Long-term organic nutrient managements foster the biological properties and carbon sequestering capability of a wetland rice soil

Monitoring the qualitative and quantitative changes of soil organic carbon (SOC) is very much essential to keep the soil viable and productive for long-term sustainability. Impact of long-term (36 years) enforcement of organic and inorganic nutrient management practices on changes in physio-chemical, microbiological properties and enzymatic activities of flooded rice soil was assessed along with soil carbon pools. The results revealed that the fractions of SOC, microbial biomass carbon, culturable microbial counts and dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase activities increased significantly in green manure amended soil. The population of functional microbial groups, namely denitrifiers and methanotrophs was high in farm yard manure applied soil, while methanogens population was high in green manure application. Higher nitrifier population was evident in inorganic or integrated organic and inorganic fertilizer. Continuous application of recommended levels of chemical fertilizers did not greatly affect biological activities in the soil. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis of humic acid revealed that organic fertilized soil fractions were more aliphatic with greater diversity than did the inorganic fertilized soil fractions. This study emphasizes the importance of organic manure and underscores the recommended dose of inorganic fertilizer to maintain the soil biological properties in flooded rice soil.     

Ameliorative influence of sesame lignans on lipid profile and lipid peroxidation in induced diabetic rats

Sesame lignans are working as antioxidants in various physiological functions. In the present study, the antioxidative effect of sesame lignans is examined in chemically induced diabetes mellitus (DM) in rats against lipid profile and lipid peroxidations. DM was induced in four groups of rats by injection of alloxan. The control groups (non-diabetic and diabetic) received a diet containing sunflower oil while the rest of the three experimental diabetic groups received a diet containing 0.25% alpha-tocopherol (D-Toc), 0.5% sesame lignan (D-SL), and 0.25% alpha-tocopherol+0.25% sesame lignan (D-Toc-SL) in sunflower oil for 4 weeks. Lipid profile and lipid peroxidations of plasma, erythrocyte membrane (EM), and liver tissues were measured. The total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, plasma lipid peroxidation, and also LDL-peroxidation decreased, and HDL cholesterol increased significantly (P<0.05) in all the experimental groups as compared to the control diabetic sunflower oil group. The triacylglycerol (TAG) level in plasma decreased significantly in the D-SL and D-Toc-SL groups as compared to control diabetic group. Significant decrease in TAG level was observed in the D-SL group as compared to the D-Toc group. LDL peroxidation also decreased significantly in the D-Toc-SL group as compared to the D-Toc group. EM lipid peroxidation and liver lipid peroxidation decreased significantly in the D-Toc, D-SL, and D-Toc-SL groups as compared to the control diabetic group. Liver TAG level decreased more significantly in the D-SL and D-Toc-SL groups than in the control diabetic group. So, sesame lignans at 0.5% level and sesame lignan + alpha-tocopherol significantly ameliorate the alteration in lipid profile and the adverse free radical generative influence of DM induced by alloxan.     

Effectiveness of geotextiles in reducing runoff and soil loss: A synthesis

Despite geotextiles having potential for soil conservation, limited scientific data are available to assess the effects of geotextiles in reducing runoff and water erosion. Hence, the objective of this review is to analyse the effects of plot length (L) and other possible affecting factors [cover percentage (C, %), slope gradient (S), rainfall duration (D), rainfall intensity (I), sand, silt and clay contents, soil organic matter (SOM) content and geotextile type (natural or synthetic)] on the effectiveness of geotextiles in reducing soil and water loss, based on reported experimental data. From linear regressions, C (%) and soil sand, silt and clay contents are found to be the most important variables in reducing SLR (ratio of soil loss in bare plots to that in geotextile treated plots) for splash, C (%) for interrill and D (min) for rill and interrill erosion processes, respectively. Soil clay and silt contents and D are key variables in decreasing RR (ratio of runoff from bare plots to that from geotextile treated plots) for interrill, and clay content for rill and interrill erosion processes, respectively. The linear relationship between mean b-value (geotextile effectiveness factor in reducing soil loss) and L of all studies was not significant (P > 0.05). The same is true for the relationship between L and SLR, and L and RR. However, when L is added to an equation as an interaction term with C (%), geotextile cover is significantly (P < 0.05) more effective in reducing SLR on shorter plots than longer ones for both interrill and rill and interrill erosion processes. Buffer strip plots (area coverage ∼ 10%) with Borassus and Buriti mats have the highest b-values.     

Effect of in ovo threonine supplementation on early growth,immunological responses and digestive enzyme activities in broiler chickens

1.?The effects of injecting threonine in ovo on early growth, some immunological responses and the activity of digestive enzymes of broiler chicks were investigated. Fertile eggs were distributed into 6 groups, each of 60. These were: untreated control, sham control, 10, 20, 30 or 40 mg threonine. Threonine was dissolved in 0·5 ml sterile saline and inoculated into the yolk sac of the 14-d-old embryo through the narrow end of the egg.

2.?The ratio of chick to egg weight was 1·6% higher in the group given 30 mg threonine and at 28 d of age chicks receiving threonine were 29 to 79 g heavier than untreated controls.

3.?Food conversion ratio until 7 d after hatching was improved in those chicks receiving 10, 20 or 40 mg threonine but there was no significant effect on the activities of amylase, pepsin or trypsin.

4.?The humoral response to sheep red blood cells was significantly greater in those groups receiving 10, 20 or 30 mg threonine supplementation than in untreated controls.

5.?The response to phytohaemagglutinin-P, a measure of the cell-mediated immune response, was not affected, however.

6.?It is concluded that injections of 20 to 30 mg threonine into yolk sac can improve post-hatching growth and humoral responses of broiler chicks.     

Neuropharmacological effects of deltamethrin in rats

This study examined the effect of deltamethrin on some of the neuropharmacological paradigms in a rat brain such as the motor co-ordination test using a rotarod, the pentobarbitone-induced sleeping time and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsion as well as the gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) level. Albino Wistar rats were used as the experimental animals. Different neuropharmacological paradigms such as the motor co-ordination by the rotarod, pentobarbitone-induced sleeping time and the PTZ-induced convulsion were examined after administering deltamethrin orally at two doses, 150 mg/kg (LD₅₀) and 15 mg/kg (1/10 LD₅₀). The GABA level in the rat brain was estimated by HPLC after a single oral dose of 150mg/kg deltamethrin. Deltamethrin significantly reduced the motor coordination, decreased the onset time and increased the sleeping time duration induced by pentobarbitone. In addition, it also decreased the onset time and increased the duration of convulsions induced by PTZ at 150 mg/kg (LD₅₀) and 15 mg/kg (1/10 LD₅₀), respectively. Further deltamethrin administration decreased the GABA levels in the cerebellum as well as in the whole brain (except the cerebellum) significantly at the LD₅₀ dose level. There was some correlation between the effect of deltamethrin on the central GABA levels and its neuropharmacological effects.     

Growth Parameters,Leaf Characteristics and Nutrient Status of Banana as Influenced by Organics,Biofertilizers and Bioagents

Nutrients play an important role in improving productivity and quality of banana. It has been observed that the nutrient applied alone was less effective in improving banana production as compared to nutrients applied in combination with organic manures and biofertilizers. Keeping in view the conservation of soil health and quality production on a long-term basis, a field experiment was conducted during 2009–2011 to find out the influence of Integrated Nutrient Management of banana on leaf characteristics, growth and nutrient status of tissue cultured banana cv. ‘Grand Naine’. The study indicates that combination of inorganic fertilizers with organic manures, biofertilizers and bioagents significantly increased growth parameters, leaf characteristics, and leaf nutrient status of banana. The leaf characteristics in terms of functional leaves, total number of leaves, phyllochron, leaf area, and leaf area index were significantly influenced by the combination of inorganic fertilizers with different biofertilizers and organic manures. Similarly, leaf nutrient status like nitrogen, phosphorus pentoxide_, (P₂O₅), potassium dioxide (K₂O), and leaf relative water content were also influenced greatly by different nutrients. Treatment involving combination of 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) + arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) + Azospirillum+ Trichoderma harzianum showed overall superiority in most of the parameters.     

Effect of tillage and crop rotations on pore size distribution and soil hydraulic conductivity in sandy clay loam soil of the Indian Himalayas

Tillage management can affect crop growth by altering the pore size distribution, pore geometry and hydraulic properties of soil. In the present communication, the effect of different tillage management viz., conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT) and zero-tillage (ZT) and different crop rotations viz. [(soybean–wheat (S–W), soybean–lentil (S–L) and soybean–pea (S–P)] on pore size distribution and soil hydraulic conductivities [saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_sat) and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity {k(h)}] of a sandy clay loam soil was studied after 4 years prior to the experiment. Soil cores were collected after 4 year of the experiment at an interval of 75 mm up to 300 mm soil depth for measuring soil bulk density, soil water retention constant (b), pore size distribution, K_sat and k(h). Nine pressure levels (from 2 to 1500 kPa) were used to calculate pore size distribution and k(h). It was observed that b values at all the studied soil depths were higher under ZT than those observed under CT irrespective of the crop rotations. The values of soil bulk density observed under ZT were higher in 0–75 mm soil depth in all the crop rotations. But, among the crop rotations, soils under S–P and S–L rotations showed relatively lower bulk density values than S–W rotation. Average values of the volume fraction of total porosity with pores <7.5 μm in diameter (effective pores for retaining plant available water) were 0.557, 0.636 and 0.628 m³ m⁻³ under CT, MT and ZT; and 0.592, 0.610 and 0.626 m³ m⁻³ under S–W, S–L and S–P, respectively. In contrast, the average values of the volume fraction of total porosity with pores >150 μm in diameter (pores draining freely with gravity) were 0.124, 0.096 and 0.095 m³ m⁻³ under CT, MT and ZT; and 0.110, 0.104 and 0.101 m³ m⁻³ under S–W, S–L and S–P, respectively. Saturated hydraulic conductivity values in all the studied soil depths were significantly greater under ZT than those under CT (range from 300 to 344 mm day⁻¹). The observed k(h) values at 0–75 mm soil depth under ZT were significantly higher than those computed under CT at all the suction levels, except at −10, −100 and −400 kPa suction. Among the crop rotations, S–P rotation recorded significantly higher k(h) values than those under S–W and S–L rotations up to −40 kPa suction. The interaction effects of tillage and crop rotations affecting the k(h) values were found significant at all the soil water suctions. Both S–L and S–P rotations resulted in better soil water retention and transmission properties under ZT.     

Nutritional quality of sesame seed protein fraction extracted with isopropanol

The nutritional effect of diet containing decorticated sesame seed extracted with isopropanol (DSS-Iso) was evaluated on growth performance, food efficiency ratio, plasma and tissue lipid profile, plasma protein content, and erythrocyte membrane lipid profile of rats on a comparative basis with diets containing casein (control), soybean meal, and decorticated sesame seed extracted with hexane (DSS-Hex). Rats fed a DSS-Iso-based diet showed body weight gain and food efficiency ratio similar to those of the control groups fed diets prepared with casein, soybean meal, and DSS-Hex. However, dietary proteins exerted a separate effect on plasma lipid concentrations of the rats. Rats fed a DSS-Iso-based diet showed significant decreases in plasma total cholesterol (p < 0.01), triglyceride (p < 0.01), and VLDL+LDL cholesterol (p < 0.01) concentrations in comparison to the rats fed diet containing casein. No significant differences in plasma lipid concentrations were observed for the rats fed diets prepared with soybean meal, DSS-Hex, and DSS-Iso. Rats fed the different dietary proteins did not show much variation in plasma proteins, liver lipids, and erythrocyte membrane lipid concentrations, which suggests that DSS-Iso could be a suitable edible protein like casein or soybean meal.