Journal of Applied and Natural Science
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Biodiversity and monthly density fluctuations of water mites in Khankra gad, a spring-fed tributary of river Alaknanda, Pauri Garhwal in Uttarakhand, India
Get PDFHydrachnidia is an important group of aquatic invertebrates. They play an important role in regulating other invertebrate populations, thus influencing the composition and functionality of river ecosystems. The present study aims to assess the habitat ecology, density and diversity of aquatic mites in the Khankra gad, Rudraprayag district for a period of two year on a monthly basis, from July 2018 to June 2020. The Khankra gad is a perennial spring-fed stream originating from the Bansoun peak in district-Rudraprayag of Garhwal Himalaya (800 m asl). A total of 2537 Hydrachnidia samples were collected, belonging to 6 families viz, Torrenticolidae, Sperchontidae, Feltriidae, Hygrobatidae, Lebertiidae and Aturidae. Sperchontidae, Torrenticolidae and Hygrobatidae were the common families recorded in both spots, whereas Feltriidae was recorded in Spot-1, Lebertiidae and Aturidae were recorded in Spot-2. The highest numbers (1842) of Hydrachnidia were collected from Spot-2. A total of 19 aquatic mite species were recorded in Spot-1 and 25 species in Spot-2 throughout the study period. Aquatic mites showed maximum density (177 units.m-2 in Spot-1 and 274units.m-2 in Spot-2) in December and minimum (11 units.m-2 in Spot-1 and 17 units.m-2 in Spot-2) in July. Various ecological parameters of our study indicated that Khankra gad is a good habitat for aquatic mites
A study on diversity and distribution of Ficus L. (Dicotyledonae: Moraceae) species at Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun (Uttarakhand), India
Get PDFFicus L., commonly known as Fig, is a member of the family Moraceae (mulberry family) comprises 37 genera and approximately 1,100 species distributed in diverse ecosystems, especially in tropical and temperate regions of the world. The Ficus genus stands out as a keystone resource provider in many tropical forests, which is probably because of continuous non-seasonal fruiting in many species. It is one of the largest genera in the angiosperms about 750 species. The present study was carried out in the Forest Research Institute (FRI) campus, Dehradun (Uttarakhand), India. The phytodiversity of Ficus L. and their socio-economic values worked out during the investigation, religious-spiritual attachment, food of wild animals, ethnomedicinal and timber significance. There were 16 species of Ficus L. recorded from New Forest, FRI, Dehradun based on the morphological observations of taxonomically significant characteristics. The species found in FRI New Forest Dehradun were, Ficus benjamina, F. religiosa, F. racemosa, F. rumphii, F. retusa, F. krishnae, F. elastica, F. virens, F. semicordata, F. auriculata, F. hispida, F. pumila, F. palmata, F. drupacea, F. benghalensis, F. pomifera. Out of the notified 16 species of Ficus, 11 species were trees, 3 shrubs and 2 climbers in nature. The maximum leaf size (30×27cm2) was reported in F. auriculata, followed by F. semicordata (28×10cm2), F. benghalensis (25×11cm2). However, minimum leaf size was noticed in F. benjamina (4×2cm2) and F. retusa (4×3cm2). Among, 15 species, axillary fig (fruit) arrangement was observed, while one species (F. racemosa) has stem position of fruits. The current finding is itself a pioneer study to present a glimpse of such immense species diversity of single genera from sub-valley areas and will be a milestone for future studies in conservation and management of these wild varieties
Effects of foliar application of melatonin on gas exchange and certain biochemical characteristics broccoli cv. Palam Samridhi
Get PDFConsidering the rich nutritional status and possibility of broccoli in improving the profitable yield, and wide role of Mel in regulating the plant physiological process, an investigation was carried out at the division of Basic Sciences and Humanities during 2017 to investigate the effect of foliar application of Mel on leaf photosynthetic and biochemical attributes broccoli. Thirty days old and uniform seedlings of broccoli cv. Palam Samridhi were transplanted in the field at a spacing of 45 × 45cm. Different concentrations of Mel, viz. 0, 20, 40, 60 and 80 ppm were sprayed on the plant foliage at 15 days after transplanting (DAT) replicating each treatment four times. Leaf gas exchange and biochemical attributes were tested following the standard procedures. The Results showed the lowest stipulated rate of photosynthesis (10.87 µmole.m-2.sec-1), stomatal conductance (301.44 mole H2O.m-2ses-1) and leaf transpiration (1. 14 mole H2O.m-2ses-1) in untreated plants. Different doses of Mel significantly increased the values of these attributes and the highest values of photosynthesis (18.63 µmole.m-2.sec-1), stomatal conductance (324.37 mmole.m-2.ses-1) and leaf transpiration (3.23 mmole.m-2.ses-1) with Mel 60 ppm were recorded. The alterations in different biochemical attributes were also evident due to foliar application of Mel and maximum leaf sugar (77.0 and 85.9µg/g), protein (56.9 and 77.3 µg/g), total phenols (260.1 and 339.9 mg/100g), antioxidants (142.8 and 159.9 mg GAE /100g DW) and MSI (94.89 and 97.43 percent) values with Mel 60ppm at 30 and 60DAT, respectively. Therefore, the present study signifies the useful effects of Mel in regulating the physio-biochemical properties of broccoli
Morpho-anatomical characterization of Rhizopogon himalayensis - Cedrus deodara mycorrhiza
Get PDFRhizopogon himalayensis (Castellano, S.L. Miller, Singh & Lakhanpal) A.B. Mujic & M.E. Sm., comb. nov. -an edible truffle-like fungus- normally exists in a symbiotic association with Cedrus deodara (Roxb.) Loud. Because of this important association and the ecological significance as per the available literature attached to this fungus, the present study was undertaken with a specific objective to test the mycorrhizal viability of this mycobiont with this important tree species of Himalaya -the theme tree of Himachal Pradesh. An attempt to investigate and record morphological and anatomical characteristics and variations in this mycorrhizal association was also made in nursery conditions using pure culture (wheat grain spawn) of R. himalayensis. The seedlings grown and inoculated in the nursery were harvested after six months for further examination, including the microscopic details. The study and subsequent analysis revealed that that mycobiont had invaded most of the feeder roots, imparting a typical swollen appearance to the mycorrhizal root tips. These root tips were light ochre with moderately thick plectenchymatic fungal mantle with occasional clamp connections on the inner layer of the fungal mantle. The root surface, as seen, was found smooth and frequently covered with a loose aggregation of inter-woven hyphae that uniformly pervaded the epidermis extending into the inter-cortical spaces of outer cortical cells and formed a characteristic Hartig net. Thus, results obtained in fact for the first time, presented an in-depth analysis of the morphological and anatomical characteristics of R. himalayensis and C. deodara association.
Analysis of deposition of heavy metal dust on the leaves of few selected tree species in Kanchipuram town, Tamil Nadu, India
Get PDFBiomonitoring of heavy metals is one of the economic methods to identify and improve the quality of air. The aim of this work was to identify the concentration of nine heavy metals viz. Fe, Pb, Cu, Zn, Al, Cd, As, Cr and Mn in the ambient air deposited on the leaves of five tree species such as Saraca asoca, Terminalia catappa, Syzygium cumini, Ficus religiosa and Pongamia glabra collected from six sites such as Pallavarmedu (Site I), CSI hospital (Site II), Moongilmandapam (Site III), Collectrate (Site IV), Near Cancer Institute (Site V) and VellaGate (Site VI) of the Kanchipuram town of TamilNadu State, in the months of February - March 2019. Even with some differences in the concentration of nine heavy metals on the species, few were identified with significant correlation, suggesting that these pollutants were emitted from similar sources. The deposition of iron (235.53mg/kg) and aluminium (157.91mg/kg) were higher on the leaves of S.asoca compared with other species. The metals such as Cu, Cd, As, Pb and Cr were nil and not detected on the leaves, but Pb concentration was high (185.79 mg/kg) only on P. glabra at Site 2 and Cr (2.37 mg/kg) was found on the leaves of S. asoca at Site 1. The heavy metal dust deposited on the leaf surface was probably due to vehicular emission and other anthropogenic activities. The analysis showed that all the selected tree species acted as a biomonitor and should be grown that may help to improve the air quality of the area
Effect of frying on physicochemical properties of sesame and soybean oil blend
Get PDFMost common cooking oil, such as soybean oil, can not be used for high-temperature applications, as they are highly susceptible to oxidation. Sesame seed oil rich in natural antioxidants provides high oxidative stability. Therefore, blending sesame oil with soybean oil offer improved oxidative stability. This study aims to determine the effect of frying on the physicochemical properties of sesame and soyabean oil blend. Soybean oil (SO) was blended with sesame seed oil (SSO) in the ratio of A-40:60, B-60:40 and C-50:50 so as to enhance its market acceptability. The changes occurring in soybean and sesame seed oil blend during repeated frying cycles were monitored. The parameters assessed were: Refractive index, specific gravity, viscosity, saponification value, free fatty acid (FFA) , peroxide value, and acid value. Fresh and fried oil blends were also characterised by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). No significant changes were observed for refractive index and specific gravity values in oil blends. Viscosity of blend B blend was the least, making it desirable for cooking purposes. However, FFA, acid value and peroxide value increased after each frying cycle. The increment of FFA and AV was found low for blend A (10% and 10%,) than blend B (27%,13%) and blend C (13%,13%). The peroxide value of all samples was within the acceptable range. The results of the present study definitely indicated that blending sesame oil with soybean oil could produce an oil blend which is economically feasible and provide desirable physicochemical properties for cooking purposes
Critical review on arsenic: Its occurrence, contamination and remediation from water and soil
Get PDFWith the increasing pollution in today’s world, importance is being given to solve a problem and do it in a sustainable, eco-friendly manner. Arsenic is a class-1 carcinogen and also causes many other side effects to humans, plants and animals. The utilization of arsenic as wood preservatives, pesticides, or its historical overuse by some military units for rice killing operations has led to the increase in the toxic effects of arsenic like its carcinogenicity, decreased immune response etc. Although conventional methods like coagulation, lime softening, adsorption, membrane technology are effective, they have their disadvantages like additional waste generation, causing increased pollution and are expensive. The better alternative is phytoremediation. Appropriate plants like Brassica juncea, Hydrilla verticilata, Pteris vittata L., Vallisneria natans, can be chosen based on the method of the remediation like phytoextraction, phytostabilization and phytofiltration or phytovoltalization. This review provides the list of a few plants which can be likely chosen for the purpose of both water and soil remediation. Advancements are occurring in bioremediation studies with the development of transgenic plants like transgenic tobacco, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana for better phytoremediation. Understanding the mechanism employed by the plant for its uptake/detoxification can aid in the enhancement of the process of remediation with the external supply of phosphorus. Along with this, the proper and safe disposal of plants is crucial for the remediation process. In addition, awareness of this solution to the general public is to be made for its effectiveness
Influence of elevated carbon dioxide concentrations on methane emission and its associated soil microflora in rice ecosystem
Get PDFThe dynamics of methane emission and its associated soil microflora in rice ecosystem as a response to elevated CO2 concentrations were studied in open top chamber (OTC) conditions. The treatments consisted of three levels of CO2 (396, 550 and 750 µmol mol-1) and three levels of nitrogen (0, 150 and 200 kg ha-1) and replicated five times in a completely randomized design. The data showed that elevated [CO2] significantly (P ? 0.01) increased the DOC throughout the cropping period with the values ranging from 533 to 722 mg L-1 and 368 to 501 mg L-1 in C750 and Camb, respectively. Methane emission rates were monitored regularly during the experiment period and it was revealed that elevated [CO2] had increased the methane emissions regardless of stages of crop growth. It was observed that methane emissions were significantly higher under [CO2] of 750 µmol mol-1 by 33 to 54 per cent over the ambient [CO2] of 396 µmol mol-1. Consistent with the observed increases in methane flux, the enumeration of methanogens showed a significant (P ? 0.01) increase under elevated [CO2] with the population ranging from 5.7 to 20.1 x 104 CFU g-1 of dry soil and 5.1 to 16.9 x 104 CFU g-1 of dry soil under C750 and Camb concentrations, respectively. Interestingly, even though higher methanotrophs population was recorded under elevated [CO2], it could not circumvent the methane emission. Overall, the results of OTC studies suggest that methane mitigation strategies need to be explored for the future high CO2 environments.
Assessment of roof water harvesting potential of Navsari city of Gujarat State, India by Remote sensing and Geographic information system (GIS)
Get PDFDue to the water scarcity scenario in many parts of the Navsari city, Gujarat State in India, it is imperative to adopt cost-effective technologies that could harvest rainwater for satisfying drinking water requirements. The study was conducted with the aim of assessing the rainwater harvesting potential of Navsari city using remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS). The built-up areas of Navsari that could harness rainwater were identified by remote sensing and GIS. The effective built-up area contributing to rainwater harvesting was found to be 3.37 km2. The classification was carried out using “Remap” to assess the extent of the built-up area. The city was divided into equal grids and classification of each grid was implemented. The ground truth data was used for the evaluation of the built-up area. The roof water harvesting potential was estimated considering the average annual rainfall of 1621 mm and adopting suitable runoff coefficients. The rainwater harvesting potential of roofs for rainfall of different probabilities was estimated. For return periods of 10 years, 25 years, 50 years and 100 years, the roof water harvesting potentials were estimated to be 0.226, 0.261, 0.287 and 0.312 Million Cubic Metres (MCM), respectively. The estimated average roof water harvesting potential of Navsari city was 164 million litres per year, capable of satisfying the drinking water demand of approximately 1.12 lakh people annually. The rainwater harnessed from the rooftop could augment the current water supply and immensely help in fulfilling the drinking water demand of Navsari
Validation of phytochemicals, antioxidant activity and characterization of green synthesized iron nanoparticles: A comparison
Get PDFResearch on green synthesis in nanotechnology is a forthcoming field in the modern material science area. Potentiality utilization of metal and semiconductor nanoparticles is an area of vast research that makes them a suitable candidate for expanding highly innovative technologies. This study evaluated the effect of the drying method for leaves of the plant, Azadirachta indica on phytochemicals characteristics of extracts, bioactivity attributes and characteristics of nanoparticles (NPs) accommodating varied keen compounds. Synthesis of iron (Fe) nanoparticles was done using the green bottom-up method, in which aqueous extract of A. indica leaves acted as an extremely promising reducing and stabilizing agent. Various characterization techniques such as EDX (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis), FESEM (Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy), FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), UV-VIS spectroscopy, XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) crystallography, Zeta potential and sizer confirmed the fabrication of iron nanoparticles. The quantification results established that oven-dried leaves extract had a higher total phenolic content (108.23 mg GAE/g) and free radical scavenging capacity (250.165 mg GAE/g) than air-dried leaves extract. Characterization results endorsed that air-dried leaves extract acted as an advanced reducing agent that can swap the time consuming and perilous chemical synthesis of nanoparticles for a scalable formulation. The clear, intense XRD peaks revealed the crystalline nature of NPs, EDX results confirmed the purity of samples and finally, FT-IR analysis exhibited the presence of phytomolecules along with Fe NPs in final product obtained