O.P. Chaturvedi

Efficacy of rhizobial and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to ameliorate shade response on six pulse crops

Beneficial effects of bio-inoculants on growth and yield of plants grown in sunlight have been reported world over but information on their effect under shade is meagre. Therefore, to assess the effect of shade on bio-inoculants, viz. rhizobial (RB) and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), which are associated with intercrops in agroforestry systems, a study was carried out on important rainy (Glycine max, Phaseolus mungo, and Vigna radiata) and winter season pulses (Cicer arietinum, Lens culinaris, and Pisum sativum) under 25% (shade) and 100% (no shade) full sun light. The results showed that plant height was higher under the shade in G. max, P. mungo, L. culinaris, and P. sativum, and lower in V. radiata and C. arietinum. Dry weight and yield plant−1 were lower under the shade than the corresponding values in the open for all pulses. In general, bio-inoculants increased plant height, dry weight, and yield plant−1 in all pulses, barring a few exceptions. The efficiencies of bio-inoculants in terms of percent increase of yield over respective control were more or less comparable under shade and no shade for most pulses. The shade reduced rhizobial nodulation and AMF colonization in all crops with a few exceptions. Application of bio-inoculants increased the nodulation and the colonization in most of the treatments. Maximum yield plant−1 was recorded in dual and/or triple inoculations under both shade and no shade suggesting that the bio-inoculants used in our study worked synergistically with each other. Thus, the studied bio-inoculants were effective in the open as well as in the shade and can be utilized to overcome the adverse effect of shade to some extent in agroforestry systems.

Plant Biodiversity of Ravine Ecosystem: Opening New Vistas for Enhancing Productivity

Ravines are the worst form of land degradation and characterized by edaphic, topographic, and climatic adversities. Due to unregulated and overexploitation, the forest areas under ravines are facing severe threats of losing biodiversity. Biodiversity of an area determines the health of the ecosystem. The degraded ravine ecosystem also harbors rich diversity and provides fuelwood, fodder, medicines, and small timber to the local dwellers. The biodiversity also supports various kinds of ecosystem services. The unscientific management of ravines has escalated the problems. This chapter is an attempt to document the plant diversity of the ravines and to rehabilitate these ecosystems using agroforestry and soil and water conservation measures. An integrated approach is required for scientific management of ravines which will pave the way toward sustaining ravine ecosystem and livelihood of the people.

Utilizing Geospatial Technologies for Agroforestry Research and Development in India

Geospatial technologies like GIS, GPS and satellite remote sensing have wide applications in crop area estimation, forest cover assessment, management of natural resources, watershed planning and monitoring, disaster assessment, etc. These technologies can be successfully applied in agroforestry research and development in India. Some of the fields of agroforestry research are estimation of agroforestry area in the country, assessment of carbon stock/sequestration under agroforestry systems, development of library of spectral signature for identification of tree species on farms and development of spatial decision support systems (SDSS) for selection of suitable agroforestry species/systems for a particular area. This chapter has highlighted recent developments in these research areas of agroforestry. Methodology for estimating area under agroforestry using remote sensing and some country-level estimates are given. Utilization of the geospatial technologies in assessment of carbon sequestration under agroforestry systems is also described. Some methods of tree species identification on farms have been demonstrated in this chapter.