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Mutations in Chromosomal oprD Gene of Endotracheal Aspirate’s
Isolates of Carbapenem-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa
--Ankur Ambast, Amita Jain and Shally Awasthi
The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between mutations in oprD gene and carbapenem resistance. Eight carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, evaluated in this study, were isolated from pediatric ventilated patients. Drug pattern of imipenem and meropenem was determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) criteria. The oprD gene was amplified by PCR using specific primers, and sequencing was performed. The amino acid alterations in the oprD gene of carbapenem-resistant isolates were compared with the corresponding sequence of P. aeruginosa PAO1. OprD gene of all eight carbapenem-resistant isolates of P. aeruginosa was found having defective chromosomal mutations. Different classes of mutations were found. In this study, distinct base substitution was the commonest aberration in oprD gene, causing premature termination. Other frequent mechanisms of oprD inactivation resulted from 1-bp insertions or deletions or point mutation, leading to premature stop codon. In these isolates, amino acid variations among oprD groups were observed mainly at the external loops. Different classes of mutations of P. aeruginosa oprD gene were associated with carbapenem-resistant isolates from endotracheal aspirates of pediatric ventilated patients. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Caulogenesis in Caesalpinia pulcherrima from Floral Explants
and Their Efficacy Against Microbial Pathogens
-- S H K R Prasad, R Chakravarthy, N L Swapna, N Jyothirmayi and M M Reddy
Making use of plants as curative agents is as old as disease, which in turn is as ancient as man himself. Plants have been used for curing human ailments for ages. Evidences for potential antiparasitic, antimalarial, leishmanicidal, antitumorous, fungicidal and antibacterial properties of plants can be found in traditional medicine. Still, a number of plants are yet to be screened for their latent medicinal applications. In accordance with this information, antimicrobial activity of the selected plant, which is commonly considered as traditional medicinal plant, was tested. Caesalpinia pulcherrima is an exotic, drought-resistant shrub or small tree, belonging to the family Caesalpinaceae. The flowers are good medicine for bronchitis, asthma, intestinal worms and malarial fever. It is a proven fact that in vitro propagation releases more amounts of secondary metabolites than that of the naturally grown plants. Keeping this fact in view, an attempt was made to screen the antimicrobial nature of C. pulcherrima callus extracts against some pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Callus extracts of C. pulcherrima flowers prepared in various organic solvents such as acetone, benzene, chloroform, hexane, methanol and petroleum ether were tested for antimicrobial activity against Bacillus megaterium, B. subtilis, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter faecalis, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus niger, A. fumigatus and Candida albicans. Chloroform and acetone extracts were found to be effective against most of the test organisms. The phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of alkaloids, fixed oils, steroids, tannins and glycosides. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Comparative Efficacy of Biopesticides and Synthetic Insecticides
Against Cotton Pink Bollworm
-- B K Shivanna, B Gangadhara Naik, N G Kumar, S Nagaraja and R Krishna Naika
A field trial was conducted for two consecutive years from 2007 to 2008 in kharif season at the Zonal Agricultural Research Station, Shimoga, Karnataka, under rainfed conditions with a popular hybrid DCH-32 against cotton pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechidae) with 13 insecticides/biopesticides alone or alternated with any one of these accounting to 11 treatments and a control. At initial stages, plant protection was given against sucking pests and other bollworms. Ninety days after germination, ETLbased sprays of these treatments were imposed after assessing 10% damage in fruiting bodies (squares, flowers and bolls). Among the treatments, significantly lower number of larval population/20 bolls was recorded in novaluron (4.15) and thiodicarb (4.35), whereas spinosad (12.31%) and thiodicarb (12.96%) recorded less green boll damage. With respect to yield and yield attributing parameters, spinosad (38.00) and indoxacarb (37.37) recorded maximum good opened bolls per plant. However, spinosad continued its supremacy by recording the lowest number of bad opened bolls, 5.60 per plant with minimum locule damage (14.20%). Significantly, maximum seed cotton yield was recorded in spinosad (2,123.06 kg/ha), followed by thiodicarb (2,012.77 kg/ha), emamectin benzoate (1,453.52 kg/ha), novaluron (1,908.82 kg/ha) and indoxacarb (1,891.58 kg/ha) than untreated control (475.00 kg/ha). The highest B/C ratio was recorded in thiodicarb (1:10.05), alternated with spray application of lamba cyhalothrin 5 EC-endosulfan 35 EC-chlorpyriphos 20 EC-thiodicarb 75 WP-thiodicarb 75 (1:9.83) and endosulfan (1:8.22). Interestingly, additional yield over control was high in spinosad (1,148.06 kg/ha), where the cost of additional treatment ( 14,716.79) was also high in this treatment. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Biological Control of Flag Smut Disease in Wheat
(T. aestivum) Under Field Conditions Using Bioinoculants
-- K Wadhwa, M S Beniwal, S S Karwasara, R K Behl and N Narula
A field experiment was conducted in a randomized block design, with three replications in a plot size of 1.5 m long six rows spaced 25 cm apart from each other for each treatment in each replication, to investigate the effect of inoculation of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR)—two strains of Azotobacter spp. and one Gluconacetobacter spp.— having antifungal activity for percent reduction in flag smut disease severity and increase in seed yield of wheat. The experiment was laid out in flag smut infested soil along with external addition of flag smut inoculums (1 g m row-1/12g plot-1) with ground infested leaves using seeds of wheat cultivar C306. The observations on disease severity and seed yield per plot were recorded. Analysis of variance was conducted and means were compared to know the percent reduction in disease severity of flag smut and increase in seed yield in treatment plots, as compared to control plots. The disease severity in NK-1, ST-7 and HR-23 treated plots was only 43.68, 44.35 and 44.35% of control plots, respectively. Thus the treatment with these strains led to 56.3, 55.65 and 55.65% reduction in flag smut disease severity, respectively. Also, the bioinoculation with these strains led to considerable increase in the grain yield of C306 i.e., 4.1% (NK-1), 8.51% (ST-7) and 19.7 (HR-23), respectively. Our findings suggest that bioinoculation of wheat with Azotobacter/Gluconacetobacter strains is satisfactory in controlling the flag smut. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
In Vitro Multiplication of Mentha piperata L. and Estimation
of Secondary Metabolites
-- Manoj Kumar Yadava, Shashidhara S, Rajasekharan P E and Bhagyalakshmi N
Peppermint is one of the oldest medicinal herbs and its main constituent, menthol, has a vasodilatory effect on skin and blood. Various combination of BAP, Kn and NAA were tried for in vitro multiplication of both nodal and shoot tip explants. MS media supplemented with NAA and Kn produced maximum number of shootlets. Roots were induced by the addition of IBA and IAA. The number of shootlets was increased manifold when the MS medium was supplemented with NAA + BAP + Kn using nodal explants. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Alternate Cropping Systems for Sustainable
Agriculture in Semiarid Regions
-- Pawan Kumar, S K Yadav, Manoj Kumar, R K Nanwal and Ashwani Kumar
A five-year study (2001 to 2006) was undertaken in semiarid regions to identify the cropping systems which may be more remunerative, ecofriendly and sustainable over existing cropping systems and are farmer-friendly, so that they may be convinced to shift to the new cropping systems to maintain soil health and get increased returns. The study indicated that pearlmilletpotato- green gram was the most profitable and efficient cropping system over prevalent cropping systems, viz., cotton-wheat and pearlmillet-wheat. It gave wheat equivalent yield of 18,340.1 kg ha–1 and profitability of 56,012.8, while the same values for cotton-wheat and pearlmillet-wheat were 9,942.2 and 7,129.3 kg ha–1 and 44,269.6 and 34,374.4 ha–1, respectively. The cropping system soybean-wheat-cowpea (fodder) was better than pearlmillet-wheat cropping system in terms of both crop yield and profit, while the wheat equivalent yield in soybean-wheat-cowpea (fodder) was 9,725.5 kg ha–1. Under comparatively less availability of irrigation water, pearlmillet-mustard was found to be a promising cropping system with wheat equivalent yield of 6,851.5 kg ha–1 and profitability of 31,100. Pearlmilletfieldpea- maize (fodder) cropping system performed poorly over a period of six years. The field occupancy for more period in a year in a developing country like India is desirable to avoid underemployment in agriculture, and the cropping system, viz., cotton-wheat and soybean-wheat-cowpea (fodder) had more than 300 days occupancy in a year, and therefore, the farmers become busy for more period. The Land Use Efficiency (LUE) was around 60% in sorghum (fodder)-wheat, pearlmillet-mustard and pearlmillet-wheat, while it was close to 90% in soybean-wheat-cowpea (fodder), and cotton-wheat. The Evapotranspiration (ET) in different cropping systems varied between 451.8 and 978.2 mm being minimum in pearlmilletmustard and highest in soybean-wheat-cowpea(fodder) cropping system. The water productivity was comparatively very high (20.6 kg ha–1mm–1) in pearlmillet-potato-green gram and was followed by pearlmillet-mustard cropping system with 15.2 kg ha–1mm–1. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Dissection of the Association of Spike Traits and Grain Yield Attributes
in Bread Wheat Genotypes and F1 Hybrids Derived from Line Tester Mating
-- Babita Gollen, R K Yadava and Pawan Kumar
The present investigation was undertaken with the objective to evaluate the nature and magnitude of genetic variability and correlation of different spike traits and other character association with grain yield. Eighteen diverse bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.em Thell.) genotypes and 72 F1 lines were evaluated to estimate the extent of association with respect to spike traits and grain yield. The coefficient for genotypic correlation for most of the character combination was higher in magnitude, as compared to corresponding phenotypic correlation coefficient, indicating largely the strong inherent nature of traits recorded in the present investigation. The yield per plant exhibited positive and strong association with all the traits except with 100 grain weight. From the present investigation, it could be suggested that breeder has to work cautiously for any breeding program aimed at improving particularly the 100 grain weight. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
Nonlinear Growth Models for Body Growth of Vanaraja Poultry Birds
-- Amrit Paul, Surendra Singh, Ashok Kumar, Okendro Singh,
Rahan Kumar Raman, Santosh Haunshi and Med Ram Verma
The present study aims to find out a suitable growth model of Vanaraja, a new bird of poultry. Five different nonlinear growth models were attempted, among which Richards growth model was seemed to be the best model to represent the growth pattern of the poultry bird. The asymptotic weight of the bird given by Richards model was 2.516 kg approximately. © 2011 IUP. All Rights Reserved.
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