Strong and healthy saplings are a prerequisite to establish a successful forest. Therefore, an attempt has been made to develop the best package for nutrient supplementation to raise healthy Acacia mangium saplings, especially in acidic soil. The seeds were sown in pots, receiving different combinations of Arbuscularmycorrhizal (AM), Rhizobium inoculation with application of lime, and mustard oil cake (MOC). The highest spore count and infection percentage (3220 kg⁻¹ soil and 69) were recorded in the AM + MOC + R treated pot, whereas the lowest (2553 kg⁻¹ soil and 37) were recorded in the AM + L treated pot. Nitrogen concentration and uptake in the sapling were higher in the Rhizobium-inoculated treatments than the uninoculated ones. The sulfur concentration and uptake were higher in the MOC-supplemented treatment. Similarly, the P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations and uptakes were higher in the limed treatments than the unlimed ones. The micronutrient concentration and uptake were higher in the unlimed treatments compared to the lime practice. The concentration of N in Rhizobium-treated pots, P and K in lime-treated pots, and S in MOC-treated pots were increased, whereas the soil pH decreased in all treatments except in the integrated package (AM + MOC + R + L) after 120 days. The Ca and Mg were reduced in all treatments, whereas micronutrients were reduced in all packages except the control. Under different nutrient management practices, plant height and stem girth continuously increased by 9.5 to 12 cm and 3 to 4 times, respectively. The production of robust saplings required integrated application of lime, MOC, AM, and Rhizobium in an acid soil that facilitated better root growth with availability of adequate nutrients for saplings.

Review of the cutting edge technologies for weed control in field crops

Modern agricultural systems demand an integrative approach to address the challenges of food security, resource conservation and sustainability. Balancing the demands for increased food production with the imperative to conserve vital resources has never been more pressing. This study investigates the dynamic interplay between crop establishment methods and weed management practices in the cultivation of Kharif rice followed by chickpea in 2019-2020 and 2020-2021. Various properties of soil physio-chemical and biological were significantly influenced by different crop establishment methods and weed management practices in the rice-chickpea cropping system. Physical properties like bulk and particle density were reported the highest in transplanted under puddled treatment after harvest of rice (1.44 Mg m− 3 and 2.53 Mg m− 3) and chickpea (1.46 Mg m− 3 and 2.54 Mg m− 3) while the MWHC was maximum (56%) in unpuddled soils than in puddled soils. Various chemical properties like OC reported the highest in transplanted under unpuddled after harvest of rice (5.19 g kg− 1) and after harvest of chickpea (5.23 g kg− 1) found maximum in Wet-DSR under unpuddled. Other properties like available N, P and K recorded the maximum values in unpuddled Wet-DSR. After each crop harvest, microbial population and biomass of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus and the activity of enzymes like dehydrogenase, urease and phosphatase recorded the highest in unpuddled Wet-DSR treatment. Among weed management practices, MWHC, all chemical and biological properties reported the maximum in intercropping with Sesbania for after harvest of rice while in case of after chickpea harvest, found in mulching with paddy straw.The bulk and particle density reported maximum in weed-free plots after each crop harvest.