Horizon e-Publishing Group (HePG): E-Journals
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Unveiling the rhizosphere microbial community of castor plant (Ricinus communis L.) grown in textile effluent contaminated ecosystem and assessing its phylogenetic traits for plant growth promotion
Get PDFVarious factors influence the microbial community in the plant rhizosphere, including the variety, activity, and population structure. Plant species and soil type are critical determinants of the composition and diversity of the microbial communities linked to plant roots. Understanding these interactions is crucial for enhancing plant development and soil vitality, especially under adverse conditions such as salt-affected soils. This study evaluated the structure and composition of rhizosphere microbial communities in response to castor plant (Ricinus communis L.), a crop known for its resilience to various soil conditions. The bacterial community in the castor rhizosphere was examined by 16S rDNA sequencing in conjunction with an assessment of various plant growth-promoting (PGP) characteristics of the isolated bacterial strains. These findings indicated that the rhizosphere bacterial community was primarily comprised of Bacillus species, which are essential plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). These bacteria exhibit considerable potential to augment nutrient absorption, strengthen stress resilience, and promot overall plant vitality. Their supremacy underscores their adaptability and functional significance in castor root systems, particularly under diverse soil conditions. This study elucidates the microbial dynamics of the castor rhizosphere, highlighting the crucial role of Bacillus species in enhancing plant growth and soil fertility. These findings indicate that Bacillus-dominated microbial communities can be efficiently utilized for sustainable agriculture and soil remediation initiatives
A study on the trends and seasonal fluctuations of black carbon aerosols in the elevated region of Ooty, Western Ghats, Tamil Nadu, India
Get PDFThe accelerating effects of climate change, driven by rising greenhouse gas emissions, necessitate identifying key contributors like aerosols, mainly black carbon (BC), due to their significant impact on global warming. This study investigates the temporal and seasonal dynamics of BC aerosols in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India, using a decade (2013–2023) of data from an Aethalometer. Annual BC concentrations varied from 0.51 µg/m³ (2020) to 1.1 µg/m³ (2023), with a decadal mean of 0.75 ± 0.26 µg/m³. Distinct season al variations were observed, with summer BC concentrations ranging from 0.9 to 1.6 µg/m³ (mean: 1.3 µg/m³) and monsoon values significantly lower at 0.2–0.5 µg/m³ (mean: 0.4 µg/m³). Winter exhibited a seasonal mean of 1.1 µg/m³, while post-monsoon BC concentrations averaged 0.6 µg/m³. Temperature (20–28.6°C), relative humidity (49–93%), and rainfall (0.4 7.81 mm/day) influenced the observed trends. April consistently showed peak BC levels (up to 1.87 µg/m³), while 2020 recorded the lowest due to reduced emissions. Seasonal trends revealed increasing BC levels from December to April, declining during the monsoon months (June–November). These findings underscore the need for sustained monitoring and mitigation strategies in high-altitude regions to address BCs’ climatic impacts, aiding global efforts against climate change
Exploration of the effect of botanicals on controlling tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis antonii Signoret) in the cashew ecosystem
Get PDFThe tea mosquito bug (TMB) Helopeltis antonii Signoret poses a significant threat to cashew plantations, causing substantial damage to the trees and affecting crop productivity. Botanicals have been examined for their effectiveness against tea mosquito bugs (TMB) in cashew plantations that impose damage on cashew trees. A field experiment was conducted at the Regional Research Station, Vridhachalam, Tamil Nadu, to evaluate the effectiveness of various botanical pesticides against TMB. The study included seven treatments using different botanicals and one untreated control. Applications were made at critical growth stages, namely flushing, flowering and nut formation, at fortnightly intervals, ensuring the pest population remained below the economic threshold level (ETL). Five spray rounds were administered, with a maximum of 10 L of spray suspension applied per tree for each treatment. The results demonstrated a significant reduction in TMB incidence in plots treated with botanical pesticides. Fifteen days after the third, fourth and fifth sprays, TMB incidence was completely absent in treated plots, whereas the untreated control recorded a damage score of 3.25. Furthermore, a marked decline in fresh TMB infestations was observed within seven days following each spray application. Among the treatments, a mixture of leaf extracts from adathoda (Adathoda vasica), datura (Datura metel), vitex (Vitex negundo), calotropis (Calotropis gigantea) and neem (Azadirachta indica) showed the highest efficacy, reducing TMB incidence to damage scales of 0.660 and 0.550. Similarly, Pongamia oil (5 % concentration) exhibited substantial effectiveness, reducing TMB incidence to scales of 0.845 and 0.645. These findings highlight the potential of botanical pesticides as eco–friendly and effective alternatives for managing TMB in cashew plantations
Farmer producer organisation as catalysts for change in agriculture: Improving farmer livelihoods in Tamil Nadu
Get PDFFarmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) are crucial for empowering smallholder farmers and contributing significantly to rural development. This study examines the role of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) in enhancing the economic and social welfare of smallholder farmers in Tamil Nadu, specifically in the districts of Thanjavur, Trichy, Pudukottai, Madurai and Sivagangai. Using a sample of 600 farmers (400 FPO members and 200 non-members), the research highlights the transformative potential of FPOs in improving farmers\u27 income and reducing disparities between members and non-members. Key factors such as farm size, participation in FPO training, and access to inputs through FPOs significantly boost income. For instance, FPO training led to a 19-unit increase in income for every unit of participation and the provision of inputs resulted in a 14-unit income increase. Conversely, challenges like high dependency ratios and reliance on hired labor were found to negatively affect income levels. The findings suggest that targeted policy measures, including the expansion of FPO access, strengthening training programs and addressing household dependency issues, are crucial to enhancing the economic benefits for smallholder farmers. FPO membership leads to a 15 per cent increase in income, this can be attributed to the benefits of reduced costs and increased efficiency. By joining an FPO, farmers typically gain access to bulk purchasing of inputs (e.g., seeds, fertilizers, machinery), shared resources and collective bargaining power, all of which contribute to cost reduction. Additionally, enhancing infrastructure, financial services and market access for FPOs could further empower farmers and contribute to rural development
Insights into the genetic basis of yield and its components in rice (Oryza sativa L.) through generation mean analysis
Get PDFGeneration mean analysis conducted was to recognize the inheritance patterns of yield-related traits in rice populations developed from crosses between salinity-tolerant (Saltol 1 QTL) and phosphorus (P) starvation-tolerant (Pup1 QTL) backcross inbred lines. The study involved four crosses: BIL33 × C16-1-2-8, BIL752 × D5-1-3-2-1, BIL1094 × C16-1-2-8 and BIL1102 × D5-1-3-2-1, aimed at developing multiple stress-tolerant versions of CR 1009 Sub1 and ADT 37 varieties. Six generations - Pt1, Pt2, F1, F2, BC1 F and BC2F were evaluated for thirteen quantitative traits during Kharif 2023-2024 at Agricultural College and Research Institute, TNAU, Madurai. Scaling tests revealed significant epistatic interactions for most traits across crosses. Grain yield showed complementary epistasis with significant interaction effects in all crosses, while traits like plant height and flag leaf characteristics displayed varying patterns of gene action. The existence of both additive and non-additive gene effects raises the possibility that selection may be postponed to future generations. The study advises maintaining larger populations during the initial generations and applying pedigree selection from the F4 generation onward to achieve effective trait enhancement. These findings provide valuable insights for developing breeding strategies to pyramid salinity and phosphorus starvation tolerance in rice varieties
Phytochemical analysis and anticancer potential of Iraqi Allium sativum on colon cancer cells
Get PDFAllium sativum has been cultivated in different areas around the world and has been used as a food, condiment. Many sources mention Allium sativum as a potential treatment for different ailments. The Current study aimed to assess the anticarcinogenic and antitumor properties of Allium sativum and identify of the major phytochemicals present in Iraqi species. Specific and general tests were carried out for the qualitative analysis of different natural components present in the plant extract in addition to the assessment of the possible antitumor activity of Allium sativum by detecting the dose-response effect of the methanol extract. Serial extract concentrations were tested on a colon cancer cell line to determine the dose-response effect. The anticancer effects after 48 hours of exposure showed a significant inhibition rate in a dose-dependent manner on cancer cell growth. The IC50 value of the extract was found to be 35.13 µg/mL. The inhibition rates at various concentrations were as follows: at 200 µg/mL, the inhibition was 90.9 ± 0.03 %, at 100 µg/mL, it was 68.1 ± 0.05 %, at 50 µg/mL, the inhibition was 52.7 ± 0.09 %, at 25 µg/mL, it was 49.54 ± 0.03 %, at 12.5 µg/mL, it was 36.3 ± 0.05 % and at 6.25 µg/mL, the inhibition was 36.2 ± 0.05 %. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of several bioactive secondary metabolites in the methanol extract, including alkaloids, saponins, steroids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, terpenoids, anthraquinones and cardiac glycosides. These compounds are likely supporting the potential of Allium sativum as a natural anticancer treatment
Economic sustainability and energy efficiency of irrigated urdbean [Vigna mungo] under different sowing methods and weed management practices
Get PDFA field experiment was conducted at the Pulse Farm of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India, during the summer season of 2024 to evaluate the energetics and economic viability of summer irrigated urdbean (Vigna mungo) under different sowing and weed management methods. A split-plot design was employed and treatments were replicated thrice. The results indicated that sowing in Furrow Irrigated Raised Bed (FIRB) and weed management through pre-emergence application of herbicides, followed by mechanical weeding (baby weeder) at 20 days after sowing (DAS), produced the highest yields of 833 kg/ha and 850 kg/ha, respectively. In terms of energy productivity, sowing in FIRB with the weed-free plot achieved 0.63 kg/MJ, followed by the same method of planting with the pre-emergence application of herbicides followed by one-hand weeding at 20 DAS (0.57 kg/MJ). A similar trend was observed in energy use efficiency, with values of 9.22 and 8.35, respectively. Economically, urdbean sowing by seed drill and pre-emergence application of herbicides followed by mechanical weeding at 20 DAS resulted in the highest benefit-cost ratio of 2.01, followed by the sowing in FIRB with the pre-emergence application of herbicides followed by mechanical weeding at 20 DAS. Hence, the study concluded that sowing in furrow irrigated raised beds with weed management through hand weeding and mechanical weeding at 20 DAS provides higher energy use efficiency and economic sustainability
Mitigation of oxidative stress in yeast cells by Bacopa monnieri methanolic extract
No full textThe objective of the present study was to assess the influence of the methanolic leaf extract of Bacopa monnieri on the extent of cell death in yeast cells due to induced oxidative stress. The yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) cells were employed and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was the oxidant used to cause oxidative stress. The cells were exposed to oxidative stress and by examining distinctive apoptotic processes, the extracts’ ability to mitigate this stress was evaluated. The various cytotoxicity assays 2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-tetrazoyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2,4-tetrazolium salt (MTT) and sulforhodamine B (SRB) and changes related to apoptosis viz., morphological and nuclear changes by various staining techniques (Giemsa, propidium iodide [PI], ethidium bromide [EtBr] and 4\u27,6-diamidino?2-phenylindole [DAPI]) and DNA damage (diphenylamine method) were assessed in S. cerevisiae cells with/without leaf extract and oxidant (hydrogen peroxide), statistically analyzed and P<0.05 was considered significant. The outcomes made it abundantly evident that H2O2 caused a sharp increase in the number of S. cerevisiae cells going through apoptotic cell death. The amount of apoptosis was not increased by Bacopa monnieri leaf extract alone and the apoptotic cells were significantly reduced when the plant extract was co-administered with H2O2. Therefore, it is clear that the methanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri leaves has been shown to protect Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells from stress-induced oxidative damage
In silico phylogenetic analysis reveals nuclear ribosomal DNA as the most effective marker for DNA barcoding of Cucumis L. species
No full textCucumis L. species represent a globally important crop genus with high economic value and genetic diversity, yet their wild relatives remain understudied and potentially threatened by habitat loss and genetic erosion. This knowledge gap hinders effective conservation strategies and limits the utilization of wild genetic resources for crop improvement. A deeper understanding of Cucumis diversity and evolution is especially critical for conserving wild relatives of cultivated species, which may harbor valuable traits for climate resilience and disease resistance. This study investigated the effectiveness of 3 DNA barcode markers (matK, rbcL and nrDNA) for phylogenetic analysis across 38 Cucumis species, addressing a key methodological gap in Cucurbitaceae systematics with direct applications in germplasm conservation and crop improvement programmes. Sequences were retrieved from NCBI and analyzed using MEGA 11, DnaSP v6 and PopArt. The hypothesis that nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) would outperform plastid markers (matK and then rbcL) in resolving species relationships was validated. The nrDNA displayed the highest genetic distance and clearest clade separation of intraspecific variation, making it particularly valuable for: (i) accurate identification of wild Cucumis germplasm in conservation efforts, (ii) precise selection of genetic resources for breeding programmes and (iii) resolution of taxonomic uncertainties in agricultural and ecological studies. matK provided moderate resolution, while rbcL performed poorly at the intraspecific level. These findings provide a robust molecular toolkit for biodiversity conservation and sustainable agricultural development, enabling more effective utilization and protection of Cucumis genetic resources worldwide
Optimization of in vitro regeneration protocol for Fragaria × ananassa Duch. cv. Chandler and assessment of genetic fidelity through ISSR markers
No full textThis research developed an effective in-vitro method for regenerating strawberry plants, facilitating the large-scale production of planting materials. Various vegetative parts, such as runner tips, nodal segments, shoot apices, stems and leaves, were used for direct organogenesis. These explants were grown on MS media enriched with varying concentrations of plant growth regulators. The highest shoot multiplication rate has been found to be 89.8 % and the maximum number of shoots per explant (4.3) were achieved using runner tips in culture media supplemented with 1.5 mg/L BAP and 0.1 mg/L of NAA. The optimal conditions included pH of 5.8, 0.6 % agar, 3000 lux light intensity, 16-hr photoperiod and an incubation temperature of 25 ± 2 °C. The optimal percentage of rooting (90.8 %) for the regenerated shoots was achieved on ½ MS medium enriched with 1.0 mg/L IBA along with highest number of roots per culture. Subsequently. all regenerated plants were hardened in a greenhouse with 85 % relative humidity. To confirm the genetic fidelity of the in vitro-derived plants, 12 ISSR primers were used, revealing monomorphic bands. The standardized protocol developed in this study is crucial for large-scale multiplication and can also aid in identifying any clonal variations or adulteration