Anup Chandra , R. R. Kalita , J. Singh , K. G. Prasad

Abstract

A massive survey of demand and supply of bamboo in Jorhat District of Assam was conducted. The whole district was divided into 6 developmental blocks. Stratified sampling technique was used in the study. There are only three bamboo species viz. Jati (Bambusa tulda), Bhaluka (Bambusa balcooa), and Mokal (Bambusa nutans) being exploited in the district. Percentage-wise consumption of Jati, Bholuka and Mokal is 53, 40 and 7% respectively. Maximum bamboo is consumed in construction of houses followed by construction of fence, repair of house, firewood, etc. Total supply and consumption of bamboo is found to be 5,36,337 and 4,42,886 tonnes per year. About 17 % i.e. 9,351 tonnes of bamboo is surplus in the district. The excess amount is sold in local market or to paper mills. Demand of bamboo for local goods, plywood, incense stick and paper pulp is increasing. There is ample scope to increase the productivity through genetic improvement and management practices.

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A. Chandra , R. R. Kalita , N. N. Zhasa , H. Mishra , J. Singh

Abstract

A survey on demand and supply of fuel wood was conducted in the Titabor block of Jorhat District (Assam). Average family size was observed to be 5. Maximum respondent belongs to the OBC category. Agriculture is the main land use system in the region. Total extraction and consumption of fuel wood in the surveyed population is found to be 605.25 tonnes and 676.08 tonnes per year respectively. Per capita consumption was found to be 495 kg/year. Out of the total extraction , 77% comes from homestead , 14% from bamboostead and 9% from forest. About 96 percent of fuel wood is consumed in cooking. Total deficit in the area is found to be 10.47% while deficit excluding extraction bamboostead and forest is observed to be 30.99%. A total of 28 species are being exploited for fuel wood in the region. Family income , type of houses and caste are the major factors that govern the consumption of fuel wood in the area.

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J. Singh , I. P. Bora , A. Baruah , M. Hussain

Abstract

The present study highlights the changes of physico-chemical properties of soil during different phases of shifting cultivation and also in fallow lands of different ages. Burning resulted significant increase in soil pH, which decreased soil acidity and acidity increased as the fallow progressed. The percentage of sand increased while the clay percentage decreased after burning the sites. A drastic reduction in moisture content was recorded due to burning operation. Gradual decrease in conductivity was observed at the time of cropping and harvesting period, which increased with the fallow age. Jhuming caused appreciable change in organic matter content resulting nutrient imbalance in soil. Burning of the debris after slashing the forest leads to the depletion of organic carbon and nitrogen content in soil. However, the recovery of nitrogen in cropping phases is quite fast in comparison to carbon. Highest value of carbon content was noticed in winter season while nitrogen showed its highest value during the monsoon. Exchangeable Ca, Mg, K and available P increased just after burning and thereafter a gradual decrease was noticed in cropping phases. As the fallow progressed the value increased gradually. Nutrient status of soil was recorded significantly higher in natural forest than in the fallow lands and in all cases the value was inversely proportional to depth.

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I. P. Bora , A. Baruah , J. Singh

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A pot experiment was conducted by using isolated inoculants of Rhizobium and Rhizobium + recommended dosages of fertilizers at different levels of N to evaluate their individual and combined effects on symbiotic traits and growth and biomass production of Albizia procera. Seven strains of Rhizobium were isolated from Albizia procera seedlings. Among them Ab(l)100, Ab(m) 98 and Ab(l) 32 were found to be efficient, having positive effect on growth, nodulation and biomass production. Nodulation was recorded maximum in Ab(l)32 inoculated seedling, being 69.82% higher than control (uninoculated ones). The combined effect of Rhizobium inoculation along with application different levels of N dosages of fertilizer showed significant increase in growth, nodulation and biomass production at low level of urea-amended soil (20 kg /h). Nodulation was found to be suppressed in medium level urea (40 kg/h) application although there was a significant increase of growth and biomass production of plant. However an exception was noticed in Ab(m)98 inoculated seedlings where in significantly high value of nodulation was recorded when medium level urea was applied to soil. Stunted growth and poor nodulation was observed when high level urea (60 kg /h) was applied to soil.

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S. K. Bagchi , J. Singh

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Free-proline content in plants increases due to various reasons of which abiotic stress is one. Under non-stress condition certain level of tree-proline is maintained. On the basis of which stressed and unstressed plants are compared. The free-proline level of unstreased plants has been found to vary again. This variation helps comparison among unstressed plant groups. Present lnvestigation is a comparative study of different provenances for their free-proline content in leaves of Acacia nilotica.

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J. Singh , M. George , G. Varghese

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Litter production and nutrients return in a tropical moist deciduous forest (Grewia-Dalbergia community) of the Western Ghats was studied. Litter fall was observed throughout the year with maximum fall during January and February. Average annual litter production amounted to 14220 kg/ha, of which leaf litter contributed 10754 kg/ha. Grewia tiliifolia being the dominant species in the community it contributed maximum leaflitter (1739 kg/ha) followed by Pterocarpus marsupium (1465 kg/ha), Dalbergia paniculata (1173 kg/ha) and D. latifolia (923 kg/ha). Shrubs and herbs contributed 39% of total leaf litter With regards to nutrients, leaf litter had the highest percentage concentration of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Among the species,Anogeissuslatifolia had the higher concentration of nitrogen (2.7) when compared to other species. On an annual basis 238 kg/ha of N, 9 kg/ha of P and 89 kg/ha of K were returned through litter fall. The litter production as well as nutrients input through litter fall in the present community was much higher than those reported from other communities.

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J. Singh

Abstract

No abstract

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J. Singh

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No abstract

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