Various Organic Nutrient Sources in Combinations with Inorganic Fertilizers Influence the Yield and Quality of Sweet Corn(Zea mays L.saccharata)in New Alluvial Soils of West Bengal,India

Nutrient management plays a crucial role in the yield and quality of sweet corn.A field experiment was conducted in consecutive two kharif seasons in 2018 and 2019 to investigate the effect of various organic sources of nutrients in combination with inorganic sources on the yield and quality of sweet corn under new alluvial soils of West Bengal,India.Treatments were:T_(1):Control(without fertilizers);T_(2):100%recommended dose(RDF)of chemical fertilizers(CF)(RDF CF_(100%));T_(3):100%recommended dose of N(RDN)through vermicompost(VC)(RDN VC_(100%));T_(4):50 RDN through CF+50%RDN through VC(RDN CF_(50%)+RDN VC50%);T_(5):50%RDF through CF+50%RDN through organic source(OS)1,Soligro(Ascophyllum nodosum)granular(RDN CF_(50%)+RDN OS_(150%));T6:50%RDN through CF+50%RDN through OS 2,Bioenzyme(liquid)(RDN CF_(50%)+RDN OS250%);T7:50%RDN through CF+50%RDN through OS 3,Opteine(Ascophyllum nodosum)filtrate[RDN CF_(50%)+RDN OS350%];T8:50%RDN through VC+50%RDF through OS 1,Soligro(Ascophyllum nodosum)granular(RDN VC50%+RDN OS_(150%)).The OS of fertilizers were VC,SoliGro Gr(OS1)(Ascophyllum nodosum),Bioenzyme liquid(OS2),and Opteine(Ascophyllum nodosum)filtrate(OS3).The inorganic source was traditional CF applied at the RDF(150:75:75 kg ha^(−1) of N:P2O5:K2O).The VC was used to supply 100%RDN as one source or 50%RDN when combined with CF or OS.Maximum fruit yield(10.75 and 10.79 t ha^(−1) in 2018 and 2019,respectively)was recorded when RDF was substituted through CF only,being statistically at par with 50%CF+50%VC on a nitrogen equivalent basis(9.92 and 10.00 t ha^(−1) in 2018 and 2019,respectively)and 100%VC(8.22 and 8.32 t ha^(−1) in 2018 and 2019,respectively).Compared to chemical sources of nutrients,VC-based treatments produced a larger percentage of large-size cob(>25 cm).The 100%VC increased antioxidant(8.35 and 8.45 mg g^(−1)),carotenoid(0.59 and 0.61 mg/100 g),and phenol(55.06 and 55.02 mg 100 g^(−1))content compared with its 50%dose in combination with other sources.The study revealed the potentiality of organic sources towards achieving improved cob quality of sweet corn.

Quantification of organic carbon and primary nutrients in litter and soil in a foothill forest plantation of eastern Himalaya

The present study was an effort to understand the amount of litter fall and its subsequent decomposition and quantify the release of available nutrients and soil physicochemical characteristics in plantations of four forest tree species(Lagerstroemia parviflora, Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta and Michelia champaca) in the Chilapatta Reserve Forest of the Cooch Behar Wildlife Division in the Terai zone of West Bengal, India. The most litter(5.61 Mg ha)was produced by T. grandis plantation and the least(4.72 Mg ha) by L. parviflora. The material turnover rate to the soil through decomposition from total litter was fastest during the first quarter of the year and subsequently decreased during the next two quarters. The material turnover rate was only 1 year, which indicates that more than90% of the total litter produced decomposed within a year.The available primary nutrient content in litter varied across the four plantations over the year. The plantations generally did not significantly influence the soil physical characteristics but did significantly influence the availability of primary nutrients and organic carbon at two depths(1–15 and16–30 cm) over the year. The availability of soil primary nutrients in the four plantations also increased gradually from the first quarter of the year to the third quarter and then decreased during the last quarter to the same level as in the first quarter of the year at both depths. The availability for soil organic carbon in the plantations followed a similar trend. The amount of litter produced and the material turnover in the soil in the different plantations differed, influencing the nutrient availability and organic carbon at the plantations. The amount of soil organic carbon was highest for T. grandis(2.52 Mg ha) and lowest for L. parviflora(2.12 Mg ha). Litter is the source of soil organic matter,and more the litter that is produced by the plantations, the higher will be the content and amount of soil organic carbon in the plantation.

Effects of Toxic Levels of Aluminium on Seedling Parameters of Rice under Hydroponic Culture

The presence of AI in the rhizosphere of rice in acid soil restricts root growth and significantly reduces crop productivity. In this study, the effects of AI （30, 60 and 90 μg/mL） on seedling root growth, number of primary roots per seedling, seedling shoot length, number of leaves per seedling, seedling fresh weight, and seedling dry weight were studied. Rice genotypes were classified into three different classes, namely, tolerant, moderately tolerant, and susceptible, based on root tolerance index. The method of hydroponic culture was modified, and elaborated in the text. Toxic levels of AI in nutrient solution significantly decreased seedling root growth, number of primary roots, seedling shoot length, number of leaves per seedling, seedling fresh weight, and seedling dry weight. Few genotypes showed longer root length at 30 pg/mL AI in nutrient solutions compared with the control. High levels of AI in nutrient solutions were highly toxic for rice seedlings. Based on root tolerance index, Radhunipagal, Gobindobhog, Badshabhog, Kalobhog, UBKVR-11, UBKVR-16, UBKVR-18, Khasha and IVT4007-B were classified as tolerant genotypes, and these genotypes may be used as donors for breeding of Altoxicity tolerance.

Economic Analysis of Diversified Rotational Cropping Systems in the Lateritic Belt of Lower Gangetic Plain of Eastern India

Economic analysis of different diversified rotational cropping systems under Farmers＇ package/practices and improved package/practices was conducted in Birbhum district, West Bengal, located in the red and lateritic belt of lower Gangetic plain of eastern lndia. Diversified triple cropping systems （peanut-brinjal＋brinjal, rice-potato-pumpkin, and cucumber-cabbage-basella） required higher cost for cultivation, but also produced higher rice equivalent yield, higher net return and higher return rupee1 invested in both management practices. Considering the resource-ability and risk-bearing capacity, and net return and return rupee^-1 （RPR） invested, these cropping systems can be recommended for resource-rich farmers. Rice-rapeseed-cowpea, rice-wheat-green gram and radish-tomato-amaranthus systems profitable. These cropping systems can be required less inputs for cultivation, were less risky, and economically viable and recommended for resource-poor farmers. Peanut-brinjal ＋ brinjal-okra-chilli ＋ chilli-cucumber-cabbage-basella system was the best among all the 3-year rotational systems in respect to RPR in both management practices. This rotational system will be suitable for resource-rich farmers. Vegetable-based rotational systems （ridge gourd-marigold-okra-black gram-pointed gourd ＋ pointed gourd-radish-tomato-amaranthus） or rice-based rotational system （rice-wheat-green gram-rice-rapeseed-cowpea-rice-potato-pumpkin） also found to be suitable to increase the profitability and system sustainability. These cropping systems can be recommended for all groups of farmers.

Evaluation of the CROPGRO-Peanut model in simulating appropriate sowing date and phosphorus fertilizer application rate for peanut in a subtropical region of eastern India

Projected changes in weather parameters, mainly temperature and rainfall, have already started to show their effect on agricultural production. To cope with the changing scenarios, adoption of appropriate management strategies is of paramount importance. A study was undertaken to evaluate the most appropriate combination of sowing date and phosphorus fertilization level for peanut crops grown in sandy loam soil in a subhumid region of eastern India. Field experiments were conducted during the summer seasons of 2012 and 2013 on peanut crops at the farm of the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. The DSSAT v4.5 CROPGRO-Peanut model was used to predict the phenology, growth, and yield of peanut crop under combinations of four sowing dates and four phosphorus fertilization levels. The model was calibrated with a 2012 dataset of growth, phenology, and yield parameters for estimating the genetic coefficients of cultivar TMV-2 and was validated with a 2013 dataset of the same parameters. Simulations of pod yield and other yield parameters using the calibrated model were found to be quite accurate. The model was able to reasonably simulate pod yield and final biomass with low normalized root mean square error (RMSE_n), low absolute root mean square error (RMSE_a) and high coefficient of determination (R^2> 0.7) over a wide range of sowing dates and different phosphorus fertilization levels sensitivity analysis indicated that sowing from the second week of January to the end of February with 30–50 kg P_2O_5 ha^(-1)would give the highest pod yield.

Floral Homeostasis Breakdown in Endangered Plant <i>Valeriana jatamansi</i>Jones (Valerianaceae) in North Eastern Himalayan Region

An inhabitant of north western Himalayan region and a gynodioceious plant having a lot of medicinal properties, Valeriana jatamansi Jones (Valerianaceae) is an enlisted endangered plant in the world. It was introduced in the research station of North Bengal Agricultural University (27.06&degN 88.47&degE) situated in north eastern Himalayan region of Darjeeling district in the state of West Bengal from Sikkim Sangtok (27&deg25'N 88&deg31'E) of north Sikkim area in India for the purpose of conservation. As we noticed some irregular development of floral organs, we investigated some pertinent questions regarding ecological aberrations found in plants. We found plants introduced in north eastern Himalayan region changed their homology of number flower petals and position of stamens seen naturally in north western Himalayan region as per the reports. Was there any genetic or extreme environmental stress condition caused a sudden change in floral structure as it is generally known as a rare phenomenon and frequently not seen? What were the correlations of different floral parts and fitness of population in different morphotypes? We predicted possible outcomes of seed setting by univariate regression models in a particular environment in addition to this investigation. We proposed three models of heterozygousity for answering the reasons of unstable floral form from a general known floral form, where silent mutations help the plants to survive in adverse conditions in spite of deformed or variable formed of floral morphology.

Omics Studies and Systems Biology Perspective towards Abiotic Stress Response in Plants

Plant abiotic stress responses are vital yield-restricting aspect in agriculture. Recent technology in plant biology allows research of such stress responses at a molecular scale in plants. Network analysis provides in-depth knowledge regarding omics information visualisation as it reduces the intrinsic intricacy of such data. The use of integrated functional genomics helps to understand the relationship between the genomic profile and the phenotypic profile in different environmental conditions of an organism. Plants’ responses to abiotic stress are often considered as a complex process. Systems biology approaches allow visualising and understanding how plant life works to overcome abiotic stress. The combination of integrated functional genomics along with bioinformatics will put a hand in additional in-depth research knowledge on stress tolerance to plants by exploiting available genetic information and continuously improving techniques and strategies. Most of the omics technologies are high throughput with very rapid data generation rates and humongous outputs. These technologies have made noticeable contributions to the modern-day improvements in our knowledge of plant biology. So, in this review, omics studies and the system biology approach towards abiotic stress tolerance in plants are highlighted.

Standardized pod collection time, pod length and pre-sowing treatment of Albizia lebbeck at terai zone of West Bengal, India

Three pod lengths （ 10 cm, 10–20 cm and 20 cm） and 13 pre-sowing treatments were considered with four dates of collection （9 February, 19 February, 1 March and 11 March） to investigate their effect on germination rate and growth of seedlings of Albizia lebbeck （L.） Benth. at Pundibari, West Bengal, India. The best time of pod collection was on 19 February as the germination rate of the seeds collected on this date was 92.5% without requiring any pre-sowing treatments. This clearly indicated that the seeds collected on 19 February were non-dormant, viable and physiologically mature. Significantly better seedling growth was also obtained when the seeds were sown on 19 February which was extracted from pods of length 10-20 cm. Application of thio-urea as a pre-treatment did not significantly enhanced seed germination rate, but its application in lower concentration （100 μL·L-1） resulted in better seedling growth and development.

黄钩尺蛾在四个茶树无性系品种上的生长和存活(英文)

在实验室条件下,对食叶害虫黄钩尺蛾Hyposidra infixaria Walker在4个茶树Camellia sinensis无性系品种(TV1,TV9,TV25和Teenali17)上的生长和存活进行了研究,以确定其最适合寄生的茶树无性系品种。结果表明:在TV25上的黄钩尺蛾幼虫期(15.78d)比在TV1(18.14d),TV9(18.00d)和Teenali17(17.00d)上显著缩短。黄钩尺蛾按幼期龄数分为5龄型和6龄型两类。6龄型幼虫在TV25上的发生率显著高于其在其他3个无性系品种上的发生率。在TV25上黄钩尺蛾幼虫和蛹的体重也显著高于在其他3个无性系品种上的。同样地,以TV25为食的黄钩尺蛾未成熟阶段的存活率显著高于其以其他3个无性系品种为食的存活率。基于生长参数和存活率,我们发现TV25是黄钩尺蛾最适合寄生的茶树无性系品种。

Plant diversity at Chilapatta Reserve Forest of Terai Duars in subhumid tropical foothills of Indian Eastern Himalayas

From March 2007 to March 2009 we quantified plant diversity at Chilapatta Reserve Forest in Terai Duars in the Indian eastern Himala-yas. We sampled stratified random nested quadrats. Species richness was 311, representing 167 genera and 81 families. The species diversity index and concentration of dominance of the forest were 2.20 and 0.0072, respectively. Shannon-Wiener index and evenness indices were 4.77 and 1.44, respectively. The Importance Value Index （IVI） of species ranged from 0.13 to 37.94. The estimated diversity indices indicated heterogene-ity of the forest in its composition, structure, function and dynamics. Rich forest plant diversity supports the need for continued conservation of tropical forests.

Fern diversity and biomass at Chilapatta reserve forest of West Bengal Terai Duars in sub-humid tropical foothills of Indian eastern Himalayas

We documented the status of fern diversity, biomass and car- bon accumulation at Chilapatta Reserve Forest in Cooch Behar Wildlife Division, West Bengal. Stratified random nested quadrat sampling was adopted for analyzing the qualitative and quantitative characters. Nineteen fern species were recorded, of which two are yet to be identified. Identified species were of eight families and nine genera. Highest and lowest frequency recorded were 25.44 and 0.19 while relative frequency varied from 3.16 to 12.25. Fern density ranged from 93 to 13,403 individuals.ha^-1. Most of the species were widely distributed. IVI values ranged from 7.54 to 37.45. The above ground portion of ferns accumulated the major portion ofbiomass and carbon.

Differential Aphid Colony Establishment in <i>Dolichos lablab</i>Varieties Correlated with Some Plant Specific Factors That Impact on Aphid Fecundity

Aphid establishes colony in the selective plant parts like vine, leaf petiole, leaflet, inflorescence, and tender fruit in Dolichos lablab Linn but not the entire plant. In this study, the aphid colony establishment in vine is focused to understand the differential resistance response between two varieties. At the early stage of aphid infestation, the aphid colony establishment was significantly different between two genotypes (p value = 0.00) and abbreviated as “resistant” variety that supported lower aphid proliferation (mean value = 48.2 ± 2.2) and “susceptible” variety that supported comparatively higher aphid proliferation (mean value = 215.5 ± 16.9). The total aphid number was significantly different between the two varieties, realized at the early infestation stage when both “antixenosis” and “antibiosis” defense mechanisms were working on. Some plant specific factors like vine diameter, wet/ dry weight ratio of vine, phloem sap pressure, the compactness of the vine, wet/dry weight ratio of leaflet, length of leaf petiole, diameter of leaflet vein were identified as modulating factors. The impact of resistant variety on aphid was also investigated for better understanding of aphid defense mechanism.

Weed Incidences and Their Effect on Crop Productivity under Diversified Rotational Cropping Systems in the Lateritic Belt of Lower Gangetic Plain of Eastern India

A field experiment was conducted from 2002-2005 on a sandy clay loam red and lateritic soil under irrigation in a farmer＇s field at Senkapur （Lat. 23°36.79′ N, Long. 87°38.14′E, Elev. 46 m AMSL）, Birbhum, West Bengal, India. The objective was to provide the temporal changes of weed diversity and density, ecology, and impact of rotational cropping systems on different crops under double and triple cropping systems with improved （IP） and farmer＇s packages （FP）. There was significantly higher weed density in FP than in IP on all years. Grasses and sedges were more in vegetable-based rotational systems; but grasses and broad leaf weeds （BLWs） were more in rice-based rotational systems. The lowest weed population was in vegetable-based systems. Grasses increased in rice-based systems but gradually decreased in vegetable-based systems in subsequent years. Sedge density was higher in vegetable- than in rice-based rotational systems. Density of BLWs was higher but that of sedges was lower in rice-based rotational systems as compared to vegetable-based systems. Density of BLWs gradually decreased in all rotational systems over the years in both packages. Density of weeds decreased gradually in subsequent years indicating the positive effect of rotational systems on suppression of weeds. Results indicate that the weed density can be reduced through judicious diversified rotational cropping systems. Peanut-brinjal＋brinjal, okra-chilli＋chilli and cucumber-cabbage-basella systems greatly reduced the weed density in both packages, and hence can be recommended for the lateritic belt of lower Gangetic plain of eastern India.

Identification of Leaf Based Physiological Markers for Drought Susceptibility during Early Seedling Development of Mungbean

Drought is a recurrent phenomenon in many of the countries. Moisture stress during seedling stage is very critical in determining the establishment of the crop and its further development and yield. Identifying drought tolerance mechanism and physiological markers of drought susceptibility is this crop during seedling stress would be useful tool in future genetic manipulation programme to establish drought tolerance in this crop. Thus the present study aimed for quickly identifying reliable physiological markers for drought susceptibility through evaluation of physiological and biochemical changes in leaves of two contrasting mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) cultivars i.e. K 851 (drought tolerant) and PDM 84-139 (drought susceptible) during seedling development. A range of four external water potentials (i.e. -1.0, -2.0, -3.0 and -4.0 bars), besides glass distilled water as control (0.0 bar), was used. Parameters like leaf area, relative leaf water content, chlorophyll content, chlorophyll stability indices in both the cultivars were decreased with the increasing magnitude of stress. By and large phenols and ascorbic acid content were increased with the stress level but the trend was not consistent. A steady rise in proline, hydrogen peroxide content and lipid peroxidation was found with water stress. Out of two cultivars tested, drought tolerant cultivar K 851 was better in leaf water balance and higher accumulation of phenols, proline and ascorbic acid than PDM 84-139. The correlation study indicated lipid peroxidation and H2O2 content as valuable physiological markers for screening of drought susceptibility.

Effect of water regimes and organic matters on transport of arsenic in summer rice (Oryza sativa L.)

The arsenic contamination in soil-water-plant systems is a major concern of where, the groundwater is being contaminated with arsenic （above 0.01 mg/L） in the Indian subcontinent. The study was conducted with organic matter to find out the reducing effect on arsenic load to rice （cv. Khitish）. It was observed that intermittent ponding reduced arsenic uptake （23.33% in root, 13.84% in shoot and 19.84% in leaf） at panicle initiation stage, instead of continuous ponding. A decreasing trend of arsenic accumulation （root straw husk whole grain milled grain） was observed in different plant parts at harvest. Combined applications of lathyrus ＋ vermicompost ＋ poultry manure reduced arsenic transport in plant parts （root, straw, husk, whole grains and milled grain） which was significantly at par （p 0.05） with chopped rice straw （5 tons/ha ） ＋ lathyrus green manuring （5 tons/ha） in comparison to control and corresponding soils. A significant negative correlation of arsenic with phosphorus （grain P with arsenic in different parts R 2 = 0.627–0.726 at p 0.01） was observed. Similarly, soil arsenic had a negative correlation with soil available phosphorus （R 2 = 0.822 at p 0.001） followed by soil nitrogen （R 2 = 0.762 at p 0.01） and soil potassium （R 2 = 0.626 at p 0.01）. Hence, effective management of contaminated irrigation water along with organic matter could reduce the arsenic build up to plants and soil.

In-Situ Differentiation of Acidic and Non-Acidic Tundra via Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) Spectrometry

Frozen soils or those with permafrost cover large areas of the earth's surface and support unique vegetative ecosystems. Plants growing in such harsh conditions have adapted to small niches, which allow them to survive. In northern Alaska, USA, both moist acidic and non-acidic tundra occur, yet determination of frozen soil p Hs currently requires thawing of the soil so that electrometric pH methods can be utilized. Contrariwise, a portable X-ray fluorescence(PXRF) spectrometer was used in this study to assess elemental abundances and relate those characteristics to soil pH through predictive multiple linear regressions. Two operational modes, Soil Mode and Geochem Mode, were utilized to scan frozen soils in-situ and under laboratory conditions, respectively, after soil samples were dried and ground. Results showed that lab scanning produced optimal results with adjusted coefficient of determination(R^2) of 0.88 and 0.33 and root mean squared errors(RMSEs) of 0.87 and 0.34 between elemental data and lab-determined pH for Soil Mode and Geochem Mode, respectively. Even though the presence of ice attenuated fluoresced radiation under field conditions, adjusted R^2 and RMSEs between the datasets still provided reasonable model generalization(e.g., 0.73 and 0.49 for field Geochem Mode). Principal component analysis qualitatively separated multiple sampling sites based on elemental data provided by PXRF, reflecting differences in the chemical composition of the soils studied. Summarily, PXRF can be used for in-situ determination of soil pH in arctic environments without the need for sample modification and thawing. Furthermore, use of PXRF for determination of soil pH may provide higher sample throughput than traditional eletrometric-based methods, while generating elemental data useful for the prediction of multiple soil parameters.

Biomass production and carbon stock inventory of high-altitude dry temperate land use systems in North Western Himalaya

Introduction:Carbon stock estimation in different land use systems is necessary for curbing global climatic crisis.In the present study,high-altitude dry temperate land use systems(LUS)at three altitudinal ranges“A1,1900-2170 m.a.s.l.,A2,2170–2440 m.a.s.l.,and A3,2440–2710 m.a.s.l.”were selected based on lapse rates in Kinnur district of Himachal Pradesh,India.The study was aimed at estimating the difference in biomass and carbon stocks in different land use systems and recommendation of the suitable environment-friendly land use for the region.Six land use systems viz.;agriculture,horticulture,agrihorticulture,agri-horti-silviculture,silvipasture,and barren land common at all the three altitudes were selected for experimental setup.Results:Maximum mean aboveground biomass(84.65 t ha^(−1)),belowground biomass(19.50 t ha^(−1)),and total biomass(104.10 t ha^(−1))were recorded in the silvipasture land use system.Total biomass production of different land use systems followed the order:silvipasture>agri-horti-silviculture>agrihorticulture>horticulture>agriculture>barren land respectively.Maximum soil organic carbon(1.41%)was recorded in silvipasture land use systems,which however remained statistically at par with the organic carbon contents of horticulture.Soil organic carbon,irrespective of the land use system increased with increase in altitudinal range and decreased with increase in soil depth.Maximum carbon density(155.77 t ha−1)in 0–100 cm layer was in agri-horticulture LUS.The order of carbon density under different land use systems was agri-horticulture>agri-horti-silviculture>silvipasture>horticulture>agriculture>barren land.Irrespective of the land use system,the carbon density at different altitudinal gradient followed the trend A1,1900–2170 m.a.s.l.,>A3,2440–2710 m.a.s.l and>A2,2170–2440 m.a.s.l.Conclusions:The outcome of the study can play an important role,while selecting different land use systems and different crop combinations for effective management of carbon budget to mitigate climate change and global warming issues in other fragile Himalayan ecosystems.