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The current study placed an intense emphasis on the excess discharge of agro-based industrial effluent and the use of plant extract antimicrobials to inhibit the growth of pathogens in crop plants. An effluent (treated and untreated) from the marigold flower processing industry has been identified for the presence of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds, and a total of 18 in treated effluent and 23 in untreated effluent were found using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. A total of 13 classes were identified, which include carboxylic acid, phenols, esters, alkanes, alkenes, alcohols, cyanide, heterocyclic, flavonoids, aldehydes, polycyclic aromatic, cycloalkanes, and cycloalkenes. A principal component analysis with varimax rotation was applied to discern the abundance of identified compounds under each class. An in vitro antifungal bioassay was conducted using effluents at three different concentrations against plant pathogens (Alternaria alter nata, Sclerotium rolfsii, Rhizoctonia solani, Pythium aphanidermata, Fusarium oxysporum, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides). The study proved that treated and untreated effluents clearly inhibited the growth of fungal pathogens by 10 to 32% and 37 to 92%, respectively. The findings suggest that marigold flower effluent can be a promising resource for developing new plant protection methods that are effective against pathogenic fungi.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L) Gaertn. subsp. coracana), a staple crop in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia, is praised for its drought resistance and high nutritional value. However, it faces significant yield losses due to foot rot caused by the soil-borne pathogen Sclerotium rolfsii. Chemical fungicides, while commonly used, pose environmental risks and contribute to fungal resistance. In search of solution, the best alternative for the chemical management is biological management. Thus, this study investigates the potential of bacterial endophytes isolated from finger millet landraces for biological control of foot rot. Totally sixty-nine endophytic bacteria were isolated from seeds, roots and leaves of finger millet landraces, by following surface sterilization and spread plating method for seeds, tissue imprinting for leaves and roots. These endophytes were screened for their antagonistic activity against S. rolfsii using a dual culture assay. Among sixty nine isolates, eight endophytic bacteria (AES, BMEL1, GDEL1, GES, HKES, KEL1, KER1 and KER2) exhibited maximum antagonistic activity with inhibition rates ranging from 44.39 per cent to 85.57 per cent were selected. Further these isolates were characterized morphologically (Gram staining) and biochemically (catalase activity, siderophore and hydrogen cyanide production). All the isolates were able to exhibit catalase activity, isolate AES able to produce highest siderophore and BMEL1, KEL1, KER1 and KER2 showed positive for hydrogen cyanide production. Thus, the result ensured the use of endophytes from landraces for sustainable management of foot rot in finger millet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of living cells or effective microorganisms that aid in the uptake of nutrients for plant growth is referred to as a biofertilizer. In order to successfully commercialize new microbial inoculants, the formulation process is difficult and frequently success-limiting. The success of microbial inoculants is dependent on a number of variables, with carrier material playing the most significant part. The purpose of the experiment was to compare the performance of a corn-rind-carrier based biofertilizer to existing carrier material talc on the growth and production of capsicum using various application methods, including seed treatment, root dipping, and soil application. There are ten treatments with complete randomized design (CRD) design. The treatment having soil application of corn rind carrier based biofertilizer + 100% NPK had the highest beneficial microbial populations including free living N2 fixers, PSB and KSB (49.0, 31.0, 30.66 ×105cfu g-1, respectively). Further, it had increased levels of nutrients soil viz., nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Greater biometric data including plant height and leaf count, yield characteristics like fruit yield per plant (1591.86) and fruit number (18). Hence, it leads to a conclusion that soil application of corn rind-carrier based biofertilizer + 100% NPK is comparable with soil application of talc carrier based biofertilizer + 100% NPK based on microbiological, nutritional, plant, and yield data. The findings of this study showed that corn rind powder can also be an alternate substrate for talc as a carrier material for the production of biofertilizers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To know the possibilities of tolerance for both abiotic and biotic stresses in silkworm, Bombyx mori, an investigation was conducted to assess the growth and yield performance of thermotolerant bivoltine silkworm breeds inoculated with Beauveria bassiana. Three muscardine resistant thermotolerant bivoltine breeds viz., B1, B4, B8 and muscardine susceptible but productive breed CSR4 were selected and topically inoculated with the fungal spore suspension of Beauveria bassiana (6.86 × 104 spores/ml). The results revealed that the thermotolerant bivoltine silkworm breed B1 appeared to be more tolerant to fungal infection followed by B4 breed. The quantitative traits in B1 thermotolerant bivoltine silkworm breed under muscardine inoculation treatment revealed significantly longer larval duration (7.44 days) and highest fifth instar larval weight (37.28 g), pupation rate (68.12%) and cocoon yield by weight (14,731.75/10,000 worms), cocoon weight (1.49 g), pupal weight (1.16 g) and shell weight (0.31 g), as compared to other breeds such as B4 and B8. While least larval mortality (40.75%) and highest effective rate of rearing (59.25%), cocoon yield by number (5,925 per 10,000 worms) and shell ratio (22.64%) were recorded in B4 breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Finger millet is an important food crop that is grown in arid and semi-arid parts of Africa and Asia and it serves as a staple food source for millions of people. Blast is the most devastating disease affecting it at every stage of growth and development. In recent years, endophytes received attention because of their potential to increase crop yield without massive application of synthetic chemicals. Landraces are traditional, regional ecotypes that have adapted to their natural environment, some possess resistance to the blast disease. In this study, 42 bacterial endophytes were isolated from fifteen landraces and were screened for their antagonistic activity against Pyricularia grisea, causal agent of finger millet blast. Seed constitutes high number of bacterial colonies with the landrace, thenemundaga ragi. The isolates HMS-1 (91.04%), GPRS-1 (92.54%) and GPRR (92.54%) were efficient in inhibiting the pathogen growth in both dual culture plate and biomass assay by means of antibiosis and hyper parasitism. Hence, one can explore the microflora of these landraces and can utilize them as best microbial inoculants for management of blast disease, to improve plant growth and crop yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Karnataka, the Cauvery command area of southern dry zone of Karnataka is an important rice-growing area that has been making a major contribution to the state pool. Till 2018 blast and sheath blight were the major fungal diseases affecting the crop causing heavy yield loss however, from the past five years the incidence of bacterial diseases are noticed consistently in some areas. To study the incidence, distribution and severity of bacterial diseases a survey was conducted during kharif 2018-2020. Bacterial leaf blight (BLB) was recorded from seedling to dough stage with maximum intensity at tillering stage. The intensity of BLB was recorded high ranged from 40-50 per cent at the tillering stage in Jyothi variety at Talakaduhobli of T. Narasipurataluk of Mysuru while in low to moderate ranged from 10 -15 per cent in var., MTU1001, Meenakshi and Sunamman. Bacterial leaf streak disease was recorded ranging from 40-60 per cent in hybrid VNR2233 and MC13. Losses in grain yield ranging from 20-40 per cent was inflicted in the rice crop due to bacterial diseases. The information on the pre-valence of the disease obliges monitoring and promoting the farmers to acquaint with the symptoms and anintegrated management measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The improvement of sweet sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.)] is getting more attention due to its sugar-rich stalk that can be used as a renewable energy product. The proper assessment of biofuel-related traits in sweet sorghum crop is an important step towards the development of superior cultivar. A study was conducted with the objective of evaluating 30 sweet sorghum genotypes for biomass and sugar related traits through identified sugar related markers. In the study, thirty genotypes along with two check varieties were screened by physiological evaluation and through molecular analysis. The experimental data was subjected to statistical analysis for elucidating the information on genetic variability. It was assessed for genotypic coefficient variation (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), heritability (H2) and genetic advance over mean (GAM). The molecular diversity analysis was done by using 15 QTLs linked SSR markers. Genotypes possessing better TSS values were IS4835, IS5361and IS14465, which can be preferred for the ethanol production also. These genotypes can be used in the breeding programs as parents for high TSS. The genotypes such as IS5361, IS14861 and IS4835 were found to be good biomass producers and these genotypes can be grown for fodder purpose. From the study, it is concluded that IS5361 is the most suitable genotype for the bioethanol production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EUKARYOTIC genome contains coding and non-coding DNA sequences. Non-coding intergenic sequences host majority of the regulatory elements which controls the expression of the genes. This study is an attempt to understand the relationship between intergenic sequence of momilactone biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC) and momilactone production. The BGC was selected for the study because of their conserved nature. Rice has two characterized BGC which codes for momilactones and phytocassenes. Momilactones is a diterpinoid phytoalexin, produced as a result of exposure to unfavorable conditions such as infection by Magnoportha oryzae, salinity, drought, barnyard grass, heavy metals etc. Momilactone biosynthetic genes are clustered on chromosome four in rice. It consists of five genes namely OsKSL4, OsCPS4, CYP99A2, CYP99A3 and AK103462. Possible relations between the intergenic DNA and momilactone production was accessed by selecting 10 genotypes having identical structural genes within the gene cluster using bash command pipeline. Further the intergenic sequence and length variations were also estimated using the same. To understand the variation in momilactone production under drought, rice was grown with and without drought induction in hoagland media followed by estimation of relative concentration of momilactone using LCMS. Analysis of the data showed the absence of intergenic length variation and presence of intergenic sequence variation. Further, analysis showed that genotypes with identical intergenic sequence between some of the locuses in the study showed similar trend in momilactone production indicating the influence of intergenic region in momilactone production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DROUGHT is one of the abiotic stresses projected to affect crop yield by 10-15 per cent. Though maize is fairly drought tolerant, drought during the reproductive stage causes severe yield loss. There are many breeding programmes on the way for producing the reproductive-stage-drought-tolerant maize lines. In this regard, two contrasting maize inbred lines characterized as drought tolerant (UASBM13) and drought sensitive (UASBM10) at the reproductive stage were taken for the study to understand the metabolic response under different levels of drought stress during the early to late vegetative stage. The metabolic profile (PDA-280 nm and LCMS/MS) comparison between UASBM10 and UASBM13 grown under well-watered condition showed no major variations in metabolite with conjugation that are detected at 280 nm. On the other hand, when different levels of drought stress were induced, certain metabolites such as sinapaldehyde, sinapoyl malate, ferulic acid, resveratrol and naringenin chalcone were found accumulated in UASBM13 but not in UASBM10. Further, pathway mapping showed that, the identified metabolites belonged to phenyl propanoid, flavanoid and flavaone biosynthetic pathway. Functional analysis showed that, these metabolites have potent role in cell wall reinforcement and intrinsic antioxidant activity under drought condition. In conclusion we found that when UASBM13 exposed to drought stress during early vegetative stage, it synthesized different metabolites that help in cell wall reinforcement and expected to contribute in drought tolerance at a later stage. Therefore, the present study highlights the importance of metabolite profiling as an additional tool in the validation of biochemical characters during the trait selection process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]