Efficacy of Major Plant Extracts/Molecules on Field Insect Pests

Insect pests are considered the major hurdle in enhancing the production and productivity of any farming system. The use of conventional synthetic pesticides has led to the emergence of pesticide-resistant insects, environmental pollution, and negative effects on natural enemies, which have caused an ecological imbalance of the predator-prey ratio and human health hazards; therefore, eco-friendly alternative strategies are required. The plant kingdom, a rich repertoire of secondary metabolites, can be tapped as an alternative for insect pest management strategies. A number of plants have been documented to have insecticidal properties against various orders of insects in vitro by acting as antifeedants, repellents, sterilant and oviposition deterrents, etc. However, only a few plant compounds are applicable at the field level or presently commercialised. Here, we have provided an overview of the broad-spectrum insecticidal activity of plant compounds from neem, Annona, Pongamia, and Jatropha. Additionally, the impact of medicinal plants, herbs, spices, and essential oils has been reviewed briefl

Metadata in an Ecosystem of Presentation Dissemination

Developing and managing local practices about metadata implementation (desired quality, workflow, support tools, guidelines, and vocabularies) and about metadata exposure (supported standards, and pre-exposure transformations) requires an ability to understand and communicate the specific complex settings in which the metadata, resources, and users exist. Developing such an understanding is often informed by an implicit or explicit conceptual model. This poster presents an ecologically influenced view of a researcher seeking to disseminate and store their presentations

Moisture extraction pattern and ET-yield models in wheat under different management practices in central Punjab

Under water limiting conditions, evaluation of sensitivity of crop growth stages to evapotranspiration is indispensable for efficient and judicious use of irrigation water. The present investigation was carried out at the research farm, School of Climate Change and Agricultural Meteorology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during rabi 2006-07 and 2007-08. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with two planting methods i.e. flat planting (F) and planting on raised beds (B) and five irrigation levels. Flat planting method recorded higher soil moisture depletion / ET as compared to bed planting during both the years of investigation. During 2006-07, soil moisture depletion for rainfed and four post-sowing irrigation treatments was 256 and 376 mm for bed planted, whereas it was 285 and 402 mm for flat sown crop, respectively. Similarly during 2007-08, soil water depletion for the corresponding treatments was 286 and 437 mm for bed planted; whereas it was 337 and 467 mm for flat sown crop. Multiplicative and additive ET and yield models suggested reproductive growth to be the most sensitive crop growth stage to soil moisture

Comparative evaluation of different methods to compute evapotranspiration at different phenological stages in wheat

Evapotranspiration of wheat crop was estimated using different methods viz. lysimeter, USDA Open pan evaporimeter, empirical methods, combination approach and soil water evaporation model. The field experiment was conducted during rabi 2006-07 and 2007-08 with two weighing type lysimeters located at the research farm, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. Among different methods of ET estimation, Papadakis method computed highest rate of PET followed by Hamon and modified Penman method whereas modified soil evaporation model, Thornthwaite, Blaney-Criddle and Stephans & Stewart methods produced lower values of PET as compared to lysimeter ET and open pan evaporation. Modified Jensen & Haise method estimated PET values (346 and 361 mm) closest to lysimeter ET (340 and 341 mm) and open pan evaporation (360 and 432 mm) respectively, for two seasons. PET computed by Blaney-Criddle method showed very good correlation with Lysimeter ET (0.90).