Biodiversity, current developments and potential biotechnological applications of phosphorus-solubilizing and -mobilizing microbes: A review

As one of the most important and essential macronutrients next to nitrogen,phosphorus(P)is important for plant development,but it is the least mobile nutrient element in plant and soil.Globally,P is mined from geological sediments and added to agricultural soils so as to meet the critical requirements of crop plants for agronomic productivity.Phosphorus exists in soil in both organic and inorganic forms.The various inorganic forms of the element in soil are salts with calcium,iron,and aluminum,whereas the organic forms come from decaying vegetation and microbial residue.There is a huge diversity of plant microbiomes(epiphytic,endophytic,and rhizospheric)and soil microbiomes that have the capability to solubilize the insoluble P and make it available to plant.The main mechanism for the solubilization of inorganic P is by the production of organic acids,which lowers soil pH,or by the production of acid and alkaline phosphatases,which causes the mineralization of organic P.The P-solubilizing and-mobilizing microorganisms belong to all three domains,comprising archaea,bacteria,and eukarya.The strains belonging to the genera Arthrobacter,Bacillus,Burkholderia,Natrinema,Pseudomonas,Rhizobium,and Serratia have been reported as efficient and potential P solubilizers.The use of P solubilizers,alone or in combination with other plant growth-promoting microbes as an eco-friendly microbial consortium,could increase the P uptake of crops,increasing their yields for agricultural and environmental sustainability.     

An evaluation of two types of containers for the artificial incubation of Oreochromis eggs

Abstract. Conical and round-bottomed incubating containers were evaluated for efficiency in producing Oreochromis fry. For Orcochromis niloticus (L.) and Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters): 0-, 12-, 24-, 48- and 72-h-old egg clutches were artificially incubated at 28°C in conical and round-bottomed containers. Hatching occurred within 72–84h and 90–102h after fertilization respectively compared to 96–120h for naturally incubated egg clutches. No significant differences (P > 0·05) were found between the hatch and survival rates of O. niloticus and O. mossambicus fry or between fry from the various ages of eggs. The type of containers, however, significantly (P < 0·05) influenced the hatchability and survival rates, the overall survival rate from fertilization being 60% and 85% for conical and round-bottomed containers respectively. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed. The feasibility of using the superior round-bottomed containers for artificial egg and fry incubation and the advantages for broodstock management to mass produce Oreochromis fry are discussed.     

THE GENETIC RESPONSE OF BARLEY TO DDT AND BARBAN AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN CROP PROTECTION

Summary. The response of eleven barley varieties to DDT and barban was assessed in field and glasshouse trials. Chlorosis following the application of DDT and minimal doses of barban is an all-or-nothing effect, whereas in apical inhibition there are several degrees of resistance. The criteria used to assess the eflect of barban on apical inhibition were fresh weight of seedlings, fertile tiller production at maturity and visual estimates of damage at the seedling stage and at maturity. Inheritance studies showed that resistance to the chlorosis reaction of both DDT and barban is controlled by single recessive genes independently inherited.
Resistance to apical inhibition, on the other hand, appears to be quantitatively inherited. When F₂ and F₃ segregating populations in the field were sprayed with barban, the proportion of resistant plants in successive generations was markedly increased.
The authors conclude that collaboration between plant breeder and pest control specialists could lead to a far more efficient control of weed, pest and pathogen by the development of varieties of crop plants with a high degree of tolerance to the chemical employed, especially under conditions where selectivity is narrow and delicate, such as in the control of other monocotyledonous plants in cereals.     

Effect of stocking density on growth and survival of Oreochromis niloticus (L.) fry in the hatchery

Abstract. The effect of stocking density on growth and survival of Oreochromis niloticus (L.) fry was evaluated. O. niloticus fry (average weight, 10·56 ± 0·28mg and average length. 9·09 ± 0·05nim) were stocked in 2–1 tanks at 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20 fry/1 and reared for 33 days post fertilization, at 30°C (±1°C). Mean lengths, mean weights, and specific growth rates were found to be significantly lower ( P < 0·05) at the higher stocking densities. The coefficient of variation for the five stocking densities was significantly ( P < 0·05) different. Condition factors, however, were not significantly ( P < 0·05) different and survival was high at all density treatments. These data suggest that the culture of O. niloticus is feasible at the density groups tested but 5–10fry/I is recommended for fry culture in the hatchery, if a more uniform size is desired.     

Relationships between morphological descriptors and RAPD markers for assessing genetic variability in Hippophae rhamnoides L.

Knowledge of genetic relatedness among accessions of germplasm is necessary for the development of breeding strategies to produce improved cultivars.The present investigation on Hippophae rhamnoides was carried out to assess its genetic variability in Himachal Pradesh,India,by employing morphological and RAPD markers.Different areas of Himachal Pradesh were surveyed and eight sites were finally selected.Twenty four genotypes were selected for further studies,i.e.,three genotypes from each site.On the basis of morphological studies,the genotypes of the Ropa site(Kinnaur)were considered elite genotypes.To assess the variability at the molecular level,RAPD patterns were studied by random primers.The total number of bands amplified was 607,out of which 487 bands were identified as polymorphic,depicting 80.23 per cent variability.Six unique bands were produced from three primers(OPA-05,OPA-10 and OPD-08)specific for five genotypes,including three genotypes of the Ropa site,Kinnaur District.     

Molecular identification of sex in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hippophae rhamnoides</Emphasis> L. using isozyme and RAPD markers

In many dioecious plants, gender affects economic value, breeding schemes and opportunities for commercial harvests. Hippophae rhamnoides L. is a dioecious plant species in which female genotypes are commercially preferred over male genotypes. Its berries have rich medicinal, nutritional and pharmaceutical properties because of their large amounts of vitamins, essential oils, proteins, fatty acids, free amino acids and flavanoids. Primary limitation for breeding H. rhamnoides L. is its dioecious nature, since gender cannot be identified by traditional methods. Therefore, some reliable and quick methods need to be developed. This communication deals with the development of isozyme and RAPD markers for early sex identification in this dioecious tree. The isozyme analysis was conducted with four enzyme systems, viz. peroxidase, esterase, malate dehydrogenase and catalase. The peroxidase enzyme system produced a female specific sex marker, which successfully differentiated between the staminate and pistillate genotypes of H. rhamnoides L. Thirty five random decamer primers were used in our study and one male sex linked marker was identified. OPD-20 (5′-ACTTCGCCAC-3′) displayed a band at 911 bp that expressed polymorphism between male and female genotypes. The staminate and pistillate genotypes could be distinguished using RAPD marker OPD-20911. These results revealed the immense potential of peroxidase isozyme patterns and RAPD as genetic markers for sex identification in H. rhamnoides L.     

The influence of diluents, equilibration time and prefreezing storage time on the viability of cryopreserved Oreochromis niloticus (L.) spermatozoa

Abstract. This paper reports a series of trials on the cryopreservation of Oreochromis niloticus (L.) spermatozoa, using methanol as the cryoprotectant.
Immotile milt samples pooled from four males were diluted with two diluents, each being subjected to equilibration periods of 15, 30, 45, 60 and 90 min. In addition, samples of fresh pooled milt were kept for 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 days at 4°C prior to cryopreservation. Diluted samples were stored in 250-μl plastic straws and cooled to -50°C at 5°C/min and held under liquid nitrogen for between 1 and 3 weeks. Viability of post-thawed spermatozoa was estimated from video recordings of samples activated under a microscope and from fertilization rates of eggs.
The type of diluent and its interaction with equilibration time significantly (P< 0.05) influenced the post-thaw motility of spermatozoa. Spermatozoa stored for up to 6 days prior to cryopreservation were as fertile as freshly frozen spermatozoa and yielded 60.6 (±SE, 8.4) developing embryos.