Multi-criteria assessment to screen climate smart rice establishment techniques in coastal rice production system of India

Introduction: Conventional rice production techniques are less economical and more vulnerable to sustainable utilization of farm resources as well as significantly contributed GHGs to atmosphere. Methods: In order to assess the best rice production system for coastal areas, six rice production techniques were evaluated, including SRI-AWD (system of rice intensification with alternate wetting and drying (AWD)), DSR-CF (direct seeded rice with continuous flooding (CF)), DSR-AWD (direct seeded rice with AWD), TPR-CF (transplanted rice with CF), TPR-AWD (transplanted rice with AWD), and FPR-CF (farmer practice with CF). The performance of these technologies was assessed using indicators such as rice productivity, energy balance, GWP (global warming potential), soil health indicators, and profitability. Finally, using these indicators, a climate smartness index (CSI) was calculated. Results and discussion: Rice grown with SRI-AWD method had 54.8 % higher CSI over FPR-CF, and also give 24.5 to 28.3% higher CSI for DSR and TPR as well. There evaluations based on the climate smartness index can provide cleaner and more sustainable rice production and can be used as guiding principle for policy makers.publishedVersio

ISOLATION AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF PHOSPHATE SOLUBILIZING BACTERIA FROM RHIZOSPHERIC SOILS OF TROPICAL LOWLAND RICE

Phosphate-solubilizing bacteria (PSB) can promote the dissolution of insoluble phosphorus in soil, enhancing the availability of soluble P and reducing the consumption of fertilizer and aid in sustainable agricultural development. The phosphate solubilising bacteria were isolated from the rhizospheric soils of the experimental site located in the ICAR-National Rice Research Institute's experimental farm in Cuttack, India. & the population of PSBs varied between 1-22.5 cfu/gm*104 and higher in DSR (Direct seeded rice) compared to TPR (Transplanted rice). Phosphate solubilization efficiency (PSE) of the isolates gave better result in Pikovskaya’s agar medium plates i.e. 188.9% in K6 (Kasalath, P80, DSR) rather than National Botanical Research Institute’s Phosphate growth medium (NBRIP) i.e. 73.3% for K6. The highest PSE% in C sources was found in lactose i.e. 166.7% for the isolate K9 (Kasalath, P0, DSR) and 180.0% for the isolate D17 (Dular, P80, TPR) for potassium nitrate as N source. The morphological study by staining characteristics showed that all the isolates were gram negative and cocci except D19 (Dular, P80, TPR) which was gram positive and rod shaped. Amplified fragments of oligonucleotide primers in RAPD characterization showed 51.81% polymorphism and 44.54% monomorphism. Based on dendrogram all the isolates were placed in group A except S11 (Dular, P80, TPR) which was placed in major group B showing great variation from all other isolates and group A consists of 6 minor groups in which minor group A6 was the largest containing 5 isolates i.e. Kasalath, P40, DSR (S13), Kasalath, P80, DSR (S14, S15, S16) & IR36, P40, DSR (S17). &nbsp

Morphometric Study of Greater Wax Moth (Galleria mellonella L.) under Laboratory Condition

The present study was carried out in PG Laboratory, Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha on morphometry of greater wax moth (G. mellonella L.). Under laboratory condition, we observed the incubation period of greater wax moth was 8.55±0.42 days. The seven successive larval instars lasted for the following number of days i.e.,4.64±0.36, 5.04±0.51, 6.05±0.62, 7.07±0.41, 8.15±0.  59, 8.41±0.52 and 9.12±0.47 days. Prepupa and pupa lasted, 1.69±0.52 and 8.63±0.38 days,respectively. Adult males lived for 16.79±1.48 days on average, compared to 6.92±0.49 days for females. Females had pre-ovipositional, ovipositional and post-ovipositional durations of 1.13±0.33, 3.78±0.43 and 1.19±0.28 days, respectively. On average females lay 784.01±42.77eggs per female and 167.91±43.64 eggs per female on each day