Phenotyping for genetic divergence under transplanted and low-cost direct-seeded rice (Oryza sativa) production systems

A set of 25 rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes belonging to different maturity groups and genetic background (Basmati, non-Basmati and hybrids) were phenotyped in two experiments at the experimental farm of the Rice Research Station, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Kaul during kharif season (June-November) 2012. The experiments consisted of direct seeded and transplanted production systems in RBD with three replications each. The plot size was kept at 2× 0.20 × 5 m2. The data were recorded on 5 randomly selected plants per genotype per replication for 12 traits, viz. grain yield (GY), days to flowering (DTF), days to maturity (DTM), plant height (PHT), effective tillers/ plant (T/PT), percent filled spikelets (FSPK), test weight (TWT), biological yield/plant (BYD), harvest index (HI), hulling per cent (H%), milling per cent (M%), and head rice recovery (HRR). The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for all the characters. The genetic dissimilarities measurement using generalized Mahalanobis distance (D2) indicated that the genotypes with greater dissimilarity were different under high cost transplanted (TPR) than those under low cost direct seeded rice (DSR) production system. Similarly, the range of D2 values and the most divergent clusters were different in two production systems. Although genotypes were grouped into 6 clusters under both the systems, yet their members were different. Plant height showed maximum (18.67%) contribution towards divergence under low cost while DTF (29.67%) under high cost. Accordingly, genotypes were identified and recommended for evaluation in large trials and for hybridization for trait wise improvement for direct seeded production system. The results obtained thus have great relevance to the future rice improvement programme

Stitching time: Vintage consumption connects the past, present, and future

We investigated a novel avenue for buffering against threats to meaning frameworks: vintage consumption. Although the appeal of vintage goods, defined as previously owned items from an earlier era, is strong and growing, this paper is among the first to examine the possible psychological ramifications of vintage consumption. Six studies found that vintage items mitigated the typical reactions to meaning threats. Four of these studies also showed that vintage consumption facilitates mental connections among the past, present, and future. As a result, people whose meaning structures had been threatened, for example, by being reminded of their own eventual death, preferred vintage products more than others who had not experienced a meaning threat, and more than similar non‐vintage products. These findings suggest that meaning disruptions stimulate a desire for intertemporal connections, a desire that vintage products—as existing and continuing symbols of bygone eras—seem to satisfy

Genetics of grain yield and its components in wheat under heat stress

Heat stress is a matter of a great concern for the wheat crop. Heat stress usually either hastens crop development or shortens the grain filling duration, which severely reduces grain yield. Being a complex trait, understanding the genetics and gene interactions of stress tolerance are the two primary requirements for improving yield levels. Genetic analysis through generation mean analysis helps to find out the nature of gene actions involved in a concerned trait by providing an estimate of main gene effects (additive and dominance) along with their digenic interactions (additive × additive, additive × dominance, and dominance × dominance). In the present investigation, we elucidated the inheritance pattern of different yield contributing traits under heat stress using different cross combinations which could be helpful for selecting a suitable breeding strategy. Thus six generations of five crosses were sown normal (non-stress, TS) and late (heat stress, LS) in a randomized block design with three replications during two crop seasons. The model was not adequate for late sown conditions indicating the expression of epistatic genes under stress conditions. The traits i.e. Days to heading (DH), Days to anthesis (DA), Days to maturity (DM), Grain filling duration (GFD), Grain yield (GY), Thousand grain weight (TGW), Grain weight per spike (GWS) and Heat susceptibility index (HSI) under heat stress conditions were found under the control of additive gene action with dominance × dominance interaction, additive gene action with additive × dominance epistatic effect, dominance gene action with additive × additive interaction effect, additive and dominance gene action with dominance × dominance interaction effect, additive gene action with additive × dominance epistatic effect, additive gene action with additive × additive interaction effect and dominance gene action with additive × additive interaction effect, respectively

Tourism implications of online response to terrorism

Individuals all around the world are under constant threat of terrorist attacks. Not surprisingly, terrorist attacks have a strong impact on tourism. However, tourism research is silent on how people respond online after terrorist attacks. Analyzing 154,390 tweets that were posted on Twitter after eight major terrorist attacks that occurred between November 24, 2016 and January 10, 2017, our results demonstrate that people show more anger-related compared to fear-related emotions online after terrorist attacks. We call for further research in tourism to understand how tourism managers and public policy makers can leverage social media after terrorist attacks

G × E interaction and adaptability of rice cultivars in SRI and normal production systems

In any breeding program, it is necessary to screen and identify phenotypically stable genotypes that could perform uniformly under different environmental conditions. Such a breeding effort requires basic information of genotype × environment (G × E) interaction. Twenty genotypes including hybrids and aromatic rice were evaluated in 8 environments in two production systems viz; System of Rice Intensification (SRI) and normal cultivation environments during kharif season (May–October) 2009. The experiment was laid down in RBD with two replications in a plot of 1 m2. Pooled analysis for G × E interaction and stability revealed that the genotypes and environments were highly significant (p < 0.01) for all twelve characters studied. The G × E interaction was significant for six traits including all key components of SRI except tillers no. Both linear and non-linear components contributed towards G × E interaction. Stability parameters identified genotypes PR-114 and HKR-47 as stable for grain yield per plant and HKR-127, HKR-120, CSR-30, Pusa-1121 and IR-64 for test grain weight. Genotypes identified suitable for favourable environments were HKR-126, HSD-1, PAU-201and Govind while for unfavourable environment were HSD-1, HKRH-1094, HKR-48 and PAU-201 for different traits. IR 64 and Pusa 1121 registered 24.31 and 12.54% increase in yield in SRI over normal production system. These genotypes need to be tested in macro environments over space and time and could be utilized for direct cultivation as well as for improvements of other cultivars

Financial Constraints Influence How Consumers Evaluate Approach-Framed versus Avoidance-Framed Messages

Many people experience financial constraints in their lives that affect their well-being and behaviors. This raises the question of whether individuals’ financial constraints will affect their responses to positive approach-framed (versus negative avoidance-framed) messages in ads. We examined the effects of consumers’ financial constraints on their responses to ads that had positive approach-framed (versus negative avoidance-framed) messages. We hypothesized that consumers with financial constraints would have more positive responses to an ad that had a positive approach-framed (versus a negative avoidance-framed) message and that the depth of information processing would mediate their responses to an ad that had a positive approach-framed message. Across six studies, including field and online experiments, these findings supported the predictions. The findings advance the literature on both message framing in ads and financial constraints, and they generate actionable guidelines for marketing practice and public policy

Local Impact of Global Crises, Institutional Trust, and Consumer Well-Being: Evidence from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Global crises have become increasingly more frequent and consequential. Yet the impact of these crises is unevenly distributed across countries, leading to discrepancies in (inter)national crisis-regulating institutions’ ability to uphold public trust and safeguard their constituents’ well-being. Employing the paradigm of citizens as customers of political institutions, drawing on attribution and sociopolitical trust theories, and using the COVID-19 pandemic as an empirical context, the authors investigate how consumers’ relative perceptions of local impact following a global crisis affect the psychological processes of institutional trust formation and consumer well-being. Conducting one survey-based study in two countries affected disproportionately by the pandemic’s first wave (the United States and Greece) and one experimental study in a third country (Italy) during the pandemic’s second wave, the authors find that institutional trust declines more in countries whose citizens hold perceptions of higher relative local impact following a global crisis; institutional blame attributions explain trust erosion; institutional distrust decreases consumer well-being and adherence to institutional guidelines; consumers’ globalization attitudes immunize international institutions from blame and distrust; and political conservatives transfer blame and distrust from national to international institutions amid global crises. The findings enrich the institutional branding and trust literatures and have implications for stakeholders involved in global crisis management (e.g., policy makers, political marketers, institutional brand managers)