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Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan
Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, was established on 1st December, 1985 with the objective to promote education, research and extension education in the fields of Horticulture, Forestry and allied disciplines. Late Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar, the first Chief Minister and the architect of Himachal Pradesh perceived the importance of Horticulture and Forestry to develop and improve the State economy which led to the establishment of this University. Its history lies in erstwhile Himachal Agricultural College, Solan, established in 1962 and affiliated to the Panjab University. It became one of the campuses of Agriculture Complex of Himachal Pradesh University on its formation in 1970. Consequent upon the establishment of Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya in 1978, this campus became its Horticulture Complex and finally in 1985, assumed the status of a State University, being the only University in the country engaged exclusively in teaching, research and extension in Horticulture and Forestry.
The University is located at Nauni in Solan District of Himachal Pradesh, 13 km from Solan on Solan-Rajgarh Road, at an elevation of 1300 metres above mean sea level. Solan town is situated on national highway (NH-22) and is well connected by train and bus services.
The University has four constituent colleges, out of which, two are located at the main campus Nauni, one for horticulture and the other for forestry, having 9 and 7 departments, respectively. The third College i.e., College of Horticulture & Forestry is located at Neri in Hamirpur District on Nadaun-Hamirpur state highway, about 6 Km from Hamirpur town and is well connected with bus service. The college offers three Undergraduate Degree Programmes i.e. BSc (Hons.) Horticulture, BSc (Hons.) Forestry and B. Tech. Biotechnology and MSc degree programme in a few subjects. The fourth college i.e. College of Horticulture and Forestry, Thunag (Mandi) is located at Thunag District Mandi. This college offer BSc (Hons.) Horticulture and BSc (Hons.) Forestry degree programme. In addition, there are five Regional Research Stations, 12 Satellite Stations and five Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) situated in different zones of the State.
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ThesisItem Open Access ESTIMATION OF SOLAR RADIATION AND ROOFTOP SOLAR POWER POTENTIAL IN HIMACHAL PRADESH(UHF Nauni, 2024-03-24) SARGUNDEEP KAUR; RK AggarwalThe present investigation entitled “Estimation of Solar Radiation and Rooftop Solar Power Potential in Himachal Pradesh” was conducted during 2020-2023 in the Department of Environmental Science, College of Forestry, Dr. Y.S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, H.P.The study focuses on the estimation of solar radiation in hilly areas, specifically Solan and Palampur, using various empirical models based on sunshine hours and temperature. Emphasizing sunshine hours as a critical parameter, a comprehensive statistical analysis involving 82 global models was conducted to determine the most suitable model for these regions, culminating in the development of a new linear regression model. The model demonstrated exceptional precision, evidenced by significant coefficient of determination (R²) values of 0.97 and 0.99 for Solan and Palampur, respectively. Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) values of 0.90 and 0.95, along with correlation coefficient (r) values of 0.99. Furthermore, an analysis of 30 existing temperature-based empirical models was also undertaken for Solan and Palampur, resulting in the development of a novel model with high precision, as evidenced by coefficient of determination values of 0.93 and 0.85 for Solan and Palampur.The accuracy of both the developed models was further demonstrated by commendably low values for mean squared error (MSE), root mean square error (RMSE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), mean bias error (MBE), and standard deviation. Both the models emerged as the best-fit solution for accurately estimating global solar radiation in Himalayan region.The new model based on sunshine hours was then used to estimate GSR for the Kullu while new model based on temperature was used to estimate GSRin eight other hilly locations where temperature data is available, but sunshine hour and global solar radiation data are unavailable, including Kullu, Bhuntar, Shimla, Dharamshala, Sundernagar, Kalpa, Una, and Nahan. The study also employed Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) for the estimation of solar radiation, considering input parameters such as latitude, longitude, altitude, extraterrestrial solar radiation, sunshine hours, and maximum and minimum temperature. Two models were developed, each with one hidden layer. The first model, based on sunshine hours, utilized five neurons in the hidden layer, resulting in an impressive coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.99. The second model, focusing on temperature, incorporated ten neurons in the hidden layer and achieved an R² of 0.93. Moreover, the study conducts a comprehensive analysis of rooftop solar power potential in Solan City, focusing on 6,102 manually digitized rooftops with a cumulative area of 2,820,000 square meters. Emphasis on south-facing areas, totaling 1,210,000 square meter, highlights significant solar exposure optimization. The calculated annual rooftop solar power potential was an impressive 1,35,520 kilowatts, indicating substantial energy contribution. Additionally, the research examined the influence of weather parameters on solar radiation in Solan and Palampur, and mapped solar energy potential across Himachal Pradesh, revealing a seasonal variation with peak potential in May and a low in December. Overall, this study provides a holistic assessment of solar resources, rooftop solar potential, and the impact of weather parameters in Himachal Pradesh, contributing valuable insights for sustainable energy planning in hilly regions.ThesisItem Open Access HYDROTHERMAL CARBONIZATION OF AGRO-WASTE, ENERGY ENRICHMENT AND STANDARDIZATION OF ITS APPLICATION IN WASTEWATER TREATMENT(UHF Nauni, 2024-05-24) SADISH O; S K BhardwajThe present study entitled “Hydrothermal carbonization of Agro-waste, energy enrichment and standardization of its application in wastewater treatment” was conducted during 2021 to 2023 in the Department of Environmental Science, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni 173230, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India and Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. The study was conducted to evaluate the environmental applications of spent mushroom substrate (agro-waste) derived hydrochar. The temperature, time and moisture content required for the hydrochar production was optimized using response surface methodology. The physico-chemical, proximate, ultimate, surface, structural morphology, functional moieties, mineral composition, and energy characteristics of the resultant hydrochar were assessed using standard methodologies. The spent mushroom substrate with acidic pH, smooth sheathed morphology was hydrothermally carbonized at an optimized process temperature of 204℃ for 3.65 h with 73.18% moisture content to produce hydrochar with oxygenated functional groups, micro/nano-spherical carbon structures and spatially dispersed nutrients into their skeletal matrix. The spent mushroom substrate derived hydrochar had 71.6% yield and 13.97 MJ kg-1 calorific value which can supplement the fossil fuel. The utilization of hydrochar as a substitute to coal was investigated by forming different blending ratios with coal. The usage of coal and hydrochar blend at 80:20 ratio proved effective to be applied in industrial boilers with reduced CO2, NO2 and SO2 emissions by 5.3%, 6.8% and 10.6%, respectively. The energy characterisation and thermogravimetric analysis of hydrochar indicated its application in the renewable energy domain thereby promoting circular economy through agro-waste management. The hydrochar was amorphous in nature with a macro-porous surface having a higher intensity of oxygenated functional groups that enhanced its potential as an adsorbent. The activation of adsorption sites on the hydrochar surface was performed through ethanol washing. The activated hydrochar was used as an adsorbent and as a supplement in the anaerobic digestion-based wastewater treatment of silage effluent. The impact of hydrochar on the biomethane production and nutrient removal was also investigated. The presence of carboxylic and ketonic functional groups in the hydrochar inhibited its capacity as the terminal electron acceptor during the methanogenesis process thereby reducing the methane generation. In addition, hydrochar influenced nutrient removal by excluding the toxic effects of their reactive forms like Ammonia and Hydrogen sulphide. The adsorption capacity of hydrochar was enhanced with the fixation of methane inhibitory factors during the wastewater treatment. At the hydrochar concentration of 15 g L-1, nutrient removal was observed in terms of 32.8% for nitrogen, 46.93% for phosphorus, 59.1% for potassium, and 45.2% for sodium, 20.3% for magnesium. This suggests that the spent mushroom substrate based hydrochar can be used for nutrient removal (N, P, S, K, etc.,) in silage wastewater treatment thereby reducing the carbon in the treated water. Although, the addition of hydrochar proved effective in removal of elements, the treated wastewater had a higher proportion on comparison with the permissible limits of Central Pollution Control Board except for zinc and copper. The study indicated that hydrochar based single stage process for wastewater treatment must be transformed into a multistage process thereby promoting the elemental reduction at different stages below permissible limits for irrigation. The outcome of this research will help in converting waste-to-wealth thereby promoting circular economy.ThesisItem Open Access ASSESSMENT OF SEDIMENT QUALITY AND FLORISTIC DIVERSITY AROUND THE BALAD TRIBUTARY OF SARSA RIVER IN HIMACHAL PRADESH(UHF Nauni, 2023-11-24) ITIKA BISHT; Dr Pratima VaidyaThe present investigation entitled “Assessment of sediment quality and floristic diversity around the Balad tributary of Sarsa River in Himachal Pradesh” was conducted during the year 2022-2023 in the Department of Environmental Science, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni, Solan. The study was carried out in Baddi industrial area of Himachal Pradesh. Replicated sediment samples were collected from 7 sites along the Balad tributary of Sarsa river from 3 distance i.e. riverbed, 10m and 20m from the riverbed during dry and wet seasons. Site 1 at the upstream of Balad tributary was selected as control site followed by the sites 2 to 6 encompassing industrial and mining area to its confluence in Sarsa river (Site-7). The results revealed significant variation in all the parameters of sediment quality along Balad tributary from control Bhatauli Kalan to the confluence with Sarsa river. Sediment colour varied from Reddish brown at control to dark brown to greyish colour close to industrial area in comparison to yellowish brown at the confluence. The sediment pH was recorded highest at Bhatauli Kalan (Site-1) and decreased along the tributary. Electrical conductivity was observed highest at Lakkadpul-2 (Site-4). In the Balad riverbed, the concentration of all the examined heavy metals was found to be increasing downstream the tributary. As, Cd, Cr and Pb were observed highest at Baddi Sheetalpur-2 (Site-6), whereas, Cu, Mn and Zn were observed highest at Lakkadpul-2 (Site- 4). Fe and Ni were observed highest at Sarsa confluence zone and Katha village, sites 7 and 2, respectively. Cu and Mn were observed highest at the riverbed sediment. As, Fe and Pb were found higher at 10 m distance from the riverbed while Cr, Zn and Ni were found highest at 30 m distance from the riverbed. Higher concentration of heavy metals was observed during dry season in comparison to wet season. Floristic diversity of herbs was observed higher at Bhatauli Kalan (Site-1) and Lakadpul-2 (site- 4) while evenness was recorded higher at Baddi sheetalpur-2 (Site-6). Floristic diversity of herbs, shrubs and trees were higher at 30 m distance from the shoreline. Nasturtium officinale, Ranunculus sceleratus and Veronica anagalloides were recorded dominant herbs species in all the sites within the 10m distance. Murraya koenigii and Lantana camara were dominant shrubs whereas Dalbergia sissoo and Leucaena leucocephala were dominant tree species around the Balad tributary. Overall the heavy metal load of sediments increased from upstream to downstream side towards Sarsa in Balad tributary owing to point or non point industrial discharge and mining activities at different points along the stretch. The study concluded that ongoing monitoring of sediment and vegetation is required to create preventative measures to sustain the quality of the aquatic ecosystem of industrial hub.ThesisItem Open Access CARBON SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL OF APPLE ORCHARDS IN WET TEMPERATE ZONE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH(UHF Nauni, 2023-10-23) TANVI; Dr MK BrahmiThe present study entitled “Carbon sequestration potential of apple orchards in wet temperate zone of Himachal Pradesh” was undertaken during the year 2022-2023 in the Department of Environmental Science, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh India with the objectives to determine carbon sequestration potential of apple orchards and for the preparation of allometric equations for biomass and carbon based on height and diameter of trees. Six apple orchards belonging to three different age groups i.e, less than 15 years, 15 to 30 years and more than 30 years were selected on two different aspects i.e, northern and southern aspects from Jubbal block of Shimla district. CO2 sequestration potential was determined using biomass of trees which was calculated by following semi- destructive analysis method. Allometric equations were prepared by taking height, diameter and biomass of 60 representative trees from each selected orchard. The results revealed that the maximum biomass and carbon was in Northern aspect in more than 30 years age group i.e, 68.36 t ha-1 and 32.83 t ha-1 respectively.The biomass and carbon stored in stem, branches, leaves and roots was found increasing with age and was more in northern aspect than in southern aspect. CO2 sequestration potential was observed more for orchards in northern aspect with mean value of 152.60 t ha-1 and less in southern aspect having mean value of 127.36 t ha-1. The potential to sequester CO2 increased with increasing age with mean values ranging from 83.13 t ha-1 to 185.85 t ha-1. In allometric equations prepared for estimation of biomass and carbon the exponential model was best fitted based on height of tree; whereas the power model was best fitted for biomass and carbon based on diameter at bole height of trees. The exponential model had maximum R2 =0.95 for biomass estimation when equations were prepared based on height and power model was best fitted for carbon estimation with maximum R2=0.95 when prepared on the basis of diameter at bole height. The allometric equations prepared are particularly applicable to the wet temperate zone of Himachal Pradesh and will play an important role in estimating the biomass and carbon stocks of apple orchards.ThesisItem Open Access ASSESSMENT OF ROOFTOP RAINWATER HARVESTING AND SOLAR POWER POTENTIAL OF UNIVERSITY CAMPUS IN HIMACHAL PRADESH(UHF Nauni, 2023-11-09) KRITI THAKUR; Dr RK AggarwalThe present investigation entitled “Assessment of rooftop rainwater harvesting and solar power potential of university campus in Himachal Pradesh” was conducted during 2022-2023 in the Department of Environmental Science, College of Forestry, Dr. Y.S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, H.P. A total of 151 buildings in the campus were digitized using GIS techniques having a total rooftop area of 38,318 square meters. The results were validated for errors in digitization by manual ground truth measurement. The verification of the digitized area with the manually obtained area of rooftops showed an accuracy of 99 percent, whereas with the data provided by the Estate Office showed an accuracy of 97 percent. It was found that the university campus has a rooftop rainwater harvesting potential of 42,919.24 cubic meters which could cater to about 76 percent of the water demand of the campus. In order to assess the rooftop solar power potential of the university campus, the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) map of the university campus was prepared using the satellite data obtained by Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and was interpolated to 5 m resolution for further analysis. The total South-facing area covered by building rooftops was found to be 20,261.4 square meters. The total rooftop solar power potential was found to be 2026.1 kW per day. The annual rooftop photovoltaic panel installation of the capacity of 2269 MWh can be recommended which can fulfil about 99.59 percent electricity demand of the campus serving as a crucial investment towards sustainable energy.ThesisItem Open Access PHENOLOGICAL STUDIES ON Silybum marianum UNDER DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS IN MID HILLS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH(UHF Nauni, 2023-11-24) SRISHTI SHARMA; Dr. Parminder Kaur BawejaThe present investigation entitled “Phenological studies on Silybum marianum under different Environments in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh)” was conducted at the Experimental Farm of Department of Environmental Science, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (H.P.) with effect from October, 2022- June, 2023.The study aimed to assess the phenology and quality of Silybum marianum L. in subtropical region of western Himalayas, planned with five sowing dates (October 20, October 30, November 10, November 20 and November 30) and two spacing i.e., 40 cm x 60 cm and 60 cm x 60 cm replicated thrice in a randomized block design (RBD). The agro-morphological characteristics were assessed. Thermal indices viz., AGDD, AHTU and APTU based on maximum/minimum temperature, sunshine hrs. and day length with base temperature of 5oC were simulated for ten phenological stages viz., germination, leaf development, formation of side shoots, rosette growth, development of harvestable plant biomass, inflorescence emergence, flowering, development of fruit, ripening and senescence. The results revealed that planting dates and spacing had a significant impact on all agro morphological characteristics attained the tallest plants (158.35), greater plant spread (78.52 cm), leaf area (303.09 cm2), number of flower head per plant (23.28) and maximum biomass yield (11.19 q ha-1) for early sown crop i.e., 20th October 2022 and 30th October 2022 under wider spaced (60 cm x 60 cm) sown crop. Late sowing (D4) with wider spacing (60 cm x 60 cm) resulted in highest number of branches (side shoots) per plant (16.50) , capitulum diameter (5.58 cm), fresh weight of flower head per plant (11.57g), dry weight of flower head per plant (11.03), flower heads per plant (22.20), number of seeds per flower head (116.50) and seed yield (48.08 g). The simulated AGDD (1622.12 oC day), AHTU (11868.70oC day hr ), APTU (18582.40oC day hr) for fruit development was revealed in 20 November 2022 sown at 60 cm x 60 cm (D4S2 ) spaced crop combination which attained best results in terms of quality parameters. Finally, the developed predictive model based on AGDD was assessed as best for seed yield prediction with 62% predictability. The study further opens the way for farmers and entrepreneurs to grow Silybum marianum L. successfully by cultivation of Milk Thistle as medicinal crop throughout Himachal Pradesh by adjusting the sowing windows as 20 November with addition of spacing (60 cm x 60 cm) for commercial cultivationThesisItem Open Access ASSESSMENT OF AIR POLLUTION TOLERANCE INDEX OF PLANT SPECIES SURROUNDING CEMENT INDUSTRY AT BARMANA IN HIMACHAL PRADESH(UHF Nauni, 2023-11-23) AJAY; Dr PK BawejaThe present investigation entitled “Assessment of Air Pollution Tolerance Index of Plant Species surrounding Cement Industry at Barmana in Himachal Pradesh” was conducted during the year 2022-23 under the Department of Environmental Science, College of Forestry, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry Nauni- Solan, Himachal Pradesh. The study was aimed at understanding the seasonal variation in biochemical parameters and determining the indices of the Air Pollution Tolerance and Anticipated Performance along with the dust accumulation capacity of plants growing around the cement industry. In the selected area around the cement industry vegetation distribution was studied. The commonly grown dominant species namely; Cassia fistula, Mangifera indica, Toona ciliate, Ricinus communis and Murraya koenigii were choosen for the study. Studied the seasonal impact of pollutants emitted from cement industry on the plants, horizontal distances of 0-150 m and 150-300 m during winter and summer seasons. Total 20 treatment combinations replicated four times were analysed through three way (factorial) randomized block design. The dust accumulation of selected plant species ranged from 6.57-30.69 mg m-2. The leaf ascorbic acid content of the selected plant species varied from 2.54-4.10 mg g-1. The leaf chlorophyll content of the selected plant species ranged from 0.77-2.44 mg g-1. The leaf extract pH of selected species fluctuated from 5.93- 6.27. The relative water content of selected plant species ranged from 76.46-81.06%. The APTI was calculated on the basis of four bio-chemical parameters; ascorbic acid content, total chlorophyll content, leaf extract pH and relative water content. The APTI of selected plant species varied from 9.43-11.21. The order of selected plant species in accordance with APTI was Cassia fistula (11.21) > Mangifera indica (10.83) > Toona ciliata (10.41) among the tree species and Ricinus communis (10.50) > Murraya koenigii (9.43) in shrubs species. Anticipated Performance Index (API) was also calculated by combining APTI with some socio-economic characters. Among the selected plant species, the order of API was Mangifera indica > Cassia fistula = Ricinus communis = Toona ciliate > Murraya koenigii. Thus, the investigation suggested that Mangifera indica may be grown alongside of the cement industry as green belt. Murraya koenigii being the least tolerant plant species may act as bioindicator of pollutants in the area.ThesisItem Open Access ASSESSMENT OF SPRING WATER QUALITY AND IMPACT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES ON SPRINGSHEDS IN SOLAN DISTRICT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH(UHF,NAUNI, 2024-01-27) UPASANA; S K BhardwajThe present investigation entitled “Assessment of spring water quality and impact of environmental changes on springsheds in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh” was conducted in the Department of Environmental Science Dr.Y S Parmar University of Horticultural and Forestry Nauni -173230, Solan Himachal Pradesh during the year 2021 and 2022. The primary and secondary data was collected and springs of the district were invenotrized. The usage, seasonality and discharge of springs was recorded by following standards procedure. The physical chemical and biological characteristics of spring water of the district were determined using standards methods in pre and post monsoon months. The soil health of springshed was also assessed and factors affecting its health were also identified. The block wise distribution of springs were in order of Solan(328)>Kandaghat(198)>Dharampur(173)>Kunihar (131)>Nalagarh(124) . Presently district Solan of the state has 478 perennial, 366 seasonal springs out of which 124 springs have gone dry. The spring water usage for people in Solan, Dharampur, Kandaght, Kunihar and Nalagarh block ranged from 60-30 Lpd, 55-30 Lpd, 50-25 Lpd, 56-28 Lpd and 40-20 Lpd respectively. The spring water usage for livestock in Solan, Dharampur, Kandaght, Kunihar and Nalagarh block ranged from 55-30 Lpd, 56-30 Lpd, 50-25 Lpd, 55-28 Lpd and 45-20 Lpd respectively. The seasons wise discharge rate of the springs ranged from 7.60 (post monsoon) to 1.20 Lmin-1(pre monsoon). Spring water quality parameters like pH, Turbidity, TDS, DO, Alkalinity, Cl-, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO4 3-, TH, Na+, K+ and trace elements like Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn were within the permissible limits as prescribed by BIS and WHO for drinking water. The spring water pH was in the range of 7.57 to 7.64. Temperature of spring water was in range of 23.43ºC to 29.80ºC. turbidity of spring water ranged from 1.78 to 3.13 mg l-1. TDS of spring water ranged from 313 to 505mg l-1. EC of spring water ranged from 4 80.77to 776.92μS cm-1. DO, alkalinity and chloride of spring water ranged from 6.46-5.29mg l-1, 87.50-96.73mg l-1 and 34.05-47.55mg l-1. respectively. Calcium, magnesium and total hardness of spring water in the district ranged from 47.98-62.05mg l-1, 12.32- 35.62mg l-1 and 82.95-299.94mg l-1 respectively. Sodium, potassium and sulphate of spring water ranged from 6.34-27.02mg l-1, 0.36-4.07mg l-1 and 20.53-61.15mg l1 respectively. Trace elements namely Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Zn ranged from 0.002 to 0.003 mg l-1, 0.02 to 0.03 mg l-1, 0.04 to 0.11 mg l-1, 0.17 mg l-1 to 0.31 mg l-1and 0.36 to 1.35 mg l-1 respectively. The spring water quality index was in good category (33.57-50.40). The soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics of springshed like EC, pH, soil organic carbon and total microbial biomass were in the range of 0.35 to 0.46 dSm-1, 7.52 to 7.18, 5.79 to 13.34 g kg-1 and 49.90 to109.72mg kg-1 respectively. The trace elements in soil of springshed namely Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn and Cr ranged from 5.56 to 10.61mg kg-1,0.55 to1.81 mg kg-1 ,1.43 to 3.11mg kg-1,1.71 to 4.72mg kg-1 and 0.003 to 0.005 mg kg-1 respectively. The soil quality index of springshed was also in good category (0.67-0.37). The good soil health of the springshed reflected in water quality of springs having good WQI. However, developmental activities have been identified to alter the status and discharge pattern of springs these factors coupled with climatic variability have started impacting springs as being perceived by local people of the region. Therefor proper awareness and policy decisions regarding sustainable management of these resources needs to be ensured in the region to cope up with emerging demand of good quality freshwater in the present era of climate change and changed lifestyle of the people.ThesisItem Open Access PHENO-THERMAL RESPONSE OF TOMATO CULTIVARS UNDER DIFFERENT ENVRONMENT IN MID HILLS OF HIMACHAL PRADESH(UHF,NAUNI, 2023-10-25) VASU BHANOT; MOHAN SINGH JANGRAABSTRACT The present investigation entitled “Pheno-thermal response of Tomato cultivars under different environment in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh” was carried out during the year 2022-2023 at the Experimental Farm of Department of Environmental Science, College of Forestry, Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh. The study aimed to assess the pheno-thermal response of two tomato cultivars namely Heem Sohna and Solan Lalima to different environmental conditions created by transplanting the selected cultivars at an interval of 15 days before and after normal date of transplanting i.e., 10th March (early), 25th March (normal) and 09th April (late) under irrigated and rainfed conditions. Further, quantifying the days taken to attain different phenological stages, morphological parameters, yield attributes and thermal requirements. The study revealed that early transplanting of Heem Sohna cultivar under irrigated conditions experienced optimum meteorological conditions i.e., maximum (29.4ºC) and minimum (4.7ºC) temperatures, total rainfall (305.1mm), bright sunshine hours (107.1) and relative humidity (41-74%) and took maximum number of days to attain different phenological stages viz. leaf development (23), inflorescence emergence (37), flowering (44), fruit development (66) and fruit maturity (88) followed by normal and late transplanting. The longer duration under optimum meteorological conditions provided ample time to complete its phenological stages efficiently and accumulate growing degree days (1037.5ºC), photo-thermal units (14068.2 ºC), hydro-thermal units (52154.6ºC) and helio-thermal units (8281.9ºC). The proper completion of phenological stages, ample time and optimum conditions for uptake of nutrients and efficient accumulation of heat units resulted in higher morphological parameters viz. plant height (202.0cm), number of branches and leaves (4.3, 45.3, respectively) and yield attributes i.e., number of fruits per plant (42), fruit weight (71.3g), fruit width (6.1cm), fruit length (5.9cm), yield per plant (2.8kg), yield per plot (33kg) and yield per hectare (660.0q) coupled by higher biomass accumulation for early transplanted Heem Sohna cultivar under irrigated conditions followed by normal and late transplanting. Therefore, to bring tomato cultivation in line with the changing environmental conditions, transplanting tomato crop in the first week of March, not later than 10th March, under irrigated conditions using Heem Sohna followed by Solan Lalima is recommended in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh
