Seasonal changes in xylem sap flow rate in mature rubber plants

The rate of flow of xylem sap of mature rubber tree was recorded round the clock continuously for two years using a Granier type thermal dissipation probe (TDP). The measurements were made on 19 year old trees of the clones, RRII 5 and PR 255 with a mean girth of 78 and 82 cm, respectively at 150 cm above bud union. Overall, the average rate of water mining by a tree was to the tune of 22 3 L day-1. The diurnal and seasonal differences in the sap flow rate were very evident which responded to the ambient weather conditions such as intensity of sunlight, temperature, rainfall etc. In the morning hours, as the sunlight intensity increased there was a corresponding sharp increase in sap flow rate which attained maximum level around mid-day. In the evening, as the light intensity declined, the sap flow rate also declined. The maximum rate of sap flow per day was recorded in December and the minimum in February coinciding with complete defoliation of the canopy. Taking a mean water consumption of 22 L tree-1day-1 and assuming there are 400 trees ha-1, the water consumption works out to be in the range of 1-2 mm day-1. This is significantly lesser than the potential evapo-transpiration (ET) of an open field in this traditional region. Taking the long-term average rain fall in the region (3000 mm year-1), it can be seen that the water loss due to transpiration (T) by the trees amounted only to 11 per cent of the annual rainfall

Increased Photosynthesis Contributes towards Improved Ovule-to-Seed Ratio in IAA Treated Range Grasses

Poor ovule-to-seed ratio is one of the major constraints in quality seed production in range grasses. Plant hormones per se or in the influence of external cues were known regulate the seed setting and their subsequent maturation in many crops. External application of hormones on the standing crops has shown very promising results but the physiological and biochemical phenomenon underlying such changes are not studied in detail. Exogenous application of different chemicals particularly during anthesis and post anthesis phases has increased the seed set in a number of species. Improved seed germination in Panicum maximum after foliar spray of indole acetic acid (IAA) has been reported by Malaviya et al., (2013). but the reason for improved seed germination was not very much clear. Auxin application has also been shown to induce fruit-set in many crops. Auxins with its prominent role in cell division have been implicated to play vital role in integument growth during early seed formation (Wu et al., 2006) and increased integuments has been correlated with increased seed size in Arabidopsis (Schruff et al., 2006) where they postulate that increased integument provides larger seed cavity which in turn provides a greater area of contact for endosperm with the seed coat, leading to increased nutrient uptake. Increase in photosynthesis rate due to foliar application of many phytohormones has also been reported in many crops and understanding source sink relationship as influenced by different growth regulators might lead to significant breakthrough in understanding the seed production as a whole and seed filling in particular. Though the role of plant growth regulators in seed production is well researched in many crops but not much work has been undertaken to improve the production and quality of seeds in range grasses. Panicum maximum and Cenchrus ciliaris are two most important range grasses of irrigated and non-irrigated conditions respectively and both produces seeds of very poor quality in terms of germination. Therefore, in present study we try to improve seed filling through foliar application of IAA in these crops and studied the photosynthesis behaviour post treatment

Performance of \u3cem\u3eAcacia senegal\u3c/em\u3e L.: Untapped Wealth of Gum Arabic in Rangelands and Grasslands in Arid and Semi-Arid Region of India

Acacia senegal (Linn) Wild a member of Mimosaceae is a small tree of 3-6m in height with umbrella-shaped crown. It is a typical tree of Sahel in Africa from Senegal to red sea and essentially limited to the area between 110 and 160 North, with a wide range of rainfall 100 to 800mm. It spread widely in tropical Africa from Mozambique, Zambia to Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Nigeria, and in South Asia in India and Pakistan. In India it is a typical tree of arid regions with a low rainfall of 100-250mm. It is drought resistant and tolerates prolonged dry period of 10-11 months, with maximum temperature reaching 500C with strong winds, but susceptible to frost. It occurs mostly on sand stones and skeletal soils and widely distributed as interspersed species in most of the rangelands and grasslands in arid and semi-arid regions of India. World’s 90% gum Arabic is produced from Acacia senegal. The quality of gum is very superior as compared to gum from any other species of Acacia (Andreson, 1990). Nearly 90% of gum Arabic is produced by Republic of Sudan especially from (Kordafan). Production of gum Arabic is meagre in India, and contribution to the world production is negligible. The total annual output of gum Arabic is only 800 Mt compared to world production and consumption of 60,000-70,000 Mt. The domestic production is insufficient even for domestic consumption and more of it is imported from Sudan and Nigeria to meet India\u27s requirements. Gum exudes from cracks in bark of trees, mostly in the dry season. In Sudan the annual yields from young trees ranges from 188 to 2856 g (av. 0.9 kg), and from older trees, 379 to 6754 g (av. 2.0 kg). In India, however, the productivity is low varying from 175 to 550g tree-1 year-1. The main gum producing regions of India where natural as well as planted stands of A. senegal occur are in desert and arid region of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab. The gum yield from various Acacia trees in their natural habitat is very poor. In arid and semi-arid region of India, particularly in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab and Bundelkahand, there is a good scope for extending area for large- scale plantation for production of gum Arabic. The area covered under forest, barren and uncultivable, pasture, oren (temple lands) and community grazing land etc, can be used for commercial plantation of A. senegal. The arid zone of Western Rajasthan is prone to frequent drought and famine and cultivation of gum Arabic can provide livelihood security to desert dwellers. A farmer who has planted 100 trees/ ha at spacing of 10 x 10 m can harvest about 25kg gum assuming average yield of 250g per tree. This would generate revenue of Rs 10000 ha-1 year-1 if, gum is sold at a minimum price of Rs. 400 kg-1. In addition, systematic commercial plantation of Acacia senegal can also provide employment to millions of people towards various planting activities and gum collection. According to an estimate of FAO, gum collection sustains about 0.3 million people and has huge potential of employment. Integration of Acacia senegal in traditional grazing grounds such as orens and gochars, systematically raised silvopastoral systems and other agroforestry landuse for production of gum Arabic can be a profitable proposition. It will not only provide alternative livelihood options to local people but also increase economic viability and sustainability grasslands and pastures. In consideration of wide variations in gum production in respect to sites, annual rainfall and geographical locations, it imperative to study growth performance of A. senegal in different eco-regions and develop site specific models for optimizing production of gum Arabic. This study is a part of research efforts being made at Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi, which is one of the co-ordinating centres in the ICAR-network project on Natural Resin and Gums headquartered at Indian Institute of Natural Resin and Gums, Ranchi. The main objective is to develope suitable agroforestry models based on gums and resins yielding trees for Bundelkhand region. This paper presents growth performance of A. senegal in semi-arid region of Bundelkhand, Central India

Carbon Modeling of Agroforestry Systems at Farmers’ Field in Indo-Gangetic Plains of India

The Indian Green revolution region “Indo-Gangetic Plain” (IGP) comprises of four agro-climatic zones namely lower, middle, upper, and trans gangetic plains covering West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Haryana, Punjab, and some part of Rajasthan state. It covers 169 districts with total geographical area of 43.70 million ha. The Indo-Gangetic plains are one of the most populous regions with its area covering nearly 13% of the total geographical area of the country. It produces about 50% of the total food grains to feed 40% of the population. The continuous cropping of rice-wheat system has degraded the soil health dramatically over the years. Hence, the incorporation of trees in agriculture would be a better option to improve the soil as well as livelihood of the farmers in IGP. Agriculture is the major enterprise of the region that is most vulnerable to climate changes particularly owing to the inadequacy of resources with the smallholder farmers. While, agroforestry has the potential to play a significant role in mitigating the atmospheric accumulation of greenhouse gases (GHG), it also helps smallholder farmers adapt to the changes. These are the reasons for recognizing agroforestry as a viable alternative to prevent and mitigate climate change (Ram Newaj et al., 2014). A considerable proportion of agroforestry area located in IGP and some of the promising tree species like Populus deltoides, Eucalyptus tereticornis, Melia azadirach, Mangifera indica, Dalbergia sissoo, and Acacia nilotica are very common in the farmer’s fields. Keeping this in view, the field survey was carried out to estimate the carbon sequestration potential at a farmer’s field in IGP

Dissociations in semantic cognition : Oscillatory evidence for opposing effects of semantic control and type of semantic relation in anterior and posterior temporal cortex

How does the brain represent and process different types of knowledge? The Dual Hub account postulates that anterior temporal lobes (ATL) support taxonomic relationships based on shared physical features (mole – cat), while temporoparietal regions, including posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG), support thematic associations (mole – earth). Conversely, the Controlled Semantic Cognition account proposes that ATL supports both aspects of knowledge, while left pMTG contributes to controlled retrieval. This study used magnetoencephalography to test these contrasting predictions of functional dissociations within the temporal lobe. ATL and pMTG responded more strongly to taxonomic and thematic trials respectively, matched for behavioural performance, in line with predictions of the Dual Hub account. In addition, ATL showed a greater response to strong than weak thematic associations, while pMTG showed the opposite pattern, supporting a key prediction of the Controlled Semantic Cognition account. ATL showed a stronger response for word pairs that were more semantically coherent, either because they shared physical features (in taxonomic trials) or a strong thematic association. These effects largely coincided in time and frequency (although an early oscillatory response in ATL was specific to taxonomic trials). In contrast, pMTG showed non-overlapping effects of semantic control demands and thematic judgements: this site showed a larger oscillatory response to weak associations, when ongoing retrieval needed to be shaped to suit the task demands, and also a larger response to thematic judgements contrasted with taxonomic trials (which was reduced but not eliminated when the thematic trials were easier). Consequently, time-sensitive neuroimaging supports a complex pattern of functional dissociations within the left temporal lobe, which reflects both coherence versus control and distinctive oscillatory responses for taxonomic overlap (in ATL) and thematic relations (in pMTG)

Islamic Literature: A Study of the Concept

This is a study about emergence and development of the notion of ‘al-Adab al-Islami’ or Islamic Literature. The focus is on the conceptual thinking underlying Islamic Literature as a discourse. The term "Islamic Literature" consists of two fundamental components, "Islamic" and "Literature". In order to understand the concept of Islamic Literature, an appropriate understanding of the nature within Islam is inevitable. This study looks at the fundamental question whether Islamic Literature should give priority to its religious or its literary proper ties. This study observes the development of the concept of an Islamic Literature throughout the history. Islamic Literature draws its inspiration from the Quran and the Hadith, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad

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Not AvailableThe experiments were conducted during 2007 and 2008 under simulated shade net house conditions by growing crops namely green gram (Vigna radiata L.) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merril.) with three different regimes of shade (33, 50 and 75%) or without shade as control (open sunlight) to test the influence of shade on the phenology of crops beginning with the germination. Although seed germination was successful (93% to 100%) in all the three regimes of shade and open field, germination was faster in shade than open field in both the crops. However, there was differential response with the requirement of days to achieve maximum germination between the crops where green gram showed faster rate of germination than soybean. Time taken for leaf maturity or full expansion varied with the crops and the intensity of shade. Expansion rates of leaf length (LER) and lamina width were higher in shade than in open field. These were faster in green gram than soybean. However, degree of difference in LER between shade and open grown plants was less in soybean than in green gram. In green gram, flowering initiation was observed within 31-38 DAS (days after sowing) either in open field or 33% shade and within 34-40 DAS in 50% or 75% shade. In soybean, flowering initiation was observed within 33-41 DAS in all the three regimes of shade and it took relatively more time to flower initiation in open condition i.e. 37-44 DAS. A trend similar to flowering initiation was also observed in pod formation in green gram and soybean. The observed consistent trend for all the parameters of crop phenology indicate a relatively better shade adaptability in terms of its resilience to shade induced changes in crop phenology in soybean than green gram in a semi-arid region.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableStudy of shade adaptive traits of understorey crops is of utmost importance for their potential use in agroforestry system. The present study was conducted to decipher shade-adaptive traits through comparative changes in leaf pigments, epicuticular wax level and protein profiles in leaves of green gram and soybean grown in three different regimes of shade (33%, 50%, and 75% shade) and without shade (open sunlight). Chlorophyll a (Chl a), Chl b and total Chl progressively increased, whereas, Chl a/b ratio gradually decreased with increase in shade intensity in both the crops. Anthocyanin, wax level and soluble protein of leaves gradually decreased with increase in shade. Green gram showed higher anthocyanin than soybean in all the light environments. Wax level of leaf in green gram was higher in open than soybean, whereas, it was comparable in 33% shade in both the crops. Wax level of leaf in green gram decreased more in deep shade (50% shade and 75% shade) than soybean indicating more shade resilience of soybean. The rate of shade-induced reduction of leaf protein content in soybean was less than green gram. Protein profiling through SDS-PAGE clearly revealed degeneration of proteins in shade around ~55 kDa which indicated to the RUBISCO (Ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase) proteins. Both the crops revealed their shade adaptation mainly through alteration in epicuticular wax, pigments and proteins mostly associated with LHCP (Light harvesting complex protein) complex and towards RUBISCO protein which assume significance for their use in crop improvement programme in searching shade tolerant crops for agroforestry system.Not Availabl

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Not AvailableImportantphotosynthetic traits of sesame (Sesamum indicumL.)werestudied under different regimes of shad~ (33%,50%, and75%of incident sunlight) with control (open sunlight)S. ignificantreductions were observed in the rates of CO2assimilation, Carboxylation efficiency, Thylakoid electrontransportand Water Use Efficiency with increase in shade intensity. Maximum reductions in the photosynthetic traits were noted in 75% shade, followed by50%shade,while a moderate reduction was recorded in33%shadeincomparisonto open grown plants. Shadeinducedadaptationsto low light environment have been reflectedin the functioning of photosynthetic apparatus throughchangingtheir light requirement to saturate the rateof CO2assimilation. Light saturated rate of CO2 assimilation(Amaxw)as obtained at photosynthetic photon fluxdensity(PPFD) of about 1400 1-1mol m-2s-1in both openand33%shade grown plants, wh8reas, these were about8001.1molm-2s.1for the plants grown in 50% or 75% shade. Shade-induced reductions in rate of CO2 assimilationhas been corroborated with the reduction in thecarboxylationefficiency, photosystem-2 (PS2) activity andefficiencyof photochemical reactions. The results wouldbeusefulin developing or selecting shade-tolerant cropsfor semi-arid climate with rc~ource utilization efficiencyNot Availabl

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