Mapping of Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with Resistance to Brown Planthopper in Rice by Means of a Doubled Haploid Population

ABSTRACT these major genes The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stå l) (Homotive resistance should be more durabl

Revolutionizing Crop Production: The Imperative of Speed Breeding Technology in Modern Crop Improvement

Speed breeding (SB) technology is an innovative solution to shorten the breeding cycle and accelerate crop improvement. The key factors of plant growth and development, including photoperiod, light intensity and quality, temperature, relative humidity, planting density and plant nutrition are manipulated in such a way as to stimulate flowering and seed set under controlled conditions. The development of SB technology may be challenging as crops tend to vary in their response to physiological manipulations. Therefore, crop-specific optimization is highly critical to developing successful SB technology in crops. The SB technology can also be synergistically integrated with cutting edge genomics and marker-assisted selection technologies to enhance genetic gain in crop breeding programmes. In this review, various aspects concerning the science and techniques underpinning SB technology, the successful implementation of SB technology in different crops, the inherent challenges faced, and the potential opportunities to integrate SB technology with cutting-edge genomics technologies towards accelerating crop improvement are discussed

Relearning old lessons for the future of food—by bread alone no longer: diversifying diets with fruit and vegetables

Diversifying diets and agricultural enterprises with fruit and vegetables is a potent weapon in the current global battle against malnutrition and poverty. Agricultural science can contribute substantially to enhance the development prospects and health of not only disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals at one end of the spectrum but also the growth and equity of national economies at the other. Moreover, with relatively simple applied research, new crop species and technologies can rapidly enter the development pathway to benefi t even the poorest people or nations. More upstream research can help to guard fruit and vegetable production against the vagaries of potential climatic uncertainty, which is projected to become more prominent over future decades. However, historical and continuing widespread underinvestment in fruit and vegetable research and development from the national to the global level may severely compromise the world’s ability to use such highvalue species for crop diversifi cation and as a major engine of development growth to ensure global food and nutritional security

Evaluation of the Angiographic Grading Scale in Aneurysms Treated with the WEB Device in 80 Rabbits: Correlation with Histologic Evaluation

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The WEB Occlusion Score has been proposed to assess angiographic outcomes for intracranial aneurysms treated with the Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device. Using a large series of experimental aneurysms treated with the WEB, we had the following objectives: 1) to compare angiographic outcomes as measured by the WEB Occlusion Scale with histologic results, and 2) to assess interobserver and intraobserver agreement of the WEB Occlusion Scale

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Not AvailableThe present study was carried out on 315 breedable sows of approximately 2–4 years of age irrespective of parity with good body condition in varying managemental conditions under subtropical rainfall areas of Meghalaya. These animals were fed on kitchen wastes with locally available green fodder. The animals those were non return after one month (range 28–34 days) post-breeding, were grouped as positive group (n=215), non-mated pigs as negative group (n=100) and distilled water as control group (n=100). Urine samples were collected in clean, sterilized plastic containers through manual method at farmer’s door during natural micturition in the morning and diluted at the ratio of 1:4 with distilled water for pregnancy diagnosis on the same day of collection. Wheat seed with average 85% of germination after 48 h at room temperature was selected for the entire study. In each sterile petri dish, 15 wheat seeds were taken on the blotting paper and 15 ml of diluted urine was added and covered with trays to avoid evaporation, and kept undisturbed for 48 h at room temperature. Test was conducted in triplicate for each animal. Control test was also carried out with the addition of distilled water only to the wheat seeds. The germination inhibition percentage and shoot length (cm) of germinated seeds in each petri dish was recorded and calculated at 48, 72 and 96 h after adding the sample. All data were analysed using two-way ANOVA by SPSS software and expressed as Mean±SE. The mean germination inhibition percentage of wheat seeds was significantly different between pregnant (75.66±3.48), non-pregnant (28.70±2.96) and control (19.48±2.69) groups. Shoot length (cm) was significantly less in pregnant group when compared to non pregnant and control groups, and also significantly different within the group at different time intervals. Mean germination inhibition percentage and reduced shoot length in positive group was indicative of pregnancy status. Hence, it can be concluded that seed germination inhibition is a useful technique to detect pregnancy in pigs as a simple, non-invasive and cost effective method, and must be popularized among the farmers, veterinary officers and paraveterinary workers for field level application.Not Availabl