Alteration in important quality traits and antioxidant activities in Brassica oleracea with Ogura cybrid cytoplasm

In vegetable brassicas, cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) system is the most preferred mechanism for hybrid seed production and Ogura cybrid cytoplasm is the only source used widely. Effects of the alien cybrid cytoplasm on important quality traits need to be understood for their effective use in breeding programme. In analysing 38 Ogura cybrid cytoplasm‐based cauliflower CMS lines, it was revealed that introgression of Ogura cytoplasm resulted in significant alteration in important quality traits. Cupric reducing antioxidant activity and ferric reducing ability of plasma values were increased up to 5–10 times in different genotypes. Among 38 analysed CMS lines, concentration of plant pigments such as anthocyanin, total chlorophylls and ascorbic acid was reduced in 21, 17 and 32 genotypes, respectively. However, the concentration of total carotenoids and β‐carotene was elevated in most of the CMS lines and total carotenoid was increased up to 20 times in the CMS line, Ogu13‐85‐2A. The results indicate the role of nuclear–cytoplasmic interaction and mitochondrial genome in determining concentration of different quality traits.     

Identification of Minimum Data Set Under Balanced Fertilization for Sustainable Rice Production and Maintaining Soil Quality in Alluvial Soils of Eastern India

The scarcity of non-renewable fertilizers resources and the consequences of climate change can dramatically influence the food security of future generation. Introduction of high yielding varieties, intensive cropping sequence and increasing demand of food grains day-by-day, application of recommended dose of fertilizers could not fulfill our targets due to outdated fertilizers recommendations are yet in practice. It not only alters soil quality, nutrient balance, microbial and enzymatic ecology but also affected productivity and sustainability of rice in Gangetic alluvial soils of India. The effect of fertilizers application based on “fertilizing the soil versus fertilizing the crop” which insure real balance between the applied and available soil nutrient is urgently needed. Hence, the present study was conducted during three consecutive crop seasons (2010, 2011, and 2012) to assess the effect of imbalance and balance fertilization based on initial soil test values and targeted yields, and to determine the effect of farmyard manure (FYM) when superimposed with balanced fertilizers on identification of minimum data set for the development soil quality, nutrient acquisition, and grain yield of rice. The six fertilizer treatments were laid out in a randomized block design with three replications. The treatments were: T₁-control (no fertilization), T₂-farmyard manure @ 5 t ha^?1, T₃-farmers practice (60:30:30 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha^?1), T₄-precise application of mineral fertilizers based on initial soil test values (77:24:46 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha^?1) for targeted grain yield of 4.0 t ha^?1, T₅-precise application of mineral fertilizers based on initial soil test values (74:23:43 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha^?1) plus FYM (5 t ha^?1) for targeted grain yield of 4.0 t ha^?1 and T₆-precise application of mineral fertilizers based on initial soil test values (135:34:65 kg N:P₂O₅:K₂O ha^?1) for targeted rice grain yield of 5.0 t ha^?1. Result revealed that the targeted rice grain yield of 4.0 and 5.0 t ha^?1 was achieved in T₄ and T₆ treatments with 1.59% (4.06 t ha^?1) and –3.40% (4.83 t ha^?1) deviations, respectively. T₄, T_5, and T₆ significantly increased crop growth, nutrient uptake, available P (P_a) and K (K_a) and augmented rice grain yield by 10.6, 20.2 and 31.6%, respectively, over T₃. Microbial biomass carbon, soil respiration and enzymatic activity were enhanced significantly in T₅ as compared to T₆. Highest soil quality index was found in T₅ (0.95) followed by T₆ (0.90) and, lowest was in T₁ (0.63). The contribution of minimum data set (MDS) toward the SQI was in the descending order of ALP (30.6%) > SOC (21.5%) > K_a (11.3%) > PSM (9.68%) > N_a (8.51%). Overall, rice yield and soil quality was improved by using balance fertilization based on fertilizing the crop Vs fertilizing the soil in alluvial soils of India.     

Genetic diversity of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) genotypes revealed by RAPD markers and agronomic traits

Bitter gourd or bitter melon (Momordica charantia L.) is considered as minor cucurbitaceous vegetable in spite of having considerable nutritional and medicinal properties. Although some reports on genetic diversity based on morphological characterization are available, no work has been conducted to estimate genetic diversity using molecular markers in this crop. In the present study, 38 genotypes of M. charantia including few commercially cultivars collected from different parts of India based on agro-ecological zones were analysed for diversity study both at morphological and molecular levels. Genomic DNA was extracted from young healthy leaves following the procedure of Doyle and Doyle [Doyle, J.J., Doyle, J.L., 1990. A rapid DNA isolation procedure from small quantity of fresh leaf material. Phytochem. Bull. 119, 11–15]. Pair-wise comparison of genotypes was calculated as per the procedure of Jaccard [Jaccard, P., 1908. Nouvelles recherches sur la distribution florale. Bull. Soc. Vaud. Sci. Nat. 44, 223–270]. Dendrogram was constructed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic averages (UPGMA) and the computation for multivariate analysis was done using the computer programme NTSYS-pc Version 2.0 [Rohlf, F.J., 1998. NTSYS-pc Numerical Taxonomy and Multivariate Analysis System, Version 2.01. Exeter Software, Setauket, NY, USA]. Diversity based on yield related traits and molecular analysis was not in consonance with ecological distribution. Among 116 random decamer primers screened 29 were polymorphic and informative enough to analyse these genotypes. A total of 208 markers generated of which 76 (36.50%) were polymorphic and the number of bands per primer was 7.17 out of them 2.62 were polymorphic. Pair-wise genetic distance (GD) based on molecular analysis ranged from 0.07 to 0.50 suggesting a wide genetic base for the genotypes. The clustering pattern based on yield related traits and molecular variation was different.     

Heat stress and effect of shade materials on hormonal and behavior response of dairy cattle: a review

In tropical countries, at high temperatures, several physiological rearrangements occur in cows as they attempt to facilitate heat dissipation and/or reduce metabolic heat production. Following exposure to heat, cattle appear to acclimatize within 2–7 weeks. The failure of homeostasis at high temperatures may lead to reduced productivity or even death. The situation is even worse when humidity adds to high temperature. Livestock with elevated body temperature exhibit lower DMI and growth with less efficiency, reducing profitability for dairy farms in hot and humid climates. Shading of feed and water also offers production advantages. Although several elaborate methods for reducing heat stress in cows have been reported, simple shade materials appear to be the most cost-effective methods that are currently applicable to tropical developing countries. Different materials are being used to provide shade during warm weather. The shade material determines the microclimate—it should be light, strong, durable, weatherproof, good looking and a bad conductor of heat, and free from tendency to condense moisture inside. This review discusses various shade materials and their advantages and disadvantages in different situations.     

Temperature shifts induce adaptive changes in the physical state of carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) erythrocyte plasma membranes in vitro

Blood, freshly collected from warm- and cold-acclimated carp, Cyprinus carpio L., was cooled to 5°C for 4h or warmed to 25°C for 4h, respectively, and the fluorescence anisotropy of washed red blood cells was recorded using the fluorescent dye 3-(p-(6-phenyl-1,3,5-hexatrienyl) phenyl propionic acid [DPH-PA] (which is restricted to the outer leaflet of the plasma membrane) before and after the temperature shift. Despite individual variation, the plasma membrane of cold-exposed erythrocytes became more fluid while that of warm-exposed cells became more rigid following the temperature shift. This response was rapid and reversible. Cold-exposed cells from warm-acclimated fish became more fluid within 40–60 minutes and reverted to their original fluidity within the same time on warming, at a rate of 1°C/min; erythrocytes, from cold-adapted carp displayed an opposite change in fluidity over a similar time period. Cells from warm-acclimated, temperature down-shifted carp hyperfluidized their plasma membranes in the cold, whereas cells from cold-acclimated fish up-shifted in temperature showed no similar effect. These cells showed a complete adjustment of membrane physical state to the temperature. Total phospholipids obtained from warm-acclimated temperature down-shifted cells became more rigid than they were, when assayed at the acclimation temperature. In contrast, phospholipids obtained from cold-acclimated cells became more rigid when exposed to increasing temperatures. No significant changes occurred to the polar head groups, or to the fatty acid composition of the total phospholipids. It was concluded that the lipids play only a secondary role in the control of the physical state of plasma membrane in carp erythrocytes, and that some non-lipid components of these structures might be involved in these regulatory processes.     

Underplanting to sustain future stocking of oak (Quercus) in temperate deciduous forests

New Forests - Oaks (Quercus spp.) are one of the most important tree taxa in the northern hemisphere. Although they are dominant in mixed species forests and widely distributed, there are frequent...     

Recombinant LipL32 antigen-based single serum dilution ELISA for detection of canine leptospirosis

A recombinant antigen-based single serum dilution enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to measure the specific antibody activity in sera of dogs with leptospirosis. The recombinant antigen developed and used in the assay was specific for the pathogenic serovars of Leptospira. A linear relationship was found to exist between the predicted antibody titres at a single working dilution of 1:1000 and the corresponding observed serum titres as determined by the standard serial-dilution method. Regression analysis was used to determine a standard curve from which an equation can be derived that allows demonstration of the mentioned correlation. The equation was then used to convert the corrected absorbance readings of the single working dilution directly into the predicted ELISA antibody titres. The assay was proved to be sensitive, specific and accurate as compared to the standard microscopic agglutination test (MAT).