Morpho-physiological Responses of Tomato Genotypes Under Saline Conditions

Gesunde Pflanzen - Salinity is a complex abiotic stress that affects physiology and biochemistry of plants and significantly reduces both crop yield and quality. Considering the global...     

Isolation,Screening, and Identification of Proteolytic Lactic Acid Bacteria from Indigenous Chao Product

The aim of the study was to isolate, select, and identify proteolytic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from chao, a traditional fermented fish from Pangkajene and Kepulauan Regency, South Sulawesi, Indonesia. LAB was isolated by poured plate method. Proteolytic LAB were selected using agar skim milk media. Protease activity of LAB was determined based on the amount of tyrosine released in unit/mL. Proteolytic LAB were identified using API 50 CHL kit and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. The result showed that a total of 60 isolates were obtained from chao, and 57% of them were cocci-shape. Fifteen isolates were halotolerant proteolytic LAB. Their R values and protease activity were 2.11–3.39 and 0.267–0.304 U/mL, respectively. Identification by API 50 CHL kit showed that four rod-shape isolates were Lactobacillus plantarum, and two others were Lactobacillus curvatus. Cocci-shape isolates could not be identified as cocci bacterium. Rep-PCR results showed that there were two kinds of bands, namely thick and thin. Two isolates were selected from two types of bands that had the highest R for the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, namely Ags1-3 and Ags7-3. The results showed that Ags1-3 isolate was identified as Lactobacillus plantarum and Ags7-3 as Pediococcus acidilactici.     

Maize production under risk: The simultaneous adoption of off-farm income diversification and agricultural credit to manage risk

Farmers in Pakistan continue to produce maize under various types of risks and adopt several strategies to manage those risks. This study is the first attempt to investigate the factors affecting the concurrent adoption of off-farm income diversification and agricultural credit which the farmers use to manage the risk to maize production. We apply bivariate and multinomial probit approaches to the primary data collected from four districts of Punjab Province in Pakistan. The results show that strong correlations exist between the off-farm diversification and agricultural credit which indicates that the use of one risk management strategy leads to another. The findings demonstrate that education, livestock number, maize farming experience, perceptions of biological risks and risk-averse nature of the growers significantly encourage the adoption of diversification as a risk management tool while farm size inversely affects the adoption of diversification. Similarly, in the adoption equation of credit, maize farming experience, farm size, perceptions of price and biological risks and risk attitude of farmers significantly enhance the chances of adopting agricultural credit to manage farm risks. These findings are important for the relevant stakeholders who seek to offer carefully designed risk minimizing options to the maize farmers.     

Foliar Application of Iron (Fe) Improved the Antioxidant Defense and Cd Accumulation Potential of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ricinus communis</Emphasis> Under Hydroponic Condition

Heavy metal-polluted water has become a problem for sustainable environment, agriculture, and human health. Phyto-accumulation is an eco-friendly technique for decontamination of metal-polluted water and soil. The efficiency of phyto-accumulation and rhizo-filtration can be enhanced by the application of certain nutrients to accumulator plants. In this study, we focused on the role of iron (Fe) in rhizo-filtration and phyto-accumulation of cadmium (Cd) from polluted water/media, using Ricinus communis plant. Medium was contaminated with 10 ppm Cd while Fe (2.50, 5.00, and 7.50 ppm) was applied both as foliar spray and medium addition separately. Accumulation of Cd and concentrations of soluble proline, phenolic compounds, and chlorophylls were measured in plant tissues. Addition of Fe into media significantly increased biomass in the plants but decreased Cd absorption by roots and its accumulation in other tissues of the plants. Foliar application of Fe, especially 7.5 ppm, significantly increased biomass as well as accumulation of Cd in tissues of the plants. Contents of soluble proline (41.88?±?3.56 ppm) and phenolics (171.00?±?4.98 ppm) in leaves were highly increased by foliar spray of 7.5 ppm Fe on the plants. On the other hand, highest concentrations of free proline (67.00?±?2.00 ppm) and total phenolics (82.67?±?2.52 ppm) in plant roots were observed in 7.5 ppm Fe added to media and as foliar spray, respectively. Strong correlations were observed between phenolics content in roots and leaves with Cd accumulation after foliar application of 7.5 ppm Fe.     

Growth,yield and silicon uptake of rice (Oryza sativa) as influenced by dose and timing of silicon application under water-deficit stress

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of dose and timing of silicon (Si) application on rice under limited water supply. The treatments for the first study included five Si doses (0, 75, 150, 300 and 600 kg Si ha^–1) under three soil moisture conditions (100%, 75% and 50% field capacity). For the second study, the treatments were four Si application timings [100% basal, 50% basal + 50% panicle initiation (PI), 25% basal + 75% PI and 25% basal + 50% PI + 25% heading] at the dose of 300 kg ha^–1 under the same moisture conditions. The highest number of panicle plant^–1 (14.6) and grain yield (13.6 g plant^–1) were obtained with the dose of 300 kg Si ha^–1. Similarly, an increase of 34–45% in grain yield was observed for different Si application timings compared with the control. Shoot dry matter and grain yield had positive linear relationship with shoot Si content. Grain yield and number of spikelet panicle^–1 were higher at the 300 kg Si ha^–1 dose applied as 100% basal, and hence could be a feasible option for RD57 Thai rice variety under water-deficit conditions.     

Sustainable palm oil as a public responsibility? On the governance capacity of Indonesian Standard for Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO)

This paper is motivated by the observation that Southern governments start to take responsibility for a more sustainable production of agricultural commodities as a response to earlier private initiatives by businesses and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Indonesia is one of the leading countries in this respect, with new public sustainability regulations on coffee, cocoa and palm oil. Based on the concept of governance capacity, the paper develops an evaluation tool to answer the question whether the new public regulation on sustainable palm oil (ISPO) may become a viable alternative to private regulation. ISPO embraces a tremendous governance challenge as thousands of companies and millions of smallholder farmers are expected to participate. It is concluded that, although ISPO has initiated a process of change, it has not yet developed its full potential. The main reason regards ISPO’s rather loose problem definition, weak authority of the implementing organization, and the fact that the reliability of ISPO is still too low to convince (parts) of the global market. ISPO may therefore face difficulties in meeting its own targets and solving palm-oil related problems, such as deforestation, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, and social conflicts between big plantations and local communities. The main governance challenge regards combining a more authoritative implementation mechanism with a convincing balance between sustainability objectives and economic interests of the sector.     

Salt effect on the pH profile and kinetic parameters of microbial phytases

The pH profiles of two microbial phytases were determined using four different general purpose buffers at different pH values. The roles of calcium chloride, sodium chloride, and sodium fluoride on activity were compared in these buffers. For Aspergillus niger phytase, calcium extended the pH range to 8.0. A high concentration of sodium chloride affected the activity of fungal phytase in the pH 3-4 range and shifted the pH optimum to 2.0 from 5.5 in Escherichia coli phytase. As expected, both of the microbial phytases were inhibited by sodium fluoride at acidic pH values. Because the Km for phytate increased nearly 2-fold for fungal phytase while Vmax increased about 75% in a high concentration of sodium chloride, it is possible that salt enhanced the product to dissociate from the active site due to an altered electrostatic environment. Modeling studies indicate that while the active site octapeptide's orientation is very similar, there are some differences in the arrangements of alpha-helices, beta-sheets, and coils that could account for the observed catalytic and salt effect differences.     

斑马鱼端脑的微细形态与结构

为了深入了解斑马鱼端脑的微细形态和超微结构,采用光镜和电镜技术对斑马鱼端脑进行观察研究。斑马鱼端脑由左、右嗅球和左、右大脑半球构成。嗅球前方有一对嗅神经,后端伸出嗅茎与大脑半球联系。光镜下,嗅球组织结构从外向内依次为上皮层、神经纤维层、小细胞层和内部细胞层。大脑半球外部覆盖很薄的大脑皮,基部为纹状体,两者之间的腔隙为公共脑室。纹状体由神经核团和神经纤维构成。神经核团分布于纹状体周缘,主要有连前核、背嗅核、侧嗅核、视前核和脚内核等。神经纤维包括横行的前连合,纵行和斜行的中央嗅束和侧嗅束。电镜下,嗅球分层明显,可观察到僧帽细胞、神经胶质细胞和众多突触。大脑半球中可见神经胶质细胞、突触以及血脑屏障系统等。斑马鱼端脑形态结构与大多数硬骨鱼相似,但有个别核团存在差异。实验结果可为斑马鱼神经生物学模型的建立与应用提供有效的理论基础。     

An overview of the ongoing insights in selenium research and its role in fish nutrition and fish health

In the present review, the ongoing researches about selenium research in fish nutrition have been comprehensively discussed. Selenium research is getting popularity in fish nutrition as it is required for the normal growth and proper physiological and biochemical functions in fish. Its deficiency or surplus amounts create severe problems in fish. It is available as inorganic form, organic form, and nano form. In fish, most of the previous research is about the selenium requirements for fish by using only one selenium source mainly the inorganic one. Selenium shows maximum biological activity and bioavailability when it is supplied in proper form. However, to differentiate the more bioavailable and less toxic form of selenium, sufficient information is needed about the comparative bioavailability of different selenium forms in different fish species. In fish, important data about the new forms of selenoproteins is still scarce. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the determination and elucidation of the new selenoproteins in fish through the utilization of recent approaches of molecular biology and proteomics. The adaptation of these new approaches will replace the old fashioned methodologies regarding the selenium research in fish nutrition. Moreover, the use of molecular biology and proteomics-based new approaches in combination with selenium research will help in optimizing the area of fish nutrition and will improve the feed intake, growth performance, and more importantly the flesh quality which has a promising importance in the consumer market.     

IPM - Biological and integrated management of desert locust

Locusts have caused periodic disasters in the recorded history of humankind.Up to now,locust disaster is still the biggest threat to the world’s agricultural production.The desert locust Schistocerca gregaria is one of the most harmful locusts,which has caused massive food crises,economic losses,and ecological disasters.The desert locust is a migratory insect pest that occurs year-round in the tropic and subtropical regions.Under the wind and seasonal alternation,it moves and?ies in the African ...