Low-temperature stress is an important factor affecting the growth and development of rice in temperate and high-elevation areas. In this study, 220 germplasm lines were used for screening of tolerant genotypes, validation of molecular markers and identification of robust markers for seedling-stage chilling stress tolerance to be used in marker-assisted breeding (MAS) programme. The temperature regimes imposed in the growth chamber simulated cold-stress injuries at the seedling stages of the germplasm lines. The genotypes were classified into six classes: those having susceptible genotypes were classified into moderately and highly susceptible types, while tolerant types into moderately tolerant, tolerant, highly tolerant and very highly tolerant classes. Genotypes namely Langma, Umleng-1 and Geetanjali showed survival up to 25 d, which were better than the positive check Kalinga-III surviving up to 20 d under chilling stress. Ten simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were tested for differentiation of genotypes. Individual use of SSR markers like RM284, RM286, RM85, RM341 and RM5746 can be applied in MAS breeding including combination use of non-pair markers like RM284, RM239 and RM85, which was even better than the combined use of RM284 and RM85. However, combined use of all ten markers can most effectively be employed for cold tolerance through MAS breeding.

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The study was done at Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center (ATARC) to investigate the effect of different dietary ration on growth performance of crossbred male calves and to identify the most economical feeding dietary ration. Three dietary treatments rations (treatment one=65% wheat bran+ 35% Cotton seed cake, treatment two=50% wheat bran + 49% Noug cake and treatment three=20% Maize grain + 45% wheat bran + 35% Noug seed cakes) were evaluated. Complete Randomized Block Design was used to assign eighteen cross bred male calves randomly to three dietary rations. All experimental calves were supplemented dietary rations based on their body weight at the rate of 2.5% of their live body weight throughout the experimental period. The results indicated that there were significant difference in average daily weight gain and total weight gain between crossbred male calves fed with dietary T1 and T3. Calves fed with dietary ration T1 and T2 numerically difference in final body weight, even though not statistically significant. Partial budget analysis indicated that there was no significant difference among calves fed with three dietary feed rations. But cross bred male calves fed with dietary treatment T2 was numerically higher in gross margin as compared to T1 and T3 rations. Further evaluation of different dietary rations on growth performance of yearling age (1-1.5 years old) cross bred bull calves were warranted to attain export market live weight at early age.

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