Impact of pollination strategies on fruit set and fruit growth attributes in jasmine

Jasmine occupies predominant position among the flower crops in India in terms of area, production and productivity. The demand for jasmine flowers is growing day by day owing to its wide range of uses and there is a pressing need for improving the crop by exploring strategies to evolve diverse genotypes. The present study focuses on the hybridization of Jasminum spp with the objective of introgression of desirable traits that would aid in creation of wider genetic variability. Pollination is the basis in any hybridization programme. The main aim of this research study was to determine the suitable pollination methods among self, open and cross pollination and to assess the effect of the pollination methods on the fruit set and fruit characteristics. The results of the study revealed that the overall response of J. auriculatum was found effective with maximum fruit set percentage. J. auriculatum cv Parimullai yielded the highest fruit set of 76.43% under open pollination and the least fruit set rate of 2.14% under self-pollination. Among the possible cross combination involving J. auriculatum and J. grandiflorum cultivars as seed parents with various pollen parents, J. flexile showed considerable results. Cross combination of J. auriculatum x J. flexile recorded maximum fruit set revealing best cross compatibility while crosses involving J. sambac resulted in no fruit set indicating the prevalence of fertilization barriers that hinder hybridization

Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of antimicrobial compounds produced by mahua oil cake against the stem rot pathogen- Sclerotium rolfsii

The antifungal property containing oil cakes play a significant role in reducing plant disease in a wide range of soil-borne pathogens. A destructive soil-borne pathogen, Sclerotium rolfsii is infecting a vast range of crops worldwide. In-vitro efficacy of five different oil cakes viz. mahua cake, neem cake, pungam cake, coconut cake and castor cake extracts was tested against the stem rot pathogen of groundnut. Among the five different oil cakes, mahua oil cake extract produced the minimum mycelial growth of 1.57and1.29 cm at 5%, and 10% concentrations, respectively and showed maximum percent growth inhibition of 83.33and 86.66% respectively. Bioactive compounds in mahua oil cake were analyzed through GC-MS. From the result of GC-MS, the high retention time and peak area percentage were observed with major important bioactive compounds like n-Hexadecanoic acid (24.968) (12.22), Hexadecanoic acid, ethyl ester (23.655) (2.9), 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z, Z)-(28.659)(35.61), 9-Octadecenoic acid, (E)-(28.786) (13.15), Octadecanoic acid (29.137) (33.59) and a1-Octyn-3-ol (3.023) (0.04).The bioactive compounds identified through GC-MS from mahua oil cake extract were found to be exhibiting antifungal activity against S. rolfsii

Phytostimulation and growth promotion activities of Trichoderma spp. on groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) crop

Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) suffers from many soil borne pathogens that deteriorate the quality of the seeds and are responsible for high yield loss. Practically Trichoderma sp. is used for seed treatment, it minimizes the seed and soil borne pathogens and supports plant growth promotion activities. In the present study, five different isolates of Trichoderma spp. were isolated from groundnut (A. hypogaea ) rhizosphere soil. All the five isolates were confirmed by morphological methods and using molecular tools through Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification of Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region of Trichoderma sp. and DNA gets amplified in 650 bp to 700 bp. Trichoderma spp. were molecularly identified as T(SP)-20 (Trichoderma longibrachiatum), T(AR)-10 (T. asperellum), T(VT)-3 (T. hamatum), T(BI)-16 (T. longibrachiatum), T(TK)-23 (T. citrinoviride). Phytostimulation activities of all the six isolates viz., phosphate solubilization, Ammonia production, IAA production, and Siderophore production, were evaluated. Among the six isolates, T(SP)-20, T(AR)-10, and TNAU-TA showed higher phytostimulation activities. The growth promotion of Trichoderma spp. on groundnut was assessed through the roll towel method. The isolate T(SP)-20 (T. longibrachiatum) produced the highest germination percentage of 93.33 and vigor index of 2246.2. This work developed a new isolate of T. longibrachiatum (T(SP)-20) which is a native isolate having significant  phytostimulation and growth promotion activities and it could be exploited for other soil borne disease managing successfully

Biogas Production Potential of Food Waste

At present our country is facing various problems, among that energy crisis has become more serious in next coming years. Both energy crisis and pollution problems could be controlled by adopting an alternative method of biogas production form waste products. Food waste is the best alternative for biogas production in a community level biogas plant. Hence in the present study, an attempt has been made to study the rate of biogas production in a lab scale biogas digester model for the efficient conversion of the food waste (starch –rich materials) generated from PRIST University Campus. The biogas production depends on the maximum biogas yield, the concentration of volatile solids of the input, the density of the effluent, the density of the biogas and the reaction rate constant, which are all substrate - or process - specific. The experiments were carried out for 40 days and the rate of gas production was measured by water displacement method. The pH value of the cow dung and food waste was initially measured and adjusted to nearer to neutral and gradually increased to acidic and again it got stabilised to the neutral pH which favoured the production of biogas. The percentage of total solids was 69.86, 93.56 and 25.67 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. The percentage of volatile solids was 52.5, 86.3 and 18.9 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. The percentage of volatile fatty acid was 285, 356 and 365 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. Observations on daily basis were made on the constituent of biogas, pH, volume and rate of biogas production. The rate of biogas production continuously increased as days progressed and there was maximum yield in biogas after 20 days. Thus continuous feeding helps in daily biogas production and can be used at a small as well as larger scale to manage the organic waste and energy production for various applications

Assessment of stableness for male sterility in newly developed CMS lines in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Diversification of parental lines both CMS and restorer inbreds are the absolute necessities in sunflower heterosis breeding programme for developing hybrids with high yield, high oil content as well as biotic and abiotic stress resistance. A total of 11 inbred lines with high oil content and high yield from TNHSF 239 population and also promising inbreds from a three way cross (TNHSF 239 x Wild 1-3-2) x Morden derivatives were utilized in conversion programme for developing new CMS lines in sunflower. Eleven newly developed CMS lines from BC6 back cross population were evaluated for their stability across three locations namely Coimbatore, Vamban and Chettinad. All the CMS lines except COSF8A and COSF 9A exhibited stable sterility across the locations and all the maintainers showed 100% fertility at all the three locations. Three CMS lines namely COSF 6A, COSF 7A and COSF 12A were identified for their high oil content (40-43%). Hybrids of these CMS lines showed positive heterosis for yield and yield attributing traits. Therefore, newly developed promising CMS lines can be effectively utilized in hybrid breeding programme for developing high yielding and high oil hybrids in sunflower

Calcium-Rich Pigeonpea Seed Coat: A Potential Byproduct for Food and Pharmaceutical Industries

Pigeonpea is a protein-rich legume which is consumed worldwide in a variety of forms (whole seed, dhal, and as a green vegetable). In India, pigeonpea is milled to yield dhal (cotyledon) and this process generates 25–35% waste byproducts. The hull (seed coat) which accounts for 10% of the byproduct is disposed of either as waste or low-cost cattle feed. To recycle the waste byproducts into the food value chain, this study was conducted with the objectives: (i) to estimate nutrient accumulation in the major seed fractions (cotyledon and seed coat), (ii) to estimate the percentage of nutrient contribution by major seed fractions, (iii) to assess the percentage of nutrient loss due to dehulling, and (iv) to determine the scope of seed coat in nutritional value addition. For this, a subset of 60 diverse pigeonpea accessions selected from 600 pigeonpea accessions raised during the 2019 and 2020 rainy seasons at ICRISAT, Patancheru, India, was subjected to a cotyledon and seed coat nutrient analysis. The three-way analysis of variance revealed the significant influence of cropping years, seed fractions, genotypes, and their interactions on nutrient accumulation. The nutrients, namely protein (32.28 ± 2.29%), P (476.51 ± 39.05 mg/100 g), K (1557.73 ± 66.82 mg/100 g), Fe (4.42 ± 0.41 mg/100 g), Zn (2.25 ± 0.21 mg/100 g), and Cu (0.95 ± 0.07 mg/100 g) were enriched in cotyledon. Mn was equally enriched in both the cotyledon and seed coat (1.02 ± 0.12 mg/100 g and 0.97 ± 0.34 mg/100 g, respectively). The seed coat had a high concentration of Ca (652.02 ± 114.82 mg/100 g), and Mg (249.19 ± 34.12 mg/100 g) with wide variability for Fe (2.74–5.61 mg/100 g), Zn (0.88–3.95 mg/100 g), Cu (0.38–1.44 mg/100 g), and Mn (0.58–2.18 mg/100 g). It is noteworthy that the protein and P contents in the cotyledon were 7 and 18 times higher than that in the seed coat, respectively, and the Ca content in the seed coat was 12 times higher than that in the cotyledon. A correlation study revealed that for overall nutrient improvement in dhal, selection for a small seed size was desirable. On an average, the percentage of nutrient contribution by major seed fractions revealed that the cotyledon portion contributed around 95% protein and P; 90% K and Zn; 85% Fe, Cu, and Mn; and 75% Mg, while the seed coat portion contributed nearly 65% Ca to the whole grain. The findings of high Fe and protein concentrations in the cotyledon and high Ca accumulation in the seed coat can serve as a new guide for improved technological fractionation of these components to serve as a novel functional food ingredient and as a dietary supplement that can address malnutrition

The effect of agitation speed, enzyme loading and substrate concentration on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose from brewer’s spent grain

Brewer’s spent grain components (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) were fractionated in a two-step chemical pretreatment process using dilute sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions. The cellulose pulp produced was hydrolyzed with a cellulolytic complex, Celluclast 1.5 L, at 45 ºC to convert the cellulose into glucose. Several conditions were examined: agitation speed (100, 150 and 200 rpm), enzyme loading (5, 25 and 45 FPU/g substrate), and substrate concentration (2, 5 and 8% w/v), according to a 2 3 full factorial design aiming to maximize the glucose yield. The obtained results were interpreted by analysis of variance and response surface methodology. The optimal conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis of brewer’s spent grain were identified as 100 rpm, 45 FPU/g and 2% w/v substrate. Under these conditions, a glucose yield of 93.1% and a cellulose conversion (into glucose and cellobiose) of 99.4% was achieved. The easiness of glucose release from BSG makes this substrate a raw material with great potential to be used in bioconversion processes.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo), Brazil. Novozymes ( FAPESP )Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Whole Genome Characterization of a Few EMS-Induced Mutants of Upland Rice Variety Nagina 22 Reveals a Staggeringly High Frequency of SNPs Which Show High Phenotypic Plasticity Towards the Wild-Type

The Indian initiative, in creating mutant resources for the functional genomics in rice, has been instrumental in the development of 87,000 ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS)-induced mutants, of which 7,000 are in advanced generations. The mutants have been created in the background of Nagina 22, a popular drought- and heat-tolerant upland cultivar. As it is a pregreen revolution cultivar, as many as 573 dwarf mutants identified from this resource could be useful as an alternate source of dwarfing. A total of 541 mutants, including the macromutants and the trait-specific ones, obtained after appropriate screening, are being maintained in the mutant garden. Here, we report on the detailed characterizations of the 541 mutants based on the distinctness, uniformity, and stability (DUS) descriptors at two different locations. About 90% of the mutants were found to be similar to the wild type (WT) with high similarity index (>0.6) at both the locations. All 541 mutants were characterized for chlorophyll and epicuticular wax contents, while a subset of 84 mutants were characterized for their ionomes, namely, phosphorous, silicon, and chloride contents. Genotyping of these mutants with 54 genomewide simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers revealed 93% of the mutants to be either completely identical to WT or nearly identical with just one polymorphic locus. Whole genome resequencing (WGS) of four mutants, which have minimal differences in the SSR fingerprint pattern and DUS characters from the WT, revealed a staggeringly high number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on an average (16,453 per mutant) in the genic sequences. Of these, nearly 50% of the SNPs led to non-synonymous codons, while 30% resulted in synonymous codons. The number of insertions and deletions (InDels) varied from 898 to 2,595, with more than 80% of them being 1–2 bp long. Such a high number of SNPs could pose a serious challenge in identifying gene(s) governing the mutant phenotype by next generation sequencing-based mapping approaches such as Mutmap. From the WGS data of the WT and the mutants, we developed a genic resource of the WT with a novel analysis pipeline. The entire information about this resource along with the panicle architecture of the 493 mutants is made available in a mutant database EMSgardeN22 (http://14.139.229.201/EMSgardeN22)

Prunella vulgaris: A comprehensive review of chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical applications.

Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a perennial herb belonging to the Labiate family and is widely distributed in northeastern Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China. It is reported to display diverse biological activities including anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammation as determined by in vitro or in vivo studies. So far, about 200 compounds have been isolated from PV plant and majority of these have been characterized mainly as triterpenoids, sterols and flavonoids, followed by coumarins, phenylpropanoids, polysaccharides and volatile oils. This review summarizes and analyzes the current knowledge on the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action and clinical applications of the PV plant including its potential as a future medicinal plant. Although some of the chemical constituents of the PV plant and their mechanism of action have been investigated the biological activities of many of these remain unknown and further clinical trials are required to further enhance its reputation as a medicinal plant

The dominant Anopheles vectors of human malaria in the Asia-Pacific region: occurrence data, distribution maps and bionomic précis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The final article in a series of three publications examining the global distribution of 41 dominant vector species (DVS) of malaria is presented here. The first publication examined the DVS from the Americas, with the second covering those species present in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Here we discuss the 19 DVS of the Asian-Pacific region. This region experiences a high diversity of vector species, many occurring sympatrically, which, combined with the occurrence of a high number of species complexes and suspected species complexes, and behavioural plasticity of many of these major vectors, adds a level of entomological complexity not comparable elsewhere globally. To try and untangle the intricacy of the vectors of this region and to increase the effectiveness of vector control interventions, an understanding of the contemporary distribution of each species, combined with a synthesis of the current knowledge of their behaviour and ecology is needed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Expert opinion (EO) range maps, created with the most up-to-date expert knowledge of each DVS distribution, were combined with a contemporary database of occurrence data and a suite of open access, environmental and climatic variables. Using the Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) modelling method, distribution maps of each DVS were produced. The occurrence data were abstracted from the formal, published literature, plus other relevant sources, resulting in the collation of DVS occurrence at 10116 locations across 31 countries, of which 8853 were successfully geo-referenced and 7430 were resolved to spatial areas that could be included in the BRT model. A detailed summary of the information on the bionomics of each species and species complex is also presented.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This article concludes a project aimed to establish the contemporary global distribution of the DVS of malaria. The three articles produced are intended as a detailed reference for scientists continuing research into the aspects of taxonomy, biology and ecology relevant to species-specific vector control. This research is particularly relevant to help unravel the complicated taxonomic status, ecology and epidemiology of the vectors of the Asia-Pacific region. All the occurrence data, predictive maps and EO-shape files generated during the production of these publications will be made available in the public domain. We hope that this will encourage data sharing to improve future iterations of the distribution maps.</p