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Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the important cereal crop and its demand is increasing due to its versatile use but the productivity in India is still low. The basic requirement for improving the crop productivity is soil fertility and it is highly related with soil organic matter. Due to unavailability of organic manure and their higher cost, cheaper the organic source available at farm should be explored to meet the requirement. Methods: A field experiment was conducted at College Agronomy Farm, B.A. College of Agriculture, AAU, Anand during summerkharif seasons of years 2017 and 2018 to examine the impact of legume crop residue and nitrogen levels on maize crop. Experiment comprised of three legume crops grown in summer season viz., green gram, groundnut and cluster bean, two residue management treatments viz., residue removal and incorporation and three nitrogen levels in kharif maize viz., 100%, 75% and 50% recommended dose of nitrogen. Result: Results indicated that cluster bean-maize sequence provided the highest leaf area and leaf area index at 60 days after sowing, chlorophyll content and dry matter production at 30 and 60 days after sowing and crop growth rate for of maize crop. Incorporation of legume residues also had significant effect on plant height, dry matter production and chlorophyll content; leaf area and leaf area index at 60 days after sowing and crop growth rate and absolute growth rate of maize crop. Application of 100% RDN beneficially affected all the growth parameter and indices. Overall, summer legume cropping with their residue incorporation and higher nitrogen levels favourably impacts on various growth parameters and growth indices of maize crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment on study of nitrogen management through different sources on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was conducted during rabi season of 2016-17 at Agronomy Farm, B. A. College of agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand on loamy sand soil. Nitrogen management on wheat var. GW 496 with ten treatments comprising of 100 % RDN, 75 % RDN along with 25 % N through FYM or vermicompost or 2% urea sprays at 30 and/or 40 and/or 50 DAS and 50 % RDN along with 50 % N through FYM or vermicompost or 2% urea sprays at 30 and/or 40 and/or 50 DAS into randomized block Design with four replications. Application of 75 % RDN + 2 % urea spray at 30, 40 and 50 DAS was found superior for growth and yield attributes viz; plant height at 60 DAS, number of spikelet spike-1, length of spike, number of grains spike-1, dry matter accumulation, test weight (48.78 g) and grain yield (6662 kg ha-1). However, treatment with 75% RDN + 25% N through VC recorded significantly higher plant height at harvest, number of total tillers, effective tillers and straw yield of wheat The highest net realization (Rs. 84643 ha-1) and BCR (3.95) were secured under treatment 75% RDN + 2% Urea spray at 30, 40 and 50 DAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted at College Agronomy Farm, B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand (Gujarat) to study real time nitrogen management through organic and inorganic sources during rabi season of the years 2013-14 and 2014-15 on loamy sand soil, low in organic carbon and available nitrogen, medium in available phosphorus and high in available potassium. Significantly higher growth parameters viz; periodical plant height, periodical dry matter accumulation and periodical number of tillers per metre row length were found with application of 60 kg N/ha in two equal splits at 52 and 66 DAS when LCC=4. Results further revealed that yield attribute viz; number of effective tillers per meter row length, length of spike, number of spikelets per spike, number of grains per spike and test weight was found significantly higher under the same treatment. Though appreciably higher grain (4111 kg/ha) and straw yield (5343 kg/ha) of wheat were observed under treatment with 60 kg N/ha application in two splits when LCC=4, it was found alike for 60 kg N/ha application in two splits at 25 and 45 DAS when LCC=5 and 40 kg N/ha application in two splits at 50 and 62 DAS when LCC=4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of integrated nutrient management practices on yield, quality and nutrient status of drilled rabi fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill) during the year 2016-17 at College Agronomy Farm, Anand Agricultural University, Anand. Twelve treatment combinations comprising of various integrated nutrient management practices were tested in randomized block design with four replications in sandy loam type of soil having slightly alkaline pH, low organic carbon and available nitrogen content, medium available phosphorus and high available potassium status. Results shown that treatment with 100 % N from vermi compost + bio NPK @ 1 lit ha-1 produced significantly higher seed yield which was found comparable with all the treatments barring those applied with 50 % RDF along with 50% N from compost or vermi compost as well as 50 % RDF + 25% N from compost and vermi compost. Significantly highest microbial population was also found in the same treatment. Though available nitrogen and phosphorus were remained unaffected by IMN treatments, nitrogen content in seed and its uptake in seed as well as in stover had been affected significantly. Conversely, only phosphorus uptake in stover was found significantly vary due to different INM practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was carried out at Agronomy Farm, College of Agriculture, Pune (Maharashtra) during spring season of 2011-12 to find out the effect of different planting methods along with intercropping on growth and yield of suru sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) Var. Co 86032. The experiment was comprising of four planting patterns viz., 90 × 30 cm single row planting, 90-180 × 30 cm paired row planting, 180 × 30 cm single row planting and 120 × 30 cm single row planting with sugarcane planter as main plots and two intercropping systems viz., sugarcane + groundnut and sole sugarcane, laid out in strip plot design with three replications in medium deep black, well drained, clayey textured soils with alkaline reaction (pH 7.6). The field capacity and permanent wilting point values were 36.07 and 18.45 per cent, respectively. The bulk density was 1.21 g cm-3. In single row planting system, single line of groundnut (TPG 41) was sown in inter-row space of sugarcane on one side of ridge and in paired row planting and in wide row planting two rows of groundnut was sown in inter-row space of sugarcane. Results revealed that intercropping of two rows of groundnut in paired row planting of sugarcane (2:2) was proved to be the most productive system with significantly the highest cane equivalent yield (152 96 t ha-1). The treatment combination of paired row planting of sugarcane at 90-180 × 30 cm associated with groundnut in 2:2 ratio was also found to be the most remunerative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was carried out at Agronomy Farm, B. A. College of Agriculture, Anand Agricultural University, Anand, Gujarat during the summer season of the year 2015 to study the effect of time of sowing, row spacing and variety on summer cluster bean under middle Gujarat conditions, in loamy sand soil. Eighteen treatment combinations comprised of three dates of sowing viz., D1: (21st January); D2: (1st February) and D3: (11th February) as main plot treatments and combination of three different row spacing viz., S1: 30 cm; S2: 45 cm; and S3: 60 cm along with two varieties V1 (GG 1) and V2 (GG 2) as sub plot treatments, were laid out in Split Plot Design with three replications. Results revealed that treatment combination D3S1V2 (sowing on 11th February with 30 cm row spacing with variety GG 2) recorded significantly higher seed yield (1476 kg ha-1) which was found at par with treatment combination D2S3V2 (sowing on 1st February with 60 cm row spacing with variety GG 2). However, maximum net realization (Rs.50667 ha-1) and BCR (4.53) were obtained under treatment combination D2S3V2, followed by D3S1V2 with net realization of Rs.48511 ha-1 and BCR of 4.24. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]