Soil amendments and seed priming influence nutrients uptake,soil properties,yield and yield components of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in alkali soils

The effects of soil amendments [i.e., control, gypsum, farmyard manure (FYM), and gypsum?+?FYM] and seed priming (i.e., unprimed, seed soaked in water for 10?hr prior to sowing, and seed soaked in 0.4% gypsum solution for 10?hr prior to sowing) were assessed on growth and yield of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) crop in alkali soil in northwestern Pakistan. A split plot design was used, keeping priming methods in main plots and soil amendments in sub-plots. The results showed that the effects of soil amendments and seed priming on grain yield, straw yield, harvest index and number of spikes were significant but their interactive effect was non-significant. The highest crop yields and yield index were obtained with gypsum?+?FYM amendments, and seed priming with gypsum solution. The effect on seed emergence, plant height and number of grains per spike was, however, not significant. Grain yield increased by 104% in gypsum?+?FYM treatment over control and by 16.8% with seed primed in water, followed by 8.5% with priming in gypsum solution, as compared to non-priming. The weight of 1000 grains was significantly increased by 35% in gypsum?+?FYM treatment and by 15.8% in gypsum priming. The phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content increased with soil amendments. Soil pH and gypsum requirement reduced significantly with soil amendments. The blend of gypsum and FYM has improved the properties of salt-affected soil and enhanced fertility for optimum production of wheat in addition to the beneficial effect of seed priming in gypsum solution on crop yield. Using these amendments could be ameliorative in removing the adverse effect of the salt-affected soils, rendering the soil a good medium for plant growth.     

Food Production and Water Conservation in a Recirculating Aquaponic System in Saudi Arabia at Different Ratios of Fish Feed to Plants

An indoor aquaponic system (i.e., the integration of fish culture with hydroponic plant production in a recirculating setup) was operated for maximizing water reuse and year-round intensive food production (Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus , and leaf lettuce) at different fish feed to plants ratios. The system consisted of a fish culture component, solid removal component, and hydroponic component comprising six long channels with floating styrofoam rafts for holding plants. Fish culture effluents flowed by gravity from the fish culture component to the solid removal component and then to the hydroponic component. Effluents were collected in a sump from which a 1-horsepower in-line pump recirculated the water back to the fish culture tanks at a rate of about 250 L/min. The hydroponic component performed as biofilter and effectively managed the water quality. Fish production was staggered to harvest one of the four fish tanks at regular intervals when fish attained a minimum weight of 250 g. Out of the total eight harvests in 13 mo, net fish production per harvest averaged 33.5 kg/m³ of water with an overall water consumption of 320 L/kg of fish produced along with the production of leaf lettuce at 42 heads/m² of hydroponic surface area. Only 1.4% of the total system water was added daily to compensate the evaporation and transpiration losses. A ratio of 56 g fish feed/m² of hydroponic surface effectively controlled nutrient buildup in the effluents. However, plant density could be decreased from 42 to 25–30 plants/m² to produce a better quality lettuce.     

Nutrient digestibility studies in Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch), Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus) and C. gariepinus (Burchell)

The apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC %) for protein in catfishes, Clarias batrachus (Linnaeus) (16–18 cm; 45–50 g), C. gariepinus (Burchell) (21–22 cm; 60–65 g) and Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch) (10–12 cm; 10–15 g) was estimated for nine feedstuffs of plant and animal origin. Fat digestibility was tested for C. batrachus and C. gariepinus, wherein the influence of feeding frequency on protein digestibility was also examined. The digestibility trials were conducted with triplicate groups of 25 fish each in 70‐L polyvinyl indoor flow‐through (1–1.5 L min^?1) circular tanks (water volume=55 L). Fish were fed to satiation daily, at 08:00 and 18:00 hours, and faecal matter was collected through slow siphoning. For studying the effect of feeding frequency, fish were fed the experimental diets at 08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00 hours. The protein digestibility of the feedstuffs varied significantly within each test species. However, the protein digestibility values for most of the ingredients tested were comparable between the three catfish species. The most efficient utilization of protein in these fishes was noted for soybean meal followed by lab‐prepared fishmeal. The lowest protein digestibility was recorded for rice bran. Similarly, the utilization of fat from the feedstuffs was also significantly different within each of the two species, C. batrachus and C. gariepinus. Fat digestibility of feed ingredients was similar between the two species. With respect to the fat, soybean meal, lab‐prepared fishmeal, full‐fat soybean meal and dried fish were more efficiently utilized, while the lowest fat digestibility was obtained for rice bran. A marked decline in protein utilization was observed in the two species where the feeding frequency was increased from two to four times a day.     

Effect of dietary oxidized oil and vitamin E on growth performance,lipid peroxidation and fatty acid profile of Labeo rohita fingerlings

A 3 × 3 factorial experiment was conducted on Labeo rohita fingerlings to evaluate the effect of dietary oxidized oil and vitamin E. Nine experimental diets were made, based on three degrees of oil oxidation (fresh oil, low oil oxidation and high oil oxidation), and each level of oxidation was further supplemented with three levels of vitamin E (0, 100 and 1,000 mg/kg). Weight gain% and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed fresh fish oil and low oil oxidation level were significantly higher than highly oxidized oil. Moreover, vitamin E supplemented fish also showed better growth performance. Oil oxidation caused a significant reduction in the concentrations of α‐tocopherol and increase in TBARS level and antioxidant enzyme activities in fish liver and muscles. However, increasing the dietary vitamin E abrogated these effects. Dietary vitamin E supplementation improved the fatty acid, more specifically polyunsaturated fatty acids profile of oxidized oil fed fish. In conclusion, dietary oxidized fish oil increased the oxidative stress condition of fish but supplementation of high dose of vitamin E prevented lipid oxidation, improved growth performance and fatty acid profile of L. rohita.     

Boron Induced Oxidative Stress,Antioxidant Defence Response and Changes in Artemisinin Content in Artemisia annua L.

Boron is an essential plant micronutrient and the range between deficient and toxic levels of boron is narrow for most of the plants. Like other elements, boron becomes toxic to growth at high concentrations. High boron concentrations in soil reduce crop productivity in many areas of the world. The effect of increasing levels of boron (0, 0.50, 1.00, 1.50, 2.00 mm ) on oxidative stress, antioxidant defence response and changes in artemisinin content in Artemisia annua were investigated in the present study. Boron toxicity reduced the growth parameters viz. stem height, fresh weight and dry weight. Treatments induced oxidative stress resulting in lower net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, internal CO₂ and total chlorophyll content. The increased activities of antioxidant enzymes like CAT, POX and SOD were also noted in response to increasing levels of boron stress. However, H₂O₂ and artemisinin content were found to be high up to 1.00 mm concentration of boron compared to control, and on applying higher doses, further reduced contents were obtained. Thus, the results suggest that a mild stress of boron can be utilized for enhanced artemisinin production.     

Growth, reproductive performance, muscle and egg composition in grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennes), fed hydrilla or formulated diets with varying protein levels

Growth, reproductive performance, muscle and egg composition were investigated in grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella (Valenciennnes), fed hydrilla or formulated diets with varying protein levels. Five experimental diets, with varying levels (20%, 25%, 30%, 35% and 40%) of crude protein (CP), were used. One of the fish groups was fed hydrilla. Fish (44.1±0.3 cm; 913±9 g) were stocked (20 tank^?1) in outdoor concrete tanks (20 × 10 × 1.5 m) in duplicate, and fed to satiation, twice daily, at 09:00 and 17:00 hours for the experimental duration of 360 days. High (P<0.05) weight gain was recorded in fish fed 30% and 35% CP diets. However, values for gonadosomatic index (GSI), egg diameter, relative fecundity (eggs kg^?1 body weight), fertilizability and hatchability (%) were comparable (P>0.05) in fish at ≥25% of dietary protein intake. Hydrilla‐fed fish exhibited lower (P<0.05) values for the measured parameters. Crude protein content in muscle increased with dietary protein level. Highest (P<0.05) muscle protein was obtained in fish fed 35% CP diet. Muscle fat was comparable (P>0.05) among fish receiving formulated diets. Ash content was not significantly (P>0.05) different among fish of different dietary groups. Moisture content in fish fed formulated diets, with the exception of 20% CP diet, did not vary significantly (P>0.05). Eggs of fish fed formulated diets contained higher CP and fat contents than those of hydrilla‐fed fish. High (P<0.05) moisture content was noted in the eggs of hydrilla‐fed fish. Ctenopharyngodon idella fed formulated diet, with a minimum of 25% CP, showed better reproductive performance than those fed hydrilla.     

Human-specific gain of function in a developmental enhancer

Changes in gene regulation are thought to have contributed to the evolution of human development. However, in vivo evidence for uniquely human developmental regulatory function has remained elusive. In transgenic mice, a conserved noncoding sequence (HACNS1) that evolved extremely rapidly in humans acted as an enhancer of gene expression that has gained a strong limb expression domain relative to the orthologous elements from chimpanzee and rhesus macaque. This gain of function was consistent across two developmental stages in the mouse and included the presumptive anterior wrist and proximal thumb. In vivo analyses with synthetic enhancers, in which human-specific substitutions were introduced into the chimpanzee enhancer sequence or reverted in the human enhancer to the ancestral state, indicated that 13 substitutions clustered in an 81-base pair module otherwise highly constrained among terrestrial vertebrates were sufficient to confer the human-specific limb expression domain.     

Brassinosteroid-mediated enrichment in yield attributes, active constituents and essential oil production in Mentha arvensis L.

Recently, brassinosteroids (BRs) have emerged as a new group of growth promoting phytohormones. 28-homobrassinolide (HBR) is one of the several brassinosteroids, the role of which in enhancing growth, productivity and quality of plants, via improving various physiological processes, has been established both under stress and normal conditions. Out of a large number of essential oil bearing plants, mint (Mentha arvensis L.) constitutes the most important source of therapeutic agents used in the alternative systems of medicine. The mint plant has marvelous medicinal and aromatic values. In view of enhancing yield and quality of this medicinally important plant, a pot experiment was conducted under natural conditions of net house. The study was aimed at exploring the effect of four concentrations of HBR (10^?0, 10^?8, 10^?7 and 10^?6 M) on the performance of mint with regard to physiological attributes, herbage yield, content and yield of essential oil, and active constituents at 100 and 120 days after planting. The foliar application of HBR enhanced physiological attributes, herbage yield and the yield and content of most of the active constituents (menthol, L-methone, isomenthone and menthyl acetate) of mint at both the stages, with 10^?7 M concentration proving the best. However, the next higher concentration of HBR (10^?6 M) exhibited no further increase in the values of the attributes studied. Rather, 10^?6 M was slightly inferior to 10^?7 M concentration; but it always proved significantly better than the control.