Background: Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] is one of the most important cultivated legume crops with high nutritive value and agricultural importance. The productivity of blackgram is not adequate to meet the domestic demand of the growing Indian population. Consequently, there is an urgent need for enhancement of productivity through proper agronomic practices. With this background, a research experiment was conducted in a farmer’s field at Pudhupalayam, Coimbatore to investigate the effect of foliar application of PPFM, plant growth regulating compounds and nutrients on growth, yield attributes, yield and economics of irrigated blackgram. Methods: A field experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications during 2019 (kharif and rabi) season. The treatments include 100% recommended dose of NPK along with foliar application of diammonium phosphate (DAP), brassinolide (Br), salicylic acid (SA) and pink pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) with different concentration (1%, 2%, 1 ppm, 2 ppm, 50 ppm, 100 ppm, respectively) in addition to control. PPFM and PGRs were sprayed at 30 and 45 days after the sowing of blackgram. Result: The experiment results of the two seasons study revealed that the application of 100% RDF + PPFM @ 2% recorded higher growth characters viz., plant height (cm), number of branches plant-1, leaf area index and yield attributes viz., number of pods plant-1, number of seeds pod-1, pod weight (g), pod height (cm), 100 seed weight (g) and yield viz., grain yield (kg/ha), straw yield (kg/ha) and harvest index (%). As well as the same treatment recorded higher net return and B:C ratio. Correlation and regression analysis also indicated that the yield attributes had a positive impact on the grain yield with a magnitude of 1.91 and 1.67, respectively. Therefore, application of 100% RDF+2% PPFM spray can be recommended as the best technology to improve the yield and economics of blackgram.

Background: Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] has significant agronomic and nutritional significance. Its productivity is insufficient to fulfil the expanding local demand in India. Increasing its productivity using appropriate agronomic practices is crucial. With this background, an experiment was conducted to study the effect of foliar application of liquid organic bio-stimulants on development, production and physiological characteristics of blackgram under irrigated conditions. Methods: Seven treatments comprising recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) with foliar spray of dhasagavya, liquid rhizobium, fish amino acid, panchagavya, PPFM and seaweed extract at 1% and 3%, respectively were tested in randomised block design with three replications. The dimension of blackgram quantitative characters, viz., grain yield, plant height, number of branches per plant, dry matter production (DMP), leaf area index (LAI), number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, pod weight per plant, pod length, crop growth rate, total chlorophyll content, soluble protein content and nitrate reductase activity were reduced using principal component analysis (PCA). Result: The PCA was performed on all the attributes as correlation between the quantitative characters was found to be stronger among most of the biometric observations. It was noticed that almost 67% of the data’s total variability, as reflected by the first two principal components. It demonstrated that grain production, DMP, nitrate reductase activity, pods per plant and leaf area index were the primary contributors.

Background: Groundnut or peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is known as the ‘king’ of oilseeds. It is one of the most important food and cash crop of India. Among different constraints that limit the productivity of groundnut, weed menace is one of the serious bottlenecks. A field experiment was conducted at Perunthalaivar Kamaraj Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Puducherry during 2019 to 2020 to study the tank mix application of post-emergence herbicides for efficient weed control in Groundnut. Methods: The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with 13 treatments and replicated thrice. The treatments consisted of weed management practices viz., pre emergence herbicide pendimethalin and post emergence herbicide viz., imazethapyr, quizalofop-ethyl and those herbicides used either alone or combined with hand weeding once. In addition, hand weedings twice at 15 and 30 DAS were tested with unweeded check. Result: The experiment results of the two years study revealed that the Pendimethalin @ 1.5 kg ai ha-1 (PE) + tank mix of Imazethpyr (40%) + Quizalofop ethyl (60%) at 20-30 DAS recorded maximum plant height (58.17 cm), DMP (36.81 g plant-1), Significantly higher pod yield (3752 kg ha-1), highest net income (₹ 90,762 ha-1) and B:C ratio (2.80). Correlation and Regression analysis also indicated that the yield attributes had a positive impact on groundnut yield.

Background: Black gram (Vigna mungo. L) is one of the most cultivated legume pulse crop with high nutritive value and Malabar neem (Melia dubia) is an emerging industrial agroforestry tree in Southern India. To maximize the land utilization with a field experiment was conducted at Western zone of Tamil Nadu to investigate the performance of black gram varieties under different spatial arrangements of Melia dubia plantations. Methods: An agroforestry trial was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with eight treatments and three replications during kharif and rabi (2019-20) season. Black gram crop varieties (V1 - CO6 and V2 - VBN 6) were intercropped with M. dubia (1.5 year old plantation) with three different spacing of S1 (3 x 1.5 m), S2 (3 x 3 m) and S3 (4 x 4 m) while S0 as open field (Sole crop of black gram) for both the season. Result: The results of pooled analysis of two season shown that, treatment S0V2 recorded plant height (49.96 cm), number of branches (3.76), number of leaves (259.75), number of flowers (53.44), number of pods (22.85), seed yield per plant (5.38 g) and seed yield per hectare (0.82 tonnes) in open condition. Similarly in intercropping the growth and yield attributes of black gram were minimum performance recorded in CO 6 at closer spacing (3 x 1.5 m). In tree growth maximum pooled height increment (1.57 m) was observed in closer spacing (3 x 1.5 m) and maximum diameter recorded in wider spacing of both varieties. Hence wider spacing of S3 (4 x 4 m) can be suggested for intercropping under M. dubia plantations upto 4 years.

Rice is an important cultivated food crop which feeds more than half of the world's population. Even though the area under rice cultivation is large, the productivity is low due to various interaction factors. The imbalance in usage of fertilizers is one of the main factors responsible for the low productivity and also the continuous use of inorganic fertilizers resulted in declining of soil fertility. An integrated nutrient management practices may be necessary to maintain the sustainability in crop production. Field experiment was conducted at wetland farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during kharif season to study the effect of integrated nutrient management practices on growth, physiological, nutrient uptake, root characters and yield parameters of transplanted lowland rice. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with three replications and nine treatments. Rice CO(R) 48 was used as a test variety. Dhaincha, vermicompost, farmyard manure were incorporated before transplanting of rice as per treatment schedule. The results revealed growth parameters (Plant height and number of tillers hill-1), physiological parameters (leaf area index and crop growth rate),  nutrient uptake (N, P and K uptake), root characters (root length, root volume and root dry weight) and yield parameters (Number of productive tillers m-2 and Dry Matter Production) were significantly influenced with application of 100 % NPK through inorganic fertilizers + 6.25 t dhaincha which was comparable with 100 per cent NPK through inorganic fertilizers + 5 t vermicompost and 100 per cent NPK through inorganic fertilizers + 12.5t farmyard manure. This was followed by 100 per cent N through dhaincha + balance P & K through inorganic fertilizers.