Sulfur (S) is a secondary plant nutrient that has been largely neglected in agricultural practices due to its incidental occurrence in soils through rainfall, volcanic emissions, and the application of fertilizers. Despite this, the availability of sulfur to plants is significantly influenced by its adsorption in soil and the potential for leaching to deeper soil layers. Within the soil-plant system, sulfur undergoes key biogeochemical processes, such as mineralization, immobilization, and oxidation, which regulate its balance through various pathways including atmospheric deposition, leaching, gas emissions, and adsorption. The sorption characteristics of the soil play a critical role in determining sulfur availability under different agro-climatic conditions. A five-year field experiment was conducted to explore the impact of different crop establishment methods and maize-based cropping systems on the dynamics of sulfur. The experiment employed a split-plot design with three main treatments: zero tillage, permanent raised beds, and conventional tillage, alongside six different cropping systems. Adsorption-desorption experiments were conducted using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Results showed that the adsorption of sulfur increased gradually up to 100 mg S kg-1, beyond which it declined. Zero tillage and the soybean-maize cropping system demonstrated superior adsorption characteristics compared to other treatments, with Langmuir isotherms providing a better fit. Furthermore, desorption of sulfur was greater in these treatments, suggesting improved sulfur availability. Overall, the study highlights that adopting zero tillage and incorporating legumes in maize-based cropping systems enhances sulfur retention and availability in soils over time.

Sulphur apart from being an essential element for plant growth is also a structural constituent of many coenzymes and secondary plant products or acts as a functional group directly involved in metabolic reactions and hence the factors promoting its mineralization in soil and further acquisition in plants are an important area of study. In the present study a modest initiative has been undertaken to study the effect of conservation practices on different forms of sulphur, maize yield and S uptake. For this, surface soil samples from a field experiment with three tillage practices as main plots and six maize-based cropping systems as sub-plots replicated thrice were analysed for five consecutive years. After five years of study, it was observed that all the forms of sulphur were higher under zero tillage and soybean-maize cropping system except adsorbed sulphur which was higher under conventional and maize-maize cropping system. Available Sulphur, Water soluble sulphur, Heat Soluble Sulphur, Adsorbed Sulphur and Organic sulphur was on an average 3.99, 3.57, 11.38, 3.67 and 64.06%, respectively of Total Sulphur. Sulphur availability index increased by 6.40% as result of continuous adoption of zero tillage. Higher grain yield of was recorded under zero tillage (4.88 t ha−1) and maize-chickpea (5.42 t ha−1) system; while total S uptake was highest under zero tillage and maize-mustard system (29.65 and 31.74 kg ha−1, respectively). Water soluble sulphur was found to have significantly higher and positive correlation with maize grain yield (r = 0.910**) while heat soluble sulphur with total S uptake (r = 0.896**); while adsorbed sulphur recorded a negative correlation with yield and uptake (r = − 0.520** and r = − 0.316). Conservation practices had substantial impact on S availability, yield and S uptake by the maize crop.

Integrated nutrient management (INM) practice with farmyard manure (FYM), wheat straw (WS) and green leaf manuring (GLM) augments aggregate formation in soils. However, soil aggregation regulating several soils biological activities has been proven to be intricate with both positive and negative interactions across studies. We studied the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and soil enzymes across three aggregate classes (>2000 mu m, 2000-250 mu m and <250 mu m) from a long-term rice-wheat cropping system. Integrated nutrient management practices significantly influence the fraction of soil macro-aggregates; whereas suboptimal level of fertilization was dominated by micro-aggregates. Application of inorganic fertilizer with FYM over long-term improves SOC to the tune of 12.78% when compared with 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF); whereas WS as an amendment improves MBC to the tune of 51.80% over RDF. Activities of the studied soil enzymes (Acid phosphatase, Alkaline phosphatase, Dehydrogenase, Fluorescein Diacetate Hydrolysing Capacity and Urease) were found to be higher when associated with large macro-aggregates fraction of size >2000 mu m as compared to micro-aggregates. In conclusion, large macro-aggregates improve and regulate all the soil biological indicators after a long-term integration of organic amendments with inorganic fertilizers.

Today sustainable agriculture production system is facing the problem of declining in agricultural growth and factor productivity, shrinkage in cultivated area, low level of soil organic matter, soil degradation, multi-nutrient deficiencies, depleted ground water resources, increased cost of production and low farm income and increased environment pollution (Singh, 2015). For overcoming these constraints crop residue management is one of the best alternatives because of its diverse and positive effect on soil health. Crop residues management improves organic carbon and N content in soil, affects soil pH through accumulation of CO2 and organic acids produced during their decomposition in the soil, reclamation and management of saline and alkaline soil, behave as a reservoir for plant nutrients, decreases the bulk density of soil and increases the porosity of the soil, provides energy for growth and activities of microbes. We know that sustainability of the most of the cropping system depends on soil quality and improving the level of soil organic matter through incorporation of crop residues and other organic sources leads to improve soil quality and nutrient cycling and which also simultaneously provide alternative means for biomass disposal. Subsurface placement of rice residue as well as time of residue incorporation had a large impact on decomposition of rice residue (Singh et al., 2004b). The carbon and nutrient held in various soil organic matter pools are subsequently decomposed and assimilated by soil biomass resulting in additional mineralization. Immobilization process occurs simultaneously with mineralization process and the rate at which nutrients are available for plant uptake depends on net balance between mineralization and immobilization. In a long term experiment on a loamy sand soil in Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, incorporation of residues of both crop in rice-wheat rotation increased the total and available P and K content of soil over removal of residues (Beri et al., 1995). Grain yield of wheat increased when it is sown in rice residue (Sidhu et al., 2011) and when residue is incorporated into soil (Ramesh Chandra, 2011). Management of crop residues offers sustainable and ecologically sound alternatives for meeting the nutrients requirements of crops and improving crop productivity.

Nutrient efficiency concept is used to increase the overall performance of cropping system by providing economically optimum nutrition to the crop and at same time minimizing nutrient losses from the crop yield. The study was undertaken on the AICRP-IFS experiment located at BAU, Sabour having twelve treatments replicated four times in randomized block design. The data were taken after 34th cropping cycle. In this study, a modest initiative has been undertaken to assess the various nutrient use efficiencies for N, P, and K in rice-wheat under different integrated nutrient management (INM) treatments involving substitution of N by farm yard manure, wheat straw, and green manure along with levels of recommended doses of fertilizers and farmers' practice. The results revealed that the overall AE, PE, APE, PFP, IUE, ARE, and partial nutrient balance (PNB) of N, P, and K for wheat crop was comparatively lower than that of rice crop which reflects that the residual effect of applied organic manures and fertilizers was more than the direct effect. PNB of crops for both the crops was near to 1 in INM plots which indicates that the yields and fertility status of soil is being sustained with respect N and P. However, K mining is being indicated through higher values of PNB for K. Overall, the results indicated that the integrated use of organic manures and inorganic fertilizers for last 34 years likely improved soil fertility, increased sustainable crop yield and uptake thereby led to increased nutrient use efficiency of applied nutrients and crops.

A long-term experiment on conservation agriculture was designed to study different nitrogen dynamics in maize based cropping system at Research Farm, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour dominated by Inceptisols in eastern Indo-Gangetic plains. The maize based cropping system was studied having various tillage (T1: Zero Tillage; T2: Permanent Raised Bed; T3: Conventional Tillage) and cropping sequences (C1: Maize+Soybean-Wheat; C2: Maize-Wheat; C3: Maize-Maize; C4: Maize-Mustard; C5: Maize-Chick pea; C6: Soybean-Maize) with a special reference to changes in different N fractions. Significant correlation was found between different N fractions (Total N, Ammoniacal-N, Nitrate-N, Total Hydrolysable-N, Hydrolysable ammoniacal-N, Amino Acid-N, Amino Sugar-N, Unidentified-N, Non-hydrolysable N, Available N) and yield as well as N uptake of maize. Zero tillage system under maize-chickpea cropping was found superior in terms of amount of all fractions of N and was also responsible for the improved yield, N uptake, physico-chemical properties and fertility levels of the soils. The organic forms of N, especially total hydrolysable and amino acid N, showed strong positive correlations with available N. Overall, organic N constituted a dominate part of soil N and played key role in soil N cycling and crop production. Not only organic N mineralized into mineral N for plant uptake, it also provided some organic components for plant direct absorption.

To explore the suitability of various sources of potassium (K) application on K fractions (watersoluble K, Exchangeable K, 1 N HNO 3 soluble K, Non-exchangeable K) through incubation study.An incubation experiment was conducted at department of soil science and agricultural chemistry, Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bhagalpur in completely randomized block design with 8 treatments viz., T 1 (no K application), T 2 (50 per cent RDK), T 3 (100 per cent RDK), T 4 (150 per cent RDK), T 5 (50 per cent RDK + 50 per cent K by Azolla), T 6 (50 per cent RDK + 50 per cent K by vermicompost), T 7 (100 per cent K by Azolla) and T 8 (100 per cent K by vermicompost) replicated thrice and kept in incubator at 25 deg.Celsius and used to assess various forms of K in soil at 0, 35, 70 and 105 days of incubation.Full dose of N and P were applied in all the treatments through urea and SSP respectively.However, potassium was supplied through muriate of potash (MOP ; 60 per cent K 2 O), vermicompost (0.8 per cent K) and Azolla (2.62 per cent K on dry wt.basis).Experiment showed that available K content of incubated soil increases from 0 to 35 days of incubation (DAI) and decreases thereafter up to 105 DAI.Decrease in available K from 90 to 105 DAI was 13.87 % in T 3 .However, this decrease was only 3.97 % and 1.5 % in the treatment T 5 and T 6 respectively.Azolla and vermicompost maintains K availability by increasing exchangeable K and ensures constant availability of potassium.

Jharkhand has a large proportion of marginal and small landholders (84 percent), who mainly practice rain-fed, single-crop subsistence farming, cultivating a low-yielding variety of paddy. A vast majority of these rural producers are unable to transition to high-value commodities. The average landholding per farmer is 1.17 hectares. Of the 3.43 million hectares of cultivable land, only 2.23 million hectares (65 percent) is being farmed leaving nearly 35 percent of cultivable land fallow. Small livestock rearing and fish farming in catchment farm ponds, tanks and reservoirs could be important potential sources of livelihood for these rural households. Collection and sale of non-timber forest produce (NTFP) contributes substantially to incomes of forest dwellers and inhabitants of hamlets surrounding forest areas, who are mostly disadvantaged and landless communities belonging to particularly vulnerable tribal groups. This note explains the skilling and rural agri-entrepreneurship approach, process design, learnings, and the way forward of the JOHAR skilling initiative.

Long-term effects of integrated application of organics and chemical fertilizers on transformation of copper (Cu) into various chemical pools and their availability under maize–wheat cropping system were investigated in the ongoing long-term fertilizer experiment initiated in 1972 at the research farm of Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University on an acidic soil in the Western Himalayas of India. The continuous use of chemical fertilizers alone for 36 years brought about marked depletion in all forms of copper except organically bound Cu (Cu-III) compared to buffer plots. Integrated use of organics and chemical fertilizers gave higher content of Cu forms over chemically treated plots except Cu occluded by free oxides (Cu-IV). Residual Cu was the most dominant form of copper contributing about 62% of the total Cu. Organically bound Cu (Cu-III) was the most important fraction of copper contributing toward DTPA (diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid) extractable Cu. Content of DTPA-extractable Cu increased over control when chemical fertilizers were applied in conjunction with different organics, whereas DTPA-Cu content declined over control with application of chemical fertilizers alone for the last 36 years.

Jharkhand's livestock production is in the hands of marginal and landless farmers with women accounting for over 70 percent of the production. The JOHAR project aims to enhance and diversify household income through the livestock component to target nearly 57,000 beneficiaries for enhancing productivity and accessing markets in selected value chains (broilers, layers, pigs, goats and dual purpose backyard poultry). Given the major role of women, especially from marginal and landless households, JOHAR livestock activities target over 90 percent female beneficiaries. While local service providers are an important feature in all livestock related investments the Bank finances, the JOHAR model is believed to be the most comprehensive and successful of all. This note highlights JOHAR's livestock activities, the JOHAR Pashu sakhi model, lessons learned and what makes the JOHAR model different.

Zinc inadequacy, both in human and plants, have now become a serious issue among the nutritionists, medicinal researchers and agronomists for quite a long time. It is evaluated that 33% of the total populace is zinc inadequate, bringing about various wellbeing complexities incorporating disabilities in insusceptible framework and mental capacities. Zinc is essential for the proper functioning of a large number of proteins and over 100 specific enzymes in the human body. Zinc deficiency in early life can impair physical and neural growth and development, brain function, memory and learning ability. Severe zinc deficiency is characterized by stunting, lack of normal sexual development, poor immune response, skin disorders, and anorexia. The recommended daily allowance of zinc is 12 mg for adult women and 15 mg for adult men. More than 66% of the rice become worldwide is delivered on overwhelmed paddy soils, which for the most part contain low sums of plant- available zinc. The soil factors viz., pH, organic matter content, clay content, calcium carbonate content affecting the availability of zinc to plants. Total zinc content, redox conditions, microbial activity in the rhizosphere, soil moisture status, concentrations of other trace elements, concentrations of macro-nutrients, especially phosphorus and climate are also influenced its availability. Zinc can be additionally applied into soils after stronghold of ordinarily applied NPK composts. One-percent zinc-containing NPK and urea manures are accessible in numerous nations. Sufficient and adjusted supplement data sources are basic to delivering and keeping up ideal returns that outcome in most extreme benefit. Zinc fertilizers are broadcast and sprayed onto topsoil, banded in the seedbed, applied as seedlings are dipped into Zn before transplanting. Zinc sulphate is the commonly used fertilizer compound (ZnSO4. 7H2O containing 26% Zn, or ZnSO4-H2O containing 37% Zn). The historical backdrop of zinc in agribusiness is an exceptional showing of the interpretation of research to viable application. In any case, zinc lack in agronomically significant plants creatures still stays an issue around the world, particularly in zones with less created farming practices.

A field experiment was designed to study the residual effect of organic materials like farmyard manure and pressmud compost on green gram in alluvial soil, Bihar (India). The experiment consisted of two main plots treatment of farmyard manure and pressmud compost and five subplots treatment organic manure levels of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 MT ha-1 along with full recommended dose of fertilizer of tomato crops followed by full recommended dose of fertilizer in green gram, replicated thrice in a split plot design in the same plots after harvest of tomato crop. Results showed that the seed yield of green gram crop increased significantly on the use of 10 MT ha-1 of farmyard manure and pressmud compost and further increased non-significantly over the control. The percentage increase in seed yield was 40.3 and 47.6, respectively for farmyard manure and pressmud compost in the treatment 10 MT ha-1 along with recommended dose of fertilizer over the control. Soil samples were analyzed for all the soil parameters and were found to be statistically similar across all treatments after the green gram crop. Thus it may be concluded that residual benefits could be possible in a subsequent legume crop even after heavy feeder crop like tomato crop is grown.

An investigation was carried out on “Impact of inorganic and organic sources on bio- growth and nutrient accumulation in tomato crop”. The experiment was conducted in split plot design having two main plot (farmyard manure and pressmud compost), five subplot level of treatment (0, 5 10, 15, 20 MT ha-1 organic manure along with RDF) with replicated thrice. Result revealed that highest fruit length and fruit diameter was recorded in the treatment T3 (T0 + 15 MT ha-1 organic manure) which was at par with the treatment T4 (T0 + 20 MT ha-1 organic manure). Whereas, significantly highest fruit yield (863.2 q ha-1) was recorded in the treatment T4 (T0 + 20 MT ha-1 organic manure) which was 21.5 and 31.70 per cent higher over T1 (T0 + 5 MT ha-1 organic manure) and T0 (Recommended dose of fertilizer), respectively. Maximum nitrogen (4.94%) and phosphorus (0.46%) content in fruit was found significant in the treatment T4 (T0+ 20 MT ha-1 organic manure), whereas the potassium content was observed maximum in treatment T4 (4.25%). Significantly higher uptake of nitrogen (237 kg ha-1), phosphorus (22.1 kg ha-1) and potassium (204.7 kg ha-1) in fruit was observed in treatment T4 (T0+ 20 MT ha-1 organic manure). Overall results indicated that combined application of inorganic and organic sources of farmyard manure and pressmud compost improve the nutrients content, uptake and bioaccumulation capacity and ultimately sustain the yield of tomato crop.

Lean-burn combustion dominates the current reciprocating engine R&D efforts due to its inherent benefits of high BTE and low emissions. The ever-increasing push for high power densities necessitates high boost pressures. Therefore, the reliability and durability of ignition systems face greater challenges. In this study, four ignition systems, namely, stock Capacitive discharge ignition (CDI), Laser ignition, Flame jet ignition (FJI), and Nano-pulse delivery (NPD) ignition were tested using a single cylinder natural gas engine. Engine performance and emissions characteristics are presented highlighting the benefits and limitations of respective ignition systems. Optical tools enabled delving into the ignition delay period and assisted with some characterization of the spark and its impact on subsequent processes. It is evident that advanced ignition systems such as Lasers, Flame-jets and Nano-pulse delivery enable extension of the lean ignition limits of fuel/air mixtures compared to base CDI system.

Knowledge of the nutrient release from organic residues helps in optimizing nutrient effciency in agricultural crop production systems. A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted in Completely Randomized Design to assess the release of Ammonical-N, Nitrate-N, available Phosphorus and Potassium in soil incubated with two organic sources viz. farmyard manure and pressmud compost (T0= Control, T1= 5 MT ha-1 organic manure, T2=10 MT ha-1 organic manure, T3= 15 MT ha-1 organic manure, T4=20 MT ha-1 organic manure) at different days (0,30,60,90,120) after incubation under controlled aerobic condition. The study revealed that NH4-N content showed decreasing while NO3-N showed increasing trends whereas available phosphorus and potassium content increased from 0 to 30 DAI and then decreased gradually up to 120 DAI.

Lean-burn natural gas engines remain attractive as they offer low emissions with simultaneous high engine efficiency. The low carbon to hydrogen ratio in natural gas minimizes the carbon dioxide emission, while the low-temperature operation reduces NOx formation. However, to preserve engine specific power, turbo-charged operation is required, which results in an unfavorable environment for the spark ignition system. In this study, the performance of three ignition systems - Spark Ignition (SI), Laser Ignition (LI), and Prechamber Laser Ignition (PCLI) - were assessed through tests in a single-cylinder natural gas engine. Both λ and ignition timing sweeps were performed while maintaining a constant speed of 1800 rpm and a load of 10 bar BMEP. Emissions and combustion data analysis, while complying with allowable emission regulation and ignition stability requirements, showed the best performance to be achieved with the PCLI system. This is attributed to improved ignition with the use of a laser, volumetric ignition facilitated by spatially distributed flame jets, and increased in-cylinder turbulence. This results in reduced ignition delay and shortened combustion duration.

A Kelvin-Voigt model consisting of a spring and a dashpot in parallel was applied for the viscoelastic characterization of solid rocket propellants. Suitable values of spring constants and damping coefficients were employed by a least squares fit of the errors to generate creep curves using a Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) for composite solid propellants. Three different composite propellant formulations based on HTPB/AP/Al having burning rates of 5 mm/s, 15 mm/s and 20 mm/s were tested under different stress levels varying from 0.1 MPa to 3 MPa and at different temperatures varying from 35 degrees C to 85 degrees C. Creep behavior with recovery was studied and analyzed to evaluate the viscoelastic properties. The change in spring constants, representing elastic deformation, was very small compared to the damping coefficients for the propellants studied. For a typical propellant formulation, when the stress level was increased, the spring and damping coefficient both increased significantly whereas for an increase in temperature, they remained nearly constant. However, the ratio E/eta was observed to be constant and independent of stress level. It was also observed that the variation of E and eta varied linearly with increase in stress whereas their ratio showed a logarithmic variation. A mathematical correlation was developed to evaluate the viscoelastic properties during creep of composite propellants.

A detailed investigation of the fundamentals of low-energy nanosecond pulse ignition was performed with the objective to overcome the barrier presented by limited knowledge and characterization of nonequilibrium plasma ignition for realistic internal combustion engine applications (be it in the automotive or power generation field) and shed light on the mechanisms which improve the performance of the advanced TPS ignition system compared to conventional state-of-the-art hardware. Three main tasks of the research included experimental evaluation on a single-cylinder automotive gasoline engine, experimental evaluation on a single-cylinder stationary natural gas engine and energy quantification using x-ray diagnostics.

A robust end pumped, passively Q-switched, air-cooled, microlaser was designed and prototyped, and tested in a natural gas fueled single-cylinder engine, and in one cylinder of a turbocharged 6-cylinder engine.