Jute Crop Research Articles

Soil fertility management for productivity enhancement of jute under some constrained acidic soils of West Bengal

Jute crop plays a pivotal role in the farming economy of number of eastern Indian states like West Bengal (Paschimbanga), Asom, Bihar and Odisha. In spite of available sound production technology, the main concern in jute fibre production system in India is the non-uniform productivity over 87 jute-growing districts located in varying agro- climatic regions of the country including 17 jute-growing districts of West Bengal having relatively higher productivity in South Bengal than in North Bengal. The major reasons of technical nature for low productivity in North Bengal are initially identified as soil acidity. The participatory farmers’ field experiments were conducted at Balurghat (pH 5.06, EC 0.024 dS/m, OC 0.59%, available N, P, K= 246, 29, 90 kg/ha) and Kumarganj (pH 4.45, EC 0.002 dSm-1, OC 0.51%, available N, P, K= 314, 15, 98 kg/ha) blocks of Dakshin Dinajpur district of North Bengal with an aim to enhance the productivity of jute through proper soil fertility management. The results of the field experiment revealed that application of lime (based on LR value) coupled with soil test-based balanced fertilization enhanced the productivity of olitorius jute [over farmers’ practice Balurghat [(2.42 tonnes/ha) and Kumarganj (1.52 tonnes/ha)] by 29.1% and 45.7% in the constrained acidic block of Balurghat and Kumarganj (of Dakshin Dinajpur district) respectively. The same treatments also improves the B:C ratio and reduced insect pests and disease incidence.

Incidence of pests in jute (Corchorus olitorius L.) ecosystem and pest–weather relationships in West Bengal, India

Experiment on jute crop was conducted during pre-kharif to kharif seasons (April to August) at Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), West Bengal, India in a view to record the pest incidence on olitorius jute and to determine the weather parameters impacting on pest population in jute under West Bengal conditions. Seventeen different species of pests belonging to insects, mites and nematodes were found feeding on jute. Among them, jute semilooper (Anomis sabulifera Guen.), Bihar hairy caterpillar (Spilarctia obliqua Wlk.), grey weevil (Myllocerus discolor Bohemus), yellow mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks), stem weevil (Apion corchori Marshall), and root knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita are causing economic damage to the crop and other pests were considered as minor pests. Correlation studies with weather parameters showed that incidence of semilooper was negatively correlated (r = −0.795 to −0.725) with the maximum temperature but had positive significant association with minimum temperature (r = 0.528–0.715), morning relative humidity (RH) (r = 0.579–0.857) and afternoon RH (r = 0.876). Bihar hairy caterpillar incidence also exhibited positive significant relationship with morning RH (r = 0.577) and afternoon RH (r = 0.545). Morning and afternoon RH and rainfall also had significant positive correlation with the incidence of M. discolor with r = 0.535, 0.570, and 0.700, respectively. None of the meteorological parameters had any significant influence on the incidence of A. corchori. Yellow mite incidence showed positive association with morning RH (r = 0.563–0.679) and afternoon RH (r = 0.526–0.618). Rainfall was found favourable for proliferation and incidence of M. discolor only but had a negative effect on the incidence of stem weevil and yellow mite. Thus climatic factors particularly temperature, relative humidity and rainfall played a pivotal role on occurrence and existence of different pests on jute crop.

Integrated nutrient management in potato (Solanum tuberosum)-jute (Corchorus olitorius) sequence

A field experiment was conducted during winter season of 1999-2000 and rainy season of 2002 at Mohanpur, West Bengal to evaluate the performance of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)iijute (Corchorus olitorius L.) se- quence as influenced by two complex fertilizers, viz. NPK (10:26:26) and NPK (15:15:15) in conjunction with 25% N as farmyard manure. lntegrated use of complex fertilizers either NPK (10:26:26) or NPK (15:15:15) along with FYM (7.8 t/ha), recorded higher yield in comparison with the application of straight fertilizers + FYM (7.8 t/ha) in potato. A conjunctive use of NPK (10:26:26) and FYM in potato followed by an application of 40 kg N + 8.8 kg P + 16.6 kg Wha or only 40 kg Nlha in jute recorded the maximum yield of tuber (23.77 t/ha) and jute fibre (4.18 t/ha). lntegrated use of NPK (10:26:26) and FYM in potato with a fertilizer dose of 150 kg N + 44 kg P + 83 kg Wha had total uptake of N (160.2 kglha), P (30.8 kglha) and K (190.9 kglha) by the system (potato and jute crops) per an- num. After completion of three cropping sequences, it also improved the total N (10.2%), available P (6.3%) and available K (3.9%) status over the initial soil status. lntegrated nutrient management with NPK (10:26:26) + FYM in potato followed by application of 40 kg N + 8.8 kg P + 16.6 kg Wha in jute earned maximum net returns (Rs 48,580lha) and returns per Re invested (Rs 2.21).

Direct and residual effect of fertilizers on yield and nutrient uptake of jute (Corchorus capsularis) and rice (Oryza sativa) grown in a cropping sequence in rainfed lowlands

A field experiment was conducted at Kharagpur during 1991 and 1992 to study the effect of varying levels of N and P applied to capsularis jute (Corchorus capsularis L.) and their residual benefits to the succeeding rice (Olyza sativa L.) crop. Jute crop showed response up to N,, P,, level. Sizeable amount of jute biomass was recycled in soil through root stubbles (1,605 kglha) and leaf fall (387 kglha) supplying 23 kg IVIha and 10 kg P,O$ha. Advantage of residual .,.-- fertility to rice improved the grain yield significantly by direct application of chemical fertilizer at sub-optimal dose, i.e. N,, .P, Thus, a saving of 20 kg N/ha and 10 kg P,O$ha could be achieved due to residual fertility derived from jute biomass in jute-rice cropping sequence.

Dissipation of carbaryl and BPMC residues in and/or on jute foliage

Abstract Field trials were conducted to study the magnitude of BPMC and carbaryl residues in and/or on jute foliage. Jute crop was treated with BPMC 50EC, carbaryl 50 WP and Sevimol 40 LV at 0.75 and 1.25 kg a.i./ha, twice at the interval of 15 days, starting 45 days after sowing. The samples of green foliage drawn at different time intervals were analysed colorimetrically. The initial deposits of BPMC and carbaryl in and/or on foliage varied from 73.51 to 103.18 ppm and 91.01 to 137.55 ppm respectively. The residues dissipated fairly rapidly. Dissipation followed a first‐order reaction and the half‐life values for carbaryl and BPMC varied from 2.79 to 3.16 and 2.17 to 2.31 days respectively.

Effect of moisture regimes and level of fertilizer application on yield and water requirement of jute (Corchorus olitorius L. and Corchorus capsularis L.)

SUMMARYField experiments on the effect of moisture regimes and fertilizer application on fibre yield of two jute varieties showed that JRO 632 (Corchorus olitorius L.) produced significantly more fibre, utilized moisture more efficiently and extracted water from deeper layers than did JRC 212 (Corchorus capsularis L.). Scheduling of irrigation at 20% available soil moisture (ASM) gave the highest fibre yield in normal (1970) and drought (1972) years but unirrigated conditions (dry regime) gave highest yield in a year of excess rainfall (1971). The consumptive use (CU) increased from dry to wet regimes and the water use efficiency (WTJE) was greater in dry regimes in normal as well as in excess rainfall years. But the WUE was maximal when the crop was irrigated at 60% ASM in the drought year. The water requirement of the jute crop was 490 mm in the normal and excess rainfall years (20% ASM and dry regime respectively) while in the drought year it was 560 mm (20% ASM). The moisture extraction was more from deeper depths in the dry regime and only from shallower depths in wet regimes.The fibre yield increased with increase in nitrogen application from 40 to 80 kg/ha. Application of 40 kg P2O5 and 40 kg K2O/ha did not improve the fibre yield in the excess rainfall and drought years. In the drought year (1972) irrigating at 20% ASM and 80 kg N/ha and in the excess rainfall year (1971) the dry regime with 40 kg N/ha produced highest fibre yields. There was not much variation in CU and WE of the crop due to different fertilizer levels. The WUE was increased by irrigating at 20% ASM with 80 kg N/ha in a crop rotation system where P and K were applied to preceding crop.

Phosphorus transformation in tejgaon clay soil, east pakistan, under different cultural practices

AbstractThe distribution of forms of phosphorus in an acid ferruginous soil after application of superphosphate is studied. Of the P2O5 added as superphosphate, 88% was retained by the soil 3 days after application. Most of the superphosphate added was converted into sesquioxide‐bound P2O5 and adsorbed P2O5. Liming the soil increased the Truog's sulphuric acid‐soluble P2O5 by about 10%. Adsorbed P2O5 (hydroxyl‐replaceable P2O5) rather than Truog's soluble P2O5 appeared to be utilised by the jute crop.

Indian Jute Production

A BROCHURE containing much valuable statistical material on the jute trade and industry, including estimates which are not available elsewhere, has been issued by the Indian Central Jute Committee, Calcutta, under the title “World Consumption of Jute” 1938—39 and 1939—40 (Economic Research Bulletin No. 1, R.I, Is. 6d.). The estimates of the total consumption of jute in the world given in this bulletin for the period 1933—34 to 1939—40 indicate that consumption reached its peak in 1936—37 with an aggregate consumption of about 123 lakhs of bales, but world consumption in 1938—39 fell to 107 lakhs of bales, and only rose again, to 109 lakhs of bales in 1939—40, in spite of the hectic buying at the beginning of the War. Independent estimates of the yield of the jute crop are also included for the 1938—39 and 1939—40 seasons.