Gurvinder Singh

Productivity and economics of direct seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) as affected by moisture regimes and seed priming under sandy loam and silty clay loam soils

Field experiments were conducted in C5 (sandy loam)and A1 (silty clay loam)blocks for two consecutive kharif seasons during 2014 and 2015 at Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre of G. B. Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand to evaluate the performance of DSR under varying moisture regimes and seed priming in different soil types. The grain as well as straw yields increased with increase in irrigation frequency being the maximum at 15 mm CPE. The mean increase in grain yield at 15 mm CPE irrigation was 4.9% over 22.5 mm and at 22.5 mm CPE by 5.9% over 30 mm CPE. The higher net returns were obtained from 15 mm CPE during both the years. Although, the mean B: C ratio was the maximum at 30 mm CPE (0.97). Hydropriming recorded marginally higher values of grain and straw yields as well as net returns and B: C ratio over no priming, but did not cause significant variations. During both the years, the mean grain yield in silty clay loam (SCL) soil was significantly higher than obtained in sandy loam (SL) soil, being 760 kg/ha. DSR in SCL soil registered significantly higher net returns (Rs. 11357/ha) and B:C ratio (37.5%) over SL soil. Interaction effect between soil type and irrigation levels on grain yield was significant in both the years. At all the irrigation levels, SCL soil produced significantly higher grain yield than SL soil. In SL soil, the grain yield increased significantly up to 22.5 mm. While in SCL soil, the grain yield at 30 mm CPE was significantly at par with 22.5 and 15 mm CPEs.

Spring maize (Zea mays L.) response to different crop establishment and moisture management practices in north-west plains of India

Maize cultivation for green cobs during the spring season is a remunerative proposition for the farmers in the north Indian plains. However, high evapo-transpiration demand of spring maize exerts considerable pressure on already depleting water resources. Thus, a two-year field experiment was conducted at GBPUA & T, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India to determine the effect of rice residue mulch, earthing-up, alternate furrow irrigation and crop establishment methods on productivity, profitability and irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) of spring maize. Results revealed that application of rice straw mulch (6 t/ha) enhanced plant height, number of green leaves, dry matter accumulation, leaf area index and yield attributes. Reproductive stage set in advance in mulch treated plots compared to plots under other treatments. Green cob yield from mulched plot was the highest that was 37% higher over the flat planting alone. Broad bed planting and flat planting followed by earthing-up treatments produced the second and third highest cob yield, respectively. Planting on broad bed registered the highest IWUE (352.5 kg/ha-cm). Mulch treatment also earned higher net returns and B: C ratio than remaining treatments.