Nutrient management practices have huge influence on soil biological health. The present study was conducted during kharif-2021 in the on-going AICRP on LTFE after 21 years of continuous application of fertilizers and manures to estimate the enzymatic activities i.e., urease and dehydrogenase activity at different growth stages of rice crop. In all the treatments, enzymes exhibited higher activity at flowering stage and thereafter the activity was decreased towards harvesting stage of the rice crop. Among all the treatments, FYM and 100% NPK+FYM treatments recorded highest dehydrogenase and urease activity, respectively as compared with all other treatments. Balanced fertilizer application i.e., 100% NPK also recorded significantly higher enzymatic activity compared with imbalanced fertilizer treatments i.e., 100% N and 100% NP during all the stages of crop growth period. Integrated nutrient management (100%NPK+FYM), FYM and 100% NPK are the best treatment with respect, to increasing enzymatic activity as compared with all other treatments. Grain yield of rice varied from 4078 kg ha-1 to 6569 kg ha-1during kharif-2021. Among all the treatments, maximum grain yield (6569 kg ha-1) was obtained with 100% NPK+FYM. Lower grain yield (4078 kg ha-1) was recorded in the treatment 100% N. Integrated use of inorganic fertilizer and organic manure resulted in higher growth parameters and maximum yield of rice. The combined use of organic as well as inorganic source of plant nutrients could be a sustainable option for optimizing the yield of rice in rice-rice cropping system in semi-arid southern India.

Optimum crop yield is not possible without the timely application and right amount of irrigation water. Since rainfall during rabi is inadequate and uncertain, scheduling of irrigation during critical stages could boost the growth, yield and water productivity of mustard. So, in order to identify critical stages of irrigation for mustard in Northern Telangana Zone, a field experiment was conducted during rabi, 2021-22 at Agricultural college, Jagtial to investigate the effect of irrigation scheduling at different phenological phases on growth and yield of mustard. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with twelve treatments and replicated thrice. Treatments includes two irrigations each at vegetative and flowering stage (T1), two irrigations each at vegetative and siliqua development (T2), two irrigations each at flowering and siliqua development (T3), three irrigations each at vegetative, flowering and siliqua development (T4), three irrigations each at vegetative, pre-flowering and siliqua development (T5), three irrigations each at pre-flowering, siliqua initiation and siliqua development (T6), four irrigations each at vegetative, pre-flowering, flowering and siliqua development (T7), four irrigations each at vegetative, pre-flowering, flowering and siliqua initiation (T8), four irrigations each at vegetative, pre-flowering, siliqua initiation and siliqua development (T9), four irrigations each at pre-flowering, flowering, siliqua initiation and siliqua development (T10), five irrigations each at vegetative, pre-flowering, flowering, siliqua initiation and siliqua development (T11) and scheduling of irrigation at IW/CPE ratio of 1.0 (T12). The results of the experiment revealed that maximum plant height (146 cm), LAI (0.89), dry matter accumulation (416 g m-2), number of siliquae plant -1 (124), number of filled seeds siliquae-1 (13.65), seed yield (1113 kg ha-1) and stover yield (2224 kg ha-1) were recorded with five irrigations each at vegetative, pre-flowering, flowering, siliqua initiation and siliqua development (T11). However, it was on par with irrigation scheduled at IW/CPE ratio of 1.0 (T12). While, the lowest plant height (102 cm), LAI (0.42), dry matter accumulation (198 g m-2), number of siliquae plant -1 (63), number of filled seeds siliquae-1 (10.43), seed yield (431 kg ha-1) and stover yield (923 kg ha-1) was recorded with scheduling two irrigations at vegetative and siliqua development (T2).