A survey of element toxicities in wheat grown in naturally waterlogged farmer's sodic fields of eastern Uttar Pradesh,India

This survey examined the element toxicities in wheat grown in naturally waterlogged farmer's sodic fields. Seven sites located in three districts (Faizabad, Pratapgarh, and Ambedkar Nagar) of eastern Uttar Pradesh, India were selected for the study. The data on soil redox potential (Eh), soil pH, soil electrical conductivity (EC), waterlogging duration, and crop age during waterlogging were recorded at the time of plant sampling in all the sites. Waterlogging caused a reduction of 21% to 65% in shoot dry weight in the survey sites. During waterlogging, the concentrations of iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), and sodium (Na) in leaves increased dramatically; the values of these elements were many folds higher than their reported critical toxicity levels (Fe-100 ppm, Al-50 ppm, and Na-8000 ppm, respectively). The results support the hypothesis that element toxicities occur during waterlogging in wheat grown in farmer's sodic field and identified Fe, Al, and Na toxicities as a major constraint for wheat production in the study area.     

Olive barb, Puntius sarana (Hamilton) is a potential candidate species for introduction into the grow-out carp polyculture system

The compatibility of olive barb, Puntius sarana (Hamilton) with major carps was studied in grow-out carp polyculture system for one year in a set of nine earthen ponds of 0.08 ha each. Three different species combinations evaluated were Control: catla (Catla catla Ham.), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix Valenciennes), rohu (Labeo rohita Hamilton) and mrigal (Cirrhinus mrigala Hamilton) at 0.5:0.5:1:1; T1: catla, silver carp, rohu and olive barb at 0.5:0.5:1:1 and T2: catla, silver carp, mrigal and olive barb at 0.5:0.5:1:1 at combined density of 7500 fingerlings/ha. While survival levels of the carps did not differ significantly in treatments (P > 0.05), silver carp recorded highest survival levels (94–96%) followed by olive barb (87–90%), mrigal (72–74%), rohu (72–73%) and catla (67–69%). The specific growth rate (SGR) and average harvested body weight (ABW) of catla and silver carp did not differ significantly among the treatments revealing their competition with mrigal or olive barb to be minimum. In absence of rohu in T2, both mrigal and olive barb showed higher SGR and ABW revealing minimal competition between these two species, while their lower performance in presence of rohu in Control and T1 indicated inter-specific competition with the latter. Such olive barb–rohu inter-specific competition, however, failed to yield significant effect on growth of rohu as revealed from its non-significant SGR difference in presence and absence of olive barb. The lower FCR (2.54 ± 0.06) and higher treatment biomass production (3418.4 ± 95.0 kg ha^− 1 year^− 1) in T1 with rohu–olive barb combination compared to T2 with mrigal–olive barb (2.84 ± 0.11; 3155.1 ± 104.7 kg ha^− 1 year^− 1) indicated feasibility and advantage of culturing rohu with olive barb rather than mrigal in carp polyculture. Further, similar biomass production in Control and T1 also indicated feasibility of replacing mrigal with olive barb in the grow-out carp polyculture system.     

First report of 16Sr II‐C subgroup phytoplasma association with Acacia mangium in Tripura,India

Leaf yellowing symptoms were observed on Acacia mangium in the Sipahijala district of Tripura, India, during June 2017. Symptomatic and asymptomatic leaf samples (three of each) were collected from roadside trees of A. mangium for DNA extraction using the CTAB method. Amplicons of ~1.25 kb and ~480 bp were detected in all the symptomatic samples using the phytoplasma‐specific universal 16S rRNA and secA gene primers. Pair wise sequence analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences, virtual RFLP and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the phytoplasma strain associated with A. mangium belonged to phytoplasma subgroup 16SrII‐C. This is the first report of an association between the 16SrII‐C subgroup and A. mangium leaf yellowing.     

Coat protein-mediated transgenic resistance in tomato against a IB subgroup Cucumber mosaic virus strain

Transgenic tomato plants containing the coat protein (CP) gene of Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) of subgroup IB were developed through Agrobacterium-mediated transformations. The progenies of transgenic plants showed the presence of transgene, its expression and translation of 26 KDa CP. The T₁ and T₂ generation plants were evaluated for resistance against challenge inoculations by a homologous strain of CMV. Visual observations of challenged transgenic plants categorized them into resistant, tolerant and susceptible as compared with untransformed control plants. Out of 33 plants of the T₁ generation, 36.3% showed resistance and remained symptomless throughout their life, 48.4% showed tolerance which developed delayed symptoms of mild mosaic, and 15.1% showed susceptibility to CMV which developed severe systemic mosaic and leaf distortion symptoms after 30?days of virus challenge. Out of 120 plants of the T₂ generation, 60% showed resistance, 26.6% were tolerant and only 13.3% were found susceptible to challenge inoculations of CMV. Resistant transgenic plants also showed less CP accumulation in systemic upper leaves as compared with challenged untransformed plants. In this study, CP of a CMV subgroup IB strain has demonstrated a significant level of resistance in transgenic tomato plants against the CMV strain. The strategy may be applied for better quality and productivity of tomato crops.     

Bioaccumulation of hexachlorocyclohexane,dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, and estradiol-17β in catfish and carp during the pre-monsoon season in India

This investigation was performed to monitor hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT, and its metabolites, refered to as DDTs), plasma levels of estradiol-17β (E2), and the gonadosomatic index (GSI) between sampling sites of unpolluted ponds of Gujartal, Jaunpur (control site) and the polluted rivers Gomti (Jaunpur) and Ganga (Varanasi), which affect the reproductive physiology of some edible catfish and carp during the pre-monsoon season. HCHs and DDTs were measured by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) and hormones by radioimmunoassay (RIA). The results indicated that the level of HCHs and DDTs was very high in both the catfish and the carp captured from the polluted rivers compared with the fish captured from the control site. The GSI and E2 values were lower in both groups of fish when compared to the fish from the control site. The results also indicate that catfish showed greater bioaccumulation of HCHs and DDTs than carp, above the permissible limit, as compared to the fish from the control site. In conclusion, fish from the Gomti and Ganga rivers were highly polluted when compared with fish from the control site, as was evident from high levels of tissue bioaccumulation of HCHs and DDTs and decreased levels of plasma E2, inhibiting the reproductive physiology of these species at the receptor level. The levels exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRL) as recommended by Codex, hence it is suggested that the fish should be avoided for food purposes.     

Evaluation of fermented fish‐offal in the formulated diet of the freshwater catfish Heteropneustes fossilis

A 60‐day feeding trial was conducted to test the effect of partial replacement of fishmeal by fish‐offal (FO) in the diet for the freshwater catfish Heteropneustes fossilis. Three isonitrogenous (31.4% CP) diets were formulated to include a reference diet (T1) with 40% fishmeal (FM) and 0% FO and two supplementary diets: one (T2) containing 25% FM and 25% FO and another (T3) containing 20% FM and 30% FO. The FO was fermented along with mustard oil cake and rice bran before using it as an ingredient in the preparation of feed. Two separate trials were conducted with these three diets: a growth trial and a digestibility trial. H. fossilis fed the diets containing FO showed better growth and proximate composition of carcass than those fed the reference diet. Fish fed T3 diet showed maximum feed conversion, protein utilization and growth. Apparent protein digestibility (APD) was also significantly higher in the T3 diet as compared with the T1 diet. The results of the trial indicated that using microbial fermentation, FO could be included up to a 30% level as a partial (50%) replacement of fishmeal in the formulation of diet for H. fossilis.     

Postnatal developmental changes in immunohistochemical localization of alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA) and vimentin in bovine testes

The present study demonstrates the postnatal developmental changes in immunohistochemical localization of alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA) and vimentin in the bovine testis. In the peritubular myoid cells of seminiferous tubules and the sub-epithelial and stromal cells of straight tubules and the rete testis, alpha-SMA starts appearing at around 4 months of age. Peritubular alpha-SMA attains the continuous mature pattern at around 5 months of age whereas sub-epithelial and stromal alpha-SMA increases with advancing age. Vimentin is localized in the perinuclear zone of Sertoli cells, peritubular and vascular wall cells, a few interstitial cells, and in the basal part of the epithelia of straight and rete tubules. Developmental changes are only evident in the Sertoli cell vimentin, which is basal and weak at birth and increases moderately until 4 months of age. From around 5 to 8 months of age when the Sertoli cells are under morphological transformation, vimentin intensity is considerably increased and the characteristic vimentin extensions connect the Sertoli nuclei to the basal membrane. These extensions get shorter at around 9 month of age as the Sertoli nuclei are positioned basally. The mature Sertoli cell perinuclear vimentin is strong and stable without infranuclear extension. In conclusion, the age of appearance of alpha-SMA coincides with the onset of postnatal division of spermatogonia, and vimentin may play a key role in stabilizing Sertoli cell nuclei during their transformation in bovine.     

High density rearing of rohu,Labeo rohita (Hamilton) from spawn to fry in concrete tanks: effect of daily feed ration and soil base on fry growth and survival

Rearing of rohu spawn to fry size was carried out at high density (2000 spawn m^?2) in large concrete nursery tanks (10 m × 5 m × 1.2 m) to standardize the daily ration of supplementary feed and to assess the impact of soil base on the fry performance. In Set‐1, supplementary feed was provided at 100% (control), 75% and 50% of the daily ration that is commonly used in earthen carp nursery ponds and named as the three treatments T‐1, T‐2 and T‐3 respectively. Although in Set‐II, performance of fry were evaluated in tanks provided with and without soil base. The fry survival was to the tune of 45–59% at this high density of 2000 spawn m^?2, indicating the efficacy of the concrete nursery system for high density seed rearing. In Set‐I, T‐2 receiving 75% of the control ration exhibited similar fry growth as that of T‐1, but its fry survival (58.8%) was 10% higher than the latter. This indicated that supplementary feed in a concrete nursery can be reduced up to 25% of that provided in earthen nursery system while ensuring a higher fry yield. However, further reduction up to 50% of the control ration in T‐3 yielded lower fry survival and growth (P < 0.05) revealing inadequacy of the available feed. In Set‐II, treatment without soil base (T‐ns) yielded similar fry growth but 10% higher survival compared to that with the soil base (T‐s) revealing non‐essentiality of soil base in concrete tanks for such short‐term nursery rearing of rohu.     

Serum clearance of iodixanol for estimating glomerular filtration rate in calves

To evaluate serum clearance of iodixanol, applicable to the estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR), clinically healthy and experimentally-induced nephropathy calves were prepared. Iodixanol was administered intravenously at 40 mg I/kg, and blood was withdrawn 60, 120, and 180 min later. Serum iodixanol concentration was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. No statistical difference in GFR was noted between strains (Holstein vs. Japanese Black) or sexes, and the α(2)-adrenergic agonist xylazine increased GFR. In calves subjected to right renal vessel ligation, followed by a left nephrectomy, a marked reduction in GFR was observed with renal ischemic changes. These results suggest that the GFR estimation by serum iodixanol clearance is a ready-to-use tool in calf research and practice owing to the ease of monitoring serial renal function.