Assessment of phenotypic and molecular diversity in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm using morpho-biochemical attributes and SSR markers

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - Soybean is a high-nutritional crop that provides a sustainable source of dietary protein and edible oil for human consumption and animal diet. In this...     

Determination of the glycoalkaloids α-solanine and α-chaconine levels in 18 varieties of potato (Solarium tuberosum L.) grown in Oman

Summary The glycoalkaloid content in 18 potato varieties grown in Oman was measured by HPLC using peel and flesh tissues. The total glycoalkaloid content of the tubers was found to be variety dependent and varied greatly between the 18 varieties. The total glycoalkaloid in the tubers of seven varieties was within the safe limit of ≤200 mg kg^{− 1} FW recommended for food safety, whereas the remaining 11 varieties exceeded this upper limit. The principal glycoalkaloids α-chaconine and σ-solanine were present in higher concentration in the peel than in the flesh of all varieties with the former being the principal alkaloid in the peel. The flesh of all of the 18 potato varieties contained total glycoalkaloid levels lower than the upper safety limit. The leaves of the 18 potato varieties were also analyzed for glycoalkaloids. The levels of glycoalkaloids in expanding leaves were higher than that of expanded leaves with the exception of six varieties. The principal glycoalkaloid in expanding and expanded leaves was α-chaconine. No correlation was observed between the glycoalkaloids levels of in the leaves and tubers.     

Nutritional evaluation of some commercial wheat varieties grown in Pakistan

The nutritive value of some commercial wheat varieties grown in Pakistan was measured chemically, including amino acid analysis, and biologically in N-balance experiments with growing rats. The protein content ranged from 13.2% in Punjab-83 to 16% in Barani-83. Lysine per 100g protein varied between 2.46 and 2.75%. The available carbohydrate ranged from 67.3 to 74.7%. Iron content was highest in Sonalika while the concentration of zinc and manganese was highest in Sarhad-82. The protein digestibility (TD), biological value (BV) and net protein utilisation (NPU) varied between 92–95%, 56–68% and 53–65% respectively. Level of wheat protein was negatively correlated with available carbohydrate (r=–0.93), lysine per unit protein (r=–0.67) and BV (r=–0.76). The lysine content (g/16gN) of commercial wheat varieties showed a positive correlation (r=+0.95) with the BV. The protein quality was lowered in varieties having higher content of protein.     

Effect of short-term supply of farmyard manure on maize growth and soil parameters in pot culture

Farmyard manure (FYM) improves various soil parameters and to a large extent, the availability of water and nutrient to crops when it is applied to the soil. This study aims to further investigate the short-term effects of different levels of FYM on maize plants and soil parameters. Maize plants grown in pot culture were treated with no FYM (control), recommended NPK (inorganic fertilizers), and FYM at 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 t ha^?1 along with recommended NPK, and the cultures were analyzed 8 weeks after germination. Soil bulk density and soil pH decreased with the increasing levels of FYM, whereas soil porosity, soil organic matter (SOM), soil water content, plant height, root and shoot yield, and NPK uptake of maize were increased compared with the control or recommended NPK, respectively. The present results indicate that short-term application of higher FYM levels improves soil properties. Furthermore, the application of FYM at only higher rates significantly increases the nutrient uptake of maize plants due to improved soil properties. The supply of different amounts of nutrients increases biomass and nutrient uptake in plants.     

Morpho-physiological Responses of Tomato Genotypes Under Saline Conditions

Gesunde Pflanzen - Salinity is a complex abiotic stress that affects physiology and biochemistry of plants and significantly reduces both crop yield and quality. Considering the global...     

Virulence spectra and geographical distribution of Mal Secco disease of citrus caused by Phoma tracheiphila in the Mediterranean countries: Tunisia and Italy

This work aimed to find out patterns of virulence variability of a Phoma tracheiphila population of 51 isolates, to determine geographic distribution of Mal Secco disease in citrus orchards of six Mediterranean countries and also to establish correlation between geographic distribution and pathotypic distance of P. tr population structure over our sampling spatial scale. Based on unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic averaging clustering and mean disease rating scores, three distinct virulence groups were identified. The 51 isolates were classified into 20 pathotypes. Extensive virulence variability was detected in 51 isolates of P. tr causing MSD of citrus in the Mediterranean basin. Regression plot between pairwise virulence and geographical distance showed that virulence is independent of the geographical origin and that isolates collected from the same country have different degrees of virulence. The lack of significant correlation between virulence and geographic structure confirmed the absence of isolation-by-distance pattern, suggesting non-regular and non-gradual dispersal of the pathogen over this spatial scale.     

Maize production under risk: The simultaneous adoption of off-farm income diversification and agricultural credit to manage risk

Farmers in Pakistan continue to produce maize under various types of risks and adopt several strategies to manage those risks. This study is the first attempt to investigate the factors affecting the concurrent adoption of off-farm income diversification and agricultural credit which the farmers use to manage the risk to maize production. We apply bivariate and multinomial probit approaches to the primary data collected from four districts of Punjab Province in Pakistan. The results show that strong correlations exist between the off-farm diversification and agricultural credit which indicates that the use of one risk management strategy leads to another. The findings demonstrate that education, livestock number, maize farming experience, perceptions of biological risks and risk-averse nature of the growers significantly encourage the adoption of diversification as a risk management tool while farm size inversely affects the adoption of diversification. Similarly, in the adoption equation of credit, maize farming experience, farm size, perceptions of price and biological risks and risk attitude of farmers significantly enhance the chances of adopting agricultural credit to manage farm risks. These findings are important for the relevant stakeholders who seek to offer carefully designed risk minimizing options to the maize farmers.     

Foliar Application of Iron (Fe) Improved the Antioxidant Defense and Cd Accumulation Potential of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ricinus communis</Emphasis> Under Hydroponic Condition

Heavy metal-polluted water has become a problem for sustainable environment, agriculture, and human health. Phyto-accumulation is an eco-friendly technique for decontamination of metal-polluted water and soil. The efficiency of phyto-accumulation and rhizo-filtration can be enhanced by the application of certain nutrients to accumulator plants. In this study, we focused on the role of iron (Fe) in rhizo-filtration and phyto-accumulation of cadmium (Cd) from polluted water/media, using Ricinus communis plant. Medium was contaminated with 10 ppm Cd while Fe (2.50, 5.00, and 7.50 ppm) was applied both as foliar spray and medium addition separately. Accumulation of Cd and concentrations of soluble proline, phenolic compounds, and chlorophylls were measured in plant tissues. Addition of Fe into media significantly increased biomass in the plants but decreased Cd absorption by roots and its accumulation in other tissues of the plants. Foliar application of Fe, especially 7.5 ppm, significantly increased biomass as well as accumulation of Cd in tissues of the plants. Contents of soluble proline (41.88?±?3.56 ppm) and phenolics (171.00?±?4.98 ppm) in leaves were highly increased by foliar spray of 7.5 ppm Fe on the plants. On the other hand, highest concentrations of free proline (67.00?±?2.00 ppm) and total phenolics (82.67?±?2.52 ppm) in plant roots were observed in 7.5 ppm Fe added to media and as foliar spray, respectively. Strong correlations were observed between phenolics content in roots and leaves with Cd accumulation after foliar application of 7.5 ppm Fe.