Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Value-addition of silk using natural dye extracted from Lichen (Evernia cirrhatum)
Get PDFThe natural dyes are used since pre-historic times for colouring the wide varieties of fibres for providing value addition, look and desire of the customer. In this study among the different sources of Lichen, Evernia cirrhatum was used to standardise the dyeing recipe for degummed silk cloth. A series of experiments were conducted to optimize the dyeing variables viz., medium of dye extraction, concentration of dye material, dye extraction time and dyeing time. The dyed fabric was then treated with chemical auxiliaries and fastness test was undertaken. Aqueous medium was used by taking 2 g of E. cirrhatum dye per 100 ml of water with 60 minute extraction time and 60 minute dyeing time was found to be optimum. In case of chemical auxiliaries, 2% of citric acid, 2% of sodium sulphate, 3% of oxalic acid and 4% tartaric acid with simultaneous dyeing method was found as best. It was observed that the dyed silk exhibited good to excellent colour fastness to washing and perspiration, no stain on rubbing and very good for light fastness. The chemical auxiliaries that exhibit best fastness characteristic were sodium sulphate and tartaric acid with fastness grade of good to excellent for washing and perspiration fastness, slight stain to no stain for rubbing fastness and good to very good for light fastness
Understanding the chapatti making attributes of the Indian wheats – II: The rheological basis
Get PDFThe concept of good chapati varies from individual to individual and depends mainly on the rheological properties of the dough used to prepare the chapaties. The research project was largely built around two type of plant meterials, the tall traditional cultivars of the pre-dwarfing era, and three backcross recombinant populations (BC1F5 generation) C 273/PBW 343//PBW 343 (70 lines), C 306/PBW 534//PBW 534 (70 lines) and C 518/PBW 343//PBW 343 (80 lines). Association of traits studied with chapati score in set of cultivars and genetic stocks Starch pasting characteristics showed mild negative correlation with chapati quality, which is again contrasting, to the requirements of bread making. The correlations were not consistent over years possibly due to environmental factor (temperature, rainfall, fertilizer and irrigations etc.) and due to change in the constitution of the set. Similarly mixographic traits showed negative association chapati making quality. The correlations which prevail in the populations carry much greater weight as these have persisted over several rounds of recombination and are likely to reflect under lying causes of superior chapati quality. As various components of chapati quality would be disassembled, the relative levels of correlations for individual traits would be uncovered. Among the starch pasting characteristics, final viscosity and setback were consistently negatively associated with the chapati making quality. In case of the mixographic traits, mixing tolerance index is negatively associated whereas rate of dough development has consistent positive correlation with chapati quality
Nature of crop contents of an amblyceran pigeon louse, Colpocephalum turbinatum (Phthiraptera: Insecta)
Get PDFSelected haemetophagous phthirapterans have been convicted to act as reservoir and transmitter of pathogens among their hosts. Amblyceran Phthiraptera are generally believed to exhibit varying degree of haemetophagy. The microscopic examination of 100 adults (both sexes) and 47 nymphal instars of an amblyceran louse, Colpocephalum turbinatum revealed their non haemetophagous nature as any red content compatible with host blood was not detected in their crops. The crops of the lice were found packed with only feather barbules. On seven instances the pieces of egg chorion and in 20 cases the presence of epidermal tissue were also detected in crop contents. However, the presence of any triturating agent (any structure which can help in grinding the feather contents) was not noticed. SEM studies on the ventral side of the head of the louse do not indicate the presence of any pointed gear which can be used to pierce the skin blood vessels of host. Present study suggests that few amblyceran species of Phthiraptera are not in haemetophagous in nature
Stability factor and heterosis for yield and yield determinants over environments in Indian rapeseed, Brassica rapa var. yellow sarson
Get PDFForty-four yellow sarson hybrids developed by line x testers mating design (3 pistillate lines x 9 male parents) were studied along with parents and a standard check for heterosis of yield determinant characters in two environments [Genetics and Plant Breeding Farm (E1), Kumarganj and CRS, Masodha (E2)]. Significant desired heterobeltiosis ranged from 4.52 to 44.86 per cent in E1 and 13.42 to 62.07 per cent in E2 while, standard heterosis ranged from -6.64 to 23.01 per cent in E1 and -6.30 to 21.85 per cent for seed yield plant-1 . Other characters also showed considerable heterosis over better parent and standard check. The crosses L2 x T1 and L3 x T1 were identified as potential for commercial exploitation of heterosis both for seed yield plant-1 and oil content. High heterotic hybrids in both the environments viz., L8 x T1 and L9 x T1 showed stability in performance for nine characters including seed yield plant-1 where as among parent NDYS-141 showed near unity ratio of stability factor for five characters. L9 x T1 followed by L8 x T1 could be identified as most promising crosses on the basis of stability, per se performance, standard heterosis, high GCA and significant SCA effects
Penicillum oxalicum spg1: A novel entomopathogenic fungus isolated from mummified Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) of cotton
Get PDFWhitefly has assumed the status of a serious pest of cotton in north India in recent past due to its severe attack on cotton crop. The productivity of cotton crop has fallen substantially from 574 kg ha-1 of lint in the year 2014 -15 to 197 kg ha-1 in the year 2015-16 in Punjab. During extensive epidemiological surveillance of whitefly on cotton crop in the month of September 2016, mummified whiteflies with fungus were noticed on both abaxial and adaxial surfaces of leaves of the infested cotton plant at village, Mandi Khurd, Mansa District of Punjab, India and at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bathinda, India. The fungus was isolated and purified from the mummified white fly and characterized at molecular level by sequencing 633 bp D2 region of Large Subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and identified as Penicillium oxalicum spg1. The gene sequence has been submitted to NCBI, USA with accession no. KY214238. The microscopic studies (stereo- and scanning electron) of the cotton leaves with mummified whitefly further strengthen the entomopathogenic potential of P. oxalicum spg1. There are few reports of entomopathogenic potential of P. oxalicum spg1 against other insects and pests. To our knowledge, this is the first report of isolation and identification of P. oxalicum spg1 from mummified white fly. It’s potential as a biocontrol agent against white fly can be exploited in a promising way with nominal interference with biological equilibrium
Effect of harmones on callus induction in Maize (Zea mays L.)
Get PDFCallus induction from explants is a critical process in regeneration, micropropagation and transformation of maize (Zea mays L.) plants. Formation of callus from plant tissues on culture is affected by several factors. This study revealed to establish the effect of genotype, source of explants and auxin concentration on callus induction from five genotypes UMI 757 (G1), UMI 615 (G2), UMI 112 (G3), UMI 285 (G4) and CO 1 (G5) and one hybrid CO H (M) 5 (G6). Callus induction of the six maize varieties was investigated using immature embryos (E1), leaf bits (E2), root tips (E3), hypocotyls (E4) and seeds (E5) as explants with different concentrations of hormones. In this study, immature embryo was taken from 10 to 12 days after pollination (DAP) to get maximum response. The highest percentage of callus induction was observed (99.10) in immature embryo culture and seed culture gave the highest percentage of rhizogenic callus formation when compare to immature embryo. Among the genotypes tested, CO H (M) 5 recorded the highest callus induction percentage on (2D2K2) medium composition
Effect of Indole 3-butyric acid (IBA), rooting media and their interaction on different rooting and growth characteristic of air-layers in guava (Psidium guajava L. cv. L-49)
Get PDFThe present investigation was undertaken to study the effect of different concentrations of Indole 3-butyric acid (0, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 10000 ppm), different types of rooting media (i.e. sphagnum moss, coco peat, vermicompost, sphagnum moss + coco peat and sphagnum moss + coco peat + vermicompost) and the interaction of these in different combinations on rooting and growth characteristic of guava, cv. L-49. The results revealed that the exogenous application of Indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) 8000 ppm with media combination of sphagnum moss + coco peat + vermicompost (I3M5) significantly increased the root characters i.e. success percent of air-layers (83.3 %), callus formation (23.7), number of primary roots (24.21) and secondary roots (32.57); and growth characters i.e. number of leaves (48.17), branches (7.92) and sprouts (8.48) and survival percentages (83.18) over the other treatments and control. Among the rooting media, the combination of sphagnum moss + coco peat + vermicompost (M5) produced the highest rooting percentage (71.27), root characters and growth characters during months of July and August
Development of screening technique for artificial creation of false smut in rice
Get PDFFalse smut (Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke) Takahashi) of rice is an emerging disease and a potential threat to rice growers in different countries due to reduction in yield, quality and production of mycotoxins. Development and cultivation of resistant varieties is desirable approach for its management. Different inoculation techniques viz. spray inoculation, syringe inoculation and dusting method were evaluated for creating artificial epiphytotic conditions in susceptible variety PR116 under natural as well as artificially provided humidity conditions. Spray inoculation method produced more number of smut balls per plant (3.21) and per cent infected panicles (33.44%) followed by syringe inoculation (2.00 and 26.57%, respectively) and dusting method (0.33 and 6.67%, respectively). However, syringe inoculation method produced more spikelet sterility (14.82%) in rice panicles. More disease occurrence was reported in plants provided with artificial humidity after inoculations (51.12% infected panicles) than the plants grown under natural conditions (13.33% infected panicles). Late transplanted crop developed higher disease severity (18.17% infected panicles and 3.34 smut balls/plant) which might be attributed by slight decrease in temperature and increase in relative humidity conditions (up to 88% RH) at time of infection from boot to early flowering stage of the rice crop
A comparative study of Zn and Fe distribution in two contrasting wheat genotypes
Get PDFEffect of zinc and iron interaction on their distribution was examined in two wheat genotypes (UP262 and UP2628) under foliar application of 0, 0.25 and 0.50% ZnSO4 solution tagged with 925 KBq of Zn65 pot-1 for Zn and 0, 0.5 and 1.0% FeSO4 solution tagged with 925 KBq of Fe59 pot-1 for Fe at 30, 60 and 90 days after planting. Maximum grain yield of UP2628 (2.7 g pot-1 ) was recorded at 0.5%ZnSO4+0%FeSO4 while that of UP262 (2.63 g pot-1 ) was recorded at 0.5%ZnSO4+1.0%FeSO4. The highest straw yield of UP2628 (2.75 g pot-1 ) was noted at 0.5% ZnSO4+1.0%FeSO4 while that of UP262 (2.91 g pot-1 ) with 0.5%ZnSO4+0.5%FeSO4. Application of 0.5% and 1.0% FeSO4 reduced the accumulation of 65Zn in all parts of both the varieties. Regarding the 59Fe accumulation, it was found to be decreased with the increased application of ZnSO4 solution from 0.25% and 0.5% as compared to without application of Zn. On comparing translocation efficiencies of both the varieties, UP2628 showed better translocation thus accumulated higher zinc and iron. Therefore, variety UP2628 can be used further for crop improvement programme
Performance of blackgram (Phaseolus mungo L.) cultivars as influenced by row spacings and molybdenum
Get PDFA field trial was conducted to assess the performance of blackgram cultivars to row spacings and molybdenum doses at the Instructional-cum-Research Farm, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalya, Raipur (Chhattisgarh), under rainfed conditions during kharif season of 2011. The treatments comprised of three varieties viz., Indra urd-1, RU-03-16 and RU-03-52; two row spacings viz., 30x10 cm and 45 x 10 cm and three treatments of molybdenum viz., control, 4 g/kg seed and 4 g/kg seed + two spray of urea @ 2%. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with three replications. Results revealed that all the growth and yield attibutes such as number of branches/plant, number of leaves/plant, seeds/plant, seed yield (781 kg/ha), biological yield (2736 kg/ha) and harvest index (29.71%) noticed significantly higher under cultivar Indra urd-1. Similarly, maximum production efficiency (9.52 kg/ha/day), economic efficiency (Rs. 218.82/ha/day) and gross returns (Rs. 32,335/ha) were also recorded in Indra urd-1 as compared to rest of the cultivars. Further results showed that all the growth and yield attributes viz., number of branches/plant, number of leaves/plant, seeds/plant, seed yield (778 kg/ha), biological yield (2653 kg/ha) and harvest index (29.10%) recorded significantly higher in row spacing of 30 x 10 cm as compared to 45 x 10 cm. Maximum production efficiency (9.49 kg/ha/day), economic efficiency (Rs. 216.44/ha/day) and gross returns (Rs. 32,107/ha) were also recorded in 30 x 10 cm. Application of molybdenum @ 4 g/kg seed along with 2% urea spray twice gave highest seed yield (810 kg/ha), biological yield (2698 kg/ha) and harvest index (29.25%) over control and seed treatment with molybdenum @ 4 g/kg. Similarly, application of molybdenum + 2% urea spray twice gave maximum production efficiency (9.88 kg/ha/day), economic efficiency (Rs. 226.49/ha/day) and gross returns (Rs. 33,293/ha)