Asian Science

Shsashi Vind Mishra ¹, Deepak Maurya ², Garima Gupta ³

Affiliations
1 Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi, IN
2 Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, DEHRADUN Uttarakhand, IN
3 National Research Centre for Agroforestry, JHANSI U. P., IN

Abstract

Oilseed Brassicas, rapeseed mustard accounting for over 13.2 per cent of the world's edible oil supply are third most important edible oil source after soyabean and palm. In India, it is the major oil crop rank second acreage with 6.23 million ha, superseded by the groundnut only. Phosphorus is an essential component of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), the seat of genetic inheritance, and of ribonucleic acid (RNA), which direct protein synthesis in both plants and animals. Sulphur is the 13th most abundant element in the earth's crust, an essential secondary plant nutrient, is required by plant and animals in approximately the same amount as phosphorus. In Brassicas, which are more susceptible to S-deficiency as it enhance oil quantity and quality both. In the past, farmers were using S-containing fertilizers viz., ammonium sulphate and SSP but recently they have started using high N and P fertilizers which are Sfree viz., urea, DAP, and triple super phosphate. Therefore, the present study was taken up to find out the optimum dose and source of Sulphur fertilizer for mustard crop grown on an alluvial soil for optimum mustard oil production. In the study it was found that sulphur significantly responsible for oil content of mustard and when applied with phosphorus at 30 kg/ha, gives best response.

Keywords

Alluvial soil, Brassicas, DNA, Interaction, Phosphrus, RNA, Sulphur

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Garima Gupta ¹, R. S. Yadav ¹, Deepak Maurya ², S. V. Mishra ³

Affiliations
1 National Research Centre for Agroforestry, Jhansi, U.P., IN
2 Central Soil and Water Conservation Training and Research Institute, Dehradun Uttarakhand, IN
3 Indian Agriculture Research Institute, New Delhi, IN

Abstract

Agroforestry provides many direct and indirect benefits to the society. It not only meets the requirement of fuel, fodder, food, furniture, farm implements, employment etc. but also enriches soil, increases biodiversity, sequester C, prevent soil erosion, conserve water etc. For soil enrichment, trees capture nutrients from deeper layers and add to the surface soil through leaf shedding (litterfall) and incorporation of pruned biomass. Litterfall and pruned biomass consequent upon the decomposition, release nutrients and results cumulative build up and/or sustain soil fertility. Thus understanding the processes and mechanism of soil enrichment in tree based cropping systems is necessary. Therefore, the present study was undertaken at the research farm of National Research Centre for Agroforestry during 2006-2007. The results revolve that leaves formed the major component of the total litter followed by petiole, fruit and bark. Leaves formed 67.7, 67.8, 69.7 and 70.4 per cent of the total litter under A. procera un-pruned + fallow, A. procera unpruned + cropping, A. procera pruned 50 per cent + cropping, and A. procera pruned 70 per cent + cropping, respectively. Annually, litter production under these systems varied between 6.32 - 26.0 kg tree-1. It is observed that quantity of N, P and K addition through litter fall of MPTs depends on the nature of MPTs, amount of litter fall, season, nutrient composition, canopy structure/geometry and canopy positions underneath. In irrespective of A. procera based land uses and pruning regimes therein, maximum amounts of N, P and K addition in winter followed by summer and rainy season coincided with the amounts of litter fall in respective seasons.

Keywords

Agroforestry System, Soil Enrichment, Nutrient Release, Litterfall, Pruned Biomass

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