Urea has emerged as one of the most extensively used sources of nitrogen fertiliser in recent years because of its low cost per unit nitrogen. Urea hydrolysis in soils is an enzymatic decomposition process by the enzyme urease. The effects of soil type, exchangeable sodium percentage, moisture regime, and organic manures and their levels on the kinetics of urea hydrolysis were studied in a series of laboratory incubation experiments at 25 ± 1�C. Urea transformation followed first-order kinetics, and the first-order rate constants for soils varied from 0.0321 to 0.1182/h. The rate of urea hydrolysis in the different soils increased with greater clay content and followed the order: Gulkani clay loam > Dadupur loam > Hisar sandy loam > Jakhol silty clay loam > Bawal loamy sand > Balsamand sand. Increasing the exchangeable sodium percentage in soils decreased the rate of urea hydrolysis both at field capacity and flooded conditions (2 cm standing water). Application of vermicompost, sheep manure, poultry manure, pig manure, and urban waste to soil at the 1% level increased the rate of hydrolysis over the untreated soil.

Twenty different saffron growing villages of Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir state were selected for random soil sampling to study the available macro as well as micronutrient status of the soil. The physicochemical properties like pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic carbon (OC), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and clay content of the soils varied from 6.

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The recommended wheat production technology-including variety, seed rate, and fertilizer dose-was demonstrated under the Farmer FIRST programme of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi during the rabi season of 2017 and 2018. The difference in average yield was statistically significant between the demonstration plots (15.70 quintals per hectare ± 1.27) and local check plots (11.93 quintals per hectare ± 1.45). The variation in productivity was less at demonstration plots and the net return was higher (by INR 3,042 per hectare). Adopting the recommended production technologies can enhance wheat production in rainfed areas and make it sustainable.