Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Participatory rural appraisal and farmers’ perception about common bean varieties in temperate Kashmir
Get PDFPresent investigation was undertaken during 2012 to 2014 in which 54 genotypes, both pole and bush type of Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were selected among a number of germplasm lines, land races and research material in order to generate information on the farmer’s’ perception about the Common bean varieties. Participatory rural appraisal was conducted in 32 villages of Kashmir through a broad questionnaires comprising of questions pertaining to the socio-economic conditions, farming systems, production constraints and varietal preferences of the common bean. The Participatory Rural Appraisal results revealed that common bean is generally grown as a rainfed crop (70 %) and is intercropped with maize/ potato/vegetable and merely as sole crop (20.66 %). Low yielding varieties and diseases (68.27 %) are considered as major challenges in the success of common bean crop, while as red colour with kidney shaped types (50 %) are highly being preferred as a pulse crop. The exercise of Participatory Rural Appraisal was carried out to generate basic information by assessing the need based constraints and devise the target breeding approach, by taking into consideration all constraints and also devise future breeding programme. A successful PRA provides the information needed to specify the characteristic in a new variety regarding its physical environment and the existing varietal diversity. For a breeding program, well applied Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques or customer profiling results in better client orientation and makes possible efficient goal setting or product design. Successful PRA provides everything that could be included in the full design specification of a new crop variety
An improved foolproof device for eggs’ sterilization of Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton)
Get PDFMass rearing of numerous biological control agents depends on large amounts of eggs of factitious hosts like rice meal moth, Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton) (Lepidoptera : Pyralidae). Corcyra eggs sterilization is required before they are used for parasitisation by Trichogrammatids. To meet the requirement of eggs sterilization of this insect, a new innovative device was invented, fabricated and studied. It consisted of an enclosed structure having semi-circular shaped drawer. An ultra violet (UV) tube of 30 W is fixed on the centre of its ceiling to maintain a uniform distance of 35 cm from the eggs to be sterilized. An exposure of 10 minutes to eggs of C. cephalonica was required to get optimum sterilization. As whole body of the device was an enclosed structure, hence, there was no exposure of UV rays to the laboratory workers. The different sized-models (150,100, 50 of “egg cards” required for Trichogrammatids) can be fabricated to meet the diverse requirements. Irradiated eggs were found having no any adverse effects on the abilities of Trichogrammatids parasitisation and its emergence. It can also used for UV sterilization of laboratory materials like glassware, plastic ware, clothes, cotton etc. The period of exposure to the UV light was set using timer. This innovative UV chamber had numerous advantages i.e., the UV rays used had damaged the host embryo. The damaged embryo could not develop into next stage, at the same time damaged embryo found suitable for parasitization of Trichogrammatids. The whole body of the device was made-up of an enclosed struc-ture; hence, there was no exposure of UV rays to the laboratory workers. The different sized-models (150,100, 50 of “egg cards” required for Trichogrammatids) can be fabricated to meet the diverse requirements of clients. As the UV chamber was made up of metal and ply boards, hence, it was durable. The longitudinal flanges provided in the drawer of the device prevented the host egg bearing cards to glide one over other from curved surface. The device was found safe and effective for sterilization of Corcyra eggs and easy to operate
Insecticidal effects of aqueous extracts of wild pomegranate peel and seed (Punica granatum L.) against rose aphids, Macrosiphum rosaeformis
Get PDFEfficacy of wild pomegranate (Punica granatum Linn.) fruit peel and seeds aqueous extract was evaluated for the control of common insect pests aphids (Macrosiphum rosaeformis) and for its influence on useful non-target predators viz., Coccinella septempunctata. Lethal doses of daru peel and seed suggested these became more toxic to aphids after 24 hr of exposure. A significant difference was obtained in percentage aphids reached to untreated leaves over peel extract treated leaves (23:57 and 23:77) and seed extract treated leaves (7:80 and 17:80) at 90 and 180 min time intervals in food choice assays. No significant effect was observed against Coccinella. LC50 values of daru peel and seed extracts along with mixture of three flavonoids (Kaempferol, Quercetin and Myricetin) were assessed at 48 hr values were 34.9, 4.7 and 0.6 mg/ml and at 72 hr these were 16.1, 0.000001 and 0.00001 mg/ml, respectively. In both the cases field bioassays showed affectivity till 7 DAT. Field data indicated that only X1(1 mg/ml) and X2 (0.1 mg/ml) concentrations of mixture were effective till 11 days after treatment. These are the first reports of the toxic effect of wild pomegranate (daru) fruit peel aqueous extract against M. rosaeformis, hence the study suggests possible usage of Punica granatum peel for the control of rose aphids
System of wheat intensification (SWI) – A new approach for increasing wheat yield in small holder farming system
Get PDFGiven the confluence of water scarcity, declining area under wheat and continuing increase in population, raising wheat productivity has become a serious concern to the wheat scientists. Yield contribution from irrigation is more significant in wheat. Increase in the irrigation management levels for wheat is probably more relevant and easier to improve water productivity. But transplanted wheat seems high water requiring and economically less feasible. Seedlings have usually poor survival rate, and are often more fragile than rice seedlings at the two leaves stage. Besides plants do not grow quickly and vigorously, and show a delay in development compared to the direct seeding treatment. All yield parameters are often lower compared to the direct seeding treatment due to transplanting of aged seedlings, greater shock of transplantation, high plant density, improper amount and timing of water deliveries. Therefore, applying SRI (system of rice intensification) practices is expected to have a positive impact on the wheat plants, similar to the impact on rice. SWI is a new concept and goes with the SRI principle. It can reduce weeding time to one-third and to one-half of the time needed for current weeding practice. Herbicide use is effective with SWI, but farmers are inventing or modifying tools that reduce the labour time required for weeding. Thus, SWI is a methodology aimed at increasing the yield of wheat, where all agronomic principles are put into practices to provide high wheat yield per drop of water and per kg of agricultural inputs like fertilizer, seed etc
Chlorophyll and carotenoid content of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) seedlings under heat stress as affected by trehalose application
Get PDFPresently, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents were evaluated under control (25±2°C), heat stress (35±2°C and 40±2°C) and interactive effect of heat stress and trehalose in six wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes (HD2967, PBW175, C306, PBW343, PBW621 and PBW590). Trehalose an osmoprotectant, at concen-tration of 1mM and 1.5mM was applied at 7 days after sowing (DAS) followed by heat stress of 35±2°C (moderate) and 40±2°C (severe) on 8DAS for 4 and8 hours. As chloroplast thylakoid membranes, are highly vulnerable to heat stress, the chlorophyll content decreased with increased temperature stress in all selected genotypes. Heat stress significantly reduced (P< 0.05) the carotenoid content in all genotypes. Severe heat stress (8 hours) more adversely affected these mentioned parameters. The application of Trehalose @ 1.5mM as compared with 1mM concentration was found more effective to ameliorate the adverse effect of heat stress on chlorophyll and carotenoid contents to sustain photosynthetic process
Vermiwash: An effective nutritive boon to foliage and crops
Get PDFEarthworms are often known as soil scientist. They are the main driving force that helps in sustainable production of food. They maintain the soil’s physical, chemical and biological health and act as a bio fertiliser. Their excreta and body fluids (vermiwash) has a significant effect in promoting the growth of the agricultural plants. The shoot length, root length, number of twigs, flowers, fruit, grains and biomass, were increased significantly in all the plants that were treated with this biofertilizer. The analysis of the wash showed the high content of various macro and micro nutrients like Ca, K, P, S, organic carbon, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe etc. It also helps the plants for attainment of maturity and reproduction at faster rate, thus reducing the ‘life-cycle’ of crops and shortening their ‘harvesting time’. So, it can be concluded there is significant increase in vermicompost treated plants as there is reduction in the incidence of ‘pest and disease attack’, and we can now control pests without pesticides’ and ‘now we can have a better taste of chemical-free organic food products
Character association and path analysis for yield and its related traits in finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn) genotypes
Get PDFThe present investigation was conducted during Kharif, 2014 at Research Block, Department of Crop Improvement, College of Forestry, Ranichauri Campus, V.C.S.G. Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry. The thirty-five diverse genotypes of finger millet, Eleusine coracana (L.) including three checks viz., PRM-1, PRM-2 and VL-149 laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design with replication. The data on 14 quantitative traits viz., days to 50 per cent flowering, days to maturity, plant height (cm), flag leaf area (cm2), peduncle length (cm), number of leaves on main culm, number of productive tillers per plant, number of fingers per ear, finger length (cm), ear length (cm), biological yield per plant (g), harvest index (%), 1000 seed weight, grain yield per plant (g) were collect-ed randomly from 5 plants form each genotypes. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among all thirty five genotypes with a wide range of mean values for different characters. Grain yield per plant exhibited very strong positive association with biological yield per plant (0.6196, 0.6805), harvest index (0.4370, 0.3624), number of productive tillers per plant (0.3950, 0.4477), 1000 seed weight (0.3697, 0.3972) and peduncle length (0.2473, 0.2694) at phenotypic and genotypic level. Path-coefficient analysis indentified biological yield per plant (0.8983, 1.1590) and harvest index (0.7390, 0.9162) as major direct contributors towards grain yield per plant at phenotypic and genotypic level. The characters identified above merit due consideration in formulating effective selection strategy in finger millet for developing high yielding varieties
Evaluation of periphyton quantity on different natural substrates in Earthen lined pond
Get PDFExperiments were conducted in outdoor earthen lined pond to study periphyton quantity on three types of natural substrates such as split bamboo pole, coconut coir and coconut shell, which was placed inside the earthen lined pond filled with seawater for duration of 45 days. Observations were made in every 15th day for growth of periphyton both qualitatively and quantitatively on the three natural substrates and physico-chemical properties of selected pond water such as transparency, water temperature, salinity, pH, Dissolved oxygen, Ammonia (NH3-N), Nitrite (NO2-N), Nitrate (NO3-N), BOD and Chlorophyll ‘a’ were recorded during periphyton samplings. The periphy-ton quantity (34562 ± 671 cells / cm2) observed for coconut coir was higher than the split bamboo pole (33104 ± 810 cells / cm2), and coconut shell (21194 ± 872 cells / cm2) in the final day of the experiment. One way ANOVA of the data collected clearly affirmed that significant differences were observed (P < 0.05) in periphyton quantity among the three substrates tested. A total 16 phyto-periphytic microalgae (Bacillariophyceae – 10 types, Dinophyceae – 4 types and Cyanophyceae – 2 types) and 10 Zoo-periphyton (Copepod- 4 types, Meroplankton – 4 types and Tintin-nidae – 2 types) were recorded from these three substrates. Among the different phyto-periphytic microalgae, Bacil-lariophyceae group were found to be more (Split bamboo pole – 72%, Coconut coir – 73% and Coconut shell – 71%) on three substrates studied. Further, coconut coir was found to be best substrate than split bamboo pole and coconut shell, which can be utilized by fin and shellfishes as natural food
Genetic variability studies in response to drought under different water regimes in muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.)
Get PDFA set of 40 genotypes of muskmelon (Cucumis melo L.) were evaluated in a randomized block design with two replications under different water regimes during summer 2012 at the agriculture research station Bee-chwal, Bikaner, Rajasthan, India to study genetic variability among the traits to determine selection criteria for breed-ing programmes for fruit yield and related characters. The results reported that drought stress caused reduction in fruit yield and most of the characters studied. Significant variations for all the characters were found under different water regimes (non-stress, 50% and 25%). High genotypic (GCV) and phenotypic (PCV) coefficient of variations were observed for fruit yield per plant, fruit weight per plant, vine length and proline content in non-stress, 50% and 25% water stress conditions respectively. High estimates of heritability along with high genetic advance as percent-age of mean over the characters was recorded for fruit weight (128.79, 164.05, and 161.15), proline content (42.50, 72.86 and 69.26) and fruit yield per plant (149.61, 186.91 and 184.12) in both the non-stress and stress conditions. This shows that these traits were under the control of additive genetic effects. Therefore, it was concluded that se-lection for these traits should lead rapid genetic improvement of the material
Assessment of genetic diversity in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using RAPD markers
Get PDFThe present study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity of 10 wheat cultivars by Random Amplified Pol-ymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker. The genomic DNA of 10 wheat genotypes were amplified with 10 RAPD primers that produced 53 amplified band, out of which 23 band were polymorphic (43.39%). The number of fragment amplified per primer ranged from 4 to 9. Primer A01 generated maximum number of amplified band, out of which 5 band were polymorphic. Cluster analysis of wheat genotypes were based on UPGMA method. Cluster analysis of 10 wheat genotypes were classified in to two main group; single variety AKW 1071 was placed in first group and rest 9 variety were placed in second group. The pair wise similarity values ranged from 0.58% to 100% and showed that cultivars Raj-3765 and K-7903 were the closest with highest similarity value (100%), while genotypes AKW 1071 and K9006 showed minimum similarity value (62%). The present study indicated the presence of high genetic diversity among wheat cultivars, which could be used for the developing core collection of wheat germplasm for breeding purpose