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Anirudh Choudhary ¹, Lokesh Kumar Jain ¹, Phool Chand Meena ¹, Hanuman Prasad Parewa ¹

Affiliations
1 College of Agriculture, Sumerpur, Pali (Rajasthan), IN

Abstract

Forage crops include a wide range of annual and perennial grasses and legumes grown for hay, silage and pasture and are grown throughout the country to support various livestock. Weeds can reduce the quantity and quality of desirable plants in pastures and hayfields. Even some weed species can also be poisonous to livestock. Therefore, weed management is an imperative component of forage crops and pasture management particularly for parasitic weeds. Well-managed pastures require fewer direct actions to manage weeds because healthy, well-established forage plants are more likely to prevent weed invasions. In some situations, however, herbicides are needed for weed control despite a producer’s best pasture management efforts. Under some circumstances, the quality of pastures can be substantially improved with a well-planned herbicide programme. Therefore, parasitic weed management requires a combination of cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical methods starting from field preparation and continues throughout the life of the pasture along with prevention strategies. The weed management techniques are often species-specific, under such circumstances the success of weed management is depends on correctly identification of weeds present in the field. In order to make sound management decisions, it is important to know the name of a weed, as well as its lifecycle and reproductive mode and capacity. Accurate information on the biology and lifecycle of the weeds can help growers to apply weed management techniques more effectively, based on the susceptibility of the species to different control methods.

Keywords

Cuscuta, Lucerne, Damage, Botany, Integrated weed management.

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Dinesh Kumar ¹, S. R. Yadav ¹, Ramandeep Kaur ¹, Anirudh Choudhary ¹, Brij Singh Meena ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Soil Science, College of Agriculture, S.K. Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner (Rajasthan), IN

Abstract

The present investigation was carried out for assessment of soil fertility status of Jaisalmer district of western Rajasthan. For this purpose 125 representative soil samples were collected from two Panchayat Samiti i.e. Sankda village Ujala and Jaisalmer village Basanpeer and Amersagar of Jaisalmer district. These soil samples were analyzed for soil properties, macro and micronutrient fertility status. The soils were moderately alkaline to very strongly alkaline in reaction with an average pH of 9.75. The EC value varied from 0.05 to 0.71 dS/m with average value of EC is 0.25 dS/m. The organic carbon content ranged from 0.01 to 0.70 per cent with an average value of 0.09 per cent. Available nitrogen, phosphorus (P₂O₅), potassium (K₂O) and sulphur (ppm) content of the soils ranged from 13.53 to 230.07, 5.43 to 56.72, 170.13 to 379.95 kg ha^-1 and 0.88 to 21.76 ppm with an average value of 131.95, 25.96, 258.13 kg ha^-1 and 11.34 ppm, respectively. However, available micronutrient DTPA Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn ranges varied from 0.04-1.63, 1.05-3.94, 0.01-0.21 and 0.14-2.88 ppm with an average value of 0.51, 0.21, 0.09 and 1.55 ppm per hectare, respectively. Among major nutrients, about 100 per cent of the soil samples were low in available nitrogen, 57.60, 36.00 and 6.40 per cent soil samples were observed to be low, medium and high in available P₂O₅, 87.20 and 12.80 per cent samples were in medium and high in available K. whereas, 44.80, 54.40 and 0.80 per cent soil samples were observed to be low, medium and high in available sulphur. Nutrient indexing of the areas was low for N (1.00), Cu (1.016) and Mn (1.112), whereas, it was medium in case of phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, DTPA-Zn and Fe. With respect to micro-nutrients 66.40, 46.40, 99.2, 94.40 per cent samples were found to be deficient in DTPA-Zn, Fe, Cu and Mn, respectively. The correlation studies among the chemical characteristics showed that organic carbon contributed most towards nutrient availability and found to be positively correlated with all parameters except pH and Zn.

Keywords

Soil Fertility, Soil Nutrient Index, Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu.

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Phool Chand Meena ¹, Prem Chand Meena ², R. K. Rathore ³, L. K. Jain ³, Anirudh Choudhary ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Agriculture Economics, Agriculture University, Jodhpur (Rajasthan), IN
2 Agri-Business Division, NAARM, Hyderabad (Telangana), IN
3 Agriculture University, Jodhpur (Rajasthan), IN

Abstract

Indian economy is at the tipping point and youth of the country will determine the direction the economy takes. India enjoys a demographic dividend where more than 50 per cent of its population comes under working age group of 15 to 59 years which offers an economic opportunity to be utilized for fast tracking India’s economic growth and development. According to Census Survey of India (conducted in 2011) the current proportion of population under 25 years of age is 51 per cent and proportion under 35 years is 66 per cent. In India youth constitute 27.5 per cent of the population who are aged between 15 years to 29 years which contribute 34 per cent in India’s Gross National Income (National Youth Policy, 2014). Comparatively China’s current economic boom is said to be the direct consequence of the large proportion of youth in its population. With proper education, job openings and health care, our youth are sure to tip the economy in the right direction. Despite of demographic dividend and increased literacy among youth, unemployment is the biggest challenge the country’s youth is facing mainly because of lack of any form of social security system as well as proper and adequate avenues for vocational training.

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Lokesh Kumar Jain ¹, Hanwant Kumar ², Anirudh Choudhary ³, Hanuman Prasad Parewa ¹, Phool Chand Meena ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Sumerpur, Pali (Rajasthan), IN
2 Agriculture University, Jodhpur (Rajasthan), IN
3 College of Agriculture, Sumerpur, Pali (Rajasthan), IN

Abstract

The agriculture aimed at meeting the needs of present generation without endangering the resource base of future generation. The change from a high input and chemically intensive agriculture to a sustainable form to control weeds relies on use of low or non-monetary inputs like selection of crops and their variety, balanced nutrition, crop geometry, tillage practices, crop rotation etc. The power for investment on costly and hazardous inputs like weedicides without considering threshold levels is increasing day by day in want of higher crop production. Weedicides are also applied from field preparation to harvesting and post harvesting caused a considerable improvement in but damaged drastically the resources like soil health, crop environment, microbiota etc. and threatened by developing resistance against them. Under such circumstances, crop rotation, a part of agronomical management changes micro climate in favour of crop. The use of less persistence and highly effective herbicides either shift the weed flora or cause resistance to herbicides and endangered some crop species and damaged bio-diversity.

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Phool Chand Meena ¹, Prem Chand Meena ², H. P. Parewa ¹, Anirudh Choudhary ¹, Hanwant Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 College of Agriculture, Agriculture University, Jodhpur (Rajasthan), IN
2 National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad (Telangana), IN

Abstract

India ranks topmost in milk production with a total production of 127.9 MT milk (BAHS, 2013). Contribution to milk production by buffalo, cow and goat in 2010-11 was 51%, 45% and 4%, respectively. India reached to this stage in milk production because of several reasons including crossbreeding, artificial insemination, operation flood etc. However, in comparison to other milk producing countries of world, individual productivity of our dairy animal is very low. Average milk productivity of buffalo and indigenous cow in India is 4.58 and 2.2 kg/day, respectively. India became largest milk producing country due to the efforts of millions of small holder producers and several other policy matters. Therefore, in India dairying is still a part of rural life instead of industry.

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R. K. Rathore ¹, Anirudh Choudhary ²

Affiliations
1 Agricultural Research Sub Station (A.U.), Sumerpur (Rajasthan), IN
2 College of Agriculture, (A.U.), Sumerpur (Rajasthan), IN

Abstract

The attitude toward landraces has been changing in recent years, as improved cultivars have not always proved to be superior, for example in marginal environments or under specific socio-economic conditions (Weltzien et al., 1998 and Ceccarelli et al., 1992). Landraces are sometimes also preferred by farmers for quality aspects (Dhamotharan et al., 1997). Thus, a new interest has arisen to use traditional landraces as such, or in breeding programmes for further enhancement.

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