Nilutpal Saikia

• Indian Agricultural Research Institute

India accounts for ~17.7% of the world population and holds 1st position in the world. Despite having huge population pressure, India is now self-sufficient in food production. Human resource is the most important wealth of a country. However, a large number of Indian people are suffering from malnutrition owing to nutritional insufficiency in stap...

This chapter explores the crucial topic of crop diversification using legumes for the purpose of achieving sustainable production with environmental gain. Faced with the environmental drawbacks of monoculture, the integration of legumes proves revolutionary. Crop diversification, strategically achieved through practices like intercropping and rotat...

Adoption of intensive agricultural practices is essential to ensure food availability and security, addressing the demands of a teeming global population amid limited land resources. Unfortunately, these practices have numerous ecological and environmental consequences. Diversified cropping is an important strategy to limit the existing agricultura...

An experiment was conducted during rainy (kharif) season of 2021 at the Agricultural Farm of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh for evaluating the efficacy of pre-mix herbicide combinations applied as post emergence in managing weeds in transplanted rice. We assessed 9 different weed management treatments, including sole herbicide an...

India is a resource-rich country with diverse climatic conditions and biodiversity. Seaweed syn. seagrass is present in the coastlines of India and their extract can be used as input in agriculture considering presence of biochemical compounds. An experiment of seaweed extract (SWE) based on Ascophyllum nodusum was conducted during the rainy season...

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) provide a comprehensive framework for addressing global challenges, including land degradation, poverty, climate change, and environmental degradation. Regenerative agriculture (RA) intersects with several SDGs, including zero hunger (Goal 2), climate action (Goal 13), life on land (Goal 15), and responsible...

The field experiment was conducted to assess the nutrient uptake, protein and soil fertility status of winter baby corn (Zea mays L.) during rabi, 2021-2022. The experiment was laid-out in a factorial randomized completely block design replicated thrice. The treatments included three detasseling times @ no detasseling (control), immediately after t...

In 2021, a study investigated the effects of applying Ascophyllum nodusum extract (ANE) on rice (Oryza sativa L.) during the kharif season to evaluate grain filling, quality dynamics and economic viability. The trial was replicated three times and followed a randomized block design with seven treatments and one untreated control. Treatments were AN...

Modern agriculture, driven by diesel-fed machinery, is both energy and carbon-intensive, primarily due to the improper use of inputs. Designing a production module with lower carbon emissions, greater productivity, and enhanced energy use efficiency is crucial for achieving the environmental sustainability. Conservation agriculture based integrated...

No-till system is one of the principles of Conservation Agriculture ensuring, several benefits but during the initial period, weeds create major problem. Adoption of a long-term no-till system changes weed dynamics and communities that necessitates adjusting weed control methods. No-till systems accumulate seeds near the soil surface where they...

Biochar is a potentially valuable soil amendment that can improve soil quality and mitigate climate change through the sequestration of carbon in the soil. It is a carbon-rich and fine-grained material that is produced by allowing organic matter to high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. This chapter delves into the intricate interplay among so...

A field experiment was carried-out in the winter season of 2021-22 at the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India, to assess the effect of detasseling times and nitrogen levels on productivity and profitability of winter baby corn (Zea mays L.). The experiment comprised three detasseling times (N...

Timely sowing of wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) is a crucial agronomic measure to realize its genetic yield potential, particularly under ever‐changing climatic conditions. The present study appraised the genotypic variations of wheat genotypes for dry matter and nutrients' accumulation, partitioning, remobilization and stress indices under timely a...

Shifting from chemical-intensive practices to organic-based farming within the rice-wheat rotation (RWR) is crucial for its long-term sustainability. This highly productive system holds a significant carbon (C) sequestration potential if managed efficiently. The dynamics of soil organic-C profoundly impacts the global climate change and crops’ p...

Soil fertility is the ability of the soil to promote plant growth and increase crop yield. This can be enhanced by fertilising the soil with both organic and inorganic materials. Cover crops, which enrich the soil with organic matter and enhance soil structure, can aid in boosting soil fertility by employing green manure or growing legumes that...

Oilseeds, particularly rapeseed-mustard, play a vital role in India's agricultural landscape, contributing significantly to the economy. Toria, a winter oilseed crop, is of particular importance, cultivated in both irrigated and rainfed conditions. Fertilizers, especially nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S), play a crucial role in enhancin...

Direct-seeded rice (DSR), an innovative alternative to traditional transplanting, has gained popularity for its cost-effectiveness and labour-saving attributes. Weeds pose a significant threat to DSR. In this study, the effectiveness of various weed management methods, including hand weeding and herbicide applications, was evaluated. Hand weeding p...

Precision Nitrogen Management (PNM) is an approach aimed at optimizing the use of nitrogen fertilizers in agricultural systems to reduce environmental degradation caused by nitrogen pollution. PNM provides a remedy by offering tailored and location-specific nitrogen delivery solutions that reduce nitrogen losses and increase nitrogen use effici...

Baby corn (Zea mays L.) is a high-value crop, fast gaining popularity and recently introduced in India. Baby corn is an unfertilized, dehusked baby cob harvested within 2-3 days of silking and it was raised year-round, has a short duration, fast-growing and plays an important role in crop diversification. Baby corn is a suitable crop for cultiva...

The field experiment was conducted during 2019-20 at Agriculture Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University , Varanasi, to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on growth attributes, yield attributes and yield of green pea. Eight integrated nutrient management (INM) treatments were formed, having different doses of phosphorus, nitrogen (t...

An experiment was conducted at research farm of Rajiv Gandhi South Campus, Barkachha, Mirzapur situated in eastern Uttar Pradesh during winter (rabi) season of 2021–22 with the objective to study the response of nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur doses and urea foliar spray on lentil growth attributes, yield attributes, yield and economics under guava...