Effect of seaweed sap as foliar spray on growth and yield of hybrid maize

Seaweeds are important marine renewable resources. Use of seaweeds as fertilizers has allowed for substitution in place of conventional synthetic fertilizers. This study was conducted to examine the effect of seaweed liquid extract (SLE) on growth, yield, and nutrient uptake by hybrid maize. The experiments were conducted in ZARS, Vishweshwaraiah Canal farm, Mandya (Karnataka, India) during the rabi season of 2011–2013 to study the effect of foliar applications of Kappaphycus alvarezii (K sap) and Gracilaria edulis (G sap) sap on growth and yield response of hybrid maize “NAH 1137”. Three foliar sprays of both saps were applied at the rate of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10, and 15.0% (v/v) along with water spray as a control at different stages of the crop. It was found that grain yield increased significantly by 18.54% and 26.04% for plants receiving 10% concentrations of both K. alvarezii and G. edulis sap respectively, over control. The increase in yield was attributed to increase in the number of rows in cob, cob length, and 100 grain weight. This investigation concludes that application of both the saps at 10% increased the nutrient uptake, grain, and stover yield over control.     

Effects of Moisture Stress and Anti-transpirants on Leaf Chlorophyll,

Brinjal plants ( Solanum melongena L.) grown under moisture stress conditions in a glasshouse were treated with three anti-transpirants, namely cycocel, limewash and potassium chloride, to study their influence on chlorophyll content, soluble protein and photosynthetic rate. Moisture stress imposed at each of the three growth stages decreased chlorophyll content, soluble protein and photosynthetic rate. Of the anti-transpirants investigated, cycocel performed better than limewash and po-tassium chloride.     

Utility of pearl millet landraces in breeding dual-purpose hybrids for arid zone environments of India

In pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.), single cross hybrids based largely on exotic germplasm, have found very limited adoption in drought-prone arid regions mainly due to their inadequate adaptation to prevalent extremely harsh agro-climatic conditions. This study tested the hypothesis that the use of restorer parents derived from adapted landrace germplasm could be an alternative strategy in developing suitable hybrids for arid regions. Forty inbred restorer lines developed from two phenotypically diverse landraces were used to develop hybrids evaluated in this study for their performance in five typical arid zone environments between 2003 and 2007. Inbred lines from both landrace populations differed significantly in their combining ability for biomass, harvest index and grain and stover yields. A larger proportion of experimental hybrids, based on selected inbred lines, significantly outperformed the commercial checks for grain and stover yields. Increase in grain and stover yields was achieved primarily due to their higher biomass productivity, with no decline in harvest index. Choice of landrace determined the relative grain and stover productivity of their hybrids. Phenotypic differences observed in parental landraces in tillering and panicle length were also visible in their respective hybrids, indicating that characteristics of landrace parental populations were transmitted in their hybrids.     

A unique introgression from Moricandia arvensis confers male fertility upon two different cytoplasmic male-sterile lines of Brassica juncea

A Brassica juncea line carrying an introgression from Moricandia arvensis restored male fertility to two cytoplasmic male‐sterile (CMS) B. juncea lines carrying either M. arvensis or Diplotaxis catholica cytoplasm. Genetics of fertility restoration was studied in the F₁, F₂, F₃ and backcross generations of the cross between CMS and fertility‐restorer lines. No male‐sterile plants were found in F1‐F₃ generations of the cross between CMS [M. arvensis] B. juncea and the restorer. However, a 1: 1 segregation for male sterility and fertility was observed when the F1 was pollinated with non‐restorer pollen from a euplasmic line. These results clearly show that restoration is mono‐genic and gametophytic. In CMS lines carrying D. catholica cytoplasm, the restorer conferred male fertility to the F1 and showed 3: 1 and 1: 1 segregations for male fertility and sterility in F₂ and BC1 generations, respectively, indicating a monogenic, sporophytic mode of fertility restoration. The results were also supported by pollen stainability in the F1 which was about 65% in M. arvensis‐based CMS and >90% in D. catholica‐based CMS. The above results are discussed in the light of previous molecular studies which showed association between CMS and atpA in both systems.     

Modeling of Soil-Plant-Fertilizer Relationships for Optimizing Fertilizer Doses for Different Levels of Finger Millet Yield under Semi-Arid Alfisols

Experiments were conducted to test the superiority of treatment combinations of nitrogen (N; 0, 50, 100, 150, 200 kg ha^?1), phosphorus (0, 30, 60, 90 kg ha^?1) and potassium (0, 30, 60 kg ha^?1) for finger millet during 2005–2007. Application of 200-90-60 kg ha^?1 gave maximum yield of 1666, 1426 and 1640 kg ha^?1 in 3 years, respectively. The yield regression model through soil and fertilizer nutrients gave predictability of 0.98, 0.97 and 0.98, with sustainability yield index (SYI) of 50.4, 49.4 and 52.5 in 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. Optimum nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) doses for attaining yields of 800 and 1200 kg ha^?1 were derived at soil nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium of 75–400, 10–70 and 150–750 kg ha^?1. Fertilizer nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ranged from 30–128, 3–19, 13–25 kg ha^?1 and 105–203, 4–32, 27–39 kg ha^?1 for attaining 800 and 1200 kg ha^?1 yield, respectively. The doses could be adopted for attaining sustainable yields under semiarid Alfisols.     

Assessment of genetic relationships between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhus</Emphasis> L. species using RAPD markers

Genetic diversity of seven Rhus L. species was assessed using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPDs) markers. Initially, 90 primers were screened, of which 25 produced reproducible amplification products. These primers generated a total of 296 bands, with an average of 11.8 bands per primer. Out of 296 bands scored, 236 (80%) were polymorphic and 62 (20%) were monomorphic. Primers OPC-05 and OPD-05 generated 100% polymorphic bands. The resolving power of primers ranged from 9.4 to 26.8. Similarity matrix values ranged from 0.45 to 0.63. The dendrogram generated using Unweighted Pair Group Method using Arithmetic Averages (UPGMA) grouped all the species of Rhus in one major group with two sister groups, whilst R. pyroides Burch. and R. dentata Thunb. were outliers. R. gerrardii (Harv. ex Engl.) Diels, R. glauca Thunb. and R. pentheri Zahlbr. constituted one sister group, while R. natalensis Bernh. ex C. Krauss and R. gueinzii Sond. were included in the other. The degree of genetic diversity observed between seven species of Rhus with RAPD markers suggest that this approach could be used for studying the phylogeny of the genus.     

Long‐term effects of fertilization on some soil properties under rainfed soybean‐wheat cropping in the Indian Himalayas

This study aims to examine the effects of long‐term fertilization and cropping on some chemical and microbiological properties of the soil in a 32 y old long‐term fertility experiment at Almora (Himalayan region, India) under rainfed soybean‐wheat rotation. Continuous annual application of recommended doses of chemical fertilizer and 10 Mg ha^–1 FYM on fresh‐weight basis (NPK + FYM) to soybean (Glycine max L.) sustained not only higher productivity of soybean and residual wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop, but also resulted in build‐up of total soil organic C (SOC), total soil N, P, and K. Concentration of SOC increased by 40% and 70% in the NPK + FYM–treated plots as compared to NPK (43.1 Mg C ha^–1) and unfertilized control plots (35.5 Mg C ha^–1), respectively. Average annual contribution of C input from soybean was 29% and that from wheat was 24% of the harvestable aboveground biomass yield. Annual gross C input and annual rate of total SOC enrichment from initial soil in the 0–15 cm layer were 4362 and 333 kg C ha^–1, respectively, for the plots under NPK + FYM. It was observed that the soils under the unfertilized control, NK and N + FYM treatments, suffered a net annual loss of 5.1, 5.2, and 15.8 kg P ha^–1, respectively, whereas the soils under NP, NPK, and NPK + FYM had net annual gains of 25.3, 18.8, and 16.4 kg P ha^–1, respectively. There was net negative K balance in all the treatments ranging from 6.9 kg ha^–1 y^–1 in NK to 82.4 kg ha^–1 y^–1 in N + FYM–treated plots. The application of NPK + FYM also recorded the highest levels of soil microbial‐biomass C, soil microbial‐biomass N, populations of viable and culturable soil microbes.     

Tyrosine cross-links: molecular basis of gluten structure and function

The formation of the large protein structure known as "gluten" during dough-mixing and bread-making processes is extremely complex. It has been established that a specific subset of the proteins comprising gluten, the glutenin subunits, directly affects dough formation and breadmaking quality. Glutenin subunits have no definitive structural differences that can be directly correlated to their ability to form gluten and affect dough formation or breadmaking quality. Many protein structural studies, as well as mixing and baking studies, have postulated that disulfide bonds are present in the gluten structure and contribute to the process of dough formation through the process of disulfide-sulfhydryl exchange. Evidence presented here indicates that tyrosine bonds form in wheat doughs during the processes of mixing and baking, contributing to the structure of the gluten network. The relative contributions of tyrosine bonds and disulfide--sulfhydryl interchange are discussed.     

Effects of copper rates and soil ph on growth and nutrient uptake by citrus seedlings

Abstract

Soil properties, primarily pH and organic matter, influence phytotoxicity of copper (Cu). A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of copper additions (0, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg kg^?1) to three different soils [Myakka fine sand (pH 5.7), Candler fine sand (pH 6.5), and Oldsmar fine sand (pH 8.2)] on growth, and uptake of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and copper (Cu) by Swingle Citrumelo (SC) seedlings. In unamended soils, the seedling growth was similar in the Myakka and Candler fine sands (pH 5.7 to 6.5), but was significantly greater in the Oldsmar fine sand (pH 8.2). Increasing the rate of Cu from 0 to 400 mg kg^?1 decreased the soil pH by 0.98 unit in the Candler fine sand, by 1.57 pH unit in the Myakka fine sand, and negligible effects on the pH of the Oldsmar fine sand. The growth of SC seedlings decreased significantly with an increase in Cu rates in the Myakka and Candler fine sands, but not in the Oldsmar fine sand. The Cu concentration in the leaves and roots increased substantially with an increase in the Cu rate applied to the Candler and Myakka fine sands while the effect was marginal in the Oldsmar fine sand. The above effect was more pronounced on the Cu concentration in the roots than in the leaves. Increased rate of Cu application decreased the uptake of P, Mg, Ca, and K in the roots and leaves of the seedlings grown in the Myakka and Candler fine sands but not in the Oldsmar fine sand.