Performance of larval parasitoid,Bracon brevicornis on two Spodoptera hosts: implication in bio-control of Spodoptera frugiperda

Successful pest management using parasitoids requires careful evaluation of host-parasitoid interactions. Here, we report the performance of larval ecto-parasitoid wasp, Bracon brevicornis (Wesmael) on important agricultural pests, Spodoptera litura (Fabricius) and S. frugiperda (J.E. Smith). Biology of B. brevicornis was studied on different host instars under laboratory and cage setup. In no-choice assay, the parasitoid development was highest on fifth-instar S. litura larvae as the wasp laid?~?253 eggs with 62% hatching, 76% pupae formation and 78% adult emergence. Similarly, these parameters were highest on fifth instar S. frugiperda larvae (293 eggs, 57% hatching, 80% pupae formation, 70% adult emergence). In two-choice assay, B. brevicornis preferred fourth or fifth over third instar larvae of both hosts. Successful parasitism depends on host paralysis and suppression of host immunity. B. brevicornis interaction downregulated cellular immunity of both hosts as shown by reduced hemocyte viability and spreading. The percent parasitism rate of B. brevicornis was unaltered in the presence of host plant, Zea mays in cage study. 76 and 84% parasitism was observed on fifth-instar larvae of S. litura and S. frugiperda, respectively. We evaluated the performance of B. brevicornis as a biocontrol agent on S. frugiperda in maize field. Our results show 54% average reduction in infestation after release of B. brevicornis. Taken together, we report the performance of B. brevicornis on important insect pests for the first time in laboratory and field conditions. Our findings indicate that B. brevicornis is a promising candidate for integrated pest management.

     

Free-radical scavenging properties of low molecular weight peptide(s) isolated from S1 cultivar of mulberry leaves and their impact on Bombyx mori (L.) (Bombycidae)

The mulberry leaves have been considered as a sole food source for silkworm, Bombyx mori (L.). In present work an attempt was made to investigate the role of low molecular weight peptide(s) isolated from mulberry leaves on silkworm rearing. Also we have tried to find out the role of free-radical scavenging activities of isolated peptide(s) on silkworm growth. Larval growth rate was found effective under the influence of peptide(s). Consumption rate of larvae after peptide(s) treatment on mulberry leaves was significantly enhanced over control. High antioxidant activity was found in Low molecular weight peptide(s) which have an effect on silkworm.     

Determinants of adoption behaviour of the fish farmers of Pabda fish culture (Ompok bimaculatus Bloch, 1794) in Tripura,Northeast India

Aquaculture International - Most of the adoption studies in catfish culture were restricted to feeding habits, growth rate and morphological studies, neglecting the social factors and adoption of...     

A nontoxic antitumour compound from the leaves of Bauhinia scandens characterized as 1-O-alkyl glycerol by gas–liquid chromatography and evaluation of its antitumour property by Brine Shrimp bioassay

This is a report of extraction and identification of 1-O-alkyl glycerol present in the dried leaves of Bauhinia scandens. Fifty percent aqueous ethanolic extract of the plant at room temperature was fractionated over petroleum ether and diethyl ether. The diethyl ether soluble fraction showed positive bioactivity in Brine Shrimp bioassay. Isolation and purification of the active principle was subsequently done from diethyl ether fraction. The diethyl ether fraction was separated into acidic and neutral part. The acid free fraction was screened to be positive in Brine Shrimp bioassay. The NMR spectra (in CDCl₃) indicated the probability of its lipoidal nature. The total lipid fraction was resolved into neutral, glyco, and phospho-lipids by column chromatography. Only the neutral fraction showed positive response to Brine Shrimp toxicity test, out of which again a Brine Shrimp positive fraction was separated by thin layer chromatography and identified as 1-O-alkyl glycerol. This fraction was acetylated and GLC analysis of the 1-O-alkyl-2,3-diacetyl glycerol was done. Our results demonstrate that the work may be cited as a nonhazardous and nonchemical management of therapeutic importance.     

Feed Formulation Using Linear Programming for Fry of Catfish,Milkfish, Tilapia,Asian Sea Bass,and Grouper in India

Nutritional profiles of 25 feed ingredients available in India were selected and compiled. Their costs were ascertained from Cochin (SW), Tuticorin (SE), and Bhubaneswar (NW), where fish/shrimp farming is traditionally practiced. Least-cost feed formulations (using the linprog toolbox in Matlab software) were attempted for catfish, milkfish, tilapia, and grouper fry specifying levels of four critical limits: Ca/P ratio, digestible energy (DE), 10 amino acid levels (where data was available), and 10 ingredients, totaling 26 constraining limits to the model. Feeds formulated for catfish fry cost US$0.066 kg^?1 at Bhubaneswar, US$0.117 kg^?1 at Tuticorin, and US$0.153 kg^?1 at Cochin, with poultry by-product meal and hydrolyzed feather meal as the major ingredients; limiting amino acids in these feeds were methionine and phenylalanine. Feeds formulated for milkfish fry cost US$0.110 kg^?1 at Cochin, US$0.108 kg^?1 at Tuticorin, and US$0.072 kg^?1 at Bhubaneswar; the limiting amino acids in this case were histidine and threonine. The cost of feeds for tilapia fry was US$0.207 kg^?1 at Cochin, US$0.369 kg^?1 at Tuticorin, and US$ 0.114 kg^?1 at Bhubaneswar; the limiting amino acid was methionine. Feed formulae for fry of Asian sea bass had an LP solution containing only five ingredients for all three places. The feed formula was the same for Cochin and Bhubaneswar market prices, and the total cost of ingredients was US$0.274 kg^?1 and US$0.142 kg^?1, respectively. At Tuticorin market prices, the feed formula cost was US$0.397 kg^?1. The feed formulae for grouper fry at Bhubaneswar and Tuticorin market prices had the same three ingredients costing US$0.114 kg^?1 and US$0.321 kg^?1, respectively, whereas feed formula for Cochin market price consisted of four ingredients costing US$0.280 kg^?1.     

Micropropagation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Kaempferia angustifolia</Emphasis> Roscoe - An Aromatic,Essential Oil Yielding,Underutilized Medicinal Plant of Zingiberaceae Family

Kaempferia angustifolia is an aromatic, essential oil-yielding plant of the Zingiberaceae family with an ethno-medicinal repute. We standardized an effective system for micropropagation of K. angustifolia, and this is probably the very first report of in vitro culture of this species. Axillary buds were cultured on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators (PGRs) and spermidine. Highest multiplication occurred when the MS medium was supplemented with a combination of 2.0 mg L^?1 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP), 2.0 mg L^?1 kinetin (KIN) and 1.0 mg L^?1 α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Addition of spermidine (2.0 mM) along with optimum PGRs had further improved the multiplication rate with a maximum of 6.6 ± 0.36 shoots per explant within 60 days of implantation. The number of multiplied shoots per explant increased with each subsequent regeneration cycle; and the shoots per explant increased from 6.6 ± 0.36 on the 1^st regeneration cycle to 10.3 ± 0.42 on the 2^nd regeneration cycle and further increased to 13.7 ± 0.37 on the 3^rd regeneration cycle on the same medium composition. The best result for in vitro root induction of multiplied shoot was achieved on a half-strength MS medium fortified with 2.0 mg L^?1 IBA, with a maximum of 18.5 ± 0.28 roots per shoot. Regenerated plantlets were acclimatized with 88.9 % survival rate. After 9 months of field-transfer, all these plants were harvested and rhizomes were collected. However, the present protocol can definitely be applied for large-scale propagation and commercial cultivation of K. angustifolia.     

Phytophthora blight of Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.]: An updating review of biology, pathogenicity and disease management

Phytophthora blight (PB), caused by Phytophthora drechsleri f. sp. cajani, is reoccurring as an economically important disease of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan), especially when excessive rains fall within a short span of time and hot and humid weather persists during the crop season. A few years after the initial reviews of Kannaiyan et al. (1984), the disease was coming to halt. Despite earlier investigations on pathological and physiological characteristics of P. drechsleri f. sp. cajani, the nature of infection process and genetic basis of pathogen variability have not been clearly established. Therefore, information on the biology and survival of the pathogen is needed to devise effective management strategies. Attempts have been made to develop green-house and field screening techniques since three decades ago for identification of host plant resistance. However, only few pigeonpea germplasm and breeding lines belonging to cultivated and wild Cajanus spp. were found tolerant to PB. The recent frequent recurrence of PB epidemics in the major pigeonpea growing areas prioritized the search for higher levels of disease resistance. There is a need to study the biology of the pathogen, epidemiology of the disease and refinement of the resistance screening techniques and develop integrated disease management technology for the disease. In this review, the symptomatology of the disease, biology of pathogen including its variability, epidemiology, sources of resistance, other management options and available information on biochemical and genetic basis of disease resistance have been updated and discussed with the identification of future research priorities.