Evaporative cooling in late gestation heat‐stressed Murrah buffaloes increases efficiency of next reproductive cycle

Evaporative cooling during late gestation period improves post‐partum reproductive performance in Murrah buffaloes. To prove this hypothesis, sixteen pregnant dry Murrah buffaloes at sixty days pre‐partum were selected and divided into two groups of eight animals each. Group 1 of buffaloes (Cooled/CL) was managed under fan and mist cooling during dry period, whereas second group of buffaloes (non‐cooled/NCL) remained without the provision of cooling. After parturition, all the animals were managed under evaporative cooling till the end of experimental period. Reproductive performance in cooled (CL) and non‐cooled (NCL) groups, respectively, viz. 1st and 2nd ovulation from calving (48.63 ± 2.41, 69.25 ± 2.34 days and 57.75 ± 3.35, 93.63 ± 2.84 days); calving to conception interval (117.88 ± 4.21 days and 117.88± 4.21 days); conception rate (87.5% ± 2.16% and 57% ± 2.26%); and follicular diameter at the time of 1st and 2nd ovulation (14.84 ± 0.16, 15.75 ± 0.13 mm and 12.65 ± 0.13, 13.35 ± 0.11 mm) varied significantly (p < .05). Total peak oestrogen concentration was significantly (p < .05) higher in cooled (26.7 ± 1.32 pg/ml) relative to non‐cooled (20.7 ± 1.22 pg/ml) buffaloes. Time from onset of oestrus to ovulation varied significantly (p < .05) in cooled (32 ± 2.22 hr) and non‐cooled (40 ± 2.86 hr) buffaloes. The peak progesterone concentration reached to (4.25 ng/ml) in cooled group and (4.16 ng/ml) in non‐cooled group after first ovulation.     

Impact of addition of soil amendments and microbial inoculants on nursery growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus deltoides</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Toona ciliata</Emphasis>

Present study evaluated growth of Populus deltoides G48 and Toona ciliata over a period of 6 months, in nursery soil amended with 10% fly ash (v/v), 5% distillery waste (v/v), 20% farmyard manure (v/v) and microbial consortium of Pseudomonas striata and Azotobacter sp. @ 30 ml/pot in different combinations leading to 12 different treatments with 16 replicates in completely randomized block design. Biometric parameters such as plant height, collar diameter and total dry biomass were analyzed which indicated that the treatment (T8) comprising of fly ash @ 10% (v/v), farmyard manure @ 20% (v/v) and microbial consortium @ 30 ml/pot promoted growth of P. deltoides. The results indicated that combined addition of fly ash, farm yard manure and microbial inoculants can be used as a good potting mixture for improving survival rates and plant growth in forestry nurseries.     

Simulating rice stem borer, Scirpophaga incertulas Wlk., damage for developing decision support tools

InfoCrop, a generic crop–pest simulation model, was used to validate yellow stem borer, Scirpophaga incertulas Wlk., damage mechanism on two rice cultivars, Pusa Basmati 1 and Ratna. Data sets consisted of three experiments, one under natural infestation of the pest and two involving artificial detillering. The simulated yields showed less than 10% variation from the observed yields, except in one treatment, where the difference was 10.5%. The simulated yield losses were also proximal to respective observed yield losses (R²=0.922, RMSE=3.825), indicating proper validation of damage mechanism of the stem borer. As the model simulated the pest damage appropriately under natural injury, as well under artificial detillering; artificial detillering seemed comparable to natural injury of the stem borer in its effect on rice growth and yield. Validated InfoCrop was used to simulate economic injury levels (EILs) of the stem borer at different rice growth stages for varied control expenditure, incurred on two and three sprays of monocrotophos and one granular application of carbofuran, and for three market prices of produce. The EIL consistently decreased with advancing crop age and it exhibited a positive relationship with control expenditure and a negative relationship with market value of the produce. The simulated EILs were observed to be comparable to empirical injury levels that were previously established. The validated model was also used to devise iso-loss curves that depicted same yield loss for different combinations of the stem borer injury and crop age. Crop simulation model-based EILs and iso-loss curves are useful in monitoring the stem borer injury and in need assessment for pesticide application, thereby avoiding unnecessary expenditure and environmental contamination. Due to their mechanistic nature, crop models can be used to formulate location-specific decision support tools and therefore, help improve decision making in pest management.     

Implementing a globally harmonized risk assessment‐based approach for regulatory decision‐making of crop protection products

A global, harmonized evaluation system for crop protection chemicals based on exposure and risk will improve the ability to inform risk management decisions and better support innovation. This would be achieved through harmonized risk assessment‐based regulatory decision‐making realized through the application of the best available science, via integration of new methods and traditional data to create tailored exposure‐driven risk assessments. A requirement to achieve success is a structure that encourages direct communication between the regulatory community and the regulated industry, which would enable a more rapid incorporation of new technologies and advancing science. An approach that emulates the International Conference of Harmonization (ICH) for pharmaceuticals would bring together regulatory authorities and the regulated industry along with relevant experts from academia and Non‐Governmental Organizations to discuss scientific and technical advances and their implementation. These discussions would also encourage the elimination of outmoded practices that no longer serve a purpose resulting in more uniform testing requirements and best practices for data evaluation to support safe use and scientifically defensible human health and environmental risk assessments. New and developing technologies offer exciting opportunities to improve the current toxicity testing paradigms to provide better solutions and diminish animal testing. Implementation of a harmonized approach will increase the speed, efficiency and accuracy of regulatory decision‐making for human health and environmental protection while increasing the efficiency of providing safe and effective innovative products to the agriculture community. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

Biodegradable alginate microspheres as a delivery system for naked DNA.

Sodium alginate is a naturally occurring polysaccharide that can easily be polymerized into a solid matrix to form microspheres. These biodegradable microspheres were used to encapsulate plasmid DNA containing the bacterial beta-galactosidase (LacZ) gene under the control of either the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate-early promoter or the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) early promoter. Mice inoculated orally with microspheres containing plasmid DNA expressed LacZ in the intestine, spleen and liver. Inoculation of mice with microspheres containing both the plasmid DNA and bovine adenovirus type 3 (BAd3) resulted in a significant increase in LacZ expression compared to those inoculated with microspheres containing only the plasmid DNA. Our results suggest that adenoviruses are capable of augumenting transgene expression by plasmid DNA both in vitro and in vivo.