Single Pod Research Articles

Integrated use of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients in french bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

The present experiment was conducted during winter (rabi) season of 2017–18 and 2018–19 to study the effect of integrated use of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients on french bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design with seven treatments of inorganic fertilizers (NPK 80:80:40 kg/ha) along with organic source combinations (25, 50 and 75% N through FYM and vermicompost) tested against the control (no fertilizer). Based on 2 years’ pooled data, application of 75% NPK through inorganic source + 25% N through vermicompost produced highest number of pods/plant (25.98), pod length (14.38 cm), pod width (1.29 cm), average single pod weight (4.33 g), green pod weight/plant (41.67 g) and green pod yield (7.71 t/ha) and earned maximum net return of `1,12,212.0/ha. The treatment with 100% NPK through inorganic source @80:80:40 kg/ha produced green pod yield of 6.17 t/ha with net return `83,225.0/ha. The B:C ratio (3.67) was also higher under the treatment with 75% NPK through inorganic source + 25% N through vermicompost. Inorganic fertilizers (75% NPK) and vermicompost (25% N) proved to be the best treatment for enhancing yield and economics of french bean under central plain zone of Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, the practice of 75% NPK through inorganic integration with 25% N through vermicompost may serve as alternative of NPK inorganic fertilizers and may also be recommended to exploit the better eco-friendly economic green pod yield of french bean.

Advantage of Multiple Pods and Compound Leaf in Kabuli Chickpea under Heat Stress Conditions

Heat-related traits in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) play a crucial role in reducing the harmful effect of heat stress, as the increase in heat stress is predicted to occur in the coming years due to global warming as a result of climate change. The advantage of multiple pods per peduncle and compound (imparipinnate) leaf traits in kabuli chickpea has not been properly revealed under heat stress conditions. We, therefore, want (i) to provide insight into the advantage of multiple pods and compound leaf traits over single pod per node and simple (unifoliolate) leaf traits, and (ii) to determine the highest direct and indirect effects of agro-morphological traits on seed yield in chickpeas under rainfed conditions with prevailing heat stress. With a delayed sowing time, the plants were subjected to heat stress of more than 43 °C in flowering and pod setting stages under field conditions. According to the number of pods per node and leaf shape, plants were evaluated for yield and yield components, and were divided into six groups, namely (i) single-pod and compound leaf, (ii) single-pod and simple leaf, (iii) double-pods and compound leaf, (iv) double-pods and simple leaf, (v) multi-pods and compound leaf, and (vi) multi-pods and simple leaf. Plants with multi-pods and compound leaf traits had the highest seed yield, followed by plants with double-pods and compound leaf, while plants with single-pod and simple leaf had the lowest yield. The number of seeds and pods per plant, 100-seed weight, and leaf shape were the highest determinants of seed yield under heat stress conditions. It was concluded that multi-pods per peduncle and compound leaf traits had an obviously incontrovertible advantage in kabuli chickpeas under heat stress conditions. The plant shapes that nature has evolved for millions of years, which are mostly found in wild plants, have been proven by the current study to have a better fitness ability than plants shaped by human hands.

Cadmium migration from nib to testa during cacao fermentation is driven by nib acidification

Previous work has shown that cacao nib cadmium (Cd) concentrations decrease during fermentation, but only when reaching sufficiently low nib pH. In this work, lab-scale experiments (5 kg units) with lactic and acetic acid amendments were ineffective at reducing the total nib Cd concentration. In contrast, the water-extractable fraction of the nib Cd concentration clearly increased when the pH was decreased. When single pod derived beans were embedded inside a full-scale fermentation box to monitor the effect of the fermentation effect with high precision, nib Cd concentrations decreased by a factor 1.25 (P-value <0.05) after four days of fermentation. Visualisation of the mobile Cd gradient within beans with LA-ICP-MS (using imprints of transversal cuts exposed to a metal binding gel) revealed that fermentation enhances the Cd mobility in the nibs.

Assessment of efficiency of breeding methods using molecular markers in soybean

Four breeding methods viz. pedigree method (PM), single pod descent (SPD), single pod descent with selection (SPDS) and bulk method (BM) were compared for maintaining variability in the population in advanced generations using simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers. The F4:7 lines advanced through different breeding methods from six different crosses were evaluated for number of unique lines retained in each method at a similarity coefficient ? 0.875. Eighteen polymorphic SSR markers were used for estimating similarity coefficient between lines within a breeding method in each cross. In all the crosses, SPD method was the best method in producing unique lines with a range from 42.9 to 100 per cent. SPD method had also the least number of lines pairing with two or more lines. PM and BM had the least number of unique lines in three crosses each and also maximum proportion of lines produced by these two methods were paired with four or more lines. Thus, SPD method was the most efficient among these four methods in retaining the variability in a population, but the breeder has to make a choice between high variability and comparative harvest and seed processing efficiencies to select the most suitable breeding method.

Response of mungbean to foliar application of nitrogen and micronutrients during reproductive stages

An experiment was conducted at the pot yard of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Mymensingh during the period from February to May 2017 to investigate the effect of foliar application of nitrogen and micronutrients on crop characters, yield attributes and yield of two mungbean genotypes. The experiment comprised four levels of nutrients foliar application like, i) T1 = Control; ii) T2 = Foliar application of urea at the rate of 1.5% four times from flowering start to pod development stage with an interval of 4 days; iii) T3 = T2 + 0.1% micronutrients (B, Mo, Zn, Mn, Ca, Fe, Cu) four times from flowering start to pod development stage with an interval of 4 days and iv); T4 = T3 + side dressing (soil application) of 1.5% N and 0.1% micronutrients solution four times from flowering start to pod development stage with an interval of 4 days. The genotypes were Binamoog-6 and Binamoog-7. Results revealed that morphological (plant height, branch and leaf number, leaf area plant-1), physiological (total dry mass plant-1, specific leaf weight, chlorophyll), yield attributes (number of pods plant-1, pod length, single pod weight, number of seeds pod-1 and 100-seed weight) and yield increased in foliar nutrients applied plants over control but the increment was greater in T2 and T3 than the T4 treatment. The highest plant height, branch and leaf number, leaf area, total dry mass, pod number, pod length, 100-seed weight and seed yield were recorded in T2 followed by T3 with same statistical rank (in most cases). The lowest morpho-physiological, yield attributes and yield were recorded in T1 (control) plants. Binamoog-7 was superior in most of plant parameters and yield compared to Binamoog-6.

Phthalanilic Acid with Biostimulatory Functions Affects Photosynthetic and Antioxidant Capacity and Improves Fruit Quality and Yield in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)

The widespread application of biostimulants with a growing trend represents sustainable practices aimed at improving growth and yield and alleviating stresses in green agricultural system. Phthalanilic acid (PPA), with biostimulatory functions, has been increasingly applied to fruit and vegetable production. However, its specific biostimulatory effects on growth and development of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) plants is still unclear. In this study, the regulatory function of foliar spraying PPA at the flowering timing in morphometric (length, width, single pod weight and yield), physiological (relative electrical conductivity), and biochemical (antioxidant enzymes activity, photosynthetic pigment, malondialdehyde, vitamin C, soluble protein, and soluble sugar content) parameters of cowpea plants were investigated. In general, PPA treatments exhibited higher antioxidant enzymes activities (with an increase of 11.89–51.62% in POD), lower relative conductivity (with a decrease of 22.66–62.18%), increased photosynthetic pigment levels and amounts of free proline (with an increase of 24.62–90.52%), and decreased malondialdehyde. Furthermore, the length, width and weight of single pod, podding rate (with an increase of 19.64%), vitamin C, soluble protein (with an increase of 18.75%), and soluble sugar content were increased by 200 mg·L−1 PPA. These data, together with an increased yield of 15.89%, suggest that PPA positively regulates the growth and development, improving fruit quality and yield, especially at 200 mg·L−1. This study indicates that PPA has biostimulatory effects in cowpea production and shows application prospect in field cultivation.

Soil Application of Different Nutrient Levels with Soil Amendment Charred Rice Husk and Seed Treatment of Arbuscular mycorrhizae: Effects on Crop Productivity and Nutrient Uptake on Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Background: Different levels of nutrient management practice and soil amendments charred rice husk with Arbuscular mycorrhizae during the critical stages of the crop growth enhances the productivity of the groundnut crop. Methods: The field experiments were conducted summer, kharif and rabi seasons of 2016-17 and 2017-2018 at AC and RI, TNAU, Madurai. The main plots consisted of three levels of irrigation scheduling viz., I1- 0.8 IW/CPE, I2- 0.6 IW/CPE and I3- 0.6 IW/CPE ratio and sub plot comprised of four level of nutrient management practices viz., N1-75% of recommended dose of fertilizer with 5t of charred rice husk, N2- 50% of recommended dose of fertilizer with 5t of charred rice husk, N3-75% of recommended dose of fertilizer with 5t of charred rice husk along with seed treatment of Arbuscular mycorrhiza and N4- 50% of recommended dose of fertilizer with 5t of charred rice husk along with seed treatment Arbuscular mycorrhiza. Result: The study revealed that the highest plant height, dry matter production, leaf area index, leaf single photon avalanche diode value, pod yield and haulm yield, nutrient uptake (N,P,K) of groundnut crop and soil enzyme activities in soil was registered with the application of 75% recommended dose of fertilizer and 5t of charred rice husk as basal with seed treatment of Arbuscular mycorrhiza. The highest pod and haulm yield of 1783, 1935 and 1854 kg ha-1 and 4743, 4272 and 4338 kg ha-1 during summer, kharif and rabi’ 2017 seasons respectively of groundnut was registered with 75% of recommended dose of fertilizer and 5t of charred rice husk as basal with seed treatment of Arbuscular mycorrhiza.

Genetic analysis in pre-breeding lines derived from inter sub-specific cross of blackgram (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper)

One hundred and eighty nine stabilised lines obtained from the cross VBN (Bg) 5 and Vigna mungo var silvestris 22/10 were evaluated during Rabi, 2019. Analysis of variance for various traits exhibited significant differences among the lines for all the nine quantitative traits. The GCV was lower compared to the values of PCV which revealed the influence of the environment in deciding the expression of these lines. Moderate GCV was recorded for single plant yield (16.22 %), the number of pods per plant (12.60%), plant height (12.48 %), the number of primary branches per plant (11.75 %) and hundred seed weight (11.34%). High heritability was observed for the characters like hundred seed weight (96.99 %), plant height (78.33 %), days to 50 per cent flowering (72.98 %), single plant yield (72.44 %) and pod length (65.70 %). High heritability along with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for hundred seed weight (96.99, 23.00), plant height (78.33, 22.76) and single plant yield (72.44, 28.44) indicates the possibility of improving these traits by selection since there is a wide range of variation and additive gene action exists for these traits. The maximum number of lines with a positive value over the mean was observed for pod length and 100 seed weight. Correlation analysis showed that the number of pods per plant, plant height, the number of seeds per pod, the number of primary branches per plant, the number of pods per cluster, pod length and hundred seed weight had positive significant association with single plant yield. A number of pods per plant and pod length had a high positive direct effect on single plant yield. Hence, the selection for these characters would improve seed yield in blackgram. Key words: Blackgram, pre-breeding lines, genetic variability, heritability, genetic advance, correlation

Successful Control of Human Parainfluenza Type 3 Outbreak in a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Human parainfluenza (HPIV) is a common cause for upper respiratory tract illnesses (URTI) and lower respiratory tract illnesses (LRTI) in infants and young children. Here, we describe successful control of an HPIV type 3 (HPIV3) outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). NICU babies with new-onset clinical signs or symptoms of RTI and positive HPIV-3 nasopharyngeal specimen by respiratory pathogen panel (RPP) test on hospital day 14 or later were diagnosed with hospital-onset (HO) HPIV-3 infection. After 3 NICU babies were diagnosed with HO HPIV-3, an outbreak investigation was initiated on May 3, 2019, and continued for 2 incubation periods since the last identified case. Enhanced infection prevention measures were immediately implemented. All positive cases were placed in a cohort in a single pod of the NICU and were placed on contact precautions with droplet isolation precautions. Dedicated staffing and equipment were assigned. Environmental cleaning and disinfection with hospital-approved disinfectant wipes was performed daily. Visitors were restricted in the NICU. All employees entering the NICU underwent daily symptom screening for respiratory tract illness. All NICU babies were screened daily for respiratory tract illness with prompt isolation and RPP testing on positive screen. To determine the source of the HPIV3 outbreak, all HPIV3-positive specimens from the NICU and available temporally associated community-onset (CO) controls collected from non-NICU units were sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis. The first and last cases of HPIV-3 were diagnosed on May 1 and May 5, 2019, respectively. In total, 7 HO HPIV3 cases were reported: 1 in newborn nursery (NBN) and 6 in NICU. The case from the NBN was determined to be unrelated to the outbreak and the source was linked to a sick visitor. Of the 6 NICU babies, 5 had an LRTI and 1 had a URTI. Average time from admission to diagnosis was 71 days (range, 24–112). None had severe illnesses requiring intubation, and all had full recovery. No CO HPIV3 cases were reported from the NICU during the investigation. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree of HPIV3 WGS (Figure 1) showed that sequences from the 6 HO cases clustered together separately from the 3 CO controls, suggesting a single source of transmission, and 3 CO cases were not related to the HO cases or source of the outbreak. Early diagnosis and isolation of respiratory tract viral infections is important to prevent an outbreak. Successful control of outbreak in NICU requires prompt implementation of infection prevention measures with focus on symptom screening, cohorting, and disinfection practices.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

Influence of defoliation during reproductive stage on seed yield in uniculm mungbean plants

An experiment was conducted at the pot yard of Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture, Mymensingh during the period from February to May 2018 to investigate the effect of defoliations on morphological characters, yield attributes and yield of uniculm mungbean plant. The experiment comprised of nine levels of defoliation viz., control, 2, 3, 4, 5 leaves removal from base and 2, 3, 4 and 5 leaves removal from top out of 7 leaves during flowering start phase. The morpho-physiological characters such as plant height, stem diameter, leaf area and total dry mass plant-1 and number of racemes, reproductive characters such as rachis length and diameter, number of flowers plant-1 and reproductive efficiency, yield contributing characters such as number of pods plant-1, pod length, number of seeds pod-1, single pod and 100-seed weight and seed yield decreased with increasing defoliation both from base and top except basal 2 leaves defoliation. The above parameters increased over control in basal 2 leaves defoliation. The decrement due to defoliation was greater in top defoliated plants than the corresponding basal defoliated ones indicating upper leaves contributes more assimilate to the sink than the basal leaves. The highest morpho-physiological parameters, reproductive characters and yield contributing characters observed in basal 2 leaves defoliated plants which resulted the highest seed yield (5.75 g plant-1) followed by control (5.49 g plant-1). The lowest morpho-physiological parameters, reproductive and yield contributing characters recorded in top 5 defoliated plants and produced the lowest seed yield (1.21 g plant-1). These results suggest that uniculm mungbean plant tolerate basal 2 leaves loss in the canopy during reproductive stage.

Establishment of plant residues and inorganic fertilizer application for growth and yield of Vigna unguiculata (L.) in flood-affected cropland of Koshi Tappu Region, Eastern Nepal

Flood increases due to an increase in river overflow which affects on abiotic and biotic factors. The preliminary study of flood-affected crops was carried out in flood-affected cropland of Koshi Tappu Region of Eastern Nepal. For the experiment the plant residues of Eichhornia crassipes and Sesbania rostrata and inorganic fertilizer were selected to examine the growth and yield in Vigna unguiculata. The appropriate treatments for the production of V. unguiculata were analyzed. Before applying treatments, soil was collected and analyzed for physicochemical, microbial biomass and available nitrogen. Soil texture, soil moisture, water holding capacity and bulk density (BD) were calculated. The parameters such as soil pH organic carbon, organic matter and total nitrogen were determined. Soil microbe increases the significance of organic carbon and soil nitrogen is correlated for growth and yield. The results showed that the combined urea and plant residue increases the highest yield. And the Eichhornia compost represents the highest leaf area index and biomass. The total pod production was found in the Echhhornia compost. The dry weight per single pod in Eichhornia fresh was 7.82 g and in Sesbania fresh was 7.42 g. It proves that the land pattern is significant for the soil organic compounds. The experiment showed that the use of plant residues enhanced the increase of physicochemical properties of soil by adding the nutrients. The combined Urea + Eichhornia supports the best growth and development of the plant. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4338159

Intrasarcoplasmic Polyglucosan Inclusions in Heart and Skeletal Muscles of Long-Finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala melas) may be Age-Related

Polysaccharide storage myopathies have been described in several animal species and are characterized by periodicacid-Schiff (PAS)-positive, diastase-resistant intrasarcoplasmic inclusions in myocytes. Skeletal and cardiac muscle samples from a subset of a single pod of stranded long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas) were evaluated by light and transmission electron microscopy. Twelve individuals demonstrated sporadic basophilic packets of PAS-positive, diastase-resistant complex polysaccharide material, either centrally or peripherally, in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Few microscopic myopathic changes were found but included focal inflammation and internalized nuclei. Ultrastructurally, the inclusions consisted of loosely arranged, tangled filaments and were not membrane-bound, which is consistent with polyglucosan inclusions. Within skeletal muscle, the number of inclusions had a marginal statistically significant (P=0.0536) correlation with length, as a proxy for age, suggesting that such inclusions in skeletal muscles may be age-related, although the cause remains unclear.

Evaluation of French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Varieties for Summer Season Production in the Mid–Hills of Central Region of Nepal

The experiment on evaluation of open pollinated genotypes of French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L) was conducted during the summer season of 2016 and 2017 at HRD, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, Nepal to assess the variability in the genotypes and yield potentiality for commercial production. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five replications. The two new genotypes viz. Semi Light Long and Long Green Bean were compared with Trishuli and Four Season. Fresh pod yield and yield attributing parameters were recorded. The pooled analysis of both years’ data showed significant differences among the genotypes on plant uniformity, number of pods/plants, single pod weight, fresh pod yield/plant and total yield. The number of pods per plant was observed the highest in Semi Light Long (113) followed by Long Green Bean (82) whereas the lowest in Trishuli (73). Similarly, the average pod weight was the highest (12 g) in Long Green Bean and the lowest in Trishuli (9.65 gm). The highest fresh pod yield per plant was observed in Semi Light Long (1188.5 g) followed by Long Green Bean (1015.00 g) and the lowest in Trishuli (768.50 g). The highest total pod yield was observed in Semi Light Long (30.97 t/ha) followed by Long Green Bean (27.02 t/ha) which were statistically at par. The lowest yield was observed in Four seasons (20.58 t/ha). Semi Light Long was also found to be early maturing (70-75 DAS), having long harvesting period (28 days) and thin flesh having pod length of 18-20 cm. Long Green Bean was late in maturity (75-78 DAS), second highest yielder (27.02 t/ha) with thick flesh and light green color at maturity. Based on the two years’ data, Semi Light Long and Long Green Bean genotypes seemed promising during summer season in the central mid hills of Nepal. So, it is suggested that these two genotypes may be considered for registration by the Seed Quality Control Center.

Integration of Extra-Large-Seeded and Double-Podded Traits in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

A large seed size in the kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is important in the market not only due to its high price but also for its superior seedling vigor. The double-podded chickpea has a considerable yield and stability advantage over the single-podded chickpea. The study aimed at (i) integrating extra-large-seeded and double-podded traits in the kabuli chickpea, (ii) increasing variation by transgressive segregations and (iii) estimating the heritability of the 100-seed weight along with important agro-morphological traits in F2 and F3 populations. For these objectives, the large-seeded chickpea, Sierra, having a single pod and unifoliolate leaves, was crossed with the small-seeded CA 2969, having double pods and imparipinnate leaves. The inheritance pattern of the extra-large-seeded trait was polygenically controlled by partial dominant alleles. Transgressive segregations were found for all agro-morphological traits. Some progeny with 100-seed weights of ≥55 g and two pods had larger seed sizes than those of the best parents. As outputs of the epistatic effect of the double-podded gene in certain genetic backgrounds, three or more flowers or pods were found in some progeny. Progeny having imparipinnate leaves or two or more pods should be considered in breeding, since they had higher numbers of pods and seeds per plant and seed yields than their counterparts.

Effect of Different Levels of Potassium Fertilizer on the Yield Components of BARI Bush Bean-2

A field experiment was carried out at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Farm during the Rabi season of November 2008 to March 2009 to investigate effect of different levels of potassium fertilizer on the yield components of BARI Bush Bean-2. The red brown terrace soil of Tejgaon was silty clay loam having pH 5.6. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The experiment comprises 4 levels of potassium in the form of MoP (0, 20, 40 and 60 kg potassium/ha). The results revealed that different levels of potassium showed significant variations on the yield and yield components of BARI Bush Bean-2. The treatment K40 (40 kg potassium) gave the maximum pod length (10.90 cm), pod diameter (2.95 cm), average single pod weight (5.49 g), total pod weight per plant (25.37 g), pod yield per plot (1795.83 g) and pod yield per hectare (4.38 ton). Thus the results of the experiment suggested that the use of 40 kg potassium produced highest yield of BARI Bush Bean-2 in red brown terrace soil of the Tejgaon series.

Effect of Nitrogen and Potassium on the Yield Components of BARI Bush Bean-2 and Post-harvest Nutrient Status of the Soil

A field experiment was carried out at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Farm during the Rabi season of 2008 to investigate the effect of nitrogen and potassium on the yield and yield components of BARI Bush Bean-2. The red brown terrace soil of Tejgaon was silty clay loam in texture having pH 5.6. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The experiment comprises 4 levels of nitrogen in the form ofurea (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg nitrogen/ha) and 4 levels of potassium from Muriate of Potash (0, 20, 40 and 60 kg potassium /ha). There was combination of sixteen treatments including control (no fertilizer). The results obtained revealed that different levels of nitrogen and potassium showed significant variations on the parameters studied. The treatment N80K40 (80 kg nitrogen + 40 kg potassium) gave the highest pod length (11.67 cm), pod diameter (3.13 cm), average single pod weight (5.99 g), total pod weight per plant (29.07 g), pod yield per plot (2033.33 g) and pod yield per hectare (4.96 tons).Thus the findings of the experiment suggested that combined use of 80 kg nitrogen + 40 kg potassium produced the maximum yield of BARI Bush Bean-2 in red brown terrace soil of the Tejgaon series.

Response of BARI Bush Bean-2 at Different Levels of Nitrogen Fertilization

A field experiment was carried out at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University Research Farm during the Rabi season of 2008 to investigate the response of BARI Bush Bean-2 at different levels of nitrogen fertilization in respect of various yield components. The soil of the experimental area belongs to the ModhupurTract (AEZ No. 28) which had shallow red brown terrace soil. The selected plot was medium highland and the soil series was Tejgaon. The experiment was laid out in a RCBD design with three replications. The experiment comprises 4 levels of nitrogen in the form urea (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg ha-1 N). The results obtained revealed that different levels of nitrogen showed significant variations on the different parameters studied. Among the different treatments of the study the treatment N80 (80 kg N) gave the highest pod length (11.15 cm), pod diameter (2.93 cm), average single pod weight (5.42 g), total pod weight plant-1 (25.63 g), pod yield plot-1 (1789.58 g) and pod yield hectare-1 (4.37 ton). Thus the findings of the experiment revealed that the use of 80 kg N maximally influence the yield and yield contributing characters of BARI Bush Bean-2 in the selected red brown terrace soil of the Tejgaon series.

Efficacy study on the influence of manure and Tillage on Cowpea performance in a Sahel Savannah region of Nigeria

Average farmers’ uncensored beliefs toward Tillage and manure practices in the Sahel are the notions that informed our decision for this study in northern Yobe State, Nigeria. Its objectives were to determine the effects of tillage depths, manure types, and the nature of their relationships with some performance indices and Grain Yield of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.). Designed on a Split Plot; Tillage depth (Zero, Shallow and Deep tillage) was assigned to main plot while Manure type (No Manure, Cow Dung and Poultry Manure) was assigned to subplot. Plots treated with PM showed the highest positive response compared to other manures in terms of cowpea growth parameters and Grain Yield. Zero Tillage performed better than other tillage depths. It was concluded that Interaction between ZT and PM proved to be the best combination to improve Cowpea farmers Yield and Above Ground Biomass for the farmers and their livestock in Sahel Savannah. Pearson’s Multiple Linear Correlation indicated high positive relationship between OM and all the Cowpea parameters measured (r ≥ +0.65 ≤ +0.92). Tillage depth was found to significantly correlate with Pod length (r = -0.36*) and Single Pod Weight (r = -0.40*) at P ≤ 0.05 in a negative passion.

Can a speed breeding approach accelerate genetic gain in pigeonpea?

Pure line breeding is a resource-intensive activity that takes 10 years or more to develop a new cultivar. In some crops, conducting off-season nurseries has significantly reduced the length of the breeding cycle. This approach could not be exploited in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.], because traditionally it has been a photoperiod-sensitive crop that requires long periods of darkness to induce flowering. However, the recent success of breeding early maturing photoperiod-insensitive genotypes has opened up the possibility of adopting ‘speed breeding’ techniques to enable rapid generation turnover. This paper outlines a speed breeding approach that integrates the use of immature seed germination for rapid generation advancement and a “single pod descent” method of breeding. To accelerate line development, while conserving genetic variability, the approach permits four generations per year and can fast-track field evaluation of resulting homozygous lines. Therefore, the breeding strategy conserves resources and has potential to deliver new early maturing cultivars within a substantially reduced timeframe of 4–5 years.

Time–frequency localisation of intermittent dynamics in a bistable turbulent swirl flame

This work examines the complex flow field in a bistable turbulent swirl flame, where the flame alternates irregularly between a lifted-off M-shape and an attached V-shape. The flow field consists of various types of intermittent dynamics due to flame-shape switching that occur on different time scales. In order to properly identify, separate and temporally resolve these dynamic components, a novel method of multiresolution proper orthogonal decomposition (MRPOD) is developed by interfacing the maximum overlap discrete wavelet packet transform (MODWPT) of multidimensional data series with the conventional snapshot POD. Specific care is taken to select the wavelet filter, decomposition level and reconstruction bandwidth to achieve variable spectral bandpasses and adequate temporal resolutions. When applied to data series from high-speed three-component velocity field measurements in the bistable swirl flame, MRPOD is capable of isolating frequency components that are usually lumped into a single POD mode, with enhanced spatial/temporal coherence for even weak and highly intermittent dynamics. Owing to the improved spectral purity, a series of previously unknown dynamics is uncovered alongside well-characterised instabilities such as the precessing vortex core (PVC) and thermoacoustic (TA) instabilities. In particular, a non-periodic switch mode is found to couple with the previously identified shift mode only during flame-shape transitions, with pronounced modifications on the backflow and near the inlet of the combustor, a region known to influence the growth rate of PVC. TA oscillations are seen to drive repetitive flame reattachment during M–V transitions that eventually settles into a V-flame. But sustained high TA amplitudes alone do not appear to necessarily presage the onset of such a transition. Additional higher-order harmonics of PVC and evidence of TA modulations on PVC dynamics are uncovered, which also exhibit bi-modal behaviours: while maintaining their characteristic frequencies, these instabilities could attain either a single or double helical structure and are only active during either V- or M-flame periods.