COMPARATIVE EFFICACY OF BOTANICAL EXTRACTS AGAINST STORAGE WEEVILS OF MAIZE (Zea mays L)

Seeds of two maize varieties (Suwan-1-SRY and TZPBSR) were initially evaluated for seed moisture content, germination and Seedling Vigour Index.  50g cleaned, undamaged, uninfested seeds from each seed lot were treated with different botanical extracts from five plant materials (Neem leaf powder, Ocimum leaf powder, Chromolaena leaf powder, Tithonia leaf powder and Piper guineense ground powder) and actellic liquid to give six treatments and one control at recommended dosages. Artificial infestation was carried out with five pairs of newly emerged unsexed adults of Sitophilus zeamais for 14 days after which they were removed. The jars covered with wire mesh and held with rubber bands arranged in a completely randomised design in the laboratory for 12 weeks using three replications. Data were collected on initial and final seed sample weight, number of emerged adults, total number of adult mortality, number of damaged and undamaged seeds and total number of holes per sample. Seeds in storage were also tested for seed viability and vigour. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). The initial germination test showed a significant difference between the two maize varieties. All the plant products applied to maize grains significantly reduced weight loss in the grain when exposed to S. zeamais. The plant products tested in this study were also significantly effective on the adult maize weevils. The chemically treated samples and the plant products recorded more as against the non-treated sample. Suwan-1-SRY had the least % weight loss. In terms of plant extracts’ effect on seed germination and seedling vigour, basil was most effective; followed by Chromolaena, actellic, Piper, Tithonia and neem. Results thus indicated efficacy of the various plant products and spices as grain protectants in storage pest management. Botanical pesticides thus represent an important potential for integrated pest management programmes in developing countries.Â

SH3 interactome conserves general function over specific form

Src homology 3 (SH3) domains bind peptides to mediate protein–protein interactions that assemble and regulate dynamic biological processes. We surveyed the repertoire of SH3 binding specificity using peptide phage display in a metazoan, the worm Caenorhabditis elegans, and discovered that it structurally mirrors that of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We then mapped the worm SH3 interactome using stringent yeast two-hybrid and compared it with the equivalent map for yeast. We found that the worm SH3 interactome resembles the analogous yeast network because it is significantly enriched for proteins with roles in endocytosis. Nevertheless, orthologous SH3 domain-mediated interactions are highly rewired. Our results suggest a model of network evolution where general function of the SH3 domain network is conserved over its specific form

Genotypic variability and stability of some grain yield components of Cowpea

The grain yield components of eleven cowpea genotypes were studied in 2006 and 2007 at Abeokuta, Nigeria, to understand the sensitivity of the quantitative traits to heterogeneous environments. The genotypes differ significantly (p 0.05) in grain yield; the pods/plant and Dfodyld equally differed significantly for the two years. Significant (p 0.05) genotypic variation in pod length was only in 2007. DT50F, DT95M, 100 seed weight and pod yield were significantly (p 0.05) influenced by the effect of genotype, year and their interactions. Seeds/pod, 100 seed weight and pod length had fairly high relative genetic gain resulting from high GCV: PCV, heritability and repeatability; indicating their low sensitivity to G × E. Loss of potential genetic gain was 26% in pod yield and 24% in seeds/pod. IT97K - 499 - 35, IT97 - 568 - 18 and IT95K - 2011 - 11 were identified in this study as the genotypes with high productivity and good genetic stability for pod yield, seeds/pod and 100 seed weight respectively

Community-Centered Assessment to Inform Pandemic Response in Georgia (US)

The Georgia Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities Project conducts community-engaged research and outreach to address misinformation and mistrust, to promote inclusion of diverse racial and ethnic populations in clinical trials and increase testing and vaccination uptake. Guided by its Community Coalition Board, The GEORGIA CEAL Survey was administered among Black and Latinx Georgia 18 years and older to learn about community knowledge, perceptions, understandings, and behaviors regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccines. Survey dissemination occurred using survey links generated through Qualtrics and disseminated among board members and other statewide networks. Characteristics of focus counties were (a) highest proportion of 18 years and older Black and Latinx residents; (b) lowest COVID-19 testing rates; and (c) highest SVI values. The final sample included 2082 surveyed respondents. The majority of participants were men (57.1%) and Latinx (62.8%). Approximately half of the sample was aged 18–30 (49.2%); the mean age of the sample was 33.2 years (SD = 9.0), ranging from 18 to 82 years of age. Trusted sources of COVID-19 information that significantly predicted the likelihood of vaccination included their doctor/health care provider (p-value: 0.0054), a clinic (p-value: 0.006), and university hospitals (p-value: 0.0024). Latinx/non-Latinx, Blacks vs. Latinx, Whites were significantly less likely to get tested and/or vaccinated. Non-Latinx, Blacks had higher mean knowledge scores than Latinx, Whites (12.1 vs. 10.9, p p p = 0.001), in those who had been previously tested for COVID-19 compared to those who had never been tested (10.5 vs. 11.5, respectively, p = 0.005), and in those who did not receive any dose of vaccination compared to those who were fully vaccinated (10.0 vs. 11.0, respectively, p < 0.001). These data provide a benchmark for future comparisons of the trajectory of public attitudes and practices related to the COVID-19 pandemic. They also point to the importance of tailoring communication strategies to specific cultural, racial, and ethnic groups to ensure that community-specific barriers to and determinants of health-seeking behaviors are appropriately addressed

Efficacy of artificial seeds in the delivery of bioactive compounds to the seed dwelling larvae of Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

Artificial seeds offer an important method to assay the bioactivity of natural and synthetic compounds against insect larvae that develop within the cotyledons of seeds. Here, the efficacy of artificial seeds as a mechanism to deliver bioactive compounds to larvae of the bruchid beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus, was compared to that of black-eyed beans that had been imbibed with the same bioactive compounds: malachite green or the methanolic extract of neem (Azadirachta indica). Females laid an equivalent number of eggs on control artificial seeds in comparison with black-eyed beans, although egg-to-adult survival on artificial seeds was reduced. Manipulation of the hardness of artificial seeds influenced female oviposition decisions, with more eggs laid on the harder seeds, although seed hardness had no effect on egg-to-adult survival. Incorporation of neem extract or malachite green into the artificial seeds resulted in 100 larval mortality, while larval mortality on seeds imbibed with neem extract or malachite green was between 50 and 70 . This suggests incorporation of toxins into artificial seeds, produces a more sensitive assay of compound toxicity in comparison with the method of imbibing seeds and offers a useful method to study of seed-arthropod interactions. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht