Green Farming’s Official Blog

Green Farming Vol. 2 (15, Spl. 3) : 1049-1051  (December, 2009)

A. LALITA KUMARI and  G. SWARAJYA LAKSHMI

Regional Agric. Research Station, Lam Farm, Guntur - 522 034 (Andhra Pradesh)

Abstract .

A field experiment was conducted during kharif, 2003-04 at Agril. Research Station, Amaravathi to know the response of chilli crop to the microbial inoculation with Azospirillum isolates. The experiment contained fifteen treatments obtained by the combination of five levels of nitrogen and three levels of inoculation.The dry pod yield of chilli ranged from 13.7 to 38.3 q/ha. The highest dry pod yield of 38.3 q/ha was recorded in the treatment of N4I1 (Inoculation with SCH18 at 100% RDN).100 dry fruit weight ranged from 61.03 to 95.62 and the highest was recorded in the same treatment. Fruit weight per plant ranged from 49.2 to 196.23/plant.

The fruit length ranged from 5.99 to 8.42cm while girth ranged from 2.60 to 3.86cm. Different nitrogen levels and inoculation levels increased significantly the nutrient uptake in dry fruit and shoot. Uptake in dry fruit ranged from 28.54 to 94.25 kg N/ha, 4.19 to 12.28 kg P/ha and 15.18 to 40.07 kg K/ha. Similarly the uptake in shoot varied 31.07 to 86.22 kg N/ha, 4.70 to 16.34 kg P/ha and 20.59 to 63.12 kg K/ha.

Green Farming Vol. 2 (15, Spl. 3) : 1062-1064  (December, 2009)

MADHURI GAWANDE,  A.G. DESHMUKH  and  M.S. DUDHARE

Biotechnology Center, Department of Agril. Botany, Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Agricultural University, Akola - 444 104 (M.S.)

Abstract .

Simarouba glauca D.C. (American bitter wood) is an exotic species belonging to family Simarubaceae. The species is native to Salvador and in the countries on equator having rain forest i.e. in Mexico, Cuba and Central American states. S. glauca first introduced in NBPGR station at Amravati in 1966 and in Dr. PDKV, Akola in 1970.

The present investigation on molecular characterization of S. glauca was under taken to study the biodiversity and characterization of plants by using RAPD markers. The experimental material comprised of twenty five plants of S. glauca from Dr. P.D.K.V. Campus, Akola. The DNA was extracted from the young leaves of S. glauca plants by using modified CTAB extraction protocol. Out of fifteen RAPD primers of OPERONS series used for analysis, eight primers shows more than 50 percent of polymorphism. On the basis of RAPD banding profile polymorphic genotypes were grouped into two clusters showing 86 percent of similarity and 14 percent of dissimilarity. Based on the similarity and cluster analyses, two major groups were clearly identified.

The largest cluster-A consist of twenty three plants and cluster-B consist of two plants. Our study clearly shows the tremendous potential of PCR based RAPD markers for analyzing similarities among the S. glauca plants.  DNA based markers can produce a comprehensive guide for the selection of parents in crop improvement program. Use of other advanced DNA markers like AFLP will be very useful in analyzing the closely related S. glauca plants and to define the architecture of S. glauca at molecular level.

Green Farming Vol. 2 (15, Spl. 3) : 1072-1075  (December, 2009)

S.M. TALEY  and  M.M. ROY

Deptt. of Agric. Engineering & Director, Agroecology & Environment Centre, Dr. P.D. Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola - 444 104 (M.S.)             Indian Grassland & Fodder Research Institute (ICAR), Jhansi - 284 003 (U.P.)

Abstract .

Sustainable live stock production is a challenge in rainfed agroecosystem. There is almost no scope for expanding the area under forage crops on arable lands. The design and development of appropriate silvipasture models is extremely relevant. The best performing trees identified were Acacia nilotica followed by Zizyphus mauritiana. Highest production of pasture (Cenchrus ciliaris) and legume population was observed in sown system.

The relative proportion of such species in different systems governed the quality of forage. Sown system on account of relatively high proportion of legumes maintained better quality. After one growing season, the sheeps gained 43.9 gm/day body weight in sown systems followed by 35.7 gm/day in reseeded and by 29.5 gm/day in natural system of silvipasture development. After 3 years of silvipasture development the improvement in soil organic carbon and available nitrogen, P2O5 and K2O was observed. The silvipasture model recommended  for this region is, Acacia nilotica + Cenchrus cilliaris +  Stylo santhes hamata followed by  Zizyphus mauritiana + Cenchrus cilliaris + Stylo santhes hamata.

ined better quality. After one growing season, the sheeps gained 43.9 gm/day body weight in sown systems followed by 35.7 gm/day in reseeded and by 29.5 gm/day in natural system of silvipasture development. After 3 years of silvipasture development the improvement in soil organic carbon and available nitrogen, P2O5 and K2O was observed. The silvipasture model recommended  for this region is, Acacia nilotica + Cenchrus cilliaris +  Stylo santhes hamata followed by  Zizyphus mauritiana + Cenchrus cilliaris + Stylo santhes hamata

Green Farming Vol. 2 (15, Spl. 3) : 1089-1091  (December, 2009)

S. RATHIKA

Department of Agronomy, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore- 641 003 (Tamil Nadu)

Abstract .

A field experiment was conducted during late rabi 2006-07 as On Farm Research at Chinnamathampalayam village of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu to study the influence of nutrients and plant growth regulators on the growth and yield of baby corn. The treatment consists of foliar application of nutrients (Urea 1% and DAP 2%), plant growth regulators [Mepiquot chloride (MC) @ 200 ppm, Pink Pigmented Facultative Methalotrophs (PPFMs) @ 5 lit ha-1, Brassinosteroid (BR) @ 0.3 ppm, Nitrobenzene (NB) @ 0.3 ppm and Ethrel@ 100ppm] and water spray as control. Among the treatments imposed, foliar spraying of PPFMs @ 5 lit ha-1 enhanced the growth parameters viz., plant height, DMP and LAI significantly. The days to first tassel and silk were emerged four days earlier in BR spray over control. The green cob and green fodder yield were found to be higher (7785 kg ha-1 and 34.6 t ha-1) under PPFMs @ 5 lit ha-1.

Green Farming Vol. 2 (15, Spl. 3) : 1092-1093  (December, 2009)

VIKAS SHARMA   and  MADHULIKA BHAGAT

Division of Biochemistry and Plant Physiology, Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural   Sciences and Technology of Jammu,  Main Campus, Chatha - Jammu -180009,

School of Biotechnology, University of Jammu, Jammu - 180 006 (J & K)

Abstract

Centella asiatica was explored for its in vitro cytotoxic activity against six human cancer cell lines from six different tissues via ethanolic, 50% ethanolic and hot water extract at the concentration of 100 µg/ml. It was observed that hot water extract and 50% ethanolic extract showed considerable cytotoxic effect against IMR-32 (neuroblastoma) cancer cell line,  whereas ethnolic extract showed maximum activity against MCF-7 (breast) human cancer cell line.

Green Farming Vol. 2 (14, Spl. 2) : 970-972  (November, 2009)

P.R. SAYYAD,  M.V. DHUPPE,  R.N. DHAWALE   and  D.N. DAMSE

College of Agriculture,  College of Agric. Biotechnology,  Marathwada Agricultural University, Parbhani - 413 402 (M.S.)

Abstract

The studies on correlation and path analysis were carried out in 17 F2 crosses. The grain yield per plant showed positive and significant correlation with days to maturity, number of primary branches, number of secondary branches, number pods per plant, and 100 seed weight at genotypic and phenotypic level. Path analysis revealed that the number of pods per plant and 100 seed weight were major yield contributing characters. The performance of the cross (Jal 781 x BM 4) x BM 4 and (AKm 8802 x BPM 1) x BM 4 were found to be better.

Green Farming Vol. 2 (14, Spl. 2) : 977-979  (November, 2009)

R.P. PATIL^a,  M.B. CHETTI^b,  A.B. MASTIHOLI^c and  M.L. CHAVAN^d

^aResearch and Development Farm of Ugar Sugar Works Limited, Ugar Khurd, Karnataka

^bCollege of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad - 580 005 (Karnataka)

^cDeptt. of Agronomy, ^dDeptt of Crop Physiology, KRC College of Horticulture, Arabhavi - 591 310 (Karnataka)

Abstract

A field investigation to know the effect of stress mitigating techniques on yield and yield attributes of sugarcane was carried out during 2004 and 2005 at Research and Development Farm of Ugar Sugar Works Limited, Ugar Khurd, Karnataka. The Study revealed that though all the stress mitigating techniques were effective in overcoming the ill effects of moisture stress, but application of foliar spray of kaolin @ 6 per cent followed by soil application of K2O @ 75 kg/ha and foliar spray of KCl @ 3 per cent were found to be numerically superior than other treatments. Plant height, internodal length, single cane weight and net millable canes also showed similar trend. Hence, the above treatments were found to be best stress mitigating practices.

Green Farming Vol. 2 (14, Spl. 2) : 980-982  (November, 2009)

H.N. PATEL

Agricultural  Research  Station,  S.D. Agricultural  University, Ladol , Dist - Mehsana - 382 870 (Gujarat)

Abstract

Eighty genotypes of rice were collected and evaluated. The average, phenotypic and genotypic co-efficient of variation, heritability and genetic advance for fourteen characters were studied. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the genotypes for all the traits studied, indicating the presence of sufficient variability in the material. Number of grains per panicle showed high genotypic variance as well as high heritability.  The characters like days to fifty percent flowering (DFF), plant height, number of grains per panicle, grain yield, straw yield, and harvest index exhibited high genetic advance coupled with high heritability to moderate heritability, indicating better scope for improvement of these traits by an effective selection program.

The estimates of correlation coefficient revealed that in general the genotypic correlations were higher than their corresponding phenotypic correlations for all the characters except Relative water content (RWC) of culm. It was observed that grain yield which is an economically important trait, revealed significantly positive association with plant height, panicle length, spike let fertility percent, straw yield and harvest index at genotypic as well as phenotypic levels, while significant positive correlation was contributed by panicle length at genotypic level. So more emphasis should be given to these traits during crop improvement for the present rice genotypes under study.

Green Farming Vol. 2 (14, Spl. 2) : 991-992  (November, 2009)

D. PALANISAMY,  M. MOHANALAKSHMI  and  S. JANAPRIYA

Department of Soil & Water Conservation Engineering, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore - 641 003 (Tamil Nadu)

Abstract

Field experiment was conducted for four years (2005-2008) to study the drip fertigation in tissue culture Nendran banana by adopting two planting methods. Under normal planting spacing of 1.8×1.8 m and under high density planting 3×2 m spacing was adopted.  The experiment was conducted in Randomized Block Design with nine treatments and three replications. Drip fertigation at three levels along with conventional method were given. The results revealed that 100% recommended level of fertilizer with a normal spacing of 1.8×1.8 m recorded early crop advancing harvest by 27 days with an yield of 65.73 t/ha .

Green Farming Vol. 2 (14, Spl. 2) : 995-996  (November, 2009)

K. SHA  and  P. KARUPPAIAH

Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Annamalai University,  Annamalainagar - 608 002 (Tamil Nadu)

Abstract

Selection and screening for plant growth hormones production by efficient strains are important to optimize crop yield and improve the sustainability of the ecosystem. The objective of this study was to screen Azospirillum spp. from the natural endophytic bacterial population for growth hormone production which help to promote plant growth. In order to select the most efficient isolates, quantitative estimation of Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was done by Salkowski method. Isolates found to  produced IAA ranging from 5 to 11 μg/ml.

Influence of various N sources revealed that tryptophan @ 0.3 % gave 25.4 μg/ml IAA production. In vitro, assay of isolates found to increase total biomass of germinating maize seedlings inoculated with  IAA  producing Azospirillum spp. compared to uninoculated control and chemical  IAA treatments.