Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Novel method to manage weeds in the rainfed groundnut (var. VRI 8 and TMV 14) using nano encapsulated herbicide formulations
Get PDFThe groundnut crop harbours heavy weed infestation due to its small stature and slow growing nature. The current weed management practices of hand weeding and use of commercial herbicides are unsuitable because of high labour cost and inadequate moisture availability to activate herbicides. In order to release the herbicide in a smart way, this experiment aimed to study the efficacy of encapsulated herbicides . Field experiments were conducted during Kharif 2021 and late Rabi 2022 under rainfed conditions in randomised block design with three replications. The treatments consisted of sulfentrazone, oxyfluorfen, diclosulam and metolachlor in both commercial and encapsulated form using two doses, hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS, weed free plot and weedy check. Minimum weed density (28.33 and 17.30 No./m2 at 90 DAS during Kharif and late Rabi respectively) and weed dry weight (65.33 and 61.25 g/m2 at 90 DAS during Kharif and late Rabi respectively) were observed in hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS (T19) followed by diclosulam @ 25 g ha-1 with encapsulation (T7). Maximum weed density and weed dry weight was observed in metolachlor @ 1 kg/ha with encapsulation (T8). Higher productivity was observed in hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS (T19) (1802 kg ha-1 and 1753 kg ha-1 pod yield during Kharif and late Rabi respectively) and higher profitability was obtained in diclosulam @ 25 g ha-1 with encapsulation (T7) (1.80 and 2.01 B:C ratio during (Kharif and late Rabi respectively). Nano-encapsulated herbicides can thus significantly improve weed control in rainfed groundnut
Profiling of Bacillus cereus enterotoxigenic genes from retailed foods and detection of the nhe and hbl toxins with immunological assay
Get PDFBacillus cereus produces pore-forming toxins responsible for diarrhoea; therefore, rapidly detecting these toxins in food retailed for consumption is needed. The genomic DNA of 100 B. cereus isolates recovered from some retailed foods was extracted and used as a template for enterotoxin detection. The detection of genes of non-haemolyticnonhemolytic enterotoxin (nheA, nheB, nheC), hemolysin BL (hblA, hblC, hblD), entFM, cytK and bceT by the isolates was carried out with PCR using primers specific for the targeted genes, while the production of Nhe and Hbl enterotoxins in fifty of the randomly chosen isolates was detected with a Duopath Cereus Enterotoxin kit. Ninety-five percent of the isolates carried one or more components of the NHE complex, while 56% had one or more components of HBL. Sixteen out of the 100 isolates carried all the genes for NHE and HBL complex genes. The entFM, cytK and bceT genes were detected in 85%, 74% and 60% of B. cereus isolates, respectively. Starchy foods had the highest incidence of the HBL complex, while nheA and nheC occurred mostly in protein foods with 90% and 87% incidence, respectively. The immunological kit was able to detect the production of nonhemolytic enterotoxin (Nhe) in all the B. cereus isolates, while 28 B. cereus isolates produced hemolysin (hbl). Nineteen isolates that carried one or more genes encoding hbl did not produce the toxin. This study clearly showed that retailed foods sold in Ogun State, Nigeria, harbor B. cereus enterotoxigenic genes responsible for diarrhoea. These toxins can be rapidly detected in foods using both molecular and immunological methods
Nematode diversity and community structure assessment in different vegetations of Jammu division of J & K, India
Get PDFNematodes are critical for soil processes, and changes in nematode community structure have the potential to have a significant impact on ecosystem functioning. As a result, fluctuations in nematode diversity and community structure can be used to ascertain the functional biodiversity of a soil. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different vegetation and soil pH and N on nematode structure and diversity from ten different sites (Jammu, Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar) of the Jammu division. The highest absolute frequency of plant parasitic nematodes (91-100%) was observed in subtropical forests in Ramban, temperate forests in Doda, while the highest absolute frequency of bacterivorous nematodes (84-87%) was observed in crop soil in Reasi and Jammu. Soil pH had a detrimental effect on nematodes; bacteriovores were abundant at low pH, and plant parasitic at higher pH. The total nitrogen content also increased in all nematode trophic groups except omnivores. Ecological indices such as the enrichment index (EI), channel index (CI) and maturity index (MI) values indicated that crop soil with organic management is more nematode-friendly and has a better soil health status than other soil ecosystems. Nematode community structure indices may be helpful as soil monitoring tools and for assessing ecosystem sustainability and biodiversity
Effect of varieties and storage on the quality parameters of nectarine (Prunus persica)-based intermediate moisture food (IMF) products
Get PDFFruits play an important role in maintaining a healthy life. Nectarine is a hybrid fruit of peach and plum, wherein efforts were made to develop intermediate moisture food products (jam and jelly) from nectarine varieties (May Fire, Snow Queen, and Silver King). The study aimed to determine the effect of storage on the nutritional (TSS, pH, acidity, ascorbic acid, and sugars) and sensory parameters (color, taste, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability) of jam and jelly at different storage intervals. Storage had a nonsignificant effect on the total soluble solids, with reported mean values of 69.670 Brix, while the pH content of jam varied significantly from 2.90-2.20 during 6 months of storage. The values for acidity and total sugars increased (P≤0.05) significantly from 1.92-2.03 percent and 57.04 to 56.93 percent, respectively. However, the ascorbic acid content decreased significantly from 4.64 - 1.66 mg/100 g. In the case of jelly, the total soluble solids and pH decreased from 67.78 – 67.440 Brix and 2.70 – 2.48, respectively, during storage for 6 months at ambient temperature. The ascorbic acid content decreased from 4.56-2.10 mg/100 g. Among cultivars, there was a nonsignificant difference in the nutritional parameters of jam, but in the case of jelly, different cultivars had a significant effect on TSS, pH, and ascorbic acid content. Organoleptically, the nectarine jam was rated as ‘liked very much’, while the jelly ‘liked slightly’, with good storage acceptance up to 6 months. Being nectarine as a superfood can be explored to develop speciality food products for vulnerable sections of society
Information and communication technology in agribusiness: A study of mobile applications in perspective of India
Get PDFFederation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in one of its finding in 2019 stated that about 58% Indians are dependent on agriculture and agriculture sector make about 15.96 % of India’s GDP. To get the best agriculture inputs and best harvest price is the big question for Indian farmers; thus, we can say that “Agriculture is the foundation of the Indian economy”. With the origin of Mobile Applications (m-apps) for agriculture and a huge dependency on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in agribusiness, the scenario in rural India has been changing rapidly. Since India’s economy depends mainly on agriculture, there is a lot of potential for Information and Communication Technology and mobile applications for agribusiness and its marketing. With growing smartphones with m-apps penetration in rural India, the agribusiness in rural belts of India is set for extension and further digitalization to revolutionize the agriculture sector. In recent years, nearly all Indian farmers possess a mobile, and 50%are smartphones with internet connections. With Government\u27s new legislative policy changes as the Digital India programme, mobile applications in India\u27s rural belt cannot remain isolated. Digital India will connect rural Indians farmers worldwide through the internet and mobile applications and provide them with all necessary upliftment in agribusiness in India. This study has focused on the ICT and m-applications used in farming today and how they have changed agribusiness by providing a digital platform and with their impact on agribusiness
Lipid yields from oleaginous yeasts isolated from the north Peruvian Andes by culture media non-limiting nitrogen
Get PDFOleochemicals can be obtained from oily yeasts due to their ability to produce a high lipid content. This research aimed to isolate them from the North Peruvian Andes with a lipid content greater than 20%. They were identified by sequencing internal transcribed spacer regions ITS of conserved ribosomal DNA (rDNA), evaluate their growth kinetics, biomass and lipid yields, using culture media with C/N 100:1+xylose (MS-1-7) and 2:1+glucose (MS-2-7). Growth kinetics up to the maximum stationary phase was evaluated using the parameterized Gompertz type II model. Rhodotorula glutinis, R. mucilaginosa, and R. kratochvilovae were selected. The C/N ratio in the culture medium influenced growth kinetics, biomass and lipids yields. With MS-1-7, a high specific growth rate (?max) was obtained, reaching the stationary phase between 6 to 9 h and the highest lipid accumulation between 23.1% and 31.5%. With the MS-2-7 medium, maximum biomass value obtained in the stationary phase between 37 and 51 h, which generated the highest biomass yields at the end of the entire process and lipid yield of 4.65, 5.59, and 8.80 g L-1 in the strains mentioned. There is potential to obtain high lipid yields using a culture media non-limiting nitrogen, examining not only the C/N ratio. But also, the quantities, nature of the components, and type of oleaginous yeasts taking care to avoid a high carbon concentration to prevent the Cabtree effect
Probiotics as a boon in Food diligence: Emphasizing the therapeutic roles of Probiotic beverages on consumers\u27 health
Get PDFProbiotics are living microorganisms that improve health when eaten or introduced to the body. They have become an essential aspect of everyone’s life now due to these products growing health benefits. They contain live bacteria that help our gut maintain good gut microflora and keep us healthy. Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium are the most used probiotic strains. Everyone knows the importance of these products nowadays and has highlighted the parts that a reader must know about these products and how they affect the human body. This review discusses probiotics, dairy-based probiotics, non-dairy based probiotics and their role in therapeutics. This review has also been elaborated on an essential by-product of the dairy industry, i.e., whey, which has many health benefits and highly recommended for people who are in sports and body-building. While analysing the health benefits of probiotic supplements, there is a lot to discuss,i.e. how and where probiotic products work in our body and provide us with different health benefits. The most common way a probiotic performs is by boosting our immune system and fighting diseases. While looking at the market part of probiotic products globally, it is a multibillion-dollar market mostly based in Europe, where people are more health-conscious. The probiotic market has now frowned worldwide and is one of the most profitable markets in the current world
Estimation of ferulic acid from selected plant materials by Spectrophotometry and High performance liquid chromatography
Get PDFFerulic acid is an abundant phytophenolic compound present in plant cell wall. Ferulic acid possess anticancer, antioxidant, and anti-aging properties. A simple, sensitive and reproducible spectrophotometric method has been developed for quantitative estimation of ferulic acid from selected plant materials such as rice bran, wheat bran and bamboo shoot. The blue coloured chromogen obtained after the reaction was measured at wavelength of 718 nm for ferulic acid against the blank reagent. The chromogen obeyed linearity over the range of 1?g/ml - 8?g/ml. An HPLC method was also developed for the estimation of ferulic acid from selected plant materials
Yield and quality improvement in Bt cotton through foliar application of trifloxystrobin and tebuconazole
Get PDFIn agriculture, fungi can cause serious damage, resulting in critical losses of yield, quality and profit. Fungicides help in reducing the damage caused by fungus, reduce the yield loss and play a major role in quality improvement. The present investigation was carried out at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to evaluate the influence of trifloxystrobin 50% + tebuconazole 25% (Nativo 75WG) on the yield and quality improvement on Bunny hybrid Bt cotton. Nativo 75WG was applied on the leaves of cotton plants at 40-60 (DAS) and 60-80 (DAS) at the concentration of 250, 300, 350 g/ha and Carbendazim @ 500 g/ha. The observations recorded were related to yield and quality attributes in all treatments. The application of Nativo @ 300 g/ha showed a significant increase in boll weight (4.86 g), lint yield per boll (3.86 g boll-1) and lint per plant (138.48 g plant -1) than other treatments. With respect to seed cotton yield and harvest index (0.37 %), the Nativo @ 300 g/ha registered a higher yield (20.2 %) and HI than control under the irrigated situation. Foliar application of treatments during the flowering stage (40-60 DAS) and boll formation stages (60-80 DAS) had increased the quality parameters such as fiber length (2.5% staple length, 50 % staple length) and fiber strength. Further, the foliar spray of Nativo @ 300 g/ha applied to bunny hybrid Bt cotton had resulted in a higher yield (2920.15 kg ha-1) due to an increase in leaf area index, greenness of leaf and higher dry matter production of the plant
First record of Octopus vulgaris (Cuvier, 1797) (Octopodidae) in the Iraqi coastal waters, NW Arabian Gulf
Get PDFThe present study identifies one species of the genus Octopus in the order: Octopoda (Cephalopoda: Mollusca), recorded forthe first time in the Iraqi coastal waters and Arabian-Persian Gulf. The study extended from January 2019 to December of thesame year. The Octopus specimens were seasonally obtained from the fishing trawlers operating in the Iraqi coastal waters inthe South of Al- Fao District, Basrah- Iraq, NW Arabian Gulf. The Octopus was identified as O. vulgaris in Iraqi coastal watersdepending on morphological features. The habitats of living specimens are briefly described. Some observations were reported on the occurrence of this species and the measurement of some environmental factors. The species was identified up to spe-cies level using standard literature. This species looks similar morphologically to the species which is already identified from the other areas around the world. The present study records significant expansion in the distribution range of this species