Informatics Publishing Limited

Anil Kant , Vaishnu Dutt , D. R. Sharma

Abstract

Pinus gerardiana Wall. (Chilgoza pine) is a very important conifer species distributed very sparsely and endangered due to reckless cone extraction leading to complete lack of natural regeneration. The present studies were carried out to assess genetic variation in the species and to find out genetic relationship between various characteristics. A wide range of variation was exhibited in most of characters. High heritability along with high genetic gain was recorded for some characters which indicate that these characters can be improved by selection. Correlation and path coefficient analysis indicated that needle length, clear bole height, crown width and height can be used for indirect selection for improvement of economically important cone and nut characters

Full Text

     

B. G. Dabral , J. S. P. Yadav , D. R. Sharma

Abstract

Soil moisture studies made in the sal, teak and chir-pine plantations indicated that the total soil moisture accretion values for 0-4 feet soil depth were nearly the same for teak and sal, the depletion values being slightly lower under teak than under sal. Chir recorded lower accretion and depletion rates as compared to the other two species. Soil nl0isture accretion and depletion rates varied for each foot depth of the soil mass and showed a close relation between themselves, thereby indicating that the available soil moisture is an important factor in governing the loss of water through evapotranspiration. The actual soil moisture content usually remained below the field capacity. In general, the soils of different species studied showed considerable variations in the moisture content. Apart from the effect of species which was of a lower magnitude under the prevalent climatic conditioJ1s of the locality, the differences in mechanical Composition, water holding capacity and organic matter content of the soil appeared to be of greater importance for these observed variations.

Full Text

     

J. S. P. Yadav , D. R. Sharma

Abstract

An investigation conducted in 1962 to study the edaphic factors with reference to the distribution of sal and teak in Madhya Pradesh is reported. Certain physical and chemical properties of soil did not show any marked difference which could be attributed for the differential distribution of the two species. On the whole, the soils under teak have higher exchangeable calcium than those under sal, while the coarse-textured shallow soil possessing the lowest amount of exchangeable calcium and moisture status is occupied by the miscellaneous species. The data suggest that the general occurrence of teak in the south-west region is helped by higher exchangeable calcium under drier conditions apart from the greater tolerance of teak for such conditions. The exchangeable calcium of the soil thus appears to be an important factor in favouring predominance of this species. In view of the present limited data the study needs to be extended to other areas as well for confirming the observations reported here, which are, to all intents and purposes, preliminary and tentative.

Full Text

     

R. Kaur ¹, Neetu Thakur ¹, D. R. Sharma ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Biotechnology, University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan 173230 (H.P.), IN

Abstract

A low cost protocol for in vitro propagation of Lilium cv. Toscana has been developed through incorporation of cost-effective media components. MS medium supplemented with 0.75 mg^-1 BAP (6-benzylaminopurine) and 0.5 mg^-1 NAA (α-naphthalene-acetic acid) was prepared with tapioca granules, table sugar and tap water in different combinations in place of agar-agar, sucrose and distilled water, respectively. Culture medium containing all the cost effective components was found to be the best for in vitro establishment of cultures yielding 6.00 bulblets per explant and medium supplemented with tapioca granules as cost effective component was found to be the best for in vitro multiplication of bulblets giving 3.70 bulblets per in vitro formed bulblet five weeks from third subculture. Tapioca supplemented MS medium containing 1 mg^-1 NAA was significantly better than all the other modified media giving 86.62% in vitro ischolar_maining, 2.86 average ischolar_main number and 4.60 cm average ischolar_main length. For hardening of in vitro ischolar_mained bulblets, coco peat, peat moss and coco peat in combination with peat moss were found to be at par giving 100% survival.

Keywords

Lilium, Micropropagation, Low-Cost Strategy.

Full Text

   

S. R. Adhikari ¹, V. Pandit ², D. R. Sharma ³, R. K. Subedi ⁴

Affiliations
1 Ministry of Agricultural Development, Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center, Lalitpur, NP
2 CABI-India, New Delhi - 110012, Delhi, IN
3 Chief, Ministry of Agricultural Development, Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center, Lalitpur, NP
4 Plant Protection Officer, Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Center, Lalitpur, NP

Abstract

Government of Nepal (GoN) has been prioritizing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy as the most important strategy after a sudden outbreak of Brown Plant Hopper (BPH) and heavy loss in rice production. GoN has been continuing IPM programs with the successful completion of different phases like technical cooperation, marketing and institutionalization. Awareness creation among multisectoral stakeholders is the most and major outcome through IPM program in Nepal. Plantwise, a global program led by CABI, has been working with GoN since 2013, for the improvement of plant health system. This program has also a good impact in the promotion of nonchemical strategies of pest management. Despite of having many national programs, efforts of GoN as well as different non-governmental and community based organizations; a significant progress has not been seen in the use of biological pesticides. This paper has tried to analyze the role of different stakeholders in the promotion of bio-pesticides along with other non-chemical management strategies viz. the trend of recommendations by plant doctors with the information retrieved from Plantwise Online Management System (POMS), perception of farmers as well as agro-input suppliers to the bio-pesticides, plant clinic interventions for bio-pesticides promotion, and policy review for finding reasons for less use of bio-pesticides in the field. Around 200 farmers who visited plant clinics and 50 agro-inputs suppliers from different regions were randomly selected for the survey with the developed questionaire. This paper is a preliminary review of secondary information on relevant policies, acts, regulations, etc. Major problem has been observed in agro-input suppliers among the whole cycle of biopesticide use.

Keywords

IPM, Plant Clinics, Plant Health System, Plant Doctors, Policy, Stakeholders.

Full Text

   

D. Adhikari ¹, S. L. Joshi ², R. B. Thapa ³, V. Pandit ⁴, D. R. Sharma ⁵

Affiliations
1 Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Kathmandu, NP
2 Entomology Division, NARC, Khumaltar, Lalitpur, NP
3 Agriculture and Forestry University, Chitwan, Nepal, NP
4 Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), New Delhi, IN
5 Plant Quarantine and Pesticide Management Centre, Hariharbhawan, Lalitpur, NP

Abstract

Fruit fly is one of the important insect pests of horticultural crops, both fruits and vegetables. After aphids, fruit fly was reported as a major insect problem in the plant clinic sessions from September 2013 to July 2016 in Nepal. The groups of horticultural crops most affected by fruit flies were cucurbitaceous vegetables, i.e. 79% of all fruit fly queries (bitter gourd, bottle gourd, chayote, cucumber, pumpkin, snake gourd, sponge gourd and squash) followed by fruits 14% (guava, sweet orange, mandarin, mango, peach, and pomegranate) and solanaceous vegetables 6% (brinjal, chillies and tomato). The fruit fly management measures, such as use of para-pheromone lure/traps, sanitation and cultural measures were mostly referred in plant clinics by plant doctors of Nepal. The availability of para-pheromone lures/traps as well as technical know-how of application focusing integrated management measures should be adopted to manage fruit fly in horticultural crops with the least disruption to the environment and human health.

Keywords

Fruits, Fruit Fly, Para-pheromone, Sanitation, Vegetables.

Full Text

   

Rajwinder Kaur ¹, Manmeet Brar Bhullar ², D. R. Sharma ¹, P. K. Arora ³, Paramjit Kaur ²

Affiliations
1 Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Gurdaspur 143521, Punjab, IN
2 Department of Entomology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, Punjab, IN
3 Regional Research Station, Abohar 152116, Punjab, IN

Abstract

Field surveys were conducted at ten days intervals from February 2016 to September 2017 in six Kinnow orchards at three locations (Ludhiana, Abohar, Hoshiarpur) in different agroclimatic zones of Punjab to evaluate the population dynamics of mites on kinnow. The study revealed the occurrence of Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes), B. californicus (Banks), Tetranychus urticae Koch, Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein) and Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) as the most common phytophagous mites. The predatory mites viz., Euseius alstoniae Gupta, E. finlandicus (Oudemans) and Cunaxa setirostris (Hermann) were also found. The study showed that weather factors affected mites similarly in different fruit zones of Punjab. There was a negative correlation between mite abundance and rainfall at all locations. The families viz. Tenuipalpidae, Tarsonemidae and Cunaxidae exhibited a negative correlation with temperature and a positive with maximum relative humidity (RH). Tetranychidae had positive relationship with temperature and a negative one with maximum RH. Mite species peaked differently during various months but were more abundant in the arid (Abohar) followed by central (Ludhiana) and submontane zone (Hoshiarpur) of Punjab.

Keywords

Brevipalpus californicus, B. phoenicis, correlation, Cunaxa setirostris, Euseius alstoniae, Euseius finlandicus, Eutetranychus orientalis, Tetranychus urticae, Kinnow, Population Dynamics, Weather Factors.

Full Text