Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Elucidation of genetic diversity through Multivariate analysis in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) landraces for varietal improvement
Get PDFGenetic diversity plays a crucial role in harnessing the potential of crop genotypes for genetic improvement. It helps to identify, preserve, and utilize diverse landraces effectively. This research aimed to assess the level of genetic diversity and traits enhancing genetic variation among 46 brinjal genotypes (Solanum melongena L.) in preparation for a special breeding programme to utilize the potential landraces. Genetic divergence among 46 genotypes of brinjal for eleven characters was assessed using the D2 method. The studied genotypes were categorized into eight clusters. Cluster I with 15 genotypes was the largest followed by Cluster IV (14 genotypes), Cluster V (7 genotypes), Cluster VII (4 genotypes), Cluster III (3 genotypes), Clusters II, VI, and VIII with one genotype each. The intra-cluster D2 values ranged from 0.00 (Cluster II, VI and VII) to 103.53 (Cluster III). The inter-cluster distances varied from 117.00 to 791.17. Cluster II and Cluster VII had the greatest inter-cluster distance (791.17), followed by Cluster II and VIII (673.41), and Cluster VII and Cluster V had the smallest inter-cluster distance (117.00). Crossing genotypes in clusters with wide inter-cluster distances improves recombinant isolation in segregating generations. The three traits- number of flowers per inflorescence (23.8%), average fruit weight (17.68%) and days to first flowering (16.81%) altogether contribute to 57.8% of the total divergence. The combination of these traits could be useful to produce high-yielding climate resilient varieties from valuable landraces
Influence of distinctive Osmoprotectnats foliar spray in alleviating the harmful effects of water stress at sensitive growth stages of Maize (Zea mays L.)
Get PDFWater availability is becoming a significant concern for crop production worldwide. In light of this, a study was conducted in maize crop to explore the effectiveness of various osmoprotectants including sodium nitroprusside nanoparticles (SNP NP) at a concentration of 90 ppm, melatonin (MEL), at 25 ppm and salicylic acid (SA) at 100 ppm in mitigating the adverse effects of drought, by evaluating their impact on morpho-physiological, biochemical and yield attributes of maize (Zea mays L.). Drought stress was induced by withholding irrigation during both the vegetative and reproductive stages of maize and then drought-stressed plants were foliar sprayed with different osmoprotectants. Results revealed that among the osmoprotectants tested, foliar application of salicylic acid at 100 ppm exhibited the most substantial improvement in morpho-physiological parameters (plant height, stem diameter, leaf number, root length, leaf area index, relative water content, leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid content) as well as biochemical parameteters like proline and soluble protein content increased, and enhanced membrane stability under drought conditions. The use of SA proved outstanding as it led to a remarkable 75% higher biological yield than plants subjected to drought stress. On the other hand, the SA foliar spray was successful, resulting in a 78.8% in grain yield. However, the extent of improvement varied depending on the growth stage at which the osmoprotectants were applied. While the foliar application of osmoprotectants showed promising results during the vegetative phase than the reproductive phase of maize. Nonetheless, the osmoprotectants\u27 foliar spray exhibited a yield advantage by preserving photosynthetic pigments and the maize plants\u27 ability to produce seeds under drought stress
A study on coating of Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose incorporated with a nano-emulsion of Piper betel leaf essential oil to enhance shelf-life and improve postharvest quality of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)
Get PDFEdible coating films derived from essential oils effectively preserve farm produce, especially fruits and vegetables, and the technology is widely prevalent in improving their shelf life. The present study aimed to reduce the post-harvest loss and extend the shelf life of tomatoes using edible coatings based on Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) containing Piper betel leaf essential oil nano-emulsion as an antibacterial and bioactive compound. It also aimed for optimal extraction of essential oils (EO) from Piper betel leaves which contain various medicinal, antimicrobial, and antioxidant compounds such as chavibetol, eugenol, and other compounds. The essential oils were extracted, and nano-emulsion was prepared by a low-energy emulsification method and incorporated into edible HPMC composite to determine whether the edible coatings of the nano-emulsion of Piper betel leaf could delay the changes that lead to deterioration of the fruit. Results showed that the coatings delayed 5 % changes in color, 8% weight loss, titratable acidity, ascorbic acid content, soluble solids concentration, lycopene, and decay percentage, compared to uncoated control fruits. It was inferred that tomatoes that were coated with 15% nano-emulsion containing dipping solution showed a significant increase in the shelf life of tomatoes up to 8 days. Therefore, it is suggested to use HPMC containing the Piper betel oil nano-emulsion as an edible coating, extending the shelf-life of tomato fruits post-harvest
Influence of land preparation on weed dynamics and growth of traditional rice landraces in the diverged location of Tamil Nadu
Get PDFIn recent years, traditional landraces are gaining importance due to its many health benefits. But the main drawback of the traditional rice variety is low productivity with increased water consumption. Therefore different rice establishment methods are to be evaluated. But weed infestation occurs in every establishment method. Hence the present study aimed to study the weed dynamics by evaluating the water-saving technologies compared with puddled transplanting using various landraces. The first field experiment was conducted during Samba (Aug-Sept) 2021 in the wetlands of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The second field experiment was at the Research Station, Melalathur in Tamil Nadu during Navara (Nov-Jan) season 2021. The experiment was laid out in split plot design comprising four establishment methods as main plots viz. Aerobic rice (M1), Puddled transplanting (M2), Unpuddled transplanting (M3), Direct seeded rice (M4) with traditional landraces viz. Karuppu kavuni (V1), Mapillai samba (V2) and Seeraga samba (V3) in sub plots. In this study, weed dynamics like weed density and weed dry weight were recorded along with plant height, leaf area index and total chlorophyll content. Weed density and weed dry weight was 87.82 % and 74.63 % higher in aerobic rice cultivation than puddled transplanting method during all the observations in both experiments. On comparing the land establishment methods, Direct seeded rice performed well with 40.61% of higher plant height, 89.38 % of higher LAI, 38.48 % of increased total chlorophyll content than Aerobic rice cultivation. The landrace mapillai samba showed a significantly (p<0.05) higher plant height of 64.09±7.14 cm, Leaf area index of 2.05±0.992 and total chlorophyll content of 2.56±0.461 mg/g of fresh leaf. Hence this study provides evidence that in the initial stage of rice cultivation, direct seeded rice and the mapillai samba landrace performed well than the other establishment methods and the other two landraces.
Study of the physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of water intended for consumption in the town of Gagal, southwestern Chad
Get PDFThe city of Gagal suffers from insufficient drinking water, and the population turns to surface water, wells and drillings without guarantee of quality. In order to characterize the hydrogeochemical and bacteriological properties of the waters of the aquifer system in the city of Gagal, to contribute to improving its knowledge, field campaigns were undertaken to sample the groundwater.The present study focuses on the hydrogeochemical and bacteriological characterization of drinking water in Gagal, southwestern Chad. The methodology consisted of acquiring existing data, a field campaign, and a chemical and bacteriological analysis of the water in the laboratory. The results of the physicochemical analyses revealed that the values of the parameters such as conductivity, pH (5.23), Ca²⁺ (26.11 mg/L), Mg²⁺(5.14 mg/L), Na⁺(3.54 mg/L), K⁺(1.34 mg/L), HCO3-(81.74 mg/L), Cl-(11.77 mg/L), SO4-(1.94 mg/L), and NO3- (8.70 mg/L) conformed to the WHO potability standards. Piper\u27s diagram showed calcic and magnesian bicarbonate facies represented by 75%; and calcic and magnesian sulfate chloride facies in 25% of the analyzed waters. The bacteriological (Total coliforms (0 to more than 135,200 CFU/100 ml), Escherichia coli (0 and 14,400 CFU/100 ml), faecal enterococci (0 and 4600 CFU/100 ml)) study confirmed that the water from the wells and boreholes showed pollution of bacterial origin. Using these waters may endanger the populations with the risks of hydric diseases
Microsatellite markers for crop improvement: A review: Role of microsatellite markers
No full textMicrosatellites or simple sequence repeats (SSRs) markers are a helpful strategy among the various molecular marker techniques for strengthening molecular breeding programs. These are useful markers for genotyping plant populations with tandem repeats of 2-6 base pair length DNA patterns. The expansion of various molecular markers and advances in sequencing technologies has aided crop improvement. Several articles for research scholars with progressive knowledge of molecular genetics have been published in the last three decades to probe the information regarding molecular markers. This article reviews novel advances regarding molecular markers and their implementations in plant breeding for researchers with no expertise in using molecular markers in plant breeding. A superior comprehension of molecular markers, and a better consciousness of the spectrum of crops that can be grown, has resulted from progress in molecular plant breeding, genetics, genomic selection, and genome rectification. Further-generation sequence technology must enable the production of novel genetic markers for multifaceted and amorphous groups through genotyping-by-sequencing and union mapping. The review also discusses almost all the microsatellite markers and their advantages and disadvantages.
Synthesis and characterization of Nano sulphur: Exploring its potential as slow release fertilizer
Get PDFSulphur is rapidly being recognized as the fourth key nutrient for plants after nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. It functions in several critical metabolic and physiological processes, such as Chlorophyll synthesis, Protein synthesis, Activation of enzymes, Stress tolerance and Seed production. In this background, an attempt was made to synthesize nano sulphur fertilizers for slow release using the reverse microemulsion (water-in-oil microemulsion) technique. Cyclohexane was used as oil phase. Tween-80 and ethanol were used as surfactant and co-surfactant, respectively. Hydrochloric acid and sodium polysulfide solution acted as an aqueous phase. This technique resulted in the successful synthesis of nano sulphur fertilizer. The sulphur nano fertilizer was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The XRD pattern revealed the orthorhombic nature of nano sulphur and the lattice face-centred. The FTIR spectra at 1406 cm-1 confirmed the sulphur vibrations. The microemulsion method yielded stable, uniform, spherical nano sulphur particles with dimensions ranging from 25 to 47 nm. The thermal disintegration between 117°C to 122°C in TGA graph was attributed to the sublimation of sulphur in orthorhombic crystalline form, indicating the successful synthesis of nano sulphur. A laboratory study on nano sulphur fertilizer and conventional sulphur fertilizer was studied with a Percolator reaction system to evaluate the slow release of sulphur from both fertilizers at ambient temperature. Percolation reactor experiment indicated that sulphate release from nano sulphur was longer for 42 days than gypsum amended soil which exhausted within 35 days. Hence, synthesized nano sulphur fertilizer maximizes nutrient retention, eliminates environmental nutrient loses and decreases fertilizer requirements
Nanoparticles Titanium Dioxide with Thymus vulgaris extract in preservation and prolong the shelf life of cheese
Get PDFCheese is considered a perishable food that is affected by microorganisms, and due to the properties of nanomaterials that have antimicrobial activity, they have been used synergistically with plant extracts in inhibiting the action of microorganisms that cause cheese spoilage. In this study, TiO2 (Titanium dioxide) nanoparticles were synthesized using Thymus vulgaris leaves extract (TVLE) . Atomic Force Microscopywas used to investigate Titanium dioxide/ TVLE nanoparticles characterize, which improved the regular spherical shape and granular distribution of nanoparticles with a particle size of 13 nm . The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Titanium dioxide was at a concentration of 4 mg/ml and 80 mg/ml for TVLE, while it was 2 + 20 mg /ml for Titanium dioxide and TVLE .The inhibitory effect increased against Brucella melitensis recorded 12 mm when mixing Titanium dioxide and TVLE, compared with the inhibitory effect of Titanium dioxide, which recorded 10.5 mm and TVLE, with an inhibition diameter 8.1 mm. The effect of using titanium particles and thyme leaves’ extract was studied alone at a concentration of 4 mg/ml and 80 mg/ml and also when mixed in the microbial properties and pH of white soft cheese samples, which were prepared in the laboratory and contaminated with Brucella melitensis at refrigerated storage conditions (5Cº) for 21days. The effect of the synergism relationship between TiO2 / TVLE significantly reduced the total number of microorganisms in samples contaminated and uncontaminated with B. melitensis. Adding titanium dioxide and TVLE at concentrations of 4 and 80 mg/ml contributed significantly to maintaining the pH level during the storage period compared with the control group
Inter-annual variation of the mean temperature and rainfall in Chad and the solar activity during the period from 1950 to 2020
Get PDFGiven the increased variability of rainfall, the resurgence of extreme meteorological phenomena such as droughts, floods, heat waves, and violent winds and considering the influence of solar activity on certain meteorological parameters, a study on the variation of temperature and rainfall in relation to solar activity is necessary. The present study aimed to analyze the inter-annual evolution of meteorological parameters (mean temperature and rainfall) in Chad over the period from 1950 to 2020 in two geographically distinct areas (Sudanian and Sahelian zone) and then to establish a link between these parameters and solar activity to predict the variations of these two parameters over time. The rainfall results showed that the wettest years were 1959 in N\u27Djamena and 1951 in Moundou. On the other hand, the driest years recorded were 1984 in N\u27Djamena and 1998 in Moundou. The study of the mean temperature in these two areas during the same period led to the conclusion that the hottest year was 2010 in N\u27Djamena; however, in Moundou the hottest year recorded was 1997. Globally, in the two zones concerned, analysis of the results on variations in rainfall showed a downward trend. However, the study of average temperature showed a steady rise over the same period. The superposition of rainfall and mean temperature with the sunspot numbers Rz led to the conclusion that high sunspot activity increases temperature and thus warming, while low sunspot activity brings high precipitation.
Variations in functional leaf traits of trees and shrubs in the semi-arid regions of Haryana, India
Get PDFThe concept of functional diversity is critical in the field of forest ecology as it helps determine trends in community structure and worldwide change by examining variations in functional traits among plants. Functional traits like leaf traits, stem traits, root traits etc., are characteristics of a species that incorporate its ecological and evolutionary history and can be used to predict both its response and impact on ecosystem function. During the present study, six functional leaf traits viz., leaf size (LS), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), leaf phosphorus content (LPC), and leaf nitrogen to phosphorus ratio (N:P) were evaluated for a variety of trees and shrubs in the forests of semi-arid regions of Haryana, India i.e., Site I-Dulana (Mahendergarh), Site II-Kheri Batter (Charkhi Dadri) and Site III-Asalwas Dubia (Bhiwani). Functional leaf trait values showed a significant variation. LS was reported to be positively correlated with SLA(0.39) and N:P(0.11) while negatively correlated with LDMC(-0.26) LNC(-0.29) and LPC(-0.16). The selected plant species displayed a negative but weak correlation between SLA and LNC(-0.05) whilst a strong positive correlation between Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P)(0.36). All three Sites had the value of N:P ranging from 12.58 to 65.69, thus exhibiting P limitation. The present study advances the field of functional ecology in Haryana\u27s tropical dry forests significantly. This is also crucial to forecast community formation trends and characterize the contributions of different species to ecological processes