Different Agro-climatic Regions Of India Research Articles

Genetic variations in HsP90AA1 chaperone gene across diverse Indian native cattle (<i>Bos indicus</i>) breeds adapted to varied agroclimatic regions

Indian zebu cattle during their separate evolution from Bos taurus, have acquired certain changes in a set of genes that regulate the body temperature in response to heat stress. Heat shock proteins (HSPs), the abundant and ubiquitous molecular chaperones play essential role in many cellular biological processes, and are preferentially transcribed in response to heat stress. The objective of this study was to comparatively screen variants/ single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the HSP90AA1 gene in cattle breeds, viz., Gir, Kankrej, Ladakhi, Nagori, Nimari, Ongole, Rathi and Sahiwal, adapted to different agroclimatic regions of India including the exotic breed Holstein Friesian and yak (Bos grunniens). Sanger sequencing was carried out in all the translatable exons of the gene. The analysis revealed 6 SNPs – 3 were located in exon 3, 1 SNP each in exon 4 and 6, and another SNP in exon 9. We also identified a novel SNP 2937 (G>T) nucleotide position of exon 9. Interestingly, 2 variants detected at position 1924 (A>G) of exon 3 and 2343 (T>C) of exon 6 with a frequency of 0.9 and 0.73, respectively, were found to be almost fixed in nearly all of the Indian native cattle breeds. These SNPs could potentially be utilized to undertake genotype-phenotype association studies for superior heat stress tolerance trait in Indian native cattle.

Varietal suitability of grapes in different agro-climatic regions of India

Grape cultivation, in India, is dependent on a narrow range of table grape varieties, with more than 70 per cent cultivated area in Maharashtra alone, followed by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Therefore, to increase the scope of area extension under grape cultivation, the suitability of six coloured grape varieties was assessed for yield, quality and phenological parameters at four locations, i.e., Pune (Maharashtra), Arabhavi (Karnataka), Rajendranagar (Telangana) and Theni (Tamil Nadu) during 2019-2022. From the study, it was revealed that the ‘Manjari Shyama’ and ‘Red Globe’ yielded the maximum (13.7 kg/vine) as compared to the rest of the varieties. Variety ‘Manjari Shyama’ was found stable at all four locations for yield, bunch weight, 100-berry weight, berry diameter, TSS, acidity, sugar: acid ratio and days to veraison with the regression coefficient 1.22, 1.11, 1.01, 1.13, 1.35, 1.44, 0.88 and 0.79, respectively. The yield and bunch weight in ‘Red Globe’ was found to be more expressive under the favourable environment as compared to ‘Fantasy Seedless’ (5.59 kg/vine), ‘Nanasaheb Purple Seedless’ (6.13 kg/vine) and ‘Crimson Seedless’ (7.63 kg/vine), which were found lower.

The invasive mimosoid legume Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn is nodulated by diverse strains of Ensifer and Bradyrhizobium in different agroclimatic regions of India

The invasive mimosoid legume Dichrostachys cinerea (L.) Wight & Arn is nodulated by diverse strains of Ensifer and Bradyrhizobium in different agroclimatic regions of India

Exploitation of biotic inducers for the management of important foliar diseases of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.)

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) is a unique crop grown for human consumption as edible oil and also for ornamental use. It has become a popular cut flower, easy to grow under varied climatic conditions requires 672.4 mm water requirement during growing season. Sunflower crop is native to North America and as of now we have the varieties, hybrids developed from the huge germplasm collections maintained at ICAR-Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research and also at co-ordinating centres under AICRP on sunflower situated at different agro-climatic regions of India. During the crop growing period, many fungal and viral diseases start affecting the crop from early stage up to flowering and milky stage leads to drastic losses in seed yield. In particular, necrosis, leaf spot and powdery mildew diseases are causing drastic yield losses in the cultivation. In this study, we have attempted the biotic inducers as seed treatment and foliar spray against this disease as an alternative to fungicide.

Phylogenetic diversity and plant growth-promoting activities of rhizobia nodulating fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn.) cultivated in different agroclimatic regions of India.

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum Linn.), is an extensively cultivated legume crop used as a herb, spice, and traditional medicine in India. The symbiotic efficiency and plant growth-promoting potential of fenugreek rhizobia depend on the symbiont strain and environmental factors. We isolated 176 root-nodulating bacteria from fenugreek cultivated in different agroclimatic regions of India. MALDI-TOF MS-based identification and phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA and five housekeeping genes classified the fenugreek-rhizobia as Ensifer (Sinorhizobium) meliloti. However, the strains represent separate sub-lineages of E. meliloti, distinct from all reported sub-lineages across the globe. We also observed the spatial distribution of fenugreek rhizobia, as the three sub-lineages of E. meliloti recorded during this study were specific to their respective agroclimatic regions. According to the symbiotic gene (nodC and nifH) phylogenies, all three sub-lineages of E. meliloti harboured symbiotic genes similar to symbiovar meliloti; as with the housekeeping genes, these also revealed a spatial distribution for different clades of sv. meliloti. The strains could nodulate fenugreek plants and they showed plant growth-promoting potential. Significant differences were found in the plant growth parameters in response to inoculation with the various strains, suggesting strain-level differences. This study demonstrates that fenugreek rhizobia in India are diverse and spatially distributed in different agro-climatic regions.

Genomic Diversity of Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) Endosymbionts in India and Selection of Potential Strains for Use as Agricultural Inoculants.

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp. ) is a legume crop resilient to climate change due to its tolerance to drought. It is grown by millions of resource-poor farmers in semiarid and tropical subregions of Asia and Africa and is a major contributor to their nutritional food security. Pigeon pea is the sixth most important legume in the world, with India contributing more than 70% of the total production and harbouring a wide variety of cultivars. Nevertheless, the low yield of pigeon pea grown under dry land conditions and its yield instability need to be improved. This may be done by enhancing crop nodulation and, hence, biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) by supplying effective symbiotic rhizobia through the application of “elite” inoculants. Therefore, the main aim in this study was the isolation and genomic analysis of effective rhizobial strains potentially adapted to drought conditions. Accordingly, pigeon pea endosymbionts were isolated from different soil types in Southern, Central, and Northern India. After functional characterisation of the isolated strains in terms of their ability to nodulate and promote the growth of pigeon pea, 19 were selected for full genome sequencing, along with eight commercial inoculant strains obtained from the ICRISAT culture collection. The phylogenomic analysis [Average nucleotide identity MUMmer (ANIm)] revealed that the pigeon pea endosymbionts were members of the genera Bradyrhizobium and Ensifer. Based on nodC phylogeny and nod cluster synteny, Bradyrhizobium yuanmingense was revealed as the most common endosymbiont, harbouring nod genes similar to those of Bradyrhizobium cajani and Bradyrhizobium zhanjiangense. This symbiont type (e.g., strain BRP05 from Madhya Pradesh) also outperformed all other strains tested on pigeon pea, with the notable exception of an Ensifer alkalisoli strain from North India (NBAIM29). The results provide the basis for the development of pigeon pea inoculants to increase the yield of this legume through the use of effective nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, tailored for the different agroclimatic regions of India.

Dissipation kinetics and consumer risk assessment of novaluron + lambda-cyhalothrin co-formulation in cabbage

Cabbage, one of the most popular vegetables in the world is infested by several insect-pests and diseases. Novaluron, a chitin synthesis inhibitor and lambda-cyhalothrin, a synthetic pyrethroid group insecticide are used to manage insect-pests on cabbage. The dissipation kinetics and risk assessment of combination formulation (novaluron 9.45% + lambda-cyhalothrin 1.9%) with different modes of action has not yet been investigated in cabbage. Multi–location supervised field trials were therefore, conducted in different agro-climatic regions of India for safety evaluation of the combination product. The co-formulation at the recommended (novaluron 750 g a.i. ha−1 + lambda-cyhalothrin 750 g a.i. ha−1) and double the recommended (novaluron 1500 g a.i. ha−1 + lambda-cyhalothrin 1500 g a.i. ha−1) dose was sprayed on the cabbage crop. The samples were extracted and cleaned up using a modified QuEChERS method, and the residues analyzed by GC–ECD and GC–MS. The half-life (t1/2) varied between 1.77 and 2.51 and 2.00–3.38 days for novaluron and 1.36–2.24 and 1.69–3.82 days for lambda-cyhalothrin in cabbage at respective doses. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has set the MRL of 0.7 mg kg−1 for novaluron at PHI of 5 days, and no MRL is set for lambda-cyhalothrin in cabbage. On the basis of OECD MRL calculator, the MRLs of 0.6 and 1.5 mg kg−1 for novaluron and lambda-cyhalothrin, respectively were calculated at the respective doses at PHI of 3 days. Hazard quotient (HQ) <1, theoretical maximum daily intake (TMDI) < acceptable daily intake (ADI) and < maximum permissible intake (MPI), percent acute hazard index (% aHI) <1, and percent chronic hazard index (% cHI) <1 for both novaluron and lambda-cyhalothrin suggested that the combination formulation is safe and will not pose any dietary risk to the consumers. The study will be helpful to conduct risk assessment of other pesticides/combination pesticides on food crops on which their MRLs have not yet been fixed.

Spatial analysis of area and carbon stocks under Populus deltoides based agroforestry systems in Punjab and Haryana states of Indo-Gangetic Plains

Various agroforestry systems are prevalent in different agro-climatic regions of India and occupy sizeable area. Populus deltoides (poplar) based agroforestry systems are very predominant in Indo-Gangetic Plains of northern India. These systems are not only meeting wood demand of wood-based industries but also contributing significantly in generating employment, reducing atmospheric CO2 vis-a-vis mitigating climate change. The present study aimed at estimating area under poplar plantations and assessment of biomass production and carbon stock at district level for selected districts of Punjab and Haryana states. High resolution multispectral remote sensing data (LISS-IV, spatial resolution- 5.8 m) have been used for mapping poplar area in these districts. Growth data (tree density, diameter at breast height) from farmers’ fields were collected for assessment of aboveground and total biomass. Poplar area in Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Ludhiana, Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar, Yamunanagar, Kurukshetra and Karnal districts accounted for 3.19, 4.09, 1.02, 0.43, 7.25, 1.58 and 0.97%, respectively, of their geographical area. As percentage of agroforestry area, poplar area occupied 43.8% in four districts of Punjab and 53.4% in three districts of Haryana. Estimated carbon stock in total biomass of poplar plantations was 0.931, 0.481, 0.287, 0.040, 0.949, 0.256 and 0.229 million tonnes, respectively. CO2 equivalent C in aboveground and total biomass was estimated to be 7.854 and 9.946 million t, respectively, in all these seven districts. The proposed methodology based on object-oriented image classification showed promising results as far as mapping of agroforestry systems/species is concerned.

Evaluation of HF crossbred bulls under field progeny testing programme at different agro-climatic regions in India

Adequate numbers of progeny tested bulls are not available in India and whatever small number of bulls are progeny tested, they have low repeatability as the progeny tests are based on small number of daughters mostly reared at the institutional farms. But extending the progeny testing programmes to the farmer's herds will sort out the issue of less number of progeny per bull. The first lactation records of 4,782 crossbred cows which were daughters of 121 bulls and calved over a period of 12 years from 1996 to 2008 were used to determine the genetic worth of HF crossbred bulls under different agro-climatic conditions and to assess their ranking. The average first lactation milk yield in field HF crossbred cows was 2806.51±56.06 kg. In this evaluation average number of progeny per bull was 39.5. The breeding value of bulls was estimated as 2,920.59 kg for 1st ranked bull and 2662.58 kg for 121st ranked bull. A total of 47 bulls (38%) showed higher breeding values ranging from 2,807.91 to 2,920.59 kg over and above the herd average. Among the fixed effects, the centre of field progeny testing programme and year of calving had significant effect on first lactation milk yield of daughters. The increasing trend of first lactation milk yield over years is a clear indication of a successful large scale progeny testing programme under field conditions.

Estimation of genetic diversity in Terminalia Arjuna genotypes represents the different agroclimatic regions of India

Estimation of genetic diversity in Terminalia Arjuna genotypes represents the different agroclimatic regions of India

Feeding status of free-range scavenging chickens in different agro-climatic regions of India

ABSTRACT1. The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional status of backyard chickens reared under 4 different agro-climatic conditions (tropical, humid subtropical, cool-temperate and semi-arid) of India during different seasons of the year and to compare their nutritional status with those reared under confined feeding system (CFS). In each season, 15 adult and 15 grower chickens were slaughtered for collecting content of crop and gizzard to assess the nutritional status from different agro-climatic conditions.2. The dry matter content of crop and gizzard was higher (P < 0.01) in chickens reared under backyard conditions compared to those reared under CFS.3. Higher (P < 0.01) crop and gizzard contents were recorded during winter compared to the rainy season. The proportion of grains in the crop during summer and winter season was higher compared to rainy season. Further, there were more insects present in the crop during the rainy season and winter compared to summer.4. The proportion of insects was higher in chickens reared in humid, subtropical and cool temperate regions compared to semi-arid conditions. The consumption of grasses was higher in cool-temperate regions as compared to those reared under other areas.5. Crude protein (CP), Ca, P and gross energy (GE) content of the crop were higher in chickens reared under CFS compared to those reared in backyard systems and CP in the crop contents was lower in backyard chickens reared in humid subtropical and semi-arid regions compared to other areas. Similarly, lower (P < 0.01) Ca levels were seen in crop and gizzard contents from birds reared in semi-arid Rajasthan, and P and GE were lower in tropical wet and dry Telangana (TWT) compared to the chickens reared in the backyard conditions in other regions.6. Based on the results, the nutrient intake for birds utilising the scavenging feed resource base (SFRB) in the TWT region was below the requirements of backyard chickens from the other regions selected in the present study. GE and CP were critically deficient in the SFRB of the TWT region. Therefore, evolving location-specific supplementary diets using locally available feed resources to meet nutrient requirement of backyard chickens is required for optimising production potential.

Pathogenic and molecular variability among Brassica isolates of Alternaria brassicae collected from different agro-climatic regions of India

The Alternaria blight is one of the most destructive fungal disease of Indian mustard causes severe damage to the crop. Ten isolates of A. brassicae were collected from various agro-climatic location of India viz., Uttar Pradesh (Ab 1 ), Madhya Pradesh (Ab 2 ), Uttarakhand (Ab 3 ), Bihar (Ab 4 ), Jharkhand (Ab 5 ), West Bengal (Ab 6 ), Haryana (Ab 7 ), Rajasthan (Ab 8 ), Chhattisgarh (Ab 9 ) and Gujarat (Ab 10 ) and characterized for pathogenic and molecular variations. All the isolates showed high level of variability. The incubation period of the isolates was recorded on B. juncea 3 to 4 days, B. carinata 6.17 to 6.83 days, B. napus 5.17 to 6.00 days, B. nigra 4.17 to 5.17 days and in B. campestris it was ranged from 3.17 to 4.00 days. The results revealed that the maximum PDI was noted on Brassica juncea followed by B. campestris var yellow sarson, B. nigra , B. napus and B. carinata . Based on PDI ten isolates could be classified into three groups in which group one consist of isolates Ab 3 , Ab 6 , Ab 7 and Ab 5 . Isolates Ab 8 , Ab 2 and Ab 4 fall in second group; while group three include isolates Ab 1 , Ab 9 and Ab 10 . The dendrogram analysis identified two major clusters with 82 per cent similarity. One cluster (group I) comprised of 3 isolates (Ab 1 , Ab 10 and Ab 2 ). Whereas, another cluster (group II) comprised of Ab 3 , Ab 6 , Ab 7 , Ab 5 , Ab 4 , Ab 8 and Ab 9 at 86 per cent similarity. The three isolates (Ab 3 , Ab 6 and Ab 7 ) of group II showed 100 per cent similarity based on molecular basis.

First Report of an Association of Multispecies Phytoplasmas with Mango Phyllody and Little Leaf Disease from Western India

HomePlant DiseaseVol. 103, No. 10First Report of an Association of Multispecies Phytoplasmas with Mango Phyllody and Little Leaf Disease from Western India PreviousNext DISEASE NOTES OPENOpen Access licenseFirst Report of an Association of Multispecies Phytoplasmas with Mango Phyllody and Little Leaf Disease from Western IndiaKiran Kirdat, Vipool Thorat, Tushar Ghole, Pramod Takawale, and Amit YadavKiran KirdatNational Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pashan, Pune 411 021, IndiaSearch for more papers by this author, Vipool ThoratNational Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pashan, Pune 411 021, IndiaSearch for more papers by this author, Tushar GholeNational Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pashan, Pune 411 021, IndiaSearch for more papers by this author, Pramod TakawaleBAIF-Development Research Foundation, Urulikanchan, Pune 412 202, IndiaSearch for more papers by this author, and Amit Yadav†Corresponding author: A. Yadav; E-mail Address: [email protected]http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4882-9075National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pashan, Pune 411 021, IndiaSearch for more papers by this authorAffiliationsAuthors and Affiliations Kiran Kirdat1 Vipool Thorat1 Tushar Ghole1 Pramod Takawale2 Amit Yadav1 † 1National Centre for Microbial Resource, National Centre for Cell Science, Pashan, Pune 411 021, India 2BAIF-Development Research Foundation, Urulikanchan, Pune 412 202, India Published Online:7 Aug 2019https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-03-19-0599-PDNAboutSectionsSupplemental ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailWechat Mango (Mangifera indica L., family Anacardiaceae) trees with malformed vegetative tissues at branch nodes and phyllody in panicles with thicker and stunted peduncle were observed in Pune region, Western India, in February and March 2018. Although the etiology of mango malformation disease is established by performing Koch’s postulate, confirming species of Fusarium are the causative agents (Chakrabarti 2011; Crespo et al. 2014), the observed symptoms, namely, excessive vegetative growth resulting in “bunchy top” appearance with shootlets bearing small, scaly leaves and leafy girdles, however, were also suggestive of phytoplasma infection. The growing symptomatic tissues were collected from one seedling, two panicles, and four branch nodal tissues from separate plants. Eight other asymptomatic samples were also collected. To confirm the presence of phytoplasmas, 2 g of malformed tissue from symptomatic plants was used for total DNA extraction using the CTAB method. The DNA was also extracted from asymptomatic plants. The phytoplasma 16S rRNA gene was amplified from 50 ng of DNA using primers P1/P7 followed by nested primers R16F2n/R16R2. The 16S rRNA gene of phytoplasma was detected in a symptomatic seedling, one nodal tissue, and one panicle sample, except in one symptomatic nodal tissue and a panicle. This may be owing to unevenly spread low phytoplasma titer, as known from previous studies (Abeysinghe et al. 2016; Caicedo et al. 2015). No amplification was observed in asymptomatic samples. All symptomatic samples were also tested for the presence of Fusarium DNA using universal PCR primers ITS1/ITS4; however, none of the samples tested positive, nor was fungal mycelium observed when sections of symptomatic tissue stained with cotton blue were observed under the microscope. The obtained 16S rRNA gene sequences from a symptomatic panicle (MH744151), nodal tissue (MH744152), and seedling (MH744153) samples showed 99.30% sequence similarity with ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’ AYWB (CP000061), 16SrI group (aster yellows); 99.53% with ‘Ca. P. balanitae’ Balanites triflora (AB689678), 16SrV group (elm yellows); and 98.57% with ‘Ca. P. aurantifolia’ WBDL (U15442), 16SrII group (peanut witches’ broom), respectively, when analyzed using EzTaxon database and iPhyClassifier. So far, unknown phytoplasma associated with malformed mango inflorescence was reported from Egypt using electron microscopy (El-Banna et al. 2007), and ‘Ca. P. asteris’ (group 16SrI) was PCR detected from Pakistan (Fahmeed et al. 2009). These results suggest that polyphagous sap-sucking insect vectors must be involved in phytoplasma transmission from other alternate plant hosts to mango, and further studies are required. India produced over 19 million tons of mangoes, which is over 40% of the world’s production, and exported over U.S.$60 million worth of mangos in 2016 to 2017. To our knowledge, this is the first formal evidence of the association of multispecies phytoplasma strains with a mango malformation disease in India. The malformation is a severe disease of mango that causes serious damage to the seedlings and flowering tissue, resulting in severe economic losses. It is therefore essential to understand the etiology of mango malformation disease associated with phytoplasmas beyond the existing knowledge by collecting additional samples from different agro-climatic regions of India, ultimately for the better management of the disease.The author(s) declare no conflict of interest.

Genetic variability and relationship studies of Ber Ziziphus nummularia (Burm. F.) using morphological and molecular markers

Introduction: Ber (Ziziphus nummularia (Burm. F.) is the most commonly occurring branched thorny shrub species in the Indian desert. A total of 10 Zadber accessions collected from different agroclimatic regions of India, were evaluated for phenotypic and genotypic variations using morphological and inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers. Materials And Methods: Morphological characterization was done using descriptors and Molecular characterization studies was done with fifty primers of University of British Columbia (UBC) procured from Geno Biosciences Pvt. Ltd., were used for ISSR-PCR optimisation trials. Eleven primers, which gave the best amplification results with the sample DNA, were selected for final ISSR-PCR analysis. Results: Significant variability was observed in the selected Zadber accessions by the analysis of five quantitative and 25 qualitative morphological characters of leaves, fruits and seeds. ISSR markers also showed polymorphism (86.58%). Jaccard’s genetic similarity value of ISSR was found in the range of 0.45-0.77 (average 0.61) suggesting moderate level of genetic diversity within the Zadber group. Two of the eleven ISSR primers were also able to generate cultivar specific amplicons, which may be used for identification of accessions Zadber-5 and Zadber-8. Conclusion: The present study revealed that morphological and molecular markers can be successfully utilized for determining genetic diversity and genetic relationship of Zadber cultivars and used in breeding programmes.

Initial performance of ten oil palm cross combinations under three agro-climatic conditions in India

&lt;p&gt;High yielding hybrids can play an important role in increasing the productivity of oil in the oil palm. With a view to evaluate high yielding new oil palm cross combinations, a field experiment was conducted in different agro-climatic regions of India &lt;em&gt;viz&lt;/em&gt;., Zone No-10 Southern Plateau and Hills (Gangavathi, Karnataka), Zone No-12 Western Coastal Plains and Ghats (Mulde, Maharashtra) and Zone No-11 Eastern Coastal Plains and Hills (Vijayarai, Andhra Pradesh) involving ten cross combinations of tenera oil palm (NRCOP 1-10). The data from three locations over two years indicated that, significantly higher annual rate of leaf production per palm was recorded in NRCOP-6 (21.7) compared to NRCOP-3 and it was on par with other hybrid combinations. Significantly higher sex ratio was recorded with NRCOP-4 (63.1%) compared to NRCOP-1 (54.6%) and NRCOP-6 (54.8%) and was on par with other hybrid combinations.The hybrid cross combination, NRCOP-4 recorded significantly higher fresh fruit bunches (FFBs) yield 12.5 t ha-1 compared to NRCOP-1, NRCOP-3, NRCOP-7 and NRCOP-9 and it was on par with remaining hybrids and a similar result in bunch weight and number of bunches per palm was recorded. Pooled data on FFB yield for 2013-15 indicated that the hybrid combination NRCOP-4 which recorded higher FFB yield (12.6 t ha-1) at Gangavathi and at Vijayarai (22.6 t ha-1) have better prospects for adaptation under Tungabhadra command area and coastal region of Andhra Pradesh. For Konkan region of Maharashtra, the hybrid NRCOP-8 recorded the highest FFB yield.&lt;/p&gt;

A study on prevalence and factors associated with ectoparasitism in goats of two agro-climatic regions in India.

The present study was aimed to evaluate the factors associated with prevalence of various ectoparasites among goats during winter season in two different agro-climatic regions of India. A total of 320 goats (Uttarakhand-208; Uttar Pradesh-112) were screened and evaluated for ectoparasitism and associated factors. The occurrence of ectoparasitism in goats was studied in relation with age, sex, breed, housing, agro-climatic region and system of rearing. Prevalence of ectoparasitism among goats of lower Shivalik region (Dehradun and Tehri Garhwal districts) of Uttarakhand and Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh was 90.38 and 39.29%, respectively. The common ectoparasites observed were chewing lice (Bovicola caprae), sucking lice (Linognathus africanus), fleas (Ctenocephalides felis) and ticks (Haemaphysalis spp.). Among all the ectoparasitic infestation, pediculosis was the most common affection during the study period in both agro-climatic region; chewing lice in Uttarakhand and sucking lice in Uttar Pradesh. Agro-climatic region, breed, immune status, system of rearing and hygiene were highly affecting the prevalence and distribution of ectoparasites among goats. High prevalence of ectoparasitism in the study area warrants the need for formulating appropriate intervention strategies to improve control of ectoparasites and awareness among goat farmers.

Polymorphism and Iron and Zinc Contents in Fababean Genotypes

Twenty seven fababean genotypes acquired from different agroclimatic regions of India were evaluated for iron and zinc content and genetic diversity using RAPD markers. The number of pods/plant, number of seeds/pod and 100 seed weight, iron and zinc content in the genotypes ranged from 14–46, 2.8–3.6, 20.4–28.3, 2.47–4.19 mg/100g and 2.55–4.90 mg/100g, respectively. The genotypes analyzed for their genetic diversity and relationship using RAPD primers showed polymorphism and polymorphic information content and resolving power varied from 0.61 to 0.88 and 0.88–6.66, respectively. Cluster analysis based on mineral content and genetic diversity showed that the genotypes HB184 and HB186 as well as PRT12 and RFB5 showed close relationship both through molecular and nutritional analysis.

Genome Wide Single Locus Single Trait, Multi-Locus and Multi-Trait Association Mapping for Some Important Agronomic Traits in Common Wheat (T. aestivum L.).

Genome wide association study (GWAS) was conducted for 14 agronomic traits in wheat following widely used single locus single trait (SLST) approach, and two recent approaches viz. multi locus mixed model (MLMM), and multi-trait mixed model (MTMM). Association panel consisted of 230 diverse Indian bread wheat cultivars (released during 1910–2006 for commercial cultivation in different agro-climatic regions in India). Three years phenotypic data for 14 traits and genotyping data for 250 SSR markers (distributed across all the 21 wheat chromosomes) was utilized for GWAS. Using SLST, as many as 213 MTAs (p ≤ 0.05, 129 SSRs) were identified for 14 traits, however, only 10 MTAs (~9%; 10 out of 123 MTAs) qualified FDR criteria; these MTAs did not show any linkage drag. Interestingly, these genomic regions were coincident with the genomic regions that were already known to harbor QTLs for same or related agronomic traits. Using MLMM and MTMM, many more QTLs and markers were identified; 22 MTAs (19 QTLs, 21 markers) using MLMM, and 58 MTAs (29 QTLs, 40 markers) using MTMM were identified. In addition, 63 epistatic QTLs were also identified for 13 of the 14 traits, flag leaf length (FLL) being the only exception. Clearly, the power of association mapping improved due to MLMM and MTMM analyses. The epistatic interactions detected during the present study also provided better insight into genetic architecture of the 14 traits that were examined during the present study. Following eight wheat genotypes carried desirable alleles of QTLs for one or more traits, WH542, NI345, NI170, Sharbati Sonora, A90, HW1085, HYB11, and DWR39 (Pragati). These genotypes and the markers associated with important QTLs for major traits can be used in wheat improvement programs either using marker-assisted recurrent selection (MARS) or pseudo-backcrossing method.

In vitro propagation of endemic wild edible yams of Western Ghats – the hotspot of global biodiversity and its conservation in India

North-Eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats are two hot spots of global biodiversity, showcasing the rich diversity in wild relatives of root and tuber crops, especially Dioscorea. Fifty different species of Dioscorea are reported from India, of which 44% are endemic and 16 of them occur in the southern Western Ghats. The Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) being the National Active Germplasm Site (NAGS) for tropical tuber crops addresses issues like collection/augmentation, characterization, evaluation, conservation, exchange and breeding work on yams. 5175 yam accessions consisting of 50 species including 231 accessions of wild Dioscorea collected from different agro-climatic regions of India are conserved here. The present investigation focuses on the in vitro propagation studies of eight endemic wild edible yam species, with distribution in the southern Western Ghats. These species are ethnically important as secondary staple among the local tribal population. Protocols were standardized for rapid clonal multiplication of these species through nodal segment culture, direct organogenesis as well as in vitro bulbil induction, which facilitated multiplication of true to type plants and dissemination of these valuable wild clonal materials to national programmes and their conservation. In vitro bulbil induction was achieved in the non-bulbil bearing species which is an excellent tool for conservation and international exchange programmes. Cytokinins (BAP/Kin/TDZ) alone or in combination proved best for direct de novo shoot organogenesis. Successful rooting and hardening with 85-94% survival of regenerants with underground tuber development enabled us to design effective management and conservation strategies for their sustainable utilization in crop improvement programmes.

Association of SNP Haplotypes of HKT Family Genes with Salt Tolerance in Indian Wild Rice Germplasm.

BackgroundRice is one of the most important crops for global food security but its productivity is adversely affected by salt stress prevalent in about 30 % of the cultivated land. For developing salt-tolerant rice varieties through conventional breeding or biotechnological interventions, there is an urgent need to identify natural allelic variants that may confer salt tolerance. Here, 299 wild rice accessions collected from different agro-climatic regions of India were evaluated during growth under salt stress. Of these 95 representative accessions were sequenced for members of HKT ion transporter family genes by employing Ion Torrent PGM sequencing platform.ResultsHaplotype analysis revealed haplotypes H5 and H1 of HKT1;5 and HKT2;3, respectively associated with high salinity tolerance. This is the first study of allele mining of eight members of HKT gene family from Indian wild rice reporting a salt tolerant allele of HKT2;3. HKT1;5 also showed a salt tolerant allele from wild rice. Phylogenetic analysis based on the nucleotide sequences showed different grouping of the HKT family genes as compared to the prevailing protein sequence based classification.ConclusionsThe salt tolerant alleles of the HKT genes from wild rice may be introgressed into modern high yielding cultivars to widen the existing gene pool and enhance rice production in the salt affected areas.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12284-016-0083-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.