Awards achieved for the research work done:

The outstanding work carried out by the scientists of this research station has brought the prestigeous 'Sardar Patel Agricultural Research' award consequently for three years for 1998-99, 1999-2000 and 2000-01.

1. The Government of Gujarat has been pleased to confer the 'Sardar Patel Agricultural Research' Second Award to Dr. G. L. Maliwal and co-workers Dr. A. Das, Shri K. S. Parmar, Shri J. H. Vaghani, Shri C. T. Chand and Dr. M. S. Jakasaniya for outstanding contribution towards Agricultural Development Research and Technology in the field of Agronomy and Soil Science during the year 1998-99.

The Government of Gujarat has been pleased to award the 'Sardar Patel Agricultural Research' Second Award for the year 1999-2000 to Shri D. P. Gohil and co-workers for their outstanding work on chickpea varietal improvement and release of new variety Gujarat Gram-2 in the subject of Research on Plant breeding and Genetics.

III.            The Govt, of Gujarat presented the Sardar Patel Agricultural Research Second Award for the year 2000-2001 jointly to Shri J .B .Raol and co-workers Dr. P. T. Patel, Dr. L. P .Singh, Dr. R. F. Sutar, Shri M. D .Vora and Shri K .V .Vala for developing a bullock driven seed cum fertilizer drill suitable for Bhal area in the subject of Research on Agronomy, Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering.

RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENTS

WHEAT

Ø    Optimum sowing time for rainfed wheat is first fortnight of November ( 9^th November). Under inadequacy of soil moisture, sowing should be started after 20^th October.

Ø    Seed rate of 60 kg/ha for wheat GW-1 is optimum to achieve higher yield under conserved moisture condition.

Ø    Application of 20 kg N/ha and 15 kg P₂O₅/ha at sowing is economic dose for rainfed wheat GW-1. Foliar application of N was not found beneficial to this crop.

Ø    Intercropping of wheat and safflower in 3:1 row proportion is found remunerative.

Ø    Three irrigations each of 50 mm from harvested rain water at tillering, flowering and grain formation stages increased wheat yield up to 177 per cent.

Ø    Where pond water for one irrigation is available it should be applied @ 50mm at maximum tillering stage for getting higher yield. Irrigating the crop at CRI stage is equally beneficial and may be preferred in order to avoid evaporation loss from farm pond.

Ø    In absence of pond water, underground saline water may be used along with soil amendment ( pressmud @ 10/ha or gypsum @ 6 t/ha ) for irrigating wheat crop    ( 3 irrigations each of 50 mm at tillering, flowering and grain formation stages ) to sustain the production during drought year.

Ø    Dusting of Methyl parathion 2% dust on bunds surrounding wheat crop should be carried out as a preventive measure against surface grass hopper. Further, the sorghum which is the ultimate host of the pest, should be harvested in  time so that the adult may die due to starvation in absence of food during the period from harvest of sorghum to sowing of wheat. If the pest appears in the field, dusting should be carried out @ 25 kg/ha as a control measure.

Ø    Wheat ( GW-1) seed/grain after having been dried under sunlight, coated with oil @ 500 ml/100 kg seed or mixed with dried neem leaves @ 2 kg/100 kg seeds can be stored safely in galvanized bins against lesser grain borer under Bhal region.

Ø    For maintaining organic matter status of soil, FYM @ 5 t/ha should be applied to wheat crop every year in addition to recommended dose of nitrogen (20 kg/ha).

Ø    Farmers of Bhal and Coastal Agro-climatic Zone growing rainfed wheat are advised to coat seeds with phosphate culture, such as Bacillus coagulans PBA-14 (Net ICBR 1: 17) or Bacillus coagulans  PBA-13 (Net ICBR 1: 11) or Bacillus brevis  PBA-12 (Net ICBR 1: 7) @ 6 packets/ha containing 108CFU/g carrier to get maximum net realization and yield.

Ø    The farmers of Bhal and Coastal Zone (Agro climatic Zone VIII) growing wheat (GW -1) are advised to fertilize the crop with 20 kg N and 40 kg P₂O₅ and 25 kg ZnSo₄ ha^-1 as basal and 20 kg N ha^-1 at first irrigation to get higher grain yield and net return with two supplementary irrigations (first at CRI and second at 40-45 DAS).

GRAM

Ø    Gram cv. G G-2 is released in 1999 for cultivation under conserved moisture condition with the optimum seed rate of 80 kg/ha.

Ø    Optimum sowing time for gram under conserved moisture condition  is 21-25 October for maximizing the yield and minimizing wilt disease.

Ø    Seed rate of 40 kg/ha for gram cv.‘Chaffa’ is optimum to achieve higher yields under conserved moisture condition.

Ø    Seed inoculation with Rhizobium culture GRS-4 ( 1 x 10⁸ cells/g ) @ 200 g/ 8 kg seed increased the seed yield significantly.

Ø    Inter row spacing of 30 cm for gram cv. ‘Chaffa’ resulted in higher yield.

Ø    Application of 20 kg N/ha at sowing is economic dose for gram under conserved moisture condition. However, under limited irrigation conditions nitrogen can be increased up to 40 kg/ha.

Ø    One irrigation of 50 mm from harvested rain water applied at maximum branching stage increased the yield of gram ‘Chaffa’ by 56.05 per cent.

Ø    Powdery mildew of chickpea can effectively be controlled by spraying Dinocap @ 0.025% or Wettable sulphur @ 0.2% or Tridemorph @ 0.04% twice at an interval of 15 days starting from appearance of disease.

Ø    Under Bhal and Coastal Agro-climatic Zone, spraying growth regulators GA3 (25-75 ppm) Kinetin (50-200 ppm), CCC ( 50-200 ppm) and NAA (10-40 ppm) on gram var. ‘Chaffa’ at 50% flowering and pod formation stages was found not beneficial to increase the yield significantly.

Ø   The farmers of Bhal and Coastal Agro climatic Zone (VIII) are advised to initiate control measure for pod borer Helicoverpa armigera in chickpea considering economic threshold level  i.e. 20 larvae / 20 plants at vegetative and 15 arvae / 20 plants at pod formation stage of the crop.

Ø     The farmers of Bhal and Coastal Agro climatic Zone (VIII) are advised to practice following module for effective and economic  management  of pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera  infesting chickpea.

(I)   Installation of bird perches @ 100/ha  two weeks after germination.

(II) Spraying of  neem seed kernel suspension @ 5%  ( 500 g of seed kernel in 10 lit. of water ) when first  Instar larvae are seen.

(III) Dusting of Methyl parathion. 2% dust @ 25 kg/ha at the time of pod formation on 50% plants.

Ø      The farmers of Bhal and Coastal Agro climatic Zone (VIII) are advised to spray 5% leaf extract  of Naffatia (Nalo), Ipomea carnea OR  Ardushi  Adhatoda vasica leaf extract 5% three times (add sticker @ 1 ml / liter of spray fluid) First spray at vegetative stage, second at flowering on 50% plants and third at pod formation on 50% plants for the control of pod borer Helicoverpa  armigera in chickpea crop raised  under conserved soil moisture

DILLSEED

Ø    New variety of dillseed GD-2 is released for rainfed farming.

Ø    Crop geometry of 75 cm x 30 cm with plant population of 0.44 lakh/ha is optimum for dillseed under conserved moisture condition.

Ø    Farmers of Bhal and Coastal Zone are advised to sow  the dillseed giving one irrigation of 50 mm after 30 DAS fertilized with 20 kg N ha^-1 and 20 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1 as basal application and 20 kg N ha^-1 as top dressing after irrigation to secure higher yield and better returns. While, under conserved moisture condition, farmers should apply only 40 kg N ha^-1 as basal application at the time of sowing.

MUSTARD

Ø    A period between 10^th to 20^th October is optimum sowing time for mustard ‘Varuna’. In case, the maximum temperature around 10^th October is found more than 35 °C, sowing should be performed around 20^th October.

Ø    Crop geometry of 90 cm x 15 cm with plant population of 0.74 lakh/ha is optimum for mustard under conserved moisture condition.

Ø    Irrigating the mustard cv. ‘Varuna’ at 30 DAS found to be more economical than irrigating at 50% flowering.

Ø    One irrigation of 50 mm from harvested rain water to mustard at 30 DAS increased the seed yield by 34.06 per cent.

Ø    Application of 60-0-0 NPK kg/ha at sowing is economical dose for mustard under conserved moisture condition. However, under limited irrigation condition crop should be fertilized with 60-20-0 NPK kg/ha.

Ø    Application of 1 t Gypsum/ha before monsoon increased the yield of mustard by 11.03 per cent.

SAFFLOWER

Ø    Bhima variety is identified for rainfed farming in Bhal and Coastal Agro-climatic Zone.

Ø    For getting higher yield of safflower full package of practices should be adopted. Among the various inputs, plant protection is the most important followed by fertilizer. Thinning and weed control are of minor importance in Bhal region in terms of their contribution to yield of safflower.

Ø    Crop geometry of 90 cm x 15 cm with plant population of 0.74 lakh/ha is optimum for safflower varieties ‘Bhima’ and ‘A-2’ under conserved moisture condition.

Ø    Safflower responded to nitrogen up to 25 kg N/ha under conserved moisture condition. It did not respond to applied phosphorus.

Ø    Application of sulphur @ 30 kg/ha through ammonium sulphate or gypsum or single super phosphate increased the seed yield.

Ø    Cycocel spray @ 500 ppm at flower initiation or 50 per cent flowering stage is more productive and remunerative.

Ø    Seed inoculation with Azospirillum + Azotobacter helped to save nitrogen fertilization up to 50% in safflower.

COTTON

Ø    Sowing of cotton should be taken up immediately after onset of monsoon. In any case it should not be delayed beyond first week of August. Further delay in sowing tended to reduce cotton yield.

Ø    An inter row spacing ranging from 120 cm to 200 cm for rainfed cotton should be followed depending upon the availability of bullock or tractor drawn implements. Wider spacing not only involve low cost but also proved suitable for aftercare operations like weeding, interculturing and spraying of insecticides.

Ø    In Bhal and Coastal Agro-climatic Zone (Agro ecological situation 1 b) although the use of black plastic (50 micron) increased the yield by 26 per cent, not found economically viable with the present cost of plastic.

Ø    Spraying of Kaolin to cotton var. ‘G.Cot.13’at 50 per cent flowering and boll formation stages did not show significant effect on seed cotton yield in Agro- ecological situation I under Bhal and Coastal Agro-climatic Zone.

Ø    Application of two irrigations each of 6 cm depth at 20 and 42 days after cessation of monsoon (75% ASMD) increased the seed cotton yield by 65 per cent. Farm waste compost @ 10 t/ha should be incorporated in rows before sowing. Nitrogen @ 40 kg/ha is recommended.

Ø    Farmers of Bhal and Coastal Zone growing  rainfed herbacium cotton are advised to apply potassium @ 20 kg K₂O ha^-1 at 6 cm soil depth adjacent to cotton row after withdrawal of monsoon for getting higher yield of seed cotton and higher net income.

Ø    Farmers of the Bhal and Coastal Zone-VIII (AES-II) are advised to give two irrigation, each of 60 mm at 20 and 40 days after withdrawal of monsoon to deshi (G cot 13, G Cot 21) and hybrid (Hy 6, Hy 8 and Hy 10) for securing higher seed cotton yield.

CASTOR

Ø    25 kg N /ha is recommended for rainfed castor.

FODDER SORGHUM

Ø    A dose of 15-15-0 kg NPK/ha should be applied to fodder sorghum variety ‘Trapaj’ at the time of sowing for optimum fodder yield.

Ø    Under rainfed situation of Bhal and Coastal Agro climatic Zone, hybrid fodder sorghum ‘GFSH-1’ should be fertilized with 40 kg N/ha and 10 kg P2O5/ha for doubling the yield in soils having low N and P status.

Ø    The farmers of Bhal and Coastal Agro-climatic Zone who are growing fodder   sorghum var ‘ Solapuri’ under conserved moisture condition during rabi season, are advise to apply 30 kg N + 15 kg P₂O₅/ha for getting higher yield and economics.

Ø    Farmers of Bhal and Coastal Zone- VIII (AES II) growing sorghum alone are advised to sow  the kharif sorghum (SSG 59 3) with  cowpea (GFC 3) intercropped in 2:1 row ratio and fertilized with 40 kg N ha^-1 and 15 kg P₂O₅ ha^-1 to secure higher forage yield with good quality and higher returns under rainfed condition.

Ø    Farmers of Bhal and Coastal Zone are advised to sow  sorghum variety viz. SSG 59 3 upto 30^th October to obtain higher green forage and dry fodder yields and better returns under conserved moisture condition in Rabi season. In case of delayed sowing condition, variety “Maldandi - 53” should be preferred.

PIGEONPEA

Ø    Inter row spacing of 60 cm or 75 cm should be followed for higher yield of pigeon pea.

PADDY

Ø    For transplanted paddy var. ‘SLR-51214’, application of 10 tonnes FYM + 150 kg N/ha is recommended.

GRASSES

Ø    Gatton panic and Dichanthium grasses are found suitable for marginal land of Bhal and Coastal Agro-climatic Zone.

Ø    Crop geometry of 45cm x 30cm or 30cm x 30cm is found optimum for Gatton panic grass. For maximizing forage forage yield, the grass needs to be fertilized with 75 kg N/ha every year.

Ø    To meet forage needs in drought years, irrigations with saline water ( up to 8 ds/m) to Gatton panic and Dichanthium sustain the production.

WEED MANAGEMENT

Ø    Farmers of Bhal zone are advised to spray Glyphosate @ 0.4% + 1.5% Ammonium Sulphate for the effective control of camel thorn. As this herbicide is non selective in nature, it should be applied after harvest of the wheat crop.

AGRICULTURAL ENGNEERING

Ø    For minimizing the loss of stored water from dugout pond, the depth should be kept 1.5 m. LDPE sheet ( 100micron) can be used as a lining material in dugout pond to reduce further seepage loss of stored water.

Ø    Bullock drawn automatic seed cum fertilizer drill is designed, tested and recommended for Bhal and Coastal Agro-climatic Zone for uniform placement of seed of wheat and gram with fertilizer.

AGRO-FORESTRY AND HORTICULTURE

Ø    Growing of Prosopis juliflora in salt affected soils for 6 to 7 years reduces the total salt concentration (EC  2.5) from 0.95 to 0.38 ds/m and ESP from 24.5 to 6.7 with increase in the infiltration rate from 0.25 to 0.53 cm/ha.

Ø    Among different arid fruits, ber ( var. ‘Gola’) found most economical under rainfed conditions of Bhal and Coastal Agro climatic Zone. The crop should be fertilized with 500 g castor cake and 50 g DAP per pit before planting and 50 g DAP and 75 g Urea every subsequent years.

Ø    For improving saline-sodic/waste land of Bhal and Coastal Agro climatic Zone to cultivable land,  it is advised to grow forest species like Prosopis juliflora or Acacia tortilis or Azadirachta indica for a period of 6-7 years. Forest tree species like, Eucalyptus hybrid, Tecomella undulata, Casurina spp. are next in order where as forest tree species like Albizzia lebbek, Moringa olifera, Sesbania egyptica and  Atriplex halimus  have shown very low to no adaptability.

Ø    Farmers of Bhal and Coastal Zone growing ber (var. Gola) in poor land under rainfed situation, are advised to adopt surface mulching techniques just after cessation of monsoon with wheat husk (Dantha) spreading around plant up to 2 m with thickness of 5 cm for securing higher yield and higher additional income.

LAND CONFIGURATION

Ø    Land configuration involving raised (15 cm above surface) and sunken ( 15 cm below surface) bed system of cultivation should be adopt for substantial yield of  kharif and rabi crops.Cotton should be grow on raised bed during kharif and wheat or gram in sunken bed during rabi for securing higher income.

FERTILIZER MANAGEMENT IN CROP ROTATIONS

Ø    The farmers of Bhal and Coastal Agroclimatic Zone following safflower – fodder sorghum rotation are advised to inoculate the seed of both the crops with PSB (Pseudomonas striata ) in order to save half of the dose of phosphus.

CONTINGENT PLANNING

Ø    Under the normal monsoon (June-July), the farmers of Bhal and Coastal Agroclimatic Zone should prefer cotton, whereas under delayed monsoon (after July) fodder sorghum gives better returns.

LIMITED IRRIGATION

Ø    Farmers of Bhal  and Coastal Zone growing rabi crops under conserved moisture or under supplementary irrigation are advised to put their first preference to wheat crop, followed by gram and dilseed for getting higher crop yield and higher income. In case of availability of good quality water they are advised to irrigate their crop up to twice (50 mm each) for getting higher yield and income without affecting the soil health.

PITCHER IRRIGATIN IN BOTTLE GOURD

Ø    Farmers of Bhal and Coastal Agro-climatic Zone are advised to adopt pitcher irrigation method for growing bottle gourd, especially where water is saline. The pitcher should be replased once in 4 years.

Achievement (Research recommendations for the farmers ) & Publication