Biochemical markers of environmental stress tolerance in finger millet [Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.] germplasm of Central Himalayan Region

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Availability of the germplasm of suitable crops for cultivation in environmental stress prone and resource poor terrains is crucial for food security in these...     

Critical carbon inputs to maintain soil organic carbon stocks under long‐term finger‐millet (Eleusine coracana [L.] Gaertn.) cropping on Alfisols in semiarid tropical India

Enrichment of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks through sequestration of atmospheric CO₂ in agricultural soils is important because of its impacts on adaptation to and mitigation of climate change while also improving crop productivity and sustainability. In a long‐term fertility experiment carried out over 27 y under semiarid climatic condition, we evaluated the impact of crop‐residue C inputs through rainfed fingermillet (Eleusine coracana [L.] Gaertn.) cropping, fertilization, and manuring on crop yield sustainability and SOC sequestration in a Alfisol soil profile up to a depth of 1 m and also derived the critical value of C inputs for maintenance of SOC. Five treatments, viz., control, farmyard manure (FYM) 10 Mg ha^–1, recommended dose of NPK (50 : 50 : 25 kg N, P₂O₅, K₂O ha^–1), FYM 10 Mg ha^–1 + 50% recommended dose of NPK, and FYM 10 Mg ha^–1 + 100% recommended dose of NPK imposed in a randomized block design replicated four times. Application of FYM alone or together with mineral fertilizer resulted in a higher C input and consequently built up a higher C stock. After 27 y, higher profile SOC stock (85.7 Mg ha^–1), C build up (35.0%), and C sequestration (15.4 Mg C ha^–1) was observed with the application of 10 Mg FYM ha^–1 along with recommended dose of mineral fertilizer and these were positively correlated with cumulative C input and well reflected in sustainable yield index (SYI). For sustenance of SOC level (zero change due to cropping) a minimum quantity of 1.13 Mg C is required to be added per hectare per annum as inputs. While the control lost C, the application of mineral fertilizer served to maintain the priori C stock. Thus, the application of FYM increased the C stock, an effect which was even enhanced by additional amendment of mineral fertilizer. We conclude that organic amendments contribute to C sequestration counteracting climate change and at the same time improve soil fertility in the semiarid regions of India resulting in higher and more stable yields.     

Finger millet (Eleucine corocana L. Gaertn.) as a cover crop on weed control, growth and yield of soybean under different tillage systems

Adoption of conservation tillage systems has become more popular in recent years due to erosion control and economics. Weed control is often identified as the limiting factor in the adoption of such systems. Although herbicides are efficient and convenient, the need to reduce herbicide use has been emphasized. Cover crops have become a viable option in this context, but the contribution of cover crops to weed control has not been clearly defined. A 2-year field experiment compared minimum tillage (MT), no-tillage (NT) and conventional tillage (CT) for soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] following paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) with finger millet (Eleucine corocana L. Gaertn.) as a cover crop. Weed emergence, cover crop biomass, main crop growth and yield were observed. Finger millet effectively controlled weeds but total weed biomass was greater with NT than other tillage methods and seeding method had no effect at early stage of growth. Neither crop growth nor leaf chlorophyll content was affected by finger millet under given tillage treatments. Weed biomass was almost half under MT than NT. Finger millet was able to effectively manage weed biomass under MT to a level achieved under CT without a cover crop at the early stage of growth. Number of seeds per pod and 100 seed weight were not affected by tillage treatments but number of pods per square meter was significantly higher with row seeding than broadcast seeding of finger millet cover crop in 2002. The absence of finger millet under MT in 2003, significantly reduced soybean grain yield. Finger millet can be managed with a single mechanical suppression as a cover crop under MT with no yield reduction.     

小黑麦子粒中铁、锰、铜、锌含量对氮素反应的品种差异及其类型

采用盆栽试验,以31份具有不同遗传背景的小黑麦品种为材料,设低氮和正常供氮2个氮素水平,探讨小黑麦子粒中铁、锰、铜、锌含量对氮素反应的品种差异及其类型。结果表明: 1）不同供氮条件下,小黑麦子粒中铁、锌含量以正常供氮显著高于低氮条件,锰、铜含量在两个供氮条件下差异不显著;相同供氮条件下,小黑麦子粒中铁、锰、铜、锌含量存在显著的品种差异,变异系数为15.07 %～38.69 %。2） 铁、锰、铜、锌含量对氮素供应的敏感性存在差异,以各小黑麦品种子粒微量元素含量对氮素响应的敏感程度,可将其分为钝感型、中间型和敏感型3种类型。3）相关分析表明,铁、锰含量与粒重相关性不显著,铜、锌含量与粒重呈极显著正相关（相关系数分别为0.45、0.44）;铁、锰、铜、锌含量与子粒中含氮量呈极显著正相关（相关系数分别为0.34、0.55、0.47、0.71）。这些结果可为小黑麦营养品质有利基因的发掘和运用提供参考依据。     

Effect of soil application of nickel on growth,micronutrient concentration and uptake in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grown in Inceptisols of Varanasi

A pot experiment was conducted in a glass house on low nickel containing alluvial soil in the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, during 2012–13 and 2013–14, to study the response of barley to soil application of nickel (Ni). There were ten treatments of Ni (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 mg kg^?1) studied with recommended dose of fertilizers nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur (N:P:K:S :: 40:30:30:20 mg kg^?1).The results showed a significant increase in plant height, number of tillers, chlorophyll content, straw and grain yield, and 1,000 grains weight with application of 10 mg Ni kg^?1 soil during both years of study. The micronutrient concentration and uptake in straw and grain increased with application of <15 mg Ni kg^?1 soil and beyond that declined significantly. Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-extractable micronutrient iron, manganese, copper, zinc and nickel (Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn and Ni) content in soil increased with increasing level of Ni. The maximum urease activity in post-harvest soil was noticed with application of 40 mg Ni kg^?1 soil. The microbial population viz. bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes were higher with 5, 30 and 10 mg Ni kg^?1 soil, respectively.     

长期施用有机肥对土壤和糙米 铜、锌、铁、锰和镉积累的影响

设施氮、磷、钾肥（NPK）、施氮、磷、钾肥兼稻草还田（NPKS）、施氮、磷、钾肥兼2倍稻草还田（NPKS2）、施氮、磷、钾肥兼施紫云英（NPKG）和施氮、磷、钾肥兼施猪粪5个处理的长期定位试验,探讨了长期施用有机肥对土壤和糙米铜、锌、铁、锰和镉含量的影响。结果表明,土壤全铜、全锌和全镉因秸秆还田或施用紫云英、猪粪有明显提高,尤其是施用猪粪,土壤全铜、全锌和全镉较仅施用氮、磷、钾肥分别增长53.6%、23.6%、406.2%,达到极显著水平; 而全铁和全锰各处理间没有显著差异。长期施用有机肥增加了土壤有效态铜、锌和镉含量,其中施用猪粪土壤有效铜、锌和镉含量增加最为显著,分别比NPK处理增长了335.9%、320.8%、421.4%。长期施用猪粪明显地增加了糙米中镉含量,并超过国家卫生标准。长期施用畜禽粪便类的有机肥对农产品的安全应予以足够的关注。     

Effect of Zn binding to phytate and humic substances on its uptake by wheat (Triticum durum L.) as affected by carbonates and Fe oxides

Although complexation with soil organic matter may improve zinc (Zn) bioavailability to plants, the effect of Zn sorbent surface on the use of complexed Zn by plants remains unknown. The objective of this research was to elucidate how Zn complexation with humic substances (HS) and phytate affects the uptake of Zn by wheat plants depending on the main sorbent surface in growth media, i.e., carbonates and Fe oxides. To this end, two pot experiments were performed, one using Fe oxide-coated siliceous as the siliceous growth medium sand and the other using a mixture of calcareous sand and siliceous sand as the calcareous growth medium. Each experiment involved three Zn sources, Zn-HS complex, Zn phytate, and ZnSO₄. All sources were applied with surface irrigation at two Zn rates (0.25 and 2 mg kg^-1 growth medium). The Zn-HS complex significantly increased Zn uptake by plants in both media, relative to the other two Zn sources, but no significant difference was observed between Zn phytate and ZnSO₄. In the calcareous medium, Zn-HS complex and Zn phytate resulted in significantly higher dry biomass yields of wheat than ZnSO₄. In the siliceous medium, spike and shoot dry biomass yields with Zn-HS complex at the low rate and Zn phytate at both rates were not significantly different from those with ZnSO₄ at the high rate. After harvest, approximately 50% of the Zn applied as Zn-HS complex remained extractable by diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), while this proportion was less than 20% for the other Zn sources. Thus, Zn-HS complex and Zn phytate are sources of available Zn for plants, and they are more effective than ZnSO₄ in increasing plant growth, particularly when carbonates are the main Zn sorbent surface.     

Assessment of Genetic Diversity among Finger Millet (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Eleusine coracana</Emphasis> (L.) Gaertn.) Accessions using Molecular Markers

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), an allotetraploid cereal, is widely cultivated in the arid and semiarid regions of the world. Being rich in protein and calcium, finger millet serves as an important staple food for rural populations in developing tropical countries where calcium deficiency and anemia are wide spread. Thirty-two finger millet genotypes were fingerprinted using 50 random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Out of the total 529 loci generated using the 50 RAPD primers, 479 loci (91%) were polymorphic and informative to differentiate the accessions. Cluster analysis grouped the 32 finger millet accessions into two major clusters. Among the 32 finger millet genotypes, GEC 182 and CO 12 were distantly related with a low similarity index of 0.315. These two accessions also differed considerably in days to flowering and grain weight; GEC 182 is early flowering and has bold grains, while CO 12 is late flowering and has smaller grains. These two accessions with higher diversity at molecular level, phenology and grain weight will be ideal as parents in hybridization programme, to develop improved finger millet varieties suitable for peninsular region of India.     

不同生态区骨干谷子品种表型鉴定与遗传分析

骨干谷子品种对谷子产业发展发挥了重要的作用,为了解其优异性状遗传基础及利用价值,选用来源于不同生态区的12个骨干谷子品种,进行表型鉴定和遗传差异分析.结果表明,12个来源于不同生态区的骨干品种在株高、穗长、穗粗、穗下节间长、单穗重、生育期以及黄色素含量等方面差异较大.79对SSR多态性标记共检测到258个多态性变异位点...     

Effect of two whole-crop rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars on methane emission and Cu and Zn uptake in a paddy field fertilized with biogas slurry

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of two whole-crop rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars, TULT and Takanari, on methane (CH₄) emission in a paddy field fertilized with biogas slurry (BS) at rates of 0 (NF), 100 (BS100) and 300 (BS300) kg nitrogen (N) ha^?1, in comparison with chemical fertilizer CF100 (100 kg N ha^?1). Takanari produced significantly higher biomass (P < 0.001) than TULT and showed significantly (P < 0.01) lower CH₄ emission than TULT. BS applications caused higher CH₄ emission (52 ± 27 and 80 ± 19 g m^?2 in BS100 and BS300, respectively) than did CF100 (42 ± 18 g m^?2) and NF (28 ± 10 g m^?2) in TULT. In contrast, there was no significant difference in CH₄ emission in Takanari among the treatments (26 ± 2, 26 ± 2, 32 ± 4, 29 ± 8 g m^?2 in NF, CF100, BS100 and BS300, respectively). Methane oxidizing bacteria (MOB) showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher populations in Takanari than in TULT at harvest, which might be due to the higher root biomass (10.3 ± 2.2 g hill^?1) in Takanari than in TULT (8.9 ± 1.8 g hill^?1). MOB was significantly correlated with tiller number (R² = 0.176*) and plant biomass (R² = 0.242*). BS application showed higher copper (Cu) uptake in Takanari while it was not high in TULT. In contrast, it showed no difference in zinc (Zn) uptake in both varieties. Uptake of Cu was not different between the two varieties, while uptake of Zn in the grain was higher in TULT than in Takanari. The present study suggests that CH₄ emission deriving from BS application in paddy field can be mitigated by selecting an appropriate cultivar, like Takanari. However, care should be taken for heavy metal uptake in selecting cultivars.     

Amino acid profiles after sprouting, autoclaving, and lactic acid fermentation of finger millet (Eleusine coracan) and kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Seeds of finger millet (Eleucine coracan (L.) Gaertner) and kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were sprouted, autoclaved, and fermented during the processing of a weaning (complementary) food for children. Relative changes in individual amino acids with processing were evaluated. Finger millet and kidney beans both showed a good percentage of essential to total amino acids, with 44. 2-44.9% in finger millet and 44.2-45.1% in kidney beans, when compared to 33.9% for the FAO/WHO reference protein for 2-5 year old children. Sprouting resulted in a significant decrease in lysine in kidney beans. Autoclaving caused significant decreases in histidine, while fermentation significantly decreased phenylalanine and increased tryptophan in finger millet. The leucine-to-lysine ratio, which is an indicator of the pellagragenic character of a protein, was significantly improved in finger millet by both sprouting and fermentation.     

Geographical variation of nuclear genome RFLPs and genetic differentiation in foxtail millet, Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.

Sixteen RFLP loci in 62 landraces were assayed to study geneticdifferentiation in foxtail millet, Setariaitalica (L.) P. Beauv. Among 52 bands, 47 werepolymorphic among foxtail millet landraces. A dendrogram constructedbased on RFLPs was divided into five major clusters (clusterI–V). Clusters I and II contained strains mainly from EastAsia. Cluster III consisted of strains from subtropical and tropicalregions in Asia such as Nansei Islands of Japan, Taiwan and thePhilippines and India and cluster IV consisted of some strains fromEast Asia, a strain from Nepal and a strain from Myanmar. Cluster Vcontained strains from central and western regions of Eurasia such asAfghanstan, Central Asia and Europe. Chinese landraces wereclassified into four clusters. These results indicate that foxtailmillet landraces have differentiated genetically between differentregions and that Chinese landraces were highly variable.     

供磷水平对铁、锰、铜、锌在稻株中分布和糙米品质的影响

用室内盆栽试验,研究了不同磷肥施用量对铁、锰、铜、锌在水稻中分布和糙米品质的影响。结果表明,盆栽条件下,施用磷肥显著降低了Fe、Mn、Cu、Zn在IR68144地上部的积累量,显著增加了Fe、Mn、Cu、Zn在两个品种糙米中的分布。在不同磷肥施用水平下,Fe、Mn、Cu、Zn在IR68144地上部的积累量显著高于IR64,表明IR68144从根到地上部运输微量元素Fe、Mn、Cu、Zn的能力更强。此外,施用磷肥促进了富铁水稻糙米对蛋白质的积累,抑制其对直链淀粉的积累,且导致胶稠度变软,对IR64糙米品质的影响较小。说明合理的磷肥管理措施可在一定程度上调控子粒微量元素积累,改善稻米营养品质。     

施用硒、锌、铁对玉米和大豆产量与营养

采用黄土高原低硒区典型土壤,以玉米、大豆为供试作物,研究施用硒、锌、铁对作物产量和营养品质的影响。结果表明,仅施用氮、磷、钾肥料,玉米、大豆产量无明显变化,施用适量硒、锌、铁时,玉米产量明显提高15.6%～73.8%,大豆产量提高58.9%～115.1%。施用硒、锌、铁,玉米籽粒氮含量明显增加,而磷、钾含量无明显变化,大豆籽粒氮含量无明显变化,磷、钾含量有所下降。土施或结合叶面喷施硒、锌、铁时,玉米和大豆籽粒硒、锌、铁含量明显增加,尤其是土施结合叶面喷施硒、锌、铁时效果突出。与对照比较,玉米籽粒硒增加480.4%、锌增加106.9%、铁增加126.7%; 大豆籽粒硒增加512.9%、锌增加62.2%、铁增加15.6%。综合考虑玉米、大豆产量和籽粒硒、锌、铁含量变化,锌、硒适宜土壤施用,或土施结合叶面喷施施用,叶面喷施铁可有效提高作物籽粒铁含量。     

栽培模式、施氮量和播种密度对小麦子粒中锌、铁、锰、铜含量和携出量的影响

用田间试验方法研究了栽培模式、播种密度和施氮量与小麦(Triticum aestivum L.)子粒中锌、铁、锰、铜含量与携出量的关系.结果表明,施用氮肥显著地提高了子粒产量,5种栽培模式中覆膜栽培表现出较大的增产效应,而增大播种密度在本试验条件下的增产作用较小;在30种处理组合下,4种微量元素在小麦子粒中含量的分布趋势均为铁＞锰＞锌＞铜,表明这些元素的含量分布主要受作物自身遗传性状的控制,而人为的栽培措施的影响是有限的,不同处理组合对子粒中铁、锰和铜的含量均有显著性影响,而对锌含量未表现出明显影响;补灌栽培与覆膜栽培相比,前者能显著提高子粒铜含量,施用N肥条件下,子粒锌、铜含量均显著高于不施N肥;覆膜栽培下铁、锰携出量高于其它4种栽培模式,施用N肥显著提高了小麦子粒中锌、铁、锰、铜携出量.此外,不同栽培模式、播种密度和施氮量下土壤中有效态锌含量的变异幅度极小.     

A minute P application contributes to a better establishment of pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) seedling in P deficient soils

Many soils of the semi-arid tropics are deficient in P, and under such adverse conditions, the establishment of pearl millet seedlings is a critical step to achieve satisfactory crop stands. Phosphorus fertilizer is expensive for small holder farmers and is only applied at low rates, insufficient to give satisfactory crop stands. Methods are needed to enhance productivity at low rates of application. Here, we tested the hypothesis that a minute application of P at early seedling stage, equivalent to 125–500 g P/ha, would enhance the plant establishment under P-limiting conditions. We measured the minimum application of P needed to elicit a response of different genotypes. Pot experiments were conducted with pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) hybrids to measure the response to P placed close to the root system, 5 days after sowing (DAS), compared with a non-limiting P control (DAP). The placement treatments were 0, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.0 mg soluble P per seedling, applied as KH₂PO₄ solution. The localized placement of P increased biomass in all three soils tested. In one soil, plant biomass at 1000 μL (1 mg P) reached about 50% of the non limited control. If applied later than 19 DAS the placement had no effect on the plant biomass. Hybrid ICMP 451-P8 was more responsive than hybrid 81B-P6. Placement to 20 inbred lines of pearl millet increased biomass by an average of 105% compared with no placement with large genotypic variation. Although this work was not intended to be a way of applying P fertilizer to pearl millet under field conditions, it showed that applying minute amount of P to pearl millet seedling (equivalent to 125–500 g P/ha) enhanced their establishment and led to improved growth for at least 5–6 weeks after sowing. Further work is in progress to develop a feasible technology for field crops based on the results of this study.     

栽培模式、施氮量和播种密度对小麦子粒中锌、铁、锰、铜含量和携出量的影响

用田间试验方法研究了栽培模式、播种密度和施氮量与小麦（Triticum aestivum L．）子粒中锌、铁、锰、铜含量与携出量的关系。结果表明，施用氮肥显著地提高了子粒产量，5种栽培模式中覆膜栽培表现出较大的增产效应，而增大播种密度在本试验条件下的增产作用较小；在30种处理组合下，4种微量元素在小麦子粒中含量的分布趋势均为铁〉锰〉锌〉铜，表明这些元素的含量分布主要受作物自身遗传性状的控制，而人为的栽培措施的影响是有限的，不同处理组合对子粒中铁、锰和铜的含量均有显著性影响，而对锌含量未表现出明显影响；补灌栽培与覆膜栽培相比，前者能显著提高子粒铜含量，施用N肥条件下，子粒锌、铜含量均显著高于不施N肥；覆膜栽培下铁、锰携出量高于其它4种栽培模式，施用N肥显著提高了小麦子粒中锌、铁、锰、铜携出量。此外，不同栽培模式、播种密度和施氮量下土壤中有效态锌含量的变异幅度极小。     

土壤中施加锌对豌豆(Pisum sativum L.)中锌浓度以及其种子产量的影响

A 2-year field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of applied zinc（Zn） on the seed yield of pea（Pisum sativum L.） and to determine the internal Zn requirement of pea with emphasis on the seed and leaves as index tissues.The experiment was carried out at two different locations（Talagang,Chakwal district and National Agricultural Research Centre（NARC）,Islamabad） in the Potohar Plateau,Pakistan by growing three pea cultivars（Green feast,Climax,and Meteor）.The soils were fertilized with 0,2,4,8,and 16 kg Zn ha^-1 along with recommended basal fertilization of nitrogen（N）,phosphorus（P）,potassium（K）,and boron（B）.Zinc application increased seed yield significantly for all the three cultivars.Maximum increase in the pea seed yield（2-year mean） was21%and 15%for Green feast,28%and 21%for Climax,and 34%and 26%for Meteor at Talagang and NARC,respectively.In all cultivars,Zn concentrations in leaves and seed increased to varying extents as a result of Zn application.Fertiliser Zn requirement for near-maximum seed yield varied from 3.2 to 5.3 kg ha^-1 for different cultivars.Zinc concentrations of leaves and seeds appeared to be a good indicator of soil Zn availability.The critical Zn concentration range sufficient for 95%maximum yield（internal Zn requirement）was 42-53 mg kg^-1 in the pea leaves and 45-60 mg kg^-1 in the seeds of the three pea cultivars studied.     

Delineating genetic inheritance and nonallelic genic interactions for grain iron and zinc concentration,yield and its attributes by generation mean analysis in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.]

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Pearl millet is a major staple cereal crop worldwide and genetic biofortification with enhanced grain iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations are ongoing...