Informatics Publishing Limited

M. C. Prajapati , Surender Singh

Abstract

The Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) is condemned as a vermin. There is a need to develop a "live and let-live" technology to end the "Farmer-Nilgai-tussle'. Studies in Research Farm, chhalesar indicate that Nileai is "not-all-worthless". Situated in ravines along river Yamuna the Research Farm (81.6 ha) with all essentials for life viz. 65% forests and 35% agriculture, horticulture, water-holes, etc. makes a safe haven for Nilgai. There exist about 100 head using forests for shelter and resting in day time, agricultural fields for foraging in night time and the river for watering. Nilgai's summer droppings containing 5-10 seeds each are a good source of Acacia nilotica and Prosopis juliflora seeds. The droppings also contain 1.568% nitrogen enriching the soil profile upto 30 cm depth by above 30kg N ha^-1 and 0.02% organic carbon. About 100 kg summer droppings, numbering, as much as 40,000, contain sufficient seeds to afforest 6 ha area. For raising forest of A. nilotica dropping of May and for that of P. juliflora the same of June should be used. The naturally, timely and effortlessly available Nilgai droppings are ideally and evenly sized nitrified organic capsules with appropriate number of treated seeds ready to vigourously and prolifically germinate with first showers. Easy to handle, simple to use and quick to work-with the cheaply available Nilgai droppings are a boon to boom afforestation.

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M. C. Prajapati , A. B. Phadke , M. C. Agarwal , H. M. Gidwani

Abstract

An experiement to evolve a suitable technique of soil working. i.e., depth and mode of refilling of trenches for raising plantations of Acacia nilotica Ssp indica (Syn. A. arabica) by direct seeding in ravine lands was carried out at the Soil Conservation Centre, Chhalesar (Agra) from 1961 to 1965. The treatment of depth of trench, in the initial stage, did not affect the seedling mortality, height and collar diameter but it significantly affected these characters from the fourth year onwards. The trenches 61.0 cm in depth (D₂) proved superior to 45.7 cm (D₁) and 76.2 cm (D₃) deep trenches. The seedling mortality decreased while the growth-in-height and collar diameter increased with the increase in the water storage capacity of the trench as influenced by the type of refilling of trenches. Refillings in the form of Ridge-Ditch (F₁) and Raised-Mound (F₂) were not found to be suitable for the locality, whereas Sunken-Mound (F₃) gave better performances. The Double-Trench (F₄) system, compared to the other three treatments of refilling of trenches, impounded maximum quantity of water, retained it for 3 to 4 days thereby increased the availability of soil moisture to the seedlings during dry spell and thus exhibited minimum seedling mortality and maximum seedling height and collar diameter growth. Further, this technique is simple to practise and does not require subsequent maintenance. At the end of fourth year the interaction of D₂ × F₄ was found to be better closely followed by D₂ × F₁. The cost for "F₄," as against of "F_l" "F₂" and "_F3" were found to be in the ratio of 4 :8. It is concluded that under the climatic, edaphic and topographic conditions such as those of Jamuna ravines, the type of refilling is more important compared to the depth of the trench for successful seedling establishment and better growth.

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M. C. Prajapati , A. B. Phadke , M. C. Agarwal

Abstract

An experiment to select suitable grass species for protection of the bunds of newly formed terraces in Jamuna ravines, was conducted at Research Station, Chhalesar (Agra) from 1960 to 1964. Of the eleven grass species studied, Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. with statistically significant supreme ischolar_main and shoot characteristics afforded excellent protection to the terrace bunds against water erosion. This was followed by Dichanthium annulatum (Forsk) Stapf., Panicum antidotale Retz., Panicum repens Linn., Cenehrus ciliaris Linn., Panicum maximum Jacq., Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst) Stapf., Chrysopogon fulvus (Spreng) Chiov., Pennisetum purpureum Schum., Cynodon plectostanchyus (K.Schum) Pilger., and Brachiaria mutica (Forsk) Stapf., in order of merit. Pennisetum purpureum Schum., recorded highest yield per hectare as well as the highest preference in palatability test. The rat-damage as minimum to those bunds which were protected with Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.

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