Purulia District Research Articles

A Geospatial Morphometric Analysis of Kulbera and Daurighara River Basins in Western Part of Purulia District of West Bengal, India

Morphometric analysis is used to understand the hydrological process and assessment of hydrological characteristics of surface water basin. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to study the detail morphometric characteristics of Kulbera and Daurighara river basin, which are tributaries of Subarnarekha River in Purulia district, West Bengal. For detailed study, SRTM data has been used for preparing digital elevation model (DEM), and Geographic Information System (GIS) has been used for the analysis of linear, areal, and relief aspects of the basins. Watershed boundary, flow accumulation, flow length, stream ordering have been prepared by using ILWIS 3.0. Different thematic maps i.e. elevation, geology, drainage density, slope and longitudinal profiles of river channels have been prepared by using QGIS 3.0 and MapInfo 10.0 GIS software. More than 58 morphometric parameters of all aspects of the basins have been computed. On the basis of morphometric analysis it has been argued that the erosional development has progressed well beyond maturity and that the drainage development is controlled by lithology. Besides,it can be concluded that this study will also be very useful for rain water harvesting planning and watershed management.

Comparative Study of Male Female Disparity in Literacy of Purulia and North 24 Parganas District in West Bengal

The present article focuses on a comparative study of the male-female disparity in literacy of two districts Purulia and North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, India. The Census data of 2011 has been used in this regard. The literacy rate has been calculated for the population above six-year, and Sopher’s Disparity index (1974) has been applied to measure the male-female disparity in literacy. The study examines the block-level male-female disparity in literacy among non-Schedule Caste (none-SC ST), Scheduled Castes (SC), and Scheduled Tribes (ST). The study highlights that North 24 Parganas is far ahead in terms of literacy than Purulia district. However, there is wide variation in block-level male-female disparity in literacy among the three-caste groups in both the districts. In block-level, the Bundwan block of Purulia district and Barasat-I and Deganga block of North 24 Parganas district occupies a remarkable place in terms of the male-female disparity in literacy among each three-caste group. Conversely, Jhalda-II block in Purulia and Hingalganj block of North 24 Parganas is the most backward block in terms of the male-female disparity in literacy among the all-caste groups. Although the Central and the State Government have taken various schemes to enhance literacy rates and eliminated the male-female disparity in education, more suitable steps need to be followed to implement appropriate measures towards education, especially for the women and other marginalised sections of the society.

Fluoride Hazard and Risk Enumeration of Hard Rock Unconfined Aquifers in the Extended Part of Chhota Nagpur Gneissic Complex

Abstract Fluoride (F−) is the most electronegative and reactive micro nutrient and has no colour, taste and smell. WHO (1984) has set a range of 0.6 – 1.2 mg/l in drinking water. It is very essential element for strong teeth and bones in human being but beyond permissible limit, it is very harmful for human health. A field based scientific study was conducted in the year 2017 and 2018 in the district of Purulia, an extended part of Chhota Nagpur gneissic complex of North Singbhum craton. A total of 619 water samples were collected from various affected and non-affected villages and the important parameters like pH and Fe were tested within 24 hours in the laboratory. Around 1513 households with 4348 male and 3456 female from 320 villages spread over 20 blocks have been extensively surveyed, applying stratified random and quota sampling techniques. Furthermore, Likert method is applied to understand the scenario of vulnerability along with application of remote sensing and GIS techniques to prepare the digital maps. Besides, empirical equations are also computed to determine the magnitude of fluoride hazard, vulnerability and risk. The fluoride risk study (R=H+V) reveals that Puncha and Purulia II are the very high and high fluoride risk prone zone out of 20 blocks of Purulia district. Although the Singbhum craton is moderately fluoride hazard region but due to large degree of vulnerability in the recent years it has drastically changed into a high or very high fluoride risk category.

A study on socio-economic status of tribes involved in fisheries in purulia district, west bengal

Tribes are the original inhabitants of India. They have their own traditional culture, customs, language and life style. In terms of tribal population, West Bengal takes 9th position among the different Indian states. Total tribal population of West Bengal is 5,296,953 which is 5.79 per cent of the total population of the state. In West Bengal, Purulia is reported to be the most backward and deprived tribal populated district in West Bengal. In this district, a total of 5,40,652 people belong to tribal community which consists of 18.46 per cent of the total population of the district (2nd highest percentage of tribal population after that of Jalpaiguri district consists of 18.89 per cent in West Bengal) as well as the 10.52 per cent of the total ST population of West Bengal. Tribes of Purulia have no fixed and permanent income. This district has ample resource of water but fish production is not much encouraging. Purposive sampling method has been used for the present study. There are total 20 blocks in Purulia district which can be divided into 3 zones according to tribal population- High, medium and low. Then three blocks (Hura, Arsha and Para) were selected purposively from each zone. Altogether 100 tribal households were taken as sample. For the purpose of the study, an interview schedule was prepared with the help of review of literature, field work and discussion with experts of social science to achieve the objective of the study. To achieve proper inference appropriate statistical tools like correlation, percentage analysis and RBQ were used with suitable graphs, charts and diagrams. Following the modified Kuppuswamy scale it is observed that majority of the respondents (77%) fall under upper-lower socioeconomic class, some of them (17%) fall under lower-middle socioeconomic class and rest of them (6%) fall under lower socioeconomic class. Among core constraints of the tribal fish farmers’, water scarcity has been more highlighted as Purulia is drought prone area. Suitable recommendations have been discussed after analysing the social, economic, personal, core and extension constraints faced by the tribes involved in fisheries in Purulia district, WB.

Study of Epidemiological Behaviour of Malaria and Its Control in the Purulia District of West Bengal, India (2016-2020)

Background: Purulia is a malaria-prone district in West Bengal, India, with approximately half of the jurisdictional blocks defined as malaria endemic. Methods: We examined the malaria incidence in each block of the district of Purulia for the period between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020. Per the Annual Parasite Incidence (API), 20 blocks of Purulia district were assigned to four different categories (0-3) and mapped using ArcGIS software version 10.8. An exponential decay model was fitted to forecast the trend of malaria cases for each block of the district for the 2021-2025 timeline. Findings: There was a sharp decrease in total malaria cases and API from 2016 to 2020. Plasmodium vivax (Pv) cases were decreased by 96.43%, Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) by 90.34%, and mixed infection cases by 92.78%. The majority of cases (72.63%) were found in the 15 year and older age group. Males were more prone to malaria (60.09%) than females. Malaria was highly prevalent among Scheduled Tribes (ST) (48.44%). Six blocks were reported in Category 3 (high risk) and none in Category 0 (no risk) in 2016 while no blocks were determined to be in Category 3 and three blocks were in Category 0 in 2020. The exponential decay model prediction is oriented towards gaining malaria-free status in thirteen blocks of the Purulia district by 2025. Interpretation: By efficiently diagnosing malaria, implementing a GIS system to track malaria incidences, fair usage of Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), and conducting effective awareness campaigns, malaria control could be possible. Nevertheless, consistent funding is needed to avoid reappearance and sustain eradication goals. Funding Information: None. Declaration of Interests: We declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was permitted by Zilla Swasthya Bhawan, Purulia, Govt. of West Bengal (Memo No. 2041; Dated: 03.11.2020).

Comparative growth performance of rohu (<em>Labeo rohita</em>) fed with low cost feeds using locally available animal proteins in Purulia district of West Bengal

Comparative growth performance of rohu (<em>Labeo rohita</em>) fed with low cost feeds using locally available animal proteins in Purulia district of West Bengal

Studies on fish diversity concerning Hydro-ecology of Kangsabasti river in Purulia district, West Bengal, India

Fish diversity depends both on various physicochemical parameters and the biological components of the riverine ecosystem. During the study period from January 2017 to December 2019 the highest fish diversity and density were observed in post-monsoon and lowest in pre-monsoon season in the Kangsabati River, Purulia District of West Bengal. Twenty five fish species, associated with 19 genera, 10 families and 5 orders have been identified. It was recorded that the Cyprinidae was the predominant family, which represented 56% of the entire fish catch.

Terminalia arjuna: An Important Subsistence Pollen Source for Apis florea During Spring Season in Southern West Bengal

Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arn., a large evergreen tree, shows massive flowering during spring season (March–April). The floral characteristics with deep seated nectar having high sugar concentration serve this plant as an important pollen and nectar source for Apis bees. The inflorescences with clusters of flowers of this plant provide an excellent platform for foraging by Apis florea Fabr. In spite of diverse angiospermic flora in the present study area, A. florea intends to forage this handsome evergreen taxon because of its nutritious pollen and highest percentage of nectar sugar concentration. In the present article, pollen analysis of eight spring honey samples from different regions of Purulia district of West Bengal reveals that T. arjuna is found to be the predominant pollen type. So, a mutualistic relationship has been established between A. florea and T. arjuna. This plant taxon serves as a key nectar source for A. florea and takes the advantage of its highly nutritious pollen grains for increasing the colony and its strong nectar flow for honey production during the spring season in this southern part of Bengal. A. florea also foraged other angiospermic taxa such as Pedilanthus tithymaloides L., Croton bonplandianum Baill., Citrus, Solanum, Albizia lebbeck (L.) Benth., Semecarpus anacardium L., Flacourtia jamgomas Lour., Psidium guajava L., Borassus flabellifer L., Tamarindus indica L., Lannea coromandelica (Houtt.) Merr. and Asteraceae.

Measuring Urban Land Use Change and Sprawl Using Geospatial Techniques: A Study on Purulia Municipality, West Bengal, India

Population growth, desire for more income, transportation facilities and rural to urban migration have increased the rate of urbanisation and complicated its pattern over Purulia district, West Bengal, India. This situation obstructs the organised and planned urban development provoking the sprawl like phenomenon within the urban locality. As the district belongs to a socio-economic deprived region, most of the researchers mainly concentrate on the physical and socio-economic problems of the district neglecting the scenario of urbanisation over the district. So, the present study is an attempt to assess the urban growth modelling over the Purulia Municipality which is a dominating city in terms of population and urban functions in the district. Images from Landsat-5 Thematic mapper (TM) and Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) were used to prepare land use land cover (LULC) maps of 1998, 2008 and 2018. Supervised classification with maximum likelihood classifier was applied. Direction-based relative Shannon’s entropy model has been used for quantification of urban expansion in the last 20 years. The LULC changing condition shows that 65.41% vegetation coverage, 47.63% water body, 31.55% bare land and 10.79% agricultural land have been diminished within this time due to increasing demand for artificial man-made land. Besides, the built-up area has grown by 122% within the 20 years which proved that urban physical expansion is going on over the municipality. The results show that the pattern of urban growth of this municipality is a compact one, and the built-up areas are mostly oriented towards North, North-east, East, South-east and South directions than the other quadrants. Besides, the percentage of built-up area has been rapidly decreasing from CBD to periphery area due to increasing distance. For the planning purpose of balance development in a socio-economic deprived region like Purulia district, the outcomes of this study can best be utilised by the local planners and administrators.

MIGRATORY WETLAND BIRDS DIVERSITY IN LOWER CHOTA NAGPUR PLATEAU WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO PURULIA DISTRICT, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Lower Chota Nagpur Plateau has several large and small water bodies having diverse aquatic flora and fauna. These wetlands not only provide suitable habitat for resident and as well as migratory avian species but also contribute much to the biodiversity. The present study deals with the diversity, abundance and variations of avian migratory species at wetlands of Purulia district. The study reflects that there are 43 migratory bird species in number in these wetland regions belonging to 8 orders and 12 families. Red-crested Pochard, Tufted Duck, Lesser Whistling Duck, Northern Pintail, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, Common Coot etc. are found in large number in winter season in these wetlands.

Evaluating the rate of change and predicting the future scenario of spatial pattern using Markov chain model: a study from Baghmundi C.D. Block of Purulia district, West Bengal

In the era of twenty-first century, the endless demands of human have promoted land use land cover (LULC) change, and its understanding is more essential for proper management and future planning towards the sustainable development. An analysis of LULC is made for the Baghmundi Community Development (C.D.) Block of Purulia district of West Bengal, India to observe the changes over time. The Landsat images of 1972, 1992, 1999, 2009 and 2019 are taken to prepare the LULC maps using RS and GIS techniques. Moreover, the Markov chain model is computed to estimate LULC change of 2039. Thematic maps of different years show several changes in LULC. An accuracy assessment of the classifications of LULC of the years 1999, 2009 and 2019 is calculated as 81.32%, 81.36% and 80.16% respectively. The kappa coefficient is also computed for the same years to understand the level of agreement between classified LULC type and ground level LULC type. The values of kappa coefficient are 0.76 for 1999, 0.77 for 2009 and 0.75 for 2019. Within the time frame of 1972 to 2019, the vegetation cover declined to 44.79 km2, while the built-up area increased to 40.21 km2. Based on the predicted model, the vegetation cover may lose 33.60 km2 in 2039 from the year 2019, and it may mainly be acquired by the agricultural land (21.94 km2) and built-up area (7.93 km2).

Determinants and Decomposition of Poverty of Rural India: Glimpses from the Purulia District of West Bengal

The paper aims to analyze poverty issues in rural households of India sampled purposively from the perspective of per capita Monthly Consumption Expenditure. In addition, the decomposition of poverty across social group affiliation and economic status adds another flavor to this study. The study concentrates on one of the backward areas of West Bengal, the district of Purulia, a resource-poor district with a distinct presence of scheduled social group population. The candidate villages were selected purposively keeping in mind the aspects of physical isolation and socio-economic stagnancy. Quantitative tools like Stepwise Multiple Regression and Decomposition analysis by FGT indices were instrumental in estimating the relative strengths of the factors affecting poverty. Besides, the study has simultaneously added the life history approach to integrate the QUAN-QUAL methods with an aim to produce a more complete picture. The critical findings include that the scheduled social groups, especially tribes, and daily wage casual laborers followed by agricultural laborers, were identified as the most vulnerable to poverty indicators in their respective population segments.

Yield from Pulse Cultivation in Purulia, West Bengal: The Socio-Ecological and Techno-Managerial Interpretation

In India, pulses are mainly cultivated on marginal lands under rain fed conditions. Only 15% of the area under pulses has assured irrigation. High level of fluctuations in production of pulse crops because of various biotic and abiotic stresses and erratic prices, farmers are not very willing to take up pulse cultivation inspite of high wholesale pulse prices in the recent years. In rice-fallow agriculture in Purulia, pulse is the main source of protein to millions and a dependable mentor of soil health. The present study has been conducted in Manbazar-1 and Purulia-1 blocks of Purulia district and data were collected from 75 respondents who are mainly small and marginal farmers. The selection of the respondents has followed the random sampling method by using an exhaustive list of pulse growers from selected locale. Size of land holding and cost of fuel have got the most importance. The study has offered a unique micro level policy implication at a time when the entire nation is trying to boost up pulse productivity and cultivation throughout the length and breadth of geography of India.

Chemotaxonomy of the ethnic antidote Aristolochia indica for aristolochic acid content: Implications of anti-phospholipase activity and genotoxicity study

Ethnopharmacological relevanceAristolochia indica L. (Aristolochiaceae) is a common medicinal plant described in many traditional medicine as well as in Ayurveda used against snakebites. Besides, the plant has also been reported traditionally against fever, rheumatic arthritis, madness, liver ailments, dyspepsia, oedema, leishmaniasis, leprosy, dysmenorrhoea, sexual diseases etc. The plant is known to contain its major bioactive constituent aristolochic acid (AA) known for its anti-snake venom, abortifacient, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. Materials and methodsThis present work describes a validated, fast and reproducible high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) method to estimate AA from the roots of 20 chemotypes of A. indica procured from 20 diverse geographical locations from the state of West Bengal, India. Further, an evidence-based approach was adopted to investigate the reported anti-venom activity of the aqueous extracts of the A. indica roots by assessing its phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitory properties since PLA2 is a major component of many snake-venoms. Finally, the cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of the aqueous root extract of the Purulia (AI 1) chemotype were assessed at various concentrations using Allium cepa root meristematic cells. ResultsThe highest amount of AA (7643.67 μg/g) was determined in the roots of A. indica chemotype collected from Purulia district followed by the chemotypes collected from Murshidabad, Jalpaiguri and Birbhum districts (7398.34, 7345.09 and 6809.97 μg/g respectively). This study not only determines AA in the plants to select pharmacologically elite chemotypes of A. indica, but it also identifies high AA producing A. indica for further domestication and propagation of the plants for pharmacological and industrial applications. The method was validated via analyzing inter-day and intra-day precision, repeatability, reproducibility, instrumental precision, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) and specificity. Chemotypes with high AA content exhibited superior anti-PLA2 activity by selectively inhibiting human-group PLA2. Moreover, A. indica root extract significantly inhibited mitosis in Allium cepa root tips as a potent clastogen. ConclusionsThe present quick, reproducible and validated HPTLC method provides an easy tool to determine AA in natural A. indica plant populations as well as in food and dietary supplements, a potential antivenin at one hand and a possible cause of aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN) at another. Besides, the cytotoxic and mitotoxic properties of the root extracts should be used with caution especially for oral administration.

Case Representation and Occurrence of Lymphatic Filariasis in two Blocks of Purulia District (West Bengal, India)

Case Representation and Occurrence of Lymphatic Filariasis in two Blocks of Purulia District (West Bengal, India)

Structural control on the occurrence of groundwater in granite gneissic terrain, Purulia, West Bengal

Purulia, one of the most drought prone districts of West Bengal, India, is geologically a part of Chotanagpur Gneissic Complex and is mainly a granite gneissic terrain. Scarcity of drinking water has always been a major concern in the area. Thus, a hydrogeological study was carried out in and around Purulia I and Purulia II blocks of the district during lean season. The main objective of the study is to determine the structural control on groundwater flow so that groundwater extraction can be optimised economically in the area. For the purpose, depth to water level zonation map was prepared with flow direction. The lineament data was obtained by analysing satellite imagery of the area and was cross-checked using field data. The orientation of the major joint sets is NE-SW and NW-SE in this area. The NW-SE trending fractures act as conduits and facilitate the flow, while NE-SW trending fractures act as an obstruction to the flow. The lineament density of the area was overlaid on depth to water level map using Surfer and it is observed where fractures form a network, water occurs at shallow level, while in places where fractures are isolated, water flows down to deeper levels. It was interpreted from all the observations that the flow of groundwater in this area depends on the distribution of joints, thus subsurface water being structurally controlled. This type of study has been carried out in various parts of the world but in Purulia district of West Bengal, India, structural control on the occurrence of subsurface water has not yet been established through any major studies. This study will help in divulging structural control on groundwater in this area and identification of areas where constructing tubewells will help in economical extraction of groundwater.

Filtering of hydraulically significant lineaments from lineament map of precambrian metamorphic terrain in NE India using set theory

Identification of hydraulically potential lineaments directly from lineament map required for studies of groundwater resource development in crystalline metamorphosed rock terrain, which is considered as a poor groundwater province area, is a big challenge. Lineament study from satellite image gives all available lineaments present in the location including the hydraulically potential lineaments. But there are no existing methods present at our disposal which can detect only the hydraulically potential lineaments. This study attempts to delineate the hydraulically significant lineaments those are actively promoting groundwater flow in Purulia district, West Bengal, NE India, where the exposed rock-types are porphyritic granite gneisses, quartzite, mica schist, garnetiferous-sillimanite-biotite schist and phyllite, using Set theory. For the study, standard FCC image setup has been used to view the satellite imagery on computer screen within Erdas Imagine software and lineaments are examined visually on-screen, without taking any print out of the map. The azimuth directions of the lineaments are diagrammed using GEOrient software. Azimuth rose diagrams of the trend of foliation planes and fracture planes, obtained from direct measurement at rock exposures, are compared with the lineament trends to yield hydraulically significant lineaments, concordant to the trends of hydraulically significant fractures. Hydraulically significant lineaments are filtered from the total lineament map by using the laws of set theory, like universal set, sub-set, union, intersection, subtraction and equality. Validation of the obtained result with ground truth reveals that intense deformation of brittle rocks, that allow fluid movement, have a significant role in the development of hydraulically significant lineaments. This study successfully distinguishes the hydraulically significant lineaments, exhibiting a directional concurrence to hydraulically significant fractures, implying that set theory can be successfully used to extract hydraulically significant lineaments directly from lineament map.

Response of Vermicompost and Biochar as Organic Soil Amendments on Growth and Yield of Brinjal in Red and Laterite Soil of Purulia District of West Bengal

A field experiment was conducted at KVK Kalyan instructional farm at Jahajpur of Purulia district of West Bengal during rabi season of 2018-19 to assess the effect of Biochar and Vermicompost as organic soil amendments on yield of brinjal under red and lateritic soils of Purulia, West Bengal. Biochar and vermicompost applied alone additionally in the farmers practice. The experiment design adopted was Randomised Block Design (RBD) having four replications with three treatments The treatments comprises of T1: Application of N:P:K 70:30:30 kg/ha (Farmers’ practice) + FYM @ 2 t/ha, T2: Farmers practice + Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha, T3: Farmers practice + Biochar @ 10 t/ha. The growth and yield attributing characters recorded was plant height at 30, 60, 90 and 120 DAT, number of fruits per plant, average fruit weight, yield per plant and total yield. Application of biochar and vermicompost had a significant effect on the growth and yield of Brinjal. Highest growth yield attributes and highest fruit yield (22.36 t/ha) were obtained due to the application of farmers practice + vermicompost @ 5 t/ha (T2). Application of biochar along with farmers’ practice did not show any significant results in brinjal yield as compare to vermicompost application treatment. The potential for long-term benefits of biochar remain to be explored through continued research in the red laterite soils of Purulia district of West Bengal.

Sustainable utilization of medicinal plants and conservation strategies practiced by the aboriginals of Purulia district, India: a case study on therapeutics used against some tropical otorhinolaryngologic and ophthalmic disorders

Purulia, the land of distinctive geological and archaeological features, abundant natural resources and a home to a number of aboriginals, has been studied widely to apprehend the role of ethnic remedies against myriad of diseases. Availability of natural remedies and practice of traditional knowledge have popularized the use of medicinal plants among local communities. The objective of the study is to elucidate the use of folk medicine against common otorhinolaryngologic and ophthalmic medical conditions, by various ethnic groups of Purulia district, West Bengal, India. A completely randomized ethnobotanical approach was carried out during a number of field visits conducted to interview 55 traditional healers (THs) residing across the 20 blocks of district Purulia via semi-structured open-ended questionnaire. The similarity of usage of plants for different diseases was calculated by the informant consensus factor (Fic), whereas fidelity level indicated the plants mostly cited by the informants. The correlative importance of the usage of the plants was measured by the use value (UV). A total number of 28 plant species belonging to 27 genera and 20 families are reported in this present study in the treatment of a number of otorhinolaryngologic and ophthalmic ailments such as cough and cold, eye diseases (sore eye, red eye, eye inflammation and conjunctivitis), ear diseases (earache and pus in ears), nosebleed and throat infection. The highest value for informant’s consensus factor (Fic) was observed in cough and cold (0.87) that indicates most of the plants possess analgesic and antipyretic potential, whereas the lowest value (0.33) was shown by sore eye that denotes least number of plants have been applied for eye cure. Mostly, leaf part (41.4%) is utilized to cure selected otorhinolaryngologic and ophthalmic disorders where most of the herbal formulations were applied as leaf juices (60.7%). Most significant plant species were Piper nigrum L., Ocimum sanctum L. and Zingiber officinale Roscoe according to their highest UV (1.80), followed by Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wall. ex Nees (1.79) and Justicia adhatoda L. (1.66). The present work represents first quantitative ethnobotanical study against some tropical otorhinolaryngologic and ophthalmic disorders in remote areas of Purulia district where acute poverty, underprivileged livelihood, illiteracy, unavailability of conventional health care as well as age-old trust on THs have popularized the use of natural resources (i.e. medicinal plants). Many of the reported ethnomedicinal properties of some plants have been backed up by clinical data also. Aboriginal people also showed keen interest and knowledge regarding conservation of endangered medicinal plants and on sustainable utilization of botanical resources. Proper documentation of traditional knowledge and potential preclinical and clinical studies based on the ethnobotanical data procured may be suggested for safe and efficacious use of herbal medicine against otorhinolaryngologic and ophthalmic disorders.

Effect of Vermicompost and Biochar on Growth and Yield of Carrot in Red Lateritic Soils of Purulia District of West Bengal

An experiment was conducted at Horticultural Farm of Krishi Vigyan Kendra Kalyan, Purulia, West Bengal, India located at Jahajpur during Rabi season of 2019. The main objective was to determine the effectiveness of vermicompost and biochar on growth and yield of carrot. The experimental design applied was randomized block design (RBD) with three replicates for each treatment. The eight treatments comprised of T1- (Control), T2- (100% NPK), T3- (100% Biochar), T4- (50% Biochar + 50% NPK), T5- (75% Biochar + 25% NPK), T6- (100% Vermicompost), T7- (50% Vermicompost + 50% NPK), T8- (75% Vermicompost + 25% NPK). The growth parameters i.e. plant height, number of leaves, root length, root diameter and yield parameter fresh weight of root were analyzed during growth period and final harvesting in carrots for each treatment using standard methods. The results showed that vermicompost and biochar had a positive effect on all the parameters. T7- 50% Vermicompost + 50% NPK recorded highest yield of 27.67 t/ ha, while the lowest yield (12.24 t/ ha) was recorded in T1- (Control) from the carrots which did not receive any nutrients. However, yield recorded in T4- 50% Biochar + 50% NPK was at par with T8- 75% Vermicompost + 25% NPK. On the basis of the results of this study, 50% Vermicompost + 50% NPK is therefore recommended because it improves the growth parameters resulting to higher yield in carrots.