The use of risk aversion in plant breeding; Concept and application

Summary Variance analysis is used to measure stability (inter-temporal) and adaptability (over space) components of variance with multilocation-multiyear sorghum yield data from India. Adaptability and stability were highly correlated. Only the stability component is relevant for farmers in their adoption decision. Measures of farmer's risk aversion are used to rank genotypes according to preferences which take account both of yield and stability. Since yield differences were large and risk aversion moderate, preference based rankings did not differ markedly from yield based rankings.     

Increasing genetic diversity by participatory varietal selection in high potential production systems in Nepal and India

On-farm varietal biodiversity was studied through household surveys in two high potential production systems in Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts of the Nepal Terai and in Lunawada sub-district, Gujarat, India. Diversity was extremely low in Chaite rice in the Nepal study area (weighted diversity 0.04) and low in main season rice in the India study area (weighted diversity 0.34). In both areas, one cultivar dominated, CH 45 in Nepal and GR11 in India. In the India study area, biodiversity varied with the socio-economic group and better-off farmers had a greater varietal diversity. Participatory varietal selection (PVS) identified new varieties that farmers preferred. Their adoption by farmers increased on-farm varietal biodiversity within the three cropping seasons studied. Despite the commonly assumed uniformity of high potential production systems, the new varieties occupied specific niches in the farming system. Farmers' preferences for different varieties – there were large differences in quality traits and maturity period among the new varieties – should help to maintain biodiversity. Overall production is expected to increase as each niche becomes occupied increasingly by the best-adapted variety. PVS is a simple and powerful method of increasing food production in the high potential production systems that produce most of the developing world's grain. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Assessment of the efficacy of various mulch materials on improving the growth and yield of ginger (Zingiber officinale) under bamboo-based agroforestry system in NW-Himalaya

Agroforestry Systems - Agroforestry as a smart agriculture practice has started to get global attention nowadays. The present investigation is based on bamboo-ginger intercropping research carried...     

Improvement of caper (Capparis spinosa L.) propagation using in vitro culture and gamma irradiation

Some of the factors influencing the propagation of caper (Capparis spinosa L.) plants in vitro and germination of the seed were studied. The number of adventitious shoots emerging from caper stems cultured in vitro increased from 2.2 shoots per explant when the growth medium contained 2 mg/L of gibberellic acid (GA3) to 5.5 when the growth medium contained 2 mg/L zeatin riboside (ZR) and 1 mg/L naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The best medium for callus formation from leaf and stem parts contained the growth regulators 1 mg/L 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.1 mg/L NAA and the best medium for plant regeneration contained 1 mg/L kinetin and 0.1 mg/L indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The effect of gamma irradiation on the growth of caper shoots in vitro was also studied. A 10 Gy dose of gamma irradiation stimulated growth of shoots up to 200% and increased shoot rooting percentage from 75 to 100%.     

Influence of socio-economic and cultural factors in rice varietal diversity management on-farm in Nepal

A questionnaire survey of 408 households explored the role of socio-economic and cultural factors in rice (Oryza sativa L.) varietal diversity management on-farm in two contrasting eco-sites in Nepal. Multiple regression outputs suggest that number of parcels of land, livestock number, number of rice ecosystems, agro-ecology (altitude), and use of chemical fertilizer have a significant positive influence on landrace diversity on-farm, while membership in farmers’ groups linked to extension services has significant but negative influence on landrace diversity. Factors with significant positive influence on diversity of modern varieties on-farm were number of parcels of land and of rice ecosystems, access to irrigation, membership in farmers’ groups, and use of insecticide. Within communities, resource-endowed households maintain significantly higher varietal diversity on-farm than resource-poor households and play a significant role in conserving landraces that are vulnerable to genetic erosion and those with socio-cultural and market-preferred traits. Resource-poor households also contribute to local diversity conservation but at lower richness and area coverage levels than resource-endowed households. Households where a female had assumed the role of head of household due to death or migrant work of her husband had less diversity due to lower labor availability. Landraces with socio-cultural and market-preferred traits are few in number but have potential to be conserved on-farm.

不同绿肥和覆膜措施对渭北旱塬冬小麦产量和土壤水分动态的影响

  【目的】  冬小麦—绿肥轮作在干旱贫水年份易导致冬小麦减产,我们研究了平水年和干旱年旱地绿肥和覆膜措施相结合对小麦产量及水分利用率的影响,为建立科学高效的小麦–绿肥轮作体系奠定基础。  【方法】  田间试验于2017—2019年布设在陕西省永寿县御驾宫乡御中村,试验采用裂区试验设计,以轮作不同绿肥品种(黑麦豆、油菜,夏休闲为对照)为主处理,覆膜措施为副处理,设常规耕作和垄覆沟播两个水平。在冬小麦返青期、开花期、收获期调查小麦苗期生长状况、产量形成、水分利用效率和麦田0—200 cm土壤水分动态变化。  【结果】  1)平水年和干旱年,轮作油菜的冬小麦产量高于轮作黑麦豆,两年间轮作油菜处理比轮作黑麦豆处理的冬小麦产量分别高出 9.3%和43.5% (P<0.05)。2)采用垄覆沟播,轮作绿肥显著降低了冬小麦生育期耗水量,平水年提高了冬小麦的水分利用效率。平水年轮作油菜的水分利用效率最高[14.3 kg/(hm2·mm)],比夏休闲处理增加了7.4%;而干旱年轮作绿肥降低了冬小麦的水分利用效率,与夏休闲相比轮作黑麦豆和油菜处理分别降低58.5%和38.3% (P<0.05)。轮作绿肥与垄覆沟播对提高小麦水分利用效率有显著的交互作用。3)轮作绿肥并垄覆沟播的栽培模式加重了土壤水分的消耗。相比于夏休闲,平水年冬小麦播前0—200 cm土壤贮水量平均降低10.1% (P<0.05),干旱年平均降低15.7% (P<0.05)。  【结论】  我国渭北旱塬地区在平水年采用种植油菜+垄覆沟播新型种植模式,可以在保证不减产的情况下提高冬小麦的水分利用效率,但干旱年小麦产量和水分利用效率均会受到负面影响。     

Choice of nitrogen fertilizer affects grain yield and agronomic nitrogen use efficiency of wheat cultivars

Abstract

Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is low in cereals especially in wheat. Different wheat cultivars may vary in NUE due to inherited biological nitrification inhibition (BNI) potential. In this study, three wheat cultivars (Punjab-2011, ARRI-2011 and Millat-2011) were fertilized at the rate of 140?kg ha^?1 with three N sources [nitrophos (NP), urea and calcium ammonium nitrate (CAN)]. The soil nitrate (NO₃^?)-N contents were significantly enhanced coupled with simultaneous decrease in ammonium (NH₄⁺)-N contents in the rhizosphere of cultivar Punjab-2011, fertilized with NP; however, cultivar Millat-2011 receiving urea behaved in contrast. Wheat cultivar Punjab-2011 fertilized with NP had the highest grain yield and agronomic NUE than other treatments due to significant increase in chlorophyl contents, allometric and yield parameters. The highest net benefit was recorded from the cultivar Punjab-2011 fertilized with CAN. In conclusion, use of NP in Punjab-2011 enhanced the grain yield and agronomic NUE.     

Assessment of allelopathic interference of Chenopodium album through its leachates,debris extracts,rhizosphere and amended soil

Abstract

A study conducted to assess the allelopathic interference of invasive weed Chenopodium album indicated that aqueous leachates of C. album plant parts (roots, whole plant, and leaves), debris extracts and rhizosphere soil deleteriously affected the germination and initial growth of two test plants – Cassia occidentalis (a weed) and Phaseolus aureus (a crop). Further, the plant growth in terms of height, biomass, chlorophyll and protein content was significantly lesser in soil amended with C. album debris. Aqueous leachates, debris extracts, rhizosphere soil and debris amended soil were found to contain significantly higher amounts of water-soluble phenolics – the known phytotoxins. These phytotoxins in root, above-ground parts and leaves were phenolic acids, namely gallic, chlorogenic, caffeic, vanillic, p-coumaric, syringic and ferulic. Among these, chlorogenic acid was present in the maximum amount in the leaves and roots. The study concludes that C. album releases phenolics into the soil and these are probably involved in the growth inhibitory effect of C. album.