Spatial Distribution of Surface Soil Acidity,Electrical Conductivity,Soil Organic Carbon Content and Exchangeable Potassium,Calcium and Magnesium in Some Cropped Acid Soils of India

Land degradation is a global problem. Best management of degraded land can be done by evaluating the spatial variability of soil properties including chemical properties of degraded land and mapping such variations. Since, a significant portion of arable land in India is chemically degraded due to soil acidity; the present study was conducted to study the spatial variability of soil acidity (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), soil organic carbon (OC) content, exchangeable potassium (K⁺), calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) contents in some cropped acid soils of India. A total of four hundred (one hundred from each series) representative surface (0–0.15 m depth) soil samples were collected from arable soils representing four soil series namely Hariharapur, Debatoli, Rajpora and Neeleswaram situated in Orissa, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala states of India, respectively, and were analyzed. Soil acidity (pH between 3.90 and 6.45) showed a low variability, in contrast to other soil properties, which showed moderate variability. The coefficients of variation varied from 32.4 to 74.3, 31.2 to 50.9, 45.6 to 100, 71.9 to 93.0 and 59.0 to 79.8% for EC (mean between 0.05 and 0.09 dS m⁻¹), OC (mean between 0.29 to 1.86%), exchangeable K⁺ (mean between 39.1 and 77.7 mg kg⁻¹), Ca²⁺ (mean between 148 and 293 mg kg⁻¹) and Mg²⁺ (mean between 111 and 191 mg kg⁻¹), respectively. Soil pH and OC content were positively and significantly correlated with exchangeable K⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ content. Geostatistical analysis revealed that the best fit models were gaussian, exponential and spherical for different soil properties with moderate to strong spatial dependency. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Studies on post‐reddening changes in amino acid content leaves of hirsutum cotton and its control with chemicals

The aspartic acid,tyrosine and serine contents of leaves were found reduced in prematurely reddened leaves of hirsutum cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) as compared to healthy green leaves. Amino acids other than those listed above were higher in the affected red leaves. Amino acids threonine and proline increased 63.7 and 2.3 fold over green leaves respectively. Chemical sprays not only maintained the levels of various amino acids at par with green leaf but tended to increase the concentration above the levels obtained in normally found green leaf. However, threonine level was dropped in treated leaves as compared to partly affected red leaf and chemical sprays significantly reduced the leaf reddening when it was sprayed before flowering. It can be suggested that the leaf reddening can possibly be arrested by monitoring threonine content in leaves of hirsutum cotton ov. L‐147.     

Construction of Genetic Linkage Map of Bread Wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） Using an Intervarietal Cross and QTL Map for Spike Related Traits

Most often a genetic linkage map is prepared using populations obtained from two highly diverse genotypes. However, the markers from such a map may not be useful in a breeding program as these markers may not be polymorphic among the varieties used in breeding. For the past nine years, intraspecific maps have been gaining importance and such maps based on Swiss （PaiUard et al., 2003）, Japanese （Suenaga et al., 2005）, Australian （Chaimcrs et al., 2001） wheat varieties arc available. A map based on Indian wheat varieties however has not been reported. We constructed a genetic linkage map based on a cross between two Indian bread wheat （Triticum aestivum L.） varieties, Sonalika and Kalyansona. One hundred and fifty F2 individuals were analyzed for arbitrarilyprimed polymerase Chain reaction （AP-PCR）, random amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD）, inter simple sequence repeats （ISSR）, Sequence Tagged Microsatelhte Sites （STMS）, Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism （AFLP） markers, seed storage proteins and known genes. A linkage map was constructed consisting of 236 markers and spanning a distance of 3 639 cM with 1 211.2 cM for A genome, 1 669.2 cM for B genome, 192.4 cM for D genome and 566.2 cM for unassigned groups,     

The Role of Phenolics and Peroxidase in Resistance to Alternaria triticina in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Total phenolic content in eight diverse wheat lines showed that PF-70354 YACO'S' had the highest (802.90 ± 1.35 μg g⁻¹ fresh weight) and Agra Local possessed the lowest amount (684.72 ± 5.28 μg g⁻¹ fresh weight). However, for further experiments two lines namely, ACC-8226 and MP-845, with contrasting disease scores under field trials were assessed. Pre-infectional levels of total phenolics and peroxidase activity were higher in ACC-8226 than in MP-845. Furthermore, the amount of phenolics and peroxidase activity in each case increased after inoculation. The post-infectional levels of phenolics and peroxidase were again higher in ACC-8226 than in MP-845. The peroxidase activity decreased with age in both the varieties, with very little peroxidase activity after 35th day. However, the amount of phenolics started to decrease with the progress of disease and age in MP-845, whereas in ACC-8226 an elevated level of it was maintained. Our findings not only support that ACC-8226 is the resistant and MP-845 is the susceptible variety but also provide important biochemical parameters for plant breeders to authentically identify potential breeding material and plan effective breeding strategies using these tools.     

Comparative efficiency of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria under greenhouse conditions for promoting growth and aloin-A content of Aloe barbadensis

This study was conducted with Aloe barbadensis in order to investigate the efficacy of four phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), Pseudomonas synxantha 10223, Burkholderia gladioli 10242, Enterobacter hormaechei 10240 and Serratia marcescens 10241 to solubilize Mussorie rock phosphate (MRP) and to evaluate its effects on growth, soluble P content and P uptake compared with control, i.e. uninoculated plants. Pot experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, in soil supplemented with MRP. Each PSB treatment showed different effects on different plant growth parameters. The maximum increase in leaf length (23.7%), total number of leaves (33.33%) and dry rind weight (69.10%) was observed in plants treated with P. synxantha 10223 compared with control. Whereas, maximum increase in root length (23.43%), fresh leaves weight (79.03%), dry gel weight (113.08%) and total gel volume (112.10%), was observed in plants treated with S. marcescens 10241 compared with uninoculated plants. Maximum increase in aloin-A content [114.92% (per g dry gel weight) and 322.32% (per plant dry gel weight)] was observed in plants treated with P. synxantha 10223 compared with control plants. Root colonization by inoculated PSB as estimated by RAPD technique showed that all PSB were able to survive in the rhizosphere of Aloe plants.     

A new gene for resistance in rice to Asian rice gall midge (Orseolia oryzae Wood Mason) biotype 1 population at Raipur, India

The Asian rice gall midge, Orseolia oryzae Wood Mason (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), is a major pest of rice in several South and South East Asian countries. The maggots feed internally on the growing tips of the tillers and transform them into tubular galls, onion leaf-like structures called ‘silver shoots’ resulting into severe yield loss to the rice crop. We studied the mode of inheritance and allelic relationships of the resistance genes involved in resistant donor Line 9, a sib of a susceptible cultivar ‘Madhuri’. The segregation behaviour of F₁, F₂ and F₃ populations of the cross between Line 9 and susceptible cultivar MW10 confirmed the presence of a single dominant gene for resistance. Tests of allelism with all the known genes giving resistance to this population indicated that Line 9 possessed a new gene which was designated Gm 9 This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effect of Water Stress on Physiological Attributes and their Relationship with Growth and Yield of Wheat Cultivars at Different Stages

The effects of water stress on physiological attributes of drought‐sensitive (Kalyansona) and drought‐tolerant (C‐306) wheat cultivars were studied in a pot experiment. Water stress was imposed by withholding irrigation at boot and anthesis stages. Leaf water potential, leaf osmotic potential and leaf turgor potential (measured with pressure chamber and osmometer), as well as leaf diffusive resistance, leaf transpiration rate and leaf‐to‐air transpiration gradient (measured with a steady‐state porometer) were measured diurnally. Growth and yield parameters were recorded after harvesting of the crop. Triplicate data were analysed using a completely randomized design and correlations amongst these parameters were computed. Water stress was found to reduce diurnal leaf water potential and leaf osmotic potential in both the genotypes but leaf osmotic potential was significantly higher in the drought‐tolerant cultivar C‐306 than in the drought‐sensitive cultivar Kalyansona. Positive turgor was recorded in both the genotypes under water stress and non‐stress conditions. Water‐stressed plants showed significantly lower turgor potential than control plants. In diurnal observations, water‐stressed plants exhibited significantly higher leaf diffusive resistance in both genotypes at both stages. The diffusive resistance of C‐306 was predominantly higher than that of Kalyansona. Water stress decreased leaf transpiration rate at both stages but the reduction was higher at the anthesis stage. The leaf‐to‐air temperature gradient was much higher in C‐306 than in Kalyansona at the boot stage but at the anthesis stage genotypic variation was non‐significant. The capacity to maintain cooler foliage was lower at the anthesis stage than at the boot stage in both the cultivars. Shoot dry weight, number of grains, test weight, grain yield, biological yield and harvest index decreased to a greater extent when water stress was imposed at the anthesis stage, while imposition of water stress at the boot stage caused a greater reduction in plant height and number of tillers. Similarly, water stress caused a smaller reduction in growth, yield and yield attributes in C‐306 than in Kalyansona. In general, the correlation coefficient of grain and biological yield with water potential and its components was positive and highly significant. Similarly, turgor potential was also correlated positively and significantly with grain yield at both the stages, but with biological yield it was significant only at the anthesis stage. A negative and significant correlation was obtained for diffusive resistance and leaf‐to‐air temperature gradient with grain yield at the boot and anthesis stages. The rate of transpiration was also positively and significantly correlated to grain and biological yields at both the stages. Amongst the yield attributes, number of leaves and number of tillers were positively correlated at the anthesis stage, whereas leaf area and shoot dry weight were significantly correlated with grain and biological yields at both the stages.     

Perennial Wild Relatives of Chickpea as Potential Sources of Resistance to Helicoverpa armigera

The legume pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübn.), is one of the major constraints to chickpea production, and host plant resistance is an important component for the management of this pest. The levels of resistance in the cultivated chickpea are low to moderate, and therefore, we evaluated 17 accessions of perennial Cicer along with three cultivated chickpea genotypes for resistance to H. armigera. There was a significant reduction in both leaf feeding and larval weights when the larvae were fed on the leaves of Cicer microphyllum Benth. accessions ICC 17146, ICC 17236, ICC 17240, and ICC 17248. Relative resistance index based on leaf feeding, larval survival, and larval weight indicated that C. microphyllum accessions ICC 17146, ICC 17236, ICC 17234, ICC 17240, ICC 17243, and ICC 17248 were highly resistant to H. armigera. Under natural infestation, accessions belonging to C. microphyllum, C. canariense Santos Guerra et Lewis, and C. macracanthum M. Pop suffered a damage rating of <2.0 compared to 4.0 in C. judaicum Boiss. accession ICC 17148 (annual species) and 8.5–9.0 in the cultivated chickpeas (1 = <10% leaf area damaged, and, 9 = >80% leaf area damaged). There was considerable diversity in the accessions belonging to perennial wild species of chickpea, and these can be exploited to increase the levels and diversify the basis of resistance to H. armigera in the cultivated chickpea.     

Soil organic carbon and phosphorus availability regulate abundance of culturable phosphate-solubilizing bacteria in paddy fields

Low availability of phosphorus(P) is a major constraint for optimal crop production, as P is mostly present in its insoluble form in soil. Therefore,phosphate-solubilizing bacteria(PSB) from paddy field soils of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, India were isolated, and their abundance was attempted to be correlated with the physicochemical characteristics of the soils. Ninety-four PSB were isolated on Pikovskaya's agar medium, and quantitative phosphate solubilization was evaluated using NBRIP medium. The isolates solubilized P up to a concentration of 1 006 μg mL~(-1) from tricalcium phosphate with the secretion of organic acids. These isolates were identified by 16 S rRNA gene sequence comparison, and they belonged to Gammaproteobacteria(56 isolates),Firmicutes(28 isolates), Actinobacteria(8 isolates), and Alphaproteobacteria(2 isolates). Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the identification by clustering the isolates in the clade of the respective reference organisms. The correlation analysis between PSB abundance and physicochemical characteristics revealed that the PSB population increased with increasing levels of soil organic carbon, insoluble P, K~+, and Mg~(2+). The promising PSB explored in this study can be further evaluated for their biofertilizer potential in the field and for their use as potent bio-inoculants.