Maximum Growth Research Articles

Novel cereal bran based low-cost liquid medium for enhanced growth, multifunctional traits and shelf life of consortium biofertilizer containing Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas sp.

The present study was carried out to valorise cereal (rice and wheat) bran for the development of low-cost liquid consortium bioformulation. Different concentrations of bran-based liquid media formulations were evaluated for the growth of consortium biofertilizer cultures (Azotobacter chroococcum, Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas sp.). Among the bran-based formulations, wheat bran-based formulation WB5, exhibited the highest viable cell of 10.68 ± 0.09 Log10 CFU/ml and 12.63 ± 0.04 Log10 CFU/ml for Azotobacter chroococcum and Bacillus subtilis whereas for Pseudomonas sp., rice bran based bioformulation RB5 recorded maximum viability (12.71 ± 0.05 Log10 CFU/ml) after 72 h of incubation. RB51RB1: 1:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)RB2: 1:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)RB3: 1:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)RB4: 1:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)RB5: 5:10 (Rice bran: distilled water)1 and WB52WB1: 1:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)WB2: 2:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)WB3: 3:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)WB4: 4:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)WB5: 5:10 (wheat bran: distilled water)2liquid formulations were further optimized for enhanced shelf life using 5, 10 and 15 mM of trehalose, 0.05 and 0.1% carboxymethyl cellulose, and 0.5 and 1.0% glycerol. Following the peak growth at 72 h of incubation, a gradual decrease in the viable population of consortium biofertilizer cultures was observed in all the liquid formulations. The WB5 and RB5 formulations with 15 mM trehalose and 0.1% CMC, not only recorded significantly highest cell count of consortium biofertilizer cultures, but also maximally supported multi-functional traits i.e., phosphate and zinc solubilization, ammonia and IAA production up to 150 days. Further evaluation of seedling emergence and growth of wheat (PBW 826) under axenic conditions recorded WB5 amended with 15 mM trehalose-based consortium bioformulation to exhibit maximum emergence and growth of wheat seedlings. This low-cost liquid formulation can be used for large-scale biofertilizer production as a cost-effective liquid biofertilizer production technology.

Visualization of intracellular ice formation and growth in mouse oocytes

BACKGROUND: Characterization of intracellular ice formation (IIF) in oocytes during the freezing and thawing processes will contribute to optimizing their cryopreservation. However, the observation of the ice formation process in oocytes is limited by the spatiotemporal resolution of the cryomicroscope systems. OBJECTIVE: To observe the intracellular icing of oocytes during cooling and rewarming, and to study the mechanism of formation and growth of intracellular ice in oocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mouse oocytes were frozen at different cooling rates to induce intracellular ice formation using a cryomicroscopy system consisting of a microscope equipped with a cryogenic cold stage, an automatic cooling system, a temperature control system, and a high-speed camera. The growth patterns of intracellular ice in oocytes were analyzed from the images recorded. Finally, the growth rate of intracellular ice formation in oocytes was calculated using an automatic intracellular ice tracking method.RESULTS: The IIF temperature decreased gradually with the increase in cooling rate. Initiation sites of IIF could be classified into three categories: marginal type, internal type and coexisting type. There was a strong predominance for ice crystal initiation site in the oocytes, with up to 80% of the initiation sites located in the marginal region. The intracellular ice growth modes of darkening and twitching cells were characterized by “spreading” and “clustering”, respectively. In addition, twitching cells started to recrystallize during rewarming, while darkening cells did not. The instantaneous maximal growth rate of ice crystals in twitching cells was about 10 times higher than that in darkening cells. CONCLUSION: By visualising the growth of ice crystals in mouse oocytes during cooling and rewarming, we obtained valuable information on the kinetics of ice formation and melting in these cells. This information can help us understand how ice formation and melting affect the viability and quality of oocytes after cryopreservation.

Drip fertigation and crop management in Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 2014 and 2015 at Rahuri, Maharashtra, to study the effect of deficit irrigation, fertigation and planting techniques on growth, yield and quality parameters of Bt cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). Scheduling of irrigation at 1.0 ETc recorded significantly maximum growth, yield attributes and seed-cotton yield of Bt cotton, being at par with 0.8 ETc irrigation regime. Maximum and significantly higher seed-cotton yield was recorded in 1.0 ETc irrigation regime (3.3 t/ha), being at par with 0.8 ETc irrigation regime (3.1 t/ha) on pooled mean basis. Planting of Bt cotton at 90 cm × 90 cm was found superior to 150 cm × 60 cm in respect of growth, yield attributes and seed-cotton yield of Bt cotton. Planting of Bt cotton at 90 cm × 90 cm resulted in significantly higher seed-cotton yield (3.3 t/ha) than 150 cm × 60 cm planting (2.3 t/ha) on pooled mean basis. Fertigation of 100% GRDF up to 100 days + 20 kg MgSO4 /ha and 25 kg ZnSO4 /ha up to flowering at weekly interval + foliar spray of Fe (1.0 %) and B (0.5 %) at flowering and boll-development stages was found suitable for achieving the maximum growth, yield attributes and seed-cotton yield (3.1 t/ha) of Bt cotton. The maximum water use efficiency was obtained with 0.6 ETc irrigation regime (7.00 kg/ha-cm), followed by 0.8 ETc irrigation regime during both the years.

Effect of type and time of fertilizer application in foliar fertilization on production and seed quality of cayenne (Capsicum frutescens L. var. Bonita)

Cayenne (Capsicum frutescens L.) classified as a horticultural crop that has high economic value. The use of fertilizer can affect the maximum growth and production of cayenne plants, so it is necessary to know the right type and time. The purpose of the study was to find the best type and time of fertilizer application for the production and quality of cayenne seeds. This study used a randomized block design with two treatment factors, the first factor was the type of fertilizer, namely Gandasil B fertilizer, Bayfolan, White KNO3 and NPK Mutiara, the second factor was the time of fertilizer application, namely fertilizer application during flowering, as well as during flowering and fruit enlargement. The results showed that the interaction between the type and time of fertilizer application had a very significant effect on the total sugar content of leaves. Fertilizer treatment has a very significant effect on the total sugar content of leaves, has a significant effect on the number of fruits per plant, weight per fruit, growth uniformity, percentage of normal and abnormal sprouts, and germination. The best type of fertilizer for fruit production is Bayfolan while judging from seed quality, the best type of fertilizer for seed production is NPK Mutiara. The timing of fertilizer application had a very significant effect on the total sugar content of the leaves but had no significant effect on other variables. The best application time for seed production is fertilizer application during flowering plants and fruit enlargement.

Rhizophagus irregularis and P Fertilization Induce Carica papaya Growth after the Acclimatization Phase

Carica papaya L. or “papaya” is a very important species in which many technological packages have been implemented, such as fertilization and inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). However, no studies have been conducted to evaluate the interaction between phosphorous (P) fertilization and AMF in in vitro-propagated papaya plantlets after the acclimatization phase. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Rhizophagus irregularis and P on C. papaya growth. Papaya plants were propagated in vitro and received the treatments after taking root and being acclimatized for 15 days. The plants were inoculated with 0, 2, and 5 grams of R. irregularis and fertilized with 0, 30, and 60 ppm of P. Growth was evaluated after 45 days. All the analyzed shoot variables showed maximum growth when the plants were treated with 5 g of AMF and 60 ppm of P. Likewise, there was a significant increase in the number of leaves and leaf area index. In the root, the increase was higher in the fresh weight, but no statistical differences were found in its length. These results indicate that AMF and P are responsible for the increase in growth. Furthermore, the relatively high correlation between the percentage of mycorrhization and the other variables was not affected by the concentrations of P applied. The use of R. irregularis and P significantly increased the growth of C. papaya L. after the acclimatization phase.

Effect of soaking solution type on seed viability and seedling growth of Bonita and Loblita cayenne (Capsicum frutescens l.)

The problem with the inhibition of the germination process of cayenne seeds is the presence of capsaicin substances contained in cayenne seeds that can inhibit the germination process. This research aims to get varieties that have better quality between Bonita and Loblita based on the interaction that occurs between varieties and types of cayenne seed soaking solutions. This study used a factorial Randomized Group Design with 2 factors and 3 replications. The first factor was cayenne pepper varieties (Bonita and Loblita) while the second factor was the type of soaking solution (PGPR, IAA, KNO3, hot water, and control). The results showed a very significant interaction between cayenne varieties and seed soaking solution. Bonita variety has a superior quality based on the variables of germination, speed of growth and uniformity of growth while the Loblita variety is superior in the variables of maximum growth potential and maximum growth potential. The second factor is the type of KNO3 soaking solution for all seed viability variables, while for seedling growth, hot water treatment is superior.

Optimal design and experiment of bionic vacuum suckers with high attachment properties

A variety of bionic vacuum suckers with papillae structures of different parameters were developed to improve the attachment performance of vacuum suckers. The oral sucker of the suckermouth catfish served as the bionic prototype and bionic suckers were made by taking the diameter of papillae, the number of single rows of papillae, the center distance between adjacent rows of papillae, and the distance between the outermost row of papillae and the edge as influencing factors. The single-factor tests and response surface tests were carried out respectively with the growth rates of vertical and horizontal attachment forces as the response values. Twenty-five groups of bionic suckers and one group of standard suckers were fabricated and tested for attachment forces. The experimental results revealed that the bionic suckers had higher vertical and horizontal attachment forces than standard suckers and that their maximum growth rates for these forces were 5.16% and 59.87%, respectively. This suggested that the bionic suckers had better attachment performance. The significant orders of the factors affecting response values were established and their interaction was also analyzed. Besides, the optimal parameter combination of papillae structures of the bionic suckers with optimal vertical and horizontal attachment properties was obtained, respectively. Finally, the influence mechanism of papillae structures on the attachment properties of bionic suckers was analyzed. The studies can serve as a guide for the application of bionic suckers in agricultural production areas such as fruit picking and handling, and the improvement of attachment performance of associated machinery.

Bloom dynamics under the effects of periodic driving forces

Phytoplankton bloom received considerable attention for many decades. Different approaches have been used to explain the bloom phenomena. In this paper, we study a Nutrient–Phytoplankton–Zooplankton (NPZ) model consisting of a periodic driving force in the growth rate of phytoplankton due to solar radiation and analyse the dynamics of the corresponding autonomous and non-autonomous systems in different parametric regions. Then we introduce a novel aspect to extend the model by incorporating another periodic driving force into the growth term of the phytoplankton due to sea surface temperature (SST), a key point of innovation. Temperature dependency of the maximum growth rate (μmax) of the phytoplankton is modelled by the well-known Q10 formulation: μmax=μ0∗(Q10)T/10, where μ0 is maximum growth at 0oC. Stability conditions for all three equilibrium points are expressed in terms of the new parameter ρ2, which appears due to the incorporation of periodic driving forces. System dynamics is explored through a detailed bifurcation analysis, both mathematically and numerically, with respect to the light and temperature dependent phytoplankton growth response. Bloom phenomenon is explained by the saddle point bloom mechanism even when the co-existing equilibrium point does not exist for some values of ρ2. Solar radiation and SST are modelled using sinusoidal functions constructed from satellite data. Our results of the proposed model describe the initiation of the phytoplankton bloom better than an existing model for the region 25–35° W, 40–45° N of the North Atlantic Ocean. An improvement of 14 days (approximately) is observed in the bloom initiation time. The rate of change method (ROC) is applied to predict the bloom initiation.

Epidemicity indices and reproduction numbers from infectious disease data in connected human populations

We focus on distinctive data-driven measures of the fate of ongoing epidemics. The relevance of our pursuit is suggested by recent results proving that the short-term temporal evolution of infection spread is described by an epidemicity index related to the maximum instantaneous growth rate of new infections, echoing concepts and tools developed to study the reactivity of ecosystems. Suitable epidemicity indices can showcase the dynamics of infections, together with commonly employed effective reproduction numbers, especially when the latter assume values less than 1. In particular, epidemicity evaluates the short-term reactivity to perturbations of a disease-free equilibrium. Here, we show that sufficient epidemicity thresholds to prevent transient epidemic outbreaks in a spatially connected setting can be estimated by generalizing existing analogues derived when spatial effects are neglected. We specifically account for the discrete nature, in both space and time, of surveillance data of the type typically employed to estimate effective reproduction numbers that formed the bulk of the communication of the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and its controls. After analyzing the effects of spatial heterogeneity on the considered prognostic indicators, we perform a short- and long-term analysis on the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, showing that endemic conditions were maintained throughout the duration of our simulation despite stringent control measures. Our method provides a portfolio of prognostic indices that are essential to pinpoint the ongoing pandemic in both a qualitative and quantitative manner, as our results demonstrate. We base our conclusions on extended investigations of the effects of spatial fragmentation of communities of different sizes owing to connectivity by human mobility and contact scenarios, within real geographic contexts and synthetic setups designed to test our framework.

Response of tomato seed germination to several extraction techniques and magnetic field exposure treatments

The superior seeds are indicated by clean, good germination rate, pest and disease-free. One of the problems in providing superior tomato seeds is the presence of pulp attached to the tomato seeds, leading to less clean of seed. To remove the muscus on tomato seeds, the seeds have to be extracted. Other than seeds extraction, seeds exposure also could optimize seeds growth by increasing the metabolism of the tomato. The aim of this research is to determine the best extraction technique and magnetic field exposure for obtaining high tomato seeds germination. The complete random design used in this research consist of two factors, seeds extraction and magnetic field with three time replications. The result showed that seeds extraction for 24 hours is the best treatment for improving the maximum germination percentage, growth potential, growth rate, speed growth, uniformity index than others. Magnetic exposure at 6mT is the best treatment to improve seeds maximum growth and seeds speed growth.

Phloem Sap and Wood Carbon Isotope Abundance (δ13C) Varies with Growth and Wood Density of Eucalyptus globulus under Nutrient Deficit and Inform Supplemental Nutrient Application

Eucalyptus globulus, commonly known as blue gum or southern blue gum, is a tall, evergreen tree endemic to southeastern Australia. E. globulus is grown extensively in plantations to improve the sustainability of timber and fibre production across Australia. Sustainable forest management practices necessitate the consideration of ‘off-site’ carbon and ecological footprints. Pursuing optimal supplemental nutrient application and maximum growth rates is therefore critical to the establishment of a sustainable timber and fibre production industry. Biological indicators that can predict growth responses are therefore of extreme value. We investigated the carbon isotope abundance of wood cellulose (δ13Ccel) in E. globulus to determine potential relationships with the carbon isotope abundance of phloem sap (δ13Cphl) where the trees were subjected to different level of nutrient availability. This study also sought to determine the effect of nutrient additions on the growth of the E. globulus and to quantify the relationship between the volumetric growth of wood and δ13Ccel. Phloem sap and wood cores were collected from trees within study plots which were subjected to seven nutrient treatments over a two-year period in a monoculture E. globulus plantation in South Australia. Phloem sap was collected using the razor blade technique and wood cores were collected using a stem borer. The carbon isotope abundance (δ13C) of phloem sap and wood grown in the radial direction of the stem were determined. The basic and dry densities of wood were determined, and their relationships with phloem and wood δ13C were established. The δ13Cphl was significantly correlated with δ13Ccel. The relationship between δ13Ccel and the wood density of the respective wood sections was significant but did not consistently show the same pattern. There was no significant variation in basic density observed along the radial direction of the stem wood of the short-rotation E. globulus trees. A positive correlation was observed between δ13Ccel and the wood basic density, but the relationship was not consistent along the radial direction of the stem. However, positive correlations were observed between δ13Ccel and the air-dry density of respective wood sections. The relationship between phloem and wood δ13C and the relationship between δ13C and wood density along the radial direction of the stem needs to be considered while monitoring forest growth under nutrient- and water-limited conditions.

Understanding the toxicity risk of antibiotic emissions of aquaculture from the perspective of fluctuations concentration

Organisms are generally exposed to target contaminant with stable concentrations in traditional ecotoxicological studies. However, it is difficult to truly represent the dynamics and complexity of actual aquatic pollution for risk management. Contaminants may enter nearby aquatic systems in pulsed exposure, thus resulting in that aquatic organisms will be exposed to contaminants at fluctuating concentrations. Especially during the season of summer, due to the changes in displacement or periodic emissions of veterinary antibiotics in aquaculture, algal blooms occur frequently in surrounding waters, thus leading to eutrophication of the water. Florfenicol (FFC) is currently widely used as a veterinary antibiotic, but the aquatic ecological risks of FFC under concentration fluctuations are still unknown. Therefore, the acute exposure, chronic exposure and pulsed exposure effects of FFC on Microcystis aeruginosa were investigated to comprehensively evaluate the ecological risk of FFC and raise awareness of the pulsed exposure mode. Results indicated that the toxic effects of FFC on M. aeruginosa were dominated by exposure mode, exposure duration, exposure frequency, and exposure concentration. The maximum growth inhibition rate of the 10 μg/L FFC treatment amounted to 4.07% during chronic exposure of 18 days. However, the growth inhibition rate decreased from 55.1% to 19.31% when algae was exposure to 10 μg/L FFC during the first pulsed exposure (8 h). Therefore, when the concentration of FFC was equal under chronic and pulsed exposure, FFC exhibited greater toxicity on M. aeruginosa in short pulsed exposure than in continuous exposure. In addition, repetitive pulsed exposure strengthened the resistance of M. aeruginosa on FFC. The adaptive regulation of algae was related to the duration and frequency of exposure. Above results suggested that traditional toxicity assessments lacked consideration for fluctuating concentrations during pollutant emissions, thus underestimating the environmental risk of contaminant. This investigation aims to facilitate the standardization of pulsed exposure.

Some New Results on the Maximum Growth Factor in Gaussian Elimination

Some New Results on the Maximum Growth Factor in Gaussian Elimination

Morphological, physiological, molecular, and pathogenic insights into the characterization of Phytophthora polonica from a novel host, hazelnut (Corylus avellana)

Hazelnuts, constituting a significant global crop, hold paramount importance in Türkiye, contributing to approximately 71.14 % of the world's hazelnut cultivation area. In the summer of 2023, hazelnut trees in two orchards situated in the Altınordu district of Ordu province, within the Black Sea region of Türkiye, the largest producer and exporter of hazelnuts, exhibited symptoms of decline associated with root rot. Phytophthora sp. was consistently isolated from necrotic taproots, initiating an in-depth study to discern the causal agent behind the observed hazelnut decline. The species was identified as P. polonica by its distinctive morphological traits, including homothallic characteristics, amphigynous or paragynous antheridia, long nonbranching sporangiophores, and nonpapillate sporangia with internal proliferation. Multiple genetic markers (ITS, tub2, and COI) facilitated a clear differentiation of P. polonica from other Phytophthora species within Clade 9, supporting its classification within Subclade 9b. This investigation also evaluated the impact of diverse nutrient media (CA, V8A, and CMA), temperatures, and pH levels on the mycelial growth of P. polonica HPp-1 and HPp-2 isolates. The optimal conditions for maximal mycelial growth were determined through the D-optimal design of the Response Surface Method, revealing the significant influence of all factors on mycelial growth. The identified optimal conditions were at 26.09 °C, pH 5.12, with CMA as the nutrient medium. Validation experiments conducted under these optimal conditions unveiled mycelial growth of 7.24 ± 0.15 mm day−1 and 6.81 ± 0.09 mm day−1 for P. polonica HPp-1 and HPp-2 isolates, respectively, with an error of less than 5 %. Pathogenicity assessments confirmed P. polonica's virulence on hazelnuts, with distinct lesion development observed in twig inoculation, cut stem segments, and foliar tests. While no statistically significant difference was noted in lesion areas between HPp-1 and HPp-2 isolates in twig and stem segment assays, a statistical difference in leaf lesion areas (19.96 ± 2.04 cm2 and 9.16 ± 3.43 cm2) emerged in foliar tests after only a 5-day incubation period, indicating their high susceptibility to the pathogen. This study is the first to report P. polonica as a hazelnut pathogen in Türkiye and around the world, highlighting the previously non-existent threat of Phytophthora root rot in hazelnuts, given the substantial lack of scientifically documented cases related to hazelnut root rot diseases. The quadratic model design employed in physiological analyses is reliable for optimizing mycelial growth and can serve as a guiding framework for similar investigations.

Morphological stability of electrostrictive thin films

A large electric field is typically present in anodic or passive oxide films. Stresses induced by such a large electric field are critical in understanding the breakdown mechanism of thin oxide films and improving their corrosion resistance. In this work, we consider electromechanical coupling through the electrostrictive effect. A continuum model incorporating lattice misfit and electric field-induced stresses is developed. We perform a linear stability analysis of the full coupled model and show that, for typical oxides, neglecting electrostriction underestimates the film’s instability, especially in systems with a large electric field. Moreover, a region where electrostriction can potentially provide a stabilizing effect is identified, allowing electrostriction to enhance corrosion resistance. We identified an equilibrium electric field intrinsic to the system and the corresponding equilibrium film thickness. The film’s stability is very sensitive to the electric field: a 40 percent deviation from the equilibrium electric field can change the maximum growth rate by nearly an order of magnitude. Moreover, our model reduces to classical morphological instability models in the limit of misfit-only, electrostatic-only, and no-electrostriction cases. Finally, the effect of various parameters on the film’s stability is studied.

Development of Antifungal Packaging From Low‐Density Polyethylene With Essential Oil of Oregano and Potassium Sorbate

ABSTRACTAntimicrobial low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) films were developed by adding 0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.5% and 5.0% (w/w) of Mexican oregano essential oil (OEO) or potassium sorbate (PS) as a positive antifungal control to inhibit the growth of Penicillium expansum, Penicillium citrinum and Aspergillus niger in vitro. Three methods of adding OEO in LDPE were evaluated; the best OEO yield in film was achieved when OEO was incorporated after laminating (88%); otherwise, when added into cool‐melting resin, OEO lost up to 91.5% from LDPE and completely volatilized (>99%) when combined with the resin before melting. PS yields in LDPE film were > 88% when incorporated into cool‐melted resin. Antimicrobial films with 2.5% or 5.0% (w/w) OEO or PS delayed the growth of P. expansum and P. citrinum for up to 4–5 days, and for A. niger, only films with 5.0% of OEO retarded its growth for 5 days. The modified Gompertz model was used to describe mould growth response, obtaining the parameters A (maximum growth), μm (maximum growth rate) and λ (lag phase), which correctly fit the data. P. citrinum was the most sensitive mould, and A. niger was the most resistant to the tested antimicrobials. The addition of antimicrobial agents significantly (p < 0.05) impacted the physical and mechanical properties of the LDPE films, wherein thickness and puncture strength were increased, and the colour changed (reducing the transparency and promoting the yellowness). In contrast, the water vapour transmission rate was dropped only by incorporating PS.

Ecological relevance of flagellar motility in soil bacterial communities.

Flagellar motility is a key bacterial trait as it allows bacteria to navigate their immediate surroundings. Not all bacteria are capable of flagellar motility, and the distribution of this trait, its ecological associations, and the life history strategies of flagellated taxa remain poorly characterized. We developed and validated a genome-based approach to infer the potential for flagellar motility across 12 bacterial phyla (26 192 unique genomes). The capacity for flagellar motility was associated with a higher prevalence of genes for carbohydrate metabolism and higher maximum potential growth rates, suggesting that flagellar motility is more prevalent in environments with higher carbon availability. To test this hypothesis, we applied a method to infer the prevalence of flagellar motility in whole bacterial communities from metagenomic data and quantified the prevalence of flagellar motility across four independent field studies that each captured putative gradients in soil carbon availability (148 metagenomes). We observed a positive relationship between the prevalence of bacterial flagellar motility and soil carbon availability in all datasets. Since soil carbon availability is often correlated with other factors that could influence the prevalence of flagellar motility, we validated these observations using metagenomic data from a soil incubation experiment where carbon availability was directly manipulated with glucose amendments. This confirmed that the prevalence of bacterial flagellar motility is consistently associated with soil carbon availability over other potential confounding factors. This work highlights the value of combining predictive genomic and metagenomic approaches to expand our understanding of microbial phenotypic traits and reveal their general environmental associations.

Effect of Biofertilizers and Zinc Micronutrients on yield and Economics of Maize (Zea mays L.)

The research work was done out during Kharif season of 2023 at the Crop Research Farm, Department of Agronomy, Naini Agricultural Institute, Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, Prayagraj U.P( India), to study the effect of biofertilizers and zinc sulphate on growth and yield of Maize. The treatments consist of Bio-fertilizers PSB, Azotobacter,( PSB) + Azotobacter and ZnSO4 (20, 25, 30 kg/ha) done under RBD with ten treatments and replicated three times. The soil of research trial plot was sandy loamy in texture, nearly neutral in soil reaction (pH 7.8), low in organic carbon (0.35%). The outcomes showed that the taller plants (159.03 cm), higher plant dry weight (162.70 g/plant), maximum crop growth rate (26.250 g/m2/day), number of cobs/plant (1.8), higher number of rows/cob (16.8), number of seeds per cob (553.4),were achieved by the application of PSB + Azotobacter + ZnSO4 30 kg/ha. Higher gross return (INR 1,49,119.5/ha), higher net return (INR 1,08,439.5.00/ha) and higher Benefit Cost ratio (2.66) were also obtained by the using of (Azotobacter 25 g/kg + PSB: 25 g/kg + 1% Zn+B 1 %).

Primary dendrite growth within binary Fe71Ge29 eutectic alloy under duplex levitation states

The primary β-Fe3Ge2 dendrite growth kinetics within liquid Fe71Ge29 eutectic alloy was studied by both acoustic levitation and electrostatic levitation techniques, with maximum experimental undercoolings of 130 and 143 K, respectively. At small undercoolings, (α1 + β-Fe3Ge2) eutectic growth proceeded and then transformed to lamellar (ε-Fe3Ge + β-Fe3Ge2) microstructure by peritectoid reaction. Once liquid undercooling reached 56 K, β primary phase started to nucleate preferentially and its maximum growth velocity attained 13.5 mm/s at 143 K undercooling. By acoustic levitation processing, β dendrites were distributed inside the alloy droplet. Under electrostatic levitation state, β dendrites were distributed both at the periphery and within the interior of alloy droplet, and their volume fraction was significantly higher than that under acoustic levitation. Numerical simulation results indicated that a duplex flow was induced by alloy droplet shape oscillation and acoustic streaming. The flow exhibited maximum intensity near the alloy surface, which inhibited the achievement of larger undercoolings during acoustic levitation.

Detection of risk areas in dairy powder processes: The development of thermophilic spore forming bacteria taking into account their growth limits

Anoxybacillus flavithermus, Geobacillus stearothermophilus and Bacillus licheniformis are the main contaminants found in dairy powders. These spore-forming thermophilic bacteria, rarely detected in raw milk, persist, and grow during the milk powder manufacturing process. Moreover, in the form of spores, these species resist and concentrate in the powders during the processes. The aim of this study was to determine the stages of the dairy powder manufacturing processes that are favorable to the growth of such contaminants. A total of 5 strains were selected for each species as a natural contaminant of dairy pipelines in order to determine the minimum and maximum growth enabling values for temperature, pH, and aw and their optimum growth rates in milk. These growth limits were combined with the environmental conditions of temperature, pH and aw encountered at each step of the manufacture of whole milk, skim milk and milk protein concentrate powders to estimate growth capacities using cardinal models and the Gamma concept. These simulations were used to theoretically calculate the population sizes reached for the different strains studied at each stage in between two successive cleaning in place procedures. This approach highlights the stages at which risk occurs for the development of spore-forming thermophilic bacterial species. During the first stages of production, i.e. pre-treatment, pasteurization, standardization and pre-heating before concentration, physico-chemical conditions encountered are suitable for the development and growth of A. flavithermus, G. stearothermophilus and B. licheniformis. During the pre-heating stage and during the first effects in the evaporators, the temperature conditions appear to be the most favorable for the growth of G. stearothermophilus. The temperatures in the evaporator during the last evaporator effects are favorable for the growth of B. licheniformis. In the evaporation stage, low water activity severely limits the development of A. flavithermus.