Guriqbal Singh

Effect of irrigation and biofertilizer on water use, nodulation, growth and yield of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The field experiment studied the effect of irrigation [irrigation 15 days before sowing (DBS), irrigation 15 DBS + rice straw mulch, irrigation 7 DBS and irrigation 7 DBS + one irrigation at flower initiation] and biofertilizers [no biofertilizer (control), Rhizobium inoculation and Rhizobium inoculation + phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB)] on chickpea growth. In mulch treatment, paddy straw mulch was applied at 4 t ha−1 one day after pre-sowing irrigation and was retained until sowing. Pre-sowing irrigation at 15 DBS showed 28.7 and 30.0% less plant stand than irrigation applied 15 DBS + straw mulch and irrigation applied 7 DBS, respectively. Nodulation was significantly higher with irrigation 15 DBS + mulch and irrigation 7 DBS than with irrigation applied 15 DBS. The grain yield was 16.6, 20.3 and 44.0% higher in irrigation 15 DBS + mulch, irrigation 7 DBS and irrigation 7 DBS + irrigation at flowering treatments, respectively, over irrigation at 15 DBS. Rhizobium inoculation significantly improved the number of nodules and nodule dry weight compared with no treatment. Grain yield was significantly higher with Rhizobium than in untreated plots. Water use efficiency was highest when irrigation was applied 7 DBS.

Water Use Efficiency Under Stress Environments

Water supply is a major constraint to crop production particularly for grain legumes more than 80% of which are grown under rainfed conditions. Global warming is increasing the problem by creating serious water shortages and large inter-seasonal fluctuations. Water use efficiency (WUE) provides a quick and simple measure of how well rain or irrigation water can be converted into grain. It represents a given level of biomass or grain yield per unit of water used by the crop. Improving crop productivity therefore requires answering the following question. How can WUE be improved and how can cropping systems be modified to result in a more efficient use of water?

Lentil-Based Cropping Systems

Lentil is a protein-rich winter season pulse crop. Its cultivation is concentrated mostly in semi-arid regions in the Indian sub-continent and dry areas of Middle East. It can be grown under conserved moisture conditions after monsoon rains. The sowing of lentil is popular as mono and sequential cropping, intercropping, mixed cropping, relay cropping and multistorey cropping in various countries. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, rice-lentil system is more common but its cultivation is also done after maize, cotton, sorghum and pearlmillet. It can be intercropped successfully in wheat, barley, mustard and linseed. For mixed/intercropping optimum seeding and planting configuration is very important to achieve higher total productivity. In various experiments lentil+wheat (30%), lentil + mustard 5 : 1 row ratio and lentil+linseed 5 : 1 row ratio showed highest land equivalent ratio than sole lentil. In autumn sugarcane, lentil intercropping revealed higher cane equivalent yield than sole sugarcane. In eastern India, the broadcasting of lentil seed in standing rice about 15 days before the harvest gave significantly higher grain yield than lentil sown after the harvest of rice. The inclusion of lentil in various cropping systems improves physical properties of soil and increases the yield of succeeding cereal crop due to biological nitrogen fixation and other rotational effects. Proper agronomic management, use of bio-fertilizers and mechanical cultivation may not only improvebreak productivity but also help to bring large area under lentil in various cropping systems

Estimating Potato Tuber Yield in a Sub-tropical Environment with Simple Radiation-Based Models

Dry matter and tuber yields of potato grown in a sub-tropical environment were estimated employing simple radiation-based models which require meteorological information on air temperature and solar radiation. Two versions of the MacKerron and Waister (1985) model, in which estimation of dry matter accumulation relies on a single composite parameter, radiation use efficiency (RUE), were compared with the Versteeg and Van Keulen (1986) model, which explicitly accounts for temperature and radiation effects on dry matter accumulation. In the original version of the MacKerron and Waister model, a linear change in the radiation interception factor with leaf area index is assumed; in the modified version an exponential change in the interception factor with leaf area index is considered. The accumulation of dry matter estimated from all three models was close to the measured values throughout the growing season, but estimates of tuber yield differed widely. Our analysis showed that the best agreement with measured values was obtained using the MacKerron and Waister linear model with RUE values adjusted according to the incident radiation level

IRRIGATION OF CHICKPEA ( CICER ARIETINUM L.) INCREASES YIELD BUT NOT WATER PRODUCTIVITY

The depth to ground water is increasing in several regions of the world due to use of high-yielding, but also high water-requiring crops such as rice ( Oryza sativa ) and wheat ( Triticum aestivum ), in order to maintain food security for an ever increasing world population. There is a need not only to increase the water productivity of food crops, but also to find less water-requiring crops. Irrigated chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.), traditionally grown without irrigation, may provide an alternative crop to irrigated wheat in some regions. Two field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of irrigation on chickpea yields, yield components and grain and biomass water productivity (based on irrigation (WP I ) and irrigation + rainfall (WP I+R )) grown in a loamy sand soil. In the first year, 75 mm of irrigation at the vegetative stage and at the vegetative plus podding stages resulted in a 59% and a 73% increase in grain yield, respectively, compared to no irrigation, but with little change in WP I+R . Overall yields in the second year were significantly higher due to warmer temperatures and fewer frosts during flowering and podding. Compared to no irrigation, 75 mm of irrigation at flowering or at podding resulted in a 7% and a 27% increase in grain yield, but a decrease in grain and biomass water productivity (WP I+R ). Irrigation had a significant effect on the number of pods plant −1 in both the years and on 100-seed weight in the first year. We conclude that application of a single irrigation during podding to chickpea grown in a loamy sand soil will reliably increase yields and may provide a water-saving alternative to wheat in water-scarce environments.

Prediction of Mungbean Phenology of Various Genotypes Under Varying Dates of Sowing Using Different Thermal Indices

A field experiment was conducted at Punjab Agricultural University farm during summer 2007. The experiment was carried out with four dates of sowings, four genotypes under split plot design with three replications. Phenology and thermal requirement of mungbean genotypes were studied under varying dates of sowing. Early sown crop (10th July) consumed more number of GDD, HTU and PTU to attain physiological maturity as compared to crop sown on 20th July and 30th July, which were at par with each other. While crop grown during 10th of August acquired lowest heat units hence resulted in low yield. Heat use efficiency was also characterized for production of biomass and seed yield. Among various mungbean genotypes viz. SML 668, ML 818, PAU 911 and ML 1299, the genotype ML-1299 resulted in higher HUE for both dry matter and seed yield as compared to other genotypes under study. Significant regression relationships were also worked out to obtain relationships for occurrence of different phenophases and HTU and PTU to predict mungbean phenology, DMA and seed yield. These three agroclimatic prediction models can be used to estimate crop growth and yields of mungbean.

Agronomic Approaches to Stress Management

Droughts affect the agriculture sector greatly by reducing the productivity of crops and thereby influencing food security, livestock and the national economy. Droughts may be managed to some extent, to lower their adverse effects on agriculture. Agronomic approaches may play an important role in this management. In drought-prone areas, only those crops and/or varieties should be grown which can tolerate drought due to their specific characteristics based on growth pattern, crop duration, rooting pattern, etc. Tillage operations before the rains help in capturing rain water efficiently. In the Mediterranean region, the productivity of cool-season grain legumes can be enhanced by shifting sowing time from spring to winter season, through better utilization of moisture by the crop. Deep sowing, straw mulch application and seed priming help in improving the plant stand and productivity of crops under moisture stress conditions. Adequate nutrient application and weed removal have been found beneficial in raising crop yields. Intercropping of grain legumes with other crops may also be followed to lower the risk of the total crop failure under adverse conditions. Water harvesting and supplemental irrigation need to be encouraged to improve water use efficiency and grain yields under moisture stress conditions.

Yield enhancement and phosphorus economy in lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) with integrated use of phosphorus, Rhizobium and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria

ABSTRACT The study evaluated the effects of phosphorus (0, 20, 30, and 40 kg P2O5 ha−1) and biofertilizers [Rhizobium (Rhizobium leguminosarum bv viciae), plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) (Pseudomonas fluorescens), Rhizobium + PGPR, and uninoculated control] in lentil. Application of 40 kg P2O5 ha−1 resulted in the highest number of nodules, nodule dry weight, leghemoglobin content in nodules, chlorophyll content, yield attributes, and grain yield. Coinoculated treatment performed better than uninoculated control, and individual inoculations of Rhizobium and PGPR in terms of all above mentioned parameters. Application of 20 kg P2O5 ha−1 + Rhizobium inoculation gave statistically similar and 20 kg P2O5 ha−1 + Rhizobium + PGPR inoculation gave significantly higher grain yield than that by 40 kg P2O5 ha−1 alone. The use of Rhizobium alone and Rhizobium + PGPR consortium can save not only 20 kg P2O5 ha−1 but also increase the grain yield of lentil.

Growth, symbiosis, productivity, and profitability of soybean at varying planting methods and nitrogen levels

ABSTRACT A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different planting methods (Happy Seeder sowing, Straw Chopper + Zero Tillage sowing, and conventional sowing) and nitrogen (N) levels (0%, 75%, 100%, and 125% of recommended N) on the emergence, growth, symbiotic parameters, productivity, and profitability of soybean sown after wheat harvest. Growth and symbiotic parameters were significantly better under Happy Seeder sowing and Straw Chopper + Zero Tillage sowing than conventional sowing. The seed yield, nutrient uptake, and economic returns were significantly higher under Happy Seeder sowing than other methods. The growth parameters, symbiotic parameters, biological, straw, and seed yields were increased significantly up to 100% recommended N level. The nutrient uptake increased significantly up to 100% recommended N level. Therefore, sowing with Happy Seeder after combine harvested wheat along with 100% recommended N would best optimize soybean yield and profitability.

Symbiotic parameters, growth, nutrient accumulation, productivity and profitability as influenced by integrated nutrient management in lentil (Lens culinaris)

ABSTRACT Field experiments evaluated the effects of integrated nutrient management on symbiotic parameters, growth, nutrient accumulation, productivity and profitability of lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus). Application of recommended dose of nutrients (RDN, 12.5 kg N ha−1 + 40 kg P2O5 ha−1) + 25 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 + seed inoculation with biofertilizers [Rhizobium + phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) + plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR)] + 1.0 g ammonium molybdate kg−1 seed recorded the highest number & dry weight of nodules, leghaemoglobin content, root & shoot dry weight, plant height, number of pods plant−1 and 100-seed weight. The next best treatment was RDN + seed inoculation with biofertilizers + 1.0 g ammonium molybdate kg−1 seed. On the basis of mean of three-year data, the treatment of RDN + 25 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 + seed inoculation with biofertilizers + 1.0 g ammonium molybdate kg−1 seed proved the best in realizing the highest grain yield (34.0%), gross returns (34.0%) and net returns (54.8% higher over control). Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the grains and straw were significantly improved where RDN was applied in combination with seed inoculation, basal application of ZnSO4 and seed treatment with 1 g ammonium molybdate than their single applications.