A field experiment was conducted on response of watermelon to foliar application of different water soluble fertilizer at Micronutrient Research Scheme Farm, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry during Summer season of 2011. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design with four replications. There were total six treatments, out of which four treatments of foliar application of different NPK fertilizer in which one treatment was through conventional fertilizer and other three treatments through different water soluble grades. Other two treatments viz., GRD + water spray and absolute control were included for comparison. The yield contributing characters viz., the average number of female flowers per plant, average numbers fruit/plant were found significantly higher in treatment of 0.830:1.338:1.630 N, P 2 O 5 and K 2 O kg ha-1 through water soluble grade and conventional fertilizer. The fruit setting was found statistically non significant. The earliness in harvesting was observed in between the treatment of foliar application of fertilizer through water soluble grade and through conventional fertilizer was 74 to 80 days after sowing. Foliar application of 0.830 : 1.338 : 1.630 N, P 2 O 5 and K 2 O kg ha-1 through water soluble fertilizer grades (15:10:15, 15:30:15, 8:12:24) significantly found increase in uptake of nutrients and fruit yield of watermelon (33.89 to 36.90 Mg ha-1) showed best to obtain higher yield along with good quality of watermelon (cv. KIRAN) followed by or through conventional fertilizers.

Cotton is one of the most important cash crop in our country. Reddening is the most recent predominant problem in Bt cotton which became issue of debate for ascertaining the causes and remedies for reddening. To ascertain the role of nutrients in leaf reddening, the field experiment on effect of fertilizer levels on reddening in cotton on Vertisol was conducted at Cotton Improvement Project, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri during May to September, 2008. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design with three replications and two main treatments i.e., hybrid Bt RCH-2 and Non-Bt RCH-2 and nine sub treatments with different fertilizer doses i.e., F 1-No recommended doses of fertilizer (RDF), F 2-50 % RDF, F 3-75 % RDF, F 4-100 % RDF, F 5-125 % RDF, F 6-150 % RDF, F 7-100 % RDF + 2 % DAP spray, F 8-100 % RDF + 1 % MgSO 4 and F 9-100 % RDF + 1 % KNO 3. The common RDF for Bt as well as non-Bt was 100 N, 50 P 2 O 5 and 50 K 2 O kg ha-1. The results revealed that the incidence of leaf reddening was more in Bt cotton than non-Bt cotton. The minimum intensity of reddening in Bt and non-Bt cotton was observed in 100 % RDF + foliar sprays with 1% KNO 3 / 1% MgSO 4 / 2% DAP. Among the foliar spray 1 % KNO 3 showed minimum reddening of leaves, which suggest that at boll development stage the application of nitrogen and potassium were helpful for controlling the reddening in Bt and non-Bt cotton. However, the application of 100 % RDF + 1 % MgSO 4 spray was found to be the best for highest content of chlorophyll as well as yield of Bt and non-Bt cotton hybrids.

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Climate change has emerged a major challenge not only for sustainable agriculture but also for human settlement. Climate change including global warming with its adverse impact on the life on the earth is now global issue and becoming severe day by day. The increase in CO 2 concentration results in climate change which is directly or indirectly attributed to human activities that changes the composition of global atmosphere adversely. Scientific models and observations over the past 1000 years provide evidences that global warming is due to anthropogenic increase in green house gas (GHG's)including that of CO 2. The increased atmospheric concentration of CO 2 may influence soil temperature, pattern of precipitation and evaporation and resultant changes in the physiochemical and biological properties of soil. Thus, there has emphasis to reduce this concentration through the process known as carbon sequestration. A considerable part of the depleted Soil Organic Carbon pool can be restored through conversion of marginal lands into restorative land uses, adoption of conservation tillage with cover crops and crop residue mulch, nutrient cycling including the use of compost and manure and other systems of sustainable management of soil and water resources.

A soil column laboratory experiment was carried out at the central campus, Mahatma Phule Agricultural University, Rahuri, India during 2008-2009 to study the accumulation and mobility of salts in Typic Haplusterts as influenced by primary biomethanated spentwash (PBSW). The PBSW was applied in three different levels (0.5, 1.0, and 2.5 cm) and then tap water with low salinity and low sodium hazard (C 1 S 1 class) was used to carry out leaching in four different levels of water at the pore volume of soil (WPVS) (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0). The electrical conductivity (EC) in the soil increased significantly with increasing levels of PBSW and decreased with increasing levels of WPVS in surface (0-15 cm deep) and subsurface (15-30 cm deep) soil layers. The exchangeable calcium (Ca 2+ ), magnesium (Mg 2+ ), and potassium (K + ) increased, whereas exchangeable sodium (Na + ) decreased with increasing levels of PBSW and WPVS in surface and subsurface layers of soil. The organic carbon content increased with increasing levels of PBSW and decreased with increasing levels of WPVS in both the soil layers. The cation exchange capacity (CEC) increased with increasing levels of PBSW and WPVS in both the soil layers. The exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) decreased with increasing levels of PBSW and WPVS over the initial values of soilin both the layers. The pH of saturated paste (pHs) was reduced and electrical conductivity of extract (ECe) was increased with increasing levels of PBSW and WPVS in both the layers. The Na + content of saturation paste extract increased significantly with increasing levels of PBSW and WPVS in both the soil layers.