Quantification of yield gaps in rain-fed rice, wheat, cotton and mustard in India

Rainfed farming / Crop yield / Simulation / Rice / Wheat / Cotton / Mustard / India

Garden Pea Improvement in India

Garden pea (Pisum sativum L. var. hortense) is an important legume vegetable grown for its fresh, shelled green seeds rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. At present over 1000 germplasm lines are available in India. Improvement of garden pea in the country was initiated during the 1940s in IARI and later in several other agricultural universities/ ICAR institutes. Currently, 27 early-varieties and 59 mid-season varieties are under cultivation in india. Initially, focus was on developing early-maturing varieties with high yield and quality. Subsequently, emphasis was laid on developing mid-season varieties having resistance to powdery mildew and other major diseases like Fusarium wilt and rust. Besides, varieties with resistance to bruchids and the leaf miner are also available. In the present paper, an attempt has been made to review current status of improvement of garden pea in India, covering its genetic resources, variability, heritability, genetic advance, heterosis and combining ability, G x E interaction, male sterility, breeding for biotic and abiotic stresses, mutation breeding and biotechnological applications. In recent years, there has been an increase in demand for varieties suited to kharif and early summer seasons, with resistance to powdery mildew, rust, Fusarium root wilt/rot and stemfly and also for processing and export. Therefore, future thrust in the improvement of garden pea would be on developing varieties tolerant to biotic and abiotic stresses (mainly high temperature), and also for processing and export

Impact of Starvation, Refeeding of Freshwater Fish Channa punctatus Via Comparatively Protein Level Investigation on Target Tissues

Using Lowry\u27s approach, the current study investigated how starvation and refeeding affected the amount of protein in various tissues of the freshwater fish Channa panctatus (1951). The fish were categorised into two groups, the first group had normal feedings, while the second was denied food for periods of 7, 14, 21, and 28 days respectively. Notably, the previously starved fish were fed again. Fish show a significant rise in protein levels relative to normal following feeding because prolonged starvation causes a steady drop in tissue protein levels

Role of trimetazidine in carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in rats

Background: Hepatotoxicity by chemicals and drugs is a common clinical problem. Presently very few drugs are showing effectiveness in prevention and treatment of hepatic damage. So in this study, we evaluated the role of trimetazidine in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced liver damage in rats. Objective of current study is to evaluate effects of prophylactic trimetazidine against carbon tetrachloride induced liver damage in rats.Methods: Liver damage was induced in 30 albino rats by CCl4 (0.5 ml/kg, i.p.) once daily for 7 days. Extent of damage was studied by assessing biochemical parameters (SGOT, SGPT, ALP, proteins and bilirubin). These biochemical observations were supplemented by pentobarbitone Sleeping Time and Histological Examination of liver. The effect of co-administration of trimetazidine (doses 5 and 10 mg/kg p. o.) on the above parameters was investigated. Liv.52® was used as Positive Control. Data was analyzed by one way ANOVA, followed by Dunnett's test.Results: Trimetazidine significantly prevented CCl4 induced elevation of serum SGOT, SGPT, ALP and bilirubin (total and direct), and reduction in protein level. Pentobarbitone sleeping time and histological examination of the liver showed consistent results. The results were comparable to that of Liv.52®.Conclusions: Trimetazidine, when administered prophylactically, shows hepatoprotective effect against CCl4 induced liver damage

Transcription factors and plants response to drought stress: Current understanding and future directions

Increasing vulnerability of plants to a variety of stresses such as drought, salt and extreme temperatures poses a global threat to sustained growth and productivity of major crops. Of these stresses, drought represents a considerable threat to plant growth and development. In view of this, developing staple food cultivars with improved drought tolerance emerges as the most sustainable solution toward improving crop productivity in a scenario of climate change. In parallel, unraveling the genetic architecture and the targeted identification of molecular networks using modern “OMICS” analyses, that can underpin drought tolerance mechanisms, is urgently required. Importantly, integrated studies intending to elucidate complex mechanisms can bridge the gap existing in our current knowledge about drought stress tolerance in plants. It is now well established that drought tolerance is regulated by several genes, including transcription factors (TFs) that enable plants to withstand unfavorable conditions, and these remain potential genomic candidates for their wide application in crop breeding. These TFs represent the key molecular switches orchestrating the regulation of plant developmental processes in response to a variety of stresses. The current review aims to offer a deeper understanding of TFs engaged in regulating plant’s response under drought stress and to devise potential strategies to improve plant tolerance against drought

Response of rice (Oryza sativa L.) to Azotobacter inoculation.

In trials with rice cv. Suhasini given 120 kg N + 75 kg P2O5 + 50 kg K2O/ha, seed inoculation with Azotobacter strains isolated from the rhizosphere of 2 rice cultivars, sorghum, Pennisetum typhoides [= P. americanum] and wheat gave paddy yields of 2.51-3.17 t/ha compared with 1.79 t without seed inoculation; inoculation with Azotobacter from the rhizosphere of the same rice cultivar (Suhasini) gave the highest yield

Ocular morbidity among diabetics attending the preventive ophthalmic clinic of a tertiary care institute with special reference to diabetic retinopathy

Background: Non communicable diseases have taken over previously life threatening infections in the demographic transition. As the burden of NCDs including diabetes is increasing at an alarming rate the complications related to these diseases are also increasing leading to huge morbidity. Likewise, blindness/ visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy is now slowly and steadily replacing refractive errors and cataracts as a cause of morbidity.Methods: This cross sectional study was carried over a period of one year in an ophthalmic unit of a tertiary health care institute in which known diabetic patients were screened for diabetic retinopathy besides various modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors.Results: Overall prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in our study population was found to be 29.0%. Among various risk factors duration of diabetes, hypertension, HbA1C >6.5% and serum creatinine >1.1 mg/dl were found to be significantly associated with diabetic retinopathy.Conclusion: Regular screening for diabetic retinopathy besides prevention and strict control of risk factors is key to prevention and progression of blindness/ visual impairment due to diabetic retinopathy

Irrigation Investments and Groundwater Depletion in Indian Semi-Arid Villages:The Effect of Alternative Water Pricing Regimes. Working Paper Series no.17 Socio Economic Policy

Factors such as increasing population, scarcity of productive land and declining farm sizes in India have prompted the intensification of land use through increased use of fertilizers, pesticides, improved seeds and irrigation investments. This has contributed to increasing productivity of land and cropping intensities. The Green Revolution that transformed India from a food-deficit to a food-surplus nation took place in the more favorable areas with better access to markets and irrigation. However, frequent droughts and water scarcity are crucial barriers to improving agricultural productivity and livelihoods in the rainfed tropics of India. The watershed management approach has been promoted as a major rural development strategy for the drought-prone areas. Watershed communities have invested in groundwater recharging facilities to improve availability of water for irrigation. While such costs are borne by the local communities and the public, individual farmers freely capture the irrigation benefits. Groundwater is a free resource and de-facto rights are in the hands of landowners. This has increased private irrigation investments and depletion of open access aquifers in many dryland areas. Power subsidies and very low pumping costs aggravate the problem. The increased investment in irrigation has also encouraged a shift in cropping patterns towards water-intensive irrigated crops, a practice that may not be sustainable in water-scarce areas. This paper provides some insights into the village-level externalities that aggravate groundwater depletion and the different policy instruments that may be used to enhance collective action in community water management. An econometric land productivity model is used to evaluate alternative water pricing instruments for reducing the pressure on groundwater resources. The results indicate that water user charges can be introduced without serious consequences on the profitability of smallholder production activities. If properly implemented and managed by the local communities, this could bring considerable economic and environmental benefits

Diversity analysis of maize inbred lines using DIVA-GIS under temperate ecologies

The vagaries of Climate Change variability need to be addressed and as climatic conditions change at particular experimental sites and maize producing regions, mega-environment assignments will need to be reassessed to guide breeders to appropriate new germplasm and target environments . The development of improved germplasm to meet the needs of future generations in light of climate change and population growth is of the upmost importance . Evaluation of the inbred lines from diverse ecosystems would be effective for production of lines with resilience towards climate variability. Hence, with this objective diverse set of inbred lines sourced from all over India were characterized and were evaluated with DIVA-GIS for diversity analysis of maize inbred lines. Grid maps generated for these maize inbred lines for eleven quantitative traits indicated that these lines can be sourced from North and South India. High Shannon diversity index with maximum range of 2.17-3.0, 2.25-3.0, 2.36-3.0, 2.4-4.0, 2.0-3.0, and 2.2-3.0 were recorded for the traits viz; plant height, ear height, grain weight, grain yield, kernel row and protein content respectively indicating the high response of these traits to ecosystem. However, inbred lines were found to be diverse for all the traits except for ears plant-1 (EPP) and they have been sourced from Northern and Southern parts of India while for EPP recorded less diversity index range of 0.4-1.0 indicating source from South India. Interestingly, less diverse inbred lines for all the eleven quantitative traits have been sourced from Indogangetic plains as indicated in diversity grid maps. Maximum diversity indices were recorded for anthesis silking interval (ASI), days to silking, days to tasseling, which are in the range of 0.97-2.0, 1.528-2.0, 1.516-2.0 and 1.528-2.0 respectively. Hence, DIVA-GIS enabled identification of diverse sources from varied ecosystems which can be used for developing improved lines/ cultivars with greater resilience towards climate change

Irrigation Investments and Groundwater Depletion in Indian Semi-Arid Villages: The Effect of Alternative Water Pricing Regimes

Factors such as increasing population, scarcity of productive land and declining farm sizes in India have prompted the intensification of land use through increased use of fertilizers, pesticides, improved seeds and irrigation investments. This has contributed to increasing productivity of land and cropping intensities. The Green Revolution that transformed India from a food-deficit to a food-surplus nation took place in the more favorable areas with better access to markets and irrigation. However, frequent droughts and water scarcity are crucial barriers to improving agricultural productivity and livelihoods in the rainfed tropics of India. The watershed management approach has been promoted as a major rural development strategy for the drought-prone areas. Watershed communities have invested in groundwater recharging facilities to improve availability of water for irrigation. While such costs are borne by the local communities and the public, individual farmers freely capture the irrigation benefits. Groundwater is a free resource and de-facto rights are in the hands of landowners. This has increased private irrigation investments and depletion of open access aquifers in many dryland areas. Power subsidies and very low pumping costs aggravate the problem. The increased investment in irrigation has also encouraged a shift in cropping pattern towards water-intensive irrigated crops, a practice that may not be sustainable in water-scarce areas. This paper provides some insights into the village-level externalities that aggravate groundwater depletion and the different policy instruments that maybe used to enhance collective action in community water management. An econometric land productivity model s used to evaluate alternative water pricing instruments for reducing the pressure on groundwater resources. The results indicate that water users charges can be introduced without serious consequences on the profitability of smallholder production activities. If properly implemented and managed by the local communities, this could bring considerable economic and environmental benefits