ISA

006225 ZEWUDU G, DALLE G (Ambo Univ, Ambo, Ethiopia, Email: gemedo.dalle@aau.edu.et) : Evaluation of nutritive value of some native forage species in Tikur Incinni District, Oromia, Ethiopia. Forage Res 2019, 45(2), 103-10.

Conservation and sustainable use of forage species is important for increasing livestock productivity and ensuring food security in mixed crop-livestock production systems of small holder farmers. This study was conducted to evaluate nutritive values of selected grass and forbs in Tikur Inchini District West Shoa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia. Ten selected herbaceous species were identified by knowledgeable local farmers. Sample of the selected species were collected at 50% flowering, full flowering and post flowering stages and their nutritive values were analyzed at Holeta Research Center, Animal Nutrition Laboratory following established procedures. Semi-structured questionnaire was prepared and perceptions of farmers were documented. The data were analyzed using excel spreadsheet, and SPSS version 20. Mean CP of forbs (7.68 %) was higher than that of grasses (6.58 %). On the other hand, mean NDF and ADF content were higher in grasses (65.04 and 49.03 %, respectively) compared with the contents in forbs (62.13 and 45.41 %, respectively). The result showed that there was significant difference (p<0.05) between the grass and forb species. The low CP content in the study area could be due to continued range land degradation as a result of overgrazing. It was noted that there was positive correlation between the indigenous knowledge of farmers and laboratory results on nutritive value of some forage species. Farmers perceived that highly desirable forage species such as Sporobolus affinis, Satureja punctata, and Cynodon spp were threatened due to expansion of crop land and overstocking. Conservation and sustainable use of forage species, rangeland rehabilitation, improving livestock management to minimize overgrazing and increasing options for feed availability from diverse sources were recommended as a result of this study.

1 illus, 4 tables, 32 ref

Micronutrient management for enhancing production of major fodder crops- A review

SINGH C, SINGH B, SATPAL, KUMAR P, ANKUSH, GORA M K, KUMAR A

006194 SINGH C, SINGH B, SATPAL, KUMAR P, ANKUSH, GORA M K, KUMAR A (Soil Science Dep, CCS Haryana Agricultural Univ, Hisar-125 004, Email: charansinghhau1997@gmail.com) : Micronutrient management for enhancing production of major fodder crops- A review. Forage Res 2019, 45(2), 95-102.

At present time, scope to increase area under forage crops cultivated is limited; the reason is increasing day by day pressure and preference of people for food and commercial crops. But India is a home to about 512 million livestock population also. Hence, the per unit production of fodder crops should be increased to feed this huge livestock population. Growth, development and biological yield of the crops affected by the balanced use of fertilizers shows positive effects over use of nutrients in single and in combination. Importance of micronutrients for upholding soil health and boosting crops productivity is well known. A very small amount of these micronutrients is required. For desired growth and development of plants the soil must supply micronutrients. Adoption of HYVs (high yielding varieties) results increased removal of micronutrients and intensive cropping results in high application of NPK fertilizers which is the reason behind below normal level of micronutrients in soil at which sustainable crop productivity cannot be achieved. Zinc and iron play an important role in crop nutrition and thought to be necessary for plant development and production, as their role in plant auxins bio-synthesis, oxidationreduction reactions, plant nitrogen metabolism, formation of chlorophyll, respiration, chief enzyme system and photosynthesis in plants. Economical and efficient way of getting micronutrients into the crop production system is application of fertilizers having micronutrients through soil which requires higher quantity of micronutrients as compare to foliar application. The method of foliar application is broadly used in many crops. Soluble salts are mainly used for foliar sprays. Deficiency symptoms can be corrected within few days by foliar application of micronutrients and at time of new crop sowing the appropriate micronutrients source is applied to the soil.

63 ref

Long term effect of integrated nutrient management on pearl millet-wheat cropping system– A review

KUMAR P, BABLI, DEVI U, KUMAR M, PANGHAAL D, SATPAL

006130 KUMAR P, BABLI, DEVI U, KUMAR M, PANGHAAL D, SATPAL (Agronomy Dep, Haryana Agricultural Univ, Hisar-125 004, Email: dheerajpanghal27@gmail.com) : Long term effect of integrated nutrient management on pearl millet-wheat cropping system– A review. Forage Res 2019, 45(2), 81-94.

Food security for a huge country like India, with high density of population in general and below poverty line is of vital importance. India has to produce around 300 mt of food grains by 2025 A.D. to nourish over 1.4 billion population from 0.15 ha land per capita or less. To feed this burgeoning population, many intensively cropped cereal based cropping systems are under cultivation in the country. Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br. Emend. Stuntz.] - wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the important cropping systems of the country and spreads over arid eco-region; semi-arid eco-region with alluvium derived soils. Higher food production needs higher amount of plant nutrients. To avoid wastage of resources and to reduce the environmental damage, there is a need to develop and demonstrate balanced use of organic/inorganic fertilizers. This will not only ensure the crop production in a sustainable way but also sustain the crop production system. As no single source of nutrient is capable of supplying the balanced amount of nutrients, integrated use of all sources is a solution to supply balanced nutrients. Long term studies being carried out at several locations on different cropping systems indicated that application of all the needed plant nutrients through chemical fertilizers has deleterious effect on soil health. Since, the nutrient turnover in soil-plant system is considerably high under intensive cropping system. So, neither the chemical fertilizers nor the organic/biological sources alone can achieve production sustainability. Even with the so called balance use of NPK fertilizers in long term studies, higher yield levels could not be maintained for years because of emergence of secondary and micro-nutrient deficiency and deterioration in the soil physical properties. Organic manure alone or in combination with inorganic fertilizers are known to have favourable effect on soil and can correct marginal deficiency of secondary & micro-nutrients and interns will ensure efficient supply of applied nutrients. Therefore, there is need to strengthen nutrient supply system especially through INM for sustainable production of this cropping system. Use of chemical fertilizers in conjunction with FYM, vermicompost, green manure, wheat straw etc. have proven good for sustainability of pearl millet- wheat cropping system which have been thoroughly discussed in this review.

1 illus, 2 tables, 82 ref

Hydroponic fodder production: An alternative technology for sustainable livestock production in India

SHIT N

006189 SHIT N (Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar- 736 165, Email: drnonigopal@gmail.com) : Hydroponic fodder production: An alternative technology for sustainable livestock production in India. Explor Anim Med Res 2019, 9(2), 108-19.

In India, livestock plays important role for the nutritional security particularly for the small and marginal farmers. Though, India represents as the highest livestock population and milk producing country, but only 5 % of cropped land area is utilized for cultivating fodder and facing a deficit of 35.6 % green fodder, 26 % of dry fodder and 41 % of concentrate feed ingredients. Rapid urbanization, climate change, water scarcity etc. are the momentum to search alternate system for green fodder production. Hydroponic is the best alternative which involves production of fodder without soil in a confined environment (hi-tech or low-cost device) and harvested at 7-8days period of time. It is gaining importance as it is used to guarantee a constant production of high quantity of green forage round the year for livestock. Seed for hydroponic cultivation is the major input and shares 90 % of the total cost of production as compared to conventional system. Since the hydroponics fodder is more palatable, digestible and nutritious, it improves immune status of the animals and augments productive and reproductive performance of the livestock. Supplementation of 5-10 kg hydroponic fodders per cow per day increases milk production by 8-13%; and meat quality based on the digestibility of the nutrients. Farmers can adopt small- or large-scale hydroponic production following low cost devices and sustain green fodder supplements round the year for profitable livestock production. Livestock farmers are to be educated and aware through capacity building programme for their keen interest towards importance of the hydroponic and green fodders for sustainable livestock production.

5 illus, 4 tables, 59 ref

The cost of standing tall: Wood nutrients associated with tree invasions in nutrient-poor fynbos soils of South Africa

REDMOND M D, MORRIS T L, CRAMER M C

Effect of petroleum-based oil on management of sigatoka leaf spot (Fusarium sp.) on banana (Musa sp.)

SINGH A, VIBHUTE M, KUMAR S

Analysis of trend in area, production and productivity of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) in India

PANWAR S, KUMAR N, KUMAR A, PAUL R, SARKAR S K

Effect of different fertility levels and biofertilizers on quality and economics of knol-khol (Brassica oleracea var. caulorapa L.) under agroclimatic condition of Bikaner region

MEENA M, SONI A K, BAIRWA L N, CHOUDHARY H D

Evaluation of gladiolus (Gladiolus grandiflora) genotypes for morphological diversity and corm yield

SWAROOP K, SINGH K P, KUMAR P

Standardization of tree architectural techniques for higher apple productivity on dwarfing rootstock

SRIVASTAVA K K, KUMAR D, SINGH S R

Effect of fruit thinning on nut characteristics and leaf mineral nutrient concentration in walnut (Juglans regia) cv. Xiangling

XU Y-J, WANG Q-Z, DENG X-Z, WANG H

Exploring potential of bacterial endophytes in disease management of horticultural crops

BORA P, SAIKIA K, HAZARKIA H, RAGESH G

Doubling oil palm yield through technological interventions— A review

MANORAMA K, MATHUR R K, PRASAD M V, SURESH K, RAMACHANDRUDU K, RAO B N

006139 MANORAMA K, MATHUR R K, PRASAD M V, SURESH K, RAMACHANDRUDU K, RAO B N (ICAR-Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research, Pedavegi- 534 450) : Doubling oil palm yield through technological interventions— A review. Curr Hort 2019, 7(2), 28-31.

India's vegetable oil demand is growing at a faster pace and by 2030 it is expected to be around 34 million tonnes. Palm oil is the most viable option to meet the edible oil demand of the country. India is the only country which grows this crop under irrigated conditions because, it is a water-loving crop and is the only option to lessen the gap between vegetable oil demand and production in India. Its theoretical yield potential is up to 18 tonnes of oil per hectare. Till now, its potential has not been fully exploited in terms of FFB production as most of the farmers are new to this crop and also it requires judicious management of resources like water and nutrients. Further, FFB yield levels at present are highly variable in different states and there is a large scope for enhancing the productivity by adopting recommended management practices. If proper management is provided, its crop could do wonders with very good yields under irrigated conditions. For reaping higher economic benefits from this crop, oil palm farmers should resort to good management, intercropping, inclusion of other components of farming like cattle, goats and poultry etc. Farmers also have to be made aware of different options of waste utilization for productive purposes through value-addition. In addition, with good R&D support, right policy back up from GOI, the income of oil palm farmers is expected to grow rapidly while meeting the edible oil demand of the country. Oil palm was introduced to India during 1970s and at present it occupies nearly 0.316 million ha of area in our country. This is most suitable crop to meet the vegetable oil demands in our country, contributing very high oil yield on unit area basis. The Government of India is emphasizing its expansion even to non-traditional areas because of its high yield potential. At present, average fresh fruit bunch yields are around 4.3-6.1 tonnes/ha at national level. By adopting suitable practices detailed in this discussion, the yield levels could be improved substantially.

3 tables, 9 ref

Onion storage in tropical region— A review

TRIPATHI P C, LAWANDE K E

Analysis of India-China mushroom gap— A review

JANAKIRAM T, SHARMA V P, BARH A

Correlation coefficient and path analysis of rice (Oryza sativa) genotypes under reproductive drought stress in mid hill of Nepal

PANT D, ACHARYA S S, POUDEL A

006163 PANT D, ACHARYA S S, POUDEL A (Tribhuwan Univ, Lamjung, Nepal, Email: divyapant027@gmail.com) : Correlation coefficient and path analysis of rice (Oryza sativa) genotypes under reproductive drought stress in mid hill of Nepal. Crop Res 2019, 54(5&6), 152-7.

An experimental trial on eight rice genotypes was designed at the field of Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Lamjung, Nepal under randomized complete block design with three replications from June-November 2017 to study the nature and extent of correlation among yield and yield attributing characters under reproductive heat stress. Grain yield was significantly correlated with 1000-grain weight (r=0.838**), SPAD reading (0.815*), relative water content (0.803*), harvest index (0.771**) and number of filled grains per panicle (0.719*) suggesting an instrumental role of these traits as “selection criteria” for yield improvement. The grain yield had negative non-significant association with the number of non-effective tillers per m² (-1.05), sterility % (-0.378) and panicle length (-0.52). While the positive non-significant association with grain yield was exhibited by flag leaf area (0.161), the number of effective tillers per m² (0.173), number of tillers per hill (0.634), plant height (0.110) and days to 50% anthesis (0.63*). The path coefficient analysis of different traits revealed highest positive direct effect of the number of tillers per hill (0.7220) followed by days to 50 % flowering, SPAD reading, number of filled grains per panicle, 1000-grain weight, panicle length and harvest index upon yield. However, relative water content, sterility %, the number of effective, non-effective tillers per m² and plant height expressed negative direct effect upon grain yield. Relative water content (pivotal drought parameter) had negative direct effect upon yield but its residual positive effect was justified via other traits such as tiller number, SPAD reading, days to 50 % flowering and number of filled grains per panicle.

3 tables, 13 ref

Productivity of nationally released tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) varieties in Southern Ethiopia

Mulatu A, Zewde A, Astatkie T

Estimation of aluminum levels in local banana (Musa) fruits : A pan India study

RAI K, SINKAR P, KUMAR K, JEEPIPALLI S P K

Effects of different levels of industrial wastes on nodulation pattern and biological properties of soil

VEERAL D K M, KALAIMATHI P

Yield, yield attributing characters and nitrogen uptake of lentil as influenced by phosphorus and sulphur levels in Gangetic alluvial soil of Uttar Pradesh

PANDEY S B, NIGAM R C, SINGH L

Effect of integrated organic nutrient management (INM) practices on plant architecture and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)

VEERAL D K M, NAYAKANTI G

006215 VEERAL D K M, NAYAKANTI G (Agronomy Dep, Annamalai Univ, Annamalai Nagar- 608 002, Email: dkmveeral@gmail.com) : Effect of integrated organic nutrient management (INM) practices on plant architecture and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Crop Res 2019, 54(5&6), 126-30.

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of integrated organic nutrient management (INM) practices on plant architecture and yield of sesame under irrigated condition during summer seasons of 2018 and 2019 at farmer’s field in Sirkali, Tamil Nadu. The experiment consisted of 12 treatment combinations viz., T₁–Control, T₂–Farm yard manure @ 12.5 t/ha⁺50 % RDF, T₃–Vermicompost @ 5 t/ha⁺50 % RDF, T₄–Panchagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray)⁺50 % RDF, T₅–Dasagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray)+50 % RDF, T₆– Amirthakaraisal @ 3 % (foliar spray) +50 % RDF, T₇–T₂+Panchagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray), T₈–T₂+Amirthakaraisal @ 3 % (foliar spray), T₉–T₂+Dasagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray), T₁₀–T₃ + Panchagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray), T₁₁–T₃ + Amirthakaraisal @ 3 % (foliar spray) and T₁₂–T₃ + Dasagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray) were tested in randomized block design with three replications. The study revealed that application of farm yard manure @ 12.5 t/ha⁺50 % RDF + Panchagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray) significantly increased the growth components of sesamum plant height (41.63, 75.04 and 116.50 cm), DMP (641.70, 1329.76 and 2763.16 kg/ha) at 30, 60 DAS and harvest stage, respectively. Similarly, the LAI (6.67) at flowering stage also recorded the highest in the same treatment and was followed by vermicompost @ 5 t/ha⁺50 % RDF+Panchagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray). The yield attributes like number of branches/plant (26.89), number of capsules/plant 44.82 and 125.01 at 60 DAS and harvest stage, respectively, number of seeds/capsule (83.69), 1000-seed weight (4.03 g) and seed yield (1013 kg/ha) were significantly increased with the application of farm yard manure @ 12.5 t/ha⁺50 % RDF+Panchagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray) followed by application of vermicompost @ 5 t/ha+50 % RDF⁺Panchagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray). From the above study, it could be concluded that application of farm yard manure @ 12.5 t/ha⁺50 % RDF + panchagavya @ 3 % (foliar spray) was best suited for attaining higher seed yield with improved soil fertility over the long run.

2 tables, 15 ref

Phenology and heat unit requirement of summer moongbean under different dates of sowing and irrigation schedules

KAUR N, MAHAL S S, SAINI K S

Impact of biochar, FYM and NPK fertilizers integration on aerobic rice growth, yield and nutrient uptake under sandy loam soil

ARUNKUMAR B R, THIPPESHAPPA G N, CHIDDANANDAPPA H M, GURUMURTHY K T

Evaluation of genetic diversity in short duration cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

AKTER T, ISLAM A K M A, RASUL M G, KUNDU S, KHALEQUZZAMAN, AHMED J U

Effects of NaCl stress on the biochemical substances in Bt cotton as well as on the growth and development and adult oviposition selectivity of Helicoverpa armigera

JUNYU L, SHUAI Z, XIANGZHEN Z, JICHAO J, KAIXIN Z, CHUNYI W, LIJUAN Z, WANG LI, JINIIE C

006120 JUNYU L, SHUAI Z, XIANGZHEN Z, JICHAO J, KAIXIN Z, CHUNYI W, LIJUAN Z, WANG LI, JINIIE C (Anyang Institute of Technology, Anyang- 455 000, Email: aycuijinjie@163.com) : Effects of NaCl stress on the biochemical substances in Bt cotton as well as on the growth and development and adult oviposition selectivity of Helicoverpa armigera. J Cotton Res 2019, 2, 4.

Recently, due to the development of food security strategies, cotton has been planted in inland saline-alkali dry soils or in coastal some saline-alkali soils in China. Under the condition, to comprehensively prevent and control Helicoverpa armigera in cotton fields with saline-alkali soils, it is important to study the larval growth and development of H. armigera and to study adult oviposition selectivity in H. armigera adults that feed on NaCl-stressed cotton plants. In this study, Bt cotton GK19 was used for the experimental group and its nontransgenic parent Simian 3 was used for the control to study the effects of biochemical substances in cotton as well as larval growth and development and adult oviposition selectivity of H. armigera. The experiments were performed by growing cotton indoors under NaCl stress at concentrations of 0 mmol·L^{− 1} , 75 mmol·L^{− 1} and 150 mmol·L^{− 1} , respectively. The results showed that the expression of Bt protein was significantly inhibited for NaCl-stressed Bt cotton. The content of soluble protein and K⁺ in the leaves of cotton were decreased, while the content of gossypol and Na⁺ were increased. In addition, the 5th instar H. armigera larvae exhibited shorten the life span in a 13-day trial period. Under enclosure treatments and at different female densities, the adult oviposition of H. armigera decreased on high NaCl-stressed nontransgenic cotton, while the oviposition on Bt cotton tended to first increase but then decrease under low, moderate and high NaCl stress treatments. Under certain content ranges of NaCl stress treatments, larval of H. armigera growth and development, and adult oviposition were no significant difference in the change for a certain period. However, under high NaCl stress, larval growth, development and adult oviposition were affected, which may provide insights for the prevention and control of H. armigera for Bt cotton in saline-alkali soils.

6 illus, 44 ref

Role of SNPs in determining QTLs for major traits in cotton

SAJID M, AHMAD R I, MUHAMMAD A R, ZULFIQAR A, LORI H, TEHSEEN A M

Feasibility assessment of phenotyping cotton fiber maturity using infrared spectroscopy and algorithms for genotyping analyses

JIN K H, YONGLIANG L, FANG DAVID D, DELHOM CHRISTOPHER D

006119 JIN K H, YONGLIANG L, FANG DAVID D, DELHOM CHRISTOPHER D (Southern Regional Research Center, LA- 701 24, Email: heejin.kim@ars.usda.gov) : Feasibility assessment of phenotyping cotton fiber maturity using infrared spectroscopy and algorithms for genotyping analyses. J Cotton Res 2019, 2, 8.

Cotton fiber maturity is an important property that partially determines the processing and performance of cotton. Due to difficulties of obtaining fiber maturity values accurately from every plant of a genetic population, cotton geneticists often use micronaire (MIC) and/or lint percentage for classifying immature phenotypes from mature fiber phenotypes although they are complex fiber traits. The recent development of an algorithm for determining cotton fiber maturity (MIR) from Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra explores a novel way to measure fiber maturity efficiently and accurately. However, the algorithm has not been tested with a genetic population consisting of a large number of progeny plants. The merits and limits of the MIC- or lint percentage-based phenotyping method were demonstrated by comparing the observed phenotypes with the predicted phenotypes based on their DNA marker genotypes in a genetic population consisting of 708 F₂plants with various fiber maturity. The observed MIC-based fiber phenotypes matched to the predicted phenotypes better than the observed lint percentage-based fiber phenotypes. The lint percentage was obtained from each of F₂ plants, whereas the MIC values were unable to be obtained from the entire population since certain F₂ plants produced insufficient fiber mass for their measurements. To test the feasibility of cotton fiber infrared maturity (MIR) as a viable phenotyping tool for genetic analyses, we measured FT-IR spectra from the second population composed of 80 F₂ plants with various fiber maturities, determined MIR values using the algorithms, and compared them with their genotypes in addition to other fiber phenotypes. The results showed that MIR values were successfully obtained from each of the F₂ plants, and the observed MIR-based phenotypes fit well to the predicted phenotypes based on their DNA marker genotypes as well as the observed phenotypes based on a combination of MIC and lint percentage. The MIR value obtained from FT-IR spectra of cotton fibers is able to accurately assess fiber maturity of all plants of a population in a quantitative way. The technique provides an option for cotton geneticists to determine fiber maturity rapidly and efficiently.

7 illus, 44 ref

Effects of mepiquat chloride on yield and main properties of cottonseed under different plant densities

WENQING Z, QIANG Y, HONGKUN Y, XIAONI Y, LERAN W, BINGLIN C, YALI M, ZHIGUO Z

Determination of manganese content in cottonseed meal using near-infrared spectrometry and multivariate calibration

EN Y, RUBING Z, YUNFEI C, JIEQIONG H, CHENG L, CONG L, LEI M, LISHENG B, JINHONG C, SHUIJIN Z

QTL mapping for fiber quality and yield related traits across multiple generations in segregating population of CCRI 70

XIAOYING D, JUWU G, AIYING L, YUZHEN S, WANKUI G, QUN G, JUNWEN L, HAIHONG S, YUXIANG W, YOULU Y

Genetic analysis of yield and fiber quality traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivated in different ecological regions of China

KASHIF S, XUE L, TINGXIANG Q, LIPING G, HUINI T, XUEXIAN Z, HAILIN W, MENG Z, BINGBING Z, XIUQIN Q, CHAOZHU X, JIANYONG W

006122 KASHIF S, XUE L, TINGXIANG Q, LIPING G, HUINI T, XUEXIAN Z, HAILIN W, MENG Z, BINGBING Z, XIUQIN Q, CHAOZHU X, JIANYONG W (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang- 455 000, Email: Chaozhuxing@126.com) : Genetic analysis of yield and fiber quality traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivated in different ecological regions of China. J Cotton Res 2019, 2, 14.

Cotton is an important fiber crop worldwide. The yield potential of current genotypes of cotton can be exploited through hybridization. However, to develop superior hybrids with high yield and fiber quality traits, information of genetic control of traits is prerequisite. Therefore, genetic analysis plays pivotal role in plant breeding. In present study, North Carolina II mating design was used to cross 5 female parents with 6 male parents to produce 30 intraspecific F1 cotton hybrids. All plant materials were tested in three different ecological regions of China during the year of 2016–2017. Additive-dominance-environment (ADE) genetic model was used to estimate the genetic effects and genotypic and phenotypic correlation of yield and fiber quality traits. Results showed that yield traits except lint percentage were mainly controlled by genetic and environment interaction effects, whereas lint percentage and fiber quality traits were determined by main genetic effects. Moreover, dominant and additive environment interaction effects had more influence on yield traits, whereas additive and dominance-environment interaction effects were found to be predominant for fiber traits. Broad-sense and its interaction heritability were significant for all yield and most of fiber quality traits. Narrow-sense and its interaction heritability were non-significant for boll number and seed cotton yield. Correlation analysis indicated that seed cotton yield had significant positive correlation with other yield attributes and non-significant with fiber quality traits. All fiber quality traits had significant positive correlation with each other except micronaire. Results of current study provide important information about genetic control of yield and fiber quality traits. Further, this study identified that parental lines, e.g., SJ48–1, ZB-1, 851–2, and DT-8 can be utilized to improve yield and fiber quality traits in cotton.

1 illus, 6 tables, 32 ref

High-throughput phenotyping in cotton: A review

PABUAYON IRISH LORRAINE B, YAZHOU S, WENXUAN G, RITCHIE GLEN L

Large-scale inversions majorly drive upland cotton population differentiation

SHILIN T, ZHIYING M

Towards improving drought resistance and lodging resistance in cotton

FUGUANG L

Evaluation of the genetic diversity of fibre quality traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) inferred from phenotypic variations

ZHENGWEN S, XINGFEN W, ZHENGWEN L, QISHEN G, YAN Z, ZHIKUN L, HUIFENG K, JUN Y, JINHUA W, LIQIANG W, GUIYIN Z, ZHIYING M

006226 ZHENGWEN S, XINGFEN W, ZHENGWEN L, QISHEN G, YAN Z, ZHIKUN L, HUIFENG K, JUN Y, JINHUA W, LIQIANG W, GUIYIN Z, ZHIYING M (Hebei Agricultural Univ, Baoding- 071 001, Email: mzhy@hebau.edu.cn) : Evaluation of the genetic diversity of fibre quality traits in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) inferred from phenotypic variations. J Cotton Res 2019, 2, 22.

Evaluating phenotypic traits is very important for the selection of elite lines in Gossypium hirsutum L. Cotton breeders are interested in using diverse genotypes in hybridization that can segregate for traits of interested with the possibility of selection and genetic gain. Information on phenotypic and molecular diversity helps the breeders for parental selection. In this study, 719 global collections of G. hirsutum L. were evaluated for five fibre-related traits during two consecutive years in eight different environments. A series of phenotypic data for fibre quality traits were obtained and the elite accessions were further screened using principal component analysis and phylogenetic tree construction based on single nucleotide polymorphism markers. We found that fibre quality traits showed a wide range of variation among the G. hirsutum accessions over 2 years. In general, accessions from outside China tended to have higher fibre length (FL) and fibre strength (FS) than did Chinese accessions. Among different regional accessions in China, North/Northwest accessions tended to have the highest FL, FS and best fibre macronaire. By assessing five fibre quality traits over 2 years with genotypic data, 31 elite germplasms reaching double-thirty quality values (FL ≥ 30 mm and FS ≥ 30 cN·tex^{− 1} ) were selected. This study provided a detailed phenotypic diversity description of a population representing a wide range of upland cotton germplasm. Our findings provide useful information about possible elite fibre quality parents for cotton breeding programs.

4 illus, 2 tables, 25 ref

Comparative effects of crop residue incorporation and inorganic potassium fertilization on soil C and N characteristics and microbial activities in cotton field

WEI H, NING S, CHAORAN Y, CHANGQIN Y, RUIXIAN L, ZHIGUO Z

006219 WEI H, NING S, CHAORAN Y, CHANGQIN Y, RUIXIAN L, ZHIGUO Z (Nanjing Agricultural Univ, Nanjing- 210 095, Email: giscott@njau.edu.cn) : Comparative effects of crop residue incorporation and inorganic potassium fertilization on soil C and N characteristics and microbial activities in cotton field. J Cotton Res 2019, 2, 24.

Crop residue incorporation into the soil is an effective method to augment soil potassium (K) content, and effects of crop residue and K fertilizer on soil K balance have been compared. However, their influences on other soil characteristics such as carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) characteristics and microbial activities have not been quantified. To address this, field experiments were conducted in 2011 at Dafeng (sandy loam) and Nanjing (clay loam) in China with treatments including blank control without crop residue incorporation and K fertilizer application, 0.9 t·ha⁻¹ wheat straw incorporation (W1C0), 0.7 t·ha⁻¹ cotton residue incorporation (W0C1), 0.9 t·ha⁻¹ wheat straw + 0.7 t·ha⁻¹ cotton residue incorporation (W1C1) and two K fertilizer rates (150 and 300 kg·ha⁻¹ (K₂O)) during the cotton season. Compared with control, K fertilizer treatments did not alter soil water-soluble organic carbon/soil organic carbon (WSOC/SOC) ratio, microbial biomass carbon (MBC)/SOC ratio, MBC/microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) ratio, water inorganic nitrogen/total nitrogen ratio (WIN/TN), the number of cellulose-decomposing bacteria, or related enzymes activities, however, W0C1, W1C0 and W1C1 treatments significantly increased WSOC/SOC ratio, MBC/SOC ratio and MBC/ MBN ratio, and decreased WIN/TN ratio at both sites. W0C1, W1C0 and W1C1 treatments also increased the number of soil cellulose-decomposing bacteria and activities of cellulase, β-glucosidase and arylamidase. Regarding different crop residue treatments, W1C0 and W1C1 treatments had more significant influences on above mentioned parameters than W0C1 treatment. Moreover, MBC/MBN ratio was the most important factor to result in the differences in the number of cellulose-decomposing bacteria and soil enzymes activities among different treatments. Short-term K fertilizer application doesn’t affect soil C and N availability and microbial activities. However, crop residue incorporation alters soil C and N characteristics and microbial activities, and the influence of wheat straw is much stronger than that of cotton straw.

5 illus, 7 tables, 51 ref

Soil replacement combined with subsoiling improves cotton yields

PENGCHENG L, SHULIN W, HONG Q, YAN W, QIAN Z, GUOYI F, CANGSONG Z, XUEKE Y, YONGZENG L, HELIN D

006167 PENGCHENG L, SHULIN W, HONG Q, YAN W, QIAN Z, GUOYI F, CANGSONG Z, XUEKE Y, YONGZENG L, HELIN D (Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Shijiazhuang- 050 051, Email: zaipei@sohu.com) : Soil replacement combined with subsoiling improves cotton yields. J Cotton Res 2019, 2, 25.

Long-term rotary tillage has led to the deterioration of cotton production in northern China. This deterioration is due to the disturbance of topsoil, a dense plough pan at the 20–50 cm depth, and the decreased water storage capacity. A 2-yr field experiment was performed from 2014 to 2015 to explore a feasible soil tillage approach to halting the deterioration. The experiment consisted of four treatments: replacing the topsoil from the 0–15 cm layer with the subsoil from the 15–30 cm layer (T1); replacing the topsoil from the 0–20 cm layer with the subsoil from the 20–40 cm layer and subsoiling at the 40–55 cm layer (T2); replacing the topsoil from the 0–20 cm layer with the subsoil from the 20–40 cm layer and subsoiling at the 40–70 cm layer (T3); and conventional surface rotary tillage within 15 cm as the control (CK). The results indicated that the soil bulk densities at the 20–40 cm layer in T2 were 0.13 g·cm^{− 3} and 0.15 g·cm^{− 3} lower than those obtained from CK in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The total nitrogen (N) and the available phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) contents from the 20–40 cm layer in T2 and T3 were significantly higher than those in CK and T1. The amount of soil water stored in the 0–40 cm layer of T2 at the squaring stage of cotton was 15.3 mm and 13.4 mm greater than that in CK in 2014 and 2015, respectively, when the weather was dry. Compared with CK, T2 increased cotton lint yield by 6.1 and 10.2 percentage points in 2014 and 2015, respectively, which was due to the improved roots within the 20–60 cm layer, the greater number of bolls per plant and the higher boll weight in the T2 treatment. The results suggested that soil replacement plus subsoiling would be a good alternative to current practices in order to break through the bottleneck constraining cotton production in northern China. Replacing the topsoil in the 0–20 cm layer with the soil from the 20–40 cm layer plus subsoiling at the 40–55 cm layer would be the most effective method.

10 illus, 6 tables, 39 ref

Effect of root booster fertigation on yield, water use and storability of onion (Allium cepa L.)

RASOOLI M A, KALE K D, SHINDE M G, SHINDE S D

Morphological and biochemical responses of Phaseolus vulgaris L. to mineral stress under in vitro conditions

URWAT U, ZARGAR S M, MANZOOR M, AHMAD S M, GANAI N A, MURTAZA I, KHAN I, NEHVI F A

Biplot analysis of diallel crosses for yield and some of morphological traits in wheat

SHARIFI P, MOHAMMADI M, KARIMIZADEH R

Assessment of genetic diversity of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes from North Eastern Hill Region of India

SYIEMLIEH P, NOREN S K, KHANNA V K, RAI M, MEETEI N T, PATTANAYAK A

006207 SYIEMLIEH P, NOREN S K, KHANNA V K, RAI M, MEETEI N T, PATTANAYAK A (Central Agricultural Univ, Meghalaya- 793 103) : Assessment of genetic diversity of upland rice (Oryza sativa L.) genotypes from North Eastern Hill Region of India. Vegetos 2019, 32(3), 407-19.

Genetic diversity among 30 upland rice genotypes (Oryza sativa L.) was evaluated using morphological and SSR markers. Roger’s distance was calculated for all the data sets as a measure of genetic distance between accessions. The distance matrices were used to generate a dendrogram based on the UPGMA method. The minimum genetic distance based on morphological marker was 0.04 which was found between Megha Rice-1 and Megha Rice-2. The maximum genetic distance was 0.75 observed between Aizawng New and Majinlu, Aizawng New and Mima-Mitong-Jang, Mibisa and Chakhao Poireiton, Chakhao Poireiton and Vepvu Tsuk with an average of 0.395. The number of alleles per SSR marker varied from 2 to 8, with an average number of 4.286 alleles per locus. Polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.062 to 0.799 per locus with an average of 0.425. The minimum and maximum genetic distances based on Roger’s distance, were found to be 0.00 (Bhalum-1 and Bhalum-2) and 0.84 (Aizawng New and Mibisa), respectively. In cluster analysis, morphological and molecular marker-based genetic distance grouped the local landraces together with the improved lines and Gene Bank lines. Correlation analysis between morphological data and molecular data revealed a very poor association (r = 0.051 at p = 0.271). The diverse genotypes revealed from morphological-based dendrogram were the following pairs viz., Aizawng New and Majinlu, Aizawng New and Mima-Mitong-Jang, Mibisa and Chakhao Poireiton, Chakhao Poireiton and Vepvu Tsuk, Buh Pui (Tuirel) and Chakhao Poireiton, Marow and Chakhao Poireiton, Kba Tlang and Majinlu, Lokhumo (Tall) and Chakhao Poireiton. While Aizawng New and Mibisa, IC 583129 and Mibisa, Bhalum-1 and Mibisa, Bhalum-2 and Mibisa, Marow and Mibisa pairs were identified as the diverse genotypes based on molecular dendrogram which may be used as parent for hybridization during further rice improvement.

28 ref