Effect of composts on microbial dynamics and activity, dry root rot severity and seed yield of cowpea in the Indian arid region

Nutrient-deficient sandy soil, having poor moisture retention, favors  Macrophomina phaseolina, a soil-borne plant pathogen, occurring in severe form on many important crops grown in the Indian arid region. In a 2-year field experiment, five composts (4 ton/ha) prepared from residues of Calotropis procera, Prosopis juliflora, Azadirachta indica, Acacia nilotica, and on-farm weeds were tested on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) to determine their effectiveness in limiting the  severity of charcoal rot caused by M. phaseolina in relation to the microbial population dynamics, microbial activity and the seed yield of cowpea.  In general, compost-amended plots retained 8.9% higher moisture than unamended plots. The microbial population increased in amended plots during the crop season. Populations of total fungi and actinomycetes were heighest in Calotropis compost-amended soil, while total bacteria were maximum in weed- compost amended soil. Microbial activity in amended plots was  26.3% higher than in unamended plots. Among trace elements,  uptake of Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu was  heighest  in plants grown in weed-compost amended soil followed by A. nilotica compost-amended soil. Soil amendment with the composts significantly reduced  plant mortality due to charcoal rot. The lowest mortality was recorded in plants amended with A. nilotica compost (5.5%) followed by P. juliflora compost (5.8), while the  highest plant mortality (11.5%) from charcoal rot occurred in the unamended control on the basis of the pooled average of two years. There was a significant inverse correlation between microbial activity and charcoal rot incidence in cowpea at 20 days after planting. Composts also had a beneficial effect on yield, with a 28.3% increase in seed yield in P. juliflora compost-amended plots. These results suggest that in resource-deficient farming , certain on-farm wastes can be effectively utilized for managing soil-borne pathogens, as well as  for  enhancing crop productivity

Combined effects of biocontrol agents and soil amendments on soil microbial populations, plant growth and incidence of charcoal rot of cowpea and wilt of cumin

Field experiments were conducted for 2 years to determine the effectiveness of combined use of two biocontrol agents, Bacillus firmus and Aspergillus versicolor for control of Macrophomina phaseolina induced charcoal rot of cowpea and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cumini induced wilt of cumin. The lowest level of plant mortality (3‒4%) due to charcoal rot of cowpea was recorded when bacterium coated seeds were sown in radish compost amended soil compared to the non-amended soil (13.8‒20.5%), but this was not significantly better than some other treatments. Cowpea roots from B. firmus coated seeds had better nodulation than any of the individual A. versicolor treatments. Although B. firmus coated seeds + A. versicolor + farmyard manure resulted in maximum nodulation this was not significantly different to B. firmus seed coating. Root colonization by the combined biocontrol agent treatments was better than the individual biocontrol agent treatments. Combining A. versicolor with farmyard manure supported the maximum populations of total fungi and actinomycetes. In both winter seasons, the lowest incidence of wilt (1.0‒5.2%) on cumin was recorded when A. versicolor was amended with neem compost compared to the non-amended soil (5.7‒10.5%). Maximum colonization of A. versicolor on roots was observed in B. firmus + A. versicolor + farmyard manure amended plots. During both years, the treatment combination of A. versicolor in neem compost amended plots resulted in maximum populations of fungi, bacteria and A. versicolor in the soil, which was greater than in the non-amended soil. Significant increases in disease control were not recorded after single or repeated delivery of A. versicolor. These results suggest that combining B. firmus as seed coatings with A. versicolor as soil applications gives improved control of M. phaseolina and Fusarium induced diseases on legume and seed spice crops in arid soils

Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of “leaving no one behind”, it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990–2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment. Methods: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0–100, with 0 as the 2\ub75th percentile and 100 as the 97\ub75th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator. Findings: The global median health-related SDG index in 2017 was 59\ub74 (IQR 35\ub74–67\ub73), ranging from a low of 11\ub76 (95% uncertainty interval 9\ub76–14\ub70) to a high of 84\ub79 (83\ub71–86\ub77). SDG index values in countries assessed at the subnational level varied substantially, particularly in China and India, although scores in Japan and the UK were more homogeneous. Indicators also varied by SDI quintile and sex, with males having worse outcomes than females for non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality, alcohol use, and smoking, among others. Most countries were projected to have a higher health-related SDG index in 2030 than in 2017, while country-level probabilities of attainment by 2030 varied widely by indicator. Under-5 mortality, neonatal mortality, maternal mortality ratio, and malaria indicators had the most countries with at least 95% probability of target attainment. Other indicators, including NCD mortality and suicide mortality, had no countries projected to meet corresponding SDG targets on the basis of projected mean values for 2030 but showed some probability of attainment by 2030. For some indicators, including child malnutrition, several infectious diseases, and most violence measures, the annualised rates of change required to meet SDG targets far exceeded the pace of progress achieved by any country in the recent past. We found that applying the mean global annualised rate of change to indicators without defined targets would equate to about 19% and 22% reductions in global smoking and alcohol consumption, respectively; a 47% decline in adolescent birth rates; and a more than 85% increase in health worker density per 1000 population by 2030. Interpretation: The GBD study offers a unique, robust platform for monitoring the health-related SDGs across demographic and geographic dimensions. Our findings underscore the importance of increased collection and analysis of disaggregated data and highlight where more deliberate design or targeting of interventions could accelerate progress in attaining the SDGs. Current projections show that many health-related SDG indicators, NCDs, NCD-related risks, and violence-related indicators will require a concerted shift away from what might have driven past gains—curative interventions in the case of NCDs—towards multisectoral, prevention-oriented policy action and investments to achieve SDG aims. Notably, several targets, if they are to be met by 2030, demand a pace of progress that no country has achieved in the recent past. The future is fundamentally uncertain, and no model can fully predict what breakthroughs or events might alter the course of the SDGs. What is clear is that our actions—or inaction—today will ultimately dictate how close the world, collectively, can get to leaving no one behind by 2030

Measuring progress from 1990 to 2017 and projecting attainment to 2030 of the health-related Sustainable Development Goals for 195 countries and territories: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to establish the 2015 baseline and monitor early implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight both great potential for and threats to improving health by 2030. To fully deliver on the SDG aim of 'leaving no one behind', it is increasingly important to examine the health-related SDGs beyond national-level estimates. As part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017), we measured progress on 41 of 52 health-related SDG indicators and estimated the health-related SDG index for 195 countries and territories for the period 1990-2017, projected indicators to 2030, and analysed global attainment. METHODS: We measured progress on 41 health-related SDG indicators from 1990 to 2017, an increase of four indicators since GBD 2016 (new indicators were health worker density, sexual violence by non-intimate partners, population census status, and prevalence of physical and sexual violence [reported separately]). We also improved the measurement of several previously reported indicators. We constructed national-level estimates and, for a subset of health-related SDGs, examined indicator-level differences by sex and Socio-demographic Index (SDI) quintile. We also did subnational assessments of performance for selected countries. To construct the health-related SDG index, we transformed the value for each indicator on a scale of 0-100, with 0 as the 2·5th percentile and 100 as the 97·5th percentile of 1000 draws calculated from 1990 to 2030, and took the geometric mean of the scaled indicators by target. To generate projections through 2030, we used a forecasting framework that drew estimates from the broader GBD study and used weighted averages of indicator-specific and country-specific annualised rates of change from 1990 to 2017 to inform future estimates. We assessed attainment of indicators with defined targets in two ways: first, using mean values projected for 2030, and then using the probability of attainment in 2030 calculated from 1000 draws. We also did a global attainment analysis of the feasibility of attaining SDG targets on the basis of past trends. Using 2015 global averages of indicators with defined SDG targets, we calculated the global annualised rates of change required from 2015 to 2030 to meet these targets, and then identified in what percentiles the required global annualised rates of change fell in the distribution of country-level rates of change from 1990 to 2015. We took the mean of these global percentile values across indicators and applied the past rate of change at this mean global percentile to all health-related SDG indicators, irrespective of target definition, to estimate the equivalent 2030 global average value and percentage change from 2015 to 2030 for each indicator

Global, regional, and national age-sex-specific mortality for 282 causes of death in 195 countries and territories, 1980-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.

BACKGROUND: Global development goals increasingly rely on country-specific estimates for benchmarking a nation's progress. To meet this need, the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2016 estimated global, regional, national, and, for selected locations, subnational cause-specific mortality beginning in the year 1980. Here we report an update to that study, making use of newly available data and improved methods. GBD 2017 provides a comprehensive assessment of cause-specific mortality for 282 causes in 195 countries and territories from 1980 to 2017. METHODS: The causes of death database is composed of vital registration (VR), verbal autopsy (VA), registry, survey, police, and surveillance data. GBD 2017 added ten VA studies, 127 country-years of VR data, 502 cancer-registry country-years, and an additional surveillance country-year. Expansions of the GBD cause of death hierarchy resulted in 18 additional causes estimated for GBD 2017. Newly available data led to subnational estimates for five additional countries-Ethiopia, Iran, New Zealand, Norway, and Russia. Deaths assigned International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes for non-specific, implausible, or intermediate causes of death were reassigned to underlying causes by redistribution algorithms that were incorporated into uncertainty estimation. We used statistical modelling tools developed for GBD, including the Cause of Death Ensemble model (CODEm), to generate cause fractions and cause-specific death rates for each location, year, age, and sex. Instead of using UN estimates as in previous versions, GBD 2017 independently estimated population size and fertility rate for all locations. Years of life lost (YLLs) were then calculated as the sum of each death multiplied by the standard life expectancy at each age. All rates reported here are age-standardised

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Technical Bulletin on "Towards Managing Soil-Borne Plant Diseases in Arid Region"Technical Bulletin on "Towards Managing Soil-Borne Plant Diseases in Arid Region"Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThe combined effect of Brassica amendments (mustard oil–cake or mustard residue at 2.5 tons ha-1) and summer irrigation was tested for survival of Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cumini and on the severity of dry root rot on clusterbean in the rainy season and on wilt of cumin in the subsequent winter season in the same field. Seed coating with a Bacillus sp., an antagonist bacterium against M. phaseolina, was also integrated with pod residues to improve control of dry root rot. The soil temperature of amended soil after one summer irrigation in June ranged from 38–44°C at 15-cm depth. These temperatures were 0.5–5°C higher than those recorded in unamended soil for the same period and 6–16°C higher when amendments were incorporated in July. A single summer irrigation led to a significant reduction in viable propagules of M. phaseolina, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cumini, plant mortality due to dry root rot in clusterbean and incidence of wilt on cumin from Brassica amendments, as compared with the application of amendments in July. A seed coating with Bacillus sp. alone was also effective, but integration with residues did not improve control of dry root rot. In general, amended soil held more soil moisture than unamended soil. These findings have a potential value for irrigated pockets in the hot arid zone of India as well as for many countries with the appropriate climatic conditions.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThe effectiveness of certain on-farm weeds as soil amendments was ascertained against Macrophomina phaseolina, a soil-borne pathogen causing dry root rot of crops grown under rainfed conditions in arid regions. Populationchanges in M. phaseolina were determined in soils amended separately with residues (1%, w:w) of Aervapersica, Celosia argentea, Corchorus depressus, Euphorbia hirta, Heliotropium subulatum and Polycarpaea corymbosa, for a period of 90 days. Significant reductions by 90.4–100% in the population of M. phaseolina were achieved with allthe weed residues except P. corymbosa. Celosia and Euphorbia residues completely eradicated viable propagules of M. phaseolina. A strong increase (44–61%) in the population of antagonistic actinomycetes was also found in soil amended with Corchorus and Euphorbia. In field tests, soil amended (50 g m2) with Euphorbia, Aerva and Celosiaresidues significantly reduced dry root rot incidence on clusterbean and also reduced M. phaseolina propagules in thesoil. However, dry root rot incidence in Polycarpaea-amended soil (5.8–24.6%) was not significantly different fromthat in non-amended soil (4.3–25.3%) in both years of the experiment. P. corymbosa also increased the number ofpropagules of M. phaseolina in the soil. The results demonstrate that dry root rot of rainfed-cultivated annual cropsin arid land can be managed with certain weeds as a soil amendment.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableIn a two year field study, the effect of varying intensities of sub-lethal heating on the efficiency of Brassica amendments in controlling viable populations of Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium oxysporum f sp. cumini was determined in an arid region of India. After 30 d of dry summer exposure of pathogen infested soil, incorporation of mustard residues and oil cake (0.18% and 0.04% w/w) and then applying one irrigation caused significant reduction by 75.3–81.3% in viable counts of M. phaseolina that causes dry root rot of legumes and by 93.9% in counts of F.o. f. sp. cumini causing wilt of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) at 0–15 and 16–30 cm depths. Increasing duration of summer exposure to 60 d improved the reductions in viable propagules of M. phaseolina by 83.6–90.4% and in F.o. f. sp. cumini by 78.2–94.8% at same soil depths. At certain heat levels, reduction in viable population of Fusarium due to amendments and irrigation was greater than that recorded in Macrophomina. Significantly low levels of reduction in pathogenic propagules of Macrophomina (63.9–71.4%) and Fusarium (48.0–57.2%) under shade compared to unshaded conditions indicated that mild heating did not cause discernible weakening effect. In second season also, 89.2–91.5% and 78.5–95.8% reduction in counts of Macrophomina and Fusarium, respectively was achieved by the application of amendments after 60 d of summer exposure at 0–30 cm soil depth. These results suggested a new approach to improve the control of soil-borne plant pathogens in hot arid regions by combining prolonged sub-lethal heating, effective naturally available on-farm wastes as soil amendments and one summer irrigation.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableThe effects of soil solarisation, residue incorporation, summer irrigation and biocontrol agents singly or in combination on survival of Macrophomina phaseolina and Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cumini were ascertained in the 2000 and 2001 summer seasons. In amended plots, temperature increased by 2.5°C over non-amended plots (42–51°C) at various soil depths. Combining amendments and soil solarisation elevated the soil temperatures by 0.5–5°C and 2.5–13.0°C compared to non-amended solarised and non-solarised plots, respectively. These treatment combinations signifi cantly reduced M. phaseolina and Fusarium propagules compared to control. Of these, combining mustard pod residues with soil solarisation almost eliminated viable propagules of both the pathogens at 0–30 cm soil depth. However, a combination of mustard pod residue and oil-cake (2.5 + 0.5 ton ha-1) with only one summer irrigation also caused pronounced reduction in pathogenic propagules, which was equal to that recorded in non-amended solarised plots. The effect of surviving propagules of M. phaseolina and Fusarium on incidence of dry root rot on clusterbean and wilt on cumin was studied in subsequent rainy and winter seasons, respectively. Signifi cant reductions in both diseases were recorded in residue and biocontrol amended plots with or without polyethylene mulching compared to non-amended control. The lowest plant mortality in both the crops was recorded in mustard residue amended solarised plots in a two year fi eld experiment. However, the disease indices in the plots having a combination of mustard residues and oil-cake amendment with one summer irrigation was equal to that achieved in the treatment having polyethylene mulching. These results suggest that in hot arid regions use of Brassica residues can be a practical and feasible substitute for polyethylene mulching in managing soil-borne diseases.Not Availabl