Effect of A1 cytoplasm on the combining ability for smut severity in pearl millet

Among the various available sources of male-sterile cytoplasm in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.Br.], the A₁ source has been exploited the most for the breeding of commercial F₁ hybrids. The effect of this source on the combining ability (CA) for smut severity was studied since it is the CA that determines the performance of hybrids. The effect was estimated by comparing the CA estimates of 5 pairs of lines and 35 pairs of crosses with and without A₁ cytoplasm. The cytoplasm showed either a significantly desirable or at least no adverse effect on the CA of 4 out of the 5 line pairs and 56 out of 70 pairs of comparison of crosses in two environments. The differential effect of cytoplasm in some pairs might be due to its interaction with nuclear genes. These results further substantiated that the A₁ cytoplasm is not linked with increased smut severity in pearl millet hybrids.     

Population Dynamics of Plant Nematodes in Cultivated Soil: Effect of Summer Cover Crops in Newly Cleared Land

Five nematode species were studied for ability to develop on seven summer cover crops in rotation with tomato transplants grown every third year. Increase of Tylenchorhynchus claytoni, Trichodorus christiei, Pratylenchus brachyurus, Helicotylenchus dihystera, and Xiphinema americanum in newly cleared soil varied with different cover crops. No substantial nematode population increases occurred until the third summer of crop growth. All species except X. americanum and H. dihystera developed best on sudangrass and millet. Crotalaria caused substantial increase of H. dihystera and P. brachyurus but suppressed the other species. Marigold suppressed all species except X. americanum which increased substantially on marigold during the 5th year. Cotton favored rapid increase of T. christiei, and moderate increases of all species except T. claytoni which was suppressed. Beggarweed favored moderate increases of T. christiei and H. dihystera but suppressed the other species. Hairy indigo favored rapid increase of H. dihystera, moderate increases of T. christiei and X. americanum, and suppressed the other species. Number of marketable transplants was reduced after 2 years of sudangrass and cotton; these crops favored increases of T. christiei and T. claytoni. The better cover crops prevented increases of most plant parasitic nematodes in land cropped to tomato, a suitable host.     

Association between N2-fixing bacteria and pearl millet plants: Responses,mechanisms and persistence

Responses to inoculation with N₂-fixing bacteria were studied in relation to genotypic differences in pearl millet, effect of nitrogen levels, and FYM additions in India. In some experiments, inoculation increased mean grain yield up to 33% over the uninoculated control, whereas in the remaining 11 experiments there was no significant increase. Increased grain yields, >10% over the uninoculated controls were observed in 46% of the experiments withAzospirillum lipoferum (18.7% average increase) and withAzotobacter chroococcum (13.6% average increase). Yield increases were nil or reduced in three experiments withAzos. lipoferum and four experiments withAztb. chroococcum. In two experiments continued inoculation for two or three years resulted in increased grain, plant biomass yield, and N uptake. Interactions of bacterial cultures with cultivars or years were not observed. The counts of the inoculated strains increased two to three-fold when inoculation was continued for three years. Repeated inoculations increased the mean cumulative N uptake from season 1 to season 3 by 19 kg ha^–1. Repeated inoculations withAztb. chroococcum andAzos. lipoferum increased mean grain yield of a succeeding crop by 14.4% and 9.8%, respectively, over the uninoculated control. Inoculation increased the efficiency of N-assimilation by pearl millet. Marginal increase in nitrogenase activity, associated with the inoculated plants was observed during later stages of plant growth. Increased leaf nitrate reductase activity (NRA) was observed after inoculation with these bacteria. The responses to inoculation are mainly attributable to increased plant N assimilation which could be the effect of growth promoting substances secreated by the bacteria; and thus the contribution from BNF may be small.CRISAT, journal article 732.     

Transmission of primary trisomics in pearl millet

Summary Transmission rates of extra chromosomes found in the full set of trisomics of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) (2n = 14) were estimated by examining the progeny of selfed trisomics and the progeny of trisomics crossed to disomics. When the trisomics were selfed, dark green and tiny had the highest transmission rate (23.8% and 23.3%, respectively) and pseudonormal the lowest (13.8%). Other trisomics had an intermediate rate of transmission. When the trisomics were used as females in crosses with disomics, both dark green and tiny again had the highest transmission rate and pseudonormal the lowest. When the trisomics were used as males in crosses to disomics, no trisomic was transmitted to the progeny except for spindle, and this occurred with a very low frequency (2.0%). A variation in transmission rate was observed from plant to plant and season to season for the same trisomic type. A study of the transmission rate of the extra chromosomes indicated that the following factors were probably contributing to the lower rate of transmission: small- or light-weight seeds tended to have a higher proportion of trisomics than heavier seeds; lighter seeds had a lower percentage germination; a positive and significant correlation was noticed between trivalent frequency and transmission rate. Plants with reduced vigour produced a higher frequency of trisomics. Though trisomics involving longer extra chromosomes showed a high degree of pollen and ovule sterility, they were highly transmissible. This has resulted in a close relationship between gametic sterility and transmission rate of extra chromosome.     

糜子育成品种成株期抗旱性鉴定与评价

在年降雨量不足40 mm的甘肃省敦煌市,采用大田干旱胁迫法对我国不同地区育成的56份糜子品种成株期抗旱性进行了鉴定。结果表明,成株期干旱胁迫对糜子主茎节数、单株有效穗数、单株草重、主穗长、千粒重、比叶重影响不显著,而对株高、单株穗重、单株粒重、小区产量、旗叶面积、叶面积指数、生育期影响达到了极显著水平,干旱胁迫处理后株高降低了14.08 cm,单株穗重、单株粒重和小区产量分别下降2.65 g、2.19 g和86.18 g,旗叶面积和叶面积指数分别减少9.36 cm2和1.21,生育期延长了11.68 d;以抗旱指数和抗旱性综合评价值D的聚类结果为依据,筛选出成株期1级抗旱品种2份:陇糜2号、陇糜10号;经灰色关联度分析,旗叶面积、千粒重、单株有效穗数、小区产量均与抗旱指数、抗旱性综合评价值D的关联度较大,可作为成株期抗旱评价指标。     

A Cytomorphological Study on the Anther Opening of Foxtail Millet and Wheat

A concept of “open space” in the anther tissue structure of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) and wheat (Triticurn aestivum) has been suggested. In the late stage of anther development, “open spaces” are formed beneath the epidermis at the opening place between two anther chambers. They get through the bilateral edge of the anther longitudinally making the chambers easy to open. “Open space” is considered to be one of the inner factors of anther opening in foxtail millet and wheat.     

Purification and properties of a major isoform of β-1,3-glucanase from pearl millet seedlings

A major isoform of β-1,3-glucanase from pearl millet seedlings was purified following ammonium sulfate precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration techniques. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 20.5 kDa on SDS–PAGE and was highly basic with a pI of 9.6. It was thermostable with a broad temperature optima for activity ranging from 37 to 70°C and had an optimum pH of 5.2. Mercuric chloride and para-chloromercuric benzoate inhibited completely the enzyme while manganese chloride activated it. Antibodies raised against the purified β-1,3-glucanase identified another protein with an apparent molecular weight of 30 kDa in western reactions. Significance of this enzyme in pearl millet–downy mildew host–pathogen interaction is discussed.     

Symptoms,epidemiology and management of finger millet mottle streak disease

Abstract

Initial symptoms of the mottle streak disease on finger millet were observed after only 45 days of sowing. Chlorotic mottling, streaking, striping and yellowing were the common symptoms on leaves and the diseased plants had more nodal branches and unproductive tillers. Among the weather parameters relative humidity and rainfall were positively and wind velocity was negatively correlated with disease incidence and the population of the vector Cicadulina bipunctella. A significant positive correlation existed between the vector population and disease incidence. In the disease management study seed extract of Harpullia cupanioides at 10% was found to reduce the mottle streak incidence by 61.42% with maximum yield of 2.28 t/ha. Acephate 0.01% and neem oil 1% spray were also found to be effective by reducing the disease incidence up to 39.6 and 36.4% with 2.23 and 2.18 t/ha of grain yield respectively. Enhanced activation of defense-related enzymes such as peroxidase (PO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) were noticed in AVP sprayed plants compared to control.     

Growth and carbon allocation in Pennisetum typhoides infected with the parasitic angiosperm Striga hermonthica

Abstract Growth and gas exchange measurements are used in conjunction with a carbon balance model to describe the millet (Pennisetum typhoides)–witchweed (Striga hermonthica) host—parasite association. Striga hermonthica reduces the growth of millet by 28% and radically alters the architecture of infected plants. Whilst grain yield and stem dry weight are reduced (by 80 and 53%, respectively), leaf and root growth are stimulated (by 41 and 86%, respectively). The difference in production between infected and uninfected millet plants can be accounted for by two processes: first, export of carbon to the parasite (accounting for 16% of the dry weight not gained); and second, parasite-induced reductions in host photosynthesis (accounting for 84% of the dry weight not gained). Striga hermonthica is dependent on carbon exported from the host, since the plant has low rates of photosynthesis coupled with high rates of respiration. The carbon balance model suggests that in mature S. hermonthica plants parasitic on millet, 85% of the carbon is host-derived. Carbon fluxes are also estimated using δ¹³C measurements, since S. hermonthica is a C₃ plant parasitizing a C₄ host. In conjunction with gas exchange measurements, these suggest that in root, stem and leaf of S. hermonthica, 87, 70 and 49% of carbon is hostderived, respectively.     

The origins of food production in north China: A different kind of agricultural revolution

By roughly 8,000 calendar years before the present (calBP), hunter‐gatherers across a broad swath of north China had begun small‐scale farming of broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) and foxtail millet (Setaria italica). 1 - 6 According to traditional wisdom, this early millet farming evolved from the intensive hunter‐gatherer adaptation represented by the late Pleistocene microblade tradition of northern China, 2 , 7 termed here the North China Microlithic. The archeological record of this hunter‐gatherer connection is poorly documented, however, and as a result the early agricultural revolution in north China is not as well understood as those that occurred in other parts of the world. The Laoguantai site of Dadiwan, in the western Loess Plateau, Gansu Province, PRC, furnishes the first complete record of this transition, which unfolded quite differently from other, better known, agricultural revolutions.