Agronomic evaluation of mulching and iron nutrition on productivity,nutrient uptake,iron use efficiency and economics of aerobic rice-wheat cropping system

Field experiments were carried out during rainy (kharif) and winter (rabi) seasons (June–April) of 2008–2010 at Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi, to study the productivity, nutrients uptake, iron (Fe) use-efficiency and economics of aerobic rice-wheat cropping system as influenced by mulching and Fe nutrition. The highest yield attributes, grain and straw yields (5.41 tonnes ha^?1 and 6.56 tonnes ha^?1, respectively) and nutrient uptake in rice was recorded with transplanted and puddled rice (TPR) followed by aerobic rice with Sesbania aculeata mulch. However, residual effect of aerobic rice with wheat straw mulch was more pronounced on yield attributes, grain and straw yields (4.20 and 6.70 tonnes ha^?1, respectively) and nutrient uptake in succeeding wheat and remained at par with aerobic rice with Sesbania mulch. Application of iron sulfate (FeSO₄) at 50 kg ha^?1 + 2 foliar sprays of 2% FeSO₄ was found to be the best in terms of all the yield attributes, grain and straw yield (5.09 and 6.17 tonnes ha^?1, respectively) and nutrient uptake and remained at par with 3 foliar sprays of 2% FeSO₄. Although residual effect of iron application failed to increase the yield attributes, yield and nutrient uptake nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N, P, K) except Fe. The highest system productivity, nutrient uptake, gross returns, net returns, B: C ratio and lowest cost of cultivation were recorded with aerobic rice with wheat straw and Sesbania aculeata mulch. Application of FeSO₄ at 50 kg ha^?1 + two foliar sprays of 2% FeSO₄ was found better in respect of system productivity, nutrient uptake, gross returns, net returns, B:C ratio and cost of cultivation in aerobic rice-wheat cropping system. The Fe use efficiency values viz. partial factor productivity (kg grain kg^?1 Fe), agronomic efficiency (kg grain increased kg^?1 Fe applied), agrophysiological efficiency (kg grain kg^?1 Fe uptake), physiological efficiency (kg biomass kg^?1 Fe uptake), apparent recovery (%) utilization efficiency and harvest index (%) of applied Fe were significantly affected due to methods of rice production and various Fe nutrition treatments in aerobic rice and aerobic rice-wheat cropping system.     

Resistance of 57 greenhouse-grown accessions of Lycopersicon esculentum and three cultivars to Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

The aim of this study was to evaluate resistance to Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) by antixenosis on 57 Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. accessions from the Horticultural Germplasm Bank (HGB) of Universidade Federal de Viçosa and by the three commercial cultivars (Santa Clara, Moneymaker and TOM-601) under greenhouse conditions. A randomized complete block design was used with three replications. Infestations with T. absoluta adults were performed weekly and the following characteristics were evaluated: number of small, large and total mines/leaf and % of leaves mined at days 60, 75 and 90 after planting. Low infestation occurred at days 60 and 75 but at day 90, infestation was sufficient to evaluate insect damage. Based on these data it was concluded that only accessions HGB-674 and HGB-1497 appeared to be the most promising. In addition, to determine possible chemical causes of resistance, hexane extracts were analyzed at day 90 by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and the major peaks identified by a mass spectral database using similarity index. Nine hydrocarbons, viz., hexadecane, heptadecane, eicosane, tricosane, 2-methyltricosane, tetracosane, hexacosane, octacosane and triacontane were identified in the hexane extracts in many samples. Tricosane, tetracosane and hexacosane presented significant correlations with the leaves mined. Only tricosane presented a negative correlation with the number of small mines (r = −0.28), total number of mines (r = −0.27) and % of leaves mined (r = −0.22). However, tetracosane and hexacosane presented significant positive correlations (r = 0.25 and 0.24, respectively) with the % of leaves mined.     

Responses of eucalypt species to aluminum: the possible involvement of low molecular weight organic acids in the Al tolerance mechanism

Aluminum (Al) tolerance mechanisms in crop plants have been extensively researched, but our understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying Al tolerance in trees is still limited. To investigate Al tolerance in eucalypts, seedlings of six species (Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Eucalyptus urophylla S.T. Blake, Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden, Eucalyptus saligna Sm., Eucalyptus cloeziana F. J. Muell. and Eucalyptus grandis w. Hill ex Maiden) and seedlings of six clones of Eucalyptus species were grown for 10 days in nutrient solutions containing Al concentrations varying from 0 to 2.5 microM (0 to 648 microM Al3+ activities). Root elongation of most species was inhibited only by high Al3+ activities. Low to intermediate Al3+ activities were beneficial to root elongation of all species and clones. Among the species tested, E. globulus and E. urophylla were more tolerant to Al toxicity, whereas E. grandis and E. cloeziana were more susceptible to Al-induced damage. Although E. globulus seedlings were tolerant to Al toxicity, they were highly sensitive to lanthanum (La), indicating that the tolerance mechanism is specific for Al. Fine roots accumulated more Al and their elongation was inhibited more than that of thick roots. In E. globulus, accumulation of Al in root tips increased linearly with increasing Al concentration in the nutrient solution. The majority of Al taken up was retained in the root system, and the small amounts of Al translocated to the shoot system were found mainly in older leaves. No more than 60% of the Al in the thick root tip was in an exchangeable form in the apoplast that could be removed by sequential citrate rinses. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and ion chromatography analyses indicated that root exposure to Al led to a greater than 200% increase in malic acid concentration in the root tips of all eucalypt species. The increase in malate concentration in response to Al treatment correlated with the degree of Al tolerance of the species. A small increase in citric acid concentration was also observed in all species, but there were no consistent changes in the concentrations of other organic acids in response to Al treatment. In all eucalypt species, Al treatment induced the secretion of citric and malic acid in root exudates, but no trend with respect to Al tolerance was observed. Thus, although malate and citrate exudation by roots may partially account for the overall high Al tolerance of these eucalypt species, it appears that tolerance is mainly derived from the internal detoxification of Al by complexation with malic acid.     

Heat shock protein 70, oxidative stress, and antioxidant status in periparturient crossbred cows supplemented with α-tocopherol acetate

The study was conducted to investigating the effect of α-tocopherol acetate on heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), oxidative stress, and antioxidant status during periparturient period in medium body condition score crossbred cows. Twenty crossbred Karan Fries cows with confirmed pregnancy were selected 2 months before expected date of calving. The cows were randomly distributed in to two groups: 10 cows were kept as control and 10 were supplemented with α-tocopherol acetate during dry period for 2 months. Blood samples were collected at ?20, ?10, ?5, 0, 5, 10, and 20 days in relation to the expected date of calving. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total immunoglobulin were significantly higher (P?<?0.01) in treatment as compared to control cows. Heat shock protein 70 and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels were significantly lower (P?<?0.01) in the treatment cows than their counterpart. Treatment with α-tocopherol acetate during dry period resulted in reduced oxidative stress, heat shock protein Hsp70 levels, improved antioxidant, and improved immunity status indicating beneficial effect of α-tocopherol acetate treatment.     

Resistance of tomato accessions from the horticulture germplasm bank to red spider mites: exploring mite preference patterns and antixenosis mechanism

The red spider mite Tetranychus evansi can cause up to 90% yield losses to tomato crops. Mechanisms and causes of plant resistance to this pest could contribute to improved planning of plant breeding programs that prevent damage by this pest. It is known that the morphology and chemical compounds present in tomato plants are important to Tetranychus spp. success. This study aims at evaluating the resistance of 84 arbitrarily chosen tomato accessions – obtained from the Horticulture Germplasm of the Universidade Federal de Viçosa (HGB-UFV), Minas Gerais State, Brazil – to T. evansi. We evaluated the number of spider mites per leaf disk, number of trichomes/mm2, and the concentration of hydrocarbons of leaf disk. A significant difference in the number of T. evansi adults/leaf disk was found among accessions. The resistance mechanism of the HGB-UFV accessions was determined to be antixenosis. Accessions 2004, 2098, 2121, and 2100 had higher trichome density and the lowest adult T. evansi per tomato leaf disk. For this reason, these accessions should be chosen as sources of resistance in plant breeding programs. The hydrocarbons C₁₁, C₁₃, and C₂₂ had a negative correlation with T. evansi adults per leaf disk.     

Gamma-tocopherol as a marker of Brazilian coffee (Coffea arabica L.) adulteration by corn

The adulteration of coffee with cereals, coffee twigs, etc. is apparently widespread in Brazil with corn being considered the most widely used. No adequate methods are available to detect such contamination in commercial coffee. A new method, based on high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tocopherol determination was developed to detect coffee adulteration by corn. Percentages of alpha-, beta-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol determined by HPLC in six coffee varieties were 29.0, 61.7, 3.3, and 6.0, respectively. Similar values were obtained in six popular coffee brands. The percentages of alpha-, gamma-, and delta-tocopherol in six corn samples were 3.6, 91.3, and 5.1, respectively. These differences could be applied to detect corn in a pure coffee sample intentionally contaminated with corn with the best result obtained with gamma-tocopherol. With this methodology, one coffee brand was apparently adulterated (8.9%), most likely with corn. Tocopherol fingerprinting offers the potential to detect adulteration.     

Long-Term Effects of Different Passages of Vehicular Traffic on Soil Properties and Carbon Storage of a Crosby Silt Loam in USA

The passage of vehicles with heavy axle loads causes soil compaction, and this adversely affects soil properties and crop yield.The adverse effects can persist for several years due to significant changes in key soil properties. However, the mechanisms of the aforementioned effects are not well understood for conservation agriculture(CA)(e.g., no-till(NT)) wherein the use of heavy machinery is considerably common. Therefore, known compaction forces(0 Mg load for compaction(NT-0, control), two passages of 2.5 Mg water wagon axle load(NT-2), and four passages of 2.5 Mg water wagon axle load(NT-4)) were applied to all the plots annually for 20 consecutive years. The experiment was established in 1997 at the Waterman Agricultural and Natural Resources Laboratory(WANRL), Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. Each treatment was replicated thrice. Soil samples were obtained in November2016 to determine the effects of variations in the axle load and vehicular passages on carbon(C) and nitrogen(N) storage and selected soil properties of a Crosby silt loam soil under NT-based corn-soybean rotation with residue retention in Central Ohio, USA. Three locations were also randomly selected in an adjoining natural woodlot(WL) soil plot and sampled(30 m away from the compaction field) to compare the effects of vehicular traffic on soil under NT with WL soil. Results revealed that soil bulk density(ρb) and total porosity at 0–10 and 10–20 cm depths were not affected by the passages of vehicular traffic for 20 years under the NT system.The penetration resistance(PR)(1.86 and 2.03 MPa at 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil depths, respectively) was significantly higher under NT-4 compared with that under other treatments. Saturated hydraulic conductivity at 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil depths ranged from19.7 to 31.4 and 18.5 to 29.5 mm d~(-1), respectively, across all the treatments. The proportion of macroaggregates( 0.25 mm) and microaggregates( 0.25 mm), mean weight diameter and geometric mean diameter of aggregates, pH, electrical conductivity, and C and N contents and storage did not differ significantly between the treatments at either of the sampling soil depths. The data indicated that 2 to 4 passages of vehicles with 2.5 Mg of axle load did not cause significant compaction of the Crosby silt loam under NT compared with that under natural WL. Therefore, the continuous cultivation of row crops with NT and residue retention is feasible with passages of vehicular traffic for well-drained soils in Central Ohio.     

Conservation tillage and mulching effects on the adaptive capacity of direct-seeded upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) to alleviate weed and moisture stresses in the North Eastern Himalayan Region of India

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of tillage and mulch on weed growth, soil moisture storage, productivity and profitability of upland rice during 2012–2013 at Lembucherra, India. Tillage treatments included CT-RI: conventional tillage with 100% residue incorporation and NT-RR: no-till with 100% residue retention. Mulches included rice straw (SM), Gliricidia (GM), brown manuring (BM) and none (NM). CT-RI registered the highest total weed density (89–168 weeds m^?2) and biomass (9.6–183 g dry weight m^?2) than those for the NT-RR (75–161 weed m^?2 and 8–155 g dry weight m^?2). In addition, NT-RR stored (122–172 mm) more soil moisture (0–40 cm soil depth) in comparison with that for the CT-RI treatment (110–161 mm) during crop growing season. Tillage treatments did not have the significant effect on yields. NT-RR reduced the cost of cultivation by 31.5% compared with that for the CT-RI. Thus, the net returns under NT-RR were more than those for the CT-RI. The BM recorded the lowest weed biomass and density as compared to that under other mulches. Therefore, cultivation of upland rice using NT along with BM mulching enhanced productivity and profitability of rice cultivation in India.     

Genetic analysis of prolificacy in “Sikkim Primitive”—A prolific maize (Zea mays) landrace of North‐Eastern Himalaya

Prolificacy assumes significance for development of high‐yielding baby corn hybrids. “Sikkim Primitive” is a native landrace of North‐Eastern Himalaya, and is the highest prolific maize germplasm. So far, the genetics of prolificacy in “Sikkim Primitive” has not been deciphered. Here, a prolific inbred (MGU‐SP‐101) developed from “Sikkim Primitive” was crossed with four non‐prolific inbreds viz., LM13, BML7, HKI161 and HKI1128. Six generations (P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, BC₁P₁ and BC₁P₂) of the crosses were evaluated at two locations during rainy season 2018. MGU‐SP‐101 possessed 2.50–3.78 ears per plant compared to 1.06–1.86 among non‐prolific inbreds. The variation for ears was the highest in F₂s (1–8), followed by BC₁P₁ (1–7) and BC₁P₂ (1–5). The quantitative inheritance pattern of prolificacy with prevalence of non‐allelic interactions of duplicate epistasis type has been observed. Dominance × dominance effect was predominant over additive × additive and additive × dominance effects. Total number of major gene blocks ranged from 0.41 to 2.86, thereby suggesting the involvement of at least one major gene/QTL governing the prolificacy. This is the first report of genetic dissection of prolificacy in “Sikkim Primitive”.     

Long term crop management effects on soil organic carbon,structure, and water retention in a cropland soil in central Ohio,USA

The objective of this study was to determine 13‐year management effects on soil properties between a corn–soybean (Zea mays–Glycine max) cropping system (CSRS) and vegetable production systems (VPS) on a soil in central Ohio. Three treatments included in the VPS were: (1) addition of wood chips, (2) permanent raised beds (PRB) with black polyethylene film (20 μm thick), and (3) bare soil surface (BSS). Additionally, (4) animal manure was applied in all CSRS and VPS treatments except for the wood chips (WCP) added plot in the VPS. Research data from the study show that relatively more soil organic carbon (SOC) stock in the 0–20 cm soil depth of the BSS treatment (100.6 Mg ha^?1) was primarily due to differences in the type of soil amendments applied. For example, composted poultry manure was applied in the BSS and PRB plots, compared with input of fresh dairy manure mixed with straw being applied in the CSRS. Furthermore, soil management practices that aided in avoiding or reducing soil compaction (i.e., PRB or application of WCP in the surface) resulted in the overall improvement in soil structure and water retention, compared with that under chisel and disc ploughing done in the CSRS. The highest plant available water capacity (1.79 cm) was observed in the CSRS compared with 0.97 cm under BSS and PRB plots. These trends suggest that the type and amount of animal manure is critical to increasing SOC stocks in intensively cultivated VPS and CSRS in central Ohio, while also improving soil structure and water retention.