Physiological Efficiency Research Articles

Physiological efficiency during the vegetative stage of tomato crops developed from magnetically treated seeds

Physiological efficiency during the vegetative stage of tomato crops developed from magnetically treated seeds

Nutrient and energy conservation through nano-fertilizers in maize

In the current scenario, achieving food security while conserving resources and energy is a significant challenge. Maize is a widely cultivated but nutrient-exhaustive crop. The adoption of nanotechnology-based nano-fertilizers offers a pathway to achieving sustainable yields while reducing fertilizer requirements and conserving energy. A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif season of 2021 to explore nutrient and energy conservation through nano-fertilizers in maize at the University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru. The experiment involved nine treatments comprising various combinations of the recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) with nano-urea and nano Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) under a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The results indicated that Treatment T5 - 75% of the Recommended Dose of Nitrogen (RDN) + Nano-N—achieved a higher yield (10.20% higher than the conventional practice, T1-RDF + Farmyard Manure (FYM)) and improved nutrient uptake at harvest [299.22, 55.56, and 208.26 kg of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) per hectare, respectively]. This treatment also demonstrated greater physiological efficiency (36.11, 200.66, and 52.70 kg of maize per kg of N, P, and K, respectively), higher energy output (260,851 MJ ha?¹), improved energy use efficiency (16.93), enhanced energy productivity (0.627 kg MJ?¹), and better energy profitability (15.93). Using 75% of RDN + Nano-N increases yield while reducing fertilizer use and conserving energy.

Screening Tomato Genotypes for B–Recovery and Acquisition Potential in Calcareous Soils

ABSTRACT Screening a suitable genotype is important for nutrient recovery and its acquisition potential. Twenty genotypes of tomato were studied under different doses of B-application. The indices of B use efficiencies, viz. apparent B recovery (ABR), fruit production efficiency (FPE), physiological efficiency (PE), agro-physiological efficiency (APE) and utilization efficiency ratio (UER) were worked out for tomato genotypes. The field experiment was laid out in a split-plot design for the two consecutive years, assigning three B levels (control i.e. without B application, @ 2.0 kg B ha−1 through borax and 0.25% boric acid foliar spray twice) in main plot and location-specific twenty tomato genotypes in subplots, replicated thrice. Soil applied B produced greater fruit yield than the twice foliar spray of 0.25% boric acid B. However, the tomato fruit yield was improved by 2–12% over control by soil applied B @ 2.0 kg B ha−1 through borax and twice foliar spray of B. Irrespective of genotypes, B content in fruit and shoot of tomato plant improved upon application of B. The apparent B recovery (ABR) and agronomic efficiency (AE) of B suggested that foliar application was more effective in comparison to soil application. The use efficiencies were highest in the cultivars NS–812 followed by NS–512 and B–9–2 in B-deficient calcareous soils with the application of 0.25% boric acid foliar spray twice. These genotypes could be a promising lines for breeding program for B enrichment in tomato for cultivation in B-deficient soils.

Optimizing nitrogen application rates to maximize productivity while reducing environmental risk by regulating nitrogen and water utilization in mixed cropping systems

Optimizing the nitrogen (N) fertilization level and cropping system is critically important for achieving good production performance with low environmental pollution. However, there is a knowledge gap on the relationship between crop production sustainability, water and nitrogen consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emission under the change in N application rate under cereal and legume mixed systems. A 3-year field experiment with two cropping systems [sole forage sorghum (SS) and forage sorghum/lablab mixed cropping (SL) with four N fertilizer application rates (N0, 0 kg N ha−1; N90, 90 kg N ha−1; N180, 180 kg N ha−1; and N270, 270 kg N ha−1)] was conducted. Results obtained showed that mixed cropping combined with N fertilization enhanced forage biomass and crude protein yield by 34.0 % and 51.1 %, respectively, particularly in mixed cropping combined with the N180 treatment compared with the N0 level in the sole cropping system. Similar improvements were observed for yield stability and sustainability (2.97 % and 0.95, respectively), which reached maximum values at N180 in the mixed cropping system. In addition, mixed cropping increased the water productivity of dry matter yield (WPDM) and water productivity of crude protein yield (WPCPY) by 17.2 % and 27.6 %, respectively, at 180 kg N ha−1 compared with the corresponding treatments of the sole planting system. Furthermore, mixed cropping combined with appropriate N application significantly improved N physiological efficiency (PEN) and reduced GHG intensity (GHGI), where N application of 180 kg ha−1 N increased PEN by 21.3 % and reduced GHGI by 17.6 % compared with the corresponding monoculture in the mixed cropping system. This study demonstrated that reducing N fertilization in cereal–legume cropping systems can promote forage productivity by optimizing water and N management while decreasing environmental pollution. Therefore, forage sorghum mixed with lablab and fertilization at 180 kg N ha–1 is a preferable approach for sustainable agricultural production in the Northwest arid region of China.

Evaluating the impact of phyto-hormones on the morpho-biochemical traits of soybean through seed treatment and foliar application

Global climate variations, mainly extreme temperatures reduce crop production and contributed to global food insecurity. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) improve physiological efficiency, photosynthetic capacity, and assimilate partitioning in field crops. However, their influence on soybean (Glycine max L.) yield and seed quality is under-researched. This study investigates the synergistic effects of auxin (2,4-D) and gibberellin (GA3) at 60 and 90 mg L−1 concentrations. This study investigates the impact of phytohormones, specifically gibberellic acid (GA3) and 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), on the morphological and biochemical traits of soybean (Glycine max L.) through seed treatment and foliar application. These Growth regulators were applied through seed treatment at the time of sowing and foliar application at the time of flowering initiation stage. The experiment was designed using a RCBD arrangement and each block replicated thrice time. Seed treatment with 2,4-D at 90 mg/L showed that maximum plant height (116.80 cm), first node height (8.04 cm), No. of branches per plant (18.67), root length (18.12 cm) stem diameter (0.05 cm), no. of pods per plant (32.60), seed yield (1532.30 kg ha−1), biological yield (4109.30 ha−1), and harvest index (39.36 %). The GA3 (seed treatment) at conc. of 90 and 60 mg L−1 resulted in a significantly increased no. of nodule fresh weight, nodules per plant, and dry weight respectively. But the no. of seeds per pod did not showed significant results throughout the study. However, the foliar applied of 2,4-D at 90 mg L−1 resulted in significantly increased leaf area index (LAI) compared to the seed treatment. PGRs had a significant influence on quality traits. Thus, the application notably improved the potential of soybean and successful oilseed crop. Therefore, it is showed that using PGRs are extremely helpful for attaining higher growth, yield production, and improved quality of soybean.

Elevated CO2 and Nitrogen Supply Boost N Use Efficiency and Wheat (T. aestivum cv. Yunmai) Growth and Differentiate Soil Microbial Communities Related to Ammonia Oxidization.

Elevated CO2 levels (eCO2) pose challenges to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth, potentially leading to a decline in quality and productivity. This study addresses the effects of two ambient CO2 concentrations (aCO2, daytime/nighttime = 410/450 ± 30 ppm and eCO2, 550/600 ± 30 ppm) and two nitrogen (N) supplements (without N supply-N0 and with 100 mg N supply as urea per kg soil-N100) on wheat (T. aestivum cv. Yunmai) growth, N accumulation, and soil microbial communities related to ammonia oxidization. The data showed that the N supply effectively mitigated the negative impacts of eCO2 on wheat growth by reducing intercellular CO2 concentrations while enhancing photosynthesis parameters. Notably, the N supply significantly increased N concentrations in wheat tissues and biomass production, thereby boosting N accumulation in seeds, shoots, and roots. eCO2 increased the agronomic efficiency of applied N (AEN) and the physiological efficiency of applied N (PEN) under N supply. Plant tissue N concentrations and accumulations are positively related to plant biomass production and soil NO3--N. Additionally, the N supply increased the richness and evenness of the soil microbial community, particularly Nitrososphaeraceae, Nitrosospira, and Nitrosomonas, which responded differently to N availability under both aCO2 and eCO2. These results underscore the importance and complexity of optimizing N supply and eCO2 for enhancing crop tissue N accumulation and yield production as well as activating nitrification-related microbial activities for soil inorganic N availability under future global environment change scenarios.

Effect of Customized Fertilizer Application on Physiological Aspects of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

It is predicted that India will required around 32 million tons of pulses to feed around 1.68 billion people by 2030. Therefore, improved technologies must be needed to increasing production. And increase in physiological efficiency of crop is important to improve the productivity and production of crop. Hence, the experiment entitled "Effect of customized fertilizer application on physiological aspects of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)" was carried out at Department of Plant Physiology, AB & MAP, College of Agriculture, IGKV, Raipur (Chhattisgarh) during rabi 2020-21. The experiment consists of five treatments with replicated four times in RBDS design and Indira chana 1 variety of chickpea used as a test crop. The study highlighted that that the T5 CFG 3 (NPKSZnMo 5.5:4.6:4.5:8.3:1.4:0.034 %) based on recommendation (125%) was found effective to minimize the phenophase like 50% flowering, physiological maturity significantly. Higher chlorophyll value was observed in T5 CFG 3 (NPKSZnMo 5.5:4.6:4.5:8.3:1.4:0.034 %) based on recommendation (125%) and Maximum Fv/Fm (chlorophyll florescence) was observed in T4 CFG 2 (NPKSZnMo 5.5:4.6:4.5:8.3:1.4:0.034%) based on recommendation (75%). T3 CFG 1 (NPKSZn Mo5.5: 4.6:4.5:8.3:1.4:0.034%) based on recommendation (100%) was also observed effectively increased dry matter partitioning towards the economic sink and maximize Crop growth rate, Relative growth rate, economic (seed) yield, biological yield and harvesting index. Thus, it is proved that in comparison with the recommended doses of fertilizers application of CFGA has enhanced the plant yield.

Comparison of Organic and Inorganic Fertilization in Fenugreek Cultivation Using Nitrogen Indicators

Nitrogen indices could be used to evaluate organic and inorganic fertilization because they provide quantitative measures of nitrogen availability in the soil, allowing for a more accurate assessment of nutrient-management practices and optimization of crop yields. This study investigates the impact of different fertilization types and salinity on various soil parameters in fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) cultivation and nitrogen indices. A field experiment was established at the Agricultural University of Athens during the cropping period of 2018–2019 (CP I), 2019–2020 (CP II), and 2020–2021 (CP III) in a split-plot design with two main salinity treatments (high salinity, HS, and conventional salinity, CS) and five fertilization treatments (biocyclic–vegan humus soil (BHS), manure (FYM), compost (COMP), inorganic fertilization (11–15–15), and the control (C). The Nitrogen Balance Intensity (NBI) was statistically significantly affected by the factors of fertilization (p ≤ 0.01) and salinity (p ≤ 0.001) for CP I. The maximum NUEcrop value was recorded in the FYM treatment (0.83 ± 0.04) and the minimum in the COMP treatment (0.64 ± 0.04). Physiological efficiency (PE) was not significantly affected by any treatment for CP III. The fertilization factor significantly affected the NUEsoil index (p ≤ 0.001) for all three CPs. For CP I, the highest Nitrogen Uptake Efficiency (NUpE) value was recorded in the BHS treatment (27.08 ± 7.31) and the lowest in the C treatment (13.22 ± 7.31). There were no significant differences in CP I and CP II NUEbalance values among the NPK, BHS, and FYM treatments. These findings underscore the potential of organic fertilizers in addressing the global nitrogen challenge and promoting environmentally sustainable farming practices.

Efficacy of Nano Urea on Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Irrigated Maize under Temperate Ecology

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif-2022 season at the Agronomy Research Field, FOA, SKUAST-Kashmir, to investigate the efficacy of nano-urea in improving nitrogen-use efficiency in irrigated maize. Ten treatments were evaluated viz., T1: Control, T2: Recommended dose of Nitrogen (RDN) as basal (prilled urea), T3: 75% RDN + 1 spray nano-urea at 2 ml L-1 (60 DAS), T4: 75% RDN + 1 spray at 4 ml L-1 (60 DAS), T5: 50% RDN + 2 sprays at 2 ml L-1 (30 and 60 DAS), T6: 50% RDN + 2 sprays at 4 ml L-1 (30 and 60 DAS), T7: 25% RDN + 2 sprays at 6 ml L-1 (30 and 60 DAS), T8: 25% RDN + 2 sprays at 8 ml L-1 (30 and 60 DAS), T9: 25% RDN + 1 spray at 6 ml L-1 (60 DAS), T10: 25% RDN + 1 spray at 8 ml L-1 (60 DAS). The experiment was carried out following a randomized complete block design with three replications. Results revealed that treatment T6 (50% RDN as basal + 2 sprays at 30 and 60 DAS at 4 ml L-1 of nano-urea) exhibited superior performance compared to the recommended nitrogen dose (T2) and other treatments in enhancing nutri-ent-use efficiency. Notably, treatment T6 demonstrated the highest nitrogen uptake in grain (101.92 kg ha-1) as well as stover (67.41 kg ha-1), surpassing all other treatments. Additionally, agronomic efficiency was significantly higher in T8, while physiological efficiency peaked in T6. Yield attributes and overall yield showed consistent improvements in treatments receiving nano-urea. Furthermore, treatments utilizing nano-urea demonstrated higher net returns and benefit-cost ratios, with T6 particularly standing out. These findings underscore the potential of foliar application of nano-urea to halve the recommended dose of prilled urea, thereby enhancing nitrogen uptake, nutrient-use efficiency, yield, and economic returns, while promoting sustainability in agriculture.

Optimizing Nitrogen Fertilization for Enhanced Rice Straw Degradation and Oilseed Rape Yield in Challenging Winter Conditions: Insights from Southwest China

The crop straw returning to the field is a widely accepted method to utilize and remediate huge agricultural waste in a short period. However, the low temperatures and dry conditions of the winter season in Southwest China can be challenging for the biodegradation of crop straw in the field. With a similar aim, we designed a short-term study where rice straw was applied to the field with different concentrations of nitrogen (N) fertilizer while keeping phosphorus (P) constant; CK, (N0P0); T1, (N0P90); T2, (N60P90); T3, (N120P90); and T4, (N180P90) were added to evaluate its impact on straw degradation during cold weather. We found that high fertilization (T4) significantly improved crop yield, organic matter, and lignocellulose degradation under cold temperatures (21.5–3.2 °C). It also significantly improved soil nitrogen agronomic efficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, and nitrogen physiological efficiency. The yield was highest in T4 (1690 and 1399 kg/ha), while T3 acted positively on soil lignocellulolytic enzyme activity, which in turn resulted in higher degradation of OM and lignocellulosic material. Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed that total nitrogen, total phosphorus, available nitrogen, and available phosphorus were important variables that had a significant impact on soil EC, bulk density, water holding capacity, and soil enzymes. We found that nitrogen application significantly changed the soil bacterial community by increasing the richness and evenness of lignocellulolytic bacteria, which aided the degradation of straw in a short duration. This study’s finding indicates that the decomposition of crop straw in the field under cold weather stress was dependent on nutrient input, and N, in an appropriate amount (N120-180), was suitable to achieve higher yield and higher decomposition of straw in such an environment.

Effects of Foliar Application of Salicylic Acid On Morphological, Biochemical and Yield Attributes of Maize (Zea Mays L.) Under Rainfed Condition

An experiment was performed in the kharif- 2022 focusing on the impact of foliar applications of Salicylic acid on various morphological, biochemical, and yield attributes in maize, using the CP-858 variety. The study involved four concentrations of salicylic acid: T1-50ppm, T2-100ppm, T3-150ppm, and T4-175ppm. Notable differences emerged in morphological and yield attributes such as sink size, test weight and yield per plot, revealing a marked increase in plant physiological efficiency treated with Salicylic acid when compared to the control. This trend was also evident in key biochemical parameters like chlorophyll 'a', 'b', and total chlorophyll content, and protein content in leaves, showing a positive response to exogenously applied Salicylic acid. Similar outcomes were recorded in terms of yield and yield-related indicators. These outcomes underscore the significance of Salicylic acid as a potent growth regulator for crop plants, particularly those cultivated under dryland conditions. Bangladesh J. Bot. 53(2): 273-278, 2024 (June)

Correlation Studies of Morpho-physiological Characters with Seed Yield in Rapeseed (Brassica rapa var. Toria)

Background: In the North-Eastern states, Assam has the highest area of cultivation of rapeseed and found to be potential hub for increasing productivity to a great extent. To fulfil the increasing demand for edible oils, interdisciplinary approaches including physiological parameters must be paid off. The suitable genotype for a particular region has to be identified based on physiological efficiency and yield. Methods: A field experiment was carried out at the Instructional-cum-Research (ICR) Farm, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-13, Assam during rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications comprising of 22 different genotypes of rapeseed including TS-38 (Check), TS-46, TS-67, TS-36, TS-29, TS-75-1, TS-75-1TL, TS-75-2ME, TS-75-2-MM, TS-76-1, TS-76-2, JT-90-1, Panchali, Bhawani, CG Toria-4, TKM-20-1, TKM-20-2, JT-14-5, PT-2018-09, CG Toria-3, Tapeshwari and PT-303. The crops were grown following the recommended package of practices. All the morpho-physiological parameters, yield attributes and yield were recorded following the standard methodologies. The correlation coefficients of morpho-physiological characters and different yield components with seed yield were worked out from the pooled values of two years following the standard method. Result: The results indicated that number of green leaves per plant, stem diameter, total dry weight, total leaf chlorophyll content, AGR and CGR showed highly significant positive correlation with seed yield, clearly indicating their contribution towards higher yield in rapeseed. The number of primary branches and SLW exhibited significant positive correlation with seed yield. Among the yield attributes, number of siliqua per plant, seeds per silique, seeds per plant, sink capacity, stover yield and harvest index showed a highly significant positive correlation with the seed yield.

Genotypic Variations of Morpho-physiological Parameters of Rapeseed (Brassica rapa var. Toria) under Rainfed Condition of Assam

Background: Among the North-Eastern states, Assam is the highest in terms of area of cultivation of rapeseed and has the potential to increase productivity to a great extent. To fulfil the increasing demand for edible oils, appropriate interventions must be paid for introduction of new oilseed varieties.The suitable genotype for a particular region has to be identified based on physiological efficiency and yield. Methods: The field experiment was carried out at the Instructional-cum-Research (ICR) Farm, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat-13, Assam during rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications comprising of 22 different genotypes of rapeseed (Brassica rapa, var. Toria), viz., TS-38 (Check), TS-46, TS-67, TS-36, TS-29, TS-75-1, TS-75-1TL, TS-75-2ME, TS-75-2-MM, TS-76-1, TS-76-2, JT-90-1, Panchali, Bhawani, CG Toria-4, TKM-20-1, TKM-20-2, JT-14-5, PT-2018-09, CG Toria-3, Tapeshwari and PT-303. The crops were grown following the recommended package of practice. All the parameters were taken following the standard methodologies. The parameters under study were plant height, number of primary branches, number of green leaves, stem diameters, root lengths and root volumes, proline content, nitrate reductase activity, protein content, oil content, specific leave weight, leaf area index, net assimilation rate and seed yield. Result: The results of the study indicated a significant variation of all the morpho-physiological parameters among the genotypes. The genotype TS-75-2ME and TS-38 exhibited morpho-physiological superiority in terms of number of primary branches, green leaves and SLW. The same genotypes also recorded significantly higher seed yield.

Assessment of Genotypic Variability for Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) and Improving NUE through Urease Inhibitors in Irrigated Rice

Field experiments (Kharif 2021 and Rabi 2021-2022) were conducted on a deep black clayey vertisol at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research farm in Hyderabad to identify efficient rice genotypes for their use of soil N (no external application) and response to applied N (100 kg N/ha) and to improve NUE using urease inhibitors (UIs). Twenty-one popular high-yielding genotypes were tested under two nitrogen levels: N0 (no nitrogen) and N100 (100 kg N/ha). Significant differences were observed among the genotypes in terms of grain yield and various nitrogen use efficiency indices, including agronomic efficiency (AE), physiological efficiency (PE), recovery efficiency (RE), internal efficiency (IE), partial factor productivity (PFP), N requirement (NR), and nitrogen harvest index (NHI). Based on the grain yield data and NUE indices, the top-performing genotypes were Varadhan, Rasi, PSV 181, MTU 1010 and PUP 221 during the wet season, while KRH 4, PSV 181, PSV 344, PSV 190, and PUP 221 excelled during the dry season. Notably, PSV 181 and PUP 221 consistently ranked among the top 5 genotypes in both seasons. Additionally, the application of two urease inhibitors (NBPT and allicin) resulted in a significant increase in grain yield while reducing nitrogen levels by 15-20%

Study of integrated application of biological and organic manures on nitrogen physiological efficiency and some agronomic traits of alfalfa under in Kashan region

Study of integrated application of biological and organic manures on nitrogen physiological efficiency and some agronomic traits of alfalfa under in Kashan region

Virtually identical does not mean exactly identical: Discrepancy in energy metabolism between glucose and fructose fermentation influences the reproductive potential of yeast cells

The physiological efficiency of cells largely depends on the possibility of metabolic adaptations to changing conditions, especially on the availability of nutrients. Central carbon metabolism has an essential role in cellular function. In most cells is based on glucose, which is the primary energy source, provides the carbon skeleton for the biosynthesis of important cell macromolecules, and acts as a signaling molecule. The metabolic flux between pathways of carbon metabolism such as glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation is dynamically adjusted by specific cellular economics responding to extracellular conditions and intracellular demands. Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells and potentially similar fermentable carbon sources i.e. glucose and fructose we analyzed the parameters concerning the metabolic status of the cells and connected with them alteration in cell reproductive potential. Those parameters were related to the specific metabolic network: the hexose uptake - glycolysis and activity of the cAMP/PKA pathway - pentose phosphate pathway and biosynthetic capacities - the oxidative respiration and energy generation. The results showed that yeast cells growing in a fructose medium slightly increased metabolism redirection toward respiratory activity, which decreased pentose phosphate pathway activity and cellular biosynthetic capabilities. These differences between the fermentative metabolism of glucose and fructose, lead to long-term effects, manifested by changes in the maximum reproductive potential of cells.

Evaluation of saline water effects on use efficiency and soil nutrient availability of maize (Zea mays L.) under drip fertigation

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2022-23 at the Saline Water Scheme, Agricultural College Farm, Bapatla. The study’s objective was to evaluate the effects of saline water on nutrient use efficiency and soil nutrient availability in maize under drip fertigation. The experiment consisted of eight treatments and four replications, arranged in a randomized block design. Irrigation with the best available water along with the application of a recommended dose of fertilizer (240-80-80 NPK kg ha-1) recorded the highest uptake of N (88.2 and 62.4 kg ha-1), P (21.2 and 16.20 kg ha-1), and K (25.4 and 126.7 kg ha-1) in grain and stover of maize, respectively, which were at par with the alternate use of fresh water with saline water of 2 dS m-1. Nutrient use efficiencies, i.e., agronomic efficiency (7.4, 18.4, and 18.4 kg kg-1), physiological efficiency (85.2, 225.3, and 159.4 kg kg-1), apparent recovery efficiency (22.5, 17.0 and 48.7 %) and utilization efficiency (15.7, 39.1 and 39.1 kg kg-1) of N, P, and K, respectively, were also observed to be the highest under irrigation with the best available water along with a recommended dose of fertilizer application. Soil pH remained unaffected with saline water irrigation, whereas the EC of the soil was the highest under irrigation with saline water of 4 dS m-1 without the application of fertilizers. Soil-available nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium were most elevated under irrigation with the best available water, with values of 152.5, 36.3, and 352.8 kg ha-1 respectively. The lowest values of nutrient uptake, nutrient use efficiencies, and soil available nutrients were recorded under irrigation with a water salinity of 4 dS m-1 without applying fertilizers. The use of a cyclical approach in utilizing both freshwater and saline water has demonstrated its effectiveness in mitigating the adverse effects of salts, resulting in enhanced efficiency in nutrient utilization and greater accessibility of soil nutrients.

Effects of Different Organic Fertilizer Substitutions for Chemical Nitrogen Fertilizer on Soil Fertility and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Foxtail Millet

Conventional fertilizer management can destroy the structure of soil. Replacing chemical fertilizers with organic fertilizers can improve soil quality and nitrogen use efficiency. We aimed to study the effects of organic fertilizer substitutions for chemical nitrogen fertilizer on soil fertility and nitrogen use efficiency in order to clarify the effectiveness of the available nutrient management measures in improving soil quality and increasing foxtail millet yield. A field experiment was carried out over two consecutive years, and a total of six treatments were set up: no fertilizer (CK), chemical nitrogen fertilizer alone (N), the substitution of 25% of chemical nitrogen fertilizer with bio-organic fertilizer (N25A1), the substitution of 25% of chemical nitrogen fertilizer with fermented mealworm manure (N25B1), the substitution of 50% of chemical nitrogen fertilizer with bio-organic fertilizer (N50A2), and the substitution of 50% of chemical nitrogen fertilizer with fermented mealworm manure (N50B2). The results of this study show the following: (1) Compared with chemical nitrogen fertilizer, the substitution of organic fertilizer for nitrogen fertilizer reduced the bulk density and solid phase of the soil, and it increased the total porosity, water content, liquid phase, and gas phase of the soil. (2) Compared with nitrogen fertilizer, the use of an organic fertilizer increased the contents of nitrate nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, and total nitrogen in the soil by 13.59~52.56%, 4.47~18.27%, and 4.40~12.09%, respectively. The content of alkaline nitrogen increased by 1.70~32.37%, and the contents of soil available potassium, available phosphorus, and organic matter also increased. (3) The activities of sucrase, urease, glutaminase, and asparaginase were improved by replacing chemical nitrogen fertilizer with organic fertilizer. The N25 treatments performed better than the N50 treatments, and fermented mealworm manure performed better than biological organic fertilizer. (4) A moderate application of organic fertilizer (N25) can increase the grain yield, ear weight, grain weight, and 1000-grain weight of foxtail millet, whereas excessive application of organic fertilizer (N50) can reduce foxtail millet yield. (5) Replacing chemical nitrogen fertilizer with organic fertilizer can improve the agronomic use efficiency, physiological efficiency, biased productivity, harvest index, and apparent use efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer. In this study, the substitution of 25% of chemical nitrogen fertilizer with fermented mealworm manure was the best combination for restoring crop productivity and soil quality.

Optimising nitrogen use efficiency of prilled urea through integrated use of nano-ZnO and green manuring for better productivity, quality and nutritional status of Basmati rice crop

In agricultural systems, significant nitrogen (N) losses from traditional fertilizers pose risks to food security and economic stability. An emerging approach to mitigate these losses involves nanoparticles (NPs) coatings onto urea, aiming to enhance N availability and consequently boost crop yields. To explore the most effective and sustainable N management strategies, a field experiment was carried out in Basmati rice at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India over 2020–2021 in a split-plot design, with two summer green manure (GM) types-Sesbania (G2) and cowpea (G3) and fallow in the main plot and six nitrogen fertilization (NF) modules, i.e., 0 kg N + 5 kg Zn ha−1 through bulk ZnO (N1), N through prilled urea (PU) (N2), N through PU + 5 kg Zn ha−1 through bulk ZnO (N3), 1% bulk ZnO-coated urea (1% BZnCU) (N4), 0.1% nano ZnO-coated urea (0.1% NZnCU) (N5) and 0.2% nano ZnO-coated urea (0.2% NZnCU) (N6) in subplots replicated three times. The objectives of the study was to identify the optimal GM crops and the most effective NF modules on enhancing plant height, dry biomass, grain yield, milling quality, and N, P, K nutrition, as well as nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Our findings demonstrated that, a significant enhancement in plant height (13.34%) and dry biomass (38.1%) at harvest was observed with the combined application of G2 and N6 when juxtaposed against G1 and N1. The pooled analysis revealed that GM enhanced grain yield by 12.75% in comparison to G1, irrespective of the NF modules employed. The Sesbania was identified as the top-performing GM, registering a yield 17.5% greater than fallow while it was 8.13% for cowpea. Among NF modules, there was a noted 10.03% yield increase when urea was zinc-coated compared to using only urea (N2), and a 33.75% increase against the N1. The application of N6 modules boosted hulling, milling, and head rice recovery by 3.73, 4.45, and 4.98%, respectively, compared to N1. Moreover, combining zinc with urea raised the N content in milled rice by approximately 9.1% and heightened the N, P, and K concentration in the straw by 22.8, 4.44, and 11.8%, and total N, P, and K uptake by 5.72, 3.33, and 11.7%, in comparison to the combined effect of N1 and N2. Considering the NUE metrics, such as partial factor productivity (PFP), agronomic efficiency (AE), recovery efficiency (RE), and physiological efficiency (PE), the application of GM showcased superior performance in PFP and RE against the G1, while AE and PE remained unaffected. The G2 as a GM, performed best in PFP and RE. The N5 module delineated the most substantial advancements in NUE indices, despite being comparable to N6. In conclusion, the adoption of Sesbania as a green manure crops, coupled with the 0.2% nano ZnO-coated urea module, is identified as an efficient method for maximizing growth, yield, milling attributes, nutrient assimilation, and overall NUE in the Basmati rice.

Physiological Efficiency of Weeds in Rice Fallow Fields

Photosynthetic rate, Transpiration rate and Stomatal Conductance is measured in different weeds during July’2020 in rice fallows using IRGA- Photosynthesis system model Lci- T. We have chosen all the weeds at flowering to maturity phase and observed the data. Among the weeds analysed Parthenium hysterophorus has recorded very high Photosynthetic rate (µ molm-2 Sec-1)and there was difference with stage also, Flowering stage (165.28) has recorded a higher photosynthetic rate followed by vegetative (123.2) and maturity phase (118.72) and found that transpiration rate also followed the same trend. Even this has recorded more than the C4 crop photosynthetic rate for example Trianthema portulacastrum which has recorded a photosynthetic rate of 21.98, which was the next highest photosynthetic rate among the weeds recorded and as well as over C4 crops too. Among the grasses Paspalum sp., Echinochloa colona (7.81µ molm-2 Sec-1)) and Cynodon dactylon (4.2µ molm-2 Sec-1)) has recorded higher photosynthetic rate. Cyperus and Cyanodonhas recorded with lesser stomatal conductance and transpiration rate but has recorded higher photosynthetic rate which can thrive better in rainfeds also. Echinochloa has more transpiration rate and stomatal conductance among grasses and this might be due to their water loving nature. Boerhavia diffusa, Euphorbia hirta and Ruella tuberosa are recorded with lesser stomatal conductance. On critically analysing the weeds, it was observed that some weeds like Parthenium are reported with higher photosynthetic rate with lesser transpiration rate and stomatal conductance over better photosynthetic efficiency crop like maize and also this has resulted in the better withstanding ability to the water stress. Correlation analysis showed that photosynthesis and Transpiration rate are positively correlated but weak (r=0.28) and the regression equation is (Y=4.98+4.32(x)), photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance are also positively correlated but weak (r=0.20) and the regression equation is Y= 20.36+17.04(X). Transpiration and Stomatal Conductance is positively and strongly correlated (r=0.57) and regression equation is Y=3.92+2.51(x).