Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Colony collapse disorder: A peril to apiculture
Get PDFApiculture has become a profitable profession due to the high economic importance of honey and various beehive products. Honeybees are tiny social insects that perform a crucial function in the agricultural field and are necessary for good yields. Honeybees are the biological indicators of environmental health. Unforeseen rapid decrease in honeybee numbers characterized by the departure of honeybees from the colonies and accompanied by the total absence of any dead bees in the hive surrounding and inside it suggests a condition called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). Pesticides, pathogens, and other ecological stresses such as nutritional deficiency may add to bee extinction or CCD. Besides this, the exposure to low-level radiofrequency and microwave radiations from mobile phones also have profound undesirable effects on honeybees. Research has shown changes in biology and behaviour which includes some undesirable changes in the biomolecules concentration in honeybees because of radiation exposure. Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic field (ELF- EMF ) also affects honeybee`s immune system and navigation activities. The radiation induces emotional disturbance and genetic disorders in brood which attributes to a decline in the breeding efficiency of bees. The present review is an attempt to compile the causes of CCD and discuss the management practices to be followed by the beekeepers to avoid the devastating loss to them and the planet Earth
Diversity of freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) in the Subansiri River basin of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, northeast India
Get PDFCrabs are significant invertebrates in the Subansiri River basin, one of the major sub-basins of the Brahmaputra valley in northeast India. They have immense ecological and economic value and provide an alternative source of income for the local inhabitants. Following thirteen sites in the Subansiri River basin were surveyed to determine the availability and diversity of crab species in this region: Hatinala, Kalma river, Dikrong river, Senki river, Poma river, Harmuti, Ranganadi river dam site, Diju stream, Lower Subansiri river, Downstream Ranganadi, Pani gaon wetlands, Bosa gaon beel, and Bhelamora beel. Crab samples were collected using a random sampling method and identified using standard taxonomic keys. Seven species from two families were identified and distinguished by their morphology and habitat preferences: Sartoriana spinigera, Sartoriana trilobata, Maydelliathelphusa lugubris, Maydelliathelphusa harpax, Liotelphusa laevis (Gecarcinucidae) Lobothelphusa woodmasoni, and Acanthopotamon horai (Potamidae). These crabs are thought to be endemic to the Eastern Himalayan region due to their limited dispersibility. This is the first study aimed at contributing to the documentation and conservation of freshwater crabs in North East India. Additionally, the economic relevance of freshwater crabs is highlighted
A comparative study of effective microorganisms (EM) and biocompost in the decomposition of coconut waste material
Get PDFLignocellulosic waste materials are recalcitrant in nature due to their interconnected complex polymer. Hence, composting of this type of lignocellulosic waste material is time consuming. This study aimed to compare the efficiency of effective microorganisms (EM) and biocompost in enhancing the decomposition of coconut waste.. A windrow heap of 3 x 2 x 1.5 m was prepared with alternate layers of coconut waste and cow dung. Two percent of effective microorganisms and biocompost were augment in each heap and the changes in the nutrient status of the compost across different composting time periods (15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 days) were studied. It was observed that augmentation of both effective microorganisms and biocompost significantly reduced the organic carbon, while the total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium increased on successive days of composting. At the end of study period, application of effective microoganisms (EM) reduced the organic carbon by 30.97%; and recorded the highest total nitrogen (1.20±0.024%), phosphorus (0.21±0.003%) and potassium (1.21±0.016%) content. Furthermore, augmenting effective microorganisms was highly effective, and the compost maturity was attained on the 60th day with a CN ratio of 17.8:1. The compost maturity test also validated that the effective microorganisms were more effective than biocompost in improving the rate of degradation of coconut waste and in producing mature compost of good quality
Android application development for identifying maize infested with fall armyworms with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Integrated proposed pest management (TNAU IPM) capsules
Get PDFSeveral pests and diseases wreak havoc on maize crops worldwide. Novel and rapid methods for detecting pests and diseases in real-time will make monitoring them and designing effective management measures easier. In the recent past, maize has been imperilled by fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda), which have caused substantial yield losses in maize. This study aimed to create an Android mobile application via DCNN (Deep Convolutional Neural Network)-based AI pest detection system for maize producers. Everyone benefits from the deployment of these CNN models on mobile phones, especially farmers and agricultural extension professionals because it makes them more accessible. Automatic diagnosis of plant pest infestations from captured images through computer vision and artificial intelligence research is feasible for technological advancements. Therefore, early detection of maize fall armyworm (FAW) infestation and providing relevant recommendations in maize could result in intensified maize crop yields. . An Android mobile application was created to identify fall armyworm infection in maize and included the recommendations given by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University proposed Integrated Pest Management (TNAU IPM ) capsules in the mobile app on as to how to deal with such a problem. Digital and novel technology was chosen to address these issues in maize. Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) and transfer learning have recently moved into the realm of just-in-time crop pest infestation detection, following their successful use in a variety of fields. The algorithm accurately detects FAW (S. frugiperda) infected areas on maize with 98.47% training accuracy and 93.47% validation accuracy
Effect of antibiotic materials on rugose spiralling whitefly, Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) oviposition
Get PDFThe rugose spiralling whitefly is an invasive sucking pest on horticultural crops found in India. Elimination of endomicrobial communities harboured in hosts through antibiotic treatments adversely affects the fitness parameters of rugose spiralling whitefly. Keeping this in view, the present study aimed to evaluate the ovicidal action of antibiotics against rugose spiralling whiteflies reared on four host plants. Antibiotics with varied modes of action were erythromycin, ciprofloxacin, carbenicillin and cefotaxime and were applied to coconut, banana, sapota and guava leaves for whitefly oviposition. Antibiotic treatment, carbenicillin 100 μg/mL + ciprofloxazin 5 μg/mL significantly (p<0.05) reduced the oviposition and % egg hatchability of whiteflies reared in coconut (13 eggs/spiral and 61.54%), banana (15 eggs/spiral and 60.00%), sapota (15 eggs/spiral and 66.67%) and guava (16 eggs/spiral and 56.25%). The reduction in the number of eggs per spiral and hatchability percentage proved that antibiotic treatments significantly (P<0.05) reduced rugose spiralling whitefly fecundity. Antibiotic material affects the fitness parameters of whitefly by disrupting the endomicrobial communities associated with whitefly. Antibacterial materials have a potential plant protection role in the management of whiteflies by reducing population growth
Volatile organic compound analysis as advanced technology to detect seed quality in groundnut
Get PDFAn experiment was conducted to profiling the volatile organic compounds emitted from groundnut seeds during storage and also to assess the volatiles emission level during seed deterioration. Volatile organic compounds profiling of stored groundnut seeds was done through GC-MS at monthly intervals. The results showed that several volatile compounds were released from stored groundnut seeds and all the compounds are falling into eight major groups viz., alcohols, aldehydes, acids, esters, alkanes, alkenes, ketones and ethers. The study clearly demonstrated the influence of volatile organic compounds emission level on physiological and biochemical properties during storage. There was a significant decrease in physiological and biochemical quality attributes noted due to an increase in the strength of volatiles released during ageing. When the release of total volatile strength reached more than 50%, a significant reduction in physiological attributes such as germination, root and shoot length, dry matter production and vigour index were observed. With respect to biochemical properties, a significant increase in electrical conductivity of seed leachate, lipid peroxidation and lipoxygenase activity, and a decrease in dehydrogenase, catalase and peroxidase activities were observed. However, the highest reduction in all these properties was recorded when the total volatile strength reached 92.72%. The study concluded that the volatiles released during seed deterioration could be considered the signature components for detecting the seed quality during storage
Effects of land-use change on the volume of water flow into the Mun Bon reservoir in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand
Get PDFThe land-use patterns in watershed areas in the Chorakhe Hin Sub-district, Khon Buri District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, have been found to change from forest areas. Different agricultural areas cause variations in the amount of water that flows from the stream into the reservoir, potentially leading to future water shortages. This study was conducted to explore the effects of land-use change on the volume of water flow into the Mun Bon Reservoir, Chorakhe Hin Sub-district, Khon Buri District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. The model analysis techniques, namely Markov’s Chain CLUES and SWAT, were employed to predict the effects of land-use patterns in the area of the upper Mun River on the volume of water flow into the Mun Bon reservoir. According to the predictions obtained based on the land-use models, forest areas may be converted into cassava plantations by 2029. When the comparative effects were considered, the normal volume of water flowing into the Mun Bon reservoir was found to be equivalent to 96 million cubic meter per year. The predicted volume before Christ (A.D.) 2029 is 30 million cubic meter. Accordingly, the water volume in the Mun Bon reservoir would be lower than that derived from the usual land-use patterns
Leaf photosynthesis and yield response of winter green gram (Vigna radiata) to high temperature and elevated CO2 in the soil plant atmosphere research (SPAR)
Get PDFLegumes play an important role in India’s food security, inflation rate and export values. Climate variability might significantly affect the growth, development and yield of legume crops in various regions of the globe. The present study investigated the long episodes effect of high temperature and CO2 and ambient conditions on leaf photosynthesis and yield attributes of green gram (Vigna radiata) using soil plant atmospheric research (SPAR). Green gram was grown under high day temperature (HDT) (day maximum temperature + 3oC) and elevated CO2 (600ppm) (HDT and eCO2), high day and night temperature (HDNT) (day maximum temperature + 3oC) and elevated CO2 (600ppm) (HDNT and eCO2) and ambient conditions. Leaf photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and chlorophyll index were significantly (p=0.05) increased by 25%, 24.1%, 23% and 4.6%, respectively, under HDT and eCO2 from 30 to 45 DAS (days after sowing) in comparison with ambient and HDNT and eCO2. The significant increase in number of flowers shed per plant increased under HDNT and eCO2 by 13% during 45 to 60 DAS. The increase in the number of pods per plant and grain yield per plant under HDT and eCO2 during 45 to 60 DAS by 26.9% and 25.7%, respectively. However, the biomass of the green gram was increased under HDNT and eCO2 during 30 to 45 DAS. These studies indicated a significant increase in leaf photosynthesis and yield of green gram under HDT and eCO2 at flower initiation to pod development stage (30 to 60 DAS) followed by HDNT and eCO2 and ambient condition. Overall study indicated that increasing temperature and CO2 would increase the biomass and yield of the green gram.
Virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation studies to predict the binding of Sisymbrium irio L. derived phytochemicals against Staphylococcus aureus dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR)
Get PDFThe discovery of antibiotics initiated the era of drug innovation and implementation for human and animal health. Very soon, antibiotic resistance started evolving due to over-prescription and heavy usage of drugs leading to deleterious side effects. However, using plant extracts or medicinal plants has emerged as a new approach to dealing with the current problem. One such medicinal plant Sisymbrium irio L. is widely used in Unani therapy as an antimicrobial, analgesic, antipyretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, bronchoprotective etc. The phytochemicals extracted from the aerial part of the plant have been used as a natural compound library and screened against a well-known anti-bacterial drug target Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzyme of Staphylococcus aureus. The top two phytochemicals with lower docking score along with the positive control were subjected to molecular dynamics (MD) simulation studies to examine the stabilities of the complexes over 100 ns, followed by binding free energy estimation. The Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD), Root Mean Square Fluctuation (RMSF) and Radius of Gyration (Rg) yielded established results throughout the MD run. Moreover, the derived phytochemicals exhibited lower binding free energy values than the positive control that can be tested for its in vitro efficacy, followed by further optimization to attain a potent therapeutic against S. aureus. Taken together, the present study suggests two promising phytochemicals derived from the aerial part of the plant S. irio with stable MD simulation results, strong binding affinity and no side effects
A review on distribution, properties, genetic organization, immobilisation and applications of urease
Get PDFUrease, a nickel-containing metalloenzyme is getting remarkable attention due to a diverse range of applications for mankind. Urease plays a magnificent role in various field like agriculture, analytical, geological phenomena, beverage industry and is an important diagnostic tool. Urease is mainly present in bacteria, fungi, plants and invertebrates and its manifestation in specific genera may open new vistas for its taxonomic position. Various qualitative and quantitative assays are also reported for the estimation of urease enzyme. Urease based biosensors utilizing green synthesis on nanoparticles are also trending. Recently developed inhibitors against urease were discussed in the review. Inhibitory mechanisms involving the structural similarity of the substrate through modification or derivatization can also help in rational drug design by two possible competitive ways either by mimicking monodentate urea binding or binding as a tetrahedral intermediate. Immobilisation of urease through gel entrapment, using non-covalent and covalent protein tags, cross linkage, covalent bonding, using composite films, Teflon, co-precipitation and coating on nanoparticles is also reported. This review also comprised of various application of urease including enhancement of fertility in the soil, cell to cell organization, protection to predators, treatment of various bladder related diseases and infections, analysis of urea and heavy metal ions, biocementation, pollution control by bioleaching of heavy metals and making beverages urea and ethyl carbamate free. As researchers have a keen interest in urease enzyme at present, most of its aspects were incorporated in the article to make it helpful to the scientific community for further research related to the development of new inhibitors and add on applications of urease for the upliftment of the human as well as environment.