A field experiment was carried out at GBPUA&T, Pantnagar to study the influence of planting pattern and nutrientmanagement on growth dynamics of intercropped maize (Zea maysL.) and urdbean (Vigna mungoL.). The experiment consisting of two intercropping planting pattern (single rows at 67.5 cm with 1+1 additive and paired rows at 45/90 cm with 2+2 additive), fertilizer application methods (broadcast, furrow and side placement) and two levels of nitrogen in maize (75 and 100% of recommended) vis-à-vis the sole crops of maize and urdbean was conducted in a factorial RBD with three replications. Maize growth was not affected due to variation in planting patterns. Application of fertilizers in furrows and 100% recommended nitrogen dose (RND) in maize resulted in higher growth and better values of physiological parameters viz. plant height, shoot dry matter accumulation and LAI. Dry matter accumulation, LAI, CGR, and NAR of urdbean were found higher in paired row system compared to normal intercropping. Significant reduction in growth of intercropped urdbean was recorded over its sole crop. Grain yield of intercropped maize (3.57 t/ha) was statistically similar to its sole crop. Planting pattern did not affect maize grain yield but urdbean recorded significantly 19.5% higher grain yield under paired row system. Furrow and side placement methods were significantly superior to broadcast method with respect to maize grain yield by an advantage of 13.2 and 8.4%, respectively. Application of 100% RDN in maize resulted significantly 8.8% more grain yield than that of 75% RDN. The study indicated that there was negligible impact of intercropping on maize growth and urdbean showed better growth in paired row panting pattern.
The study was carried out during kharif 2016 and 2017 at GBPUA&T, Pantnagar to investigate the effect of potassiumsplitting and differential placement of NPK doses on dry matter yield, NPK content and uptake by hybrid maize. The experimentconsisting of two K split applications (100% K as basal and 50% as basal + 50 % before earthing up practice) and eight NPK doses (different combinations of NPK at 75 and 100% of recommended dose) was conducted in factorial RBD with three replications. The differential placement was done in equal splits at 5 cm and 10-12 cm depths. The control was farmers' practice (100% NPK dose with100% K as basal at 5 cm depth). The nutrient contents in grain, stover and rachis did not vary significantly due to different nutrient management practices except N content in stover and rachis. Dry grain (3.95 t/ha) and stover (6.17 t/ha) yields and uptake of N (110.6 kg/ha), P (32.3 kg/ha) and K (102.4 kg/ha) were found significantly higher with split application of potassium. Differential placement of 100% dose of NPK, being at par with 100% NP + 75% K and 100% NK + 75% P resulted into significantly higher dry matter yields and total N and K uptake by maize than other treatments. Significantly higher P uptake was also noticed in 100% NPK which was at par with 100% NP+75% K. Farmers' practice was significantly inferior to differential placement of 100% NPK fertilizers under both with and without K split application for yield.
The paper has estimated sustainability in Uttarakhand by computing Sustainable Livelihood Security Index (SLSI)for 13 districts of the state using secondary data on various indicators under the ecology, economy and social heads for the years 2016-17. The study has found that SLSI value for Nainital (0.59), Udham singh nagar (0.57) and Pithoragarh(0.50) districts respectively with high sustainable livelihood security status and remaining districts Dehradun (0.48), Haridwar (0.48), Pauri Garhwal (0.46), Rudraprayag (0.45), Champawat (0.44), Tehri Garhwal (0.40), Almora (0.38), Chamoli (0.32) and Bageshwar (0.30) were showed moderate sustainable livelihood security index with rank forth to twelve. District Uttarkashi (0.24) was come at last rank with value which showed that low sustainable livelihood security status. the value of ecological security index varies from 0.63 to 0.26,value of economic efficiency index varies from 0.71 to 0.11 and value of social security index varies from 0.79 to 0.33.The paper has suggested some measures for sustainability in the state in the years to come.
Rugose spiraling whitefly (RSW),Aleurodicus rugioperculatusMartin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) was observed in several coconut farms in the Pollachi, Tamil Nadu and Palakkad, Kerala in 2016 and subsequently, the incidence and infestation of the RSW was recorded on many other horticultural crops. The origin of RSW was first described from Belize in Central America in 2004. It was first documented as a pest in Florida in urban landscapes in Miami Dade County in March 2009. In Assam, the pest was first noticed in June- July, 2018 in different areas of Kamrup, Nalbari and Darrang districts. First diagnostic visit was made jointly by officials from Department of Agriculture, Govt. of Assam and Scientist from Assam Agricultural University in few villages of Kamrup district on 25 July 2018. The pest was identified with the help of damage symptom, and by consulting different literature and photographs. Heavy infestation of rugose spiraling whitefly and secondary infection of sooty mould were noticed in coconut palms as well as other horticultural crops nearby coconut palms. Almost all the leaves of coconut, banana and other horticultural plants nearby were brownish-black in appearance due to severe growth of sooty mould. In Kamalpur and Balisatra agricultural development circles of Kamrup district 4281 numbers of family were affected by this pest covering more than 450 ha of land. The pest seems to have entered in Assam accidentally through movement of coconut seedling from South India. The deficit monsoon along with prolonged drought could be one of the primary reasons of immediate upsurge of spiraling whitefly during 2018. Emergence of sucking pest as a victim of climate change, thus, warrants close scrutiny.
Teosinte (Zea mays ssp. parviglumis), a weedy morphologically diverse sub-species is now considered as the most probable progenitor of modern maize (Zea maysssp. mays). To determine differentiation between maize and its progenitor toesinte, an investigation on phenotypic and genomic assessment was carried out. Photoperiod sensitivity is one of the traits where maize differs from teosinte. Teosinte grows for a longer time, bears tillers, more than one tassel and takes more duration in flowering. Ear morphology and kernels were entirely different in maize from teosinte. Genomic analysis using 91 microsatellites loci identified 164 alleles with a mean of 1.8 alleles per locus. Of the 91 loci, 55 were polymorphic, 31 were monomorphic, whereas five loci showed null allele between maize and teosinte. Polymorphism information content (PIC) value of polymorphic markers was 1.0. Maize and teosinte were found only 25% similar as indicated by Jaccard's similarity coefficient and dendrogram analysis of SSR data. The results therefore indicates that both at phenotypic and genome level, maize and teosinte are quite diverse probably because of the mutations in some major and regulatory genes followed by selection during evolutionary domestication. Large genetic diversity in teosinte from maize may help in domestication of wild alleles as well diversification and maize germplasm enhancement which are essentially and urgently required in maize improvement programme.
