Emergent Life Sciences Research

1-5

Authors: Arvind Kumar, Manas Denre, Ruplal Prasad, D. K. Shahi, B. K. Agarwal

Experiments were conducted to see the effect of fly ash on growth, yield and quality of two tuber crops cropping sequence Colocasia and potato in red and lateritic soil of Chotanagpur Plateau. Result revealed a positive and significant effect of 4, 8 and 16 percent fly ash (w/w) incorporation in acidic soil (pH 5.9) on crop yield and on all growth attributes of both the tested vegetable crops. Tuber yield of Colocasia was recorded as 4.96, 5.66 and 6.95 t ha-1, respectively due to application of 4, 8 and 16% fly ash alone. Yield of Colocasia drastically increased over control and found higher (11.92 t ha-1) at 16% FA+NPK followed by 10.25 t ha-1 yield of Colocasia with 8% FA+NPK. Potato yield (22.39 t ha-1) was higher in 16% FA+NPK treatment followed by yield 20.63 t ha-1 at 8% FA+NPK applied treatment when grown on residual fly ash application. In control plot Pb, Co and Ni content were found 13.9, 15.2 and 5.0 mg kg-1, while at 16% fly ash application level, Pb, Co and Ni content were found 28.7, 35.6 and 15.7 mg kg-1, respectively in edible part of Colocasia (cormel). Fe (310 mg kg-1), Mn (28 mg kg-1), Zn (46.7 mg kg-1), Cu (35.8 mg kg-1), Pb (22.0 mg kg-1), Ni (20.9 mg kg-1) and Co (27.0 mg kg-1) content were higher in potato tuber, when grown on 16% residual fly ash in Colocasia-potato cropping sequence.

16-22

Authors: Sonika, Rachna Gulati, Monika Jangra

The incidence of Tetranychus urticae Koch, a two-spotted spider mite, was studied in brinjal ecosystem (Solanum melongena L.). Brinjal seeds (var. BR112) were raised in the Research Farm area, Department of Vegetable Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar during June 2014 and seedlings were transplanted during mid-July, 2014 in the field. In screen house, the crop was raised during mid-June, 2014. In field and screen house, two-spotted spider mite was recorded to study the population fluctuation on brinjal during the first week of September and continued until the first week of November 2014 at Hisar region. Different stages of T. urticae viz., eggs, larvae, nymphs and adults from ten randomly selected plants were recorded weekly on both ventral and dorsal surface of tender, grown up and older leaves of brinjal. The results revealed that the mite population showed a gradual increase until attainment of the peak in the last week of September 2014. The results clearly showed that 5.19 and 5.85 mites/sq cm leaf T. urticae population peak in the last week of September 2014 on brinjal plant under field and screen house conditions, respectively. Afterwards, a gradual decline in mite population was recorded until November. Mites showed a preference for grown-up leaves of brinjal as compared to tender and older leaves under field and screen house condition.

26-31

Authors: Monika Jangra, Rachna Gulati, Sonika

Fourteen chilli hybrids were raised to study the effect of phytophagous chilli mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) on fruit parameters of chilli at Research Farm Area, Department of Vegetable Sciences, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar (Haryana). Chilli mites are one of the major pests of vegetable, ornamental and fruit crops, causing considerable loss in yield. Correlation coefficient (r = -0.98) calculated between mite incidence and fruit length suggested an increase in mite population led to corresponding significant decrease in fruit length in fourteen chilli hybrids. Maximum average fruit length (6.50 cm) was recorded in hybrid 9/CHIhyb-10 with corresponding lowest mite count (2.53mites/leaf). In contrast, decreased fruit length was recorded in hybrids 10/CHIhyb-7 (2.50 cm) and 10/CHIhyb-6 (2.83 cm) with highest mite count of 6.28 and 5.70 mites/ leaf, respectively. Likewise, negative and highly significant correlation was recorded between mite incidence and fruit number (r = -0.98) and fruit yield/plant (r = -0.96).

37-41

Authors: Kenneth A. Agu

Uremic frost the powdery whitish substance, comprising urea and uric acid salts, on the skin of some patients with end stage kidney disease could be an attempt by the sweat glands to take over the function of the failing kidneys. Currently end stage kidney disease is managed mainly by hemodialysis and eventually kidney transplantation. Kidneys are primarily the organs for excretion of metabolic wastes. A normal kidney contains 800,000 to 1.5 million nephrons. This excretory function, which is essential for life, consists of filtration and selective reabsorption / secretion to produce urine. The major nitrogenous waste in urine is urea. The sweat glands are basically organs of thermoregulation. However, they are also involved in excretion of metabolic wastes. The total number of sweat glands lies between 1.6 and 4.5 million. There are anatomical and physiological similarities between the nephron the functional unit of the kidney and the sweat gland. This article proposes a functional similarity between the two. Anatomically, the sweat gland bears some resemblance to the nephron. A nephron has 2 basic components, the glomerulus and the tubules. Similarly, the sweat gland has a secretory unit consisting of a base rolled into a glomerulus, and a duct that carries the sweat away. Both the kidneys and the sweat glands excrete nitrogenous wastes, water and electrolytes. They are also involved in maintaining acid-base balance. The hypothesis is that the skin, via the sweat glands, constitutes an alternative excretory organ to the kidneys, though probably minor, and thus could act as temporary or permanent replacement for the kidneys.

50-53

Authors: S. B. Choudhari, S. D. Naikwade, H. K. Kausadikar, V. G. Takankhar

This Study was carried out on soil nutrient index and soil fertility of six tehsil of Beed district. The soils were alkaline in reaction and within the safer limits of electrical conductivity. These soils were calcareous in nature, low to medium in organic content and low in available N, P and DTPA-Zn. However, available K and DTPA-Fe, Mn and Cu content was respectively, high and medium to high in the soil.