Influence of summer legume residue recycling and varietal diversification on productivity,energetics, and nutrient dynamics in basmati rice–wheat cropping system of western Indo-Gangetic Plains

A field experiment was conducted on summer mungbean residue recycling (SMBRR) and basmati rice–wheat cropping system (BRWCS) at New Delhi, India. The SMBRR enhanced the system productivity and net returns by ～19.1% and 22.1% compared to summer fallow (SF) with highest magnitude under genotypic sequence of P 2511/HD 2967. Two genotypes each in basmati rice (PB 1 and P 2511) and wheat (HD 2967 and HD 2733) responded well to SMBRR with respect to grain yield efficiency index (GYEI) ≥ 1.0. SMBRR also registered ～13.5% higher microbial biomass carbon (MBC) than SF. Soil organic carbon (SOC) storage also increased by ～6.8% in 0–30 cm soil layer. The rice–wheat–summer mungbean system produced significantly highest energy efficiency compared to the rice–wheat–summer fallow system with highest values under genotypic sequence of P 2511/HD 2967 as a result of better yield expression. Overall, SMBRR with suitable genotypic sequence improved the system productivity, profitability, and nutrient dynamics in BRWCS, which are vital for long-term sustainability of this system.     

Agronomic fortification of rice grains with secondary and micronutrients under differing crop management and soil moisture regimes in the north Indian Plains

Although the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been reported to produce higher paddy (Oryza sativa L.) yields with better-quality grains, little research has addressed the latter claim. This study investigated the interactive effects of rice cultivation methods with different irrigation schedules and plant density on the uptake and concentration of sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) in the grain and straw of two rice cultivars during two rainy seasons in the northern plains of India. As the two seasons differed in amounts of rainfall, there were impacts of soil moisture differences on nutrient uptake. Plots with SRI cultivation methods enhanced the grain uptake and concentrations of S, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu by 36, 32, 28, 32 and 63%, respectively, compared to conventional transplanting (CT). Under SRI management, the highest concentrations of S, Zn and Cu in the grain and straw occurred with irrigation intervals scheduled at 3 days after disappearance of ponded water (DADPW; 3_D), whereas Fe and Mn concentrations in the grain and straw were higher with irrigation at 1 DADPW (1 _D ) compared with plots under 3 _D or 5 DADPW (5 _D ). The higher nutrient uptakes were also manifested in higher grain yield in 1 _D and 3 _D plots (by 9 and 6%, respectively) compared with 5 _D . Wider spacing (25 × 25 cm) compared with closer spacing (20 × 20 cm) significantly increased yield and the uptake and concentrations of all the said nutrients in the grains. When comparing the performance of two cultivars, the total uptakes of Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu in both grain and straw were significantly more in Hybrid 6444 than the improved variety Pant Dhan 4. Overall, SRI crop management compared to CT practices led to more biological fortification of rice grains with respect to S and the four micronutrients studied, giving a concomitant yield advantage of about 17% on average in this region.     

Fecundity and egg dimension of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium assamense peninsulare (Tiwari, 1958) from Rawasan stream of Garhwal,Central Himalaya,India

The population of the freshwater animal was declined day by day due to the degradation of habitat and use of illegal fishing methods, which cause a great threat to these aquatic animals. The main purpose of this study was to scrutinize the wild population and fecundity of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium assamense peninsulare in Rawasan stream to assess the health status of prawn. Fecundity was estimated by a random sampling of prawn from five selected sites of Rawasan stream. A wild collection of a total of 35 ovigerous females was collected for an interval of 2 years (August 2013–July 2015) from May to September month, that is breeding session. The maximum number of eggs was 102 eggs in an individual having 52 mm total length and 2.66 g body weight. It was concluded that fecundity of Macrobrachium assamense peninsulare was low, and egg dimension was larger than other closely related species of freshwater prawn. Fecundity of Macrobrachium assamense peninsulare showed a positive relationship with a total weight (R² = .71) and moderate with the total length (R² = .38). A strong correlation exists between egg mass and total weight, and between egg mass and total length of female (R² = .849 and R² = .77 at p < .05) respectively. The numbers of eggs, that is fecundity, in a female were increased with the body growth of an individual, which results in a linear graph.     

Preparation and Quality Evaluation of Nutritionally Enriched Jam Made from Blends of Indian Blackberry and Other Fruits

Jamun (Syzygium cumini) is a tropical, underutilized fruit which is highly perishable in nature. It is a good source of vitamin C, tannins, gallic acid and anthocyanins and its beneficial effects are mostly due to the presence of bioactive compounds (pigments and phenolic compounds) in it. Due to astringent and fibrous nature, preparation of jam from jamun pulp is quite difficult, but other fruits (apple and kiwifruit) can be incorporated in it to improve its quality. This study aims to develop jam from blends of jamun with other fruits and analyse various physico-chemical, nutritional, textural and sensory properties. It was found that physico-chemical properties of jams were not found to vary greatly, but the jamun–kiwifruit jam was found to have fairly high amount of antioxidants(46.75 ± 0.67%), tartaric acid (26.24 ± 0.02 mg/100g sample), ascorbic acid (0.08 ± 0.01 mg/100 g sample) and lactic acid (23.95 ± 0.01 mg/100g sample) and lowest amount of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (0.38 ± 0.04 mg/100 g sample). Jamun jam and jamun–kiwifruit jam possessed the texture required for jam while jamun–apple jam was found to be a relatively harder gel. Jam made with jamun and kiwifruit pulp was found to have highest acceptability on the basis of sensory evaluation.     

Tillage Effects on Crop Yield and Physicochemical Properties of Sodic Soils

Tillage modifies soil structure and has been suggested as a practice to improve physical, hydrological and chemical properties of compacted soils. But little is known about effect of long‐term tillage on physicochemical soil properties and crop yield on sodic soils in India. Our objective was to investigate the effect of different tillage regimes on crop yield (wheat and paddy rice) and physicochemical properties of sodic soils. Two sodic sites under conventional tillage for 5 (5‐YT; 5‐year tillage) and 9 (9‐YT; 9‐year tillage) years were selected for this study. Changes in crop yield and physicochemical soil properties were compared with a control, sodic land without any till history, that is, 0‐year tillage/untilled (0‐YT). Five replicated samples at 0‐ to 10‐cm and 10‐ to 20‐cm soils depths were analysed from each site. In the top, 0‐ to 10‐cm soil depth 5‐YT and 9‐YT sites had higher particle density (Pd), porosity, water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, organic carbon, total nitrogen (N_t), available nitrogen (N_avail), phosphorus (P_avail) and exchangeable calcium (Exch. Ca⁺⁺) than 0‐YT, whereas bulk density (Bd), C : N ratio and CaCO₃ were significantly lower. Bd, pH, EC and CaCO₃ increased significantly with depth in all the lands, whereas Pd, porosity, water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, organic carbon, N_t, N_avail, P_avail and Exch. Ca⁺⁺ decreased. We conclude that continuous tillage and cropping can be useful for physical and chemical restoration of sodic soils. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preliminary study on antifertility activity of Calotropis procera roots in female rats

The effect of ethanolic extract of the roots of Calotropis procera has been studied in albino rats to explore its antifertility and hormonal activities. A strong antiimplantation (inhibition 100%) and uterotropic activity was observed at the dose level of 250 mg/kg (1/4 of LD(50)). No antiestrogenic activity could be detected.     

In situ detection of tree root distribution and biomass by multi-electrode resistivity imaging

Traditional methods for studying tree roots are destructive and labor intensive, but available nondestructive techniques are applicable only to small scale studies or are strongly limited by soil conditions and root size. Soil electrical resistivity measured by geoelectrical methods has the potential to detect belowground plant structures, but quantitative relationships of these measurements with root traits have not been assessed. We tested the ability of two-dimensional (2-D) DC resistivity tomography to detect the spatial variability of roots and to quantify their biomass in a tree stand. A high-resolution resistivity tomogram was generated along a 11.75 m transect under an Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. stand based on an alpha-Wenner configuration with 48 electrodes spaced 0.25 m apart. Data were processed by a 2-D finite-element inversion algorithm, and corrected for soil temperature. Data acquisition, inversion and imaging were completed in the field within 60 min. Root dry mass per unit soil volume (root mass density, RMD) was measured destructively on soil samples collected to a depth of 1.05 m. Soil sand, silt, clay and organic matter contents, electrical conductivity, water content and pH were measured on a subset of samples. The spatial pattern of soil resistivity closely matched the spatial distribution of RMD. Multiple linear regression showed that only RMD and soil water content were related to soil resistivity along the transect. Regression analysis of RMD against soil resistivity revealed a highly significant logistic relationship (n = 97), which was confirmed on a separate dataset (n = 67), showing that soil resistivity was quantitatively related to belowground tree root biomass. This relationship provides a basis for developing quick nondestructive methods for detecting root distribution and quantifying root biomass, as well as for optimizing sampling strategies for studying root-driven phenomena.     

Determination of the role of salicylic acid and Benzothiadiazole on physico-chemical alterations caused by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cucumber mosaic virus</Emphasis> in tomato

Shoe-string disease caused by Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) is one of the major threats to tomato production worldwide. The alteration in some biochemical parameters in leaves of the susceptible tomato genotype (Nagina) associated with CMV infection and the effect of exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA) and benzothiadiazole (BTH) were studied in this paper. Results showed that exogenous treatment with SA and BTH not only led to plants which gave significantly more yield than diseased controls (DC), but also delayed symptom expression and reduced disease severity. Analysis of biochemical parameters indicated that exogenous application of elicitors and viral infection, significantly affected the activity of peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). Compared to the DC plants, minimum disease severity and maximum number of fruit were recorded after a single dose of SA + BTH. Maximum plant height was recorded after weekly application of SA and maximum fruit yield per plant was gained with single dose of SA. Moreover, the activity of POD was significantly elicited many-fold after weekly application of SA + BTH, while higher amount of SOD was recorded with single dose of SA. The activity of CAT was also significantly accelerated after weekly application of SA + BTH while increased level of APX was noticed with single dose of BTH. In conclusion, the combined application of SA and BTH played an important role in induction of defense mechanism against CMV infection and can be useful in tomato disease management programs.     

Bioactive Compounds in Wild Asteraceae Edible Plants Consumed in the Mediterranean Diet

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - Three wild edible plant species belonging to the Asteraceae family, Crepis vesicaria L. (s.l.), Sonchus asper (L.) Hill s.l., and Sonchus oleraceus L., usually...