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S. K. Sharma ¹, S. S. Rana ¹, S. K. Subehia ¹, S. C. Negi ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Agronomy, Forages and Grassland Management, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, IN

Abstract

Five rice-based cropping sequences viz. rice-wheat, rice - radish - potato, rice - garlic, rice-potato-onion and rice-berseem + oats were evaluated on cultivators' fields for their production potential and economic feasibility in the low hills of Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh. Results revealed that rice-potato-onion, rice - garlic and rice-radish-potato cropping sequences were more remunerative resulting in significantly higher rice equivalent yield (16342, 10997 and 12394 kg/ha/annum, respectively), net returns (INR 153257, 102767 and 106414/ha/annum), productivity and profitability. Rice-potato-onion, rice-radish-potato and rice-garlic cropping sequences resulted in 203.3, 130.1 and 104.1% higher rice equivalent yield over the traditional rice-wheat cropping sequence, respectively. Rice - berseem + oats was also superior to conventional rice - wheat cropping sequence in influencing rice equivalent yield, net returns, B:C and productivity and profitability. In terms of total calories, only rice - potato - onion and rice-radish-potato cropping sequences could excel over the rice-wheat sequence. Conventional rice - wheat cropping system was superior to all the new cropping systems in terms of energy intensity both in physical as well as economic terms. Land use efficiency ranged between 65.7 (rice-radish -potato) and 78.1% (rice-potato-onion) under different cropping systems.

Keywords

Production Efficiency, Economics, Yield, Rice Based Cropping Sequences.

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Suresha ¹, Ashish Kumar ¹, S. S. Rana ¹, S. C. Negi ¹, Suresh Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Agronomy, Forages and Grassland Management, COA, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, IN

Abstract

The present study was carried out in a continuing experiment at the Bhadiarkhar farm of the Department of Agronomy, CSKHPKV, Palampur during 2012-13 and 2013-14. The soil was silty clay loam in texture, high in OC (0.99%), medium in available N (305.1 kg/ha) and high in available P (78.5 kg/ha) and K (117.4 kg/ha). There were eight cropping systems [C₁-Maize-Wheat, C₂-Maize (Green cob)+Frenchbean (Pol)-Pea-Summer squash; C₃-Maize + Soybean-Garlic; C₄-Maize (Green cob)-Broccoli-Potato; C₅-Maize+Asparagus bean-Radish-Onion; C₆-Maize (Green cob)+Urd bean-Cauliflower-Frenchbean; C₇-Maize (Green cob)+Ricebean-Cauliflower-Buckwheat and C₈-Maize (Green cob)+Asparagus bean -Broccoli-Radish] being tested in RBD with four replications. In each experimental plot three weed management situations (S₁-normal weed control, S₂-no weed control/weedy check and S₃-supplement weed control) were maintained and observations on crops and weeds were recorded. There were 28 weed species which invaded different maize based cropping systems. During kharif, S₂ situation encompasses 6-7 weeds during 2013, S₁ 6-7 during 2012 and 8-9 during 2013, whereas in the S₃ only 3-4 species were present during both years. Commelina benghalensis (56% and 41% during 2012 and 2013, respectively) and Ageratum (21% and 33%) were the predominant weeds. In rabi, Coronopus didymus, Phalaris minor and Spergula arvensis (54, 22 and 14%, respectively during 2012-13 and 31, 7 and 28% during 2013-14) were the main weeds. Irrespective of the situation, under the new cropping systems 5-10 weed species were similar whereas, 0-5 species were new as compared to the prevalent maize-wheat cropping system during the rabi season. Maize+asparagus bean -adish-onion gave 245 and 503.9% higher maize grain equivalent yield over maize-wheat during 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively. N depletion by weeds ranged from 608 to 695 and 309.1 to 461.2, P from 121.6 to 177.1 and 71.1 to 99.6 and K from 202.7 to 432.5 and 118.4 to 166.0 kg/ha/annum, during 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively. Weeds inflicted huge yield losses ranging from 15.7% in C₆ to 35.6% in C₁.

Keywords

Maize Based Cropping Systems, Weeds, Shannon Weir Index, Nutrient Losses, Yield Losses.

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S. S. Rana ¹, S. K. Sharma ¹, S. C. Negi ¹, Rajju Priya Soni ¹, Mitu Katoch ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Agronomy, Forages and Grassland Management, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur-176 062, IN

Abstract

The study was conducted in five districts viz. Una and Bilaspur representing zone I, Kangra and Mandi representing zone II and Kullu representing the Zones III and IV of Himachal Pradesh. There was a total sample of 360 respondents (72 in each district). Enterprise-wise gross income as realized by the farmers during 2012-13 formed the basis of present investigation. In all 103 sub-farming systems were identified. The maximum number of sub-farming systems was under Livestock based system (46) followed by cereals based (28), fruit based (15), vegetable based (10), other enterprises based (2) and oilseed based (1). Based on the adoption of sub-farming systems by larger number of households, the most preferred farming systems were (first two from the first four categories): Livestock+cereals (26 households), Livestock+cereals+fodder+vegetables (22 households), Cereals+livestock (28 households), Cereals+livestock+fodder+vegetables (14 households), Fruits (15 households), Fruits+livestock (14 households), Vegetables+livestock (6 households), and Vegetables+livestock+cereals (2 households). Livestock based farming systems followed by cereals based farming systems were the dominating farming systems in Zone I and II of Himachal Pradesh. In these zones 63.9 and 59.7% of the farmers were dependent on Livestock based farming systems and 33.3 and 36.8% farmers, respectively, were dependent on cereals based farming systems. In Zone III fruit growing was main activity and 72.2% of the households were dependent on fruit based farming systems. This was followed by vegetable based farming systems from which 23.6% of the households earn their livelihood. Overall fruits (36.4%) had highest share in the gross income which was followed by livestock production (28.77%), cereals (23.28%) and vegetables (8.11%).

Keywords

Farming System, Cereal Based, Livestock Based, Fruit Based, Vegetable Based.

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B. S. Mankotia ¹, S. C. Negi ¹, Gurudev Singh ¹, J. Shekhar ¹

Affiliations
1 CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Rice and Wheat Research Centre, Malan­ 176 047, IN

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted to compare the performance of promising genotype VL 907 against the check varieties of wheat ‘HS 240, VL 738, VL 804’ and triticale ‘TL 2942’ in irrigated ecosystem under timely sown(4­11 Nov.) and late sown (25­30 Nov.)conditions at Malan and Bajaura. Significantly higher grain yield was produced by promising genotype VL 907 both at Malan (41.3 q/ha; 12.8%) and Bajaura (46.6 q/ha; 15.0%) compared to VL 804. Delay in sowing resulted in significant reduction in yield both at Malan (10.9 q/ha; 26.9%) and Bajaura (9.5%). VL 907 produced grain yield of 46.5 q/ha (Malan) to 48.7 q/ha (Bajaura) under timely sown conditions (4­ 11 November). Another experiment on same set of varieties tested at graded levels of nitrogen (40, 60 & 80kg N/ha) was conducted under rainfed conditions. Promising genotype VL 907 produced significantly more yield at Bajaura (31.5 q/ha) compared to checks and also at Malan location (18.0 q/ha) compared to checks VL 738 and VL 804. Crop responded significantly upto 80 kg N/ha (recommended level) at Bajaura. Significantly higher test weight was recorded by the test variety at both the locations. Thus, VL 907 proved to be a promising genotype both under irrigated and rainfed timely sown conditions of mid hills of Himachal Pradesh.

Keywords

VL 907, Wheat Varieties, Rainfed, Irrigated, Sowing Time, Nitrogen.

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S. C. Negi ¹, Pankaj Chopra ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Agronomy, Forages and Grassland Management, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur­ 176 062, IN

Abstract

A field experiment was carried out during Rabi 2008­09 at Research Farm of Rice and Wheat Research Sub Station, Malan of CSK HPKV, Palampur to study the effect of sowing dates (27 November and 16 December) and varieties (HS­502, Sonalika, HS­295, VL­892, HS­490 and VL­804) on productivity of wheat crop and to ascertain the optimum dates of sowing for some newly evolved wheat genotypes under delayed sowing conditions. The date of sowing had no significant influence on the yield attributes and yield of wheat. Among genotypes HS­490 being at par with VL­804, resulted in significantly higher biological and straw yield with maximum grain yield over all the remaining genotypes. The data also revealed that the dates of sowing and genotypes interacted significantly in influencing the 1000­grain weight and grain yield of wheat. Genotype HS­295 sown on 16 December gave yield which was at par to HS­490, VL­804 and VL­892 genotypes when sown on 27 November. This shows that HS­295 is a better option for very late sown conditions, whereas HS 490 should be preferred for sowing under normal late sown conditions.

Keywords

Dates of Sowing, Genotypes, Late Sown, Production, Wheat.

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S. K. Sharma ¹, S. C. Negi ¹, Pawan Pathania ¹, Rajju Priya Soni ¹, Mittu Katoch ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Agronomy, Forages and Grassland Management, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur - 176 062, IN

Abstract

The characterization survey of 306 farm families were conducted in Amb and Bangana blocks of Una district using multistage random sampling method. Crops + Livestock farming system adopted by 74.5% of the total households was found as the major Farming System prevalent in the area. Percent income contribution to the total farm income varied from 58.7% to 85.8% among large and marginal farms respectively. Among different enterprises, contribution of income from crop production to the total farm income in the sample farms varied from 49.7% to 73.9% among large and marginal sample farms. Overall contribution of crop production enterprise averaged over all the categories in the sample households was 62.50%. Study revealed that majority of the farmers in Amb and Bangana blocks face non-availability of quality seed as a major constraint for crop production. Lack of proper feed for animals and lack of access to veterinary service centre were surveyed to major constraint in respect of livestock component. Menace of wild and stray animals was recorded to the major socio-economic constraint limiting the crop production in the district.

Keywords

Farming System, Income, Constraints, Characterization.

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