Growth,survival, and heavy metal (Cd and Ni) uptake of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and fenugreek (Trigonella corniculata) in a biochar‐amended sewage‐irrigated contaminated soil

Irrigation of arable land with contaminated sewage waters leads to the accumulation of trace metals in soils with subsequent phyto‐/zootoxic consequences. In this study, biochar derived from cotton sticks was used to amend an agricultural silt‐loam soil that had been previously irrigated with trace metal contaminated sewage waters. Metal accumulation and toxicity to spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and fenugreek (Trigonella corniculata) was investigated by measuring concentrations of Cd and Ni in plant tissues and various photosynthetic and biochemical activities of plants. Positive impacts of biochar on both spinach and fenugreek were observed in terms of biomass production that increased from 29% to 36% in case of spinach, while for fenugreek this increase was 32% to 36%. In the control treatment there was an increase in malondialdihyde, soluble sugar, and ascorbic acid contents, indicating heavy metal stress. Biochar applications increased soluble proteins and amino acids in plants and reduced the uptake of Cd from 5.42 mg kg^?1 at control to 3.45 mg kg^?1 at 5% biochar amended soil and Ni (13.8 mg kg^?1 to 7.3 mg kg^?1 at 5% biochar) by the spinach plants. In fenugreek, the Cd was reduced from 7.72 mg kg^?1 to 3.88 mg kg^?1 and reduction in Ni was from 15.45 mg kg^?1 to 9.46 mg kg^?1 at 5% biochar treated soil, reducing the possibility of transfer up the food chain. This study demonstrates that the use of biochar made from cotton‐sticks, as an amendment to arable soils that have received contaminated irrigation water, could improve plant growth and decrease Cd and Ni uptake to crops, alleviating some of the negative impacts of using sewage waters on arable land.     

Potential for using Datura alba leaf extracts against two major stored grain pests, the khapra beetle Trogoderma granarium and the rice weevil Sitophillus oryzae

Various plants are well known for their insecticidal activity and their use was maintained for millennia throughout all the agricultural regions of the world. In a current context, the use of Botanical insecticides represents one of the best alternatives to chemicals for the development of environmental-friendly strategies for stored grain pest control. Datura alba Nees is a plant found extensively in the warmer regions of the world and it is used as a medicinal plant. This study aims to assess the contact toxicity and the trans-generational effect of D.?alba leaf extract (DLE) against two important insect pests on stored rice, Trogoderma granarium and Sitophilus oryzae, under laboratory conditions. Filter papers were soaked in three DLE concentration solutions and in two control treatments: water and acetone. The survivor specimens (F₀) were transferred to a new untreated feeding substrate and the population build up of the two following generations (F₁ and F₂) were counted after 30 and 60?days, respectively. The highest DLE concentration (2.5?%) induced the significantly highest mortality with 33.5 and 45?% mortality in T.?granarium and S.?oryzae after 7?days of exposure, respectively. The DLE long-term effect toward both tested species was also proved by the high demographic decrease in the F₂ generations, when compared to control groups. This study is the first step toward establishing a scientific basis for the effective application of D.?alba plant materials as biorational tools to control stored grain pests.     

Kinetic and Equilibrium Modeling for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) Removal from Aqueous Solutions by Citrus reticulata Waste Biomass

The pulp left after the extraction of juice from Citrus reticulate (kinnow), is a waste material, which was used as a potential sorbent for Cr(III) and Cr(VI) in the present study. The effect of experimental parameters such as pH, biosorbent dosage, biosorbent particle size, initial metal concentrations, temperature, shaking speed and sorption time on the Cr removal is apparent from the obtained results. The Freundlich isotherm and pseudo second order kinetic models fitted well to the data of Cr(III) and Cr(VI) biosorption by Citrus reticulata waste biomass. Effect of several pretreatments such as gases, natural coagulant and many other chemicals on Cr(III) and Cr(VI) sorption capacity of Citrus reticulata waste biomass was first time analyzed in the present study. The metal sorption capacity of Citrus reticulata waste biomass after a specific pretreatment was not only related to the nature of chemical but also strongly dependent on the oxidation state of the metal.     

Comparison of protection and viral shedding following vaccination with Newcastle disease virus strains of different genotypes used in vaccine formulation

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Newcastle disease (ND) is a devastating disease and cause high t mortality and morbidity in poultry and nonpoultry avian species worldwide. An intensive...     

Appraisal and standardization of curvilinear velocity (VCL) cut‐off values for CASA analysis of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) sperm

One of the basic steps in objective analysis of sperm motility is the subdivision of a motile sperm population into slow, medium and rapid categories based on their velocity. However, for CASA analysis of quail sperm, the velocity values for categorization of slow, medium and rapid sperm have not yet been standardized. To identify the cut‐off values of “velocity curvilinear” (VCL) for quail sperm categorization, we captured and analysed 22,300 tracks of quail sperm using SCA^®‐CASA. The median and mean VCL values were 85 and 97 μm/s. To define the VCL cut‐off values, we used two methods. In the first, we identified the upper (rapid sperm) and lower (slow sperm) cut‐off values using: (i) median VCL ± 25% or ± 50% or ± 75% of median VCL value; (ii) first and third quartile values of VCL data (i.e. 25% cut‐off setting); and (iii) 33% and 66% of VCL data. Among these settings, sperm categories and their corresponding motility characteristics recorded using the “25%” setting (i.e. slow ≤36 ≤ medium ≤154 ≤ rapid) were found the most realistic and coherent with male ranking by fertility. In the second method, we calculated heteroscedasticity in the total VCL data using PCA and the two‐step clustering method. With this approach, the mean of the high and low clusters was 165 and 51 μm/s, respectively. Together, the mean from two methods suggested that, for SCA^®‐CASA categorization of quail sperm, sperm should be classed as “rapid” at VCL ≥160 μm/s and “slow” at VCL ≤45 μm/s.     

Presence of less-preferred hosts of the aphid parasitoids <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphidius ervi</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Praon volucre</Emphasis> reduces parasitism efficiency

Parasitoids are characterized by a defined range of hosts, either more specialist or generalist. Under natural conditions, females may encounter different host species on the same plant or in the same location. In this case, their preference for one host could influence their choice. However, the presence of less suitable hosts may also affect their choice and, in some cases, may reduce their interest in a patch where both preferred and less preferred hosts are available. The aim of the present study was to test the consequences of the simultaneous presence of three cereal aphids (Sitobion avenae Fabricius, Metopolophium dirhodum Walker, and Rhopalosiphum padi Linnaeus) on the parasitism by two of their parasitoids, Aphidius ervi Haliday and Praon volucre Haliday. Firstly, in the no-choice experiment, A. ervi parasitized on S. avenae at a significantly higher rate as compared to M. dirhodum, whereas no parasitism on R. padi was observed. P. volucre parasitized the three species of cereal aphids with a significant preference for S. avenae. Interestingly, when two or three host species were offered simultaneously in the same quantity to pairs of parasitoids, the level of parasitism was less than that observed for one host species alone. This observation exhibits a distractive effect on non-host species, from the defense mechanism of a non-suitable host or from the perception of bad quality patches. These results raise the question of the practical application of inundative release of parasitoids for biocontrol when several hosts are available simultaneously.     

Common ragweed: An emerging threat for sunflower production and human health in Turkey

Common ragweed invasion poses serious risks to human health, biodiversity and agricultural production throughout the world. Although ragweed has an enormous potential to expand its range in Turkey, studies on ragweed have only concentrated on the Black Sea region. An exploratory survey was conducted to observe the level of ragweed occurrence on the nodes of predecided 10 × 10 km grids in the Thrace region of Turkey. Ragweed populations were observed in 44 out of 129 sites in a wide range of habitats, including roadsides, pastures, agricultural fields and non‐agricultural areas. The highest levels of ragweed infestation were recorded in the agricultural fields, followed by the roadsides. The most‐invaded crop was sunflower. The sunflower fields had the highest ragweed coverage as well and invasion even resulted in crop failure alongside the field borders. A spatial analysis of the data indicated that ragweed exhibited an aggregated pattern over the Thrace region. Ragweed distribution was not associated with the characteristics of the soils, which had a varying range of pH, electrical conductivity and texture. The results revealed that ragweed invasion can arise as a serious weed problem, interfering with the sustainability of sunflower production in Thrace and other sunflower‐producing regions of the country. A high degree of ragweed infestation also will contribute to the pollen level counts for the most crowded cities in the region, posing a serious danger to human health.     

Management of needle blight (Lophodermium pinastri) disease in Blue pine trees in Kashmir,India

Evaluation of various fungicides against needle blight disease of pine was carried out at Sheri Kashmir University of Agriculture Sciences and Technology of Kashmir(India) during the year 2008 and 2009. Application of various fungicides were evaluated in vivo at different concentrations. However in both, mist-chamber and poly-chamber, the Blue pine(Pinus wallichiana Jackson)seedlings treated with hexaconazole 5EC(@ 0.03 %) or carbendazim 50WP(@ 0.1 %) depicted significantly less disease incidence and intensity. The seedlings treated with mancozeb 75WP(@ 0.3 %) and chlorothalonil 75WP(@0.3 %) exhibited less disease incidence and intensity.Increase in relative humidity from 60 to 100 % significantly enhanced needle blight disease incidence and intensity. In field trial the fungitoxicants used either as single spray or protectant followed by systemic fungitoxicant spray significantly reduced disease incidence in Blue pine compared to check. The mean disease incidence in fungitoxicant treated plants varied from 11.82 to 25.51 %as compared to 36.03 % in control.     

Genetic progress in wheat yield and associated traits in China since 1945 and future prospects

Genetic progress has brought about a dramatic increase in yield potential per se for almost all production areas around the world. The present study examines the relationship of wheat yield with year of release, yield components, harvest index (HI), biomass production, and plant height. We used aggregative data from 1945 to 2010 to calculate genetic gain in wheat yield across different zones in China. A deeper understanding of these issues facilitates the identification of specific yield-limiting factors that can be used for future breeding strategies. Absolute yield gain for the different zones was found to range from 20 to 103 kg ha^?1 year^?1, whereas relative yield gain ranged from 0.33 to 1.42 % per year. When data from all the Chinese wheat production zones was pooled, yield gain at the national level had an absolute value of 66 kg ha^?1 year^?1 and a relative value of 1 % per year. Grain weight and spike weight, rather than the other yield components, are significantly correlated with year of release for most zones, suggesting that these two were the most promising traits for breeders in the past. These two traits are also responsible for the significant genetic progress in wheat yield in China since 1949. HI and biomass production also showed strong correlation with year of release and grain yield. In China, HI and grain weight have experienced such a substantial increase that both have almost reached their theoretical maxima in the period 1945–2010. Further improvement in the yield potential of wheat will have to involve increase in biomass production and grain number. This paper also reviews cropping systems and technologies as well as improvement in physiological trait from 1945 onwards during the period of genetic gain.     

Exploring influential plant traits for enhancing upland cotton yield under salt stress

This research was conducted to explore genetic material that can yield better under salt stress conditions. The experiment was laid out using 27 upland cotton genotypes in a RCBD 2 factorial arrangement with two replications. Saline water (NaCl at 20 dS/m) was applied after satisfactory emergence was achieved. The crop was raised to maturity and data relating to yield, fiber quality and ionic traits were recorded. Analysis of variance showed significant variations in the germplasm. Plant height, bolls per plant, boll weight, GOT%, staple length, staple strength, K⁺ and K⁺/Na⁺ ratio under salinity stress showed a highly significant correlation with seed-cotton yield. The highest direct effect on seedcotton yield per plant was exhibited by bolls per plant and boll weight. The results from the correlation and path coefficient analyses revealed that although the K⁺/Na⁺ ratio had a strong positively significant association with seedcotton yield, its direct effect on the seed-cotton yield was negative and thus selection on the basis of K⁺/Na⁺ may not be fruitful. Hence, only indirect selection through bolls per plant and boll weight may be effective in increasing the seedcotton yield per plant under salinity stress.