Fungal population and diversity in organically amended agricultural soils of Meghalaya, India

The effect of different organic fertilisers (farm yard manure [FYM]; vermicompost [VC]; plant compost [PC] and integrated compost [INT], i.e. a combination of FYM, VC and PC in a 1:1:1 ratio) on the population and diversity of soil fungi was investigated in a maize-French bean trial. Fungal populations were much higher in organically fertilised plots as compared to the control (CTRL) and showed a decreasing trend in the order FYM>PC>INT>VC>CTRL. Altogether, 122 fungal species and two sterile mycelia were isolated from all the plots of which 25 fungal genera belonged to Deuteromycotina, seven to Ascomycotina, four to Zygomycotina and one to Mastigomycotina. The most common genera isolated from all the plots include Penicillium, Aspergillus, Acremonium, Fusarium, Mortierella, Mucor, Paecilomyces, Talaromyces, Trichoderma and Verticillium. Significant positive correlations between fungal populations and Corg were observed in all the organic amended plots. The organic matter level in the organically managed soil systems can play a pivotal role in fungal growth, sporulation and diversity

Genetic diversity of grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus, Rodentia, Hystricomorpha) in Ghana based on microsatellite markers

Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) is a fairly large rodent that inhabits sub-Saharan Africa. There are very limited ecological studies on the grasscutter despite its importance as a protein resource. The objective of this study was to apply novel microsatellite markers to determine the genetic structure and diversity of grasscutter populations in Ghana. A total of 66 hair samples were collected from grasscutters in three main agro-ecological zones of Ghana, namely Guinea Savanna (n = 19), Forest (n = 16) and Coastal Savanna (n = 16) as well as Volta Region (n = 15). Samples were genotyped at 12 polymorphic loci and the results showed relatively high diversity (MNA = 7.3, HE = 0.745) within populations. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Forest population is closer to the Coastal Savanna population than the other populations whilst Volta Region population is closer to the Guinea Savanna population than the other populations. Pairwise FST values however indicated that all populations were significantly differentiated (p < 0.01). STRUCTURE clustering analysis showed that Volta population split from the Guinea Savanna population. Grasscutter populations in Ghana are genetically differentiated according to agro-ecological zones and the Volta Lake could be serving as a barrier to gene flow

Search for QTL affecting the shape of the egg laying curve of the Japanese quail

BACKGROUND: Egg production is of critical importance in birds not only for their reproduction but also for human consumption as the egg is a highly nutritive and balanced food. Consequently, laying in poultry has been improved through selection to increase the total number of eggs laid per hen. This number is the cumulative result of the oviposition, a cyclic and repeated process which leads to a pattern over time (the egg laying curve) which can be modelled and described individually. Unlike the total egg number which compounds all variations, the shape of the curve gives information on the different phases of egg laying, and its genetic analysis using molecular markers might contribute to understand better the underlying mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to perform the first QTL search for traits involved in shaping the egg laying curve, in an F(2 )experiment with 359 female Japanese quail. RESULTS: Eight QTL were found on five autosomes, and six of them could be directly associated with egg production traits, although none was significant at the genome-wide level. One of them (on CJA13) had an effect on the first part of the laying curve, before the production peak. Another one (on CJA06) was related to the central part of the curve when laying is maintained at a high level, and the four others (on CJA05, CJA10 and CJA14) acted on the last part of the curve where persistency is determinant. The QTL for the central part of the curve was mapped at the same position on CJA06 than a genome-wide significant QTL for total egg number detected previously in the same F(2). CONCLUSION: Despite its limited scope (number of microsatellites, size of the phenotypic data set), this work has shown that it was possible to use the individual egg laying data collected daily to find new QTL which affect the shape of the egg laying curve. Beyond the present results, this new approach could also be applied to longitudinal traits in other species, like growth and lactation in ruminants, for which good marker coverage of the genome and theoretical models with a biological significance are available

Performance of three local chicken ecotypes of Ghana naturally exposed to velogenic Newcastle disease virus

This study was to evaluate the performance of three Ghanaian local ecotypes that were exposed to a natural velogenic Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) challenge. The birds at four weeks of age had been challenged with a lentogenic (vaccine) form of the virus and later exposed to velogenic NDV when their anti-NDV antibody titres had fallen below 1000. All the birds lost weight over the 21 days of exposure to the virus, with the Coastal Savannah ecotype showing the fastest weight loss albeit not significant (p\u3e0.05). Lesion scores for all ecotypes were low and similar across ecotypes suggesting that the challenge was not severe. Heritability was zero for the lesion scores and low (0.01) for post-challenge growth rate across ecotypes. Hence, not much progress can be made in selection to improve post infection growth rate

Genotypic and phenotypic characterisation of three local chicken ecotypes of Ghana based on principal component analysis and body measurements

This study was to characterise three Ghanaian local chicken ecotypes, namely, Interior Savannah, Forest and Coastal Savannah ecotypes, based on morphological data and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes. Morphological data including shank length, body girth, back length, thigh length, beak length, comb length and wattle length were collected. Blood samples were also obtained for SNP genotyping with Affymetrix chicken 600k SNP chip. Principal component analysis showed that Forest and Coastal Savannah birds were closely related. Generally, all three ecotypes seemed very diverse especially birds from the Interior Savannah zone. Morphological characterisation showed ecotype, sex and pen had significant effect on body weights (p0.05). Very few of the phenotypes reported to be associated with heat resistance – frizzle (2%) and naked neck (1.6%) – were found in the current study. It is concluded that the three local ecotypes are genetically diverse but with similar morphological features

Genetic parameters and genomic regions associated with growth rate and response to Newcastle disease in local chicken ecotypes in Ghana and Tanzania

Local chicken breeds play an important role in the livelihoods of people in both rural and urban areas of Africa. One of the main constraints to the poultry sector in many sub-Saharan countries is disease, with Newcastle disease (ND) being the most important. Because vaccination does not adequately control ND, selective breeding offers an effective complement, provided there is genetic variation in resistance, tolerance and/or response to ND. We investigated this topic by challenging 6 local ecotypes from Ghana and Tanzania with a lentogenic (vaccine) strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), then measuring growth, anti-NDV antibody levels, and viral load from hatch to 38 days of age. We estimated variance components and performed a genome-wide association study using 2800 birds genotyped with the 600K Affymetrix chicken genotyping array. Heritabilities were moderate to high (0.14 – 0.55) for all the traits studied, which indicates that selection to improve these breeds for resistance to ND can be feasible. GWAS also revealed several genomic regions that explained ≥0.5% of the genetic variance, including a candidate gene region for antibody response on GGA1. We conclude that all traits investigated in this study appear to be highly polygenic in nature. Future studies will characterize differences between the breeds/ecotypes, determine if large breed-specific quantitative trait loci can be identified, and evaluate the response of the same birds to endemic, velogenic NDV strains

Tribal knowledge on wild edible plants of Meghalaya, Northeast India

177-181Documentation of tribal knowledge on wild edible plants of Meghalaya brought to light a number of wild plant species used as edibles. The plant parts, viz. roots, tubers, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds are used in raw or cooked forms. The present study records 110 wild growing plants, which are eaten whole or in part by the local people. The paper enumerates and discusses various aspects of the wild plants used by Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes of Meghalaya

Ethnobotanical usages of plants in western Mizoram

486-493Ethnobotanical survey among the tribals inhabiting western part of Mizoram brought to light a number of wild plant species used as edibles and as herbal medicine. There are 23 plants species, which were common throughout the study area. The tribals utilized 89 plant species for herbal medicine, 44 plant species consumed as wild edible fruits, 33 plant species as wild edible plants, 8 plant species for pig food, 11 plant species for fire wood & for charcoal making and 23 plant species for timber. The paper enumerates and discusses various ethnobotanical aspects of the plants used by the tribals of Mizoram

Ethnomedicinal plants used by different tribes of Arunachal Pradesh

541-546The study reveals about the vast diversity of herbal medicinal plants used by the various tribes of Arunachal Pradesh. The potential of ethnobotanical research and need for documentation of traditional knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind is carried out. The investigation was performed by collection of local medicinal plants in consultation with the local tribal experts. The common medicinal plants used by Apatami, Mongpa, Sinpho and Tangsa tribes were studied and around 28 species were listed where mostly herbs are used for medicine. The Padam, Ngishi and I-Idu tribes of Arunachal Pradesh commonly used about 56 plant species as medicine from 29 families. The local people believed that dreadful diseases like cancer and diabetes can be treated with local herbal plants. Thus, the study focuses on potentials of ethnobotanical research, the needs for conservation and documentation of traditional medicinal knowledge for further availability and utilization to the benefit of mankind