Effects of different organic additives on in vitro shoot regeneration of Celosia sp

Nowadays, many researches were conducted in minimizing tissue culture technology due to the overhead of cost needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using five kinds of organic additives at four level concentrations responsive to the number of shoots produced for eight weeks in culture. Stem segment explants of Celosia sp. were cultured on MS medium that have been supplemented with different kinds of extract juice that serve as organic additives which are mature coconut, young coconut, papaya, banana and tomato at 20, 30, 50 and 70 ml L-1. The numbers of shoot on each explant were recorded and the mean of ten replicates explants were calculated. Among the media used, young coconut water at 70 ml L1- induced the highest shoot regeneration (14.21+/-8.26), followed by mature coconut water at 50 ml L-1 (13.14+/-10.33). Banana and tomato juice promote highest shoot regeneration of stem segments at 50 ml L-1 that produced 9.57+/-4.68 and 9.28+/-5.82 shoots per explants, respectively. While the lowest concentration which at 20 ml L-1 of papaya juice showed highest shoot regeneration (10.50+/-3.45) produced among the three other concentration tested. Statistical results showed that there were significant differences interactions effects (p<0.05) in terms of number of shoot regenerated between the types of extracts juices determined by ANOVA test. Comparing number of shoots regenerated that were cultured in control media, it showed higher than all of experimental medium composition. There were no big different in cost required in preparation of control media and the experimental media. Applications of five kinds of local fruit in tissue culture media should be considered since it responsive in shoot regeneration.     

Egg storage and breeder age impact on egg quality and embryo development

Prolonged hatching egg storage (>7 days) influences internal egg quality and embryo survival during both storage and subsequent incubation. Moreover, effects of storage of hatching eggs interact with the breeder age. The aim of this review was to investigate how this interaction between storage duration and breeder age affects egg, embryo, hatchling and chicken characteristics. Prolonged storage resulted in a reduction in egg quality in both young and old breeders. This reduction was more pronounced in young flocks than in older flocks. For example, albumen pH increased more after 8 days of storage in younger flocks than in older flocks. Additionally, the embryonic morphological stage appears to increase as well with storage duration, but this increase is again more pronounced in younger flocks than in older flocks. Short storage (<7 days) seems to increase hatchability of eggs from young breeders, probably as a result of albumen liquefaction with consequently better oxygen availability for the embryo. However, long storage (>7 days) resulted in a decline in hatchability, which was stronger in older breeders than in younger breeders. Prolonged storage duration resulted in lower chicken quality in both young and old breeders, but interaction between storage duration and breeder age on multiple chicken quality parameters is not clear. Based on this review, it can be concluded that (a) Short storage can improve hatchability of eggs from young breeders, but not from older breeders. (b) Negative impact of long storage appears to be lower with young breeders than with old breeders. (c) Adapted storage conditions related to the age of breeders might be an option to reduce negative effects of prolonged storage on hatching egg quality and chicken quality.     

Water management for maize grown in sandy soil under climate change conditions

To reduce climate change risks on maize yield grown in sandy soil, agricultural management practices must be studied. The aim of the study was to determine whether improved water management practices could reduce the vulnerability of maize to drought stress by climate change. Eight fertigation treatments in addition to farmer irrigation (control treatment) were tested. Two climate change scenarios were incorporated in the CropSyst model to assess maize yield responses to variable fertigation regimes under different climate change conditions. The results showed that under current climate, the highest and lowest water productivity (WP) values were obtained when irrigation was applied using 0.8 and 0.6 potential crop evapotranspiration (ETc) with fertigation application in 80% and 60% of application time, respectively. The highest WP under the tested climate change scenarios was obtained when irrigation was applied using 1.2 and 0.8 of ETc with fertigation application in 80% of application time, respectively, in 2009 and 2010 growing seasons. Irrigating maize grown in sandy soil under drip irrigation with an amount of either 1.2 or 0.8 of ETc with fertigation application in 80% of application time are recommended to enhance the WP and reduce maize’s damage caused by extreme climate change.     

Studies on plant regeneration and somaclonal variation in Saintpaulia ionantha Wendl. (African violet)

Efficient plant regeneration of Saintpaulia ionantha (African violet) has been obtained in the present study. MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg L(-1) IAA and 2.0 mg L(-1) Zeatin resulted in 100% shoot regeneration and induced the highest number of shoots (average 15.0 +/- 0.8 shoots per explant) after being cultured for 8 weeks. The above hormone combination was optimum for shoot regeneration. Most of Saintpaulia ionantha plantlets derived from tissue culture system could be hardened and transferred to the greenhouse conditions with 84.0 +/- 1.6% success rate. However, regenerated plantlets of Saintpaulia ionantha (even after 12-months-old) failed to flower. Morphological characters of regenerated plantlets of Saintpaulia ionantha were observed and compared with in vivo (intact) plants. Regenerated plantlets showed some differences in morphological characters, such as height and leaf size, texture and colour, but the plantlets showed no variation in leaf arrangement and leaf margin. However, the morphological characters of the regenerated plantlets were found to be unstable.     

The effect of different hormones and incubation periods on in vitro proliferation of pineapple (Ananas comosus L.) Merr cv. smooth cayenne) shoot-tip culture

Seven different hormone treatments, namely 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at 2, 3 mg L(-1) was applied singly and in combination with Indole Acetic Acid (IAA) at 0.18, 0.8 and 1.8 mg L(-l), BAP at 3.3 mg L(-l) in combination with IAA at 1.8 and 3.3 mg L(-l) and triple combination of BAP at 2.3, IAA at 1.8 and Gibberellic acid (GA3) at 1.0 mg L(-1) were tested, over four different incubation periods of 30, 45, 60 and 75 days, for their effect in the proliferation and growth of Smooth cayenne pineapple shoot-tip culture. Combined application of BAP at 3.3 and IAA at 1.8 mg L(-1) induced the highest proliferation of 19 shoots/explant and the highest total of 121 and 125 shoots over 4 cycles of multiplication. Raising the IAA to 3.3 mg L(-1) resulted in the lowest proliferation and stunted shoots. Incorporation of GA3 improved the shoot length but caused drastic reduction in proliferation. The other treatments showed an intermediate effect.     

Influence of potassium humate on biochemical and agronomic attributes of bean plants grown on saline soil

To study the effect of soil application of potassium humate (KH) (0, 70 and 140 Kg ha^?1) on agronomic, biochemical attributes, and yield and its components on bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cultivars ‘Bronco’ grown under two sites having different level of salinity (EC = 3.00 or 5.00 ± 0.20 dS m^?1). Two field trials were conducted at the Agriculture Test Station, Faculty of Agriculture, Fayoum University, in 2014 and 2015. The obtained results indicated that addition of KH increased all of the studied growth parameters, i.e. plant height, number of leaves, leaf area, stem diameter and canopy dry weight. Moreover addition of KH significantly increased membrane permeability measurements. KH significantly increased chemical composition related to salt tolerant either inorganic e.g. N, P, K, and decreased Na and Cl contents of leaves or organic components e.g. chlorophyll a + b, carotenoids, anthocyanin total phenolics, total flavonoids and proline. DPPH radical-scavenging activity and yield and its components were increased. The soil application of KH was found to be highly effective at improving the growth and yield of bean plants by alleviating the inhibitory effects of soil salinity stress.     

Effects of supplementing broiler diets with coriander seed powder on growth performance,blood haematology,ileum microflora and economic efficiency

A total of 480 one‐day‐old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly assigned to four dietary groups, each including six replicates (n = 20/replicate). Broilers in the first group (G1) were fed a basal diet without any additives (control). Broilers in groups 2, 3 and 4 (G2, G3 and G4) were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.4% coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) seed powder (CSP) respectively. Feeding trials lasted for 42 days, and after that growth, carcass traits, haematological parameters, gut microbiota and economic efficiency (EE) were evaluated. Final body weight (FBW), total weight gain (TWG), total feed intake (TFI) and red blood cell (RBC) counts of broilers in the G4 and G3 treatment groups were significantly higher (p < .05) compared with broilers in the G1 treatment group. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was better (p < .05) in the G4 treatment group (1.72) than in the G1 treatment group (1.84). Broilers in CSP treatment groups had significantly higher haemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, packed cell volume (PCV) and platelet counts, and had lower (p < .05) Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens counts compared with broilers in the G1 treatment group. Dressing, liver, pancreas, bursa and thymus percentages were higher (p < .05) in broilers in the G4 (70.30, 3.18, 0.31, 0.10 and 0.32% respectively) treatment group, compared with broilers in the control (G1) group (66.57, 2.37, 0.23, 0.04 and 0.21% respectively). Broilers in treatment groups G4 and G3 had lower percentages of abdominal fat and lower total bacterial counts (p < .05) than broilers in treatment groups G2 and G1. The highest economic efficiency (EE) was found in treatment group G4, and EE in this group was 13.06% greater than in the control (G1) group.     

Effect of sequential subcultures on in vitro proliferation capacity and shoot formations pattern of pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr.) over different incubation periods

In vitro obtained shoots of pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr.) cv Smooth cayenne was cultured on MS medium enriched with 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) at 3.25 mg l⁻¹ (14.43 μM) and indole acetic acid (IAA) at 1.75 mg 1⁻¹ (9.40 μM) and subcultured for four times at four different incubation periods (30, 45, 60 and 75 days). By the fourth subculture, irrespective of incubations periods, the explants lost 50% of its shoot formation capacity. Longer incubation resulted on higher rate and total shoots than a shorter incubation, however, the magnitude of that different varied over subcultures. The difference in shoots formation between the explants incubated for 30 and 75 days was 6 shoots at first, increased to 21 at the third and declined to 11 shoots at the fourth subculture. Over a period of 75 days, the majority of shoots formation occurred during the first 30 days (35%) at a rate of 1.5 shoot per week and the last 15 days (40%) at a rate of 3.8 shoot per week. In the period between 30 and 60 days, 15% of shoots at rate of 1.8 and 10% at rate of 1.0 shoot per week formed during the first and the second 15 days interval, respectively. Over four consecutive subcultures, explants incubated for 30 days produced the lowest total (1028 shoots) and that incubated for 75 days produced the highest total (120,917 shoots) from a single explant. No significant differences in total were observed between explants incubated for 45 and 60 days over the first three subcultures. However, by the fourth subculture the total of 60 days (14,288 shoots) was two times higher (7163 shoots) than that of 45 days long incubation.     

Use of ITS nuclear sequences from Phelipanche aegyptiaca as a direct tool to detect single seeds of broomrape species in the soil

Broomrape (Phelipanche and Orobanche spp.) are obligate holoparasites that attack roots of almost all economically-important crops in semiarid regions of the world. Broomrape seeds are extremely small (dust-like seeds), averaging 200 to 300?μm in size and because of the miniscule seed size it is difficult to detect and confirm via conventional methods. In this study our aim was to develop a PCR-based assay specific for broomrape soil-borne seeds and sensitive enough to detect a single or few broomrape seeds in a soil sample. For this purpose, we used complementary polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers based upon unique sequences in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the nuclear ribosomal DNA of Phelipanche aegyptiaca. Genomic DNA was extracted from soil samples artificially infested with broomrape seeds or tissue of Phelipanche aegyptiaca Pers., Orobanche cumana Wallr. and Phelipanche crenata Forsk. and subjected to PCR analysis. Using ITS-350 primers, a specific PCR product (350?bp) was amplified and detected in all samples containing broomrape species, but was not detected in soil sample free of broomrape seeds or tissues. Additionally, the PCR-based assay was sensitive enough to detect even a single broomrape seed in the soil. As expected the universal internal control primers amplified a PCR product (555?bp) of genomic DNA extracted from soil samples with or without broomrape tissues or seeds. This diagnostic method is simple, reliable and rapid and could help for assessment of broomrape seed contamination in a crop field.