A study of the possible interconversion of hexachlorocyclohexane stereoisomers on chickpea

A field trial was conducted to study (i) whether there is interconversion of stereoisomers of hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) on a plant and (ii) the rate of dissipation of lindane on chickpea in a sub-tropical climate. The lack of formation of the beta and delta isomers on application of pure alpha- or gamma-HCH showed that these stereoisomers of HCH did not interconvert on chickpea. The residues of the alpha and gamma isomers dissipated rapidly on chickpea leaves with half-lives of three and four days respectively.     

Growth and Physiological Changes in Bitter-Gourd Plants Grown with Variable Calcium Supply in Sand Culture

Bitter-gourd (Momordica charantia L.) cv. ‘Jhallari’ plants were grown in refined sand at graded levels of calcium (Ca) supply ranging from acute deficiency (0.02 mM) to excess (8 mM). Apart from the production of characteristic visible symptoms of the respective stresses, deficient (< 4 mM) or excess (8mM) supply of Ca restricted plant biomass and fruit yield. In leaves, the concentration of chlorophyll, Hill reaction activity and the activities of catalase, peroxidase, acid invertase, ATPase, and α-amylase were reduced, but the activity of acid phosphatase was increased by deficiency of Ca. Excess Ca (8 mM) supply significantly reduced the concentration of chlorophyll, Hill reaction activity and the activity of catalase and increased the specific activities of peroxidase, acid invertase, ATPase, α -amylase, and acid phosphatase. Tissue concentration of Ca in leaves and fruits increased with increase in Ca supply from 0.02 to 8 mM. Tissue concentrations in young leaves representing the thresholds of deficiency or toxicity of Ca are found to be 1.12 and 1.98%, respectively. The critical tissue concentration in these leaves suggestive of severe deficiency of Ca is 0.85%.     

Iron dependent ureides and allantionase synthesis in pigeon pea

The effect of iron (Fe) on ureide metabolism was examined in 45‐day‐old pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) (ureide plant) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) (amide plant). Plants were either inoculated with Rhizobium or fertilized with ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃). The ureides, allantoin and allantoate, and allanotinase activity were increased in pigeon pea with Fe supplementation. Specific effect of Fe on ureide metabolism of pigeon pea was indicated by the lack of same effect in alfalfa under similar conditions. Nitrogenase activity was elevated with increasing concentrations of Fe in pigeon pea (ureide) as well as alfalfa (amide) symbiosis. Nitrogen (N₂) fixation, ureides, and allantoinase activity were reduced at 10 ppm and above concentration of Fe.     

The effectiveness of using a minituber crop for selection of agronomic characters in potato breeding programmes

Summary Performance of 20 potato genotypes was studied for seven agronomic characters in crops raised from minitubers and normal seed tubers. Correlation coefficients were computed between minituber crop and normal seed crop in order to study the selection efficiency at minituber crop level. The performance of normal seed crop was significantly better than the minituber crop for various characters including tuber yield and its components. Correlation coefficients between minituber and normal seed crop were significant for various characters except number of stems and number of tubers. Highest correlation coefficient (r=0.86) was for tuber yield followed by average tuber weight (r=0.67) and number of nodes (r=0.63). The results suggest that selection for tuber yield can be practised at the minituber crop level in potato breeding programmes     

A Comparison of the Temporally Integrated Monitoring of Ecosystems and Adirondack Long-Term Monitoring Programs in the Adirondack Mountain Region of New York

This paper compares lake chemistry in the Adirondack region of New York measured by the Temporally Integrated Monitoring of Ecosystems (TIME) and Adirondack Long-Term Monitoring (ALTM) programs by examining the data from six lakes common to both programs. Both programs were initiated in the early 1990s to track the efficacy of emission reduction policies and to assess the full impacts of acid deposition on surface water chemistry. They now serve to inform on the emerging chemical recovery of these waters. The Adirondack TIME program utilizes a probability-based approach to assess chronic acidification in a population of lakes using one summer sample per year. The ALTM attempts to track changes in both chronic and episodic acidification across a gradient of lake types using monthly samples. The ALTM project has two important attributes that contrast with the TIME program in the Adirondacks: higher temporal resolution (monthly versus once during the summer or fall) and speciation of aluminum. In particular, the ALTM program provides inorganic monomeric aluminum (Al_IM), the fraction of Al that is most toxic. The monthly sampling of the ALTM program includes the spring snowmelt period when acid-neutralizing capacity and pH are near their lowest and Al levels are near their highest. We compare chemistry trends (1992?C2008) for sulfate, nitrate, base cations, dissolved organic carbon, hydrogen ion, acid neutralizing capacity, and Al for the six lakes common to both programs. We also compare relatively high springtime Al_IM concentrations from the ALTM with relatively low summertime total Al concentrations from the TIME, showing that the ALTM program provides a more biologically relevant indicator of the effects of acid deposition, illustrating the value of the complementary monitoring efforts in the Adirondack region.     

Development of weather-based prediction models for leaf rust in wheat in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India

Weather based prediction models for leaf rust were developed using disease severity and weather data recorded at four locations viz. Ludhiana, Kanpur, Faizabad and Sabour of the All India Wheat and Barley Improvement Project. Weeks 7–9 of the crop growing season at Ludhiana, Faizabad and Sabour and weeks 10–12 at Kanpur were identified as critical periods for relating weather variables to disease. Highly significant correlation coefficients were found between disease severity and a greater number of weather variables in these critical 3-week periods than at other times. The correlation coefficients were greatest for the Humid Thermal Ratio (HTR), Maximum Temperature (MXT) and Special Humid Thermal Ratio (SHTR), and these three weather variables were selected as predictor variables. Linear regressions with these predictor variables (individually) during the critical periods, and a multiple regression with MXT and relative humidity (RH), serve as four disease prediction models, with sufficient lead-time to take control measures. Validation of these prediction models with independent disease severity data showed that the regression equation with MXT (Model-1) was the best among the prediction models, with four out of six simulations matching observed disease severity classes and also having lowest residual sum of squares (SSE) value of 2727. Models 4 (multiple regression), 2 (HTR) and 3 (SHTR) with SSE values of 2881, 3092 and 3732, respectively are in order of decreasing accuracy of prediction. The model using MXT can be used to predict the disease severity in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and provide the basis for efficient disease control.     

Genetic analysis for growth traits of prolific Garole × Malpura (GM) sheep

The FecB gene of Garole sheep was introgressed into non-prolific Malpura sheep to evolve a new prolific sheep strain Garole × Malpura (GM), suitable for semi-arid conditions. The present study was conducted to evaluate the impact of breeding program on production profile of GM sheep and to estimate the genetic parameters for growth traits of GM sheep. Overall prolificacy increased significantly in the new strain as compared to the native Malpura sheep. In the GM flock of F2 and F2 onwards generation 35.31% single, 55.83% twins, 8.16% triplet and 0.70% quadruplets were obtained during lambing. Over the years, prolificacy in the flock has increased significantly. Over all least squares means for birth weight, 3, 6, 9, 12 month weight, pre-weaning gain (ADG1) and post-weaning gain (ADG2) were 1.82 ± 0.03, 9.44 ± 0.18, 14.00 ± 0.24, 16.56 ± 0.33, and 19.32 ± 0.35 kg, and 84.08 ± 1.84 and 35.19 ± 0.99 g, respectively. Majority of the fixed effects had significant influence on the performance traits. The heritability estimates for birth, 3, 6, 9, 12 month weight, ADG1 and ADG2 were 0.30 ± 0.11, 0.22 ± 0.09, 0.23 ± 0.10, 0.27 ± 0.10, 0.30 ± 0.11, 0.17 ± 0.08, and 0.17 ± 0.10, respectively. Modest rate of genetic progress seems possible for these traits under selection. The genetic and phenotypic correlations among different body weights were moderate to high and positive. The genetic correlation of pre and post-weaning daily gains with body weight traits were also high and positive.     

ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE MECHANISM IN PIGEON PEA UNDER COBALT STRESS

Influence of excess cobalt (Co; 10 to 400 μM Co) on growth, biomass, Co accumulation, photosynthetic pigments, lipid peroxidation, proline, non-protein thiols and cysteine contents as well as activities of anti-oxidative enzymes was studied in pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan Mill). In pigeon pea leaves decreased concentrations of chlorophyll and carotenoids on exposure to excess Co was associated with decrease activity of catalase and super oxide dismutase and suggest antiperoxidative nature of excess Co. However, a marked increase in the activities of ascorbate peroxidase and peroxidase and enhanced levels of cysteine, non-protein thiols, and proline are suggestive of induction of antioxidants in excess Co. The threshold of toxicity (10% growth reduction) and toxicity (33% growth reduction) values of Co in pigeon pea were 75 and 160 μg g^?1in leaves, 42 and 180 μg g^?1in stem and 50 and 340 μg g^?1Co in roots, respectively.     

Daily rhythm of nociception in rats

Background  

Many behavioral and physiological variables exhibit daily rhythmicity. Few investigations of the daily rhythmicity in nociception have been conducted, and conflicting results have been obtained. The present study evaluated the daily rhythmicity in nociception in Wistar rats.