Yield Growth Rate Research Articles

Analysis of Growth and Instability of Rice Production in Madhya Pradesh, India: A District Level Study

Rice is one of the important food crops cultivated in Madhya Pradesh state covering 4.55% rice area and 3.72% rice production of the country. Its contribution is very vital in agricultural growth of the country. But, yield of the state is less than the national average yield. So, for further improvement of its contribution in the agriculture sector of the country, it is essential to study the growth pattern of rice production in the state. Therefore the present study has been undertaken to examine the growth rate and instability in area, production and yield of rice in Madhya Pradesh state. The district-wise data on rice of Madhya Pradesh state was collected from the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India and from the online sources of the state departments for the period 1992-93 to 2019-20. The data was divided into four periods for analysis. Compound annual growth rate and Cuddy-Della Valle Instability index have been computed for the four periods. The districts have been classified into five classes based on the classification of instability. These classes are very low instability, low instability, medium instability, high instability and very high instability. For the state, growth rate for area ranges from -0.80 to 4.23; for production ranges from 0.90 to 12.82 and for yield ranges from 1.31 to 8.24. The highest growth rate for area and production was observed in Hosangabad and Raisen districts respectively in period III; and for yield Datia district in period I. For the state instability ranges from 3.77 to 9.00 for area, 5.93 to 30.70 for production and 6.29 to 22.57 for yield. None of the districts were classified as very low instability for production and yield. Most of the districts recorded medium instability in period I, II and III for yield. The information about growth rate and instability may help the policy makers of Madhya Pradesh state to select the appropriate districts for enhancing the rice yield of the state.

Optimizing feed restriction strategies for profitable Oreochromis niloticus culture in floating cages in riverine ecosystems

High feed cost is a major obstacle for promoting the growth of nutrient-rich fish species like Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in cage aquaculture. To address this issue, cage farming of O. niloticus was studied for a 75-day period in the Gurukchi River of Bangladesh. Three different feeding strategies (FS) were tested in floating cages: FS5- weekly restriction on feed supply for two days, FS6- weekly restriction on feed supply for one day, and FS7- no weekly restriction on feed supply, with three replications for each treatment. Water quality parameters were monitored weekly and found within suitable levels for fish cultivation. The analysis of length–weight relationship and the condition factor of O. niloticus showed positive allometric growth regardless of the diverse feeding tactics employed that consistently exhibit stability across all treatments. Both FS6 and FS7 had significantly higher (p < 0.05) final individual length, final individual weight, net yield, total yield, and specific growth rate than FS5. FS6 yielded significantly higher fish production with significantly lower feed conversion ratio than FS7. Economic analysis revealed the highest benefit–cost ratio and net revenue in FS6, recommending its use to minimize the need for supplemental feed and reduce production costs in tilapia cage culture.

Analysis of growth and instability in rice: a district level study in Maharashtra, India

Maharashtra state contributes 3.4% of rice area and 2.65% production of the country. Considering its importance in national rice basket, this study was undertaken to examine the growth rate and instability in area, production and yield of rice in Maharashtra state. The district wise data of rice have been collected from Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India and from the online sources of the state departments during the period 1983-84 to 2019-20, which have been divided into five periods for analysis. Compound annual growth rate and Cuddy-Della Valle Instability index have been computed for the five periods. The districts have been classified into five class based on the classification of instability. These classes are very low instability, low instability, medium instability, high instability and very high instability. Growth rate ranges from -0.6 to 0.08 for area, -2.1 to 1.74 for production and -1.51 to 2.01 for yield. Highest and lowest growth rate for area, production and yield was recorded in period IV for different districts. The instability ranges from 1.79 to 4.39 for area; 5.02 to 18.18 for production and 5.26 to 15.88 for yield. Highest instability was observed in period IV and lowest instability in period I for area and period II for production and yield, respectively. None of the districts classified as very low instability for production and yield in different periods. More than fifty per cent districts were classified as low instability and medium instability for area, production and yield.

Analysis of the yield of spring oats cultivated in a harsh continental climate

Studies of the yield of spring oats for the period 2012–2021 in the conditions of a sharply continental climate in the Kemerovo region have been carried out. The main soils of the steppe zone are leached heavy loamy chernozem, forest-steppe — gray forest. In 2012, the yield of this crop was the lowest — 9.35 kg/ha. The first one reflects the trend of yield dynamics (trend) and is associated with an increase in the general culture of agriculture. The second is caused by fluctuations in weather conditions in each particular year and is depicted as deviations from the trend. It is shown that the yield of spring oats in both steppe and forest-steppe soil-climatic zones tends to slightly increase. The analysis of the data obtained showed that the maximum yield of spring oats was in 2021 — 22.68 kg/ha, and the lowest was in 2012 (9.35 kg/ha). The high fluctuation of oat yield indicates a strong influence of hydrothermal conditions during the growing season of the crop. It was found that the decrease in the growth rate of spring oat yields in the Kemerovo region was in 2015, 2016 and 2018. The maximum growth rate was observed in 2013 — 178.82%. The maximum decrease in the yield growth rate of spring oats occurred in 2016 and 2018 - by -5.31% and -6.68%, respectively. The highest increase in oat yield was observed in 2013 — 78.82%. The absolute content of 1% yield increase was 19.44 c/ha in 2021 compared to 2012.

Utilizing sludge from catfish farming to produce vermicompost for improving soil quality

Abstract Earthworm organic waste is processed into vermicompost, which is of varying quality depending on the substrate. In vermicomposting, earthworms can promote nitrogen mineralization and effect nitrification. A challenging-to-absorb nutrient will be converted into a nutrient that plants can easily absorb to improve nutrients in soil and increase crop production. In this study, an experimental model of organic fertilizer production from catfish pond bottom sludge was implemented. Sludge from the bottom of catfish ponds is composted with water hyacinth in aquatic ponds to produce organic fertilizer, mature fertilizer is used as a substrate for vermicomposting. The impact of vermicompost on plant growth parameters was evaluated through its use to improve nutrients in soil. Sludge, compost, vermicompost, and soil quality were also evaluated for their physical and chemical properties. Results show that the growth coefficient of earthworms is 129.3±1.15% per 30 days, and the average amount of organic fertilizer created is 126±3.51 kg per 30 days. The quality parameters of vermicompost all meet national standards for organic fertilizer quality. The moisture and total organic matter content in mature fertilizer are 31% and 21.9%, respectively. The content of nutrients N and P increased compared to input materials, the corresponding values reached 2.84% and 0.96%. The C/N ratio is 7.7, microbiological and heavy metal indicators are within the accepted limits. In the experiment using vermicompost to cultivate Brassica rapa chinensis, the yield growth rate was the highest. After 21 days of planting, the growth rate is fast and the height reaches 25.0±0.38 cm. The biochemical composition ensures safety according to food regulations for leafy vegetables. Vermicomposting is recommended as a sustainable and suitable technique for catfish pond sludge utilizing.

Karenia brevis and Pyrodinium bahamense Utilization of Dissolved Organic Matter in Urban Stormwater Runoff and Rainfall Entering Tampa Bay, Florida

This study investigated how nitrogen and dissolved organic matter (DOM) from stormwater runoff and rainfall support the growth of Karenia brevis and Pyrodinium bahamense. Excitation–emission matrix spectroscopy coupled with parallel factor analysis tracked changes in the optical properties of DOM in each bioassay, revealing greater reactivity of terrestrial humic-like DOM. Significant increases in cell yield and specific growth rates were observed upon additions of runoff for both species, with significant increases in specific growth rates upon the addition of a 2 in simulated rain event for P. bahamense only. By hour 48, 100% of the dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in each treatment was utilized by P. bahamense, and by hour 72, over 50% of the DON was utilized by K. brevis. The percentage of bioavailable dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was greater for P. bahamense compared to K. brevis, suggesting a greater affinity for DOC compounds by P. bahamense. However, the bioavailability of DOM for each species could be owed to distinct chemical characteristics of labile DOM conveyed from each site. This study demonstrates that stormwater runoff and rainfall are both sources of labile DOM and DON for K. brevis and P. bahamense, which has implications for blooms of these species in Tampa Bay waters.

Short-term effects of irrigation and nitrogen management on paddy soil carbon pools under deep placement of basal fertilizer nitrogen

Active soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions are major driving factors of soil fertility. Understanding the effects of water and fertilizer management on changes in active SOC fractions helps improve soil quality and maintain high agricultural productivity. We conducted a 3-year field experiment in Northeast China. In this experiment, natural soil (CKT) was used as a blank, and two irrigation regimes were established: conventional flooded irrigation (FI) and controlled irrigation (CI). Four nitrogen application levels were set for both irrigation regimes under deep placement of basal fertilizer N: Nd0 (0 kg ha–1), Nd (110 kg ha–1), Nd1 (99 kg ha–1), and Nd2 (88 kg ha–1). After 3 years, at similar N fertilizer application rate, the rice yield, total organic carbon (TOC), and active SOC fraction content of CI were higher under CI than FI. The growth rate of rice yield was 3.8% − 8.63% under CI than FI. Under CI, the rice yield, active SOC fractions contents and carbon pool management index (CPMI) did not decrease with decreasing N application rate but instead reached the highest level in the CNd1 treatment. Overall, CI with Nd1 treatment appears to be the best practice for improving soil fertility and crop productivity in Northeast China.

Growth and Instability Analysis of Minor Pulses in Bangladesh

Providing a balanced diet to ensure food and nutritional security is the primary worldwide challenge. Food production efficiency and sustainability must be enhanced to address hunger and malnutrition, while food quantity and quality must grow. Pulses are an important food for the people of Bangladesh. Besides major pulses, we have to look at minor pulses as well. On the other hand, growth and instability are the two crucial aspects of agriculture. Since agriculture depends on weather conditions, the crop area, production, and yield are subject to significant variations over time. This study examined growth and instability in the area, production and yield of minor pulses using secondary data for the past 40 years (1981-2020). The entire period was divided into four sub-periods: 1981-1990, 1991-2000, 2001-2010 &amp; 2011-2020 for analysis through different statistical tools. A suitable exponential growth function was used to calculate growth rates, and the Cuddy-Della Valle Index (CDI) was created to examine instability. The investigation showed that over the time period, both the area and production of minor pulses significantly decreased. However, the yield growth rate was modest and fell short of the demand in our nation. The investigation also revealed that there was no stability in the area, production, or yield of minor pulses during the course of the study.

A Study of Fluctuation and Development Trend in Kharif Rice Cultivation in Odisha, India

It has been a concern in Odisha to see stable agricultural growth rates. Since rice is the main crop grown in the state, the current study's goals are to determine the district wise growth rate of area, production, and yield of kharif rice as well as to determine the degree of instability in those districts of Odisha. The study is based on secondary source of data on area, yield and production of kharif rice in the districts of Odisha from the period 1994-95 to 2017-18. The data are obtained from various volumes of Odisha Agriculture Statistics published by Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production, Government of Odisha. The growth rates for area, production and yield of kharif rice were computed for the districts of Odisha using exponential model. Cuddy Della Valle’s instability index was used to analyze the instability in area, production and yield of kharif rice in districts of Odisha. The compound growth rate in case of area was highest in Malkangiri and Subarnapur Districts. Lowest growth rate found in Kandhamal district. Compound growth rate for production are significant and highest in Subarnapur, Sundargarh, Jagatsinghpur and Boudh districts. Maximum districts showing positive growth rate in production and yield. Instability index for area of kharif rice in all districts of Odisha is insignificant except Bargarh and Jharsuguda which have significant Instability Index, which reveals that for the State, area is more stable as compared to that of yield and production. Despite stability of area, the instability of yield leads to instability of production.

Genotypic variations of phenological and growth parameters in rapeseed (Brassica rapa, var. Toria)

Rapeseed is a short duration, self-pollinated and long day crop. It is an important and widely used oil seed crops among the people of Assam and North-East India. However, there is still lack of sufficient rapeseed genotypes for the local farmers. Only a few improved genotypes are recommended in the region. To increase the production and productivity, more numbers of improved genotypes have to be identified. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted at the Instructional-cum-Research (ICR) Farm, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, during rabi 2021-22 and 2022-23 to study the genotypic variations of phenological and growth parameters in rapeseed genotypes. 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 practice. All the phenological and growth parameters were taken following the standard methodologies. The result of the experiment indicated significant difference in reaching phenological and growth parameters among the genotypes. The genotype JT-14-5 and TKM-20-2 took the longest duration for 50% flowering and siliqua initiation. However, JT-14-5 and JT-90-1 took the longest duration for physiological maturity. On the other hand, TS-67 and TS-75-1TL took the shortest duration for physiological maturity. The genotype TS-75-2ME showed highest dry weight followed by the genotype TS-38 at harvest. There was gradual increase in Absolute Growth Rate and Crop Growth Rate with the advancement of growth. However, in case of Relative Growth Rate, a decline was noticed in the values from 30-60 DAS to 60 DAS-harvest. The genotype TS-75-2ME and TS-38 were recorded highest yield and highest Crop Growth Rate during 30-60 DAS indicating that the parameter at that particular stage of growth, has positive impact on seed yield.

Growth and instability analysis of area, production and yield of groundnut in selected states of India

India is the largest producer of oilseeds in the world as oilseed sector occupies an important position in the agricultural economy of the country. The study was based on the secondary data from 2002-03 to 2019-20. Major five groundnut producing states were selected based on highest production last triennium average production. The growth rate and instability were computed by using Compound Annual Growth Rate and Cuddy-Della Valle Index. The growth pattern of groundnut witnessed a downward trend with respect to area except Rajasthan state (7.667%). Growth pattern of groundnut indicated a downward trend in respect to production in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu state. Growth rate in yield (4.442 %)of groundnut was observed highest in Gujarat state. The instability index showed that the fluctuation in production of groundnut was found to be higher in Andhra Pradesh (44.453%) and Gujarat (41.660%). Low rate of instability was observed in area under groundnut crop in Gujarat (9.690%), Karnataka (10.495%) and Tamil Nadu (11.802%).

Haematological, biochemical, enzymological changes and mitochondrial dysfunction of liver in freshwater climbing perch Anabas testudineus during their acute and chronic exposure to sodium fluoride

Anthropogenic activities are increasing fluoride concentration in watercourses. The present study focuses on the sublethal toxicity of sodium fluoride during sub-chronic and chronic time periods in the freshwater fish Anabas testudineus. The 96-hour LC50 value for fluoride was found to be 616.50 mg/L. Excessive mucous production and hyper excitability, followed by loss of balance, were seen in fish under acute fluoride exposure. Significant reduction in yield and specific growth rate of fish were assessed at 15, 30 and 45-days exposure intervals. Different bio-indicators like Hepatosomatic-index, Gonadosomatic-index and fecundity were reduced significantly in fish exposed to 10% (61.6 mg/L) and 20% (123.2 mg/L) of 96 h of LC50 values of fluoride in comparison to control. Toxicant concentrations directly correlated with parameter lowering. Fluoride exposure increased plasma glucose, creatinine, AST, and ALT and reduced total RBC, haemoglobin content, Hct (%), plasma protein, and cholesterol. Moreover, fluoride exposure significantly reduces the mitochondrial membrane potential in liver. This may result in metabolic depression, haematological, biochemical, and enzymological stress. The in-silico structural analysis predicts that fluoride may impede cytochrome c oxidase of the electron transport system, hence inhibiting mitochondrial functionality. These findings collectively highlight the urgent need for stringent regulation and monitoring of fluoride levels in freshwater ecosystems, as the subchronic and chronic effects observed in A. testudineus may have broader implications for aquatic ecosystems.

Capital formation through Technology Integrated Approaches for Tribal Communities: A Pragmatic Analysis

The present study is part of an evaluation report of the Scheduled Tribe Component (STC) implemented in the Jharkhand area. Under this project, more than 6000 tribal families were covered under the capacity building and skill development programs with forward and backward linkages during 2021-22. A preliminary survey revealed the footprints of technology dissemination among the tribal households, affordability of inputs, and infrastructural development for value addition in the oilseed sector in general and rapeseed mustard in particular. Productivity of rapeseed mustard improved in Ranchi (4.17%) and Gumla (2.63%) districts over the state of Jharkhand (1.29%) during the period of 20010-11 to 2019-20. Based upon the existing yield gaps and growth rates coupled with the synergy of apiculture, capital formation forecasting reflects the huge potential in the tribal economy of the country and would be an effective strategy to improve the vulnerability indices in aspirational areas.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE ROLE OF MAIZE FARMING AND AGRICULTURAL MARKET REFORMS IN RAISING FARMERS’ INCOME IN INDIA

The study aimed to investigate the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of area, production, and yield of rice, wheat, and maize in India from 1950-51 to 2019-20, divided into four periods based on the vital year of the Indian economy from an agricultural perspective. It revealed that the CAGR of maize productionwas highest than rice and wheat before the green revolution i.e. 6.39 %. Still, this trend has completely reversed after adopting the green revolution, as it mainly focused on wheat and rice production. The study also reported that maize output in India had an unprecedented increase following the economic reforms of 1991 due to the adoption of single cross hybrids and ongoing demand in the domestic and export markets. Its annual growth rate is higher than that of rice and wheat.Due to its numerous uses as food and feed, its demand increased significantly in the twenty-first century.Additionally, the agricultural market reforms brought about by the APMC act of 2003, the model APMC act of 2007, and e-NAM (Electronic National Agricultural Marketing) in 2016 encouraged farmers to cultivate more maize. Also, from 2010-11 to 2020-21, the annual growth rate in MSP (Minimum Support Price) of maize is the highest than rice and wheat i.e.7%. The study noticed that, although not by 2022, maize production can soon assist farmers in increasing their income and achieving the government-set goal of doubling their income.

Unravelling the association among characters through correlation and Path analyses in dual purpose Oats (Avena sativa L.)

Recent rise in urbanization of cultivable lands to compensate increasing human population at the cost of agricultural production threatens the globe. So, the crop breeders got the responsibility to generate potential varieties possessing higher productivity to makeup with the future scarcity. Yield, a complex trait, is dependent on several attributes of the crop plant. Therefore, having clear knowledge on trait correlation and path coefficients assists the researchers to come up with the combination of component traits to breed genotypes those hit the maximum yield objective. In rabi 2021-22, 31 genotypes of oats were grown to record data on 12 fodder attributing and 12 grain attributing traits. Two separate trait association analyses were conducted using fodder and grain traits, respectively. Among fodder traits, plant height, number of leaves per plant, leaf length, leaf width, number of tillers per plant, dry matter yield and crop growth rate showed significant positive correlation with green fodder yield. Path analysis suggested that the tall plant with numerous tillers showing higher growth rate could be the indirect selection criteria for green fodder yield. Whereas among grain traits, there was a significant positive correlation of 1000 seed weight, flag leaf length, panicle length, no. of effective tillers per plant and spikelet number per panicle with grain yield per plant. Early flowering genotypes with increased number of effective tillers could be the selection index for grain yield as suggested by path coefficients.

Influence of a novel resin tapping method on the resin yield and turpentine chemical composition of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana)

Pine resin is a potential renewable non-wood product with a wide range of industrial applications and economic value. Masson pine (Pinus massoniana), the main tree species of pine resin in the world, is widely planted in Southern China. However, the resin tapping by traditional methods is performed in an open environment under the sun and rain, resulting in the continuous volatilization of turpentine components such as α-pinene and β-pinene and a loss of the turpentine. This reduced not only the yield of pine resin but also the quality of turpentine and rosin. In this study, a novel resin tapping method was explored by introducing film mulching to pine wounds. The experimental results showed that the mulching treatment was indeed beneficial for pine resin yield. The growth rate of resin yield was up to 55.46 % by transparent film treatment (TFM) when re-wounding was carried out every two days, and the collection was carried out every eight days. The relationship between turpentine content and pine resin yield was analyzed, and a positive relationship was observed. The increase in turpentine content after the film mulching treatment proved that the film mulching treatment could reduce the turpentine loss and thus increase pine resin yield. The turpentine composition and its content variation were analyzed by Gas chromatography (GC) and Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and correlated with turpentine content and pine resin yield. It was confirmed that the key components in turpentine indeed affect pine resin yield. This study can provide a simple and cost-effective method for effectively increasing the turpentine content and pine resin yield, which is economical for both the tapping industry and the pine resin processing industry.

Large-scale production: A possible way to the balance between feed grain security and meat security in China

Food security as a national strategy, closely links to China's economic progress, people's livelihoods and social harmony. The balance between feed grain security and meat security remains a key unresolved issue that significantly impacts China's integral food security goal. In this study, we first apply food security index to demonstrate the efficacy of the self-sufficiency rate as an indicator for evaluating the food security situation, and then evaluate meat security and feed grain security with self-sufficiency rate, as well as explore their production challenges and successful long-term development experiences based on related agricultural data. We find that the burgeoning meat consumption has made feed grains a “rigid demand”, among which pork and soybean are critical parts. Pork consumption accounts for over 65% of total meat consumption in 2020, but its self-sufficient rate is waning. Moreover, the self-sufficiency rate of soybean is as low as 0.15, and a great unit yield gap between China and the United States. However, the current production patterns have already reached their attainable potential in production efficiency due to the declining growth rate of unit yield, which also pose challenges for improving production efficiency and domestic supply of soybean. According to the projection by FAO-OECD, the growth rate of unit yield of soybean will remain stagnant from 2020 to 2030. Furthermore, the percentage of medium-scale and large-scale pig farms is remarkably low, accounting for only 0.578% and 0.013%, respectively. Further analysis indicates that large-scale production in soybean and pig industry offers notable advantages in improving production efficiency and reducing feed consumption. Finally, based on factors such as soybean sowing area, regions with high pig slaughter and scale farms, farm size and the pig regional development planning, we propose the integration of soybean-pig in large-scale production in selected possible provinces, which has the potential to improve the production efficiency of soybean and pig, to strike a balance between feed grain security and meat security. This study has practical significance in optimizing the production space of feed grains and livestock products, to improve production capability and ensure China's food security.

Magnetic and geochemical scanning reveals growth history of marine ferromanganese crust on Detroit Seamount, northwest Pacific since the early Miocene

The Hawaiian Chain-Emperor Seamounts is known to be one of the most active regions influenced by mantle hotspot. However, previous studies have provided limited information on the growth process and metal enrichment of marine ferromanganese crusts as indicators of post-eruption history. In this study, we conducted a geochronological and major elemental study of a hydrogenetic ferromanganese crust, from the Detroit Seamount using high-resolution magnetic and geochemical scanning. Our findings are as follows: (1) A total of 39 magnetozones are recognized in the studied section of the crust, which can be preliminarily correlated to the geomagnetic polarity timescale from chrons C1n to C5Dn. This correlation yields growth rates of 1.48–2.18 mm/Myr over the past ∼18 Myr. (2) Columnar and lamellar growth structures are identified with distinct metal enrichment patterns. A significant transition from lamellar to columnar growth occurred at ∼11.6 Ma. (3) The quantified elements can be clustered into three groups, (Mn, Cu–Co–Ni, and Al–Si), (Fe and Ti), and Ca. A strong correlation between metal enrichment in the crust and the global benthic foraminifera δ13C record is then observed. Based on these results, we suggest a predominant role of deep-sea redox conditions in the growth history of ferromanganese deposits on the Detroit Seamount since the Early Miocene.

Impact of Climate Warming on Paddy Soil Organic Carbon Change in the Sichuan Basin of China

Climate warming can increase soil temperature and lead to soil carbon release, but it can also increase soil organic carbon by increasing primary productivity. Cropland soils are considered to have a huge potential to sequester carbon; however, direct observations for the responses of cropland soil organic carbon to climate warming over broad geographic scales are rarely documented. Paddy soil is one of the important cultivated soils in China. Based on the data of 2217 sampling points obtained during the second national soil survey and the data of 2382 sampling points collected during 2017-2019, this study analyzed the change characteristics of soil organic carbon content of paddy surface soil in Sichuan Basin of China and explored the relationships between the soil organic carbon change of paddy soil and temperature, precipitation, cropland use type, fertilization intensity, and grain yield. The results showed that the content of soil organic carbon of paddy soil changed from 13.33 g·kg-1to 15.96 g·kg-1, with an increase of 2.63 g·kg-1, suggesting that soils in the Sichuan Basin have acted as a carbon sink over past 40 years. The soil organic carbon increment of paddy soil varied with different geomorphic regions and different secondary basins. The increase in SOC content in paddy soil was positively correlated with annual average temperature; negatively correlated with annual average precipitation; and initially increased and then decreased with annual average fertilizer application, annual average increase rate of fertilizer application, annual average grain yield, and annual average grain yield growth rate. The relationship between the increase in SOC content and the annual average temperature growth rate was different under different farmland utilizations, and the increase in the annual average temperature growth rate had significant effects with the increase in SOC content only on paddy-dryland rotation. These results indicate that the paddy soil organic carbon change in Sichuan Basin was co-affected by various factors, but climate warming was an important factor leading to the paddy soil organic carbon change, and its influence was controlled by the water conditions determined by farmland use.

Growth Performance and Interrupted Time Series Approach to Estimate Immediate and Sustained Effects of Oilseeds Mission on Groundnut in India

Oilseeds are mostly grown in marginal lands with inadequate irrigation facilities (only 10% is irrigated) as a result yields tend to be low leading to a widening gap between domestic production of vegetable oil and demand. Production growth in the early eighties was slow due to insufficient technologies and the turning point was the year 1985-86. Since then, oilseeds production in the country has increased due to implementation of technology mission. The present study was attempted to examine the growth performance of groundnut in the major states of India and assess the immediate and sustained effects of oilseeds mission on groundnut production in order to identify the potentials for future expansion of area and scaling -up the yield of groundnut-based production system. Growth and quasi experimental time series analyses were employed to assess the growth performance and intervention’s effects (oilseeds mission) using time series data. Increase in groundnut production has been contributed mainly by increase in productivity. Though the maximum productivity growth was 6.24% per annum in India, overall growth rate in yield was 2.28 % per annum due to yearly aberrations indicating the high instability. Groundnut yield grew by 3.84, 3.06 and 2.16 % per annum respectively in Rajasthan, Madya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu for the overall period (1992-93 and 2020-21). However, these states witnessed production shortfalls and production fell by 0.94, 6.42 and 2.05 % per annum, respectively. Except Gujarat the other major states also exhibited negative growth in production and the rate of drop was higher in the Uttara Pradesh (7.91%) followed by Madhya Pradesh (6.42%), Maharashtra (4.94%), Andhra Pradesh (3.69%) and Karnataka (3.03%). Groundnut production in India also fell by 2.13 % per annum mainly due to fall in area and marginal growth in yield. The estimated yield increase was 450 kg/ha in India, which is higher by 48 % after the intervention. The estimated positive and significant coefficient of interrupted time series for India (50.36) reveal that the oilseeds mission has created sustained effects as a result there was a yield improvement. Sustained effects of intervention are noticed in most of the states. Sustaining the productivity in those states with high yield potential and improving the productivity in other major states by prioritizing and disseminating the seeds of suitable varieties and production technologies are vital as there is lackluster response from the farmers in adoption of varieties and technologies.