Application Of Farmyard Manure Research Articles

Study of Gaps in Adoption of Improved Tasar Silkworm (Antheraea mylitta D) Rearing Technologies

Maharashtra contributes paltry 0.76 per cent of the total production of tasar silk in the country, with 23 MT but the production of tasar silk in the state is found to be dwindling which might be due to the gaps in knowledge and adoption of improved tasar silkworm rearing technologies. Therefore, present investigation was undertaken to assess the gaps in adoption of tasar silkworm rearing technologies and constraints faced by the tasar farmers in adopting the recommended technologies. The study was conducted in Bhandara, Gondia and Gadchiroli districts of Maharashtra. The “Ex-post facto” research design was used for the study. A total 120 tasar silkworm rearing farmers were randomly selected for the study from those selected districts. The data was analyzed using SPSS software. The results showed that the major gaps in adoption were seen the practices such as Integrated Pest Management for the control of gall disease (91.67%), application of Farm Yard Manure (FYM) or vermi-compost @4 kg/plant or 2kg/plans twice in a year (87.50%) and foliar spraying of 1.5% urea twice @ 15 days’ interval before 30 days of rearing (78.33%) and these were ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd, respectively. The average gaps in adoption were 52.71 per cent. Similarly, non-availability of quality seeds/Dfls for rearing, non availability of disease resistance/tolerant silkworm races, non-enhancement of seed cocoon/reelable cocoon prices due to non-availability of formal and fair market, no hand holding support during the crop failure from the government, outbreak of diseases due to weather fluctuation and difficulty in adoption of recommended package of practices due to insufficient fund were the major constraints experienced by the tasar silkworm rearers. Thus, proper research, extension, communication and training strategies are needed to be formulated so that the constraints faced in adoption will be removed and the gaps in adoption could be bridged in order to accelerate the rate of adoption of modern tasar silkworm technologies in state and, thus, increasing the scope for boosting the tasar silk production of the state in the years to come.

Twenty percent of agricultural management effects on organic carbon stocks occur in subsoils – Results of ten long-term experiments

Agricultural management can influence soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and thus may contribute to carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. The soil depth to which agricultural management practices affect SOC is uncertain. Soil depth may have an important bearing on soil carbon dynamics, so it is important to consider depth effects to capture fully changes in SOC stocks. This applies in particular to the evaluation of carbon farming measures, which are becoming increasingly important due to climate change. We sampled and analysed the upper metre of mineral cropland soils from ten long-term experiments (LTEs) in Germany to quantify depth-specific effects on SOC stocks of common agricultural management practices: mineral nitrogen (N) fertilisation, a combination of N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilisation, irrigation, a crop rotation with preceding crops (pre-crops), straw incorporation, application of farmyard manure (FYM), liming, and reduced tillage. In addition, the effects of soil compaction on SOC stocks were examined as a negative side effect of agricultural management. Results showed that 19 ± 3 % of total management effects on SOC stocks were found in the upper subsoil (30–50 cm) and 3 ± 4 % in the lower subsoil (50–100 cm), including all agricultural management practices with significant topsoil SOC effects, while 79 ± 7 % of management effects were in the topsoil (0–30 cm). Nitrogen and NPK fertilisation were the treatments that had the greatest effect on subsoil organic carbon (OC) stocks, followed by irrigation, FYM application and straw incorporation. Sampling down to a depth of 50 cm resulted in significantly higher SOC effects than when considering topsoil only. A crop rotation with pre-crops, liming, reduced tillage and soil compaction did not significantly affect SOC stocks at any depth increment. Since approximately 20 % of the impact of agricultural management on SOC stocks occurs in the subsoil, we recommend soil monitoring programs and carbon farming schemes extend their standard soil sampling down to 50 cm depth to capture fully agricultural management effects on SOC.

Effect of Six Year Continuous Targeted Yield Based Chemical Fertilizer and FYM Application on Soil Quality and Productivity of Maize in an Acid Alfisol of North-Western Himalayas

ABSTRACT This investigation took place on a continuing soil test crop response (STCR) based fertilizer experiment, initiated during June, 2007, in a maize-wheat cropping sequence, which was laid in a randomized block design with eight treatments replicated thrice. Surface soil samples from a depth of 0–0.15 m were collected after the harvest of maize (June 2013 to October 2013) and were analyzed for soil physical, chemical and biological properties. Statistically significant physical, chemical and biological parameters were reduced to Minimum Data set (MDS) using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and further integrated to compute Soil Quality Index (SQI). Highest SQI (2.84) was observed under treatment comprising prescription based fertilizers application for 40 q ha−1 along with farmyard manure (FYM). Whereas, control with no external application of fertilizers and FYM has observed lowest SQI (1.85). Conjunctive application of prescription-based fertilizers and FYM application improved soil quality over conventional general recommended dose and soil test-based application.

Integrated Approaches for Management of Phytophthora Blight in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

The present investigation was conducted in the experimental field of Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda, Uttar Pradesh, India during July to October of 2021. Phytophthora blight caused by Phytophthora parasitica var. sesame is prevalent in all the sesame grown areas in the country. It may occur at any stage of the crop and can cause up to 80% yield loss. The combination of biological control agents viz. Trichoderma harzianum (Th) & Pseudomonas fluorescens (Pf), application of farm yard manure, spent mushroom substrate (SMS) of oyster mushroom and the fungicide (Metalaxyl 8%+Mancozeb 64% WP) were assessed against Phytophthora blight of sesame in terms of incubation period, disease incidence, disease severity and yield under natural epiphytotic field conditions during kharif 2021. Among the treatments assessed, soil application of SMS+Th prior to sowing showed the highest enhancement in terms of incubation period (35.63%) and yield (44.55%) over the control. However, it was at par with respect to the incubation period and yield in the treatment of soil amended with the combination of SMS and (Th+Pf) before sowing. Maximum reduction in disease incidence (20.04%) and severity (51.41%) of Phytophthora blight over the control was recorded in treatments viz., soil amendment with combination of SMS+ (Th+Pf) and SMS+Th, respectively. The results revealed that all the treatments applied as prophylactic treatment, significantly reduced the Phytophthora blight and increased the incubation period and yield over the unprotected crop.

Combined Application of Organic and Inorganic Nitrogen and Seed Inoculation with Rhizobacteria (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia FA-9) Improved Productivity, Nitrogen Use Efficiency, and Economic Returns of Pearl Millet

Nitrogen (N) availability and soil microbiota exert significant impacts on plant metabolic systems and yield. Different studies have indicated that yield and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.R.Br.) can be improved by the inoculation of N-fixing bacteria. However, the interactive effects of different N sources and bacteria inoculation on growth, productivity, and NUE of pearl millet have been less explored. Therefore, individual and interactive effects of different N sources (organic and inorganic) and bacteria inoculation on growth, productivity, and NUE of pearl millet were investigated in this study. Two different N sources, i.e., organic (farmyard manure) and inorganic (urea) alone or in 50% + 50% combinations (urea + FYM), were used to supply the recommended amount of N. Similarly, seeds were inoculated with two different N-fixing bacteria, i.e., endobacteria (Enterobacter sp. MN17) and rhizobacteria (Stenotrophomonas maltophilia FA-9). Urea + farmyard manure (FYM) and seed inoculation rhizobacteria improved soil attributes, yield-related traits, grain quality, NUE, and net economic returns. Soil porosity was significantly improved by seed inoculation with both bacteria and FYM application. Similarly, seed inoculation with rhizobacteria increased soil organic carbon by 45.45% and 34.88% during the 1st and 2nd year of the study, respectively. Urea + FYM application combined with rhizobacteria seed inoculation improved the number of grains per ear (23.49 and 23.63%), 1000-grain weight (5.76% and 7.85%), grain yield (23.19% and 25.0%), and NUE (33.83 and 48.15%). Similarly, grain quality was significantly improved by seed inoculation with both bacteria. Likewise, urea + FYM combined with rhizobacteria improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) by 33.83% and 48.15% in 2020 and 2021, respectively, compared to no N application and no seed inoculation. The highest economic returns (1506.4 and 1506.9 USD) were noted for urea + FYM application combined with rhizobacteria seed inoculation. Therefore, urea + FYM application combined with rhizobacteria (S. maltophilia FA-9) seed inoculation seemed a viable approach to improve grain yield, grain quality, NUE, and net economic returns of pearl millet.

Impact of Long-Term Application of Organic Manure on Inceptisol Properties, Grain Protein Content and Yield of Wheat

ABSTRACT A field experiment was conducted to investigate the implications of long-term farm yard manure (FYM) use on chemical and microbial properties of Inceptisol in the North-Western Plain Zone of India, and their correlation with yield and protein content of wheat grains. FYM was used at four different doses (0, 10, 20, 30 t ha−1) with recommended dose of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) as standard practice before sowing of both rice and wheat under rice-wheat cropping system. Application of FYM at 30 t ha−1 significantly enhanced the electrical conductivity (36.36%), nitrogen (29.79%), phosphorus (216.75%), potassium (280.15%), zinc (186.90%), copper (24.23%), organic carbon (130.77%), organic matter (132.43%), operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of top 30 bacterial classes (82.27%), genera (73.95%), plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB, 86.00%) and lignocellulose degrading bacteria (LDB, 109.14%) over recommended NPK at p value of 0.05. Significantly high plant biomass (14.21 t ha−1) and grain yield (5.69 t ha−1) were obtained in recommended NPK treatment, followed by 30 t ha−1 FYM treatment, whereas significantly higher grain protein was obtained in 30 t ha−1 FYM treatment at p value of 0.05. The abundance of top 30 bacterial classes was highest under 30 t ha−1 FYM (100117), while lowest under recommended NPK treatment (54928). This treatment also witnessed highest presence of all beneficial bacterial classes, top 30 bacterial genera, PGPB and LDB. Highest up-regulated bacterial genes in recommended NPK, and superior soil quality parameters (nutrient profile and microbial diversity) in 30 t ha−1 FYM, indicate that sustainable yields and quality are achievable by using a balanced amount of inorganic fertilizers and organic manure.

Regenerative agriculture augments bacterial community structure for a healthier soil and agriculture.

Use of chemical fertilization and pesticides not only harm the environment but also have detrimental consequences on human health. In recent years, there has been a major emphasis worldwide on natural agriculture methods. Regenerative agriculture is known across the world as a combination of nature-friendly farming practices such as no-till, cover cropping, crop-rotation, agroforestry and use of organic home-based/farm-based ingredients to revive soil health. In India, a number of farmers are slowly adopting these practices using home-based mixtures and farmyard manure for soil rejuvenation and pest management. In order to evaluate the efficacy of the regenerative agriculture practices, this study compared conventional and regenerative agriculture plots for their soil bacterial and nutrient profiles. Two crops - ragi (Finger millet, an old world cereal eaten in India) and vegetable (tomato/beans), and different lengths (≤3 and >5 years) of regenerative practices were additional metrics considered to understand variabilities due to crop-type and period of application. The common regenerative agriculture practices used by farmers in this study included a mix of practices such as mulching, minimal-till, inter-cropping, crop-rotation, along with application of farmyard manure and other home-based concoctions rich in nutrients and microbes for enriching the soil. We found that all regenerative practices were effective in bringing about an enrichment for soil bacteria with a more heterogeneous composition. Additionally, in regenerative vegetable (RV) versus conventional vegetable (CV) and barren land (BL) plots the relative percentage abundance of Actinobacteriota (RV-7.47%/ CV-6.24%/BL -7.02%) and Chloroflexi (RV-9.37%/ CV-6.63%/BL-8.75%) was slightly higher. In contrast, levels of Acidobacteriota (RV-8.1%/ CV-9.88%/BL-9.62%) was significantly lower. Similarly, regenerative ragi (RR) in comparison with conventional ragi (CR) and barren land (BL) plots saw higher representation of Firmicutes (RR-5.45%/ CR-2.38%/BL-1.45%) and Actinobacteriota (RR-11.53%/ CR-7.08%/BL-7.15%) and a concurrent reduction in Acidobacteriota (RR-6.91%/CR-7.39%/ BL-9.79%). The RV plots were found to be enriched for Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs) - Pseudomonas sp. (RV-0.51%/CV-0.01%/BL-0.21%), and RR plots were enriched for Bacillus sp. (RR-1.35%/CR-0.95%/BL-0.61%), and Mesorhizobium sp. (0.30%/0.12%/0.21%), which are known to play significant roles in vegetable and ragi growth respectively. Interestingly, long-term regenerative agriculture was able to support good nutrient composition while enhancing Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) levels. In all, the regenerative agriculture practices were found to be effective in improving bacterial community structure and simultaneously improving soil health. We found that BL soil with eucalyptus plantation showed among the least bacterial diversity suggesting detrimental impact on soil health.

Growth, Yield Components, and Yield Parameters of Maize (Zea mays L) as Influenced by Unified Use of NPSZnB Blended Fertilizer and Farmyard Manure

A two-year field experiment was carried out to scrutinize the integrated use of NPSZnB blended fertilizer and farmyard manure (FYM) on maize growth and yield components at Koga and Bachima villages in Mecha district and Geray and Jiga villages in Jabi Tehran district. Factorial combinations have five levels of NPSZnB (100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 kg·ha−1), and four rates of FYM (0, 12, 16, and 20 t·ha−1), plus one blanket recommendation (200 kg·ha−1 DAP and 150 kg·ha−1 Urea). A randomized complete block design with three replications was used to set up the studies. Except for days to silking and leaf area index at both locations, and days to physiological maturity, and ear length at Mecha, main and interaction effects on all parameters were detected at both locations. The only main effect of NPSZnB was detected on the harvest index at Jabi Tehnan. Generally, the results achieved from the interaction effect were better and greater than those obtained from the blanket recommendation although this was not the case for the main effects. Grain yields at Jabi Tehnan and Mecha were 5618.5 and 5421 kg·ha−1, respectively, as a result of the unified use of 250 kg·ha−1 NPSZnB and 20 t·ha−1 FYM and shortened days to 50% tasselling by 3.46 days and delayed 90% physiological maturity by 2.95 days than the blanket recommended fertilizer at Jabi Tehnan. As the main effect, compared to the blanket recommendation, 250 kg·ha−1 at Jabi Tehnan and 300 kg·ha−1 NPSZnB at Mecha reduced the days to 50% silking by 0.225 and 0.292 days, respectively. Contrasted with the conventional recommendation, the application of 300 kg·ha−1 NPSZnB minimizes days to 90% physiological maturity by 0.89 at Mecha, and the rise in FYM level from 0 to 20 t·ha−1 caused 0.832 and 0.279 extra days to reach 50% silking at Jabi Tehnan and Mecha, respectively. The yield had a very strong correlation that is positive with growth and yield components. Economic study: the use of 200 kg·ha−1 NPSZnB with 20 t·ha−1 FYM resulted in the maximum net benefit of 36221.06 and 35431.04 ETB ha−1 at Jabi Tehnan and Mecha, respectively. Thus, 250 kg·ha−1 NPSZnB with 20 kg·ha−1 FYM and 200 kg·ha−1 NPSZnB with no FYM application were the most acceptable rates at both locations with a low cost of production to small-scale farmers. For resource-rich farmers, 200 kg·ha−1 NPSZnB with 20 t·ha−1 FYM was also favorable, with the best net benefit at both locations.

Farmyard manure application increases lowland rice yield in phosphorus-deficient soils, but not in soils with high pH and phosphorus-fixing capacity

Farmyard manure application increases lowland rice yield in phosphorus-deficient soils, but not in soils with high pH and phosphorus-fixing capacity

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen in aggregates in response to over seven decades of farmyard manure application

AbstractThe study aimed to evaluate the effects of long‐term fertilisation on soil aggregation and the associated changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) pools in aggregates. The combined application of mineral fertiliser and manure improved soil aggregation, SOC and N content in aggregates, compared to manure or mineral fertiliser alone, and thus proved to be a suitable fertilisation strategy to increase C sequestration in agroecosystems.

Organic Amendments Improved the Productivity and Bio-Fortification of Fine Rice by Improving Physiological Responses and Nutrient Homeostasis under Salinity Stress.

Salinity stress (SS) is major abiotic stress that is seriously limiting crop production across the globe. The application of organic amendments (OA) mitigate the effects of salinity and improves soil health and crop production on a sustainable basis. However, limited studies are conducted to determine the impact of farmyard manure (FYM) and press mud (PM) on the performance of rice crop. Therefore, we performed this study to determine the impacts of FYM and PM on the growth, physiological and biochemical attributes, yield, and grain bio-fortification of rice crop under SS. The experiment was comprised of SS levels; control, 6 and 12 dS m-1 SS and OA; control, FYM: 5%, press mud 5% and combination of FYM (5%) + PM (5%). Soil salinity imposed deleterious impacts on the growth, yield, and grain quality of rice, however, OA appreciably offset the deleterious impacts of SS and improved the growth, yield, and grain bio-fortification of rice crop. The combined application of FYM + PM improved the growth and yield of rice through an increase in chlorophyll contents, leaf water contents, anti-oxidant activities (ascorbate peroxidise: APX; catalase: CAT, peroxidise: POD and ascorbic acid: AsA), K+ accumulation and decrease in Na+/K+ ratio, electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), Na+ accumulation. Moreover, the combined application of FYM + PM significantly improved the grain protein (5.84% and 12.90%), grain iron (40.95% and 42.37%), and grain zinc contents (36.81% and 50.93%) at 6 and 12 dS m-1 SS. Therefore, this study suggested that the application of FYM and PM augmented the growth, yield, physiology, biochemistry, and grain bio-fortification of rice and proved to be a good practice for better rice production in salt-affected soils.

Effect on Soil Properties as Influenced by the Application of FYM Enriched with Zinc Solubilizers and Zinc Sulphate in Maize (Zea mays L.)

Background: Suboptimal dietary zinc intake is widespread in India due to low levels of plant-available zinc in soils and limited food choices. The aim of this study was to enhance the zinc concentration in soil and plant by using farmyard manure (FYM) enriched with zinc fertilizers and zinc solubilizers respectively. Additionally, the response of maize to three forms of zinc fertilizer was determined. Maize crop grown under zinc-deficient soils contain lower zinc concentration, which can cause human illness and a drastic effect on yield can be noticed. Therefore, enhancing zinc content in plants by using FYM enriched with zinc solubilizers and inorganic zinc fertilizers is the best approach to increase zinc content in soil and plants.
 Methods: A field experiment was conducted to study the physico chemical properties of soil under maize (Zea mays L.) in response to the application of FYM enriched with ZnSB and ZnSO4 on sandy loam soils at College Farm, Agricultural College, Mahanandi campus of Acharya N. G. Ranga Agricultural University during rabi, 2021-2022. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with eleven treatments and replicated thrice.
 Results: The results revealed that significantly higher and comparable values of available nitrogen (302, 299 and 281 kg ha-1 respectively), phosphorous (73.40, 66.53 and 58.40 kg ha-1 respectively) and zinc (1.76, 1.54 and 1.15 mg kg-1 respectively) at different growth stages of maize were registered with application of FYM @ 10 t ha-1 enriched with ZnSO4 @ 50 kg ha-1. Whereas available potassium, Iron, manganese, copper, soil pH, EC (dS m-1) and OC (%) were not significantly affected by the application of FYM enriched with ZnSB and ZnSO4.

Assessment of the Effects of Farmyard Manure and NPK Fertilizer application on Banana Yields in Shuuku Town Council, Sheema District, Western Uganda

The Experiment was on the effect of Farmyard Manure and NPK Fertilizer on banana yields in Shuuku Town council, Sheema district. It was guided by three objectives which were, determining the effect of Farmyard Manure and NPK Fertilizer on plant girth, plant height, establishing the effect on leaf and sucker development and also determining hands formation on banana bunches in the 3 selected Sites. 
 The experiment was set using an incomplete randomized block design to evaluate the effects of Farmyard Manure and NPK fertilizer on banana yields, with an aim of determining the effect of Farmyard manure and NPK fertilizer on plant girth, plant height, establishing the effect on leaf and sucker development and also determining Hands formation on banana bunches in the 3 selected farms. Each block consisted of 30 banana stools, each farm with 4 blocks, one block cattle manure, another for NPK fertilizer, another one for a combination of both and the last one as a control in a randomized form. 
 Data was collected from at least 15 banana stools from each block. Data was used to give conclusions to the experiment objectives. Data was coded, edited and analyzed using SPSS to give meaning. After data processing, it was presented in tables. The researcher recommended the combined application of cattle manure and NPK fertilizers in banana production since they provide different nutrients to the soil hence ensuring increased yields.
 The researcher recommended utilization of cattle manure for the average Farmers. For the farmers involved in production of the banana crop, the researcher recommended cattle manure to enhance plant heights for both the maiden plants and suckers.

Phytosphere management for enhancing root yield and quality in a highly traded medicinal plant Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC.

Phytosphere management studies for Desmodium gangeticum (L.) DC., an essential herbal remedy used in the Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani medical systems, were carried out at AICRP on MAP and B, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University. Treatments for standardizing shade requirements were 25% shade, 50% shade, 75% shade, and completely open growing conditions. The organic manuring treatments included basal application of FYM @ 10 t/ha, FYM @15 t/ha, vermicompost (to supply N equivalent to FYM 10 t/ha), vermicompost (to supply N equivalent to FYM 15 t/ha), coir pith compost (to supply N equivalent to FYM 10 t/ha), coir pith compost (to supply N equivalent to FYM 15 t/ha) and absolute control. Under 75% shade, the highest root production of 7589 kg/ha was observed. The lowest root yield was produced in the open condition (49% lower than the treatment with the highest yield). According to the findings, D. gangeticum could be used as a component in agroforestry systems with a high shade intensity. The root yields were comparable under 50 and 25% shaded conditions. The basal application of farm yard manure at 10 or 15 t/ha produced the highest root yield and total alkaloid content among organic manures. After two years of the experiment, the soil nutrient status revealed a decrease in the amounts of available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compared to the starting level. The absolute control showed the most significant nutrient depletion, emphasizing the importance of providing crops with manures or fertilizers.

Synergistic application of calcium oxide nanoparticles and farmyard manure induces cadmium tolerance in mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) by influencing physiological and biochemical parameters.

Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) grown under heavy metals such as cadmium stress shows poor growth patterns and yield attributes which can be extenuated by the application of calcium and organic manure to the contaminated soil. The present study was designed to decipher the calcium oxide nanoparticles and farmyard manure-induced Cd stress tolerance through improvement in physiological and biochemical attributes of mung bean plants. A pot experiment was conducted by defining appropriate positive and negative controls under differential soil treatments with farmyard manure (1% and 2%) and calcium oxide nanoparticles (0, 5, 10, and 20 mg/L). Root treatment of 20 mg/L calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaONPs) and 2% farmyard manure (FM) reduced the cadmium acquisition from the soil and improved growth in terms of plant height by 27.4% compared to positive control under Cd stress. The same treatment improved shoot vitamin C (ascorbic acid) contents by 35% and functioning of antioxidant enzymes catalase and phenyl ammonia lyase by 16% and 51%, respectively and the levels of malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide decreased by 57% and 42%, respectively with the application of 20 mg/L CaONPs and 2% of FM. The gas exchange parameters such as stomata conductance and leaf net transpiration rate were improved due to FM mediated better availability of water. The FM improved soil nutrient contents and friendly biota culminating in good yields. Overall, 2% FM and 20 mg/L CaONPs proved as the best treatment to reduce cadmium toxicity. The growth, yield, and crop performance in terms of physiological and biochemical attributes can be improved by the application of CaONPs and FM under the heavy metal stress.

Residual Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizers on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Uptake in Wheat under a Basmati Rice–Wheat Cropping System in North-Western India

Restoring soil fertility in farming systems is essential to sustain a crop and its productivity. Thus, the present study was conducted to assess the residual effects of the combined application of fertilizers and manures on yield, concentration and uptake of nutrients in wheat under basmati rice-wheat cropping system. The treatments applied in the present study involve T1: control, T2: farmyard manure (15 t ha−1), T3: poultry manure (6 t ha−1), T4: press mud (15 t ha−1), T5: rice straw compost (6 t ha−1), T6: farmyard manure (15 t ha−1) + 50% recommended dose of nitrogen (RDN), T7: poultry manure (6 t ha−1) + 50% RDN, T8: press mud (15 t ha−1) + 50% RDN, T9: rice straw compost (6 t ha−1) + 50% RDN, T10: 75% RDN, T11: farmyard manure (15 t ha1) + 75% RDN, T12: poultry manure (6 t ha−1) + 75% RDN, T13: press mud (15 t ha−1) + 75% RDN, T14: rice straw compost (6 t ha−1) + 75% RDN, T15: 100% RDN. The residual effects of organic manures significantly improved the growth parameters and yield attributes. Among different residual treatments, the use of farmyard manure + 75% NPK showed maximum plant height (125.2 cm), number of tillers (68.0 m−1), chlorophyll content (45.0) and yield (50.84 q ha−1 for grain and 80.43 q ha−1 for straw, respectively). Additionally, the incorporation of farmyard manure + 75% RDN demonstrated the highest uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in grain (7.37, 3.31 and 4.93 g ha−1, respectively) and straw (1.72, 1.05 and 12.63 g ha−1, respectively). The maximum zinc, copper, iron and manganese concentrations were observed to be 32.0, 3.1, 52.1 and 17.6 mg kg−1 in grain and 8.2, 2.1, 374.6 and 20.5 mg kg−1 in straw, respectively. Similarly, the highest uptakes were observed to be 67.6, 15.5, 263.8 and 89.6 g ha−1 in grain and 173.3, 16.8, 3026.9 and 170.6 g ha−1 in straw, respectively. Thus, the integrated application of farmyard manure with 75% RDN could be used to sustain wheat productivity and maintain soil fertility which otherwise deteriorates due to the sole application of inorganic fertilizers.

Effect of Different Organic Manures and Their Levels on Nutrient Status and Soil Microbial Activity under Rose (Rosa bourboniana Desportes) Cultivation

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different organic manures and their levels on nutrient status and soil microbial activity in rose at Hisar during 2020-21. The treatments comprised of 3 different types of organic manures viz., farm yard manures, vermicompost and poultry manure and 4 levels control, 4 kg/m2, 5 kg/m2 and 6 kg/m2. The experiment was carried out in the split plot design with three replications. Observation on organic carbon, dehydrogenase activity and alkaline phosphatase activity, N, P and K content in rose leaves and available N, P and K content in soil at the time of harvest were recorded. Organic carbon in soil was maximum (0.93%) with the application of vermicompost while dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activity were highest with the application of farmyard manure and poultry manure, respectively. Nitrogen (2.17%) and phosphorus (0.27%) content were maximum in rose leaves at harvest stage with the application of poultry manure while Potassium (1.41%) content was maximum vermicompost. Same trend was observed in the nutrient status of soil with the application of different organic manures. It is concluded that the application of poultry manures had pronounced effect on microbial activity and nutrient status in rose.

Influence of Heat Stress and Water Availability on Productivity of Silage Maize (Zea mays L.) under Different Tillage and Fertilizer Management Practices in Rostov Region of Russia

The aridization of the climate negatively affects the growth and development of plants and their productivity. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of heat stress and water availability on maize for silage under aridization and to find out the effectiveness of technological methods to maximize the use of available moisture. A long-term multifactorial experiment was performed during the period 1991–2020 in the region south of Rostov, Russia. The long-term multifactorial experiment is located in a zone of high heat supply and insufficient moisture, so the latter factor limits the yield of corn and dictates the need to find solutions to increase its environmental sustainability in extreme weather conditions. The values of the hydrothermal coefficient (HTC) were determined for the period of maize cultivation for each year of the study, ranked in ascending order and grouped into clusters. The results were mathematically processed by calculating the mean values (M) and their standard deviations (±SEM) with Statistica 13.3 software. The optimum conditions for silage maize development were found under the combination of 265 mm of rainfall and a 19.8 °C average temperature during the growing season. The maximum yield of silage maize was 33.8–45.2 t ha−1. In dry years (HTC = 0.3), tillage had an advantage: the yield increase was 0.2–1.6 t ha−1. In wet years, moldboard tillage was preferable: the yield increase was 0.3–2.9 t ha−1. The application of farmyard manure for fertilization increased the yield by 10.5–41.9%. Increasing the fertilizer rate by 1.5 times increased the yield by 21.0–59.8%. In drought, tillage and average fertilizer rate provided returns by increasing yields up to 7.7 kg/kg. Our study provides valuable recommendations in fodder production, promotes moisture conservation, preserves soil fertility on the slopes when cultivating corn for silage, and will be useful to specialists in improving the efficiency of agricultural production.

Effects of farmyard manure application and grassland renovation on net ecosystem carbon balance in a temperate grassland: analysis of 11-year eddy covariance data

Effects of farmyard manure application and grassland renovation on net ecosystem carbon balance in a temperate grassland: analysis of 11-year eddy covariance data

Impact of Land Property Rights Security Cognition on Farmland Quality Protection: Evidence from Chinese Farmers

The stability or security of property rights plays an important role in stimulating the investment of economic entities, which can prevent or alleviate the degradation of land resources and improve the efficiency of agricultural management. This paper focuses on the perspective of land property rights security awareness, analyzes its impact on farmers’ cultivated land quality protection behavior, and, on the basis of a theoretical analysis framework linking the two, uses farmer survey data from southern Jiangxi Province and the probit model to empirically analyze the impact of farmers’ land property rights security awareness on their cultivated land quality protection behavior. The results show that the improvement in farmers’ awareness of land property rights security could significantly improve their probability of applying farmyard manure. This conclusion is proven to be robust by means of a replacement model and adjustment variables. Moreover, it is found that the influence of land property rights security cognition on farmyard manure application differs among farmers by age, degree of part-time work and land scale. Finally, we can draw inspiration for improving the effective implementation of public policies and increasing the publicity of legal knowledge of land property rights to improve farmers’ awareness and consideration of land property rights security.