Multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA)-typing of Brucella abortus isolates of India reveals limited genetic diversity

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis (MLVA) technique has wide applications in studying phylogenies and short-term epidemiology of pathogens....     

Effects of Potassium Sulfate on Adaptability of Sugarcane Cultivars to Salt Stress under Hydroponic Conditions

The effect of potassium sulfate (K₂SO₄) on adaptability of sugarcane to sodium chloride (NaCl) stress was investigated under hydroponic conditions. Two sugarcane cultivars, differing in salinity tolerance, were grown in half strength Johnson's solution at 80 mM NaCl with 0, 2.5 and 5.0 mM potassium (K) as K₂SO₄. Salinity disturbed above and below-ground dry matter production in both sugarcane cultivars. However, salt sensitive cultivar showed more reduction in shoot dry matter and higher root:shoot ratio compare to the salt tolerant cultivar under. Application of K significantly (p < 0.05) improved dry matter production in both sugarcane cultivars. The concentration of Na was markedly increased with increasing salinity; however, the application of K reduced its uptake, accumulation and distribution in plant tissues. Salinity induced reduction in K concentration, K-uptake, K utilization efficiency (KUE) and K:Na ratio in both sugarcane cultivars was significantly improved with the addition of K to the saline growth medium.     

Determination of thiamphenicol in bovine plasma by liquid chromatography

A liquid chromatographic method is described for the measurement of thiamphenicol in bovine plasma. The plasma (1 mL) is extracted with ethyl acetate. After the solvent is evaporated under a stream of nitrogen, the residue is reconstituted in methanol-water and analyzed by reverse-phase liquid chromatography with UV detection at 224 nm. The intra-day recoveries for bovine plasma spiked with 5 and 50 micrograms/mL of thiamphenicol were 102 and 101%, respectively, with coefficients of variation of 2.40 and 0.28%, respectively. The interday recoveries for the 5 and 50 micrograms/mL samples were 103 and 101%, respectively, with coefficients of variation of 3.40 and 0.94%, respectively. The sensitivity of the method allows quantitation to at least the 100 ng/mL level.     

Performance assessment of irrigation water management in old lands of the Nile delta of Egypt

This paper provides the methodology and results of a cross-scale diagnostic performance assessment program of the irrigation water management in the old lands of the Nile Delta of Egypt. The analysis was done at three levels; main canal level, branch canals level and on-farm level of the Meet Yazid command (82,740 ha) for the year 2008?C2009 to highlight areas for improvement. At the main canal level the annual average percentage of irrigation water returning to drains and groundwater was 53% of the total water supplied. Since Meet Yazid lies at tail end of the delta, and there is groundwater salinity, opportunities for reuse are increasingly limited moving north to Lake Burullus. This would indicate opportunities for real water savings. The results of monthly relative water supply of the main canal indicated mismatch between demand and supply especially during the winter months, and when supply is low farmers do reuse drainage or groundwater. Also, the assessment of the three branch canals showed non-uniformity of water distribution and mismatch between demand and supply even when comparing improved and non-improved canals. At the on-farm level in paddy fields, the amount of irrigation flows to drains and saline sinks varied from 0.46 to 0.71 of inflow. In spite of these values of non-uniformity and low depleted fraction, the relative evapotranspiration (ratio of actual to potential) evaporation was uniformly high, indicating most crops of most farmers were not water stressed, which is also confirmed by the high yield values. The average values of productivity per unit water depleted by ET_act were 1.04 and 1.05 kg/m³ for rice and wheat fields, respectively, with yields of rice and wheat at 8 and 6 t per ha respectively. On farm and tertiary improvements alone will not yield real water savings, as excess water in the main canal and drains will continue to flow out of the system. Rather the focus should first be on supplies to the main canal, accompanied by more precise on farm and water delivery practices at branch and tertiary levels, and ensuring that environmental flows are met. There is an added advantage of focusing on this tail end region of Egypt that this response would lessen vulnerability to reuse of polluted and saline water.     

Detection of Coxiella burnetii, the agent of Q fever, in oviducts and uterine flushing media and in genital tract tissues of the non pregnant goat

The aim of the present study was the detection and quantification of Coxiella burnetii DNA in the flushing media (oviducts and uterine horns) and genital tract tissues of non pregnant goats from 20 goats chosen at random from 86 goats originating from 56 different breeding herds in south-west France. The serological prevalence rate of C. burnetii in the study population was 70.3%.The DNA of C. burnetii was identified using conventional PCR in the flushing media from the oviducts and uterus in 8/20 goats (40%) and in genital tract tissues (oviduct, uterus and ovary) in 5/20 goats (25%). This study clearly shows for the first time that the media used to flush the oviducts or uterine horns, collected using the standard embryo harvesting technique in goats, are susceptible to infection with C. burnetii. The 16 conventional PCR-positive samples were also analyzed using real-time PCR. The bacterial load of the oviduct and uterine flushing media varied from 2.9 × 10⁴ to 7.5 × 10⁶ bacteria per flushing medium, while the bacterial load of the tissue samples varied from 1.0 × 10² to 1.5 × 10⁵ bacteria per mg of tissue. The infection of genital tract flushing media and tissues is a risk factor for the transmission of C. burnetii from donor to recipient during embryo transfer or to the embryo and fetus when gestation is pursued to term.     

Electrokinetic Remediation of Pentachlorophenol Contaminated Clay Soil

This paper presents a bench-scale experimental study performed to investigate the remediation of low permeable soil contaminated with pentachlorophenol (PCP) using the electrokinetic technique. A total of six electrokinetic tests were performed using kaolin soil spiked with 100 mg/kg of PCP. The first three tests were performed with an applied voltage gradient of 1 VDC/cm, where each test employed one of the three different flushing solutions: deionized water, electrolyte, or buffered electrolyte. The other three tests were performed using the same electrolyte solution, but each employed voltage gradient of 2 VDC/cm under constant and periodic application modes and constant voltage gradient with electrode liquid recirculation. The results of this study showed that PCP can be degraded in an electrokinetic system due to the direct electrochemical reduction process at the electrodes. The degradation of PCP ranged from 52% to about 78% depending on the conditions present. As the applied voltage gradient across the PCP-contaminated soil increased, the electroosmotic flow and PCP migration toward the cathode increased, resulting in higher PCP degradation by the direct reduction process. In the tests with electrolyte flushing solution, PCP degradation was about 58% and 65% under the applied voltage gradients of 1 and 2 VDC/cm, respectively. The mode of application of voltage potential across the PCP-contaminated soil showed noticeable effect on the system pH and electroosmotic flow and hence the PCP degradation. The highest PCP degradation (i.e., 78%) was in the test with constant 2 VDC/cm voltage gradient and recirculation application. Overall, this study demonstrated that electrokinetic technology has the potential to remediate PCP-contaminated clay soils by the direct reductive process. The electroosmatic flow as well as degree of PCP degradation during electrokinetics depend on the applied potential gradient and properties of the aqueous phase such as pH, ionic strength, and presence of carbonates.     

Land suitability evaluation in damghan plain for barley, using compare and conformity methods (northeast-Iran)

In this study, land suitability evaluation based on FAO guidelines on the land evaluation system has been determined for barley irrigated area of about 3400 ha in the south of plains Damghan. In order to have more reliable soil data, particularity to control the old soil map of the area, a new soil survey was carried out in the area. South soils of Damghan plain were classified based on semi detailed studies of three physiogrphy units, four map units and two order Aridisols and Entisols. Climatic Data were used from Damghan meteorological synoptic stations for climate evaluation for barley. With respect to climate and soil severe limitations in the study area, the results of map units as the assessment methods include the storie, square root and the number of simple constraints were the same as N2 with permanent unsuitable.     

Growth and ion uptake of four Brassica species as affected by Na/Ca ratio in saline sand culture

The influence of supplemental Ca² in saline nutrient solutions on germination, growth, and ion uptake of four Brassica species, B. campestris L., B. carinata, A.Br., B. juncea (L.) Czern. and Coss., and B. napus L. was studied in sand culture. The addition of 11.25 mM CaC1² to nutrient solution containing 225 mM NaC1 improved percentage of germination of B. napus and B. juncea, but had no significant effect on the germination speed of the four species. There was no significant effect of additional amount of Ca² in the saline medium (150 mM NaC1) on the shoot biomass and seed yield of B. carinata and B. campestris. By contrast, shoot dry matter of B. napus and B. juncea increased significantly with the increased in Ca² concentration of the growth medium, but their seed yield remained unaffected. Decreased Ca² concentrations of the saline growth medium reduced percent oil content in B. carinata, B. juncea, and B. campestris. Increasing Na/Ca ratio of the external medium affected ion uptake differently in different species. In B. carinata, a relatively salt-tolerant species, the concentrations of Na⁺ and K⁺ in the shoots remained unaffected, but the C1 concentration was reduced linearly with the increase in external Na/Ca ratios. Root K⁺ and Ca²⁺ of the species decreased with the decrease in Ca²⁺ supply. In B. campestris increasing Na/Ca ratios of the saline medium had no effect on the concentrations of Na⁺, C1, and Ca²⁺ in the shoots and Na⁺, C1, and K⁺ in the roots. Only shoot K⁺ and root Ca²⁺ decreased consistently. In the highly salt-sensitive species, B. napus, the shoot Na⁺ was reduced by the addition of Ca²⁺ in the salt treatment, whereas the C1 and Ca²⁺ uptake was promoted by supplemental Ca²⁺. The root K⁺ concentrations decreased with the increase in Na/Ca. In B. juncea, which was similar to B. napus in biomass production, high Ca²⁺ concentration in the salt treatment reduced the shoot Na⁺ and root C1 concentrations and promoted the K⁺ uptake. Shoot Na/Ca and Na/K ratios were increased in B. napus and B. juncea at the highest Na/Ca ratio of the growth medium. Shoot K⁺ selectivity, S^K,Na (determined as molar ratio of K: Na in tissue to molar ratio of K:Na in external medium) of all species remained unaffected except for B. juncea in which it decreased significantly at the highest Na/Ca ratio. The root K⁺ selectivity increased in B. carinata.     

Trait phenotyping and SSR markers characterization of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) germplasm for breeding early maturing wheat’s for Western-Himalayas

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - The study involved evaluation of 96 wheat genotypes for early maturity and related traits and molecular characterization of trait specific candidate genotypes...     

POTASSIUM SULFATE IMPROVES WATER DEFICIT TOLERANCE IN MELON PLANTS GROWN UNDER GLASSHOUSE CONDITIONS

Interactive effects of water stress and potassium (K) on some physiological attributes and nutritional status of melon (Cucumis melo L. cv. ‘Tempo F1’) plants were assessed in a pot experiment. Treatments used were: (1) control or well-watered (WW) + K1, (2) WW + K2, (3) WW + K3, (4) water stress (WS) + K1, (5) WS + K2, and (6) WS + K3. Water stress (WS) was imposed by maintaining the moisture level equivalent to 50% pot capacity, whereas well-watered (WW) pots (control) were maintained at full pot capacity (100% PC). Hoagland's nutrient solution was modified to supply K as potassium sulfate (K₂SO₄) at 6, 9, and 12 mM for K1, K2, and K3 treatments, respectively. Water stress reduced fruit yield, total dry matter, chlorophyll content and relative water content (RWC), but increased proline accumulation in the melon plants. However, additional supply of K as 3 or 6 mM significantly enhanced all the earlier mentioned physiological parameters, but the values were still not the same as the levels of the control treatment. Water stress also reduced leaf calcium (Ca) and K of the melon plants, but additional supply of K to the root zone increased the levels of both nutrients much higher than those at the control (C) treatment. Our study revealed that additional supply of K improved water stress tolerance in melon plants by enhancing chlorophyll, relative water content and concentrations of some essential nutrients in leaves.