Economic contribution of wild edible mushrooms to a forest fringe ethnic community in some eastern lateritic parts of India

Dry deciduous forests of the eastern lateritic part of India are a typical case where forest valuation is yet to be integrated with the non-timber forest products like wild edible mushrooms (WEMs), which have a wide use in subsistence and cash income. A detailed accounting of the production and utilization of WEMs harvested from that region was made to highlight the economic worth of WEMs to the Santal community of this region. The WEMs production in the forest was in a polynomial pattern during the monsoon period. The net present value of revenues from WEMs was estimated to be contributing 9.83 and 10.29 % of total annual income of a Santal family of the Choupahari and Gonpur forests, respectively. The ecological footprint of the Santal communities on WEMs was higher in the forest area which was closer to the local markets than did the distant ones. Forest areas of the eastern lateritic part of India have a strong potentiality to produce WEMs that may be helpful for socio-economic upliftment of local tribal communities through the development of entrepreneurship and policy making.     

Heterochromatic silencing and HP1 localization in Drosophila are dependent on the RNAi machinery

Genes normally resident in euchromatic domains are silenced when packaged into heterochromatin, as exemplified in Drosophila melanogaster by position effect variegation (PEV). Loss-of-function mutations resulting in suppression of PEV have identified critical components of heterochromatin, including proteins HP1, HP2, and histone H3 lysine 9 methyltransferase. Here, we demonstrate that this silencing is dependent on the RNA interference machinery, using tandem mini-white arrays and white transgenes in heterochromatin to show loss of silencing as a result of mutations in piwi, aubergine, or spindle-E (homeless), which encode RNAi components. These mutations result in reduction of H3 Lys9 methylation and delocalization of HP1 and HP2, most dramatically in spindle-E mutants.     

Comparison of hemodynamic, clinicopathologic, and gastrointestinal motility effects and recovery characteristics of anesthesia with isoflurane and halothane in horses undergoing arthroscopic surgery

OBJECTIVE: To compare hemodynamic, clinicopathologic, and gastrointestinal motility effects and recovery characteristics of halothane and isoflurane in horses undergoing arthroscopic surgery. ANIMALS: 8 healthy adult horses. PROCEDURE: Anesthesia was maintained with isoflurane or halothane (crossover study). At 6 intervals during anesthesia and surgery, cardiopulmonary variables and related derived values were recorded. Recovery from anesthesia was assessed; gastrointestinal tract motility was subjectively monitored for 72 hours after anesthesia. Horses were administered chromium, and fecal chromium concentration was used to assess intestinal transit time. Venous blood samples were collected for clinicopathologic analyses before and 2, 24, and 48 hours after anesthesia. RESULTS: Compared with halothane-anesthetized horses, cardiac index, oxygen delivery, and heart rate were higher and systemic vascular resistance was lower in isoflurane-anesthetized horses. Mean arterial blood pressure and the dobutamine dose required to maintain blood pressure were similar for both treatments. Duration and quality of recovery from anesthesia did not differ between treatments, although the recovery periods were somewhat shorter with isoflurane. After isoflurane anesthesia, gastrointestinal motility normalized earlier and intestinal transit time of chromium was shorter than that detected after halothane anesthesia. Compared with isoflurane, halothane was associated with increases in serum aspartate transaminase and glutamate dehydrogenase activities, but there were no other important differences in clinicopathologic variables between treatments. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Compared with halothane, isoflurane appears to be associated with better hemodynamic stability during anesthesia, less hepatic and muscle damage, and more rapid return of normal intestinal motility after anesthesia in horses undergoing arthroscopic procedures.     

Role of live microbial feed supplements with reference to anaerobic fungi in ruminant productivity: A review

To keep the concept of a safe food supply to the consumers, animal feed industries world over are showing an increasing interest in the direct-fed microbials(DFM) for improved animal performance in terms of growth or productivity. This becomes all the more essential in a situation, where a number of the residues of antibiotics and/or other growth stimulants reach in milk and meat with a number of associated potential risks for the consumers. Hence, in the absence of growth stimulants, a positive manipulation of the rumen microbial ecosystem to enhance the feedstuff utilization for improved production efficiency by ruminants has become of much interest to the researchers and entrepreneurs. A few genera of live microbes(i.e., bacteria, fungi and yeasts in different types of formulations from paste to powder) are infrequently used as DFM for the domestic ruminants. These DFM products are live microbial feed supplements containing naturally occurring microbes in the rumen. Among different DFM possibilities, anaerobic rumen fungi(ARF) based additives have been found to improve ruminant productivity consistently during feeding trials. Administration of ARF during the few trials conducted, led to the increased weight gain, milk production, and total tract digestibility of feed components in ruminants. Anaerobic fungi in the rumen display very strong cell-wall degrading cellulolytic and xylanolytic activities through rhizoid development, resulting in the physical disruption of feed structure paving the way for bacterial action. Significant improvements in the fiber digestibility were found to coincide with increases in ARF in the rumen indicating their role. Most of the researches based on DFM have indicated a positive response in nutrient digestion and methane reducing potential during in vivo and/or in vitro supplementation of ARF as DFM. Therefore, DFM especially ARF will gain popularity but it is necessary that all the strains are thoroughly studied for their beneficial properties to have a confirmed ‘generally regarded as safe' status for ruminants.     

Quantification of organic carbon and primary nutrients in litter and soil in a foothill forest plantation of eastern Himalaya

The present study was an effort to understand the amount of litter fall and its subsequent decomposition and quantify the release of available nutrients and soil physicochemical characteristics in plantations of four forest tree species(Lagerstroemia parviflora, Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta and Michelia champaca) in the Chilapatta Reserve Forest of the Cooch Behar Wildlife Division in the Terai zone of West Bengal, India. The most litter(5.61 Mg ha~(-1))was produced by T. grandis plantation and the least(4.72 Mg ha~(-1)) by L. parviflora. The material turnover rate to the soil through decomposition from total litter was fastest during the first quarter of the year and subsequently decreased during the next two quarters. The material turnover rate was only 1 year, which indicates that more than90% of the total litter produced decomposed within a year.The available primary nutrient content in litter varied across the four plantations over the year. The plantations generally did not significantly influence the soil physical characteristics but did significantly influence the availability of primary nutrients and organic carbon at two depths(1–15 and16–30 cm) over the year. The availability of soil primary nutrients in the four plantations also increased gradually from the first quarter of the year to the third quarter and then decreased during the last quarter to the same level as in the first quarter of the year at both depths. The availability for soil organic carbon in the plantations followed a similar trend. The amount of litter produced and the material turnover in the soil in the different plantations differed, influencing the nutrient availability and organic carbon at the plantations. The amount of soil organic carbon was highest for T. grandis(2.52 Mg ha~(-1)) and lowest for L. parviflora(2.12 Mg ha~(-1)). Litter is the source of soil organic matter,and more the litter that is produced by the plantations, the higher will be the content and amount of soil organic carbon in the plantation.     

Prospective use of bacteriocinogenic Pediococcus pentosaceus as direct-fed microbial having methane reducing potential

Direct-fed microbials(DFM), generally regarded as safe status, are successfully used in improving rumen ecology, gastro-intestinal health, feed efficiency, milk production and growth rate in ruminants. On the other hand, methanogenesis in rumen, which accounts for a significant loss of ruminant energy and increased greenhouse gas in environment, is of great concern, therefore, use of DFM for improving productivity without compromising the animal health and ecological sustainability is encouraged. The present study was conducted to investigate the methane reducing potential of bacteriocinogenic strain Pediococcus pentosaceus-34. Since, the culture showed no hemolysis on blood agar and DNase activity, hence, it was considered to be avirulent in nature, a prerequisite for any DFM. The culture also showed tolerance to pH 5.0 for 24 h with 0.5% organic acid mixture, whereas when given a shock for 2 h at different p H and organic acids concentrations, it showed growth at pH 3.0 and 4.0 with 0.1 and 1.0% organic acids, respectively, as having good animal probiotics attributes. The total gas production was significantly(P<0.05) higher in live pedicoccal culture(LPC) and dead pedicoccal culture(DPC) both with wheat straw, when compared to the control. In sugarcane bagasse, gas production was significantly lower(P<0.05) with LPC compared to the control and DPC both. Methane was reduced by the inclusion of LPC in sugarcane bagasse(0.07 mL CH4 mg–1 dry matter digestibility) with no effect on other rumen fermentation parameters. However, with wheat straw and LPC total gas, in vitro dry matter digestibility, total volatile fatty acids increased significantly but no reduction in methane production was observed in comparison to the control. Therefore, further research is warranted in this direction, if the bacteriocinogenic strains can be used as DFM for ruminants to improve the ruminant productivity.     

Non-target effect of herbicides: I. effect of glyphosate and hexazinone on soil microbial activity. Microbial population,and in-vitro growth of ectomycorrhizal fungi

The effects of two herbicides, glyphosate (as a 359 g litre^?1 SL) and hexazinone (as a 50gkg^?1 granule) on soil microbial population, carbon dioxide evolution, and in-vitro growth of five species of ectomycorrhizal fungi were investigated. Glyphosate at 0–54 and 3.23 kg a.i. ha^?1 and hexazinone at 1. 2 and 8 kg a.i. ha^?1 did not reduce soil microbial population or carbon dioxide evolution in the long term (6 months). However, there was a significant short-term (2 months) effect of glyphosate on both fungal and bacterial counts at the 0.54 kg ha^?1 treatment. In in-vitro tests, Cenococcum graniforme. Hebeloma crustuliniforme and Laccaria laccata were more susceptible to both herbicides than was Suillus tomentosus. which was, in turn, more susceptible than Paxillus involutus. The growth of all five ectomycorrhizal fungi was significantly reduced when subjected to concentrations above 50 μl formulation litre^?1 (glyphosate) or 50 μg formulation litre^?1 (hexazinone).     

Development of sustainable performance index based on production,reproduction, health and longevity for genetic improvement of Sahiwal cattle

An attempt was made for the first time in India to develop the performance indices for quantifying the relative emphasis to be given to production, reproduction, health and longevity traits for selection and genetic improvement of Sahiwal cattle in a sustainable manner. The study was conducted using information related to various production, reproduction, health and longevity traits spread over a period of 29 years in Sahiwal cattle. Using income and expenditure method, the relative economic values for 305 days milk yield (305DMY), average daily milk yield (ADMY), calving to first insemination interval (CFI), days open (DO) and longevity (LNG) were estimated as 1, 1, −6.62, −6.62 and 5.96 in Sahiwal cattle. A total of three performance indices were constructed using three-trait combination, that is production, reproduction and longevity before and after excluding the days suffered by the animals. Correlation between the aggregate genotype and index (R_IH) was computed to determine the accuracy of each performance index, and based on highest R_IH value, best performance index was identified for selection of Sahiwal cattle. Developed indices were further assessed for robustness by increasing the relative economic values of the traits by 25% and 50%. The performance index (305DMY, DO and LNG) was found to be the best index before as well as after excluding days suffered by the animals, but in later case emphasis to be given to different traits was found to be more balanced. The best index indicated that about 47, 42 and 11% relative emphasis to be assigned to 305 days milk yield, days open and longevity for selection of Sahiwal animals for sustainable genetic improvement.     

Effect of fertilization on growth and ectomycorrhizal development of container-grown and bare-root nursery conifer seedlings

The effect of three levels of fertilizer on thegrowth of three species of containerized-grownconifer seedlings (Pinus contorta, Picea glauca, and Picea mariana) and twospecies of bare-root conifer seedlings (Pinus sylvestris and Larix sibirica),and on the colonization of these seedlings bysix species of ectomycorrhizal fungi (Hebeloma longicaudum, Laccaria bicolor,Paxillus involutus, Pisolithustinctorius, Rhizopogon vinicolor andSuillus tomentosus), was studied. Thegrowth of the seedlings in both container-grownand bare-root nurseries increased as the levelsof fertilizer increased. For better seedlinggrowth and environmental quality it may be possible to reduce the level of fertilizers in commercial nurseries upto 33% by using selected mycorrhizal fungi.Ectomycorrhizal colonization in all seedlingswas not affected by fertilizer levels. Hebeloma longicaudum, L. bicolor, P.involutus, and P. tinctorius formedwell-developed ectomycorrhizae, whereasectomycorrhizal development by R.vinicolor and S. tomentosus was poor.Native mycorrhizal fungi colonizednon-inoculated control seedlings; however,their colonization was always lower than withinoculated fungi.