C/N ratio control and substrate addition for periphyton development jointly enhance freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii production in ponds

The present research investigated the effect of carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N ratio) control in ponds with or without substrate addition for periphyton development on production of giant freshwater prawn. C/N ratios of 10, 15 and 20 were investigated in 40 m^− 2 ponds stocked with 2 prawn juveniles (5.023 ± 0.02 g) m^− 2 with or without added substrates for periphyton development. The various treatment combinations of C/N ratio and periphyton substrate addition are abbreviated as ‘CN10’, ‘CN15’, ‘CN20’, ‘CN10 + P’, ‘CN15 + P’ and ‘CN20 + P’, P representing periphyton substrate. A locally formulated and prepared feed containing 30% crude protein with C/N ratio10 was applied. Tapioca starch was used as carbohydrate source for manipulating C/N ratio and applied to the water column separately from the feed. Increasing the C/N ratio from 10 to 20 reduced (P < 0.001) the total ammonia-nitrogen (TAN), nitrite–nitrogen (NO₂–N) and nitrate–nitrogen (NO₃–N) in water column and total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) in sediment. The addition of substrates only influenced the NO₂–N concentration in the water column (P < 0.001). Increasing the C/N ratio raised the total heterotrophic bacterial (THB) population in the water column, sediment and periphyton (P < 0.001). It also increased the dry matter (DM), ash free dry matter (AFDM), and chlorophyll a content of periphyton (P < 0.001). The lowest specific growth rate (SGR), the highest food conversion ratio (FCR), and the lowest protein efficiency ratio (PER) were recorded in treatment CN10 (P < 0.05). The addition of substrates did not influence size at harvest (P > 0.05) but improved the survival from 62.8 to 72% (P < 0.001). Increasing the C/N ratio from 10 to 20 increased the net yield by 40% and addition of substrate increased the net yield by 23%. The combination of C/N ratio control and substrate addition increased the net yield by 75% from 309 (CN10) to 540 (CN20 + P) kg ha^− 1 (120 days)^− 1. This 75% higher production concurred with (1) a lower inorganic nitrogen content in the water column, (2) a higher THB abundance supplying additional single cell protein to augment the prawn production, and (3) an improved periphyton productivity and quality.     

Effects of stocking density on production and economics of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) polyculture in periphyton-based systems

The present research investigated the effect of stocking density on pond (75 m², depth 1.2 m) production of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) stocked at a fixed 3:1 tilapia:prawn ratio. Three stocking densities were tried in triplicate: 20 000 ha⁻¹ (treatment TP‐20), 30 000 ha⁻¹ (TP‐30) and 40 000 ha⁻¹ (TP‐40). The ponds were provided with bamboo as substrate for periphyton development. Bamboo poles (mean diameter 5.5 cm and 5.0 poles m⁻²) were posted vertically into pond bottoms, resulting in 60% additional substrate area in each pond. On average, 43 genera of algae and 17 genera of zooplankton were identified from pond water, whereas 42 genera of algae and six genera of microfauna were attached to bamboo substrates. No differences were observed between treatments in the ash‐free dry matter (AFDM), chlorophyll a and phaeophytin a content of periphyton (P>0.05). Survival of tilapia and prawn and individual weight gain of tilapia were lower (P<0.05) in treatment TP‐40. The net yields were higher (P<0.05) in treatments TP‐30 (2209 and 163 kg ha⁻¹ 105 day⁻¹ of tilapia and prawn respectively) and TP‐40 (2162 and 141 kg ha⁻¹ of tilapia and prawn respectively) than in treatment TP‐20 (1505 and 136 kg ha⁻¹ of tilapia and prawn respectively). The net tilapia yields were quadratic correlated (R²=0.92) with fish stocking density. The cost–benefit analysis shows that the net profit margin was highest in treatment TP‐30 (69%), followed by TP‐20 (50%) and TP‐40 (44%).     

Effects of C/N ratio and periphyton substrates on pond ecology and production performance in giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) and tilapia Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758) polyculture system

The production performances of giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus in C/N‐controlled periphyton‐based polyculture systems were evaluated in triplicate. Three different management practices were compared: the traditional practice without addition of periphyton substrates and carbohydrate (Control), addition of maize flour to maintain a carbon: nitrogen rate of 20:1 (treatment CN) and addition of both maize flour and periphyton substrates (treatment CN+P). This experiment used a pre‐optimized stocking density of tilapia and freshwater prawn by Asaduzzaman et al. Aquaculture [286 (2009) 72]. All ponds were stocked with prawn (3 m²) and monosex Nile tilapia (1 m^?2). Bamboo side shoots were posted vertically into the pond bottoms as periphyton substrate covering an additional area of 171 m² for periphyton development. A locally formulated and prepared feed containing 17% crude protein with C/N ratio close to 15:1 was applied twice daily in all ponds considering the body weight of freshwater prawn only. Water quality parameters, except total alkalinity did not vary significantly (P > 0.05) among treatments. Both, organic matter and total heterotrophic bacterial loads (THB) in the sediment were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in treatment CN+P followed by treatment CN and control. Periphyton biomass in terms of dry matter and chlorophyll a values constantly decreased during the culture period. Substrates contributed 66% and 102% higher net yield of freshwater prawn than CN and control treatment respectively.     

Genetic diversity studies and screening for rice stem borer (Chilo Agamemnon) resistance in six Egyptian rice cultivars (Oryza sativa L.) using DNA based-markers

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - In order to assess the genetic diversity among six Egyptian rice cultivars and developing cultivars resistant to different rice stem borers, random amplified...     

Water deficit and cold stress on the evening primrose seed quality

Evening primrose is a valuable oilseed crop with pharmaceutical and nutritional supplementation. Due to presence of valuable and rare gamma linolenic fatty acid, research on this plant has been started since 1970s by German and Britain scientists. Information about evening primrose cultivation is going to rise. Following to pervious studies the goal of this experiment was to clarify the effect of water and temperature stresses on seed yield and seed quality. Results showed that seed yield was significantly influenced by low temperature and water deficit. Plants grown under cold stress during rosette stage produced a lower seed yield than controls. The lowest seed yield was observed in the plants grown under permanent stress. Although the oil content of seeds was not influenced by low temperature stress, water stress strongly influenced the oil content and water stress stimulates oil accumulation. Like oil content, the GLA production seems to be increased under water stress conditions.     

Combining ability analysis to identify suitable parents for heterosis in seed cotton yield,its components and lint % in upland cotton

Combining ability and heterosis were studied in a 6 × 6 diallel cross to see the nature of gene action in Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) during 2002 to 2004. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among all the F₁ and F₂ hybrid means and their respective six parental values for all the traits examined. In both generations, the mean squares due to general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) were also highly significant. SCA genetic variances were greater than GCA and more important for the traits, i.e. boll weight, boll number and seed cotton yield per plant, showing the predominance of non-additive gene action. Lint % in both generations and boll weight in F₂s only were controlled by additive type of gene action due to maximum GCA variances. Cultivar CIM-1100 was found to be the best general combiner and its utilization produced valuable hybrids with desirable SCA in both generations. F₁ and F₂ hybrids, viz., CIM-1100 × CRIS-9, CIM-1100 × FH-682, CIM-1100 × BH-36 and CIM-109 × CIM-1100 as high × low and low × high parents performed well in SCA determination, outstanding mean performance and heterosis. Better SCA effects associated with useful heterosis were more pronounced for yield traits. In F₁ hybrids, maximum heterosis was observed for seed cotton yield followed by boll number, boll weight and lint %. The heterosis over better parent was +3.13 to +65.63% for bolls per plant, +0.75 to +24.40% for boll weight, +0.82 to +115.22% for seed cotton yield and +0.27 to +3.88% for lint %. Involvement of CIM-1100 in most of the F₁ and F₂ hybrids resulted in the synthesis of superior genotypes for most of the traits studied. Inbreeding depression was elevated in good performing hybrids and was the highest for seed cotton yield. Highest yielding F₁ hybrids yielded lesser in the subsequent generation due to over-dominance and inbreeding depression, whereas moderate yielding F₁ hybrids were found more stable even passing through process of segregation due to additive gene action. The combined performance of F₁ and F₂ hybrids could be a good indicator to identify the most promising populations to be utilized either as F₂ hybrids or as a resource population for further selection.     

Irrigation Policy Reforms for Rice Cultivation in Egypt

This paper reports a fieldresearch that evaluated irrigation waterdelivery options for promoting conservativewater use in rice cultivation. Ricecultivation in the Delta region of Egypthas grown dramatically, replacing cotton asthe major summer crop. The Ministry ofWater Resources and Irrigation is findingit difficult to limit the area planted torice since rice cultivation is profitableto farmers. A socially more feasibleoption is to encourage farmers to cultivateshort-season rice varieties. The Ministrycan then adopt the policy that will provideirrigation water to the farmers to supportcultivation of 120-day rice varietiesrather than 160-day traditional varieties. The field studies conducted for two yearsin the Nile Delta conclusively show thatthis is indeed feasible. Farmers in thedemonstration canal areas were able tosuccessfully finish 120-day ricecultivation, which allowed the Ministrystaff to end the rice water delivery about35 days early and realize substantial watersavings.     

The potential of periphyton-based culture of two Indian major carps, rohu Labeo rohita (Hamilton) and gonia Labeo gonius (Linnaeus)

The effects of periphyton, grown on bamboo substrates, on growth and production of two Indian major carps, rohu, Labeo rohita (Hamilton) and gonia, Labeo gonius (Linnaeus), were studied at the Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. For each species, five ponds were provided with bamboo substrates and five ponds without substrate (control). Ponds were stocked at a rate of 10 000 ha^?1 in both treatments. There was no discernible difference in water quality parameters between treatments. A large number of plankton (39 genera) showed periphytic nature and colonized the bamboo substrates. Rohu grew faster, resulting in a 77% higher net production (P < 0.05) in the ponds with bamboo substrates compared with the ponds without substrate. In contrast, the growth and production of gonia did not vary significantly (P > 0.05) between the substrate and control ponds. Rohu seems to be a more suitable candidate for periphyton‐based aquaculture systems than gonia.     

Application de la CCM à l'étude des huiles volatiles

Résumé Nous avons employé la méthode de chromatographie sur couche mince pour l'identification et la séparation des composants de quelques huiles essentielles bien connues comme Sandalwood, Patchouly et Vetiver huiles. Après avoir mis au point les meilleures conditions de séparation: (qualité, composition et préparation de l'adsorbant, composition de l'agent de développement, temps, température), on a choisi l'agent le plus approprié pour le développement des composants contenant de différents groupes fonctionnels.L'identification des principaux composants des huiles, faute d'agents de référence propres, a été exécutée d'une part en fonction des valeurs Rf de la littérature, d'autre part par l'élution et par chromatographie en phase gazeuse des composants séparés par chromatographie en couche mince.On a élaboré le spectrogramme des composants principaux de l'huile Patchouly pure et de ceux séparés par CCM, en employant un spectrophotomètre de type UR-20, pour déterminer la composition qualitative et quantitative de l'huile. La mise au point des procédés combinés employés pour la détermination de la composition qualitative et quantitative des huiles essentielles fera l'objet de notre prochain programme de travaux.

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Summary We employed the method of thin-layer chromatography for the separation and identification of some well-known essential oils as Sandalwood, Patchouly and Vetiver oils. After having cleared up the factors securing satisfactory separation (quality, composition and preparation of the adsorbent, composition of the developing agent, time and temperature), the most suitable reagent for the developing of the components containing different functional groups has been chosen.For want of pure reference agents, we identified the main oil components partly on the basis of the Rf values of the literature, partly by the elution and by gas-chromatography of the components separated by thin-layer chromatography.We registered the spectrogram of the main components separated by thin-layer chromatography and of those of pure patchouly oil, employing a spectrophotometer of Type UR-20, in order to determine the quality and quantity of the components of the oils. Detailed elaboration of the combined methods serving for the qualitative and quantitative determination of the composition of essential oils will be the program of our further research work.

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Zusammenfassung Die Methode der Dünnschichtchromatographie wurde für die Trennung und Identifizierung der Komponenten einiger wohlbekannter ätherischer Öle sowie Sandelholz-, Patchouly- und Vetiver-Öle verwendet. Nach Aufklärung der die entsprechende Trennung sichernden Umstände (Qualität und Zusammensetzung, sowie Vorbereitung des Adsorbens, Zusammensetzung des Anfärbereagenz, Zeit, Temperatur) wurde für die Entwicklung der die verschiedenen funktionellen Gruppen enthaltenden Komponenten das geeigneteste Reagenz gewählt.Die Identifizierung der Hauptkomponenten der Öle wurde, mangels Referenzsubstanzen, teils auf Grund literarischer Rf-Werte, teils durch die Eluierung und durch Gaschromatographie der mittels Dünnschichtchromatographie getrennten Komponenten durchgeführt.Wir haben auf dem UR-20 Typ Spektrophotometer das Spektrogram des reinen Patchouly- Öles und der durch Dünnschichtchromatographie getrennten Hauptkomponenten des Öles, zwecks qualitativer und quantitativer Aufklärung der ölbindenden Komponenten, aufgenommen. Das Programm unserer weiteren Arbeit bildet die ausführliche Ausarbeitung der für die Bestimmung der quantitativen und qualitativen Zusammensetzung der ätherischen Öle dienenden kombinierten Methoden.