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Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi

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2013 - 20152
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Author: Kumar, Birendra × End date: 2019 × Type: Thesis ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    SOIL AND RAINFALL CHARACTERIZATION OF PALAMAU DISTRICT FOR CLIMATE RESILIENT AGRICULTURE
    (Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 2013) Kumar, Birendra; Kumar, Ramesh
    Weather and soil based analysis was conducted in climatically vulnerable Palamau districts of Jharkhand with a view to characterise the rainfall, quantify the crop growing environment and planning of crops and varieties for normal, early and late drought conditions at block level. The area is predominantly under rainfed and facing vagaries of rainfall like untimely onset of monsoon, scanty, uneven distribution and spatial variability in rain over the years and more frequent intermittent droughts during crop growth period resulting low productivity in the district. Soil samples collected from 12 blocks were analysed for important physical properties (soil texture, bulk density, field capacity, permanent wilting point etc.) and reported soil data (NBSSLUPBAU, report No. 946) on important physico-chemical and chemical parameters (pH, Org. C, avail. N, P and K) were used for characterising the soils. Daily rainfall data for 30 years (1981-2011) of 12 major blocks collected from the DSO and DAO office of Palamau district were analysed for weekly, monthly, seasonal and annual distribution, meteorological drought, Initial and Conditional probabilities, Agricultural drought and Incomplete gamma probability.Weather Cock v1.0 software developed by coordinating unit of AICRP on Agrometeorology CRIDA, Hyderabad was used for rainfall analysis. Soils of most of the blocks were in sandy loam to Loamy sand in texture except Chainpur, Hariharganj, Lesliganj and Panki where it varied from loam to Clay loam. Soils were mostly acidic to neutral in reaction. In some blocks (Chhatarpur, Husainabad, Panki and Manatu) soils were alkaline in reaction. Fertility level in terms of organic matter was in medium to higher range. Available N was low in Patan, Pandu and Panki and medium in rest of the blocks. Available P was low to medium in range and no deficiency of K was observed in any block of Palamau. An overall decreasing trend in annual rainfall was observed in most of the block except Chainpur and Hariharganj where it is slightly increasing. Sharp decrease in annual rainfall was noticed in Manatu (-17.3 mm/year) and Lesliganj (-14.8 mm/year). During monsoon, rainfall witnessed slightly increasing in six blocks and rest in decreasing trend. Distribution of rain received among the seasons showed its maximum (86-90%) concentration during monsoon season and only 10 to14 percent in remaining three seasons (Post monsoon, winter and summer). Initial and conditional probability of rain has been observed between 26- 36 SMW for 50 mm limit within the blocks and it has expanded for lower limits of rain (25and 10 mm) by 2-3 weeks. Severity of meteorological drought analyzed for all 12 blocks indicated that Manatu block was worst affected and 4 out of 30 years were under severe drought. Three blocks i.e. Bisrampur, Chainpur and Pandu faced only one year severe drought. All 12 blocks faced 2-6 years moderate drought within the period. Frequencies of agricultural droughts were more during late period (36-42 SMW) than that of early period (22-28 SMW). Among the blocks, Chainpur faced maximum (37%) early droughts while late droughts were observed maximum (53%) in Satbarwa. Amount of getting rain on weekly and annual basis at five probability levels (i.e. 90, 75, 50, 25 and 10 %) were analysed using Incomplete gamma distribution which shows that both annual and weekly rainfall were close to their 30 years average value at 50% level of probability. Crop growing environment has been identified for all 12 blocks separately. Planning of crops with varieties for normal, early drought and late drought conditions has been worked out based on prevailing weather conditions, rainfall variables, and soil characteristics for kharif and early season rabi crops.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    TILLAGE AND NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT FOR IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF FORAGE OAT UNDER OAT– RICE CROPPING SYSTEM
    (Birsa Agricultural University, Kanke, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 2015) Kumar, Birendra; Karmakar, S.
    At national level, total demand of green fodder in 2010 was 1057 million tonnes whereas, supply was only 395.2 million tonnes i.e. 62.63% deficit. Situation of Jharkhand in terms of animal population and fodder availability is on same footing of eastern region where the problem is much aggravated. In the state, livestock population is only 3.2 per cent being reared on 0.12 per cent of area under fodder production and on 0.95 per cent of grazing land. Quality of fodder is also important but open grazing produces poor quality forage which leads to malnutrition and hidden hunger in animal. Inclusion of oat in rice-fallow system utilizing natural resources is a viable option to supply quality forage particularly during lean period. With this backdrops a field experiment was carried out during 2010-11 and 2011-12 to study the effect of tillage and nutrient management on forage oat (var. Kent) and its residual effect on rice (var. Lalat) grown in the system. Soil of the experimental site was sandy loam in texture with acidic in reaction (pH 6.2), low in organic carbon (3.81 g kg-1), available nitrogen (232.0 kg ha-1), phosphorus (23.25 kg P2O5 ha-1), medium in available potassium (153.41 K2O kg ha-1), Ca (151.4 mg kg-1), Fe (55 mg kg-1), zinc (1.13 mg kg-1) and B (0.65 mg kg-1). The experiment was laid out in Split-plot design with three tillage management viz. zero tillage, minimal tillage and conventional tillage in main plot and four nutrient management viz. 125, 100, 75 per cent of recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) and 75% RDF + Biofertilizers in sub-plot and replicated thrice. Conventional tillage recorded maximum tillers (434.16 and 371.13 m-2), plant height (61.78 and 99.32 cm), dry matter production (229.91 and 571.05 g m-2) and LAI (4.49 and 5.70) of forage oat at first and second cut, respectively. However, tillers and plant height at second cut and leaf-stem ratio at both the cut under conventional tillage were at par with zero tillage. Maximum total green forage yield (354.63 q ha-1), nutrient content viz. N (1.57%) and B (22.61 mg kg-1), crude protein (10.07%) and crude fiber (29.17%) under conventional tillage remained at par with zero tillage. Besides, the contents of Ca (0.46 %), Fe (123.53 mg kg-1), crude fat (1.01 %) and NFE (48.65 %) under zero tillage were significantly higher to conventional tillage. With regard to nutrient management, 125 % RDF recorded maximum tillers (455.83 and 421.78 m-2), plant height (62.56 and107.98 cm), dry matter production (239.15 and 591.24 gm-2), LAI (4.82 and 5.93) and L:S ratio (3.48 and 2.51) at first and second cut respectively and maximum total green forage yield (375.11 q ha-1). Similarly, content and uptake of nutrients and crude protein content increased with the increase in nutrient levels while, other quality parameters like crude fat and NFE decreased with increased levels of nutrient. Maximum crude fat (0.97 %), NFE (47.03 %) were recorded at 75 % RDF. Maximum weed density and their dry weight (14.83 g m-2) were recorded under minimal tillage. Weed density (213.78 m-2) and wed dry weight (12.17 g m-2) were higher at 125 % RDF compared to the lower levels. Influence of residual effect of tillage and nutrient levels applied to oat was also observed on transplanted rice. Maximum LAI (4.62) at 60 DAT, plant height at harvest (98.3 cm), effective tillers (231.5 m-2), panicle length (25.1cm), grains per panicle (52.5) and grain (32.60 q ha-1) and straw yield (57.64 q ha-1) were observed under the residual effect of zero tillage. Similarly, nutrient level at 125 % RDF was superior to the rest of the nutrient levels. Physical, chemical and biological properties of soil were influenced by tillage practices. Organic carbon (3.95 g kg-1), bulk density (1.56 Mg m-3), population of microorganisms and CO2 evolution were maximum under zero tillage while, available P2O5 (31.76 kg ha-1), K2O (162.0 kg ha-1) and water productivity (13.24 q ha-1cm-1) were maximum under conventional tillage. Net return from forage oat under zero tillage (`.54660 ha-1) was at par with conventional tillage (`. 55094) while, B: C ratio under zero tillage (2.47) was significantly higher to conventional tillage (2.24). In case of rice and oat-rice system, zero tillage was significantly superior to conventional tillage with regard to net return and B:C ratio. Energy use efficiency of the system under conventional tillage (9.35) was significantly superior over minimal tillage (8.31) and at par with zero tillage (9.23). Nutrient application at 125 % RDF to oat recorded highest net return, B:C ratio, net energy return and energy use efficiency in oat, rice and oat-rice system. Based on the above results, it may be concluded that forage oat sown under zero tillage and application of 100 kg N, 50 kg P2O5 and 25 kg K2O ha-1 followed by transplanted rice grown with a uniform tillage and fertilizers (90 kg N, 45 kg P2O5 and 30 kg K2O ha-1) in the system was a viable option for achieving improved system productivity, forage quality with highest net return, B: C ratio and energy use efficiency as well as improvement in soil fertility.