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Fauna associated with wheat cultivation in high altitudes of the Nilgiris, India
No full textNot AvailableWheat cultivation in southern India is unique as it isgrown in high altitudes (1500 m amsl), surrounded bythe pristine environment of the Western Ghats. Also, itcan be grown throughout the year, unlike only once ayear in India’s central and northern plains. The faunalpressure on wheat cultivation in southern India is differ-ent from the other wheat-growing regions in the country.However, information on faunal diversity associatedwith wheat crops in this unique ecosystem is meagre.Hence, the present study aimed to acquire knowledgebased on the fauna associated with and their influenceon wheat cultivation in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, SouthIndia. Our results indicated that the phylum Arthropodadominated the ecosystem with 61 species, followed by theChordata with 41 species, and the Nematoda with 22 spe-cies. The coleopterans were found to be dominant amongarthropods followed by lepidopterans. In chordates, smallbirds such as spotted munia and common rosefinch wereobserved often, while among the Nematoda, the plant-parasitic order Tylenchida topped the list. During differ-ent phases of cultivation, the overall diversity was highestduring the early stages of the crop and least during thevegetative phase. This study also highlights the human–animal interaction in the context of agriculture, as it wasobserved that the damage caused by Nilgiri gaur, spottedmunia and common rosefinch was one of the majorreasons for non-preference of wheat crops by the farmersbesides the lack of cost-effective technologies to ward-offwild animals. This initiative may encourage researchers toperform more comprehensive studies on the faunal di-versity of the entire crop-growing areas in the southernhill regions of India.Not Availabl
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No full textNot AvailableTrichoderma spp. are the best biocontrol agents, as more than 60% of the enlisted biofungicides
utilized in present agribusinesses are based on Trichoderma. Plant–Trichoderma–pathogen is a complex
community having multiple mechanisms. Seed bio-priming with Trichoderma strains isolated from tree
bark, reduced the mean germination time, enhanced the seedling vigour and total chlorophyll content
which could be related to the higher yield observed in rice varieties. This investigation demonstrates
that Trichoderma strains obtained from tree bark could be considered to be utilized for the sustainable
health management of rice crop. Recent methodologies based on molecular science can easily identify,
clone, sequence, and express the activity of the genes and can observe their capacities and functions
in the biocontrol system. Herein we present the utilization of Trichoderma strains collected from tree
barks for rice plant growth, its health management and paddy straw degradation. The aforementioned
variables are required to enhance their efficiency and applications and also demonstrate the possibilities
for development of strains of Trichoderma spp.. Trichoderma isolated from tree bark is a novel strain
for the preparation of rice straw compost and its value addition. The isolate produces high amount of
straw degrading enzymes like cellulase, xylanase and laccase. There is 20% of weight reduction of
rice straw during composting through Trichoderma within 30 days. The rice straw compost mediated
by Trichoderma is rich in nutrients like N, P, K and promoted germination, seedling vigour and growth of
rice plant. We also conclude that apart from growth promotion, enriched compost imparted intrinsic
stress tolerance to rice by producing higher amount of defense enzymes like catalase, peroxidase and
superoxide dismutase. In the present-day scenario, 60-70 million tonnes of rice straw burning in India
is a huge economic loss in addition to the associated problems of air pollution. The Trichoderma
mediated-straw manure could be promoted as one of the viable options to reduce straw burning.
However, large scale field level evaluation is recommended to commercialise this product for the
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No full textNot AvailableIdentification of eggs in grain/flour is critical for managing stored grain pests. Chemical dyes, which are typically used to identify eggs, may irritate skin and eyes. The current study seeks to uncover naturally coloured materials that could be employed as natural stains to differentially colour Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) eggs from the grain. In the current research, the colour, pH, total phenolics, anthocyanin, and flavonoid content were measured in onion, beetroot, turmeric powder, black grapes, and teak leaves’ aqueous extracts. The highest anthocyanin concentration was found in turmeric extracts (1.55 mg equivalent of cyanidin-3-glucoside g−1), while the highest flavonoid level was found in teak extract (12.13 mg equivalent catechine g−1). Total phenols were highest in onion extract (5.03 mg gallic acid equivalent g−1). Beetroot and teak stains might readily colour the flour red and dark brown, respectively while leaving the eggs uncolored. Grape and onion stains gave a slight purplish and light pink colour to the eggs while remaining particles were dark violet and dark pink, respectively. Since the eggs and flour were both coloured yellow, the turmeric stain proved ineffective. Highest percentage of hatchability (80.99%) was observed in original grape extract treatment. Colour and pH of the extracts determined the ability of a natural dye to stain flour, keeping the eggs unstained. The hatched larvae from the stained eggs did not exhibit any morphological alteration, and their growth time was unchanged. These natural dyes are indeed cheap, easily procurable and innocuous and can be sustainable substitutes of chemical dyes.Not Availabl
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No full textNot AvailableRehabilitation of open-cast coal mines is a critical intervention for bringing back productive surface soil and sustaining ecosystem functioning. Mining activities not only disturb the key soil properties, but also cause heavy metal contamination. Significantly, 32,000 acres of land in Odisha have been affected by coal mine. In this study, two representative mine areas, Talcher and Jharsuguda in Odisha were selected for our study. The soil physiochemical, available soil nutrient, microbial biomass carbon, soil enzymatic activities and heavy metal contents were estimated in the three sites (rehabilitated, non-rehabilitated and paddy fields) and two soil depth (0–15 and 15–30 cm) of both Talcher and Jharsuguda. The soil pH was higher in rehabilitated sites (5.55 to 8.42) as compared to the paddy fields (5.38 to 5.85) and non-rehabilitated sites (4.16 to 4.57). The average available nitrogen and phosphorus contents were lower in non-rehabilitated sites than the rehabilitated sites and paddy fields. Labile carbon pools (readily mineralizable carbon and microbial biomass carbon), soil enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase and fluorescein di-acetate) were negatively affected by mining activities and it was higher in paddy soil than the rehabilitated and non-rehabilitated sites. Further, the heavy metals (cobalt, copper, iron, and lead) were relatively higher at non-rehabilitated and rehabilitated sites. Heavy metal-based geo-accumulation, integrated pollution and pollution load indices were indicated the possible pollution risk in the rehabilitated study site also. Therefore, we recommend a better technical effort should be made in the top-soil management of coal mine spoil areas during rehabilitation to sustain the productive ecosystem functioning.Not Availabl
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No full textNot AvailableTo achieve higher crop production in a soybean-wheat cropping system, comprehensive knowledge of soil fertility status and its variability is crucial. However, a significant gap exists between the potential and actual productivity of this system in the Vertisols of Indian semi-arid tropics. Therefore, 2 years of field research were conducted to investigate how different crop management practices affect soil fertility in this cropping system. The trial was conducted using a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five crop management practices: CAO (conservation tillage + organic nutrient and weed management), CAC (conservation tillage + chemical nutrient and weed management), CTC (conventional tillage + chemical nutrient and weed management), OCT (conventional tillage + organic nutrient and weed management), and PoPs (package of practices). Results showed that CAO significantly (p < 0.05) increased soil organic C (6.8 g kg−1), available N (129.5 mg kg−1), P (11.0 mg kg−1), K (232.6 mg kg−1), Fe (9.17 mg kg−1), and Mn (10.48 mg kg−1) at topsoil (0–15 cm) and deeper layers (15–60 cm). In contrast, CAC had significantly (p < 0.05) higher soil availability of Ca (5,072 mg kg−1) and Mg (901 mg kg−1) and Cu (0.84 mg kg−1). On the other side, PoPs resulted in the highest S (10.05 mg kg−1) and Zn (0.85 mg kg−1) availability in the topsoil. Our results evidently suggested S and Zn availability as key indicators of soil health sustenance in the present agroecosystem. Notably, CAC had significantly (p < 0.05) higher system productivity (4.62 t ha−1) than the other treatments, showing a 14.0, 6.3, and 18.2% increase over CAO, CTC, and OCT, respectively. Based on the results, it is recommended that CAC is a better option for achieving higher system productivity, while CAO is the best option for ensuring long-term sustainability of soil fertility. The findings of this study could be useful for farmers and agricultural researchers in designing efficient crop management practices to improve the productivity and sustainability of soybean-wheat cropping system in arid to semiarid ecology.Not Availabl
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No full textNot AvailableMaize (Zea mays) is the most important coarse cereal utilized as a major energy source for animal feed and humans. However, maize grains are deficient in methionine, an essential amino acid required for proper growth and development. Synthetic methionine has been used in animal feed, which is costlier and leads to adverse health effects on end-users. Bio-fortification of maize for methionine is, therefore, the most sustainable and environmental friendly approach. The zein proteins are responsible for methionine deposition in the form of d-zein, which are major seed storage proteins of maize kernel. The present review summarizes various aspects of methionine including its importance and requirement for different subjects, its role in animal growth
and performance, regulation of methionine content in maize and its utilization in human food. This review gives insight into improvement strategies including the selection of natural high-methionine mutants, molecular modulation of maize seed storage proteins and target key enzymes for sulphur metabolism and its flux towards the methionine synthesis, expression of synthetic genes, modifying gene codon and promoters employing genetic engineering approaches to enhance its expression. The compiled information on methionine and essential amino acids linked Quantitative Trait Loci in maize and orthologs cereals will give insight into the hotspot-linked genomic regions across the diverse range of maize germplasm through meta-QTL studies. The detailed information about candidate genes will provide the opportunity to target specific regions for gene
editing to enhance methionine content in maize. Overall, this review will be helpful for researchers to design appropriate strategies to develop highmethionine maizeNot Availabl
An overview of the current fodder Scenario and the Potential for Improving Fodder Productivity through Genetic Interventions in India
No full textNot AvailableFodder crops are cultivated to feed livestock in the form of forage, silage and hay. The total area under cultivated fodders in India is 8.4 mha on individual crop basis. India is maintaining about 15% of total livestock population of the world in 2.29% of the global land area. At present, the country faces a net deficit of 35.6% green fodder, 10.95% dry crop residues and 44% concentrate feeds. The deficit may further rise due to consistent growth of livestock population at the rate of 1.23% in near future. It is, therefore, imperative that forage production and its quality must be augmented to improve productivity of livestock. The expansion of fodder cultivation area seems to be very low and fodder yields have touched plateau in most of forage crops. Even then, there is a great scope to enhance the forage productivity through crop improvement activities focused on development of dual type grain and fodder crop varieties, stay green maize/sorghum varieties and application of biotechnological tools to evolve genetically engineered improved varieties which are tolerant to abiotic and biotic stresses. Forage crop improvement also needs to be focused on understanding of species relationships, genome structure and chromosomal constitution, extent of gene exchange/recombination, putative parentage and nature of polyploidy along with normal breeding programs.Not Availabl
Heat-tolerant maize for rainfed hot, dry environments in the lowland tropics: From breeding to improved seed delivery
No full textNot AvailableClimate change-induced heat stress combines two challenges: high day- and nighttime temperatures, and physiological water deficit due to demand-side drought caused by increase in vapor-pressure deficit. It is one of the major factors in low productivity of maize in rainfed stress-prone environments in South Asia, affecting a large population of smallholder farmers who depend on maize for their sustenance and livelihoods. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) maize program in Asia, in partnership with public-sector maize research institutes and private-sector seed companies in South Asian countries, is implementing an intensive initiative for developing and deploying heat-tolerant maize that combines high yield potential with resilience to heat and drought stresses. With the integration of novel breeding tools and methods, including genomics-assisted breeding, doubled haploidy, field-based precision phenotyping, and trait-based selection, new maize germplasm with increased tolerance to heat stress is being developed for the South Asian tropics. Over a decade of concerted effort has resulted in the successful development and release of 20 high-yielding heat-tolerant maize hybrids in CIMMYT genetic backgrounds. Via public–private partnerships, eight hybrids are presently being deployed on over 50,000 ha in South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan.Not Availabl