% RDN may be used for sugarcane production in calcareous soil of Bihar.ThesisItem Open Access Impact of residue incorporation and zinc fertilization on soil health and micronutrient contents of rice grain(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) PRIYADARSHANI, CHITRA; Laik, RanjanThe major goals of researchers under intensive cropping systems, especially in Asian countries, where demand for food is very high due to population pressure, is to achieve higher productivity, better quality produce and sustenance of soil health. Hence, a study on long term crop residue incorporation (29 years) and zinc fertilization effects was done to understand how these practices synergistically enhance soil health, rice productivity and nutritional quality of rice grain under rice-wheat cropping system. This research was conducted in a potentially Zn deficient calcareous soil at RPCAU research farm in a Split Plot Design (SPD) with different crop residue levels at 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100% in the main plot and varying Zn levels at 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 kg ha-1 in the sub-plot. Zinc was administered at the different levels initially at the commencement of the study and subsequently reapplied after a span of 25 years (during 2018). On the other hand, crop residue was incorporated into the soil every year following the harvest of each crop. Combining complete crop residue incorporation with residual 10 kg Zn ha-1 boosts soil organic carbon, available nitrogen, and overall soil health, benefiting aggregation, water retention, and nutrient availability. Long-term incorporation leads to higher rice yields, improved grain protein, zinc and iron content, correlating positively with enhanced soil health determined by PCA analysis, except for available B, Cu, and Mn.ThesisItem Open Access Effect of NPK, FYM and Zn application on transformation of Zn, biological properties and nutrient availability under rice-wheat cropping system in calcareous soil(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) KACHHAP, AANCHAL; Kumar, VipinThe present study aimed to investigate the effect of NPK, FYM, and Zn application within a RWCS in calcareous soil on various aspects, including yield, nutrient uptake, chemical properties, and biological characteristics of post-harvest soil of second wheat crop in the year 2023. Additionally, the study examined different fractions of zinc in the soil and their correlations with each other, as well as with yield, nutrient uptake, and available zinc content. The research was conducted as a field experiment that commenced during the kharif season of 2021 at the Pusa Research Farm of RPCAU Samastipur, Bihar. The experimental layout followed a randomized block design comprising ten treatments replicated three times. These treatments included a range of conditions: T1 as the absolute control, T2 with RDF (Recommended Dose of Fertilizers), T3 with RDF and FYM @ 5 t ha-1, T4 with RDF and foliar spray of 0.5% ZnSO4, T5 with RDF and 5 kg Zn ha-1, T6 with RDF and Geoxol.com @ 40 kg ha-1, and T7, T8, T9, T10 similar to T2, T3, T4, T5, respectively, but with an increased RDF level of 125%. Among these treatments, T10 (125% RDF + 5 kg Zn ha-1) exhibited the highest yield of 5.21 t ha-1 and 4.64 t ha-1 with grain yield response of about 6.3 to 27.1 and 0.21 to 0.90 per cent in rice and wheat crop respectively. However, when considering nutrient uptake, T8 (125% RDF + FYM @5 t ha-1) showed the greatest total nutrient uptake, and it was statistically similar to treatments involving increased fertility levels in combination with organic supplementation and zinc sources. Remarkably, substantial nutrient availability (N, P, K, S, and Zn) was detected in treatments with enhanced fertility levels, both independently and in various combinations. Moreover, treatment T8 demonstrated noteworthy dominance in biological properties, indicating that FYM and higher fertilizer levels played a pivotal role in stimulating microbial growth. This heightened response was most pronounced in treatments involving 125% RDF, either alone or in combination, mainly due to the initial nutrient deficiency of the soil. Analyzing different zinc fractions in the post-harvest soil indicated that the water-soluble and exchangeable forms were minimal, while the residual form was predominant revealing that the majority of total zinc resided in the residual form. Interestingly, positive and significant correlations were observed among yield, nutrient uptake, and available zinc content. The order of dominance of different zinc fractions in the soil was: Residual-Zn > Organically bound-Zn > Zn bound to crystalline oxide > Zn bound to amorphous oxide > Complexed-Zn > Water soluble plus exchangeable-Zn. These findings inform agricultural practices and soil management strategies to farmers by emphasizing the benefits of balanced NPK fertilization with organic supplementation and zinc for improved crop yields. They underscore the importance of addressing micronutrient deficiencies, particularly zinc, and highlight the role of organic matter in enhancing soil health. Additionally, the study offers insights into nutrient build-up and zinc distribution, guiding more efficient soil fertility strategies. Overall, these findings promote a holistic approach to soil and nutrient management, enhancing sustainability in agriculture.ThesisItem Open Access APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING AND GIS FOR ASSESSMENT ON SOIL EROSION AND FERTILITY STATUS OF MUZAFFARPUR DISTRICT OF BIHAR(Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Tagung, Techi; Singh, Sanjay KumarThe research work on “Application of Remote Sensing and GIS for Assessment on Soil Erosion and Fertility Status of Muzaffarpur District of Bihar” was carried out during 2019 to 2021 at Muzaffarpur district of Bihar, India. The research area spans 3122.56 km2 geographical area and positioned on Survey of India 72 B, 72 C, 72 F, and 72 G degree sheets. It is located between 84.8836 and 85.7502 East Longitude and Latitude of 25.9002 to 26.3836 North. The region experiences 1187 mm of annual rainfall on average, with the monsoon season accounting for 85% of that total. For assessing the annual soil erosion loss from the study area, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model was used in RS and GIS framework with analysis of five major parameters viz., R (Rainfall Erosivity), K (Soil Erodibility), LS (Slope Length and Steepness), C (Cover and Management) and P (Support Practice) Factor. For assessing the soil fertility status of the study area, 280 surface soil (0-15 cm) samples were collected and subjected for analysis of various soil physico-chemical properties following standard methodology viz. soil pH, EC, OC and available nutrients (N, P, K, S, Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn). The results obtained from soil sample analysis were then used for thematic soil fertility map generation using GIS. Land suitability was examined by employing weighted overlay analysis tool using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in the ArcGIS software. Slope, rainfall, soil pH, Soil Organic Carbon, LULC and NDVI factor maps obtained from objective 1 and 2 were used as input factors for land suitability analysis. During 2019, Sahebganj tehsil recorded highest R-factor value of 503.61 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1 while Gaighat tehsil recorded the lowest annual mean R-factor of 341.08 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1. During 2020, the R-factor was recorded highest in Motipur tehsil (715.93 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1) while, lowest R-factor was recorded in Bandra tehsil (492.02 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1). Similarly, during the year 2021, highest R-factor recorded was identified in Musahari tehsil (695.15 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1) while the lowest was found in Katra tehsil (505.28 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1). Highest mean annual R-factor of Muzaffarpur district was obtained during the year 2021(610.25 MJ mm ha-1h-1yr-1) followed by the year 2020 (518.56) and 2019 (368.91). Lowest value of K- factor 0.212652 t h ha-1MJ-1mm-1 was noticed in Baruna soil series (mapping unit 37), whereas highest K-factor value of 0.560351 t h ha-1MJ-1mm-1 was recorded in Dhankaul soil series (Mapping unit 38). The value of K factor in the study area ranged from 0.210139 t h ha-1MJ-1mm-1 to 0.499983 t h ha-1MJ-1mm-1. The LS-factor ranging from 0 to 39.11 was noticed in river banks as well as steep slopes of high topograhy. The higher values of LS factors may attribute to the deterioration of river bank and absence of vegetative cover. The variability in elevation in the study area was measured from -116 to 46 (m), while slope (o) has been found from 0 to 89.99. The annual mean C-factors for the year 2019, 2020 and 2021 were 0.4618, 0.3495 and 0.3261 respectively. The minimum P factor reveals the more effective conservation practice to reduce soil erosion. Highest annual soil loss of 23.65 t ha-1yr-1 was occurred during the year 2020 followed by 15.76 t ha-1yr-1 during the year 2019 and 11.15 t ha-1yr-1 during the year and 2021. Among the tehsils, the lowest annual soil erosion was observed in Aurai tehsil in all the year while Paroo and Musahari tehsil recorded higher amount of soil loss as compared to other tehsils of Muzaffarpur district. The pH value of study area ranged between 7.4 and 9.6 with 7.8 as mean value. Around 91% and 9% soil samples were found neutral and alkaline in nature. The EC value ranged between 0.11 and 1.67 dS m-1 with 0.27 dS m-1 as mean value. Around 95.7% and 4.3% soil samples respectively were normal and slightly saline in nature. The OC content varied from 0.15 to 1.54% with 0.53% as mean value. It was found that 46.4, 39.6 and 14 % samples of OC respectively were low, medium and high. The available N content varied between 119.7 and 318.7 kg ha-1 with 230.9 as mean value. Around 7.5 and 92.5 % samples of available N respectively were in low and medium category. The available P content varied between 3.20 and 40.3 kg ha-1 with 13.06 as mean value. Around 81.4, 12.9 and 5.7 % soil samples were in low, medium and high range respectively. Around 31.4, 49.3 and 19.3 % of total samples of available K were in low, medium and high category respectively. Available K content varied between 68.54 and 805.06 kg ha-1 with 199.6 kg ha-1 as mean value. The content of available S categorised under low, medium and high was 32.9, 62.5 and 4.6 % of the total soil samples while its value varied between 6.15 and 25.73 kg ha-1 with 12.05 kg ha-1 as mean value. The available Zn content categorised under low and medium category was 78.9 and 21.9 % of the total soil samples while its value varied between 0.11 and 1.11 mg kg-1. Around 53.6, 45.0 and 1.4 % of total soil samples of available Fe was low, medium and high while value varied between 1.16 and 13.14 mg kg-1 with 6.62 mg kg-1 as mean value. The available Cu content categorised under low, medium and high category was 47.1, 51.8 and 1.1 % of the total soil samples while its value varied between 0.19 and 2.28 mgkg-1 with 0.66 mean value. The available Mn content categorised under low, medium and high category was 46.4, 46.8 and 6.8 % of the total soil samples while its value varied between 1.04 and 6.56 mgkg-1 with 3.14 mg kg-1 as average value. Study also outlined 69.3% area under suitable (S) and 30.7% under non-suitable (N) category. Largest area (68%) found under highly suitability class (S1) accompanied by 30% as permanently unsuitable (N2), 0.1% under moderately suitable (S2), 0.7% under currently unsuitability (N1) and 1.2% under marginally suitable (S3) class. All the thematic maps were prepared in ArcGIS software.ThesisItem Open Access Ecological succession on soil organic carbon pools and biological properties under different land use management system(Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Dube, Anupam; Laik, RanjanTo examine the Ecological succession of any management practices to test the applicability of different land use systems for improving CMI in restored ecologies, soils were sampled from 0–15, 15–30 and 30–45 cm deep layers of Napier, Litchi, Mango, Guava, Grassland -based silviculture systems. These were compared with samples from fallow land (F). Long-term experiments are regarded as important tools. Long-term fertiliser experiments could monitor the trends in crop yield resulting from changes in soil fertility. It is essential to monitor the long-term changes in soil nutrient status, and nutrient supplying capacity to ensure and improve crop productivity. These considerations have prompted to undertake the present investigation, which was carried out in an on-going field experiment started in Rabi 1988-89 under AICRP on STCR project at the Research Farm of Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Samastipur, Bihar, India. The experimental site experienced a sub-tropical climate with an average annual precipitation of 1345 mm, the summer was hot and humid, and too cold winter, and the experimental soil belonged to order entisols. The experiment was conducted in different land use management systems with random block design and split-plot design with four levels of fertilizers viz. no NPK (Fo), 50% of the recommended dose of NPK (F1), 100% of the recommended dose of NPK (F2) and 150% of the recommended dose of NPK (F3) were applied as treatments in main plots. The main plots were divided into sub-plots in which treatments viz. no manures (M0), compost @ 10 t ha-1 (M1), crop residue (M2), and compost + crop residue (M3) were superimposed over NPK levels, making a total of 16 treatment combinations with 3 replications. The study intended to assess the effect of the organic and inorganic treatments on soil health, and nutrient fractions in rice-wheat cropping system. Weed flora was higher in guava, followed by Litchi and mango. The increase was attributed to greater recycling of bio-litters. Litchi was found to have the highest C,N,P percentage and C/N ratio, lignin/ cellulose ratio as compered to guava and mango. Carbon fractions (active, passive, and slow pools) retained relatively 30-56 % greater in a secondary ecological succession of grassland as compared to cycling ecological succession. Among nutrient management in the cycling ecosystem, NPK and organic matter addition restored a greater amount of carbon as compared to inorganic fertilizer application. However, all the C-pools are substantially lower in imbalanced fertilizer application. A Higher amount of active C such as, SMBC, WSC, PMOC, and KmnO4-C at the surface layer was found in higher Napier, which could be due to the addition of leaf litters, fine roots, and residues over the fallow. SMBC was significantly higher in Napier, followed by grassland at all three depths, and SMBN and KmnO4-C were higher in Napier followed by guava land. However, SMBC of litchi, mango and guava was at par. Carbon pools like active, passive, and slow pool results were highest in the application of 150% NPK + compost and crop residue at par with 100% NPK + compost and crop residue over absolute control. The interaction between organics and inorganic fertilizers was the best interaction for SMBC, SMBN, WSC, AHC, POMC, HA-C, and FA-C at all three depths of soil. SMBC was found to be positively (R2 = 0.68) correlated with soil organic carbon content. Secondary ecological succession is 3-fold higher in horticultural and pastoral land use management systems as compared to cycling ecological systems in terms of enzymatic activities and Ecological restoration. Observations of soil biological properties soil enzymes (viz. dehydrogenase, FDA, β-glucosidase, urease, acid, and alkaline phosphatase, cellulase, Rubisco) were significantly influenced due to long term effect of various organics and inorganic fertilizers and their interactions. Combine application of 150% NPK + compost and crop residue resulted significantly higher activity in different enzymes in soil over absolute control and different land use system was found in higher Napier could be due addition of leaf litters, fine roots and residues over the fallow. Observations of soil biological properties revealed a 1-fold increase in soil respiration at surface soil and a 1.4-fold increase in soil dehydrogenase activity over absolute control due to the interaction effect of 150% NPK+ compost + crop residue. Also, 150% NPK+ compost + crop residue was 2.7 times superior over absolute control for soil alkaline phosphatase activity at 0-15 cm. The experimental findings of different land use management systems and the effect of long-term application of organics and inorganics on soil physical properties revealed a significant reduction in bulk density up to the application of 150% NPK as inorganics and a 15% decline was observed due to the conjoint application of compost and crop residue over control (no organics) and different LUMS were found non-significant. Water holding capacity increased significantly up to 150% NPK as inorganics and conjoint application of compost and crop residue recorded the highest percent increase (15.5 and 29.5% at both depths, respectively) over control (no organics). The MWD was significantly highest in guava as compared to grassland and at 0-15, 15-30, and 30-45 cm soil depths, respectively. Interaction effects of organics and inorganic fertilizers were non-significant for MWD at all the soil depths. No significant changes were observed with soil pH and EC. Whereas, in Soils under Napier, guava had 32 and 20% higher SOC than fallow land in the 0–15 cm soil layer. Soil organic carbon increased up to 0.7-fold over absolute control with conjoint application of 150% NPK + compost + crop residue. Availability of N and P2O5 increased significantly up to 150% NPK, and organics were recorded highest with conjoint application of organics and inorganics. Due to the interaction effect between organics and inorganics, a 1.3 and 1.4-fold increase in the soil available N at o-15,15-30 cm and a 1- fold increase in available P2O5 was observed with 150% NPK + compost + crop residue over absolute control. Grasses tree–based DLUS, such as Litchi, Mango, Guava, fodder and Napier may be advocated as these practices improved soil physico-chemical properties and biological quality compared to fallow. We recommend the use of enzyme- based index (GMEA) to assess soil quality and its relative improvements in the organic farming approach due to its ability to measure variability arising from nutrient cycling processes. CMI is a valuable tool for explaining soil quality since it examines the ability of various management activities to determine the long-term efficacy of mineral nutrient availability, efficiency, and soil C pools. Organic amendments significantly improved the activities of C, N, P, and S cycling enzymes and SOC concentrations in surface and subsurface soils. It is an ecological succession that for improvement of secondary and vertical ecological succession for improvement of pasture and horticultural development is more useful option and soil test crop response management in general further studies is required.ThesisItem Open Access Efficient utilization of organic waste for quality vermicompost production and its impact on soil health and crop productivity(Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2022) Kumar, Rajesh; Jha, ShankarThe catastrophic growth in population has led to massive urbanization, industrialization, with noticeable advancement in agriculture; increased the economic growth on one hand but gave the ways for generating more municipal and other solid wastes on other, affected soil-water-plant ecosystem ultimately the whole environment and the population. There is a need for effective waste management, as unscientific disposal of organic waste has not only negative impact on the environment and public health but also a cause of untapped nutrient loss adhered with these wastes. The untapped nutrients of the waste may be utilized for further crop and soil improvement vide adopting suitable techniques of vermicomposting. Among various methods of composting, one of the best options for treating domestic household waste is vermicomposting. Scientific utilization of organic solid wastes can provide nutrients for plant growth as well as improve soil health, for utilizing these wastes, vermicomposting can be an eco-friendly and economically viable technology. However, ordinary vermicompost is low in nutrients (macro and micronutrients) and by introducing some low-grade minerals, such as Rock-phosphate as well as utilizing organic waste (crop residues and household waste); its quality may be enhanced. Maize is grown in Bihar in all the three seasons (Kharif, Rabi, and Zaid). However, Rabi is the most widely grown followed by Kharif while Zaid season is the least grown and land remains fallow for most of the time. Hence, growing maize as Zaid crops not only increase crop productivity but also enhance fallow land utilization. Keeping in view the above facts, an experiment was conducted at vermicompost production unit, RPCAU, Pusa during the year 2021 and 2022 with an objective to efficiently utilize organic waste by vermicomposting and further use of the prepared vermicompost for improving soil health and crop productivity. Under this experimental study in the first approach, a vermicomposting experiment was carried out with enriched (RP) and without enriched household wastes, organicresidue waste and cow dung at 65:35 proportions, followed by a quality, maturity and stability analysis of the vermicompost. On the basis of nutrients contents (macro and micro nutrient), physical parameters (water holding capacity and bulk density) and recovery per cent, the vermicompost prepared from enriched (RP) and without enriched household wastes, organic-residue waste and cow dung proportions (65:35) on weight basis was considered the best one. In the second approach, a field experiment was conducted with maize as Zaid crop in calcareous soil in Randomized Block Design with fourteen treatments replicated thrice to evaluate the effect of prepared vermicompost integrated with chemical fertilizers (75% N through chemical fertilizer + 25% N through prepared vermicompost) including a sole treatment with only recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF-120:60:40) on soil health parameters i.e. soil physical, chemical, biological properties and enzymatic activities, productivity, nutrient uptake and nutrient use efficiency. During field experiment, enriched organic residue vermicompost with combination of chemical fertilizers led to significant build-up of organic carbon (OC), available N, P, K and micronutrient Zn, Cu, Fe & Mn as well as improved water holding capacity (36.89%) and bulk density (1.38 Mgm-3) of soil followed by enriched household vermicompost. With application of enriched (RP and Zn) household and organic residue vermicompost in combination with chemical fertilizers, the soil microbial biomass carbon, soil respiration, dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activities increased by 24.78%, 75.86%, 81.57% and 61.50% over control in post-harvest soil, respectively. Application of enriched household vermicompost along with chemical fertilizers gave highest grain, stover, and stone yields which were statistically at par with application of enriched organic residue vermicompost along with chemical fertilizers and their magnitudes were 69.60 and 69.20 q ha-1 for grain, 81.32 and 79.92 q ha-1 for stover, 14.31 and 13.64 q ha-1 for stone, respectively in both the years i.e. 2021 and 2022. In the same fashion N, P, K and Zn uptake in grain, stover and stone of maize was significantly higher in the enriched household and organic residue vermicompost over control. However, the application of household and organic residue vermicompost and 75% N through chemical fertilizers yielded more as full dose of inorganic fertilizer (RDF) alone. Thus, combined application of enriched and without enriched vermicompost and inorganic fertilizer recorded greater nutrient use efficiency than control and RDF. Thus, 25% of chemical fertilizer could be saved with the combination of vermicompost and 75% RDF without reducing yields of grain, stover, and stones. It can be concluded from the present study that application of RP enriched vermicompost along with 75% NPK had pronounced impact on improving soil fertility as well as enzymatic activities and increased crop productivity under maize crop.ThesisItem Open Access INFLUENCE OF TRASH TREATMENTS ON SOIL C AND N INDICES UNDER SUGARCANE PLANT-RATOON SYSTEM(Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2022) Bairwa, Rajendra; Jha, C. K.Sugarcane crop generates around 8-12 t ha-1 trash. The trash an asset in sugarcane system which can be used as source of biomanure/mulching. The trash mulching regulates the rhizospheric environment and ultimately improves crop growth and yield. Nevertheless, the management of soil carbon and nitrogen is a major constraint in sugarcane based intensive system for sustaining soil health and sugarcane productivity. Thus, enhancing soil carbon and nitrogen in the sugarcane-based system has become an important concern due to declining factor productivity and nutrient availability. In view of the above facts present study was carried out at Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University Pusa (Bihar) during the year 2020-2022, to investigate the “Influence of Trash Treatments on Soil C and N Indices under Sugarcane Plant-Ratoon System”. The field investigation was conducted in randomised block design with eight treatments and three replications. The treatments comprised of trash mulching @10 t ha-1 either alone or activated with 25 kg N ha-1 (through urea) / farmyard manure (5t ha-1) / vermicompost (@2.5 t ha-1) / trash mulching inoculated with Trichoderma viride / Azotobacter + PSB and trash incorporated in soil with no trash control. The dose of chemical fertilizer for plant (150 N: 85 P2O5: 60 K2O kg ha-1) and ratoon (170 N: 60 P2O5: 60 K2O kg ha-1) has been applied as per recommendation in all the treatments. The results revealed that treatments of trash mulching either treated with urea/FYM/vermicompost or inoculated with Trichoderma/Azotobacter +PSB significantly enhanced CO2 evolution in soil over control. The CO2 evolution decreased continuously with the advancement of crop growth. The fractions of total organic carbon significantly increased due to trash mulching / incorporation as compared to no trash control. The very labile (1.62 – 2.76 g kg-1), labile (1.09 – 2.17 g kg-1), less labile (1.55 – 2.21 g kg-1) and non-labile carbon (2.18-2.95 g kg-1) varied significantly after two crop cycles. The carbon fractions were in order of non-labile-C (Fraction-IV) > very labile-C (Fraction-I) > less labile-C (Fraction-III) > labile-C (Fraction-II). The mean soil organic carbon (4.53-6.93 g kg-1), total organic carbon (6.26 - 9.79 g kg-1), organic carbon stock (14.70 – 20.76 Mg ha-1), microbial biomass carbon (110.73-265.16 mg kg-1) and microbial quotient (1.77 - 2.71%) differed significantly due to trash mulching treatments either activated with organics/inoculated with microbes after harvest of ratoon. carbon pool index (1.00-1.57) and carbon management index (138.36-238.30) varied and improved significantly in trash treated plots as compared to no trash control after ratoon. However, the soil carbon lability index was found non-significant. The maximum nitrate-N fraction observed in trash mulching treatment treated with urea, while other forms of nitrogen fractions dominated in trash mulching treatments activated with organics/microbial inoculants. The N-fractions viz. nitrate-N (15.70-18.03 mg kg-1), exchangeable ammonical-N (66.46-100.50 mg kg-1), total hydrolysable-N (242.92-363.95 mg kg-1), non-hydrolysable-N (140.55-200.69 mg kg-1) and total-N (447.76-699.01 mg kg-1) differed and found significant due to treatments of trash mulching. Among the hydrolysable-N, the highest value recorded for amino acid-N followed by ammonium-N, unidentified-N and least value for hexoseamine-N. The N-indices viz. nitrogen lability, nitrogen lability index and nitrogen pool index of soil significantly influenced by trash treatments while nitrogen management index did not differ. The nitrogen fractions were in a dynamic state of equilibrium and various nitrogen fractions behaving interchangeably, as indicated by the correlation coefficient (r value) among the nitrogen fractions. The trash mulching brings significant changes and enhancement in physical, chemical and biological environment of soil. The mean soil penetration resistance of surface (1.26 – 1.40 MPa) and sub-surface (3.68-4.09 MPa) varied significantly after harvest of ratoon crop. The significant improvement in bulk density, aggregate size distribution, pore space and water holding capacity of soil also observed in trash mulching treatments after two crop cycles. The availabilityof macro (N, P & K) and micro nutrients (Fe, Zn, Cu & Mn) enhanced significantly with positive balance of NPK due to trash mulching. The results revealed that plant height, dry matter, tiller, millable cane and cane length enhanced in plant and ratoon crop due to treatments of trash mulching. The mean cane yield of plant (65.96-83.31 t ha-1) and ratoon crop (54.20-71.99 t ha-1) differed significantly among treatments. Juice quality parameters viz., pol, purity coefficient and commercial cane sugar remains unaffected due to trash mulching. However, brix (%) improved significantly in ratoon crop only. The mean sugar yield varied significantly in plant (7.22-9.97 t ha-1) and ratoon crop (5.78-8.58 t ha-1) due to various trash mulching treatments. The higher sugar yield was recorded in plant crop as compared to ratoon crop. The positive relationship was found among cane and sugar yield with carbon and nitrogen indices. The increasing cane yield resulted more uptake of nutrients by plant and ratoon crop. The mean uptake of N (230.07-297.39 Kg ha-1), P (17.22-22.07 Kg ha-1), K (205.00-283.06 Kg ha-1), Fe (3663-5505 g ha-1), Zn (712-939 g ha-1), Cu ( 1417-1835 g ha-1), Mn (723-956 g ha-1) by plant crop and N (213.47-282.40 Kg ha-1), P (15.21-20.57 Kg ha-), K (163.55-246.34 Kg ha-1), Fe (3154-4963 g ha-1), Zn (646-841 g ha-1), Mn (1253-1739 g ha-1) and Cu (621-861 g ha-1) by ratoon crop varied significantly and increased due to mulching of trash. The mean B: C ratio for plant (1.51-1.89) and ratoon (1.71 – 2.20) varied significantly. The trash mulching treatment inoculated with Trichoderma viride recorded highest B: C ratio in plant (1.89) and ratoon (2.20) crop. In general, the higher B:C ratio was obtained in ratoon crop as compared to plant crop. The soil carbon pool parameters, soil carbon stock and nitrogen fractions get better with improvement in carbon and nitrogen indices due to trash mulching treatments. The trash mulching treatments either activated with urea/FYM/vermicompost or inoculated with Trichoderma /Azotobacter + PSB brings significant enhancement in quality of soil and productivity of sugarcane plant-ratoon system in sub-tropics. Based on B: C ratio trash mulching (10 t ha-1) treated with Trichoderma viride (500 g t-1 of trash) along with RDF produced maximum profitable cane and sugar yield in Calcareous soil.ThesisItem Open Access ASSESSING CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL AND SOIL QUALITY INDEX (SQI) UNDER HORTICULTURE BASED LAND USE SYSTEMS IN AGRO-CLIMATIC ZONE-I OF BIHAR(Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2022) KUMAR, PRABHAT; Prasad, S.S.Soil carbon sequestration research has gained world focus as a cost effective and eco-friendly approach in mitigating elevated CO2 level of atmosphere. The various anthropogenic activities have impacted our fragile ecosystem, leading to an increased level of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere which has not only affecting our ecosystem but also poses threat to our human race. The research was formulated with the hypothesis that SOC quality, and quantity varies due to variability in input and loss of soil C under different LUS’s of agro-climatic zone –I of Bihar. The main objective of the research undertaken was to assess carbon sequestration and soil quality under dominant LUS’s by evaluating the variation in measurable soils properties with carbon and nitrogen storage patterns. The selected experimental area lies in the middle Gangetic alluvial plain having hot dry to moist sub-humid. Based on preliminary survey, five LUS’s namely litchi solo , mango solo, litchi intercrop, rice wheat, and uncultivated were selected and accordingly composite soil sample collected i.e. total 100 samples from different soil depth 0-15, 15- 30, 30-45 and 45-60 cm. The various soil measurable physico-chemical and biological parameters were analysed and the data revealed that soil carbon is the main driver influencing various soil characteristics. Among the different LUS selected, the superior LUS followed sequence mango solo >litchi solo > litchi intercrop > uncultivated > rice wheat. The analysed soil data revealed that soil pH in different LU was moderately alkaline and ranged from 7.91 to 8.26 while electrical conductivity ranged from 0.34 to 0.48 dS m-1 which is within the safer limit. The observed soil bulk density varied significantly and was found highest in uncultivated LU 1.46 Mg m-3 while lowest in 1.41 Mg m-3 in mango solo LU. The soil surface hardness was observed highest 1368.2 KPa in uncultivated LU having highest BD value compared to other LUS’s. Soil texture in selected LU was mainly sandy loam, silty loam and clay loam but the effect of LU was non-significant. Among different LU system, the available macro-nutrient N, P, K and micro-nutrient Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn were found to be more in horticulture based LUS’s compared to rice-wheat and uncultivated LU. Significant decreases in available nutrients were observed with increase in depth of soil. The biological soil properties assessed by DHA activity, SMBC, SMBN and soil protein and found significantly better microbial properties in all three horticulture-based LUS’s when compared to rice-wheat LUS. A marked difference in SOC fraction constituents were found among different LUS’s and observed sequence NLc>VLc> Lc>LLc carbon. Among the different LUS’s soil carbon stock 0-60 cm soil depth was found to be highest in mango LU at 71.34 Mg C ha-1 followed by litchi solo 61.34 Mg C ha-1, uncultivated LU 52.33 Mg C ha-1and least it was observed in rice-wheat LU 44.69 Mg C ha-1, while similar trend also was observed in soil nitrogen stock highest in mango LU 5408.01 kg N ha-1 and least 3771.51 kg N ha-1 observed in rice-wheat LU system. In the horticultural LUS’s the total tree biomass carbon (both above and below ground) was observed highest in mango solo 51.59 q tree-1 followed by litchi solo 16.32 q tree-1 and least 15.82 q tree-1 in litchi intercrop. Soil quality index was assessed among different LU and observed best in mango solo LU 1.15 then litchi solo 1.09, litchi intercrop 1.04, uncultivated 1.02 and least observed in rice-wheat LU 0.94. The soil quality data depicts sensitive indicators selected were soil carbon stock, metabolic quotient; soil respiration, clay% and sand% in assessing SQI which may be used in future research in related studies for assessing SQI. Finally, it may be concluded that over all soil quality and carbon sequestration followed sequence mango solo > litchi solo > litchi intercrop > uncultivated > rice wheat LUS. The problem of increased current fallow area under in ACZ-I may be addressed with incorporation of horticulture tree component and adoption of suitable agronomic management practices for maintaining sustainability in the region.ThesisItem Open Access SOIL HEALTH STUDY OF DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES UNDER PROMINENT CROPPING SYSTEMS OF BIHAR(Dr.RPCAU, Pusa, 2022) Nath, Debabrata; Laik, RanjanThere are many factors that contribute to soil health, including physical, chemical, and biological factors. Some of them are dynamic in nature and behave differently based on the agro-ecological zone in which they occur and therefore are quantified using a soil health index (SHI), which measures the soil health in various agroecological zones (ACZs). A study entitled “SOIL HEALTH STUDY OF DIFFERENT SOIL TYPES UNDER PROMINENT CROPPING SYSTEMS OF BIHAR” was conducted at the Department of Soil Science, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University Pusa (Bihar) with the objective to evaluate the variability in soil health parameters, minimum data sets (MDSs) to construct a soil health index (SHI) and correlation and regression to find out the direct determinants yield which will be useful in evaluating the sustainability of crops in different agroecological zones of Bihar, under rice-wheat and rice-maize cropping systems including four different ACZs, namely Sitamarhi (ACZ-I), Saharsa (ACZ-II), Banka (ACZ-IIIA) and Rohtas (ACZ-IIIB). Based on the properties of the surface soil layer (0-15 cm) that were measured by Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health (CASH), 20 parameters were utilized to develop the soil heath index (SHI). Under R-W and RM cropping system a wide range of variations were observed in soil properties in surface soil samples that was found by descriptive analysis. Pearson’s correlation studies revealed that strong significant correlation among SOC, available N, available P2O5, WAS, AWC, sand content, soil respiration and system yield (R-W and R-M). Stepwise regression analyses showed that under the R-M cropping systems, the key soil properties like SOC and available N were the main determinants for R-M system yield in all the four ACZs, available K2O in ACZ-I and II, WAS in ACZ-I and IIIA and AWC in ACZ-IIIB. However, stepwise regression analyses showed that under the R-W cropping system also SOC and available N were the main soil determinants for R-W system yield in all the four ACZs, along with available P2O5 in ACZ-I and II, Clay in ACZ-I, IIIA and IIIB and soil respiration in ACZ-IIIB. A scoring function (non-linear) was used to convert each indicator of the MDS into a dimensionless score which in turn was integrated into four separate SHIs based on scoring functions (nonlinear). Soil health index (SHI) of R-M system showed that the overall SHI varied from 0.41-0.49. The highest SHI was found in Rohtas (0.49) followed by Saharsa (0.48). Among all the soil health parameters SOC, available N, available P2O5, available K2O, available S, soil respiration and AWC were the main contributor for the SHI. Maximum contribution was found for SOC is 13.50% in Sitamarhi (ACZ-I) followed by 12.50% in Saharsa (ACZ-II). Soil health index (SHI) of R-W system revealed that the overall SHI varied from 0.43-0.51. The highest SHI was found in Rohtas (0.51) followed by Sitamarhi (0.50). Maximum contribution was found for SOC is 15 % in Rohtas (ACZ-IIIB) followed by 14 % in Sitamarhi (ACZ-I). Quantitative predictive relationship between R-W and R-M system yield and SHI showed a positive correlation. The results demonstrated that R2 values are 0.79, 0.54, 0.65 and 0.76 in R-W system and 0.70, 0.62, 0.65 and 0.64 in R-M system for Rohtas, Banka, Saharsa and Sitamarhi respectively. On the basis of this index, it was determined that prominent cropping systems were able to be used to quantify soil health under four different ACZs. Based on this result, it was determined what would be the most suitable cropping system. Thus, it can be concluded that SHI can be used as a tool for quantifying soil health to a satisfactory level. Based on the variability observed across 20 soil health indicators across two prominent cropping systems under four different agro-climatic zones (ACZs) of Bihar, this study provides a framework for the quantitative assessment of soil health throughout four ACZs. It also helps to identify which cropping system for a given ACZ is the most suitable among existing cropping systems carried out in a particular ACZ.
