Pride Of India Research Articles

Expression of cry1Aa gene in cabbage imparts resistance against diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella).

Brassica oleracea cv. Pride of India is one of the most promising vegetable cultivars commercially grown as cash crop in Himachal Pradesh, India. However, its overall production is severely hampered by diamondback moth (Plutella xylostella), a notorious pest. To avoid yield losses caused by this pest, cryIAa gene was introduced into cabbage cv. Pride of India using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. In an attempt to maximize the transformation frequency, critical determinant factors such as explant type, pre-incubation and co-cultivation period, and acetosyringone effect were successfully optimized. The highest transformation frequency (4.67% and 14.50%) in cotyledon and hypocotyl explant was achieved with a pre-incubation period of 72h and co-cultivation period of 48h. Furthermore, transformation frequency was enhanced in cotyledon (18.66%) and hypocotyl (32.00%) explants, when selective regeneration medium was fortified with 100µM acetosyringone, respectively. The transgene (cryIAa) integration and copy number were confirmed using PCR and Southern blotting. Reverse transcriptase PCR and quantitative real-time PCR analyses were performed that proved transcriptional expression of cryIAa gene in PCR-positive transgenic events. Transgenic cabbage-fed diamondback moth larvae showed significantly higher mortality, thereby proving transgene effectiveness against insect pest control.

Agrobacterium-Mediated insect resistance gene (cryIAb) Transfer studies in cabbage CV. pride of India

<i>Agrobacterium</i>-Mediated insect resistance gene (<i>cryIAb</i>) Transfer studies in cabbage CV. pride of India

A Rapid Densitometric Comparison Method For The Quantification of Corosolic Acid In Lagerstroemia Speciosa Leaves Using HPTLC

Background:Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa, Lythraceae, Pride of India) is a medicinal plant that grows in the Philippines, Japan, India, Southeast Asia, etc. Traditionally, the leaves are used to treat diabetes and hyperglycemia. This effect is attributed to its chemical constituents belonging to the groups of terpenoids, tannins, and flavanoids. The objectives of this paper are to present a new method of identification and quantification of corosolic acid, a terpenoid, using HPTLC.Material and methods:The hydroalcoholic extract of leaves was chromatographed on aluminum plates coated with silica gel 60F254, with Toluene: Acetone: Formic acid (5:2:1 v/v) as the mobile phase. Densitometric quantification of corosolic acid was performed after derivatization with 10 % methanolic sulphuric acid in fluorescence mode at 366 nm.Results:Amounts of corosolic acid (at 366 nm, Rf value = 7.2) in the sample was calculated using regression equations (R2 = 0.9959 (366 nm) of calibration plots, which showed there was a good polynomial relationship between peak area and amount of corosolic acid in the range 250-3000 ng/band. The limits of detection (LOD) and limits of quantitation (LOQ) were 70 and 245.6 ng/band, respectively. The method was validated for precision and accuracy. Recovery was determined by spiking the extract with corosolic acid standard and found to be in the range 94.4–96.5%.Conclusion:The corosolic acid content found in the leaves was 1.5% w/w at 366 nm.

High frequency regeneration of plants from cotyledon and hypocotyl cultures in Brassica oleracea cv. Pride of India

Morphogenic potential of cabbage cv. Pride of India, for multiple shoot induction was tested under in vitro conditions using cotyledon and hypocotyl explants. Aseptically grown seven to nine days old seedlings of cabbage were used as source of explants for reproducible plant regeneration studies. Forty different concentrations and combinations of TDZ (alone), TDZ with adenine, TDZ with NAA and TDZ with IAA were tried. Maximum shoot regeneration response from cotyledon explants (91.11%) and hypocotyl (94.40%) was obtained on MS medium containing 0.330mg/l TDZ+79.70mg/l Adenine and 0.220mg/l TDZ+0.088mg/l IAA, respectively. Rooting was achieved within two to three weeks on all the rooting media, but MS medium containing 0.10mg/l NAA produced the maximum number of strong and healthy roots (100%). The regenerated complete plantlets with healthy roots and shoot system were transferred to pots containing sterilized cocopeat and successfully acclimatized and no phenotypic variations were observed among regenerated plants. Highly efficient, reproducible plant regeneration protocol has been standardized in cabbage cv. Pride of India, which would be valuable for Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer studies in cabbage.

Effect of Planting Dates and Varieties on The Incidence of Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris Brassicae) in Nagaland

Field experiment conducted in 2013–2015 at the experimental cum research farm, School of Agricultural Sciences and Rural Development, Nagaland University, Medziphema campus, evaluated the effect of sowing dates and varieties against the large white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) on cabbage. The results revealed that late planting on 19th December harboured the maximum incidence, in terms of number of caterpillars/plant (8.50–2013–2014; 6.96–2014–2015, respectively). The pooled data showed a mean incidence of 7.3. Early planting on 19th November was observed with the least incidence. Among the varieties, the maximum incidence was observed in “Pride of India” (9.45–2013–2014; 7.47–2014–2015, respectively), with the pooled mean being 8.46. The lowest population was observed in “Green Express” (2.85–2013–2014; 1.78–2014–2015) and the pooled data showed an incidence of 2.32. The interaction of dates of planting and varieties was observed to be significant.

Biosorption isotherms and kinetics on removal of Cr(VI) using native and chemically modified Lagerstroemia speciosa bark

The contamination of drinking and irrigation water with Cr(VI) ion is a recurring challenge, especially in developing countries. In the present study, feasibility of the native and chemically modified bark of Lagerstroemia speciosa (Pride of India) as biosorbent to remove Cr(VI) from synthetic wastewater was examined. Characterization of the native L. speciosa bark (NLSB) and chemically modified L. speciosa bark (CLSB) was performed by elemental analysis, SEM and FTIR spectroscopy. The adsorption of Cr(VI) ions was examined with respect to initial pH of the adsorbate, initial Cr(VI) ion concentration, biosorbent dose, biosorbent size and temperature. The applicability of pseudo second order kinetics was indicated by both the biosorbents in the process of Cr(VI) removal. Langmuir, Freundlich, D–R and Temkin isotherm models were studied. The Freundlich and Temkin isotherms showed high correlation coefficient for adsorption of Cr(VI) on NLSB and CLSB, respectively and revealed the presence of multi adsorption mechanism in biosorption process. The negative value of ΔG° indicated spontaneous nature of the biosorption process and positive value of ΔH° concluded favorable Cr(VI) ion removal at high temperature.

Thidiazuron Induces High Frequency Shoot Regeneration in Leaf and Petiole Explants of Cabbage (Brassica Oleracea L. Var. Capitata)

We have studied the effect of thidiazuron on shoot regeneration from leaf and petiole explants of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata cv. Pride of India). Different concentrations and combinations of thidiazuron (alone), thidiazuron+ Adenine, thidiazuron+ NAA and thidiazuron+ IAA were used in MS medium to optimize in vitro shoot regeneration from leaf and petiole explants of cabbage (Brassica Oleracea L. var. capitata cv. Pride of India). Leaf and petiole explants procured from 20-25 days old glasshouse grown seedlings of cabbage. Out of 40 combinations and concentrations tried separately for leaf and petiole explants, the high frequency shoot regeneration from leaf (91.11%) and petiole (88.88%) explant was obtained on MS medium supplemented with0.220mg/l thidiazuron + 0.02 mg/l NAA and 0.330 mg/l thidiazuron + 0.02 mg/l NAA respectively. High percentage root regeneration (100%) in in vitro developed shoots was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 0.10mg/l NAA. The regenerated complete plantlets were transferred to pots containing sterilized coco peat and acclimatized. A high efficiency and reliable plant regeneration protocol has been developed using thidiazuron. This regenerated protocol would be useful for genetic transformation studies in cabbage.

Evaluation of plant extracts against insect pests of cabbage

A field experiment was conducted to study the bioefficacy of plant extracts against diamond back moth, Plutella xylostella L. cabbage butterfly, Pieris brassicae L. and cabbage aphid, Brevicoryne brassicae L. and their toxic effect on the predatory coccinellid beetle, Coccinella septempunctata L. in cabbage var. “Pride of India”. Against P. xylostella Margosom (Azadirachtin 300 ppm) @ 0.3% proved to be the most effective closely followed by Melia azedarach, extract applied at 5%. Against P. brassicae also Margosom registered significantly the lowest damage closely followed by M. azedarach extract @ 5% and Artemisia nilagirica extract@ 5%. A similar trend of Margosom was also observed against B. brassicae maintaining its superiority. It was at par with the treatments with M. azedarach, A. nilagirica, Ageratum conyzoides and Chinnamomum tamala. Against C. septempunctata among the tested insecticides, M. azedarach @ 5% conc. proved to be the safest which was at par with A. nilagirica C. tamala and Aralia armata. Maximum cabbage yield was obtained with Margosom followed by M. azedarach and A. nilagirica.

Influence of Planting Dates and Varieties on Cabbage Diamond Back Moth in Nagaland

An experiment was conducted in the Entomological Research Farm, SASRD, Medziphema, Nagaland, during rabi 2010–11 to study the influence of planting dates and varieties on the incidence of diamond back moth (DBM) in cabbage. The study revealed that 30th November planting registered the highest mean population and late planting of 15th December harboured less. Maximum population was recorded on G-8 variety followed by Pride of India, Millenium-111 and BC-76, and minimum DBM population was recorded on the variety Rare Ball. The interaction showed that the maximum population was observed on variety G-8 planted on 30th November and least population was found on the variety Rare Ball planted on 15th December. Overall, the variety Rare Ball planted on 15th December performed the best against DBM.

High Frequency Organogenesis in Cotyledon and Hypocotyl Explants of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata)

Morphogenetic potential of cotyledon and hypocotyl explants of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) was studied to develop a reliable plant regeneration protocol. Nine days old aseptically grown seedlings of cabbage were used as source of explant for plant regeneration. Out of 36 combinations of growth regulators used in MS medium, high frequency shoot regeneration from cotyledon explant was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/l BAP and 0.50 mg/l NAA and 2 mg/l BAP and 0.25 mg/l IAA respectively. High percentage root regeneration (90 %) in in vitro developed shoots were obtained on MS medium supplemented with 0.10 mg/l IBA. The regenerated complete plantlets were transferred to pots containing a mixture of sand and soil and acclimatized. A reproducible and efficient plant regeneration protocol has been standardized in cabbage cv. Pride of India.

Phyto-Morphological Overview of Medicinal Plant:Melia azedarachLinn.

Melia azedarach Linn. (Family: Meliaceae) is a shrub or small evergreen, medium-sized deciduous tree. It grows in temperate and tropical countries, such as India, China and Japan. The plant refers to a wide range of soil, acidic to alkaline and it needs moderate moisture level. It is also known as pride of India and Persian lilac, having a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. It is one kind of medicine in the Ayurvedic system. This plant is considered as a multipurpose tree because of its multidirectional and widespread uses in medicine, therapeutics and other economic implications. This paper describes the plant's medicinal aspects and chemical constituents in its different parts. In addition, this paper provides brief information of plant bioprospecting and its launched market products.

First report of airborne begomovirus infection in Melia azedarach (Pride of India), an ornamental tree in India

The begomovirus infection in plants has been widely reported throughout the world. The chief carrier of this virus is the whitefly. All of the reports, however, concern plants that grow at a stumpy height from the ground; moreover, the whitefly transmits the begomovirus infection to plants at this low height only by residing under their leaves. To date, there has been no record of the begomovirus infection in trees as the prevalence of the whitefly at tree level is unlikely. For this reason, this study focuses on and presents the first report of airborne begomovirus infection in an ornamental tree—the Melia azedarach (or Pride of India) found on the Indian subcontinent.

Substitution and Complementarity between Energy Inputs in Cotton Cultivation in Tamil Nadu

India is the world's third largest producer of cotton, after China and the United States of America. Cotton production has been the special pride of India for many centuries. Cotton, the most extensively grown cash crop has been known in Tamil Nadu since 1790, when the Bourbon cottonseed obtained from Malta and Mauritius were first distributed among the cultivators. Energy is a primary input in the agricultural process. At present, more than fifty per cent of energy used in agriculture comes from non-renewable sources. It was observed by S. Singh and J.P. Mittal that the use of modern inputs is biased towards irrigated crops mainly because of higher degree of complementarity of modern inputs with irrigation. Hence the present study attempts to examine the substitutability and complementarity between renewable and non-renewable energy inputs used in the production of cotton particularly two popular varieties namely MCU-5 and LRA-5166 varieties in Tamil Nadu.

Yield Response of Cabbage ( Brassica oleraceae var. capitata) cv. Pride of India To Varying Levels of Chemical Fertilizers And Vermicompost

Varying levels of chemical fertilizers i.e. NPK and vermicompost significantly influenced the yield attributing characters and growth and biomass production in cabbage (Brassica oleraceae var.capitata) cv. Pride of India. There were six treatments (T₁: control i,e without any fertilizer; T₂: NPK @140:140:140 kg/ha; T₃: NPK@105:105:105 kg/ha + Vermicompost @ 1 ton/ha; T₄: NPK@70:70:70 kg/ha + Vermicompost @ 2tons/ha; T₅: NPK@35:35:35 kg/ha + Vermicompost @ 3 tons/ha; T₆: Vermicompost @ 4 tons/ha) each replicated four times. A maximum of 58.67% increase in yield over control was observed in a combined application of NPK and vermicompost in halves of their recommended doses.

Geochemistry of groundwater and groundwater prospects evaluation, Anekal Taluk, Bangalore Urban District, Karnataka, India

Anekal Taluk lies in the southern part of the of Bangalore urban district, known for Bannerghatta wildlife sanctuary, Jigani industrial estate, silk industry, and the electronics city, the pride of India and hub of Bangalore's information technology. In the present study, evaluation of geochemistry of 28 representative bore wells samples from Anekal Taluk was undertaken. It was found that most of the samples (92.9%) belong to Ca(2+ )-Mg(2+ )-Cl( - ) -SO²⁻₄water type with Ca-Mg-Cl and Ca-Cl hydrochemical facies. The groundwater sources were further categorized as normal chloride (32.14%) and normal sulfate (100%) water types based on Cl and SO(4) concentrations. Majority of the samples (64.3%) belong to C3-S1 water class, indicating water with high salinity and low sodium. Positive index of base exchange indicates the chloro-alkaline equilibrium in the study area. Groundwater potential zonation map for Anekal Taluk was generated using multiparametric and weighted overlay method using the spatial analyst tool in ArcGIS v9.2. Accordingly, five distinct classes corresponding to good(high), moderate (medium), moderate to poor (low), poor (very low), and poor to nil (very low) groundwater potential zones were identified in the region. Of this, 85.27% of the study area belongs to good/high to moderate/medium groundwater potential and only 14.73% belonging to moderate/poor to nil groundwater potential zones.

Novel hosts of the Eucalyptus canker pathogen Chrysoporthe cubensis and a new Chrysoporthe species from Colombia

The pathogen Chrysoporthe cubensis (formerly Cryphonectria cubensis) is best known for the important canker disease that it causes on Eucalyptus species. This fungus is also a pathogen of Syzygium aromaticum (clove), which is native to Indonesia, and like Eucalyptus, is a member of Myrtaceae. Furthermore, C. cubensis has been found on Miconia spp. native to South America and residing in Melastomataceae. Recent surveys have yielded C. cubensis isolates from new hosts, characterized in this study based on DNA sequences for the ITS and β-tubulin gene regions. These hosts include native Clidemia sericea and Rhynchanthera mexicana ( Melastomataceae) in Mexico, and non-native Lagerstroemia indica (Pride of India, Lythraceae) in Cuba. Isolates from these hosts and areas group in the sub-clade of C. cubensis accommodating the South American collections of the fungus. This sub-clade also includes isolates recently collected from Eucalyptus in Cuba, which are used to epitypify C. cubensis. New host records from Southeast Asia include exotic Tibouchina urvilleana from Singapore and Thailand and native Melastoma malabathricum ( Melastomataceae) in Sumatra, Indonesia. Consistent with their areas of occurrence isolates from the latter collections group in the Asian sub-clade of C. cubensis. DNA sequence comparisons of isolates from Tibouchina lepidota in Colombia revealed that they represent a new sub-clade within the greater Chrysoporthe clade. Isolates in this clade are described as Chrysoporthe inopina sp. nov., based on distinctive morphological differences.

Anamorphic stage of Erysiphe australiana causing powdery mildew on Lagerstroemia indica in Brazil

Lagerstroemia indica (pride of India, queen's rose; local name: extremosa) is a small tree in the Lythraceae, native to India, which has become one of the main urban ornamental trees in the southern states of Brazil (Lorenzi et al., 2003). Severe powdery mildew outbreaks have been observed on L. indica trees grown as ornamentals in Viçosa (state of Minas Gerais, Brazil), beginning in the spring of 2002. The sole fungal disease listed by Mendes et al. (1998) as occurring in Brazil on this host is black mildew caused by Irenopsis lagerstroemiae, but Stammer & Tomaz (1991) have also recorded the occurrence of an undetermined species of Oidium on this host. However, no description or illustration of this powdery mildew was provided by those authors. White superficial colonies, with abundant sporulation, developed amphigenously on leaves and also on the nonlignified parts of the stems. Infected tissues often became distorted and necrotic. Defoliation and death of young shoots often resulted. Hyphae were 2·5–5·0 µm wide, septate, branched, hyaline, smooth, with mycelial appressoria lobed; conidiophores were epiphytic, produced from the external mycelium, unbranched, cylindrical, 37–73 × 6–10 µm, 1–2 septate, hyaline, smooth; foot-cells were cylindrical, straight, 16–32 × 5–10 µm; conidia were produced singly at the apex of the conidiophores, cylindrical, doliiform or ellipsoid, 22–44·5 × 11–20 µm length/breadth ratio 1·4:3·2, aseptate, hyaline, smooth; germ tubes, one to four at an end of the spore, were either short and immediately producing multilobed appressoria or moderately long (one to two times the length of the conidium), ending in a lobed or inconspicuous appressorium. The teleomorph was absent but the anamorph morphology is identical to that described for Erysiphe australiana[syn. Uncinuliella australiana], a common powdery mildew species infecting Lagerstroemia spp. worldwide (Braun, 1987) and reported from Argentina and Venezuela. Representative material was deposited in the herbarium (VIC 26568, VIC 26570). This is the first record of this species of powdery mildew attacking L. indica in Brazil.

Effect of Food Plants on the Numerical Response of Diaeretiella rapae (Mclntosh) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a Parasitoid of Lipaphis erysimi Kalt. (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The numerical aspects of interactions between Diaeretiella rapae and its host aphid Lipaphis erysimi bred on three different brassicaceous plants at different parasitoid densities were studied. When one, two, four or eight parasitoids were released on 200 of each aphid/host plant combination, the number of emergents showed a significant positive correlation with increasing parasitoids on all the tested food plants. The rate of multiplication, expressed as parasitoids egressed/female parasitoids put in, was greatest with one parasitoid for 200 hosts. It decreased with an increasing parasitoid number and also in the sequence of Brassica oleracea (cv. Pride of India), Brassica campestris (cv. Varuna) and Raphanus sativus (cv. Japani white). The fact that more parasitoids have a lower rate of multiplication shows the existence I)f mutual interference. Various aspects of the behaviour of the parasitoid which could give rise to interference effects are discussed. The killing power (k-value) of the parasitoid increased significantly with an increase of parasitoid density on all the tested food plants.

Trees and Forests

THE botanical gardens at Peradeniya, Ceylon, are celebrated for their vegetation splendour, so that a list of beautiful flowering trees recommended by the curator, Mr. H. F. Macmillan, will appeal to many outside the range of those for whom the Circular (vol. iv., No. 20) of the gardens is immediately intended. In the author's opinion, the leguminous tree Amherstia nobilis is not to be excelled, although Lagerstroemia flos-reginae passes under the name of “pride of India,” and Poinciana regia is the famous “flame-tree.” The Amherstia was introduced to Ceylon from Burma, and it is remarkable how many of the plants mentioned have been imported from the tropics of the New and Old World. Gliricidia maculata is a recent introduction from the West Indies; Solatium macranthum, the “potato-tree” from Brazil, is noteworthy as the only species of the order that grows to the size of a tree.