Response of field-grown chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) to phosphorus fertilization for yield and nitrogen fixation

Application of phosphorus at 40, 60, 80 and 100 kg P₂O₅ ha^–1 in the presence of a uniform dressing of nitrogen (N) and potash (K₂O) each applied at 20 and 24 kg ha^–1 to chickpea (CM-88) grown in sandy loam soil in a replicated field experiment improved the nodulation response of the crop, increased its grain yield (ka ha^–1) by 18, 59, 40 and 14 percent, biomass yield (ka ha^–1) by 32, 32, 54 and 14 percent, biomass N (kg ha^–1) by 31, 48, 49, 19 percent, and biomass P (kg ha^–1) by 26, 40, 41 and 11 percent, respectively. The effect of phosphorus on the nitrogenase activity of the excised roots of chickpea was, however, inconsistent.     

Effect of bromocriptine,a dopamine receptor agonist,on the experimentally induced gastric ulcers in albino rats

The effect of bromocriptine, a dopamine receptor agonist, has been studied on the aspirin, phenylbutazone and reserpine induced gastric ulcers in rats. A single dose of bromocriptine 4 mg/kg s.c. produced a significant exacerbation of gastric ulcers induced by all the three ulcerogenic drugs, whereas in the same dose administered once daily for 5 consecutive days, it produced a marked protective effect in all the models. A review of the literature shows that different mechanisms may be involved in the opposite effects of acutely and chronically administered bromocriptine observed in this study. The study also points towards a role of dopamine in the pathogenesis of gastroduodenal ulceration.     

A new species of coccinellid feeding on scale insects in West Pakistan

Résumé Les auteurs décriventPseudoscymnus simmondsi, espèce nouvelle deCoccinellidae prédatrice dePinnaspis strachani (Cooley) surFicus palmata au Pakistan occidental. Les autres espèces du genre sont connues seulement de l'Extrême-Orient.

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This research has been financed in part by a grant made by the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.     

Failure of spermatozoa from T/t mice to fertilize in vitro is overcome by zona drilling

Failure of epididymal spermatozoa from T/t mutant mice, but not from t/t individuals, to fertilize oocytes in vitro was partially overcome by opening a small aperture in the zona pellucida with acidified Tyrode's solution to permit direct access of the spermatozoon to the vitellus. This study provides a model system to evaluate requirements for successful zona drilling in the treatment of human infertility and further insights into the effects of the t complex on sperm fertility.     

Comparative study of cathinone and amphetamine on brown adipose thermogenesis

The effect of cathinone and amphetamine on brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and its modification with propranolol and timolol has been studied in rats. Both cathinone and amphetamine produced significant dose dependent increases in intracapsular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) and rectal temperatures. Amphetamine was found to be three times more potent as compared to cathinone, on a dose basis. Pretreatment of animals with propranolol and timolol individually inhibited cathinone and amphetamine induced hyperthermia. These findings suggest the involvement of beta adrenergic receptors in cathinone and amphetamine induced thermogenesis.     

Presence of double‐stranded RNAs and virus‐like particles in the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae

Nucleic acids from 41 strains of Metarhizium anisopliae, obtained from different parts of the world were extracted and examined by electrophoresis. Strong bands of double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) were detected in two isolates from Brazil, V215 and V291, which had, respectively, 13 and 9 distinct bands ranging in size from ca. 0.75 to 3.5 kb. Icosahedral virus‐like particles (VLPs) (ca. 33 nm in diameter) were observed by transmission electron microscopy in extracts of these isolates. The VLPs and dsRNA were both absent from a clone of the isolate V291 which had been subcultured successively on solid medium. Bioassays against the aphid Myzus persicae showed no detectable difference in virulence between the clone of V291 which contained dsRNA and the clone that did not.     

Note on breeding the argentine stem weevilHyperodes bonariensis [Col.: Curculionidae] and its egg parasitePatasson atomarius [Hym.: Mymaridae]

Hyperodes bonariensis Kuschel underwent ovarial diapause from March to August in the Bariloche area in Argentina. Feeding on germinating seedlings ofTriticum aestivum L. andPoa annua L. in continuous dark induced the weevil for oviposition in 24 and 32 days, respectively. Breeding techniques are described forH. bonariensis and its parasitePatasson atomarius (Brethes).     

Salinity induced changes in the reproductive physiology of wheat plants

The effect of salinity on reproductive physiology of wheat wasinvestigated. One set of wheat plants was subjected to increasingsalt levels up to a certain concentration, whereas another setwas given the same concentration in a single application. Theformer was called "gradual" and latter "shock" treatment. Theireffects on pollen viability, germination and activity of starchsynthetase were studied. Gradual treatment seemed to reducethe toxic effects of salts on the viability of pollen grainsand their germination. Seeds obtained from the two sets weregerminated in the same salinities in which their plants hadbeen growing, and the results were compared with those of seedsobtained from control plants growing in a non-saline medium.The seeds of plants from the gradual treatment were better suitedfor germination on a saline medium than those from the shocktreatment or the control group. Salt treatment also increasedthe activity of starch synthetase at the midmilky stage in developinggrains. This phenomenon was considered essential for synthesisof starch in a saline environment. The increase in Na⁺ and Cl^– and decrease in K⁺ contentsof wheat grains in both treatments suggest that the effect ofsalinity on the physiological phenomenon studied is due to changesin the ionic content of the plants. ¹ In partial fulfilment of a Ph.D. degree from the Universityof Karachi, Pakistan. ² Professor of Botany, Director of Research Projects, Head,Plant Physiology Section, University of Karachi, Pakistan. (Received July 11, 1977; )