Report of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from the high-altitude and cold arid region of Ladakh,India

Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) is here reported for the first time from the high-altitude and cold arid region of Ladakh, which is a Northwestern Himalayan region of India and is the second coldest inhabited place in the world. The species is emerging in the Ladakh region as a serious apricot pest, causing a considerable amount of economic loss.     

Acceptance and competitiveness of new improved wheat varieties by smallholder farmers

We conducted this research because earlier research revealed that Pakistani farmers were growing 8–10-year-old wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties and hence not benefitting from the recent advances in wheat breeding. Participatory varietal selection (PVS) trials were conducted to have farmers validate and include newly released wheat varieties into seed-production stream to speed up replacement of old and obsolete wheat varieties by farmer-preferred new high-yielding varieties. Fourteen new varieties recommended for irrigated and eight for rainfed environments were evaluated in this research involving smallholder farmers in food-deficit districts of Pakistan. Collaborating farmers preferred 10 varieties from the PVS trials, eight of which were germplasm from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) that yielded on average 5–17% more grain than local checks. Local checks used in the PVS trials in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were old improved varieties. Greater yield advantage from new varieties over local checks was reported from rainfed environments and areas where old local checks were used. The PVS research showed the possibility of ensuring food security of smallholder farmers as new high-yielding varieties gave an additional 0.3 –0.5 tons of grain per ha, sufficient to feed two to three persons per year. Research also revealed that innovative farmers in rainfed regions grew wheat varieties recommended for irrigated regions to identify high-yielding wheat varieties with stable performance. Feedback by farmers to wheat breeding research system was to develop even higher yielding new wheat varieties with diseases resistance to replace old and obsolete varieties to boost food security.     

Mapping of three QTLs for seed setting and analysis on the candidate gene for qSS-1 in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

The lower seed setting is one of the major hindrances which face grain yield in rice.One of the main reasons to cause low spikelet fertility（seed setting）is male sterility or pollen abortion.Notably,pollen abortion has been frequently observed in advanced progenies of rice.In the present study,149 BC₂F₆ individuals with significant segregation in spikelet fertility were generated from the cross between N040212（indica）and Nipponbare（japonica）and used for primary gene mapping.Three QTLs,qSS-1,qSS-7 and qSS-9 at chromosomes 1,7 and 9,respectively,were found to be associated with seed setting.The recombinant analysis and the physical mapping information from publicly available resources exhibited that the qSS-1,qSS-7 and qSS-9 loci were mapped to an interval of 188,701 and 3741 kb,respectively.The seed setting responsible for QTL qSS-1 was further fine mapped to 93.5 kb by using BC₂F₇ population of 1 849 individuals.There are 16possible putative genes in this 93.5 kb region.Pollen vitality tests and artificial pollination indicated that the male gamete has abnormal pollen while the female gamete was normal.These data showed that low seed setting rate relative to qSS-1may be caused by abnormal pollen grains.These results will be useful for cloning,functional analysis of the target gene governing spikelet fertility（seed setting）and understanding the genetic bases of pollen sterility.     

Effect of dietary Sargassum wightii and its fucoidan-rich extract on growth,immunity, disease resistance and antimicrobial peptide gene expression in Labeo rohita

International Aquatic Research - This work aimed to appraise growth performance, immune responsiveness, bacterial disease resistance and mRNA expression of two antimicrobial peptides in Labeo...     

Seed Priming Enhances the Performance of Late Sown Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by Improving Chilling Tolerance

In rice–wheat systems, late sowing of wheat is the major reason of low yield. This yield reduction is principally due to lower and erratic germination, and poor crop establishment because of low temperature prevailing. The present study was conducted to explore the possibility of improving late sown wheat performance by seed priming techniques. Seed priming strategies were: on‐farm seed priming, hydropriming for 24 h, seed hardening for 12 h and osmohardening with KCl or CaCl₂ for 12 h. Seed priming improved emergence, stand establishment, tiller numbers, allometry, grain and straw yield, and harvest index. However, seed priming techniques did not affect plant height, number of spikelets, number of grains and 1000 grain weight. Osmohardening with CaCl₂ gave more grain and straw yield and harvest index compared with control and other priming treatments, followed by osmohardening with KCl and on‐farm seed priming. Improved yield was attributed principally to better stand establishment and improved number of fertile tillers. Seed priming techniques can be effectively used to improve the performance of late sown wheat.     

Alhagi maurorum: A convenient source of lupeol

Lupeol, a bioactive triterpenoid, has been isolated from the root barks of Alhagi maurorum for the first time in considerable quantity via an easy extraction and isolation process. In this study, a new and versatile LC-MS method has also been developed by optimizing various parameters for the rapid determination of lupeol in plant extract. The anti-inflammatory property of A. maurorum can be correlated to this compound. The superiority of A. maurorum over other plant sources of lupeol is due to its wild nature and ability to grow throughout the year. On the basis of this fact, A. maurorum can be used as a cheaper and ever available source for the lupeol.     

Ultrastructural studies of the inhibition effect against Phytophthora capsici of root exudates collected from two garlic cultivars along with their qualitative analysis

The overreliance on and overuse of fungicides is not only a health hazard but also induces natural resistance in plant pathogens, resulting in an economic burden on agricultural producers and a potential threat to natural systems across the globe. It is therefore necessary to identify natural substitutes of fungicides. This study was designed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of the root exudates of two different garlic cultivars, cv. Gailiang (G064) and Cangshan (G025), against Phytophthora capsici, a pepper fungus. All treatments (T1 to T4, i.e., 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% root exudate concentrations) of garlic cultivar G025 showed lower inhibition effects than cultivar G064. An intervarietal inhibition effect comparison at 100% concentration (T4) exhibited a 69.24% decline in hyphal growth for G064 compared with 49.06% for G025. The mycelial growth measured in the control was found to be significantly greater compared with the garlic treatments. The results of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) revealed that G064 possessed a large amount of allicin compared with G025. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy showed that, compared with the controls and hyphae treated with G025, the fungal hyphae treated with G064 exudates were misshaped, fragmented and had a smaller diameter, as well as empty cytoplasmic contents in the cell wall. Thus, the root exudates of the G064 cultivar had a significant fungicidal effect on P. capsici.     

棉花病虫害防治中的叶面喷肥技术应用

为了增加棉花的产量,应该及时采取有效的防治病虫害措施。本文介绍棉花的叶面喷肥处理方法,及其如何应用于防治棉花的病虫害上。     

鸽沙门菌的分离鉴定及药敏试验

鸽沙门菌病又名鸽副伤寒,翅麻痹、腿麻痹和眩晕病.由于此病与鸽副黏病毒病和禽霍乱都表现出神经症状,人们普遍认为是由鸽副黏病毒引起的,而忽视了其它病原的存在[1].国外科技工作者对本病及其病原特性已进行过不少研究工作.