Breeding for higher yield, early maturity, wider adaptability and waterlogging tolerance in soybean (Glycine max L.): A case study

Breeding for higher yield and wider adaptability are major objectives of soybean crop improvement. In the present study, 68 advanced breeding lines along with seven best checks were evaluated for yield and attributing traits by following group balanced block design. Three blocks were constituted based on the maturity duration of the breeding lines. High genetic variability for the twelve quantitative traits was found within and across the three blocks. Several genotypes were found to outperform check varieties for yield and attributing traits. During the same crop season, one of the promising entries, NRC 128,was evaluated across seven locations for its wider adaptability and it has shown stable performance in Northern plain Zone with > 20% higher yield superiority over best check PS 1347. However, it produced 9.8% yield superiority over best check in Eastern Zone. Screening for waterlogging tolerance under artificial conditions revealed that NRC 128 was on par with the tolerant variety JS 97–52. Based on the yield superiority, wider adaptability and waterlogging tolerance, NRC 128 was released and notified by Central Varietal Release Committee (CVRC) of India, for its cultivation across Eastern and Northern Plain Zones of India.

Assessment of Yield Gaps and Economics through Frontline Demonstration in Participatory Mode on Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) under Eastern Zone of Haryana

Background: Cluster frontline demonstration (CFLD) with improved technology plays a vital role in enhancing the production potential of pulses as well as socio-economic level of farmers and it also proved that it improves soil heath through crop diversification by optimizing diversified microhabitats that benefit soil microbial community. Methods: KVK, ICAR-NDRI, Karnal (Haryana) conducted 220 demonstrations on chickpea variety HC-1 and HC-5 over an area of 80 ha during Rabi season 2017-18 to 2020-21. The demonstrated technology was improved variety HC-1 and HC-5, optimum seed rate and spacing, seed and soil treatment with bio-fungicide and application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) module for the management of diseases and insects. Result: The result of the CFLDs showed that on an average yield of chickpea seed under improved technology, ranged from 11.41 q/ha to 20 q/ha which was 25.06 per cent more as compared to farmer practices. The study depicted, the mean technology gap of 9.01 q/ha, the mean extension gap of 3.70 q/ha and the mean technology index of 36.7 per cent. The study concluded that from one hectare a net income of Rs. 47565/- can be obtained, additional return of Rs. 10404/, effective gain of Rs. 8289 and B:C ratio obtained were 2.63 under incorporation of improved technology as compared to local check. By conducting CFLD of proven technologies, yield of crop could be enhanced to a great extent with ultimately increment in the income level of small and marginal farmers.

Opinion and Expectations of Beneficiaries towards Training Programmes of KVKs: Gender Analysis

Study was conducted to know the opinion and expectations of beneficiaries towards training programmes of KVKs in Haryana. Agro climatically Haryana is divided into two zones i.e., western and eastern zone. Based on the year of establishment, four KVKs two each funded by ICAR from western and eastern zone of Haryana, functioning for the last five years and where maximum number of rural women participated in their training programmes were selected. These KVKs were Bhiwani and Fatehabad from western zone, Rohtak and Jhajjar from eastern zone. The opinion of male and female beneficiaries were studied through five specific aspects of training viz., training programme, course content, time and duration, physical facilities, evaluation and supporting activities. For analyzing the expectations of the beneficiaries, a schedule was developed. Results revealed that out of both the zones, majority of male and female beneficiaries had high opinion level about all the four specific training aspects viz; training programme (26.0% male and 20.5% female), course content (24.0% male and 21.5% female), time and duration (22.5% male, 20.0% female) and physical facilities (26.0% male and 26.5% female). In case of evaluation and supporting activities where they had medium (27.5% male and 19.5% female) level of opinion regarding training programmes. Overall level of opinion of respondents towards training programmes was medium (26.0% male and 20.5% female) followed by high (24.5% male and16.5% female) and low (7.0% male and 5.5% female). Whereas, level of expectation of beneficiaries for training programmes was high (33.0% male and 21.5% female) followed by medium (20.5% male and 15.0% female) and low (4.5% male and 5.5% female).

Awareness on presentation of obstetric fistula and associated factors among reproductive age women in south eastern zone of tigray,ethiopia,2020.cross sectional study

Background Worldwide, around one million girls and women are currently living with fistula. Less than 20,000 women with obstetric fistula are treated each year. Lack of awareness is a frequently mentioned barrier to seeking fistula treatment; many women suffering from obstetric fistula do not know what fistula is, as it is treatable, or where to get treatment. Even though obstetric fistula has likely weighed down women since the beginning of time, few researches proportionally exists. Methods A community based quantitative cross-sectional survey was undertaken in south eastern zone of Tigray. A multistage random sampling technique was implemented to select total participants of 605 reproductive age women. Two districts were randomly selected and from those districts, 12 kebels were selected randomly and the calculated sample size (605) was proportionally allocated to each selected kebeles. The data were collected by using face to face/interview with structured questionnaire from February 26-March 24/2020 after ensuring that all requirements of ethical considerations were fulfilled. The collected data were entered in to Epidata version 4.2 then exported to SPSS version20 for analysis. Descriptive statistics with frequency, percentage, table and graph and cross tabulation were used for presentation of result. Bivariable and multivariable analysis were used to examine the association. Odds ratios with 95% confidence interval and P-value <0.05 were used to determine the statistical association. Result Overall, about 31.6% of respondents had good awareness on presentation of obstetric fistula. The major determinant factors identified to awareness on presentation of obstetric fistula were educational level (above secondary)[AOR(95%CI=2.9(1.42-9.6)],history of institutional delivery (for the index child)[AOR (95%CI=4.1(1.76-9.56)] and having prior information about obstetric fistula[AOR (95%CI=2.2(1.01-4.75)]. Conclusion In this study majority of reproductive age women in the study area had poor awareness regarding presentation of obstetric fistula. Several interventions like health education and information should be implemented to enhance the awareness of the community towards obstetric fistula.

Factors and features of manifestation and distribution of rabies on the territory of the Republic of Tuva

The dynamics and features of animal rabies manifestation on the territory of the Republic of Tuva have been studied. In the Republic of Tuva in the period of 1979-2019 outbreaks of rabies were reported in 1979, 1987, 2007-2009, 2012-2014, 2018-2019. There were 79 adverse locations revealed with 127 laboratory confirmed cases of rabies of four species of wild animals, two domestic carnivores and four agricultural animals. For the first time the cause of the outbreak of rabies was the introduction of infection by wild carnivores from adverse neighboring regions and Mongolia. Subsequently, a natural focus of rabies developed on the territory of the region. The epidemic process of rabies proceeded with five waves of intensity exacerbation, which was facilitated by a sharp increase in the population of wild carnivores, especially wolves, as well as an uncontrolled population of stray dogs with the involvement of domestic and farm animals in the epizootic process. The spread of the disease is influenced by the natural and climatic conditions of the region, the traditional distant pasture management of livestock with the movement of livestock to pastures adjacent to the habitat of wild predators. Domestic and farm animals are attacked by predators, most often wolves and foxes. Infection of animals and humans with rabies occurs through bites with saliva. As a result, rabies foci appear in these areas. Zones of high and low degree of epizootic danger and zones free from rabies have been identified on the territory of the Republic of Tuva. The high-risk areas include the steppe and semi-desert territories of the Ubsu-Nur and Tuva depressions. The mountain-taiga Todzhinsky and Tere-Kholsky regions of the eastern zone are classified as areas of low epizootic danger; Pii-Khem and Kaa-Khem regions of the Yenisei basin of the central zone are classified as rabies-free.

On the stability of the seismic mode parameters in time by the example of the east of the central part of Northern Caucasus

The parameters of the seismic regime of the eastern zone of the Central Caucasus are deter-mined based on the new catalog data. A similar study is being carried out for the third time: in 1996, 2015 and 2021. The basis for work in the area surrounding Grozny was laid in 1996 by a comprehensive study of geological, geomorphological, geophysical and seismological ma-terials. When comparing the results, the stability of the seismic regime parameters was estab-lished: the repetition schedule b and seismic activity A3.3 near Grozny, the capital of the Che-chen Republic and a large industrial center in 2015 and 2021. In both cases, the estimates were performed on the same the same territory bounded by coordinates: 41.1-45.6N and 42.6-48.8E. The same basic earthquake catalog was used for the calculations. The difference was in the number of events that took place in this territory from 2015 to 2020 inclusive.

Positive result from the use of bacterial preparations and mineral fertilizers in the cultivation of safflower in the conditions of the north-eastern zone of the Rostov region

Field experiments to study the effectiveness of the use of mineral fertilizers and biological products with strains of associative nitrogen fixers were conducted in 2016-2018 on dark brown soil in LLC "Zarya" of the Oblivsky district, which is located in the north-eastern zone of the Rostov region. The objects of research were: the variety of safflower Zavolzhsky 1, bacterial preparations Mizorin, Flavobacterin, KL-10, made at the All-Russian Institute of Agricul-tural Microbiology in St. Petersburg. They were mixed immediately before sowing with seeds at a rate of 300 g/ha. Mineral fertilizers were represented by ammonium nitrate (34.4%), ammophos (12:52) and potassium chloride (65%). Safflower was cultivated according to traditional technology. The sowing of safflower was carried out with the SZ-3,6 seeder. The predecessor of safflower is winter wheat. The application of mineral fertilizers was carried out simulta-neously with sowing, as well as manually spreading for pre-sowing cultivation. The yield of safflower seeds in the control variant (without the use of agro-chemicals) was the highest in 2017, which was favorable for moisture-1.11 t / ha, and almost the same in 2016 and 2018 – 0.92-0.94 t/ha, respectively. Av-erage for 2018-2020 the yield of safflower seeds in the control variant was 0.99 t / ha. The highest yield of oilseeds was obtained on the variant with a dose of mineral fertilizers N48P52 1. 22 t / ha, but on the variant with the use of the biological product Flavobacterin, the yield was only 0.05 t / ha less. The oil content in safflower seeds on average for 3 years of research on all variants of the experiment differed slightly. Its content varied from 35.7–36.3% and did not depend on the studied agrochemical techniques. The most optimal indica-tors of economic efficiency in the experiment were obtained from the use of a strain of the associative biological product Flavobacterin on a natural back-ground of fertility. The level of profitability is higher than in the control ver-sion by 28%, with a reduction in the cost of 1.42 rubles/kg. Keywords: SAFFLOWER, MINERAL FERTILIZERS, BACTERIAL PREP-ARATIONS, YIELD

Determination of Heavy and Trace Metals in Honey Using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) in South Eastern Zone of Tigray Region, Northern Ethiopia

The present study aimed to determine concentration of heavy and trace metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Co, Cd, Pb, As, and Hg) in honey by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Samples passed through wet digestion methods following the optimum digestion condition by applying the reagents (30mL HNO3:30mL H2O2) at temperature of 270°C for 3 hours. The average concentrations of the metals are found in the range of 5.32-28.6 mg/kg for Fe, 0.24-0.749mg/kg for Cu, 0.627-4.401mg/kg Zn, 0.41-3.15mg/kg for Mn, 0.08-0.112 mg/kg for Co, 0.25-0.325mg/kg for Pb, 0.24-0.46mg/kg for As, ND-0.031mg/kg for Hg and 0.02-0.03mg/kg for Cd. This study shows that the honey in the studied area is a good sources of essential metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Co and Zn) as they are found to be in the permissible limit. Moreover, the maximum concentration of the toxic metals determined in this work are below the level of toxicity as per the standard set by WHO/FAO.