Narolia G. P.’s research while affiliated with College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Udaipur and other places

The step-wise regression analysis was carried out using meteorological parameters such as bright sun shine hours (BSS), rainfall (RF), maxi-mum temperature (Tmax), minimum temperature (Tmin), morning time relative humidity (RH1), evening time relative humidity (RH2) etc. and maize yield of five districts of Rajasthan state. Available past weather data of different districts (viz., Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Sirohi and Udaipur) were used to find out relationship. The significantly correlated parameters were used in regression model as input. The weather data viz., rainfall, maximum temperature, minimum tempera-ture and relative humidity from 25 June to 7 Octo-ber were found most sensitive to crop production of maize in most of the districts. The data up to 2010 were used to develop the model, while data of 2011 and 2012 were used for validation of the model. These models based on higher R² values were used to predict the maize yield during the year 2013 found quite satisfactory.

Among the climatic elements, rainfall is the first index, which determines the cropping pattern of an area and the type of crop to be cultivated. Therefore, the present study deals the rainfall characteristics of the Udaipur District of Rajasthan, India. The daily rainfall data for last 39 years (1973–2011) were analyzed to study its variability and probability. The mean annual rainfall of the area was 630.20 mm and it was highest (1,145 mm) in the year 1973 followed by 978 mm in 1983. The contribution from winter, summer/pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon periods was 1.08, 3.17, 89.89 and 5.86 %, respectively. Rains during June, July, August and September are more helpful to indicate the suitability crop growing period for profitable crop production. Each standard meteorology week from 26th to 38th receive a rainfall of above 20 mm, indicating the crop growing period from June 4th week to September 3rd week. The study indicated that the mean annual rainfall was found 630.20 mm and monthly mean rainfall was observed to be 14.20, 74.29, 178.52, 212.59, 100.98, 20.51 mm for May, June, July, August, September and October, respectively.

Effect of phosphorus (P) and iron (Fe) on growth and yield attributes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) was studied during rabi season of 2010-2011 with four levels of P (control, 20,40 and 60 kg P2O5 ha(-1)) and Fe (control, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 kg Fe ha(-1)). Increasing P and Fe levels, increased the plant height, branch plant(-1), pods plant(-1), seed pod(-1) and test weight; in 40 kg P2O5 ha(-1) with 5 kg Fe ha(-1) plot, significantly improved yield attributes compared to rest of the treatments. The effect of application of iron 5 and 7.5 kg Fe ha(-1) was found at par on growth and, yield and yield attributes. Application of P and Fe fertilizer improved soil fertility status and crop yield, it can be a sustainable tool to enhanced chickpea production.

Micronutrients play a vital role in crop production and sustainable crop yield. High crop yield varieties make soil micronutrients deficient, without incorporating external inputs. Due to deficiency of micronutrients such as iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), yield decline drastically. It limits more than macronutrients, but requirements of these plant nutrients are very less, but plants have self regulated mechanism, which secrete the phytosiderophore (PS) and mobilize the lower concentration of these metals to soil solution for easy uptake by plants. Phytosiderophore production is a general response of plants to Fe and Zn deficiency in particular. The uptake rate of PS-chelated Fe and Zn is 100 and 5 to 10 times higher than that of free Fe and Zn, respectively. Higher amount of carbon containing organic compounds enhanced the microbial activities in rhizosphere and alter the plant nutrient chemistry in soil. This article discussed the importance of PS in microbial activity in soil and nutrient uptake mechanism in plants.

The field experiment was conducted to find out the effect of nitrogen levels and its split application on growth, yield and quality of malt barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under normal and late sown conditions during winter seasons of 2005-06 and 2006-07. The results showed significantly higher yield attributing characters, grain and straw yield,!harvest index husk content and net returns of malt barley under normal sown condition while, grain protein concentration was significantly higher under late sowing. Increasing nitrogen from 60 to 90 kg ha⁻¹ significantly enhanced plant height, yield. attributes and yields, harvest index, grain protein concentration and net returns of malt barley. Scheduling of nitrogen at 1/3 as basal+1/3 at lst irrigation+1/3 at 2nd irrigation substantially improved yield attributing characters and yields, harvest index, grain protein concentration and net returns while husk content was decreased. Scheduling of N in three equal splits affected the quality of malt barley grains. This treatment increased the protein content in grain, but it remained under the prescribed limit as per Indian standards in north-west Rajasthan conditions.