The pest was active during October to March. The population density ranged from 0.31 to 2.31 larvae/frond and 0.05 to 9.35 larvae/frond during first and second study periods respectively. The larval parasitoid, Dolichogenidea hyposidrae Wilkinson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was recorded to the tune of 7.14 to 98.21% and 2.66 to 95.0% during the first and second study periods respectively. Level of parasitism by pupal parasitoid, Brachymeria albotibialis (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae) was 8.62 to 64.0%. In oil palm-cocoa intercropping system, lower pest density, lower pest damage and high level of parasitism by natural enemies were recorded. Insecticides viz., deltamethrin, lambda cyhalothrin, chlorantraniliprole, thiodicarb and fipronil were found effective in managing this pest under severe conditions in oil palm gardens.

Total chlorophyll content of sugarcane is an important indicator of plant health, directly correlated to the photosynthetic potential of the crop. With recent technological advancements, portable chlorophyll meters have largely replaced biochemical chlorophyll estimation, requiring laborious extraction procedure with solvents like acetone and dimethyl sulphoxide. Chlorophyll meters determine only ‘greenness’ index, which has to be converted into scientifically standard units in order to make the data comprehensive. Prediction models for inter-conversion of chlorophyll units are available for crops like rice, wheat, sorghum, barley, maize, etc., but not for sugarcane till date. In the present study, total chlorophyll content was recorded in diverse sugarcane germplasm and commercial hybrids using both non-destructive and destructive sampling methods. A strong positive correlation was observed between meter readings (SPAD and CCI) with total chlorophyll content estimated using 80% acetone (r = 0.800 and 0.793) and dimethyl sulphoxide (r = 0.915 and 0.868). Regression models for the best fit curve between meter reading and extracted chlorophyll values of the tested sugarcane germplasm and hybrids were non-linear, polynomial equations of the second order. The model developed was validated in an independent experiment wherein sugarcane variety Co 86032 was subjected to increasing nitrogen levels. Highly significant linear regression was found between observed and predicted values of all estimates of total chlorophyll content with almost negligible prediction error. Thus, the model calibrated and validated for sugarcane germplasm and commercial hybrids would be a small yet significant step towards aiding high-throughput phenotyping in sugarcane thereby accelerating crop improvement programmes.

Drought is one of the most important environmental constraints limiting sugarcane ( Saccharum spp.) production worldwide. It is estimated that nearly 60% of the total sugarcane area suffers from water stress. Using the important physiological markers, drought tolerance potential of elite sugarcane clones is evaluated every year at ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore to identify those suitable for cultivation in drought prone areas of India. The present study is the field evaluation of six sugarcane clones in the advanced varietal trial conducted during the year 2018–2019, wherein the relevance of physiological traits conferring adaptive tolerance to drought is reinstated. In the formative phase, drought stress resulted in an average reduction of 20.5, 36.5, 22.1, 5.9 and 4.7 per cent in shoot population, plant height, leaf area index, SPAD chlorophyll index and photochemical efficiency (F v /F m ) respectively. However, the clones Co 12009 and Co 12012 showed relatively better growth attributes both under control and drought stress which were on par with the resistant standards Co 86032 and Co 99004. Drought induced 12.6, 15.7, 23.5 and 32.9% reduction in internodal length, cane height, single cane weight and cane yield, however the clones Co 12009 and Co 12012 recorded comparatively higher cane yield of 86.6 and 94.1 tonnes/ha under drought condition, respectively. The clones Co 12009 and Co 12012 were rated as tolerant due to their ability to sustain cane yield and juice quality potential under drought stress, which might be attributed to retaining superior morphological and physiological traits.

Oil palm leaf webworm, Acria meyricki Shashank and Ramamurthy (Lepidoptera: Depressariidae) is emerging as serious defoliator of oil palm, Elaeis guineensis Jacq. in India. It damages oil palm of all ages, from nursery to adult palms. A study was conducted in the laboratory to understand the biology and morphometrics of A. meyricki . Abundance and population dynamics of leaf webworm and its parasitoids were studied in oil plantations in Andhra Pradesh, India. Pest density (number of larvae / leaf) and parasitism rates of parasitoids were quantified. Influences of weather factors viz. , maximum and minimum temperature, morning and evening relative humidity and rainfall on the abundance of leaf webworm and its parasitoids were assessed. A female moth laid about 101.60 eggs in its life time. The caterpillars developed through six to seven instars. Total life cycle completed in 32.9 days (egg to adult). Leaf webworm preferred to defoliate the older and intermediate leaves of the palms. Early stage caterpillars of feed on green parenchymatous tissues of the leaflets from under surface leaving a thin parchment like upper epidermis undamaged, while, the later stages defoliate the leaves. In severe cases, leaflets appear widely eroded, thus curling, bending and drying consequently to the pest infestation. The activity of the pest in oil palm plantations was limited to cooler months of the year i.e. October to March. Pearson Co-efficient of correlation analysis showed that minimum and maximum temperatures had significant negative effect on the development of pest population (larval density). Three parasitoids viz. , Dolichogenidea (= Apanteles ) hyposidrae (Wilkinson) , Elasmus brevicornis Gahan and Brachymeria albotibialis (Ashmead) were identified during the study and their role in the pest population changes is discussed. Correlation analysis indicated that the parasitoids, D. hyposidrae and B. albotibialis were significantly and positively correlated with abundance of host larvae and pupae respectively. Results of feeding tests indicated that oil palm was the best host known of all species tested, with higher rate of larval pupation and adult emergence and the lower duration of time to pupation and adult emergence, which was followed by cocoa. The practical implications of this knowledge are discussed.

Carbon sequestration potential (CSP) and sustainability of gardenpea-french bean cropping system was assessed with farmyard manure (FYM) application vis-a-vis mineral fertilization as recommended NPK (NPK) and integrated nutrient management practices (INM) after six years' cropping in Indian Himalayas. Application of 20 tons FYM ha(-1) provided highest CSP (0.527 Mg C ha(-1) year(-1)) in soil and sustainability index. With the help of quadratic equations, it was estimated that maximum profit (optimum yield) and turn over of invested money could be achieved with application of 20.0 and 15.6 t FYM ha(-1), respectively. Application of 5.9 and 8.9 tons FYM ha(-1) would substitute NPK and INM, respectively. Pod number plant(-1) was the most important yield-contributing attribute as found from principal component analysis. Pod yield could be modelled through multiple linear equation with help of yield attributes.

In the present investigation, 67 advance genotypes of rice were analyzed for their physicochemical, cooking, pasting and antioxidant properties. Wide variations were observed in most of the traits under study such as amylose (9.96–22.43%), amylopectin (77.57–90.04%), starch (20.65–52.11%), volume expansion ratio (1.71–4.67 ml), length of blue gel (59.00–116.00 mm) and cooking time (19–26 minutes). Peak viscosity and final viscosity were found to be highest in genotype VL-7852 (292.5 RVA) and VL-30425 (496.08 RVA), respectively. Antioxidative activities were found correlated with total polyphenols. DPPH radical inhibition was recorded in the range of 9.23–17.34 μM Trolox equivalents/g DW, while ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was in the range of 6.76–30.19 μM Trolox equivalents/g DW. Principal component analysis (PCA) was done to find out relationships among groups of variables in a data set and between genotypes. Two major clusters were formed using agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) that explained good variation in the traits. The existence of wide variability for various parameters in the present study suggests that the selected genotypes might be useful for rice breeders working on the development of new varieties with value-added traits.

The changes in chemical composition, antioxidant activity and minerals content of horse gram seed after dehulling and germination of 12 advance lines were investigated. Dehulled samples had a higher protein content compared with the raw and germinated. Total soluble sugars (TSS) content increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) after dehulling (29.31 %) and germination (98.73 %) whereas, the total lipids increased (10.98 %) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) after dehulling and decreased (36.41 %) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) after germination. Dehulling and germination significantly decreased the amount of phytic acid (PA), tannin (TN) and oxalic acid (OA). Trypsin inhibitor units decreased (26.79 %) significantly (p ≤ 0.05) after germination. The minerals (Ca, Fe and Cu) composition of the germinated horsegram flour samples was significantly higher than the raw and dehulled flour. The functional properties of flours were studied and found that the bulk density (11.85 %) and oil absorption capacity (18.92 %) significantly increased after germination. Raw samples followed by germinated samples showed the highest concentrations of phytochemicals responsible for the antioxidant activity and also the antioxidant capacities. principal component analysis revealed that in case of dehulled samples; TN, polyphenols, DPPH and ABTS radical inhibition, TSS, total antioxidant, OA, protein, FRAP value, Ca and Zn had positive correlation among themselves while in case of germinated samples, protein, oil absorption capacity, FRAP value, OA, total flavonoids, DPPH radical inhibition, Ca and Cu had positive correlation among themselves. Present study suggest that germination combined with dehulling process improved quality of horsegram by enhancing the nutritive value and reducing the antinutrients.

Turcicum leaf blight (TLB) and Maydis leaf blight (MLB) are amongst the important diseases of maize grown in the North Western Himalayas. To identify new resistance sources and establish durability of known resistance sources, 35 short-duration maize inbred lines were evaluated against TLB after artificial inoculation and MLB under natural conditions during kharif 2011 and kharif 2012. Twelve inbred lines were found resistant against TLB, 19 inbred lines exhibited resistance against MLB and 10 inbred lines found resistant to both TLB and MLB. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that grain yield (GY) is negatively correlated with TLB and MLB. Agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) analysis with GY, TLB and MLB revealed the 35 inbred falls into 3 major clusters. In cluster I most of the inbreds were moderately resistant to TLB and resistant to MLB with high yielding potential. In cluster II most of the inbreds are resistant to both TLB and MLB with high GY potential. In cluster III, most of the inbred were highly susceptible to TLB and moderately resistant to MLB with low yielding lines. The AHC classification will be helpful for selection of disease resistance and high yielding inbred for resistance breeding program.

Sustainability of agricultural systems has become an important issue all over the world. Hence, sustainability and climate resilience of gardenpea-french bean cropping system was evaluated by yield trends, C sequestration and emission reduction and soil properties as affected by four application rates of farmyard manure (FYM) (5-20 t ha(-1)) vis-a-vis mineral fertilization; integrated nutrient management (INM) practices as 50% recommended NPK + FYM at 5 t ha(-1) and un-amended control after six years of cropping in the Indian Himalayas. The highest sustainable yield index of 0.606 was achieved with the application of 20 t FYM ha(-1) (FYM20). The carbon sequestration potential of FYM20 plots was about 459 and 193% more than NPK and INM plots, respectively. The same plots reduced 53 and 24% carbon equivalent emission with comparison to NPK and INM application, respectively. The soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) under FYM20 plots was 22 and 11% higher than NPK and INM plots. The soil cracking volume under FYM20 plots (57 cm(3) m(-2) area) was very less compared to NPK (324 cm(3) m(-2) area) and INM (154 cm(3) m(-2) area) plots. The morning soil temperature (0-15 cm depth) in coldest week of last year experimentation under FYM20 plots was moderated by 0.60 and 0.47 degrees C than NPK and INM plots, respectively. Successive increase of FYM level improved soil organic C, microbial colony formation unit, dehydrogenase activity, bulk density and soil cracking surface area and the best values for all soil properties were recorded under FYM20 plots. Application of 20 t FYM ha(-1) produced 54 and 29% higher gardenpea equivalent pod yield of the system than mineral fertilization and INM, respectively. The principal component analysis revealed that soil CEC was the most important property (among the selected Soil parameters) contributing to the pod yield. Soil organic carbon markedly improved other soil properties as evident from correlations. Organic production system with FYM 20 t ha(-1) could be recommended for climate resilient sustainable yield and better soil property of gardenpea-french bean cropping system than mineral fertilization and INM in the Indian Himalayan regions. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Four chickpea genotypes differing in sensitivity to high temperature (HT) stress were analysed for the role of sugars and proline accumulation at reproductive stage. Significant increase in membrane injury index, reducing sugars and proline content and decrease in non reducing sugars and total sugars under HT stress was observed in all the chickpea genotypes. Under HT stress, the tolerant Pusa 1103 and BGD 72 genotypes showed significantly greater accumulation of reducing sugars and proline along with lower membrane injury index (higher membrane stability). The percent reduction in total sugars and non reducing sugars was less in Pusa 1103 and BGD 72 compared to the susceptible genotypes viz. Pusa 256 and Pusa 261. There was less reduction in yield under temperature stress in both tolerant genotypes, which may possibly be due to the higher accumulation of proline and reducing sugars. Thus, it was concluded that the higher osmolyte accumulation and lower membrane injury could be one of the reason for the high temperature tolerance of Pusa 1103 and BGD 72.