Semi-arid Region Of India Research Articles

Quality and Health Risk Assessment of Groundwater for Drinking and Irrigation Purpose in Semi-Arid Region of India Using Entropy Water Quality and Statistical Techniques

The continuous intake of contaminated drinking water causes serious issues for human health. In order to estimate the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation, and also conduct human risk assessments of various groups of people, a total of 43 sample locations in the semi-arid southern part of India were selected based on population density, and we collected and analyzed groundwater from the locations for major anions and cations. The present study’s novelty is integrating hydrochemical analysis with the entropy water quality index (EWQI), nitrate pollution index (NPI) and human health risk assessment. The results of the EWQI revealed that 44.19% of the sample locations need to be treated before consumption. About 37.20% of the study region has a high concentration of nitrate in the groundwater. NPI revealed that 41.86% of the samples had moderate or significant pollution levels. The non-carcinogenic risk evaluation showed that 6–12-year-old children are at a higher risk than teenagers, adults and elderly people in the study area. The natural sources of nitrate and other contamination of groundwater are rock–water interaction, weathering of rock, dissolution of carbonate minerals and evaporation processes, and the anthropogenic sources are the decomposition of organic substances in dumping yards, uncovered septic tanks and human and animal waste. The results suggest taking mitigation measures to reduce the contamination and improve the sustainable planning of groundwater management.

Growth, yield and economic analysis of eucalypts-barley based agroforestry system in semi-arid region of India

The present investigation was carried out in the research area of Department of Forestry, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during the year 2017-18 to evaluate the effect of 2.8 years old already established eucalypts plantation at 7×3 m on growth, yield attributes and yield of barley. The maximum growth increment in plant height (14.1 m) and diameter at breast height (10.3 cm) of eucalypts was recorded under agroforestry than sole eucalypts (without crop). The maximum plant height (98.5 cm), dry matter accumulation (1098.3 g/m2), tillers/ m2 (360.5), grain yield (3.28 t/ha), straw yield (4.32 t/ha) and biological yield (7.60 t/ha) were observed at harvesting of barley in control (devoid of eucalypts trees) than barley intercropped with eucalypts. However, maximum number of days taken for spike emergence (50 %) (97.4 days) and days to maturity (139.4 days) of barley were recorded under eucalypts plantation. The average per cent reduction of 11.33 % in effective tillers/ m2, 15.15 % in spike length and 16.62 % in number of grains per spike in barley was recorded under eucalypts plantation over control. Maximum net return (Rs. 93347.1 ha-1) was observed under eucalypts + barley cropping system than control. The overall B:C ratio was calculated higher in eucalypts based agroforestry system (1.73) over control (1.15).

Plant Growth-Promoting Bacterial Consoprtia as a Strategy Towards Crop Growth and Fitness of Little Millet (Panicum sumatranse L.)

Little millet, a minor cereal cultivated in semi-arid regions of India, is renowned for its nutraceutical properties. The endophytic plant growth-promoting bacterial (PGPB) communities help crop plants increase growth and health, endure stress tolerance, and enhance nutrient availability. Seed biotiztion with these endophytic PGPBs can facilitate the host plant to develop a defense against pathogens and challenging environments. Thus the present study aimed to biotize the little millet seeds (var. ATL1) with PGPBs, viz., Bacillus albus LRS2, Alcaligenes faecalis LSB6, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LAS10 and Bacillus velezensis LLB10 and to evaluate their efficiency by developing as a consortia of these isolates for improved plant growth and development. The seeds were biotized with all the strains individually and as consortia to evaluate their plant growth attributes in vitro and in vivo. The results showed significant differences in vegetative growth parameters and yield attributes compared with the control over consortia biotized seeds. During the panicle initiation stage (27 DAS), the shoot length (59.2, cm), root length (13.9 cm), total plant biomass (1.46 g), number of productive tillers plant-1 (5), panicle length (13.2 cm) and 1000 grain weight (5.12 g), grain yield plant-1 (28.45 g), straw yield (36.21 g) registered more in consortia biotized plants compared to non-biotized plant maintained as control. Thus, the present study confirmed that the inoculation of little millet seeds with the Consortia of indigenous strains could promote plant growth and productivity. Further, the Vol 110|10-12 inoculant can be recommended as a novel bio-inoculant for enhancing crop health and sustainable production in little millet.

Reference evapotranspiration estimation using machine learning approaches for arid and semi-arid regions of India

Accurate estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ET0) is vital for hydrological studies and irrigation scheduling. This study aimed to estimate ET0 using 4 machine learning algorithms: random forest, support vector machine, light gradient boosting decision trees and extreme gradient decision trees. Daily data for 2001 to 2020 at 11 (arid and semi-arid) stations were used for modelling. Eighteen scenarios with different input combinations were evaluated using the data of maximum and minimum air temperature, mean relative humidity and wind speed, number of sunshine hours, solar radiation, and extra-terrestrial radiation data at these stations. The ET0 estimated using the FAO 56 Penman-Monteith equation was chosen as the target value for model fitting. The best input combination was found in the models that used all inputs, while the least accurate were the models that used temperature data only. The results showed that the support vector machine models outperformed the other models at most stations. The application of various input combinations indicated that the use of fewer inputs also gave reasonable accuracy in the modelling. In addition, wind speed and solar radiation were found to be important parameters for precise estimation.

Performance of mung bean as influenced by different levels of fertilizers and cropping systems in the semi-arid region of India

Effect of foliar fertilization with zinc and manganese sulfate on yield, dry matter accumulation, and zinc and manganese contents in leaf and seed of chickpea (Cicer arietinum)Soheil Kobraee

Influence of tillage and crop residue management on soil hydraulic properties and wheat yield in semi-arid region of India

Influence of tillage and crop residue management on soil hydraulic properties and wheat yield in semi-arid region of India

Co-production through tacit knowledge for water resilience

The present form of Urbanisation Pattern in India cannot sustain the water requirements in cities, especially in semi-arid regions of India. The tacit knowledge of water resilience has been used since time immemorial to tap and address water demand and risk in India. Now is the right time to blend the traditional and modern technology to address water issues for water resilience. This paper explores the traditional knowledge and its usage in water management system in semi-arid areas and how water resilience can be achieved through co-production of water at a local level in Jodhpur City in the state of Rajasthan. It explores how the water system has been losing its value due to degradation caused by the spatial expansion of the city. It analyses water stress both in terms of water scarcity as well as managing the excess. Using primary and secondary data gathered, the paper proposes ways of co-production of water with community for sustainability and resilience. It suggests eco-restoration of traditional water system, importance of inclusion of varied actors, etc in addition to addressing SDG 6, and using ISO/BIS standards for water resilience.

Soil water dynamics and yield response of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) under drip irrigation with different irrigation frequency

Semi-arid region can benefit greatly from surface and subsurface drip irrigation techniques in overcoming the problem of water scarcity. Therefore, a field study was carried out at the research farm of CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana during winter (rabi) season 2019–20 and 2020–21 to investigate the effectiveness of surface and subsurface drip irrigation on growth and yield of broccoli (Brassica oleracia L.). Subsurface drip irrigation shows higher moisture content than surface drip irrigation at vertical as well as radial distance. The growth parameters were found highest in the treatment irrigation after one day under subsurface drip irrigation. The average highest (14610 kg/ha in 2019–20 and 14740 kg/ha in 2020–21) and lowest (12920 kg/ha in 2019–20 and 13030 kg/ha in 2020–21) total yield was recorded under irrigation after one day in subsurface drip irrigation and irrigation after three days in surface drip irrigation treatments, respectively. It is concluded that alternate days irrigation with subsurface drip irrigation gives better performance to obtain the maximum yield of broccoli grown in the semi-arid region of India.

Assessment of Soil Erosion and Sediment yield in a Semi-arid Region of India using RUSLE and Geospatial Techniques

Assessment of Soil Erosion and Sediment yield in a Semi-arid Region of India using RUSLE and Geospatial Techniques

Effect of Foliar Spray of Seaweed Extract and Humic Acid on Growth and Yield of Cluster Beans [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] var. Pusa Navbahar

Cluster bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.], known commonly as “Guar,” is a vital legume crop grown mostly under rainfed conditions in arid and semi-arid regions of India during the Kharif and summer season. Numerous horticultural strategies may be used to improve the growth and productivity of guar including sea weed extract and humic acid. A field experiment was conducted to determine the influence of seaweed extract and humic acid on growth, yield and post-harvest characteristics of cluster bean. Seaweed extract and humic acid were administered in the field as foliar spray at 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 per cent concentrations in a randomized block design (RBD) consisting of seven treatments and three replicates. The results indicated that the higher concentration of 0.3 per cent seaweed extract and humic acid produced significantly higher plant height, leaf number, pod number per plant and total yield per hectare as compared to the lower concentrations and control. The post-harvest study revealed that foliar treatment of 0.3 per cent humic acid and seaweed extract resulted in a lower percentage of physiological weight loss and increased the shelf life of pods compared to untreated.

Spatial estimation and climate projected change of cover-management factor in semi-arid region of India

Soil erosion and its future projection play an important role in the changing climatic scenario. An attempt has been made to establish a relationship between NDVI and cover-management factor (C-factor) which varies with area and crop. IRS LISS III data with 23.5 m resolution is used to derive precisely NDVI and correlated with C-factor, the derived regression equation shows a good relationship between NDVI and C-factor value. An approach was made to use this area specific equation for getting C- factor for the whole Mahabubnagar district, Telangana from 2013 imagery data and the study was conducted in 2017. For future scenarios study, a relationship between rainfall, temperature, and NDVI of the whole district was derived. The NDVI value of the study area varies between 0.63 and 0.046. Based on the regression model C-factor for the future scenarios using available CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project-5) has been mapped for the whole district. Using the NDVI map, the C-factor map of the area was prepared in ArcGIS 10.0 software. The spatial distribution shows that the C-factor values varied between 0.52-0.86. On an average C- factor for 2020s, 2050s and in 2080s were 0.53, 0.76, and 0.77 respectively. The predicted C- factor values were then brought under the GIS environment and C- factor prediction maps were generated.

A Field Screening of a Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Ex-Situ Germplasm Collection for Resistance against the False Spider Mite (Tenuipalpus punicae)

Mite management is a major problem in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivation in the arid and semi-arid regions of India and other Asian countries. The aim of this work was to investigate the susceptibility to the false spider mite (Tenuipalpus punicae) in a germplasm collection of Indian pomegranates. A field screening of 73 accessions allowed to define different classes of susceptibility (from very low to very high) based on the percentage of infested leaves. Twenty-two accessions, representative of the empirically identified five susceptibility classes, were further tested. The field screening against the mite, extended to another two years, showed that the infestation level did not display a significant interaction with the growing season, and highly correlated between the different growing seasons. The analysis of the tree vegetative growth (height, canopy size, and stem diameter), main phytochemical classes (total phenolics, flavonoids, and tannins) and the antioxidant activity of the leaves indicated strong significant negative correlations between the infestation level and the biochemical traits. Multidimensional reduction of the measured traits revealed that the extreme classes of susceptibility to mites are mainly separated according to the accumulation of phytochemicals in leaves. This work, for the first time, allowed the identification of pomegranate germplasm with low susceptibility to T. punicae, with positive and useful implications for the establishment of new orchards, plant breeding, and the identification of allelochemicals of the leaves directly affecting mites.

Integrated management enhances crop physiology and final yield in maize intercropped with blackgram in semiarid South Asia.

Photosynthesis, crop health and dry matter partitioning are among the most important factors influencing crop productivity and quality. Identifying variation in these parameters may help discover the plausible causes for crop productivity differences under various management practices and cropping systems. Thus, a 2-year (2019–2020) study was undertaken to investigate how far the integrated crop management (ICM) modules and cropping systems affect maize physiology, photosynthetic characteristics, crop vigour and productivity in a holistic manner. The treatments included nine main-plot ICM treatments [ICM1 to ICM4 – conventional tillage (CT)-based; ICM5 to ICM8 – conservation agriculture (CA)-based; ICM9 – organic agriculture (OA)-based] and two cropping systems, viz., maize–wheat and maize + blackgram–wheat in subplots. The CA-based ICM module, ICM7 resulted in significant (p < 0.05) improvements in the physiological parameters, viz., photosynthetic rate (42.56 μ mol CO2 m–2 sec–1), transpiration rate (9.88 m mol H2O m–2 sec–1) and net assimilation rate (NAR) (2.81 mg cm–2 day–1), crop vigour [NDVI (0.78), chlorophyll content (53.0)], dry matter partitioning toward grain and finally increased maize crop productivity (6.66 t ha–1) by 13.4–14.2 and 27.3–28.0% over CT- and OA-based modules. For maize equivalent grain yield (MEGY), the ICM modules followed the trend as ICM7 > ICM8 > ICM5 > ICM6 > ICM3 > ICM4 > ICM1 > ICM2 > ICM9. Multivariate and PCA analyses also revealed a positive correlation between physiological parameters, barring NAR and both grain and stover yields. Our study proposes an explanation for improved productivity of blackgram-intercropped maize under CA-based ICM management through significant improvements in physiological and photosynthetic characteristics and crop vigour. Overall, the CA-based ICM module ICM7 coupled with the maize + blackgram intercropping system could be suggested for wider adoption to enhance the maize production in semiarid regions of India and similar agroecologies across the globe.

Impact of Watershed Management on Stream Flow and Build-up Water Storage in Parasai-Sindh Watershed of SAT Region, India

Aims: The study of runoff and base flow estimates and their impact on groundwater status in the semi-arid region of India is typically limited. We are focused on runoff and base flow in the Parasai-Sindh watershed, and impact of rain water harvesting structure on harvesting of stream flow and change ground water status.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The study site is located in Jhansi district (Bundelkhand region) of Uttar Pradesh and started from 2012 and completed at end of 2013.&#x0D; Methodology: Total six rainwater harvesting structure (RHS) or checkdams were constructed on the drainage line from ridge to final outlet of watershed. Daily rainfall data was observed with automatic rain gauge during the study period. For discharge estimation, the runoff gauging station was installed at the outlet of watershed. The runoff and base flow of watershed were estimated by subtracting barometric pressure from the stage recoded by Baro and Diver install at outlet to get actual stage of runoff passing over it. The water pressure head of 200 randomly selected open wells were monitored on monthly interval.&#x0D; Results: The geological area of watershed is 12.46 km2 and it’s main stream is found to be of 4th order. The results indicate that out of 49.2 mm rainfall event, runoff and base flow at outlet of watershed were found as 20.98% and 4.19%, respectively. Whereas, runoff and base flow were recorded 14.12% and 11.18%, respectively against 86.2 mm rainfall. Total runoff and base flow produced from outlet was recorded as 16 and 7%, respectively. The water head pressure of open wells was improved 92.45% after the rainy season as compared to before the rainy season.&#x0D; Conclusion: The findings of the study are useful and show relationship between rainfall: runoff and estimation of base flow separation from the total discharge at the outlet of watershed. The estimation of volume of runoff which was harvested as surface runoff during rainy season and it's indirectly effected groundwater recharging through construction of RHS in ephemeral drain of Bundelkhand region.

Investment planning to minimize climate risk in agricultural production: an optimization model for a semi-arid region in India

ABSTRACT This study undertakes a prioritization of investments for upscaling context-specific climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies across several districts in the semi-arid Telangana state of India. We first analysed the trade-off between expected agricultural income in these districts and deviation from it under drought and normal weather scenarios. We extended the conventional MOTAD model with climate-smart technologies to assess their role in minimizing this trade-off under various weather scenarios. For our analysis, we relied on a five-year (2010–2011 to 2014–2015), district-level panel dataset on the cost of cultivation and crop production of 11 major crops under six different climate-smart technologies and farmers’ traditional practices (FTPs). This dataset included a collation of official statistics on the cost of cultivation, focus group interviews with farmers over the years and data from experimental plots operated by regional agricultural research stations. We found that the adoption of CSA technologies in Telangana, compared to FTPs, led to a 16% reduction in production risk while achieving optimum levels of crop income. Under FTPs, in a scenario of the high probability of drought, the production risk is increased by 12% while the adoption of CSA technologies reduced this risk by 25%. Our study suggests that increasing investments in farm ponds and unpuddled machine transplanting of rice can minimize the risk-return trade-off in a higher drought frequency scenario. The study fills a critical gap by generating evidence, and developing a robust planning tool, for policymakers to make informed decisions on investments in resilience-enhancing CSA.

AMMI and GGE Biplot Analysis of Multi-environmrnt Seed Yield Data in Cluster Bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.

Background: Cluster bean is a drought tolerant, warm season legume crop, cultivated mainly as a rain fed crop in arid and semi-arid regions of India. The productivity of guar seed is low as it is cultivated in varied and harsh environments so development of new varieties with stable performance over environments as well as identification of discriminative environments for proper testing of cultivars is absolutely essential. Methods: In the present study, 13 guar genotypes developed by pedigree method of breeding at Pulses Research Station, SDAU, S.K.Nagar were evaluated for yield performance during kharif 2020, at eight different locations. Pooled analysis of variance and stability analysis was performed by AMMI and GGE biplot. Result: The results of pooled analysis indicated the presence of significant G x E interaction (GEI) for seed yield and hence the data was subjected to stability analysis. From stability analysis, it was evident that the genotypes viz., G8, G4, G2 and G5 were with high mean values for the trait concerned and exhibited less variation over environments whereas other genotypes had a greater variation with the environment. Among the environments, E7 (VIJ)) was found to be the best test environment having high discriminative ability and representativeness for selecting generally adapted genotypes.

Mitochondrial DNA Variation and Genetic Relationships in Indian Halari Donkey Breed using D-Loop Region

Background: Halari donkey is a distinct breed of India that comes from the community of migrants from the regions of Halar, Bharwad and Rabaris of Gujarat. They have a brief history of travel and migration from arid and semi-arid regions of India. The population of Halari donkeys has fallen drastically in past and is further declining; therefore, these donkeys may be recognized as a threatened breed in near future. Methods: The genetic diversity of this breed was determined using the D-loop gene of 542 bp size belonging to mitochondrial DNA and compared with the complete mitochondrial genome of Equus asinus (NC_001788.1). In the present study, a total of 8 haplotypes were identified with haplotype diversity of 0.8152 and nucleotide diversity of 0.1281 indicating that the population has high genetic diversity. The Median-joining network tree and neighbour-joining trees revealed close clustering of the Halari donkeys. Result: The high nucleotide and haplotype diversity suggest Halari donkeys as a unique population and proper management and conservation is the need of the hour.

Elucidating genotype by environment interaction over the growth trajectory of Malpura sheep in the semi-arid region of India through Random regression model

The Presence of genotype by environment (GxE) interaction over different ages across growth trajectory in different environments leads to alteration in sires ranking, it may cause problem in any breeding program by affecting efficiency of selection. The objective of the present study was to compare the random regression models (RRM) and conventional animal models and also to plot the trajectory of the growth curve using Legendre polynomial (LP) function of the RRM for better genetic evaluation for growth traits of the Malpura sheep. The data was collected from 8299 animals descended from 2529 dams and 525 sires for growth traits of Malpura sheep, selected over 45 years (1975–2019) maintained at the Animal Genetics and Breeding Division, ICAR-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (CSWRI), Avikanagar, Rajasthan, India. The Legendre polynomial based random regression models (LP-RRM) was more robust as compared to conventional animal model and it included direct genetic, direct maternal, maternal permanent environmental and animal permanent environmental effects as a random effects in different orders of fit. The estimates for the additive direct heritability (h2) using best LP-RRM (4444) were 0.176 ± 0.022, 0.367 ± 0.024, 0.314 ± 0.021, 0.323 ± 0.023 and 0.314 ± 0.023, respectively for live body weight at birth (BWT), three-month (WWT), six-month (6WT), nine-month (9WT) and twelve-month (12WT). The comparable trends of variances were found in LP-RRM with trends obtained from the inclusive univariate animal model that included the direct genetic, direct maternal and maternal permanent environmental components. The h2 estimates indicated the further scope of genetic improvement through selection. The maternal proportion of variance was accounting for 1–15 % variance across growth trajectory indicating the low influence of maternal effects that reduced significantly post-weaning. However, we observed that the animal permanent environment accounted for 42–58 % of variance across growth trajectory. The estimates of genetic correlation in LP-RRM were positive and higher (mostly >0.80) between most of the time points as compared to the estimates obtained from animal model, indicating less GxE when RRM is used. Currently selection of Malpura sheep is carried out at the age of six month for growth traits. The presence of genotype by environment (GxE) interaction resulted in to significant re-ranking of sires at 12WT on the basis of breeding values using animal model. However, more consistency in sires ranking were found in the reaction norms plotted for breeding values at 6WT and 12WT using LP-RRM. The RRM have property for accounting (GxE) interaction across growth trajectories more precisely. Therefore, it is recommended that the RRM approach should be used for genetic evaluation of Malpura sheep at 6-month age for unbiased, accurate, and consistent prediction of breeding values for growth traits.

Determination of Maturity Indices for Harvesting of ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.)

Indian jujube or ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) is an important hardy underutilised fruit crop of arid and semi-arid regions of India, symbolizing the production at a minimal cost. Ber fruits are potent source of nutritional as well as medicinal values and are generally consumed fresh. Ber fruits follow non-climacteric respiratory pattern. Fruits that are allowed to ripen on the tree typically have a limited shelf life and the ideal results are obtained if they are picked before the onset of ripening. Fruit harvesting at the appropriate stage of maturity is critical for both quality control and marketing. The time taken by ber fruit to mature from fruit set to maturity depends upon cultivar as well as location. Immature fruits lack desirable sweetness and flavour while over ripe fruits quickly lose their attractiveness and crispiness with slimy texture. Hence, an experiment was conducted to determine the optimum maturity indices for harvesting Indian jujube during 2019-20. Cultivar selected for this experiment was Narendra Ber Selection-2. The fruits on tagged current season shoots were harvested 21, 36, 51, 66, 81, 96, 111, 126, 141, 156, 171 and186 days after fruit setting. Fruit colour, shape, specific gravity, total soluble solids (%), T.S.S.: Acid ratio and organoleptic score of fruits were recorded at 15 days interval after fruit set. The results revealed that ber fruit of cultivar NBS-2 matures for harvesting between 171 to186 days after fruit setting i.e., between 29th February to 15th March when fruits attain yellowish to green colour, 0.95-0.92 specific gravity, ovate shape,17.29-17.94 T.S.S. and 123.72-128.37 T.S.S.: Acid ratio with organoleptic score of 7.5 to 8.0 range.

Sustainable livelihood security of small farmers improved through a resilient farming system in thesemiaridregion of India

AbstractImproving the farming system to attain the household level self‐sufficiency, land utilization efficiency and sustainable livelihood security depends on better socio‐economic and ecological aspects of the systems practiced by the small farmers in the semiarid regions of India. The higher sustainable livelihood security index (SLSI) in the integrated crops‐livestock system helps to restore economic and ecological sustainability. The aim of this study was to analyze how various modules of farming in different combinations have interacted with the diversification of existing systems. We used the ecological security index (ESI), economic efficiency index (EEI), and social equity index (SEI) to produce a SLSI of improved integrated farming system (IFS) compared with benchmark farming in semiarid regions. In this study, different existing IFS comprising of seven modules (field crops, dairy, goats, poultry, horticulture, fishery, and apiary) in different combinations were examined. Results revealed that 72.5% farmers preferred to integrate two modules, where as 95% of farmers adopted field crops + dairy (FC + D) in preference to other modules. The sustainability indicators: ESI (+43.3%), EEI (+16.0%), SEI (+11.6%), and SLSI (+6.0%) were improved in the FC + D farming system to a greater degree than other IFS module combinations. Similarly, improved IFS interventions also increased sustainability indicators over benchmark farming. Based on large scale household studies over 5 years, our findings suggest that the improved IFS succeeded in providing a wider array of livelihood security than existing practices. Hence, the paradigm shift from component approach to an IFS‐based resilient system, which is economically viable, environmentally sustainable, and socially acceptable, is needed for development of semiarid regions.