Pulses are the important crops in India and the main source of vegetable protein. The major protein component of Indian diet comes from pulses. Pulses can be successfully raised in summer where adequate irrigation facilities are available. Green gram is one of the major pulse crops in India, which is cultivated in arid and semi-arid region. Fertilizers, even though comparatively a costly input of production, are essential for securing higher yields. The prudent use of fertilizers with appropriate method and time of application are the prime importance in securing higher and economic yield....

Pigeonpea is the fifth prominent legume crop in the world and second in India, next to chickpea. India accounts for more than 90% of the world's pigeonpea production and area. India occupies 2.90 million hectares and produces 1.95 million tonnes with annual productivity of 672 kg ha-1. Rainwater conservation is a critical factor in stabilizing and stepping up of rainfed pigeonpea crop yields. Broad bed & furrow and subsoiling improve infiltration of rainwater and thus helps to improve moisture storage in soil profile for plants compared to flat bed method. About 50% of Indian soils are...

Mixed/inter/relay cropping is a common practice in the low level equilibrium farmers of semi-arid and arid tropics, whose primary concern is to insulate his investment on labour, and meagre capital against adversities of nature in order to sustain his living. The main consideration of mixing crops together is to reduce the risk of failure. The basic concept of intercropping systems involving growing together two or more crops with the assumptions that two crops could exploit the environment better than one and ultimately producing higher yields, the reason being that the component crops...

Among all the cereals, productivity of maize is highest accounts 18 per cent acreage and 25 per cent production in the world. Maize occupies an area of 66 lakh hectares producing about 133 lakh tonnes annually with the productivity of 2015 kg ha-1 in India. In agriculture, weeds cause more damage (45%) as compared to insects, pests and diseases but due to hidden loss by weeds in crop production, it has not drawn much attention of agriculturists. Weed problem is one of the major barriers responsible for low productivity of maize because weeds compete with the crop for moisture, nutrients,...

Wheat is the second most important staple food after rice consumed by 65% of the population in India. Fertilizer plays a leading role in increasing crop production by almost 41%. Among the primary nutrients, nitrogen plays an important role in plant metabolism by virtue of being an essential constituent of structural component of the cell and many diverse type of metabolically active compounds. It is also a constituent of chlorophyll, which is important for the harvest of solar energy. Nitrogen is liable to lost through leaching, volatilization and run off during crop period. Further, crop...

Pulses are considered as life blood of agriculture because they occupy a unique position almost in all cropping systems as main, catch, cover, green manure, intercrop and its inclusion in crop rotation, thereby, kept the soil alive and productive. They enrich the soil fertility in terms of addition of organic matter and nitrogen through biological nitrogen fixation through Rhizobia. India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world, contributing around 25% of the total global production. Field pea (Pisum sativum L.) is an important popular pulse crop of India. Weeds are big...

Speciality corns viz. sweetcorn, popcorn, babycorn, high oilcorn etc. assume tremendous market potential not only in India but in international market as well. Among the different types of maize, popcorn Zea mays L. var. everta (Sturtev.) L.H. Bailey] is one of the major ones, which is popular as a snack food in many parts of world. Its kernels are composed of hard starch, when heated, swell and burst. Because of low sugar, fat and calories, it is good food for health. Groundnut-wheat is the pre-dominant cropping system of the Saurashtra region of Gujarat. High input cost and labour...

India is the fourth largest oilseed economy in the world. The mustard growing areas in India are experiencing the vast diversity in the agro-climatic conditions. Recently mustard crop is also gaining popularity among the farmers of Saurashtra region of the Gujarat state, being a cash crop, greatly strengthens the economy of the farmers. Technological advancement in rapeseed-mustard production has resulted in increased productivity. But many biotic stresses such as weeds cause severe yield losses up to 45% in rapeseed-mustard. They reduce crop productivity and quality by competing with crop...

Cotton is a very important commercial crop for India. It sustains the country's textile industry which is perhaps the largest segment of organized industries in the country. India earns substantial foreign exchange from exports of cotton yarn, thread, fabrics, apparel and made-ups. Rainfed agriculture accounts for more than 70% of cotton cultivation. The characteristic feature of rainfed agriculture id insufficient and erratic rainfall. Subsoiling breaks the hard pan or compact layer present in the profile and helps in sinking down of the rainwater in the lower layer of soil, which helps in...