Manish Kumar Sharma’s scientific contributions

Field experiments were conducted during Kharif season of 2022 at the Research Farm, WMRC, SKUAST- J, Chatha. The soil of the experimental site was sand clay loam in texture, slightly alkaline in reaction, low in organic carbon and available nitrogen but medium in phosphorus and potassium. The experiment was laid out in Factorial RBD with three factors replicated thrice. Twenty treatment combinations comprising of five Humic acid treatments (Control, Soil Application of Humic acid @ 2.5kg/ha & 5kg/ha (Market ready), and Soil Application of Humic acid @ 2.5kg/ha & 5kg/ha (FYM), two PSB treatments (With and without PSB) and two levels of Phosphorus nutrition (100% Recommended N:100% Recommended P - 15:40 kg/ha and 100% Recommended N:75% Recommended P - 15:30 kg/ha). The utilization of Humic acid at a rate of 5 kg/ha, sourced from both Market Ready and Farm Yard Manure (FYM), combined with seed treatment employing (PSB) and a nutrient application of 100% recommended nitrogen (N): 100% recommended phosphorus (P) - 15:40 kg/ha, exhibited a more pronounced and favorable residual impact on soil properties. This was evidenced by notable improvements in organic carbon, available nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels, surpassing their initial values but shows in non-significant results. Furthermore, this treatment employing humic acid application, PSB & Phosphorous nutrition showed improvement in seed yield and straw yield but failed to show significant results in residual rice crop.

The present investigation was carried out at the experimental farm of Department of Seed Science and Technology, Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (HP)-173 230 during 2018 and 2019. The treatment modules comprising different doses of Jeevamrit applied as drench (25ml/m2, 50ml/m2, 75ml/m2 and 100 ml/m2) and as foliar spray (5%, 10%, 15% & 20%) at 15 days interval, alternatively + Brahmastra @ 2.5 % and Neemastra @ 2.5 % at 7 days interval, alternatively along with RDF, untreated control and an organic module based on Trichoderma viride. The field experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design (RBD) with 19 treatments replicated thrice. Although, maximum values for number of seeds per capitulum (268.12), seed yield per plant (14.74 g), seed yield per plot (176.90 g), seed yield per hectare (327.59 kg), 1000 seed weight (2.56 g), seed germination (85.13 %), seedling length (12.66 cm), seedling fresh weight (0.55 g), seedling dry weight (7.78 mg), SVI-I (1077.68), SVI-II (662.55) were recorded in M18 (RDF (100% NPK) + FYM @ 5 kg/m2) it was found to be statistically at par with the treatment module M16 (Drenching with Jeevamrit @ 100 ml/m2 + Foliar application of Jeevamrit @ 20 % at 15 days interval, alternatively + Neemastra @ 2.5 % and Brahmastra @ 2.5 % at 7 days intervals, alternatively) which had highest speed of germination (33.36).

In this study, the physicochemical properties of freeze dried oyster mushroom powder were analyzed. The proximate composition result showed that oyster mushroom contains moisture content 4.98%, protein content 22.97%, crude fat 3.17%, total ash 7.54%, fiber content 25.44% and carbohydrate content was found to be 61.34%, respectively. The bulk density which is an important functional parameter was found to be 0.59 g/ml and the total phenol content was found to be 35.46 mgGAE/g. The color profile of freeze dried oyster mushroom i.e; L* value found to be 82.42, a* value of 1.49 and b* value 12.42. By virtue of having high fibre, protein with low fat and high phenol content, oyster mushroom powders can be considered as a functional food, which can provide health benefits.

Physical and engineering properties of paddy seeds plays a crucial role in designing and development of drum’s orifice shape and size in drum seeder. The physical and engineering properties of dry, soaked (12 hours soaking) and pregerminated (24 hours soaking + 12 hours incubation) paddy (Bsmati-370) seeds were studied to finalize these dimensions. The average value for; length, width, thickness and equivalent diameter (mm) varies from 9.95 to 10.55, 10.98 to 11.61, 12.01 to 12.53 mm; 1.95 to 2.12, 2.41 to 2.57, 2.67 to 2.90 mm; 1.70 to 1.74, 2.06 to 2.18, 2.29 to 2.48 mm; and 3.07 to 3.20, 3.55 to 3.68, 3.81 to 4.11 mm for dry, soaked and pre germinated seeds respectively. The aspect ratio and sphericity were found to be 0.19, 0.24, 0.28 and 30, 32.88 and 34.70% for dry, soaked and pregerminated seeds respectively. There was an increase in volume, aspect ratio and terminal velocity by 21, 26.31 and 15.31 % and 39.98, 47.36 and 18.91% for soaked seed and pre germinated seed over the dry seed respectively.