Agriculture World Magazine May 2017

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VOLUME 3 ISSUE 05 MAY 2017 ` 70

Marketing to enhance productivity Fertilizer management in rice -wheat cropping system

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Agriclinics and Agribusiness centers scheme MAY 2017

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VOLUME 3 ISSUE 05 MAY 2017 ` 70 PAGES 84 Editor-in-Chief

MC Dominic Directors

Shiny Emanuel MG Vasan Sr. Executive Editors

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24 Pulses for nutrition SECURITY

28

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A review on common CATTLE DISEASES

Importance of nutrients in onion production

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Insects pest management IN MANGO

AND MANY MORE

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ecently, attended the agriculture fair ,Agra Middle East at Dubai where many number of companies came to exhibit their products on hydroponics that allow plants to grow without soil, using mineral nutrient solutions in a water solvent. Though the initiatives on soil less planting started in 1627

by Francis Bacon and serious researches were done by William Frederick Gericke in 1929, it got attention by the business community very recently only. In recent decades, NASA has done extensive hydroponic research for its Controlled Ecological Life Support System(CELSS). In 2016, Canada started large-scale commercial hydroponic greenhouses, producing tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers in hundreds of acres .Companies from China, USA and India are also began ventures in this area. Other areas that are establishing slowly are aeroponics, fogponics, passice sub-irrigation, ebb and flow or flood and drain sub-irrigation and run to waste system. Commercial hydroponics production of large plants like tomatoes, cucumber, and peppers uses one form or another of run-to-waste hydroponics.

In hydroponics,both organic and inorganic solutions can be used as fertilizers. Although pre-mixed concentrated nutrient solutions are generally purchased from commercial nutrient manufacturers by hydroponic hobbyists and commercial growers, several tools exist to help anyone prepare their own solutions without extensive knowledge about chemistry. The free and open source tools HydroBuddy and HydroCal have been created by professional chemists to help any hydroponics grower prepare their own nutrient solutions. With pest problems reduced and nutrients constantly fed to the roots, productivity in hydroponics is high; however, growers can further increase yield by manipulating a plant’s environment by constructing sophisticated grow rooms.

Awareness about hydroponic techniques for producing food in a controlled, soilless setting may change the life of average farmers.

Lack of space and soil need not be a deterrent anymore for those with a green thumb; thanks to the soil less cultivation. This system of cultivation is ideal especially for city dwellers and for terrace gardens.

The growth rate and yield of the plants are far more superior than plants that grow on soil. These plants do not have any diseases or pest infestations and are much healthier. A hydroponic nutrient solution provides all the essential nutrients to a plant that it would have absorbed from soil. Nutrients are available in solutions or powder form.

The potential for hydroponic grower is huge now and in the coming future they can become a part of retail chains . The growers can supply fresh produce in keeping standards of pesticide free international quality vegetables all through the year.MNC retail chains need of fresh produce in huge and those growers or progressive farmers can have the first mover advantage. It is essential to have a team of experts supported by Government Agencies to empower the farmers on commercial hydroponics, necessary agronomy support, quality control, post harvest methods, packing, grading and sorting of products. It is the path to grow and earn money and we have to support our farmers to multiple their income in a smart way.

MC Dominic

Editor-in-Chief AGRICULTURE

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Agriclinics and Agribusiness Centers Scheme: Attracting and Providing Opportunities to Agripreneurs AGRICULTURE

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Sandip V. Bondre (Ph.D. (Scholar) Horticulture, . PDKV, Akola ), Shrihari N. Sontakke and Mohammad Shoaib Mannan (Center Coordinator, ACABC, Akola (MS) – 444 104)

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gri- clinics and Agribusiness Centers (ACABC) which is a subsidy based credit linked scheme for setting up agri-ventures by agriculture graduates. It was launched by the government of India to strengthen the technology transfer, public extension system and employment generation in rural areas.

Different agri ventures started by agri enter prenuers under the scheme has increased awareness among farmers on scientific ways of farming. The agri- clinic centers have been successful in imparting knowledge to the farmers about the new and scientific methods of farming, thus leading to an increase in the production per hectare, cropping intensity and income from allied business in agriculture. Southern region has been the forerunner by employing around 50% of the total employment generated while North East region is deficient in establishments of agri -ventures. There is need to make efforts by government to focus on north eastern states and on the ventures which are having untapped potential. ACABC scheme and ventures started under the same are way for attracting and retaining youth in agriculture .

Agriculture plays a vital role in India’s economy.

Over 58 per cent of the rural households depend on agriculture as their principal means of livelihood. Agriculture, along with fisheries and forestry, is one of the largest contributors to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). As per estimates by the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the share of agriculture and allied sectors (including agriculture, livestock, forestry and fishery) was 15.35 per cent of the Gross Value Added (GVA) during 2015-16 at 2011-12 prices with the growth rate of 4.0 per cent. The growing population of India is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood but there is lot of concern about engaging youth in agriculture.Young people are not much interested in continuing in agriculture because they don’t see much prospects in the future of agriculture.They also don’t see it as an active profession in long run. Recently, Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has recom-

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The agri- clinic centers have been successful in imparting knowledge to the farmers about the new and scientific methods of farming, thus leading to an increase in the production per hectare, cropping intensity and income from allied business in agriculture.

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mended a proposal on “attracting and retaining rural youth in agriculture (ARYA) to the planning commission of India . It was agreed upon and included in 12th five year plan to tap the youth potential in farming and to prevent their migration to urban areas. It aims to attract youth to agriculture and to turn farming into a profitable venture.Agriclinics and agribusiness centers (ACABC) which is a subsidy based credit linked scheme for setting up agri ventures by agriculture graduates launched by the Government of India thus ,strengthened the technology transfer, public extension system and employment generation in rural areas.

Government of India constituted a steering committee on agriculture and allied sectors under the chairmanship of Prof. M.S. Swaminathan. The committee suggested creation of agri clinics and agribusiness centers managed by agri-graduates so

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as to provide consultancy services to the farming community in rural areas. In India.. from various researches and surveys revealed that, trained agricultural graduates have positive and favorable attitude towards self employment and to start agribusiness/agri venture in rural areas. ACABC provides agricultural advisory services to farmers through technically trained “agri -entrepreneurs”.

The scheme was implemented with following objectives • •

To supplement extension activity carried out

by Government agencies To make available supplementary sources of input supply and services to needy farmers.

• •

To provide gainful employment to agriculture graduates in new emerging areas The general information about agriclincs and agribusiness center scheme (ACABC) is given in table 1.

So it can be seen from information depicted in table 1 that, the scheme provides platform to rural qualified youth having graduation in life science or diploma in agriculture and allied fields. ACABC scheme provides more opportunities for women in agriculture and for upliftment of socio-economically backward class with farming background. In this way, it also playing key role for empowerment of women and weaker section in agriculture.

Table 1. General information of Agriclinic and Agribusiness Centers (ACABC) Scheme till September 2016

Particulars

Remarks

Recommendation of ACABC scheme

M.S. Swaminathan committee

Date of announcement of scheme

28th February 2001

Date of launching of scheme

9th April 2002 a. Graduates and above in agriculture and allied fields. b. Diploma (with at least 50% marks) in Agriculture and allied fields.

Eligibility criteria

c. Biological science graduates with post graduation in agriculture and allied subjects. d. Agriculture related courses at intermediate (+2) level, with at least 55 % marks.

Implementing agencies

MANAGE, NABARD, Department of Agriculture, Nodal Training Institutes (NTIs) and Commercial Banks

Total number of NTIs in India

147

Total number of candidates trained under the scheme

49031

Total number of agriventures established under the scheme

21000

Availing loan upto project cost (Maximum)

20.00 Lakhs

Subsidy from NABARD

44% for SC/ST/Women candidates and 36% for other candidates

Training duration

60 Days (Residential)

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Key factors for joining the training programme under the scheme of Agriclinc and Agribusiness center • Unemployment problem in Government and private sector.

• Non-remunerative yields from present farming.

• Self motivation for own business • Free specialized training • ​Better institutional linkage (training, credit and marketing) • Access to credit facilities • ​Improved market outlets • Better price expectation from the activity undertaken • Increasing cost requirements • Efficient utilization of resource base (education, financial, knowledge, contacts, land etc.)

P resent state wise status of Agriclinics and Agribusiness Centers scheme as on September 2016.

The present state-wise status of scheme is shown in Table 2. From the data it is observed that, 49031 candidates were trained since start of the scheme in all 32 states and union territories of India with the help of nodal institutes (NIs). Maximum numb ers of candidates (11241) were trained from M aharashtra followed by Uttar Pradesh (10156) a nd Tamil Nadu (5798) while scheme could not yield effective results in training candidates from N orth-Eastern states and union territories of the c ountry like Sikkim, Meghalaya, Tripura, Delhi, Chandigarh etc.

T he number of ventures established by agripreneurs after completion of training was high (5310) in Maharashtra followed by Uttar Pradesh (5214).

T he total number of ventures established und er scheme is 21000. In context of setting up of Agriventures, southern states performed well than the seven sister states and union territories. In case of number of projects sanctioned by banks, Uttar Pradesh proved better (626 projects) followed by Maharashtra (421) .Analysis of the zonal variations in the disbursal of the loans indicates that it was AGRICULTURE

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Table 2. Present state-wise status of Agriclinics and Agribusiness Centers scheme as on September 2016 No. of Candidates Trained

No. of Ventures Established

No. of Projects Sanctioned

by Banks

Maharashtra

11241

5310

421

Uttar Pradesh

10156

5214

626

Tamil Nadu

5798

2967

267

Bihar

3424

1246

102

Karnataka

3196

1302

297

Rajasthan

2834

1024

68

Madhya Pradesh

1513

576

73

Gujarat

1401

557

49

Jammu and Kashmir

1333

176

7

Telangana

1034

363

38

West Bengal

890

253

12

Andhra Pradesh

846

321

31

Assam

632

206

93

Jharkand

632

163

6

Haryana

614

207

38

Punjab

566

212

20

Chattisgarh

543

1

20

Orissa

521

106

7

Manipur

437

128

20

Himachal Pradesh

418

108

42

Uttaranchal

417

140

16

Kerala

185

51

18

Nagaland

174

21

1

Pondicherry

126

77

14

Mizoram

34

1

-

Arunachal Pradesh

32

3

2

Delhi

27

3

-

Meghalaya

11

3

1

Sikkim

9

1

-

Goa

9

4

2

Chandigarh

3

1

-

Tripura

2

1

1

Total

49031

21000

2472

Name of the State

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Table 3. Overview of projects established under Agriclinics and Agribusiness Scheme as on September 2016

 Project Description

No. of Ventures Established

Agri-Clinics

3229

Agri-Clinics and Agribusiness Centres

6771

Agro-Eco Tourism

11

Animal Feed Unit

47

Bio-fertilizer production and Marketing

103

Contract Farming

66

Cultivation of Medicinal Plants

112

Direct Marketing

168

Farm Machinery Unit

712

Fisheries Development

350

Floriculture

108

Horticulture Clinic

170

Landscaping + Nursery

113

Nursery

506

Organic Production/ Food Chain

89

Pesticides Production and Marketing

40

Value Addition

280

Fishery clinic

15

Seed Processing and Marketing

337

Soil Testing Laboratory

102

Tissue Culture Unit

28

Vegetable Production and Marketing

250

Vermicomposting / Organic manure

495

Veterinary Clinics

875

Crop Production

197

Dairy/Poultry/Piggery /Goatary

5492

Rural Godown

49

Production & Marketing of Bio-Control Agents

19

Agriculture Journalism

16

Sericulture

49

Mushroom Cultivation

100

Apiary

101

Total

21000

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only in the Southern region that 62% of the ventures set up could avail the finance through financial institutions. All other regions fared poorly, with North and East having only 10% of the projects financed through bank loans. In North East, only 25% of the projects could secure bank loan. In accordance to Global Agri system (2010), the agripreneurs were of the opinion that banks take a very poor view of these ventures and thus the agripreneurs have been discouraged from starting such ventures. Complex nature of land holding / ownership pattern in some states further complicates the funding in terms of providing collateral. Even NIs in the North East region are feeling discouraged about continuing the training programme because of this lack of co-operation of the banks in providing financial assistance to the trained graduates (Global Agrisystem ,2010). In states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka all the loans have been applied for in nationalized banks which further suggests that nationalized banks are more pro active in sanctioning the loans and provide the loans easily. Also trainees are quite aware of these banks due to their easy accessibility and spread.It is also observed that some cooperative banks are supportive for establishment of ventures.

Project wise progress of Agriclinic and Agribusiness Centre Scheme It can be observed from Table 3 that, 21000 establishments of 32 type of projects were achieved nationwide through ACABC scheme. But the top performing ventures are Agri-Clinics and Agribusiness Centres (6771), Dairy/Poultry/Piggery/Goatry (5942), Agri-Clinics (3229), Veterinary Clinics (875), Farm Machinery Unit (712), Nursery (506), Vermicomposting / Organic manure (495). The other projects were chosen by the agripreneurs with less interest due to lack of suitable environment, less product demand and scope.

Benefits to the farmers and employment generation through the scheme The mid-term evaluation of ACABC scheme conducted by Global Agrisystem in 2010 reported that, the major benefit to the farmers availing the services of agriclinics is the increased awareness among farmers on scientific ways of farming. The overall scenario reflects that around 43% of the www.krishijagran.com

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ACABC scheme provides more opportunities for women in agriculture and for upliftment of socio-economically backward class with farming background. In this way, it also playing key role for empowerment of women and weaker section in agriculture. agripreneurs have responded that their advice has resulted in income enhancement of the farmers and this has resulted from their timely advice and transfer of technology. The highest number of women workforce that has been employed through the project is in South amounting to 35 percent of the total employment in South. Similarly, of the total employment generated in South, more than 50 percent belongs to Scheduled caste and tribe. Other zones have also fared well in generating employment within different categories.

From the above findings, it can be concluded that continuation of ACABC scheme is required to attract and provide opportunities for agricultural students to set up agri ventures and for effective paid extension services. Also more emphasis should be given for encouragement of youth from North East region to start up agribusiness. Availing the loan facilities should be made expedient for which involvement of cooperative and private banks will be helpful.

Though MANAGE, NABARD and Ministry of Agriculture has launched and contributed very effectively but still involvement of states is negligible and not up to satisfactory level. These gaps should be filled and coordinated efforts should be made for encouraging youth in agriculture. In present situation there is utmost need of programmes like ACABC scheme to attract and retain youth in agriculture that provide services to farmers for better farming.

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FEED BACK We invite your opinion on articles published in the magazine and your comments on the subject discussed . Please send the feed back to feedback@krishijagran.com or write to Feedback,Agriculture World, 60/9,3rd Floor,Yusuf Sarai Market,Near Green Park Metro Station,New Delhi 110016

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Marketing to Enhance Productivity MAY 2017

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Bimal C Biswas(KJ), Vipin Mishra (KJ)and Kuldeep Sati(FAI)

fficient marketing enhances production and Productivity .There are many examples to cite. Proper marketing of milk made the country number one in milk production. Marketing made fertilizer Cooperative IFFCO number one in the cooperative sector. Marketing of rice and wheat through MSA in Punjab helped the state to increase production of cereals like rice and wheat and helped in green revolution. Similarly ,marketing of soybean made the Madhya Pradesh (MP) number one in soybean production which is number one oilseed now in the country .Micro-financing through Gramin Bank in Bangladesh is an excellent example of success of marketing.

Indian farmers belong to mainly small and marginal category. They are to sell their produce immediately after harvest to get money to satisfy their needs. They, therefore, do not get reasonably high price for their produce. Many a time they are compelled to sell their produce at loss.

The remedy to this problem lies in the formation of cooperatives of their own or association of their own to improve their bargaining power.

Milk cooperative like AMUL and Fertilizers cooperative like IFFCO are the very successful cooperatives to name. Cooperatives of sugar cane growers in Maharashtra has also made some success in the their endeavor In some cases farmers association has also made good progress in this direction . Grape grower

association in Maharashtra is one such example to point. Water user association in south Gujarat has also made some dent. Tea grower association like UPASI is also a very good example.

In some cases government policies can help farmers to sell their produce at a reasonably higher price. Rice and wheat procurement through MSP in Punjab and Haryana, soybean procurement in MP are very good examples to cite .Some persons took marketing as their profession with love and devotion and become very successful and world famous. Love and devotion of such persons like Guru charan Das, Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari, Dr V Kurien and Prof Mohd Younis have been captured in books (Table 1) which make interesting reading.

The farmers of Gujarat used to sell milk to an English man called Polson. They had hard time ,because payment of milk used to be delayed more than 6 months and this continued for years. They were fed up but unable to find a solution. So they approached Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel who listened to their problem patiently.And then he remarked that “ There is a solution� but you have to undergo hardship for some times to implement the same. The course of action suggested were as follows.

1. Stop selling milk to Polson.

2. Form a cooperative society of milk producers and apply for its registration.

Table 1 Books on some marketing experts Name of the book

Author

Remarks

India Unfolding

Guru Charan Das

Become MD of the company he served, now now working as international consultant

Down Memory lane

Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari

Become Executive Director of the company he served as world famous spiritual leader

I Too Had A Dream

Dr V Kurian

Become chairman of NDDB

Gramin Bank and my life

Prof Mohd Younis

Become chairman of Gramin bank of Bangladesh, a Nobel laureate

Milk Cooperative (AMUL)

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Indian farmers belong to mainly small and marginal category. They are to sell their produce immediately after harvest to get money to satisfy their needs. They, therefore, do not get reasonably high price for their produce.

Table 2 Some important milk statistics Year

Production (Mt)

Availability (gm/day/ person)

1950--51

17

130

1990-91

54

176

2000-01

81

217

2011-12

127

290

2012-13

132

295

2013-14

139

295

The data presented in table 2 demonstrated milk production has increased very much over the years.

3. Government may not registrar the society at the first instance 4. Do not worry , I shall fight your case to see the registration is done ultimately.

the farmers to increase the milk production very fast.

In 1965 ,National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was founded by Dr Kurien on the advise of Late Lal Bhadur Shashri, the then, the Prime Minister of India to extend the success of the Kaira Cooperative Milk Producer Union(Amul) to other parts of India.

Prof Mohd Younis

The Government was not in favor of registration of the Milk cooperative of the farmers, but Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel fought the case to win and thus milk cooperative was born in the Khaira district of Gujarat.Dr V Kurian joined Amul cooperative in 1946. He was guided by Shri Tribhuban Das Patel. The farmers used to get the price of their milk immediately . That helped them to meet their own requirement and also the needs of milking cows. This helped

The major success of the NDDB was achieved through World Bank financed project “ Operation Flood “ that lasted for 26 years and was responsible for making India the World’s largest producer of Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari

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farmers through the primary cooperative societies at the village level. In addition to supplying fertilizer, IFFCO has done many vital project works. It is now the number one company in the fertilizer sector.

Gurcharan-Das

Water User Association Though very few WUS are in operation in the country.

It is imperative to make mention of the existence a very good WUA in Navasari district of Gujarat.

Verghese Kurien

milk. Interesting fact and figures are mentioned in Table 2.

Fertilizer Cooperative-IFFCO. About 50 years back the IFFCO ( The Indian Farmers Fertililzer cooperative ltd) was born with the 30,000 members of Indian farmers. It has provided very good services to the

Crop Association Grape Grower Association of Maharashtra is a very successful organization which has been able to serve its members well and to increase grape production and productivity. There may be many such crop associations.

Impact of MSP on cereals

Table 3 Impact of MSP on rice, wheat and soybean production and productivity

State

Crop

Year

Punjab

Rice

1965-66 1970-71 1990-91 2000-01 2014-15

1965-66 1970-71 1990-91 2000-01 2014-15

1990-91 2000-01 2014-15

Wheat

Madhya Pradesh

Soybean

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Production (‘000 MT) 542 671 6535 9154 11107

2750 4873 12155 15551 15050

2003 3431 6353

Productivity (Kg/ha) 1013 1725 3229 3506 3838

1190 2215 3715 4563 4294

1022 767 1139

Minimum support price(MSP) of Government of India has benefited some states to improve production and productivity. Punjab farmers have been encouraged to increase rice and wheat production through MSP. These is a very successful project for the Punjab and Haryana.

MSP on Oilseeds In the mid 1970s, soybean areas and produc-

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Table 4 : Crop diversification helps the farmers to earn profit

Crop

Land (ha) area

Production cost(Rs/ha)

Value of produce(Rs/ha)

Profit (Rs/ha)

Potato

1.00

1,20,000

1,50,000

30,000

Marigold

0.13

1,35,000

2,25,000

90,000

Groundnut

1.00

45,000

1,35,000

90,000

Rice

0.40

42,000

60,000

18,000

Bitter gourd

0.06

75,000

1,50000

75,000

Sponge gourd

0.13

75,000

1,50,000

75,000

tion in India were practically nil. Impact of MSP on soybean production was spectacular . From practically nil area and production of soybean, it has now become number one oilseed crop in India (Table 3)Major areas lie in MP and its near hood..

Many a time farmers are compelled to sell their produce at loss. The remedy to this problem lies in the formation of cooperatives of their own or association of their own to improve their bargaining power

Fruits and vegetables There is no MSP on fruits and vegetables. Here the condition is worse. This year the price of vegetable in winter was very low. The price of green pea never went beyond Rs 20/kg. Value addition of fruits and vegetables may help in improving the situation. Cold storage facilities are to be increased. It is reported that Government of India plans to provide 101 cool chains this year.

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In some cases government policies can help farmers to sell their produce at a reasonably higher price. Rice and wheat procurement through MSP in Punjab and Haryana, soybean procurement in MP are very good examples to cite Better market near city Farmers who are near city can earn better price if he or she sells his produce himself or herself.

Crop diversification is better means to produce more number of crops ( Table3).

Gramin Bank in Bangladesh Gramin Bank a brainchild of Professor Md younis is an excellent example of marketing of ideas(products). Even the beggars were advanced bank loan to make them economically viable.

About 86 percent beneficiaries were illiterate women . Many of their siblings became doctors and engineers only because of the support of Gramin bank. This is an unparallel example in the world.

Efficient marketing promotes production and productivity. Majority of our farmers belong to small and marginal category This is why they are not in a position to bargain. Unity is strength while division is death. When small farmers form cooperatives or Associations, they became strong. Milk cooperative like AMUL and fertilizer cooperative like IFFCO are excellent examples of impact of marketing on production and productivity. Government interventions though MSP have also helped Punjab, Haryana and MP in improving cereal and soybean production and productivity. Gramin Bank of Bangladesh is an unparallel of importance of marketing in improving productivity.

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anagement

Fertilizer management in rice-Wheat Cropping System R. L Yadav Former Director, Directorate ,k7of cropping Systems Research

R

ice-wheat cropping System is cultivated in about 12 million hectares in the Indo-Gangetic plain region of India, comprising the states of Punjab , Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. As both the crops of the system are cereals, they remove large quantity of nutrients from the soil, which needs to be replenished adequately through fertilizers to sustain the productivity of the cropping system. Large scale use of fertilizer in the System has caused considerable damage to the environment, beside degrading natural resources. In view of this, fertilizer management has become an important issue for sustaining natural resources and protecting environment, beside enhancing yields of both the crops of the system.

The growing threat of food insecurity rapidly engulfing poor and under privileged population in AGRICULTURE

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India, which necessitates a critical appraisal of agronomic strategies needed to enhance and sustain productivity. In this regard ,it is important to mention that rice and wheat continue to be the important crops for offering food security to millions of Indian population. Rice is cultivated in about 46million hectares and wheat in about 30 million hectares.

When the crops are grown in sequence, i. e., Rice ,in rainy season(called kharief season), and the Wheat, in winter season( called rabi season), thus making the sequence as rice-wheat cropping system. Recent analysis of Prasad and Shivy(2016),has indicated that to increase productivity of crops, among different agronomic techniques, nutrient management have attracted the attention of about 66 per cent researchers as revealed by proportion of number of research papers on

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different agronomical aspects published in Indian Journal of Agronomy during2013-14. And among nutrients, nitrogen was considered the key element required to boost up the yield of crops, as out of total NPK consumption of 24.5 million tons during2013-2014 , N alone was16.7 million tones. Interestingly, 80 percent of fertilizer N is supplied through urea in India. Further, the nitrogen use efficiency in field crops is about 50 percent and in crops like rice it is about 33 percent.

In view of this, fertilizer management is highly important in rice –wheat cropping system.

Nutrient dynamics in soil Before describing good agronomic practice in

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rice-wheat cropping system, it would be appropriate to discuss the nutrient dynamics in soil and nitrogen uptake and assimilation in crop plants. Mostly urea is broadcast applied at surface, which is subject to run off losses especially on sloppy lands of hills, where rains are torrential and rice is the main crop. Because of this, farmers do not apply required quantity of fertilizer N to their crop, as a result, the crop suffers due to inadequacy of nutrients and yields are low. Once urea is applied in soil, it hydrolyses fairly rapidly, most of it within 15 days of application.

Ammonia formed from urea fertilizer is lost by ammonia volatilization, which is estimated at

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The growing threat of food insecurity rapidly engulfing poor and under privileged population in India , which necessitates a critical appraisal of agronomic strategies needed to enhance and sustain productivity

20-30 kg N per hectare at an application rate of 120 kg N per hectare, in rice- wheat cropping system of Indo-Gangetic plain region. Ammonia losses have been estimated to be about 30 kg N per hectare. It has been estimated that about 4.1 million tons of N is lost through ammonia volatilization in India annually. Placement of fertilizers can greatly reduce ammonia volatilization losses.

Ammonia is later on is converted to nitrate which is negatively charged ion, thus cannot be retained by clay particles, and hence either leach down or denitrified under submerged condition of rice AGRICULTURE

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fields. Nitrogen losses due to denitrification has been estimated to be about 10-15 kg per hectare in rice and 5 to 10 kg N per hectare in wheat. To prevent these losses split application of urea is recommended.

Nitrogen uptake and assimilation in plants: Nitrogen is taken up by plants through roots mostly as nitrates in upland crops. In lowland rice paddies ammonium is also preferred by rice plants. Absorbed nitrate is reduced to ammonia in plants. It is a two step process. First , nitrate is www.krishijagran.com

reduced to nitrite in the cytosol by the enzyme nitrate reductase (NR) using NADP or NADPH, which then is reduced to ammonia in the chloroplast by a ferredoxin-dependent nitrate reeducates. Once ammonia is produced in chloroplast, it is incorporated as amide group in the amino acid from glutamine. Proteins are synthesized by genetically controlled process by DNA and ribosome.

After harvest of rice, rice residues be incorporated in the soil by plowing the field 6to 7 times .Wheat should be fertilized with 120 kg nitrogen and 60 kg each of phosphorus and potassium per hectare. Half nitrogen and entire phosphorus and potassium be applied at the time of field preparation. Remaining nitrogen be applied in two splits, half at crown root initiation and rest at maximum tillering /boot stage.

Fertilizer Management in Basmati ricewheat cropping system of Upper gangetic Plain Region:

Fertilizer management in rice-wheat system in IGP and outside IGP:

Fertilizer nitrogen requirement of basmati rice is very less. Therefore it can easily be met with by organic sources, like green manure or farm yard manure. Thus , the crop may also be grown successfully under organic farming . Many farmers in Punjab , Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and Uttara Khand are growing basmati rice under organic conditions and exporting it to fetch higher prices.

After harvest of wheat in the month of April/May, seed of Sun hemp at the rate of 50 kg per hectare be broadcasted in middle of May to grow green manure crop. After 50 days, this green manure crop would produce about 3.5 tonnes of dry green biomass supplying about80 kg nitrogen per hectare to the crop. This should be turned up by disk plough.Farmers , who are unable to grow green manure crop may spread a thin layer of well decomposed compost or farm yard manure having about 1.1 5 N, 0.02% P and 0 .5% K on the surface of soil. This compost or farmyard manure may also be incorporated into the soil.

Seedlings of basmati rice be grown in June, which should be transplanted in the field in middle of July at a spacing 20cm x 15cm.Forty kg nitrogen per hectare should be applied using fertilizer urea to the rice crop in two splits , 3 and 6 weeks after transplanting. Phosphorus is not applied to the rice crop as it has been applied to the preceding wheat.Rice crop should be kept pounded during first fortnight after transplanting. Thereafter irrigations are given after 2days of disappearance of pounded water.

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The risk of nutrient mining in highly productive rice-wheat cropping system is a serious threat particularly when potassium, sulphur and other micronutrients are generally not supplied in soil through fertilizers in the system by farmers. In onfarm trials conducted recently in Fatehgarh sahib in the state of Punjab , Meerut and Barabanki in UttarPradesh( all in IGP) and in district Banda located in Bundelkhand region, outside IGP, clearly shows that K application increased the yield of rice by 0.6 to 1.2 tons per hectare and that of wheat by 0.2 to0.7 tones per hectares across locations, varying in soil texture, soil K status, climate and amount of irrigations provided to the crops. Application of Sulphur and Zinc along with K further increased the yields of both the crops of the system.

Based on this study , it is recommended that apart from NPK, rice should also be fertilized with 30 kg S and 5 kg zinc per hectare while wheat should also receive 30 kg S per hectare to sustain the yield in the system and maintain soil fertility.

Based on above narration, it is recommended that in rice-wheat cropping system , rice should be fertilized with 10 kg N,60 kg K, 30Kg S, and 5 kg zinc per hectare and wheat should be fertilized with 120 kg N, 60 kg each of phosphorus and potassium and 30 kg Sulphur per hectare.Basmati rice in Punjab and Haryana be grown with organic manures like green manure and farmyard manure, and urea should be used to supply only 40 kg N per hectare.

Address -- A-703, Ashadeep Apartment, plot NO.3-B, Sector-2, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075.

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PULSES FOR NUTRITION SECURITY V.Sangeetha, Premlata Singh, Satyapriya, Sitaram, G.S.Mahra, V.Lenin (Division of Agricultural Extension)

P.Venkatesh

(Division of Agricultural Economics) ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, India

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ith prevailing child malnutrition at 37% in India, the high-protein, micronutrient-rich caloric values of pulses offer the great opportunity for eradicating malnutrition in challenging soil and climatic environments.

Pulses are rich source of dietary protein and micronutrients for poor consumers who cannot afford animal products or who do not eat animal products. The trend in agricultural land area shows that area under food grains increased and pulses has absorbed entire additional area during 1970-2013. However, in comparison to food grains production, the production performance of pulses is very low, which was mainly due to differences in yield. Among the nutrient intake protein con-

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sumption has declined while energy and fat consumption increased. Pulses consumption was low and its share in nutrient intake in all nutrients has declined during last decade. We need a very strong policy to increase the production and availability of pulses by adopting low cost technologies and by adding value to the pulses. Proper extension services should be available starting from production to marketing of pulses, development of value chain, etc.

AGRICULTURE LAND

BY USE IN INDIA The agriculture land use pattern in India during 1950-51 and 2010-11 is presented in figure 1. It has been noticed that gross cropped

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TABLE 1. TRENDS IN AREA, PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF PULSES AND TOTAL FOODGRAINS IN INDIA (1970-71 TO 2013-14) Particular

1970-71

1980-81

Area (Million hectare) Pulses 22.6 Share (%) 18.2 Kharif 9.5 Rabi 13.1 Total foodgrains 124.3

22.5 17.8 10.4 12.1 126.7

24.7 19.3 11.5 13.2 127.8

Production (Million tonnes) Pulses 11.8 Share (%) 10.9 Kharif 3.9 Rabi 7.9

10.6 8.2 3.8 6.8

108.4

Yield (Kg. / hectare) Pulses Kharif Rabi Total foodgrains

Total foodgrains

1990-91

2000-01

2009-10

2010-11

20.3 16.8 10.6 9.7 121

23.3 19.2 10.6 12.7 121.3

26.4 20.8 12.3 14.1 126.7

14.3 8.1 5.4 8.9

11 5.6 4.4 6.6

14.7 6.7 4.2 10.5

129.6

176.4

196.8

524 410 607

473 361 571

578 471 672

872

1023

1380

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

24.5 19.6 11.2 13.3 124.8

23.3 19.3 10 13.3 120.8

25.2 20.0 10.1 15.1 126

18.2 7.4 7.1 11.1

17.1 6.6 6.1 11

18.4 7.1 5.9 12.4

19.3 7.3 6 13.3

218.1

244.5

259.3

257.1

264.8

544 417 604

612 449 751

625 557 688

659 478 804

630 397 823

691 578 790

1626

1756

1860

1909

1798

1930

Source: Economic survey, 2014

area occupied the major share and since 1950 its share has increased from 42 to 46 per cent.

Similarly, forest area has also registered an increasing trend from 14 to 23 per cent and significant reduction was found in fallow land and land not available for cultivation categories. It is worthy to mention that various government programmes helped to convert many unproductive land into productive.

PULSES PRODUCTION DYNAMICS The trends in area, production and productivity of pulses and foodgrains are presented in Table 1. The total area of pulses were fluctuating over the study period 1970-2013-14. During 1970-71 the areas was about 23 million hectare(mha) and gradually increased in next two decades and reached about 25 mha in 1990-91 and slightly declined in 2000-01 and peaked in 2010-11 (26 mha) and stayed about 25 mha in 2013-14.The pulses were grown in both kharif and rabi seasons and rabi pulses areas were more than the kharif pulses throughout the study period, except 2000-01.

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It is also obvious that kharif area under pulses has increased marginally about 0.6 mha during 1970-71 to 2013-14, whereas rabi area under pulses has significantly grown about 2 mha during the same period. The area under foodgrains was about 124 mha in 1970-71 and it has also increased during the same period, however it was less than 2 mha, which indicates that pulses has absorbed entire additional area under food grains and also it has replaced some of the other foodgrains.

The percentage analysis also clearly reveals that total area under pulses has raised from 18 to 20 per cent during last four decades. It could be due to the various government programmes which target to increase the pulses production as done by missions on oilseeds and food security .

The table 1 displays that production has increased substantially from 11.8 to19.3 million tonnes (mt) during 1970-71 to 2013-14.

Pulses production has registered about 64 per cent growth in the span of four decades which

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TABLE 2. PRODUCTION OF MAJOR PULSES Crops

1950-51

1960-61

1970-71

1980-81

1990-91

2000-2001

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Pulses Gram Share (%) Tur (Arhar) Share (%) Other pulses

8.41 3.65 43.4 1.72 20.5 3.04

12.7 6.25 49.2 2.07 16.3 4.38

11.82 5.2 44.0 1.88 15.9 4.74

10.63 4.33 40.7 1.96 18.4 4.34

14.26 5.36 37.6 2.41 16.9 6.49

11.08 3.86 34.8 2.25 20.3 4.97

18.24 8.22 45.1 2.86 15.7 7.16

17.09 7.7 45.1 2.65 15.5 6.74

18.45 8.88 48.1 3.07 16.6 6.5

Share (%)

36.1

34.5

40.1

40.8

45.5

44.9

39.4

35.2

39.3

Source: Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation

is very high when compared to the 11 percent growth in the area under pulses during the same period. However, in comparison to food grain production the production performance of pulses is very low, where food grain production has registered about 145 percent growth which underscores the differences of productivity improvement in pulses and food grains over this period. It is also to be noted that major production contribution is from rabi pulses than the kharif pulses. The perusal of the table 1 reveals that although the pulses

productivity improved from 524 kg/ha to 691 kg / ha during the study period, the total foodgrains productivity has increased more than two times, that is from 872 kg/ha in 1970-71 to 1930 kg/ha in 2013-14. It indicates that there is a huge difference in productivity between pulses and foodgrains and this differences further widened over the period.

The major pulses crop production is presented in table 2. Among the pulses the Gram and Tur were the major pulse crops in India which

TABLE 3. ALL INDIA IRRIGATED AREA UNDER PULSES (%) Crops Gram Tur or Arhar Total Pulses

1950-51 12.5 0.5 9.4

1990-91 20.5 5.5 10.5

2000-01 30.9 4.2 12.5

2010-11 29.7 4.0 14.8

Source: Directorate of Economics & Statistics, Department of Agriculture & Cooperation

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together accounted for more than 50 percent of the total pulses production. Gram is the dominant pulses crop which accounted for more than 40 per cent of the total pulses production throughout the study period and it has reached about 48 per cent share in 201213. Despite tur production has increased from1.7 mt to 3.1 mt during the study period ,its share in total production has witnessed a declining trend from 21 to 17 per cent during the same period.

PULSES CROPS AND IRRIGATION As mentioned earlier it is established that the pace of yield improvement in pulses were less when compared to the other foodgrain crops.

One of the main reason for this could be the less land allocated by the farmers for pulses crops. Generally pulses were grown in the marginal environment such as rainfed or with limited irrigated facilities and less fertile land and also with limited care. It is also true to

Among the nutrient intake protein consumption has declined while energy and fat consumption increased. Pulses consumption was low and its share in nutrient intake in all nutrients has declined during last decade

some extent that under such conditions also pulses were able to produce certain minimum yield and whenever failure of rainfall occurs at crucial stages such as flowering and pod filling which severely affects the yield, therefore the research efforts are not visible in pulses. In this context, the area under irrigated pulses is presented in Table 3. It clearly shows that total irrigated area under pulses were about 9 percent in 1950-51 and it has reached 15 per cent in 2010-11. Among the pulses, Gram has highest area under irrigation and its share has continuously raised and reached about 30 per cent in 2010-11. The second dominant crop under pulses were the tur which has only about 0.5 per cent area under irrigation in 1950-51 and it reached about 4 per cent in 2010-11. There is a correlation between the irrigated area yield which is obvious in case of gram where its irrigation area and yield were very high while for, tur both irrigation and yield were low.

PULSES AND NUTRITION The table 4 presents the source wise nutrition intake over the last decade. The energy consumption has increased both in rural and urban areas from 2131 to 2153 kcal/day and 2139 to 2144 in the last decade. However, the pulses contribution in energy consumption has declined about 20 per cent both in rural and urban areas. In case of fat, the over-

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TABLE 4: SHARE OF PULSES IN NUTRIENT INTAKE IN INDIA: Nutrient intake

Rural 1999-00

2009-10

Change (%)

2009-10

Change (%)

Energy from pulses (Kcal )

96 (4.50)

77 (3.58)

-19.85

92 (4.29)

-19.72

Total Energy consumption(Kcal )

2131

2153

1.00

2144

0.22

Fat from pulses (Grams)

0.52 (1.45)

0.45 (1.05)

-13.7

0.54 (0.99)

-14.65

Total Fat consumption (Grams)

35.77

42.73

19.45

54.67

9.05

Protein from pulses (Grams)

6.4 (10.93)

4.94 (8.51)

-22.78

5.98 (10.36)

-21.82

Total protein consumption (Grams)

58.57

58.02

-0.93

57.74

-1.22

Source: NSSO data ,2014

all consumption has increased to the highest (20%) among all other nutrition during the last decade and urban consumption was higher than the rural consumption in both the periods. The contribution of pulses was miniscule in fat consumption which was slightly above one percent in 1999-2000 and it was reduced to one per cent both in rural and urban areas in 2009-10.

Pulses were one of the major protein supplier for poor one who cannot afford the costly protein source such as meat and also vegetarian population also mainly depends on the pulses for daily protein requirement. In India relatively the rich and vegetarian populations were high when compared to other countries which signify the importance of pulse consumption. However, it has been observed that among the nutrients only protein has regisAGRICULTURE

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tered a negative growth, but small in magnitude that is about one per cent. Pulses consumption has declined in rural areas about 6 to 5 g/day (23%) and urban areas about 8 to 6 g/day (22%) areas in the study period. Further the monthly per capita consumption shows the declining trend (Fig.2). The share of various food groups in total food expenditure is presented in Fig.3. It was found that pulses share was slightly higher in rural areas compared to urban areas and over the period the share has increased in rural areas (6.3 o 6.8 %) and declined in urban area (5.9 to 5.7 %).

Pulses performance with respect to area coverage, production and yield in comparison to foodgrains were studied. It was observed that despite increase in area under pulses, the in production increase is not to the tune with area increase as compared with total

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Among the pulses the Gram and Tur were the major pulse crops in India which together accounted for more than 50 percent of the total pulses production.

Gram is the dominant pulses crop which accounted for more than 40 per cent of the total pulses production

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foodgrains. Over the last four decades, the major difference between pulses and total foodgrains was the yield and the differences further diverged. The irrigation is one of the major factor which influences the crop yield, however in case of pulses it has not received due attention as most of the area were rainfed and grown under marginal environment which effect the yield of the pulses. It was also found that except protein intake other nutrients such as energy and fat intake increased.

Overall the pulses contribution in nutrient supply has declined than all type of nutrients. Therefore, there is a need for holistic approach to improve the pulses production environment and increase the productivity and increase the awareness among the consumers about importance of pulses consumption and nutrient value in pulses for improving nutrition security.

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Cattle

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A Review on Common Cattle Diseases During Rainy Season in India Tapabrata Saha and Joydip Chattopadhyay

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M

onsoon Season brings disease in cattle due to warm, wet and humid climate. The most important diseases are Anthrax, Black Quarter(B.Q.),Haemorrgahic Septicaemia (H.S.), Foot & Mouth Disease (F.M.D.),Footrot, Dermatophytosis, Aflatoxicosis. Besides some non-specific diarrhoea, worm infestations, haemoprotozoan diseases also supervene.Monsoon Season (usually June & July) not only refresh every living being after dealing with the sizzling heat of summers but even brings diseases along with it. Due to warm, wet and humid climate animals start experiencing stress leading to various viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan diseases. The most important cattle diseases are as follows-

Anthrax: It is a highly infectious and fatal disease of cattle caused by a spore forming bacteria called Bacillus anthracis which produces potent toxins responsible for death. Signs of the illness usually appear 3 to 7 days after the spores are swallowed while grazing in field or inhaled. Sudden death (often within 2 or 3 hours of being apparently normal) is by far the most common sign in per-acute cases, others show a high temperature , trembling, difficulty in breathing, collapse and convulsions before death which usually occurs over a period of 24 hours. After death blood doesn’t clot, resulting in a bloody discharge from the nose, mouth and other openings.Treatment is usually not possible in per-acute cases due to sudden death. In early stages treatment with antibiotics like penicillin

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Due to warm, wet and humid climate animals start experiencing stress leading to various viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan diseases

group, tetracycline group for 5 days is effective.

Supportive treatment with antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic drugs like paracetamol, meloxicam, piroxicam may be helpful along with fluid therapy.

Black Quarter (Black - leg): It is an acute infectious and highly fatal, bacterial disease of young cattle between 6-24 months of age, in good body condition caused

by Clostridium chauvoei. It is soil-borne infection which generally occurs during rainy season after the spores are swallowed while grazing in field.High rise of temperature (106-108°F) along with stiffness or lameness in affected limb is the early symptoms. Hot and painful swelling over hip, back and shoulder in early stages and which turns cold and painless in later with crepitating or crackling sound on pressure is an important symptom. Recumbence followed by death within 12-48 hrs in acute cases.Antibiotic like Penicillin intra-muscularly and locally for 5

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days. Oxytetracycline may be tried.Cauterization of the affected area and dressing with hydrogen-peroxide or Potassium permanganate (PP) is sometimes beneficial.Supportive therapy with anti-histamine and antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic drugs may be tried.In endemic zone it is advisable to carry out yearly vaccination before monsoon starts .

Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (H.S.): It is a highly contagious and fatal bacterial disease of adult cattle caused by Pasturella multocida occurs during stress condition and spreads through air (inhalation), feed and water, also by direct and indirect contact.High rise of temperature (104-107°F), rapid pulse & heart rate, difficulty in breathing with salivation, nasal & lachrymal discharge, occasionally swelling in of head & brisket region, severe diarrhea or dysentery and death in acute cases.Antibiotic like Sulphadimidine, Oxytrtracycline,Enrofloxacin, Ceftriaxone etc. parenterally for 5 days.Anti-histamine and antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic drugs may be tried.Steroids like dexamethasone, prednisolone etc. in acute respiratory problem along with Deriphyllin may be given.In endemic zone it is advisable to carry out yearly vaccination before monsoon starts.

Foot-and-mouth disease: It is a highly communicable viral disease of cattle. Cross bred cattle are highly susceptible.

Infection occurs through air (inhalation), feed & water, also by direct and indirect contact.

Death rate is less but the animal suffers a lot.

Fever (104-105o F), profuse salivation which hangs from mouth, formation of vesicles and blisters in the mouth (tongue & gum) and on the skin between the toes and above the hoofs which causes lameness and abortion may occur in pregnant cattle.Treatment includes external application of antiseptics ( PP, copper sulphate, iodine) in lesions of hoofs followed by a fly repellant ointment.Application of antiseptic like PP , boric powder, glycerine in tongue and gum, anti-histamine and antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic drugs may be given as supportive therapy.Antibiotics are rarely used to control secondary bacterial infection.It is advisable to AGRICULTURE

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carry out bi-annual vaccination after primary vaccination at 3 months of age to prevent it.

Footrot: Footrot is a common cause of lameness in cattle caused by bacteria Fusiformis necrophorus. It occurs most frequently when cattle on pasture are forced to walk through mud to obtain water and feed when a cut or scratch in the skin allows infection to penetrate between the claws or around the top of the hoof. Lameness due to inflammation, necrosis and ulceration of inter-digital space, coronary band (skin above hoof) with or without elevation of temperature, animal disincline to move or move on two legs due to pain and foul smell may be noticed.Individual cases should be kept in a dry place and affected lesion should be treated with 5% solution of copper sulphate, or other antiseptics like PP, iodine followed by a fly repellant ointment. Antibiotic like Sulphadimidine, Oxytrtracycline,Enrofloxacin, Ceftriaxone etc. parenterally for 5 days. Anti-histamine and antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic drugs may be tried.

Dermatophytosis (Ringworm): It is usually the most common fungal skin disease of young cattle which gets infection from direct contact with infected animals. It is a self-limiting disease with spontaneous recovery occurs within months.In affected area of the skin hair falls giving it a discrete, circular grey

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Different viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan diseases during rainy season can be prevented and controlled through routine vaccination, strict sanitary measures, adequate nutrition and prompt treatment of sick cattle

crusty lesion looking like asbestos.Affected animals should be segregated and topical anti-fungal ointment like cotrimazole, miconazole or even iodine may be applied externally.

Anti-fungal drug like griseofulvin may be given orally in wide spread cases.

Proper nutrition, particularly high levels of Vitamin A, copper and zinc containing vitamin mineral mixture should be given.

Aflatoxicosis: Continuous heavy downpour increases environmental humidity and lower temperature which tends the cattle feeds like straw, hay ,grains, deoiled cakes (ground nut cake etc.) to become mouldy and contaminated with aflatoxin producing fungi like Aspergillus spp.. This reduces the quality of the feed resulting to poor intake by animals and high toxicity risks. Liver damage is the important effect of these toxins.Non-specific symptoms like loss of appetite, dullness, diarrhoea ,salivation, ascitis, suspended rumination, sometimes nervous symptoms like inco-ordination, convulsion may be noticed.

Mouldy feeds should be removed as part of treatment. Ruminitorics and probiotics may be given along with liver preparations or extract.

Adlibitum water should be given.

Beside those above mentioned diseases some

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non-specific diarrhoea (consume harmful things and chemicals while grazing), worm infestations (amphistomes & liver fluke), haemoprotozoan diseases, etc are also occurs in this season.

The following management measures should be taken during the rainy season: • •

Always keep cows clean and dry; Increase the rate of feeding during cold weather; • Ensure adequate dry bedding material for your animals; • Animals need quality water during this period; • Where water is stagnant, create diversion ditches to drain it away from livestock facilities or the sheds.

• Control of flies.

• Isolation and segregation of sick animals & their prompt treatment.

• Disinfection of animal sheds and surroundings with bleaching powder and lime regularly.

Different viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan diseases during rainy season can be prevented and controlled through routine vaccination, strict sanitary measures, adequate nutrition and prompt treatment of sick cattle. Special emphasis should be given to the herd immunity in farm animals.

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nutrients

in Onion

Importance of nutrients in

Onion Production

*N.R. Rangare, Bharat Kumar, Narayan Lal

O

Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Horticulture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, MP *Corresponding author’s mail: nrrangare@gmail.com

nions represent the Second largest area and production among vegetable crops after Potato in India.The per capita consumption of onions is around 741 gram in rural area and 854 gram in urban area per 30 days (2009-10). They are a high-value crop, where both high yield and quality are important economic considerations.

Successful onion production depends on careful AGRICULTURE

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nutrient management, as well as other management techniques, pest issues, and climatic factors. An onion bulb is different from other root crops (such as sugar beets) or a stem-produced potato. Each onion layer is called a “scale” in botanical terminology and comprises of the foundation of an individual leaf. Hence, the number of leaves is important in determining bulb size.

A premium price is paid for a large onion, so

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Table 1. Effects of Macro nutrients at growth stages

Macro nutrients Stage

Nitrogen

Phosphorus

Pre-Planting

Promote strong early growth

Maximize root devel- Promote strong early opment and to supply growth reserves for season long growth and good building

Vegetative Growth

Ensure continued growth and development

-

Ensure continued growth and development

Bulb Formation

In nitrate forms to maintain bulb development and early growth

-

Peak requirements are during bulbing – for yield and quality

Bulb Fill

In reduced Encourage ripening, amounts so as to early maturity and a maintain dry matter big bulb size production, but not compromise bulb quality

they are sorted and marketed according to size.

The market place for smaller onions is limited and less valuable. Important quality factors for onions include bulb shape, scale, color, scale thickness, scale retention, number of scales, bulb firmness, number of growing points, paper quality, and neck thickness.

Nitrogen Application Nitrogen is the most important nutrient needs for high returns and bigger bulb size. High application rates of Nitrogen for Kharif onion 75 kg/ ha and for Rabi Onion 110 kg/ ha abare normally

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Potassium

Maximize dry matter & sugar accumulation as well as quality

needed (It applied in 3 splits first at basal, second at 30 DAT and third At 45 DAT). Placement is more effective than broadcasting. Because the crop is shallow rooted with poor root branching, it is common practice to use split N-applications to maximize uptake efficiency. It is likewise significant to apply nitrogen in the right form to maximize uptake during specific periods of crop.

Deficiency symptoms • • •

Deficient crops are slow growing.

Pale yellowish-green colored leaves.

New leaves are thin, erect and

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•

nutrients

in Onion

smaller in diameter.

They are also more prone to breaking.

Phosphorus application Phosphorus is a constituent of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and essential for energy transfer inside the plant. Therefore, it causes a direct effect on production and quality. Phosphorus is rarely required in large quantities. However, where crops are grown on soils with very low natural P levels, higher rates are required to boost yield and bulb size. It is important that phosphorus is available early season in order to encourage growth, particularly of the root system. Placement of phosphorus within the root zone has been shown to work better than when P-fertilizer is broadcast.

Deficiency symptoms • • •

Plant growth and establishment slows and rooting is adversely affected and stunted.

Leaves are mottled green/yellow, brown.

Maturity can also be delayed and crops, tend to have a thicker neck at harvest.

Potassium application Potassium is required in the production and transfer of sugars and carbohydrates to the bulb; enzyme activation; and synthesis of proteins. It also maintains the ionic balance and water status within the plant, thereby improving resistance to cold injury and drought. OnAGRICULTURE

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ions have a relatively high K-requirement. Maximum uptake is later than that of nitrogen and peaks during bulb formation and enlargement.

However, over-application can lead to yield reductions.

Deficiency symptoms •

Leaf tips turn brown and there is some slight yellowing of older leaves.

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Table 2. Effects of some micronutrients in onion Stage

Boron

Zinc

Calcium

Pre-Planting

Ensure good shoot Ensure good shoot growth growth

Vegetative Growth

Ensure photosynthetic growth is not limited

Ensure photosynthetic growth is not limited

Maintain vigorous, healthy leaf growth and to build plant supplies prior to building

Bulb Formation

To maintain leaf growth

To maintain leaf growth

Ensure good supply to the bulb to maximize eventual storage quality

Bulb Fill

To improve storage quality and calcium uptake

Less critical, but to maintain growth and prolong bulking

Maintain good bulb firmness and quality with reduced storage problems

Important quality factors for onions include bulb shape, scale, color, scale thickness, scale retention, number of scales, bulb firmness, number of growing points, paper quality, and neck thickness

• • •

Growth slows and leaves become erect.

The entire leaf may also droop, and appear thin and papery.

Bulbs are soft with thin skins.

Boron application Boron is involved with carbohydrate metabolism and protein synthesis. It also plays a key role in calcium movement within the plant. Boron is

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one of the essential micronutrients for onion production and should not be confined. While is quickly carried up from the soil, it is relatively immobile in the plant, so foliar sprays are much more efficient. It is important to sustain the right balance of calcium, nitrogen and boron in the soil. High calcium and high nitrogen levels can reduce boron uptake.

Deficiency symptoms • • •

Young leaves develop yellow and green mottling.

Older leaves yellow and die back.

Light yellow lines appear and develop into ladder-like transverse cracks on the upper surfaces of older leaves.

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nutrients

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Table 3. Effects of micronutrients in onion Stage

Magnesium

Copper

Molybdenum

Pre-Planting

Encourage plant growth

Vegetative Growth

Ensure photosynthetic growth is not limited

Ensure photosynthetic growth is not limited

Bulb Formation

To maintain leaf growth

To maintain leaf growth

Bulb FillÂ

For good skin quality

Less critical, but to maintain growth and prolong bulking

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Sulfur

Maintain vigorous, healthy leaf growth and to build plant supplies prior to building

MAY 2017

Depending upon the desired pungency of the onion

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• • •

They become brittle and deep green in color.

Plants can be stunted or distorted.

Deficiencies are most common on low pH and sandy soils as it is readily leached.

Phosphorus is a constituent of nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) and essential for energy transfer inside the plant. Therefore, it causes a direct effect on production and quality

Zinc application Zinc is important for the development and function of growth regulators (e.g. Auxin) that influence Internode elongation. It is also involved in chloroplast development and thus important for photosynthesis. Zinc uptake can be limited by heavy application of Phosphorus. Therefore, it is important that zinc and phosphorus are bal-

anced, particularly during the early phases of growth.

Deficiency symptoms • • • • •

Deficient plants are stunted and have twisted, outward bending leaves.

Older leaves take on an orange mottled appearance.

Younger leaves have a faint chlorosis and yellow striping.

Building can be delayed and crops may not store well.

Problems are more common on high pH or calcareous soils or during cold, wet weather.

Calcium application

Calcium is a key component of cells, maintaining the structure of cell walls and stabilizing cell membranes. It likewise delivers a direct influence on the salt balance within plant cells and activates potassium to regulate the opening and closing of stomata to allow water movement from the plant. Calcium enhances pollen germination; regulates some enzyme systems; and acts upon the maturation and health of cells and conductive tissues. Calcium is probably the third most important nutrient needed by onions and has a central character to play in maintaining crop quality. Calcium nitrate is particularly useful applied early to improve establishment, ensuring crops are ready to make a desired height before transplanting. Although relatively low levels of calcium in the bulbs are critical for storage and quality, improving the strength of the cells.

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nutrients

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Deficiency symptoms •

•

Leaf tips or short lengths of the leaf - die back, without any previous yellowing of the leaf, causing the top of the leaf to fall over and die.

Onion bulbs are of low density and reduced quality, and have softer skins.

Magnesium application Magnesium is required for many processes including transfer of energy and protein synthesis.

With 20-25% of the plant’s total magnesium localized in the chloroplasts, it is especially important for chlorophyll production. Onion crops use relatively low levels of magnesium. However, a regular supply needs throughout the life of the crop. Special caution is needed in fertigation systems to ensure that magnesium, potassium and calcium are balanced.

Deficiency symptoms • •

Older leaves turn a uniform yellow alongwith their entire length due to lack of chlorophyll.

Leaves can exhibit pale lesions on leaf tips.

Sulfur application Sulfur is an important component of enzymes and other proteins, and is required for chlorophyll formation. It has a marked effect on the pungency of the onion through increasing the pyruvic acid content of the bulb a key quality characteristic. Most sulfur uptake occurs in late season during bulb growth. Sulfur helps to improve the crop’s utilization of nitrogen.

Plants with a high sulfur content have greater tolerance to pest and disease attack. Sulfur has also been linked to increased skin strength and color.

nitrate reductase and thus involved in nitrogen metabolism as well as the synthesis of pigments and chlorophyll. As all other micronutrients, molybdenum plays a role in seedling and leaf growth.

Deficiency symptoms

Deficiency symptoms

•

•

•

Leaf production is affected and the plant produces fewer leaves.

Younger leaves are uniformly yellow in color.

Molybdenum application Molybdenum is an important component of AGRICULTURE

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• •

Deficiency in new crops results in poor crop emergence and seedling death.

In established crops, lack of molybdenum leads to leaf tip dieback with wilted tissue between the necrotic and healthy areas.

Problems are most common on acidic or sandy soils with low organic matters.

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Copper application Copper has a key role to play in lightning formation. It is also linked to chlorophyll performance.

Adequate supplies of copper are important for bulb skin and onion scale development, as a result of the element’s role in learning production.

Deficiency symptoms • •

Tips of young leaves turn white and twist into a corkscrew or bend at right angles.

Bulbs have thin, yellow outer scales, are less solid, and are often earlier maturing.

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•

Deficiencies are more common on organic or sandy soils and where excessive nitrogen rates have been applied.

Nutritions are very important for quality production and it is also responsible to increase storage life of product. Major as well as minor nutrients are important in physiological and biochemical reactions, and formation of sugars and carbohydrates. Minor nutrients are essential for pollen germination, amino acid, enzyme, chlorophyll, anthocyanin, etc. A good nutrient management in onion ensure bumper quality production.

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Pests

Insect

*N.R. Rangare, Bharat Kumar

Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Horticulture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, MP

Rajesh Aarwe

Ph.D. Scholar, Department of Entomology, JNKVV, Jabalpur, MP *Corresponding author’s mail: nrrangare@gmail.com

M

ango (Mangifera Indica L.) is grown in India for wide adaptability, higher nutritive value, delicious taste excellent flavour and attractive appearance. Mango plants are infested with various insects, right from nursery to old orchard and severely affected mango yield and fruit quality. 45 percent of total insects affecting mango are found in India and mealybug, hopper, fruit flies, shoot gall psylla, bark eating caterpillar are main pests observed in various orchard.

Mango Mealy bug (Drosicha mangiferae) A polyphagous pest feeds on wide range of fruits, vegetables and ornamental crops including Mango, guava, citrus, grape, fig, date palm, apple, avocado, banana, mulberry, coffee, coconut, peanut, bean, tomato, brinjal, okra, maize, sugarcane, soybean, cotton, rose, chrysanthemum, China Rose, croton etc. It is small oval, sort-bodied sucking insect found on new emerging leaves as well as matures stems, panicle, fruits and roots and covered with white milky wax, makes them difficult to eradicate.

Young mealy bug (Crawler) is highly mobile crawl from infected plants to non-infected plants. Small crawlers are readily transported by wind, birds, ants, clothing and vehicle and may settle in cracks and crevices, usually on new plants. The wax, which sticks to each egg, also facilitates passive transport by equipments, animals or people. Long distance movement is most probable through carrying infested planting material and fresh fruit and vegetables across the country or even from one end of a farm to the other. Ants, attracted by the honey dew, have been seen carrying mealy bugs from plant to plant.

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Symptoms They suck cell sap from leaves and stems.

The excess sap is excreted as honey dew which attracts ants and develops sooty mould on entire leaves surface which inhibit the photosynthetic capacity of plants.

Interestingly, female bug and nymphs of both sexes cause damage while male adults survive only for mating. Plants become stunted and swollen (when infested) on growing tip of young plants.

Heavy clustering of mealy bugs can be seen on fruit panicle and under leaf surface giving the appearance of a thick mat with waxy secretion.

Severe infestation can cause defoliation with the white, waxy coating of the mealy bug. Infestation can lead to fruit drop, or fruit may remain on the plants in a dried and shriveled condition.

Mealy bug infected fruits do not fetch good market price.

Cultural and mechanical Practices Mechanical barriers such as fences can be applied parallel to the field periphery to keep ants away from field, and subsequently help in controlling mealy bug populations.

All crop residues in orchard should be removed and dump in compost pit. Crop residues and grass left in the orchard may harbour mealy bug populations which may invade the new crop.

Orchard should be free from weeds and crop debris as weeds also provide alternative host.

Deep ploughing in the first fortnight of December, raking the soil around the tree trunk can prevent Nymph to climb.

Do not move any plant material with suspected mealy bugs. Moving infested plants is the fastest

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Insect Pests Management

in Mango

way to spread the pest.

Remove alternate host plants like Hibisucs, croton, okra, custard, guava etc. in and nearby crop.

Equipments should be thoroughly washed before moving to new plant or orchard.

Manual picking of mealy bugs can be done in small plants or where infestation is in early stage, apply strong jet of water to remove bugs.

Flooding of orchards in October followed by deep ploughing kills the eggs. Additional ploughing of the orchards in November exposes the remaining eggs and other soil dwelling pests to sun’s heat/birds.

Fasten 400 gauge alkathene sheets of 25 cm width to the tree trunk besides raking the soil around the tree trunk is very effective tool for www.krishijagran.com

the management of mealy bug.

Chemical Control Chemicals are less effective against mealy bug, because of its habit to hide in crevices, and the waxy covering on its body and therefore, pesticides cannot penetrate the heavy waxy layer.

Most granular insecticides are ineffective; therefore, systemic insecticides are used to control heavy infestation. Mixing of 1.5% chlorpyriphos dust @250 g per tree in the middle of November reduces the newly hatched nymphs.

If nymphs have already ascended the tree, spray imidacloprid 17.8 SL @0.5 ml/L or dimethoate 30 EC @2 ml/L of water.

Biological Control Biological control is regarded as effective, longterm solution to the mealy bug infestation be-

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Pests

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cause parasites and predators are self-perpetuating, persists even when the mealy bug is at low population densities, and they continue to attack the mealy bugs, keeping populations below economic injury levels.

The coccinellied beetles such as Cheilomenes sexmaculata, Rodolia fumida, Scymnus coccivora, Aulis vesttia, Coccinella septempimctata and Nephus regularis are important predators of mealy bug nymphs. Biological control by release of natural enemies has proved very successful.

Among the biological control agents introduction of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Australian Ladybird), Anagyrus pseudococci, Leptomastix dactylopi, Hypoaspis sp., Verticillium lecanii and Beauveria bassiana are effective in managing the infestation.

Hypoaspis is a small mite feeds on crawlers. Soil application of the spores of the fungus, Beaveria bassiana will ensure further reduction of the pest population.

Mango Hopper (Amritodus atkinsoni) Mango hopper is another very serious problem in mango cultivation and found in all mango growing areas including India, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Srilanka, Burma, Pakistan and Malaysia. Being only mango host for this pest in favorable conditions severely hampered the fruit setting.

Symptoms This is one of the most destructive pest of mango. Both nymphs and adults puncture and suck the cell sap from tender leaves, shoots and particularly from inflorescence results in withering

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and shedding of flower buds and also wilting and drying of shoots and leaves. Heavy puncturing and continuous chaining of sap causes curling and drying of infested tissues. Young fruits and dried inflorescence fall to the ground as the summer wind blow. The flower stalks and leaves in infested trees become sticky due to the deposition of honey-dew secreted by the hoppers that encourages the growth of black sooty mould on foliage and other parts.

and excrete white sticky material. Nymphs are covered with white power inside the gall. About 80 nymphs reside in a gall. Effected parts start dry and very little new growth is observed in affected parts.

Management

Collect and destroy the gall during November.

Spray dimethoate 30 EC @2ml/L or methyldemeton 25EC @ 2ml/ L of water in mid-August

Management

Cultural and Mechanical Practices • • •

•

Avoid close planting as the incidence very severe in overcrowded orchards.

Orchards must be kept clean by ploughing and removal of weeds.

Pruning of dense overcrowded and overlapping branches to facilitate aeration and sunlight Avoid excess use of nitrogenous fertilizers.

Avoid water logging or damp conditions Chemical Control

Being sucking pest only systemic insecticides are effective against this pest therefore; dimethoate 30 EC @ 2ml/L or imidacloprid 17.8SL @0.5 ml/L can be sprayed. Buprofezm 25 SC @lml/L is also effective against mango hopper.

First spray should be done in January when the blossom is about to come up and second spray after fruit set, if required.

A rotational of insecticide is desirable to counteract the tendency of pest to develop field resistance.

Shoot Gall Psylla (Apsylla cistelata) It appears occasionally, but a serious pest in several parts of North India. Most of the mango orchards seriously affected by this pest. Likewise mango hopper, this pest damage only mango crop.

Symptoms Nymphs feed on vegetative and reproductive buds causing the formation of gall which restrict flower formation or inflorescence and reduce fruit set. Nymphs suck the cell sap inside the gall www.krishijagran.com

and repeat the spray at 15 days Use Resistant variety like Prabhshankar, Husnara and tolerant variety like Alphanso.

Mango Fruit fly (Dacus dorsalis) The adults are the size of house fly and brownish with yellow marking.

They lay eggs on mango fruits at 50% maturity, which hatches into white maggots that feed on pulp and cause rot to the fruit, causes fruit drops and larvae pupates in soil, and then adults re-emerge to attack fresh fruits. Attack can take place even during harvest.

Fruit flies are the major problem to domestic as well as export market. Several overlapping generations are completed in a year.

Management Fruit fly infestation begins 45-60 days prior to harvest, Initial breeding of the fruit flies takes place on fallen fruits. So, collect and destroy by deep burying (at least 4 feet) or burning all

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fallen fruits at weekly interval, two months prior to harvest.

Place fruity fly traps, @ 8-10 per acre. Before placing the traps in the field add 5 drops of

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malathion or dichlorvos on the plywood pieces impregnated with lure. Traps should be fastened well on lower branches, between 3-6 feet height, at least 60 days prior to harvest or earlier. Traps should be kept in shade to enhance their life and should be replaced with fresh plywood lure every 3-4 weeks. If harvest is prolonged or trap is full then empty the dead flies. In case of rain take care to remove rain water by tilting the trap and allowing water to drain off from entry holes.

If trap monitoring shows more than 5 flies/ day, there is a need to give three bait splashes on trunk, starting at least 3 weeks prior to harvest.

The bait splashed is prepared by mixing 100 grams of Jaggery per liter of water to get a 10 % solution, add 2 ml of malthion for every liter of the jaggery solution, Dip a brush or broom into this solution and splash three times on the main trunk, a foot above the ground. Repeat this every week till harvest.

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a

Rainfed griculture

Problems and prospects of Rainfed agriculture

in Rajasthan

Dinesh Jinger

Ph.D. Research Scholar ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute-New Delhi-110012

R

ajasthan, the largest state of India, is endowed with diverse soil and weather conditions comprising of several agro-climatic situations that helps the state to adopt a diversified cropping pattern. Agriculture is one of the major water demanding sectors. In arid regions of Rajasthan, economy is primarily agricultural based and any shortage of water for agricultural use is likely to have cascading effect on various sectors of economy. A small perturbation in magnitude and frequency of rainfall, and resulting decrease in water availability may lead to drought like conditions in this region. Hence, conservation and efficient management of lim-

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ited water is the need of the hour for achieving sustainable production for longer period on light textured soils of arid and semi-arid regions of Rajasthan About 84% of the total population of Rajasthan lives in rural areas and 78% of the rural population depends on agriculture. The geographical features of Rajasthan are dominated by the Aravalli range which divides the state into two distinct zones. The region to the west and north-west, comprising of eleven districts and nearly 61 per cent of the total area of the State, is known as the Great Indian Desert Thar. The www.krishijagran.com

In arid regions of Rajasthan, economy is primarily agricultural based and any shortage of water for agricultural use is likely to have cascading effect on various sectors of economy. A small perturbation in magnitude and frequency of rainfall, and resulting decrease in water availability may lead to drought like conditions in this region.

type of soil is sandy in this region which is poor in nitrogen and has low water holding capacity.

The south-east and eastern parts of the Aravalli Hills are productive for agriculture purposes, having clay loam type soil. Arid regions are encountered by various problems. Harsh climatic conditions in arid regions allow the farmers to grow only one crop during rainy season that too depend on the rainfall. The average annual rainfall of western arid region is 317 mm. The rainfall is highly variable and erratic with frequent dry spells. The number of rainy days varies from 10 to 25. Groundwater is very deep, saline at many places and expensive to use. Indiscriminate use of water on undulating highly permeable sandy soils through conventional irrigation resulted in

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fall of groundwater by 0.6-1.0 m annually. The situation of over exploitation of groundwater is more serious in the region where out of 11 districts, 6 are in category of over exploited and remaining 5 are in category of semi critical zone.

Rainfed farming is adversely affected by low and erratic rainfall coupled with high evaporative demand and low moisture retention by light textured soils. On the other hand indiscriminate use of scarce water through conventional irrigation management practices led to exhaustion of ground water resources and development of water logging in canal command area. Effective adaptation measures are needed to increase water use efficiency and reduce losses.

In view of limited irrigation resources in arid regions, participatory watershed management, supplemental irrigation, deficit irrigation, in-situ and ex-situ rainwater harvesting and recycling, use of poor quality water, conjunctive use of water and pressurized irrigation have a very high potential to enhance water use efficiency, leading to improved water use and efficient use of other input resources like seed and fertilizer. Greater adoption of these approaches and technologies will certainly lead to efficient management of scarce water resources in rain fed areas of Rajasthan.

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a

Rainfed griculture

Main Features of Rajasthan • • • • • • • • • •

Largest state covering 10.5% of geographical area 10% animal population of the country 5.5% population of the country 2/3 population depends on agriculture Only 1% of water resources of the country 83% of available water used for irrigation 36% of cropped area irrigated 70% area irrigated through wells & tubewells 27% irrigated through canals 10.6 Lakh ha saline and alkali soils

Commodity Production 98 % Henna 95 % Isabgol 80% Cluster Bean 65% Coriander 40% Mustard 40% Pearl Millet 40 % Wool 40% Cumin

Rank in India I I I I I I I II

Problems of rainfed Agriculture in Rajasthan In rain fed agriculture, paucity of water is the main problem. A part from low and erratic behaviour of rainfall, high evaporative demand and low water holding capacity of soil constitute the principle constraint in crop production in this area. Yield fluctuations are mainly due to vagaries of weather often much behind risk bearing capacity of farmers. Monsoon starts in the month of June and ends in the last week of September or sometimes in the first week of October. Most of the rainfall received during this period. With undulating topography and low moisture retention capacity of the soil, major portion of the rain water is lost through runoff, causing erosion and adding to water logging of low lying areas. After the rains stops, very little moisture is left in the profile to support plant growth and grain production. In rain fed areas, deficiency and uncertainty in rainfall of high intensity causes excessive loss of soil through erosion which leaves the soil unproductive. Due to erratic behaviour and improper AGRICULTURE

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distribution of rainfall, agriculture is risky. Farmers lack resources, technological tools become inefficient and ultimately productivity is low.

Vagaries of Monsoon: Main characteristics of rainfall influencing crop production are its variability, intensity and distribution, late onset and early withdrawal of monsoon and prolonged dry spells during the crop production.

Variable Rainfall: Annual rainfall varies greatly from year to year. Generally, higher the rainfall less is the coefficient of variation. In other words crop failure due to uncertain rains are more frequent in regions with lesser rainfall.

Intensity and Distribution: In general, more than 50 per cent of total rainfall is usually received in 3 to 5 rainy days. Such intensive rainfall results in substantial loss of water due to surface runoff. This process also accelerates soil erosion.

Distribution of rainfall during the crop growing season is more important than total rainfall in

Indiscriminate use of scarce water through conventional irrigation management practices led to exhaustion of ground water resources and development of water logging in canal command area. Effective adaptation measures are needed to increase water use efficiency and reduce losses.

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rain fed agriculture.

Late Onset and Early Cessation of Rains: Due to late onset of monsoon, sowing of crop is delayed resulting in poor yields. Sometimes the rain may ease very early in the season exposing the crop to drought during flowering and maturity stages which reduces the crop yields considerably.

Prolonged Dry Spells during Crop Period: Long breaks in the rainy season are an important feature of Indian monsoon. These intervening dry spells when prolonged during crop period reduces crop growth and yield and when unduly prolonged crops fail.

Soil Constraints •

•

Wind erosion is a major problem in the desert regions of Rajasthan resulting in loss of top soil, damaging crop plants, and burying viable agricultural lands.

Poor crop stand due to crusting and rapid

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•

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drying of surface soil.

Inadequate soil depth, poor and marginal land Poor crop growth due to unreliable soil moisture supply, low moisture storage capacity due to shallow depth and drought spells during crop season.

Low soil fertility due to low organic matter, poor nutrient status particularly with respect to N, P, S and Ca and compact subsoil layer.

Land degradation from soil erosion and crusting.

Land degradation from salt accumulation and wind erosion.

Socio-economic constraints: The socio-economic status of the farmers of Rajasthan, generally, will not permit them in adopting the recommended technology. Major socio-economic constraints are: Lack of capital, support price for the produce, marketing and credit facilities make the farmers hesitate to invest on recommended technology.

Most of the resourceful poor farmers opt for avoiding risk in agriculture.

Poor organisational structure for input supply in areas.

Prospects in rain fed agriculture Availability of huge land mass : Rajasthan is one of the largest state of India constituting 10.4 per cent of total geographical area and 5.5 per cent of total population of India. The net cultivated area of Rajasthan is 183.4 lakh ha out of which 116.8 lakh ha area is under rainfed agriculture and 66.6 lakh ha area is under irrigated conditions. Physio-graphically, the state can be divided into 4 major regions, namely (i) The western desert with barren hills, rocky plains and sandy plains; (ii) The Aravalli hills running south-west to north-east starting from Gujarat and ending in Delhi; (iii) The eastern plains with rich alluvial soils; and the south-eastern plateau. Mahi, Chambal and Banas are the three major rivers of the state. There is a tremendous scope of horticulture crops like pine apple, anola, pomegranate, ber and medicinal crops like aloevera, sonamukhi, isabgol particularly under rainfed

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a

Rainfed griculture

conditions.

Diverse agro-climatic conditions: Rajasthan has been divided in to 10 agro-climatic zones. The arid (61%) and semi-arid areas (16%) constitute about two-third of total geographical area of the state. The analysis on two major climatic factors, viz., rainfall and temperature has been made in this section. The analysis on rainfall pattern in Rajasthan reveals that the average rainfall in the state is 57.4 cm, compared to the all-India average of 110 cm. The period of monsoon is very short ranging around 60 to 75 days. On an average, its onset is late and withdrawal is early as compared to other states and one or two dry spells is a common phenomenon. Therefore, short duration crops like moth bean, mungbean and coarse cereal like pearl millet, commercial crop like cluster bean have huge capacity to withstand harsh climate of this state and produce economic yields.

Opportunity for organic farming: There is a tremendous scope of organic farming in Rajasthan because the fertilizer consumption is very low i.e. 50 kg/ha. Farmers of this state are fond of using on-farm inputs like FYM, compost, vermi-compost etc Opportunity for Integrated farming system: The land holding size in India has been declining by half from 2.28 ha in 1970-71 to 1.15 ha in 2014-15 because of ever-increasing population and decline in per capita availability of land, there is no scope for horizontal expansion of land for food, fodder and fibre production. Vertical expansion by integrating appropriate farming enterprises requiring lesser space and time, and ensuring higher total productivity of the system is the only alternate option left out. It is imperative to develop strategies that enable adequate employment and income generation, especially for Small and marginal holdings together, constitute 85 per cent in terms of number of operational holdings and 44 per cent of the operated area in the country. Therefore, Integrated farming systems approach is a valuable approach to addressing the problems of sustainable economic growth for farming communities in India.

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Water is the key input for crop production . So there is urgency to adopt a inclusive approach to conserve soil moisture. Selection of suitable crops and their varieties is most important for rain fed areas.

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Area under rainfed and irrigated agriculture in Rajasthan

OPPORTUNITIES • • • • • • •

Area expansion by land reclamation and use of waste lands.

Export of seed spices, vegetables and fruits.

Development of processing & storage facilities.

Scope for diversification in Agriculture and Allied sectors.

Scope for increase farm mechanization.

Farmers ready to take new programmes.

Varied agro-climatic conditions provide opportunities for diversification & increase in farm income

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All available rain fed technologies are being used in the state Rajasthan used to face problem of drought in every 2 to 3 years. This is very alarming . Sustainable development of rain fed agriculture is the need of the hour. Water is the key input for crop production. So there is urgency to adopt a inclusive approach to conserve soil moisture.

Selection of suitable crops and their varieties is most important for rain fed areas. Other agronomic interventions like adoption of in-situ and ex-situ moisture conserving techniques, alternate land use system, windbreak/shelterbelts, soil conditioners, micro-irrigation, mid-way corrections, land configurations may play a vital role for increasing productivity of crop and water particularly under rain fed situations..

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rotection

Apples within the root A threat to crop production

female with eggmass within root eggmass

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Chinchu P. Babu, Dr. R. Narayana (College of Agriculture ,Vellayani, Dr. Gavas Ragesh (Banana Research Station, Kannara, 680652)

ave you ever noticed galls or knots on roots of plants? These galls are caused by a diverse group of plant parasitic nematodes called root knot nematodes belonging to the genus Meloidogyne, the word which is of Greek origin meaning ‘apple shaped females’. The females of the nematode are saccate spheroid in shape with a distinct neck, whereas the males and second stage juveniles are vermiform and are not visible to the naked eyes.

The root knot nematodes are found within the roots where they feed and reproduce on modified living plant cells, inducing small to large galls or root knots. The infective stages of these nematodes are second stage juveniles, upon AGRICULTURE

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hatching from the egg penetrate healthy root and initiate gall formation. The nematode infested roots are often attacked by secondary pathogens resulting in extensive damage to the root system. The above ground symptoms are not readily apparent and may be similar to those produced on any plants having a damaged or malfunctioning root system. The symptoms include yellowing, various degrees of stunting, lack of vigour and wilting under moisture stress resulting from the interference of these nematodes on water and nutrient uptake.

These nematodes are polyphagous and more than 2000 species of plants have been reported as host plants. They reduce the yield of world’s 40 major cash crops by an average of 12.3%.

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There are more than 100 species of root knot nematodes in the world and 15 species in India, among which 4 species are predominant namely, M. incognita, M. javanica, M. arenaria and M. hapla which have been the subject of a considerable amount of research.

Meloidogyne species may be spread through farm machinery, irrigation water and may be present in planting material such as corms, bulbs or roots. Hence, cleaning machinery before use is recommended and planting material may be discarded if seen infected or treat with hot water. Soil solarisation is an effective method to reduce the infected stages of nematodes in the soil. Population densities can be reduced by the use of organic amendments like neem cake and planting marigold along the border which act as a trap crop. Bacillus macerans, Pasturia penetrans, Paecilomyces lilacinus are well known biocontrol agents against these nematodes.

Non- fumigant nematicides like carbosulfan 6G, cartap hydrochloride 4G at the rate of 1kg ai/ha can be used as the last resort.

females

second stage juvenile

The lack of awareness about the existence of these nematodes and the characteristic symptom they cause, make these nematodes often neglected by the farmers. Hence, suitable management measures must be adopted to prevent these nematodes from becoming a menace in the coming years.

root knot infested root

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Science

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Suresh Muthukulam

Former Principal Information Officer FIB, Kerala

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cientists at the RIKEN centre for sustainable resource science (CSRS) have developed strains of rice that are resistant to drought. The new transgenic rice induced with a gene from the Arabidopsis plant yield more rice than unmodified rice under natural drought situations. The consequences of drought – related crop reduction is becoming more sever now so as to feed the increasing global population. The scientists really tackled this peculiar situations by developing transgenic rice strains which can resist drought. The Arabidopsis GO/S2 gene which can produce Galactinol Synthase (GOIS) which prevent water from leaving cells is identified in the Arabidopsis plant. Using this gene resistance to drought related stress was improved and grain yield in dry field conditions was increase. Several hires of transgenic brazilian and African rice that over express this gene was created for the study and was grown in different conditions in different years. The result was very promising.

Finally the transgenic rice was tested in differ-

ent natural environments for a period of three years and related. This transgenic rice modified with a gene from the Arabidopsis plant really yield more rice under natural drought stress than unmodified rice.

Anti-obesity Medicine from sea weed The central marine fisheries reach institute (CMFRI) head quartered at Kochi has developed an anti –obesity nutracutical viz: Cadalmin from sea weeds. The anti hyper cholesterolemic extract (cadalmin TM Ace) is a natural remedy for obesity and dyshlipidemia. Scientists prepared the expect from sea weeds which one commonly available in the Indian coastal waters known for their extra ordinary medicinal properties cadalmin extract can be administered to regulate clinical indicators leading to dyshpidemia or obesity, total adipose tissue and visceral fat triglycerides cholesterol both good and bad known as HDL and LDL. The product contains 100 % natural marine bio active ingre-

New Rice Strain to fight drought AGRICULTURE

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dients made available in400 mg capsules.

According to Dr. A. Gopalakrishna, Director ICAR-CMFRT the institute is in the process of developing more health from the underutilized sea weeds which in turn can compensate for the dip in income for the compensate for the dip in income for the fisherman during lean seasons. Cadalmin has a promising consumer appeal and market potential, especially for the large vegetarian population in India and abroad.

An apple variety by farmers Many varieties of apple now being cultivated in the orchards were introduced by Britisher’s.

But in Nainital district which is famous for its apple gardens a variety named ‘Bhura delicious’ has become much popular which is also popularly known as ‘D.K. delicious apple’. Even if called Bhura delicious the variety is well known as D.K. Delicious (Dekar Singh and Kundan singh) after the name of the farmer who produced

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and popularized it, grown in their orchards and provided grafted plants to other farmers for large scale cultivation. These fruits had unique aroma, light sour-sweet taste and every year tree grow well with prolific fruit bearing. The shining colour of the fruit is the main attraction in the local market. The total amount of soluble sugar (T.S.S) was recorded between 16 and 18 %. Average weight of five fruits 700 gm; weight of one fruit range between 100 and 600 gm. In early stage of 4-10 years fruit production was 1.5-2.5 quintal/plant/year and after 25-30 years fruit yield has increased to 3.5-4.5 quintal / plant/ year. This verity is totally based on Indian taste; its pollination is not affected by rainfall and frost, and fruits ripen in August to September. The village like Lodh, Galla, Supi, Meora, Satbunya etc and producing verity in a large amount and the plants are produced for sale also. On the basis of size, taste, shine or glossy in nature, shape, aroma, yield and market demand Bhura delicious is liked by natives.

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DIFFERENT T

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TYPES OF RICE Bheru Lal Kumhar, Anil Kumar Sharma , Seema Jat Raj Kumar & Jamana Lal Jat Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Borkhera, Kota Dayanand College, Ajmer

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ice is a monocotyledonous angiosperm.

The genus, to which it belongs, Oryza, contains more than 20 species, only two of which are referred to as cultivated rice: Oryza sativa, cultivated in South-east Asian countries and Japan, and Oryza glaberrima cultivated in West Africa. Rice was originally cultivated in tropical Asia, the oldest record dating 5000 years BC, but then extended also to temperate regions.

Hybrid rice Yuan Long Ping, the “Father of Hybrid Rice”, may be the most famous in research on hybrid rice. In the 1970s, he made his seminal discovery of the genetic basis of heterosis in rice. This

was a unique discovery because it had been previously thought that heterosis was not possible for self-pollinating crops such as rice

Aerobic rice Aerobic rice is a form of water saving technology practiced without standing water and without stress. There are several forms of water saving methods; among them are direct seeded aerobic rice (DSAR), alternate wetting and drying conditions. It is performed with scheduled based irrigation at different crop growth period.

In an experiment conducted at DRR, Hyderabad forward and control irrigated plots, transplanting was done with 20-25 days old seedlings in puddle soil and Butachlor (1.5 kg / ha) was

Contents

Recommendations

Seed rate Age of seedling at transplanting Seedlings per hill Organic manure (Basal)

20 kg/ha 25 days old seedling with 5 to 6 leaf stage 1 to 2 seedlings/hill 10 t/ha FYM or Green manure 1. Basal 50+50+50 NPK in kg/ha 2. Tillering stage : 25 kg N/ha 3. Panicle immergence stage : 25 kg N/ha 20 x 15 cm 90 to 130 cm 90 to 95 % maturity of grains 12 to 14 %moisture in grain.

Fertilizer dose in three split Spacing Water requirement Harvesting store www.krishijagran.com

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Aerobic rice is a form of water saving technology practiced without standing water and without stress. There are several forms of water saving methods; among them are direct seeded aerobic rice (DSAR), alternate wetting and drying conditions

applied 5-6 days after planting. After 15 days of transplanting(i.e., once crop get established) till maturity AWD plots was maintained below saturation and need based irrigation without standing water was maintained throughout the crop growth stages. The plots were irrigated immediately when hairline cracks formed. Howev-

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er, a thin film of standing water was maintained for a week during flowering period and continuing AWD cycles after flowering till harvest. The quantity of water used for each irrigation was measured through water meters and quantified at the end of the crop growth. Whenever there is rain it was treated as one irrigation and excess water in direct seeded aerobic(DSAR) and AWD where drained out immediately.

In case of direct seed aerobic rice (DSAR) is basically as like that of wheat or maize crop.Before sowing, the field is dry prepared by plouging 2-3 times to make soil porous and fine tilth. Even total weed killers like roundup also recommended if more plouging is not possible. A light irrigation (30 mm) after sowing is needed to promote emergence of seedlings. Subsequent irrigation applications depend on the soil water status and crop requirement. Weed infestation isa major problem, so pre emergence herbicide (pendimethalin) is recommended. The pre emergence herbicide is usually effective for 3-4 weeks after application. Late-emerging weed scan be controlled by hand weeding. Dibbling of seeds for direct seeded aerobic (DSAR) rice

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was also done on the same date where nursery sowing was done for AWD and control plots.

Once crop get established the procedures of irrigation is similar to AWD conditions. The main parameters like flowering date did not change as much, but slower plant growth, reduction in total dry matter, leaf rolling, membrane injury, stomatal conductance have varying effects than in irrigated conditions.

Golden Rice Golden Rice is the brainchild of Profs Ingo Potrykus (ETH Zurich) and Peter Beyer (Univ of Freiburg), who in a collaborative effort were able to show that production of β-carotene could be turned on in rice grains using a minimum set of transgenic. Vitamin A deficiency is a major problem in developing countries, particularly in areas where diets are based primarily on rice.

Without adequate dietary beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A, people are at increased risk of infection, blindness and other health problems. As a solution, biotech companies created genetically engineered (GE) Golden Rice, which produces beta-carotene that,

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theoretically, the human body can convert into vitamin A. Helen Keller International (HKI) has been working to address vitamin A deficiency (VAD) for well over 30 years and continues to work with local partners to deliver vitamin A to those in need through implementation of complementary interventions including vitamin A supplementation, promotion of optimal breastfeeding, dietary diversification and food fortification.

Biofortified rice Dietary micronutrient deficiencies, such as the lack of vitamin A, iodine, iron or zinc, are a major source of morbidity (increased susceptibility to disease) and mortality worldwide. These deficiencies affect particularly children, impairing their immune system and normal development, causing disease and ultimately death. The best way to avoid micronutrient deficiencies is by way of a varied diet, rich in vegetables, fruits and animal products.

The second best approach, especially for those who cannot afford a balanced diet, is by way of

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The new techniques related to crop production, value addition, aerobic rice and New Rice for Africa (NERICA) will help to overcome the malnutrition and secure the food and nutrient security in India.

nutrient-dense staple crops. Sweet potatoes, for example, are available as varieties that are either rich or poor in provitamin A. Those producing and accumulating provitamin A (orange-fleshed sweet potatoes) are called biofortified,* as opposed to the white-fleshed sweet potatoes, which do not accumulate provitamin A. In this case, what needs to be done is to introduce the biofortified varieties to people used to the white-fleshed varieties, as is happening at present in southern Africa by introducing South American varieties of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. Unfortunately, there are no natural provitamin A-containing rice varieties.

In rice-based societies, the absence of β-carotene in rice grains manifests itself in a marked incidence of blindness and susceptibility to disease, leading to an increased incidence of premature death of small children, the weakest link in the chain.

Rice plants produce β-carotene (provitamin A) in green tissues but not in the endosperm (the edible part of the seed). The outer coat of the dehusked grains—the so-called aleurone layer—contains a number of valuable nutrients, e.g. vitamin B and nutritious fats, but no provitamin A. These nutrients are lost with the bran fraction in the process of milling and polishing.

While it would be desirable to keep those nutrients with the grain, the fatty components are affected by oxidative processes that make AGRICULTURE

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the grain turn rancid when exposed to air. Thus, unprocessed rice—also known as brown rice— is not apt for long-term storage.

New Rice for Africa (NERICA) The new rice for Africa was created by crossing O. glaberrima and O. sativa. Because the different species do not naturally interbreed, a plant tissue culture technique called embryo-rescue was used to assure that crosses between the two varieties survive and grow to maturity. The new rices display heterosis, the phenomenon in which the progeny of two genetically different parents grow faster, yield more, or resist stresses better than either parent.

Key features of the new varieties include: •

An increase in grain head size from 75-100 grains per head to 400 grains per head.

• An increase in yield from 1 tonne per hectare to 2.5 tonnes per hectare, yield increases to 5 tones per hectare with fertilizer use.

• Contains 2% more protein than their African or Asian parents.

• They are taller than most rices, which makes harvesting easier.

They resist pests, and they tolerate drought and infertile soils better than Asian varieties.

Some NERICA lines show high growth with low uptake of water and seem to be appropriate for long periods of cultivation in drought condition.

For his leadership in developing NERICA, Dr. Monty Jones was named a co-recipient of the 2004 World Food Prize.

Rice is a staple food of India, after green revolution the rice productivity plateau but population increasing continuously and India suffered malnutrition. The new techniques related to crop production, value addition, aerobic rice and New Rice for Africa (NERICA) will help to overcome the malnutrition and secure the food and nutrient security in India.

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MRF Tyre Roaring Ahead…

MRF

being the leading tyre manufacturer of India is the most trustworthy brand among the farmers. MRF not only manufactures tyres for all Vehicles running on the Indian roads and Aircraft tyres. MRF is known for its drive towards continuous quality improvement and customer satisfaction. Tractor rear tyres like ‘Shakti Super’ and ‘Shakti Life Plus’, Tractor Front Brands like ‘Shakti Super’, ‘Shakti Life’, ‘ Shakti 3 RIB’, & ‘Tractor Trailer tyres’, ‘Power Tiller tyres & Animal driven carts tyres are the most reliable brands of MRF tyres which are in tremendous demand among the farmers in India. Krishi Jagran in a survey through their readers on the choice of tyres in Rural India found that among all brands of types MRF is the most leading, reliable and most preferred tyre among the farmers in India.

MRF: In Indian Market India’s most renowned tyre manufacturer MRF has already created its own niche in the Indian and the overseas market. Last year MRF participated in many well known exhibitions like Gram – Global Rajasthan AgriTech Meet in Jaipur; Krishithon Nashik in Maharashtra; Krishi Mela Dharwad in Karnataka; Agri-Intex Coimbatore in Tamilnadu Krishi Darshan Hissar in Haryana; PAU Kisan Mela Ludhiana in Punjab and many more, where the stalls of the company and Shakti Life Series of tyres were the star of attraction to the farmers. MRF also associates with the Rural Olympic in Kila Raipur - Ludhiana.

The representatives of the company satisfy the farmers by providing them all the appropriate answers to their queries and information about Shakti Life Series of tyres. The farmers show keen interest in MRF’s Shakti Life and Shakti Life Plus tyres. Representatives from the company describe the special features of the tyres which are specially designed and manufactured with the use of advance technology for agricultural operations. The lugs of the tyres are so well designed to work in any type of soil or mud conditions. Due to

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its special design the mud gets cleaned off by itself.

Higher productivity per hour and greater tyre longevity are the special features of these tyres which are manufactured with advanced techno-logies. That is the reason why MRF tyres are preferred by farmers in the Replacement market as well as Original quipment fitment.

MRF at a Glance The foundation of MRF is truly a remarkable one. In the decades of 40s, MRF’s origin traces back to the small hovel in Madras that housed its first makeshift rubber balloon manufacturing unit set up by K.M. Mammen Mappillai in 1946 with a funding of Rs. 14,000 is now a multibillion legacy. Today MRF produces quality tyres used all over India & abroad along with its presence in paints & coats, toys, motorsports and cricket. After 1952, MRF turned to tread rubber manufacturing. Thus, began its glorious reign as the undisputed leader in the tyre manufacturing industry.

In the early 60’s MRF was exporting its quality tyres only to overseas markets of U.S. and Beirut, but slowly made its presence known globally across 65 different countries – with tyres rolling out of 9 interdependent manufacturing facilities built across 800 acres, 4500 strong dealer networks and 190 offices.

Till date it has won JD Power award 11 times. It has also won the TNS and CAPEXIL awards for being the most trusted tyre company in India. MRF shares a passion for quality tyres in racing cars just as it does for quality cricket and fast bowlers. It has chosen to associate itself with some of the world’s best fast bowlers through ‘Pace Foundation’ – an academy that has trained many legends. Its involvement in racing, karting, rallying and various other motorsport events shows its passion for motorsports as well. Its rallying team has won the prestigious FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship twice and performed well even in International Championships. The success does not end here. The total turnover of the Company in 2016 was over 15,000 crores.

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Entomopathogenic Nematodes (EPN)

for the biological control of

major weevil pests

of banana

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Dr. Gavas Ragesh, Manu, C.R. and Dr. P.B. Pushpalatha

ntomopathogenic Nematodes (EPNs) are beneficial nematodes belonging to the Phylum Nematoda, that have the ability to parasitize and kill insects.

These are microscopic, non-segmented, elongated round worms that are colourless and lack appendages. These nematodes are effectively used as biocontrol agents against a large number of insect pests belonging to various insect orders viz., Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, AGRICULTURE

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Hemiptera, Orthoptera etc. (Fig.1). They are excellent candidates for being considered as a viable alternative to chemical insecticides, with zero adverse impact on humans, animals, birds, fishes or to the environment. After Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), they are the second largest selling biological control products in the world market.

Two genera of EPN viz., Steinernema and

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•

Tolerance to slow desiccation of the media.

• Easiness in mass production.

High survival rate and long-term efficacy.

Easy to apply, compatible with most insecticides and environmentally safe. Can be incorporated as a viable component in Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

History of EPN EPN was first collected by Krausse in Germany from a hymenopteran sawfly in 1917, which was later described as Aplectana kraussei Steiner by Steiner in 1923. The species was later renamed as Steinernema kraussei by Travoss. Six years later Steiner described another species Neoplectana glaseri (1929), from Japanese beetle larvae, Popillia japonica in New Jersey, U.S.A. This EPN was later renamed as Steinernema glaseri (Fig. 2), belonging to the family Steinernematidae, Order Rhabditida and Phylum Nematoda. A second family and genus of entomopathogenic nematode was described by Poinar (1976) as Heterorhabditidae and Heterorhabditis (Fig. 3) respectively.

The type species in this family was Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar, 1976. In the family Steinernematidae, the second genus, Neosteinernema with a single species N. longicurvicaudata, was described by Nguyen and Smart in 1994, which was isolated from the termite, Reticulitermes flavipes Kollar.

Heterorhabditis have proven track record as excellent biocontrol agents.

Advantages of EPN • • •

Excellent active host seeking ability or foraging nature.

Wide host range and quick knock down effect, bringing mortality to insect host within 24- 48 hours.

Ability to survive long periods in soil or substrate.

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EPN, with their exclusive preference for insects are safe to all other living organisms and environment. Because of this (their safety to the environment and human health) they are exempted from registration and regulation requirement by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of United States of America, Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIBRC) of India and similar agencies in many other countries. The Common Wealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) was the first in the world to commercialize EPNs against black vine weevils in ornamentals and currant borer moth.

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Biology, Life cycle and Survival of EPN EPNs have an egg stage and 4 juvenile stages before maturity inside the host (3-7 days). The third stage juvenile termed as infective juvenile or dauer stage (IJ/DJ) (Fig. 4), is the only free living form capable of surviving in the soil, locating, attacking and bringing mortality to the target insect pests. Insects that are dead due to EPN are called ‘cadaver’ ( Fig. 5).

Once inside the insect’s haemocoel / body cavity, IJs release their highly specialized symbiotic bacteria, which multiply rapidly inside the insect body cavity killing the insects within 24–72 hours. The symbiotic bacteria of the nematode produces a range of metabolites, toxins, antibiotics , pigments etc., preserve the insect body from putrefaction and convert the insect into suitable food for nematode multiplication and progeny formations.The growing nematodes feed on the bacteria and host insect tissue and reproduce within.

When the host has been consumed and the nutrients exhausted, the IJs emerge, armed with a fresh load of bacteria and start searching for new hosts. Depending on the size of the insect host and the availability of food resources, they usually complete 2-5 generations within 7-14 days inside the cadaver under optimum conditions of temperature (25 to 30oC) and relative humidity (70%).

Nematode- Bacteria symbiosis The Steinernematids have symbiotic associa-

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f banana tion with bacteria in the genus Xenorhabdus whilst the Heterorhabditis have a bioluminescent symbiont in the genus Photorhabdus (Fig. 6). The relationship between the parasitic nematodes and bacteria is highly specific. Symbiotic bacteria of both genera are motile, gram-negative and belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae. The relationship of Xenorhabdus with Steinernema and that of Phtorhabdus with Heterorhabditisis is obligatory. In the case of Steinernema, the Xenorhabdus symbionts are present in the intestinal vesicle (Fig.7), whereas in Heterorhabditis, the Phtorhabdus cells stick together in the anterior part of infective juvenile guts.

Mode of attack Infective Juveniles of EPNs follows a gradient of CO2 to find a host insect. They enter the host through natural openings (Steinernematids) (Fig.8) or by puncturing through soft skin parts especially through the intersegmental sutures (Heterorhabditids). Inside the host they release the bacteria that live within the nematode symbiotically. The symbiotic bacteria associated with each species multiply fast inside the insect and kill within 24-48hours.

The nematodes feed both bacteria and host tissues and complete several life cycles within the host. When the host has been completely consumed, IJs abandon them and move in search of new host. Under ideal conditions, steinernematids and heterorhabditids after initial infection emerge within 6–11 days and

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Fig 1. EPN infected grub

Fig 2. Steinernema.

Fig 3. Heterorhabditis

Fig 4. Infective juvenile

Fig 5. Cadaver

Fig 6. Luminescence in dead insects due to Photorhabdus

Fig 7. Symbiotic bacteria in the intestine of EPN

Fig 8. IJs entering host through natural openings

Fig 9. Heterorhabditis infected cadaver

Fig 10. Steinernema infected cadaver

Fig 11. Nictation

Fig 12. Galleria mellonella Larvae

Fig 13. Galleria mellonella life stages

Fig 14. Cadaver ready for sale

Fig 15. Pseudostem weevil infected with Heterorhabditis bacteriophora

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12-14 days respectively. From one cadaver, 1.5 to 2.5 lakh IJs emerge (sometimes up to 5 lakh IJs). It is the bacteria, which kills the insect by destroying the immune system, through the release of bio-chemical compounds. The antibiotics produced by the bacteria protect the cadaver from activity of other microbes, and hence the cadavers don’t smell bad. Cadaver with Heterorhabditids will be brick red (Fig. 9) and those with Steinernematids will be yellow to brown due to the presence of pigments in the respective bacteria (Fig.10).

Host seeking/ searching strategies of Entomopathogenic Nematodes: The selection of a candidate Entomopathogenic Nematode species for successful biocontrol options depend largely on the target pest that one wishes to control. Based on the type of host seeking/ searching strategies, the EPNs are grouped in two specific categories.

Ambushers: EPNs remain stationary at or near soil surface, referred as nictation (Fig. 11) or sit and wait strategy. They attack passing insects that are highly mobile such as cut worms, army worms and mole crickets. Nematodes belonging to Steinernema genus are mostly ambushers and are thus well suited for managing insect pests whose immature stages (larvae or pupae) spend most of their time at or near the soil surface, surface dwelling insects and insects that tend to be highly mobile.

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f banana Eg: Steinernema carpocapsae, S. scapterisci-

Cruisers: These EPNs are highly mobile and actively seek out or hunt for the host insect.

They are able to move throughout the soil profile sometimes up to several inches below soil surface or into plant tissue in search of the host insect. Nematodes belonging to Heterorhabditis genus are cruisers and are thus effective against sedentary and slow moving insect pests, wood/tissue borers such as white grubs and root or stem weevils.

Eg: Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, H.indica, Steinernema glaseri

Mass production, Formulation and Storage of EPN Entomopathogenic nematodes can be mass produced in vivo and in vitro. The most commonly used insect host for in vivo production is the Greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella larvae (Fig. 12& 13) because of its high susceptibility, amenable for rearing in semi synthetic diet and high yield. In vitro mass production is achieved in solid or liquid medium. It has advantage in terms of economy of scale over in vivo production. However in vivo culturing is the still most preferred technique for its easiness, provision for up scaling as per requirement, simpler handling techniques etc.

Uses Though the use of EPN in India has been limited till now, few committed research

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works were being done at IARI, New Delhi, ICAR institutes and SAUs. But worldwide, over 80 species of entomopathogenic nematodes have been identified out of which 11 are commercialized. EPN can be used against soil insects, foliar insects, stem/bark borers etc., provided there is sufficient oxygen and water for the movement of nematodes. Very high or low temperature, UV radiation and accelerated desiccation kill EPNs. Banana Research Station, Kannara (AICRP on Fruits) and Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kollam under Kerala Agricultural University are producing EPN infected wax moth larval cadavers and supplying to farmers @ Rs.1.5/cadaver (Fig. 14). The cadavers are effective in managing banana weevils, root grubs of various crops, wood borers. IJs in liquid formulation with UV protectant and stickers are effective in managing foliar insects. Generally the dosage recommended is 10,000 cadavers / ha (2.5 billion IJs / ha). EPN can be applied as foliar spray, broadcasted, placed in target site or even through irrigation water.

Management of weevil pests of Banana Banana and plantains are considered to be the pristine sources of food which is rich in carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins. India is the largest producer of banana in the world with an annual production of 29.7 million tonnes from 0.802 million hectares and a productivity of 37 MT/ha (NHB, 2013).

The production of banana and plantain in India is hindered by several biotic factors especially pests. More than a dozen species of insect pests are seen infesting banana and plantains (Padmanaban and Mustaffa, 2010). Among them, weevil borers (banana stem weevil, Odoiporus longicollis Oliver and banana rhizome weevil, Cosmopolites sordidus Germar) are the most important pests causing serious economic damage. The intensive cultivation and expansion of area under banana had lead to their increase in their population and spread.

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In the backdrop of climate change, emergence of insect pests, that were once minor or insignificant is on the rise. Similarly there is an ever increasing possibility of invasion of alien species into non-native countries through anthropomorphic reasons. Recording of banana skipper butterfly (Erionota torus; Family: Hesperiidae) attaining major pest status as a defoliator of banana during 2013-14, has stressed the need to undertake thorough search of the banana cropping system for the presence of hitherto unreported pest species and evolving newer biocontrol options to bring the pest population below ETL. The following biocontrol measures using Entomopathogenic Nematodes for successful management of Pseudostem weevil and Rhizome weevil in banana have been developed.

Application of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora for the biological control of banana Pseudostem weevil (Odoiporus longicollis) Biological control of banana stem weevil (Odoiporus longicollis Oliv) in cv. Nendran can be successfully achieved by leaf axil application of EPN infected Galleria cadavers and use of stem trap swabbed with Heterorhabditis sp. @ 1x106 IJs/ml at 5th, 6th and 7th month after planting as a prophylactic control measure .

If holes along with frass material or jelly like exudation are observed on pseudo stem, inject 20 ml of active infective juveniles (IJs) @ 1000 IJs/ml into the holes as a curative control measure ( Fig. 15).

Application of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora on banana Rhizome weevil (Cosmopolites sordidus) Sucker treatment with Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 20 g/l + soil placement of cadaver infected with Entomopathogenic Nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora @ 4 infected wax moth larvae /plant at planting, followed by two applications at, 2 and 5 months after planting is effective.

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graME , the busiest trade and commercial event in the Middle East region for the agribusiness, poultry and livestock, aquaculture and veterinary medicine industry went off well. The three day fest was inaugurated by HE Sultan Bin Alwan Al Habsi ,Assistant Under Secretary of Regions Sector at the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment at a well attended function , at Dubai International Exhibition and Convention Center on 10th April,2017. AgraME, AquaME and VetME, the region’s specialist agribusiness, aquaculture and veterinary trade events hosted over 300 agriculture, poultry, livestock, aquaculture, and veterinary businesses from across the world also featured the AgraME

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Agra ME conference, where experts discussed the latest developments in GCC biosecurity policies and practices and water management.

H.E Sultan Bin Alwan Al Habsi opened discussion of water management , which featured topics such as irrigation systems, urban farming and hydroponics.“Water is one of the most important resources in the UAE, and hence, the country has intensified its efforts to maintain the sustainability of groundwater reserves, develop the desalination industry and address unsustainable consumption patterns. Some of these efforts include; issuing a set of national legislation to regulate the drilling of groundwater wells and control their levels, enhancing the efficiency of ground-

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went off well water use in the agriculture sector through high efficiency and modern irrigation methods to reduce water consumption, adopting new forms of agriculture which requires less water, such as hydroponics and aquaponics, vertical farming and biosaline agriculture, as well as using non-conventional water such as treated wastewater in irrigation and for other purposes in the future, to reduce pressure on groundwater reserves”, H.E. Al Habsi said.

“As part of our efforts to enhance food security and diversity, we have taken a series of actions and measures, such as raising awareness among farm owners of the best methods and practices in agriculture, intensifying efforts to protect fish stocks and enhance

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the sustainability of the fisheries sector and its contribution to national food security, in addition to coordinating with local authorities and stakeholders to develop the National Animal Health Plan which aims to combat animal diseases and avoid its effects on the economy,” he added. Krishi Jagran, the official media partner from India also participated in the event. M.C.Dominic,Managing Editor, V.R.Ajith Kumar, Senior Executive Editor, Mary David,Dubai representative, Sreeja.S.Nair and Jubey Varghese ,reporters represented Krishi Jagran. Organised by Informa Exhibitions, AgraME, AquaME and VetME are held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment

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Termination of Seeds sub-licence Pact Illegal

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he Delhi High Court ruled that Monsanto Technology LLC’s termination of its sublicence agreement with Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd was illegal and arbitrary.The court reinstated the agreement, but said the royalty or trait fee payable for use of Monsanto’s patented Bt cotton technology would be as per government stipulations. “The parties shall remain bound by their respective obligations under the terms and conditions of the 2015 sub-licence Agreements,” the court said, in its 96-page verdict. The court directed the sub-licence agreement to be modified according to the format of the GM Technology (GM Trait) Licensing Agreement prescribed under the Licensing and Formats for GM Technology Agreement Guidelines, 2016 issued by the Government. The Government, in 2015, notified a cotton seed price control order by which it reduced price by 74%, from Rs.163 per packet to Rs.43 (excluding taxes).Justice R. K. Gauba also clarified that default of the court’s orders would disentitle Nuziveedu Seeds from the “continued use of the suit patent or trademarks (of Monsanto under litigation) of the plaintiffs, consequent whereupon,

in such event they would stand injected against continued use of suit patent and registered trademarks of the plaintiffs for the pendency of the suit.”Monsanto Inc, through its Indian arm Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech Ltd, sued Nuziveedu Seeds and its subsidiaries Prabhati Agri Biotech Ltd and Pravardhan Seeds Pvt Ltd for continuing to sell seeds using its patented technology despite termination of its sub-licence agreement in December 2015.

Quote of the month “The genetically modified crops would be widely accepted in coming days which will provide food security to millions of people. So far researches have not found any harmful effects of these crops on human health”--- Dr Trilochan Mahapatra , Director General ,Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and Secretary , Union Agriculture Research and Education

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Scientists discover molecule to boost wheat yield

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heat crop resistant to climatic stress and boost yields by 50 per cent by a molecule has been discovered by an Indian researcher Dr. R.S Misra from Shiv Nadar University with the help of two other researchers, Benjamin Davis and Matthew Paul, from the Oxford University and the UK-based Rothamsted Research, respectively. “The molecule have been patented in the US, the UK and the EU by the University of Oxford. We are now in talks with three agro-chemical companies including one Israeli firm for commercialisation,” said Misra.

The molecule is non-toxic to the plant and does not get into the wheat grain. This new approach developed through the biotechnology-enabled process is known as “chemical intervention in the plant signalling approach”, he said. Misra said that this new method does not rely on genetic modifications (GM) to create super-yields or combat climate change and therefore offers a viable alternative to GM technology.

The new approach uses Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a central sugar signal in plants, which regulates sucrose use and allocation, underpinning crop growth and development to signal the plant to produce more starch in wheat, he added.

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ood Safety Regulator FSSAI reports that adulteration of milk is more in North India compared with the South. A survey report revealed this fact and FSSAI is planning to popularise the strip testing kit to check the milk . The strip has been developed recently. The FSSAI, which is focussing on milk and edible oil, said testing machines to check edible oil has also been developed, though not all adulterants have been captured.“We are distinguishing between safety and sub-standard. We are in the process of talks with investors and entrepreneurs to mass market these testing products, at least in metropolitan cities,” FSSAI Chairman Ashish Bahuguna said.The regulator said while checking samples, it would focus more on the safety aspect rather than sub-standard products. To check loose edible oil sales, a new project by a company was approved to install edible oil vending machines in West Bengal, “If this project catches, it will be expanded,” he said . He said the FSSAI was also in talks with edible oil manufacturers to reduce the package size and was seeking a differential duty on smaller packs, especially aimed at rural areas.

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he first GM Apple is to be on stores in next month in US. The beauty of this apple is that it’ s slice will not turn brown.A small amount of Arctic brand sliced and packaged Golden Delicious apples, produced by Okanagan Specialty Fruits in British Columbia, Canada, will hit the shelves of 10 stores in the Midwest . Neal Carter, the company’s founder and president, told .“ We’re very optimistic with respect to this product because people love it at trade shows,” he said earlier this month. “It’s a great product and the eating quality is excellent.”Nearly two years ago, the US Department of Agriculture approved the US’s first genetically modified apples.

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uPont announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with FMC Corporation to divest a portion of its Crop Protection business, including certain research and development capabilities, and to acquire substantially all of FMC’s Health & Nutrition business. The transaction includes consideration to DuPont of $1.6 billion to reflect the difference in the value of the assets, including cash of $1.2 billion and working capital of $425 million. The divestiture will satisfy DuPont’s commitments to the European Commission in connection with its conditional regulatory clearance of the merger with Dow. “We believe this agreement is an excellent outcome that serves the best interests of all stakeholders, including our shareholders, customers and employees,” said Edward D. Breen, chairman and chief executive officer of DuPont. “Our intended independent Agriculture company will continue to benefit from the combined, complementary strengths of DuPont and Dow, which will include greatly expanded offerings and a robust pipeline across seed germplasm, biotech traits, and crop protection to provide greater choice and innovation to growers around the world.

At the same time, we are significantly enhancing our Nutrition and Health capabilities, a key area of growth and opportunity for the intended independent Specialty Products company.”The merger transaction is still expected to generate cost synergies of approximately $3 billion and growth synergies of $1 billion.

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