Okra is an essential vegetable crop requiring a continuous and moderate water supply for optimum yield and quality. The performance of drip irrigation depends on emitter discharge rate, irrigation level, and soil type. On clay soil, emitter selection greatly influences water distribution, nutrient uptake, and ultimately yield and quality. Hence, a field study was carried out to assess the effect of various discharge rates and irrigation levels on yield and quality parameters of Okra hybrid CO 4. The experiment was conducted during February to May 2025 at Experimental Farm of SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD), seven treatments with three replications viz., T1 (2 liter per hour (lph) @ 50% ETc), T2 (2 lph @ 75% ETc), T3 (2 lph @ 100% ETc), T4 (4 lph @ 50% ETc), T5 (4 lph @ 75% ETc), T6 (4 lph @ 100% ETc), and T7 (surface irrigation). Drip irrigation was scheduled for 3-day intervals, while surface irrigation was given once in seven days. Data were analyzed statistically using standard procedures. Emitter discharge rate and irrigation level significantly influenced both yield and quality. T3 (2 lph @ 100% ETc) recorded the maximum fruit length (13.5 cm), fruit weight (22.3 g), fruits/plant (24), yield/plant (0.70 kg), and total yield (34.57 t/ha). The same treatment also showed higher chlorophyll (62.49 SPAD) and iodine content (3.82 µg/100 g), but lower ascorbic acid (10.5 mg/100 g) and crude fiber (1.15%). Surface irrigation (T7) resulted in the lowest yield (15.31 t/ha) and poor chlorophyll and iodine content, though it had higher ascorbic acid (18.8 mg/100 g) and crude fiber (2.89%). The results confirm that drip irrigation with 2 lph emitter discharge at 100% ETc enhances productivity and improves quality attributes of Okra on clay soil.

Background: Heat stress is one of the major environmental stresses limiting rice productivity. Selecting heat-tolerant rice cultivars and implementing proper nutrient management techniques could result in a high and consistent yield. Methods: Field experiments were conducted at the Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur, during the summer (2020 and 2021) to study the response of different rice varieties to elevated temperatures (2 to 3oC) during the flowering to maturity stage, with different N and K levels under aerobic conditions. The experimental treatments comprised of V1F0 - Vaishak + 60 kg N and 30 kg K2O (control), V1F1 - Vaishak + 60 kg N and 30 kg K2O under stress, V1F2 - Vaishak + 90 kg N and 45 kg K2O under stress, V1F3 - Vaishak + 120 kg N and 60 kg K2O under stress, V2F0 - Aiswarya + 60 kg N and 30 kg K2O (control), V2F1- Aiswarya + 60 kg N and 30 kg K2O under stress, V2F2- Aiswarya+90 kg N and 45 kg K2O under stress, V2F3- Aiswarya+120 kg N and 60 kg K2O under stress. These were laid out in a randomized complete block design and replicated three times. Result: The study revealed that the highest yield (2909 and 2456 kg/ha) and nutrient uptake were observed with application of 120 kg N and 60 kg K2O from Vaishak. The treatments V1F3 and V2F3 showed higher NPK uptake than the recommended fertilizer dose in both seasons.

Increasing atmospheric temperature is the consequence of global warming, which is anticipated to have an impact on crop growth and development and decrease the productivity of crops in tropical regions. A comprehensive evaluation of rice's sensitivity to elevated temperatures is necessary for identifying temperature-tolerant rice varieties with higher production to meet future demand for the world's expanding human population. A pot culture experiment was conducted during the summer season (January - April) of 2023 at SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Baburayanpettai, Chengalpattu, to study the response of different rice varieties to elevated temperatures (2-3°C) at different growth stages under aerobic conditions. Four rice varieties, including Kanchana, Jyothi, Uma and Aishwarya, were selected and elevated temperature (2-3 °C above ambient) was imposed at different stages, viz., tillering to panicle initiation stage, panicle initiation to flowering stage, flowering to maturity stage, along with Control. A Completely Randomised Block Design was adopted with three replications. Significant variation in plant height, number of tillers, leaf area, days to flowering, dry matter production and grain yield was observed among the varieties. The variety Aiswarya recorded higher plant height (107.25 cm), number of tillers (11.70), leaf area (1662 cm2), dry matter production (35 g/hill), and grain (14.22 g/hill) under elevated temperature. The variety Aiswarya plays an important role in sustaining rice productivity under climate change conditions.

Efficient nutrient management is critical for improving the sustainability of millet-based production systems under irrigated conditions. However, foxtail millet yield is often low due to improper fertiliser use. Chemical fertilisers need more energy, while organic sources may give less yield, so their energy use and economic benefits need proper evaluation. To investigate further, a field experiment was conducted during summer (February - April) 2024 at SRM College of Agricultural Sciences, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadut to evaluate the energy efficiency and economic performance of organic and inorganic nutrient management practices in foxtail millet under irrigated condition. A study was laid out in split-plot design with three main plot treatments comprising 100% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF), 50% RDF, and farmyard manure (FYM @ 12.5 t/ha) and four subplot treatments involving soil-applied micronutrients, viz., Fe, Zn and B, and organic preparations like panchagavya, and jeevamrutham through foliar application. Energy inputs and outputs were quantified using standard energy coefficients, and indicators such as net energy, energy ratio, and energy productivity were estimated. Total energy input ranged from 18,825 to 47,502 MJ/ha, while output energy varied from 68,569 to 97,431 MJ/ha. FYM-based treatments recorded the highest energy ratios ranging between 3.23 to 4.18, and energy productivity due to lower external energy inputs. RDF-based treatments achieved comparatively higher yields and economic returns. The combination of 100% RDF with foliar micronutrients gave the highest net return and benefit–cost ratio, showing better profitability. While organic nutrients improved energy efficiency, integrated inorganic management achieved a better balance of yield, profit, and sustainability under irrigated conditions.

Agriculture is a major contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) and energy consumption due to the intensive use of synthetic chemicals, posing serious threats to the environment, soil and human well-being. This issue is particularly important in tomato-growing regions of Tamil Nadu, where high-input farming practices are widely adopted. Therefore, identifying a sustainable nutrient management strategy is essential for developing climate-resilient and resource-efficient systems in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2, SDG 7, SDG 12 and SDG 13). A field study was conducted in a tomato–green gram cropping system to evaluate four nutrient management (NM) regimes, namely Integrated (INM), Conventional (CNM), Organic (ONM) and Farmers’ Practice (FNM). The results indicated that the ONM system recorded the highest system productivity (26.4 t ha⁻¹), energy output (200,110 MJ ha⁻¹), energy productivity (0.99 kg MJ⁻¹), energy profitability (8.94), non-renewable energy use efficiency (18.8) and benefit–cost ratio (4.28), while INM is associated with relatively higher nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. The major contributor to total energy was fertilizers (38.7%). The INM and CNM systems had the highest carbon footprint (0.10 kg CO₂e per kg) while the ONM system had the lowest. The ONM system had considerably increased eco-efficiency in terms of energy use (INR 20.1 MJ⁻¹ and INR 226 per kg CO₂e) over other regimes. Furthermore, ONM improved the carbon efficiency (80%) and carbon sustainability index (94%) compared to INM. Overall, the findings demonstrate that ONM is a viable, eco-efficient and climate-smart practice that enhances productivity and profitability, improves energy efficiency, and reduces the carbon footprint in vegetable–legume systems.