ZONE Ic: HYPER ARID PARTIALLY IRRIGATED WESTERN PLAIN ( ARS, Bikaner)



The zone covers a geographical area of 7.71 m ha comprising districts of Bikaner, Jaisalmer and four tehsils of Churu. Among soil layer, mostly desert soil and sand dunes, wind blown Aeolian soil, loamy fine to coarse sand in texture and in certain places calcareous as well as gypsiferous hard plan are found. The rainfall ranges from 185 mm to 390 mm. The major crops of the zone are pearlmillet, mothbean and clusterbean in kharif and wheat and rapeseed & mustard in rabi season.

Farm area  :   ARS Bikaner   94.25  ha

Research Achievements & Crop varieties developed

During 2001-2008 following varieties were developed:

Crop	Variety	Specific Characteristics
Moth bean	RMO 257	Early maturing (65 days) variety giving higher seed as well as fodder yield .
	RMB 25	Early maturing (67 days), high yielding and has higher field resistance against diseases like YMV, root rot, leaf crinkle and bacterial leaf spot than RMO 225.
	RMO 423	Early maturing (67-70 days), therefore escapes/tolerant to terminal drought conditions.  Better resistant to against jassids and whiteflies.
	RMO 435	High yielding variety in seed as well as fodder.  Matures in 67-70 days.

PRODUCTION & PROTECTION TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED
                       
During the years 2006 & 2007 following technologies were developed and recommended for adoption by the farmers in the zone

• Five ton FYM/ha spread over planted rows recommended in pearlmillet for good establishment.
• Sowing of pearlmillet at 60 cm spacing and making ridge and furrow after inter culture operation at 30 days after sowing was found beneficial.
• Irrigation water having RSC upto 4.0 me/L was found safe for irrigation in clusterbean under light textured soils, provided that gypsum is added to soil as per 50 per cent GR.
• Irrigating bottle gourd with saline water up to 3.0 dS/m through drip was found safe under light textured soil.
• Fodder crop sequence pearlmillet - guar - oat-cowpea recommended for higher fodder production.
• Soil application of 10 kg ZnSO4/ha or foliar spray of 0.2% ZnSO4 + 0.1% lime (Chuna) solution at tillering stage has been recommended for obtaining higher yield of pearlmillet.
• For controlling broad leaf weeds in standing wheat crop, post emergence application of carfentrazon (SG) @ 20 g/ha in 500 liter of water is to be sprayed in between the rows.
• In chickpea crop pre-plant incorporation of fluchloralin @ 0.75 kg/ha in 500 liter of water followed by one hand weeding 30 days after sowing  recommended for controlling weeds.
• To obtain maximum yield of fenugreek water may be applied @ 0.6 V through drip along with the use of 25 micron black plastic mulch. The average seasonal water requirement of fenugreek crop under drip & mulch has been worked out to be 282 mm under arid conditions.  Without mulch drip irrigation be applied @ 1.0 V i.e. 430 mm to obtain higher yields of fenugreek.
• To obtain maximum yield of fennel water be applied @ 0.6V through drip along with the use of 25 micron black plastic mulch.  The average seasonal water requirement of fennel crop under drip and mulch has been work out to be 343 mm under arid conditions. In field without mulch drip irrigation be applied @ 1.0 V i.e. 536mm to obtain higher yields of fennel.
• Emameetin benjoate 0.4 kg/ha found  most effective for the control of pod borer in gram crop, alternatively Indoxacarb 200 ml/h can be applied for the control of pod borer in gram crop.