A field experiment was conducted at Kalyani, West Bengal during 2019–20 and 2020–21 to study the effect of different sowing windows and weed management practices in wheat. Least weed dry weight at 60 DAS was found with application of pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb clodinafop-propargyl @ 60 g/ha in very late-sown condition, which was at par with pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb pinoxaden @ 50 g/ha. The highest weed control efficiency was recorded with pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb one hand weeding at 35 DAS, followed by pendimethalin @750 g/ha fb pinoxaden @ 50 g/ha. Grain yield of wheat was 71.9 and 31.7% higher under timely sowing than the very late and late sown conditions, respectively. The grain yield with pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb one hand weeding at 35 DAS was highest, and at par with pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb clodinafop-propargyl @ 60 g/ha, pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb metsulfuron-methyl @ 4 g/ha + carfentrazone @ 20 g/ha, and pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb pinoxaden @ 50 g/ha. Under timely-sown condition, the highest net returns and BC ratio (2.24) was observed with the pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb clodinafop-propargyl @ 60 g/ha and recommended for higher productivity of wheat. Though hand weeding recorded the higher net returns, among herbicide treatments, pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb one hand weeding offered the highest net returns. The experiment concluded that timely sowing of wheat by 25th November and effective weed management through pendimethalin @ 750 g/ha fb one hand weeding at 35 DAS can be adopted to achieve better weed control, higher yield and profitability.
A field experiment was conducted at Pusa, Bihar during 2022–23 and 2023–24 on sugarcane with two fertility levels, viz. 100 and 125% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) and 7 sugarcane genotypes. Application of 125% RDF (187.5: 46.4: 62.3 kg NPK/ha) recorded significantly higher tillers, millable canes and cane yield (92.6 t/ha) than 100% RDF. Similarly, 125% RDF gave significantly higher net returns and B: C ratio, which was 34.3 and 14.4% higher over 100% RDF, respectively. Though 100% RDF recorded marginally higher brix, pol and CCS percent, 125% RDF resulted in 13.4% higher sugar yield than 100% RDF. The highest NPK uptake was also obtained with 125% RDF. Among the genotypes, ‘CoSe 16454’ registered significantly higher emergence and tillers. Higher cane length, cane diameter and single cane weight, cane yield (96.4 t/ha), sugar yield (11.46 t/ha) and net returns (183.9 × 103/ha) were obtained with ‘CoP 17438’. However, the cane yield remained on a par with ‘CoP 17440’, ‘CoSe 16454’ and ‘CoSe 17451’. Thus, the cane yield and economic returns can be improved with application of 125% RDF with genotype ‘CoP 17438’, ‘CoP 17440’, ‘CoSe 16454’ and ‘CoSe 17451’.
The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is a globally significant socio-ecological system that plays a vital role in sustaining biodiversity and regulating hydrological processes of major Asian river basins. As an important biodiversity hotspot, the region provides critical ecosystem services, including soil conservation, carbon sequestration, climate regulation, and water security. However, accelerated climate and land-use change, forest degradation, infrastructure expansion, and livelihood transitions have intensified soil erosion, hydrological instability, carbon loss, biodiversity loss, and socio-economic vulnerability. In this context, Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) have emerged as integrated, ecosystem-based approaches to simultaneously address climate change mitigation and adaptation, disaster risk reduction, ecosystem restoration, and sustainable livelihoods. This article synthesizes the role of NbS in soil and water conservation across the IHR using a ridge-to-valley landscape framework. Key NbS interventions include afforestation and agroforestry, vegetative barriers, contour-based land treatments, springshed management, wetland and riparian restoration, and bioengineering measures for slope stabilization. The results indicate that NbS significantly lowers surface runoff (25–60%) and soil erosion (40–80%), while improving soil organic carbon stocks by 15–45% and promoting carbon sequestration of 0.5–1.5 Mg C/ha/yr in soils and up to 6 Mg C/ha/yr in biomass. NbS also improve spring discharge stability (30–50% increase), ecosystem connectivity, and livelihood resilience. Agroforestry, forest landscape restoration, vegetative slope stabilization, springshed management, and urban green infrastructure emerge as core NbS strategies with strong co-benefits for climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and socio-economic development.
A field experiment was conducted at Kumarganj, Ayodhya during the summer season 2024–25 to assess the inoculation of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) and Rhizobium along with chemical fertilizers on growth and yield of mungbean. All the growth and yield attributes was found superior under PSB @ 10 ml/kg seed + Rhizobium @ 10 ml/kg seed + 75% recommended dose of N and P fertilizers, which led to the highest grain yield. It was concluded that inoculation of PSB and Rhizobium not only increased the yield but also saved 25% chemical fertilizers for N and P.
An experiment was conducted at Navsari, Gujarat during rabi 2022–23 to study weed dynamics and yield of greengram as influenced by irrigation regimes, viz. irrigation at flowering; flowering and pod-development; and branching, flowering and pod-development stages; and weed-management practices, viz. pendimethalin CS, quizalofop-p-ethyl, pendimethalin CS (PE) fb quizalofop-p-ethyl (PoE), 2 HW at 20 and 40 DAS and unweeded check. Application of pendimethalin CS 1.0 kg/ha (PE) fb quizalofop-p-ethyl 0.05 kg/ha (PoE) at 40 DAS recorded the lowest weed density and dry weight of weeds, whereas maximum grain yield was attained with pendimethalin CS 1.0 kg/ha. Unweeded check resulted in maximum weed infestation and caused 58.8% yield reduction. Irrigation scheduling at branching, flowering and pod-development stages significantly enhanced seed and stover yields, with the highest net realization and benefit-cost ratio. Pre-emergence application of pendimethalin CS 1.0 kg/ha or two hand-weedings proved equally effective in minimizing weed competition and boosting the performance of greengram. Overall, pre-emergence application of pendimethalin CS 1.0 kg/ha and irrigations at branching, flowering and pod development significantly enhanced productivity and profitability of rabi greengram.
