Compatibility of Mesorhizobium sp. Cicer with seed treatment of fungicide and insecticide in chickpea

This investigation was undertaken to study the compatibility of Mesorhizobium sp. Cicer with captan (fungicide) and chlorpyrifos (insecticide) for growth, symbiotic parameters and yield in chickpea. In an in vitro experiment, a significant reduction in the number of viable mesorhizobia was observed in Mesorhizobium sp. Cicer treated chickpea seeds at the recommended doses of captan (3 g kg^?1 seed) and chlorpyrifos (10 ml kg^?1 seed) after 4 h storage at 4°C, and further reduction was seen after 8–16 h contact with Mesorhizobium. The results showed that captan was more toxic than chlorpyrifos. In field experiments, improved growth and symbiotic parameters (plant height, dry weight of shoot, nodulation, leghaemoglobin content, chlorophyll content and nitrogen content) and a reduction in per cent damaged by termites and diseases were observed in the Mesorhizobium alone treatment compared with the uninoculated control. Grain yield was increased significantly in treatments with Mesorhizobium alone or in a mixture with fungicide and insecticide (captan and chlorpyrifos) compared with the control treatment. It is evident that chemically treated seeds should always be sown as soon as possible after inoculation. Recommended rates of captan and chlorpyrifos application with Mesorhizobium inoculant as a seed treatment was innocuous to chickpea–Mesorhizobium symbiosis.     

High and low nodulation in relation to molecular diversity of chickpea mesorhizobia in Indian soils

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) nodulation variants of two cultivars ICC 4948 and ICC 5003 were used as trap plants to isolate 385 native rhizobia from CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar farm soil. After authentication and considering growth characteristics, selected 110 rhizobia revealed immense molecular diversity using the profiles of DNA fragments generated by Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with enterobacterial repetitive intergeneric consensus (ERIC) sequences. Low nodulating variants of cvs ICC 4948 and ICC 5003 were able to trap more numbers of rhizobial genotypes, namely seven as compared four to five by high nodulating variants of these cultivars. Overall eight rhizobial genotypes were trapped by the chickpea cultivars. Rhizobial isolates from same nodule or same plants were present in the same or different clusters and few isolates showed 100% similarity also. Based on nodules from a plant, nodulation variant or cultivar, rhizobia could not be differentiated and no exclusive cluster was formed by either rhizobial isolates from low or high nodulating variants of both the cultivars. Two most efficient rhizobial isolates LN 707b and LN 7007 were characterized by amplification and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Rhizobial isolate LN 707b showed more than 98% similarity with Mesorhizobium sp SH 2851 and Mesorhizobium mediterraneum. Another isolate LN 7007 showed more than 99% similarity with the sequence of 16S r RNA gene of Mesorhizobium sp STM 398, and M. mediterraneum. So the chickpea rhizobia from Northern Indian subcontinent are proposed to be kept under M. mediterraneum strain LN707b and LN 7007.     

Assessing the risk of mango quarantine pest Deanolis sublimbalis Snellen under different climate change scenarios

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Considering the quarantine importance of the red-banded mango caterpillar, Deanolis sublimbalis (Crambidae: Lepidoptera), studies were carried out to...     

Hepatorenal repercussions of alcoholic exposure in a rat model: a dose-dependent study of metformin intervention

Background: Diabetes mellitus is an alarming life style disease in the modern world. Exploitation of the anti-diabetic drugs for the amelioration of diabetes and associated life style diseases has become an imperative concern. In this milieu, this study was designed to explore the plausible effects of metformin intervention on hepatic and renal functions in a rat model of alcoholic liver disease. Methods: Thirty rats were divided into five groups (n = 6): ethanol control, ethanol water and also low, moderate and high doses of metformin. Ethanol 20% v/v (1 ml/100 g) was administered by oral gavage to all five groups for 21 days. Blood and tissue samples were collected for the assessment of lipid profile, hepatic and renal functions. Results: After 21 days, the levels of hepatic function and lipid parameters were maintained at normalcy, especially in the high-dose metformin treated alcoholic rats as compared to the levels at day 1. Despite this, the renal biomarkers did not display any significant variation due to ethanolic exposure in any group. The histopathological score portrayed that the noxious effect of ethanol is prevented in the liver of moderate- and high-dose metformin, whereas the renal histological scores were unchanged in all the groups including ethanol control. Conclusion: These results suggest that the dose of ethanol required to induce hepatic dysfunction does not influence renal functions. In addition, high-dose metformin offers maximal hepatoprotection and spares kidney from per se toxicity, thereby advocating the beneficial intervention of the anti-diabetic drug, metformin, in alcoholic liver dysfunction. Key Words: Ethanol, Metformin, Kidney     

基于远红外热成像的叶温变化与玉米苗期耐旱性的研究

 【目的】植物可以通过降低叶片气孔蒸腾来达到控制失水和增强抗旱的目的。蒸腾强度的变化会引起植物叶片温度的变化,利用远红外热成像仪研究遭受干旱胁迫时玉米自交系苗期叶温的变化与生物量耐旱系数间的关系,为筛选鉴定玉米耐旱自交系提供依据。【方法】以83个优良玉米自交系为材料,利用远红外热成像仪检测干旱胁迫条件下苗期叶片温度的变化,叶片的气孔导度、蒸腾强度采用气孔计Li-1600测定,同时测定植株的生物量。【结果】遭受干旱胁迫时,玉米苗期叶片的相对生物量变异幅度为0.271～0.997（生物鲜重）、0.338～0.969（生物干重）,叶温变异幅度为 -0.1～+0.5℃,均存在显著变异。耐旱玉米自交系的叶片温度显著上升,而敏感玉米自交系的叶片温度变化不明显。干旱胁迫与正常灌水条件下叶温的差值即叶温差与相对生物鲜重（0.283*,0.288**,n=83）及相对生物干重（0.239*,0.273**,n=83）间存在极显著的相关性。此外,叶温差与叶片气孔导度、蒸腾强度间也存在着显著的相关性。【结论】遭受干旱胁迫时,玉米苗期叶片温度变化可以显著反映玉米苗期的耐旱性,叶温差可以作为玉米苗期耐旱性初步筛选的一个指标,将远红外热成像技术运用于玉米耐旱育种存在可行性。     

Genetic diversity in groundnut (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arachis hypogaea</Emphasis> L.) genotypes and detection of marker trait associations for plant habit and seed size using genomic and genic SSRs

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) an important oilseed crop in India is known to have narrow genetic base. Therefore, the assessment of genetic diversity and detection of marker-trait association are important objectives for the genetic improvement of groundnut. The present study involved the development of 192 SSR markers from Arachis genomic survey sequences. From these, seven polymorphic SSRs along with 15 other genomic SSRs, 19 genic SSRs, and three STS markers were used to detect genetic diversity among 44 groundnut genotypes. These polymorphic SSR markers amplified 155 bands (76 genomic and 79 genic), of these 128 bands (67 genomic and 61 genic) were polymorphic. The genomic SSR exhibited 88.1% and genic SSRs displayed 77.2% allelic polymorphism. The polymorphic information content (PIC) of the markers ranged from 0.04 to 0.95. The pair-wise genetic similarity ranged from 24.2 to 90.7% for genomic SSR and 32.9 to 97.9% for genic SSR markers. Cluster analysis based on the pooled data from both genomic and genic SSRs revealed a dendrogram which could distinguish all the genotypes. Further, the AMOVA analysis detected 16.7% genetic variation due to differences in seed size and 13.0% due to plant habit. Based on locus-by-locus AMOVA and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and further confirmation by discriminant analysis and general linear model, six markers were found to be associated with plant habit and four markers with seed size.     

Characterization of brown planthopper damage on rice crops through hyperspectral remote sensing under field conditions

Field experiments were conducted to characterize the brown planthopper (BPH) (Nilaparvata lugens (Stål.) damage stress on rice crops through hyperspectral remote sensing. The BPH-damaged rice crop had higher reflectance in visible (VIS) and lower reflectance in near-infrared regions (NIR) of the electromagnetic spectrum compared with uninfested plants. Mean reflectance of the rice crop varied among different BPH damage levels in various wavebands, with the greatest variation in NIR (740–925 nm). Correlations between plant reflectance and BPH damage depicted four sensitive wavelengths, at 764, 961, 1201 and 1664 nm in relation to BPH stress on the rice crop. Three new brown planthopper spectral indices (BPHI) were formulated by combining two or more of these sensitive wavelengths. Some of the hyperspectral indices reported in the literature were also tested for their suitability to detect BPH stress on rice crops. Based on crop reflectance corresponding to the sensitive wavelengths, a multiple-linear regression model was developed (R²=0.71, RMSE=1.74, P<0.0001) and validated (R²=0.73, RMSE?=?0.71, P<0.0001) that would help to monitor BPH stress on a rice crop and to issue forewarnings to growers.     

Swietenine: A potential oral hypoglycemic from Swietenia macrophylla seed

Swietenine, a tetranortriterpenoid, was isolated from the Swietenia macrophylla seeds. The in vivo hypoglycemic activity was evaluated against neonatal-streptozotocin induced type 2 diabetic rats. Oral administration of swietenine at 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight per day to diabetic rats was found to possess significant dose dependant hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activity in type 2 diabetic rats.     

印度喜马拉雅库蒙地区阔叶林下草本植物的生物量

在喜马拉雅库蒙地区（Kumaun Himalaya）中部的不同海拔高度设立研究地点,集中研究由白橡（Quercus leucotrichophora）、石斛（Quercus floribunda）、高山栎（Quercus semicarpifolia）组成的阔叶林下的草本植物群落动态及植物生物量。随着海拔高度的上升,3种森林的林分密度及生物量明显下降。在所有研究样地中,白橡林密度和生物量最大。在两个不同方位研究地,草本植物平均密度明显不同,表现为在西向坡地的草本植物密度较大。在各研究地点,总生物量随着海拔高度明显下降（p〈0.05）,且白橡树林的总生物量最高。