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Taxonomic distinction of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) as Lowland (L-) or Upland (U-) ecotypes is made in reference of their distinct morphology, regions of adaptation and ploidy level. Widely adapted to southern latitudes, below 45°N, of the United States, L- ecotypes possess a number of favorable agronomic traits, including resistance to flooding, high yield, tall stems, thick stems, delayed anthesis and pathogen resistance, which are generally considered more useful as an herbaceous bioenergy crop. The overall objective of this research was the identification, propagation and characterization of natural variants in L- switchgrass cv. Alamo plants possessing valuable agronomically important traits. Our experiments focused on the identification and characterization of traits including self-fertility/apomixis and cuticle wax formation. In the present study, we attempted to introduce variation by creating a population of 1,849 M1 plants. We observed sectored leaves on a number of M1 plants indicating that the mutagenesis treatment was successful. While several plants were identified in the first generation that set more seeds after bagging individual plants, they were not confirmed in the second year and the screen for self-fertility/apomixis was deemed unsuccessful. We turned our attention to the natural variation that existed in this population of plants. In scoring these plants in the field during development, we identified plants that had 1) more or fewer tillers, 2) narrow or wide leaves, 3) shorter or taller tillers, 4) thicker tillers, 5) variegation and 6) plants with altered amounts of visual glaucousness. Plants having changes in visible glaucousness (Non-Glaucous (NG), Reduced Glaucous (RG) and Highly Glaucous (HG)) that differed from Standard Type (ST) became the focus of this study. To propagate a larger number of each variant plant for subsequent testing, we developed a custom Deep Flow Technique “DFT” style raft-type hydroponics system for the noda

The suitability of different packaging materials i.e. jute, nylon, polypropylene, cotton, low density polyethylene, medium density polyethylene and high density polyethylene were studied along with the control on the premium potato variety “Lady Rosetta”. After the harvest potato tubers were washed, sorted, graded, cured and subsequently stored in different packaging materials at ambient temperature (25±2oC). Transition in quality attributes of potato tubers under different packaging materials were studied on the basis of their physico-chemical and functional parameters. Overall results revealed that packaging materials had significant (p ≤ 0.05) effect on most of the quality attributes studied. In general weight loss, glucose, glycoalkaloids, polyphenol oxidase, peroxidase, increased while ascorbic acid contents decreased with the increase of storage time. Total phenolic contents and radical scavenging activity showed a sort of parabolic trend during the storage period. Amongst different packaging employed potato stored in polypropylene and low density polyethylene packaging presented best overall retention of vital quality attributes during 63 days storage however, tensile strength of polypropylene packaging made it advantageous for prolonged potato storage coupled with easy transit operations during marketing.