Loading...
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.
Browse
Search Results
ThesisItem Open Access Assessment of profitability and sustainability of paddy-based cropping systems in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) SRI , KADIVETI NAVYA; SINHA, D. K.The current study, entitled "Assessment of profitability and sustainability of paddy-based cropping systems in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh” was performed to identify major paddy-based cropping systems in the study area, examine their costs and returns, resource use efficiency, and sustainability in various paddy based cropping systems. For the purpose of this study, three mandals i.e., Kota, Vakadu, and Ananthasagaram with paddy-based cropping systems were chosen. From each mandal, two villages were randomly selected making a total of six villages for the study. Twenty-five farmers were chosen randomly from each village. As a result, 50 sample respondents were chosen from every mandal and thus made the total sample analysed in the study of various paddy-based cropping systems. A total of 150 sample farmers were chosen for the study. A well-planned interview schedule was used to gather primary data from the farmers, and secondary data from statistical offices at various levels in the study area. The major cropping systems based on paddy observed in the study area were cropping system Ⅰ (paddy-groundnut), cropping system Ⅱ (paddy-paddy), & cropping system Ⅲ (paddy-cotton). The findings indicated that cropping system Ⅲ (Rs.160849.83) had the highest cost of cultivation, followed by cropping system Ⅰ (Rs.139634.59) and cropping system Ⅱ (Rs. 132024.42). Similarly, the gross returns obtained were in the same order, indicating that cropping system Ⅲ (Rs. 330072.45) observed the highest returns, followed by cropping system Ⅰ (Rs. 281916.83) and cropping system Ⅱ (Rs. 259072.90). The highest net income, Rs. 169222.62, was realised by the farmers under Cropping System III. The net returns for Cropping system Ⅰ and Cropping system Ⅱ were Rs. 141282.24, Rs. 127048.48, correspondingly. The highest output-input ratio was found for Cropping System III (2.05), succeeded by paddy-groundnut System (2.01) and paddy-paddy system (1.96). Therefore, it can be concluded that paddy-cotton cropping system was definitely the most profitable, followed by paddy-groundnut and then paddy-paddy. The findings of step-wise regression analysis in cropping system I demonstrated that regression coefficients of seeds, machine power, and FYM in paddy and seeds in groundnut were statistically significant. The MVP/MFC ratio for factors like seeds, machine power, and FYM in paddy and seeds in groundnut was more than unity, thus it may be inferred that increasing these inputs will have the potential to enhance the returns. In cropping system II, regression coefficients of fertiliser in kharif paddy and FYM and hired labour in rabi paddy had statistically positive and significant impact on yield. The MVP/MFC ratios for fertilisers in kharif paddy and FYM, as well as hired labour in rabi paddy, were estimated more than one, which indicated the further more usage of the inputs mentioned. The coefficient of hired labour in kharif paddy was estimated to be negatively significant, and the allocative efficiency of hired labour was found to be <1, implying that labour was employed more extensively than required level, recommending a drop in existing labour utilisation. In cropping system III, hired labour in paddy and machine power in cotton were favourably significant. The allocative efficiency for hired labour in paddy and machine power was estimated to be greater than one, indicating that these specific inputs may be employed more to attain maximum efficiency. It was opined that cropping system III (paddy-cotton) was the most sustainable and viable in the study region, followed by paddy-paddy (cropping system II) and paddy-groundnut (cropping system I), with percentages of sustainability assessed as 60.93%, 50.86%, and 42.88%, respectively. As per the results of the linear multiple regression analysis, factors like returns to cost ratio and the cost used for environmentally friendly inputs relative to overall cost of cultivation were significant in all the three cropping systems, whereas gross income per acre was found significant in paddy-groundnut and paddy-cotton cropping systems. The factor like pesticide productivity was positively significant in both cropping system I and cropping system II, while it was observed that fertiliser productivity was favourably significant in cropping system II and cropping system III and ratio of cost of owned inputs to total cost of cultivation was estimated significant in cropping system II.ThesisItem Open Access DEVELOPMENT PERFORMANCE OF DAIRY CO-OPERATIVE IN ODISHA: AN EMPIRICAL STUDY(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) SRINATH, K.; Kumar, AmalenduIndia has a history of cooperation, primarily credit and non-credit cooperatives. The dairy cooperative model began with Anand Milk Union Limited (AMUL) in 1942, catalysing the "White Revolution" that transformed India's dairy sector. Today, dairy cooperatives benefit millions of farmers and consumers, making India world’s largest milk producer. India contributed 24 percent of the global milk production, with a total of 221.06 million metric tonnes in the fiscal year 2021-22. In 1965, the formation of NDDB led to the creation of an extensive plan called "Operation Flood" during 1970-71. The initial stage of this initiative covered the period from 1971 to 1981. Following this, the second phase, labelled as "Operation Flood II," occurred from April 1981 to March 1985. Subsequently, the program entered in its third phase. The core aim of this endeavour was to boost milk production nationwide. Notably, the eastern region of India, Odisha, witnessed a significant upswing in milk production starting in 1981. This surge was attributed to the strengthening of milk cooperative societies in the state. The present investigation was carried out to measure the development performance of dairy cooperative in Odisha. The objective of the study was to analyse the structural change and performance of dairy cooperatives, impact of dairy cooperative society on member and non-member, constraints faced by member dairy farmers and suggestion for promotion of dairy cooperative society. Primary and secondary data were utilised to evaluate the study's objectives. The primary data was gathered from 80 member and 80 non-member dairy farmers, while secondary data was gathered from different published sources such as the OMFED annual report, other publications, magazines, newspapers, and journals. The data was evaluated using the compound annual growth rate, the Heckman two-stage model, and principal component analysis. Physical performance at the federation level between 2010-2011 and 2019-2020. It showed that organised DCS was growing at a rate of 1.09 percent per year however functional DCS was growing at a rate only of 0.41 percent per year, and milk procurement is growing at a rate of 1.77 percent per year. The study also revealed that memberships climbed with a CAGR of 0.98 percent, reflecting the federation's stability and ability to attract members. The federation's financial performance over a decade shows consistent growth with positive Compound Annual Growth Rates (CAGR) of 2.39 percent for turnover, 4.14 percent for gross profit, and 2 percent for net profit. Thus, the performance of dairy cooperatives in the state appears to be quite satisfying. The union level experienced growth in functional societies, membership, milk procurement per day and per year, and pourer members, with CAGR rates of 3.04 percent, 0.51 percent, 5.28 percent, and 2.79 percent respectively. The financial performance highlights a 2.03 percent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in net profit, 2 percent CAGR in turnover, and 1.3 percent CAGR in share capital across a decade (2010-2011 to 2019-2020). The data signifies consistent growth in net profit, turnover, and share capital, underlining operational efficiency and financial well-being of the union. The research highlights critical characteristics that influence cooperative membership. Distance from the cooperative centre reduces the chance of participation, but higher milk prices and availability to veterinary services increase the taking of membership. Household age exhibits a negative correlation with membership, while distance from the market correlates positive. The study clearly demonstrated the positive influence of dairy cooperatives on the income of member household in Odisha. The study also looked at the problems faced by member dairy farmers. The major constraints faced by them were healthcare and breeding problem followed by production constraints and unavailability credit facility. The respondents sampled indicated a need for the extension of veterinary services and healthcare facilities at the society level to ensure the continued health of milch animals, which is essential. Hence, attention from the union might be required.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 FORECASTING OF RICE YIELD BASED ON BIOMETRICAL CHARACTERS AND ANALYSE THE PERFORMANCE OF PRADHAN MANTRI FASAL BIMA YOJANA IN WEST GODAVARI DISTRICT OF ANDHRA PRADESH(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) KRISHNA, GAJJARAPU JAYA; KUMAR, MAHESHThis study, conducted in West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, a prominent rice-producing region, employs biometrical characteristics to forecast rice yield and assesses the performance of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) program. Time series analysis reveals stable rice-growing area but increasing production and yield. The study identifies ten biometrical characteristics affecting rice yield, including plant population(X1), plant height(X2), tiller count(X3), panicle length(X4), nitrogen(X5), phosphorus(X6), potassium levels(X7), irrigation frequency(X8), disease infestation(X9), and plant condition(X10). Multiple regression analyses were conducted using these variables, resulting in a model selection process which includes R-square, adjusted R-square, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC), and Coefficient of Variation (CV) based on these 5 models are selected from overall possible models. Residual analysis of these 5 models favoured a third model of the selected five models for forecasting rice yield. The chosen model (Ŷ = 46.08838 + 0.80226X₁ + 0.14708X₂ - 0.36854X₃ - 0.02404X₅ + 0.02418X₇ + 1.28461X₈) having yield affecting characters such as plant population, plant height, tiller count, nitrogen application, potassium application and irrigation frequency adeptly forecasts rice yield (94.01 quintals/ha) and accounts for 52.6% of yield variation. These models were rigorously assessed for validity. The final selection was based on residual analysis, with a preference for models demonstrating the least Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), ensuring robust predictive performance. Furthermore, the study highlights the robust growth of PMFBY insurance scheme metrics, emphasizing higher Compound Annual Growth Rates (CAGRs) during Rabi seasons. In the 2022 Kharif season, 604,529 farmers were insured, covering 180.5 thousand hectares, with a gross premium of 105.07 crores and a sum insured of 1,756 crores. In conclusion, this research contributes significantly to precise rice yield prediction and showcases the effectiveness of PMFBY in West Godavari district, crucial for enhancing food security and economic stability.ThesisItem Open Access Life cycle estimation and pathogenicity of Steinernema abbasi on fall armyworm(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) S, GANDHI RAJAN; KESHARI, NISHIA study was conducted to determine the efficacy of Steinernema abbasi on fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda and the life cycle of S. abbasi on this insect. Various concentrations of infective juveniles (IJs) viz., 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 IJs / larva were tested on 3rd instar larvae of fall armyworm in three replications. It was found that, there was a negative correlation between the nematode population and time of mortality. As the inoculum level increased, there was decrease in time of mortality. The 3rd instar larvae of fall armyworm insect were found to be the most susceptible of all the concentrations tested. The production of IJs from the treated test insects, was also recorded. The results indicated that the number of IJs increased as the inoculum level is increased. The number of infective juveniles (IJs) produced per larva varied across treatments, yielding 19.03 × 103, 27.3 × 103, 30.70 ×103, 34.43 × 103, 37.50 × 103 and 43.73 × 103 IJs per larva for the 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 IJs per larva treatments, respectively, in the case of S. frugiperda. The mortality of S. frugiperda occurred within 36-48 hours when exposed to 25 IJs. For the life cycle of S. abbasi, it was found that the development of first generation females and males took 72-84 hours for 20-15 IJs. Second-generation females and males matured in 120-132 hours with 20-15 IJs. Infective juvenile exit times ranged from 120 and 168 hours across 20 and 10 IJs treatments respectively. Highest production of IJs were seen in 50 IJs concentration (43.73 × 103 IJs).ThesisItem Open Access Study the effects of nutrient levels on potato crop growth, yield and economics(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Prakash, Himanshu; Kumar, AmrendraPotato is succulent dicotyledonous herbaceous and member of the Solanaceae family; originated in the Andes Mountain range of South America and introduced to India in the late 16th century. Due to its availability and adaptability to local diets, the demand for this crop has increased significantly, leading an expansion of cultivation area, particularly in the North Indian plain region. Potatoes are grown as an annual winter crop, primarily in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar. The significance of potatoes as a food security crop has been acknowledged by the FAO, with high yield potential and rich nutrient content. Intending to achieve sustainable practices in potato cultivation, site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) has emerged as environmentally friendly and economically feasible alternative to conventional nutrient management strategies. SSNM involves customizing nutrient applications to meet the specific requirements of the crop based on field and season specifications. The implementation of SSNM can improve nutrient use efficiency, crop productivity, and profitability. A field trail was conducted to study the impact of different nutrient levels on potato crop growth and yield where various parameters were analysed, including plant emergence, plant height (cm), number of shoots, leaves and tubers per plant, dry matter accumulation, bulking rate, tuber yield, haulm yield, marketable yield, harvest index, nutrient uptake, and soil nutrient availability. The results indicated that treatment T3, which received 150% of the recommended dose of NPK, showed superior performance in terms of plant emergence, plant height, number of shoots and leaves, dry matter production, bulking rate, number of tubers, tuber yield, haulm yield, and marketable yield followed by treatment getting 125% of RDF (T2) which is relatable to the treatment getting 100% Recommended dose of NPK produces 22.48 t ha-1 of total tuber yield. The nutrient management approach of SSNM proved beneficial, resulting in higher agronomic efficiency and partial factor productivity compared to conventional fertilization practices. Treatment getting 100% NPK as per SSNM Dose (T4) produced 21.15 t ha-1 of tuber i.e., ≅ 15% of targeted yield (25 t ha-1). And treatment getting 125% NPK as per SSNM Dose (T5) produces 22.27 t ha-1 of tuber which is ≅ 10% of the target yield. Conversely, the absolute control treatment (T9) and treatments omitting specific nutrients showed the lowest yield. It is found that the yield responses to fertilization was ranked as follows: NPK > NK > NP > PK> Absolute control. Soil nutrient availability was also affected by the amount of nutrients applied, with T3 showing the highest nutrient availability after harvest. With no change in pH, EC and organic carbon per cent of cultivated soil. The economic study revealed that treatment T3 provided the highest gross as well as net return and benefit-cost ratio whereas BC ratio of SSNM treatments is at par with 150 per cent RDF. In conclusion, site-specific nutrient management (SSNM) demonstrated its potential to enhance potato crop productivity while promoting sustainable agricultural practices. Implementing SSNM can lead to improved nutrient use efficiency, yield, and economic returns, contributing to the sustainable growth of potato cultivation and food security.ThesisItem Open Access GROWTH TREND AND YIELD FORECASTING OF MAIZE IN KARNATAKA AND BIHAR THROUGH AUTO-REGRESSIVE INTEGRATED MOVING AVERAGE (ARIMA) MODEL(RPCAU, Pusa, 2024) H, GIRIJASWATHI; Kumar, MaheshThe present study entitled examine “Growth Trend and Yield Forecasting of Maize in Karnataka and Bihar through Auto Regressive Integrated Moving average (ARIMA) Model” is based on the growth trends and ARIMA models for forecasting Maize yield in Bihar and Karnataka. The data spanning from 1990 to 2021 was gathered from reputable online sources such as the Department of Economics and Statistics and India Agri Stat. To create the maize yield prediction model, data up until 2020 were employed, reserving the subsequent two years' data for validating the forecast model. Additionally, trend analysis and tests for model validity were conducted. Based on the aforementioned information, it was determined that among a range of models including ARIMA (0,1,1), ARIMA (0,1,2), ARIMA (0,0,1), ARIMA (1,0,0), ARIMA (1,1,1), ARIMA (2,0,0), and ARIMA (2,0,1), the ARIMA (2,0,1) model offers the best fit for forecasting maize yield in Karnataka. Similarly, for Bihar, the ARIMA (2,0,0) model emerged as the most suitable choice from the selection of models, which also included ARIMA (0,0,1), ARIMA (1,0,1), ARIMA (0,1,1), ARIMA (1,1,1), ARIMA (0,1,2), ARIMA (2,0,0), and ARIMA (2,0,1). The parameters of these models were calculated and subjected to significance tests. Various statistical measures were also computed to identify the appropriate and efficient model, involving t-tests and chi-square tests. This is reinforced by the presence of low values for MAPE, MAE, RMSE, and BIC in the prediction of maize yield for both Karnataka and Bihar. Forecasts for the next three years' maize yield were generated using ARIMA models. The outcomes revealed a consistent decline in maize yield, both in Karnataka and Bihar. Selected ARIMA model for forecasting of yield of maize in Karnataka and Bihar are as below: Zt – Zt-1 = 15.841+0.249(zt-1-zt-2)+0.196(zt-2 - zt-3)-0.19(at-1-at-2)+at (for Karnataka) Zt – Zt-1 = 22.810+0.29 (zt-1 - zt-2) + 0.20 (zt-2 - zt-3) + at (for Bihar) In this study, lower and upper limits of the forecasted yield were also calculated with 95% of confidence interval. The forecasts done three years period ahead for the time series data of yield of maize by using the best fitted ARIMA (2,0,1) and ARIMA (2,0,0) models, respectively for Karnataka and Bihar. Further study was done for the trend analysis and it is found that the trend of area, production and yield of maize in Karnataka is in increasing order whereas in Bihar area is in decreasing order and production and yield shows increasing in Bihar. For accuracy coefficient of determination is calculated. Compound Annual Growth Rates were also calculated and it was found that all are highly significant. Annual income of the majority of the farmers of the study area are in between 1 lakh to 5 lakh and Age, Caste, Occupation, Education, Family size, Size of operational land holding, Farming experience shows a positive correlation with the farmer’s income. The size of operational land shows highly significant with the dependent variable which is farmers income.ThesisItem Open Access Morphological characterization of red rot pathogen of sugarcane and its management(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) Sameera, Gedela Venkata Hima; Singh, S.N.One of the most significant cash crops in the world, Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is grown in more than 80 different nations for the production of white sugar, bio-ethanol, jaggery and other by-products. India produces 20% of the world's sugarcane, and the largest producer of sugar. In Bihar as per recent reports (Directorate of Economics & Statistics 2020-2021) sugarcane covers an area of 0.22 mha having cane production of 10.71mt and productivity of 48.92 t/ha. Based on the survey it was found that the maximum red rot incidence was observed in the sugarcane cultivar Co 0238 (45%) dominating over all the varieties growing in both the districts viz. Samastipur and Gopalganj. covering more than 70 per cent sugarcane area. Cultivars BO 91 and Rajendra Ganna- 1 were found free from the infection of red rot. Out of the two districts, Samastipur district was more affected with red rot disease with mean disease incidence of 18.18 per cent as compared to Gopalganj district (12.26%). Seven isolates were obtained from the collected diseased specimen where the colour of the mycelium of all the isolates varied as whitish grey, greyish white, and pinkish white. The texture of the mycelium was either fluffy, abundant, aerial, scanty raised mycelium. The shape of the conidia was observed as falcate. The average length of the conidia ranged from 21.32µm to 27.37 µm and the average width varied from 4.10 µm to 4.39 µm. Four bio control agents were tested for their antagonistic potential against Colletototrichum falcatum in vitro as well as under field conditions where Bacillus subtilis showed maximum inhibition of test fungus mycelium (69.4%) in bacterial bio control agents whereas in fungal bio control agents, Trichoderma harzianum showed maximum mycelial inhibition (63.9%) and maximum bud germination was recorded in plots treated with Trichoderma harzianum (35.5%), minimum settling mortality (5.3%) and minimum red rot incidence (20.3%) as compared to control (29.0%), (11.3%), (38.1%) respectively. Four SAR molecules were tested for their antifungal properties against Colletotrichum falcatum in vitro and under field conditions, Salicylic acid showed 100 per cent inhibition of radial growth of mycelium at all three concentrations and Potassium silicate showed 100 per cent inhibition of mycelial growth at 1500 ppm and 2000 ppm concentrations and maximum bud germination was recorded in plots treated with Potassium silicate(PSi) (36.3%), minimum settling mortality (4.9%) and minimum red rot incidence (25.5%) as compared to control (27.0%), (12.4%), (39.8%) respectively. Management of red rot disease of sugarcane by integration of bio control agents and fungicides revealed that treatment T7 (Sett treatment with Carbendazim 50 WP @ 0.1% + soil drenching with T.harzianum @ 0.6% + three foliar application with fungicide Azoxystrobin 11% + Tebuconazole 18.3% @ 0.1%) and treatment T8 (Sett treatment with Carbendazim 50 WP @ 0.1% + soil drenching with T.harzianum @ 0.6% + three foliar application with fungicide Thiophanate methyl 70 WP @ 0.1%) have the potential to control the disease and ultimately enhanced the performance of yield attributing characters, yield and quality such as brix, pol and purity per cent. This finding established the fact that integration of bio control agents and fungicides can be used for effective management of the red rot disease of sugarcane. SAR molecules may also be an alternative of fungicides.ThesisItem Open Access Study of soil-water dynamics through HYDRUS 2D model under different planting and irrigation methods for wheat crop(RPCAU, Pusa, 2023) KUMAR, NIRAJ; Jain, S K.The studies on soil-water dynamics under different irrigation and planting methods for wheat crop were analyzed using the Hydrus 2D model during 45-75 DAS the crop growth period . The treatments were: furrow irrigation in raised bed (T1), sprinkler irrigation in conventional tillage (T2), flood irrigation in conventional tillage (T3), sprinkler irrigation in zero tillage with residue (T4), flood irrigation in zero tillage with residue (T5), sprinkler irrigation in zero tillage (T6) and flood irrigation in zero tillage (T7). Results on these practices showed that raised bed and zero tillage with residue reduced surface and sub-surface bulk density (BD), increased field saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) and improved soil water retention significantly over CT and ZT without residue. For simulating water flow and RWU, hydraulic input parameters along with measured field saturated hydraulic conductivity (KS), Soil water content measured on the first day of simulation period as initial condition along with the atmospheric boundary conditions: potential evaporation (Ep), potential transpiration(TP) and amount of rain/ irrigation applied and root parameters : vertical & horizontal root spread along with the diameter of primary roots were specified before running the model. Validation of the model was done by comparing the predicted SMC with experimentally measured MC. In comparison to flood irrigation system, the simulated cumulative RWU in RB with furrow irrigation system and sprinkler system were higher. The maximum root growth in sprinkler irrigation vertically up to 30 cm and horizontally up to 13 cm; where as in flood irrigation vertically up to 35 cm and horizontally up to 10 cm. In comparison to flood irrigation, wheat crops are grown with sprinkler irrigation had more roots or roots with greater density at soil depths between 0 and 30 cm. The water movement at the depth of 0-45 cm varies from 17.4 -35.9 %. Maximum moisture content at depth of 0-15 cm, 15-30 cm and 30-45 cm were 34.8 % in treatment T4, 35.9 % in treatment T1 and 35.2 % in treatment T2 respectively. In flood irrigation maximum cumulative drainage was recorded which were 8.00, 7.64 and 4.31 cm in T7, T3 and T5 treatments respectively. Results of validation of Hydrus 2D model for prediction of SWC showed satisfactory performance (RMSE = 0.016 cm3cm-3 and R2 = 0.86). Data showed that raised bed with furrow irrigation followed by sprinkler irrigation method had a good impact on wheat root development metrics and yield. Sprinkler irrigation has been effective at suppling irrigation water to plant roots while preserving optimal production. Hence it was concluded that furrow irrigation in raised bed (T1) practice should be adopted for wheat cultivation, as these practices modified soil water regime in root zone, enhanced root growth and improved radiation interception, LAI and RWU. The Hydrus 2D can satisfactorily simulate the temporal changes in water balance components in the root zone during the crop period; hence it may be adopted for evaluating different management practices in terms of improvement in water use.
