Investigation of optimum conditions for the growth of Fusarium solani EGY1 causing root rot of guar (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.)

Guar gum (Galactomannan) is extracted from Guar (Cluster bean), which is extensively used in petroleum, food and pharmaceutical industry. Root rot of guaris caused by Fusarium solani EGY1 under Punjab, having sub-tropical climatic conditions. This study was undertaken to evaluate different culture media, grain substrates (sorghum, maize, cowpea, guar and pearl millet), temperatures (20, 25, 30, 35oC), pH levels (5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0), light and darkness for the identification of optimum conditions for the growth and sporulation of the fungus. Czapek’s dox media was found to be best for growth (84.65 mm) and sporulation (1.8 x 104microconidia and 3.0 x 104 macro conidia) of fungus. For mass multiplication of the fungus, sorghum grains proved to be the best substrate. The fungus showed maximum radial growth at temperature of 25oC (84.36 mm) and pH of 6.0 (84.43 mm) whereas sporulation was highest at 30oC (2.0 x 104 microconidia and 3.2 x 104 macroconidia) and pH of 8.0 (1.8 x 104 microconidia and 3.1 x 104 macroconidia) respectively. Continuous light favoured radial growth (84.62 mm) whereas sporulation (1.8 x 104 microconidia and 3.1 x 104 macroconidia) was favoured by darkness

Agrarian Straightjacket: Constraints to Achieve Yield Potential in Rice

The coastal zone of Bangladesh is the most vulnerable region of the eastern Ganges basin, occupies about 30% (46,000 km2) of the country’s land area and is home to some of the world’s poorest and most food insecure 39 million people, whose livelihoods depend primarily on agriculture and aquaculture. Key challenges to both agricultural and aquacultural productivity include excessive flooding during the rainy season, lack of access to fresh water and soil salinity during the dry season, and severe cyclonic storms and tidal surges throughout the year. These challenges will be exacerbated as a result of climate change and is expected to leave the communities most vulnerable and food insecure in the coming years

Productivity of sodic soils can be enhanced through the use of salt tolerant rice varieties and proper agronomic practices

AbstractRegaining the agricultural potential of sodic soils in the Indo-Gangetic plains necessitates the development of suitable salt tolerant rice varieties to provide an entry for other affordable agronomic and soil manipulation measures. Thus selection of high yielding rice varieties across a range of sodic soils is central. Evaluation of breeding lines through on-station and on-farm farmers’ participatory varietal selection (FPVS) resulted in the identification of a short duration (110–115 days), high yielding and disease resistant salt-tolerant rice genotype ‘CSR-89IR-8’, which was later released as ‘CSR43’ in 2011. Several agronomic traits coupled with good grain quality and market value contributed to commercialization and quick adoption of this variety in the sodic areas of the Indo-Gangetic plains of eastern India. Management practices required for rice production in salt affected soils are evidently different from those in normal soils and practices for a short duration salt tolerant variety differ from those for medium to long duration varieties. Experiments were conducted at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute (ICAR-CSSRI), Regional Research Station, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India during 2011 and 2013 wet seasons, to test the hypothesis that combining matching management practices (Mmp) with an improved genotype would enhance productivity and profitability of rice in sodic soils. Mmp were developed on-station by optimizing existing best management practices (Bmp) recommended for the region to match the requirements of CSR43. The results revealed that transplanting 4 seedlings hill−1 at a spacing of 15×20cm produced significantly higher yield over other treatments. The highest additional net gain was US$3.3 at 90kgha−1N, and the lowest was US$ 0.4 at 150kgha−1N. Above 150kgha−1, the additional net gain became negative, indicating decreasing returns from additional N. Hence, 150kgNha−1 was considered the economic optimum N application rate for CSR43 in these sodic soils. Using 150–60–40–25kg N–P2O5–K2O–ZnSO4·7H2Oha−1 in farmers’ fields grown to CSR43 produced an average of 5.5tha−1 grain. The results of on-farm evaluation trials of CSR43 showed that matching management practices (Mmp) increased yield by 8% over existing best management practices (Bmp) recommended by ICAR-CSSRI for sodic soils and by 16% over framers’ management practices; however, combining Mmp with CSR43 resulted in 35% higher yields over farmers’ current varieties and management. This approach of combining cost effective crop and nutrient management options and a salt-tolerant variety can maximize the productivity and profitability of sodic soils in the alluvial Indo-Gangetic plains and in neighboring salt-affected areas of the Ganges mega delta in South Asia

Critical review on specific symptomology of Vataj and Vatkaphaj Gridhrasi (Sciatica) and its Pathyapathya

The diseases affecting the locomotor system are increasingly seen in present era. This condition considerably reduces the human activity in terms of social and professional life. As Acharya Charaka says that the person who do not follow code of conducts for healthy life, are more prone to develop disease. Low back pain is a common disorder it affects about 40% of people affected with a set of symptoms including pain caused by irritation or compression of one of the five lumbar spine nerves roots of each of the left or right or both sciatic nerves is termed as Sciatica, sciatic neuralgia. Mild to pricking pain, feeling of pulsation, and stiffness in lumber region radiates to back of thigh and popliteal region, calf muscle till feet are the Cardinal features of disease Gridhrasi. Based on Dosha predominance Gridhrasi is two types Vataja Gridhrasi and Vata-Kaphaja. Acharya Charaka mentioned Ruka (Pain), Toda (Pricking sensation), Stambha (Stiffness), and Muhuspandana (Twitching) in Sphik and radiating towards the Kati, Prushtha, Uru, Janu, Jangha and Pada respectively. These are the cardinal symptoms of Vataja Gridhrasi. In Vata-Kaphaja type of Gridhrasi in addition to the above symptoms, Tandra (Drowsiness), Gaurava (Heaviness) and Aruchi (Anorexia) are also present

Seed treatments for sustainable agriculture-A review

Seed treatment refers to the application of certain agents physical, chemical or biological to the seed prior to sowing in order to suppress, control or repel pathogens, insects and other pests that attack seeds, seedlings or plants and it ranges from a basic dressing to coating and pelleting. Introduction and ban of arsenic (used from 1740 until 1808) is the key milestones in the history of modern seed treatment till then a continuous research and advancement in this technology is going on. The technological advancement prepared a roadmap for refiningexisting seed treatment technologies and future work on technologies like fluid drilling as a way to sow germinated seeds where gel can also serve as a delivery system for other materials, seed priming advances the early phase of germination without redicle emergence. Another advanced technology, solid matrix priming (SMP) has been evaluated as a means to advances the germination of seeds and serve as a carrier for useful material too. Physical and biological seed treatments alone an alternative to chemicals or in combination with a chemical treatment are being used worldwide because of their environmental safety and socioeconomic aspects. Biological seed treatments are expected to be one of the fastest growing seed treatment sectors in the near future, in part because they are easier to register at Environment Protection Agency (EPA). Lack of awareness to seed treatments at farmer’s level is one of the limiting factors in disease management and hence, efforts should be made at farmer’s level to adopt the technology. Keeping the all above facts in mind, selected seed treatment technologies with their improvement and significance will be discussed in this review

Bianchi type-II cosmological model: some remarks

Within the framework of Bianchi type-II (BII) cosmological model the behavior of matter distribution has been considered. It is shown that the non-zero off-diagonal component of Einstein tensor implies some severe restriction on the choice of matter distribution. In particular for a locally rotationally symmetric Bianchi type-II (LRS BII) space-time it is proved that the matter distribution should be strictly isotropic if the corresponding matter field possesses only non-zero diagonal components of the energy-momentum tensor.Comment: 3 page

Response of salt-tolerant rice varieties to biocompost application in sodic soil of Eastern Uttar Pradesh

Sodic soils have immense productivity potential, if managed through proper technology interventions. Biocom-post is prepared by composting pressmud (a sugar industry byproduct) received from cane juice filtration and spent wash received from distilleries through microbial aerobic decomposition and can be used to reclaim sodic soils. Field experiments were conducted during the wet season of 2011 and 2012 to study the effect of incorpora-tion of biocompost in sodic soil with four treatments: T1—Control, T2—Biocompost at 2 t ha⁻¹, T3—Biocompost at 4 t ha⁻¹ and T4—Biocompost at 6 t ha⁻¹. The two promising salt tolerant rice varieties preferred by farmers, Narendra usar 3 and NDR 359 were used as test crops, which can produce yields ranging between 2 - 4 t ha⁻¹ in soil having a pH range of 9.2 to 10.5. Among the different doses of biocompost tested, application of biocompost at 6 t ha⁻¹ registered highest yields, enabled by a higher biomass, ear bearing tiller (EBT), and grain fertility in both varieties. Narendra usar 3 was more responsive to treatments even at lower doses of biocompost than NDR 359, but NDR 359 yielded slightly higher than Narendra usar 3 in all treatments. Soil health was also improved evidently on better fertility and low soil pH and EC at harvest. Thus, biocompost can be considered as a com-mercially viable, environmentally acceptable and practically enforceable option for improving the crop produc-tivity and soil fertility status.Akhtar H. Khan, Ashok K. Singh, Mubeen, Sudhanshu Singh, Najam W. Zaidi, Uma S. Singh, Stephan M. Haefel

Meeting Report: Threats to Human Health and Environmental Sustainability in the Pacific Basin

The coastal zone of the Pacific Rim is home for about one-third of the world’s population. Disproportionate growth of Far Eastern economies has produced a disproportionate share of related environmental difficulties. As the region searches for acceptable compromises between growth and environmental quality, its influence on global environmental health is certain to increase. Consequences of global environmental change such as habitat alteration, storms, and sealevel rise will be particularly acute among Pacific Rim nations. Adverse health effects from arsenic exposure in Pacific Rim nations have been used to justify drinking water standards in the United States and elsewhere. As global manufacturing in the Pacific Rim increases, the centroid of global air quality and waste management issues will shift further toward Far Eastern nations. The Eleventh International Conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium (PBC) was held in September 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The purpose of the conference was to bring together individuals to discuss regional challenges to sustainable growth. The historic emphasis of the conference on hazardous wastes in relation to human health makes the PBC an ideal forum for discussing technical aspects of sustainable economic growth in the Pacific region. That role is reflected in the 2005 PBC conference themes, which included management of arsenic in potable waters, air quality, climate change, pesticides, mercury, and electronics industry waste—each with emphasis on relationships to human health. Arsenic management exemplifies the manner in which the PBC can focus interdisciplinary discussion in a single technical area. The conference program provided talks on arsenic toxicology, treatment technologies, management of arsenic-bearing residuals from water treatment, and the probable societal costs and benefits of arsenic management

Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables for the primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases

There is increasing evidence that high consumption of fruit and vegetables is beneficial for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention