Effects of vermicompost and urea on the seed germination and growth parameters of Vigna mungo L. and Vigna radiata L. Wilzek

Growth attributes of Vigna mungo and Vigna radiata crop influenced by level and type of fertilizers. The present study was carried out to evaluate and compare the effects of organic (vermicompost) and inorganic (urea) fertilizers on the germination percentage and seedling growth of V. radiata (Green gram) and V. mungo (Black gram). Fresh weight and dry weight of tested plant samples at 10th days of growth stage were also determined. Vermicompost was used as organic fertilizer and urea as inorganic fertilizer. Experimental results showed that vermicompost and urea both has positive effect on seedling growth parameters of V. mungo and V. radiata [average root length (6.1cm and 6.7cm)] , shoot length (6.5cm and 8.3cm), leaf area (312.2 sq.cm and 334.1 sq.cm] as compared to control set [average root length (4.4cm and 4.3cm)] , shoot length (6cm and 5.9cm), leaf area (282.7 sq.cm and 305.5 sq.cm). But urea exerts negative effect on seed germination percentage in V. mungo and V. radiata (58% and 50%) as compared to control (77%). Vermicompost exhibited better result in above parameters in comparison to urea. V. mungo showed increased value in comparison considering V. radiata in case of organic, inorganic fertilizer treated as well as control sets. As composition of locally available fertilizers is unknown, the application of these fertilizers for improving germination percentage and growth parameters of tested crop need to be evaluated. Present work may provide the suggestive approach for usage of these tested fertilizers in field level trial

Implication of Urban Agriculture and Vertical Farming for Future Sustainability

Urban agriculture (UA) is defined as the production of agricultural goods (crop) and livestock goods within urban areas like cities and towns. In the modern days, the urbanization process has raised a question on the sustainable development and growing of urban population. UA has been claimed to contribute to urban waste recycling, efficient water use and energy conservation, reduction in air pollution and soil erosion, urban beautification, climate change adaptation and resilience, disaster prevention, and ecological and social urban sustainability. Therefore, UA contributes to the sustainability of cities in various ways—socially, economically, and environmentally. An urban farming technology that involves the large-scale agricultural production in the urban surroundings is the vertical farming (VF) or high-rise farming technology. It enables fast growth and production of the crops by maintaining the environmental conditions and nutrient solutions to crop based on hydroponics technology. Vertical farms are able to grow food year-round because they maintain consistent growing conditions regardless of the weather outside and are much less vulnerable to climate changes. This promises a steady flow of products for the consumers and a consistent income for growers. Various advantages of VF over traditional farming, such as reduced farm inputs and crop failures and restored farmland, have enabled scientists to implement VF on a large scale

Comparative Allelopathic Effects of Two Weed Extracts on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. and Abelmoschus esculentus L.

Pot culture experiment and Petri dish bioassay were conducted to assess the allelopathic potential of Cyanthillium cinereum and Lantana camara on seed germination and seedling growth of Vigna unguiculata and Abelmoschus esculentus. Aqueous leaf and stem extracts of weed were used for treatment. The differential inhibitory effect was observed for two weed plants on two tested crops. The experimental results revealed that in case of pot culture experiment, lowest germination percentages (40.8±0.49%, 63.6±0.60% and 83±0.78%) were recorded in L. camara leaf extract treated set of A. esculentus and maximum decrease in seedling length (0.31±0.05 cm, 4.18±0.07 cm, 6.42±0.08 cm and 13.51±0.07 cm) was observed in stem extract treated a set of A. esculentus. L. camara stem and leaf extract induced a more negative effect on seedling length in both A. esculentus and V. unguiculata. For petridish bioassay experiment, lowest germination percentages (54.60±0.40%, 59.20±0.49%, 66.20±0.74% and 69.80±0.38%) were observed in L. camara leaf extract treated a set of A. esculentus. In V. unguiculata, lowest germination percentage (45.8±0.49%, 75.4±0. 40%, 84.4±0.25% and 89±0.32%) was observed in stem extract treated set. Maximum suppressive effect on seedling length was recorded for stem and leaf extract of C. cinereum of A. esculentus and leaf extract of L. camara and stem extract of C. cinereum of V. unguiculata

Bio-Monitoring of airborne fungi and antifungal activity of Clerodendrum infortanum L. against dominant fungi

The present study provides baseline information on the quantitative and qualitative estimation of aeromycoflora. Burkard personal airsampler and Anderson two stage airsampler were used to detect the quantitative and qualitative estimation of aeromycoflora. 17 non-viable fungal spores were recorded with the aid of Burkard personal airsampler and 12 viable fungal genera were detected using Anderson two stage airsampler. Higher concentration airborne fungi observed in the month of March. Aspergillus sp, Ascospore, Basidiospore, Curvularia sp, Alternaria sp were found to be Nigrospora sp most predominant nonviable fungal genera whereas dominant viable genera were Aspergillus sp, Penicillium sp, Cladosporium sp, Curvularia sp, Trichoderma sp and  Fusarium sp in both the environments. The result of antifungal potential of Clerodendrum infortunatum showed highest efficacy against Aspergillus sp followed by Penicillium sp and Fusarium sp. This present study provided the baseline information about the viable and non-viable concentration in the study sites. Besides the outcomes of this study along with the insightful explanation could aptly provide basis for strategizing effective preventive measures against airborne-fungi. Those are responsible for causing different agricultural crops diseases and human respiratory ailments

Diversity of Foliar Endophytic Fungi in Artocarpus heterophyllusLam. and Citrus reticulata Blanco of Tripura

Present investigationdealt with the isolation and diversity of foliar fungal endophytes from two fruityielding plants of Tripura state. In addition, seasonal distributions of endophytes regardingfruiting and non-fruiting seasonsin two host plants were also studied. Twenty one fungal strains along with one nonsporulating hyaline form were isolated as foliar endophytes from the two host plants. In both fruiting and non-fruiting seasons from Citrus reticulata,seven foliar endophytic fungi were isolated. Mean-while, from Artocarpus heterophyllus in both the seasons,eleven fungal endophytes with one nonsporulating hyaline form were also isolated. The relative frequencies of the isolated fungi from both A.heterophyllusand C.reticulata in fruiting and non-fruiting season significantly differed among the sampling sites, whereas relative frequenciesindividual endophytic fungus showed no significant differences among various sampling sites

Potencial de especies de Trichoderma como biofertilizante y control biológico en el cultivo de Oryza sativa L.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the main staples around the world, especially in Asia, the most consuming region. Rice cultivation currently faces many environmental problems caused by the contribution of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This review is carried out to document the principal findings of Trichoderma species application on rice plants. The analysis revealed that different species of Trichoderma have been applied in different fields of research on rice plants to increase the absorption of nutrients, soil fertility, tolerance to salinity, plant growth promotion and development with increased yields. Mechanisms include decomposition, mycoparasitism, cellulose degradation, and phosphate solubilizing activity. The potential for antagonistic activity against disease-causing fungi and inhibition of growth of harmful root microflora is demonstrated. This work also suggested that Trichoderma can be applied alone or together with other microorganisms to significantly promote the growth and performance of rice plants. Among the species, T. harzianum was studied mainly to determine its different roles in rice, followed by T. asperellum, T. viride, T. virens and T. atroviride. Therefore, the findings revealed the potential of the Trichoderma species as a possible biofertilizer and biological control for rice cultivation worldwide.El arroz (Oryza sativa L.) es uno de los principales alimentos básicos en todo el mundo, especialmente en Asia, la región más consumidora. El cultivo de arroz en la actualidad enfrenta muchos problemas ambientales causados por el aporte de fertilizantes químicos y plaguicidas. El objetivo de este trabajo de revisión fue documentar los principales hallazgos sobre el empleo de especies de Trichoderma en el cultivo de arroz. Este análisis reveló que diferentes especies de Trichoderma se han aplicado en diferentes campos de investigación sobre plantas de arroz para aumentar la absorción de nutrientes, la fertilidad del suelo, la tolerancia a la salinidad, promoción del crecimiento y desarrollo de las plantas con incremento en los rendimientos. Entre los mecanismos se menciona la descomposición, el micoparasitismo, la degradación de celulosa y la actividad solubilizadora de fosfatos. Se demuestra el potencial de actividad antagonista contra hongos causantes de enfermedades y la inhibición del crecimiento de la microflora perjudicial de la raíz. Este trabajo también sugirió que Trichoderma puede aplicarse solo o junto con otros microorganismos para promover significativamente el crecimiento y el rendimiento de las plantas de arroz. Entre las especies, T. harzianum se estudió principalmente para determinar sus diferentes roles en el arroz, seguido de T. asperellum, T. viride, T. virens y T. atroviride. Por lo tanto, los hallazgos revelaron el potencial de las especies de Trichoderma como un posible biofertilizante y control biológico para el cultivo de arroz en todo el mundo

Studies on High Density Planting and Nutrient Requirement of Banana in Different States of India

An experiment was conducted under the ICAR-All India Coordinated Research Project on Fruits to study the high-density planting (HDP) and nutrient requirement of banana at six research centres across the country, including Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Gandevi (Gujarat), Jalgaon (Maharashtra), Jorhat (Assam), Kannara (Kerala) and Mohanpur (West Bengal) to enable higher productivity of banana and profit to farmers. The objective of this study was to explore the possibility of increasing productivity through the intervention of only per unit plant population (through planting system) and level of nutrition, but without any interference to the regional choices of variety (eg., choice variety Nendran for Kerala or Martaman for West Bengal), production system (mono/poly- clone, single/multi-year plantation, and POP of respective states), for which national productivity ranges are much skewed also. Results indicated that intervention of only plant density could increase the productivity of banana within the existing system of production and choice of a variety of different regions or states. The experiment was laid out in RBD with four planting densities (S1P2, S1P3, S2P2 and S2P3, where S1=2m x 3m, S2=1.8m x 3.6m, P2=2 suckers/hill, P3=3 suckers/hill), three nutrition levels (F1, F2 and F3 , which is 100%, 75% and 50% of RDF) and one with region-specific conventional planting density and nutrition (100% of RDF) practices as control. The results of this experiment showed that HDP (S1P3, 5000 plants /ha) in banana, accommodating three suckers per hill at 2m x 3m spacing increased productivity over the conventional system at the Bhubaneswar, Gandevi, Jorhat, Kannara and Mohanpur centres. The increase in productivity due to HDP (5,000/ha) over control was 28.9% (RDF 25%) to 50.6% (RDF 100%) at Bhubaneswar, 15.2% (RDF 25%) to 21.9% (RDF 100%) at Gandevi, 4.0% (RDF 25%) to 7.4% (RDF 100%) at Jorhat, 33.5% (RDF 25%) to 43.5% (RDF 100%) at Kannara and 46.5% (RDF 25%) to 79.0% (RDF 100%) at Mohanpur centre. The nutrient requirement under HDP was 100% RDF at Kannara, 75% RDF at Bhubaneswar and Mohanpur and 50% RDF at Gandevi and Jorhat centres, which indicates a saving in cost of fertilizer input by 25% -50%. It is, therefore, recommended for HDP (5000 plants/ha) in banana, accommodating three suckers per hill at 2m x 3m (6.6 ft x 3.8 ft) spacing with 50% RDF in the agro-climatic regions of Gandevi and Jorhat, with 75% RDF in the agro-climatic regions of Bhubaneswar and Mohanpur and with 100% RDF in the agro-climatic region of Kannara in order to ensure higher productivity and profit to farmers

Shocks in radiatively driven time dependent, relativistic jets around black holes

We study time-dependent relativistic jets under the influence of radiation field of the accretion disk. The accretion disk consists of an inner compact corona and an outer sub-Keplerian disk. The thermodynamics of the fluid is governed by a relativistic equation of state (EoS) for multispecies fluid which enables to study the effect of composition on jet-dynamics. Jets originate from the vicinity of the central black hole where the effect of gravity is significant and traverses large distances where only special relativistic treatment is sufficient. So we have modified the flat metric to include the effect of gravity. In this modified relativistic framework we have developed a new total variation diminishing (TVD) routine along with multispecies EoS for the purpose. We show that the acceleration of jets crucially depends on flow composition. All the results presented are transonic in nature, starting from very low injection velocities, the jets can achieve high Lorentz factors. For sub-Eddington luminosities, lepton dominated jets can be accelerated to Lorentz factors > 50. The change in radiation field due to variation in the accretion disk dynamics will be propagated to the jet in a finite amount of time. Hence any change in radiation field due to a change in disk configuration will affect the lower part of the jet before it affects the outer part. This can drive shock transition in the jet flow. Depending upon the disk oscillation frequency, amplitude and jet parameters these shocks can collide with each other and may trigger shock cascades.Comment: 21 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in Ap

Thickness-profile measurement of transparent thin-film layers by spectrally resolved phase-shifting interferometry

Spectrally resolved white-light phase-shifting interferometry has been used for accurate measurements of the spectral phase of the wave reflected from a micromachined surface. The phase is linearly related to the wave number, and the slope of the graph of the phase vs. the wave number, for any point on the test surface, gives the absolute value of the optical path difference at this point. These values can be used to generate a line profile of the test surface. However, if the test surface is coated with a transparent thin film, multiple reflections affect the phase of the reflected wave. The values obtained for the phase then depend on the thickness and the refractive index of the film and exhibit an additional nonlinear variation with the wave number, which can be modeled using thin-film theory. We show that this additional nonlinear phase can be measured directly using spectrally resolved white-light interferometry. The thickness profile of the film can then be obtained by a least-squares fit to the experimental phase data

Spectrally resolved phase-shifting interferometry of transparent thin films: sensitivity of thickness measurements

Spectrally resolved white-light phase-shifting interference microscopy can be used for rapid and accurate measurements of the thickness profile of transparent thin-film layers deposited upon patterned structures exhibiting steps and discontinuities. We examine the sensitivity of this technique and show that it depends on the thickness of the thin-film layer as well as its refractive index. The results of this analysis are also valid for any other method based on measurements of the spectral phase such as wavelength scanning or white-light interferometry