Isolation and expression analysis of defensin gene and its promoter from Brassica juncea

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - The full-length pathogen-inducible plant defensin gene encoding 80 amino acid sequences of pathogen-related gene PR12 (Bjdefensin) was isolated from...     

Nutrient Management for Sustaining Productivity of Sunflower-Based Cropping Sequence in Indian Semiarid Regions

A comprehensive long-term study (2006–2010) was undertaken to develop a balanced and integrated nutrient supply system for sunflower-based cropping sequence considering the efficient utilization of residual and cumulative soil nutrient balance along with added fertilizers by the crops grown in rotation. The fertilizer application was done in potato and sunflower while greengram was raised as such on their residual effect. Significant response in yield was observed with 150% of the recommended nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) or inclusion of farmyard manure (FYM) with the recommended NPK in the cropping sequence indicating 6.2–7.0% gain in system productivity over the existing recommendations. Each additional unit of P and K nutrition prompted system productivity by 18.9 and 11.0 kg kg^?1 of applied nutrient, respectively. Apparent yield decline was observed in K and PK omission plots to the extent of 15.8 and 27.4% in potato, 10.5 and 23.9% in sunflower and 4.2 and 8.3% in greengram, respectively, compared to the recommended fertilization. The superiority of the FYM along with the recommended NPK (potato/sunflower) was evident on the overall profitability and sustainability of the system, highlighted by the significantly higher productivity (7.16 t SFEY ha^?1), sustainability yield index (SYI; 0.76), production efficiency (PE; 27.85 kg SFEY ha^?1 day^?1) and net returns (2520 USD ha^?1) with a B:C ratio of 2.91. Apparent change in potassium permanganate (KMnO₄)-N was negative in all the treatments while N and P balance was positive with 150% NPK fertilization. Nutrient uptake exceeded the replenishment with 100% NPK application and maintained net negative soil nutrient stock for all the primary nutrients, indicating the need for revalidation of the existing recommendations in the system perspective. Conspicuous improvement in residual soil fertility in terms of maximum buildup of soil organic carbon (14%) and enhancement in soil KMnO₄-N (4.2%), Olsen-P (19.4%), ammonium acetate (NH4OAc)-K (5.8%) and dehydrogenase enzyme activity (44.4%) was observed in FYM-treated plots over the initial values. The study suggested that the inclusion of legumes and FYM application with the recommended NPK in potato-sunflower cropping sequence will sustain the system’s productivity through the efficient use of nutrients, enhanced microbial activity and improved soil health while combating escalating prices of fertilizers as well as environmental issues in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India and similar environments.     

Decentralised water and wastewater treatment technologies to produce functional water for irrigation

The EU project SAFIR aimed to help farmers solve problems related to the use of low quality water for irrigation in a context of increasing scarcity of conventional freshwater resources. New decentralised water treatment devices (prototypes) were developed to allow a safe direct or indirect reuse of wastewater produced by small communities/industries or the use of polluted surface water. Water treatment technologies were coupled with irrigation strategies and technologies to obtain a flexible, easy to use, integrated management of the system. The challenge is to apply new strategies and technologies which allow using the lowest irrigation water quality without harming food safety or yield and fruit or derivatives quality. This study presents the results of prototype testing of a small-scale compact pressurized membrane bioreactor and of a modular field treatment system including commercial gravel filters and heavy-metal specific adsorption materials. Decentralised compact pressurised membrane biobooster (MBR), was able to remove up to 99.99% of the inlet Escherichia coli and 98.52% of total coliforms. E. coli was completely removed from irrigation water in 53% of the samples by the last MBR prototype version. In 2008, 100% of samples fulfilled WHO standards (1989) and Global Gap requirement for faecal contamination. MBR removed from inlet flow in the average 82% of arsenic, 82% of cadmium, 97% of chromium, 93% of copper and 99% of lead. Boron and manganese were not removed from permeate. The field treatment system (FTS) proved to be effective against faecal contamination when applied with its complete set up including UV treatment. The sole gravel filter and heavy metal removal device (HMR) cannot provide sufficient and steadily treatment for microbial contamination. Nevertheless, gravel filter can remove up to 60% of E. coli but the removal process was not stable nor predictable. FTS removed 76% of arsenic, 80% of cadmium and copper, 88% of chromium and lead, and up to 97% of zinc. Like the MBR, boron and manganese were not removed from the irrigation water. Gravel filter directly fed with secondary treated wastewater was found able to remove 41% of arsenic, 36% of cadmium and lead, 48% of chromium and 46% of copper. The residual heavy metals concentration after the gravel filter was further reduced by the HMR: 35% for arsenic, 22% for cadmium, 25% for chromium, 33% for copper and 53% for lead.     

Pacific Island children: The use of maps in helping better understand children's lives

Children's voices have been little heard in the Pacific research. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 asserts the child's right to have a say on matters that affect them and for their views to be considered. There has been massive growth in technologically assisted participative research; however, we argue the value of hand drawn maps should not be underestimated in the rush to engage with more advanced techniques. We present data from 267 neighbourhood maps drawn by children in Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa and New Zealand. To better understand the social construction of knowledge in children's everyday lives, we propose two models to conceptualise the complexity of their world, a social connection and a spatial connection model. These models reveal how Pacific Island children negotiate different levels of social connection from home, family, and community through to transnational kinship relations. People, specifically family, provide the geographic basis on which their spatial encounters are overlaid. Irrespective of country or rural/urban/atoll setting, it is social space that is the strongest connector for children as displayed in their maps. Application of our models can be used to reveal how knowledge is socially constructed in Pacific children's everyday lives.     

Indications of soil borne inoculum ofPhytophthora infestans

Summary In this paper we present observations made during three years in a potato field in Sweden that indicated the presence of soil borne inoculum ofPhytophthora infestans. In 1994, a fungicide trial against late blight was left in the field with various degrees of late blight infection. In 1995, cereals was grown in the field. In 1996, certified potato seed tubers were planted and blight appeared early in the season in a pattern corresponding to the heavily infected areas in 1994. No volunteer potato plants were found in 1995 or 1996. Both mating types A1 and A2 were isolated in 1996 and 1997 and oospores were found in leaves, stems as well as in stolons.     

Going private: Are private prisons cost-saving options for states?

As prison populations have increased, states have often turned to private prisons in an effort to save on correctional costs. This paper first considers the trade-offs between private and public prisons, then assesses the cost-effectiveness of such strategies across all 50 states over 1999–2015 using a fixed-effects panel model. We find that private prisons provide no significant systematic cost savings over the period of study, adding econometric clarification to previously inconclusive case study evidence.     

Interaction of short day and timing of nitrogen fertilization on growth and flowering of ‘Korona’ strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)

The effects of timing of nitrogen (N) fertilization relative to the beginning of a 4-week floral-inducing short-day (SD) period have been studied in ‘Korona’ strawberry plants under controlled environment conditions. Groups of low fertility plants were fertilized with 100 ml of calcium nitrate solution for 3 days a week for a period of 3 weeks starting at various times before and at the beginning of the SD period, as well as at different times during the SD period. All plants, including SD and long day (LD) control plants, received a weekly fertilization with a low concentration complete fertilizer solution throughout the experiment. Leaf area, fresh and dry matter increments of leaves, crowns and roots, as well as leaf chlorophyll concentration (SPAD values) were monitored during the experimental period. A general enhancement of growth took place at all times of N fertilization. This was paralleled by an increase in leaf chlorophyll concentration, indicating that the control plants were in a mild state of N deficiency. When N fertilization was started 2 weeks before beginning of the SD period, flowering was delayed by 7 days, and this was gradually changed to an advancement of 8 days when the same treatment was started 3 weeks after the first SD. The amount of flowering was generally increased by N fertilization although the effect varied greatly with the time of N application. The greatest flowering enhancement occurred when N fertilization started 1 week after the first SD when the number of flowering crowns and the number of inflorescences per plant were more than doubled compared with the SD control, while fertilization 2 weeks before SD had no significant effect on these parameters. Importantly, the total number of crowns per plant was not affected by N fertilization at any time, indicating that enhancement of flowering was not due to an increase in potential inflorescence sites. No flowering took place in the control plants in LD. Possible physiological mechanisms involved and practical applications of the findings are discussed.