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Rice is an important nutritive crop and primary staple food throughout the world. To reach the increasing global grain demand and food security, rice production needs to be monitored and increased. However, abiotic and biotic stresses have impeded rice cultivation both in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Among biotic stressors, false smut of rice incited by fungus Ustilaginoidea virens (Cooke, 1878) is one of the most common and serious disease throughout the rice cultivation areas and cause up to 40% loss in its yield. The disease is hard to stop, because fungus infect the crop during flowering stage and symptoms of the disease are evident after emergence of rice panicle. The fungus completely destroys the grains and converts them into spore balls, which are toxic and unfit for seed production. Further, control of false smut of rice through fungicide application is feasible; however, high usage of fungicides has led to the resistance development in causal agent besides environmental pollution. In this review, we update the most recent progress regarding the pathogen, its distribution, taxonomy, disease cycle and integrated disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cluster frontline demonstration (CFLD) with improved technology plays a vital role in enhancing the production potential of pulses as well as socio-economic level of farmers and it also proved that it improves soil heath through crop diversification by optimizing diversified microhabitats that benefit soil microbial community. Methods: KVK, ICAR-NDRI, Karnal (Haryana) conducted 220 demonstrations on chickpea variety HC-1 and HC-5 over an area of 80 ha during Rabi season 2017-18 to 2020-21. The demonstrated technology was improved variety HC-1 and HC-5, optimum seed rate and spacing, seed and soil treatment with bio-fungicide and application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) module for the management of diseases and insects. Result: The result of the CFLDs showed that on an average yield of chickpea seed under improved technology, ranged from 11.41 q/ha to 20 q/ha which was 25.06 per cent more as compared to farmer practices. The study depicted, the mean technology gap of 9.01 q/ha, the mean extension gap of 3.70 q/ha and the mean technology index of 36.7 per cent. The study concluded that from one hectare a net income of Rs. 47565/- can be obtained, additional return of Rs. 10404/, effective gain of Rs. 8289 and B:C ratio obtained were 2.63 under incorporation of improved technology as compared to local check. By conducting CFLD of proven technologies, yield of crop could be enhanced to a great extent with ultimately increment in the income level of small and marginal farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture of Etroplus suratensis is being practised at various water salinities. In this investigation, morphological responses of gill tissue of E. suratensis to various osmotic changes induced by freshwater (0%) and sea water (36%) were studied. Ultra-structural studies revealed significant decrease in the density of type I Mitochondrial rich cells in the apical surface of gills at 18% and complete disappearance of these cells at 36%. Type III subtype density increased consistently from 0% to 36%. Variations in type II cells density were comparatively less in any of the experimental groups. Light microscopic changes included reduction in mucous cell number with increasing salinity. Haemorrhages, lamellar fusion, lamellar curling, lifting of epithelium & hyperplasia are major histological responses to salinity shock. Observable clinical signs in fish exposed to increased salinity changes included agitated behaviour and respiratory distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blends of sorghum and soybean flours were processed in a co-rotating twin screw extruder to prepare expanded product. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the effect of soya level (SL), feed moisture (FM), barrel temperature (BT) and screw speed (SS) on extruder system parameters and physical properties of the extrudate. Response variables were product temperature (PT), motor torque (MT), specific mechanical energy (SME), expansion ratio (ER), bulk density (BD), hardness (H), crispness (C), water absorption index (WAI), and water solubility index (WSI). Second order polynomial models were developed to determine the responses as a function of process variables. FM, BT, and SS had a significant effect on all the responses except BT on WAI, while SL considerably affected ER, BD, H, C, and WAI. All the models were found to be statistically significant (R2> 0.85; insignificant lack of fit). Sorghum-soya extruded product was found to be feasible and the optimum values of processing variables were: SL: 14 per cent; FM: 14 per cent wb; BT: 129°C; and SS: 422 rpm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic bistable memory devices were fabricated by embedding a thin layer of molybdenum trioxide (MoO 3 ) between two tris-(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq 3 ) layers. The device exhibited excellent switching characteristics with an ON/OFF current ratio of 1.15 × 10 3 at a read voltage of 1 V. The device showed repeatable write-erase capability and good stability in both the conductance states. These conductance states are non-volatile in nature and can be obtained by applying appropriate voltage pulses. The effect of MoO 3 layer thickness and its location in the Alq 3 matrix on characteristics of the memory device was investigated. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images of the MoO 3 layer revealed the presence of isolated nanoparticles. Based on the experimental results, a mechanism has been proposed for explaining the conductance switching of fabricated devices.