Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Study of potential activity of clove oil 10 % emulsifiable concentrate formulation on Two-spotted spider Mite Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Get PDFClove oil is reported to have a great range of biological activities against many species of pests; termites, cockroaches, aphids, weevils and moths, and many different usages such as perfume and food flavoring agent. This study aimed to determine the acaricidal activity of clove oil emulsifiable concentrate new formulation against two-spotted spider mites Tetranychus urticae. Clove oil was formulated as 10 % emulsifiable concentrate (EC). The new formula passed successfully all physical and chemical tests reported for emulsifiable concentrates. It was then tested biologically on the individuals of two-spotted spider mite T. urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) on two host plants beans and squash under laboratory conditions. In both cases, there were a direct relationship between the increase in the concentration of the formulation and the percentage of inhibition on the individuals of the two-spotted spider mite, after 72 hours of treatment, at concentrations of 20, 40, and 80 mg/ml the new formulation showed 10.30, 44.8, and 75 percent inhibition, respectively in case of beans, while squash at the same concentrations and for the same period of treatment showed 33.3, 40.7, and 51.9 percent inhibition, but the effect in case of beans was greater than that in case of squash as its EC50 value was lower than that in case of squash. In the case of the former, it was 39.81 mg/ml, whereas in the case of the latter, it was 79.43 mg/ml. Therefore, the new clove oil formulation can be used to combat the two-spotted spider mite
Short term effects of restricted food availability and peripheral leptin injections in redheaded bunting, Emberiza bruniceps
Get PDFMigratory birds need continued food supply and efficient metabolic machinery to meet high energy demands of the magnanimous feat of flight. Two questions are important i.e. as to 1) how a bird adapts to a temporary food constrain on a daily basis, and 2) how peripheral leptin, an anorectic hormone, impacted feeding and migratory behaviour in buntings? The aim of this study was to induce a non-photoperiodic tweak in the physiology of redheaded buntings through exogenous leptin administration and study its effect on their food intake and migratory behaviour. Groups of male redheaded buntings, Emberiza bruniceps (n=17) were transferred from short (8L: 16D) to long (16L: 8D) days and presented with food only either for first (morning food presence, MFP) or second (evening food presence, EFP) half of the 16h lighted phase, while control group received food ad libitum. Total daily food intake (FI) did not differ significantly between the MFP, EFP and controls, but hourly FI in MFP and EFP indicated increased activity differences based on time of food availability and bird’s tendency to cache food/ recompense for food scarcity during migration. In another experiment, a chemical tweak in bird’s FI was induced by peripheral administration of leptin, to add to current understanding of transition in buntings’ metabolic efficiency during high energy demanding migratory journey. Exogenous leptin appeared to safeguard cadaveric effect of exogenous injection in migrating buntings through promoting blood cholesterol and reduced liver fibrosis. Food restriction in the morning was better responded by buntings than that in evening. Therefore, migratory buntings exhibited diurnal variation in response to food scarcity
Community composition and status of avifaunal diversity in and around Ottu reservoir of Sirsa, Haryana, India
Get PDFAssessments of avian communities’ composition in different habitats give an emphasis in monitoring environmental perspective. Depending on specific habitat functioning, their population pattern helps to determine the ecological health of an area. Bird surveys were accomplished on a fortnightly basis from October 2019 to September 2020 using Scan sampling, Point count and Line transect methods for evaluation of species abundance and richness in and around Ottu Reservoir, district Sirsa, Haryana (India). A total of 114 species comprising 91 genera, 47 families and 18 orders were recorded, among which 76 species were resident, 30 winter migrants and 8 summer migrants. Out of reported 114 species of birds, one species was vulnerable, 6 Near-threatened as listed by IUCN. Three bird species were listed under Schedule-I and the remaining species under Schedule-IV of IWPA (1972); six species under appendices of CITES (2012). Species such as Rock dove Columba livia, Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica and Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos with decreasing IUCN population trends were reported abundantly in the study area. Analysis of feeding guilds results revealed that Carnivores as predominated guild due to enriched food material. The presence of diverse plantation, aquatic body, serenity and agricultural fields serve the reservoir as potential habitat for residential and migratory species. Therefore, effective measures must be taken for the conservation of this area as a potential site for avian diversity
An alternative approach for construction of strata using quantified sensitivity level
Get PDFThe study is investigated on an alternative method for the construction of strata using sensitivity level when the samples are selected with simple random sampling with replacement (SRSWR) and the data are collected by scrambled optional randomization technique on the sensitive characters. Thus, the optional randomized response model , where k is a random variable having value 1 if the response is scrambled and 0 otherwise, was considered for finding out Approximate Optimum Strata Boundaries by minimizing the variance of the estimator . The cum. was proposed for finding out Approximate Optimum Strata Boundary in Neyman allocation for the optional scrambled response. This is applicable for wider classes of sampling design and estimators in stratification. The proposed rule on optional scrambled randomized response is efficient and can be used effectively for the construction of optimum strata boundary via Rectangular, Right triangular and Exponential distribution.
Relationship between macrobenthos and abiotic characteristics of river Alaknanda in a stretch from Chamoli to Devprayag in Garhwal Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India
Get PDFMacrobenthos is the best water quality indicator for ecosystem health assessment. The present study aimed to examine the interrelationship between macrobenthos and different water quality parameters of the river Alaknanda at Garhwal Himalaya. Four demarcated sampling zones viz. zone-A (Chamoli to Nandprayag), zone-B (Karanprayag to Rudraprayag), zone-C (Rudraprayag to Srinagar) and zone-D (Srinagar to Devprayag) were taken from its approximately 170 km long stretch during 2016-2018. River water characteristics were analyzed for the important parameters viz. substratum, water temperature (WT), water velocity, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) using standard methods. The results indicated that the river water velocity was the highest 1.02 m/s at zone-C, TDS of 114.19 mgl-1 was maximum at zone-A ; and Ca and Mg were recorded highest 23.17 mgl-1 and 5.44 mgl-1 at zone-A and zone-B, respectively. All abiotic parameters (pH, EC, TDS, DO, Ca and Mg) were recorded to be below BIS/WHO limits. A total of 27 macrobenthos taxa belonging to the five orders such as Coleoptera (6 ind./m2), Diptera (5 ind./m2), Ephemeroptera (8 ind./m2), Hemiptera (4 ind./m2), and Odonata (4 ind./m2) were recorded. Macrobenthos represented an important relationship between the water current and water temperature. The lowest number was reported at zone-C due to the river\u27s high water velocity (1.02 m/s). The changes like biota loss, presence of some pollution indicator species (Cloeon sp., Bateis sp., Emphemera sp.) at zone-C, in sediment structure of habitat were due to the anthropogenic activities on the riverbank of different zones. The study will help in the conservation of macrobenthos diversity of the river Alaknanda.
Ground and surface water quality assessment of Palladam Taluk using Geographical Information System and Modified National Sanitation Foundation -Water Quality Index
Get PDFIn this work, the assessment of surface and ground water quality of Palladam Taluk, Tiruppur, district, Tamil Nadu, India were carried out using Geographical Information System (GIS) and Modified National Sanitation Foundation -Water Quality Index (MNSF-WQI). Four samples from surface and twenty seven samples from ground water sources were taken from Palladam Taluk, Tiruppur District. In the current study, the surface and ground water samples were analysed for temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), electrical conductivity (EC), biological oxygen demand (BOD), turbidity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), faecal coliforms (FC), total phosphate (TP), total nitrate (TN), chlorides (Cl-), sodium (Na+) and fluoride (F-) ions to investigate the suitability of surface and ground water for drinking and agricultural purposes through Geographic information system (GIS) and modified national sanitation foundation water quality index (MNSF-WQI) technique. The concentrations of TH, TDS, Cl- and Na+ were observed to be above the desirable limit of World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). whereas F-, BOD, DO, EC, TP, TN, FC and temperature were within the acceptable limits. The GIS-based WQI map analysis indicated that 45% of the study area having good water quality index and the remaining area showed medium quality water. Dyeing and textile industries in the study area are responsible for deteriorating the quality to medium quality of water which was not appropriate for direct utilization and needed prior treatment. There is no detailed report on assessment of the surface and ground water quality of Palladam Taluk in Tamil Nadu using GIS and MNSF-WQI techniques
Characterization of substrates of growing media by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy for containerized crop production
Get PDFGrowing media used in soilless culture systems are those solid substrates, which alone or in mixtures can guarantee better plant growth conditions similar to agricultural soil in one or many aspects. This study was aimed to characterize lignocellulosic organic substances predominant in most available and effective organic substrates viz., coir pith and dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata) powder and compost maturity in vermicompost based on the presence of functional groups by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The dominant downward peaks noted at 3300-3500 cm-1 in coir pith and dhaincha indicate vibration of hydroxyl (OH-) stretch in cellulose structure and presence of alcohols and phenols. Peaks at 2925-2850 cm-1 found prominently in coirpith would be indicative of vibration of C-H bonds showing aliphatic degradation of cellulose, hemicelluloses, lipids, fats, etc. Particularly in dhaincha, vibration at 1733.32 cm-1 would be due to C=O stretch associated with an unconjugated ketone, carbonyl and ester groups. In vermicompost, peak value around 1549.85 cm-1 indicates C=C aromatic structure formed during mineralization of protein, cellulose, and hemicelluloses showing compost maturity. In the present study, FT-IR analysis of organic lignocellulosic substrates confirmed the occurrence of lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose, which are the main characteristics of natural fibers with high water holding and cation exchange capacity. Presence of alcoholic and carboxylic groups indicated stages of compost maturity and stability. Therefore, these renewable and environmentally sustainable lignocellulosic organic materials could be recognized as ideal soilless substrates for preparing grow media for containerized crop production and also recycling organic wastes in an environmentally friendly manner.
A comparative study of fatty acids profile of two Indian major carps (Gibelion catla, Hamilton, 1822 and Cirrhinus mrigala, Hamilton, 1822) using value added fish feed
Get PDFFreshwater fishes are not only a major source of protein but they also possess nutritionally valuable lipids in the form of Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which play a crucial role in the normal growth, disease prevention, development, cardiovascular health and reproduction of human. The present study was performed to determine the incorporation rate of fatty acids profile and their composition in two common freshwater carps as Gibelion catla and Cirrhinus mrigala (in situ trial and experimental) in the different experimental time period (0 days, i.e. initial, 90 days and 180 days) by using of value added feed like flaxseed (?-linolenic acids, 51.26% – 54.94%) and soybean oil (?-linolenic acids, 7.95%-9.01%) as omega-3 supplements. To determine the specific growth pattern Length-Weight Relationships (LWRs) are analyzed where it showed positive allometric growth (b=3.20 in 90 days, b=3.11 in 180 days for Catla and b=3.18 in 90 days, b=3.1 in 180 days for Mrigala fish). The Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) method also confirmed that the percentages of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) increased significantly (P< 0.05) in experimental (0.096a±0.41, initial; 5.16a±0.27, 90 days; 6.21b±0.36, 180 days Catla fish species and 0.019a±0.96 initial; 3.74b±0.37, 90 days; 3.50a±0.46 180 days for Mrigal fish species) fishes rather than controls (4.28a±0.27, 90 days; 4.36b±0.36, 180 days for Catla species and 2.24b±0.31 90 days; 2.50a±0.11 180 days for Mrigal species). Therefore, it was clearly indicated that formulated diet performed significantly to maintain the positive allometric growth as well as successive enrichment of PUFAs in experimental specimens, which is beneficial for human health as high source of protein and PUFAs as well
Molecular surveillance of Dengue Virus (DENV) and its co-infection with Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV) among febrile patients: A comparative study from South Delhi, India
Get PDFDengue and Chikungunya are two major arboviral infections transmitted worldwide by the mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus. India suffers enormously with both Dengue and Chikungunya as they pose a great public health challenge. The present study aims to evaluate the prevalence of Dengue Virus (DENV), Chikungunya Virus (CHIKV) and DENV/CHIKV co-infection (by Reverse-Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)/Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), their clinical features, DENV serotypes and CHIKV specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) within a 7 years gap in the Delhi population. The study sample included clinically suspected febrile patients (?7 days) sera collected during 2017-2018 (n=87) and during 2008-2010 (n=623) from Delhi. Captured ELISA was performed for CHIKV IgG screening and nested PCR was done for DENV serotyping. The percentage prevalence for DENV was significantly higher than CHIKV with 41.38% (n=87) and 16.1% (n=87), respectively; interestingly, DENV/CHIKV co-infection was detected in 10.34% (n=9/87) cases during 2017-2018. Similarly, a high DENV prevalence was observed during 2008-2010 with the prevalence rate of 38.3% (69/180), 34.65% (35/101) and 47.07% (161/342), respectively. DENV 1 and DENV 3 were dominant serotype during 2008-2010 and 2017-2018 respectively. We have noticed a high prevalence (36.67%, 22/60) of the CHIKV IgG antibody in the 2017-2018 samples. Joint pain was more preferential to CHIKV mono-infection and DENV/CHIKV co-infection compared to DENV mono-infection. The present study highlights the need for active surveillance simultaneously for both DENV and CHIKV and to evaluate the role of CHIKV/DENV co-infections in disease severity in the endemic regions.
Bioefficacy of entomopathogenic mycoformulations and effect of adjuvants against nymphs of cabbage aphid, Brevicornye brassicae (Linnaeus)
Get PDFCabbage aphid, Brevicornye brassicae (Linnaeus) is one of the major insect pests of cabbage. Chemical control is mostly used to manage this pest. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate an environmentally benign approach for the pest management through different entomopathogenic mycoformulations against nymphs of B. brassicae to identify effective mycoformulation. The effect of mycoformulations supplemented with different adjuvants against nymphs of B. Brassicae was also evaluated under laboratory conditions. The bioassay studies of fungal bioformulation against nymphs of B. brassicae recorded maximum cumulative per cent mortality (53.33%) in talc formulation of L. lecanii MTCC 956 and commercial L. Lecanii formulation @12g L-1 and these were at par with each other. Maximum percent reduction of nymphal population over control 54.66 and 51.33 per cent was recorded @12 g L-1in talc formulation of L. lecanii (MTCC 956) and commercial L. Lecanii formulation ten days after treatment respectively. Laboratory studies undertaken to evaluate talc formulation of L. lecanii MTCC 956 lecanii with and without adjuvants against the nymphs of B. brassicae recorded maximum percent increase in mortality over control (7.89%) in L. lecanii formulation + tween80@1%. Results of this study signified that L. lecanii formulation, when supplemented with adjuvants enhanced the growth of L. lecanii and increased mortality of nymphs of B. brassicae and could be used as a part of the integrated pest management program