Drought Stress in Grain Legumes during Reproduction and Grain Filling

Water scarcity is a major constraint limiting grain legume production particularly in the arid and semi‐arid tropics. Different climate models have predicted changes in rainfall distribution and frequent drought spells for the future. Although drought impedes the productivity of grain legumes at all growth stages, its occurrence during reproductive and grain development stages (terminal drought) is more critical and usually results in significant loss in grain yield. However, the extent of yield loss depends on the duration and intensity of the stress. A reduction in the rate of net photosynthesis, and poor grain set and grain development are the principal reasons for terminal drought‐induced loss in grain yield. Insight into the impact and resistance mechanism of terminal drought is required for effective crop improvement programmes aiming to improve resistance to terminal drought in grain legumes. In this article, the impact of terminal drought on leaf development and senescence, light harvesting and carbon fixation, and grain development and grain composition is discussed. The mechanisms of resistance, management options, and innovative breeding and functional genomics strategies to improve resistance to terminal drought in grain legumes are also discussed.     

ANGIOGRAPHIC EVALUATION OF BOVINE FOOT ABNORMALITIES

Angiography of normal and diseased feet in cattle was carried out. In osteomyelitis of distal phalanx there was a narrowing of the digital artery with diminished vascular supply to the affected digit. An area of bone necrosis was found to be avascular. With overgrown hooves, narrowing of both the medial and lateral digital arteries with ill-defined laminar vessels was seen. The vascular pattern in cattle with cork screw claws was characterized by a dilated tortuous digital artery and a crowded arterial network resulting in increased vascular supply in the affected claw. Abrupt stricture of common digital artery, a crowded vascular network in the area of the middle phalanx and filling defects of terminal arches were demonstrated in animals with exostosis     

Augmented growth of long pepper in response to arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) technology is a soil-based fertilization practice for sustainable crop productivity. We evaluated six indigenous Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) strains for their symbiotic response with Piper longum (long pepper), a non-timber forest product holding promise as a commercial crop for its medicinal fruits and roots. Piper saplings were raised in a 10 cm thick sand and soil mix inoculated with various AMF. Under field conditions, plants inoculated with AMF demonstrated better survival (≥80%) than non mycorrhizal plants (58%). Almost all the studied AMF strains increased the plant growth, biomass and nutrient content (N and P) over the uninoculated control. Mycorrhizal inoculation with four AMF species, viz: Glomus fasciculatum, G. clarum, G. etunicatum and G. versiforme greatly enhanced long pepper growth both in the nursery and field conditions.     

Removal of Fluoride from Water by Locally Available Sand Modified with a Coating of Iron Oxides

Locally available low-cost material viz. sand from the Kaliani river of Kanaighat area of Golaghat district Assam, India, was collected. The sand was fractionated and the different fractions were characterized by classical chemical analysis, powder XRD, SEM-EDXA, DTA-TGA, and by FT-IR. The chemical analysis of the size fraction of a 600–850-μm range gave more than 90% silica. This fractionated portion was modified by coating with iron oxide. Coating was carried out on the washed and separated sand by repeated treatment of Fe(NO₃)₃ at 110 and 600 °C, respectively. From FESEM analysis, formation of iron oxide coating over sand surface is clearly observed. The coated sand was used to remove toxic fluoride ion from the drinking water. Iron oxide-coated sand shows highly improved fluoride removal capacity compared to raw sand. The defluoridation capacity of coated sands rose up to 89% from 7% in uncoated raw sand. The effects of different parameters like adsorbent dose, contact time, temperature, initial fluoride concentration, and pH and the effects of different anions present in water along with arsenic on defluoridation capacity of the material were studied in a batch mode.     

Methane emission from irrigated rice ecosystem: relationship with carbon fixation,partitioning and soil carbon storage

Rice is a major agricultural crop and accounts for 40 % of the total food grain production of India. A field experiment was conducted for two successive seasons (December–June, 2012–13 and December–June, 2013–14) to assess the efficiency of rice varieties for methane (CH₄) emission in relation to atmospheric carbon fixation, partitioning of carbon, and storage in the soil. Six high yielding rice varieties, Bahadur, Cauvery, Dinanath, Joymoti, Kanaklata, and Swarnabh were grown under irrigated condition. Results of the present investigation depicted differences in photosynthetic rate among the varieties accompanied by differential ability for plant biomass partitioning between the shoots and the roots. Stomatal frequency of flag leaf at panicle initiation stage was found to have strong influence on photosynthesis. Low CH₄-emitting rice varieties, Bahadur and Dinanath, were found to have lower size of the xylem vessels than the high CH₄-emitting rice varieties, Joymoti and Kanaklata, and found to influence the CH₄ flux. Soil organic carbon storage of 0.505 Mg C ha^?1 y^?1 in the plough layer of soil (0–15 cm) confirmed that irrigated rice ecosystem is an effective sink of carbon. These findings suggest that selection of suitable rice varieties with higher photosynthetic efficiency and lower emission of CH₄ can be a suitable biological mitigation of this greenhouse gas. Although an inverse relationship of CH₄ with carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux was observed, irrigated rice ecosystem has a good potential to store substantial amount of carbon in the soil.     

Antifungal and defense elicitor activities of pyrazines identified in endophytic Pseudomonas putida BP25 against fungal blast incited by Magnaporthe oryzae in rice

Journal of Plant Diseases and Protection - Black pepper-associated endophytic Pseudomonas putida BP25 displayed volatile-mediated antagonism against rice blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae 1637. The...     

Risk analysis of non-native three-spot cichlid,Amphilophus trimaculatus, in the River Cauvery (India)

The three-spot cichlid Amphilophus trimaculatus (Günther) is an ornamental fish known to be invasive but has not been assessed for India. The present study confirmed this non-native species’ identity using conventional and molecular methods, as well as its occurrence in the River Cauvery, the first for this species in a lotic environment outside its native range. Gut content analysis indicated a diet of predominantly insects. The river's water quality and habitat were conducive for the species’ growth and reproduction. Using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit, A. trimaculatus was ranked as posing a “high” risk of being invasive in the River Cauvery, with climate match analysis showing 58% similarity with the species’ native range. Vector and pathway analysis found that A. trimaculatus was introduced to India via the aquarium trade, although consignment origin remains unknown, and the most likely means of entry into the river and its tributaries was the species’ escaping from holding facilities. Subsequent dispersal and impact of the species on native fauna are discussed. The study's outcomes demonstrate the importance of using risk analysis protocols to inform management of non-native species in India, with suggestions provided for immediate and long-term measures for the species’ management.     

Effect of dietary Wolffia arrhiza and Spirulina platensis on growth performance and pigmentation of Queen loach Botia dario (Hamilton, 1822)

The present Present experiment was conducted for 75 days in triplicates groups in 18 aquaria of 50 L each to study the effect of Wolffia arrhiza and Spirulina platensis on growth and pigmentation of Botia dario. Six isonitrogenous diets were prepared with 350 g/kg crude protein (CP) level. Diet 1 (T1) was prepared without fortification of spirulina and wolffia. T2 diet was prepared with spirulina as supplement of carotenoids. Similarly, T3, T4, T5 and T6 diets were prepared by substituting 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg of CP from spirulina with wolffia, respectively. Significant differences (p < .05) in final mean weight, mean weight gain, body weight gain and specific growth rate were observed. 100 percent survivability was recorded in T4 and T5. Final carotenoids content (μg/g) in skin (166.39 ± 2.71) and muscle (10.67 ± 0.32) was recorded highest in T5 and in whole fish in T6 (13.03 ± 0.95 μg/g). Redness, yellowness and whiteness found to have no significant differences (p > .05). Thus, it can be concluded that diet containing 100 g/kg spirulina can be effective for better growth while diet containing 25 g/kg spirulina and 150 g/kg wolffia can be effective for higher survival and pigmentation in Botia dario.     

Role of elasticity in control of diameter of electrospun PAN nanofibers

A series of poly(acrylonitrile-co-methylacrylate) copolymers (PAN) with varying molecular weight were synthesized by radical copolymerization using α-α′-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator. These copolymers were dissolved at different concentrations in DMF and electrospun at Minimum electrospinning voltage (MEV) to correlate electrical energy required to perform the mechanical work during the spinning of the fibers. The diameters of the resultant fibers were correlated with the Berry number and average number of entanglements per chain of the spinning solution. It was observed that number of entanglements per chain, which represents the capacity of the polymer system to store elastic energy, could correlate well with the ultimate diameter of the fiber. Interestingly, the diameters of the nanofibers were found to increase linearly with increase in number of entanglements per chain with two distinct regions having transition of the slope at number of entanglement value of 3.5.