Thermal Infrared Radiation for Assessing Crop Water Stress in Wheat

Field studies on differentially irrigated wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) crops were conducted at Pantnagar for two years to evaluate the use of thermal infrared radiation to detect crop water stress. Data show that the stress-degree-day index (mid day canopy-air temperature difference) is influenced by environmental variability other than soil moisture. Improvement in the stress-degree-day (SDD) index was achieved by including the measurements of vapor pressure deficit and approach was termed as plant water stress index (PWSI). Observations indicated that daily variation in SDD values due to meteorological changes was removed through PWSI. Better correlation was found between soil-induced leaf water potential and plant water stress index than between total leaf water potential and plant water stress index. It is concluded that remote sensing of thermal infrared radiation offers a promising technique which can be incorporated into irrigation management programme.     

Composite site-productivity functions for Northeastern Ontario black spruce

Data from 122 northeastern Ontario plots were used to develop composite site-productivity functions for black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.). A logistic model produced the best fit to the data. The resulting equations produce sets of polymorphic site-productivity curves with subsets of three curves, one for each of Ontario's Forest Ecosystem Classification Operational Groups (FEC OGs) 11, 12 and 14. For direct estimates of site productivity, site index was expressed as a function of stand height, age and FEC OG by employing the reciprocal of the logistic model. Application of the resulting equations and tables is demonstrated in an example. The procedures employed may be used to develop ecologically based site-productivity functions for other areas.     

Economic evaluation of forest drainage and fertilization in northern Ontario peatlands with an investment decision model

Drainage and fertilization of an existing peatland black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) stand and 24 possible methods of planting a clear-cut area near Cochrane, Ontario were evaluated by means of a recently developed forestry investment decision model, FIDME.Results indicate that, on the basis of the cost estimates used and assumptions made, drainage of the existing stand is the most economical treatment if it can reduce the rotation age by 30 years or more. Drainage combined with fertilization is the second best alternative if this treatment can reduce the rotation age by 40 years or more. Fertilization of the undrained site ranks a distant third, and then only if it reduces the rotation age by 10 years; otherwise, it will be uneconomical to apply.In the case of the clear-cut area, planting bare-root stock on a mechanically prepared but undrained site without weed control ranked first among the 24 alternatives considered; the same treatment, but with weed control included, ranked second. Planting containerized seedlings on a mechanically prepared but undrained site with weed control ranked third, followed by planting bare-root stock on a mechanically prepared and drained site with weed control. In contrast, planting containerized seedlings on an unprepared site and with no weed control ranked as the least cost-effective method considered.     

Growth and reproduction of the vermicomposting earthwormPerionyx excavatus as influenced by food materials

An outdoor study was undertaken using polyethylene containers to assess the suitability of different organic residues, soybean straw (Glycine max L. Merril.), wheat straw (Triticum aestivum L.), maize stover (Zea mays L.), chickpea straw (citer arietinum L.) and city garbage, as food for the tropical epigeic earthwormPerionyx excavatus, and to assess the influence of this earthworm on the decomposition of these materials. Maize stover was found to be the most suitable of the food materials used. Population growth ofP. excavatus was enhanced by addition of these organic materials in the temperature range 24°-30°C, while the population was adversely affected above 30°C in a vermiculture system. Addition of earthworms accelerated the breakdown of residues, which ultimately resulted in a lowering of the C:N ratio, water-soluble carbon and carbohydrates, and increased ash percentage and cation exchange capacity compared with their respective controls.     

Allergenicity assessment of the papaya ringspot virus coat protein expressed in transgenic rainbow papaya

The virus-resistant, transgenic commercial papaya Rainbow and SunUp (Carica papaya L.) have been consumed locally in Hawaii and elsewhere in the mainland United States and Canada since their release to planters in Hawaii in 1998. These papaya are derived from transgenic papaya line 55-1 and carry the coat protein (CP) gene of papaya ringspot virus (PRSV). The PRSV CP was evaluated for potential allergenicity, an important component in assessing the safety of food derived from transgenic plants. The transgene PRSV CP sequence of Rainbow papaya did not exhibit greater than 35% amino acid sequence homology to known allergens, nor did it have a stretch of eight amino acids found in known allergens which are known common bioinformatic methods used for assessing similarity to allergen proteins. PRSV CP was also tested for stability in simulated gastric fluid and simulated intestinal fluid and under various heat treatments. The results showed that PRSV CP was degraded under conditions for which allergenic proteins relative to nonallergens are purported to be stable. The potential human intake of transgene-derived PRSV CP was assessed by measuring CP levels in Rainbow and SunUp along with estimating the fruit consumption rates and was compared to potential intake estimates of PRSV CP from naturally infected nontransgenic papaya. Following accepted allergenicity assessment criteria, our results show that the transgene-derived PRSV CP does not pose a risk of food allergy.     

Evaluation of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labeo rohita</Emphasis> as an immunomodulator: in vitro expression model

Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) or type II interferon is a cytokine that is critical for innate and adaptive immunity against viral and some bacterial and protozoal infections. The importance of IFN-γ in the immune system lies in its ability to inhibit viral replication directly and most importantly from its immunomodulatory effects. Previously, we successfully co-administered IFN-γ along with GAPDH gene of Edwardsiella tarda as bicistronic DNA vaccine in Labeo rohita. In order to ascertain the individual role of IFN-γ, the present study involves cloning and expression of 552-bp IFN-γ open-reading frame (ORF) of L. rohita in striped snakehead (SSN-1) cell line using eukaryotic expression vector system (pQE-TriSystem) followed by transfection in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBMCs) to evaluate its immunomodulatory ability in comparison to polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C)-treated PBMCs. The 18.7-kDa protein, expressed in the pQE-IFNγ-transfected SSN-1 cells, reacted with anti-His antibody in Western blot confirming it to be recombinant IFN-γ, whereas the relative expression of IFN-γ, iNOS, Mx, and IL-1β genes in PBMCs was quantified at 24 h and 48 h post treatment by qPCR. The comparative kinetics of all four genes showed significantly (p?<?0.05) high upregulation pattern in both pQE-IFNγ-transfected cell group and Poly I:C-treated cell group demonstrating recombinant IFN-γ as an equally efficient inducer like Poly I:C. Thus, our in vitro experiment results highlight the immunomodulatory potential of recombinant IFN-γ as an analogue to synthetic Poly I:C which warranted future studies to further explore the potential of recombinant IFN-γ as an effective vaccine adjuvant against different microbial invasion.     

Spatial variability of water retention parameters and saturated hydraulic conductivity in a calcareous Inceptisols (Khuzestan province of Iran) under sugarcane cropping

The objective of this study was to quantify inherent spatial variability and spatial cross-correlation of the van Genuchten retention parameters and saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) of surface and subsurface layers in a calcareous Inceptisols (Khuzestan province, Iran) under sugarcane cropping. Measurements were performed on 100-cm³ undisturbed soil cores collected at 94 locations along a 30-m-long transect with horizontal sampling distance intervals of 0.3 and 1 m at soil depths of 0–40 and 40–80 cm, respectively. Spatial variability was investigated using conventional statistics and geostatistical techniques. Coefficient of variation (CV) varied from 8.2% (for shape parameter, n at 40–80 cm depth) to 256.7% (for K_s at 0–40 cm depth). The n parameter and saturated water content, θ_s, showed a small-scale spatial heterogeneity with a maximum CV of 11.3% for the first depth and 9.2% for the second depth. Most of the hydraulic parameters at both depths showed a spatial structure and convex experimental semivariograms with dominant spherical models with the influence range of 3.2–41 m. In most cases, the extent of spatial correlation scales of cross-semivariograms for pairs of cross-correlated hydraulic variables was found to be different with reference to those relating to the direct semivariograms of correlated variables.     

Potential,constraints and applications of in vitro methods in improving grain legumes

Grain legumes, the important constituents of sustainability‐based cropping systems and energy‐limited vegetarian diets have long been the subject of scientific research. Tremendous technological strides were made in the so‐called orphan crops, in terms of both varietal improvement and generation of basic information. Despite recalcitrancy and high genotype dependency, in vitro culture techniques such as organogenesis, in vitro mutagenesis, embryo rescue and in vitro gene transfer have been deployed for improvement of several grain legumes and these played an important role in introgression of desirable genes from related and distant species and creation of additional genetic variability. Stable and reproducible regeneration protocols resulted in the development of genetically modified chickpea, pigeon pea, cowpea, mungbean, etc., while embryo rescue was deployed successfully for recovery of interspecific recombinants, a few of them exploited for the development of commercial cultivars. Nevertheless, doubled haploidy witnessed limited success and protoplast regeneration and in vitro mutagenesis remained of academic interest. The present review focuses on the progress, achievements, constraints and perspectives of using in vitro technology in grain legume improvement.