Background: Cluster front line demonstration is the unique approaches to increase pulse production through the horizontal dissemination of newly release latest improved production techniques (like seed treatment, improved varieties, timely sowing in residual moisture, insect pest, diseases and weeds control etc.) under the direct supervision of scientists. Methods: The current study was conducted in the field of 390 farmers who were chosen for the study in Rabi season of 2016 17 to 2022-2023. Twenty six villages included 8 blocks including Goradih, Kahalgaon, Nathnagar, Pirpainti, Sabour, Sanhaula, Shahkund and Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district. These villages are classified as being in the South-Western Alluvial plain zone (zone IIIB) of Bihar. In 130 ha of land under the rainfed and irrigated agricultural condition, a total of 325 field demonstrations on chickpea were conducted. The soil type ranged from silty loam to clay loam with average value of OC 0.41%, pH 7.23, EC 0.28 dS/m and available N, P2O5 and K2O 168.7, 21.36 and 218.53 kg/ha, respectively. The upgraded technology consisting of use of improved varieties (GNG-1581, PG-186, GCP-105 and RVG 202), recommended seed rate, seed treatment, line sowing, timely sowing in residual moisture, soil test based fertilization, management of weed, insect, pest and diseases under cluster front line demonstrations (CFLDs). Result: Average performance of seven years observations indicated that the adoption of CFLD recorded higher yield (13.87 q/ha) and surpassed the existing farmer's practice (10.15 q/ha) by the margin of 36.73%. Surplus cost of Rs. 2977/ha under CFLDs resulted in surplus return of Rs. 20353 /ha and surplus gain Rs. 17376 /ha in chickpea. The B: C ratio in CFLDs also ranged from 2.43 to 3.20 with an average of 2.85 as compared to farmer's practice 2.34. The progressive increase in yield and economics of chickpea under CFLD was mainly due to the gap of technology, extension and Index of technological, which were respectively 7.13 and 3.72 q/ha and 33.82 per cent.
Groundnut production is affected by several diseases, among which soilborne diseases pose significant management challenges due to the persistence and survival of their causal pathogens in soil. This review focuses primarily on stem rot and collar rot, two major soilborne diseases of groundnut, while incorporating evidence from other relevant soilborne diseases and pathogens where necessary to provide a broader understanding of biological disease management. Relevant literature was identified through searches of Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science using combinations of keywords related to groundnut, soilborne diseases, stem rot, collar rot, biological control, bioagents, PGPR, rhizosphere interactions and biofilms and relevant peer-reviewed studies were critically evaluated. The review critically examines the potential of microbial bioagents, including fungal and bacterial antagonists, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), microbial consortia and the potential role of microbial biofilms in managing soilborne diseases of groundnut. Particular emphasis is placed on the mechanisms underlying biological disease suppression, including antibiosis, competition, mycoparasitism, hydrolytic enzyme production, induced plant defense responses and rhizosphere colonization. Available evidence from in vitro, pot, greenhouse and field studies is critically examined to distinguish antagonistic activity from demonstrated disease suppression and to identify factors influencing bioagent performance under field conditions. Although several microbial bioagents have shown promising potential against soilborne pathogens of groundnut, their efficacy is influenced by strain characteristics, environmental conditions, colonization ability, formulation and application methods. Future research should prioritize mechanistic validation in groundnut, improved microbial formulations and delivery strategies, multi-location field evaluation and the development of compatible microbial consortia for integration into sustainable disease management.
Background: Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is the sixth most important grain legume globally, serving as a vital source of dietary protein. Despite available genomic resources, comprehensive molecular marker resources remain limited. Intron-spanning markers (ISM) offer advantages due to conserved exonic primer sites and polymorphic intronic regions. This study presents the first genome-wide computational identification of ISM candidate loci in pigeonpea, providing a foundational resource for ILP marker development. Methods: A computational pipeline was developed using pandas and BioPython packages to identify ISM candidate loci from the NCBI RefSeq pigeonpea genome annotation (GCF_000340665.2). Introns were extracted from protein-coding genes, deduplicated by collapsing identical genomic coordinates across transcript isoforms and filtered by size (50-5000 bp) for PCR feasibility. Result: A total of 139,873 unique non-redundant ISM candidate loci were identified from 23,948 intron-containing genes (of 29,045 protein-coding genes) 80,849 (57.8%) are anchored to the across 11 chromosomes and remainder lie on unplaced scaffolds. Pigeonpea exhibited 5.84 introns per gene with mean intron length of 491 bp. Among identified candidate loci, 68,547 (49.0%) fall within optimal PCR range (200-2000 bp). Fifty candidates targeting stress-responsive genes were prioritized for future experimental PCR validation.
Background: The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of the knapsack sprayer application and drone spray on the performance of the groundnut crop. Conventional herbicide application methods using ground-based spraying methods often suffer from poor accuracy, low uniformity and excessive chemical usage. Applying herbicides effectively at the correct dosage and delivery parameters is crucial for efficient weed control and reducing chemical wastage. Of late, drone application of agrochemical has become popular. Therefore, the present study aims to identify the optimal spray volume and drone spray height to enhance precision in herbicide application for groundnut. Methods: Field trail were conducted during the rabi season of 2022-23 and 2023-24 at Regional Agriculture Research Station, Research Farm in Telangana. An AGRICOPTER AG 365 UAV was used for aerial application, while knapsack sprayers were employed for comparison. Treatments involving three doses of herbicide (75%, 100% and 125% of the recommended dose) were prepared with 25 and 40 L ha-1 spray volumes at 2.0 and 2.5m of spray height. Observations on weed dynamics were conducted before application, 15, 30 DAA and pod yield was recorded at the harvest of the crop. Result: The results showed that UAV spraying provided improved precision, labour savings and environmental impact with enhanced sustainable groundnut cultivation compared to the conventional methods. The study found the highest weed population was observed with the 75% and lowest with the 125%. In contrary, pod yield obtained was superior in the recommended dose of the herbicide in UAV and knapsack spraying.
Background: Horsegram [Macrotyloma uniflorum (Lam.) Verdc.] is a drought-tolerant legume widely cultivated in South Asia and is resilient to poor soil conditions. Yellow mosaic disease (YMD) poses a significant challenge to horsegram production in India, potentially resulting in complete yield loss. Since scanty literature is available on loss assessment of YMD in horsegram, an attempt was carried out to assess the losses in horsegram genotypes due to YMD. Methods: Field experiment was laid out in split plot design using different horsegram genotypes to assess the loss due to YMD. Result: Loss assessment revealed that, among all the genotypes PHG-9 showed least per cent yield loss (17.35%) with less incidence (21.62%) and VHG-44 showed highest per cent yield loss (31.10 %) with high incidence (58.67%) of YMD. Significant differences in performance of genotypes, between the protected and unprotected blocks, with less yield loss observed under protected conditions.
