Asian Research Journal of Agriculture

Recent Research on Improved Management Technologies for Blackgram: A Review

K. Kalaichelvi — 2026-09-07

Blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) is an important pulse crop whose productivity is influenced by genotype, sowing environment, crop geometry, weed pressure, nutrient supply, and biotic and abiotic stresses. This review synthesises recent management findings reported for blackgram production under diverse growing conditions. Evidence reviewed in the manuscript indicates that genotype performance varies with environment and that suitable sowing time and plant spacing are important determinants of growth and yield. Weed management using pre- and post-emergence herbicides, together with intercultural practices, can reduce weed competition, while intercropping may contribute to system productivity and soil fertility under appropriate crop arrangements. Nutrient management studies show responses to balanced fertilisation, organic manures, biofertilisers, potassium, sulphur, and foliar nutrient application, with benefits depending on local production conditions. The reviewed studies also demonstrate the importance of timely management of insect pests, including sucking pests and borers, and diseases such as yellow mosaic and dry root rot. Integrated approaches combining seed treatment, need-based foliar application, and other crop-management practices were generally associated with improved crop performance in the studies reviewed. Overall, the evidence supports the use of location-specific combinations of suitable genotypes and agronomic, nutrient, weed, insect, and disease-management practices. Wider field validation across seasons and production environments remains important before broad recommendations are made.

Nutrient Management in Sugarcane: A Critical Review of Productivity, Nutrient-Use Efficiency, Soil Health and Environmental Trade-offs

K. Kalaichelvi — 2026-09-07

Sugarcane is a high-biomass, long-duration crop whose nutrient management is complicated by large and changing nutrient demand, differences between plantandratoon crops, residue retention, variable soil fertility, and a substantial risk of nutrient loss when supply is poorly synchronised with crop uptake. This critical narrative review evaluates contemporary evidence on nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), secondary nutrients, micronutrients, organic and recycled nutrient sources, and precision nutrient management in sugarcane. Literature was selected from accessible scholarly databases and indexes, with emphasis on peer-reviewed field evidence published between 2000 and 24 June 2026 and inclusion of earlier foundational studies where required. The synthesis indicates that no universally optimal fertiliser rate exists: economically and environmentally defensible management depends on soil nutrient supply, expected yield, crop class, residue regime, water availability, nutrient source, placement and timing. Nitrogen shows the greatest mismatch between blanket recommendations and site-specific crop response; split application can improve performance at responsive sites, whereas surface-applied urea over retained straw can incur appreciable ammonia loss. Enhanced-efficiency N products can reduce specific nutrient loss pathways, but yield benefits are inconsistent and depend on product, weather and application context. Phosphorus management is constrained by fixation and legacy pools, while K management requires close attention to soil exchange capacity, yield level, residue export and recycled K from vinasse or other by-products. Integrated use of organic amendments can support soil carbon, biological activity and nutrient cycling, but nutrient release is less predictable than from mineral fertilisers and should not be assumed to replace balanced mineral nutrition automatically. Emerging canopy sensors, remote sensing and variable-rate systems are promising, although calibration, transferability and evidence for long-term economic and environmental benefit remain limited. The strongest strategy is therefore adaptive nutrient stewardship that combines diagnosis, locally validated response functions, balanced nutrition, recycling with safeguards, and monitoring of both productivity and environmental losses.

Climate-Smart Rice Production through Integrated Water and Carbon Management: Methane Mitigation, Biochar and Yield Resilience

Abhishek Kumar Sinha — 2026-09-09

Rice production occupies a difficult position in climate-smart agriculture because flooded paddy soils support high and stable yields yet create conditions favourable to methane formation, consume substantial irrigation water, and can alter the availability of potentially toxic elements in grain. This critical narrative review evaluates whether methane mitigation, water management, biochar amendment and yield resilience can be integrated into a coherent management strategy rather than treated as separate objectives. Literature published from 2000 to 3 July 2026 was considered, with earlier foundational evidence retained selectively where necessary. The strongest and most consistent evidence supports non-continuous flooding, particularly well-managed alternate wetting and drying (AWD), as the principal near-term field lever for lowering methane emissions and irrigation demand. Across recent meta-analyses, methane reductions are substantial, but nitrous oxide commonly increases, and yield responses depend strongly on drying severity, timing, soil properties, nitrogen supply and cultivar. Mild AWD is therefore better supported than severe drying as a production-compatible mitigation practice. Biochar can improve rice yield, nitrogen-use efficiency and soil carbon status while moderating greenhouse-gas emissions, but average methane mitigation is less consistent than that achieved through water management and is highly contingent on feedstock, pyrolysis conditions, application rate, soil properties and mineral nitrogen input. Direct factorial evidence combining AWD and biochar is still limited, although several multi-year field studies indicate that biochar can partly buffer nutrient losses, contaminant trade-offs and physiological constraints associated with soil drying. Evidence that AWD itself increases yield resilience to drought or heat is mechanistically plausible but remains cultivar- and experiment-specific; it should not yet be equated with proven long-term yield stability under climate extremes. The synthesis supports a hierarchical strategy in which water regime is the primary control, biochar and nitrogen management are context-dependent modifiers, and cultivar choice provides a resilience layer. Future progress requires multi-site factorial trials, explicit life-cycle accounting, multi-contaminant grain-safety assessment and measurement frameworks that verify water status, greenhouse gases and yield stability together.

Role of Oxidative Enzymes and Biochemical Constituents in Imparting Resistance to Clusterbean Varieties against Bacterial Blight (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. Cyamopsidis)

Prahlad — 2026-09-07

Bacterial blight is associated with physiological and biochemical changes in clusterbean, and differences among varieties may be reflected in oxidative-enzyme activity and biochemical constituents. This study compared four clusterbean varieties representing susceptible (RGC-986), moderately susceptible (RGM-112), moderately resistant (RGC-1017), and resistant (RGC-1066) reactions. Healthy and diseased leaves collected 40 days after sowing were analysed for polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, catalase, chlorophyll, total phenolic compounds, total soluble, reducing and non-reducing sugars, soluble protein, and proline. Oxidative-enzyme activities generally increased in diseased leaves. The highest polyphenol oxidase activity in diseased leaves was recorded in RGM-112, the highest peroxidase activity in RGC-1017, and the highest catalase activity in RGC-986. Total chlorophyll declined after disease development, with the highest healthy-leaf value recorded in RGC-1017. Total phenolic content increased after infection and was highest in RGC-1066. Total, reducing, and non-reducing sugars decreased in diseased leaves, while RGC-1017 retained the highest total sugar content. Soluble protein also decreased following infection, with RGC-1066 showing the highest protein content in both healthy and diseased leaves. Proline increased in diseased leaves of all varieties and was highest in RGC-1066. Overall, the contrasting varietal responses were associated with differences in oxidative-enzyme activities and biochemical constituents, indicating that these traits accompany differential bacterial blight reactions in clusterbean.

Export Performance of Indian Sapota in Major International Markets

S. A. Jagtap — 2026-09-09

Sapota (Manilkara achras) is an important tropical fruit crop in India with scope for expansion in international markets. This study evaluated the growth, variability and trade direction of Indian sapota exports across major destination countries using secondary country-wise export data for 2002-03 to 2024-25. The analysis was divided into Period I (2002-03 to 2011-12), Period II (2012-13 to 2024-25) and the overall period. Compound annual growth rate, coefficient of determination, Cuddy–Della Valle instability measures and Markov chain analysis were used to examine export quantity, export value and market retention. During Period I, export quantity recorded significant positive growth in Canada, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In Period II, significant declines were observed for Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Other destinations. Over the overall period, export quantity declined significantly for the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Other destinations. In contrast, export value increased significantly across all selected destinations, with the highest overall growth in Canada (12.56 per cent), followed by Bahrain (10.80 per cent). Markov chain results showed that the United Arab Emirates had the highest market-retention probability at 64 per cent, followed by Bahrain at 51 per cent. The findings indicate a divergence between export quantity and value and substantial instability across destinations, highlighting the importance of quality consistency, stable market linkages and destination diversification.

Economic Effects of Marketing Processed Soybeans on Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria

Zacharias Ternenge Nyiatagher — 2026-09-11

This study analysed the economic effects of marketing processed soybeans on poverty alleviation in Nigeria. Specifically, the study sought to: describe the socio-economic characteristics of soybean processors; analyse the economic effects of marketing processed soybeans on poverty alleviation; examine the processing activities performed by respondents in the study area; determine the costs and returns associated with marketing processed soybeans in the study area; and identify the problems associated with soybean-processing enterprises in the study area. Purposive and random sampling techniques were employed to select a total of 480 soybean processors, comprising 240 soycake and 240 soymilk processors. Data were collected using well-structured questionnaires. The study identified the economic effects of marketing processed soybeans on poverty alleviation as increased market value (66.4%), higher income (72.20%), creation of small-scale jobs (73.2%), regular weekly profits (75.0%), extended shelf life (51.1%), and stronger trading ties (43.3%). Budgetary analysis showed that the soymilk enterprise generated a gross margin of ₦87,406.00 per processing round, whereas the soycake enterprise generated a gross margin of ₦40,080.40 per processing round. Soybean processing in the form of soycake and soymilk was profitable, with benefit-cost ratios greater than one (1.36 for soycake processors and 1.66 for soymilk processors). Multiple regression analysis showed that the most significant variables influencing returns to the soymilk enterprise were the cost of soybeans and respondents' years in the soybean processing business, while those influencing returns to the soycake processing enterprise were the cost of soybeans, technology, and the cost of other ingredients used in soycake processing. The study also revealed a positive and significant relationship between processing technique and enterprise returns. The study concluded that soymilk processing is more profitable than soycake processing in the study area. It is recommended that, to reduce rural poverty, local value addition be strengthened, cooperative networks be developed, and smallholders be connected directly to industrial buyers.

Yield, Nutrient Uptake and Post-harvest Soil Nutrient Status of Fodder Jowar (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) Varieties as Influenced by Nitrogen Levels in North Coastal Andhra Pradesh, India

K. Sai Prasanthi — 2026-09-15

Fodder availability remains inadequate to meet the increasing demand for quality livestock feed in India. Fodder jowar (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is an important forage crop because of its high biomass production, drought tolerance and adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions. Optimising varietal selection and nitrogen management is therefore essential for improving fodder productivity, nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil nutrient status under rainfed conditions. A field experiment was conducted during kharif 2025 at the Agricultural College, Naira, Andhra Pradesh, to evaluate the performance of fodder jowar [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] varieties under different nitrogen levels with respect to yield, nutrient uptake and post-harvest soil nutrient status. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with three replications, comprising three fodder jowar varieties, viz., CSH-24 MF, CSH-43 MF and Pant Chari-6, as main-plot treatments and four nitrogen levels (0, 60, 80 and 100 kg N ha⁻¹) as sub-plot treatments. Among the varieties, CSH-43 MF recorded significantly higher green fodder yield (48,490 kg ha⁻¹), dry fodder yield (12,695 kg ha⁻¹) and nitrogen uptake (138.8 kg ha⁻¹), whereas Pant Chari-6 recorded significantly higher post-harvest soil available nitrogen (182.7 kg ha⁻¹). Application of 100 kg N ha⁻¹ resulted in significantly higher green fodder yield (54,760 kg ha⁻¹), dry fodder yield (13,998 kg ha⁻¹), nitrogen uptake (157.3 kg ha⁻¹), phosphorus uptake (28.4 kg ha⁻¹), potassium uptake (170.1 kg ha⁻¹) and post-harvest soil available nitrogen (198.5 kg ha⁻¹). However, post-harvest soil available phosphorus (26.7 kg ha⁻¹) and potassium (222.5 kg ha⁻¹) were higher under the control treatment (0 kg N ha⁻¹). The interaction between varieties and nitrogen levels was significant for green fodder yield, dry fodder yield and nitrogen uptake, with CSH-43 MF supplied with 100 kg N ha⁻¹ producing the highest green fodder yield, dry fodder yield and nitrogen uptake under the rainfed conditions of North Coastal Andhra Pradesh.

Influence of Fertiliser Packages on Yield and Quality of Lembayung Sweet Potato Grown in BRIS Soil

Nur Khairani Abu Bakar — 2026-09-16

Lembayung is a purple-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) variety with potential for fresh consumption and food processing. However, its production on BRIS (Beach Ridges Interspersed with Swales) soils is constrained by low soil fertility, poor nutrient-retention capacity, and rapid nutrient leaching. Appropriate fertiliser management is therefore required to improve crop performance and storage root quality under these marginal soil conditions. This study evaluated the effects of different fertiliser packages on the growth, yield, tuber quality, and sensory attributes of the purple-fleshed sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) variety Lembayung cultivated under nutrient-deficient BRIS (Beach Ridges Interspersed with Swales) soil conditions. The field experiment was conducted at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) Bachok Research Station, Kelantan, Malaysia, using a Randomised Complete Block Design with three replications. Eight fertiliser treatments comprising conventional NPK fertiliser, specially formulated fertiliser, and two biofertiliser formulations were evaluated. Growth performance, storage root weight, total soluble solids (TSS), total sugar content, and sensory attributes were assessed at harvest. The results showed that fertiliser package composition significantly influenced crop performance and tuber quality. T7 (900 kg ha⁻¹ NPK 13:13:21 + Formulated fertiliser) produced the highest plant weight (1106.7 g plant⁻¹) and total sugar content (5.69 g 100 g⁻¹), indicating enhanced vegetative growth and carbohydrate accumulation under higher nutrient availability. However, the highest storage root weight was recorded in T4 (special formulation fertiliser), reaching 937.4 g per tuber, suggesting that a balanced nutrient supply was more effective in promoting storage root bulking. Although TSS did not differ significantly among treatments, T2 and T3 recorded the highest value of 12.2 °Brix. Sensory evaluation showed that T2 (600 kg ha⁻¹ NPK 13:13:21 + Formulated fertiliser) achieved the highest scores for aroma, texture, taste, sweetness, and overall acceptability. The findings demonstrate that moderate fertiliser application combined with biofertiliser supplementation can provide a favourable balance between crop productivity, tuber quality, and consumer acceptance. Overall, integrated nutrient management using biofertilisers and specialised fertiliser formulations shows strong potential for improving nutrient use efficiency and supporting the sustainable production of high-quality Lembayung sweet potato under marginal BRIS soil conditions.