Agricultural drought has been a recurrent phenomenon in many parts of India. Remote sensing plays a vital role in real time monitoring of the agricultural drought conditions over large area, there by effectively supplementing the ground mechanism. Conventional drought monitoring is based on subjective data. The satellite based monitoring such as National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Monitoring System (NADAMS) is

A simple one-step synthesis was accomplished for the preparation of N-phosphoramidophosphonates by a direct reaction of phosphoramidate (1) with heterocyclic aldehydes (2a-j) and dialkyl phosphites at 60-70 degrees C in the presence of tetramethylguanidine. The tetramethylguanidine not only catalyses this reaction but also helps to form pure products in high yields in lesser time. They exhibited good insecticidal and antioxidant properties.

2013) Characterisation, genetic diversity and antagonistic potential of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol producing Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates in groundnut-based cropping systems This study is focused on isolation and characterisation of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG)-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens isolates from different soils of groundnut-based cropping systems in Andhra Pradesh. In our studies, 21 isolates of P. fluorescens were isolated and confirmed through various biochemical tests, of which five were tested positive for 2,4-DAPGproduction with specific primers. Biocontrol potential of these isolates on groundnut stem rot pathogen (Sclerotium rolfsii) was determined through in vitro dual culture assays. The eight isolates were found effective against S. rolfsii (up to 75% inhibition) in dual culture method. All the five 2,4-DAPG-producing Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria isolates were highly antagonistic to S. rolfsii. Genetic diversity of these P. fluorescens isolates was determined by random amplification of polymorphic DNA analysis. Overall, our results suggest that the prevalence of 2,4-DAPG-producing fluorescent Pseudomonads in different crop rhizospheres of groundnut-based cropping systems.

Studies were conducted to evaluate insecticide residues of Chlorantraniliprole in pigeon pea succulent pods after foliar application. Chlorantraniliprole was sprayed at 0.6ml/l on pigeon pea crop at the pod formation stage to control pod borers like Helicoverpa armigera and Maruca vitrata. Samples were drawn at 0, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 days after spray. A validated liquid chromatography method with a Photodiode Array (PDA) detector was used for the residue analysis of chlorantraniliprole. Separation was achieved through the C18 column in the reverse phase. The calibration graphs of chlorantraniliprole in acetonitrile solvent or five blank matrices were linear within the tested interval of 0.1 to 1ppm with a coefficient of determination over 0.9990. Dissipation of chlorantraniliprole was studied in first-order kinetic models (for which the coefficient of determination, R2 was 0.8684). Residues of chlorantraniliprole was 3.57, 3.16, 1.61, 1.13, 0.49, 0.21, 0.05 and 0.00mg/kg at 0, 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 days after spraying. The residue level reached below the tolerance limit (MRL) (2mg/kg BW) of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) on Pesticide Residues after 5 days of spray and below the detectable level after 25 days of spray in succulent pods and recorded a biological half-life of 4.36 days.

SUMMARYThree oil formulations of entomopathogenic fungus Nomuraea rileyi were evaluated for their efficacy along with crude formulation against third instar Spodoptera litura during 2011-2012 at the Department of Entomology, S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati. Mean larval mortalities of 96.67, 93.33, 86.67 and 76.67 per cent, respectively were recorded with groundnut, sunflower, coconut oil based formulations and crude formulation of N. rileyi at highest concentration i.e., 1 x 10 8 spores ml -1 at 10 DAT. More than 70 per cent larval mortalities of S. litura were obtained with the concentrations above 1 x 10 6 spores per ml in case of groundnut oil and sunflower oil based formulations. The mortalities gradually reduced with concentration showing the least at 1 x 10 2 spores ml -1 . Incubation period, was in negative correlation with the concentration of N. rileyi in all the formulations. Pupal mortalities and malformed adults emergence showed positive association with concentration of N. rileyi against S. litura larvae.