Highest Benefit Cost Ratio Research Articles

Efficacy of chemical and botanical insecticides against tobacco caterpillar, <i>Spodoptera litura </i>(Fabricus) in soybean

The field trial was conducted at Soybean Research Farm of Birsa Agricultural University, Ranchi during Kharif season of 2021 and 2022 using variety JS-335. Results revealed that two foliar sprays applied at 35 and 50 days after sowing with Chlorantraniliprole (10 %) + Lambda cyhalothrin (5%) ZC (Ampligo 150 ZC) @ 200 ml ha-1 recorded lowest cumulative mean larval population of tobacco caterpillar i.e., 1.48 and 2.22 larvae per meter row length (mrl) during 2021 and 2022, respectively. The next best treatments were biological insecticides viz., emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 15 g ha-1 (1.68 and 2.33 larvae mrl-1) and spinosad 45 SC @ 75 g ha-1 (2.22 and 2.41 larvae mrl-1) with less larval population during 2021 and 2022, respectively. The treatment Chlorantraniliprole (10 %) + Lambda cyhalothrin (5%) ZC (Ampligo 150 ZC) @ 200 ml ha-1 also recorded highest mean seed yield (1915.5 kg ha-1) and highest benefit cost ratio (4.63).

Impact of cutting size and IBA concentration on underexploited leafy vegetables of Assam

Underutilized leafy vegetables are essential for a balanced human diet, offering vital micronutrients, vitamins and minerals, but they lack national or global recognition due to limited commercial exploration. This research aimed to standardize production techniques and ensure the availability of planting material for commercial cultivation. The experiment focused on three lesser-known leafy vegetables of Assam: Masundari, Pirali paleng, and Xoru manimuni, using treatments of N1: 1 node, N2: 3 nodes, N3: 5 nodes cutting size, and H1: distilled water, H2: 25 ppm, H3: 50 ppm, H4: 75 ppm IBA concentration to assess growth performance in both nursery and main field conditions. The results indicated that 5-node cuttings treated with 75 ppm IBA, followed by 50 ppm, showed the best growth performance in terms of rooting, growth, and yield parameters with the highest benefit-cost ratio, making this treatment highly effective for large-scale propagation and commercial cultivation.

Impact of Crop Residue Management on Soil Health under Rice- Wheat Cropping System in Southern Bihar, India

The study investigates the effects of paddy straw bale management on soil health and the productivity of a rice-wheat cropping system in Southern Bihar. Conducted from 2021 to 2023, the experiment involved four treatments: control (FP), tillage + recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), zero tillage (ZT) + mulching, and burning + ZT (RDF). Soil samples and crop yields were analyzed to evaluate physico-chemical properties, microbial activities, and economic viability. Results revealed that ZT + mulching significantly enhanced soil properties, including organic carbon, nutrient availability (NPK), and microbial activity, compared to other treatments. Grain and straw yields were highest under ZT + mulching for both rice (80.01 and 84.25 q ha-1) and wheat (53.4 and 57.35 q/ha), with improved plant height, panicle density, and grain quality. Economic analysis indicated the highest benefit-cost ratio under ZT + mulching (3.18 for rice and 2.92 for wheat). This sustainable practice demonstrated its potential to mitigate residue burning's negative impacts, enhance soil health, and boost productivity, offering a viable strategy for long-term agricultural sustainability in the region.

Evaluating the Economic Efficiency of Fuel Reduction Treatments in Sagebrush Ecosystems That Vary in Ecological Resilience and Invasion Resistance

The concepts of resilience and resistance (R&R) have been used to improve wildland fuel treatment outcomes by identifying parts of the landscape that are more likely to respond well to treatment. This study examined how the economic benefits and costs of fuel treatments in sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) ecosystems varied with the resilience and resistance properties of the treatment site. Generalized ecological models were developed for the economic analysis of fuel treatments that integrated ecological succession, annual grass invasion, pinyon–juniper expansion, and wildfire to simulate ecosystem dynamics over time. The models incorporated resilience and resistance by varying model parameters related to each plant community’s ability to resist annual grass invasion and recover post-disturbance. Simulations produced estimates of the expected (ex ante) benefit–cost ratio for each treatment. The approach also considered the benefits associated with the system remaining in an ecologically favorable condition, allowing us to report a more holistic measure of the net economic benefits of fuel treatments. The results from the simulations indicated fuel treatment was economically efficient in late-successional sagebrush and early-successional juniper in mountain big sagebrush associations. For sagebrush associations where treatment was economically efficient, higher R&R status sites had higher benefit–cost ratios. The results suggested that treatment costs were more determinative of economic efficiency than treatment benefits.

Growth and Yield of Summer Squash (Cucurbita pepo var. sunny house) in Response to Organic and Inorganic Mulching Materials at Rampur, Chitwan

Mulching, a widely employed agricultural practice, has been recognized for its influence on soil moisture retention, temperature regulation, and weed suppression, thereby improving growth and yield of crops. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of mulching materials on growth and yield attributes of summer squash under water constraint condition during March to May 2023 in Chitwan, Nepal. The experiment was laid in single factor Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four different mulches (rice straw, wheat straw, rice husk and silver on black plastic mulch 30 microns) and control replicated 4 times. All the Plant growth parameters, including plant height, number of leaves per plant and plant spread, were highest in silver plastic mulch and the poorest in the un-mulched plots. Mulching also significantly influenced floral characters, with plastic mulch demonstrating superiority in traits such as days to flowering, number of flowers per plant, and sex ratio compared to organic mulches and the control. Fruit length, diameter, and weight exhibited the highest values under plastic mulch and the lowest values under the control, while all organic mulches showed similar results. The highest yield of 41.44 Mt ha-1 was achieved with silver plastic mulch, highlighting its effectiveness in enhancing crop productivity, while the lowest yield of 11.77 Mt ha-1 was recorded in the control plots. Despite its higher cost, silver pastic mulch exhibited highest net return and benefit-cost ratio. Rice husk mulch, with the second highest benefit-cost ratio and relatively low cost of production, emerged as promising alternative. Although mulching did not notably affect the soil pH, the varying soil organic matter percentages were observed, with the highest on rice straw mulch and the lowest on silver plastic mulch. The study suggests that while plastic mulch can significantly boost productivity during water scarcity, rice husk mulch offers a cost-effective alternative with substantial economic benefit.

Effect of Irrigation Methods and Fertilizer Application on Growth and Yield Parameters, Yield, Economics and Water Use Efficiency in Groundnut

The present investigation was carried out at Agricultural Research Station, Bhavanisagar, Erode district of Tamil Nadu to study the effect of irrigation methods and fertilizer application effects on growth and yield parameters, yield, economics and water use efficiency in groundnut. The various irrigation methods followed were I1 – Drip irrigation, I2 – Drip fertigation, I3 – Sub surface drip irrigation, I4 – Sub surface drip fertigation, I5 – Sprinkler irrigation and I6 – Conventional method of irrigation as main plot treatments and the various methods of application of fertilizers were S1 – Absolute control (No fertilizer), S2 – Recommended dose of NPK fertilizers through normal fertilizers / Recommended dose of NPK fertilizers through water soluble fertilizers (According to the irrigation treatment) and S3 - S2 + Vermicompost @ 5 t ha-1 imposed as subplot treatments, and the treatments were replicated thrice. The experiment was laid out in strip plot design in a plot size of 15 M2. Application of recommended dose of fertilizers (25: 50: 75 kg NPK ha-1)along with vermicompost @ 5 t ha-1 with sub surface drip fertigation recorded highest growth [plant height (49.3 cm); number of branches (7.1) and number of leaves (69.2)] and yield attributes [number of pods per plant (38.2)], yield [pod yield (3271 kg ha-1)] high Benefit Cost Ratio (3.03) and water use efficiency (15.16 kg ha-1. mm) as compared to the other treatments in groundnut (var. VRI 3).

Profitability and technical efficiency of Binadhan-17 cultivation in the Haor areas of Bangladesh

The Haor region contributes approximately 20% of Bangladesh’s total rice production, and this study focused on the Binadhan-17 rice variety in three key Haor districts including, Sunamganj, Kishoreganj, and Netrokona. The research aimed to assess the costs, returns, and technical efficiency of Binadhan-17 cultivation, surveying 180 randomly selected farmers from the region. Using a stochastic frontier production function model and descriptive statistics, the study found that the average production cost per hectare was BDT 76,863, with fixed costs accounting for 35.90% and variable costs for 64.10%. The average net return per hectare was BDT 44,289, and the Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) was 1.58, with Sunamganj having the highest BCR (1.62), followed by Kishoreganj (1.57) and Netrokona (1.54). Significant positive relationships were found between human labor, land preparation, and insecticide costs at the 1% level, while seed, urea, and organic manure costs were significant at the 10% level, and TSP was significant at the 5% level. Around 68.33% of farmers achieved outputs close to the maximum frontier level (91%–99%), with an average technical efficiency of 89.40%, indicating a 10.60% production loss due to inefficiency. The study also identified several challenges faced by farmers, including difficulties in obtaining timely seed and labor, limited knowledge of production technologies, high fertilizer prices, and lack of capital, offering insights for policymakers to enhance rice production in the short term. Asian Australas. J. Food Saf. Secur. 2024, 8(2), 58-66

Effect of Planting Methods in Different Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) Varieties during the Summer Season

A field experiment was conducted during the summer seasons (2nd week of March to 3rd week of June) of 2019 and 2020 at the District Seed Farm, ‘AB’ block, Kalyani at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Nadia, West Bengal, India to evaluate the effect of line sowing and broadcasting methods of different varieties of sesame for good growth and yield. The experiment was laid down in 2×8 factorial RBD with replicated three times having two methods of sowing viz. S1: Line sowing; S2: Broadcasting was in the main block and eight varieties viz. V1: GT1; V2: GT2; V3: GT3; V4: GT4; V5: GT5; V6: GT6; V7: GT10; V8: Savitri was in the sub-block. Results revealed that plant height, rooting depth and root mass were considerably influenced by sowing methods and higher value was found under line sowing. Plant establishment methods did not vary a number of primary branches plant-1, LAI, CGR and dry matter production significantly but varied among varieties. Maximum number of capsule plant-1 was found under line sowing and the highest value was recorded in the variety GT4. Line sowing responded more yield a tune of 8.26% as compared to broadcasting. Oil content in the 43–47% range was registered under different varieties and the highest (47.7%) was recorded in the variety V5. Under line sowing protein content was found maximum with the variety V4. A higher benefit-cost ratio (1.82) was noted under the broadcasting method compared to line sowing (1.76).

Ecosystem services and cost-effective benefits from the reclamation of saline sodic land under different paddy field systems

Reclamation of saline-sodic soils can unlock vast potential resources, relieve food shortages, and increase valuable ecosystem services. While previous investigations have focused on the current ecosystem service (ES) value of reclaimed paddy fields, the potential long-term costs and benefits of reclamation are still largely unknown. To fill this important research gap, we assessed ES values of reclaimed paddies at the field scale, using primary data collected from 15 different paddy management systems. We assessed the market and non-market benefits, costs, and benefit-cost ratios (BCR) of three different reclamation models and two coculture models across a chronosequence of paddy sites (cultivated for up to 50 years). Our results demonstrate that the addition of cellulose sulfonated modified composite (CSMC) and flue gas desulfurization gypsum (FGDG) substantially increased the net ecosystem service value (NESV) by 16.53 % and 52.21 %, respectively, compared to control paddy cultivation sites. Additionally, integrated rice-crab and rice-fish coculture systems presented great increases in market value (48.48 % and 51.39 %, respectively) compared with that of monoculture systems. Ecosystem provisioning and gas regulating services increased alongside market benefits over longer cultivation periods, indicating potential advantages of long-term paddy cultivation. After 50 years of operation, the cumulative benefit of the CSMC system was approximately 455058.88 ¥ ha−1, which was approximately 1.6 times greater than the control. These results indicate that additional investment in the CSMC system can produce a high margin benefit-cost ratio (MBCR). Given appropriate management models and policies, CSMC inputs and rice-fish co-culture represent the best-performing reclamation system in this study. Our study lays the foundation for associated studies on related government policy, corporate investments, and agricultural production.

Fabrication of a Portable Groundnut Decorticating Machine for Domestic Purpose

Groundnut is one of the important oil seed crops cultivated in India. India ranks first in groundnut area under cultivation and is the second largest producer in the world with 101 lakh tones with productivity of 1863 kg per hectare in 2021-22. Groundnut cultivation in India is done by small-scale farmersand is the predominant dryland crop. In the beginning, thepeanuts were separated from their shells by the workers and theoutput from this method was much less and could not satisfy themarket demand as it was a very time-consuming process. It is atime-consuming and tedious operation. Hence, a portablegroundnut decorticating machine is designed and fabricatedwhich is small in size, easy to carry anywhere, and very easy tooperate (at any time). This is more useful for domestic purposessuch as households, hotels, and restaurants. This paper describesabout the design and fabrication of various components of a hand-operated groundnut decorticator. Small farmers or businessmencan start businesses by investing less capital. The output is about40-42 kg/hour, shelling time taken 1.5 min/kg, and with a highcost-benefit ratio of 1:28.6. The machine is also lightweight andeasy to operate and maintain, the spare parts are also availablelocally. Maintenance is very easy, purchase cost is low, and highlyeconomical in use. No electric power or diesel or skill knowledge is required. The shelling operation can be done by women at any time by accommodating in the house itself. Small and marginalfarmers can use regular shelling for the sowing of groundnut. This is a convenient equipment and can be used at any time(during day time or night time) based on their convenience. Not much labor is required and one person can manage the decortication process it is cost effective also.

Detection of microplastics in fish using computed tomography and deep learning

Marine organisms have been observed ingesting microplastic particles, with field analyses indicating fibers and fragments as prevalent forms. Current microplastic detection methods are mainly time-consuming, susceptible to cross-contamination, and expensive. Furthermore, these techniques, being disruptive, do not allow for the exact localization of the microplastic in the sample. This study proposes a new approach using Computed Tomography (CT scan) and Artificial Intelligence for the automatic and non-destructive detection of microplastics in fishes and other species based on the combination of several factors, such as density and shape. The advantages of this methodology include accurate identification of plastic localization, a low risk of cross-contamination, rapid processing, automatic tomographic measurement, efficient data processing, cost-effectiveness, and a high cost-benefit ratio. The herein results highlight how artificial intelligence applied to conventional techniques can significantly improve precision and efficiency in microplastic research. Indeed, the semantic segmentation model clearly recognized the presence of 100 % of the plastic particles, both in their location and in their volume, accelerating the identification process and surpassing the limitations of traditional spectral analysis methodologies.

Efficacy of Biopesticides for controlling major pests of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Surkhet District, Nepal

This study evaluated the efficacy of biopesticides against major insect pests of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) in Lekbeshi, Surkhet, Nepal. A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted with four treatments: Beauveria bassiana (1 ml/L), Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) (2 ml/L), Jholmol (1:5 concentration), and an untreated control. After the third spray, B. bassiana reduced red pumpkin beetle populations from 1.4 to 0.4 insects per plant, while Bt reduced fruit fly populations from 2.8 to 1.6 insects per plant, compared to the control (4.2 to 2.2). At 60 days after transplanting, Bt-treated plants were significantly taller (137.45 cm) than control plants (111.28 cm). Fruit damage was lowest in Bt-treated plots (1.8% and 0.69 kg damage weight) compared to the control (3.8% and 0.69 kg). While yield attributes showed no significant differences, total yield was highest in B. bassiana-treated plots (35.58 t/ha) compared to the control (17.8 t/ha). Economic analysis revealed that B. bassiana treatment had the highest benefit-cost ratio (4.19), followed by Bt (2.9), control (2.8), and Jholmol (2.3). These findings suggest that biopesticides, particularly B. bassiana and Bt, can effectively manage major cucumber pests while improving yield and economic returns, offering a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides in subtropical regions.

Comparison of the Therapeutic Efficacy and Autophagy-Mediated Mechanisms of Action of Urine-Derived and Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Osteoarthritis

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent and disabling disease that affects a significant proportion of the global population. Urine-derived stem cells (USCs) have shown great prospects in the treatment of OA, but there is no study that has compared them with traditional stem cells. Purpose: This study aimed to compare the therapeutic efficacy and mechanisms of USCs and adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) for OA treatment. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: We compared the biological properties of USCs and ADSCs using CCK-8, colony formation, EdU, adhesion, and apoptosis assays. We evaluated the protective effects of USCs and ADSCs on IL-1β–treated OA chondrocytes by chemical staining, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. We assessed the effects of USCs and ADSCs on chondrocyte autophagy by transmission electron microscopy, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting. We also compared the therapeutic efficacy of intra-articular injections of USCs and ADSCs by gross, histological, micro–computed tomography, and immunohistochemical analyses in an OA rat model induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection. Results: USCs showed higher proliferation, colony formation, DNA synthesis, adhesion, and anti-apoptotic abilities than ADSCs. Both USCs and ADSCs increased the expression of cartilage-specific proteins and decreased the expression of matrix degradation–related proteins and inflammatory factors in OA chondrocytes. USCs had a greater advantage in suppressing MMP-13 and inflammatory factors than ADSCs. Both USCs and ADSCs enhanced autophagy in OA chondrocytes, with USCs being more effective than ADSCs. The autophagy inhibitor 3-MA reduced the enhanced autophagy and protective effects of USCs and ADSCs on OA chondrocytes. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore the efficacy of USCs in the treatment of knee OA and to compare them with ADSCs. Considering the superior properties of USCs in terms of noninvasive acquisition, a high cost-benefit ratio, and low ethical concerns, our study suggests that they may be a more promising therapeutic option than ADSCs for OA treatment under rigorous regulatory pathways. Clinical Relevance: USCs may be a superior cell source for stem cells to treat knee OA, and this study strengthens the evidence for the application of USCs.

Strategic management of nano-fertilizers for sustainable rice yield, grain quality, and soil health

Conventional fertilizers, although widely available, are relatively low in nutrient use efficiency and cause serious environmental concerns like eutrophication, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nitrate poisoning, and soil pollution. With this in mind, a randomized block design (RBD) experiment was conducted in an experimental field taking 10 treatments and 3 replications to investigate the effects of integrated approaches of nano-formulated DAP fertilizer applications on rice growth, yield, and nutrient use efficiency over conventional approaches. The result revealed that plant height, panicle length, number of tillers hill−1, total number of grain panicle−1, and root length were maximum in T10 treatment (50% of the soil test recommended doses (STD) for N and P + seedling root dipping (SRD) with nano DAP at 5 mL L−1 + twice foliar sprays (FS) with nano DAP at 4 mL L−1 at 25 and 45 DAT (date after transplanting). The highest mean grain yields (4.12 and 4.05 Mg ha−1) and nutrient uptake were recorded in the T2 treatment (100% STD), but this was at par with T10 treatment. The highest benefit–cost ratio (2.26) was recorded in T10, which was 3.5% higher than T2. N and P agronomic use efficiency (AUE) ranged from 7.5% to 31.5% and 15% to 63%, and recovery efficiency (RE) ranged from 30% to 94.2% and 11.2% to 90.4%. The highest nutrient use efficiency was recorded with T10, followed by T9, and lowest in T4. Post-harvest soil pH and available N and P were significantly highest in T10. Soil MBC, MBN, MBP, urease, and phosphatase activity were found significantly higher in T2, followed by T10. The integrated application of 50% STD for N and P + SRD with nano DAP at 5 mL L-1 + twice FS with nano DAP at 4 mL L−1 at 25 and 45 DAT application can be a suitable substitute for conventional DAP and urea for rice in climate-smart agriculture as it possibly reduces environmental pollution while undisturbing crop yield over the 100% STD.

Towards sustainable fruit production: Identifying challenges and optimization strategies

CONTEXTThe transition to sustainable fruit production is vital for global sustainability and agricultural development. However, implementing these insights into practice faces significant challenges. OBJECTIVESPomelo (Citrus maxima), a prominent citrus species in tropical and subtropical regions, has been cultivated to enhance farmer profitability but increasing yields often comes at the cost of environmental degradation. This study uses pomelo as a case study to assess key factors influencing pomelo production and establish optimal practices that meet consumption-based food while co-benefits for environmental and economic sustainability. METHODSA comprehensive study was conducted by combining 1155 farm surveys (from 2010, 2018, and 2022) with 31 field experiments. Life cycle assessment (LCA), classification and regression tree (CART) analysis, and scenario analysis were employed to develop pathways for sustainable pomelo production in Pinghe County, Fujian Province, China. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSResults show no significant differences in pomelo yield across the three years; however, pomelo production in 2022 demonstrated a 60 %–67 % lower in environmental footprints and a 64 %–76 % higher benefit-cost ratio (BCR) compared to 2010 and 2018. Tree age was identified as a critical factor influencing pomelo yield, with optimal yields observed in trees older than 12.5 years. The rate of phosphorus fertilizer application was a key determinant of the phosphorus footprint (PF), which was positively correlated with phosphorus fertilizer rates. Similarly, nitrogen fertilizer application significantly impacted both carbon and nitrogen footprints (CF and NF) as well as the BCR. CF and NF increased with higher nitrogen fertilizer rates, while BCR exhibited a negative correlation with nitrogen fertilizer application. Implementing Science and Technology Backyards (STB) followed by farmer training of slightly more than pomelo nutrient requirements practice (SNRP) or coordinate management by farmers and researchers of matching pomelo nutrients requirement practice (MNRP) had 50 %–91 % lower environmental footprints per ton of pomelo produced and 15 %–44 % higher BCR compared to current farming practices (FP) via reducing 46 %–77 % N, 49 %–92 % P2O5, and 42 %–73 % K2O per hectare. Moreover, adopting 100 % MNRP in pomelo production, along with sustainable fertilizer practices and the implementation of innovative fertilizers, could reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (0.76 Tg), reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions (8.76 Gg), phosphorus (P) losses (0.84 Gg), and augment net ecosystem economic benefits (NEEB) (0.94 billion CNY) at the county scale. SIGNIFICANCEOur study provides evidence-based strategies for achieving sustainable pomelo production through multi-stakeholder collaboration of STB, government, enterprises, and smallholders.

Influence of Different Planting Methods and High-Density Planting on Yield and Economic Parameters in Banana cv. Williams

High density planting is one of novel concepts and it’s effectively increase productivity of per unit area without affecting the fruit quality. Gross yield of banana per hectare mainly depends on yield of per plant and number of plants per hectare. The study was carried out at ICAR- All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits, Kittur Rani Channamma College of Horticulture, Arabhavi in Belgavi district, Karnataka to study influence of different planting density on both yield and economic parameters of banana cv. Williams during 2021-22. It was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications and eight treatments. The results revealed that, the highest values for bunch parameters like bunch length (97.77 cm), bunch width (93.57 cm), number of hands per bunch (11.93), number of fingers in third hand (21.53) and weight of third hand (2.97 kg) was recorded in wider spacing treatment T4 (Single row - 2.4×1.8 m). Regarding to yield parameters like highest bunch weight per hill (36.09 kg) was recorded in T6 (3 plants per hill- 2.7×1.8×0.3 m). While, highest yield per hectare (108.75 t/ha) was found in treatment T8 (Paired row with zig-zag - 2.1×1.2×1.2 m). With respect to the highest gross returns (10,33, 125.00 Rs/ha), net returns (5, 53,725.00 Rs/ha) and highest benefit cost ratio (2.15) was observed in T8 (paired row system of with zig-zag planting).

Development and Evaluation of IPM modules against fruit borer (Helicoverpa Armigera) infesting tomato crop

Field studies on the “Development and evaluation of different management schedules against fruit borer, Helicoverpa armigera infesting tomato crop" were carried at farmer’s field, village Surajgarh, Jhajjar, Haryana. The observations on infestation of fruit borer in tomato fruits at the time of each picking, %reduction of the fruit borer infestation, total marketable yield in different schedules over control and benefit cost ratio were calculated. The maximum larval reduction over control was observed in S6 i.e. spray of fenvalerate 20 EC @ 188 ml/ha (79.91%) followed by spray of nimbecidine 300 ppm @ 2.5 l/ha (79.04). On number basis, highest fruit damage reduction over control was observed in S6 (50.23%) followed by S5 (43.83%) and lowest (21.72%) in S4 i.e. African yellow marigold + yellow sticky trap + Trichogramma chilonis Ishi @ 50000 parasitised eggs/ha (2 releases at 4 days interval). On weight basis, %fruit damage reduction over control was maximum in S6 (57.47%) followed by S5 (53.10%) and minimum in S4 (25.06%). The highest benefit cost ratio (22.81) was recorded in S6 due to lowest cost of plant protection (Rs.3628.34/ha) and highest increased yield over control (72 q/ha). Although schedule S4 was next to S6 in term of total cost of plant protection but showed lowest benefit cost ratio (3.46) due to minimum increased yield over control (20 q/ha) among all the management schedules. Benefit cost ratio in remaining schedules were 8.97, 5.40, 3.71 and 3.58 in S5, S1, S2 and S3, respectively.

Management of Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee) Using Biopesticides and Botanicals

The field experiment was carried out during Kharif season of 2023 at the Organic Research Farm Karguaji, Department of Entomology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Bundelkhand University Jhansi (U.P.). Nine treatments were tested: neem oil, garlic bulb extract, Bacillus thuringiensis, karanj oil, panchgavya, neem seed kernel extract (NSKE), Beauveria bassiana, Metarhizium anisopliae, and a control, under a randomized block design. Three sprays of treatments were applied. The results showed that neem oil at 2 ml/L resulted in the minimum shoot damage (7.82%), followed by Bacillus thuringiensis at 5 gm/L and NSKE at 5 ml/L. To manage fruit infestation caused by brinjal fruit and shoot borer, Bacillus thuringiensis and neem oil were themost effective treatments, followed by Beauvaria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae. The maximum yield and highest cost benefit ratio were found with Bacillus thuringiensis (1:3.15), followed by Metarhizium anisopliae (1:3.07) and Beauveria bassiana (1:3.04).

Influence of sowing dates and weed management practices on weed dynamics, productivity and profitability of direct seeded rice

This study evaluated the impact of differential sowing windows and improved weed management strategies on weed dynamics, productivity, and economic viability of direct drum seeded rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the temperate agro-ecosystem of Kashmir. A two-year field experiment was conducted utilizing a split-plot design with two sowing dates (May 10 and June 3) as main plots and six weed management practices as sub-plots. The earlier sowing date (May 10) resulted in significantly enhanced leaf area index, crop growth rate, relative growth rate, net assimilation rate, and grain and straw yields compared to the later sowing (June 3). Among weed management treatments, four mechanized conoweedings (equivalent to weed-free conditions) and sequential application of bensulfuron methyl + pretilachlor (60 and 600 g a.i. ha−1) as pre-emergence followed by 2,4-D (0.75 kg a.i. ha−1) as post-emergence demonstrated superior efficacy in weed suppression and augmentation of crop growth parameters and yield attributes. These treatments also exhibited the lowest weed index and highest benefit–cost ratio. The May 10 sowing, coupled with efficacious weed control measures, significantly reduced weed density and biomass while concomitantly improving nutrient uptake and economic returns. The results indicate that adopting a May 10 sowing date for direct seeded rice, in conjunction with either four conoweedings or the aforementioned sequential herbicide application, can optimize agronomic productivity and economic profitability under the temperate conditions of Kashmir. The study aided in choosing the best sowing window and efficient weed management strategy for attaining higher productivity and profitability of direct seeded rice in temperate conditions.

Harnessing rain hose technology for water-saving sustainable irrigation and enhancing blackgram productivity in garden land

Blackgram, a protein-rich pulse crop (24%), is crucial for combating food insecurity, particularly in malnourished and economically weak countries. Enhancing blackgram production requires improved, input-saving management practices. Given the challenges of climate change and population growth, efficient water management is vital for increasing pulse productivity and water use efficiency with minimal investment. This study aimed to identify cost-effective irrigation methods to optimise blackgram yields. Experiments were conducted at the National Pulses Research Centre in Vamban, Pudukkottai, and the Agricultural College and Research Institute in Kumulur, Tiruchirappalli, during the kharif season of 2021 and 2022. The study compared different treatments of irrigation methods, such as check basin, raised bed, drip, sprinkler and rain hose irrigation. Results showed that the rain hose system maintained the highest soil moisture (23.93% at 10 cm depth and 19.71% at 20 cm depth). Even though drip irrigation resulted in a higher seed yield (1363 kg ha−1), the rain hose system proved to be more cost-effective, saving 27.09% in costs and achieving a 15.23% higher benefit–cost ratio. These findings suggest that the rain hose method, combined with current agronomic practices, is a viable low-cost technique for sustainable blackgram cultivation, optimising water use and maximising profits. This research provides valuable insights into water-saving irrigation methods for pulse crops.