Socio-Economic and Scientific Impact Created by Whitefly-Transmitted,Plant-Virus Disease Resistant Tomato Varieties in Southern India

Research carried out to assess the impact of open-pollinated Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV)-resistant tomatoes and hybrids on the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers in Southern India is described and discussed. Three high-yielding ToLCV-resistant tomato varieties were developed initially using conventional breeding and screening techniques involving inoculation by ToLCV-viruliferous whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. In 2003 and 2004, respectively, these varieties were released officially by the Karnataka State Seed Committee and the Indian Ministry of Agriculture through notification in the Gazette of India. From 2003 to 2005, eleven seed companies bought breeder seed of the ToLCV-resistant varieties and used them to begin breeding F₁ hybrids from them. Socio-economic studies carried out to assess the benefits obtained from growing the ToLCV-resistant varieties found that farmers could gain up to 10 times the profit by growing the ToLCV-resistant varieties compared to the pre-existing ToLCV-susceptible varieties. Adoption of ToLCV-resistant tomatoes was also associated with reduced pesticide use. Extra income from tomato sales was prioritised by farmers to pay for children's education, better nutrition and medicines. In a joint effort with the commercial seed sector in India, a promotional field day was organised in 2007. As well as the three ToLCV-resistant varieties, 62 ToLCV-resistant hybrid tomatoes were exhibited during a farmer-field day by 17 commercial seed companies and several public institutes. Tomatoes with ToLCV-resistance are now grown widely in South India and seeds of the three open-pollinated varieties have been distributed to more than 12 countries. In 2007, a conservative estimate of the financial-benefit to cost of the research ratio was already more than 837:1.     

Morphological and biochemical basis of resistance in okra to cotton jassid, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Amrasca biguttula biguttula</Emphasis> (Ishida)

Fifteen okra germplasm entries viz. accessions: IC0506027, IC0506118 and EC0306728; Abelmoschus spp.: Abelmoschus tuberculatus, Abelmoschus moschatus, Abelmoschus angulosus, Abelmoschus tetraphyllus, Abelmoschus manihot and Abelmoschus caillei; genotypes: POL-6 and POL-7; and four cultivated varieties: Punjab 8, Punjab Padmini, Punjab 7 and Pusa Sawani were screened against jassid, Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida) in field at Vegetable Research Farm, Department of Vegetable Science, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, India during Kharif 2015. Different morphological and biochemical parameters of leaves of the selected entries were also studied. The correlation between jassid nymphal population and mid vein hair density, total phenols and tannins was negative and significant (r = ?0.67, ?0.83, ?0.75, respectively); negative and non-significant for hair length, angle of insertion of hair, total sugars and silica (r = ?0.40, ?0.49, ?0.63 and ?0.59, respectively) and positive and highly significant for lacination index, reducing sugars and lignins (r = 0.82, 0.95 and 0.90, respectively). Abelmoschus spp. Abelmoschus tetraphyllus, Abelmoschus angulosus and Abelmoschus moschatus were found to be field resistant on the basis of significantly lower pooled jassid nymphal population (1.56–1.99), jassid injury index (1.16–1.27) and susceptibility index (2.70–2.92). High degree of resistance in Abelmoschus tetraphyllus, Abelmoschus angulosus and Abelmoschus moschatus was found to be associated with high hair density (4.75–7.50), longer hair (1285.00–1513.20 μm), more erect hair (83.40–95.20°), broad leaves, high total sugars (15.21–18.36 mg/g), total phenols (1.52–1.58 mg/g), tannins (26.12–31.48 mg/g) and silica (32.66–33.17 mg/g) and low levels of reducing sugars (2.50–3.39 mg/g). Abelmoschus tuberculatus, A. manihot, IC0506027 and EC0306728 were found moderately field resistant with variable levels of morphological and biochemical parameters. High hair density, broad leaves, moderate levels of total sugars, reducing sugars, total phenols, tannins and silica seems to be associated with moderate levels of resistance in these entries. The variable levels of above mentioned parameters in moderately resistant entries also indicate that a single factor is not responsible for resistance but combination of different factors may be conferring resistance to jassid.     

Constitutive expression of a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase gene from Stylosanthes humilis in transgenic tobacco leads to enhanced disease resistance but impaired plant growth

Transgenic tobacco plants expressing a phenylalanine ammonia-lyase cDNA (ShPAL), isolated from Stylosanthes humilis, under the control of the 35S promoter of the cauliflower mosaic virus were produced to test the effect of high level PAL expression on disease resistance. The transgenic plants showed up to eight-fold PAL activity and were slowed in growth and flowering relative to non-transgenic controls which have segregated out the transgene. The expression of the ShPAL transgene and elevated PAL levels were correlated and stably inherited. In T₁ and T₂ tobacco plants with increased PAL activity, lesion expansion was significantly reduced by up to 55% on stems inoculated with the Oomycete pathogen Phytophthora parasitica pv. nicotianae. Lesion area was significantly reduced by up to 50% on leaves inoculated with the fungal pathogen Cercospora nicotianae. This study provides further evidence that PAL has a role in plant defence.     

Yield and quality of two tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) cultivars as influenced by drip and furrow irrigation using waters having high residual sodium carbonate

Performance of tomato when irrigated with sodic waters particularly under drip irrigation is not well known. A field experiment was conducted for 3 years to study the response of tomato crop to sodic water irrigation on a sandy loam soil. Irrigation waters having 0, 5 and 10 mmol_c L⁻¹ residual sodium carbonate (RSC) were applied through drip and furrow irrigation to two tomato cultivars, Edkawi (a salt tolerant cultivar) and Punjab Chhuhara (PC). High RSC of irrigation water significantly increased soil pH, ECe and exchangeable sodium percentage progressively; the increases were higher in furrow compared to drip irrigation. Effect of high RSC on increasing bulk density and decreasing infiltration rate of soil was also pronounced in furrow-irrigated plots. Higher soil moisture and lower salinity near the plant was maintained under drip irrigation than under furrow irrigation. Performance of the two cultivars was significantly different; pooled over 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons, PC yielded 38.8 and 30.0 Mg ha⁻¹ and Edkawi yielded 31.8 and 22.9 Mg ha⁻¹ under drip and furrow irrigation, respectively. At RSC10, cultivar PC produced 38 and 46% higher fruit yield than cultivar Edkawi under drip and furrow irrigation, respectively. Reduction in fruit yield at higher RSC was due to lower fruit weight under drip irrigation and due to reduced fruit number as well as fruit weight under furrow irrigation. Decrease in fruit weight was more pronounced in cultivar Edkawi than in cultivar PC. Increase in RSC lowered quality of the fruits except the ascorbic acid content. High RSC under drip irrigation, in general, had lesser deteriorating effect on the fruit quality particularly for cultivar PC than under furrow irrigation. For obtaining high tomato yield and better-quality fruits using high RSC sodic waters, drip irrigation should be preferred over furrow irrigation. Better performance of local cultivar PC compared to Edkawi at medium and high RSC suggests that cultivars categorized as tolerant to salinity should be evaluated in the sodic environment particularly when irrigated with high RSC sodic waters.     

The high-affinity E. coli methionine ABC transporter: structure and allosteric regulation

The crystal structure of the high-affinity Escherichia coli MetNI methionine uptake transporter, a member of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-binding cassette (ABC) family, has been solved to 3.7 angstrom resolution. The overall architecture of MetNI reveals two copies of the adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) MetN in complex with two copies of the transmembrane domain MetI, with the transporter adopting an inward-facing conformation exhibiting widely separated nucleotide binding domains. Each MetI subunit is organized around a core of five transmembrane helices that correspond to a subset of the helices observed in the larger membrane-spanning subunits of the molybdate (ModBC) and maltose (MalFGK) ABC transporters. In addition to the conserved nucleotide binding domain of the ABC family, MetN contains a carboxyl-terminal extension with a ferredoxin-like fold previously assigned to a conserved family of regulatory ligand-binding domains. These domains separate the nucleotide binding domains and would interfere with their association required for ATP binding and hydrolysis. Methionine binds to the dimerized carboxyl-terminal domain and is shown to inhibit ATPase activity. These observations are consistent with an allosteric regulatory mechanism operating at the level of transport activity, where increased intracellular levels of the transported ligand stabilize an inward-facing, ATPase-inactive state of MetNI to inhibit further ligand translocation into the cell.     

Copper Stress Alters Physiology and Deteriorates Seed Quality of Rapeseed

ABSTRACT

To observe the effects of deficiency and excess of copper (Cu) on rapeseed (Brassica napus L. cv ‘T44’), plants were raised in refined sand at variable levels of Cu (as copper sulfate): 0.01, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 10, 100, and 200 μM, representing a range from acute deficiency to excess. In rapeseed, excess Cu (200 μM) induced chlorosis on young leaves similar to iron (Fe) deficiency symptoms and appeared earlier (day 30) than symtoms of Cu deficiency (day 40). Foliar symptoms of Cu deficiency (0.01 μM) were initiated on young leaves as interveinal chlorosis, later leading to necrosis. The margins of the affected leaves curled inward and leaves hung down due to loss of turgor. The deficiency (< 1 μM Cu) and excess (100 and 200 μM Cu) of Cu lowered the biomass, pod, and seed yield, concentration of chlorophylls (a and b), Hill reaction activity, activity of catalase and polyphenol oxidase, and increased the activity of ribonuclease and acid phosphatase in leaves. The activity of peroxidase decreased and the concentration of copper in leaves (young and old) and seeds increased with an increase in Cu from low to excess. The accumulation of Cu was greater in old than in young leaves. The seed quality of rapeseed was poor both in deficiency (< 1 μM) and excess (> 1 μM) of Cu, which was reflected in reduction in size and number of pods and seeds, oil content, concentration of protein, carbohydrate fractions (sugars and starch), protein nitrogen (N), and methionine, and increased concentration of phenols and non-protein N in seeds. The values of Cu deficiency, threshold of deficiency, threshold of toxicity, and toxicity were, respectively, 3.8, 6.6, 32, and 54 μg Cu g^?1 dry matter in young leaves and 2.2, 5.8, 20, and 28 μg Cu g^?1 dry weight in seeds of rapeseed.     

INDUCTION OF OXIDATIVE STRESS AND ANTIOXIDANT ENZYMES BY EXCESS COBALT IN MUSTARD

This study focuses on induction of oxidative stress and antioxidative defense mechanism on exposure to excess cobalt (Co) in mustard (Brassica campestris L.; cv. ‘T-59’) plants grown in refined sand. Plants were grown for 40 days at normal (0.1 μM) Co. Additional cobalt was supplied from d 41 at 6 levels, i.e., 0.1 (control), 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 μM as cobalt sulfate. The primary site of Co toxicity was shoots where middle leaves developed interveinal chlorosis after three days of excess cobalt supply (>100 μM). At severity these chlorotic spots became necrotic and affected areas appeared dry and papery, at this stage, growth of the plants were completely checked, the upper part of the stem became dry and hanged down. The toxicity of cobalt at d 46, i.e., six days after metal supply, (DAMS) reduced the dry weight, concentrations of chlorophyll a, b and carotenoids in leaves and tissue Fe with decreased activity of catalase and lipid peroxidation. Enhancement in proline concentration and elevated activities of antioxidant enzymes peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase were observed in leaves and roots in response to excess Co supply in mustard. Cobalt concentration of mustard in leaves and roots, ranged from 200 to 397 μg g^?1 at excess Co as compared to 1.1 to 2.5 μg Co g^?1 dry matter in control (0.1 μM Co).     

Potential of triptolide in reproductive management of the house rat,Rattus rattus

Mature and healthy male house rats, Rattus rattus (n= 160) were fed on bait (cracked wheat: powdered sugar, 98:2) containing different concentrations of triptolide (0.1, 0.05, 0.025 and 0%) for 7 and 14 days in no‐choice and bi‐choice feeding tests in the laboratory. The objective of the study was to record the antifertility affects of triptolide after 30 and 60 days of termination of treatment. Results revealed no significant effect of triptolide treatment on weights of testis, epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate gland of rats. Overall, sperm motility, live sperm count, sperm density and sperm morphology in the cauda epididymal fluid were found to differ significantly (P≤ 0.05) between untreated and treated groups of rats. The major effect of triptolide on sperm morphology was in the form of sperm head tail separation, which was up to 56.0% in rats treated for 14 days in no‐choice and autopsied after 30 days. A significant effect (P≤ 0.05) of triptolide treatment was observed on the histomorphology of the testis, which included a dose‐dependent decrease in diameter of seminiferous tubules, thickness of germinal epithelium and numbers of various spermatogenic cells. Cell associations in the seminiferous epithelial cycle were poorly developed in rats ingesting medium (4.7–5.1 mg/100 g bw) and high doses (6.9–7.2 mg/100 g bw) of triptolide than rats ingesting low doses (1.8–2.3 mg/100 g bw) and untreated rats. The cell stages affected had not recovered fully within the 60 day period following triptolide withdrawal. The present study suggests the potential of triptolide in reproductive management of Rattus rattus.