Influence of rain water harvesting and conservation practices on growth and biomass production of Azadirachta indica in the Indian desert

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of various rain water harvesting and conservation techniques on soil moisture storage, growth and biomass production of Azadirachta indica (neem) in the Indian desert. The treatments were as follows: control; weed removal; weed removal plus soil working; saucers of 1.0 m diameter; saucers of 1.5 m diameter; saucers of 1.5 m diameter covered with mulch around the trees; bunding around each tree in a checkerboard design; inter-row slopes of 20%. The treatment with inter-row slopes of 20% produced the highest amount of soil moisture storage, a four times increase in total biomass of a 26-month-old neem plantation (from 1.69 to 6.39 t ha⁻¹), a 4.5 times increase in root mass (from 0.43 to 1.92 t ha⁻¹) and a 70% increase in tree height, as well as an appreciable enhancement in all the growth parameters. The treatment with larger saucers (1.5 m diameter) combined with a surface mulch was equally effective. Growth increases owing to the other water harvesting treatments were lower, though significantly better when compared with the control. The various treatments significantly improved the water use efficiency of neem.     

Sensory receptors and their afferents in the caudal sympathetic nerve of the domestic duck

1. The behavioural reactivity of the visceral receptors and their afferents in the caudal sympathetic nerve (part of synsacral sympathetic chain) of domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos) was studied using electrophysiological techniques to examine their involvement in different physiological functions.

2. In total, 114 single unit activities were recorded from the caudal sympathetic nerve of duck.

3. Receptors were classified according to location: in the anal sphincter (32 units), in the mucous membrane of the cloaca (45 units), at the branching point of the blood vessels over the rectum and adjacent mesentery (10 units), at the base of the feather follicles in and around the vent (17 units), and in the ventral and lateral lower abdominal wall muscle (10 units).

4. Both spontaneous and non‐spontaneous receptors responded to mechanical stimuli; average frequency of discharge of non‐spontaneous units being much higher.

5. Most of these receptors were of the rapidly‐adapting type. Only some receptors in the abdominal muscle layer, anal sphincter and mucous membrane of hind gut were of the slowly‐adapting type. Some of the latter responded to intraluminal distension pressure.

6. Except for responses to succinylcholine chloride by receptors in the abdominal wall muscles and some units in the external anal sphincter, mechanosensitive receptors were not responsive to chemical stimuli.

7. The discharge rate of the receptors at the base of the feather follicles varied according to the strength of stimulus.

8. Conduction velocity of the caudal sympathetic afferent fibres ranged from 2·5 to 45 m/sec.

     

Response of interspecific Brassica juncea/Brassica rapa hybrids and their advanced progenies to Albugo candida (white blister)

Transfer of factors for resistance to white blister disease caused by Albugo candida between Brassica species involving two genotypes each of B. juncea and B. rapa was studied in hybrids. More hybrids were obtained by in vivo than in vitro techniques, although an in vitro phase was a prerequisite for the establishment of in vivo hybrids. Hybrids were identified by PCR-based inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers with both male and female species-specific bands being identified. There was a positive correlation between disease severity and number of days after sowing ( r  > 0·93), the highest being towards pod formation and plant maturity at 110 days after sowing. The plants from F₂ and BC₁ progeny showed higher resistance to A. candida than either of the parents. Plants of B. juncea and B. rapa with high field resistance (disease index < 1·0) were selected from BC₂ and F₂BC₁ generations. The frequency of plants classified as resistant in BC₂ progeny ranged from 4·5 to 39·0% in cross-combinations involving B. juncea genotypes as female parent, compared with 100% in the reciprocal cross involving B. rapa as female parent.     

Studies on pesticides based on coumarin. I. Antifungal activity of 6-alkyl-3-n-butyl-7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarins

Seven 6-alkyl-3-n-butyl-7-hydroxy-4-methylcoumarins and three other related substituted coumarins were synthesised, characterised and tested for their toxicity towards mycelial growth of seven phytopathogenic fungi in culture. Rhizoctonia solani, Alternaria alternate, and Drechslera oryzae exhibited maximum sensitivity to these compounds whereas Pythium aphanidermatum, Colletotrichum falcatum, Fusarium solani and Macro-phomina phaseolina were less sensitive. The 6-n-butyl and 6-n-pentyl derivatives possessed strongest toxicity towards all fungi except C. falcatum but the corresponding 6-n-propyl derivative was inhibitory to only D. oryzae and A. alternata.     

On the growth of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella Val. in composite fish culture at Kalyani,West Bengal (India)

The Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute, Barrackpore, under its “All India Co-ordinated Research Project on Composite Culture of Indian and Exotic fishes” has been conducting experiments since 1971 in different parts of India to develop formulae of species combination of fishes whereby fishes feeding in different zones of pond water are selected and cultured together to increase production in pond culture operations. These experiments have indicated that grass carp not only controls aquatic weeds but also at the same time grows very fast and thus it is one of the best culturable fish if its feeds are available.     

Comparison of Cell Disruption Methods for Improving Lipid Extraction from Thraustochytrid Strains

Lipid extraction is an integral part of biodiesel production, as it facilitates the release of fatty acids from algal cells. To utilise thraustochytrids as a potential source for lipid production. We evaluated the extraction efficiency of various solvents and solvent combinations for lipid extraction from Schizochytrium sp. S31 and Thraustochytrium sp. AMCQS5-5. The maximum lipid extraction yield was 22% using a chloroform:methanol ratio of 2:1. We compared various cell disruption methods to improve lipid extraction yields, including grinding with liquid nitrogen, bead vortexing, osmotic shock, water bath, sonication and shake mill. The highest lipid extraction yields were obtained using osmotic shock and 48.7% from Schizochytrium sp. S31 and 29.1% from Thraustochytrium sp. AMCQS5-5. Saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid contents were more than 60% in Schizochytrium sp. S31 which suggests their suitability for biodiesel production.     

Dietary microbial levan ameliorates stress and augments immunity in Cyprinus carpio fry (Linnaeus, 1758) exposed to sublethal toxicity of fipronil

A 45‐day feeding trial was conducted to study the stress ameliorating and immunomodulatory role of microbial levan in Cyprinus carpio fry exposed to sublethal dose (1/10th LC₅₀) of fipronil [(±)‐5‐amino‐1‐(2,6‐dichloro‐α,α,α‐trifluoro‐p‐tolyl)‐4‐trifluoromethylsulfinylpyrazole‐3‐carbonitrile]. Two hundred and twenty‐five fry were randomly distributed in five treatments in triplicates. Four purified diets were prepared with graded levels of microbial levan. Five different treatment groups were levan control L₀P₀ (basalfeed + 0% levan without exposure to pesticide); pesticide control L₀P₁ (basalfeed + 0% levan with exposure to pesticide); L_0.25P₁ (basalfeed + 0.25% levan with exposure to pesticide); L_0.50P₁ (basalfeed + 0.50% levan with exposure to pesticide) and L_0.75P₁ (basalfeed + 0.75% levan with exposure to pesticide). Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), malate dehydrogenase (MDH) and fructose‐1,6‐diphosphatase (FDPase) activites were significantly (P < 0.05) increased, whereas alkaline phosphatase (ALP), adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) and acetyl choline esterase (AchE) activities were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in higher levan‐fed groups. RBC, haemoglobin and WBC counts were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the levan‐fed groups. Similar trends were also observed for the total serum protein, globulin, NBT and lysozyme activities. Blood glucose and serum cortisol exhibited a third order polynomial relationship with increasing level of dietary levan. Overall result showed stress ameliorating, immunostimulating and protective role of microbial levan against fipronil‐induced stress in C. carpio fry at 0.75% level of dietary levan supplementation.