Evaluation of Various Drying Methods on Bioactives,Ascorbic Acid and Antioxidant Potentials of Talinum triangulare L., foliage

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency of different drying methods (room, sun, oven, microwave, cross-flow, infra-red, dehumidifier, and freeze-drying)...     

Integrated effect of population and weed management regimes on weed dynamics,performance, and productivity of basmati rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.)

Weeds caused serious problem on yield reduction of basmati rice worldwide. Losses caused by weeds varied from one country to another, depending on the presence of dominant weeds and the control methods practiced by farmers; therefore, suitable plant population and weed management practices should be adopted. Keeping these in mind, a field experiment was carried out during kharif seasons of 2009 and 2010 at crop Research Centre of SVPUA&T, Meerut, India comprising 4 planting geometries, viz. 20, 30, 40, and 50 hills m^?2 as main plot factor, and 5 weed management practices (Butachlor @ 1.0 kg ha^?1, Butachlor @ 1.0 kg ha^?1 fb (followed by) one hand weeding, Butachlor @ 1.0 kg ha^?1 fb Almix @ 4 g ha^?1, two hand weedings and weedy check) in a split plot design with 3 replications. Experimental results revealed that plant population of 50 hills m^?2 proved superior over that of 20 hills m^?2 in respect of weed density, weed dry weight, number of tillers m^?2, yield attributes, grain, straw, and biological yields. The maximum grain yield (29.00 and 31.00 q ha^?1) and straw yield (51.30 and 52.50 q ha^?1) were recorded in 50 hills m^?2 followed by 40 hills m^?2 during 2009 and 2010, respectively. In respect of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium removal, a reverse trend was observed: the highest in 20 hills m^?2 followed by 30, 40, and 50 hills m^?2. As far as the weed management practices are concerned, both chemical and mechanical methods of weed control were found superior over weedy check. The lowest weed density, dry weight, and highest weed control efficiency, maximum length of panicle^?1, number of panicle (m²), and 1000-grain weight and grain yield of 30.40 and 32.60 q ha^?1 were recorded with two hand weedings which was at par with Butachlor @ 1.0 kg ha^?1 fb one hand weeding over rest of the weed management practices.     

Biology and life table of Diaeretiella rapae against Brevicoryne brassicae on different cultivars of cauliflower

Phytoparasitica - Diaeretiella rapae (McIntosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is one of the most promising, effective and a common endoparasitoid of different aphid species including cabbage aphid,...     

Comparison of Composition,Protein, Pasting,and Phenolic Compounds of Brown Rice and Germinated Brown Rice from Different Cultivars

Physical characteristics, amino acids composition, protein profiling, pasting characteristics, and phenolic compounds of brown rice (BR) and germinated brown rice (GBR) from different paddy cultivars (PB1, PS44, PB1509, PB1121, and PS5) were investigated. L* (lightness) decreased, but a* (redness and greenness) and b* (yellowness and blueness) increased with germination. Protein and ash content increased, whereas fat and amylose contents decreased with germination. GBR showed lower hardness and gumminess than BR. Foam stability and water absorption capacity from GBR flour were higher compared with BR flour. Accumulation of γ‐aminobutyric acid, histidine, arginine, proline, methionine, and acidic amino acids increased significantly with germination, and increase was related to change in accumulation of glutelin and prolamins. The accumulation of prolamins and glutelin acidic and basic subunits decreased with germination. GBR flour showed lower pasting viscosities compared with BR flour. Ferulic acid, p‐coumaric acid, and quercetin were present in both fractions of the bound form. GBR showed improved nutritional quality that varied in different cultivars. PB1121 was observed to be the best for producing GBR owing to greater changes brought in protein content, essential amino acids, catechin, chlorogenic acid, protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, and foam stability.     

Micropropagation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Salvadora</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">persica</Emphasis>-a tree of arid horticulture and forestry

A micropropagation method for Jaal (Salvadora persica)—a tree of arid horticulture and forestry has been developed. Nodal segments of fresh shoot sprouts originated from axillary buds obtained from a plant around 35–40 years old lopped plant were used as explants for establishment of in vitro cultures. Surface-sterilized explants produced optimum number of shoots through activation of axillary buds on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium containing 8.88 μM BA (6-benzyladenine) + additives (25 mgl⁻¹ each of adenine sulphate, arginine, citric acid, 50 mgl⁻¹ ascorbic acid). The shoot multiplication was influenced by the successive transfer of the mother explants for 4–5 passages. The maximum number (23.1 ± 0.73 shoots per explant) of shoots were regenerated on MS supplemented with 1.11 μM BA + 1.16 μM Kn (Kinetin) + 0.54 μM NAA (α-naphthalene acetic acid). About 90% shoots pulse-treated with a combination of 2460.27 μM Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) + 494.56 μM NOA (2-naphthoxy acetic acid) were rooted ex vitro on soilrite within 15–18 days. Over 80% cloned plantlets were hardened successfully in a green house and transferred to polybag/pots.     

Optimized loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus-[potato]</Emphasis> detection in potato leaves and tubers

Apical leaf curl disease of potato is caused by a whitefly transmitted begomovirus, Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus-[potato] (ToLCNDV-[potato]) in India. Detection of this virus is essential to manage the disease, particularly in healthy potato seed production systems. Large scale testing of micro-plants demands a simple, rapid and sensitive assay. Hence, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was developed for specific detection of ToLCNDV-[potato]. Six primers that recognize the coat protein gene sequence of ToLCNDV-[potato] were designed and LAMP assay was optimized using different concentrations of magnesium sulphate, betaine, dNTPs, Bst DNA polymerase and temperature. The results were assessed by visual observation of turbidity, colour change using SYBR green dye and also by gel electrophoresis. The assay successfully detected the virus in infected plants collected from potato fields whereas no cross-reactions were observed with healthy plants and other potato viruses. The optimized assay was as sensitive as PCR assay and could detect up to 0.002 pg of total DNA. The assay could detect the virus in infected potato tubers and also in asymptomatic plants. Print-capture LAMP assay was developed and its application could reduce the cost and time of the assay in large scale testing under seed production.     

Comparative morphometrical studies on the skull bones of barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak) and sambar deer (Rusa unicolor)

The present study reports data on the skull bone morphometry of barking and sambar deer. The skulls of adult barking deer (n = 6) and sambar deer (n = 6) of either sex (n = 3 males and n = 3 females) were collected from the Aizawl Zoological Park, Aizawl, Mizoram, India, with official permission from the Government of Mizoram. Anatomically, barking and sambar deer's skulls were elongated, pyramid-like, dolichocephalic and consisted of thirty-two cranial and facial bones. The cranial bones were eleven (three single and four paired), comprising of occipital, sphenoid, ethmoid, frontal, interparietal, parietal and temporal. The facial bones were twenty-one (one single and ten were paired), consisting of the maxilla, premaxilla (incisive), palatine, pterygoid, nasal, lacrimal, zygomatic (malar), vomer, turbinates, mandible and hyoid. In the present study, altogether 41 different measurements were taken morphologically and 6 different indices were applied. The obtained morphometrical parameters were significantly (p < .01, p < .05) higher in males than females of both species. Species wise, all obtained parameters were higher in sambar deer than barking deer. The obtained 41 different skull parameters and 6 indices showed statistically significant differences (p < .01 and p < .05) between both sexes of barking and sambar deer; however, practically these differences were meagre. The present morphometrical study on the skull of both species can help the wildlife professionals and zoo veterinarians determine the sex of these animals and differentiate it from other domestic and wild small ruminants for solving veterolegal cases. This study's findings will also motivate and assist other comparative studies with various domestic and wild small ruminants.     

Carbon and water footprints of major crop production in India

Scarcity of water and emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) are the two key environmental issues affecting crop production in India.Reducing the carbon footprint (CF) and water footprint (WF) of crop production can help to mitigate the environmental hazards that stem from GHG emissions and water scarcity.The CFs and WFs of three major cereal crops,rice,wheat,and maize,were estimated for the year 2014 under the environmental conditions in India,based on national statistics and other data sources.To...     

Drosophila egg-laying site selection as a system to study simple decision-making processes

The ability to select a better option from multiple acceptable ones is important for animals to optimize their resources. The mechanisms that underlie such decision-making processes are not well understood. We found that selection of egg-laying site in Drosophila melanogaster is a suitable system to probe the neural circuit that governs simple decision-making processes. First, Drosophila females pursue active probing of the environment before depositing each egg, apparently to evaluate site quality for every egg. Second, Drosophila females can either accept or reject a sucrose-containing medium, depending on the context. Last, communication of the "acceptability" of the sucrose-containing medium as an egg-laying option to the reproductive system depends on the function of a group of insulin-like peptide 7 (ILP7)-producing neurons. These findings suggest that selection of egg-laying site involves a simple decision-making process and provide an entry point toward a systematic dissection of this process.