Morpho-physio and anatomical characterization of the indigenous Himalayan crabapple: Malus baccata (L.) Borkh. (Rohru) and exotic Malus pumila Mill. for dwarfing traits

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - The wild Malus germplasm is considered as a gene reservoir for various biotic and abiotic stresses tolerance/resistance genes, including important novel...     

Understanding genetic diversity in blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] collections of Indian National Genebank

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Blackgram [Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper] is a protein rich pulse crop of Indian origin. The crop is cultivated in diverse range of agro-ecological regions,...     

The phenological growth stages of Megacarpaea polyandra Benth. ex Madden: a high valued traditional medicinal plant of the Himalaya

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Phenological studies of medicinal plants have been less explored especially for plants confined in the Himalayan region (India). Here we describe detailed...     

Intensive management of a bamboo forest significantly enhanced soil nutrient concentrations but decreased soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity: a long-term chronosequence study

Purpose

Intensive long-term management practices in forest ecosystems can markedly influence soils’ physicochemical and microbial properties. However, their effects on the magnitude of nutrient pools and activities of enzymes regarding nutrient cycling in subtropical forest soils remain unclear. This study aimed to examine effects of long-term intensive management (organic mulching and chemical fertilization) on concentrations of different C, N, and P fractions and activities of enzymes involved with nutrient cycling in a subtropical Lei bamboo (Phyllostachys violascens) forest soil.

Materials and methods

Soil samples were taken from a chronosequence of Lei bamboo forests with intensive management spanning 0, 5, 10, and 15 years. Concentrations of various forms of C, N, and P, as well as activities of β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, urease, protease, and acid phosphatase were measured.

Results and discussion

The results revealed that the concentrations of different classes of C (water-soluble organic C, hot-water-soluble organic C, and readily oxidizable C), N (NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^?-N, and water-soluble organic N), and P [resin-inorganic P (P_i), NaHCO₃-P_i, NaHCO₃-organic P (P_o), NaOH-P_i, NaOH-P_o, HCl-P_i, and residual-P] were enhanced markedly with prolonged duration of intensive management. Furthermore, activities of β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, urease, protease, and acid phosphatase were increased following a 5-year treatment, while they were markedly reduced from 5- to the 15-year treatments. The 15 years of intensive management significantly reduced microbial biomass C and N concentrations by 8.2% and 31.9%, respectively, compared to the control.

Conclusions

We concluded that long-term intensive management led to the accumulation of C, N, and P, while it negatively impacted microbial biomass and activities of enzymes involved in nutrient cycling in subtropical Lei bamboo forest soils. Consequently, a reduction in chemical fertilizers should be considered toward the long-term sustainable development of subtropical Lei bamboo forests.

     

Energy input–output modeling and sensitivity analysis for on-farm mechanically paddy straw bales formation

Paddy and Water Environment - The paddy straw was collected in the form of bales with three mechanical process CI (stubble shaver + rectangular baler), CII (stubble...     

Saiga antelope calving site selection is increasingly driven by human disturbance

Many terrestrial mammalian species aggregate to give birth. Such aggregations are likely to be a response to changing resource and water availability, for predator swamping and avoidance of disturbance. The critically endangered saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) is one such species. We analysed spatio-temporal locations of saiga calving aggregations in Kazakhstan over the last four decades obtained from aerial and ground surveys, to identify the factors determining the selection of calving sites within the species’ range as well as any changes in these locations over time. Generalized mixed models were employed in a use - availability framework to assess the factors distinguishing calving from random sites and predict suitable areas for calving. Saigas selected sites, with lower than average productivity and low year to year variability in productivity, at an intermediate distance from water sources, and away from human settlements. A significant change in calving locations was observed during the last decade, with calving areas occurring further north and further away from settlements than previously. The results demonstrate that the choice of calving areas is largely driven by environmental factors. However, disturbance also has a significant impact on calving site selection and in recent decades, its influence overrides that of environmental factors. This increase in the influence of disturbance coincides with a precipitous decline in saiga numbers due to poaching, as well as substantial reductions in the intensity of land use for livestock grazing following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Predictive models based on such studies can improve species conservation by guiding the stratification of sampling for effective monitoring and deployment of rangers to protect the females at this critical time.     

Use of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) to study the dissociation and polysaccharide binding of casein micelles and caseins

Tests were made to determine whether surface plasmon resonance (SPR) could be used as a technique to study the dissociation properties of bovine casein micelles or of sodium caseinate and the interactions between these protein particles and different polysaccharides. Surfaces of bound micelles or caseinate were made, and the changes in refractive index of these layers were used to define changes in the structures of the chemisorbed material. The technique appears to have some potential for studying details of the dissociation of casein micelles and of the binding of different polysaccharides to caseins.     

Role of micronutrients on quantitative traits and prospects of its accumulation in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

The adequate growth of plants can be achieved only by a balanced ratio of biologically active nutrients in soil along with its readily availability. Linseed seems to be an advantageous secondary oilseed crop widely used in industrial purposes, which can serve additional purpose of phytoextraction of heavily infested soils with heavy metals. In this study, we have made an effort to find out the optimum dose of heavy metals necessary as micronutrients like copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) for the enhancement of linseed yield along with the distribution of heavy metals in different plant parts. Quantitative enhancement in different traits of linseed plant due to Cu, Fe and Zn fertilization especially for capsules per plant after maturity suggested positive association between heavy metal supply and morphological traits, which indirectly enhanced seed yield. There was a positive correlation between Zn supply and seed yield. In the treatments with Cu and Fe fertilization, seed yield was positively correlated to plant height, capsules per plant and seeds per five capsules. According to this study, it is concluded that linseed has the ability to accumulate majorly Fe followed by Cu and Zn.     

Comparative efficiency of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria under greenhouse conditions for promoting growth and aloin-A content of Aloe barbadensis

This study was conducted with Aloe barbadensis in order to investigate the efficacy of four phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), Pseudomonas synxantha 10223, Burkholderia gladioli 10242, Enterobacter hormaechei 10240 and Serratia marcescens 10241 to solubilize Mussorie rock phosphate (MRP) and to evaluate its effects on growth, soluble P content and P uptake compared with control, i.e. uninoculated plants. Pot experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, in soil supplemented with MRP. Each PSB treatment showed different effects on different plant growth parameters. The maximum increase in leaf length (23.7%), total number of leaves (33.33%) and dry rind weight (69.10%) was observed in plants treated with P. synxantha 10223 compared with control. Whereas, maximum increase in root length (23.43%), fresh leaves weight (79.03%), dry gel weight (113.08%) and total gel volume (112.10%), was observed in plants treated with S. marcescens 10241 compared with uninoculated plants. Maximum increase in aloin-A content [114.92% (per g dry gel weight) and 322.32% (per plant dry gel weight)] was observed in plants treated with P. synxantha 10223 compared with control plants. Root colonization by inoculated PSB as estimated by RAPD technique showed that all PSB were able to survive in the rhizosphere of Aloe plants.     

CD34 protein is expressed in murine,canine, and porcine lungs

The cell surface protein CD34 is expressed in various human tissues and cells, including hematopoietic stem cells, vascular endothelial cells, mucosal dendritic cells, mast cells, eosinophils, microglia, fibrocytes, muscle satellite cells, and platelets. There is a lack of data on the expression of CD34 in canine and porcine tissues. Therefore, we designed a series of immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence experiments to observe CD34 expression in murine, canine, and porcine lungs. We used a rabbit antibody (clone EP373Y) to target the conserved human CD34 C-terminal region and validated its immunoreactivity against mouse lung homogenates. The data showed diffuse bronchiolar and alveolar epithelial localization of CD34 protein in normal murine, canine, and porcine lungs. At 9 or 24 h after bacterial endotoxin exposure, murine CD34 protein shifted to specific bronchoalveolar cells with a punctate pattern, as quantified by CD34 fluorescence. Specific porcine bronchoalveolar cells and leukocytes had significant CD34-positive immunostaining after H3N1 influenza infection. Thus, our study provides fundamental data on the expression of CD34 in lungs and validates an antibody for use in further experiments in these animal species.