Red Scale Research Articles

Evaluation of d-Limonene and β-Ocimene as Attractants of Aphytis melinus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), a Parasitoid of Aonidiella aurantii (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on Citrus spp.

The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from herbivore-infested plants can be used as chemical signals by parasitoids during host location. In this research, we investigated the VOC chemical signals for the parasitoid Aphytis melinus to discriminate between Aonidiella aurantii (California red scale)-infested fruit and non-infested fruit on three different citrus species. First, we identified the chemical stimuli emanating from non-infested and A. aurantii-infested citrus fruits via solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses and identified 34 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The GC-MS analysis showed qualitative and quantitative differences between VOCs emitted from non-infested and infested citrus fruit. Two VOCs, d-limonene and β-ocimene, were significantly increased in all infested fruit, regardless of the fruit species. The response of the female adult A. melinus to olfactory cues associated with A. aurantii infested fruit was evaluated using a Y-tube olfactometer. In two-choice behavioural assays, A. melinus females preferred infested citrus cues over non-infested fruit. Females showed positive chemotaxis toward these VOCs in all tested combinations involving two dosages of synthetic compounds, d-limonene and β-ocimene, except for d-limonene at a dosage of 10 μL/mL. The application of these VOCs may help to enhance the effectiveness of bio-control programs and parasitoid mass-rearing techniques.

California Red-Scale Insecticide Efficacy Trial, 2019

California Red-Scale Insecticide Efficacy Trial, 2019

Inside or outside: Evaluation of the efficiency enhancement of OLEDs with applied external scattering layers

Improving the efficiency of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by enhancing light outcoupling is common practise and remains relevant as not all optical losses can be avoided. Especially, externally attached scattering layers combine several advantages. They can significantly increase the performance and neither compromise the electric operation nor add high costs during fabrication. Efficiency evaluations of external scattering layers are often done with lab scale OLEDs. In this work we therefore study different characterization techniques of red, green and blue lab scale OLEDs with attached light scattering foils comprising TiO2 particles. Although we observe an increased external quantum efficiency (EQE) with scattering foils, our analysis indicates that areas outside the active area have a significant contribution. This demonstrates that caution is required when efficiency conclusions are transferred to large area applications, for which effects that scale with the edges become less significant. We propose to investigate brightness profiles additionally to a standard EQE characterizations as latter only work if the lateral scattering length is much smaller than the width of the active area of the OLED. Our results are important to achieve more reliable predictions as well as a higher degree of comparability between different research groups in future.

Increasing level of abiotic and biotic stress on Kinnow fruit quality at different ecological zones in climate change scenario

The quality of Kinnow fruit was assessed in different ecological zones by selecting three main districts: Sargodha, Toba Tek Singh (TTS) and Vehari; all of them have varying environmental conditions. Abiotic and biotic stress on fruit quality was assessed. More growing degree days, photothermal index, photo and helio thermal units were computed in Vehari, while hydrothermal units and energy use efficiency were recorded in higher values at TTS. Fruit diameter was measured from April to December and recorded with increased width in TTS and Vehari during May and June. In May, more fruit drop was noted in TTS and Vehari compared to Sargodha due to heat stress. Pests such as citrus thrips, mites and fruit fly infected fruits were recorded in higher percentage at Vehari and TTS, while citrus red scale infestation was seen more in Sargodha. In Sargodha, a higher incidence of citrus scab and melanose was noted on Kinnow fruits, while more stem-end rot infected fruits were recorded at TTS and Vehari. In abiotic stress, more wind scares were noted at Sargodha, followed by TTS, whereas stem injury and styler-end deformity were found to be non-significant. Fruit physical parameters such as width, fresh weight and peel thickness were noted more in TTS and Vehari, while more surface smoothness and firmness were observed in Sargodha. Biochemical properties such as pH, total soluble solids, titratable acidity, sugars, ascorbic acid, total dissolved salts and electrical conductivity showed higher levels in Sargodha than TTS and Vehari. More antioxidant and total anthocyanins were found in Sargodha, while higher levels of total phenolic contents were estimated at TTS and total flavonoids in Vehari. Kinnow fruit of Sargodha received more sensory scores in organoleptic evaluation. Higher percentage of A-grade fruits was harvested from Sargodha and B-grade fruits from TTS and Vehari. More numbers of fruits and weight were obtained from TTS, followed by Sargodha. Extreme events such as heat stress and smog were seen more in Vehari and TTS and subsequently their fruit quality was found to be inferior.

Determination of fatty acid profile and mineral contents of Tricholomopsis rutilans collected from Yozgat

This study was carried out to determine the content of some minerals and fatty acids in Tricholomopsis rutilans (Schaeff.) Singer samples. Tricholomopsis rutilans is a saprophytic mushroom growing on or around conifer stumps and characterized by white spore print, yellow gills, a large yellow cap and yellow stipe entirely covered with red to purplish red scale and fibrils. It is an edible mushroom, although the taste is not nice. The analysed mushroom samples, were collected from different localities of Yozgat province during field trips between 2012-2016 years. Mineral analysis were performed by ICP-MS, and fatty acids were tested by Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry system (GC-MS). Seven different fatty acids (miristic, pentadecanoic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acid) and six different minerals (Cu, Mn, Zn, Fe, Mg, Na) have been determined in mushroom samples. Oleic and linoleic acid were the major fatty acids with proportions 39.04% and 37.09%, respectively. Na and Mg were found to be the most abundant minerals with 126.895 mg/kg-1 and 754.605 mg/kg-1, respectively among the determined minerals.

Abundance, seasonality and parasitism of Diaspididae (Hemiptera) on olive trees

Olive culture is a recent activity in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil with little information on its scale insects. Abundance and seasonality of armored scale insects (Hemiptera, Diaspididae) and their parasitism was evaluated in olive orchard, Olea europaea L., cultivar Arbequina, in Caçapava do Sul (30°30′43″ S, 53°29′27″ W), RS, Brazil. Samples were monthly collected from April 2012 to March 2013. At each occasion 20 trees were drawn and, from each quadrant of their canopies (northern, southern, eastern and western) two branches (20 - 30 cm - length and contained at least 20 leaves) were randomly removed, respectively from the inner part and the outer part of the canopy. We found five species of Diaspididae, Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell), Hemiberlesia cyanophylli (Signoret), Acutaspis paulista (Hempel), Aspidiotus nerii Bouché and Melanaspis obscura (Comstock). It was not found an unique pattern of abundance, indicating that these species respond differently to temperature variations between seasons. The armored scale insects were evenly distributed among quadrants. Only H. cyanophylli showed differences in abundance between the inner and outer branches. We registered parasitism in all Diaspididae species; the total parasitism rate was 9.78%.

Comparison of Two Traps for Monitoring California Red Scale (Hemiptera: Diaspididae)

California red scale, Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) is an economically important pest of citrus. In many cases, California red scale pest management is based on pheromone trap captures of males during their flight period. In California, where this study was conducted, California red scale pheromone traps are deployed from Mar until the end of Oct, at densities of 2 to 4 traps per 4 ha. Therefore, monitoring for California red scale represents a significant time expenditure for orange growers, and improved monitoring tools would be beneficial. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of 2 California red scale trap designs during a 7-mo-long field study conducted in a commercial navel orange grove. In particular, we compare trap captures, and the occurrence of management thresholds, between a double-sided California red scale trap and a single-sided California red scale trap, both baited with commercial California red scale lures. The single-sided California red scale trap was incorporated into an internet-of-things platform designed for automated or remote monitoring. Mean trap captures, the occurrences of management thresholds, and the seasonal phenology of capture were similar between both trap types. Importantly, the proportion of traps reaching management thresholds were not significantly different between trap types. These results suggest that both trap types can be used in a similar fashion to monitor California red scale in commercial settings using currently recommended monitoring guidelines.

Geriatric scores can predict long-term survival rate after hip fracture surgery

BackgroundThe management of hip fractures is nowadays mainly performed in Orthogeriatric Units, one of whose fundamental tools is the application of geriatric scores. The purpose of this study is to establish the potential usefulness of Barthel Index, Katz Index, Lawton-Brody Index and Physical Red Cross Scale geriatric scores as predictors of survival rate and readmission rate in older patients after hip fracture surgery.MethodsWe designed a prospective single-center observational study, including 207 older adults over age 65 who underwent hip fracture surgery in the first half of 2014 and followed up to September 2018. Cumulative survival and readmission rates were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier; group comparison, by Log-Rank and hazard ratio, by Cox regression.ResultsWe found statistical differences (p < 0.001) for cumulative survival rate by every geriatric score analyzed (BI HR = 0.98 [0.97,0.99]; KI HR = 1.24 [1.13–1.37]; LBI HR = 1.25 [1.16, 1.36]; PCRS HR = 1.67 [1.37,2.04]). Furthermore, we could determinate an inflection point for survival estimation by Barthel Index (BI 0–55/60–100*, p < 0.001, HR = 2.37 [1.59,3.53]), Katz Index (KI A-B*/C-G, p < 0.001, HR = 2.66 [1.80, 3.93], and Lawton-Brody Index (LBI 0–3/4–8*, p < 0.001, HR = 3.40 [2.09,5.25]). We reveal a correlation of the Charlson Index (p = 0.002) and Katz Index (p = 0.041) with number of readmissions for the study period.ConclusionsThe geriatric scores analyzed are related to the cumulative survival rate after hip fracture surgery for more than 4 years, independently of other clinical and demographic factors. Katz Index in combination with Charlson Index could also be a potential predictor of the number of readmissions after surgery for hip fracture patients.

An assessment of population fluctuations of a hemipteran citrus pest in the northeast of Algeria: A case study from Guelma region

In this study, which takes place in the northeast of Algeria at the region of Guelma between January 2016 and June 2017, we were able to follow the spatio-temporal evolution of the main hemipteran pests in an orchard of citrus (orange variety). This monitoring showed the presence of 12 hemipteran species, their appearance in the orchard is closely linked to the sap flow. The most abundant species was Aleurothrixus floccosus. The number of the other species that found was very small or absent in most of the time. We also noted that Aonidiella aurantii and Chrysomphalus dictyospermi had a preference to develop in the center of the tree while the other species found, which are: Dialeurodes citri, Aphis gossypii, Aphis spiraecola, Lepidosaphes beckii, Parlatoria ziziphi, Saissetia olea, Coccus hesperidum, Coccus pseudomagnoliarum and Icerya purchasi, were found in the sunniest parts of the tree.

Temperature/shear-induced interface reconstruction of hot rolled carbon steel lubricated by polyphosphate composite lubricants

Abstract The present work aims to investigate temperature/shear-induced oxide reconstruction at the hot rolled steel interface, where sodium/potassium polyphosphates blended with different oxide nanoparticles were applied as the lubricant to control friction and manage oxidation. The lubrication of alkaline polyphosphate reduces the rolling force by up to 15% and prevents oxidation significantly. The undesired oxide scale can be transformed into iron oxide/alkaline polyphosphate composite imposed on hot rolled steel. Addition of inorganic oxide particles improves the consolidation and uniformity of reconstructed oxide layer. The polyphosphate formulations demonstrate the superiority of eliminating red scale over silicon alloyed steel. The mechanism of temperature/shear-induced interfacial transformation of the hot rolled steel associated with the interactions between oxide scale and alkaline polyphosphate constituent was discussed.

Scale and mealybug insects invade citrus orchards at Menoufia Governorate, Egypt.

A survey of insects infesting citrus orchards was conducted in Menoufia governorate at three localities during 2019. The most common insects were, cottony cushion scale, Icerya purchase, seychelles scale, Icerya seychellarum, comma scale, Lepidosaphes beckii, citrus black scale, Chrysomphalus aonidum, and red scale, Aonidiella aurantii. The obtained results revealed no infestation was recorded along with July and August of Icerya (Mealybugs) insects. However, there were two peaks recorded in May and November, as well as the highest averages were recorded in Tala center while the lowest were recorded in Alshohadaa center, moreover Shebin Elkom center occupied intermediate status between the two centers. There were no mealybugs insects during July and August, but the highest average numbers were recorded in May. Tala center orchard has the highest population of tested insects on Naval Orange along with the experiment. There were no Chrysomphalus aonidum insects at Shebin Elkom and Alshohadaa of Balady mandarin orchards during year months. Tala and Shebin Elkom orchards have similar numbers but Alshohadaa has smaller averages. Shebin Elkom orchard has the highest infection with Lepidosaphes beckii, and Aonidiella aurantia, while Alshohadaa has the least numbers. It could be recommended that control of these pests must be done along with June, July, and August, where the least population of insects.

Tuning the stability of red color natural pigments in fruit extracts by pH control

Natural pigments have been recognized as potential sources for natural colorants and visible light absorbers. Unfortunately, most natural pigments have problems with the stability, which limited their potential uses for various applications. In this study, extraction of five types of red fruits, which were tomato, watermelon, strawberry, carrot, and papaya, was carried out by a slow juicer. After drying by a freeze dryer, the stability of each extract was then monitored by color measurements at various pH of 1–10 for 7 days. The results showed that the stability of the pigments was affected by the pH. However, most of the pigment extracts still suffered from the stability issue as the red color scales were found to decrease with the increase of the storage time in most any pH conditions. Particular attention was made to the strawberry extract that could be successfully stabilized at pH of 1. In addition to its stability, the strawberry extract also gave the highest red color scale among all the investigated extracts. This result suggested that the stability of the strawberry extract was tunable by the pH control and thus, its potential use as a red color source for various applications could be expected.

Свойства материалов для перспективной технологии совместной утилизации техногенных отходов

With the aim of improving the technology of co-processing of red mud (RM) and oily mill scale free (OMS) using co-temporal methods and apparatus, including using equipment of the center «Ural-M», studied the physico-chemical properties of industrial wastes. The main components of RM are: Fe (35.7%) in the form of hematite and complex hydroalumination, Ca (11.0%) in the form of calcite and hydro-aluminosilicates, Al (6.8%) and Si (4.7%) in the composition of hydroalumination, Na (2.8%) in the form of hydroalumination, carbonate and hydroxide, Ti (2.5%) in the form of rutile. The sludge moisture content was 11.9%. The main components of the OMS are: Fe (71%) in the form of magnetite, wustite and hematite with a very small amount of fayalite. The contents of Si (in the form of quartz), Al and P (non-forming phases) are within 1-3%. Humidity OMS – 16.3%, the content of indelible organic matter – 4.0%. Granulometric composition of RM is characterized by high dispersion. With an average diameter of 1.6 µm, all particle sizes are in the range of 0.5-12 µm. Granulometric composition of OMS is characterized by complexity. With an average diameter of 8.6 µm, maxima of 0.9 µm and 15 µm and a minimum of about 1.2 µm are observed in the particle size distribution. The specific surface area of the materials is equal to RM 23.7 m2/g, and OMS – 1.9 m2/g. The change of waste properties after exposure to aqueous solutions of alkalis and acids neutralizing the effect of organic (OMS) and alkaline (RM) surface compounds was studied. Neutralization of aqueous sus¬pension with HCl solution leads to removal of alkaline film from the surface. As a result of the impact of reagents, there is a decrease in the content of water-soluble components in the processing products. At the same time, the average particle sizes of RM and OMS increase to 2 and 14 µm, respectively, and the specific surface area to 25.7 and 2.3 m2/g. The distribution of particle size of RM is almost constant, and the OMS is approximately 5 and 10% of the smoothed maximum and minimum in the area of at least 0.5 and 15 µm.

Genome-wide analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms reveal the consequences of traditional mass-rearing on genetic variation in Aphytis melinus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae): the danger of putting all eggs in one basket.

Aphytis melinus DeBach (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) is a highly effective biocontrol agent of the California red scale Aonidiella aurantii (Maskell) (Hemiptera: Diaspididae). It is commercially reared and used for augmentative releases within integrated pest management programs. However, mass rearing of biocontrol agents can result in population bottlenecks and high levels of inbreeding and/or adaptation to the factitious rearing conditions. Although these factors can all negatively impact field performance of biocontrol agents, few empirical studies have examined the genetic consequences of mass rearing. We used double-digest RAD sequencing (ddRADseq) to investigate the effect of traditional mass rearing on genetic variation among insectary colonies of A. melinus relative to wild populations in native (Pakistan) and introduced (California) ranges. Analyses of up to 9700 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) revealed that insectary populations had less genomic variation than introduced populations. This was evidenced by fewer private alleles, reduced heterozygosity, and greater missing data in the insectary populations. Further, California insectaries formed a distinct genomic cluster relative to the other samples, a surprising result given that the insectary colonies were putatively established at different times and from different source populations. These differences were evident across most data sets also after we filtered out contaminant DNA from the most common host species (Aspidiotus nerii Bouché and A. aurantii). We hypothesize that this pattern would only result if: (i) directional selection for 'captive' phenotypes produces convergent patterns of genomic variation across insectaries; or (ii) the California insectary colonies were all founded from a unifying source population and/or that the insectaries regularly exchange 'genetic' stocks. We show that RADseq is an effective method to investigate the effects of mass rearing on genetics of biocontrol agents. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Contribution of predation to the biological control of a key herbivorous pest in citrus agroecosystems

Biological control has traditionally simplified the view of trophic relationships between herbivorous pests and their natural enemies in agriculture. The success or failure of this pest management strategy is still mainly attributed to the ability of a few key natural enemies to suppress the pest density. For example, successful regulation of the California red scale (Aonidiella aurantii), a key citrus pest, is generally credited to specific parasitoids of the Aphytis genus. Currently, research is revealing how herbivore regulation in agroecosystems can be alternatively achieved with a greater number of trophic associations within the system. The goals of the present study were as follows: i) to unravel species-specific trophic links between A.aurantii and its natural enemies in citrus agroecosystems, and ii) to assess their contribution to control of A.aurantii. Predation and parasitism of this herbivorous pest were assessed through exclusion experiments. Species-specific trophic links between this herbivorous pest and its natural enemies were studied using gut-content analysis of field-collected predators employing prey-specific DNA molecular markers. Relative predation rates of the species involved in A.aurantii regulation were estimated. Predation was found to be the main biotic component of A.aurantii mortality, causing reductions of more than 75% in recently settled cohorts. Aonidiella aurantii DNA was detected in the digestive system of 11 species of predators. Generalist and stenophagous predators, mainly associated with other citrus pests such as aphids, proved to be the most important biological control agents of this pest. Complex trophic relationships, such as apparent competition between two key citrus pests, were revealed. The present study highlights the role of predation as biotic mortality factor of key pests in perennial agroecosystems, wherein it is a rich complex of indigenous or naturalized generalist predators that are primarily responsible for this mortality. The results herein presented may therefore offer another perspective on the biological control of one of the key world-wide citrus pests, at least in those regions where specific parasitoids are not able to successfully regulate the scale populations.

Cells to Surgery Quiz: April 2019

Cells to Surgery Quiz: April 2019

Abstract P3-12-18: Comparison of three different topical agents on prevention of acute radiodermatitis during breast cancer radiotherapy

Abstract Aim: To compare the effectiveness for radiodermatitis prophylaxis of Fusidic acid and Betamethasone valerate containing cream, pure vaselin and emollient dermocosmetic cream during radiotherapy for breast cancer. Method: We prescribed one of the 3 different creams per patient respectively at the start date of breast cancer radiotherapy (conventional radiotherapy: CRT, 50 Gy in 2 Gy/fraction plus a 10 Gy boost for a total of 60 Gy; or hypofractionated radiotherapy: HRT, 40 Gy in 2.67 Gy/fraction plus a 10 Gy Boost for a total of 50 Gy) at our clinic and instructed them to use the cream daily after each fraction throughout the whole treatment. Weekly photographs of the thorax, including the treated breast anteriorly and laterally, were taken with the onset of treatment, where a gray card setting for color balance standardization was performed. The weekly skin changes were recorded prospectively and assessed retrospectively according to the RTOG radiodermatitis side effect scale. A total of 64 cases have been enrolled in the study till now and 54 out of 58 cases who completed their radiotherapy were evaluated for the current analysis (photographs flawed in three, one refused her photographs to be included in the study). The photographs were processed for color matching with the gray card set using the Adobe Reader Photoshop CC software via the red color histogram and the pre- &amp; post-radiotherapy skin redness were objectively compared via the histogram. The data were analyzed using SPSS, version 23. Results: The treatment was conventional in 25 patients and hypofractionated in 29 patients. Grade 2 radiodermatitis was seen in 37% of the cases at the end of treatment. The color scale final grade 2 radiodermatitis rate was 29.6% (16 cases), consistent with the clinical findings. The cream used was emollient dermocosmetic in 17 (31.5%, CRT 10, HRT 7), fusidic acid and betamethasone valerate in 19 (35.2%, CRT 13, HRT 6), and pure vaseline in 18 (33.3%, CRT 6, HRT 12) cases. There were 4 grade 1 RD in first week, 15 grade 1 RD in second week, 29 grade 1 and 1 grade 2 RD in the third week. The grade 2 RD rate increased to 16.7% (n: 9) in the fourth week. As lower red density values in the red scale representing increased erythema, the pre-radiotherapy breast median value of 230 (range: 166-256) decreased to a median value of 209.5 (range: 114-252) at the end of radiotherapy with a median change of 14%, not significantly different with creams (p=0.06) or with fractionation (p&amp;gt;0.05). Conclusion: Grade 2 acute radiodermatitis wasless commonly encountered with prophylactic creams in our cohort while no significant difference could be defined between creams and fractionation used. Digital follow up of the protocol patients is currently continuing to be documented for future reporting. Citation Format: Sezen D, Bolukbasi Y, Corak Cebi C, Selek U. Comparison of three different topical agents on prevention of acute radiodermatitis during breast cancer radiotherapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-12-18.

Effect of Rolling Reduction and Temperature on the Oxide Scale of Hot Rolled Mild Steel Strip

Hot rolling experiments were designed to investigate the effect of rolling temperature and rolling deformation on microstructure, thickness and surface red scale of hot rolled mild steel oxide scale by spectrometer, SEM and pickling experiment. The research results show that in the same other experiment conditions, the greater the rolling deformation, the thinner the oxide scale extend; with the increase of rolling temperature, the plasticity of oxide scale is enhanced, the oxide scale can be compacted under a larger rolling reduction, which increase the adhesion of oxide scale to substrate and reduce the oxide scale falling off. The higher rolling temperature is, the greater the allowable critical deformation to inhibit red scale is, and the thicker tolerable thickness of the initial oxide scale is. In the process of hot strip rolling, improving rolling load distribution of the front frame and reducing the rolling deformation of the tail frame is helpful to control strip red scale and make oxide scale deform uniformly.

Monitoring tools and sampling methods for major date palm pests.

Abstract This review provides summary of the most commonly used methods and tools for monitoring and sampling of date palm pests. Emphasis is given to major pests of economic importance. The paper is arranged into different sections, which deal with morphology and architecture of date palm as one of the most important aspects in the process of sampling. The ecological concepts and terminologies used including mathematical models and monitoring and sampling plans for the major date palm pests. For convenience, major pests were grouped according to their taxonomic orders and the part of date palm they damage into the following: red palm weevil, Dubas bug, date moth, mites, scale insects, trunk and frond borers, sap beetles and stored date pests. The review specified the gaps in sampling plans available for major date palm pests as well as future research priorities to enhance the existing sampling and monitoring techniques.

An RGB Image Cipher Using Chaotic Systems, 15-Puzzle Problem and DNA Computing

The application of confusion and diffusion processes on the three individual components of an RGB image is not secure and efficient, so this problem needs to be addressed. In this paper, a novel RGB image cipher is proposed using chaotic systems, 15-puzzle artificial intelligence problem and DNA computing. First of all the given color image is decomposed into its red, green and blue gray scale images. Then these gray scale images are concatenated to make a single gray scale image. This single gray scale image is further divided into different blocks. A block level permutation (BLP) is proposed on this gray scale image by using the 15-puzzle problem. A pixel level permutation is applied to further randomize the image pixels. This confused image is then DNA encoded. Afterwards, a diffusion process is applied on this DNA encoded image. Lastly this DNA diffused image is converted back into the decimal. Further, this single gray scale image is broken into three gray scale images. These three images are combined to get the final color cipher image. To create the plaintext sensitivity, SHA 256 hash function has been used. Both the simulation and a comprehensive security analyses suggest the robustness and the impregnability of the proposed scheme which in turn signals towards the real world applicability of the scheme.