Background: The basic plant material consisted of 9 mungbean and 5 urdbean genotypes. 42 different crosses were made comprising 13 Vigna radiata x V. radiata, 4 V. radiata x V. mungo and 25 V. radiata x V. mungo crosses. Varying degree of success has been achieved in obtaining intraspecific and interspecific crosses having desired variability for yield and yield contributing traits along with MYMV resistance. Methods: The present investigation was done at Agricultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, during Kharif, 2019 and Summer, 2020. 42 intra-specific and inter-specific cross combinations were initially examined for their crossability. Out of these, six promising crosses with higher crossability percent were further analyzed for hybrid pollen fertility, hybrid lethality and, evaluation of F1 and parents for different yield traits. Result: Crossability per cent found highest in intraspecific cross HUM 2 x IPM 02-3 (41.86%) in mungbean while, in urdbean cross NDU 1 x R3/12 (41.38%). In interspecific crosses, the maximum crossability per cent was found in SKAU M 365 x R3/28 (34.92%). Two mungbean genotypes (HUM 2 and HUM 26) and two urdbean genotypes (R3/12 and R3/28) can be further utilized for genetic improvement through inter-specific hybridization as there cross combinations are better performing on the basis of yield attributes along with MYMV resistance.
The nature and the magnitude of genetic divergence was estimated in forty-eight germplasm of rice during two season Kharif 2017-18 and Kharif 2018-19using Mahalanobis’s D2-statistics. The genotypes were grouped into 10 clusters showing a reliable degree of relationship between geographic distribution and genetic divergence. During Kharif 2017-18,Cluster II showed maximum intra cluster divergence and inter cluster divergence was maximum between clusters IX and X while in Kharif 2018-19, maximum intra cluster distance was exhibited by cluster VI and maximum inter cluster distance was between clusters VIII and X. All the minimum and maximum cluster mean values were distributed in relatively distant clusters. Traits like plant height, total grains per panicle and test weight contributed maximum towards divergence.
During 2015-16 survey was conducted in six different soybean growing areas of Manipur, India. The survey revealed that the maximum mean pod blight intensity was at Thoubal (21.23%) and minimum (13.82%) at Andro Research Farm, CAU. Fusarium oxysporum was isolated and identified by morphological characteristics and gene sequencing, MF-512000. The pathogen was found to be the causal organism of pod blight of soybean. Total genomic DNA of the fungal cultures was extracted by using HiPurA DNA isolation Kit (HiMedia, India). PCR amplification of internal transcribed spacer regions was done using specific ITS1 and ITS4 primers and was confirmed by 1.2% agarose gel electrophoresis which produced a fixed region length of approximately 600bp for Fusarium oxysporum. Effects of volatile compounds produced by the Trichoderma spp. against Fusarium oxysporum ranged from 26.27-42.40 per cent. The effects of non-volatile compounds produced by Trichoderma spp. ranged from 20.39-43.52 per cent at 7.5% v/v concentration and 29.41-53.72 per cent at 15% v/v. In vivo study of isolates of Trichoderma spp. under field trials as seed treatment (@ 5g/kg seed) with foliar spraying (@ 5g/l of water) at 40 days after planting of water showed considerable reduction in disease incidence and increased production over control plot. The isolate T. harzianum (KU933468) showed highest yield in field trial (17.44 q/ha).
Twenty five diverse genotypes of Asparagus racemosus, were analyzed by RAPD markers for identifying genotypespecific markers. Out of 100 RAPD primers screened, only 25 were polymorphic. Among a total of 197 RAPD fragments amplified, 144 bands (73.09%) were found polymorphic, revealing high intra-species genetic variation. Eight genotype-specific bands specific to seven A. racemosus genotypes were identified. These genotype-specific RAPD markers could potentially be used for genotype identification, their documentation, management, cultivation and conservation.
A study was conducted with forty wild rice germplasm line at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi during Kharif 2018 and evaluated for twelve quantitative characters using D2 analysis in order to study the diversity pattern among the wild genotypes. The genotypes were grouped into 7 clusters. Maximum number of genotypes (32) were grouped under cluster I followed by cluster IV with 3 genotypes, while clusters II, III, V, VI and VIII, had only one genotype each. The maximum inter-cluster distance was observed between II and VII followed by clusters I and VII. Hence, the genotypes in cluster II viz., WRG(NKS)-426 had wider diversity with WRG(NKS)-440 in cluster VII and the genotypes in cluster I showed wider diversity with WRG(NKS)-440 in cluster VII, so these lines may be utilized in further breeding programme for the enhanced yield. The intra-cluster distance was maximum in cluster I followed by cluster IV indicating hybridization involving genotypes within the same clusters can result in good combinations. The trait, total grain yield per plant contributed maximum towards total genetic divergence followed by filled grain per panicle and test weight of grain. Therefore, these characters may be given importance during hybridization programme.
In the present study the flowers of chrysanthemum cv. Baggi were subjected to four different pre-drying treatments i.e. P0 – Control (Soaking in Distilled water for 15 minutes); P1 – Soaking in Citric acid (2%) for 15 minutes; P2 – Soaking in Magnesium Chloride (10 %) for 4 hours; P3 – Soaking in Glycerol: water (1:3) for 24 hours and five drying techniques i.e. D0 = Air drying at room temperature without embedding; D1 = Embedded drying in Silica gel in a hot air oven at 50+5 °C; D2 = Embedded drying in Silica gel in a microwave oven; D3 = Embedded drying in Borax in hot air oven 50+5 °C and D4 = Embedded drying in Borax in microwave oven in a factorial completely randomized design. Pre-drying treatment, Glycerol and Water in a 1:3 ratio proved best which resulted in a maximum dry flower weight of 0.83 grams, a minimal moisture loss of 67.45%, a maximum dry flower diameter of 4.24 centimeters, and a minimal reduction in diameter of 0.37 centimeters besides, a minimal drying time of 71.43 hours. In terms of quality parameters, the flowers treated with glycerol and water (1:3) had the highest scores for color (3.82), texture (2.76), shape (3.65), non-shattering of petals (3.87), and overall acceptability (3.64). Silica gel embedded flowers and drying them in a hot air oven resulted in a smaller reduction in diameter (0.20 centimeters) and achieved the highest scores for color (4.39), texture (4.18), shape (4.30), non-shattering of petals (4.20), and overall acceptability (4.54). The combination of the glycerol: water pre-treatment and the silica gel with a hot air oven drying method showed the least reduction in diameter (0.23 centimeters) and the highest scores for color (4.75), texture (4.60), shape (4.60), non-shattering of petals (4.55), and overall acceptability (4.75). Drying the flowers in a microwave oven with either desiccant resulted in the shortest drying time of 0.10 hours. On the other hand, air drying without embedding the flowers produced the lowest dry flower weight (0.46 grams), the highest percentage of moisture loss (82.44%), the smallest dry flower diameter (3.57 centimeters), and the largest reduction in diameter (1.00 centimeters). However, air drying took the longest time at 328.93 hours and resulted in dried flowers that were deemed unacceptable with minimal scores for color (2.70), texture (1.35), shape (1.95), and overall acceptability (2.35).