Search

Phytophthora infestans is a late blight-causing oomycetes pathogen. It rapidly evolves and adapts to the host background and new fungicide molecules within a few years of their release, most likely because of the predominance of transposable elements in its genome. Frequent applications of fungicides cause environmental concerns. Here, we developed target-specific RNA interference (RNAi)-based molecules, along with nanoclay carriers, that when sprayed on plants are capable of effectively reducing late blight infection.Targeted the genes unique to sporulation, early satge infection and the metabolism pathway stages based on in an our own microarray data. We used nanoclay as a carrier for sorbitol dehydrogenase, heat shock protein 90, translation elongation factor 1-α, phospholipase-D like 3 and glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored acidic serine-threonine-rich HAM34-like protein double-stranded (ds)RNAs, which were assessed by culture bioassay, detached leaf assay and spray methods, and revealed a reduction in growth, sporulation and symptom expression. Plants sprayed with multigene targeted dsRNA-nanoclay showed enhanced disease resistance (4% disease severity) and less sporulation (1 × 10The use of nanoclay with multigene targeted dsRNA was assumed to be involved in effective delivery, protection and boosting the action of RNAi as a spray-induced gene silencing approach (SIGS). A significant reduction in growth, sporulation, disease severity and decreased gene expression authenticates the effects of SIGS on late blight progression. This study demonstrated as a proof of concept the dsRNA-nanoclay SIGS approach, which could be used as an alternative to chemical fungicides and transgenic approaches to develop an environmentally friendly novel plant protection strategy for late blight. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Kufri Bahar, a leading potato variety is facing a problem of deshaped elongated tubers. Deshaping of tubers in form of elongation with jelly end formation leads to spoilage during transportation and storage. This elongation may be due to the stress conditions and/or enhanced gibberellic acid (GA) formation during micropropagation. Photoperiod and EDTA salts are reported to influence the GA concentration. Therefore, the effect of photoperiod and EDTA salts was investigated on the endogenous GA concentration of tissue culture microplants of potato vars Kufri Bahar and Kufri Lauvkar. The GA concentration in microplants grown in tissue culture media with Na-EDTA, Fe-EDTA and without EDTA ranged from 0.84 to 1.95 nmol/ml FW (fresh weight). In the present study, no correlation was observed between EDTA and GA concentration. Shoot length, internodal distance and number of nodes were more in microplants grown under a long photoperiod (16 h). Root length, number of roots and the number of leaves were high in short photoperiod (12 h) grown microplants. Gibberellic acid content showed similar trend as that of shoot length and ranged from 0.65 to 1.49 nmol/ml. Concentration of GA was more in var. Kufri Bahar compared to var. Kufri Lauvkar under the long photoperiod, which showed that Kufri Bahar is more responsive to photoperiod. High GA content in var. Kufri Bahar microplants grown under the long photoperiod could be the possible reason for tuber elongation. Therefore, to avoid the deshaping of tubers, the photoperiod during in vitro propagation may be shortened, particularly for var. Kufri Bahar.

Phytophthora infestans is a global challenging pathogen among the biotic stresses which affect healthy and sustainable potato production. Desirable and successful management strategies depend on understanding of its biology, disease cycle and more importantly rapid and accurate detection of the pathogen during early stage of infection. Here, we report production of recombinant antibodies against whole cellulose binding domain (CBD-1) protein of P. infestans and a synthetic signal peptide of CBD1 and their effectiveness in detection of P. infestans both in infected potato leaf and tuber. The recombinant whole CBD1 protein and synthetic signal peptide of CBD1 protein was used to immunize the rabbits and blood serum was collected, purified and measured by SDS–PAGE. Among the two antibodies, synthetic peptide based antibody showed high specificity for mycelia, sporangia and zoospores. It also showed strong signal intensity for P. infestans infected leaf and tuber tissues. The data indicated that the produced synthetic peptide antiserum was efficient and accurate in discrimination of negative and positive samples in ELISA. Reaction of antiserum with early stage of infected leaf and tuber tissue confirmed the expression of the CBD protein, which in turn confirmed the presence of the pathogen in the plant tissues. Therefore it will enable to detect the pathogen in the potato seed before planting as well as in the standing crop in the field thus, would be helpful to ensure production of healthy seed potatoes and for effective schedule for management practices.

Phytophthora infestans (mont) de Bary is a pathogen of great concern across the globe, and accurate detection is an important component in responding to the outbreaks of potential disease. Although the molecular diagnostic protocol used in regulatory programs has been evaluated but till date methods implying direct comparison has rarely used. In this study, a known area soil samples from potato fields where light blight appear every year (both A1 and A2 mating type) was assayed by soil bait method, PCR assay detection and quantification of the inoculums. Suspected disease symptoms appeared on bait tubers were further confirmed by rapid PCR, inoculums were quantified through Real Time PCR, which confirms presence of P. infestans. These diagnostic methods can be highly correlated with one another. Potato tuber baiting increased the sensitivity of the assay compared with direct extraction of DNA from tuber and soil samples. Our study determines diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the assays to determine the performance of each method. Overall, molecular techniques based on different types of PCR amplification and Real-time PCR can lead to high throughput, faster and more accurate detection method which can be used in quarantine programmes in potato industry and diagnostic laboratory.

Climate change threatens the global agriculture sustainability. Among different kinds of abiotic stresses, water stress is the most devastating component which curtails potato crop productivity. Our recent knowledge is limited concerning water stress tolerance and water use efficiency in potato. Many efforts are being made by the scientific community to reduce water use and to produce “more crop per drop”. This review elaborates quantitative and qualitative aspects of multiple stress mechanisms and their regulating system related to present scenario of water use efficiency (WUE) requirements. WUE can only be improved by using multidisciplinary promising research approaches like molecular breeding, high throughput genotyping, multi-gene transfer and bioinformatics applications to unleash the information needed to exploitation of required traits in potato.

The complete coat protein (cp) gene sequence of eighty Tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus-[potato] (ToLCNDV-[potato]) isolates collected from eleven states were determined. Phylogenetic analysis based on cp gene grouped the isolates into two major clades (I & II) and they shared 95.9–100.0% identity. The DNA A and DNA B of eight representative isolates (six from clade I and two from clade II) were 2739–2740 and 2692–2694 nts long and shared 94.6–99.4% and 97.2–99.5% homology within the isolates, respectively. Among the eight isolates, the DNA A of two isolates (Clade II), GWA-5 and FAI-19 had 94.6–95.3% sequence identity to other six isolates and formed a sub-clade within the ToLCNDV-[potato] isolates. Similar grouping was also revealed with AC1 and AC4 genes of these eight isolates. The DNA A components shared more than 90.0% identity with the DNA A of ToLCNDV isolates from cucurbitaceous crops, tomato, bhendi, 89.0–90.0% with ToLCNDV-papaya isolates and 70.4–74.0% with other tomato leaf curl viruses. Hence, the begomovirus infecting potatoes are the ToLCNDV isolates, designated as ToLCNDV-[potato]. Whereas, the DNA B components shared 86.6–91.7% identity with ToLCNDV isolates from cucurbits, tomato and bhendi. Evidence for intra-species recombination was detected only in DNA A with a maximum of three events in GWA-5 and FAI-19 isolates. Analysis of cp gene, DNA A, iterons and recombination events clearly indicate that two groups of ToLCNDV-[potato] infects potato in India.

We employed computational tools to identify candidate miRNAs from 153 putative known genes obtained from a previous microarray experiment by Singh et al. (2016) for late blight resistance. In this study, we identified eight miRNAs families (miR395, 821, 1030, 1510, 2673, 3979, 5021 and 5213) to the nine potato genes. Mature miRNAs located at different positions of pre-miRNAs are varied from 19 to 21 nucleotides in length. Of the total 343 published miRNAs in potato (miRBase), all identified miRNAs family are new to potato crop except miR395. In particular, these novel miRNAs were identified for pathogen-induced late blight resistance mechanism in interspecific potato somatic hybrid. Majority of the predicted target genes (Table 2) of these miRNAs are involved in different biological functions, including disease resistance proteins (NBS-LRR domains) and transcription factors families. This study offers an insight to identify potential candidate miRNAs and their targets to dissect late blight resistance mechanism in potato somatic hybrid Solanum tuberosum (+) S. pinnatisectum.

Complete coat protein (CP) gene sequences of 66 Potato virus X (PVX) isolates were sequenced and compared with other PVX isolates. The CP gene of these isolates shared 93.9–100.0 % and 97.0–100.0 % identities among them at nucleotide and amino acid sequence level, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis with isolates of known PVX strain groups showed that all 66 isolates were found in clade I (strain groups 1, 3 and 4) and none of them in Clade II (strain groups 2 and 4). The Indian isolates had the 714 bp coat protein gene and were closer to clade I isolates with 92.9–99.5 % identities and distantly related to Clade II isolates (74.2 to 80.0 % identities). Hence, these isolates may belong to either of the strain groups 1, 3 and 4. A threonine residue at position 122 and glutamine residue at position 78 were found conserved in all the Indian isolates suggesting that these isolates cannot overcome Rx1gene and Nx gene mediated resistance, characteristic of group 1 and 3. However, unique amino acid substitutions were observed in Indian isolates and further studies are required to ascertain their role in symptom expression, virulence and host range. In addition, whole genome sequences of two isolates one each from Jalandhar (Punjab) and Kufri (Himachal Pradesh) were also determined. They were 6435 nts long with five ORFs and shared 81.4–97.2 % identities to clade I isolates from USA, Russia, India, Iran, China, Japan, Taiwan and 77.0 to 77.5 % identities with clade II isolates from Peru.

Solanum cardiophyllum Lindl. (PI 341233) (2n = 2x = 24, 1EBN) is a diploid wild potato species highly resistant to late blight, the most serious disease of potato. However, it poses a problem of sexual incompatibility with common potato. So to circumvent this problem, in this study, we developed interspecific potato somatic hybrids between cultivated S. tuberosum dihaploid C-13 and wild species S. cardiophyllum via protoplast fusion. Out of 26 regenerants, only 4 were confirmed as true somatic hybrids containing both parental genomes based on molecular markers and phenotypes. Somatic hybrids were identified by RAPD, ISSR, SSR, AFLP and cytoplasm (chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes) type molecular markers. Intermediate phenotypes of somatic hybrids were confirmed by leaf, flower and tuber traits. Late blight resistance of the hybrids was assessed by challenge inoculation of P. infestans under controlled conditions. Somatic hybrids were found tetraploid by flow cytometry, exhibited high pollen stainability by acetocarmine staining and formed berries and viable seeds after crossing with a common potato variety. Somatic hybrids possessed diverse cytoplasm types (W/α, W/γ and T/β) as assessed by chloroplast and mitochondrial genome-specific markers. Further, cluster analysis based on the Jaccard’s coefficient of molecular profiles generated by all above markers showed genetic distinctness in somatic hybrids and parents. Taken together, these interspecific somatic hybrids with diverse cytoplasm background have potential to be employed in potato breeding programmes to widen the cultivated gene pool through conventional and molecular methods.

Genetic and epigenetic changes (DNA methylation) in the mother plants of somatic hybrids (1st cycle) and their regenerants (30th cycles sub-cultured) were analyzed using methylation-sensitive ISSR and RAPD markers. ISSR and RAPD profiles and their cluster analyses based on the Jaccard’s similarity coefficient revealed 100% genetic similarity among the mother plant and their regenerants. While for the epigenetic changes in the samples, the MS-ISSR markers detected DNA methylation (2.7%) in the regenerants compared to the mother plant (1%), whereas MS-RAPD markers detected a little methylation patterns in the regeneratns (0.6%) compared to the mother plants (0.4%). DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjb.v44i1.22722 Bangladesh J. Bot. 44(1): 45-50, 2015 (March)

The late blight disease can be managed by introduction of resistance (R) genes from the wild Solanum species into the cultivated potato. The R genes are mostly comprised of the nucleotide binding site-leucine rich repeat (NBS-LRR) domains and share nucleotide sequence homology in the crop species. In this study, we used potato R gene-specific primers to amplify homologous genes from wild species. A total of 39 wild species were tested for late blight resistance by challenge inoculation of Phytophthora infestans under controlled conditions. Of these, only 15 species were highly resistant (HR) and these were PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplified by 53 primers representing 21 R genes of potato. Further, only single, distinct, and reproducible gene fragments were cloned and sequenced. Following sequence processing and analysis, 17 non-redundant sequences of RB-homologous genes were identified with uninterrupted open reading frames (ORFs) and nucleotide sequence homologies to known late blight R genes. Finally, 17 RB-homologous gene fragments amplified by the primers of the RB gene were isolated from 11 wild species. The isolation and characterization of 17 RB-homologous gene fragments from wild potato species may serve as an important genomic resource for the novel gene discovery in late blight resistance breeding programs.

Tribes are known for their close proximity with the nature all over the world. They use natural resources as part of their survival while protecting these as part of their duties and obligations. Thus the concept of nature-man–spirit is very ancient as both biological diversity and cultural diversity are directly related to the origin of many tribes in India who personify their origin from some plants and trees protecting them as sacred grooves. The present paper seeks a critical note on the relationship of biodiversity, traditional knowledge and rights of tribes in India.

Background Late blight, caused by oomycetes pathogen Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, is the most devastating potato disease in the world. RB gene from Solanum bulbocastanum has been shown to impart broad spectrum resistance against P. infestans races. In this study Katahdin transgenic event SP951 was used as male parent to cross with the popular Indian potato cultivars viz., Kufri Bahar (KB) and Kufri Jyoti (KJ) to enhance the late blight resistance. Results Populations of 271 F1seedlings from the crosses KB × SP951 (87) and KJ × SP951 (184) were screened for inheritance of RB transgene through PCR and bioassay. Disease response based on AUDPC of different hybrid lines varied from immunity to complete susceptibility. High degree of resistance (

Tubers of forty four indigenous potato varieties were assessed for storage behaviour at room temperature, tuber dry matter content and cooking quality during 2010, 2011 and 2012. The maximum, minimum temperatures and relative humidity during storage period ranged between 26 to 40 °C, 17-28 °C and 18 to 82 %, respectively. The lowest total weight loss was recorded in variety Kufri Pushkar (7.7 %) followed by Kufri Lalima (7.9 %), Kufri Surya (8.3 %), Kufri Red (9.2 %), Kufri Dewa, Kufri Sheetman (9.3 %), Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Jyoti (9.5 %), Kufri Sindhuri (9.6 %), Kufri Kuber (9.7 %), Kufri Chipsona-1 (9.8 %), Kufri Kundan (9.9 %) and Kufri Chamatkar (10.0 %). Highest tuber dry matter content (%) was observed in Variety Kufri Kundan (24.2) followed by Kufri Himsona (23.7), Kufri Frysona (23.6), Kufri Kuber (22.7), Kufri Chipsona-2 (22.3). Kufri Khasigaro (22.0), Kufri Sheetman (21.9), Kufri Chipsona-3 (21.7) and lowest in Variety Kufri Khyati and Kufri Pukhraj (16.1 %). Of the total varieties, 14 were adjudged as floury, 15 mealy, 14 waxy and one (Kufri Ashoka) as soggy. The total weight loss had highly significant and positive correlation with sprout weight/Kg tubers (r = 0.76**), physiological weight loss (r = 0.97**). Based on the results potato varieties namely, Kufri Chamatkar, Kufri Chipsona-1, Kufri Chandramukhi, Kufri Dewa, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Kuber, Kufri Kundan, Kufri Lalima, Kufri Lauvkar, Kufri Pushkar, Kufri Red, Kufri Safed, Kufri Sheetman, Kufri Sindhuri possessed excellent keeping quality with medium to long tuber dormancy, low storage losses, medium to high tuber dry matter and good flavour. The information generated in this study can be utilized in the breeding programme. This can also help the farmer to choose and cultivate the potato varieties as per demand of the consumers.

Potato flavour depends on the level of umami compounds and volatiles. Major umami compounds present in potatoes are 5′-nucleotides (adenosine-5′-monophosphate: AMP and guanosine-5′-monophosphate: GMP) and amino acids (aspartic acid and glutamic acid). The level of these compounds in Indian potato cultivars has not been investigated. Therefore, a method was standardized for the detection of umami 5′-nucleotides from raw and microwave cooked tubers of forty four Indian potato cultivars using high performance liquid chromatography. In raw tubers, concentration of 5′-nucleotides ranged from 1.70 µg g−1 fr. wt. in Kufri Jawahar to 6.68 µg g−1 fr. wt. in Kufri Muthu. In microwave cooked potatoes concentration of 5′ nucleotides ranged from 2.97 µg g−1 fr. wt. in Kufri Jawahar to 9.54 µg g−1 fr. wt. in Kufri Himalini. Under microwave cooking, the concentration of 5′-nucleotides was found to increase manifolds ranging from the highest in Kufri Lalima (272 %) to the lowest in Kufri Kundan (0 %). A positive correlation existed between the level of 5′-nucleotides and organoleptic scores given by the panelists. A positive correlation was observed in the flavour of varieties having dry matter of

A fast and simple polymerase chain reaction method has been developed for detection of Phytophthora infestans oospores, the causal agent of Late blight of Potato in soil. The method involves the disruption of oospores by grinding dry soil, using abrasive properties, in the presence of glass powder and skimmed milk powder within a short time. The latter prevents loss of DNA by adsorption to soil particles or by degradation and reduces the co-extraction of PCR inhibitors with the DNA. After phenol/chloroform extraction; the DNA is suitable for direct PCR amplification without a precipitation step. This amplification leads to detection of pathogen in infested soils before planting of crop. The real-time PCR assay we describe is highly sensitive and specific, and has several advantages over conventional PCR assays used for P. infestans detection to confirm positive inoculum level in potato seeds and elsewhere. With increasing amounts of standard DNA templates, the respective threshold cycle (Ct) values were determined and a linear relationship was established between these Ct values and the logarithm of initial template amounts. The method is rapid, cost efficient, and when combined with suitable internal controls can be applied to the detection and quantification of P. infestans oospores on a large-scale basis.

Forests have been the major source of livelihood for human beings since time immemorial. So far the tribal people of India are concerned; they have developed a symbiotic relationship with the forest due to their close proximity with the forest as the natural habitation. The tribal communities live in about 15 percent of the country's areas in various ecological and geo-climatic conditions, ranging from plants, forests, hills and inaccessible areas. The collection and marketing of Minor Forest Produce have been a major source of livelihood for the most tribal families contributing around 70 percent of their total income. Forest can be better protected by the people living in the forest and depending for their survival on its natural wealth. However, once the deprivation of right to live in the forest started way back in 1865, when the first Imperial Forest Act was enacted and Imperial Forest Department was established, and that has continued even after the six decades of independence, it resulted into conflict and tension between the forest officials and forest dwellers, especially the tribal people. The paper seeks a critical note on the history of forest laws and policies in India and their impact on tribal people with the following objectives: 1. o trace the historical importance afforests on the life and living of the tribal people 2. To highlight the impact of policies/approaches adopted by the planners of the country for the development of tribal people 3. To trace the legislative journey of forest laws and their impact on tribal people 4. To find out the future implication of new forest law in protecting the rights of the tribal people

The coat protein gene (CP) of an ordinary strain of Potato virus Y (PVYO) was cloned into the expression vector, pET-28a(+). The insert was sequenced and analysis showed that the CP gene was in frame with intact N-terminal 6X histidine tags. An approximately 35 kDa recombinant fusion protein was observed in inclusion bodies of induced Escherichia coli BL21 cells. This fusion protein was purified and used as antigen to raise polyclonal antibodies in rabbits. In Western blot and dot blot immuno-binding assay (DIBA), both PVYO-CP IgG and PVYO IgG strongly reacted with the recombinant CP. The PVYO-CP IgG could detect PVYO in infected samples up to 1 : 3200 dilutions. A PVYO-CP ELISA kit was prepared and compared with conventional ELISA kit based on purified virus particles (PVYO ELISA kit). The PVYO-CP ELISA kit consistently detected the PVYO in DAS-ELISA of field samples and was as effective as PVYO ELISA kit.

Apical leaf curl disease, caused by tomato leaf curl New Delhi virus-[potato] (ToLCNDV-[potato]) is one of the most important viral diseases of potato in India. Genetic resistance source for ToLCNDV in potato is not identified so far. However, the cultivar Kufri Bahar is known to show lowest seed degeneration even under high vector levels. Hence, microarray analysis was performed to identify differentially regulated genes during ToLCNDV-[potato] infection in a resistant (Kufri Bahar) and a susceptible cultivar (Kufri Pukhraj). Under artificial inoculation conditions, in Kufri Pukhraj, symptom expressions started at 15 days after inoculation (DAI) and then progressed to severe symptoms, whereas no or only very mild symptoms were observed in Kufri Bahar up to 35 DAI. Correspondingly, qPCR assay indicated a high viral load in Kufri Pukhraj and a very low viral load in Kufri Bahar. Microarray analysis showed that a total of 1111 genes and 2588 genes were differentially regulated (|log2 (Fold Change)| > 2) in Kufri Bahar and Kufri Pukhraj, respectively, following ToLCNDV-[potato] infection. Gene ontology and mapman analyses revealed that these altered transcripts were involved in various biological & metabolic processes. Several genes with unknown functions were 5 to 100 fold expressed after virus infection and further experiments are necessary to ascertain their role in disease resistance or susceptibility. This study gives an insight into differentially regulated genes in response to ToLCNDV-[potato] infection in resistant and susceptible cultivars and could serve as the basis for the development of new strategies for disease management.

This paper reviews the importance of Potato apical leaf curl virus (PALCV) in India, the biology of its major vector Bemisia tabaci and possible control measures of PALCV and B. tabaci. PALCV has appeared as a new problem in potato growing areas of northwestern plains of India. The first report of PALCV was made from Hissar around 2000. PALCV is a whitefly (B. tabaci) transmitted viral disease and the symptoms are manifested primarily in the form of upward or downward curling of leaves, with 40-75% infection being recorded in cultivars grown in the Indo-Gangetic Plains of India. B. tabaci is a polyphagous pest that feeds on numerous fibre (particularly cotton), food, vegetable and ornamental plants. B. tabaci produces many generations in a year and reaches high population densities. To check the disease incidence, whitefly suppression using imidacloprid either as seed treatment or as foliar application early in the season is recommended. To minimize within-field spread of viruses, removal of virus-infected plants is suggested. Application of mineral and vegetable oils has been found to inhibit virus transmission and possibly can help to avoid difficulties with insecticide resistance in whiteflies.

Anaemia is a common public health problem but there is a paucity of studies regarding anaemia in the postpartum period. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anaemia in the postpartum period and factors associated with it. This prospective community-based study was carried out in a village of Haryana, India. Blood samples were collected for haemoglobin estimation at the end of six weeks postpartum. A total of 211 women were recruited and 168 women were included in the final analysis. It was found that 70% of the study participants were anaemic (Hb < 11 g/dL). Only 37% of the population had consumed ≥90 iron folic acid (IFA) tablets. The mean haemoglobin level of women who had consumed ≥90 IFA tablets in the antepartum period was higher (10.43 g/dL) than those who consumed

Research question : Is there agreement between husbands and wives regarding unmet need of family planning? Hypothesis : The unmet need of family planning is perceived more by women then their husbands. Objective : 1) To ascertain the unmet needs of family planning for husbands and wives. 2) To ascertain the level of agreement between husbands and wives regarding unmet needs of family planning. Design: A cross-sectional survey Setting: Dayalpur village in Intensive field practice area of Comprehensive Rural Health Services project (CRHSP), Ballabgarh, Haryana. Study Period: July 2003- June 2005. Participants included 200 married couples selected by simple random sampling. Statistical Analysis: Level of agreement between husbands and wives was analyzed using Kappa statistics. Results: Unmet need for family planning was 11% (22 out of 200) for husbands and 17.5% (35 out of 200) for wives. The difference was seen both in unmet need for spacing (M-3.5% vs. F-6%) as well as limiting family size (M-7.5% vs. F-11.5%). Overall, 93.5% concordance was observed amongst husbands and wives. In all the cases where disagreement was seen (6.5%), wives reported having unmet need for contraception whereas their husbands perceived none. The unadjusted Kappa statistic was 0.73 and prevalence adjusted Kappa was 0.88. Conclusion: Unmet need for family planning was significantly higher for wives compared to husbands. Despite high degrees of agreement amongst the couples, the nature of disconcordance reinforces the need for policy makers to take into account the perspective of men.

This prospective community-based study was conducted in the village of Chhainsa, Haryana, India, in order to discover the incidence and types of postpartum morbidity and the factors associated with the morbidities. The subjects were followed up to 42 days of postpartum with a minimum of three visits; the first visit was within 14 days of delivery and subsequent visits were every 14 days. A first visit was made to 211 women and 174 (82.46%) completed the study. Seventy-four percent reported at least one morbidity and there were 1.75 reported morbidities per woman per postpartum period. Common problems reported were: weakness, lower abdominal pain, perineal pain, abnormal vaginal discharge, high fever, breast problems, excessive vaginal bleeding, etc. There was greater morbidity among women of lower socioeconomic status, parity >4, birth interval >36 months, having a breech or caesarean delivery or a delivery assisted by relatives/neighbours. A significant positive association was found between age and non-maintenance of the ‘five cleans’ during delivery. Seventy-five percent of those who had reported morbidity had taken some action, but only 20% sought help from a qualified doctor and 14% from other health workers.

To determine whether Kangaroo mother care (KMC) facilitates mother baby attachment in low birth weight infants.Over 16 month period 110 neonates were randomized into kangaroo mother care group and control group using a random number table. The kangaroo group was subjected to Kangaroo mother care for at least 6 hours per day. The babies also received kangaroo care after shifting out from NICU and at home. The control group received standard care (incubator or open care system). After 3 months followup, structured maternal interview was conducted to assess attachment between mothers and their babies.Mean birth weight was 1.69 +/- 0.11 Kg in KMC group compared to 1.690 +/- 0.12 Kg in control group (p0.05). Mean gestational age was 35.48 +/- 1.20 week in KMC group and 35.04+/-1.09 week in the control group (p0.05). KMC was initiated at a mean age of 1.72+/-0.45 days. The duration of KMC in first month was 10.21+/-1.50 hour, in the 2nd month was 10.03+/-1.57 hour and in the 3rd month was 8.97+/-1.37 hours. The duration of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the KMC group (3.56+/-0.57 days) compared to control group (6.80+/-1.30 days). The total attachment score (24.46+/-1.64) in the KMC group was significantly higher than that obtained in control group (18.22+/-1.79, p0.001). In KMC group, mother was more often the main caretaker of the baby. Mothers were significantly more involved in care taking activities like bathing, diapering, sleeping with their babies and spent more time beyond usual care taking. They went out without their babies less often and only for unavoidable reasons. They derived greater pleasure from their babies.KMC facilitates mother baby attachment in low birth weight infants.

Phytophthora diseases cause major losses to agricultural as well as to horticultural production in India and worldwide. Most Phytophthora diseases are soilborne except Late blight of Potato caused by Phytophthora infestans and difficult to control, making disease prevention an important component of many disease management strategies. Detection and identification of the causal agent, therefore, is an essential part of effective disease management. Although these methods are still fundamental there is an increasing move towards molecular diagnostics of fungi in all fields. Enumerating the pathogen upon detection is crucial to estimate the potential risks with respect to diseases development and provides a useful basis for diseases management decisions. Species of the genus Phytophthora are arguably the most destructive plant pathogens causing widespread damage to many agricultural, horticultural and ornamental crops, and to native ecosystems throughout the world. Globalization has increased the volume of plants being transported over long distances and has increased the spread of Phytophthora species. The morphological characteristics of these structures and various kinds of spores produced by them have been the basis of identification up to genus/species level and classification of these pathogens into family, order and class. The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) has emerged as a tool for detecting microorganisms in many diverse environments. Thus far, it is clear that DNA-based detection systems exhibit higher levels sensitivity than conventional techniques. The possibility of detecting two or more pathogens simultaneously has become bright after the development of DNA array technology. The usefulness of immunoassays for early detection and precise identification has been significantly enhanced following the development of Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and monoclonal antibodies (Dipsticks) which exhibit greater sensitivity and specificity compared with isolation based methods which are laborious and time-consuming. Disease management methods based on cultural, chemical control, resistant varieties, Diseases forecasting are illustrated. New technologies promise to improve the speed and accuracy of disease diagnostics and pathogen detection. Widespread adoption of standard operating procedures and diagnostic laboratory accreditation serve to build trust and confidence among institutions. Case studies of national and international diagnostic networks are presented. This review examines the technical advances in the field and the rationale for such studies on Phytophthora.

In this study, 26 mother plants and their respective 26 regenerants (30th cycles sub-cultured plants) of potato interspecific somatic hybrids were examined for genetic and epigenetic changes by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) markers, respectively. Eight AFLP primer pair combinations yielded 78 polymorphic bands out of 353 scorable bands. Cluster analysis based on the Jaccard’s similarity coefficient exhibited 100 % similarity between the mother plant and their regenerants, whereas eight MSAP markers detected epigenetic variation (2–6 %) in the regenerants. Out of total 6411 MSAP sites in the regenerants, 6133 unmethylated, 132 (2 %) fully methylated, and 143 (2.2 %) hemi-methylated sites were detected. This study shows that a minimum epigenetic variation (2–6 %) was induced in the regenerants as compared to the mother plants of potato somatic hybrids during tissue culture process.

Genes involved in photoassimilate partitioning and changes in hormonal balance are important for potato tuberization. In the present study, we investigated gene expression patterns in the tuber-bearing potato somatic hybrid (E1-3) and control non-tuberous wild species Solanum etuberosum (Etb) by microarray. Plants were grown under controlled conditions and leaves were collected at eight tuber developmental stages for microarray analysis. A t-test analysis identified a total of 468 genes (94 up-regulated and 374 down-regulated) that were statistically significant (p ≤ 0.05) and differentially expressed in E1-3 and Etb. Gene Ontology (GO) characterization of the 468 genes revealed that 145 were annotated and 323 were of unknown function. Further, these 145 genes were grouped based on GO biological processes followed by molecular function and (or) PGSC description into 15 gene sets, namely (1) transport, (2) metabolic process, (3) biological process, (4) photosynthesis, (5) oxidation-reduction, (6) transcription, (7) translation, (8) binding, (9) protein phosphorylation, (10) protein folding, (11) ubiquitin-dependent protein catabolic process, (12) RNA processing, (13) negative regulation of protein, (14) methylation, and (15) mitosis. RT-PCR analysis of 10 selected highly significant genes (p ≤ 0.01) confirmed the microarray results. Overall, we show that candidate genes induced in leaves of E1-3 were implicated in tuberization processes such as transport, carbohydrate metabolism, phytohormones, and transcription/translation/binding functions. Hence, our results provide an insight into the candidate genes induced in leaf tissues during tuberization in E1-3.

Temperature is one of the most significant factors affecting potato yield. Night temperature beyond 18-22 °C drastically reduces tuber formation, constraining potato cultivation in tropics and subtropics. Identification of genes and pathways affected by high temperature is crucial for developing thermo tolerant cultivars for these regions. In the present study, two cultivars with contrasting tuberization behavior at night temperatures (24 °C) were selected for gene expression analysis using a customized microarray chip representing 39,031 potato genes. A total of 2500 genes were differentially expressed on 21 d and 4096 genes on 14 d after stress. Gene ontology and pathway analysis provided insights into the probable biological processes and pathways governing tuberization at elevated temperature. Pathway maps were constructed to graphically represent the gene expression patterns. Genes associated with photosynthesis, hormonal activity, sugar transporters and transcription factors were differentially expressed. The results are presented and discussed in terms of tuberization at high temperature. The effect of high temperature on expression of genes controlling tuberization was also analyzed. This study provided useful information on potato tuberization at elevated temperature and make available a framework for further investigations into heat stress in potato.

Earlier studies have shown that level of late blight resistance conferred by the classical R gene (RB Rpi-blb1) is dependent on genetic background of the recipient genotype. This was revealed in the analysis of late blight response that belonged to a group of F1 progeny obtained from the cross between Kufri Jyoti and SP951, which showed wide variation in late blight resistance response in spite of possessing the same RB gene. The global gene expression pattern in the RB potato lines was studied in response to late blight infection using cDNA microarray analysis to reveal the background effect. Leaf samples were collected at 0, 24, 72 and 120 h post inoculation (hpi) with Phytophthora infestans for gene expression analysis using 61031 gene sequences. Significantly upregulated (1477) and downregulated (4245) genes common in the RB-transgenic F1 lines at 24 and 72 hpi were classified into several categories based on GO identifiers and majority of genes were assigned putative biological functions. Highest expression of an NBS-LRR along with protease, pectin esterase inhibitors, chaperones and reactive oxygen species genes were observed which affirmed a significant role of these categories in the defence response of RB-KJ lines. Results suggest that the immune priming of plant receptors are likely to be involved in stability and functionality of RB to induce resistance against P. infestans. This study is important for effective deployment of RB gene in the host background and contributes immensely to scientific understanding of R gene interaction with host protein complexes to regulate defence system in plants.

Plant disease management is an important factor in agriculture as it causes a significant yield loss in crops. Late Blight is the most devastating disease for Potato in most of the potato growing regions in the world. For optimum use of pesticide and to minimize the yield loss, the identification of disease severity is essential. The key contribution here is an algorithm to determine the severity of Potato Late Blight disease using image processing techniques and neural network. The proposed system takes images of a group of potato leaves with complex background as input which are captured under uncontrolled environment. In this proposed approach decorrelation stretching is used to enhance the color differences in the input images. Then Fuzzy C-mean clustering is applied to segment the disease affected area which also include background with same color characteristics. Finally we propose to use the neural network based approach to classify the disease affected regions from the similar color textured background. The proposed algorithm achieves an accuracy of 93% for 27 images captured in different light condition, from different distances and at different orientations along with complex background.

Cytoplasm types of the potato somatic hybrids from Solanum tuberosum × Solanum etuberosum were analysed using chloroplast (cp) and mitochondrial (mt) organelle genomes-specific markers. Of the 29 markers (15 cpDNA and 14 mtDNA) amplified in the 26 genotypes, 5 cpDNA (H3, NTCP4, NTCP8, NTCP9, and ALC1/ALC3) and 13 mtDNA markers showed polymorphism. The cluster analysis based on the mtDNA markers detected higher diversity compared with the cpDNA markers. Presence of new mtDNA fragments of the markers, namely, T11-2, Nsm1, pumD, Nsm3, and Nsm4, were observed, while monomorphic loci revealed highly conserved genomic regions in the somatic hybrids. The study revealed that the somatic hybrids had diverse cytoplasm types consisting predominantly of T-, W-, and C-, with a few A- and S-type cp genomes; and α-, β-, and γ-type mt genomes. Somatic hybridization has unique potential to widen the cytoplasm types of the cultivated gene pools from wild species through introgression by breeding methods.

Background: Genetic and epigenetic changes (DNA methylation) were examined in the tissue-culture propagated interspecific potato somatic hybrids between dihaploid Solanum tuberosum and S. pinnatisectum . Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) and methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP) were applied to detect the genetic and epigenetic changes, respectively in the somatic hybrids mother plants (1 st cycle) and their regenerants (30 th cycles sub-cultured). Results: To detect genetic changes, eight AFLP primer combinations yielded a total of 329 scorable bands of which 49 bands were polymorphic in both mother plants and regenerants. None of the scorable bands were observed in term of loss of original band of mother plant or gain of novel band in their regenerants. AFLP profiles and their cluster analysis based on the Jaccard’s similarity coefficient revealed 100% genetic similarity among the mother plant and their regenerants. On the other hand, to analyze epigenetic changes, eight MSAP primer pair combinations detected a few DNA methylation patterns in the mother plants (0 to 3.4%) and their regenerants (3.2 to 8.5%). Out of total 2320 MSAP sites in the mother plants, 2287 (98.6%) unmethylated, 21 (0.9%) fully methylated and 12 (0.5%) hemi-methylated, and out of total 2494 MSAP sites in their regenerants, 2357 (94.5%) unmethylated, 79 (3.1%) fully methylated and 58 (2.3%) hemi-methylated sites were amplified. Conclusion: The study concluded that no genetic variations were observed among the somatic hybrids mother plants and their regenerants by eight AFLP markers. However, minimum epigenetic variations among the samples were detected ranged from 0 to 3.4% (mother plants) and 3.2 to 8.5% (regenerants) during the tissue culture process.

Potato, a native of temperate region was introduced in India and adapted to tropical short-day conditions where it covers >80% of total potato area. The crop is very sensitive to climatic variability, and therefore, the climate change and global warming will have a profound effect on potato growth in India. Even moderately high temperature drastically reduces tuber yield without much affecting the photosynthesis and total biomass production. Besides, high temperature affects tuber quality by causing heat sprouting and internal necrosis. The effect of elevated CO2 concentration suggests positive effect on growth and yield with only few negative influences. Study on the impact assessment of climate change on potato production using INFOCROP-POTATO model showed that the potato production will increase by 11.12% at elevated CO2 of 550 ppm and 1°C rise in temperature but further increase in CO2 to 550 ppm with a likely rise in temperature to 3°C will result in decline in potato production by 13.72% in the year 2050. The effect of elevated temperature on late blight at global level revealed that with rise in global temperature of 2°C, there will be lower risk of late blight in warmer areas ( 13°C) with early onset of the epidemics. Global warming will have a serious repercussion on viral diseases through the altered biology of insect vectors. The increase in temperature will enhance vector population thereby increasing the number of insecticide sprays for keeping the vector population in check. The effects of temperature and CO2 on potato growth and development, productivity, diseases and insect pests, and quality have been discussed in the present communication. Besides, regional vulnerability to climate change and adaptation measures for climate change and global warming are also discussed.

Despite a widespread public health system, the private healthcare sector is the major provider of health care in rural India. This study describes the profile and medical practices of private rural health providers (PRHPs) in rural Haryana, India.A cross-sectional study was conducted among PRHPs practicing in the villages of Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project (CRHSP) at Ballabgarh block located in the Faridabad district of Haryana State. The CRHSP is an Intensive Field Practice Area (IFPA) of the Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.Eighty PRHPs participated in this study (response rate 93%). The majority (96%) did not possess a qualification in any formal system of medicine. Half of the PRHPs had a separate space (private area) for the examination of patients. Almost all had stethoscopes, thermometers and blood pressure apparatus. The PRHPs were involved in a wide range of practices, such as dispensing medicines (98.7%), providing injections (98.7%) and intravenous fluids (98.7%), and conducting minor surgery (78.5%). Dumping biomedical waste was a common practice among these practitioners. Some PRHPs (8.7%) were involved in national health programs.Unqualified PRHPs provide substantial outpatient healthcare services in rural Ballabgarh, India. Their biomedical waste disposal practices are inadequate. There is a need for training in waste disposal practices and monitoring of safe injection techniques among PRHPs. Consideration should be given to utilising PRHPs in important public health programs such as disease surveillance.

BACKGROUND: The role of prevalent culturally driven beliefs and practices in influencing home-based newborn care has not been adequately studied especially in North India. METHODS: The study was conducted in 28 villages under Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project (CRHSP) All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). A total of 415 mothers who had a baby in the second month of life at the time of the visit for data collection were interviewed using pre-tested questionnaire. RESULTS: Nearly 77% of mothers reported some beliefs/practices with regard to care of the cord. Similarly 81.0% mothers had beliefs regarding taking the baby out of the house for the first time after birth. Out of all the mothers that were interviewed around 11% did not prefer their baby to be weighed at frequent intervals because according to them doing so could lead to slowing of the growth of the baby. CONCLUSION: Traditional knowledge and practices must be considered before developing neonatal health care intervention strategies.

A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in an urban resettlement colony in South Delhi to study the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis in women aged ≥40 years and treatment seeking behavior of women suffering from osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis was diagnosed by using clinical criteria given by American College of Rheumatology for diagnosis of Idiopathic Osteoarthritis of knee joints. A total 260 women were interviewed out of which 123 (47.3%) women were found to be suffering from knee osteoarthritis. Prevalence of osteoarthritis found to be increased with age. Less than half of those with osteoarthritis underwent treatment. With this high prevalence of osteoarthritis, there is need to spread awareness about the disease, its prevention, and rehabilitation in the community.

Bhopal, the capital of the state of Madhya Pradesh in India, is known throughout the world for the huge disaster, affecting millions of people, that occurred at a Union Carbide pesticide plant on the night of December 3, 1984. The union Carbide Corporation technical team reports that a large volume of water was introduced into the Methyl Isocyanate tank and triggered a reaction (MIC) that resulted in the gas release (Lapierre & Moro, 1997).

Background: Tobacco and alcohol use are serious health problems. Studies focusing on problems associated with tobacco and alcohol use in the elderly are limited. Aim: To find out the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol use among rural elderly population. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the intensive field practice area of the Comprehensive Rural Health Services Project in Ballabgarh in Faridabad, Haryana, a rural field practice area of the Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. The sample was selected using stratified random cluster sampling. The participants were ?60 years of age at the time of interview. Data on tobacco and alcohol use pattern of 1117 elderly were collected during the interview. Results: The prevalence of smoking was 71.8% in men (n=490) and 41.4% in women (n=497). Among men smokers, 41.5% were light smokers (:-5 beedis/day), 42.9% were moderate smokers (6-20 beedis/day) and 15.6% were heavy smokers (>20 beedis/day). Among women smokers, 71.8% were light smokers, 23.8% were moderate smokers and 4.4% were heavy smokers. Regular alcohol intake was seen in 16.3% of the men compared with 0.8% of the women. Conclusion: The finding of a high prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption among men in this rural population of India is of serious concern and therefore needs remedial measures.

The study aims to assess the counselling services provided to prevent mother to child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) under the Indian programme of prevention of parent-to-child transmission of HIV (PPTCT). Five hospitals in Delhi providing PMTCT services were randomly selected. A total of 201 post-test counselled women were interviewed using a modified version of the UNICEF-PPTCT evaluation tool. Knowledge about HIV transmission from mother-to-child was low. Post-test counselling mainly helped in increasing the knowledge of HIV transmission; yet 20%–30% of the clients missed this opportunity. Discussion on window period, other sexually transmitted diseases and danger signs of pregnancy were grossly neglected. The PMTCT services during the antenatal period are feasible and agreeable to be provided; however, certain aspects, like lack of privacy, confidentiality of HIV status of the client, counsellor’s ‘hurried’ attitude, communication skills and discriminant behaviour towards HIV-positive clients, and disinterest of clients in the counselling, remain as gaps. These issues may be addressed through refresher training to counsellors with an emphasis on social and behaviour change communication strategies. Addressing attitudinal aspects of the counsellors towards HIV positives is crucial to improve the quality of the services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.