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A scale was constructed and standardized to measure the attitude of fish farmers towards scientific technologies demonstrated by "Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART)" from May 2021 to September 2022 in APART-fishery operated districts of Assam using the 'Scale Product Method'. Sixty-five (65) experts responded unbiased to the 50 attitude statements related to recommended technologies of fish farming by the project. On the basis of scale values and Q values, only 28 statements were incorporated in the final attitude scale. When administered in a non-sample area, the reliability coefficient of the whole test was 0.90 using Rulon's formula. Moreover, when the constructed attitude scale was administered among 180 APART beneficiaries during July, 2022 to September, 2022, majority i.e. 87.22 per cent of the respondents had most favourable attitude towards technologies demonstrated by APART project which is depicts the impact of the development programme. This attitude scale can be applied practically for measuring the attitude of fish farmers under similar programmes which will aid policy-makers in right decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present investigation was carried out to study the morphometric properties of the Moridhal watershed in the Dhemaji district of Assam, India to understand its nature for proper utilization of natural resources of the watershed. The Moridhal watershed, encompassing a 30,730 ha geographical area, is situated between 94°52 E to 94°69 E longitude and 27°38 N to 27°64 N latitude. Based on total variation in satellite data (Resourcesat-2, LISS-4), four distinct physiographic units of the watershed were delineated which included: upper piedmont plain (1,844 ha), lower piedmont plain (2,391 ha), alluvial plain (9,888 ha), and flood plain (16,607 ha). The stream order map of the Moridhal River Basin was prepared by on-screen digitization using QGIS 3.12.0 software. Twenty-nine numbers of morphometric parameters were evaluated through the measurement of linear, areal, and relief aspects of the river basin. The drainage streams were delineated up to fourth order with stream numbers of 36, 14, 5, and 1, for I, II, III, and IV order, respectively. The computed value of aerial aspects like elongation ratio, circulatory ratio, and form factor revealed the elongated shape of the watershed area. The studied relief aspects included parameters like basin relief, relief ratio, ruggedness number, and relative relief. The morphometric properties of the Moridhal watershed depicted the permeable nature of the soil which indicated that the precipitation would mostly penetrate the soil and, thereby, a lesser amount would contribute to the runoff. The present study also revealed that Geographic Information System software has immense utility in the analysis of the linear and aerial morphometric aspects of the drainage basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the effects of tillage, crop residues, and green manure on soil carbon pools and hydrolytic enzyme activity in a sandy loam after five cycles of the rice-wheat system (RWS). Four main plot treatments in rice were combinations of wheat straw and Sesbania green manure (GM) management: (1) puddled transplanted rice (PTR) with no wheat straw, (2) PTR with 25% wheat stubbles (12–15 cm long) retained, (3) PTR with no wheat straw plus GM, and (4) PTR with 25% wheat stubbles plus GM. Three subplots treatments in subsequent wheat were (1) conventional tillage with rice straw removed, (2) zero tillage (ZT) with rice straw removed, and (3) ZT with 100% rice straw retained as a surface mulch. The results showed that PTR with wheat stubbles retained plus GM and ZT wheat with rice straw retained (ZTWRS100) significantly (p< 0.05) increased all the carbon pools and hydrolytic enzymes except phenol oxidase and peroxidase activities. The carbon management index under ZTWRS100 retained was significantly higher than zero-till or conventional till wheat without residue. The principal component analysis identified active carbon, less labile carbon pools; xylanase and dehydrogenase hydrolytic enzymes as the most reliable sensitive indicators for assessing soil quality for conservation agriculture (CA) – based practices in RWS. The study showed that adoption of PTR with 25%-anchored wheat stubbles retained plus GM in rice followed by ZTWRS100 in wheat was the best crop production strategy for enhanced carbon pools, hydrolytic enzymatic activities and gives an idea of its overall fitness for carrying out ecosystem functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural productivity relies on a wide range of ecosystem services provided by the soil biota. Sustainable management practices, such as tillage and residue management, can influence structure and function of the soil microbiota, with direct consequences for the associated ecosystem services. Although there is increasing evidence that different tillage regimes alter the soil biological indices, we only have a limited understanding of their temporal changes in a rice (Oryza sativa L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cropping system. We evaluated the effects of combinations of tillage, crop residue management and green manuring on soil biological indicators after 5 years of the practising rice–wheat system (RWS). Four main plot treatments in rice included the following: (a) PTRW0, puddled transplanted rice with no wheat straw retained; (b) PTRW25, puddled transplanted rice with 25% anchored wheat stubbles retained; (c) PTRW0 + Sesbania aculeate L. green manure (GM); and (d) PTRW25+GM, puddled transplanted rice with 25% anchored wheat stubbles retained+ GM. There were three subplot treatments in the subsequent wheat crop: (a) CTWR0, conventional tillage wheat with rice residue removed; (b) ZTWR0, zero tillage wheat with rice residue removed; and (c) ZTWR100, ZTW with 100% rice residue retained as mulch. The PTRW25+GM treatment, followed by ZTWR100, significantly increased soil microbial biomass carbon, basal soil respiration, microbial quotient and mineralization quotient measured during wheat‐growing season. These biological indicators were higher at vigorous vegetative wheat growth stage than at flowering stage and decreased at maturity. The principal component analysis of the assayed variables showed that all the variables significantly contributed to the variability in parameters examined and were more related to maximum tillering stage of wheat growth than to maturity or at sowing of wheat. Three highly effective biological indicators were microbial biomass carbon, microbial quotient and mineralization quotient, which responded significantly to changes in tillage and residue management practices in the RWS. We conclude that crop residues and green manure have significant to improve soil biochemical processes by improving soil organic carbon and soil biological indicators in rice–wheat cropping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• β-Glucosidase, cellulose and phenol oxidase identified as key soil quality indicators. • Maximum tillering is an optimum growth stage of wheat for soil sampling. • Wheat yield increased significantly in puddled transplanted rice plus green manure and zero tillage with residue retention compared to residue removal. Soil quality degradation in the last four decades is threatening the sustainability of puddled transplanted rice (Oryza sativa L.) – wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) (RW) system in north-western region of India. Hence comprehensive information on the influence of soil and crop management practices in intensive and nutrient exhausting RW system on soil quality is urgently needed. The present study evaluated the effects of crop residues, green manure and tillage on the changes in soil biochemical properties at different growth stages of wheat after five cycles of RW system. Four main plot treatments in rice included combinations of wheat straw and Sesbania green manure management: (1) PTR WS0, puddled transplanted rice (PTR) with no wheat straw (2) PTR WS25 , puddled transplanted rice with 25% anchored wheat stubbles retained (3) PTR WS0 plus green manure (GM), and (4) PTR WS25 plus GM. Three sub-plots treatments in subsequent wheat included (1) CTW RS0 , conventional tillage wheat without rice straw (2) ZTW RS0 , zero tillage wheat without rice straw and (3) ZTW RS100 , ZTW with 100% rice straw retained as surface mulch. The results showed that PTR WS25 plus GM and ZTW RS100 increased significantly all the soil biochemical properties (enzyme activities and glomalin related soil protein concentration) except phenol oxidase and peroxidase activities. The activities of dehydrogenase, β-glucosidase and concentration of easily extractable glomalin and total carbohydrate carbon under ZTW RS100 were 36.8, 24.6, 25.9 and 23.3% higher than CTW RS0. Application of GM and wheat straw retention in previous rice significantly increased grain yield of subsequent wheat crop by 26.5%. The majority of the increases in biochemical properties were higher at vegetative growth (at 40–45 days after sowing) and flowering (at 80–85 days after sowing) stages compared to the initial and at maturity. Principal component analysis identified β-glucosidase, cellulase and phenol oxidase activities as the most sensitive and reliable indicators for assessing soil quality for conservation agriculture based RW system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]