Organic farming: Present status, scope and prospects in northern India

Organic agriculture has emerged as an important priority area globally in view of the growing consciousness for safe and healthy food, long term sustainability and environmental concerns despite being contentious in history. Green revolution although paved way for developing countries in self-sufficiency of food but sustaining production against the limited natural resource base demands has shifted steadily from “resource degrading” chemical agriculture to “resource protective” organic agriculture. The essential concept remains the same, i.e., to go back to the arms of nature and take up organic farming to restore the loss. Organic farming emphasizes on rotating crops, managing pests, diversifying crops and livestock and improving the soil. The rainfed areas particularly north-eastern regions where least or no utilization of chemical inputs due to poor resources provides considerable opportunity for promotion of organic farming thereby reflecting its vast but unexplored scope. However, significant barriers like yield reduction, soil fertility enhancement, integration of livestock, marketing and policy etc., arise at both macroscopic and microscopic levels; making practically impossible the complete adoption of ‘pure organic farming’; rather some specific area can be diverted to organic farming and thus a blend of organic and other innovative farming systems is needed. Adoption of Integrated Green Revolution Farming can be possible to a large extent, where the basic trends of green revolution are retained with greater efficiency and closer compatibility to the environment. This review paper attempts to present the recent global and regional scenario of organic farming particularly highlighting the scope, prospects and constraints in the northern areas

Genome-Wide Association Study of Anthracnose Resistance in Andean Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).

Anthracnose is a seed-borne disease of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) caused by the fungus Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, and the pathogen is cosmopolitan in distribution. The objectives of this study were to identify new sources of anthracnose resistance in a diverse panel of 230 Andean beans comprised of multiple seed types and market classes from the Americas, Africa, and Europe, and explore the genetic basis of this resistance using genome-wide association mapping analysis (GWAS). Twenty-eight of the 230 lines tested were resistant to six out of the eight races screened, but only one cultivar Uyole98 was resistant to all eight races (7, 39, 55, 65, 73, 109, 2047, and 3481) included in the study. Outputs from the GWAS indicated major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance on chromosomes, Pv01, Pv02, and Pv04 and two minor QTL on Pv10 and Pv11. Candidate genes associated with the significant SNPs were detected on all five chromosomes. An independent QTL study was conducted to confirm the physical location of the Co-1 locus identified on Pv01 in an F4:6 recombinant inbred line (RIL) population. Resistance was determined to be conditioned by the single dominant gene Co-1 that mapped between 50.16 and 50.30 Mb on Pv01, and an InDel marker (NDSU_IND_1_50.2219) tightly linked to the gene was developed. The information reported will provide breeders with new and diverse sources of resistance and genomic regions to target in the development of anthracnose resistance in Andean beans

Transcriptome Profiling of the <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> - <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> Pathosystem

<div><p>Bean (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i>) anthracnose caused by the hemi-biotrophic pathogen <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> is a major factor limiting production worldwide. Although sources of resistance have been identified and characterized, the early molecular events in the host-pathogen interface have not been investigated. In the current study, we conducted a comprehensive transcriptome analysis using Illumina sequencing of two near isogenic lines (NILs) differing for the presence of the <i>Co-1</i> gene on chromosome Pv01 during a time course following infection with race 73 of <i>C</i>. <i>lindemuthianum</i>. From this, we identified 3,250 significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within and between the NILs over the time course of infection. During the biotrophic phase the majority of DEGs were up regulated in the susceptible NIL, whereas more DEGs were up-regulated in the resistant NIL during the necrotrophic phase. Various defense related genes, such as those encoding PR proteins, peroxidases, lipoxygenases were up regulated in the resistant NIL. Conversely, genes encoding sugar transporters were up-regulated in the susceptible NIL during the later stages of infection. Additionally, numerous transcription factors (TFs) and candidate genes within the vicinity of the <i>Co-1</i> locus were differentially expressed, suggesting a global reprogramming of gene expression in and around the <i>Co-1</i> locus. Through this analysis, we reduced the previous number of candidate genes reported at the <i>Co-1</i> locus from eight to three. These results suggest the dynamic nature of <i>P</i>. <i>vulgaris–C</i>. <i>lindemuthianum</i> interaction at the transcriptomic level and reflect the role of both pathogen and effector triggered immunity on changes in plant gene expression.</p></div

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Not AvailableThe present investigation for assessment of genetic divergence of horticultural traits in 18 olive genotypes was carried out at experimental farm of ICAR-CITH, Srinagar. All the selected genotypes differed significantly for selected traits. Thirteen economic traits were scored and subjected to multivariate analysis. Results revealed a considerable phenotypic variability among olive genotypes. The cluster analysis classified genotypes into two major groups according to their potential characteristics. The first group was found superior in terms of narrowest leaf, longest fruit size, high fruit firmness, high pulp content, high fruit shape index and low yield per plant and second cluster in longest leaf, thickest leaf, high fruit weight, low firmness and high yield per plant attributes. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that The first PC, which is the most important component, explained 29.05% of total variation and was positively related to leaf length and leaf length/width ratio, leaf thickness, oil content (fresh and dry weight basis), stone weight, yield per plant. Among genotypes most diverse genotypes were Picholine, Cipressino, Toffohai, Coratina and Cornicobra which could be utilized as donor parents to begin crossing in European olive as well as in Indian olive species and breeding programs which may result in increase in the desired traits such as fruit size, oil content and yield.Not Availabl

Heatmap of expression (FPKM) for nine genes encoding NB-ARC domains that were differentially expressed between resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines at 0, 24, 72 and 96 hours post inoculation with <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> race 73.

<p>Expression for these nine genes ranged from 0 to 41 FPKM.</p

Genes encoding transcription factors differentially expressed between resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines at 24, 72 and 96 hours post inoculation with <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> race 73.

<p>Genes encoding transcription factors differentially expressed between resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines at 24, 72 and 96 hours post inoculation with <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> race 73.</p

Transcriptome Profiling of the <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> - <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> Pathosystem - Fig 1

<p>Disease progression on the susceptible NIL genotype a) 0 hpi b) 24 hpi c) 72 hpi and d) 96 hpi. Water soaked lesions were seen at 72 hpi and plants exhibited necrotic lesions at 96 hpi.</p

Genes in <i>Co-1</i> and <i>Co-4</i> genomic regions that were differentially expressed between resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines at 24, 72 and 96 hours post inoculation with <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> race 73.

<p>Genes in <i>Co-1</i> and <i>Co-4</i> genomic regions that were differentially expressed between resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines at 24, 72 and 96 hours post inoculation with <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> race 73.</p

Expression patterns of Phvul.001G241300 that encoding a Hs1pro-1 protein in resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines inoculated with <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> race 73.

<p>Expression patterns of Phvul.001G241300 that encoding a Hs1pro-1 protein in resistant and susceptible near isogenic lines inoculated with <i>Colletotrichum lindemuthianum</i> race 73.</p