Agricultural Research最新文献

Unregulated shifting cultivation in Eastern Ghat, India has accelerated soil erosion rates and caused unproductive land area forcing the local tribes to migrate to cities thus bringing demographic change. Therefore, this study evaluates the option to adopt oil grasses which has ability to increase farmers’ income and facilitate efficient soil conservation. The performance of three different oil grasses viz. lemon, citronella, and palmarosa grass, under three types of land slope conditions viz. 4%, 8%, and 12% was studied during 2012–2015. Irrespective of varying land slope, lemon grass performed well in terms of mean total biomass, which was significantly higher compared to citronella and palmarosa grass. This was accompanied by lower annual soil loss and remarkable improvement in soil physical and chemical properties, particularly soil organic carbon (47% increase compared to initial year of study). Essential oil production was recorded higher in citronella grasses outperforming lemon grass and palmarosa grass. Both lemon and citronella grass exhibited a greater reduction in runoff coefficient and soil loss during the four-year study period. However, lemon grass showed minimal variability in total biomass production over a period of three years, thus indicating greater yield sustainability and assured income for farmers. The study underscores the potential of oil grass cultivation as a sustainable alternative to shifting cultivation in degraded sloping lands of Eastern Ghat region, Odisha, India and promulgate widespread adoption of oil grasses to revive the ecological balance and sustain the livelihood of tribal farmers. Lemon and citronella grasses emerge as viable options for economic returns and soil conservation, with lemon grass exhibiting consistent performance across varying slope gradients.

Globally, plums are among the most grown and consumed fruit species. Considering China as the leader in plum production, there are intentions to introduce the usually grown plum varieties in China into the area of Western Balkan (WB). It is expected that this action will trigger knowledge and technological transfer, as well as improvement in reached profitability. The suitability of available seven plum varieties (Superior, Skoroplodnaya, Eagle Dream, Sissy, Manchu Beauty, Golden ball and Red ball) to production and market conditions of Western Balkan are analysed by experts’ assessment of offered alternatives according to predefined sets of (sub)criteria (economic and technological). In line with the main goal of the research support in the decision-making process, i.e. ranking the observed plum varieties is done according to the selected multi-criteria method, in this case, fuzzy DNARAS multi-criteria decision-making method (Double Normalization Fuzzy Additive Ratio Assessment). Previous assessments of observed plum varieties towards the predefined sets of criteria are done by engaged national experts focused on fruit growing. Derived research results show that the plum variety Sissy could perfectly fit the WBs fruit production sector, while the variety Superior possess the lowest growing potential among the assessed plum varieties. Research originality lies in the fact that assessment and ranking of selected plum varieties have been done with the fuzzy DNARAS multi-criteria decision-making method, a method that shows a higher level of stability compared to other similar methods. Performing the quasi-experiment under the expert’s opinions and suggesting the plum varieties that could correspond to adequate growing alternatives simultaneously represents the initial stage in multi-year field experiments linked to the introduction of marked varieties into the WBs.

“We present here the results of an in-depth analysis of the morphometric traits and germination capacity of the seeds of 19 Mahua (Madhuca indica) germplasm collected from diverse sources in India.” The study encompasses an exploration of seed morphometric traits, germination parameters, and growth characteristics. The investigated traits exhibited notable variability. Noteworthy variations were observed in the weight of 100 seeds, ranging from 346 to 800 g, seed length spanning 4–2.5 cm, and seed diameter varying between 1.92 and 1.41 cm. Germination percentages ranged from 73.6 to 46%, while survival percentages showed a range of 88.6–71%. Regarding growth parameters, the study documented seedling height and seedling basal diameter. Seedling height ranged from 12.25 to 12 cm, while seedling basal diameter varied from 5.12 to 2.3 cm. All evaluated characteristics exhibited significant heritability, with survival percentage demonstrating the highest heritability at 89.54%, and seed diameters displaying the lowest at 67.74%. Furthermore, substantial phenotypic coefficient of variability was observed, indicating substantial diversity within the studied germplasms. This variability underscores a valuable opportunities for meticulous screening and selection of optimal seed sources. The findings of this study contribute to comprehensive understanding of Mahua germplasms and their potential applications.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is a medicinal plant, and its quality and quantity are notably affected by agricultural practices such as plant density and irrigation. A split-plot experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications for two crop years (2018–2020) at the Sistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Iran. The irrigation methods included: I₁, which involved irrigation during vegetative, flowering, and seed-filling stages; I₂, which involved irrigation during vegetative and flowering stages; I₃, which involved irrigation during flowering and seed-filling stages; I₄, which involved irrigation only during flowering stage; and I₅, which involved no irrigation at all. The experiment also included testing plant density at 30, 50, and 100 plants per m². The study found that different irrigation regimes significantly impacted seed yield, relative water content, chlorophyll, proline, total carbohydrate, antioxidant activities, and essential oil content. The maximum seed yield was attained with I₁ (control) and a planting density of 100 plants per m², resulting in 651.9 kg ha⁻¹ and 672.4 kg ha⁻¹ in the first and second years, respectively. The irrigation during flowering and seed filling (I₃) with 50 and 100 plants per m² also showed a high seed yield in the first year. Non-irrigation and 30 plants per m² density resulted in the highest catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activities. The essential oil content varied depending on irrigation and planting density, with the highest content achieved with I₄ irrigation and a planting density of 50 and 30 plants per m² in the first and second years (5.44 and 4.5%), respectively. The essential oil compounds with the highest mean values were β-pinene and safranal, while cuminaldehyde and sabinene had the lowest mean values. The research findings suggest that for optimal plant performances, it is advisable to use a planting density of 50 plants per m² and implement two irrigation stages during vegetative growth and flowering.

Rice is an important food crop in the coastal regions of India, wherein its cultivation is challenged by various abiotic stresses such as salinity, submergence, stagnant flooding, coastal storms, and cyclones. Overcoming these challenges is vital for sustaining rice cultivation in these areas. The present study aims to assess the genetic variability and to identify transgressive segregants for grain yield and associated traits in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from the cross between parents, Jaya and Goa Dhan 2. Analysis of variance revealed significant genetic variability among RILs for all the eight studied quantitative traits. Grain yield exhibited the highest PCV and GCV values (47.83, 44.85%), followed by grains per panicle (28.78, 26.4%) and productive tillers per hill (23.93, 17.65%). In contrast, panicle length (9.35, 8.99%), days to maturity (11.57, 11.32%), and percent fertility (11.22, 7.62%) exhibited relatively lower variation. High heritability combined with substantial genetic advance was observed for days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, grains per panicle, and grain yield, indicating potential for selection. Grains per panicle (r = 0.327), productive tillers per hill (r = 0.171), and percent fertility (r = 0.165) exhibited significant positive correlations with grain yield. In contrast, days to maturity (r = 0.147) and days to 50% flowering (r = 0.122) showed weaker positive correlations. Conversely, plant height negatively correlated with grain yield (r = − 0.236). The majority of traits exhibited positive skewness, with the number of transgressive segregants ranging from 39 for plant height to 246 for productive tillers per hill. This study revealed significant genetic variability among RILs, with a notable presence of transgressive segregants across the examined traits.

Mechanization is essential for improving farming processes to achieve the best possible use of resources, reduce costs, and increase operational efficiency. Novel spraying methods are crucial for reducing costs, minimizing chemical effects, and improving operator safety. In response, a semiautonomous vehicle sprayer (SAVS) has been developed, featuring an 800 × 500 × 400 mm primary frame, four wheels, and a 15-L pesticide tank, alongside front wheel steering and rear wheel propulsion systems, and a spraying unit. Equipped with an integrated anemometer, pressure gauge, and flow meter, all linked to a microprocessor, the SAVS operates on four 10,000 mAh LiPo (Lithium Polymer) batteries managed through the Blynk platform. This setup enables real-time decision-making and precise control over variables such as pressure, speed, and discharge. Integrated electronic valves regulate nozzle pressure (adjustable from 100 to 400 kPa) and nozzle spray discharge (controlled between 60 and 90 L/h). The SAVS can maintain a constant application rate (240–260 L/ha) by adjusting discharge and pressure based on ground velocity (4–6 km/h), thus minimizing drift and ensuring uniform spraying. With a percent drift of 9–13.2%, the SAVS demonstrates higher spray uniformity (96.82–97.67%), field capacity (0.2–0.3 ha/h), and field efficiency (65%) compared to traditional manually operated backpack sprayers. With enhanced operator comfort, the SAVS represents a cost-effective solution for precision agriculture without compromising field capacity or safety.

Engineering properties play an essential role in equipment design, storage, and transportation of grains. Various engineering properties of browntop millet grains, viz. dimensional, gravimetric, and frictional properties of four cultivars of browntop millet, were determined in the moisture content range of 5–20% (db.) following the standard procedures. The dimensional properties showed an increase with an increase in moisture content (5–20% db). In contrast, gravimetric properties, viz. bulk density, true density, and porosity, showed a linear decrement ranging from 843.2 to 796 kg m⁻³, 1538.4 to 1333.3 kg m⁻³, and 45.2 to 40.3%, respectively, for the four cultivars of browntop millet grains. A declining trend was observed for the rupture force between 140.35 and 72.26 N with the four cultivars studied. The coefficient of static friction was also found to increase with increase in the moisture content. The friction coefficient for all the cultivars of browntop millets was studied, and plywood has shown the highest value followed by mild steel and glass. The values of the angle of repose ranged between 23.4 and 30.4° for browntop millet grains cultivars. A significant difference in the engineering properties was observed among the four cultivars of browntop millet grains, namely BTM 1, BTM 2, BTM 3, and BTM 4.

A five-year study on net ecosystem exchange (NEE) to assess the impact of climatic drivers on inter-annual variability (IAV) was conducted using eddy covariance measurements in a lowland tropical rice–rice system. The IAV of carbon dioxide fluxes in two crop growing phases, i.e., dry and wet seasons along with fallow periods, was analyzed. The gross primary productivity (GPP) flux builds up during the crop growing season with corresponding increase in ecosystem respiration (RE) during the study period. Annual cumulative value of NEE was negative (sink) in both the crop growing seasons. The variability of climate drivers and changes in the ecosystem responses to drivers revealed a large intra-annual as well as inter-annual variability of net ecosystem fluxes. The NEE was correlated with different meteorological variables such as photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), precipitation, air temperature and soil temperature. The anomalies of NEE, GPP and RE were observed to be less in 2017 and 2018, which may be due to lower temperature anomalies recorded in these years. This work improves further understanding of biological mechanisms which are involved in the variation of climatological variables to improve our ability to predict future IAV of NEE.