ARS, FATEHPUR

Agricultural Research Station, Fatehpur-Shekhawati, Sikar-332301

(Transitional Plain of inland drainage Zone IIa)

Year of establishment: April, 1984

Introduction

Rajasthan state has been divided into five major agro-climatic zones. Each zone is further sub divided into two sub-zones. Thus, there are ten agro-climatic zones in all under National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) launched in the state in 1981. The zones have been formed on the basis of differences in physiography, rainfall, soil types, availability of irrigation water and existing cropping pattern. The Agricultural Research Station, Fatehpur-Shekhawati is one of the agro-climatic zone IIa is called as Transitional Plain of Inland Drainage. This zone covers four districts namely Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur and eastern part of Churu district. It is located on national highway-11, around seven kilometers away from the town towards Jaipur. This station was established on 1984. The sub-station of this zone was established at Nagaur during NARP-II phase, which has come to function December 1993.

Geographical location and spread

The Transitional Plain of Inland Drainage (zone IIa) comprising the districts of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur and eastern Churu (Churu, Taranagar and Rajgarh tehsils) is situated between 260 21’ N to 280 58’ N latitude and 730 05’ E to 760 05’ E longitude and is bordered by Haryana state and Hanumangarh district in the north; Haryana state, Alwar and Jaipur districts in the east; Jaipur, Ajmer, Pali and Jodhpur districts in the south; and Bikaner and Jodhpur districts in the west. The geographical area of the zone is about 36.9 lakh hectares, which represents 10.8 per cent of the total area of the state. In all, 25 tehsils fall in the zone.

The gross irrigated area in the zone is 910 thousand hectares during 2008-09. Wells and tube wells are main source of irrigation. Other sources are negligible share in the irrigation. The irrigated area found in the zone is nearly 10.08% of the state irrigated area. The net irrigated area is 725 thousand hectares during 2008-09. The maximum area under irrigation was found in Nagaur district followed by Sikar, Jhunjhunu and Churu district.

The zone has 6 distinct micro farming situations. Major crops grown in this zone are pearlmillet (34.1%), cluster bean (12.3 %), mothbean (8.3 %), cowpea (2.7 %), mungbean (2.8 %) in kharif and mustard (9.2 %), chickpea (9.7 %), wheat (6.6 %) and barley (1.3 %) in Rabi of total cropped area of the zone. However, sesame, cotton, sorghum, groundnut, fenugreek, cumin and fennel are also grown in limited area. Kharif crops are grown sole as well as mixed, predominantly under rainfed situation. Due to limited irrigation the status of horticultural crops in the zone is confined to a few pockets. Ber, anar, anola, karonda, guava and citrus among fruits and cabbage, cauliflower, brinjal, chilies, cucurbits are some vegetables which are grown in the zone.

The average productivity per hectare of kharif crops such as pearl millet, mungbean, mothbean, cowpea and cluster bean was 785, 383, 246,355 and 296 kg, respectively during 2004-09. The productivity of groundnut and sesame was 1776 and 239 kg/ha, respectively. The productivity of wheat, barley, chickpea and mustard was 2670, 2208, 1128 and 1063 kg/ha, respectively during 2004- 09. The productivity of wheat, barley and mustard is below the state average. While productivity of pearlmillet, mungbean, mothbean and groundnut are higher than the state average.

Major activities: Research

Publication of last 3 years:

Publications by the scientists

Year

No. of publication

Type of publication

Books

Manuals

Research papers

Reports

Articles

Other

Pamphlets/booklets

International

Journal

National

Journal

2010-11

12

-

-

-

12

12

3

8

2011-12

10

-

-

-

10

12

2

6

2012-13

5

-

-

-

5

11

3

10

Activities at institutional Farm: Farm area ARS, Fatehpur

  1. Total area of farm                :           150 ha
  2. Cultivated land                    :           90 ha
  3. Cultivable waste land           :           40 ha
  4. Uncultivable land                 :           20 ha
  1. Area under irrigation            :           15 ha
  2. Agroforestry Plantation        :           35 ha

Breed seed production at ARS, Fatehpur                                                       (Qtls)

Name of crop

Breeder seed

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Total

Moth

RMO-435

8.72

7.55

-

16.27

Moth

RMO-40

5.28

-

-

5.28

Moth

RMO 257

-

11.86

5.14

17.00

Cowpea

RC-19

2.73

1.91

-

4.64

Cowpea

RC-101

3.42

9.73

-

13.15

Cowpea

RCP-27

2.06

-

-

2.06

Moong

RMG-344

7.27

-

-

7.27

Moong

RMG-492

-

15.49

-

15.49

Guar

RGC-1003

20.73

-

-

20.73

Barley

RD-2052

17.42

-

-

17.42

Barley

RD-2624

56.16

-

-

56.16

Methi

RMT-1

4.16

4.39

-

8.55

 

Total

127.95

50.93

5.14

184.02

 TFL seed production at ARS, Fatehpur         

S. No.

Crop

Variety

Quantity (qt.)

2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

Total

1

Moth

RMO-435

1.33

-

-

1.33

2

Moth

RMO-40

4.38

-

-

4.38

4

Guar

RGC-1003

69.22

72.60

24.64

166.46

5

Moong

SML-668

1.57

16.48

0.46

18.51

6

Moong

RMG-62

2.77

-

-

2.77

7

Cowpea

RC -101

2.45

-

-

2.45

Total

81.72

89.08

25.10

195.90

Gross income from Seed production and other farm income                                     (Rupee)

Year

Income from seed production

Other Farm income

Total

2010-11

383611

76135

459746

2011-12

2008118

285147

2293265

2012-13

2404903

117444

2522347

Total

4796632

478726

5275358

Significant achievements:

Rabi 2010-11                                         

1. Barley: RD-2660 & RD-2624                                        

2. Mustard: Vasundhara & Jagnath.

3. Use of 40kg sulphur /ha through gypsum is found sutable dose for gram.

4. For organic cultivation of barley, seed treatment with neem oil 10ml/kg seed and placing of 100 sticks eucalyptus/ha (30cm long sticks and  5-10 cm deep in soil at equal  distance of 10 m is found effective for control of termite.

5. Spray of emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 100g/ha was found effective for control of   gram pod borer.

Kharif 2011

  1. Use of 40kg Sulphur/ha through gypsum is found suitable dose for moongbean.
  2. For organic cultivation of cowpea, use of 3.75t/ha FYM every year was found suitable
  3. To control root rot disease in chilli, seed treatment with Bavistin @ 2g/kg seed found suitable with Trichoderma viride @ 5.0g/kg seed + soil application of T. viride @ 2.0kg with 50kg FYM/ha found suitable.
  4. To control clump virus in groundnut sowing of pearlmillet bait crop using 100kg seed/ha and ploughing down after 15 days and then sowing of groundnut reduced the disease incidence.

Rabi 2011-12

1.  New varieties

       a) Wheat – RAJ-4083 & RAJ-4120.

 b ) Mustard- RGN-48

2.   For weed management in wheat use of metasulfuron methyl  @ 4gm.a.i /ha found effective.                                   

3.   For pearlmillet –mustard crop sequence use of RDF+30 kg K2O +100kg gypsum +10kg

     ZnSO4  +10kg FeSO4  per ha in mustard crop found most effective and economic.

Kharif 2012

  1. For safe effective and economic management of sucking pests like jassid, white fly and aphid in cluster bean, foliar spray of cow urine 15% or cow urine fermented in sun light 10% solution was found as effective as azadirachtine 0.03 Ec at 1500ml/ha (standard check)
  2. Foliar spray of cow urin 15% solution, or cow urin fermented in sunlight 10% solution was found equally effective to standard check (azadirachtine 0.03 Ec at 1500ml/ha) against insect pests of mungbean.
  3. For organic management of insect pests and diseases of cowpea, seed treatment with Trichoderma herzianum 10g./kg seed followed by foliar spray of azadirachtin 0.03 EC (2ml/litre) or cow urine 20% or ash 25kg/ha was done at 35 days after sowing were effective and economic compared to other treatments

Rabi 2012-13

1. Optimum seed rate of gram was verified @ 60-70kg /ha

2. Seed treatment with Topsin –M @ 2gm/kg followed by seedling dip in 0.1% solution of Topsin-M at transplanting time to control the pink root rot of onion.

Kharif 2013

AICRP on Agroforestry

1. Multipurpose forest tree system- In this system khejra (prosopis cineraria) Kikar (Acacia nilotica), Ardu (Alianthus exelsa) and Anjan (hadiniciria binata) were found fast growing species. Khari (Acacia senegal), Neem (Azadirachta indica), khejra (prosopis cineraria), Ardu (Ailanthus excelsa) and Anjan (Harwickia binata) were suitable for boundary plantation

2. Agrisilviculture system:  Agri silviculture means use of land for the concurrent production of agricultural crops and forest trees. Khejri and desi kikar were found suitable trees and bajra and guar were suitable crops for this system which produce as much as in open field.

3. Agrihorticulture system: A combination of horticultural crops/trees and field crops are integrate in this system.  Ber and aonla were found suitable fruit plants in this system, these should be planted in 6m x 6m distance.

4. Isralli babool (Acacia tortilis) were not found suitable for agri-silviculture system, however it was proved fast growing tree and matured in 15 years and it should be planted in 5m x 5m for energy plantation at uncultivable and waste lands.

5. Techniques of moisture conservation by ring ditching around the tree base (30cm deep in 2m radius) plus straw mulch have been found to improve soil moisture content.

6. Hardwickia binata (Anjan),belongs to family leguminoseae having straight bole with palatable fodder leaves is recommended as a silvipastoral tree for boundary plantation  at 5mx5m in irrigated as well as unirrigated conditions, it is also tolerant to enharsh environmental condition,

7. Farmers are advised to plant Ailanthus excelsa (Ardu) on their farm boundaries where temperature does not   fall below -1.0c to meet their demand for fodder and timber.

8. Tecomella undulate and Prosopis cineraria were found resistant against cold as well as hot winds.

9. Gola, Sav   and Umran varieties of ber were found better at farmer’s fields.

10. Traditional method plus micro-site improvement transplanting method was suitable pertaining survival of the trees. 

11. Nutrient cycling for sustainable productivity Agri-silviculture system of application of 10t FYM/ha gave significantly higher gross returns over no FYM use with p. cineraria. Further significantly higher gross return with clusterbean over mungbean, cowpea and mothbean crops.

12. Intercropping of kharif fodder crop varieties with Prosopis cineraria in which highest green and dry fodder was recorded under pearlmillet and clusterbean over all other crops.

13. The Aloe vera and Sonamukhi were found best medicinal crops in the Zone IIa.

Agrihorticulture system

Rabi 2013-14

  1. Spray Metasulfuran Methyl @ 4gm/ha 30 days after sowing of barley gave higher grain yield and reduced the weed count.
  2. Termite management in gram sown in conserved moisture with seed treatment of fipronil 5 SC @ 8ml or imidacloprid 200SL 3ml/kg seed and in standing crop of gram, application of imidacloprid 200 SL , 500 ml/ha at 60 days after sowing or appearance of the termite damage.

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Pradhan Smt. Patasi Devi P.S Fatehpur, inauguration of orientation workshop of farmers under RKVY Project

ARS Fatehpur Activities