821 research outputs found
Sort by
Effect of nitrogen and potassium inputs on cabbage (Brassica oleracea var.capitata) production and profitability in the terai region of West Bengal
Full text linkA two years field experiment was conducted during the rabi seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21 in factorial randomized design with three replications, consisting five levels of nitrogen (kg/ha) (75, 100, 125, 150 and 175) and four levels of potassium (kg/ha) (50, 75, 100 and 125) encompassing twenty treatments combination. The pooled analysis revealed that different doses nitrogen and potassium significantly influenced vegetative growth, yield and quality of cabbage. The combined application of nitrogen (175 kg/ha) + potassium (125 kg/ha) recorded the maximum plant height, stem diameter, head width, head weight, yield per plots and yield per hectare. From the economic analysis, the combined application of nitrogen (175 kg/ha) + potassium (125 kg/ha), and nitrogen (175 kg/ha) and potassium (100 kg/ha) recorded highest B:C ratio (1.95). From the above findings, it can be suggest that the combination of nitrogen (175 kg/ha) + potassium (125 kg/ha) will be profitable to the cabbage growers of West Bengal, India
Floral biology and pollen germination studies in China aster [Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees]
Full text linkAn investigation on ‘floral biology and pollen germination in China aster [Callistephus chinensis (L.) Nees.] was carried out during two consecutive years 2020-2022. Results revealed that anthesis was observed in afternoon hours from 2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m. in China aster genotype Arka Aadya, whereas, in Arka Archana, Arka Kamini and Arka Poornima, it was 10:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Among genotypes, anther dehiscence was observed from forenoon till afternoon. Number of ray florets per flower head ranged from 29.53 (Arka Shashank) to 132.37 (Arka Poornima), while, disc florets per flower head ranged from 128.93 (Arka Shashank) to 238.93 (Arka Poornima). Hundred per cent pollen viability was recorded in Arka Aadya, Arka Archana, Arka Kamini, and Arka Shashank. Seed set was ranged from 24.55% (Arka Poornima) to 54.13% (Arka Kamini). Increased stigma receptivity among the genotypes was observed from bud stage to fully expand floret stage and declined in semi expanded tubular disc stage. Among genotypes, maximum pollen germination was observed in Arka Archana (17.67%) followed by Arka Kamini (14.10 %). Among different media, maximum pollen germination ranged from 5.13% (10% sucrose + 15% PEG +BK medium) to 17.07% (10% sucrose + 15% PEG + BK media). Among interaction effect, maximum pollen germination was recorded in 15% sucrose + 30% PEG +BK medium x Arka Kamini (70.50%) followed by 10% sucrose +15% PEG +BK medium x Arka Archana (44.33%) and 10% sucrose +15% PEG +BK medium x Arka Aadya (44.00%)
Incidence of leaf roller, Statherotis leucaspis and tea tortrix, Homona coffearia(Tortricidae: Lepidoptera) on litchi (Litchi chinensis) flowers in India
Full text linkThe litchi leaf roller, Statherotis leucaspis, was reported to attack litchi foliage and the tea tortrix, Homona coffearia, on the bud and foliage of many fruit and plantation crops except litchi in India. The incidence of S. leucaspis and litchi as a new host plant for H. coffearia flowers was observed in two major litchi-growing states (Bihar and Jharkhand) of India during 2021 and 2022. A description of the species, their population dynamics and correlations with weather parameters is presented. Larvae of S. leucaspis and H. coffearia feed in inflorescences through webbing and feeding inside silken webs and tunnelling into immature fruits. The number of webs per inflorescence ranged from 1.58 to 2.05 at flowering to fruit setting phenophase of litchi during 2021 and 2022, respectively. During 2022, the percentage of panicle damage in experimental farms varied from 1.9 to 34.2% and 2.8 to 37.7% in farmers’ fields of Muzaffarpur, Bihar by S. leucaspis. The correlation analyses showed a significant positive correlation (p<0.05) with rainfall for the incidence of H. coffearia, and with temperature for the incidence of S. leucaspis. The studies suggest an urgent need to develop effective and pollinator-friendly management strategies against these additional flower feeder insect pests in litchi
Antioxidant profiling in bael (Aegle marmelos Correa.) genotypes
Full text linkThe present investigation was undertaken to characterize the non-enzymatic and enzymatic antioxidant activities among 18 bael genotypes. Amongst the bael genotypes, highest marmelosin was observed in ‘Pant Bael-1’, at par with ‘Pant Bael-15’ and ‘Pant Bael-14’. The maximum enzymatic antioxidant activity of SOD and CAT was obtained in ‘Pant Shivani’, while, maximum POD enzyme activity was recorded in ‘Pant Bael-1’. The maximum DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed from ‘Pant Shivani’. The correlation study showedpositive correlation of non-enzymatic antioxidant content and enzymatic antioxidant activity with DPPH free radical scavenging activity (%). Principal component analysis revealed that out of nine principal components axis, four had eigen values greater than one and all together account for 77.22 of the total variability
Effect of bio-stimulant on production and quality ofthe kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) cv. Allison
Full text linkAlthough growing in popularity in developed countries, organic kiwifruit production still has several operational challenges, including limited availability of organic growth regulators, organic nutritional inputs, and organic insecticides. In this research, eleven treatments viz., T1: water spray (control), T2: 5% KA sap (Kappaphycus alvarezii), T3: 10% KA sap, T4: 5% GE sap (Gracilaria edulis), T5: 10% GE sap, T6: 5% AN sap (Ascophyllum nodosum), T7: 10% AN sap, T8: 5% vermiwash, T9: 10% vermiwash, T10: 5% humic acid and T11: 10% humic acid were used as foliar spray to study their effects on production and quality of kiwifruit cv. Alison, during 2020 to 2023. Results revealed that treatment T8, T2 and T6 were found to be best for improving growth attributes, while, treatment T2, T11, T8 and T5 for fruit quality attributes of kiwifruit cv. Allison. For antioxidant content, T8 was best for DPPH assay and T10 for ABTS assay. Therefore, it can be concluded that application of biostimulants like seaweed extracts and humic acids can be one of the options for increasing the quality and yield of organic kiwifruit production
Exploration and evaluation of root-associated endophytes against Meloidogyne incognita infecting tomato
Full text linkThe fungal endophytes play a key role in habitat adaptation of plants resulting in enhanced plant performance and withstand against biotic and abiotic stresses in the environment. The present study was conducted to isolate root-associated fungal endophytes from cultivated crops and evaluated for their efficacy against Meloidogyne incognita infecting tomato plants. Total 262 fungal root endophytes were isolated from 14 cultivated crops and classified and also grouped into 4 genera (Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Fusarium sp., Trichoderma sp.) based on morphological structure. The colonization rate of these isolates ranged from 0 to 100%; Shannon’s index (H) is 0 to 1.37; Simpson (1-D) is 0 to 0.74 and Dominance (D) is 0.4 to 1. Antagonism evaluation of fungal endophytic isolates on M. incognita revealed that 5 isolates caused 100 per cent juveniles (J2) mortality, 14 isolates caused mortality in the range of 90-99 per cent, 12 isolates caused 75- 89 per cent mortality, and remaining 26 isolates caused <75 percent J2 mortality. The isolates that caused 100 per cent J2s mortality were molecularly characterized based on ITS-1 and ITS-2 gene nucleotide sequences and identified as Aspergillus flavipes, Penicillium murcianum, Fusarium oxysporum, Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma viride. Thesefungal root endophytic isolates possessed plant growth promotion traits, effectively parasitized the eggs of M. incognita and significantly reduced the infection in tomato
Influence of potting medium, pot type and growing structure on vertical farming of Dendrobium orchid cv. Emma White
Full text linkVertical farming is emerging as a sustainable and innovative approach for cultivating high-value crops like Dendrobium orchids. The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of potting medium, pot type and growing structure on growth and flowering of Dendrobium cv. Emma White, during 2022-2024. Plants cultivated on vertical frames with potting medium comprising coconut husk, charcoal and tile bits (1:1:1 v/v) in netted pots exhibited the highest pseudo bulb count (4.40), pseudo bulb length (23.35 cm) and internodal length (5.25 cm). However, plants grown in charcoal medium in netted pots on vertical frames recorded maximum number (5.18), length (13.78 cm), width (4.94 cm) and area (55.99 cm2) of leaf as well as enhanced flowering attributes, such as the earliest spike initiation (175.33 days), maximum spikes plant-1 (8.88), florets spike-1 (7.67), spike length (49.38 cm), floret diameter (6.30 cm), spike longevity on plant (62.33 days) and vase life (42.00 days). In contrast, plants cultivated on horizontal benches in 6-inch pots using tile bit and potting medium exhibited the lowest vegetative and flowering performance. Pearson correlation results indicated positive correlation of incident PAR (79.30%) with spike production. The findings underscore that orchid cultivation in charcoal medium in netted pots on vertical frames registered higher production of flower spikes with a favourable cost benefit ratio of 3.77. Vertical farming of Dendrobium orchids can thus ensure higher productivity and enhanced income from unit area compared to conventional horizontal farming
In silico mining of banana circular RNAs in response to biotic andabiotic stress: Classification and their distribution on genome
Full text linkBanana (Musa spp.) is highly susceptible to a range of abiotic and biotic stresses, leading to significant reductions in yield and productivity. Recent advances in molecular biology have highlighted the critical roles of non-coding RNAs in the regulation of gene expression and stress adaptation in plants. Among these, circular RNAs (circRNAs)—a class of covalently closed, stable RNA molecules—have emerged as important regulators of diverse biological processes, including plant stress responses. In the present study, circRNAs were systematically identified from transcriptome datasets of Musa acuminata subjected to various abiotic (cold, salt, osmotic and drought) and biotic (Mycosphaerella sp. and Fusarium sp.) stress conditions. A total of 1,114 circRNAs were identified under abiotic stress and 497 circRNAs under biotic stress. Notably, a high proportion of these circRNAs originated from intergenic regions, accounting for 80.7% (900) and 90.74% (451) of total circRNAs under abiotic and biotic stress, respectively. Chromosomal distribution analysis of abiotic and biotic circRNAs showed statistically significant variation across the 11 chromosomes of banana as determined by the Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K–S) test (0.75). These findings provide a foundational resource for understanding the landscape of stress-responsive circRNAs in banana. Further functional characterization and validation studiesare warranted to elucidate their precise regulatory roles in stress tolerance mechanisms
Optimizing the juice formulation for a pomegranate based functional beverageusing D-optimal mixture design of response surface methodology
Full text linkMixed beverages are prepared by the addition of two or more juices having a pleasant taste and dominant flavor. The optimization of level of pomegranate juice with lime and ginger juice for development of functional beverages was performed using D-optimal mixture design of response surface methodology. The levels of three independent factors were considered as pomegranate juice (70-85%), lime juice (10-20%) and ginger juice (5-10%). The different responses were considered for experiment as physicochemical (color value, total anthocyanin, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid) and sensory (hedonic score and overall acceptability) properties. The optimization was applied to the selected range of the variables and responses. The selected optimized solution with maximum desirability (0.977) for independent factors were prepared and further evaluated for validating predicted values. Based on the validation experiments, functional beverage containing 85% pomegranate juice, 10% lime juice and 05% ginger juice was found acceptable which provides total phenolics (236.2 mg/L GAE), anthocyanin (4.61 mg/100 mL AAE), ascorbic acid (1.80 mg/100 g); and having antioxidant activity (7.54 mg/100 mL) on wet basis. When the developed RTS compared nutritionally and organoleptically with RTS drink from pomegranate juice (control) showed 40% increase in antioxidant activity, 20% increase in ascorbic acid, 5% decrease in calorific value and higher hedonic score as well as score for overall acceptability. Furthermore, this blended RTS drink could be safe to consume or stored for the period of 90 days at low temperature (5oC)
Documentation and taxonomic studies of Lepidopteran fruit borers infestingLitchi in Nagaland, India, with a new distributional record for the country
Full text linkAn extensive roving survey was conducted across Nagaland to document the insect-infesting litchi fruits during 2021-2023. During the survey, a total of five identified species, namely Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée,1854), Conopomorpha sinensis Bradley, 1986, Cryptophlebia ombrodelta (Lower, 1898), Deudorix epijarbus (Moore, 1857) and Thaumatotibia zophophanes (Turner, 1946) were recorded. Notably, the species T. zophophanes was a new record from India, while, C. ombrodelta and D. epijarbus were new distribution records from Nagaland state of India. Furthermore, all five species have been described with quality images. In addition, damage symptoms of each species, along with larvae, have been given. The article provides fundamental information that would enable quick identification and formulating species-specific pest management strategies