Substitution of mineral fertilizers with biofertilizer: an alternate to improve the growth,yield and functional biochemical properties of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) cv. Camarosa

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to substitute mineral fertilizers with biofertilizers in strawberry to work out the yield, quality of strawberry and soil fertility. A 25% substitution of mineral fertilizer with biofertilizer increased the number of fruits/plant along with improving Juice content (89.55%), Total soluble solids (10.35°B), total sugar (6.69%), ascorbic acid (43.80?mg 100?g^?1), anthocyanin content (81.05?mg 100?g^?1), total phenol (5.97?mg Gallic acid equiv. g^?1), flavonoids (0.12?mg g^?1) and antioxidant capacity (2.13?µmol. Trolox equiv. 100?g^?1). The available N and K content in post-harvest soils were improved significantly with 75% RDF + Azospirillium @ 2?g plant^?1 + PSB @ 2?g plant^?1 + topdressing of 25% K treatments (200.10 and 211.70?kg ha^?1, respectively). Viable count of soil microorganisms (Bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi) was also estimated maximum (4066, 190 and 11.33?×?10⁴ cfu g^?1?dry soil, respectively) with substitution of 25% of mineral fertilizer either with Azotobacter or Azospirillum.     

Purification and characterization of a stable cysteine protease ervatamin B, with two disulfide bridges, from the latex of Ervatamia coronaria

Latex of the medicinal plant Ervatamia coronaria was found to contain at least three cysteine proteases with high proteolytic activity, called ervatamins. One of these proteases, named ervatamin B, has been purified to homogeneity using ion-exchange chromatography and crystallization. The molecular mass of the enzyme was estimated to be 26 000 Da by SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. The extinction coefficient (epsilon(1%)(280 nm)) of the enzyme was 20.5 with 7 tryptophan and 10 tyrosine residues per molecule. The enzyme hydrolyzed denatured natural substrates such as casein, azoalbumin, and azocasein with a high specific activity. In addition, it showed amidolytic activity toward N-succinyl-alanine-alanine-alanine-p-nitroanilide with an apparent K(m) and K(cat) of 6.6 +/- 0.5 mM and 1.87 x 10(2) s(-)(1), respectively. The pH optima was 6.0-6.5 with azocasein as substrate and 7.0-7.5 with azoalbumin as substrate. The temperature optimum was around 50-55 degrees C. The enzyme was basic with an isoelectric point of 9.35 and had no carbohydrate content. Both the proteolytic and amidolytic activity of the enzyme was strongly inhibited by thiol-specific inhibitors. Interestingly, the enzyme had only two disulfide bridges versus three as in most plant cysteine proteases of the papain superfamily. The enzyme was relatively stable toward pH, denaturants, temperature, and organic solvents. Polyclonal antibodies raised against the pure enzyme gave a single precipitin line in Ouchterlony's double immunodiffusion and typical color in ELISA. Other related proteases do not cross-react with the antisera to ervatamin B showing that the enzyme is immunologically distinct. The N-terminal sequence showed conserved amino acid residues and considerable similarity to typical plant cysteine proteases.     

Quantification of N2 fixation and annual N benefit from N2 fixation in soybean accrued to the soil under soybean‐wheat continuous rotation

A computational exercise was undertaken to quantify the percent N derived from atmosphere %Ndfa) in soybean and consequent N benefit from biological N₂‐fixation process annually accrued to the soil by the soybean crop using average annual N‐input/‐output balance sheet from a 7 yr old soybean‐wheat continuous rotational experiment on a Typic Haplustert. The experiment was conducted with 16 treatments comprised of combinations of four annual rates of farmyard manure (FYM ? 0, 4, 8, and 16 t ha^–1) and four annual rates of fertilizer N (? 0, 72.5, 145, and 230 kg N ha^–1) applications. The estimated N contributed through residual biomass of soybean (RBN_S) consisting of leaf fall, root, nodules, and rhizodeposition varied in the ranges of 7.02–16.94, 11.65–28.83, 3.31–8.91, and 11.3–23.8 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1, respectively. A linear relationship was observed between RBN_S and harvested biomass N (HBN_S) of soybean in the form of RBN_S = 0.461 × HBN_S – 20.67 (r = 0.989, P < 0.01), indicating that for each 100 kg N assimilated by the harvested biomass of soybean, 25.4 kg N was added to the soil through residual biomass. The Ndfa values ranged between 13% and 81% depending upon the annual rates of application of fertilizer N and FYM. As per the main effects, the %Ndfa declined from 76.4 to 26.0 with the increase in annual fertilizer‐N application from 0 to 230 kg N ha^–1, whereas %Ndfa increased from 40.8 to 65.8 with the increase in FYM rates from 0 to 16 t ha^–1, respectively. The N benefit from biological N₂ fixation accrued to the soil through residual biomass of soybean ranged from 7.6 to 53.7 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1. The treatments having %Ndfa values higher than 78 showed considerable annual contribution of N from N₂ fixation to the soil which were sufficient enough to offset the quantity of N removed from the soil (i.e., native soil N / FYM‐N / fertilizer‐N) with harvested biomass of soybean.     

Effect of 22-Year-L​ong Conjunctive Use of Organic and Chemical Sources of Nutrients on Crop Yield,Soil Properties,and Nutrient Balance in Post-Monsoon Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) in Peninsular Vertisols of India

A long-term field experiment was conducted in Vertisols of Solapur (Maharashtra, India) to assess the effect of the integrated use of nutrients on yield, soil properties, and nutrient balance in post-monsoon sorghum. The highest crop yield (1.19 Mg ha^?1) and available nutrients (308, 14.9, and 814 kg ha^?1 nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), respectively) were recorded in the treatment of 25 kg N sorghum crop residue (CR) + 25 kg N Leucaena clippings (LCs), 25 kg N (CR) + 25 kg N (urea), 25 kg N farmyard manure + 25 kg N (urea), and 25 kg N (CR) + 25 kg N (LC), respectively. Most of the nutrients were depleted except K and Ca. The response ratio for N (16 kg kg^?1) and partial factor productivity (33 kg kg^?1) were considerably higher in the 25 kg N (CR) + 25 kg N (LC) treatment. Conjunctive use of organic ?and chemical fertilizers helped in reducing the nutrient losses and improved their use efficiency and yield sustainability.     

Long-term farmyard manure application effects on properties of a silty clay loam soil under irrigated wheat–soybean rotation

Increasing importance has been placed on the use of agricultural soils for the mitigation of atmospheric CO₂ through sequestration of soil C. Although crop productivity is sustained mainly through the application of organic manure in the Indian Himalayas, little information is available on C sequestration, C content in different aggregate size fractions and soil water transmission properties (infiltration and saturated hydraulic conductivity) as affected by long-term manure addition. We analyzed results of an 8-year experiment, initiated in 1995–1996 on a silty clay loam soil, to determine the influence of fertilizer and fertilizer + farmyard manure (FYM) application on those important soil properties. The overall increase in soil organic C (SOC) content in the 0–45 cm soil depth in NPK + FYM treatment as compared to NPK and control treatments was 11.0 and 13.9 Mg C ha⁻¹ at the end of 8 years, respectively. Application of FYM significantly reduced soil bulk density and increased mean weight diameter (MWD) and SOC contents in different aggregate size fractions. Soil organic C content in macroaggregates was greater than in microaggregates. The response of SOC content to FYM application was dependent upon inorganic fertilization and more upon balanced application of NPK than N only. Steady state infiltration rate under NPK + FYM (1.98 cm h⁻¹) was higher than under unfertilized (0.72 cm h⁻¹) and NPK (1.2 cm h⁻¹). Soil water sorptivity (calculated from Philip's equation) under NPK + FYM (1.06 cm min^−0.5) was higher than under NPK (0.61 cm min^−0.5). We conclude that hill farmers in northern India should be encouraged to use FYM along with chemical fertilizers to increase SOC content and improve soil physical properties.     

Anti-inflammatory activity of (+)-usnic acid.

(+)-Usnic acid, isolated from the lichen Roccella montagnei, showed a dose-dependent anti-inflammatory activity when tested on rats, employing acute and chronic models.     

Zinc delivery to plants through seed coating with nano-zinc oxide particles

In India, zinc (Zn) has been recognized as the fourth most important yield-limiting nutrient after nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K). Supplementing the zinc (Zn) requirement of agricultural crops through water soluble zinc sulfate ZnSO₄ fertilizer is a costly management option whereas, utilization of ZnO (water insoluble and a cheaper material) as a source of Zn could be an alternative cost effective option to encourage farmers for wider adoption. In this present investigation, in order to supply the requisite amount of Zn to the plants, a protocol has been developed to coat the seeds of maize (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine max L.), pigeon pea (Cajanas cajan L.) and ladies finger (Abelmoschus esculentus L.) with microns scale (<3 µm) and nano-scale (<100 nm) ZnO powder at 25 mg Zn/g seed and at 50 mg Zn/g seed. Different Zn sources, ethyl alcohol, and crude pine oleoresin (POR) were used for coating of seeds. The germination test carried out with coated and uncoated seeds indicated better germination percentage (93–100%) due to ZnO coating as compared to uncoated seeds (80%). Pot culture experiment conducted with coated seeds also revealed that the crop growth with ZnO coated seeds were similar to that observed with soluble Zn treatment applied as zinc sulfate heptahydrate (ZnSO₄·7H₂O) (at 2.5 ppm Zn) which is evident from the periodic SPAD reading taken after 20, 25, 30 and 45 days after sowing. Application of Zn through different sources also enhanced the auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production in plant roots, which subsequently improved the overall growth. The most important advantage of seed coating with ZnO (both micron/nano-scale) is that it did not exert any osmotic potential at the time of germination of the seed, thus, the total requirement of Zn of the crop can be loaded with the seed effectively through nano-scale ZnO particle.     

QTL identification for molecular breeding of fibre yield and fibre quality traits in jute

In jute (Corchorus olitorius), quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was conducted to study the genetics of eight fibre yield traits and two fibre quality traits. For this purpose, we used a mapping population consisting of 120 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) and also used a linkage map consisting of 36 SSR markers that was developed by us earlier (Das et al. 2011). The RIL population was derived from the cross JRO 524 (coarse fibre) × PPO4 (fine fibre) following single seed descent. Using single-locus analysis involving composite interval mapping, a total of 21 QTLs were identified for eight fibre yield traits whereas for fibre quality (fibre fineness), only one QTL was detected. The QTL for fibre fineness explained 8.31–10.56% of the phenotypic variation and was detected in two out of three environments. Using two-locus analysis involving QTLNetwork, as many as 11 M-QTLs were identified for seven fibre yield traits (excluding top diameter) and one M-QTL was identified for fibre fineness which accounted for 4.57% of the phenotypic variation. For six fibre yield traits, we detected 16 E-QTLs involved in nine QQ epistatic interactions. For fibre fineness, four E-QTLs involved in two QQ epistatic interactions and for fibre strength, six E-QTLs involved in three QQ epistatic interactions were identified. Eight out of the 11 M-QTLs observed for the fibre yield traits were also involved in QE interactions; for fibre fineness and fibre strength, no QE interactions were observed.     

Patterns of fish community composition and biodiversity in riverine fish sanctuaries in Bangladesh: Implications for hilsa shad conservation

Understanding biodiversity and community composition is a prerequisite to sustainable exploitation and conservation of fisheries. We assessed the spatial and seasonal patterns of fish community composition and biodiversity in seasonal no-take riverine sanctuaries in Bangladesh, which aim to conserve the anadromous hilsa shad (Tenualosa spp. and Hilsa keele). Fish samples were collected during monsoon, as well as pre- and postmonsoon, from five sites within two sanctuaries and one site in an open fishing area. Although total abundance was similar along the rivers, species richness was significantly higher at the open fishing site due to its connectivity to nearby habitats. The diversity apparently decreased in a downstream direction. Fish communities at two upstream sites were separated from other sites in multivariate space largely due to higher abundance of hilsa at downstream sites and presence of floodplain-oriented species at the two upstream sites. Short body length and high trophic level at all sites indicated that fish communities were overexploited. Our results also indicated that riverine hilsa sanctuaries in Bangladesh are rich in fish species diversity and support several threatened species designated by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Our study also suggested that since hilsa abundance shapes community patterns, it can therefore impact riverine ecosystem functioning in the sanctuary areas. The findings of this study can serve as an important baseline for future biodiversity assessment, conservation and impact assessment of conservation in rivers, and therefore help to establish multispecies ecosystem-based management of riverine fisheries around the world.     

The sun and nearby stars: microwave observations at high resolution

High-resolution microwave observations are providing new insights into the nature of active regions and eruptions on the sun and nearby stars. The strength, evolution, and structure of magnetic fields in coronal loops can be determined by multiple-wavelength observations with the Very Large Array. Flare models can be tested with Very Large Array snapshot maps, which have angular resolutions of better than 1 second of arc in time periods as short as 10 seconds. Magnetic changes that precede solar eruptions on time scales of tens of minutes involve primarily emerging coronal loops and the interactions of two or more loops. Magnetic reconnection at the interface of two closed loops may accelerate electrons and trigger the release of microwave energy in the coronal parts of the magnetic loops. Nearby main-sequence stars of late spectral type emit slowly varying microwave radiation and stellar microwave bursts that show striking similarities to those of the sun.