Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Agricultural Production and Farmer Livelihoods in Raipur District, Chhattisgarh, India |Chapter 6 | Agricultural Sciences: Techniques and Innovations Vol. 7

 

Background: The backbone of the Indian financial system, and the main source of income in rural India, is agriculture. Agriculture and allied businesses are crucial for the sustainable growth and development of the Indian economy. The COVID-19 illness significantly impacted the agricultural supply chain, from the industrial hub to the final consumer.

 

Aim: This study aims to assess the impact of COVID-19 on farmers’ production in Raipur District of Chhattisgarh.

 

Methods: The study was conducted in agricultural years 2019–20 and 2020–21. By selecting sample villages, the study's data were gathered from 300 households and 50 migrant and non-migrant workers in the Chhattisgarh district of Raipur. Primary data was collected from the farmers using a personal interview method, a well-planned schedule, and a questionnaire. Secondary data was gathered from Census reports, the Labour Bureau, Chhattisgarh, the Government of Chhattisgarh, the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, and various reputable journals, articles, and books. Statistical analyses, including descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and paired sample t-tests, were employed.

 

Results: The study found that the maize crop had the highest yield loss, mostly -5.13 per cent, which is due to untimely harvest and unavailability of labour. Also, lak/teora crop yield decreased by -2.83 per cent. Also, the findings indicated that the yield of paddy, vegetables (Bitter guard, brinjal ladies finger and bottle guard), and Arhar had increased by 16.18, 60.76, 61.39, 39.87, 59.74 and 14.28 per cent respectively from previous years yield. The real impact in the case of crop production was seen in the prices of farm produce. The return of migrant workers also increased production; it was found from the study that agriculture was the only source of income for every household during the lockdown. Farmers experienced a shortage of agricultural inputs like seeds, fertilisers, and pesticides as a result of world trade disruption.

 

Conclusion: A significant relationship was observed between the COVID-19 pandemic and agricultural production in the study area. The study recommends increasing investments in vital logistics to sustain the demand for agricultural commodities and supporting start-ups and e-commerce businesses through appropriate policies and incentives.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Pratiksha Tripathi
Department of Agricultural Economics, IGKV, Raipur, India.

 

Hulas Pathak
Department of Agricultural Economics, IGKV, Raipur, India.

 

V. K. Choudhary
Department of Agricultural Economics, IGKV, Raipur, India.

 

Maunika Akula
Department of Agricultural Economics, IGKV, Raipur, India.

 

Jwala Parte
Department of Agricultural Economics, IGKV, Raipur, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/asti/v7/7202

Biochar and its Use in Agriculture | Chapter 2 | Current Research Progress in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 2

 

Recently, biochar has been suggested as a soil amendment to enhance crop productivity and help address global warming. The present chapter discusses biochar, its properties, production, uses or application, its advantages and disadvantages, and its role in carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. Biochar is typically created by heating biomass through pyrolysis within a temperature range of approximately 300-600°C. Physically, biochar is dark in colour, with high porosity, low weight, fine-grained texture, and large surface area and chemically, carbon makes up about 70% of its composition. The inclusion of biochar in soil can greatly influence the soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties and ultimately enhance the soil quality. Crop growth and yield are positively impacted by biochar. It improves the crops' ability to access and utilize nutrients. Biochar is gaining significant interest because of its ability to lower greenhouse gas emissions, enhance soil fertility, and boost crop yield and crop quality. Carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas reduction are two important areas of climate change mitigation whereby biochar has played a crucial role.

 

 

Author(s) Details

M.C. Kundu
Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Palli Siksha Bhavana (Institute of Agriculture), Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, 731236, West Bengal, India.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/crpas/v2/1094

 

Analyzing the Impact of Liquid PhosBac and NitroBac Biofertilizers through Integrated Plant Nutrient System on Growth and Yield of Cotton Plant | Chapter 2 | Current Research Progress in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 10

Plants benefiting bacterial and fungal species have been used in the soil as biofertilizers for several decades. Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) improves plant growth through several mechanisms. Several agricultural countries have now adopted this technology of using PGPR(s) as biofertilizer formulations. Certain essential nutrients such as phosphate, potassium, nitrogen, etc., are required by the plant through natural systems such as by solubilization or fixation methods for improved growth and yield of the plant. The aim of the study is to check the effect of nitrogen-fixing and phosphate-solubilizing PGPRs on the growth and yield of the crop when applied according to the integrated plant nutrient system technique. In this experiment two formulations of Biofertilizers namely PhosBac and NitroBac were used on Cotton plants along with 1/4th dose of DAP which is used as substrate for the phosphate solubilizing bacteria (B. circulance) along with Azotobacter sp. as nitrogen-fixing PGPR applied through integrated plant nutrient on 3 keys stages of plant growth (at time of sowing, on flowering stage and fruiting stage). The results showed that there was a significant improvement in morphological characteristics such as plant length, plant height, and root length when PhosBac and NitroBac bio-fertilizers were inoculated in cotton plants. Additionally, significant improvements in the growth and yield of cotton plants were observed, which were equivalent to the chemical fertilizer “Cotton Grow”. The study concluded that the PGPR-based biofertilizers are eco-friendly and improve the physical and chemical structure of the soil as well. These results are a ray of hope for gradually replacing chemical inorganic fertilizers with biofertilizer formulations which will result in rescuing the deteriorating agricultural land of Pakistan.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Shaikh AS
Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan andDepartment of Microbiology, PCSIR Labs Complex, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

 

Ali AT
Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan.

 

Khan A
Crop Disease Research Institute (CDRI), PRC, University of Karachi, Pakistan.

 

Sohail M
PCSIR Labs Complex, Karachi, Pakistan.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/crpas/v10/1292

Role of Weather Parameters on Forecasting of Rice Crop in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India | Chapter 10 | Current Research Progress in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 5

Rice is the major crop of Uttar Pradesh, which covers about 36.5 per cent area of the total gross-cropped area in Uttar Pradesh. Weather is one of the most important factors influencing crop growth. The effect of weather parameters at different stages of the growth of crops may help in understanding their response in terms of final yield and also provide a forecast of crop yields in advance before the harvest. The present study mainly deals with the effect of weather variables. The study was made for rice crops in the district of Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, India in 2015. Weekly weather data on the weather variables of the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh during the different growth phases of rice crops have been obtained from the Department of Agro Meteorology, N.D. University of Agriculture & Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad (U.P.), India. The data on three weather variables viz. rainfall, wind velocity and sunshine hours have been used in the study. The present study is formulated to determine the individual and joint effects of weather variables on rice yield. The prediction models have been also developed for rice crops through individual and joint weather variables. On the basis of R², it was found that individually sun shine (hr) is more important at 67.57% followed by wind velocity and rainfall at 48.63% and 46.74%, respectively. The joint effect of weather variables also plays an important role in the case of rice crops. According to R², the most important combination is rainfall & wind velocity with 82% followed by rainfall & sunshine hr and wind velocity & sun shine hr at 63% and 53.8, respectively. As far as is concerned with the individual effect of weather variables, it has been found that all the weather variables have made a significant impact on rice yield.

 

Author (s) Details

 

K. K. Pandey
S.K. College of Agriculture and Research Station, I.G.K.V., Kawardha, District Kabirdham - 491 995, India.

 

V. N. Rai
Department of Agricultural Statistics, N.D. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad - 224 229 (U.P.), India.

 

B. V. S. Sisodia
Department of Agricultural Statistics, N.D. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad - 224 229 (U.P.), India.

 

S. K. Singh
S.K. College of Agriculture and Research Station, I.G.K.V., Kawardha, District Kabirdham - 491 995, India.

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/crpas/v5/2963

Study on the Effects of Zeolite and Organic Fertilizers on Soil Quality and Crop Yield | Chapter 2 | Current Topics in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 8

The usage of natural zeolite can help to raise the calibre of the soil. This research was done to determine how zeolite and organic fertilisers interact to affect soil quality and crop output. The effects of using natural zeolite and combining it with organic matter in two degraded soils are examined in this chapter. Their locations and edaphoclimatic conditions are given below. Soil I. The experimental station of sugarcane "Jesus Menendez" is located at 22081'19" N latitude and 800 03'74" W longitudes, in the municipality of Sagua La Grande, which lies in the northern shore of Villa Clara province. The soil being investigated was vertisols (Soil Survey Staff, 1999). Vertisols are fairly clay-like yet become plastic when exposed to a lot of water. According to Köppen, the area climate is classified as Aw. The research area's average annual rainfall is 1150 mm, and its average annual temperature is 25°C. sand II. The research was done in Chile's Copiapo Province, which is in the Atacama Desert and is situated at 27031'46" south and 70016'00" west. According to the Köppen-Geiger classification, the area's climate is categorised as "cold desert" (BWk) (Peel, Finlayson, and McMahon 2007). With an average temperature of 16.1°C and 74 percent relative humidity, the mean annual precipitation is 18 mm. The agroecosystems in this region, which are located at an elevation of 1300 m asl and consist of newly farmed salty and non-salty-sodic soils, are severely deteriorated. The soils fall within the category of Typic Haplocambids. Haplic Solonchaks-Haplic Solonetz, FAO UNESCO; Haplic Solonchaks-Haplic Solonetz, WRB; Haplocambids - Sodic Xeric Haplocambids (Aridisols), Soil Taxonomy The treatment Z 7.5 t ha-1 + SFC 22.5 t ha-1, which represents a relative increase of 200 percent vs. control without fertiliser in the Soil I, produced the highest effects on cane production. The positive effects of zeolite treatment on soil quality and sugarcane yield are supported by relationships between soil characteristics and principal component analysis. II In the Soil In just three years, the alfalfa/organic matter/zeolite combinations caused the soil to go from mildly sodic (ESP = 14.62 percent) to non-sodic (ESP = 5.32 percent). Under semi-controlled circumstances, 8t ha-1 zeolite + 4t ha-1 compost produced the greatest plant growth responses. The saline and sodic soils under investigation undergo mineralogical alterations as a result of the integrated application of agroecological management that takes into account organic fertilisers, natural minerals, and alfalfa. This causes the release of nutrients that can be assimilated as well as a drop in pH and ESP.

Author(s) Details:

Pedro Cairo Cairo,
Universidad de Atacama, Centro Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Sustentable (CRIDESAT), Copiapó-1532000, Chile.

Bladimir Diaz Martin,
Universidad de Atacama, Centro Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Sustentable (CRIDESAT), Copiapó-1532000, Chile.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CTAS-V8/article/view/7251

Assessment of Rainfall and Crop Yield Simulation in Nasarawa Town Nasarawa State Nigeria | Chapter 06 | Innovations in Science and Technology Vol. 5

 Simulation is being used in recent technologies to anticipate the amount and total crop production and yield in a certain plot of land. The growth of a crop per unit area is referred to as crop yield. This research calculates crop yields over a 20-year period and uses simulation to generate 18 years of crop yields at various places in Nasarawa Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The goal is to demonstrate the relationship between rainfall variability and crop yield, as well as to simulate crop output using rainfall intensity as a basis. To determine agricultural yield, the study uses time series analysis with linear, quadratic, and growth curve models. The result suggests that rainfall was abundant in the prior year from 2020 to 2038, with an annual rainfall trend of more than 2200mm-2300mm. In the coming years, the agricultural production simulation predicts a faster growth curve and a bountiful harvest.

Author(S) Details

Ibrahim Sufiyan
Department of Surveying and Geoinformatics, Federal Polytechnic Nasarawa, Nigeria.

K. D. Muhammad
Department of Geography, Federal University Lafia, Nigeria.

Mohammed Alkali
Department of Environmental Management, Nasarawa State University Keffi, Nigeria.

View Book:- https://stm.bookpi.org/IST-V5/article/view/5701

The Effects of Biochar and Farm Yard Manure on Soil Properties and Crop Growth in the Himalayan Agroforestry System | Chapter 14 | Cutting-edge Research in Agricultural Sciences Vol. 8

 Although the population continues to increase and the demand for food grows, many parts of South Asia are experiencing agricultural land degradation and reduced productivity. This paper presents the findings of a study that looked at using biochar and Farm Yard Manure (FYM) at 5t/ha and 20t/ha, respectively, as soil amendments in a coffee agroforestry method in the Nepal Himalaya's mid-hills. There were important (P0.05) positive effects on soil chemical properties, crop growth (height), and crop productivity, according to the report. The pH and SOM of the soil increased significantly, while other soil properties did not change significantly. Plant growth increased significantly after biochar was applied, but crop yields only increased slightly. Biochar applied at low rates in conjunction with FYM appears to have immediate positive effects on plant vegetative growth; however, soil properties and overall crop yields can take longer to improve. The biophysical and chemical quality of the soil is vital for crop production and environmental protection.

Author (s) Details

Deepak K. Gautam
Nepal Agroforestry Foundation (NAF), P.O.Box 9594, Amarawatimarg 35, Koteshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal and Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kathmandu University, P.O.Box 6250, Dhulikhel, Nepal.

Roshan M. Bajracharya
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Kathmandu University, P.O.Box 6250, Dhulikhel, Nepal.

Bishal K. Sitaula
Department of International Environment and Development Studies (Noragric), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), P.O.Box 5001, N-1432 As, Norway.

View Book :- https://stm.bookpi.org/CRAS-V8/article/view/805