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Performance evaluation of novel safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) genotypes under salinity stress conditions
Full text linkSalinity stress is a widespread environmental challenge impacting global crop production. To develop salt-tolerant safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) cultivars and lines, a factorial experiment was conducted using a randomized complete block design with three replications in Darab Fars during the 2021-2023 crop year. The first factor encompassed seven safflower lines and a novel variety, with Padideh as a control. The second factor involved two levels of irrigation water salinity (0.98 and 7.8 dS m-1). The study assessed multiple traits, including grain yield, biological yield, pod count per plant, seeds per pod, 1000-seed weight, sub-branch count, plant height, harvest index, crude oil percentage, and mineral concentrations (sodium, potassium, chlorine) as well as the potassium-to-sodium ratio. Significant effects of cultivar and irrigation water salinity were observed for all traits (p<0.01). Irrigation with saline water significantly reduced yield and its components, except for the number of branches. Saline irrigation increased sodium, potassium, and chlorine concentrations while decreasing the potassium-to-sodium ratio, crude oil percentage, and oil yield. Among the safflower genotypes, Padideh and Mec248 exhibited the lowest and highest yields under saline conditions, respectively. Mec248 demonstrated superior performance under both saline and non-saline conditions, making it the standout line in the study. Parnyan, with moderate yield, showed greater salinity tolerance, as indicated by minimal differences in seed and oil yields under saline and non-saline conditions (10.9% and 14.02%, respectively) and a high potassium-to-sodium ratio in its leaves
Culture initiation of Avicennia marina from Indonesia using two different culture media
Full text linkThe grey mangrove population faces overexploitation, pollution, and global warming. Traditional propagation is challenging due to the recalcitrant seeds. The issues with Avicennia marina tissue culture are the browning of the explants and endophytes, which can affect the explants at any growing phase. This study aimed to produce and maintain A. marina explants until they developed into healthy plantlets. MS medium and WPM were used along with 0.4% PPM. Improving the survival, 400, 450, and 450 ppm PVP was also applied. The treatment using MS medium and WPM were compared, and the media enriched with 0.5 ppm BA and 1 ppm kinetin and no cytokinins were compared. The result showed that WPM+400 ppm PVP was better than MS medium (in any kind of treatment) in inducing shoots in A. marina (27%), as well as longer survival in in vitro conditions. In the MS media, all explants died after week 11, whereas in the WPM medium, three explants survived until week 16. In addition, most of the explants cultured in WPM exhibited no contamination until week 8, whereas in all treatments using MS media, there was contamination in the same week observed
Discrepancy in essential oil yield and root structure of vetiver across different storage periods: Essential oil and root structure of vetiver as affected by storage
No full textThe aromatic root of vetiver has immense potential for essential oil extraction, making handicraft products, and providing ecosystem services. Harvesting time and storage duration of harvested roots play a crucial role to obtain maximum quantity and superior quality essential oil. Moreover, the vetiver growers often store the harvested roots for up to four months. However, there were no standard recommendations with scientific evidence regarding the optimum storage duration for harvested vetiver roots. In this context, the present experiment was undertaken at the CSIR- CIMAP Research Centre, Bengaluru, to optimize the storage duration for economically viable production of essential oil. The experiment results revealed that roots stored for 7 days (from the harvesting day) yielded maximum quantity of essential oil (1.74±0.10) and that oil recovery decreased dramatically as storage days increased. Hence, distillation of vetiver roots within 30 days of harvest is advisable to obtain maximum returns. Further, the root anatomical observations over different storage durations revealed that the root tissue color changed from 7 days of storage to 90 days with tissue layers progressively loosening and detaching after 60 days of storage
Effect of differential oral dose administration of aqueous leaf extract of Senna occidentalis, Annona muricata and Aju Mbaise on serum electrolyte levels in Albino rats
Full text linkElectrolyte imbalances are frequent in medical practice, mostly seen in hospital populations, affecting a wide range of patients and linked to higher rates of morbidity and death. Herbal medicine has been the most accessible and economical form of treatment and it has demonstrated significant promise for the management of a variety of health issues. This study evaluated the effect of differential oral dose administration of aqueous leaf extract of Senna occidentalis, Annona muricata and Aju Mbaise on serum electrolyte levels in albino rats. Twenty Albino rats were used for this study. The rats were grouped into four with 4 rats each. Oral administration of S. occidentalis, A. muricata and Aju Mbaise were carried out at different doses (200, 400 and 500 mg kg-1 respectively) for 4 weeks. The rats were sacrificed by jugular decapitation 24 hours after the last administration of the extract and blood samples were collected for serum electrolyte analysis. The result revealed a significant increase p<0.05 for chloride, bicarbonate, sodium and potassium ions for the leaf extracts of S. occidentalis, A. muricata and Aju Mbaise. This implies that the leaves of these plants can be toxic and it is therefore advised that consumption of these leaves should be at therapeutic doses since it is associated with an increase in electrolyte levels
Analysis of Farmer Producer Organisations in the Coconut Sector: Current Scenario, Limitations, and Policy Outlook
Full text linkFarmer producer organisation is a crucial institutional innovation that aids small holders in overcoming the issues of diseconomies of scale. Nonetheless, prior experience in the coconut sector reveals that the success rates of such organisations are not as high as projected. This article begins by exploring the relevance of FPOs in the current agrarian context and gives a brief account of the evolution of such organisations in the coconut sector. The study also highlights the points for intervention and provides a critical analysis of the significance and justification for FPOs in the sector. It also includes the challenges and actionable strategies in a ready reckoner mode. The primary motivation for the formation of producer organisations in the coconut sector is to organise unorganized coconut farmers through collectives in order to promote their socioeconomic growth. The success of an FPO is heavily dependent on having a solid business plan, and scope for scalability. Inadequate working capital, including grants and credit, is a major limitation for the majority of FPOs. In this setting, it is critical to obtain bank loans at low interest rates. The development of a well recognised and valued brand is critical for the FPO's viability. Lack of professional leadership has a negative impact on FPOs in the coconut sector, and many have gone out of business as a result. To assist them, target based capacity-building programme to inculcate leadership attributes among FPO representatives should be conducted on a regular basis. Only a few FPOs in the coconut industry have looked into the prospect of gaining premium pricing through certification techniques and product traceability. This is due to a lack of both capacity and awareness. This problem must be addressed with ultimate priority. The FPOs must be trained to be self-sufficient and weaned off external assistance in a short period of time after the initiation. Therefore, FPOs should focus on increasing productivity per unit of land and shifting their current production focus to market-oriented output
Field evaluation of fungicides for management of Lasiodiplodia leaf blight of coconut
Full text linkVarious fungal and phytoplasma diseases are adversely impacting coconut yield. Among them, leaf blight, primarily attributed to Lasiodiplodia theobromae, has emerged as a significant contributor to yield losses ranging between 10 to 25 percent. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of novel fungicide formulations in mitigating leaf blight in coconut palms. An experimental plot, organized using a Randomized Block Design, was established, consisting of five distinct treatments, each replicated four times. The findings reveal that systemic fungicides, specifically propiconazole and tebuconazole, exhibited notable efficacy in curtailing leaf blight when applied at concentrations of 250 ppm and 1000 ppm, respectively. The effective fungicide concentrations are considerably lower than other fungicides tested in the field trials. The results revealed that sequential root feeding of propiconazole 25.9% EC @ 5% (100ml/palm) and tebuconazole 25.9% EC @ 5% (100ml/palm) at three months interval reduced the leaf blight incidence (5.66 % reduction) over control compared to root feeding of same fungicides continuously at quartely interval (3.02 %) with in six months on currently it boosted the nut yield to 135 nuts per palm per annum, compared to the 99 nuts per palm per annum recorded in the control palms
Waste to wealth generation via areca plate manufacturing on micro scale
Full text linkAreca leaf sheath which was hitherto wasted on the garden has found profound importance in the hands of microenterprise owners. Value has been added to leaf sheath through their conversion into biodegradable plates and bowls. Micro scale production units are concentrated in arecanut hinterlands of Karnataka. The study was conducted considering 30 micro units from Shivamogga and Davangere districts of Karnataka. The average of total cost incurred, gross returns and net returns realized over the production period of six months was Rs. 315518.40, 4,21,000, 1,89,467 respectively. Profitability reflected in the Benefit Cost Ratio of 1.33 indicating that every rupee invested on plate manufacturing unit enabled manufacturer to reap gross returns of Rs. 1.67. Waste to wealth generation not only results in income generation but also results in employment generation for rural folk
Comparative biochemical features of wild-type and purple cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)
Full text linkThe comparative biochemical features of both the wild-type and purple-coloured cashew apple varieties are presented. The total soluble sugar content in purple cashew apples was higher (13.96%) than that in normal cashew apples (6.78%). Compared with purple cashews, wild-type cashew apples have a high titratable acidity (0.224%) as they contain more ascorbic acid (342.85 mg/100 g) than purple cashew apples (228.57 mg/100 g). The total polyphenol content of purple fruit leaves (8.04 mg GAE/g), peels (4.532 mg GAE/g), and pulp (2.067 mg GAE/g) was higher than that of wild-type cashews. Additionally, the flavonoid content (9.423 mg/g in leaves, 4.923 mg/g in apple peels, and 3.688 mg/g in cashew pulp) was higher in the purple cashew than in the wild-type cashews. Chlorophyll a, b, and total chlorophyll contents in wild-type cashew leaves (0.287 mg/g, 0.176 mg/g, and 0.463 mg/g, respectively) were greater than those in purple cashew leaves. However, the chlorophyll concentration in the fruit was found to be very minimal. Although the carotenoid content of the fruit was high in the wild-type cashew (22.83 g/100 g), the carotenoid concentration in the purple cashew leaves (83.475 g/100 g) was greater than that in the normal cashew leaves. Analysis of the anthocyanin contents suggested that the leaves and peels of plants with the purple genotype had relatively high anthocyanin contents (38.499 mg cyanidin-3-glucoside equivalents/kg (C3GE/kg) and 25.87 mg C3GE/kg) compared to those of plants with the wild-type cashews (0.157 and 0.951 mg C3GE/kg, respectively). These biochemical constituents of purple cashew suggest its potential application in the development of cashew apple-based nutritional products
Evaluation of the diversity of the morpho-agronomic characteristics of Corchorus olitorius L. cultivars developed in Saudi Arabia
Full text linkCorchorus olitorius is considered a crop with high nutritional value. The C. olitorius crop is cultivated in many regions of Saudi Arabia. There is a lack of research on genetic diversity among these varieties. This work aimed to evaluate the diversity in the morphological characteristics of KSA jute germplasms and compare them to international germplasms. This study included 8 local jute germplasm seeds collected in Saudi Arabia and 16 international jute germplasm seeds from Asia, Africa and the USA. Twenty-one quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the jute samples from the stem, leaves, and fruits were evaluated. These characteristics were evaluated using many reliable statistical methods, such as multivariate analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Morphological traits, especially plant height, days to 50% flowering, leaf blade length, leaf blade width, leaf petiole length, pod pedicel length, pod length, pod width, number of pods per plant and leaf area, significantly differed among the jute samples. This is the first study to compare local jute germplasms in the KSA to international, to provide important information on their morphological diversity. This information can be used in crop improvement and conservation programs
A comprehensive approach to characterizing bioactive compounds from Haplanthodes tentaculatus (L.) R. B. Majumdar using HR-LCMS and MTT assay
Full text linkThe bioactive compounds in Haplanthodes tentaculatus (L.) R. B. Majumdar has demonstrated significant potential in addressing conditions like cancer, diabetes, inflammation, and microbial infections. This study employs high-resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry and network analysis to investigate these chemicals. The methanolic extract revealed 92 identified compounds, many of which exhibited inhibitory effects on MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell growth. Aclacinomycin N, Ganoderic acid Mb, Cucurbitacin E, and Hydroquinidine displayed notable inhibitory effects. The extract demonstrated an IC50 value of 61.41±0.692 μg, showcasing its effectiveness in impeding cancer cell development. While promising, further research is needed to unravel the specific molecular pathways involved. The identification and characterization of distinct chemicals in the extract offer potential leads for medication development. This work underscores H. tentaculatus as a vital source of bioactive substances with potent anticancer properties, emphasizing the need for continued exploration in advancing cancer therapies