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Not AvailableSaline black soils (Vertisols), due to their inherent physical and chemical constraints such as high clay content, poor infiltration, low hydraulic conductivity and narrow workable moisture range pose serious problems for arable crop production even at low salinity levels. Such soils are prevalent in the coastal areas of Gujarat State, a western province in India. Cultivating salt tolerant forage grasses through saline agriculture has been suggested a possible approach to meet the fodder demands for the dairy cattle, a prominent agro-based industry in the State. Two grasses, Eragrostis tenella and Aeluropus lagopoides were cultivated on saline Vertisols with sub-surface salinity using saline groundwater under different nitrogen regimes. Results indicated that applied nitrogen, while favouring forage biomass, reduced salt content in the tissues and also enhanced forage quality. Nitrogen applied at the rate of 60 kh/ha has been found ideal for groqing grasses on such soils. These grasses have the potential to remove salt from the soils. Salt compartmentation at tissue level indicated roots and older leaves as potential sinks for toxic ions like sodium. Aeluropus lagopoides has been found to be a better salt remover that Eragrostis tenella and this grass also had better forage quality traits suggesting the possibility of using this grass in saline agriculture program in the region.Not Availabl

Scaling of the isothermal entropy change and magnetoresistance in Ni-Mn-In based off-stoichiometric Heusler alloys

We show that for identical changes in magnetic field, the temperature dependence of the change in isothermal entropy across the martensite-austenite phase transition in different Ni-Mn-In based off-stoichiometric Heusler alloys scales to a single curve. The temperature dependence of magnetoresistance across the same martensite-austenite phase transition in these alloys also scales to follow a similar curve. The temperatures corresponding to the peak value of the isothermal entropy change and the peak magnetoresistance for a particular applied magnetic field are correlated with distinct features observed in the magnetization vs. temperature and resistivity vs. temperature curves respectively of these alloys (in the same magnetic field). These findings can be utilized in estimating the useful temperature regime for the isothermal entropy change and magnetoresistance of Ni-Mn-In based alloys with newer compositions, and to predict the magnitude of these functionalities, without performing actual experiments

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