Comparative analysis of multi-criteria probabilistic FR and AHP models for forest fire risk(FFR) mapping in Melghat Tiger Reserve(MTR) forest

A comparative study of Frequency Ratio(FR)and Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)models are performed for forest fire risk(FFR)mapping in Melghat Tiger Reserve forest,central India.Identification of FFR depends on various hydrometeorological parameters altitude,slope,aspect,topographic position index,normalized differential vegetation index,rainfall,air temperature,land surface temperature,wind speed,distance to settlements,and distance by road are integrated using a GIS platform.The results from FR and AHP show similar trends.The FR model was significantly higher accurate(overall accuracy of 81.3%,kappa statistic 0.78)than the AHP model(overall accuracy 79.3%,kappa statistic 0.75).The FR model total forest fire risk areas were classified into five classes:very low(7.1%),low(22.2%),moderate(32.3%),high(26.9%),and very high(11.5%).The AHP fire risk classes were very low(6.7%),low(21.7%),moderate(34.0%),high(26.7%),and very high(10.9%).Sensitivity analyses were performed for AHP and FR models.The results of the two different models are compared and justified concerning the forest fire sample points(Forest Survey of India)and burn images(2010-2016).These results help in designing more effective fire management plans to improve the allocation of resources across a landscape framework.     

Characterization of brown planthopper damage on rice crops through hyperspectral remote sensing under field conditions

Field experiments were conducted to characterize the brown planthopper (BPH) (Nilaparvata lugens (Stål.) damage stress on rice crops through hyperspectral remote sensing. The BPH-damaged rice crop had higher reflectance in visible (VIS) and lower reflectance in near-infrared regions (NIR) of the electromagnetic spectrum compared with uninfested plants. Mean reflectance of the rice crop varied among different BPH damage levels in various wavebands, with the greatest variation in NIR (740–925 nm). Correlations between plant reflectance and BPH damage depicted four sensitive wavelengths, at 764, 961, 1201 and 1664 nm in relation to BPH stress on the rice crop. Three new brown planthopper spectral indices (BPHI) were formulated by combining two or more of these sensitive wavelengths. Some of the hyperspectral indices reported in the literature were also tested for their suitability to detect BPH stress on rice crops. Based on crop reflectance corresponding to the sensitive wavelengths, a multiple-linear regression model was developed (R²=0.71, RMSE=1.74, P<0.0001) and validated (R²=0.73, RMSE?=?0.71, P<0.0001) that would help to monitor BPH stress on a rice crop and to issue forewarnings to growers.     

Studies on performance of rice as influenced by drainage in Eastern India

Field experiments were conducted in WTCER research farm, Mendhasal and in the farmer's field at Bishwanathpur, Orissa, India, during two crop years to assess the performance of rice as influenced by drainage at different growth stages. In the first experiment, scented rice variety CR-689-113 was tested with drainage at different growth stages in the main plot and nitrogen levels in the sub plots. In the second experiment, rice variety Swarna was investigated and drainage at different growth stages was provided under the best nitrogen level. The results revealed that drainage at the tillering stage recorded significantly higher grain yield than drainage at all other crop stages. The grain yield of rice was found to be increased by 19–22% when drainage was provided at the tillering stage for an 8–10 day period relative to that of no drainage treatment. However, drainage at the panicle initiation stage recorded the lowest grain yield. Nitrogen at 60 kg ha^?1 resulted in higher grain yield. Crop growth rate and nitrogen use efficiency were found to be higher when drainage was given at the tillering stage.     

Gene-to-trait knowledge graphs show association of plant photoreceptors with physiological and developmental processes that can confer agronomic benefits

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Global population growth, climate change, altered precipitation rates and cropping patterns are increasingly challenging plant scientists to improve crop...     

Direct shoot organogenesis from rhizomes of medicinal zingiber <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alpinia calcarata</Emphasis> Rosc. and evaluation of genetic stability by RAPD and ISSR markers

A simple and efficient protocol for direct in vitro shoot multiplication and plant regeneration was established for an important aromatic medicinal plant, Alpinia calcarata. Preinduction of rhizome segments in medium containing 8.8 μM 6-benzylamino purine (BAP) rescued the buds from dormancy in 60% of the cultures. An average of 6.2 shoots were produced from rhizomatous bud explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 5 μM BAP, 10 μM kinetin, and 2.5 μM α-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The mother cultures retained their morphogenetic potential upto four subcultures and a maximum of 1.77-fold increase in shoot multiplication was recorded after the 3^rd subculture. Rooting was simultaneously induced during subculture on shoot multiplication medium eliminating an additional step for rooting induction. Rooted plantlets were successfully acclimatized in pots in the greenhouse and subsequently established in the experimental garden without any visible symptoms of wilting and necrosis. The genetic fidelity of regenerated plants was evaluated by adapting to two PCR-based DNA marker techniques, Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR) which detected no variability in the in vitro multiplied plantlets of A. calcarata. This efficient method of clonal multiplication may be useful for commercial scale multiplication, and in situ and ex situ conservation of elite germplasm of A. calcarata.     

Assessment of Brown Planthopper, (Nilaparvata lugens) [Stål], damage in rice using hyperspectral remote sensing

Hyperspectral remote sensing was used to detect stress on potted rice plants caused by the Brown Planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål). BPH damage influenced reflectance of rice plants compared to uninfested plants in the visible and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Correlations between plant reflectance and BPH damage, when plotted against wavelengths, enabled us to identify four sensitive wavelengths, at 1986, 665, 1792 and 500 nm, in relation to BPH stress on rice plants. Based on rice plant reflectance corresponding to the sensitive wavelengths, three hyperspectral indices were developed. The BPH damage showed a positive association with normalized pigment chlorophyll index, and a negative relationship with normalized difference vegetation index and soil adjusted vegetation index. Using rice plant reflectance corresponding to the sensitive wavelengths, a multiple-linear regression model was developed and validated, which would facilitate assessment of BPH damage based on rice plant reflectance, thereby ensuring prompt forewarning to stakeholders.     

Survival,male morphotypes,female and male proportion,female reproductive status and tag loss in crosses among three populations of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man) in India

The present study examined the variation in survival, proportion of male morphotypes, female and male proportion, female reproductive status and tag losses in nine crosses from a complete (3 × 3) diallel mating of three populations of Macrobrachium rosenbergii in India. The populations originated from Gujarat (north‐west), Kerala (south‐west) and Odisha (east), representing different agro‐ecological regions in India. Progeny from 60 families (4773 juveniles) were individually tagged and reared for 16–17 weeks in earthen ponds. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse the data. Survival rate was greatest (0.88) for Kerala × Odisha (KO; the first letter represents the sire), whereas it was lowest (0.75) for both Kerala × Kerala (KK) and Gujarat × Kerala (GK). Significantly greater proportions of large male morphotypes were observed in KK cross and in combinations involving Kerala population. The highest proportion of immature females, as well as of non‐berried females, was observed in the Odisha × Odisha (OO) cross. Tag loss was greatest for KK (0.35) and lowest for GG (0.19). We found significant variations among crosses for all studied traits suggesting the possibility of including them in genetic improvement programmes of this species.     

Modelling of groundwater recharge potential from irrigated paddy field under changing climate

Groundwater recharge from irrigated paddy field under various projected climate change scenarios was assessed using HYDRUS-1D model. Recharge flux, root water uptake, evaporation and surface runoff were simulated on daily time step for the growing period of paddy. Crop evapotranspiration and effective rainfall during the simulation period were estimated to be 301.9 and 269.4 mm, respectively. Cumulative bottom flux, root water uptake, evaporation and surface runoff were 69.2, 23.2, 30.8 and 0.0 cm for sandy loam and 37.2, 23.0, 30.8 and 0.7 cm for clay loam soils, respectively. Simulation results showed that the groundwater recharge potentials in sandy loam and clay loam soils with paddy crop are 69.2 and 37.2 cm, respectively. Cumulative recharge under various climate change scenarios from paddy field varied from 63.9 to 74.4 cm, 33.7 to 39.8 cm, 29.3 to 35.4 cm and 27.1 to 34.3 cm from land units A1 (sandy loam), B1 (clay loam with slight salinity), C1 (clay loam with moderate saline and slight sodic) and D1 (clay loam with strong saline and sodic), respectively. Cumulative recharge flux under the scenarios in which increase in relative humidity along with decrease in duration of sunshine hours was associated with rise in average temperature and wind speed, groundwater recharge would increase by 7.4 %. Cumulative recharge flux under the scenarios which were based on rise in temperature along with the increase in rainfall, groundwater recharge would increase by 0.2–3.9 %. Simulation results also showed that cumulative recharge would decrease under all those scenarios, which were based on rise in temperature only.     

Oxidative stress indices in the erythrocytes from lactating cows after treatment for subclinical ketosis with antioxidant incorporated in the therapeutic regime

The present investigation was carried out to assess the erythrocytic oxidative stress indices such as lipid peroxides level and activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and catalase, and some hematological parameters after treatment of subclinically ketotic lactating cows with antioxidants, vitamin E and selenium, incorporated in conventional treatment regimen. The study was carried out using lactating cows reared in small dairy herds in and around Bhubaneswar. Out of 250 urine samples examined, 42 cows were diagnosed positive for subclinical ketosis with an overall incidence of 16.8%. Blood samples were collected on day 0 (before treatment) and treatment was initiated on day 1 and the second sampling was carried out on day 7. The hematological parameters improved significantly following treatment as compared to pre-treatment level (day 0). A significant (P < 0.05) improvement was observed on day 7 with respect to hemoglobin level (8.66 ± 0.23 vs. 9.12 ± 0.14 gm/dl) and packed cell volume (29.7 ± 0.56 vs. 31.1 ± 0.50%) in the group given routine treatment along with antioxidants. The comparison of mean lipid peroxides level before (day 0) and after treatment (day 7) revealed a significant difference in group I (routine treatment, P < 0.05) and group II (routine treatment plus antioxidants, P < 0.01). The maximum reduction in SOD activity was recorded in group II animals after treatment with conventional regimes along with supplemented antioxidants (1.29 ± 0.08 against 1.89 ± 0.15 units/ mg of Hb, P < 0.01). The mean value of SOD activity recorded in group III animals kept as non-treated positive control (PC) on day 7 (2.59 ± 0.14 units/mg of Hb) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the mean level recorded on day 0 (1.91 ± 0.31 units/mg of Hb). An almost similar trend was observed in erythrocytic catalase activity where there was a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in catalase activity in the group II (RT+A) but there was no significant increase in catalase activity in non-treated positive control (PC) animals.