Sri Karan Narendra Agriculture University (SKNAU) is an agricultural university situated in Jobner, Rajasthan, India. It was established in 2013 by the Government of Rajasthan under Agriculture University, Jobner Act, 2013. Its jurisdiction covers eight districts, namely Ajmer, Alwar, Bharatpur, Dausa, Dholpur, Jaipur, Sikar and Tonk. Jeet Singh Sandhu was appointed vice chancellor in 2019.
Zinc (Zn) deficiency remains a critical constraint to both wheat productivity and human nutrition, particularly in regions dependent on cereal-based diets. Agronomic biofortification, guided by the 4R Nutrient Stewardship framework Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, and Right Place offers a pragmatic and scalable solution to enhance grain Zn content while sustaining yield. This review synthesizes current knowledge on Zn dynamics in soil-plant systems, its physiological and biochemical roles in wheat growth, and the agronomic strategies that optimize Zn use efficiency. Emphasis is placed on integrated nutrient management, novel fertilizer technologies (including nano-fertilizers), and genotype-specific responses to Zn application. Furthermore, the review highlights research gaps such as the need for field-scale validation of nanotechnology, microbial interactions, and human health impact assessments. A holistic approach combining precision agronomy, genetic potential, and emerging digital tools for precision zinc application is proposed to ensure sustainable Zn biofortification outcomes. This review demonstrates that integrating Zn biofortification with the 4R nutrient stewardship framework offers a practical and scalable roadmap for increasing zinc concentration in wheat grains, thereby enhancing dietary zinc intake and directly addressing hidden hunger in cereal-dependent populations.
Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.] is a vital C4 nutri-cereal underpinning food security in arid and semi-arid regions; however, its productivity is constrained by poor seedling establishment under abiotic stress. The present study evaluated 300 diverse genotypes in randomized incomplete block design across three locations—Jodhpur, Bikaner and Nagaur—over two years to assess genetic variability, heritability and stability for key physiological and yield-related traits. Analysis of variance revealed significant genetic variation for all traits, including relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), SPAD chlorophyll content, harvest index (HI) and grain yield per plant (GYP). High broad-sense heritability (> 80
Weeds are a major problem in wheat crop causing low productivity. Nowadays, maximum doses of herbicides are used in wheat crop production, but after some time their negative effects are visible on crop and soil. The presence of ‘sorgoleone’ allelochemical in sorghum extract reduces weed density in early growth stage and increases the quality as well as soil microbial activity. Sequential application of sorghum extract (1:3) + ready-mix of clodinafop + metsulfuron 64 g/ha as post emergence, significantly increased the microbial population in soil, and enhanced quality and production of wheat. Same treatment produced significantly higher grain yield of 4543 kg/ha and magnitude of increments were 34.87
Conservation agriculture (CA) has emerged as a promising strategy for achieving sustainable crop production and climate change mitigation. The long-term impacts of CA on productivity, profitability, soil health, and environmental sustainability, however, is less understood in rice-based systems, particularly when compared with the conventional puddled transplanted rice-conventional till wheat (PTR-CT) system. A 10-year long field study was conducted in a randomized complete block design, involving two conventional till (CT)-, and six zero till (ZT)-based rice-wheat systems. There were three perfect CA systems of which two were double cropping ZT direct-seeded rice (DSR) - ZT wheat (ZTW) system. One of these had rice (rr) and wheat (wr) residue retention, while the other had rice (rr), wheat (wr), and brown manure (bm) crop residues. The third perfect CA system involved a triple cropping system with legume intensification, and, the residues of rice, wheat, and mungbean (ZTmb-ZTrr-ZTwr) retained on the soil surface to compare with the PTR-CT. The decade-long study revealed that the CA-based ZTmb-ZTrr-ZTwr system gave 16 % and 15 % higher wheat yield and rice-wheat system productivity, respectively (p < 0.05) although it had 9 % lower rice yield (p < 0.05) than PTR-CT. This system had 14 % lower sustainable yield index of rice, but 16 % and 7 % higher sustainability of wheat yield and system yield than that of PTR-CT, respectively. Besides, it fetched an additional net income of Indian Rupee 11,800 ha(-1) from wheat and Indian Rupee35,900 ha(-)(1) from the entire system over PTR-CT (p < 0.05). There was a significant improvement in soil fertility in this ZTmb-ZTrr-ZTwr system (p < 0.05) over PTR-CT with respect to nitrate-N (93 %up arrow), available P (52 %up arrow), available K (84 %up arrow), Zn (49 %up arrow), and Mn (55 %up arrow), besides the increase in soil organic carbon by 46 % and total organic carbon by 51 %. Environmentally, this CA practice led to significant reduction in methane emissions by 83 % and global warming potential by 47 % compared with the PTR-CT. Furthermore, the yield-scaled emission of greenhouse gases declined by 43 % in rice, 55 % in wheat, and 54 % in rice-wheat system under this ZTmb-ZTrr-ZTwr treatment compared with conventional PTR-CT practice (p < 0.05). Thus, this CA-based rice-wheat-mungbean system could offer long-term yield stability, economic gain, soil health improvement and climate resilience, and would be a viable alternative to conventional PTR-CT system with potential for scalability in global rice ecologies. The yield of direct-seeded rice usually varies/fluctuates over the years due to weeds intensity, Fe-deficiency, prevailing climate (rainfall, temperature), and intermittent water stress. Therefore, some strategic researches are required on a cropping system mode under conservation agriculture for effective management of weeds, nutrients, and water towards stabilizing the yield of direct-seeded rice.
Pesticides have long been used to control pests with insecticides, herbicides and rodenticides being the primary types applied for crop protection. However, ensuring their safe use remains a significant challenge in India. This study explores pesticide use practices among vegetable growers in Jaipur district, focusing on two tehsils Bassi and Amber selected for their high vegetable cultivation, as per Revenue Department. Four villages per tehsil were randomly chosen and 120 farmers were surveyed. The findings reveal frequent pesticide applications, varied safety practices and distinct farmer profiles. While the use of protective gear and non-chemical pest control is encouraging, issues like unsafe disposal, pollinator neglect and reactive spraying persist. Cluster analysis identified groups needing targeted interventions, ie IPM training for heavy users, hygiene promotion for lacking safe practices and recognition for sustainable farmers.
