Effect of nitrogen and chlormequat chloride on the seed yield and oil content of mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss)

The growth of mustard was increased significantly when treated with up to 80 kg N ha^–1 (N₈₀). Spraying with (2-chloroethyl) trimethylammoniumchloride (chlormequat chloride) increased seed yield and seed protein content. Spraying nitrogen fertilized plots with chlormequat chloride, increased leaf area, leaf area ratio, leaf area duration, number of siliquae plant^–1, number of seeds siliqua^–1 and length of siliqua. Reducing, non-reducing and total sugars in the leaves at 80 days after sowing were also affected significantly. Chlorophyll a, b and total chlorophyll were little affected. The number of siliquae plant^–1 was highly correlated with seed yield in both the seasons of experimentation. The correlation coefficient value () was 0.586 in 1982/83 and 0.912 in 1983/84.The total accumulation of nutrients, i.e. nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in seed and straw was significantly affected by N₈₀ × chlormequat chloride interaction.     

Nonmetric cranial variation and biological distances between samples of six nontribal populations of India

Sixty-nine nonmetrical morphological variants of the cranium have been studied in six samples of non-tribal, state populations in India, and their incidence reported. Using C.A.B. Smith’s angular transformation of frequencies, the multivariate Thetasquare distances and their respective standard deviations have been presented. On the basis of nonmetrical cranial variation, it is clear that the samples from Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar are closer to each other but distant from Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra. On the other hand, Karnataka and Maharashtra samples are quite close to each other and both, in turn, are comparatively closer to Madhya Pradesh than to Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Bihar. Madhya Pradesh sample emerges as the most divergent group among the six population samples studied. This, in general, is in conformity with the picture that emerges from various analysis of morphometric and other biological data on various populations of India.     

Effect ofAzospirillum inoculation on nitrogen fixation and growth of several winter legumes

Summary Inoculation of naturally nodulatedPisum sativum L. (garden pea) withAzospirillum in the greenhouse caused a significant increase in nodule numbers above controls. Field inoculation of garden peas in the winter 1981–1982 andCicer arietinum L. (chick pea), in winter 1982–1983, withAzospirillum one week after plant emergence, produced a significant increase in seed yield, but did not affect plant dry matter yield. ForVicia sativa L. (vetch) grown in soil in the greenhouse and in the field for forage, winter 1980–1981, inoculation significantly increased dry matter yield, %N, N-content, and acetylene reduction (nitrogen fixation) activity. InHedysarum coronarium L. (sulla clover), winter 1981–1982, inoculated with both its specificRhizobium (by the slurry method) andAzospirillum, 7 days after emergence, there was an increase in acetylene reduction above controls inoculated withRhizobium alone. These results suggest that it is possible, under conditions tested in this work, to increase nodulation, nitrogen fixation, and crop yields of winter legumes by inoculation withAzospirillum.     

EUF-nutrient contents required for optimal nutrition of grapes

Summary Our field surveys conducted in 10 Hungarian grape producing areas have revealed that the nutrient contents of vine leaves of different grape varieties were closely correlated with the EUF-nutrient contents of different soil types with different contents of clay. Resulting from these relationships the following EUF-nutrient values are considered as required for optimal nutrition of the vine-stock to attain grape yields of 10–12 t/ha in the areas under investigation:     

Relationships between EUF-N fractions,N uptake and quality of sugar beet in deep loess soils of Southern Lower Saxony

Summary In field experiments conducted in 1981 on deep loess soils a significant correlation was obtained between EUF-N content in the topsoil and N in sugar beet roots as well as in whole plants. A very close correlation was found to exist between EUF-N values in June 1981 and -amino N in sugar beet roots at harvest. Also other quality criteria such as the contents of sugar, K and Na in roots and yield parameters correlated with EUF-N contents in topsoils.The inorganic and organic EUF-N fractions changed during the vegetation period due to both N uptake by the crop and mineralization. Therefore it appears to be expedient to use both fractions when calculating N fertilizer requirements.The correlation between EUF-N (topsoil samples drawn in the year preceding sugar beet) and sugar yield increases obtained by N fertilization that was found in Austria¹² was confirmed in our experiments with soils from Southern Lower Saxony.     

Influence of Meloidogyne hapla on Alfalfa Yield and Host Population Dynamics

Self-thinning in alfalfa, a dynamic process involving the progressive elimination of the weakest plants, was enhanced by Meloidogyne hapla. Alfalfa stand densities decreased exponentially with time and were reduced 62% (P = 0.05) in the presence of M. hapla. As stand densities decreased over time, mean plant weights increased at a rate 2.59 times faster in the absence of M. hapla. In a stepwise multiple regression analysis, 65% of the total variation in yield could be explained by changes in stand density and 85% by average weight of individual stems. Alfalfa yields were suppressed (P = 0.05) by M. hapla, with suppression generally increasing with time and as the nematode population density increased. Yield suppression was attributable primarily to the decline in plant numbers and to suppression in individual plant weights.     

Selection of diverse genotypes for heterosis in yield and response in toria (Brassica campestris L.)

Summary Thirty-one genotypes of toria (Brassica campestris L.) were grown in twelve environments and subsequently analysed in order to select potential parents which expressed diversity for both 12 different characters (estimated by Mahalanobis' D² technique) and response to the environments (estimated on the basis of negative correlation between deviations in seed yield of a pair of genotypes from their respective environmental means). Coefficients of determination (r²) were also used to measure the reliability of correlation, which is the basis of diversity of response. Stability parameters (b and S²d) and mean seed yield were also considered in selecting potential parents. On the basis of these criteria, three pairs of genotypes (ITSA and TCSU-1, TCSU-7 and TH-8 and Ludhiana Composite-1 and TH-4) are recommended to be used as parents for hybridization programmes so that heterosis both in seed yield and response may be exploited.     

Isozyme studies in provenance research of forest trees

Summary The nature and origin of the isozymes and the techniques for their detection in forest trees are briefly reviewed. The theories used to interpret the isozyme variation are summarized. Recent isozyme variation studies in provenance research are discussed in relation to known variation pattern detected by classical nursery and field tests. The populations of a tree species can be sometimes, but not always, distinguished by their isozyme patterns. For a number of species, relationships between environment of origin of the provenances and some isozyme frequencies have been statistically established. In one case (Picea sitchensis) where direct comparison between the variation pattern detected by isozymes and the genetic variation of silviculturally important traits was possible, no meaningful relationships between both patterns could be detected. Nei's genetic distances and indices of gene diversity do not appear to be useful in provenance research. The concept of genetic distance based on gene frequencies is probably not very useful in provenance research either.     

A sodium ion gradient as energy source for Peptostreptococcus asaccharolyticus

The determination of enzymatic activities in cell-free extracts of Acidaminococcus fermentans and Peptostreptococcus asaccharolyticus led to a refined scheme for the pathway of glutamate fermentation via (R)-2-hydroxyglutarate to acetate and butyrate. From the ratio of these products the amount of ATP generated by substrate level phosphorylation was calculated. Growth experiments with the organisms including Clostridium symbiosum and Clostridium tetanomorphum indicated that a sodium gradient contributed additional energy for growth. The high growth yields found in organisms containing the biotin dependent sodium pump glutaconyl-CoA decarboxylase could be reduced by the sodium ionophor monensin. In P. asaccharolyticus energy equivalent up to 0.6 mol ATP per mol of glutaconyl-CoA decarboxylated was conserved via the Na⁺ gradient. The data may explain the growth promoting effects of monensin in cattle.