Thumbnail Image

Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat

Assam Agricultural University is the first institution of its kind in the whole of North-Eastern Region of India. The main goal of this institution is to produce globally competitive human resources in farm sectorand to carry out research in both conventional and frontier areas for production optimization as well as to disseminate the generated technologies as public good for benefitting the food growers/produces and traders involved in the sector while emphasizing on sustainability, equity and overall food security at household level. Genesis of AAU - The embryo of the agricultural research in the state of Assam was formed as early as 1897 with the establishment of the Upper Shillong Experimental Farm (now in Meghalaya) just after about a decade of creation of the agricultural department in 1882. However, the seeds of agricultural research in today’s Assam were sown in the dawn of the twentieth century with the establishment of two Rice Experimental Stations, one at Karimganj in Barak valley in 1913 and the other at Titabor in Brahmaputra valley in 1923. Subsequent to these research stations, a number of research stations were established to conduct research on important crops, more specifically, jute, pulses, oilseeds etc. The Assam Agricultural University was established on April 1, 1969 under The Assam Agricultural University Act, 1968’ with the mandate of imparting farm education, conduct research in agriculture and allied sciences and to effectively disseminate technologies so generated. Before establishment of the University, there were altogether 17 research schemes/projects in the state under the Department of Agriculture. By July 1973, all the research projects and 10 experimental farms were transferred by the Government of Assam to the AAU which already inherited the College of Agriculture and its farm at Barbheta, Jorhat and College of Veterinary Sciences at Khanapara, Guwahati. Subsequently, College of Community Science at Jorhat (1969), College of Fisheries at Raha (1988), Biswanath College of Agriculture at Biswanath Chariali (1988) and Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science at Joyhing, North Lakhimpur (1988) were established. Presently, the University has three more colleges under its jurisdiction, viz., Sarat Chandra Singha College of Agriculture, Chapar, College of Horticulture, Nalbari & College of Sericulture, Titabar. Similarly, few more regional research stations at Shillongani, Diphu, Gossaigaon, Lakhimpur; and commodity research stations at Kahikuchi, Buralikson, Tinsukia, Kharua, Burnihat and Mandira were added to generate location and crop specific agricultural production packages.

Browse

20151
Reset filters
Subject: Agronomy × Author: Barman, Dwijendra Mohan ×
Reset filters

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Thumbnail Image
    ThesisItemOpen Access
    EFFECT OF INTERCROP AND WEED MANAGEMENT ON PRODUCTIVITY AND RESOURCE USE EFFICIENCY IN TURMERIC (Curcuma domestica Val.)
    (AAU, 2015) Barman, Dwijendra Mohan; Dr. Jayanta Deka
    A field experiment was conducted at the Instructional-Cum-Research (ICR) farm of Assam Agricultural University in 2013 and 2014 to study the “Effect of intercrop and weed management on productivity and resource use efficiency in turmeric (Curcuma domestica Val.).” The treatments consisted of two planting methods of turmeric viz., paired row 80/20 cm and paired row 70/30 cm; two intercropping systems with baby corn and greengram and three weed management practices viz., non-chemical i.e. mulching along with four hand weeding at 35, 65, 95 and 140 days after planting (DAP), pre-emergence application of metribuzin @ 500 g ha-1 along with five hand weeding at 35, 65, 95, 140 and 185 DAP and pre-emergence application of oxadiargyl @ 90 g ha-1 along with five hand weeding at 35, 65, 95, 140 and 185 DAP along with one weedy check (control). Thus, twenty treatment combinations including four controls (sole crops) were laid out in a factorial randomized block design with three replications. The surface soil of the experimental site was acidic in reaction, sandy loam in texture, low in organic carbon, medium in available nitrogen, low in available phosphorus and medium in available potassium. In the experimental field, Eleusine indica (L) Gaertn., Digitaria setigera Roth., Panicum repens L. among the grasses, Cyperus iria L. and Fimbristylis aestivalis (Retz.) Vahl. in the sedges and Ageratum houstonianum Mill., Borreria articularis (L.f.) Will, Commelina diffusa Burm.f., Mimosa diplotricha C. Wright and Mimosa pudica L. under broad leaved weed were predominant. The grasses and broad leaved weed constituted the major proportion of the weed flora at early stage and later stage, respectively. Significant difference in total weed density and dry weight was recorded between the method of planting. The planting method 70/30 cm proved to be superior in less weed density, dry weight and higher weed control efficiency in both the years. In regards to intercropping, significantly higher value of total weed density and dry weight was recorded in turmeric-greengram intercropping system and higher weed control efficiency was found in turmeric-baby corn intercropping system. Among the weed management treatments imposed, significantly lower total weed density, dry weight and lower removal of NPK by weeds was observed in the non-chemical weed management practice i.e. mulching along with four hand weeding over other practices during both the years. Weed control efficiency was also higher in the same weed management practice. The paired row planting at 70/20 cm proved superior in terms of different growth and yield attributes of turmeric crop. Significantly higher fresh rhizome yield of 24.25 and 24.63 t ha-1, higher dry rhizome yield of 5.61 and 5.55 t ha-1, higher uptake of N, P and K were recorded under paired row 70/30 cm as compared to paired row planting of turmeric at spacing of 80/20 cm during both the years. The corn yield with husk of intercrop baby corn were 6.58 and 6.54 t ha-1 under paired row 70/30 cm in both the years which accounted for 57.11 and 56.82 per cent to the sole baby corn yield (11.52 and 11.58 t ha-1) as compared to 57.03 and 56.48 per cent in paired row 80/20 cm during first and second year, respectively. Intercropping greengram in the intervening space of paired row 70/30 cm produced grain yield of 3.32 and 3.40 q ha-1, which constituted 27.71 and 28.24 per cent of the yield of sole greengram (11.98 and 12.04 q ha-1), as compared to 27.96 and 28.24 per cent under paired row 80/20 cm during both the years. Method of planting of turmeric did not affect significantly in yield of intercrop greengram. The intercropping greengram had produced significantly higher value of growth and yield attributes and rhizome yield of turmeric as compared to intercropping baby corn. Different weed management practices had significant effect on the base crop turmeric and intercrops baby corn and greengram. The non-chemical weed management practice by mulching along with four hand weeding at 35, 65, 95 and 140 DAP proved superior in respect of growth and yield attributes. It produced significantly higher fresh yield (32.05 and 32.42 t ha-1), dry rhizome yield (7.14 and 7.66 t ha-1) and nutrient uptake as compared to other treatment of weed management practices. The same weed management practice produced the intercropped baby corn yield of 8.17 t ha-1 that accounted for 70.81 and 70.58 per cent to the yield of sole baby corn in both the years. As regard to intercrop greengram, the yields were 4.20 q ha-1 and 4.28 q ha-1 which accounted for 34.95 and 35.58 per cent to the yield of sole greengram during the two years. Curcumin content did not differ significantly due to different treatment imposed for planting system, intercropping and weed management. Better resource use efficiency in regard to water, nutrient, light was observed in the 70/30 cm planting method, turmeric-greengram intercropping system and in the non chemical weed management practice. As regard to cropping system as a whole, planting methods had significant effect on most of the characters studied. Paired row 70/30 cm proved superior in terms of turmeric equivalent yield and land equivalent ratio. Intercropping baby corn had resulted significantly higher turmeric equivalent yield and greater land equivalent ratio in both the years. The weed management practice with non-chemical method i.e. mulching along with four hand weeding at 35, 65, 95 and 140 DAP produced significantly higher turmeric equivalent yield of 6.75 t ha-1 and 6.78 t ha-1 as compared to other management practices in both the years of experimentation. The sole turmeric (weedfree) was found superior over the sole turmeric (recommended practice) in respect of fresh rhizome and dry rhizome yield in both the years. However, curcumin content did not differ in both the sole crop treatment. Turmeric planting in paired row 70/30 cm and intercropping greengram in between paired rows with non-chemical weed management practice by mulching along with four hand weeding at 35, 65, 95 and 140 DAP proved superior in most of the attributes studied, followed by paired row 70/30 cm and intercropping baby corn with non-chemical weed management practice by mulching along with four hand weeding at 35, 65, 95 and 140 DAP. The later treatment combination (M2I1W2) was found superior in terms of turmeric equivalent yield, land equivalent ratio, net return (R ha-1 and (R R-1 invested), benefit: cost ratio and bioenergetics.