Problems and prospects of cultivation of indigenous rice landraces of Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal, India with special reference to Tulaipanji

The district Uttar Dinajpur of West Bengal is bestowed with very fertile soil, which helps to grow paddy and other agricultural crops. Cultivation of indigenous rice has been practiced by farmers since ancient times. Indigenous rice has several socio-economic, ecological and genetical aspects but the major problem lies in their comparatively low output. The diversity of indigenous rice landraces has been drastically reduced due to the introduction of high yielding varieties (HYVs). Through extensive survey it has been found that about 74 indigenous rice land races were available in different blocks of the district, but among them only about 20 varieties are now in farmers' hand while more than 70% of them are not cultivated in practical field. In India, the indigenous aromatic rice landrace Tulaipanji (GI 530) is only grown in Raiganj sub-division of Uttar Dinajpur and small pockets of Dakshin Dinajpur district of West Bengal. Due to its aroma and quality this rice could make the position in global market through proper marketing. A phylogenetic study of the rice landraces has been performed and observed that only three of them i.e., Tulaipanji, Radhunipagal and Gobindavog are closely related to each other, which also has the close lineage with the Asian wild-rice (Oryza rufipogon). Today's society demands the interaction and incorporation of scientific technology for the upliftment of indigenous rice landrace sustainable cultivation. Really it has the immense scope and prospects, which ultimately save the human life from notorious diseases.

Temperature ranges for survival and growth of juvenile Saccharina sculpera (Laminariales, Phaeophyta) and applications for field cultivation

Saccharina sculpera is highly valued for human consumption and value-added products. However, natural resources of this kelp have decreased sharply and it is in danger of extinction. Resources recovery through cultivation is being trialed to enable the sustainable use of this species. In this study, the temperature range for survival and optimal growth of juvenile S. sculpera was identified and applied to field cultivation. This study investigated the survival and growth of juvenile S. sculpera under six temperatures (i.e., 5, 10, 15, 16, 18, and 20°C) and two light intensities (i.e., 20 and 40 μmol photons m-2 s-1) in an indoor culture experiment. In these experiments, the blade length decreased at 16°C under the both light intensities. The thalli died at 20°C and 20 μmol photons m-2 s-1, and at 18‒20°C and 40 μmol photons m-2 s-1. During the field cultivation, early growth of S. sculpera was highest at the 5 m depth and growth decreased as the water depth increased. When the initial rearing depth was maintained without adjustment throughout the cultivation period (from December to October), all the cultivated S. sculpera plants died during August and September. However, S. sculpera plants lowered from 5 to 15 m and grew to 90.8 ± 13.1 cm in July. The seawater temperature at 15 m depth was similar to the upper level of thermal tolerance demonstrated by juvenile S. sculpera in the indoor culture experiments (16°C or lower). The plants were subsequently lowered to 25 m depth in August, which eventually led to their maturation in October. The present study confirmed that improved growth rates and a delay in biomass loss can be achieved by adjusting the depth at which the seaweeds are grown during the cultivation period. These results will contribute to the establishment of sustainable cultivation systems for S. sculpera.

Silicon Mitigates Nutritional Stress of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Calcium Deficiency in Two Forages Plants

Forages are one of the most cultivated crops in the world. However nutritional deficiency is common, specifically in N, P and Ca in many forages growing regions. Silicon (Si) can attenuate the stress caused by nutritional deficiency, but studies on the effects of Si supply on in forages plants are still scarce. This research was carried out to evaluate whether the Si supply can mitigate the effects of N, P and Ca deficiencies of two forages and the physiological and nutritional mechanisms involved. Two experiments were carried out with two forage species (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu and Megathyrsus maximum cv. Massai). Was used nutrient solution under balanced nutrition conditions and nutritional stress due to the lack of N, P and Ca combined with the -Si and +Si. The deficiencies of N, P and Ca in both forages cultivation caused damage to physiological and nutritional variables, hence decreasing the plant dry matter. However, in both species forages the addition of Si to the nutrient solution decreased the extravasation of cellular electrolytes and increased the content of phenolic compounds, the green color index, the quantum efficiency of photosystem II, the efficiencies of use of N, P and Ca and the production of shoot dry mass. The beneficial effects of Si were evidenced in stressed and non-stressed plants. The research emphasized the advantage of using Si for the growth of U. brizantha and M. maximum under N, P and Ca deficiency, contributing to their sustainable cultivation.

A Mobile Semi-Autonomous Robot For Soil Sampling

For agrarian economies such as India, the quality of the soil is critical for maximized yield sustainable cultivation. When a large area is utilized, sample testing of soil is essential. The use of a robotic system for sampling is vital for saving time and replacing manual laborious work. This work represents a robotic system that was deployed for soil sample collection. A mechanical soil sampling and storage system based on augers and turntable storage is used in the system. Using a GPS-driven algorithm, the robot navigates autonomously to desired sampling locations. It collects data from the sampling area using sensors connected to an Arduino board. A proof-of-concept demonstrator proved that such a solution can be successfully scaled and deployed, which will aid in more efficient cultivation and sustainable agriculture.

A Mobile Semi-Autonomous Robot For Soil Sampling

For agrarian economies such as India, the quality of the soil is critical for maximized yield sustainable cultivation. When a large area is utilized, sample testing of soil is essential. The use of a robotic system for sampling is vital for saving time and replacing manual laborious work. This work represents a robotic system that was deployed for soil sample collection. A mechanical soil sampling and storage system based on augers and turntable storage is used in the system. Using a GPS-driven algorithm, the robot navigates autonomously to desired sampling locations. It collects data from the sampling area using sensors connected to an Arduino board. A proof-of-concept demonstrator proved that such a solution can be successfully scaled and deployed, which will aid in more efficient cultivation and sustainable agriculture.

Agricultural production trends towards carbon neutrality in response to the EU 2030 Green Deal: Economic and environmental analysis in horticulture

The European Green Deal to tackle climate change sets emission reduction targets for 2050. Particular attention has been paid to the agricultural sector, where there is a strong need to reduce carbon emissions and re-establish the natural carbon cycles. The concept of carbon neutrality is emerging in a scenario where it is necessary to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from cultivation to near zero. The quantification of carbon emissions was carried out by the carbon footprint (CF) of conventional, organic and zero residue potato cultivation in Sicily. In order to provide farmers and consumers with answers regarding the most sustainable cultivation regime, the results showed that the organic and zero residue methods have the best results in terms of emissions; the latter instead revealed the positive results in economic terms. It becomes a new model to follow in the pursuit of sustainability as it is based on the reduction of synthesis inputs and is free from the constraints imposed by organic production standards.

Mycorrhizal Inoculation Effect on Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) Seedlings

Sweet potato is an increasingly significant crop and its effective and sustainable cultivation has become important in temperate countries. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the effects of a mycorrhizal inoculum, Symbivit, and whether it could establish a symbiotic relationship with the seedlings of two sweet potato varieties (orange and purple). The effectiveness of the mycorrhizal inoculation with a sterilized substrate on the mycorrhizal parameters (F%, M%, m%, a%, A%) and physical parameters “[length of roots and shoots (cm), the fresh weight of shoots and roots (g) as well as the length of stem (cm)]” on the sweet potato seedlings has also been studied. Results show that the sterilization treatment with Symbivit in both varieties increased the frequency of mycorrhiza in the root system. For the intensity of the mycorrhizal colonization in the root fragments and the arbuscular abundance, there was a difference between the mycorrhizal inoculum and the sterilization treatment among the varieties. Overall, the preliminary results provided remarkable information about mycorrhizal inoculation, substrate sterilization on mycorrhizal development, as well as changes in the physical parameters between sweet potato seedlings. Our results could serve as a practical strategy for further research into adding significance to the effect of the beneficial soil microbes on sweet potatoes.