Certain abnormalities in millets induced by X-rays

1. Some of the recessive abnormalities induced by X-rays in E. coracana Gaertn. and Pennisetum typhoides S. & H. are described. 2. In E. coracana are described a chlorophyll deficiency in which the first two or three leaves are green and white banded, but the mature plant is fully green and two mutations effecting the panicle. In P. typhoides have been noted gappiness, tip-sterility, forking and goose-necking in the panicle, male-sterility, and weak-midribbed leaves all behaving as recessives. 3. While some of the plant characters in both these millets mutated easily, others showed no tendency to mutate. Thus in E. coracana the panicle shapes and chlorophyll factors mutated while the grain colour, length of glume and growth factors did not give any mutations, while in P. typhoides the greatest number of mutations were observed in the chlorophyll and panicle characters. 4. P.typhoides threw out more mutations than E. coracana and this is adduced to the diploidy of the former and the tetraploidy of the latter

Studies in Dolichos lablab (Roxb.) and (L.) - the Indian field and garden bean. I

Dolichos lablab exists both as a field and as a garden variety. The latter has evolved out of the former. The downward hairs (H) in the internodes of the garden variety are a simple dominant to the upward hairs(h) of the field variety. Erect pods (E1, E2 or E1E2) are dominant to drooping pods (e 1 e 2). Two factors exist, either of which or both might give erect pods. In the absence of both, pods droop. Pods of medium width (W1) proved dominant to pods of narrow width (w1). In narrow podded garden varieties the septate (S) condition of the pods proved dominant to the non-septate (s) bloated condition. In field varieties all pods are green in colour. In garden varieties pods may also be light green in colour. This difference is reflected in the whole plant. The normal green colour (Ca) is a simple dominant to the light green (ca )

Studies in Sorghum sudanense, Stapf - the sudan grass

This article does not have an abstract

Studies in Dolichos lablab (ROXB.) and (L.) the Indian field and garden bean-IV

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Lablab purpureus—A Crop Lost for Africa?

In recent years, so-called ‘lost crops’ have been appraised in a number of reviews, among them Lablab purpureus in the context of African vegetable species. This crop cannot truly be considered ‘lost’ because worldwide more than 150 common names are applied to it. Based on a comprehensive literature review, this paper aims to put forward four theses, (i) Lablab is one of the most diverse domesticated legume species and has multiple uses. Although its largest agro-morphological diversity occurs in South Asia, its origin appears to be Africa. (ii) Crop improvement in South Asia is based on limited genetic diversity. (iii) The restricted research and development performed in Africa focuses either on improving forage or soil properties mostly through one popular cultivar, Rongai, while the available diversity of lablab in Africa might be under threat of genetic erosion. (iv) Lablab is better adapted to drought than common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) or cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), both of which have been preferred to lablab in African agricultural production systems. Lablab might offer comparable opportunities for African agriculture in the view of global change. Its wide potential for adaptation throughout eastern and southern Africa is shown with a GIS (geographic information systems) approach

Studies on the histology and colouration of the pericarp of the sorghum grain

1. The histology of the pericarp of wild and cultivated races of sorghum have been described. 2. The organogeny of the pericarp has been studied. The tube cells were found to arise from the inner epidermis of the pericarp while the integument was from the inner integument and not from the nucellus. The latter is completely absorbed. 3. The wild sorghums are characterised by a very thin pericarp consisting of only epidermis and tube cells and sometimes a very small tissue of mesocarp. An integument is always present. All wild sorghums are brown coloured. 4. The cultivated sorghums have similar layers to the wild ones but the number of layers is greater. The grains could be distinguished into two main groups (i) starchy and (2) non-starchy. The integument is found only in some grains and absent in all others. The grains with the integument are generally brown. 5. The colour of the pericarp is found mostly in the epidermis, hypodermis and the tube cells. The integument is always coloured brown and the tube cell is also coloured similarly whenever an integument is present. The mesocarp is rarely coloured. 6. An examination of the F1 and parents of some of the crosses revealed that while both the parents had no integuments at all, the F1 had an integument indicating complementary factors. 7. On examination of pseudomutation grains and grain chimera it was seen that whenever there was a brown colour there was an integument present and absent when the grain was not brown

An autotriploid in the pearl millet (Pennisetum typhoides S. & H.!)

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A preliminary analysis of panicle structure in Sorghum-the great millet

The importance of studying the ultimate components of the panicle when engaging on the problem of yield is emphasised. The different types of panicles in sorghum are shown to arise from different possible combinations of the factors, length of rachis, the mode of variation of the primary panicle branches, the extent of ramification of panicle branching, the angle which the whorls make with the rachis, the secondary branch zone of the primary branch, and the density of clustering of fertile spikelets. Relationships are described between length of rachis and 4 types of panicle; length of rachis and maximum length of primary branch; number of primary branches and length of rachis; length of primary branch and secondary branch; total number of fertile spikelets and weight per grain; total number of fertile spikelets and the sum of the lengths of all the primary branches. The solution to the problem of yield must be based on the weight and size of an individual grain and the components which determine the number of fertile spikelets

Studies in para-sorghum snowden - the group with bearded nodes

This paper presents a study of the Para-sorghums consisting of four species, namely S. purpureo- sericeum, S. dimidiatum, S. versicolor and S. nitidum. The group is characterised by the hairiness of the plants, bearded nodes, very long awns (upto 40 mm.) and five pairs of chromosomes.S. purpureosericeum and S. dimidiatum are very closely related to each other, but for the slightly reduced and half coriaceous glume of the latter. The difference is brought about by a single gene.S. versicolor andS. nitidum are more closely related to each other than to the other two. The sorghums of this group do not have much value as fodder in South-India, as they are unable to with-stand cuttings and succumb to the least disturbance to the root system

Studies in Dolichos lablab (Roxb.) and (L.) - the Indian field and garden bean. II

There are four seed coat colours in Dolichos lablab, namely, Black, Chocolate, Khaki and Buff. Khaki is the basic colour for the other two colours Chocolate and Black. In Buff, the body of the seed coat is coloured Buff, but the micropylar zone remains white. In the first three colours, the colour may be either on the whole of the seed coat or confined to the micropylar and caruncular zone. A factor K has the effect of producing the Khaki colour and colouring the micropylar zone. A factor Bf has the effect of producing the Buff colour and colouring the whole of the seed coat except the micropylar zone. It is found that K bf and k Bf are absolutely linked