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.     

High prevalence and genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii isolated from organic pigs in northern USA

The ingestion of undercooked pork infected with Toxoplasma gondii is considered an important source of transmission of this parasite. While T. gondii infection in confinement raised market pigs (market pigs are typically used for fresh, unprocessed pork products) in the USA has decreased significantly over the last 20 years, infection levels in pigs with access to the outdoors can be quite high. An upsurge in consumer demand for 'organically raised', 'humanely raised' and 'free range' pork products has resulted in increasing numbers of hogs being raised in non-confinement systems. To determine T. gondii infection rate in these organic pigs, prevalence of T. gondii in organically raised pigs in two establishments (Farm 1, Farm 2) in Michigan was investigated. Serum and tissue samples from 33 pigs on the farm were available for T. gondii evaluation at slaughter. Serological testing was performed using both ELISA and the modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibodies to T. gondii were detected by both ELISA and MAT in 30 of 33 animals with MAT titers of 1:25 in three, 1:50 in six, 1:100 in seven, 1:200 in 13, and 1:400 in one. Hearts of all 33 pigs were bioassayed for T. gondii in mice; T. gondii was isolated from 17 pigs including one from a seronegative (both ELISA and MAT) pig. Genetic typing of 16 of the 17 T. gondii isolates using the SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1 and Apico loci revealed clonal Type II from Farm 1 and clonal Type III on Farm 2. These results revealed very high prevalence of T. gondii in organic pigs for the first time in USA, indicating potentially increased health risk of consuming organic swine products.     

Detection of occurrence of a recent genetic bottleneck event in Indian hill cattle breed Bargur using microsatellite markers

The effective number of breedable individuals is a crucial determinant for maintaining genetic variability within a population. The population of Bargur, the hill cattle of South India, has gone down drastically by more than 93 % in the past three decades, and only a few thousand animals are available at present. The present study was undertaken to evaluate Bargur cattle for mutation drift equilibrium and to detect the occurrence of recent genetic bottleneck event, if any, in this population. About 50 unrelated animals, true to the type, were sampled and genotyped at 25 microsatellite loci. The mean observed heterozygosity (0.808?±?0.023) was higher than the mean expected heterozygosity (0.762?±?0.008) with 15 out of 25 microsatellite loci exhibiting heterozygosity excess when assumed under Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. To evaluate Bargur cattle for mutation drift equilibrium, three tests were performed under three different mutation models, viz., infinite allele model (IAM), stepwise mutation model (SMM) and two-phase model (TPM). The observed gene diversity (H _e) and expected equilibrium gene diversity (H _eq) were estimated under different models of microsatellite evolution. All the 25 loci were found to exhibit gene diversity excess under IAM and TPM, while 22 loci were having gene diversity excess under SMM. All the three statistical tests, viz., sign test, standardized differences test, and Wilcoxon sign rank test, revealed significant (P?<?0.01) deviation of Bargur cattle population from mutation-drift equilibrium under all the three models of mutation. Furthermore, the qualitative test of allele frequency distribution in Bargur cattle population revealed a strong mode shift from the normal L-shaped form suggesting that the population had experienced genetic bottleneck in the recent past. The occurrence of genetic bottleneck might have led to the loss of several rare alleles in the population, which point towards the need for efforts to conserve this important cattle germplasm. The present study is the first report in demonstrating the genetic basis of demographic bottleneck in an Indian cattle population.     

Effect of Different Feeding Levels of Plant‐ingredient‐based Feed on Fillet Fatty Acid Profile,Carcass Trait,and Sensory Characteristics of Indian Major Carps in Earthen Pond Polyculture

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of plant‐ingredient‐based feeds on fillet fatty acid profiles, proximate composition, carcass traits, and sensory characteristics of three Indian major carps (IMCs), Catla catla, Labeo rohita, and Cirrhinus mrigala, when fed at different levels of their body weight. An experimental feed was prepared with only plant ingredients. The IMCs were fed twice daily at 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5% of their body weight for 150 d in 0.06‐ha earthen pond polyculture systems. The maximum growth and best feed utilization was achieved with feeding at 2% of fish biomass in the ponds. Fillet yield and lipid recovery increased significantly (P < 0.05), with increasing feeding level up to 2% of body weight and plateaued thereafter. In fillets, eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n‐3) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n‐3) concentration increased with increasing feeding levels. Carcass traits, sensory characteristics, and consumer acceptance of IMC fillets were not influenced by feeding plant‐ingredient‐based feeds at different feeding rates.     

Critical Leaf Area Index in Pigeonpea

Experiment conducted with six pigeonpea cultivars over three seasons revealed that the critical leaf area index was 5.3 which coincided with the maximum crop growth rate and optimum net assimilation rate. It was also evident that the crop growth rate was influenced more by NAR rather than LAI. This study also suggests that by maintaining higher photosynthesis upto harvest, there is ample possibility to increase the crop growth rate till harvest.     

Effectiveness of allyl acetate as a fumigant against five stored grain beetle pests

Five esters, butyl acetate, allyl acetate, ethyl acetoacetate, isopropyl acetate and propyl acetate, were screened as fumigants in the laboratory for 24 h at 27 (+/-2) degrees C against the adults of Rhyzopertha dominica (F), Sitophilus oryzae (L) and Tribolium castaneum (Herbst). Of the compounds tested, allyl acetate was the most toxic, with LD(99) values of 7.56, 12.81 and 11.42 mg litre(-1) against R dominica, S oryzae and T castaneum, respectively. Tests with allyl acetate against mixed-age cultures of Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens), Oryzaephilus surinamensis (L), R dominica, S oryzae and T castaneum revealed that doses of 50-150 mg litre(-1) with 24-120-h exposures were necessary to achieve 100% mortality of all life stages. Cryptolestes ferrugineus was the most tolerant insect tested, whilst R dominica was highly susceptible. The insect toxicity data indicates that allyl acetate has potential as a fumigant of stored food grains.     

Nano zinc supplementation in goat (Capra hircus) ration improves immunity,serum zinc profile and IGF-1 hormones without affecting thyroid hormones

The trial was aimed at evaluating probable superiority, if any of nano zinc (NZn) over inorganic zinc (Zn) on immunity, serum minerals and T₃, T₄, and IGF-1 hormone profiles in goats. NZn was synthesized by using 0.45 M aqueous solution of Zn nitrate and 0.9 M aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide (average particle size 74 nm). Twenty-four male goats were grouped into four groups as per their body weight and were supplemented with either a basal diet with concentrate and straw at 50:50 ratio (Negative control, NC) alone or supplemented with 50 mg/kg Zn (Control) from inorganic Zn source, that is ZnO (IZn-50), 50 mg/kg Zn from NZn (NZn-50) or 25 mg/kg Zn from NZn (NZn-25). No change was observed in thyroid hormone status on zero and 90th day of experimental feeding, but NZn supplementation improved (p < 0.05) IGF-1 level on 90th day serum samples. Zn supplementation improved the humoral immunity in all the groups irrespective of the source. Similarly, cell-mediated immunity (CMI) measured by skinfold thickness after injecting Con-A, was also improved in Zn supplemented groups than control at 6, 12 and 48 h of incubation. NZn-50 animals showed highest HI (haemagglutination inhibition) titre as well as skin thickness. The (cluster of differentiation in %) was more (p < 0.05) in Zn supplemented groups. NZn-50 showed higher (p < 0.05) count than NC and similar (p > 0.05) to IZn-50 and NZn-25 groups without affecting (p > 0.05) the ratio of , among the treatment groups. Thus, NZn supplementation at 25 mg/kg had similar immunity and serum T₃, T₄ and IGF-1 profiles compared with IZn at 50 mg/kg dose.     

Evaluation of a pheromone trap for the cotton pink bollworm Pectinophora gossypiella Saunders

This 4-year study examined the susceptibility of nine cultivars of apple, Malus domestica Borkhausen to attack by woolly apple aphid (WAA), Eriosoma lanigerum in Jordan. The cultivars under investigation were: Prima Rouge, Delberd Steval, Early Gold, Starking Delicious, Harmony, Golden Smoothee, Fuji, Melrose, and Golden Delicious. Estimation of susceptibility was based upon a numeric scale of 0–4 for both root and shoot, but each with different specifications. A tree infestation rating was obtained by calculating the average rating of both edaphic and arboreal ratings of each tree. Fuji was significantly the most infested cultivar during the period of study and it ranked as a highly susceptible cultivar. Prima Rouge, Early Gold, Starking Delicious, Golden Smoothee, and Golden Delicious showed lower susceptibility. Harmony was an immune cultivar as it sustained neither edaphic (root inhabiting) nor arboreal colonies of woolly apple aphid. We propose the development of rootstocks from Harmony cultivar. The latter offers a new gene for resistance to WAA that will open the door for plant breeders to produce different resistant rootstocks.     

Pseudomonas-induced defence molecules in rice plants against leaffolder (Cnaphalocrocis medinalis) pest

Fluorescent pseudomonad strains Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 individually and in combination were evaluated against leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis Guen., in rice under in vitro, glasshouse and field conditions. Among the various treatments used, a combination of Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 strains effectively reduced the incidence of leaffolder pest in rice plants to an extent comparable with chlorpyrifos-methyl. In addition, morphogenesis of the insect pest in all stages, larval, pupal and adult, was greatly affected by a combination of Pseudomonas Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 strains. Further, the induction of defence-related molecules was demonstrated. An increased accumulation of defence molecules such as chitinase and proteinase inhibitors was observed with a combined Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 treatment compared with all other treatments. Western blot analysis of chitinase revealed the extra induction of 18, 28 and 35 kDa isoforms in rice plants treated with a mixture of Pf1, TDK1 and PY15 strains against leaffolder pest. The study revealed that a combination of fluorescent pseudomonad strains affects the development of leaffolder pest by inducing defence molecules in rice plants which in turn enhance resistance to leaffolder attack.