Management strategies for sustainable yield of potato crop under high temperature

High temperature has a deleterious effect in productivity of cool season crops like potato. This study was conducted to assess the efficacy of soil management practices to high-temperature tolerance in potato. Two popularly grown potato cultivars of northeast India, Kufri megha and Rangpuria, were sown under optimal and high-temperature conditions with soil application of inorganic nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Zn), organic amendment, i.e. farm yard manure (FYM), and straw mulch. This integrative soil management practice showed significant positive influence on membrane integrity, chlorophyll content, total soluble sugars and superoxide dismutase activity of potato plant. Higher tuber bulking rate and tuber yield in both optimal and high-temperature situation was recorded under these soil applications. Kufri megha performed better with the application of Ca and Zn along with straw mulch, while Ca with farm yard manure substantially improved restore yield in Rangpuria. Application of CaSO₄ and ZnSO₄ (20 and 60 kg ha^?1, respectively) with FYM and straw mulch (10 and 6 t ha^?1, respectively) can mitigate the high-temperature stress in potato grown in acidic soil (deficient of Ca and Zn) of northeast India.     

Analytical characterization of Salicornia bigelovii seed oil cultivated in Pakistan

Seeds of Salicornia bigelovii (hybrid variety sos-10) were collected from five coastal areas of Pakistan on the Arabian Sea. Hexane-extracted oil content was 27.2-32.0%. Results of other physical and chemical parameters of the extracted oil were as follows: iodine value, 128.0-130.5; refractive index (40 degrees C), 1.4680-1.4695; unsaponifiable matter, 1.63-2.00%; saponification value, 178.6-189.0; density (30 degrees C), 0.9036-0.9074. Tocopherols (alpha, gamma, and delta) in the oil ranged up to 200 mg/kg. The S. bigelovii seed oil was found to contain high levels of linoleic acid (74.66-79.49%) and less oleic acid (12.33-16.83%). Saturated fatty acids, palmitic and stearic acids, ranged from 7 to 8.50% and from 1.24 to 1.69%, respectively. Linolenic acid (C(18:3) omega-3) was found within the range of 1.50-2.31%. The induction period (Rancimat, 20 L/h, 120 degrees C) of the crude oil was 1.40-1.70 h. Specific extinctions at 232 and 270 nm were 1.90-2.40 and 0.40-0.62, respectively. Many parameters of S. bigelovii seed oil were quite compatible with those of safflower oil.     

Effect of different densities of parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) on the performance of direct-seeded rice under aerobic conditions

Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is an emerging weed species in direct-seeded aerobic systems of rice production. This two-year field study was conducted to evaluate the effect of five different densities (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 plants m^?2) of parthenium weed on rice yield and yield-related attributes. Parthenium weed produced ca. 38 to 178% higher biomass at its densities of 10 to 20 plants m^?2 as compared to the lowest density of 5 plants m^?2. The paddy yield and yield-related attributes were negatively affected with an increase in the parthenium weed density. In both years, the highest reductions in number of rice panicles (14 to 17%), panicle length (10 to 11%), number of grains per panicle (11 to 18%), 1000-grain weight (8 to 21%) and paddy yield (30 to 35%) were recorded at the highest parthenium weed density (20 plants m^?2) tested. However, the lower densities of 5 to 15 parthenium weed plants m^?2 also caused 11 to 24% and 12 to 26% losses in paddy yield during the years 2016 and 2017, respectively. Therefore, this weed species should be controlled below the density of 5 plants m^?2 to avoid the substantial yield losses (over 15%) in direct-seeded rice.     

The circulation of unique reassortment strains of infectious bursal disease virus in Pakistan

Infectious bursal disease(IBD), caused by IBD virus(IBDV), is one of the most devastating and immunosuppressive diseases of the poultry and has been a constraint on the sustainable poultry production around the globe including Pakistan. While the disease is threatening the poultry industry, the nature of predominant strains of IBDV in Pakistan remained ill-defined. In this study, an epidemiology survey was conducted in the main chicken-farming regions of Pakistan. The batch of Pakistan IBDVs genes simultaneously covering both VP1 and VP2 were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed. The unique segmentreassortant IBDVs(vv-A/Uniq-B), carrying segment A from vvIBDV and segment B from one unique ancestor, were identified as one important type of circulating strains in Pakistan. The data also discovered the characteristic molecular features of Pakistan IBDVs, which will contribute to scientific vaccine selection and effective prevention of the disease.