RÉSUMÉ
Accurate estimation of crop yield is crucial for ensuring food security and effective policy making. This study focuses on the estimation of sorghum yield in the Solapur region of Maharashtra (India), employing the Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer (DSSAT) model. Sorghum is the fifth largely produced staple crop of the world which also plays a vital role in the food security produced by India. Maharashtra has the largest area under sorghum crop, and Solapur has the most area under rabi sorghum with an area of 4.6 lakh ha, accounting for 23% of the total area under rabi sorghum in the state. Although productivity is lower in Maharashtra than in other states, these studies will help us to get a preharvest estimate of the crop. Crop Cutting Experiments(CCE) were conducted for rabi sorghum and the model was validated for the simulated yields; which have a range of grain yield from 611 to 1525 kgs ha-1 and showed error with less than 14% and it was evaluated with statistical models such R2, Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) and Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) and results show as 84%, 0.84 and 0.07. This model can be used further used for the yield gap analysis, and climate change studies for the locations.
RÉSUMÉ
There are several short- and long-term negative effects on human health caused by the well-known pollutant known as particulate matter (PM), which also significantly contributes to urban air pollution. Trees can act as a sustainable air purifying filter by adsorbing and absorbing tiny airborne dust. Their effectiveness is influenced by a number of variables, including particulate matter concentration and leaf features of tree species. In this study, the particulate matter capturing capacity of commonly grown 20 tree species were compared and the best tree species were chosen for the urban plantation to reduce particulate matter pollution. In this study, Ficus bengalensis (0.67 mg/cm2), Mangifera indica (0.61 mg/cm2), Polyalthia longifolia (0.57 mg/cm2), Tectona grandis (0.66 mg/cm2) and Terminalia catappa (0.63 mg/cm2) were found to be the best tree species among the 20 tree species and also it was confirmed that morphological characteristics of tree leaves plays an important role in capturing the particulate matter from the atmosphere. In conclusion, our findings may help in the selection of greening tree species with strong particulate matter purifying capacities for both industrial and urban areas.
RÉSUMÉ
The proper disposal of manufacturing and consumer waste, including sewage sludge, is one of the numerous environmental issues facing today's society. In addition to posing serious health concerns to humans, anthropogenic activities are a major source of environmental pollution and can result in an overabundance of pollutants entering the terrestrial ecosystem. The goal of the current study was to determine how existing tree and plant species near sewage drains were affected by the bioaccumulation of carcinogenic metals (Cd, Ni, Co, and Cr) together with other heavy metals. These heavy metals found in the sewage are hazardous to the health of both people and the environment. To further understand how well these plant species adapted to the metal-contaminated soil, many biological parameters, including stomatal density, leaf length, leaf area index, and stress hormone levels, were investigated. For every species included in the study, soil samples were taken near the sewer drains and the rhizosphere. The plant species' leaves and roots (where feasible) were also harvested. To check for metal buildup in the wood, various tree species had their trunks harvested. All of these samples go through an acid digestion process using an aquaregia combination. Following digestion, the samples are examined using Microwave Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (MP-AES) for the presence of heavy metals. In this study, we briefly address the findings on the accumulation of heavy metals by certain plant species.