Effect of supplementation of rice straw with biogas residual slurry manure on the yield, protein and mineral contents of oyster mushroom

Popularity of oyster mushroom is increasing for its ease of cultivation, high yield potential as well as its high nutritional value. Laboratory experimentation followed by farm trial with a typical oyster mushroom Pleurotus sajor caju revealed that the yield potential of these mushrooms can be increased significantly when grown on a lignocellulosic crop residue—rice straw supplemented with biogas residual slurry manure in 1:1 ratio as substrate. Residual slurry manures obtained from biogas plants utilising either cattle dung, poultry litter, jute caddis or municipal solid waste as substrates for biogas production were all effective in increasing the yield of Pleurotus sajor caju significantly although to different extents. Disinfection of straw and manure by means of 0.1% KMnO₄ plus 2% formalin solution in hot water caused 42.6% increase in yield of Pleurotus sajor caju over control, i.e., when disinfection done with hot water. In addition to increased yield, the above treatments caused significant increase in protein content, reduction in carbohydrate and increase in essential mineral nutrients in mushroom sporophores. Thus, it is concluded from the study that supplementation of rice straw with biogas residual slurry manure has strong impact in improving the yield potential, protein and mineral nutrient contents of Pleurotus sajor caju mushroom in Indian subcontinent or similar climatic conditions.     

Biological evaluation of pearl millet protein: effect of different treatments and storage

Whole grain flour of one variety (HC-4) of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum L. Leeke) after giving different treatments (defatting, butylated hydroxyanisole, ascorbic acid and thermal) was stored in earthen pots at prevailing room temperature (28–34°C) and relative humidity (70–80%) for 30 days. The flour samples were evaluated for protein quality using rats. Storage of flour for 30 days markedly reduced the protein quality. The values of protein efficiency ratio, true digestibility, biological value, net protein retention and net protein utilisation were significantly (P<0.05) higher in fresh and treated flour than untreated flour. Among treated flours, defatted flour showed best growth followed by butylated hydroxyanisole, thermal and ascorbic acid treated flour.     

Yield characteristics and morphometric relationships of giant freshwater prawn,Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man, 1879)

Meat yield of 233 individuals of giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man, 1879), and their morphometric relationships were examined. Morphometric parameters of different length and weight measurements were recorded for both the sexes separately and subjected to analysis. The meat yield of prawns was size and sex dependent with females showing significantly greater (P < 0.05) tail meat yield than males. The tail meat as a body weight percentage ranges from 26.12 to 40.75 and 32.97 to 42.11 in males and females, respectively. Much of the differences in yield are related to the size and weight of the head and claws. The head weight of males was observed to be higher compared to females in all the size classes. Regression slopes of total length versus body weight and total length versus head weight were significantly higher than critical isometric value indicating high positive allometric growth in both the sexes, with males showing significantly higher (P < 0.05) slope than females. The relationship parameters of total length versus tail weight and total length versus tail meat showed a positive allometric growth in females, whereas it is isometry and negative allometry in males. The morphometric relationship of tail length versus all weight measurements showed positive allometry and negative allometry in females and males, respectively.     

Horvath-Kawazoe Model Based Evaluation of Pore Volume of Nanoporous Clinoptilolite

A liquid nitrogen (N₂) adsorption isotherm was employed to understand the differential pore-volume distribution (PVD) patterns of commercial Clinoptilolite (zeolite) fractions (<125 µ (Z8; fine or micro), 125–250 µ (Z9; medium) and >250 µ (Z10; coarse). The differential PVD of the fractions were calculated from the original Horvath-Kawazoe (HK) model. A full spectrum of pore volume distribution has exhibited “curves symmetric around the origin” irrespective of the Clinoptilolite fractions. However, the fractions exhibited a definite pattern of curves for each of the micro, meso and macropore region. Although, ultramicropores couldn’t be seen in any of the fractions, super micropore region exhibited uni-modal distribution curve with mono-disperse pores for all the fractions with varying pore volumes, while multimodal and tri-modal for meso and macro pore region respectively. Irrespective of the pore region, fine fraction (Z8) exhibited higher differential pore volume than other fractions. It was evident from the differential PVD that particle size has a major role in determining the textural properties of Clinoptilolite fractions.     

A combined Taguchi and response surface approach to improve electret charge in corona-charged fibrous electrets

In this work, an attempt was made to model, analyze, and optimize corona charging process for production of fibrous electrets using a combined Taguchi and response surface approach. The key process variables determining the magnitude and duration of electret charge were screened out using Taguchi approach and optimized using response surface approach. The simultaneous optimization of magnitude as well as duration of electret charge led to an initial surface potential of 1.6 kV and half-decay time of 11.18 min.     

Isolation and culture of preantral follicles for retrieving oocytes for the embryo production: present status in domestic animals

The development of efficient ovarian preantral follicle (PF) isolation and culture systems provide a large number of oocytes for the manipulation and embryo production. It also helps for understanding the mechanisms of follicle and oocyte development. Isolation and culture protocols for PFs were developed for many domestic species like cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, pig, horse, camel, dog and cats; however, embryo production from oocytes derived from in vitro grown PFs was reported only in pigs, buffalo, sheep and goat. The rate of oocyte maturation from PFs grown in vitro is low and requires considerable research. This paper presents an overview of isolation and culture systems of PFs that have been developed for domestic species (cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat, pigs, horse, camel, dog and cat) along with the current status of progress achieved in the direction of producing embryos using PFs as the source of oocyte in these species.     

Properties and functional impact of termite sheetings

Termites are considered soil engineers and key bioturbators in tropical and subtropical soils. A large number of studies have described the specific properties of the aboveground mounds that termites construct to protect their colonies from environmental hazards. However, there is a paucity of information on properties of soil sheetings; more temporary but often extensive structures are covering over or inserted within substrates on the ground such as leaves and woody materials or components of arboreal runways. Such sheetings are conspicuously produced not only by the Macrotermitinae but also by many other unrelated taxa. Here, we review the available literature and discuss (i) the relationship between rainfall and soil sheeting production and (ii) how termites affect the clay and C contents in soil sheetings. This reveals that sheeting production is highly variable and site specific. We also found that soil sheetings are always enriched in clay, but their impacts on soil C content are variable and related to the C content of the parent soil and to the quality of the substrates consumed by termites.     

Drought-Tolerant Pseudomonas spp. Improve the Growth Performance of Finger Millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) Under Non-Stressed and Drought-Stressed Conditions

Application of plant growth-promoting bacteria(PGPB)is an environmentally sustainable option to reduce the effects of abiotic and biotic stresses on plant growth and productivity.Three 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid(ACC)deaminase-producing drought-tolerant bacteria were isolated from a rain-fed agriculture field in the Central Himalaya of Kumaun region,Uttarakhand,India and evaluated for their efficiency in improving finger millet(Eleusine coracana(L.)Gaertn.)plant growth under non-stressed and drought-stressed conditions.These bacteria withstood a substrate metric potential of -1.0 MPa(30% polyethylene glycol 8000)and therefore were considered drought-tolerant.These strains were identified as Pseudomonas spp.by fatty acid methyl ester analysis and 16S rRNA gene sequencing.The ACC deaminase activity of these strains was characterized at the biochemical level,and the presence of acd S gene,the structural gene for ACC deaminase,was confirmed by the polymerase chain reaction.Two sets of pot trials in glass house were set up,one for normal(non-stressed)and the other for drought-stressed conditions.After 5 weeks,one set of plants was subjected to drought stress for 5 d,while the other set continued to be watered.The same growth parameters were recorded for both sets of plants after 40 d of plant growth.The results of pot trials showed that treatments inoculated with ACC deaminase-producing bacterial strains significantly improved the growth performance of finger millet plants and foliar nutrient content as compared to uninoculated treatments under both non-stressed and drought-stressed conditions.In addition,a significant increase in antioxidant activity was observed,wherein bacterial stain inoculation improved plant fitness by protecting it from oxidative damage induced by drought.     

Gene-based analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia</Emphasis> species and development of PCR-based marker to detect <Emphasis Type="Italic">Puccinia striiformis</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">tritici</Emphasis> causing yellow rust of wheat

Stripe rust is considered as the current major rust disease affecting winter cereal production across the world. A quick, reliable PCR-based marker was developed here to detect, identify and rapidly monitor Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) in wheat-growing areas. Three respective sets of primers, designed from β-tubulin, squalene monooxygenase and ketopantoate reductase genes selected from the full genome of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, amplified sequences of 239, 358 and 1518 bp, respectively, in Pst pathotypes. A fragment of 1518 bp unique to Pst pathotypes was amplified using primer set PstKeto F1_30/Pst KetoR1_1547 and distinguished the pathogen clearly from different Puccinia spp. and other fungal pathogens. The detection limit of the marker (KetoPstRA₁₅₀₀, accession no. KU240073) by conventional PCR assay was 10 pg. This marker could detect the pathogen in the host before symptom expression. The sensitivity and utility of the marker were further enhanced in a qPCR-based assay that was developed with a newly designed primer set PstKeto F1_1246/Pst KetoR1_1547, which amplified a product of 302 bp and detected as little as 10 fg of DNA. This PCR/qPCR based marker is suitable for studying cultivar resistance, which requires accurate quantification of the pathogen in diseased host tissue.