BackgroundMacrophomina phaseolina is one of the most destructive necrotrophic fungal pathogens that infect more than 500 plant species throughout the world. It can grow rapidly in infected plants and subsequently produces a large amount of sclerotia that plugs the vessels, resulting in wilting of the plant.ResultsWe sequenced and assembled ~49 Mb into 15 super-scaffolds covering 92.83% of the M. phaseolina genome. We predict 14,249 open reading frames (ORFs) of which 9,934 are validated by the transcriptome. This phytopathogen has an abundance of secreted oxidases, peroxidases, and hydrolytic enzymes for degrading cell wall polysaccharides and lignocelluloses to penetrate into the host tissue. To overcome the host plant defense response, M. phaseolina encodes a significant number of P450s, MFS type membrane transporters, glycosidases, transposases, and secondary metabolites in comparison to all sequenced ascomycete species. A strikingly distinct set of carbohydrate esterases (CE) are present in M. phaseolina, with the CE9 and CE10 families remarkably higher than any other fungi. The phenotypic microarray data indicates that M. phaseolina can adapt to a wide range of osmotic and pH environments. As a broad host range pathogen, M. phaseolina possesses a large number of pathogen-host interaction genes including those for adhesion, signal transduction, cell wall breakdown, purine biosynthesis, and potent mycotoxin patulin.ConclusionsThe M. phaseolina genome provides a framework of the infection process at the cytological and molecular level which uses a diverse arsenal of enzymatic and toxin tools to destroy the host plants. Further understanding of the M. phaseolina genome-based plant-pathogen interactions will be instrumental in designing rational strategies for disease control, essential to ensuring global agricultural crop production and security.

Balanced fertilization with optimum potassium management may lead to maximize wheat yield. The experiment was carried out at the Farming Systems Research and Development (FSRD site, Pushpapara, Pabna during the rabi seasons of 2003-04 and 2004-05 to ascertain the effect of potassium application on wheat. Five different levels of potassium (K) were tested on wheat crop. Yield contributing characters and yield exerted significant variation due to application of different levels of K and the best performance of the crop parameters was recorded when 36 kg K/ha was applied. Remarkable increase in grain, straw and total biomass yield was recorded in the same treatment. Regarding the grain quality of wheat, the highest protein content was recorded from 36 kg K/ha, which was 6.86% and 4.98% higher over omission of K (control) and recommended dose (100% estimated K). The highest net benefit was obtained from 36 kg K/ha, which was 40.52% higher over omission of K (control). Key Words: Potassium; yield; protein content; wheat. DOI: 10.3329/bjar.v34i1.5759Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 34(1) : 97-104, March 2009

A field trial was conducted to determine the nutrient uptake, harvest and addition by different crops under jute included and jute excluded cropping sequences. The crops were potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), jute (Corchorus olitorius