Weeds of Himalaya in winter crops

The present communication is an account of weed flora in winter crops of Western Himalaya (Kumaon and Garhwal), ranging from outer foot-hills to sub-alpihe regions (altitude 700 m to 3,150 m above MSL). Out of 39 species, 34 species of 30 genera of 15 families belong to dicots and 5 species of 4 genera belong to 1 monocot family. Asteraceae (7), Brassicaceae (5), Poaceae (5), Leguminosae (4) and Papaveraceae (3) contribute about 61,54% to the total weed species. The associations of weeds in different crops have been emphasised with respect to phenology, habit and occurrence. The increasing intensity of the weeds can be prevented by uprooting them before the crop matures

Selection of High Yielding and Anthracnose Resistant \u3ci\u3eStylosanthes\u3c/i\u3e for Brazil, India and China

Resistance to anthracnose, dry matter yield (DMY) and seed yield (SY) was assessed for germplasm and breeding lines of Stylosanthes in Brazil, India and China. Overall, Stylosanthes guianensis produced higher DMY than S. scabra, S. capitata and S. macrocephala at most sites in Brazil. Data from China suggest that there are high yielding anthracnose resistant S. guianensis lines that can reduce the reliance on CIAT 184. S. seabrana might also prove successful. S. seabrana in India produced the highest DMY and SY and it can form nodules with native Bradyrhizobium strains. Regional differences in resistance within accessions stress the importance of targeting germplasm to combat the suite of pathogen races present at a local level

Forage potential of sorghum and pearl millet

Sorghum and Pennisetum are two of the gifted genera of the tropical regions that provide food, feed, stover (dry straw) and fuel to millions of poor farmer families and their livestocks. Single-cut sorghum and multi-cut pearl millet varieties are also cultivated for green fodder (forage). In addition, the interspecific sorghum sudangrass annual multi-cut hybrids are grown for green fodder. The interspecific pearl millet × napiergrass hybrids are perennial and yield green fodder throughout the year. Pearl millet uses less water per unit of forage production, tolerates both lower and higher soil pH and higher aluminium concentration, and is rich in minerals as compared to sorghum. However, sorghum has a wider range of adaptability and is more widely grown. Geographical preferences, limited market demand, variable prices, and lack of private industry and institutional research support have led to limited pearl millet forage research and cultivar adoption. Forage quality is paramount to palatability or acceptability and animal intake. Plant morphology, anatomical components, digestibility, protein, mineral, cellulose and lignin contents, and anti-nutritional factors like hydrocyanic acid in sorghum and oxalic acid in pearl millet determine animal performance – milk and meat production. Development of multi-cut annual forage sorghum and pearl millet hybrids rather than varieties could have a catalytic effect on forage yield and quality. Diversification of sorghum seed parents (white-grained rather than the currently used red-grained male steriles) and development of sudangrass pollinators with high sugar content and foliar disease resistance offer good opportunities for the exploitation of full potential of the interspecific hybrids. Crop scientists, chemical technologists, and animal health and nutrition experts have a role to play in good quality forage research and cultivar development. Inter-institutional partnerships could forge strong interlinks for strengthening sorghum and pearl millet forage research and development

Wall flora of Almora

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Allelopathic potential of Artemisia vulgaris L. and Pinus roxburghii sargent : a bioassay study

In the present study, an attempt was made to investigate the influence of plant and soil extracts of Artemisia vulgaris L. and Pinus roxburghii Sargent on two test species, viz., Lepidium virginicum L. and Lolium perenne L. The plant and soil extracts had an inhibitory effect on the germination of the test species which differ considerably according to the extracts of various components, i.e., young developing leaves, old mature leaves, leaf and woody litter. In Artemisia vulgaris, young developing leaves and in Pinus roxburghii litter extracts were found more inhibitory compared to other components. Physical features of the extracts, viz., pH and conductivity, had least differences with distilled water (control). The presence of certain hydropholic metabolites was concluded as the principal cause for the inhibitory or allelopathic potential of these species. Lolium perenne was found relatively tolerant to the allelopathic effect compared to Lepidium virginicum