Optimal utilisation of natural resources for agricultural sustainability in rainfed hill plateaus of Orissa

The climatic data for 17 years from 1988 to 2004 of the rainfed hill plateaus of Kandhamal district of Orissa (India) were analyzed to find out the monthly climatic index from the calculated values of effective rainfall and evapotranspiration. The 80% dependable monthly climatic index was correlated with crop coefficient and suitable cropping period and sequences for the study area were suggested based on it. The extent of investment, net return and soil loss from agriculture were estimated as per the present condition and for the suggested cropping patterns. A mathematical model was formulated for optimal allocation of area to different crop sequences with different objectives viz. minimization of soil loss, minimization of investment and maximization of net return from agriculture and was solved using linear goal programming technique. The model suggested to take up food crops in area of 1,30,777 ha and perennial grass cover in 3223 ha with a cropping intensity of 1.61 resulting in a net return of Rs 1064.775 millions sustaining soil loss to a tune of 9489.67 thousand tons per year. The model was found to be favourable in respect of higher net return of Rs 8862.34 and lesser soil loss of 23.41 tons/ha than the corresponding present values. But more investment of Rs 4489.01 per ha was required to fulfill the objectives.     

Purification and characterization of a β–glucan binding protein from the haemolymph of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

β‐glucan binding protein (βGBP), a pattern recognition protein was purified from the haemolymph of freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii by heparin affinity chromatography that showed a single band in native gradient PAGE. The β‐glucan binding property of the purified protein was confirmed in a phenoloxidase (PO) assay, where addition of βGBP along with β‐glucan increased the specific PO activity compared with that of β‐glucan alone. The molecular weight of the βGBP was found to be ~316 kDa on gel filtration chromatography. In SDS‐PAGE, βGBP molecule was reduced to one polypeptide chain of molecular weight ~113 kDa. Thus the βGBP in M. rosenbergii is possibly a homotrimeric molecule. The purified sample run on unreduced condition in SDS‐PAGE also revealed a similar size band (~113 kDa) and hence, the polypeptide chains of βGBP are held by non‐covalent interactions. The purified βGBP samples run in native PAGE was stained positively with alcian blue for carbohydrates and Sudan black for lipids indicating the βGBP to be a glycolipoprotein. With rabbit polyclonal anti‐βGBP serum developed, an indirect ELISA was standardized and the normal βGBP concentration in adult M. rosenbergii serum was quantified to be ~2 mg mL^?1. Furthermore, the applicability of the developed ELISA is discussed.     

Effect of FMD vaccination on semen quality parameters in Karan Fries and Murrah buffalo bulls

Effect of Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) vaccination was studied on semen quality parameters of 19 Karan Fries (KF) and eight Murrah (MU) breeding bulls during the period 2002 to 2004 at Artificial Breeding Complex, NDRI, Karnal. A total of non-vaccinated 155 KF and 72 MU bulls' ejaculates were taken as control, while 169 KF and 51 MU bulls' ejaculates, collected after vaccination, were used to study the effect of vaccination stress. The results showed that FMD vaccination had no significant (P > 0.05) effect on ejaculate volume and total volume per day of semen in both KF and MU bulls. Volume of semen increased slightly during post-vaccination period in both the breeds. After FMD vaccination, there was significant (P < 0.01) decrease in mass activity (2.27 ± 0.06 vs. 1.67 ± 0.07 and 2.49 ± 0.09. vs. 1.75 ± 0.10, for KF and MU, respectively), initial motility (56.89 ± 0.03% vs. 44.62 ± 0.02% and 62.26 ± 0.04% vs. 47.08 ± 0.05%, for KF and MU, respectively), sperm concentration (754.19 ± 23.96 vs. 554.14 ± 22.95 × 10⁶/ml and 848.61 ± 33.65 vs. 571.57 ± 39.99 × 10⁶/ml, for KF and MU, respectively), and total sperm output per ejaculate (3,685.94 ± 158.40 vs. 2,781.54 ± 151.70 × 10⁶ and 2,218.75 ± 133.14 vs. 1,582.84 ± 158.20 × 10⁶, for KF and MU, respectively). Application of FMD vaccine had significantly (P < 0.05) adverse effect on most of the seminal attributes during post-vaccination in KF and MU buffalo bulls. So, the spermiograms affected following vaccination suggest that in bovines, the semen collection and preservation should be suspended till normal fertility of sperm is restored to avoid the failure of conception from artificial insemination using such semen.     

Site-Specific Nitrogen Management in Rice Using Remote Sensing and Geostatistics

Proper doses of nitrogenous fertilizer are most important for rice production system because a large part of the nitrogen may be lost if it is not applied judiciously. A study was conducted covering five blocks of Balasore and two blocks of Bhadrak districts. Soil samples were collected randomly, and field visit was conducted during peak vegetative stage of rice. Two approaches have been used in this study for estimating the site-specific nitrogen (N) requirement in the study area. In one approach, geostatisical analysis and kriging was used to develop the soil test–based N recommendation map by which a minimum of 72 kg N ha^?1 and maximum of 94 kg N ha^?1 were recommended. In a second approach, remote sensing was used and N recommendation map was developed using the moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) leaf area index (LAI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) satellite data, and a minimum requirement of 60 kg N ha^?1 and maximum of 120 kg N ha^?1 was estimated through this approach.     

Soil and nutrients losses under different crop covers in vertisols of Central India

Purpose

Accelerated erosion removes fertile top soil along with nutrients through runoff and sediments, eventually affecting crop productivity and land degradation. However, scanty information is available on soil and nutrient losses under different crop covers in a vertisol of Central India. Thus, a field experiment was conducted for 4 years (2010–2013) to study the effect of different crop cover combinations on soil and nutrient losses through runoff in a vertisol.

Materials and methods

Very limited information is available on runoff, soil, and nutrient losses under different vegetative covers in a rainfed vertisol. Thus, the hypothesis of the study was to evaluate if different crop cover combinations would have greater impact on reducing soil and nutrient losses compared to control plots in a vertisol.

This experiment consisted of seven treatment combinations of crop covers namely soybean (Glycine max) (CC₁), maize (Zea mays) (CC₂), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) (CC₃), soybean (Glycine max)?+?maize (Zea mays) ??1:1 (CC₄), soybean (Glycine ma x))?+?pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) ?2:1 (CC₅), maize (Zea mays)?+?pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) ??1:1 (CC₆), and cultivated fallow (CC₇). The plot size was 10?×?5 m with 1% slope, and runoff and soil loss were measured using multi-slot devisor. All treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with three replications.

Results and discussion

Results demonstrated that the runoff and soil loss were significantly (p?<?0.05) higher (289 mm and 3.92 Mg ha^?1) under cultivated fallow than those in cropped plots. Among various crop covers, sole pigeon pea (CC₃) recorded significantly higher runoff and soil loss (257 mm and 3.16 Mg ha^?1) followed by that under sole maize (CC₂) (235 mm and 2.85 Mg ha^?1) and the intercrops were in the order of maize?+?pigeon pea (211 mm and 2.47 Mg ha^?1) followed by soybean?+?maize (202 mm and 2.38 Mg ha^?1), and soybean?+?pigeon pea (195 mm and 2.15 Mg ha^?1). The lowest runoff and soil loss were recorded under soybean sole crop (194 mm and 2.27 Mg ha^?1). The data on nutrient losses indicated that the highest losses of soil organic carbon (SOC) (25.83 kg ha^?1), total nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) (7.76, 0.96, 32.5 kg ha^?1) were recorded in cultivated fallow (CC₇) as compared to those from sole and intercrop treatments. However, sole soybean and its intercrops recorded the minimum losses of SOC and total N, P, and K, whereas the maximum losses of nutrients were recorded under pigeon pea (CC₃). The system productivity in terms of soybean grain equivalent yield (SGEY) was higher (p?<?0.05) from maize?+?pigeon pea (3358 kg ha^?1) followed by that for soybean?+?pigeon pea (2191 kg ha^?1) as compared to sole soybean. Therefore, maize?+?pigeon pea (1:1) intercropping is the promising option in reducing runoff, soil-nutrient losses, and enhancing crop productivity in the hot sub-humid eco-region.

Conclusions

Study results highlight the need for maintenance of suitable vegetative cover as of great significance to diffusing the erosive energy of heavy rains and also safe guarding the soil resource from degradation by water erosion in vertisols.

     

Pathology of Mycoplasma agalactiae induced granular vulvovaginitis (GVV) in goats.

Granular vulvovaginitis (GVV) was experimentally produced in female kids by topical application of M. agalactiae on the scarified vulvar mucosa. Grossly visible GVV lesions were seen in 25 out of 30 infected kids, yet all were positive for microscopic lesions. Microscope lesions that appeared by 7 days post infection (DPI) were comprised of stromal oedema, lymphocytic infiltration into the lamina propria and perivascular accumulation of a few lymphocytes. The lesions observed between 28 and 49 DPI were comparable to those of spontaneous cases (severe). The changes seen in kids euthanized between 56 to 70 DPI were suggestive of the chronic stage of the disease. M. agalactiae was reisolated from all the infected kids from 7 to 70 days after inoculation. The pathology and pathogenesis of this condition have been described and discussed.     

Effect of azadirachtin on haematological and biochemical parameters of Argulus-infested goldfish Carassius auratus (Linn. 1758)

Argulosis hampers aquaculture production and alters the host physiology and growth. Azadirachtin is recognized as a potential antiparasitic agent against Argulus sp. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of different concentration of azadirachtin solution on haematological and serum biochemical parameters of Argulus-infested goldfish Carassius auratus. Ninety Argulus-infested goldfish were randomly divided into six equal groups. Fish of group 1–5 were treated with azadirachtin solution through bath of 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg L^?1 as T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively, and group 6 was exposed to 2 % DMSO solution without azadirachtin and considered as negative control T0^?. Along with six treatment groups, a positive control T0⁺ of healthy goldfish free from Argulus infestation was also maintained. Parasitic mortality was evaluated after 3 days of consecutive bath treatment. After 7 days of post-treatment, the blood and serum were drawn from each of the treatment groups and haematological and serum biochemical parameters were evaluated. Total leucocyte count (TLC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), blood glucose, total protein (TP), globulin, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) were significantly (p < 0.05) high in negative control group when compared with positive control group. It could be concluded that Argulus infestation altered marked haematological and serum biochemical parameters. However, in treated groups complete elimination of Argulus was found in T4 and T5 groups. Also significant (p < 0.05) reduction in haematological and serum biochemical parameters of all the treatment groups were recorded in comparison with negative control group. In addition, T4 and T5 groups showed significantly (p < 0.05) high superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, total erythrocyte count (TEC) and haemoglobin (Hb). However, higher mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), blood glucose and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in T5 group revealed that higher concentration of azadirachtin have notable effects on activity of vital tissues function and physiology of the host. Argulus spp. from infested goldfish could be eliminated using bath treatment with solution of azadirachtin having concentration of 15 mg L^?1 and that also shifted haematological and serum biochemical parameters towards homeostasis.