Use of Dactylaria brochopaga, a Predacious Fungus, for Managing Root-Knot Disease of Wheat (Triticum aestivum) Caused by Meloidogyne graminicola

A laboratory experiment was conducted to study the induction of constricting rings and test predation of Dactylaria brochopaga isolates against second stage juveniles (J2s) of Meloidogyne graminicola. Among the five fungal isolates, isolate D showed the greatest number of predatory rings and, consequently, trapped the maximum number of M. graminicola J2s in dual cultures. Another pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of D. brochopaga (isolate D) on the management of wheat root-knot disease. Applying a mass culture (10 g/pot) and a spore suspension of the fungus with and without cow dung manure to soil infested with 2,000 M. graminicola juveniles significantly improved plant height, root length, weights of shoots, roots, panicles and grains per hill compared to those in the control. Moreover, the fungus significantly reduced the number of root-knots, the number of egg masses, juveniles, and females per hill compared to those in the control. Bio-efficacy of the fungus was heightened when the mass culture and a spore suspensions were used in combination with cow dung manure to improve the plant growth parameters and reduce the number of root-knot and reproductive factors. Further investigations should be conducted to identify the impact of this fungus in the field.

comparative evaluation of medicinal plants for their hypoglycaemic activity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

In the present study, the hypoglycaemic effect of alcoholic extracts of Momordica charantia, Aegle marmelos, and Eugenia jambolana was studied in Streptozotocin [STZ]- induced diabetes. Rats were made diabetic using intraperitoneal injection of STZ [30 mg/kg] in citrate buffer. On confirmation of diabetes after 48 hrs of injection, alcoholic extract of medicinal plant [250 or 500 kg] or glibenclamide [300 micro g/kg] administrated orally to rats for 30 days. These three plants produced dose and duration dependent hypglycaemia very similar to that of glibenclamide. At the end of one month, serum glucose levels of STZ diabetic rats with daily doses of 500 mg/kg of any one of the alcoholic extract were 'more or less' comparable to that of normal rats. The anti-diabetic effect of these plants might be due to enhanced insulin secretion from the viable beta-cells of islets of Langerhans as evidenced by presence of more viable beta-cells and less necrotic changes in the pancreas of diabetic rats as compared to that of control diabetic rats. Thus, these plants appear to be better alternative for the diabetic patients who are prone to develop side effects with the regular use of synthetic hypoglycaemic drugs as these plants are devoid of any untoward/toxic effects

innovative approach to teaching the morphology of viruses: the use of models

To develop a general inters about viruses, to understand the complex structures of the viruses in a simple way, to get an idea of the three dimensional picture of the viruses and to classify the viruses in a way so that it is easier to remember the viruses. Virus is a living chemical made up of nucleic acids covered by protein coats and in some viruses further covered by lipid envelopes. Basically the function of the protein coat is to protecte the nucleic acid. If this protein coat is absent this is called VIROID while the name PRION is given to something in which presence of only protein is documented. Viruses have three types of structures. Helical symmetry: You can use a ball and fill it with a wire. Cubic symmetry: is based on icosahederon and is further studied by vague electron micrographs. Our effort here is to simplify the details of this structure in the form of a model. The icosahedrons are described with 12 vortices [corners] and 20 surfaces. The subunits [capsomeres] of the capsid [protein coat] described in the books are either calculated by mathematical formulae and every thing is left to the imagination of the learner. Here we have tried to describe the same thing by simple logic and simple calculation by using self prepared models. The identification of the viruses using the electron microscope is based on the details of the number of these capsomeres and the arrangement of these capsomeres present in this virus coat. Soccer Ball like structure and Picrona virus. There are 12 red colored polygonal pieces, one on each of the vortices. There are 20 blue colored hexagonal pieces [one on each of the total of 20 surfaces] giving it a soccer ball like appearance. Viruses included in this group i.e. Picorna viruses include the Entero virus [Polio virus, Coxsackie, ECHO and entero virus] and the Rhino virus. The core of the Hepatitis B viruses also has the same looks. Adeno Group of Virus. There are 12 red colored pieces [one on each vortices]. There are six blue colored capsomeres on each of the 20 surfaces [6 multiplied by 20 = 120 surface pieces] There are four white colored capsomere on each of the 30 edges [4 multiplied by 30- 120 edge pieces]. There are a total of 252 pieces in Adeno group of virus. Models of DNA viruses can also be made by using plastic material like old X ray plates. Plastic balls may be used or bottom of the plastic bottles can be used to give the round shape in preparing models of RNA Viruses. An old Chinese saying. If you read, you are likely to forget. If you see you will understand. If you do it yourself you will remember it

Control of Erysiphe pisi Causing Powdery Mildew of Pea (Pisum sativum) by Cashewnut (Anacardium occidentale) Shell Extract

The effect of methanolic extract of cashewnut (Anacardium occidentale) shell extract was seen on conidial germination of Erysiphe pisi and powdery mildew development in pea (Pisum sativum). Maximum conidial germination inhibition of E. pisi on glass slides was observed at 300 ppm. Similar effect on floated pea leaves was observed after 48 h at the same concentration. Conidial germination on intact untreated pea leaves was also assessed on II and IV nodal leaves while IV and II nodal leaves were treated with the extract and vice versa. There was tremendous reduction in conidial germination on all the nodal leaves. The disease intensity of pea powdery mildew was significantly reduced by methanolic extract of cashewnut shells. Maximum reduction was observed with 200 ppm where 39% disease intensity was recorded in comparison to 96.53% in the control. The phenolic acid content of pea leaves following treatments with this extract varied and no definite pattern was observed. Out of several phenolic compounds, namely, gallic, ferulic, chlorogenic, and cinnamic acids, only gallic acid was found to be present consistently in all the treatments with varied amounts.

Variation in Biochemical Composition among Indian Isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Biochemical variability among 20 Indian isolates of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum collected from different hosts/soil samples from different localities in India is reported. High Performance Liquid Chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of ethyl acetate fraction of culture filtrate, mycelia, sclerotia and sclerotial exudate showed 15~23 peaks but only 11 could be identified. They were tannic, gallic, oxalic, caffeic, vanillic, ferulic, O-coumeric, chlorogenic, cinnamic, salicylic and gentisic acids. The amount of phenolic compounds varied among the culture filtrates, mycelia, sclerotia and sclerotial exudates of S. sclerotiorum.

Hearing loss and systolic blood pressure level among a sample of agricultural workers

High noise levels are a feature of several work environments.The least of these work environments is the agricultural one. In this study, a random sample of 58 male agricultural workers exposed to railway traffic noise were examined and compared with another 23 male agricultural workers as controls.Theexposedgroupshowed significant differences in hearing and systolic blood pressure levels from the control group. These differences were attributed to noise exposure as the two groups of workers were similar in relevant factors otherwise. The results of the study including audiometry were analyzed and discussed and some recommendations were also mentioned