Study of gene effects for cotton yield and Verticillium wilt tolerance in cotton plant (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Verticillium wilt (VW), caused by Verticillium dahliae Kleb., is a destructive disease of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The use of resistant cultivars has long been considered the most practical and effective mean of control. The aim of this work was to study the quantitative genetic basis of Verticillium wilt resistance in Upland cotton by using five genotypes and their possible crosses without reciprocals selecting simultaneously for resistance and desirable agronomic characteristics. Five cotton cultivars and 10 F1s from half-diallel crosses were analyzed for VW resistance. The seed cotton yield, the number of bolls/ plant, and boll weight were measured and Verticillium wilt index (VWI) was estimated during two crop seasons in two different sites each year always on plots with naturally infested soil. Genetic components of variance were analyzed using the Hayman model. Analysis of variance for all characters showed significant differences between genotypes, without genotype-site interaction in most cases. Both, additive genetic variance component (D) and dominance genetic variance components (H1 and H2) were presented in all characters, except for VWI. D was the most important component for boll weight and VWI. Boll weight was the most correlated character with seed cotton yield and VWI. Broad sense heritability was high for boll weight and VWI, moderate for seed cotton yield and low for bolls per plant. Narrow sense heritability was moderate for boll weight, and high for VWI.     

Variation in the Carotenoid Composition of the Lycopene-Rich Brazilian Fruit <Emphasis Type="Italic">Eugenia uniflora</Emphasis> L.

The indigenous pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) is now marketed and commercially processed in Brazil. In the present work, the carotenoids of the pitanga fruit from two states and at two stages of ripening, as well as of processed pitanga products (frozen pulp and juice, the brands being designated as A, B and C) commercialized in Campinas, São Paulo, were determined by HPLC. As compared to ripe pitanga from Medianeira, Paraná, those from Campinas had significantly higher (all-E)-lycopene (14.0 vs. 71.1 μg/g), (13Z)-lycopene (1.1 vs. 5.0 μg/g) and (all-E)-γ-carotene (1.6 vs. 3.8 μg/g) levels. Significant increases in most of the carotenoids occurred from the partially ripe to the ripe fruits, with (all-E)-lycopene doubling its concentration in fruits from both states. Pitanga was found to be one of the richest fruit sources of carotenoids, particularly lycopene, but the processed products had much lower lycopene content. The mean (all-E)-lycopene concentration was 16.6 μg/g for frozen pulp brand A, 23.0 μg/g for bottled juice brand B and 25.6 μg/g for bottled juice brand C. Optimization of processing is therefore needed to guarantee better retention of this important carotenoid.     

Bacteriological quality and safety of ready-to-consume milk and naturally fermented milk in Borana pastoral area,southern Ethiopia

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Milk and milk products play an important role in the diet of pastoralists in Ethiopia. However, only few studies have been conducted on the microbial...     

Effect of Germination and UV‐C Radiation on the Accumulation of Flavonoids and Saponins in Black Bean Seed Coats

In the present study, we evaluated UV‐C radiation and germination treatments as an approach to increase the concentration of bioactive molecules in black bean seed coats. Black beans were germinated for 20 h under UV‐C radiation. Germination rate was higher in seeds radiated with UV‐C light compared with the control (nonirradiated seeds). Flavonoid content was increased twofold in seed coats of beans germinated for 10 h under UV‐C compared with the control. Quercetin‐3O‐glucoside was the major flavonoid identified in stressed seed coats. Furthermore, the application of UV‐C radiation during germination increased the content of soyasaponin Af, Ba, and αg, and it induced the de novo biosynthesis of soyasaponins (phaseoside I, soyasaponin deacetyl Af, and soyasaponin deactyl Ah) not present in the control. Germination of black beans under UV‐C radiation was an effective and simple approach to increase the concentration of bioactive molecules in black bean seed coats.     

Possibilities of establishing a smallholder pig identification and traceability system in Kenya

Tropical Animal Health and Production - Consumers have a right to safer foods, and traceability is one approach to meeting their expectations. Kenya does not have an operational animal traceability...     

Solubility of Selected Inorganic Fertilizers in Brackish Water

Abstract.— Diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, triple superphosphate, and urea were dropped through a 1-m column of water which ranged from 0 to 40 ppt salinity. Mean solubility of nitrogen was 4.1% from diammonium phosphate, 11.8% from monoammonium phosphate, and 76.8% from urea. Mean solubility of phosphorus was 4.6% from diammonium phosphate, 10.4% from monoammonium phosphate and 4.4% from triple superphosphate. Salinity did not significantly affect the solubility of nitrogen and phosphorus from diammonium phosphate. Nitrogen solubility from monoammonium phosphate and phosphorus solubility from triple superphosphate significantly decreased with increasing salinity, but the correlations were low. Urea solubility, and phosphorus solubility from monoammonium phosphate responded curvalinearly to increasing salinity. Solubility differences caused by salinity disappeared after 24 h of contact with water when all fertilizers dissolved completely regardless of salinity. No adjustment for salinity is necessary when fertilizer rates are calculated for brackish water or marine application.     

Nitrous oxide and methane emissions from a surface drip‐irrigated system combined with fertilizer management

Drip‐fertigated systems have variable distributions of water and nutrients in the soil, which influence soil microbial activity. Because there is a lack of data on greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes for these systems, a field experiment comparing drip irrigation systems (fertigated and non‐fertigated) was carried out in a melon crop. For the fertigated treatment, nitrogen (N) as NH₄NO₃ was dissolved in irrigation water and split into six applications (Fertigation treatment). In the non‐fertigated soil (ANS treatment), granular NH₄NO₃ was incorporated homogeneously into the upper part of soil surface at planting. A control treatment without N fertilizer was also included. In order to evaluate the pattern of nitrous oxide (N₂O) and methane (CH₄), measurements were made at six different distances from the irrigation distributor point (dripper). An additional field experiment with ¹⁵N‐labelled N fertilizer was carried out in parallel, with the aim of evaluating the contribution of nitrification and denitrification to the total N₂O flux. Two different sources of ¹⁵N were applied: ¹⁵NH₄NO₃ (20 at% excess ¹⁵N) (¹⁵NH₄⁺ treatment, TR1) and NH₄¹⁵NO₃ (20 at% excess¹⁵N) (¹⁵NO₃^? treatment, TR2). Results indicated that both treatments (ANS and Fertigation) had small emission fluxes of N₂O (< 0.1% of N applied). However, Fertigation produced larger emissions (175.3 g N₂O‐N ha^?1) than ANS (90.1 g N₂O N ha^?1), with the pattern of N₂O emission being strongly influenced by nitrification in both systems. Denitrification also contributed to emissions of ¹⁵N₂O but mainly on the day after fertilizer application in the Fertigation treatment. Methane fluxes were also affected by N fertilizer, with a decrease in the sink effect for CH₄ when NH₄⁺ was present in the soil.