Banaras Hindu University Research Articles

Multi-environment evaluation of rice genotypes: impact of weather and culm biochemical parameters against sheath blight infection.

Sheath blight caused by Rhizoctonia solani is one of the major diseases of rice, causing widespread crop losses. The use of semi-dwarf rice varieties in the ongoing nutrient-intensive rice cultivation system has further accentuated the incidence of the disease. An ideal solution to this problem would be identifying a stable sheath blight-tolerant genotype. A multi-environment evaluation of 32 rice genotypes against sheath blight infection was conducted over six seasons across two locations (Agricultural Research Farm, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (28.18° N, 38.03° E, and 75.5 masl), for four years during the wet seasons (kharif) from 2015 to 2018 and two seasons at the National Rice Research Institute (20°27'09" N, 85°55'57" E, 26 masl), Cuttack, Odisha, during the dry season (rabi) of 2019 and the kharif of 2019, including susceptible and resistant check. Percent disease index data were collected over 4 weeks (on the 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th day after infection), along with data on other morphological and physiological traits. The resistant genotypes across seasons were the ones with a higher hemicellulose content (13.93-14.64) and lower nitrogen content (1.10- 1.31) compared with the susceptible check Tapaswini (G32) (hemicellulose 12.96, nitrogen 1.38), which might explain the resistant reaction. Three different stability models-additive main effect and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), genotype + genotype x environment (GGE) biplot, and multi-trait stability index (MTSI)-were then used to identify the stable resistant genotypes across six seasons. The results obtained with all three models had common genotypes highlighted as stable and having a low area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) values. The ideal stable genotypes with low disease incidence were IC 283139 (G19), Tetep (G28), IC 260917 (G4), and IC 277274 (G10), with AUDPC values of 658.91, 607.46, 479.69, and 547.94, respectively. Weather parameters such as temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours, and relative humidity were also noted daily. Relative humidity was positively correlated with the percent disease index.

Multivariate Correlation and Path Coefficient Analysis of Various Agro-Physiological Traits in CIMMYT Accessions of Bread Wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.) em. Thell

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell) is one of the most vital staple crops globally, providing sustenance for billions of people. The continued increase in the global population, coupled with the ever-changing climate patterns and growing concerns about food security, has intensified the need for enhancing the productivity and adaptability of wheat varieties. In this context, in the 2019-20 Rabi season, a research study was conducted at Banaras Hindu University's Agriculture Research Farm, Varanasi, in a randomized complete block design with two replications. This research examines the association and interrelationships between thirteen different agro-physiological traits among fifty accessions of CIMMYT bread wheat. The results demonstrate significant positive correlations between grain yield and yield-related traits, including plant height, spike length, biological yield per plot, test weight, and harvest index at both genotypic and phenotypic levels. Further analysis using path coefficients shed light on the direct and indirect effects of these traits on grain yield. Among the studied traits, harvest index and biological yield per plot were found to have higher direct effects than others. Days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, plant height, canopy temperature showed negligible positive direct effect on grain yield. These findings hold significant promise for informing and optimizing selection and breeding programs aimed at enhancing wheat varieties.

Effect of Pre-Storage Edible Coating on Post Harvest Quality of Guava Fruits cv. Lalit Under Ambient Condition

A significant fruit crop, the guava (Psidium guajava L.), is grown around the world in a wide range of tropical and subtropical climates. The shelf life of guavas is short, and they ripen quickly after being harvested. This limited shelf life necessitates effective management techniques to ensure a consistent market supply through post-harvest treatments to extend the storage life. In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of different treatments on the quality attributes of guava fruit cv. Lalit at 3-day intervals during storage. The experiment was carried out in the Postharvest Laboratory, Department of Horticulture, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. The findings from our investigation revealed that guava fruits harvested at the mature green stage and treated with Carboxy methylcellulose (CMC) and sodium alginate, maintained their desirable chemical and functional qualities for an extended period, up to 12 days of storage. Specifically, the post-harvest treatment using CMC (1.5%) proved to be exceptionally effective in reducing physiological weight loss and decay loss and retarding the increase in total carotenoids and lycopene content. Additionally, it delayed the decline in total soluble solids, ascorbic acid content, chlorophyll content, total antioxidant capacity and phenolic content throughout the storage period. Therefore, this treatment showed excellent results in extending the shelf life of guava fruits and maintaining their post-harvest quality by delaying the processes of ripening and senescence, lowering spoilage, and improving marketability and appearance.

Socio-demographic corelation of traumatic brain injury patients at a tertiary care centre of northern India

India has a limited and evolving health infrastructure. A vast majority of rural and distant population are unable to access good quality treatment due to limited number of tertiary care centres in the country. Information from National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reveals that nearly 500000 deaths occur every year due to injuries and 1/3 of them are due to Road Traffic Injuries (RTI). Trauma in general and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in particular poses a major public health crisis in India and in many developing countries. TBI causes significant number of deaths, disabilities and socio-economic losses. Selected 150 head injury patients admitted under the Department of Neurosurgery, Trauma Centre, Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS), Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, UP, India. The peak incidence of head injury was observed in the younger population, male deceased outnumbered female, most common cause for TBIs was RTI followed by fall from height, most of the victims had rural background, among victims students were in highest number and most belonged to low to middle income group family.Trauma is not a 100% preventable problem but accidental deaths are preventable and the incidence of RTIs can be minimized by creating due attention in public. Global experience clearly indicates that road traffic injuries are amenable to prevention and require systematic approaches. Burden of disability can also be minimized by increasing rehabilitation services. Government should step in for implementation of traffic safety rules and driving regulations, efficient transport system for accidents victims and instructions for strict governance.

Optimizing Growth through Systematic Evaluation of Salinity, Putrescine, and Sodium Nitroprusside Levels in Stevia rebaudiana

Stevia rebaudiana, a natural sweetener source, has gained significant attention in recent years due to its potential as a sugar substitute with minimal caloric impact. To maximize its cultivation and production efficiency, it is imperative to optimize its growth conditions. In the present study, we performed a pot experiment in the polyhouse of the Department of Horticulture at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and investigated the effects of salinity stress (NaCl), exogenous application of putrescine (Put), a polyamine, and sodium nitroprusside (SNP), a donor of nitic oxide, as foliar spray on different morpho-physiological traits such as plant height, number of leaves per plant and SPAD or chlorophyll content in Stevia over different time intervals under in vivo conditions. Our findings revealed that mild salinity stress (15 and 30 mM NaCl) caused a lesser reduction in plant growth characteristics. However, excessive salinity (120 mM NaCl) had adverse effects on plant health, particularly at 15 days. We observed that higher concentrations of Put (1 mM and 2 mM) positively influenced all the studied growth indices as compared to control and NaCl treated plants. This indicates the potential for Put to be used as a growth regulator in Stevia cultivation. Similarly, 150 µM and 200 µM SNP treatments produced best results in Stevia plants by significantly enhancing plant height, leaf number and SPAD at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days. Therefore, SNP can be used as a potential growth promoting agent in Stevia plants. These findings have significant implications for sustainable Stevia cultivation, ensuring a stable supply of natural, low-calorie sweeteners for the food and beverage industry.

Genetic diversity assessment and selection of Bradyrhizobium strains for Inceptisols based on symbiotic performance

The symbiotic association of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) with rhizobia plays a pivotal role in plants’ growth and development. The present study was carried out at Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh during 2018–2020 to explore the diversity of rhizobia present in the Cajanus cajan root under Inceptisols and identify an elite strain that exhibits exceptional plant growth promotion and of nitrogenase activity for efficient nitrogen fixation. The bacterial identification using 16s rDNA sequencing revealed bacteria strains Bradyrhizobium japonicum (S12), Bradyrhizobium subterraneum (S1, S7, S8, S10, S13), Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense (S2, S3, S4, S6, S9, S11) while two bacteria were the endophytes identified as Pseudomonas azotoformans (S5) and Paenibacillus seodonensis (S15). Genetic diversity using UPGMA clustering revealed remarkable genetic variations, classifying 14 strains into three primary clusters and four secondary clusters. Strains S1, S3, S6, S9, and S13 exhibited elevated nitrogenase activity, indicative of their proficient nitrogen fixation capability. In plant growth experiments, all strains demonstrated significant growth of the plants compared to control. The notable growth enhancement by these five strains can be attributed to their remarkable efficiency in nitrogen fixation, as indicated by significantly higher nodule formation and nitrogenase activity. These findings provide valuable insights for identifying potential rhizobial inoculants to enhance pigeonpea productivity.

Influence of Maturity Stage on Post-harvest Quality of Guava Cultivars

The guava (Psidium guajava L.), a member of the Myrtaceae family and a native of tropical America, was brought to India by the Portuguese in the 17th century. The primary focus lies in comprehending the physiological and biochemical alterations within the fruit, which play a crucial role in understanding metabolic phenomena such as fruit ripening, softening, and overall aging. Additionally, these changes hold significance for shaping commercial procedures and meeting post-harvest demands. It is imperative for the post-harvest management system to strive to deliver the fruit to the market in the desired condition sought by consumers or importers. Guavas are highly perishable fruits, with fresh supplies to markets often lasting only a few days. In the Postharvest Laboratory of the Department of Horticulture, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, an experiment was carried out to investigate the influence of maturity stage on the post-harvest quality of guava cultivars under ambient conditions at 3-day intervals of storage. The guava cultivars, namely Lalit, Allahabad Safeda, and Shweta, were chosen at distinct stages of maturity, encompassing mature green, color break and ripe. The findings showed that the ripeness or stage of maturity at harvest had a substantial impact on the quality and storage life of guava fruits. In comparison to the colour-turning stage and the ripe stage of fruits, the mature green stage demonstrated promising results in maintaining post-harvest quality. Considering all the parameters, the best guava cultivars in terms of superior post-harvest quality, including total soluble solids, lycopene content, ascorbic acid content, and minimal acidity content, were found to be the Lalit cultivar.

Global Publication Output of Tinospora cordifolia (Medicinal Plant) Research: A Scientometric Study

Abstract: Scientometrics is described as a technique for analysing a researcher's quantitative research output. This study examines scientometric analysis on Tinospora cordifolia, medicinal plant by measuring the year-wise distribution of articles, annual growth rate, authorship pattern, author productivity, relative growth rates, article doubling time, degree of author collaboration, ranked list of authors, and distribution of publications output by broad topic areas. By observing the output, we found that a maximum of 166 articles (25.75%) were published in 2021. According to the authorship pattern, 40 publications out of 1054 were written by a single author. There are 227 two-author papers, 216 three-author papers, and 206 four-author papers. Author productivity is 0.238. This indicates that production per author is just 23.80% on average, while the average number of authors per manuscript is 4.20. The average doubling time is 0.969 and the relative growth rate (RGR) is 0.68. The overall cooperation rate is 0.96. India ranks first, having published 900 articles (0.85%) out of a total of 1054 articles. By publishing 22 publications, Maharishi Dayanand University and Banaras Hindu University have taken the lead. The University Grants Commission funded 52 articles, with Dabur, R ranking first with 12 papers published.

Leucaena leucocephala and Prosopis juliflora: A comparative study of their seedlings with better drought adapted features in the time of rainfall pattern shifting

Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de wit, and Prosopis juliflora (Sw) DC, were introduced across the country due to their wide importance andthey are posing threat to native trees and ecosystem because of their wild and invasive nature. Therefore, study of their invasive featuresbecomes important during the current rainfall shift as India is witnessing a decrease in average rainfall and rainy events but an increasein downpour events. Our study throws light upon these plants’ invasiveness and rainfall-adapted characteristics. We performed the studyin the Botanical Garden, Banaras Hindu University, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study included two experiments (1) Seed germination underdifferent treatments- 48% H2SO4 for 40 minutes (T1), Water at 100°C for 10 minutes (T2), one-day water-soaked seed (T3); (2) Seedlingssurvival percentage and growth-indices under different watering conditions i.e., 50 mL water per seedling every day (W1), 50 mL wateronce in four days (W2), 50 mL water once in ten days (W3). Result of this study revealed that P. juliflora exhibited better germinationspeed and percentage in all three treatments (T1, T2, T3) in comparison to the L. leucocephala, while under T1 treatment, both exhibitedbest germination. On the 60th day of experiment maximum survival percentage was recorded under W2 water condition but maximumroot length was observed under W3 treatment for L. leucocephala and P. juliflora while maximum stem height was found under W1 andW2 treatments for L. leucocephala and P. juliflora respectively. These finding would conclude that P. juliflora is more potential invaderin comparison to L. leucocephala as this gave the best result under the drought stress condition W2 and W3 for all the parameters andstudy performed. Study also highlight the need of mitigation measures to curb the unlimited growth of P. juliflora under the presentscenario of rainfall shift favouring the invasion of drought tolerating plants.

Anions Cations Balance in Rainwater of Lanka, Mirzamurad and Babatpur, Varanasi

The analysis of anions cations balance in rainwater samples, were carried out in the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi during 2015. The rainwater samples of three different location viz. Lanka, Mirzamurad and Babatpur places of BHU, Varanasi, which are relatively free from industrial pollution were examined during south-west monsoon period (July to September) in Varanasi using standaralize selection and analytical methods for evaluation of anions cations balance of rainwater. It was revealed from the Tables 1-3 that the total mineralization varied from 53.65 to 171.38 mg L-1 in Lanka, 25.49 to 153.55 mg L-1 in Mirzamurad and 73.32 to 286 mg L-1 in Babatpur, respectively. In an average total mineralization was highest in Babatpur followed by Lanka and Mirzamurad.

Impact of Nitrogen Levels on the Growth and Medicinal Properties of Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) in an Inceptisol of Varanasi, India

Aims: Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), is a perennial herbaceous, belongs to the Apocynaceae family. The medicinal poperties are more economically important than the yield of the plant. Nitrogen is the main nutrient affect the medicinal properties of the plant. The main aim of this study was the evaluation of the effects of nitrogen on growth of the Catharanthus roseus and the presence or absence of alkaloid vinblastine.
 Place and Duration of Study: The experiment involved a pot experiment conducted during Rabi season of 2021-2022 in the net house, at Agricultural Research Farm of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi.
 Methodology: The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design (CRD) with five nitrogen levels i.e. Control (RDF), 2.5g urea/pot, 5.0g urea/pot, 7.5g urea/pot and 10.0g urea/pot in three replications. Plants fed with recommended dose of P: K (40:40) and nitrogen fertilizer according to treatment.
 Results: Higher dose of nitrogen i.e., 10.0 g/urea (T5) showed the greatest increase in plant height, number of branches, flowers per plant and SPAD value while number of leaves per plant was maximum at 2.5 g urea/pot (T2) whereas the lowest growth were exhibited in control treatment (T1). The presence or absence of vinblastine was tasted by Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) and the result showed that at all the levels of nitrogen treatment, vinblastine was present except at control treatment (T1) till a month after transplanting.

Response of Gibberellic Acid and Corm Division on Floral Attributes of Gladiolus

This study was conducted to assess the response of Gibberellic acid and corm division on floral attributes of gladiolus cv. Punjab Dawn at Horticulture Research Farm of Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India during two consecutive year (2017-2019). The treatments comprised of growth regulators with two concentration i.e. GA3 100 ppm and 200 ppm including control (distilled water) and corms which are cut having 1bud, 2 buds and 3 buds and whole corm having 4 buds, 5 buds and 6 buds. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design and three replications. The flowering characteristics of Gladiolus are mainly affected by higher concentration of GA3 (200 ppm) as well as whole corm under natural climatic condition. Regarding flowering parameters, it was found that GA3 200 ppm and whole corm i.e. 4 bud, 5 bud and 6 bud influence the quality and quantity parameters, viz. days to spike emergence, days to colour show, days to opening of florets, days to open florets without withering of basal floret, number of florets per spike, longevity of spike, length of spike and rachis (cm) and diameter of florets (cm) as compared to other treatments of GA3 100 ppm and control (distilled water) and cut corms which have 1 bud, 2 buds and 3 buds.

Multivariate Analysis for Post Harvest Quality and Yield Attributes in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Aim: To study the multivariate analysis, genetic parameters and correlation for post harvest quality and yield traits in tomato.
 Study Design: The variability in the twenty genotypes of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) was evaluated for 18 yield attributes and post harvest quality traits using randomized block design and analyzed with multivariate methods.
 Place and Duration of Study: Twenty genotypes of tomato augmented from Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, Varanasi were sown during rainy season at Horticulture Research Farm of Banaras Hindu University.
 Methodology: The unweighted pair group method of the average linkage (UPGMA) cluster analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to analyze the data. Canonical discriminant analysis showed the contribution of each trait to the classification of the tomato accessions into different cluster groups.
 Results: The first seven principal components (PC) explained 87.83% of total variation and has eigen values >1. The traits that mainly contributed for this variation in PC1 and PC2 are fruit yield, plant height, number of flower clusters per plant, number of fruits per plant, days to first fruit set, number of fruits per cluster. High (>20%) genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was observed for number of fruits/cluster, fruit shape index, number of fruits/plant, fruit yield and shelf life. The correlation coefficients of number of primary branches/plant, days to first fruit set, number of flower clusters/plant, number of fruits/cluster, fruit width (cm), number of fruits/plant, fruit weight (g) and lycopene (mg/100 g) were positively and significantly correlated to fruit yield/plant.
 Conclusion: Number of flower clusters/plant, fruit weight and number of fruits per plant had contributed for maximum variation. These traits also had high heritability, high genetic gain and significant correlation with fruit yield.

Unraveling the Relationship between Percentage Cover and Biomass of Various Herbaceous Species in the Dry Tropical Grassland

The estimation of biomass and cover is an ideal variable for determining ecosystem productivity, vegetation abundance, and community structure of any ecosystem. Biomass estimation by harvest method causes a huge loss of biomass and biodiversity. Non-destructive methods are helpful for repeated and regular sampling of the same plot to measure any change in biomass at the fixed time interval. There are already several regression equations established between biomass and cover in various ecosystems for finding above-ground biomass but there was an urgent need for such studies in dry tropical grasslands. The experiment was performed in the entire campus of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. 115 Quadrats were sampled in the entire university campus during year 2019-2020. For each quadrat, species-wise individual numbers were recorded and above-ground biomass was estimated by harvest method. Herbage cover was recorded for each species and measured by gridding each 1×1 m2 quadrat into 100 cells of 10 × 10 cm cells, each representing 1% cover. We found 59 herbaceous species of 28 different families. The family Asteraceae was the most common while only single species represented the other seventeen families. Most of the species like Dichanthium annulatum, Sida acuta, Ageratum conyzoides, Malvastrum coromandelianum, Rungia pectinate, and Vernonia cinerea showed linear regression equation, Parthenium hysterophorus, Alternenthera sessilis, Boerhavia diffusa showed quadratic polynomial trendlines. Species like Zephyranthes citrina and Ruellia tuberosa showed a power regression equation. Only Andrographis paniculata, and Chenopodium album showed an exponential regression equation. A power regression equation was found between pooled biomass and cover. Using the regression equations biomass of the listed 59 species could be calculated easily without disturbing the vegetation of the study area which will eventually help in the conservation of nature.

Comparison of Total Nitrogen estimation by Kjeldahl Method and CHNS Analyzer in Dry Tropical Grassland

The Dumas method (CHNS analyzer) is replacing the traditional Kjeldahl method as the method of choice for N analysis due to advancements in dry combustion nitrogen (N) analyzer technology and the high cost of disposing of hazardous laboratory waste chemicals. As a result, a comparison of the Dumas method (CHNS analyzer) with the Kjeldahl method is critical. Typically, such comparisons were conducted on a small number of distinct samples. The goal of this study was to compare the performance of instruments that use the automated Dumas method (CHNS analyzer) and the Kjeldahl method for N analysis of agricultural materials in a high-throughput laboratory setting. Using both instruments, N concentrations in manure, sewage sludge, plant tissue, plant seeds, and feedstuff fibres were determined. We collected samples for the analysis of organic matter from the horticulture area at the Banaras Hindu University campus in Varanasi, and total Nitrogen (N) was estimated using the Kjeldahl (wet oxidation) and Perkin-Elmer 2.400 Series II-CHN Mode techniques (dry oxidation or combustion). The positive correlation (r = 0.94**) of the Kjeldahl method with N- determination from a CHNS analyzer demonstrates that the method is practical for routinely determining the total nitrogen content of soils

Combining Ability Studies on Yield and Yield Related Traits in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Aim: The present study was conducted to generate information regarding the general combining ability (GCA), specific combining ability (SCA), genetic parameters and GCA and SCA variances in tomato.
 Study Design: The parents and F1s were laid out in Randomized block design with 3 replications.
 Place and Duration of Study: The present study was conducted at research farm of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. Crosses were generated in Line x Tester design and resultant F1, F2 and parents were evaluated.
 Methodology: After genetic diversity evaluation, ten genotypes were selected and used as females which were crossed with three other selected genotypes used as males in Line × Tester mating design followed by evaluation of their F1 hybrids along with parents.
 Results: The study concluded that Pant T-3 was a good general combiner for plant height, days to 50% flowering and days to first fruit set, Kashi Amrit was a good general combiner for number of primay branches/plant, CO-3 was a good general combiner for number of flower clusters/plant, number of flowers/cluster and number of fruits/plant, H-86 was a good general combiner for number of fruits/cluster, Fla 7171 was a good general combiner for fruit length, fruit width and fruit weight. Based on sca effects best specific combiner for plant height and fruit yield was Punjab Upma × Azad T-5. The ratio of σ2gca/σ2sca is less than unity for all characters except fruit shape index which also indicated the preponderance of non additive genetic variance. High heritability (>60%) combined with high genetic advance (>20%) was observed for fruit yield, number of primary branches/plant, plant height, number of flower clusters/plant, number of flowers/cluster, fruit weight, number of fruits/cluster, number of fruits/plant. These traits can be improved by simple selection in tomato breeding programme.
 Conclusion: From the study it was concluded that best general combiners for various yield and yield related traits were Pant T-3, Kashi Amrit, CO-3, H-86 and Fla 7171. Based on sca best specific combiner for plant height and fruit yield was Punjab Upma × Azad T-5.

Studies of Correlation and Path Coefficients for Tomato Yield and Quality Attributes (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

Fifteen genotypes of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) with 18 yield contributing traits, were studied for correlations and path coefficients. The experiment has been done at Vegetable Research Farm of Department of Horticulture, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, during Rabi season of 2020-21. The experiment was laid under Randomized Block Design with three replications. Using genotypic correlation, it has been found that the fruit yield per plant significantly positively correlates with lycopene, titrable acidity, pericarp thickness, fruits per plant, ascorbic acid and days to 50% flowering. This indicates that the selection of these qualities will impact the number of fruits produced by each plant. Yield per plant was showed the significant positive direct effects with ascorbic acid, pericarp thickness, firmness, fruit yield per plant, TSS, locules per fruit, number of fruits per plant, fruit diameter, lycopene content, seed test weight and days to 50% flowering at the genotypic path coefficient level that indicated the selection for these traits might be effective and there is a possibility of improving yield per plant through selection based on these characters. The investigation contains the necessary information to support the objectives, as shown by the residual influence at the genotypic (0.198) and phenotypic (0.206) routes.

Plant Growth and Post-harvest Life of Cut Gladiolus as Influenced by Zinc Level and Corm Grade

Gladiolus is one of the most beautiful, attractive, widely cultivated and economically important flowering plants worldwide including India. The research work was carried out to investigate the effect of corm grade and soil application of zinc sulphate on growth and post-harvest parameters of gladiolus cv. Malaviya Kundan at the Horticulture Research Farm and Post-Harvest Laboratory of Department of Horticulture, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. In an experiment seven different grades of mother corm (1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0 cm) and zinc sulphate at three levels (15 and 30 kg/ha) along with control were used. Zinc was applied in soil at the time of field preparation. Experiment was replicated four times in Randomized Block Design. Application of ZnSO4 at 15 kg/ha was found beneficial for various growth parameters, whereas, 30 kg/ha was found beneficial for most of the post-harvest parameters. Maximum plant height and duration of flowering was achieved with ZnSO4 at 15 kg/ha, whereas, application of ZnSO4 at 30 kg/ha resulted in maximum length of the spike, total number of florets opened and total uptake of water in vase. Among the various grades, the largest corm grade, i.e. 4.0 cm was found to be the best for growth parameters. Whereas, corm grade 3.0 cm was found to be the best in respect of various post-harvest parameters. Lowest corm grade i.e. 1.0 cm failed to exhibit flower due to small size of propagule.

Long-term effect of manuring-fertilization on nutrients availability and yield under rice (Oryza sativa)-lentil (Lens culinaris) system

Soil health degradation is a major threat in agricultural sustainability specially under rainfed agriculture. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of long-term fertilization and manuring on soil organic carbon, nutrient status, uptake and yield trends under a rainfed rice (Oryza sativa L.)-lentil (Lens culinaris L.) cropping system situated at Agriculture Research Farm of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Soil samples were collected in 2019 and 2021 after harvesting of rainy (kharif) season rice from 34 years old long-term experiment with rice-lentil cropping system of dry sub-humid region of India and analysed for various pools of SOC, nutrients availability, uptake and yield attributes. Results showed that 50% NPK+FYM treatment significantly influenced soil organic carbon pools and improved macronutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium), microbial biomass carbon and dehydrogenase activity in soil as compared to the control. In addition, the integrated application of farmyard manure and inorganic fertilizers significantly enhanced the nutrient uptake, productivity of rice and lentil, and maintained the nutrient balance in the soil. Therefore, the balanced use of inorganic fertilizer along with organic manure may be recommended for maintaining soil health and crop productivity under subtropical India.

Establishment of regression equation between the herbaceous cover and herbage carbon of different plant functional types in a dry tropical grassland of BHU, Varanasi

Grasslands are one of the largest carbon sinks and are crucial in the carbon cycle. However, modelling each species' carbon versus cover relationship is complex, and modelling ground flora covers of plant functional types simplify model development and provide a helpful link between physiologic strategies and ecosystem processes. The present experiment randomly selected 115 quadrats of 1×1 meters from the Banaras Hindu University campus. The cover of each herbaceous species was recorded by visual charting method and measured by gridding each 1×1 meter quadrat into 100 cells; each represented 1% cover. Species-wise, herbage carbon content was calculated. Species-wise, herbage carbon, and cover were further categorized into different functional types. Prostate, perennials, grasses, and native plants accumulate more carbon and could solve global warming problems. The established regression equation between plant cover and carbon content could be used at a worldwide scale for non-destructive estimation of carbon at functional group levels. Furthermore, non-destructive methods are superior to destructive methods in maintaining the diversity of tropical grassland because biomass harvesting can destroy the habitat spaces of rare and endangered species.