Studies on the inheritance of five qualitative characteristics in clusterbean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub)

Summary The inheritance of five characteristics namely branching behaviour, clustering pattern, growth habit, leaf size and hairiness was studied in clusterbean. All the traits were controlled by single pairs of genes except branching behaviour which exhibited digenic inheritance. Complementary gene effects were involved in the expression of branching in the F₁ and F₂ generations; the F₂ showing a ratio of 9:7 for branched to unbranched genotypes in the cross FS 277 × NC 70 where both the parents were single shooted. The alleles governing branching, discontinuous clustering, indeterminate growth habit, small leaf size and hairiness were dominant over the alleles controlling non-branching, continuous clustering, determinate growth habit, broad leaf and glabrous leaf and stem.     

Effect of Baythroid on nitrogen transformations in soil

Laboratory incubation experiments were conducted in soil to study the influence of the insecticide Baythroid on immobilization-remineralization of added inorganic N, mineralization of organic N, and nitrification of added NH _inf4 ^su+ -N. Baythroid was applied at 0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6, 3.2, and 6.4 g g^-1 soil (active ingredient basis). The treated soils were incubated at 30°C for different time intervals depending upon the experiment. The immobilization and mineralization of N were significantly increased in the presence of Baythroid, the effect being greater with higher doses of the insecticide. Conversely, nitrification was retarded at lower doses of Baythroid and significantly inhibited at higher doses. The results of these studies suggest that excessive amonts of insecticide residues affect different microbial populations differently, leading to changes in nutrient cycling.     

Fate and interaction with native soil N of ammonium N applied to wetland rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown under saline and non-saline conditions

Summary The effect of salts on the balance of fertilizer N applied as ¹⁵N-labelled ammonium sulphate and its interaction with native soil N was studied in a pot experiment using rice (Oryza sativa L.) as a test crop. The rice crop used 26%–40% of the applied N, the level of applied N and salts showing no significant bearing on the uptake of fertilizer N. Losses of fertilizer N ranged between 54% and 68% and only 5%–8% of the N was immobilized in soil organic matter. Neither the salts nor the rate of N application had any significant effect on fertilizer N immobilization. The effective use of fertilizer N (fertilizer N in grain/fertilizer N in whole plant) was, however, better in the non-saline soil. The uptake of unlabelled N (N mineralized from soil organic matter and that originating from biological N₂ fixation in thes rhizosphere) was inhibited in the presence of the salts. However, in fertilized soil, the uptake of unlabelled N was significantly enhanced, leading to increased A values [(1-% Ndff/% Ndff)x N fertilizer applied, where Ndff is N derived from fertilizer], an index of interaction with the added N. This added N interaction increased with increasing levels of added N. Since the extra unlabelled N taken up by fertilized plants was greater than the fertilizer N immobilized, and the root biomass increased with increasing levels of added N, a greater part of the added N interaction was considered to be real, any contribution by an apparent N interaction (pool substitution or isotopic displacement) to the total calculated N interaction being fairly small. Under saline conditions, for the same level of fertilizer N addition, the added N interaction was lower, and this was attributed to a lower level of microbial activity, including mineralization of native soil N, rootdriven immobilization of applied N, and N₂ fixation.     

The protein requirement of laying pullets with changing seasons in the tropics.

1. The protein requirements of White Leghorn laying pullets were evaluated in summer and winter using isocaloric diets containing 12-8, 15-0, 16-6, 18-5 and 21-6% protein. 2. The age at 50% production of summer-raised pullets was about 2 weeks later than that of winter-raised pullets irrespective of the concentration of dietary protein. 3. Egg production in summer-increased with increasing concentrations of protein up to 18-5%; further increases had no significant effect: in winter, egg production was similar provided the diet contained at least 15-0%. 4. The data on egg production, food consumption and egg weight indicated that the protein requirement of White Leghorn pullets is met by diets containing about 19% protein in summer and 15% in winter.     

The nutritional value of salseed (Shorea robusta) meal for growing chicks

1. Salseed meal contains 98 g crude protein, 22 g ether extractives, 450 g available carbohydrate and 117 g tannins per kg.

2. From the chemical analysis the metabolisable energy (ME) content of salseed meal would be expected to be 11.22 MJ/kg. In vivo assay with chicks yielded values considerably less than this, 7.1 MJ/kg being found at an inclusion rate of 150 g/kg diet.

3. As the inclusion rate of salseed meal was increased to 300 g/kg, dietary ME and the digestion and retention of dietary protein decreased.

4. More than 50 g salseed meal/kg in the diet of chicks resulted in poor growth rate and food conversion.     

Availability of soil and fertilizer nitrogen to wetland rice following wheat straw amendment

Summary A pot experiment was conducted to study the availability of soil and fertilizer N to wetland rice as influenced by wheat straw amendment (organic amendment) and to establish the relative significance of the two sources in affecting crop yield. Straw was incorporated in soil at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3% before transplanting rice. Inorganic N as ¹⁵N-ammonium sulphate was applied at 30, 60, and 90 g g^-1 soil either alone or together with wheat straw in different combinations. After harvesting the rice, the plant and soil samples were analyzed for total N and ¹⁵N. Straw incorporation significantly decreased the dry matter and N yield of rice, the decrease being greater with higher rates of straw. The reduction in crop yield following the straw incorporation was attributed mainly to a decrease in the uptake of soil N rather than fertilizer N. The harmful effects of organic matter amendment were mitigated by higher levels of mineral N addition. The uptake of applied N increased and its losses decreased due to the straw incorporation. Mineral N applied alone or together with organic amendment substantially increased the uptake of unlabelled soil N. The increase was attributed to a real added N interaction.     

Variation in soil nitrifiers and leaf nitrate reductase activity of selected tree species in a forest community

Nitrate reductase activity of green leaves of red oak, hemlock, basswood, sugar maple and beech were studied in relation to soil ammonifier and nitrifier populations and available mineral N of associated soils in a forest community near Ithaca, New York. Significant intersite, i.e. interspecific, differences were found for all plant and soil factors studied. Extractable NH⁺₄-N was higher than NO₃⁻-N under all species. Nitrate reductase activities (NRA) of the green leaves of the five dominant species were significantly correlated with soil NO₃⁻-N beneath the tree canopies (P < 0.001). Nitrosomonas and Nilrobacter counts were intercorrelated (P < 0.001), and Nitrobacter was found to be related to both soil NH⁺₄ (P < 0.05) and soil NO⁻₃ (P < 0.001). Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter counts were highest under basswood, and leaf NRA was 20–50 times higher in basswood leaves than in any of the other four species. Basswood also had the highest total leaf N, 5.02 ± 0.06%. Our data suggest that in these forest stands, green-leaf nitrate reductase activity is a reliable index of soil mineral N usage by the five species. Moreover, we believe that the data support the notion that Nitrobacter populations, and thus nitrification rates, are inhibited by the dominant tree species to result in a more ammonium-based nutrition, which on the system level ultimately has a conserving effect on the N economy of these stands.     

An apparent Effect of Immunopotentiation During Late Gestation on the Postpartum Reproductive Performance of Nili-Ravi Buffaloes (Bubalus Bubalis)

Thirty-two Nili-Ravi buffaloes were used to determine the effect of prepartum immunopotentiation in late gestation with levamisole hydrochloride (0.5 mg/kg), vitamin E+selenium (vitE-Se) (Etosol-SE, 10 ml intramuscularly) or Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) (0.5 ml/animal, subcutaneously) on postpartum reproductive performance. The immunopotentiating treatment was given twice, with treatments one week apart, approximately 80 days prior to the expected date of parturition. Prepartum treatment with vitE-Se or BCG significantly (p<0.05) reduced the calving to first oestrus interval and the length of the postpartum service period compared to the control group. The uterine involution period was significantly shorter in buffaloes treated with vitE-Se compared to the control group. Levamisole hydrochloride apparently improved the reproductive performance, but this result was not statistically significant.     

Kinetics study on a novel natural inhibitor of alpha-chymotrypsin

The mechanism of inhibition of alpha-chymotrypsin by benzoylsalireposide (1), a phenolic glycoside isolated from Symplocos racemosa, was investigated. Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon plots and their secondary replots showed that 1 was a non-competitive inhibitor of this enzyme with the Ki value of 29.60 microM.     

The distribution of foraging workers of the wood-ant formica lugubris zetterstedt (hymenoptera: formicidae) and their effect on the numbers and diversity of other arthropoda

The surface-running arthropods of a plantation (9·3 ha) of pine were sampled over two years. The activity of Formica lugubris was concentrated in an ‘ant-rich’ area within 40 m of its nests. There were fewer Araneae, Coleoptera, Collembola Arthropleona, Myriapoda and larval Diptera, but more Hymenoptera (ants apart), Symphypleona and Acarina in the ant-rich area than outside it. The numbers of Opiliones, Diptera, Chelonethi and larval Coleoptera did not differ. Some individual species of Araneae and Opiliones showed other differences in numbers in the two areas and were not consistent in the two years. Faunal diversity (Shannon-Wiener Index) was not less in the ant-rich area. This suggests that the encouragement or introduction of F. rufa-group ants to control forest pests would not have an adverse effect on the fauna in general.