Information Communication Technology for Extension: A Mobile Phone Based Voice Call System for Dissemination of Cotton Production Technologies

Dissemination of newer crop production technologies among growers is the major bottleneck in the existing extension system. This study proposes an innovative method for dissemination of cotton cultivation technologies through mobile phones. The voice advisories on different aspects of cotton cultivation were sent to mobile phones of growers, as and when required in the field. Feedback from growers revealed it as a highly acceptable extension technique, which helped them to make crucial time-specific decisions for crop management. The system has the potential to reach and benefit each and every grower at a very low cost compared to conventional training and visit extension system.     

A new index to assess soil quality and sustainability of wheat-based cropping systems

Sustainability index was calculated to assess soil quality under the influence of different fertilizer management practices. It is based on the area of the triangle in which nutrient index, microbial index and crop index of soil represented the three vertices of a triangle. Nutrient index reflected the nutrient status of soil and was calculated from the measurements of various soil chemical parameters. Microbial index was calculated by determining various soil microbial and biochemical activities and crop index by measuring of crop yield parameters. Eighteen soil indicators were determined to assess nutrient index, microbial index and crop index in order to compare the effect of different sources of nutrients such as green manure, farmyard manure and chemical fertilizer in a rice/corn–wheat rotation. The indices were applied to assess the sustainability of five field experiments with respect to the different fertilizer treatments. The long-term application of organic manures in rice/corn–wheat cropping system increased the index value because it increased the nutrient index, microbial index and crop index of soils. The use of only chemical fertilizers in the rice–wheat cropping system resulted in poor soil microbial index and crop index. In corn–wheat system, additional application of FYM at 10 t ha^–1 before sowing corn made the system more sustainable than application of 100%NPK; the sustainability index values were 2.43 (the highest for this system) and 0.93, respectively.     

Molecular advancements in male sterility systems of Capsicum: A review

In recent years, plant molecular research on genetic mapping, gene tagging and cloning, and marker-assisted selection (MAS) have gained importance in crop improvement programmes. In Capsicum, several inter- and intra-specific genetic maps with wide distribution of markers covering the whole genome have been developed. Recently, whole genome of the hot pepper C. annuum, its wild progenitor C. annuum var. glabriusculum and C. baccatum has been sequenced. The Capsicum genome size has been estimated to be approx. 4× (3.48 Gb) the genome size of cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) (900 Mb). Breeders’ access to the pepper genomic information would facilitate the choice of markers from different linkage groups, thus paving the way for gene cloning and its introgression into the elite breeding lines through MAS. Till date, approx. 20 independently inherited nuclear male sterility (NMS) genes have been reported. Linked markers have been identified for ms1, ms3, ms8, ms10, ms_k, msc-1 and an undesignated gene. However, markers tightly linked to ms8 and ms10 are still lacking. Except ms1, ms3, ms8 and ms10, the map position of other NMS genes is not known. In cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), markers for the mitochondrial gene atp6 have been developed and the gene cloned. Number of markers some very tightly linked to the restorer-of-fertility (Rf) gene have been identified. However, the actual map position of the Rf locus is still not determined. Another CMS-associated nuclear gene “pr” responsible for restoring partial fertility has been identified and tagged. In this review, we have compiled up-to-date information about the marker technology relating to the NMS and the CMS-associated genes in Capsicum. This information can be useful when screening Capsicum germplasm, developing NMS lines through MAS, improving efficiency of the NMS system, transferring rf gene for maintainer line breeding and Rf genes for restorer line breeding in CMS and assessing genetic purity of the hybrid seed.