International Journal of Agricultural Sciences

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 3 (10), pp. 060-076, December, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Morphological characterization and reaction of partial purified toxin of sugarcane red rot pathogen Colletotrichum falcatum collected from Southern India

*Prema Ranjitham Thangamani¹, Raguchander Thiruvengadam¹ and KalaimaniThillaigovindan²

¹Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641003, India.

²Sugarcane Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University,  Cuddalore-607 001,  India

*Corresponding Author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 06 September, 2013

Abstract

Sugarcane is an important cash crop and used as the chief source of sugar in India. Sugarcane production is challenged by various biotic and abiotic stress among the biotic factors, red rot disease caused by Colletotrichum falcatum is a major disease leading to severe reduction in sugarcane production. Morphological studies conducted under in vitro in Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) showed characteristic variation in their cultural and colony characters which were collected from different places. Based on pathogenicity test the variety Coc671 showed more susceptiblilty to all the isolate. The variety Co 86249 resistant to all the isolates except Cf3 which showed intermediate reaction. Toxins from various isolates was extracted from culture filtrate grown in Czapek-Dox yeast (CDY) broth and extracted using ethyl acetate. The ethyl acetate fraction was injected to two different varieties. Among the crude toxins extracted from different isolates, the ethyl acetate fraction from Cf3 showed maximum reddening symptoms on 6^th day with 92.3 (% infected area on cane stem) in 200 µl injected samples. Cf3 partially purified toxins when treated in leaves showed maximum reddening area of 70.20 % infected area on leaf in Coc671. Serial dilution of toxin to 10^-5 showed symptoms in susceptible cultivar whereas no reaction was noticed below 10^-1 dilution in resistant variety. Thus present study brings the morphological variations and virulence characters of C. falcatum.

Keywords: Pathogencity, Coc 671, Co 86249, toxin, Czapek–Dox yeast.

Ndiso J.B¹, Mugo S², Kibe A.M³ and Pathaka R.S³

¹Pwani University, P.o Box 195-80108 Kilifi, Kenya

³Egerton University, P.o Box 536, Egerton, Njoro, Kenya

²International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, CIMMYT Kenya. P.o Box 1041-00621 Village Market, Nairobi

*Corresponding author E-mail: [email protected] 

Accepted 29 May, 2013

Abstract

Crop genetic diversity is the basis of our food supply and survival. Determination of the phenotypic diversity of Kenya local coastal maize landraces (LCML) was important to understand the dynamics of maize genetic resources for the improvement and sustenance of maize productivity in the coastal region. The experiment with 30 genotypes was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Data collected included days to anthesis, days to silking, number of leaves, ear height, plant height, ears per plant, grain yield and anthesis-silking interval. Analysis of variance of morphological traits was performed using a general linear model (GLM) of SAS computer version 9.1.  Pattern analysis for the relationship among genotypes was achieved through cluster analysis; dendogram were developed using a hierarchical agglomerical clustering method. Association among genotypes identified by principal component analysis were portrayed by proximity plots. Two major groups were found; Group 1- 1 consisted of the 28 coastal germplasm while group1 – 2 consisted of the two check entries being OPVs from outside the coast region (Entries 26 and 28).  Group 2 - 1 had 9 entries, which include entries 7, 18, 9, 10, 17, 3, 11, 12 and 14. This group is dominated by entries from Kilifi and Lamu Counties.  Group 2 – 2 had 19 entries, which include entries from Kilifi and Kwale districts. Entries from Taita Taveta and Lamu appeared only in G 2 - 1. Other checks such as PH 4, CLS-3 and KDV-3 were also in Group 2 – 2. This may indicate that these checks were developed from the local landraces from Kilifi and Kwale Counties. This study showed that LCML displayed large amounts of variation for morphological traits. The pattern of forming clusters may have some geographical implication since some clusters were formed with entries from neighboring Counties. The broad trait diversity evident among the local coastal maize landraces suggests ample opportunity for genetic improvement of the crop through selection directly from the accession and/or the development of inbred lines for future hybrid programs.

Key words: Landraces, maize, genetic diversity, coast Kenya. 

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 3 (10), pp. 046-052, December, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Soil loss prediction using USLE and MUSLE under conservation tillage integrated with ‘fanya juus’ in Choke Mountain, Ethiopia

Habtamu Muche^{* 1} Melesse Temesgen ² and Fantaw Yimer ³

¹Debre Markos University, Collage Agriculture and Natural Resource, P.O Box: 269 Debre Markos, Ethiopia.

²Addis Ababa University, Faculty of Technology, P.O.Box 385, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

³Wondo Genet College of Forestry and Natural Resources, P.O.Box: 128, Shashemene, Ethiopia.

^*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 06 November, 2013

Abstract

Conservation tillage is an important strategy for the adoption of soil and water conservation and to reduce runoff and soil loss by water erosion. This study was undertaken to validate USLE/MUSLE as affected by integration of conservation tillage with ‘fanya juus’ at Enerata kebele, East Gojjam of Amhara Region. Runoff and soil loss were collected from 38 storm events through isolated trenches for calibration and validation of the models. Input variables required by USLE and MUSLE models mainly rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, topography of the land, land use and crop management factors were obtained from field measurements. The results showed that both models underestimated soil loss. On average, the efficiency of MUSLE model was 71.5% while that of USLE was 53.5%. This was due to the runoff which was considered as an input for MUSLE model. Runoff was found to be a better indicator than rainfall for soil loss prediction. Overall, the MUSLE model was good to estimate soil loss and to plan different soil conservation programs.

Key words: Conservation tillage, fanya juus, MUSLE, soil loss, USLE.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 3 (10), pp. 040-045, December, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full length Research Paper

Callus induction and regeneration of potato from shoot tip culture

Umme Zohora Laboney¹, Gokul Chandra Biswas^2*, Mohammad Abdullah-Al-Shoeb³ and Md. Abunasar Miah²

¹Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh.
²Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology,  School of Life Sciences, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh.
³Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,  School of Life Sciences, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet-3114, Bangladesh.

*Corresponding Author. Email: [email protected]

Accepted 16 September, 2013

Abstract

Two laboratory experiments were performed with potato cv. Granula to investigate callus induction ability and regeneration capability from shoot explants and to study the influence of BAP, IAA and GA₃ on plantlet regeneration from callus. In the first experiment, MS medium with 2.0 mg/l 2,4-D were used to identify the highest callus formation (95.00%) within a minimum number of days (10.00), number of calli /culture (4.75) and weight of callus (0.074 g). However, the second experiment was done for both of shoot and root formation. In case of shoot regeneration, combination of 1.0 mg/l BAP and 0.5 mg/l GA3 showed the highest number of shoots per explants (4.67), shoot initiation (93.33%) at required days (15.00), number of leaves per plantlet (3.67) and longest shoot (5.33 cm). On the other hand, the combination of 1.0 mg/l IAA and 1.0 mg/l GA3 showed the highest number of roots per shoot (3.33) within a minimum number of days (12.33) and longest root (6.33 and 7.33 cm) after 20 and 28 days, respectively. Therefore, it was concluded that the hormonal concentration to effect the callus formation and regeneration. Further attempts have been used for production of disease free potato variety from this study.

Keywords: Callus, culture medium, in vitro, regeneration, shoot tip.

International Journal of Agricultural Sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 3 (9), pp. 029-033, November, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Yield and yield attributes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as influenced by agrispon and fertonic at varying level of fertility

*Rakesh Kumar and S.K. Agarwal

Department Of Agronomy CCS HAU, Hisar- 125004, India.

*Correspondingauthor. E-mail:- [email protected]

Accepted 28 October, 2013

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during rabi seasons for two years at Agronomy Research farm, CCS HAU, Hissar to evaluate the effect of agrispon and fertonic on yield attributes and yield of wheat. Effective tillers, earhead length, spikelets earhead^-1, grains earhead^-1, grain and straw yield of wheat enhanced significantly with 120+60 Kg ha^-1 N and P( 100% of recommended dose). Fertilizer level failed to influence harvest index and test weight. Two spray of agrispon significantly @ 1 l ha^-1two application each at sowing and at 30 DAS enhanced effective tillers, spike length, spikelets spike^-1, grains spike^-1, grain, straw and biological yield over its one spray and control. Fertilizer use efficiency also increased with agrispon spray by 100% compared to the control (16.6 kg grain per kg nutrient). Fertonic remain at par with control in all parameters. 

Key words: Agrispon, fertonic, fertilizer levels, heat, yield and yield attributes.

International Journal of Agricultural sciences ISSN: 2167-0447 Vol. 3 (9), pp. 022-025, November, 2013. © International Scholars Journal

Review

Adsorption study: A systematic approach to determine zinc availability in soils of divergent characteristics

Girija Veni V., Rattan R.K and Datta S.P

Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-110012, India.

*Corresponding Author. E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 07 October, 2013

Abstract

Imbalanced nutrient applications have resulted in failure of nutrient addition to keep pace with nutrient removal by crops especially in case of zinc (Zn). This resulted in productivity decline and malnutrition in humans due to their dependence of crops grown on these soils. This can be better solved by nutrient management practices as once the fertilizer is applied, it becomes available to the crop according to the Le chatelier’s principle of chemical equilibrium but Zn being heavy metal, it is necessary to access the sorption characteristics of soils for healthy recommendation of Zn fertilization in soils of divergent characteristics. Due to paradigm shift of soil-plant-human from soil-plant study with respect to micronutrient malnutrition, the sorption study is gaining importance in recent research.

Key words: Zn fertilization, sorption characteristics, malnutrition, soil, nutrient, crops.