A field experiment was conducted at Water Technology Centre, College of Agriculture, PJTSAU, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad during summer 2020-21 on “Optimization of irrigation and nitrogen levels under drip fertigation in okra (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) during summer” 2020-21. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with Radhika hybrid (40 cm x 45 cm) and replicated thrice. The treatments comprise of three irrigation levels through drip scheduled at 0.75 Epan, 1.0 Epan and 1.25 Epan as main-plots and four nitrogen levels viz., 75 % RDN (112.5 kg N ha-1), 100 % RDN (150 kg N ha-1), 125 % RDN (187.5 kg N ha-1) and 150 % RDN (225 kg N ha-1) as sub-plots. Experimental soil was sandy clay in texture, alkaline in reaction, medium in organic carbon content, low in available nitrogen, high in available phosphorous and available potassium, respectively. The results indicated that optimized drip irrigation scheduling significantly improved NUE, with the highest efficiency observed at 1.00 Epan (I2) irrigation scheduling and 75 % RDN (N1) nitrogen level. Phenological development, including days to first flowering, days to 50 % flowering, days to first and final picking was not influenced influenced by irrigation scheduling and nitrogen supply. The number of branches per plant increased with 1.00 Epan (I2) and 100 % RDN (N2) nitrogen application, contributing to higher biomass and potential yield. Soil nitrogen content varied across treatments, with initial and final measurements providing insights into nitrogen uptake and residual soil fertility.
Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melongenae (Fomg), has emerged as a serious disease limiting brinjal productivity. Soil-borne nature of the pathogen, limited reproducibility and environmental variability complicate the use of the laborious traditional screening methods for resistance to Fusarium wilt in breeding programs. To facilitate reliable screening and rapid phenotyping, we resorted to a novel hydroponic approach. In this study, 90 brinjal genotypes, including diverse cultivated and wild accessions, were grown in Hoagland solution and inoculated with Fomg, isolated from a Fusarium wilt-endemic field at the host institute. Disease indices (DI), area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) and area under disease progress stairs (AUDPS) were used to identify resistant genotypes and study disease progression. Host phenotypic trait assessments and histopathological studies were also used to characterize resistant sources. Five genotypes, namely BR-40-7, Pink, Bouldar, S. sisymbriifolium, and S. torvum were found immune to Fusarium wilt, while fifteen genotypes each were found highly resistant and resistant to the disease. Genotypes immune to the disease were asymptomatic. Highly resistant genotypes were late-wilters, while the resistant genotypes were slow-wilters. Highly susceptible genotypes exhibited early, rapid and severe wilting. Resistant genotypes exhibited superior root and shoot development compared to susceptible genotypes. The broad applicability of the hydroponic screening method to diverse plant species and root pathogens underscores its potential to address critical challenges in agriculture. This study is the first to use Fusarium-specific screening of germplasm in hydroponic brinjal and wild Solanum cultures.
The experiment was carried out at the Instructional Farm of JNKVV-College of Agriculture, Rewa (M.P), during the Rabi season 2020-2021 on cabbage. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Block Design with nine treatments, including Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC at 10 g a.i./ha, Fipronil 5% SC @ 40 g a.i./ha, Indoxacarb 14.5 SC @ 40 g a.i./ha, Spinosad 45 SC @ 100 g a.i./ha, Novaluron 10 EC @ 75 g a.i./ha, Emamectine benzoate 5 SG @ 10 g a.i./ha, Neem oil 0.15% @ 4.5 g a.i./ha , Bt 5% WP @ 25 g a.i./ha and untreated control and three replications against diamondback moth two sprays of insecticide were done at 15 and 35 days after transplanting of the crop. The effect of insecticide was recorded on 3, 7, 10 and 15 days after the insecticide. The mean population of DBM after two sprays showed that Spinosad 45 SC proved to be the most effective and superior treatment, recording the lowest population of DBM (0.55 larvae/plant). The order of efficacy of insecticides was found in order T4 (Spinosad 45 SC) > T1 (Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC) > T6 Emamectin benzoate > T3 (Indoxacarb 14.5 SC) >T2 (Fipronil 5% SC) > T5 (Novaluron 10 EC) >T8 (Bt 5% WP )> T7 (Neem oil 0.15%). The untreated control recorded a maximum DBM larval population (3.35 larvae/plant). Resulting in the head yield 320.00 q/ha Spinosad 45 SC @ 100 g a.i./ha with maximum C:B ratio (1:21.31) was recorded from Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC treatment followed by Indoxacarb 14.5 SC (1:18.20).
Salinity is a major abiotic stress that impacts plant growth and crop yields, particularly in saline-prone regions. The main objective of this work is to determine the optimum NaCl concentration for screening salt tolerance using the Salt Injury Index (SII) by analyzing the effects of NaCl-induced salinity on germination and seedling growth in 30 cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) genotypes. Cowpea seeds were exposed to six NaCl concentrations (0, 75, 100, 150, 200, and 250 mM) in petri plates. Seedling growth parameters such as germination, shoot and root length, seedling length, dry weight, and vigour indices (I & II), were recorded to evaluate the effects of salinity stress. A consistent decline in all measured parameters was observed as NaCl concentration increased. Linear regression of the Salt Injury Index values revealed NaCl concentrations caused a 50% reduction in specific traits, including 215 mM affecting germination, 180 mM for shoot, 210 mM for root, 200 mM for seedling length and dry weight, and 130 and 160 mM for Vigour Index-I and -II, respectively, with an average threshold of 183.57 mM. Consequently, 200 mM NaCl was identified as the optimal concentration to evaluate salt tolerance levels, offering a standardized benchmark for assessing cowpea genotypes under saline conditions.
India is a leading producer, user, and exporter of chili (Capsicum annuum L.), one of the world’s most valuable vegetables and spice crops. However, India’s future supremacy in chili production confronts several serious obstacles, such as the emergence of new pathogen races, selection-induced saturation, biotic and abiotic stresses caused by climate change and genetic drift in cultivars. So, to strike early, the available germplasm of 21 lines was analyzed for 12 morphological parameters, followed by a response to phytophthora fruit rot and biochemical traits such as capsaicin content, to identify diverse lines to be utilized in crop improvement, selection and hybridization breeding programs in the future. For all characteristics, the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) varied from 4.99 to 42.06%, while the phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) ranged from 5.19 to 42.11%. Heritability varied between 88.13 and 94.85%, whereas genetic gain was between 15.34 and 91.01%. Higher heritability and genetic gain for the number of fruits plant-1, average fruit weight, fruit yield plant-1, fruit breadth at the middle, fruit length, number of seeds fruit-1 and total capsaicin content in dry chili suggest the presence of additive gene action and the reliability of selection for improvement of these traits in chili. A biplot showing principal component analysis contributed to the selection of superior accessions for fruit yield plant-1 (g) and total capsaicin content (%) in dry chili.
Onion is the most extensively cultivated crop used for multiple purposes, including vegetable spices and medicine. In the present study, we evaluated two plant growth regulators (PGRs), Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and Gibberellic acid (GA3), along with the micronutrient mixture containing 3% zinc, 2.5% iron, 1% manganese, 1% copper, 0.5% boron and 0.1% molybdenum chelated with EDTA. A total of 13 treatments were administered consisting of different concentrations of 100 to 200 ppm IAA, 50 to 100 ppm GA3 and 0.5 to 1.0% micronutrients. These treatments were applied either through root dipping or foliar application 30 days after transplanting (DAT). All the PGR and micronutrient treatments enhanced the onion plant growth attributes. Among all the treatments, foliar application of 200 ppm IAA and 100 ppm GA3 was found best in terms of onion bulb yield during the late Kharif season. The findings of the present study suggest that the application of 200 ppm IAA with a recommended dose of FYM and NPK will be helpful to improve onion yield during the late Kharif season and also help in maintaining onion prices from January to March in the Indian market.
A study was undertaken to study the effect of different priming treatments on cucumber var. Punjab Naveen. Different concentrations of priming treatments viz. K2HPO4, KH2PO4, hydroxyurea, GA3, ethrel, benzyl adenine, mimosine, KNO3, ZnSO4 and hydro priming were given, and parameters were recorded. Among the treatments, GA3 150 ppm improved shoot length (14.93 cm), mean seedling length (26.99 cm) and SVI-I (2699) in comparison to the control. Seed treatment with Ethrel 50 ppm gave the highest speed of germination (4.33) with less mean germination time (2.43). The highest mean seedling dry weight (9.36 mg) and SVI-II (927) were reported with ZnSO4 0.5%. Similarly, total soluble sugars (8.40 mg g-1FW), α-amylase activity (2.49 mg maltose min-1 mg-1 protein) and dehydrogenase activity (0.544) improved with ethrel 50 ppm while K2HPO4 10-3M improved membrane stability index (64.38%) with highest protein content (183.01 mg g-1FW). The activity of antioxidant enzymes like catalase (51.3 μ moles min-1 mg-1 protein) and peroxidase (3.07 ΔA min-1 mg-1 protein) was found highest with benzyl adenine 50 ppm along with reduced lipid peroxidation (0.21 μ moles MDA g-1FW). Hydroxyurea 50 mM gave the highest Total phenol content (5.38 mg g-1FW). The results indicated that priming with growth regulators improved various germination and vigor-contributing characters, along with enhanced enzymatic activity and lesser lipid peroxidation.
In order to investigate the response of application of zinc sulphate on the quality of potato tubers, a field experiment was conducted during rabi season 2023-24 in a field at the Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Chhindwara, under Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya, Jabalpur (M.P.). The experiment consists of 7 treatments with RDF and different doses of zinc fertilizer at 25 and 50 DAP. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results indicated that treatment T7 [2.5 kg Zinc/ha from zinc sulphate, at the time of planting + foliar application of zinc sulphate @ 2 g/L (400 ppm Zn) at 25 and 50 DAP] give maximum total soluble solids (6.37 ◦Brix), starch (30.96%), total sugar (5.50%), reducing sugar (0.92%), non- reducing sugar (4.58%), dry matter of tubers (75.48 g/plant) and Zn content of potato tuber (24.79 mg/kg) as compare to other treatments. Based on the present investigation, it can be concluded that soil with foliar application of zinc sulphate improved potato tuber quality under the present agro-climatic conditions as a biofortified crop.
Surveys for the insect and arachnid fauna associated with Broad bean in the Gangetic Plains of Varanasi, Sonebhadra and Deoria districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India were carried out during the rabi seasons of 2023-25. Insects belonging to seven orders were recorded, which were found to be members of either phytophagous orders, viz., Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, and Thysanoptera, or predatory orders, viz., Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, and Dictyoptera, or were pollinators from the orders viz., Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera. Amongst the pests, serpentine leaf miner (Liriomyza trifolii and Liriomyza sativae) and black bean aphid (Aphis craccivora) were observed as major pests, as their damage was≥10%. The Bihar hairy caterpillar, Spilosoma obliqua, is a polyphagous pest and sporadic in nature. The other pests like tobacco caterpillar (Spodoptera litura), Coreid bug (Cletus sp.), Pentatomid bug (Nezara viridula), White spotted flea beetle (Monolepta signata), red spider mite (Tetranychus sp.), etc., were minor in nature to this winter legume vegetable. During the study, four predatory arthropod orders, viz., (Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Dictyoptera and Araneae) and three pollinating insect orders (Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Diptera) were also documented. For the first time, an inventory of the insects and arachnids related to this crop from this area is made in this publication.
A two-year field experiment was carried out to study the effect of integrated nutrient management on broccoli cultivation and soil health during the rabi season of 2016-17 and 2017-18, at the Instructional farm of Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India. The experiment consisted of ten treatments with three replications laid in a randomized block design (RBD). The treatments consisted of different doses of vermicompost, cowdung manure, chemical fertilizer, vermiwash, and biofertilizer. The results obtained revealed that application of vermicompost 25% + cow dung manure 25% + chemical fertilizer 50%+ vermiwash + biofertilizer (T9) for sprouting broccoli gave the highest yield 17.82 t/ha, B: C ratio 2.08, and physiological nitrogen use efficiency 61.59 kg/kg. The treatment also improved the soil available nutrient content and improved the microbial count compared to the sole application of chemical fertilizer.
Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) offers a pathway to reduce synthetic fertilizer use while maintaining or improving crop productivity and soil health. A field experiment conducted during Rabi 2020–21 at the Research Farm, Udai Pratap (Autonomous) College, Varanasi evaluated nine nutrient management treatments combining 50% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) with organic inputs (FYM, vermicompost) and the biofertilizer Azospirillum. Cauliflower cv. Pusa Snowball K-1 grown on a sandy‑loam soil with medium fertility showed that integrated packages substantially improved vegetative growth, accelerated curd initiation and maturity, and increased curd size and weight compared with no-input and inorganic-only controls. The combination T9 (50% RDF + FYM 5 t/ha + vermicompost 1 t/ha + Azospirillum 2.5 kg/ha) produced the greatest plant height (63.48 cm), leaf area (1,343 cm2), largest curd diameter (18.38 cm), highest curd weight (938 g) and maximum yield (341.78 q/ha), and delivered the highest net return and benefit:cost ratio. Treatment T8 (50% RDF + vermicompost 2.5 t/ha + Azospirillum 5 kg/ha) best preserved post‑harvest soil N, P and K, indicating superior residual fertility. Economic analysis demonstrated that selected INM packages can lower chemical input costs and enhance profitability without yield penalties. These results underscore that well‑designed INM strategies, integrating reduced inorganic fertilizers with organic amendments and biofertilizers, can sustainably maintain cauliflower yields, improve soil nutrient status, and increase farm returns, offering a scalable approach for reducing chemical dependence in vegetable production.
Minimal processing is the fastest-growing avenue of the vegetable processing industry, driven by consumers seeking convenience and freshness. Such products have huge demands in hotels, restaurant and cafes (HoReCa) and supermarkets as they enable quick accessibility and availability of fresh-like and convenience-added safe vegetable produce that may also lead to a reduction in food wastage. Minimally processed carrot is a popular segment; under this study, the cut carrots of different genotypes were subjected to different interventions, viz., physical, chemical, thermal and a combination treatment for minimal processing to enhance the shelf life while ensuring safety and quality of cut carrots stored at refrigerated conditions. Physico-chemical, textural and microbiological analyses were done, which indicated that the combined treatment, consisting of thermal treatment, chitosan coating and UV treatment, proved to be effective interventions in maintaining the safe shelf life of VRCAR-134 and Kashi Krisna cut carrots for four days at 10°C storage.
A total of 32 sponge‑gourd (Luffa cylindrica L.) genotypes were screened for morphometric traits, yield performance, and sensory aroma. About 26 genotypes displayed medium-long fruits (15–25 cm), and 19 genotypes reached harvest within 55 days, demonstrating notable earliness. Yield showed a strong positive correlation with both fruit number and average fruit weight. Genotype × environment interaction was highly significant for yield, underscoring the importance of stability analysis. Eight genotypes (VRSG‑10, VRSG‑18, VRSG‑171, VRSG‑28, VRSG‑68, VRSG‑69, VRSG‑69‑1, and VRSG‑77) exhibited regression coefficients (b = 0 or 1), indicating stable performance across environments. Moreover, Kashi Shreya, VRSG‑195, VRSG‑7‑17, VRSG‑10, and VRSG‑171 achieved the highest yields per hectare, making them promising candidates for cultivation across major Indian agro‑climatic zones. Cluster analysis grouped the 32 genotypes into eight distinct clusters; notably, VRSG‑7‑17 formed a singleton cluster and possessed a distinctive Basmati‑rice-like aroma in leaves, vines, flowers, fruits, and peel, as confirmed by physical‑sensory evaluation of both raw and cooked material. These findings highlight considerable genetic variability and identify stable, high-yielding, and aromatic lines for future breeding and aroma-targeted improvement programs.
Characterization and periodic multiplication of germplasm collections conserved in gene banks are essential for their effective use in crop improvement. In this study, 404 eggplant accessions of Indian origin, conserved at the National Gene Bank, New Delhi, were characterized for nineteen agro-morphological traits of economic importance at ICAR-IIVR, Varanasi, and molecular diversity was evaluated using microsatellite markers. Substantial variability was observed for the number of fruits per plant (1–57.3), fruit weight (6.9–274.0 g), fruit yield (0–1976.2 g), fruit length (4.5–30.5 cm), fruit width (2.3–9.9 cm), and plant height (47.8–112.8 cm). Accessions with desirable traits across different fruit shapes were identified. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering revealed three major clusters based on fruit shape: long, oval/round, and oblong. The first five principal components explained 50% of the observed variance. Leaf length, leaf width, and fruit weight contributed most to Principal Component 1, while fruit curvature, fruit length, fruit shape, and fruit width were key for Principal Component 2. A diverse subset of 81 accessions (20% of the total) representing maximum allelic diversity was identified for practical field maintenance. SSR markers were effective in diversity assessment with an average PIC value of 0.425, and cluster analysis grouped accessions primarily by collection region. Combined morphological and molecular variation assessment supports the effective use of diverse eggplant accessions in future breeding programs.
Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is one of the most important salad vegetable crops globally because of the nutrient richness, palatability and lower pesticide load. Heterosis breeding and hybrids has noteworthy role in boosting the productivity, better crop management and enhanced quality in many crops. Therefore, the field experiments were carried out during 2022-2024 to estimate the heterosis among CMS-based hybrids for growth and yield contributing traits in carrot. The significant differences of mean squares among parents and hybrids for various traits of economic importance indicated the presence of sufficient variation. Overall the hybrid mean of 48 cross-combinations is appreciably higher/desirable than parental mean for days to germination (13.2%), plant weight (41.5%), leaf length (15.0%), leaf weight (37.9%), root weight (42.7%), shoulder diameter (11.1%), core width (-24.2%) and marketable yield (42.5%) clearly indicates the presence of hybrid vigour and prospects for heterosis breeding in carrot. Overall, the superior hybrid-combinations namely VRCARH-23344, VRCARH-27244, VRCARH-23485, VRCARH-21185, VRCARH-212135, VRCARH-21244, VRCARH- 241199 and VRCARH- 214206 have prospects for development of CMS-based potential heterotic hybrids in tropical carrot.
The present investigation was undertaken at the Research Farm, Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, College of Agriculture, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Palampur, during winter season 2021-22. The experiment was laid out in α-RBD design with three replications. About 36 mid-late and late cauliflower genotypes, including three checks, were evaluated to study the mean performances for marketable curd weight along with 19 component traits. The mean sum of squares depicts sufficient genetic variability for all morphological, yield and quality traits. The evaluation of mean performance revealed that ‘DPCaCMS-1’ was top ranked with an advantage of 25.69 % for marketable curd weight over best check ‘Palam Uphar’ followed by ‘DPCaf-29’, ‘DPCaf-US’, ‘DPCaf-CMS5’ and ‘DPCaf-W131W’ which was mainly due to significant contribution of curd polar diameter, curd equatorial diameter, leaf length, leaf width, optimum plant frame, curd solidity, curd size index, gross plant weight and net curd weight.
Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) is one of the major vegetable crops grown in India. It is a low-calorie vegetable with high nutritional value due to the abundance of many components like fibers, proteins, phenolics, vitamins and minerals. However, its production is severely hampered by the incidence of major pests and diseases, including root-knot nematode. Root-knot nematode management is a challenge since nematicides have been mostly banned/restricted and resistant varieties or non-host crops are often not available. Therefore, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria emerge safe and alternative option for nematode management. Thus, in the present study, Bacillus megaterium (1% A.S.) was evaluated through different application methods and its combination to decipher nematicidal efficacy against Meloidogyne incognita infecting brinjal under field conditions. Three years experimental results revealed that the treatment comprising of seed treatment with Bacillus megaterium (1% A.S..) at 10 mL/kg seed+ Nursery bed treatment with Bacillus megaterium (1% A.S.) 50 mL/m2 + application of 5 tons of FYM enriched with 5.0 liter of Bacillus megaterium (1% A.S.) /ha + Soil drenching with Bacillus megaterium (1% A.S.) at 5 mL/liter at 30 days interval) significantly reduced M. incognita egg mass production per root system (81.7%), final nematode population in soil (60%), with least root gall index (1.0) and enhanced 20.7 of brinjal yield under field conditions. The present study elucidates that B. megaterium (1% A.S.) bioformulation and its combination of application methods could be one of the components in the integrated management of M. incognita infecting brinjal under field conditions.
One field experiment was conducted for assessment of management practices against major insect pests in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) cultivar Palee (F1) during Kharif, 2021 at RRTTS, OUAT, Bhubaneswar. Nine treatments comprising of para pheromone traps with cue lure and food baits along with foliar spraying of the insecticides; emamectin benzoate 5SG@220 g ha-1, fipronil 5EC@1000 mL ha-1, cartap hydrochloride 50% SP @1000g ha-1, thiodicarb 75 WP @ 500 g ha-1, abamectin 1.8 SC @300 mL ha-1, spinosad 45 SC @200 mL ha-1, malathion 50% EC @ 1000 mL ha-1 (insecticidal check), neem oil 1500ppm@1500 mL ha-1 and untreated check. The results indicated that, ‘application of food bait @ 20 baits ha-1 (cucumber fruit pulp + 100 mL cow urine + 0.5l water) + para pheromone traps @ 25 ha-1 + foliar spray of spinosad 45 SC @ 200 mL ha-1 thrice at 30, 45 and 60 DAS was most effective with 96.36, 81.94, 85.21, 87.03, 79.89 and 60.65% reduction in population of epilachna beetle, red pumpkin beetle, flea beetle, white fly, jassid and green stink bug, respectively over control. The fruit damage by melon fruit fly was 83.17% lower over control and maximum fruit yield (5.5 t ha-1), monetary benefit (Rs.110973 ha-1) and ICBR (8.20) was recorded. This management practice may be considered for the management of major insect pests in bitter gourd cultivation.
