No abstract

A laboratory experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different seed coating materials and storage containers on germination, seedling vigour and suitability of packaging material for soybean seed. Seed of soybean varietyPS1024 was used for coating purpose with 6 coating treatments viz., T 0 (control), T 1 (Polymer coating i.e. Polykote @ 3 ml kg -1 of seed diluted with 5 ml of water), T 2 (Flowable Thiram i.e. Royal flow 40 SC @ 2.4 ml kg -1 of seed), T 3 (T 1 + T 2 ), T 4 (Vitavax 200 i.e.thiram 37.5 % and carboxyl 37.5% @ 2 g kg -1 of seed and T 5 (T 1 + T 4 ). The coated seeds were stored in two kinds of containers i.e. jute canvas bag, high density poly ethylene (HDPE) non-laminated bag and bimonthly observation on germination and seedling vigour were recorded. After 8 th month of storage, germination and vigour index in polythene bag stored seeds were significantly higher than the seed stored in cloth bag. Among seed coating treatments, maximum %germination was recorded in polymer coating @ 3 ml kg -1 followed by vitavax 200 @ 2 g kg -1of seed treatment (T 5 ) which was significantly higher than rest of the coated treatment including untreated control seeds (T 0 ). Similarly, maximum seed vigour index was observed in T 5 and minimum vigor index was recorded with T 0 (untreated control).

Summary A new foliar disease was observed on sissoo in Jaipur and Udaipur districts of Rajasthan, India. The disease occurred in approximately 30% of the trees surveyed. Leaf spots were mostly irregular and these start from leaf margin to inwards. The fungus was identified as Curvularia affinis Boedijn and Koch’s postulates fulfilled. On the basis of the literature, this is the first report of C. affinis causing leaf spot of Dalbergia sissoo from India as well as worldwide.

Large scale filariasis surveys in rural areas for microfilaraemia, especially of periodic types such as Wuchereria bancrofti are known to cause considerable administrative, technical and social problems. The present investigation was carried out in the population of two villages in the Malumfashi district of the Northern Nigerian savanna. From the survey results, the sensitivity and specificity of two techniques-day-time diethylcarbamazine (DEC) provocative test by blood smear and concentration, and night-blood examination by smear and concentration especially for W. bancrofti-were assessed. Day-time DEC provocative test proved to be efficient in terms of sensitivity and specificity, compared with the night-blood method, for W. bancrofti detection but less so for Dipetalonema perstans, the other blood microfilaria found in this population during these studies. A regression line between night-blood survey results for W. bancrofti and the results from day-time DEC provocative test was calculated. With the help of this regression line it is possible to estimate W. bancrofti microfilarial prevalence for night surveys, using the DEC provocative test results of day-time surveys. This can be done with minimal, but known, loss of accuracy and incurs fewer administrative, technical and social difficulties.

The present investigation was carried out to study the response of physiological seedling vigour parameters of wheat as influenced by different seed invigoration techniques. Seeds of wheat variety UP 2565 were treated with electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) of 100 and 200 mT for one hour, hydropriming for 12 hours and plasma treatment for 6 minutes which were tested along the untreated seeds. The results revealed that all the seed invigoration treatments improved germination and seedling vigour parameters of wheat seed. The water absorption of plasma treated seeds increased by 42.2% and 23.9% after 6 and 12 hours of imbibitions period respectively over untreated seeds. The highest germination percentage was recorded in plasma treated seeds which was at par with electro-magnetic radiation (EMR) for 200 mT. The plasma treated seeds also emerged earlier than control and also took less time to emerge than rest of the treatment including untreated seeds.