Effect of different levels of rice bran processed by various techniques on performance of broiler chicks

1. Rice bran processed by extrusion cooking, roasting or pelleting and treated with antioxidant was used in broiler starter and finisher diets at various concentrations up to 500 g/kg. 2. Extrusion cooking gave the best performance, followed by roasting, while non-significant differences were observed between raw and pelleted bran. 3. Increasing the amount of rice bran in broiler diets resulted in significantly negative effects on growth performance. Non-significant differences were observed in mortality and dressing percentage due to different processes and concentrations of rice bran in the diet. Organ weights were significantly higher on raw and pelleted rice bran as compared to extruded and roasted bran. Liver and heart weights significantly increased with increasing contents of rice bran above 200g/kg, while pancreas weight increased with an addition of rice bran. 4. Treating the rice bran with antioxidant up to 250ppm had non-significant effects on broiler performance.     

Potential of Pakistani camel for dairy and other uses

Camels have the potential for milk, meat and draught power and can contribute a handsome share of the production of these commodities. The potential of this wonderful animal has never been realized and it could be harnessed as a prospective milk producing animal. The future of animals that can thrive under harsh environmental conditions, the camel being at the top of the list, is bright. The camel is still a neglected species in Pakistan and has not received the proper attention of researchers and scientists. The population explosion, urbanization and industrialization have expanded agricultural activities to produce more food for the rapid growing human population of the country. Cultivated areas are shrinking, thus reducing the fodder production area for buffalo and cattle. Under these circumstances we have to search for other available sources to enhance milk production. The environmental changes occurring on the earth and the water shortage in the region have also adversely affected the production potential of buffalo, cattle, goats and sheep. Under these changing ecological circumstances, rearing camel is the best option for more milk production and the proper utilization of the vast unused lands of this country. Most studies also have named the camel as an animal of great socioeconomic importance in large tracts of the industrializing world. The camel serves as a cheaper source of power for drawing water from wells, plowing and leveling land, working mini extraction mills (extracting from oil seeds), grinding wheat, corn and other grains and crushing sugarcane and pulling carts for the transportation of goods as well as people.     

Triple test cross analysis for some morphological traits in mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek)

Thirty progenies of mungbean were produced by crossing 10 true-breeding genotypes with three testers (NM 92, 6601, and their F₁) in a Triple Test cross (TTC) fashion and evaluated with parents in the kharif (July-October) and spring/summer (March-June) seasons. The data on parents and F₁s were analysed for pod clusters on main stem, pod clusters on branches, node of the first peduncle, nodes on main stem and average internode length to detect epistasis and estimate additive and dominance components of genetic variation. Epistasis was observed for node of the first peduncle and nodes on main stem in the kharif season. Partitioning of total epistasis revealed that both additive × additive (i type), and additive × dominance, and dominance × dominance (j and l types) interactions were significant with prevalent influence of i type interactions on these traits. Both additive and dominance components of genetic variation were significant for all those traits not significantly influenced by epistasis in either or both seasons. The additive component was predominant for pod clusters on main stem, pod clusters on branches and average internode length in the kharif season, and for the node of the first peduncle and nodes on main stem in spring/summer season whereas dominance component was important for pod clusters on main stem, pod clusters on branches, and average internode length in spring/summer season. These results suggested that particular generation of segregating population and specific breeding method for selection might be adopted in each season for the improvement of these traits in mungbean. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fertility and segregation of the amphidiploid Phaseolus vulgaris L. x P. coccineus L. and its behaviour in backcrosses

Summary Amphidiploidy was induced by colchicine treatment of cuttings from the F₁ interspecific hybrid Phaseolus vulgaris L. x Ph. coccineus L.. Pollen stainability rose from about 50% in the raw amphidiploid to 76% in some C₅ individuals; similar improvement in seed fertility was also observed. It is suggested that both genic and chromosomal factors are implicated in the control of fertility in the amphidiploid.The amphidiploid is apparently unable to cross successfully with either parental species; difference in ploidy level is apparently an effective isolating mechanism between the amphidiploid and its parents.     

Identification of a molecular marker linked to an Agropyron elongatum-derived gene Lr19 for leaf rust resistance in wheat

The leaf rust resistance gene Lr19, transferred from Agropyron elongatum into wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) imparts resistance to all pathotypes of leaf rust (Puccinia recondita f.sp. tritici) in South‐east Asia. A segregating F₂ population from a cross between the leaf rust resistant parent ‘HW 2046’ carrying Lr19 and a susceptible parent ‘Agra Local’ was screened in the phytotron against a virulent pathotype 77‐5 of leaf rust with the objective of identifying the molecular markers linked to Lr19. The gene was first tagged with a randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker S73₇₂₈. The RAPD marker linked to the gene Lr19 which mapped at 6.4 ± 0.035 cM distance, was converted to a sequence characterized amplified region (SCAR) marker. The SCAR marker (SCS73₇₁₉) was specific to Lr19 and was not amplified in the near‐isogenic lines (NILs) carrying other equally effective alien genes Lr9, Lr28 and Lr32 enabling breeders to pyramid Lr19 with these genes.