No abstract

The experiment was conducted to study effect of soil application of cattle urine and nitrogen levels on growth, yield and nutrient uptake by maize (fodder) in Inceptisol at the Division of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry and Animal Husbandry and Dairy Science, College of Agriculture, Pune, during Kharif-2019. There were seven treatment viz., 1) Absolute control; 2) Recommended dose of fertilizers 100:50:50 kg ha-1 N, P2O5 and K2O; 3) General recommended dose of fertilizers 100:50:50 kg ha-1 N, P2O5 and K2O + FYM @ 5 t ha-1; 4) 25% RDN + 75% N through cattle urine + FYM @ 5 t ha-1; 5)  50% RDN + 50% N through cattle urine + + FYM @ 5 t ha-1; 6) 75% RDN + 25% N + FYM @ 5 t ha-1; 7) 100% N through cattle urine + FYM @ 5 t ha-1 and three replications in completely randomized design. Periodical plant height and number of functional leaves at 20, 40 and 60 DAS was found to be significantly higher with the soil application 50% RDN through urea + 50% N through cattle urine along with FYM @ 5 t ha-1. The magnitude of increase in the leaf area was found higher from 494 to 969 cm2 at 40 to 60 DAS  than 20 to 40 DAS (203 to 494 cm2) with the application of 75% RDN through urea + 25% N through cattle urine + FYM @ 5 t ha-1. Soil application of 75% RDN through urea + 25% N through cattle urine with FYM @ 5 t ha-1 reported significantly higher chlorophyll in fodder maize. Soil application of 75% RDN through urea + 25% N through cattle urine + FYM @ 5 t ha-1 reported significantly higher nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron, zinc and copper uptake by fodder maize. Similar treatment also recorded significantly higher green fodder (984 g pot-1) and dry matter (423.11 g pot-1) yield of maize. Similar treatment also found superior for nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron, zinc and copper uptake by fodder maize.

Gerbera is one of the commercial cut flowers, widely cultivated under low cost protected structures. Due to its continuous feeding habit, it suffers from many deficiency disorders in the green houses. Hence, the present investigation was carried out to know the influence of nutrient deficiencies on growth and nutrient uptake of Gerbera var. Savannah through solution culture. Plants were treated with complete modified Hoagland solution and deficiencies were incorporated with a complete nutrient formula minus one of the nutrient. Nitrogen deficiency significantly influenced the growth parameters and resulted in reduced plant height, leaf number plant-1 , leaf area, root length, dry weight of shoot and root & shoot/root ratio. Besides, minimum SLW and maximum SLA were recorded. Plants grown in complete nutrient solution recorded maximum values for most growth parameters. However, SLA was lower in plants grown in complete nutrient solution, whereas, shoot/root ratio recorded maximum in Fe deficient solution.

An experiment involving sixteen treatments with four levels of phytase (0, 240, 480, 720 IU) and four levels of phosphorus (0, 25, 50, 100 kg ha-1) was carried out during kharif 2017 to assess the availability of phosphorus at 0, 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 days (DAI) after incubation. There was an increase in soil available phosphorus up to 45th days of incubation either with the application of phytase or P and it reduced after 60 days of incubation. Significantly higher (12.98 kg ha-1) available phosphorus was observed with the application of phytase @ 720 IU (16.14 kg ha-1) and phosphatic fertilizer @ 100 kg ha-1within 24 hours of incubation over initial available P (5.20 kg ha-1). Application of 480 IU phytase resulted in significantly higher available P (51.98 kg ha-1) which was at par with 720 IU (50.45 kg ha-1). However, combined application of either 480 or 720 IU phytase along with either 50 or 100 kg P ha-1 through single super phosphate (SSP) had in statistically at par results for available phosphorus. Higher cumulative available phosphorus was recorded with the application of phytase @ 720 IU along with 100 kg P ha-1 through SSP (247.23 kg ha-1) throughout the incubation period. Further phosphorus release potential indicated that application of phytase @ 720 IU along with 100 kg P ha-1 through SSP mobilized 0.65 kg ha-1 day-1 phosphorus.

An investigation was carried out to study the effect of different levels of single super phosphate on growth and yield of rose grown in soil media under polyhouse conditions. The treatments comprised of application of two levels and two methods of single super phosphate with application of monocalcium phosphate as a control treatment. The application of 18 g single super phosphate in two equal splits (basal and 50 days after planting) significantly increased growth with respect to number of leaves (32.5 per plant), number of branches (3.75 per plant), plant height (49.7 cm), number of flowers (3.75 per plant) and least number of days required for flowering (8.56) from bud initiation. Significantly higher yield of rose and nutrient uptake was observed in the same treatment. The significant increase in fresh and dry weight of flower (24.98, 5.5. g, respectively) were reported in same treatment. The treatment of 18 g single super phosphate in two equal splits also recorded significantly higher total uptake of macro and micronutrients by rose over other treatments of single super phosphate and monoammonium phosphate (Control).