Background:&nbsp;Nitrogen plays a crucial role in growth cycling and development, thereby influencing the plant growth and productivity. Understanding the interactions between nitrogen uptake with different irrigation and nitrogen fertilizers could provide a valuable insight for optimizing tomato production. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the effect of nitrogen uptake on tomato production under different nitrogen fertilizer and irrigation regimes.

Methods:&nbsp;The field experiment was carried out during 2022-2023 in split plot design with two irrigation main plots treatments and five different nitrogen fertilizer subplot treatments. Irrigation treatments consisted of 0.6 and 0.8 IW/CPE ratio and the nitrogen fertilizer treatments comprised of conventional urea, neem coated urea, ammonium sulfate, nano-urea and vermicompost.

Result: A higher nitrogen uptake was observed in the treatment combination of 0.6 and 0.8 IW/CPE ratio with vermicompost and nano-urea fertilizer applied treatments. Additionally, optimal irrigation conditions positively influenced nitrogen uptake and subsequent tomato fruit yield. This finding emphasizes the importance of considering nitrogen uptake when determining nitrogen fertilizer rates and irrigation management strategies for tomato production.

Effect of Irrigation Regimes and Nitrogenous Fertilization on Nitrogen Uptake in Tomato

<div>Background: Poor soil fertility management in Ghana has necessitated the need to investigate the appropriate source of nitrogen which enhances nitrogen use efficiency and improves maize productivity under rainfed condition.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The experiment consisted of five treatments; control (no fertilizer), NPK 15-15-15 (90 kg N ha-1), urea (90 kg N ha-1), poultry manure (4.2 tons ha-1) and combination of NPK 15-15-15 and poultry manure (&frac12;NPK 15-15-15 + &frac12; poultry manure). Randomized complete block design was the experimental design used for the experiment with three replications.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The greatest grain yield (5,551 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (14,296 kg ha-1) for the major rainy season were recorded by the combined application of NPK 15-15-15 and Poultry manure treatment, while the highest grain yield (3,507 kg ha-1) and biomass yield (7,976 kg ha-1) was recorded by NPK 15-15-15 treatment during the minor rainy season.</div>

Yield and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Maize (Zea mays L.) Following the Application of Various Nitrogen Sources under Rainfed Conditions in the Bono Region of Ghana

<div>Background: Indian economy is largely based on agriculture. Major share of agricultural investments goes into chemical fertilizers. Nitrogen (N) fertilizers are used in fields to enhance the crop yield. Most of the reports are based on growth related data, morphological and yield related data but very few reports reveal the facts about genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of these fertilizers. Therefore, the present communication is an attempt in the aforesaid direction. 
 
Methods: In a pot experiment, mineral N content of soil in the form of ammonium-N (NH4+-N) and nitrate-N (NO3--N) were analysed at regular interval of 5 days till 30 days after treatment (DAT). On the corresponding days root tip assay was done for cytotoxic analyses and also the temporal changes in NH4+-N and NO3--N contents were observed. 
 
Result: In the Ammonium nitrate treatments, higher mitotic index (MI%) percentages were obtained. While for the Urea, NH4+-N content and MI were found to have a positive correlation. Also, it was found that there is an optimum ratio of NH4+-N and NO3--N in each treatment at which the MI% was the maximum. The study gives an interesting insight for the possible cytotoxic effects of the N fertilizers.</div>

Temporal Monitoring and Assessment of Inorganic Nitrogen Content of Soil due to Nitrogen Fertilizers and their Related Cytotoxic Effects

Background: Adequate and balanced use of plant nutrients could increase crop performance and reduce adverse environmental effects. Farmers in Berekum have little information on the specific rate of nutrient, especially nitrogen application for hybrid and open pollinated maize varieties. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was carried out in Berekum Municipality of Ghana to determine the effects of different doses of N fertilizer (0, 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1) on growth and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of Pannar 12 (hybrid) and Omankwa (open-pollinated) maize varieties. The experiment was conducted in a factorial randomized block design and replicated thrice. 
 
Result: Experimental results revealed that incremental doses of nitrogen significantly impacted vegetative growth and NUE of maize. The studies indicated that the growth response in terms of plant height, number of leaves per plant and stem diameter of Omankwa was better than that of Pannar 12. It was found that in the main cropping period of 2019, the maximum NUE of 14.58 kg/kg was gained when Pannar 12 was grown with 150 kg N ha-1, while the highest NUE (15.91 kg/kg) was recorded when Omankwa was grown with 90 kg N ha-1. In the minor season of 2019, NUE was highest (13.54 kg/kg) when Pannar 12 was grown with 150 kg N ha-1, while application of 120 kg N ha-1&nbsp;to Omankwa resulted in the highest NUE (10.85 kg/kg). The studies indicated that application of nitrogen at 90, 120 and 150 kg N ha-1&nbsp;improved NUE in maize. However, NUE was optimized in Pannar 12 due to application of 150 kg N ha-1, while application of 90 kg N ha-1&nbsp;was enough to optimize NUE in Omankwa.

Effects of Different Doses of Nitrogen on Growth and Nitrogen Use Efficiency of Maize (Zea mays L.) in Berekum Municipality of Ghana

<div style="text-align: justify;">Soybean (Glycine max) is a leguminous crop grown worldwide for its dual qualities viz. high protein and oil content.&nbsp; It contains about 40-42% protein and 20-22% oil and is one of the major cash crop of rainy season.The plant growth parameters like plant height, leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter accumulation of soybean increased with application of nitrogen from 30-80 kg N ha-1. Nodule number and nodule dry weight increased with application of 40 kg N ha-1and decreased afterwards whereas, yield and yield attributes of soybean increased with the application of nitrogen upto 100 kg ha-1. Application of nitrogen from 40-80 kg N&nbsp; ha-1as basal dose resulted in increase in protein content. The split application of nitrogen as basal and at reproductive stages also resulted in increase in protein content. However, oil content decreased with increasing level of nitrogen. The oil content increased with application of nitrogen upto 40 kg N ha-1. Application of nitrogen also improved soil properties like organic carbon, available NPK and saturated hydraulic conductivity.</div>

Nitrogen management in Soybean: A Review

Nitrogen (N) is the most critical externally added input for any crop production system. The half of the global population directly or indirectly depends on nitrogenous fertilizers for food supply. Today, Rice, wheat, and maize are consuming more than 90% of total nitrogenous fertilizer used in cereals. Underuse of nitrogen is associated with lower crop production while overuse leads to several soil and environmental related consequences. Therefore, response to applied nitrogen and its use efficiency have to be monitored properly for obtaining the maximum potential and sustainable yield. Efficiency of applied nitrogenous fertilizers is very low due to its various losses i.e. volatilization, leaching, surface runoff and denitrification from soil-plant system. Therefore, the proper understanding of advanced soil and plant management practices which helps in enhancement of nitrogen recovery efficiency is one of the key factors to enhance crop output, decreasing cost of cultivation, and to maintain environmental quality which ultimately adds towards the goal of achieving long term sustainable production system. In this review, an attempt has been made summarize the locally as well as scientific soil and crop management technologies used for improving use efficiency of applied N. This paper also discusses nitrogen cycling in soil-plant systems, various N losses pathways, present status and most possible management options at the farm level for enhancing nitrogen use in crop production system.

Strategies for improving nitrogen use efficiency: A review

<div>Declining per capita land, water and other resources triggered by changing climate and increasing population need resource conservation technologies (RCTs) for agricultural sustainability. This paper has presented findings from recent research on resource conservation technologies that have been attempted in different regions of India. The superiority of resource conservation technologies (RCTs) such as laser land leveling, zero tillage, bed planting, direct seeded rice, leaf colour chart, green seeker and crop diversification over conventional methods of cultivation practices is evaluated in terms of saving of energy, water and labour, increase in crop yield, water productivity, nutrient-use efficiency, net returns and making agriculture climate smart. Zero tillage with residue retention increase soil organic carbon sequestration, conserve soil moisture and lower soil temperature thus making agriculture climate smart. Direct seeded rice is solution for labour scarcity, excessive water and fuel use in transplanted rice. Use of leaf colour chart saves nitrogenous fertilizers. Laser land leveling and bed planting practices increase water productivity and crop yield over conventional practices. But the machinery required for adoption of RCTs are heavy and costly, so the study has suggested the use of machines on co-operative basis and also the wider scale testing of new technologies under diverse production systems.</div>

Resource Conservation Technologies in Era of Climate Change: A Review

Background: Integrated management of soil, water and nutrient resources is critical in improving animal feed production sustainably as it is highly resource demanding. Barley is considered as an excellent choice for animal feed owing to its rich nutritional composition, energy content, palatability, versatility and economic feasibility. Implementing sustainable crop management practices that improve soil health as well as enhance water and nitrogen availability is critical for improving crop productivity and ensuring improved animal feed production in these challenging environments. In arid regions with scarce water resources and less fertile soil, an interplay between water availability and nitrogen fertilization plays a significant role in enhancing barley production. Thus adoption of conservation agricultural practices coupled with optimized irrigation and fertilization regime is crucial in establishing sustainable animal feed production in the region. However, much insight is not delivered in the area of interactive effects of irrigation and fertilization with conservational agricultural practices on sustainable intensification of animal feed production in arid and semi-arid lands. The study investigated the interactive effect of tillage, mulching, irrigation and nitrogen application rates on growth and yield performance of barley under Kuwait&rsquo;s environmental conditions. 
 
Methods: The study was conducted at KISR Station for Research and Innovation-KSRI (29.3156&deg;N, 47.8403&deg;E), Kuwait. The effect of tillage and mulching on the growth and yield performance of barley was evaluated under combinations of three different irrigation (100% ETc, 75% ETc&nbsp;and 50% ETc) and fertilization application rates (0 kg/ha, 50 kg/ha and 100 kg/ha). Split-split plot experimental design was employed with three replications to study the effect of different treatments on plant height, number of plants per square meter, spike length, number of spikes per square meter, biomass yield, grain weight, harvest index and residue yield. 
 
Result: Tillage, mulching, irrigation and fertilization application rates imposed a significant interaction effect on barley biomass and grain yield. Minimum tilled plots with mulching under 100% ETc&nbsp;irrigation and 100 kgN/ha recorded the highest biomass and residue yield. For grain yield, minimum as well as conventional tillage with mulching produced the highest value under 100% ETc&nbsp;irrigation and 50 kgN/ha. Highest plant height and number of spikes per square meter was noted in plots with minimum tillage and mulching under 100% ETc&nbsp;irrigation.

Effect of Tillage and Mulching on Growth and Yield Performance of Barley under Different Nitrogen and Irrigation Application Rates

<div>Background: Optimum sowing time which enables the utilization of all the available resources is prerequisite to achieve the potential crop yield. Quantifying nitrogen requirement of a crop is important as nitrogen directly influences the crop yield. The objective of this study was to evaluate sowing time and nitrogen levels on proso millet yield and yield attributes. 
 
Methods: The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with three replications having four times of sowing [II FN of June (S1), I FN of July (S2), II FN of July (S3) and I FN of August (S4)] as main plots and four nitrogen levels [0 kg N ha-1 (N1), 20 kg N ha-1 (N2), 40 kg N ha-1 (N3) and 60 kg N ha-1 (N4)] as sub plots.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Among the sowing times tried, II FN of June (S1) sown crop resulted in the higher yield attributes, grain and straw yield. While their lowest were with the crop sown during I FN of August (S4). Significantly higher yield attributes, grain and straw yield were observed with the application of 60 kg N ha-1 (N4) than with 40 kg N ha-1 (N3). Reduced yield attributes, grain and straw yield were observed with no nitrogen application (N1).</div>

Effect of Times of Sowing and Nitrogen Levels on Yield and Yield Attributes of Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.)

Background: Agricultural production faces challenges, such as soil depletion, declining yields and climate variability, necessitating sustainable practices. Conservation agriculture (CA) improves soil health, ecosystem conservation and resource efficiency but is underutilized in cereal-based systems in South Asia. Incorporating legumes, such as green gram into cropping systems enhances nitrogen turnover and soil health. This study examines the effects of CA practices and residual nitrogen on green gram performance and soil health in a wheat-green gram-maize cropping system. 
 
Methods: A two-year field study (Rabi 2021-Kharif 2023) was conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, on sandy loam soil. The experiment was conducted using a split plot design and replicated thrice. Main plot treatments comprised of three crop establishment methods: conventional tillage (CT), zero tillage with residue retention (ZT+R) and permanent raised beds with residue retention (PB+R), whereas subplot treatments consist seven nitrogen management (NM) strategies for wheat and maize (varying RDN levels with prilled urea or nano-urea). No nitrogen was applied to the green gram, relying on the residual nitrogen from the wheat, as phosphorus and potassium were applied as per recommendation. 
 
Result: Permanent raised beds with residue retention (PB+R) significantly improved plant height, biomass, LAI, yield and nitrogen uptake compared with conventional tillage (CT) and zero tillage with residue retention (ZT+R). Nitrogen management with 100% RDN enhanced the nitrogen uptake, chlorophyll content and protein content. PB+R with 100% RDN recorded significantly highest green gram yield (0.85 t ha-1) and nitrogen uptake, attributed to improved root proliferation, water conservation and nutrient acquisition. permanent raised beds with residue retention along with 100% RDN also recorded the highest net returns and BC ratio.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;