Correlation coefficient and path analysis of yield and yield attributing characters of rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes under reproductive drought stress in the Terai region of Nepal

An experimental trial of nine rice genotypes was conducted in the Agronomy field of the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) Paklihawa Campus under a randomized block design layout with three replications from July to November of 2022. The aim was to study genetic variability and analyze the character association of yield and yield-attributing components in rice genotypes and their direct and indirect effect on grain yield under reproductive drought stress conditions. Observations on days to flowering (50%), plant height, panicle length, panicle weight, number of grains/panicles, effective panicle/m², grain yield, and 1000 kernel weight were recorded. Grain yield showed a highly positive significant correlation with effective panicle/m² (0.713**), followed by plant height (0.347) and panicle length (0.289). The path coefficient analysis of different traits revealed the highest positive direct effect of the effective panicle per m² (0.748963), followed by panicle length (0.24145) and plant height (0.227505). The highest negative direct effect was shown by the number of grains per panicle (-0.31218). The experimental results revealed that the selection of trait-effective panicle per square meter would be most beneficial for the improvement of yield in rice genotypes facilitating selection and plant breeding programs

Desert locust invasion in Nepal and possible management strategies: A review

Desert locusts are the harmful pests that feed on every edible substance available on their way. One single mature locust can consume crops equal to its weight. In present condition where various world nations are struggling with the problem of food scarcity, this desert locust invasion has emerged as a considerable setback in achieving the universal goal of food security. Frequent outbreaks have led to tremendous environmental and economic losses. So, different control strategies are introduced in local as well as international level to deal with this dreadful issue. Desert locusts were observed in 55 districts of Nepal causing minimal crop damage compared to the past crop losses in Nepal in 2020. However, for the efficient way of mitigation of desert locust, farmers in developing nation like Nepal have to heavily rely on fast-acting chemicals that deliver rapid results but fail to maintain environmental integrity. A technical taskforce was formed in 26th May 2020, a month before the entry of desert locust in Nepal from India to prevent the possible crop loss. The government of Lumbini Province, Nepal had declared to buy locusts at Rs. 20 per kg so as to encourage the people for their collection. Approaches based on IPM (Integrated Pest Management) that emphasize on effective incorporation of chemical and biological insecticides with prediction and monitoring technologies have been prompted against desert locust. Recent experimental studies and researches are prioritizing on discovering potential solutions through financial coordination from governmental and non-governmental bodies. After reviewing articles from various journals, magazines and proceedings, the authors have highlighted the loss in the agricultural sector due to desert locust attack along with its advanced control and management options. The control and mitigation strategies mentioned in this article would be a useful resource for farmers as well as researchers on assessing this problem

Molecular basis of heat stress tolerance in wheat

The rise in Earth’s temperature is one of the most alarming climatic issues in the field of agriculture and food production, in the present context. The increase in temperature leads to heat stress, major abiotic stress responsible for a huge decline in the production of crops. Wheat (Triticum aestivum), among many crops, also experiences a significant decline in yield and overall productivity due to extreme heat stress. But Wheat has also developed natural tolerance mechanisms to defend itself from heat damage. The selection of cultivars with a higher degree of tolerance mechanism protects against thermal stress, which minimizes the risk of poor productivity to a greater extent. In this review, we discuss the current works of literature concerning the heat stress tolerance mechanism in wheat plants and also highlight the strategic approaches that improve their heat stress tolerance at the molecular level. The success of these approaches depends on a better understanding of heat tolerance traits, their genomic composition, and molecular responses

Partially reduced graphene oxide-gold nanorods composite based bioelectrode of improved sensing performance

The present work proposes partially reduced graphene oxide-gold nanorods supported by chitosan (CH-prGO-AuNRs) as a potential bioelectrode material for enhanced glucose sensing. Developed on ITO substrate by immobilizing glucose oxidase on CH-prGO-AuNRs composite, these CH-prGO-AuNRs/ITO bioelectrodes demonstrate high sensitivity of 3.2 mu A/(mg/dL)/cm(2) and linear range of 25-200 mg/dL with an ability to detect as low as 14.5 mg/dL. Further, these CH-prGO-AuNRs/ITO based electrodes attest synergistiacally enhanced sensing properties when compared to simple graphene oxide based CH-GO/ITO electrode. This is evident from one order higher electron transfer rate constant (K-s) value in case of CH-prGO-AuNRs modified electrode (12.4 x 10(-2) cm/s), in contrast to CH-GO/ITO electrode (6 x 10(-3) cm/s). Additionally, very low K-m value [15.4 mg/dL(0.85 mM)] ensures better binding affinity of enzyme to substrate which is desirable for good biosensor stability and resistance to environmental interferences. Hence, with better loading capacity, kinetics and stability, the proposed CH-prGO-AuNRs composite shows tremendous potential to detect several bio-analytes in the coming future