Effect of Component Densities on the Productivity of Soybean/Maize and Soybean/Sorghum Intercrop

Field experiments were conducted during the wet seasons of 1986 and 1987 at the Yandev Agricultural Experiment Station to investigate the effects of component density on the yield of sorghum or maize intercropped with soybean. Seed yield of the monocrops of sorghum, maize and soybean were higher than the individual components in the intercrops. Yields of component crops in the intercrop varied significantly with the components population density. The sorghum/soybean intercrops which had LER (Land Equivalent Ratio) up to 1.40 in 1986 and 1.35 in 1987 were more productive than soybean/maize intercrop with maximum LER of 1.28 and 1.34 respectively during 1986 and 1987. Similarly the ATER (Area X Time Equivalent Ratio) of sorghum/soybean was greater than in soybean/maize. However, for maximum productivity of sorghum or maize intercropped with soybean, optimum population of one component crop plus 1/2 optimum population of the companion crop is recommended depending on which of the crop is regarded as main or minor crop.     

Canopy and Seasonal Profiles of Nitrate Reductase Activity in Field Grown Grain Sorghum

Field experiments were conducted at the Livestock Research Centre of G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnager, India during wet season (June-September) of 1978 with the objectives of characterizing canopy and seasonal profiles of in vivo nitrate reductase activity (NRA) of grain sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor [L.] Moench) cultivars.
Canopy profile of NRA was studied on hybrid CSH 5 at 45, 55, 70, 80 and 95 days after sowing, whereas seasonal profile of NRA was studied in six sorghum cultivars — hybrid CSH 5 and pure line varieties CSV 4, SPV 100, SPV 101, SPV 103 and SPV 106 beginning at 30 days until 95 days after sowing.
Canopy profile studies indicated that fully expanded recently matured leaves possessed higher levels of in vivo NRA than unexpanded immature as well as older leaves. Seasonal profiles of in vivo NRA showed different trends in different cultivars. Cultivars SPV 100, SPV 101, SPV 103 and SPV 106 demonstrated two peaks of in vivo NRA/plant/day at 44 and 95 days. On the other hand, hybrid CSH-5 had only one peak at 51 days and cultivar CSV 4 had none.     

Residues of cypermethrin,fenvalerate and deltamethrin on cauliflower

Following the application of Cypermethrin, fenvalerate and deltamethrin to a cauliflower crop at rates of 50, 50 and 12 g a.i. ha^-1, the maximum initial deposits of these insecticides on heads and leaves were 1.10 and 0.75, 1.14 and 0.60, and 0.32 and 0.12 mg kg^-1, respectively. These residue values for fenvalerate were less than the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 2 mg kg^-1 for this crop. While the maximum initial deposits of Cypermethrin and deltamethrin on cauliflower leaves were less than their respective MRL values of 1 and 0.2 mg kg^-1 for brassica leafy vegetables, it took one day for their residues on cauliflower heads to decline below this level.     

Changing trend in the seroprevalence and risk factors of human leptospirosis in the South Andaman Island,India

Seroprevalence of leptospirosis among a healthy population of the South Andaman Island was assessed through random sampling. Previous studies have high seroprevalences of up to 55% in general population and 65% in agricultural labourers. The study subjects (1,181 in total, 781 rural and 400 urban) were interviewed and tested for antibodies against Leptospira. Multivariate models were developed to determine the risk factors in the rural and the urban population. The overall seroprevalence was 10.9%, with rural (12.9%) being higher than the urban subjects (7.0%). The commonest infecting serogroup was Icterohaemorrhagiae (53.5%), followed by Grippotyphosa (13.2%). Compared to the earlier observation, seroprevalence was lower and an apparent shift in the infecting serogroup was found. This shift was in concordance with the changing trend in animal population. Significant difference in risk factors, both in rural and urban areas, was also observed. Similar trends in seroprevalence are being observed around the world. Therefore, time to time prevalence studies are needed for the development of effective control measure.     

Putrescine and carnauba wax pretreatments alleviate chilling injury,enhance shelf life and preserve pomegranate fruit quality during cold storage

Keeping in mind to reduce chilling injury and retain quality; pomegranate (Punica granatum L., cv. Mridula) fruits were treated with putrescine, carnauba wax and putrescine + carnauba wax prior to cold storage at 2 °C. Before analyzing physical, physiological and biochemical parameters fruits were subjected to post cold storage exposure at 20 °C for 3 days. Untreated fruits developed rapidly chilling injury, with main symptoms being brown discolouration of the skin, surface pitting, weight and firmness loss during storage. All these undesirable changes were significantly delayed by putrescine + carnauba wax application. Respiration and ethylene evolution rate were also brought down by combined application of putrescine and carnauba wax treatment. The superiority of combine treatment over other applications seems arises due to additive benefit of antisenescence and barrier properties of putrescine and carnauba wax, respectively.     

Acclimation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anabas testudineus</Emphasis> (Bloch) to three test temperatures influences thermal tolerance and oxygen consumption

Teleost fish have developed their own specific adaptive mechanism, both behavioral and physiological, to maintain homeostasis in response to unfavorable temperatures. Therefore, this study was aimed at assessing the critical thermal maxima (CT_Max), critical thermal minima (CT_Min), and oxygen consumption rate of Anabas testudineus (17.03 ± 1.2 g) after acclimating to three preset temperatures (25, 30, and 35°C) for 30 days. The CT_Max and CT_Min were 40.15, 41.40, 41.88°C and 12.43, 13.06, 13.94°C, respectively, and were significantly different (P < 0.05). The thermal tolerance polygon for the specified temperatures was 278.30°C². The oxygen consumption rate (117.03, 125.70, 198.48 mg O₂ kg⁻¹ h⁻¹, respectively) increased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing acclimation temperatures. The overall results indicate that the thermal tolerance and oxygen consumption of A. testudineus are dependent on acclimation.     

Remote sensing and machine learning for crop water stress determination in various crops: a critical review

Precision Agriculture - The remote sensing (RS) technique is less cost- and labour- intensive than ground-based surveys for diverse applications in agriculture. Machine learning (ML), a branch of...     

Cyto-morphological evidence for segmental allopolyploid origin of Teasle gourd (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Momordica subangulata</Emphasis> subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">renigera</Emphasis>)

Teasle gourd [Momordica subangulata Blume subsp. renigera (G. Don) de Wilde, 2n = 56] exhibits morphological characters found in both M. dioica (2n = 28) and M. cochinchinensis (2n = 28). Morphological analysis of M. subangulata subsp. renigera suggests an allopolyploid origin. We present evidence elucidating the genomic relationships between M. dioica, M. cochinchinensis and M. subangulata subsp. renigera. A triploid M. dioica × M. subangulata subsp. renigera hybrid had an average of 12.76 bivalents, 13.84 univalents and 0.88 trivalents at metaphase I, while the M. cochinchinensis × M. subangulata subsp. renigera hybrid had an average of 13.08 bivalents, 12.96 univalents and 0.96 trivalents. F₁ hybrids of the two diploid species (M. dioica × M. cochinchinensis) showed an average of 9.12 bivalents and 9.76 univalents, suggesting that the genomes of these species are only partially homologous. A higher number of bivalents in the triploid hybrids suggests that M. subangulata subsp. renigera is a segmental allopolyploid of M. dioica and M. cochinchinensis and that its genomes have diverged from the parental genomes.     

Microtopography as a factor in the degradation of Vertisols in central India

Earlier studies on soil degradation in Vertisols of the Purna Valley of central India indicated that the semiarid climate characterized by a mean annual rainfall (MAR) of 875 mm and a tropustic moisture regime is responsible for the development of calcareous sodic soils. Recent observations, however, indicate that in the adjacent east upland of the Purna Valley, namely in the Pedhi Watershed, Vertisols have drainage problems, although the area receives a higher MAR than the Purna Valley, the total MAR being 975 mm. The Pedhi Watershed covers an area of 44 321 ha, and is characterized by a tropustic moisture regime and a hyperthermic temperature regime. Vertisols of the Pedhi Watershed are deep, calcareous, clayey and very dark greyish‐brown to dark yellowish‐brown in colour. Vertisols occur on both microhigh (MH) and microlow (ML) positions. The distance between the MH and ML positions is approximately 6 km and the elevation difference is 0.5–5 m. Cracks > 1 cm wide extend down to the slickenside zones in soils of ML whereas they cut these zones in some soils in MH positions. The soils of the MH positions are strongly alkaline and those of ML are mildly alkaline. The present study attempts to relate the distinctly different morphological and chemical properties of Vertisols in the MH and ML positions to pinpoint the prime factor responsible for the impairment of drainage on the basis of physical, chemical, mineralogical and micromorphological data. These data were obtained from 13 Vertisol pedons of methodically selected sites in the Pedhi Watershed. Despite their similar coefficient of linear extensibility (COLE), volumetric shrinkage potential (VSP), clay contents and amounts of fine smectite clay, the plasmic fabric of the slickenside horizons in soils of ML is porostriated, whereas in soils of MH it is stipple speckled to mosaic speckled, indicating weak plasma separation. The soils have both pedogenic and non‐pedogenic calcium carbonates (CaCO₃). The semiarid climate induces the precipitation of CaCO₃ with a concomitant development of subsoil sodicity. The degree of development of sodicity (Exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) ≥ 5) is more in soils of MH as evidenced by the higher amount of pedogenic CaCO₃ (PC). The lack of water in soils of MH position is the reason for weak swelling of smectite, for larger amounts of PC, for higher alkalinity and sodicity, and for cracks cutting through the slickenside zones. Formation of sodic Vertisols in MH alongside non‐sodic Vertisols in ML positions is a unique phenomenon. It develops because of microtopographic differences which modify distribution of water across the landscape and facilitate greater penetration of rainwater in ML positions. The development of sodicity due to microtopographic differences assumes a great importance when a future land resource management programme on Vertisols in the higher MAR zone of overall a semiarid climate is considered. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Novel quantitative trait loci for yield and yield related traits identified in Basmati rice (Oryza sativa)

Increasing crop productivity is one of the prime goals of crop breeding research. Rice grain yield is a complex quantitative trait governed by polygenes. Although several QTLs governing grain yield traits have been reported and limited attempts have been made to map QTLs for grain yield parameters in Basmati rice. A population from the cross Sonasal and Pusa Basmati 1121 comprising 352 RILs was generated through the single seed descent method. A total of 12 QTLs governing yield and yield-related traits were mapped on six chromosomes, namely, 1, 2, 3, 7, 8 and 9, of which five QTLs were novel. We identified a novel and robust epistatic QTL (qPH1.1 and qPL1.1) governing plant height and panicle length, flanked by the markers RM5336-RM1 on chromosome 1. The gene encoding brassinosteroid insensitive 1-associated receptor kinase 1 precursor is the putative candidate gene underlying this epistatic QTL. Another novel QTL, qNT3.1, governing tiller number was bracketed to a region of .77 Mb between the markers RM15247 and RM15281 on chromosome 3. Of the 57 annotated gene models, Os03g0437600 encoding alpha/beta-fold hydrolase, a homologous to AtKai2 is a putative candidate gene underlying the novel QTL qNT3.1. The other QTLs such as qDFF1.1 governing days to 50% flowering co-localizes with the gene Ghd7, QTL for plant height qPH1.2 co-localizes with the gene sd1, the QTLs for panicle length co-localizes with FUWA and DEP2, the QTL for tiller number co-localizes with OsRLCK57 and QTLs for thousand-grain weight co-localize with the major gene GS3. The QTLs identified in the current study can be effectively used in marker-assisted selection for developing Basmati rice varieties with a higher yield.