Effect of Frequency and Rate of Zinc Application on Nodulation, Chlorophyll Content, Yield, and Quality of Soybean Grown in a Vertisol of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India

Zinc (Zn) fertilizer is commonly used in nutrient intensively cultivated deficient soils of central, India. Zn is a structural components of plants. However, little is known, on optimum dose of Zn especially in a vertisol of Jabalpur district. This study was required to find out Zn dose for sustainable productivity and maintenance of soil fertility. The study comprised of three frequency levels, Zn application in 1st year only, Zn application in alternate year, and Zn application in every years and five rates of Zn, (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 kg Zn ha-1) was applied in Kharif season. The result of analysis revealed that the highest symbiotic traits viz., nodule number of 36.78, fresh and dry weight (1.09 and 0.31 g plant-1) were found with application of 5 kg Zn ha-1 at 45 DAS at alternate year. The highest SPAD score of 44.98 and relative water content of 62.41 % was recorded with 5 kg Zn ha-1 at 60 DAS and found significant at alternate year. The Zn addition @ 5.0 kg ha⁻¹ through ZnSO4.7H2O to soybean in alternate year which increased by 1.28 to 1.53 (19.53 %) over only single year Zn addition. This was the best practice in a typic haplusterts as it resulted in an average production of 1.54 t ha-1 of seed yield ha⁻¹ over no zinc application (1.24 t ha-1) which increased by 24.19 %. The zinc application improved quality of seed in terms of oil and protein over control. So it was concluded that Zn application at alternate year and 5 kg Zn ha-1 for increasing yield and quality of soybean in a vertisol of Jabalpur district

Comparative Evaluation of the Tensile Bond Strength of Custom and Pre-Fabricated Posts - An in Vitro Study

Aim: To evaluate the effect of cyclic loading on the tensile bond strength and retention of custom ‑fabricated cast posts, prefabricated metal posts and glass fiber posts. Materials and Method: Thirty extracted human maxillary central incisors were decoronated at the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) and randomly divided into three groups (n=10). Specimens were instrumented and obturated. Twenty four hours after obturation, post space was prepared upto no. 5 Peeso Reamer. Groups A, B and C were restored using custom cast post and core, Para Post (Whale dent) and Reforpost (Angelus) respectively thereafter. Five specimens from each group were subjected to cyclic loading. Tensile bond strength (TBS) of teeth before and after cyclic loading was evaluated. Results: For both, with and without loading, Groups A and B were not significantly different from each other but Group C was significantly different from Groups A and B. The results indicated that cyclic loading reduces retention potential of all three types of post, but it was minimum in group C. Conclusions: Cyclic loading reduced the retention of all posts but was comparatively lesser for the glass fiber post. This system provides sufficient retention required for clinical success

Occurrence of Ophioglossum fibrosum New record At Junagadh in Saurashtra India

Volume: 72Start Page: 878End Page: 87

An in vitro study of cytotoxicity of organophosphate insecticides (Imidacloprid, Profenofos, Dichlorvos) and natural products (Neem oil and Dashparni ark) on human peripheral lymphocytes by MTT and Trypan blue assay

It is a well-known fact that the human population of India is increasing very fast. Everybody needs food to survive. Agricultural products must be boosted by adding adequate fertilisers and using appropriate insecticides. Organophosphates are one of the most frequently used insecticides. Their overuse leads to soil contamination by agricultural runoff. The insecticides may enter drinking water as well. Since organophosphates are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, they can be dangerous for human health if abnormal amounts are present in drinking water or are consumed as residues on fruits and vegetables. Hence, a toxicity study by MTT and Trypan Blue Assay of three common insecticides (Imidacloprid, Profenofos, Dichlorvos) and two natural products (Dashparnik ark and Neem oil) on lymphocytes was taken up. The insecticides were used at concentrations of 1mM, 4mM, 8mM and 12mM. It was found that at 4 hours of incubation at 1mM Imidacloprid showed the greatest drop in viability followed by Dichlorvos and the least harm was caused by Profenofos. The drop was consistent and dose dependent in the case of Profenofos, whereas at a higher concentration the viability generally increased. For 18 hours of incubation, the same trend was observed, but the decrease and increase were more pronounced. In the case of Profenofos and Dichlorvos the viability percent rises above that of the control. It was probably due to the defense mechanism involving the P450 detoxification pathway of the cells, which is activated if they are exposed to a higher concentration of the damaging factors. This is also supported by other workers mentioned in the discussion section of this paper. The damage to the cells, as evident in the fall in viability, was of lesser magnitude when organic insecticides were used. In the case of Neem nano-drop emulsion, a significant fall in viability was noted only at 2mg/ml. However, it is not sprayed as a nano-emulsion because it is not particularly harmful. The fourth insecticide that was taken up for study was Dashparni Ark. In this case, at 5µl/ml of distilled water (obtained by dilution) very little damage was evident, but at higher concentration it boosted the viability. Apparently, the extract of leaves fermented in cow urine and cow dung was less damaging than that of other insecticides. Thus, organic insecticides are safer to use because they are ecofriendly and do not harm non-target organisms. This is written on the basis of MTT assay results