Effect of Indigenous Bee Attractants on Qualitative and Quantitative Parameters of Egyptian Clover, Trifolium alexandrinum L.

Background: Egyptian clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) is one of the most important annual, winter, multi-cut fodder legumes grown in northern India. Many a times, poor activity of pollinators cited for lower seed production in berseem. Therefore, an appropriate local food-based bee attractants need to be identified and their effectiveness in enhancing berseem seed yield needs to be assessed. Methods: The experiment was conducted to evaluate the significance of bee visit on yield parameters of berseem. In addition, the effect of attractant (jaggery and sugar at 10%) in enticing honey bees towards the berseem flower was evaluated at ICAR- IGFRI, Jhansi during 2017 and 2018. Result: Both the attractants (jaggery and sugar at 10%) are equally effective in drawing the Apis dorsata towards berseem and higher bee visits (8.75 and 8.54/m2/5 min) were recorded one hour after application. Maximum seed setting percentage was recorded in plots sprayed with jaggery (83.53) followed by sugar solution (82.58), which is significantly superior over farmers practice i.e. crop left for open pollination (74.86). Maximum seed yield was obtained from plots sprayed with jaggery solution (8.15 q/ ha). The bee visit had significant positive effect on seed yield (0.685*) and 1000 seed weight (0.671*).

Poaceae Orthologs of Rice OsSGL, DUF1645 Domain-Containing Genes, Positively Regulate Drought Tolerance, Grain Length and Weight in Rice

BackgroundGrain yield is a polygenic trait influenced by environmental and genetic interactions at all growth stages of the cereal plant. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for coordinating the trade-off or cross-talk between these traits remain elusive.ResultsWe characterized the hitherto unknown function of four STRESS_tolerance and GRAIN_LENGTH (OsSGL) Poaceae ortholog genes, all encoding DUF1645 domain-containing proteins, in simultaneous regulation of grain length, grain weight, and drought stress-tolerance in rice. In normal growth conditions, the four ortholog genes were mainly expressed in the developing roots and panicles of the corresponding species. Over-expressing or heterologous high-level expressing Poaceae OsSGL ortholog genes conferred remarkably increased grain length, weight, and seed setting percentage, as well as significantly improved drought-stress tolerance in transgenic rice. Microscopical analysis also showed that the transgene expression promoted cell division and development. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses revealed 73.8% (18,711) overlapped DEGs in all transgenic plants. Moreover, GO and KEGG analyses of different comparisons revealed that the key DEGs participating in drought stress-response belonged to hormone (especially auxin and cytokinin) pathways, and signaling processes were apparently affected in the young panicles. ConclusionTogether, these results suggest the four OsSGL orthologs perform a conserved function in regulating stress-tolerance and cell growth by acting via a hormone biosynthesis and signaling pathway. It may also induce a strategy for tailor-made crop yield improvement.

Effect of Photo-Thermo Period on Seed Setting Percentage (In Selfed Earheads) of the Parental and Hybrid Lines of Rabi Sorghum

The experiment was laid out in split plot design with three replications during rabi 2013-14 at All India Co-Ordinated Sorghum Improvement Project, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri, Dist. Ahmednagar (M.S.). Total seven sowing dates (E1-15th August, E2-15 September, E3-15 October, E4-15 November, E5-15 December, E6- 15 January and E7- 15 February) were assigned to the main plot and 16 parental and hybrid lines having four male sterile lines (viz., 104A, 185A, RMS 2010-24A and RMS2010-10A), four maintainer lines (viz., 104B, 185B, RMS2010-24B and RMS2010-10B), four restorer (viz., SPV1830, RSV1130, RSV1098 and BJV116) and their four respective hybrids (viz., 104A x SPV1830, 185A x RSV1130, RMS2010-24A x RSV1098 and RMS2010-10A x BJV116) were assigned to the sub plot treatment. The observations on growth, phenology, physiology and dry matter production were recorded during crop growth period, also, the data on seed set, grain yield and yield contributing characters were recorded at harvest stage. The seed setting percentage in selfed condition was recorded to be higher in September sowing environment followed by October sowing while, in case of the parental lines restorer lines SPV1830, RSV1130, RSV1098 and hybrid RMS2010-24A X RSV1098 recoded the higher seed setting percentage in all the environments and among all the genotypes, indicating their thermo-insensitivity for all the seasons which were considered to be promising genotypes for further breeding programme for yield improvement.

Micronutrients and productivity of oilseed crops -A review

Micronutrients are essential for plant growth, but plants require relatively in smaller quantity. They include iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), boron (B), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo) chlorine (Cl). In oilseeds these micronutrients play a major role in translocation of photosynthates, increasing seed setting percentage, essential for translocation of sugar, germination of pollen grains, stigma receptivity, amino acid and protein synthesis which ultimately increase the productivity of oilseed crops.

Sufficient leaf transpiration and nonstructural carbohydrates are beneficial for high-temperature tolerance in three rice (Oryza sativa) cultivars and two nitrogen treatments

To determine whether variations in high-temperature (HT) tolerance in three rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivars and two N treatments are related to leaf transpiration rate (E), and whether the involvement of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) in HT tolerance is related to E, a pot experiment supplied with two N levels (low N, 0.077 g urea kg–1 soil; sufficient N, 0.538 g urea kg–1 soil) was conducted under ambient temperature (AT) and HT with three cultivars, N22, Zhenshan 97B and Koshihikari. HT significantly decreased grain yield and seed setting percentage in Koshihikari and ZS97, which could be partly offset by a sufficient N supply. The most HT-tolerant cultivar, N22, had the highest E and stem NSC concentrations under both N treatments, whereas the most sensitive cultivar, Koshihikari, had the lowest E and stem NSC concentrations. A sufficient N supply significantly increased E in the three cultivars under the HT treatment. Grain yield and seed-setting percentage were positively related to E and plant NSC concentration under HT, and E was positively related to NSC concentration under both AT and HT. Therefore, variations in HT tolerance among rice cultivars and nitrogen treatments were related to E, and possibly to NSC concentration.

Characteristics of Seed-Setting of Two Ecotypes Leymus chinensis on Heterogeneity Soil

Characteristics of seed-setting of two Leymus chinensisecotypes under saline-alkali soil and sandy soil habitats on Songnen plain were studied, such as number of grains and seed-setting percentage. The results showed that number of grains and seed-setting percentage of two L. chinensisecotypes fluctuated within a certain range. Variation coefficients of single spike grain number and seed-setting percentage were 79.37% and 87.2% higher. The number of grains and seed-setting percentage of two L. chinensisecotypes under saline-alkali soil habitat were lower than those under sandy soil habitat. Significance test showed that seed-setting percentage of two L. chinensisecotypes, and the single spike grain number of grey-green L. chinensisecotypes between saline-alkali soil habitat and sandy soil habitat were significant or very significant. In results, the sexual reproduction of two L. chinensisecotype populations had a stronger adaptation for the habitats, the two ecotypes take the same adaptable reproduction strategy, due to the change of habitat condition, the characteristics of seed-setting have a plastic changes accordingly, and individual difference in population under the same habitat was resulted by microhabitat differences.

Sexual Reproduction and Plasticity Analysis of Two Ecotypes Leymus chinensis on Heterogeneity Soil

Characteristics of sexual reproduction of two L. chinensis ecotypes under saline-alkali soil and sandy soil habitats on Songnen plain were studied, such as number of florets, number of grains, seed-setting percentage and the weight of thousand grains. The results showed that number of florets, number of grains, seed-setting percentage and the weight of thousand grains of two L. chinensis ecotypes fluctuated at some range. Variation coefficients of number of florets, number of grains and seed-setting percentage were 34.63%, 79.37% and 87.2% higher, but variation coefficient of the weight of thousand grains was lower. Number of grains and seed-setting percentage of two L. chinensis ecotypes under saline-alkali soil habitat were lower than those under sandy soil habitat. Significance test showed that number of florets and seed-setting percentage of two L. chinensis ecotypes, number of grains of grey-green ecotypes L. chinensis and the weight of thousand grains of yellow-green ecotype L. chinensis between saline-alkali soil habitat and sandy soil habitat were significant or very significant. Number of florets and the weight of thousand grains between two L. chinensis ecotypes under the same habitat were significant or very significant. In results, adaptation of sexual reproduction of two L. chinensis ecotype populations on habitat was stronger. The two ecotypes adopt the same adaptable reproduction strategy. Condition change arose plasticity feedback of characteristics of sexual reproduction. And individual difference in population under the same habitat was results by microhabitat difference.

A NEW CHEMICAL BRASSINOLIDE IN COMBINATION WITH FERTILIZER LEVELS TO IMPROVE THE SEED SETTING PERCENTAGE IN SUNFLOWER

Poor seed set and filling is one of the most common problems encountered in sunflower cultivation. The yield of sunflower could be increased to a considerable extent by using brassinolide, a plant growth promoting substance, isolated from the pollen of rape, which prevents the formation of empty achenes, thus increasing the number of filled seeds. Field experiments were carried out at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, India during the summer (March–May) and South West Monsoon (June– September) seasons of 1997 to study the effect of brassinolide and NPK levels on the yield and yield attributes of sunflower. The experiments were laid out in a split plot design. The main plots were treated with five levels of fertilizer (N:P:K), namely 40:20:20, 50:25:25, 60:30:30, 70:35:35 and 80:40:40 kg ha -1, while the subplots consisted of seed setting treatments: hand pollination, 0.2% borax + 2% diammonium phosphate spray and 1 ppm brassinolide spray at the ray floret opening stage, together with a control. Yield attributes: head diameter, number of seeds head –1, seed filling percentage and 100 seed weight, were significantly influenced by NPK levels. Among the seed setting treatments, brassinsolide 1 ppm spray at the ray floret opening stage was found to be superior in enhancing the seed setting percentage. The application of N:P:K at 80:40:40 kg ha –1 was found to be optimum for higher seed yield in sunflower.