Emeritus ProfessorAgricultural Water ManagementM S Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Paralakhemundi-761 211, Odisha, India
Adoption of agricultural practices is cost effective bioremediation techniques to mitigate arseni... more Adoption of agricultural practices is cost effective bioremediation techniques to mitigate arsenic problems and can contribute substantially to the cause of removal of arsenic and other heavy metal contamination of soils and water thereby quality enrichment in marketable agricultural produce leading to increased crop productivity in the area of intensive cropping under irrigated eco system. Though the farmers are already practicing some traditional techniques to mitigate the arsenic problems in soils and water, like cultivation of crops which are less affected to arsenic and heavy metals pollution, growing hyper accumulating crops and so many practices wherein the modern methods are not prevalently used by the farmers due to the lack of scientific validity of these techniques, particularly in the context of prevailing socioeconomic conditions. Moreover, acceptance of these improved practices by the small farmers of this region is an evolutionary process and should be intensively proved. Hence, extensive studies need for bio or phyto-remediation of heavy metals including arsenic contamination for quality marketable agricultural produce, which ultimately can realize better crop productivity. The general objective and goal of such study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced bioremediation techniques in comparison with traditional system towards improving the quality of water for irrigation vis-à-vis soil and crop quality improvement in diverse soil types through on-farm field experiments.
A field experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 to study on t... more A field experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 to study on the effects of intercropping of babycorn (Zea mays) and rapeseed (Brassica campestris) under different levels of irrigation and mulch at the ‘C’ Block Farm, B.C.K.V., Kalyani, W.B. Results revealed that growth attributes and yield components of babycorn, namely, plant height, LAI, dry matter accumulation, number of cob bearing plants/m2, number of cobs/plant, cob length, cob diameter, green cob weight were highest in sole crop of babycorn along with the applications of irrigation and mulch. Similarly, in rapeseed, growth attributes and yield components such as plant height, number of siliqua/plant, number of seeds/siliqua were highest when both irrigation and mulch were applied in sole rapeseed compared with its inter-cropping with baby-corn. Higher values of dehusked ear yield (1.696 t/ha), fodder yield (3.802 t/ha) of baby-corn and seed yield (1.256 t/ha) and stalk yield (2.819 t/ha) of rapeseed were obtained when the crops were grown as sole. Mulch application resulted in better performance. However, application of both mulch and irrigation produced best results. The highest WUE 4.32 kg/ha/mm in sole babycorn and 6.76 kg/ha/mm in sole rapeseed were obtained along with mulch application(i.e.,T3 treatment). Different competition functions like aggressivity, relative crowding co-efficient and land equivalent ratio indicated yield advantages in all the situations. The highest monetary advantage was achieved in baby corn + rapeseed inter-cropping along with both irrigation and straw mulch.
Adoption of agricultural practices is cost effective bioremediation techniques to mitigate arseni... more Adoption of agricultural practices is cost effective bioremediation techniques to mitigate arsenic problems and can contribute substantially to the cause of removal of arsenic and other heavy metal contamination of soils and water thereby quality enrichment in marketable agricultural produce leading to increased crop productivity in the area of intensive cropping under irrigated eco system. Though the farmers are already practicing some traditional techniques to mitigate the arsenic problems in soils and water, like cultivation of crops which are less affected to arsenic and heavy metals pollution, growing hyper accumulating crops and so many practices wherein the modern methods are not prevalently used by the farmers due to the lack of scientific validity of these techniques, particularly in the context of prevailing socioeconomic conditions. Moreover, acceptance of these improved practices by the small farmers of this region is an evolutionary process and should be intensively proved. Hence, extensive studies need for bio or phyto-remediation of heavy metals including arsenic contamination for quality marketable agricultural produce, which ultimately can realize better crop productivity. The general objective and goal of such study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of advanced bioremediation techniques in comparison with traditional system towards improving the quality of water for irrigation vis-à-vis soil and crop quality improvement in diverse soil types through on-farm field experiments.
A field experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 to study on t... more A field experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 to study on the effects of intercropping of babycorn (Zea mays) and rapeseed (Brassica campestris) under different levels of irrigation and mulch at the ‘C’ Block Farm, B.C.K.V., Kalyani, W.B. Results revealed that growth attributes and yield components of babycorn, namely, plant height, LAI, dry matter accumulation, number of cob bearing plants/m2, number of cobs/plant, cob length, cob diameter, green cob weight were highest in sole crop of babycorn along with the applications of irrigation and mulch. Similarly, in rapeseed, growth attributes and yield components such as plant height, number of siliqua/plant, number of seeds/siliqua were highest when both irrigation and mulch were applied in sole rapeseed compared with its inter-cropping with baby-corn. Higher values of dehusked ear yield (1.696 t/ha), fodder yield (3.802 t/ha) of baby-corn and seed yield (1.256 t/ha) and stalk yield (2.819 t/ha) of rapeseed were obtained when the crops were grown as sole. Mulch application resulted in better performance. However, application of both mulch and irrigation produced best results. The highest WUE 4.32 kg/ha/mm in sole babycorn and 6.76 kg/ha/mm in sole rapeseed were obtained along with mulch application(i.e.,T3 treatment). Different competition functions like aggressivity, relative crowding co-efficient and land equivalent ratio indicated yield advantages in all the situations. The highest monetary advantage was achieved in baby corn + rapeseed inter-cropping along with both irrigation and straw mulch.
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