Week Of April Research Articles

Scenario of Arthropods Fauna on Rose in Southern Rajasthan

The arthropod fauna associated with rose at Udaipur comprised of 17 species of insects (6 pests and 11 pollinators). The pests included were thrips, aphids, the rose bud caterpillar, black flies and the scurfy rose scale while, pollinators included members of Hymenoptera and Diptera. During the crop season, the peak populations of thrips, aphids and larvae of rose bud caterpillar were recorded in the first week of April (9.80 thrips flower buds-1), first week of March (17.04 aphids flower buds-1) and first week of March (0.56 larvae flower-1), respectively. The mean atmospheric temperature evinced a positive correlation with thrips (r=0.832), rose bud caterpillar (r=0.607) and insect pollinators. Thrips (r=0.583) and aphids (r=0.622) had a significant positive correlation with sunshine, whereas the relative humidity indicates significant negative correlation with thrips (r=-0.720), aphids (r=0.581) and rose bud caterpillar (r=-0.817), respectively. The population of pollinators showed a significant positive correlation (r=0.573) with the mean atmospheric temperature; while a significant negative correlation (r=-0.769) with relative humidity. The relative density of pollinators visiting rose comprised: honeybees, A. florae & A. dorsata with 68.24 per cent; solitary bees (12.08%) and dipteran flies (19.55%). Most pollinators preferred to visit rose flowers during 9 to 11 hours of the day

유아교사의 아동인권에 대한 메타포 분석

The purpose of this study is to analyze the metaphors of children's rights of early childhood teachers and examine their awareness and values of children's rights. To this end, from the first week of March 2024 to the fourth week of April 2024, we collected and analyzed metaphors of children's rights through an open-ended questionnaire targeting 190 early childhood teachers living in G City and G Province for approximately two months. The results of the study are as follows. First, from the adult's perspective, children's rights were expressed as ‘children's lives themselves’ and ‘our collective efforts’. Second, from the perspective of viewing children, they were expressed as ‘children as rights holders’ and ‘children as socially vulnerable’. Finally, from the teacher's perspective, they were expressed as ‘teachers as duty-bearers’ and ‘teachers who must make social efforts’, and were classified into three categories in total. Through this study, we examined early childhood teachers' awareness of children's rights and suggested implications for the direction of desirable implementation of children's rights.

An exploration of barriers to access to healthcare in Hancock County, Tennessee: A qualitative study.

Explore barriers to healthcare access in Hancock County, Tennessee using a conceptual framework for access to healthcare. We collected data from 30 participants in Hancock County during 1 week in April 2023 using a combination of network and purposive sampling. We analyzed the data using thematic analysis and the conceptual framework of healthcare access. All dimensions of the conceptual framework of healthcare access presented barriers to healthcare access for participants of the study. A lack of acceptability of local healthcare among participants manifested in a perceived lack of availability of healthcare. This resulted in participants travelling or considering it necessary to travel long distances for care, even in a life-threatening emergency, despite the local availability of a hospital with an emergency department. A lack of acceptability can create healthcare access barriers similar to a lack of availability of healthcare facilities. The research team met several times with the leader of a local community organization to discuss this research in Hancock County. These conversations helped to inform the study design and provided necessary background to conduct in-depth interviews. Members of the community organization helped identify individuals to interview and provide access to Remote Area Medical clinic patients. The research team discussed the final themes with the primary community collaborator.

Projecting the Contribution of Provitamin A Maize Biofortification and Other Nutrition Interventions to the Nutritional Adequacy and Cost of Diets in Rural Zimbabwe

BackgroundEvidence of the effectiveness of biofortified maize with higher provitamin A (PVA) to address vitamin A deficiency in rural Africa remains scant. ObjectivesThis study projects the impact of adopting PVA maize for a diversity of households in an area typical of rural Zimbabwe and models the cost and composition of diets adequate in vitamin A. MethodsHousehold-level weighed food records were generated from 30 rural households during a week in April and November 2021. Weekly household intakes were calculated, as well as indicative costs of diets using data from market surveys. The impact of PVA maize adoption was modeled assuming all maize products contained observed vitamin A concentrations. The composition and cost of the least expensive indicative diets adequate in vitamin A were calculated using linear programming. ResultsVery few households would reach adequate intake of vitamin A with the consumption of PVA maize. However, from a current situation of 33%, 50%–70% of households were projected to reach ≥50% of their requirements (the target of PVA), even with the modest vitamin A concentrations achieved on-farm (mean of 28.3 μg RAE per 100 g). This proportion would increase if higher concentrations recorded on-station were achieved. The estimated daily costs of current diets (mean ± standard deviation) were USD 1.43 ± 0.59 in the wet season and USD 0.96 ± 0.40 in the dry season. By comparison, optimization models suggest that diets adequate in vitamin A could be achieved at daily costs of USD 0.97 and USD 0.79 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. ConclusionsThe adoption of PVA maize would bring a substantial improvement in vitamin A intake in rural Zimbabwe but should be combined with other interventions (e.g., diet diversification) to fully address vitamin A deficiency.

Regulation of Summer Season Flowering to Enhance the Flowering and Physical Parameters of Mrig Bahar in Guava (Psidium guajava l.) Cv. Lucknow-49 under Sodic Soil

The present investigation entitled “Regulation of summer season flowering to enhance the Flowering and physical parameters of mrig bahar in guava (Psidium guajava L.) cv. Lucknow-49 under sodic soil” was carried out at Production Processing of Usar Waste Land Akma, Department of Fruit Science, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture and Technology, Narendra Nagar (Kumarganj), Ayodhya (U.P.) during 2021-22. The experiment was conducted in a Randomized Block Design with three replications and ten treatments. The treatments were Urea (15, 20 and 25%), NAA (75, 150 and 225 ppm), 2,4-D (20, 40 and 60 ppm) and control applied on second week of April. The results denoted that all the treatments were emphatic in summer deblossoming and enhanced the physical attribute of fruits throughout both season over the control, however, maximum yield per plant, maximum no. of fruits per plant, maximum fruit set percentage and minimum flower drop percentage was recorded with control in rainy season. The profitable effects of the treatments tried were observed to be more prominent in winter season crop than the rainy season crop. Among the treatments, deblossoming with Naphthalene Acetic Acid (NAA) 225 ppm showed maximum enhancement in Flowering characters viz. Percent flower drop (%), Percent fruit set (%) and fruit physical characters viz. Number of fruits per plant, fruit length (cm), width (cm), weight (g), fruit yield per plant (kg/tree) over the control in winter season as well as in rainy season crop.

Farmers’ Perception Survey and Evaluation of Management Practices for Mango Fruit Borer (Citripestis Eutraphera)

Mango fruit borer (MFB) is a significant pest that damages mango fruits and leaves. This study explores farmers’ perceptions of the mango fruit borer and evaluates management practices. Survey findings indicated that 48% of mango growers believed MFB attacks occur during April-May, while 30% identified May-June as the peak season. Additionally, 84% of mango growers believed MFB affects fruits, while only 2% think it also targeted leaves. Most mango growers (78%) preferred chemical methods to manage MFB, with 40% using bifenthrin, 28% using emamectin benzoate, and only 8% applying imidacloprid. Experiments evaluating MFB’s preference for different mango varieties revealed that nearly all commercial varieties had varying infestation levels. Sindhri was the most infested (29.9%), while Doseri was the least infested (12.6%). Light trap data suggested that the maximum moth population occurred during the last week of April. Evaluations of chemical pesticides showed that bifenthrin (250 ml / 100 L of water) was the most effective, while Thiamethoxam + Chlorantraniliprole (80 ml / 100 L of water) was the least effective for MFB. Emamectin benzoate, Chlorantraniliprole, and Lufenuron were better options than synthetic pyrethroids (Bifenthrin) because they were safer for natural enemies and pollinators. Integrated management strategies, such as installing one light trap per hectare and monitoring MFB on mango leaves and weeds in March/April for early detection, were recommended. Additionally, collecting fallen infested fruits and judicious use of insecticides can help mitigate losses caused by MFB.

Seasonal Incidence and Infestation Pattern of Sunflower Head Borer (Helicoverpa armigera) and Leaf Eating Caterpillar (Spodoptera litura) under the Influence of Climatic Factors

Field experiments were conducted at Regional Research and Technology Transfer Station (RRTTS), Ranital, Bhadrak, OUAT during the summer seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21 to study the seasonal incidence of sunflower head borer and leaf-eating caterpillar in sunflower in relation to the abiotic factor. The seasonal incidence of the target insects, Spodoptera litura and Helicoverpa armigera, was investigated using pheromone traps installed in the unprotected sunflower plots (10 m x 5 m) at the research block. The trap catches of male adults were expressed as a number of males trapped per trap per week. In the observation plots, the sunflower hybrid Aruna was cultivated with the approved agronomic package of techniques without any plant protection measures. Weekwise larval populations of Spodoptera litura and Helicoverpa armigera were counted from 10 randomly selected tagged plants starting from the initiation of damage and expressed as larval intensity i.e. average larval population per plant. Besides, weekwise incidence of the pest (leaf damage by tobacco caterpillar and head damage by head borer) were also recorded. The findings of the investigation indicated that tobacco caterpillars' adult activity commenced from the 5th to 6th standard weeks (1st and 2nd week of February) and peak activity in the 11th standard week (3rd week of March). Similarly, the larval population began to appear in the 6th to 7th standard weeks in 2020 and 2021, respectively with a peak population build-up stage during the 12th standard week and their activity steadily decreased as the cropping season progressed. The peak infestation stage coincided with the period of maximum larval activity and the pest caused sizable damage from the early vegetative stage to the peak flowering stage of the crop. The sunflower head borer (Helicoverpa armigera) infested sunflower crops throughout the reproductive stage of the plant with adult activity beginning in the 9th to 10th standard weeks (last week of February-first week of March) and attaining the peak in the 12th to 13th standard weeks (3rd-4th week of March). Similarly, the larval population began to appear in the 10th to 11th standard week and reached the peak in the 13th to 14th standard week (last week of March to first week of April). Various environmental parameters viz. temperature, relative humidity and rainfall were collected from the automated weather station of Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) located at RRTTS, Ranital., These abiotic factors were correlated with trap catch, larval intensity, leaf damage head damage to study the influence of ecological parameters on pest incidence and infestation. The findings of the investigation indicated that among the abiotic factors temperature had a positive influence and relative humidity exhibited a negative effect on the population and damage of Spodoptera litura. All the temperature variables and bright sunshine hour (BSH) exhibited a significant positive correlation and relative humidity (afternoon) had a significant negative correlation with the head damage Helicoverpa armigera.

Foraging Activity of Termites at Different Sites in Multan, Pakistan

Termite monitoring is an important part of designing the management strategy. In the current study, termite activity was observed at four sites in Multan (three structures and one agriculture area). For this purpose, monitoring traps consisted of plastic bin and wood pieces were buried in soil. The termite activity was observed on weekly basis for two months during March and April 2022. The results indicated that there were five species (Odontotermes spp., Microcerotermes spp., Amitermes spp., Microtermes spp. and Coptotermes spp.) infesting the buildings and agriculture area. The lowest termite contacts in traps were observed on the 1st week which were increased with the passage of time (maximum contacts recorded on 4th week of April). Similarly, the numbers of termites were also less at the 1st inspection at all sites (24-2059 numbers per station) and maximum numbers of termites per station were recorded on 4th week of April. The results will be helpful to manage termite infestation.

Bazi Sofralık Ve Şaraplık Üzümlerin Fenolojik ve İklim Endeksleri ile Samsun-Bafra Ovasında Yetiştirilme Durumunun İncelenmesi

The aim of this study was to determine the viticultural potential of Bafra plain based on viticulture climate indices. Bafra district was classified as warm-temperate according to Winkler and Huglin indices. The Winkler index (WI) 1969.0, Huglin index (HI) 2184.4 °C units, Branas Heliothermic Index (BHI) 4.5, and Branas Hydrothermal Index (HYI) 3423.6 were obtained for the Bafra region. Annual sunshine duration was calculated as 2295.5 hours, while sunshine duration during the growing period was 1715.0 hours. Considering the HYI value being somewhat high, this combined with the high air humidity in the summer months shows an increased risk of fungal diseases. The bud burst occurred in the second week of April and flowering occurred in the first week of June in all cultivars. The earliest veraison initiated with early ripening ‘Early Sweet’ and ‘Trakya İlkeren’ cultivars and the latest veraison was in ‘Ugni Blanc’ and ‘Red Globe’. The earliest ripening was determined in ‘Early Sweet’ with 937.7 GDD, and the latest ripening was determined in the ‘Ugni Blanc’ cultivar as 1729.2 GDD. The period from bud burst to maturity was 110 days in ‘Early Sweet’ and 170 days in the ‘Ugni Blanc’. Sites selected with high altitude, areas that slope slightly to the south sides, low humidity, and far from sea areas are suitable for early and mid-season ripening grape cultivars. The high humidity in the summer and heavy rain in the fall season increase fungal disease risks in the Bafra region.

Stars and Spikes: Analyzing Fan Attraction to Star Players in the Philippine Professional Volleyball League

The study sought to describe fan consumption patterns in volleyball, identify factors influencing fan engagement, pinpoint attractive attributes of volleyball players, and compare influences on fanhood across demographic groups. The research was conducted in Pasig City, focusing on a geographically delimited non-probability sample. Data was collected through in situ surveys using questionnaires to obtain participants’ demographic profile and their motivations, preferences, and consumption patterns as league fans during match days, specifically during the last preliminary round of the league’s conference in the third week of April, with particular emphasis on the timing of visits across different days of the week. Two hundred fifty respondents participated in the survey, comprising both genders ranging in age from 10 to 78 years. Results reveal that participants identify as avid league fans and consider having a favorite league player as “definitely important” in connection with their fanhood. As to the traits of star players that attract them, 11 attributes are figured highly: passionate, professional, respectful, fair, approachable, humble, exciting, entertaining, winnable, articulate, and humble. The results provide contemporary insights into sports consumption motivations and attitudes of league fans, which can be instrumental in developing effective marketing strategies, enhancing spectator experience, and deepening the understanding of sports fandom among the Filipino audience.

A temporary regulation to manage an impending shortage due to extraordinary prescribing patterns of chloroquines observed during early phase of COVID-19 epidemic.

Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine (C/HC) received considerable international media attention due to anticipated treatment effect in COVID-19. This led to increased prescriptions threatening to generate product shortages for patients prescribed within approved indications.We evaluated effects of a temporary regulation mandating pharmacies to only dispense C/HC prescribed by physicians with defined specialties. Data from Region Stockholm, which include 2.4 out of 10 million Sweden's population, were used. Weekly time trends of prescriptions and requisitions of C/HC by prescriber's workplace during January to April 2020 were followed. Numbers of unique individuals with filled prescriptions of chloroquine increased tenfold and of hydroxychloroquine more than threefold from January to March. In the first week of April, filled prescriptions of C/HC dropped. In the later weeks of April, the number of filled prescriptions was back at similar levels as before the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak.During January and February, specialists in rheumatology accounted for 686 out of all 979 prescriptions dispensed (70.1%) of C/HC. In March, a large proportion of prescriptions dispensed were from specialists not usually prescribing C/HC, and rheumatology accounted for 628 out of all 1,639 prescriptions (38.3%). In April, specialists in rheumatology accounted for 386 out of all 641 prescriptions dispensed (60.0%). After an observed increase in prescriptions of C/HC, a temporary regulation was introduced on 2nd April 2020 to reduce prescriptions from specialists not usually prescribing C/HC to avoid shortages for patients within approved indications. Subsequently, dispensed prescriptions decreased from April and remained at pre-COVID-19 levels thereafter.

The Level of Fat- and Water-Soluble Antioxidants in Eggs of Free-Range Geese during a Production Season

In this investigation, egg yolk and egg white water and fat-soluble antioxidant concentrations of geese eggs were determined during a production season according to months and weeks. Breeders consumed 100 g commercial layer feed per day during a production season. The farm was located at a semi-open prison of the Ministry of Justice in Van city. Fat-soluble (vitamin A, E, total and individual carotene) of egg yolk and water-soluble (ascorbic acid and GSH) antioxidants of egg white of geese were measured in February, March, April and May per week gazed in pasture conditions. Roche Yolk Color Fun (RYCF) values and Minolta (L* brightness, a* redness, and b* yellowness) values varied according to months and statistically significant differences were observed (p <0.05). RYCF, a * redness, and b *yellowness values were the lowest in February and L* brightness values were the highest in February (p <0.001). According to months (February-May), the egg yolk concentration of vitamin A (retinol) were 3.05±0.11, 1.84±0.10, 1.93±0.09, 2.84±0.19 µg g-1, total vitamin E were 26.87±1.80, 25.07±1.64, 38.16±1.71, 34.30±1.89 µg g-1, and total carotene were 15.49±1.44, 19.50±1.79, 42.39±1.99, 44.30±2.03 µg g-1 (p <0.05), respectively. In this study, lutein, cis-lutein, zeaxanthin, apoester, canthaxanthin, and beta-carotene were identified as individual carotene in goose egg yolks. Glutathione (GSH) and Vitamin C or ascorbic acid (AA) were detected in geese eggs white in the last two weeks of February and four weeks of March, April, and May. The results were recorded as: 0.91±0.14, 1.83±0.19, 2.69±0.15, 1.97±0.09 µg g-1 for AA and 7.71±1.86, 33.22±2.14, 45.37±2.41, 38.75±1.50 µg g-1 for GSH respectively. Both water-soluble GSH and AA data were significantly lower in February and were significantly higher in April (p <0.05) compared to other months.

Marmara Adasında Bulunan Bal Arılarının (Apis mellifera L.) Polen Tercihleri

Islands have a special importance in terms of biodiversity. At the same time, it is important to follow the feeding behavior of pollinators that ensure the continuation of biodiversity throughout the island. In this study, it was aimed to follow the pollen collection activities of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) on Marmara Island and to determine the pollen sources. Pollen sampling was carried out weekly during the 14 weeks from the first week of April to the first week of July when honey bees intensively carried out pollen collection activities. The sampled pollen grains were classified according to their color and examined by light microscopy. A total of 34 taxa were identified from the pollen grains. The taxa represented in significant proportions were; Rosaceae, Fabaceae, and Centaurea, Ericaceae, Brassicaceae, Cistus, Helianthemum, Vitis and Salix. They constitute a total of 79.37%. Rosaceae family pollen has been found as the most preferred taxa by honey bees for 8 weeks. The first two weeks of May was the most productive period in terms of pollen species in Marmara Island and the amount of pollen brought to the hives decreased in early July. In this study, it was tried to shed light on the pollen collection preferences of honey bees and pollination periods of honey bee used plants under conditions of Marmara Island.

Influence of Nutrient Regulation on Ricebean (Vigna umbellata (Thunb.) Ohwi and Ohashi) Growth and Dry Matter

Aims: Within the realm of sustainable agriculture and its attendant issues, there exists a compelling need for a viable approach to cropping systems that integrates pragmatic and economically sound crop management tactics. This is imperative to uphold land productivity and secure a lasting provision of crops for human consumption. Acknowledging the pivotal contribution of organic manure when combined with chemical fertilizers in crop cultivation and the safeguarding of soil well-being, a research inquiry was formulated for a noteworthy cropping sequence.
 Study Design: Randomized block design.
 Place and Duration: School of Agricultural Sciences, Nagaland University, Medziphema. Duration: 2019-2021.
 Methodology: The study took place from 2019 to 2021 at the School of Agricultural Sciences (SAS), Medziphema Campus in Nagaland. The primary aim was to assess the lasting impact of both manure and fertilizers on yield and soil condition in a ricebean system over this two-year duration. In the second week of April in both 2019 and 2020, Dhaincha (Sesbania aculeata), a green manure crop, was sown using seeds. After a 30-day decomposition period, this green manure was incorporated into the soil. Soil samples were collected from the upper 0-15 cm layer of each experimental plot and analyzed. The experimental field was laid out in randomized block design with three level of organic manures i.e., poultry manure (PM), pig manure (PGM) and farm yard manure (FYM) along with doses of inorganic fertilizers : 100% RDF, 75% RDF, 50% RDF. The treatment combinations included T1 : GM (Sesbania) + PM (0.7 t ha-1) + 100 % RDF; T2: GM (Sesbania) +PM (0.7 t ha-1) + 75 % RDF; T3: GM (Sesbania) + PM (0.7 t ha-1) + 50 % RDF ; T4: GM (Sesbania) + PGM (0.7 t ha-1) + 100 % RDF; T5: GM (Sesbania) +PGM (0.7 t ha-1) + 75% RDF; T6: GM (Sesbania) + PGM (0.7 t ha-1) + 50 % RDF; T7: GM (Sesbania) +FYM (4 t ha-1) + 100 % RDF; T8: GM (Sesbania) + FYM (4 t ha-1) + 75 % RDF; T9: GM (Sesbania) +FYM (4 t ha-1) + 50 % RDF.
 Results: In treatment T1, which involved the application of a blend of green manure and poultry manure at a rate of 0.7 tons per hectare, coupled with a full dose of RDF, exhibited outstanding outcomes in ricebean cultivation. This resulted in elevated seed yields, improved seed quality, sustained soil health, and maximized economic gains for farmers in the foothill conditions of Nagaland.
 Conclusion: The substantial enhancement in ricebean growth parameters can be credited to the rich nutrient content and beneficial micronutrients present in poultry manure. combining Recommended Dose of Fertilizers (RDF) with poultry manure, known for its ability to boost nodule formation in legumes, improved soil fertility, fostered beneficial microbial activity, and promoted legume health, ultimately leading to higher yields. In contrast, farmyard manure (FYM) outperformed pig manure due to its balanced nutrients, microbial activity, organic matter, and positive impact on soil quality, creating an optimal environment for plant growth. Poultry manure's capacity to stimulate nodule formation, enhance soil fertility, and support legume health resulted in increased nitrogen fixation and improved yields in leguminous crops, fostering early root development and robust growth in ricebean crops.

David Hare’s Memoir of Coronavirus and His Political Rage in Beat the Devil: A Covid Monologue

In Beat the Devil: A Covid Monologue (2020), David Hare gives a personal account of his illness period during the early stage of the Covid-19 pandemic, from the middle of March 2020 to the first week of April. In this monologue play, Hare deals with the decay of his body under the attack of the coronavirus and then dwells on his recovery process. On the one hand, this play appears to be a personal chronicle of the playwright’s experience with the Covid-19 virus. On the other hand, Hare’s narration of the news about the virus from the United Kingdom and the world serves to reveal national and collective memory of the crisis. As a playwright who frequently works on political realities and topical issues, Hare intermingles his personal memory and the collective record of the pandemic to censure the leaders incapable of coping with ambiguous circumstances. Thus, his memoir unveils not only Hare’s political commentary but also his political rage as his tone is tinged with anger and disappointment when it comes to the Conservative Party’s failure to protect people against the virus in the country. This paper intervenes in Hare’s monologue play, Beat the Devil, to investigate the playwright’s use of autobiographical and collective memory and evaluates Hare’s expression of political rage in his exploration of the coronavirus.

Impact of delaying harvesting dates for sugar beet varieties under recent environmental changes

The present study was conducted at Experimental Sennuris District in Fayoum Governorate, Egypt (latitude of 29024/26//N and longitude of 30052/00//E) to investigate the effect of harvest dates on some sugar beet varieties concerning their yield and quality. Two successive field experiments were carried out in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022. A randomized complete block split plots were assigned for the four harvesting dates (mid-February, 1st week of March, mid-March and 1st week of April), i.e. at the age of 180, 195, 210 and 225 days after sowing. The sub-plots were occupied by the four sugar beet varieties i.e. (Faraida, Jampol, Fantazja and Melodia). The obtained results revealed that there were significant differences among the four studied harvesting dates concerning root length, diameter and weight as well as root yield in both seasons. The highest values were obtained by delaying the harvesting up to 225 days from sowing. Concerning the quality traits, neither the harvesting date nor the varieties affected sucrose, purity (QZ), sodium, potassium, α-amino N and sugar recovery percentages in both seasons. However, the upper mid-harvesting date i.e. age of 195 days from sowing recorded the lower significant impurities and SLM percentages in the 1st season only.

Cold-Tolerant and Short-Duration Rice (Oryza sativa L.) for Sustainable Food Security of the Flash Flood-Prone Haor Wetlands of Bangladesh

Rice cultivation in the low-lying basin-like wetlands, known as the Haor, is often affected by early flash floods during the first two weeks of April. The flooding is mainly caused by heavy rainfall and water surging downstream from the Meghalaya hills in India. This flash flood poses a significant threat to rice production, risking the country’s food security. Dry winter (Boro) rice is the primary food source throughout the year in the Haor region. Flash floods are the most catastrophic, affecting about 80% or even the entire rice yield. In 2017, a loss of 0.88 million metric tons of Boro rice in Haor regions cost the nation USD 450 million. To escape flash floods, it is recommended to sow Boro rice earlier, between the last week of October and the first week of November, instead of around 15 November so rice may be harvested by the last week of March before the onset of flash floods. However, early sowing has a possibility of causing grain sterility due to cold spells when the booting and heading stages of rice inevitably coincide with the cold period between 15 January and 7 February. The minimum temperature in the Haor regions ranges from 11 to 15 °C during this time. Rice is especially susceptible to low average temperatures (<20 °C) during the reproductive stage, leading to pollen abortion and the malformation of immature microspores. Low temperatures mainly impact rice cultivation in Haor regions during the reproductive phase, resulting in the degeneration of the spikelets, partial panicle exertion, and increased spikelet sterility, leading to a decrease in grain yield. Over two million hectares of Boro rice have been damaged by extreme cold spells in recent years, resulting in partial or total yield loss. To overcome the threats of flash floods and cold injury, breeding short-duration and cold-tolerant rice varieties is crucial. We assume that an economic benefit of USD 230 million per year could be achieved through the development and adoption of short-duration and cold-tolerant high-yielding rice varieties in the Haor regions of the country. In this review article, the authors summarized the problems and outline a way forward to overcome the flash flood and cold injury of Boro rice cultivation in the Haor districts of the country. Furthermore, the authors discussed the various forms and scenarios of cold damage and the global existence of cold-tolerant rice cultivars. Based on the available data from earlier research, a potential way of mitigating flash floods and cold devastation was suggested.

Managing climatic risks in rice–wheat cropping system for enhanced productivity in middle Gangetic plains of India

Rice followed by wheat is the dominant cropping system in the middle Indo-Gangetic plains (IGP). Lower productivity (4.8 t ha−1) of this cropping system in Bihar, compared to the national average (6.8 t ha−1) due to several climate- and production-related issues, is a matter of concern for the farmers and the policymakers. Keeping all these in view, an experiment with rice–wheat cropping system was carried out during 2020–21 and 2021–22 in 17 adopted villages of 13 districts of Bihar under the Project “Climate Resilient Agriculture Program (CRAP)” to evaluate the feasibility of early transplanting of rice in the month of June with the aim of achieving higher system productivity by early harvesting of rice and subsequent timely sowing of wheat before 15 November with the provision of assured irrigation. In this study, the concept of an innovative community irrigation approach and single-phase 3-hp submersible pump was employed. Long-duration rice variety (150 days) Rajendra Mahsuri-1 was sown during 20–25 May in the nursery and transplanted through puddling operation during 15–20 June in 17 locations. Under delayed conditions, the nursery sowing and transplanting window were 10–15 June and 10–15 July, respectively. Timely sown rice grown with the provision of a community irrigation system achieved a grain yield of 5.2 t ha−1 and 85.8% higher water productivity, compared to late-sown crops. Following the harvest of rice, the HD-2967 variety of wheat was planted in the first fortnight of November and harvested in the first week of April, yielding 4.9 t ha−1 with the application of 2–3 irrigations based on soil type and evaporative demand. Timely harvesting of wheat facilitated farmers of the region to take an additional crop of summer green gram. With an assured irrigation system and shifting planting dates and thereby managing climatic risks, the overall productivity of the rice–wheat cropping system was achieved to the tune of 10.1 t ha−1 with a cropping intensity of 300% for better adaptation and sustainable production.

Tennessee Academy of ScienceDistinguished Secondary School Science Teacher Award 2022

Tennessee Academy of ScienceDistinguished Secondary School Science Teacher Award 2022

Seasonal Abundance of Melon Fruit Fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillett) Infesting Cucumber in Relation to Abiotic Factors

The present investigation on seasonal abundance of melon fruit fly in relation to weather parameters was conducted in cucumber at the farmers field, Kharsad, Navsari, Gujarat using Nauroji Stonehouse fruit fly trap containing cue-lure baited wooden block during summer 2022. Studies on seasonal abundance revealed that in cucumber the activity of adults of B. cucurbitae commenced from 13th Standard Meteorological Week (SMW) i.e., 4th week of March and continued till 19th SMW (1st week of May) which ranged from 38.00 to 59.75 with an average of 45.11 male fruit flies per four traps while, the peak adult population was observed during 17th SMW i.e., 4th week of April (59.75 mean male fruit flies/4 traps). Moreover, adult population of melon fruit fly showed positive and significant correlation with maximum temperature and negative and significant correlation with morning relative humidity.