Mapping QTL for bruchid resistance in rice bean (Vigna umbellata)

This research articles was published in Euphytica journal, volume 207, 2016The damage caused to stored seed by bruchids (Callosobruchus maculatus) is considered to be a major production constraint in rice bean (Vigna umbellata). Breeding for genetically determined resistance is the most environmentally benign and cost-effective means to mitigate the losses to bruchid infestation. Here, a screen of rice bean germplasm identified two sources of resistance, and determined the genetic basis of the resistance using a quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping approach. The two resistant accessions (LRB238 and JP100304) were each crossed to a common susceptible cultivar (LRB26) to generate F2 mapping populations, one of which (LRB238 × LRB26) was genotyped with a range of Vigna sp. microsatellite assays and by sequence related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) fingerprinting. The resulting linkage map comprised ten linkage groups and covered a genetic distance of 872.1 cM with a mean inter-marker distance of 32.05 cM. The subsequent QTL analysis detected the presence of 11 QTL, distributed over all ten linkage groups, most of which were associated with the % damage caused to the seed. Two major QTL, Cmpd1.5 (flanked by the SRAP markers E2M9-270 and E12M7-311) and Cmpd1.6 (flanked by the SRAP marker E7M10-141 and the microsatellite locus CEDG259) mapped within 11.9 cM and 13.0 cM of the flanking markers, respectively, accounted for, 67.3 and 77.4 % of the variance respectively, for % damaged seeds. A bulked segregation analysis carried out in the JP100304 × LRB26 population revealed that the resistance donor harboured some resistance factors not represented in LRB238

Automation and Digitization in the Seed Sector: Offline to Online

As automation has become an integral part of today's world, the Internet of things (IoT) and Machine learning (ML) offers a platform for tracking and controlling different environments remotely with the help of sensors, controllers and the internet. Today IoT and ML are taking over control of agriculture industries and playing an important role in smart farming. The literature highlights the potential use of IoT and ML in agriculture and even in seed sector which is feasible for surveillance and monitoring from sowing to harvesting and similar packaging operations. In this review, we have highlighted the use of IoT applications with remote sensors such as temperature, humidity, soil moisture, water level sensors and pH value providing an idea of automation in seed sowing, seedling development and yield, which displays precision as well as practical utility to cope with difficulties in the field. It also addresses the digitalization in seed distribution and market systems. Some notable prospects by ML in the seed industry viz., seed tracking and smart storage system has also been stated

Validating Protocol and Deciphering the Nanoparticulate Seed Treatment in Enhancing Seed Quality of Soybean, Pigeon Pea and Groundnut

Silicon nanoparticles have attracted huge interest as a rapidly growing class of materials for many agricultural applications. It provided new insight of the potential growth promoting effects of the nanoparticle (SiO­2) on plant system. Looking in to its importance, a comprehensive study was conducted to standardize the protocol on method of seed treatment with Silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticle for enhancing seed quality in soybean, groundnut and pigeon pea. Among the treatment combinations, soybean, groundnut and pigeon pea seeds treated with SiO2 nanoparticle in powder form along with polymer found to be superior for all the tested seed quality parameters viz., germination (95.00, 95.33 and 94.67%), seedling length (39.60, 35.14, 25.56cm), mean seedling dry weight (45.53, 28.33 and 50.47mg/seedling), seedling vigour index-I (3763, 3348 and 2421), seedling vigour index-II (4332, 2700 and 4780) for soybean, pigeon pea and groundnut, respectively. However, compared to untreated control, these seed quality attributes were statistically on par with CMC+NP treatment. These findings suggested that seed treatment with SiO2 nanoparticle in powder form along with polymer coating significantly enhanced seed quality of soybean, groundnut, and pigeon pea

Biochemical and Metabolomics on Rice Cultivars

Plant metabolites are important for both plant life and human nutrition. However, the genetic control of plant metabolome remains largely unknown. Here, we performed a genetic analysis of the different rice metabolome and isozymes which are highly versatile and non-destructive as bio-markers. Five isozymes peroxidase, catalase, malate dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), polyphenol oxidase were studied to characterize the thirty rice cultivars and two hybrids KRH-2 and KRH-4 along with their parental lines. Among the zymograms, ADH was found to be useful for the detection of cultivars, like CTH1, IR64, IR30864, with an Rm value of 0.549. The metabolomics of rice cultivars by using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry instrument with selected reaction monitoring mode software identified the 66 metabolites in the rice samples, including amino, organic, fatty acids, alcohols and sugars (mono-/dis-accharides). All metabolites investigated varied significantly among rice samples. Jaya had the higher number of metabolites (15) with a peak for each metabolite, followed by Jyothi (13). This study demonstrated a powerful tool and provided a high-quality data for understanding the plant metabolome and isozymes, which may help bridge the gap between the genome and phenome. Keywords: gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, isozyme, spectroscopy, metabolomics, ric

Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor in the maxillary antrum: A rare case entity

Adenomatoid odontogenic tumor (AOT) is an uncommon benign tumor of odontogenic origin. It occurs in the second decade of life. Females are more commonly affected than males. AOT has a striking tendency to occur in the anterior maxilla; however, very few cases have been reported to occur in the maxillary antrum. This is a case report of a 17-year-old male presented with a large radiolucent lesion associated with the crown of an unerupted canine located in the right maxillary antrum, which was clinically diagnosed as dentigerous cyst. The histopathological examination revealed the presence of AOT

Nanoencapsulation of apocynin and vanillic acid extracted from Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth plant roots and its characterisation

Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth (P. kurroa) is an important medicinal plant in the ayurvedic system for treating various liver and inflammatory conditions. The present study aimed to extract the phytocompounds from various extracts (Acetone, Chloroform, Ethanol, Ethyl acetate, Hexane, and Methanol) of P. kurroa. Further, the major phytocompounds were nano-encapsulated by PLGA (Poly-lactic-co-glycolic acid) method and characterized to enhance activity towards the target. The highest polyphenolic value was found to be 323.2 ± 16.6 and 316.3 ± 12.1 μg GAEq./mg in ethanolic and methanolic extracts. The highest flavonoid value was found to be 280.3 ± 19.8 and 300.8 ± 15.2 in ethanolic and methanolic extracts μg QEq./mg. P. kurroa exhibited DPPH radical scavenging with IC50 of 38.2 ± 1.1 and 43.7 ± 1.8 μg/mL and also showed potent ferric reducing power and total antioxidant activities. The major phytocompounds, such as apocynin (AP) and vanillic acid (VA), were confirmed using HPLC. Further, the nano-encapsulation of apocynin and vanillic acid successfully achieved by PLGA methods. The average particle size of nano-encapsulated apocynin, vanillic acid is 350 nm, 204.4 nm, and zeta potential were −25.3 mv and −11.2 mv. Nanoformulations showed an apocynin and vanillic acid encapsulation efficiency of 93.6% and 93.3%, respectively. SEM and AFM confirmed the round and smooth morphology of the nanoparticles. The results of XRD confirmed the amorphous nature of nanoformulations. FTIR technique confirm the presence of biomolecules inside the polymer. The thermal stability of nanoformulations determined by DSC analysis showed endothermic peak. The prepared and characterization apocynin, vanillic acid nanoparticles revealed their good quality index, suggesting that potential use in pharmacy and phytotherapy as a source of natural antioxidant

Chromosomal anomalies and congenital heart disease in Mysore, South India

Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) is the most common form of human birth defects accounting for about 30% of the total anomalies. The prevalence of CHD worldwide is found to range between 1.0–150/1000 live births. The causes for CHD can be categorized into three major groups such as, chromosomal (0.4-26.8 %), single gene disorders (10-15 %) and multiple factors (85-90 %). Here we report the association of chromosomal variations with CHD in Mysore. A total of 192 confirmed CHD cases were considered for the present study whose age ranged from 1 day to 23 years. After written consent was obtained from the family members, 136 CHD patients were subjected for conventional cytogenetic studies and some of them for FISH analysis. Of these, 18 patients were with numerical abnormalities, 3 patients with structural abnormalities, one patient with both numerical and structural abnormalities and remaining 114 patients with normal chromosomes. Thus, the present findings are the maiden report from Mysore, which have contributed richly towards the association of chromosomal anomalies with CHD and pointing out chromosome 9 a possible killer chromosome for the cause of CHD