1. KAUTIR (Kerala Agricultural University Theses Information and Retrieval)
Permanent URI for this communityhttp://localhost:4000/handle/123456789/1
Browse
3 results
Search Results
Item Standardisation of nursery technologies through field validation in minisett cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)(Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2018) Sruthy, K T; Rajasree, GThe investigation entitled “Standardisation of nursery techniques through field validation in minisett cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.)” which consisted of a nursery experiment (April 2017 to June 2017) and a field experiment (April 2017 to January 2018) was conducted at College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram. The objectives were to standardise the cassava minisett nursery technique by validating its field performance in comparison with normal sett planting and to work out the economics of cultivation. The nursery experiment was conducted in the Instructional Farm, College of Agriculture, Vellayani. Minisetts of cassava, var. Vellayani Hraswa were raised in protrays (50 cavity) with six treatment combinations in eight replications as Completely Randomised Design. The treatments comprised two types of minisett cuttings (m1- two node cutting and m2 - three node cutting) and three types of potting media (p1 - normal top soil, p2 - normal top soil and coir pith compost in 1:1 ratio and p3 - coir pith compost and vermi compost in 3:1 ratio). The field experiment was laid out in the Instructional Farm, Vellayani with 18 treatment combinations replicated thrice in Randomised Complete Block Design with the two types of minisett cuttings (m1 and m2) and three types of potting media (p1, p2 and p3) tried in the nursery and three different time of transplanting of minisetts to the main field ie. t1 - 3 WAP (weeks after planting), t2 - 4 WAP and t3 - 5 WAP as treatments and normal sett planting as control. The minisetts and normal setts were planted at a spacing of 90 cm x 90 cm. The results of the nursery experiment revealed that the three node cutting (m2) recorded significantly higher seedling sprouting (92.26 per cent), shoot length (7.26, 9.62 and 11.10 cm), shoot biomass (4.08, 4.63 and 5.06 g seedling-1), root length (8.09, 12.40 and 16.04 cm) and root biomass (0.46, 0.73 and 0.85 g seedling-1) at 3 WAP, 4 WAP and 5 WAP respectively when compared to the two node cutting (m1). The potting medium p3 recorded significantly higher shoot length, shoot biomass seedling-1and root biomass seedling-1 at 3 WAP, 4 WAP and 5 WAP and had significantly higher root length at 3 WAP and 4 WAP than other potting media. The results on M x P interaction indicated that when three node cuttings were raised in potting medium p3 (m2p3), the highest shoot length, shoot biomass seedling-1and root biomass seedling-1 were recorded at 3 WAP while it recorded the highest root length at 3 WAP and 4 WAP . Growth and growth attributes viz., seedling establishment, plant height, stem girth and number of functional leaves plant-1 at monthly interval and the leaf area index at 3 MAP (months after planting) were significantly higher for the three node minisett cuttings transplanted at an age of three weeks from nursery than two noded minisetts transplanted at an age of four or five weeks. The seedlings raised in potting medium containing coir pith compost and vermi compost in 3:1 ratio (p3) produced significantly taller plants at all stages of observation except 4 MAP besides significantly higher stem girth at 1MAP (1.73 cm), number of functional leaves plant-1 at all stages of observation and leaf area index at 3 MAP (2.56). The study revealed that the three node cutting (m2) was significantly superior in terms of yield attributes and yield viz., length of tuber (45.99 cm), girth of tuber (23.92 cm), mean weight of tuber (668.18 g), tuber yield plant-1 (3.90 kg), tuber yield (39.25 t ha-1), top yield (13.86 t ha-1) and total dry matter production (13.76 t ha-1). The potting media p3 produced significantly higher tuber yield plant-1 (3.91 kg), tuber yield ha-1 (37.92 t), top yield (13.24 t ha-1) and total dry matter production (13.82 t ha-1). Cassava minisetts transplanted at 3 WAP was significantly superior with respect to yield attributes and yield. Three node cuttings raised in potting medium containing coir pith compost and vermi compost in 3:1 ratio, transplanted at 3 WAP (m2p3t1) recorded significantly higher mean weight of tuber (867.15 g), tuber yield ha-1(44.83 t), top yield (15.75 t ha-1), net income (₹ 6,92,267 ha-1) and benefit cost ratio (4.39). The uptake of nitrogen and phosphorus were higher with m2 (three node cutting) ,while the uptake of phosphorus alone was higher with p3 and uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium was found to be higher with t1 (transplanted at 3 WAP). Comparing minisetts with normal sett planting (control), the former was found to be superior in seedling establishment, plant height at all stages of observation, leaf area index at 3 MAP, percentage of productive roots, length and mean weight of tuber, tuber yield plant-1, tuber yield ha-1, top yield ha-1, total dry matter production ha-1 and economics of cultivation. The results of the study indicated that raising three noded minisett cassava cuttings in potting medium containing coir pith compost and vermi compost in 3:1 ratio in the nursery followed by transplanting at 3 WAP was found to be economically and technically viable nursery technique for getting higher yield and income from cassava cultivation compared to the conventional practice of planting normal setts directly in the main fieldItem Tillage and nutrition for productivity enhancement in tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium"(L.) schott)(Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2017) Atul Jayapal; Kumari Swadija, OItem Characterization, conversion and evaluation of selected lignocellulosic biomass(Department of Soil science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 2014) Anushma, S; Aparna, BThe study entitled “Characterization, conversion and evaluation of selected lignocellulosic biomass” was conducted during the period 2013-14 at the Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Vellayani. The main objectives of the study were the characterization of the lignocellulosic biomass from selected plant sources, assessment of various microbial and enzymatic sources for degrading the lignocellulosic biomass into compost and evaluation of the resultant compost for assessing its manurial value. The experiment was completed in three stages. Representative samples of water cabbage (L. flava), coir pith, water hyacinth (E. crassipes) , and farm wastes (dried leaves and pseudostem of banana) were collected and analysed for bio-chemical composition. Water cabbage recorded 2.74 per cent N, 0.30 per cent P, 0.33 per cent K, 16.98 C:N ratio, and no detectable levels of heavy metals except Ni (0.55 ppm) and inferred as the best substrate in terms of nutrient content followed by water hyacinth, farm wastes and coir pith respectively. The substrates were converted to composts using various inoculants viz. T. reesei, P. sajor-caju, Composting Inoculum and commercial enzyme cocktail (cellulase/pectinase and lactase) and physico- chemical and biological characteristics were analyzed. A mixture of water cabbage and Composting Inoculum) was concluded as the best in terms of nitrogen content , cellulase activity, maturity period, C:N ratio and no detectable levels of heavy metals except Ni (0.414 ppm) followed by the mixture of Water hyacinth and Composting Inoculum had comparable N, P , K, EC , C:N ratio, and heavy metal content below the detectable limit. Considering the effect of inoculants on different substrates, Composting Inoculum was concluded as the best in terms of moisture content, EC,N, P, K, dehydrogenase activity, cellulase activity, maturity period and C:N ratio. The resultant composts from the previous stage were evaluated for their performance as manure in a pot culture experiment with test crop amaranthus (variety - Arun). Application of 100 % N as compost water hyacinth and Composting Inoculum was noticed as the best treatment in terms of yield, plant height, number of branches, girth of stem, soil properties viz. water holding capacity, available N, available P, available K, available Mn, available Cu, bacteria population and plant content of micronutrients viz. Mn, Cu, and B. Major enzymes viz. dehydrogenase, urease and aryl sulphatase imposed significance on yield and yield attributes. Application of 100 % N as compost from water cabbage and Composting Inoculum was found to be good and on par with T13 in many of the characters. Application of various composts did not result any heavy metal accumulation in the soil Thus it was inferred from the study that water cabbage was the best substrate in terms of their chemical composition followed by water hyacinth. water cabbage + Composting Inoculum was recorded as the best compost followed by water hyacinth + Composting Inoculum. 100 % N as compost (water hyacinth + Composting Inoculum) was noticed as the best treatment in pot culture. With regards to inoculants used on different substrates,Composting Inoculum was found to be the most effective for composting the agrowastes.