Application of Glycerin and Polymer Coated Diammonium Phosphate in Alkaline Calcareous Soil for Improving Wheat Growth,Grain Yield and Phosphorus Use Efficiency

Low-use efficiency of phosphatic fertilizers in calcareous soils is a serious issue worldwide resulting in sub-optimal phosphorus (P) availability to plants. Polymer-coated fertilizers provide an effective solution to enhance P-use efficiency in such soils by reducing fixation and ensuring slow and consistent phosphate supply to growing plants. The present field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of commercial diammonium phosphate (DAP) fertilizer and coated DAP with polymer and/or glycerin to improve plant growth, grain yield, and P-use efficiency of wheat crops. The results revealed that application of 100% recommended rate of glycerin + polymer coated DAP significantly enhanced plant height, number of fertile tillers m^-2, 1000-grain weight, grain yield, and P uptake in comparison with commercial DAP fertilizer. Moreover, polymer coated DAP produced comparatively better results than glycerin coated DAP alone. The sustainable yield index, P agronomic and recovery efficiencies were also improved and recorded higher with glycerin + polymer-coated DAP fertilizer at 100% of the recommended rate. Furthermore, higher P uptake, P recovery, and agronomic efficiencies in response to coated DAP were found responsible for sustainable wheat yield. Overall, the glycerin + polymer-coated DAP with 75% recommended rate showed statistically identical results to uncoated DAP with 100% recommended rate. The amount of applied P vulnerable to fixation was significantly reduced with the application of glycerin + polymer-coated DAP thereby resulting in improved plant growth, grain yield, and P-use efficiency of wheat crops.     

Synchronized effect of citric acid and phytase supplementation on growth performance and nutrient digestibility of Labeo rohita

A 2‐month trial was conducted to record the effect of citric acid and phytase supplementation on growth performance and nutrient digestibility in labeo rohita. Nine treatment (T) diets having 0, 500 and 1,000 FTU/KG phytase and 0, 15 and 30 g/kg citric acid were prepared and were designated as T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8 and T9 diets. There were three replicates for each of the test diets. Fish samples (n = 324) were stocked in different tanks and were fed with T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, T7, T8 and T9 diets. Significant (p < .05) increase in growth parameters, apparent digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, gross energy and minerals (Na, K, Fe, Mg, Mn, Zn) was recorded in fish fed with T9 diets.     

First account of the metazoan parasite fauna of oilfish Ruvettus pretiosus Cocco, 1829 (Perciformes: Gempylidae) in South African waters

Parasites are an important but neglected component of ecosystems that can be used as indicators of host biology and ecology. In the present study, the metazoan parasite assemblage of Ruvettus pretiosus, an understudied but widely distributed predatory gempylid, caught off South Africa was surveyed. A total of seven parasite taxa, including four new infection records (Bolbosoma capitatum, Rhadinorhynchus sp., Hepatoxylon trichiuri and Anisakis sp.), two new locality records (B. capitatum and Rhipidocotyle sp.) as well as the ectoparasitic copepod Sagum foliaceus and the cestode Tentacularia coryphaenae were recovered from the eight specimens examined.     

Prevalence of antibodies to Neospora caninum in the serum of camels (Camelus dromedarius) from central Punjab,Pakistan

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Infection with the Apicomplexan parasite Neospora caninum occurs in domestic and wild animals worldwide. This parasite causes significant economic losses in...     

Evaluating the performance of mungbean genotypes for grain yield,phosphorus accumulation and utilization efficiency

Ten mungbean (Vigna radiata R. Wilczek) genotypes were evaluated for grain yield and phosphorus (P) efficiency at adequate and deficient P in soil. Genotypes differed significantly in plant height, grain yield, P accumulation (PA), and other P-efficiency parameters at both P levels. The genotype “AEM-40/30” had maximum plant height, grain yield, and phosphorus physiological efficiency index (PPEI) under P deficiency. The genotypes were distributed into nine groups based on their relationship between total PA and grain yield at deficient P level. Moreover, genotypes were categorized into low, medium, or high efficient for each parameter by allotting index score (1, 2, or 3). Maximum cumulative index score (25) was attained by the genotypes “AEM-40/30 and AEM-20/3/87”, and genotype “AEM-30/5/8/90” scored least total index (14). The significant differences among mungbean genotypes for PA, phosphorus harvest index (PHI), PPEI, and grain yield can be exploited to select or identify P-efficient mungbean genotypes.