Soil Nutrient Bioavailability—A Mechanistic Approach

Introduction to Fungi.

Environment and ecology

Disease-suppressive compost enhances natural soil suppressiveness against soil-borne plant pathogens: A critical review

A large amount of agro-industrial waste is produced worldwide in various agricultural sectors and by different food industries The disposal and burning of this waste have created major global environmental problems Agro-industrial waste mainly consists of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, all of which are collectively defined as lignocellulosic materials This waste can serve as a suitable substrate in the solid-state fermentation process involving mushrooms Mushrooms degrade lignocellulosic substrates through lignocellulosic enzyme production and utilize the degraded products to produce their fruiting bodies Therefore, mushroom cultivation can be considered a prominent biotechnological process for the reduction and valorization of agro-industrial waste Such waste is generated as a result of the eco-friendly conversion of low-value by-products into new resources that can be used to produce value-added products Here, we have produced a brief review of the current findings through an overview of recently published literature This overview has focused on the use of agro-industrial waste as a growth substrate for mushroom cultivation and lignocellulolytic enzyme production

Cultivation of Mushrooms and Their Lignocellulolytic Enzyme Production Through the Utilization of Agro-Industrial Waste

The behaviour of the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurodes vaporariorum Westwood (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), is known to be affected by plant volatile cues, but its attraction or repellent to specific volatile cues has not been deeply studied yet. Therefore, the aim of our study was to identify the most attractive plant among cultivars of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and eggplant (Solanum melongena) to evaluate the volatiles of plants to identify the chemical compound(s) that attract T. vaporariorum. We speculated that whitefly–host plant interaction primarily depends on plant volatile emissions and that once the plant is damaged, it might attract more whiteflies. Three intact (uninfested) tomato, four intact eggplant cultivars and whitefly-infested plants of the most whitefly attractive tomato and eggplant cultivars were examined by behavioral assay experiments for attractiveness to T. vaporariorum and headspace volatile were determined by Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Whiteflies had the highest preference for the intact eggplant Kuai Yuan Qie (KYQ) among the eggplant and the tomato plant cultivars in bioassay experiments. Although both male and female whiteflies were significantly more attracted to infested KYQ plants than to intact plants, whitefly females did not select conspecific-infested YG plants. The volatile emissions among different plant cultivars in individual species and infested versus intact plants were significantly different. Among these volatiles, identified major green leaf volatile (GLVs) ((Z)-3-hexen-1-ol) and terpenoids (α-pinene, (E)-β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, azulene) showed a constitutive relationship with the most whitefly preference plants. Our findings provide new insights into the chemical compounds that attract or repel whiteflies.

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Volatile-Mediated Attraction of Greenhouse Whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum to Tomato and Eggplant.

A field study to evaluate the “growth and yield of sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) under the influence of planting geometry and irrigation regimes” was carried out at Oilseeds Section, Agriculture Research Institute, Tandojam located at (25°25'60"N, 68°31'60"E) during Kharif 2013. The experiment was laid out in a three replicated randomized complete block design (RCBD) factorial, having net plot size 3 × 3 m (9 m2). The treatments comprised three planting geometry (30 × 20 cm, 45 × 15 cm and 60 × 10 cm) and three irrigation regimes (2 irrigations at 20 and 40 DAS, 3 irrigations at 20, 40 and 60 DAS and 4 irrigations at 20, 40, 60 and 80 DAS). The analysis of variance showed that all the planting geometry and irrigation regimes significantly (P -1 (15.67), capsules plant-1 (38.00), seeds capsule-1 (51.44), seed weight plant-1 (31.89 g), seed index (2.83 g), biological yield (2301.23 kg·ha-1), seed yield (742.33 kg·ha-1) and harvest index (30.44%), followed by planting geometry of 60 × 10 cm in all the parameters. However, minimum growth and yield traits of sesame were recorded under planting geometry of 30 × 20 cm. Moreover, plant height was maximum (99.89 cm) under planting geometry of 30 × 20 cm. Among irrigation regimes, four irrigations (20, 40, 60 and 80 DAS) recorded maximum plant height (103.33 cm), branches plant-1 (16.44), capsules plant-1 (41.22), seeds capsule-1 (54.56), seed weight plant-1 (33.22 g), seed index (2.92 g), biological yield (2321.21 kg·ha-1), seed yield (748.78 kg·ha-1) and harvest index (31.00%), followed by three irrigations (20, 40 and 60 DAS) almost in all the traits. However, minimum growth and yield traits of sesame were recorded when crop was applied two irrigations (20 and 40 DAS). In case of interactive effects, the interaction of planting geometry of 45 × 15 cm × four irrigations (20, 40, 60 and 80 DAS) resulted in maximum attributes, particularly seed yield (765.00 kg·ha-1), whereas minimum traits were noted in the interaction of planting geometry of 30 × 20 cm × two irrigations (20 and 40 DAS). Furthermore, the results of four and three irrigations had non-significant differences with each other means not sharing the same letter differ significantly at 0.05 probability level. Hence, it is concluded that interaction of 45 × 15 cm planting geometry and three irrigations (20, 40 and 60 DAS) is conducive to produce maximum seed yield (kg·ha-1) of sesame.

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Growth and Yield of Sesame ( Sesamum indicum L.) under the Influence of Planting Geometry and Irrigation Regimes

The present study was based on the hypothesis that the applied molybdenum and iron influence the nodulation, nitrogen fixation and yield by chickpea genotypes. For this purpose a field experiment was conducted to study the influence of different levels of molybdenum and iron on the nodulation, nitrogen fixation and yield of chickpea genotypes (Cicer arietinum L.) growing two different genotypes such as Desi (sheenghar) and Kabuli (Karak-II) during, 2011-12 at Malakandher Farm, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar. Different levels of molybdenum and iron were applied at the rate of 0, 0.25 and 0.50 and 0, 2 and 5.0 kg ha -1 , respectively along with a basal dose of 25 N, 60 P2O5 and 60 K2O in randomized complete block design with split plot arrangement and replicated three times. Results revealed that maximum yield and yield parameters, numbers of root nodules and nitrogen concentration were observed in those treatment plots where Mo 0.5 and Fe 2.0 kg ha -1 were applied simultaneously for both genotypes. The grain yield, nodulation and nitrogen concentration were recorded significantly more in Kabuli (Karak-II) as compared to Desi (sheenghar) of chickpea genotypes, perhaps due to the formation of maximum nodulation and nitrogen concentration by plants. Results revealed that with increasing the levels of Mo and Fe in soil, the concentration of Fe and N in plant leaves were significantly increased in both genotypes at flowering stage. Moreover, in the present study the number of nodules were correlated with N concentration of plants for both genotypes and found as the nodules formation increases the plant N concentration linearly increased and showed close relationship with one another. Similarly, the Fe-concentration increases in plant leaves, N-concentration also increases in a similar fashion, indicated that Fe-played a vital role in N-fixation by chickpea genotypes. The present study suggests that the application of Mo 0.5 and Fe 2.0 kg ha -1 is important which play a significant role in getting the maximum yield, nodules and nitrogen concentration in chickpea genotypes.

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The Effect of Molybdenum and Iron on Nodulation, Nitrogen Fixation and Yield of Chickpea Genotypes (Cicer Arietinum L)

Present study was conducted in the laboratory as well as in mushroom house to determine the effect of different agricultural wastes (wheat straw, rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, maize straw and sorghum straw) on growth, production and quality of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida). The culture was maintained on Malt Extract Agar medium. Spawn was prepared on wheat grains. Spawn running took less time i.e. 20 days on wheat straw as compared to other substrates. The appearance of pinhead and their maturity also took less time i.e. 29 days and 30 days, respectively on wheat straw. Maximum yield i.e. 1360 gram was recorded on wheat straw. The first flush gave the maximum yield in all treatments and there was a progressive decrease in the yield of successive flushes. The maximum biological efficiency of 136% was observed in case of wheat straw. The maximum moisture (93.44%) and ash (1.006%) were recorded in oyster mushroom obtained from sorghum straw. Percent protein content (8.75 gram), crude fat (10%) and crude fiber (3.5%) were maximum in oyster mushroom grown on sugarcane bagasse, maize straw and wheat straw respectively.

https://www.entomoljournal.com/archives/2016/vol4issue3/PartB/4-3-57-159.pdf

Substrates evaluation for the quality, production and growth of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida Cetto)

We investigated intraguild predation (IGP) on an aphid parasitoid, Aphelinus asychis Walker (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae), by the multicolored Asian ladybird, Harmonia axyridis (Pallas) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), and used the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) as the prey/host in the laboratory. The ladybirds reared on artificial diet and on aphids consumed more aphids than mummies, while those reared on parasitized aphids consumed similar numbers of aphids and mummies. The ladybirds chose more mummies in treatments when mummies were more abundant, and more aphids when numbers of aphids and mummies were equal, or when aphids were more abundant. However, at all density treatments, rejection rates of mummies (36%) were much greater than of aphids (2%). H. axyridis prey on more aphids than A. asychis mummies, which enhances biological control by the two species. However, prior feeding experience affected subsequent choice, increasing the competition between natural enemies which would reduce their combined effectiveness for biological control.

Nazeer Ahmed

Papers

Volatile-Mediated Attraction of Greenhouse Whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum to Tomato and Eggplant.

Growth and Yield of Sesame ( Sesamum indicum L.) under the Influence of Planting Geometry and Irrigation Regimes

The Effect of Molybdenum and Iron on Nodulation, Nitrogen Fixation and Yield of Chickpea Genotypes (Cicer Arietinum L)

Substrates evaluation for the quality, production and growth of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida Cetto)

Intraguild predation on the aphid parasitoid Aphelinus asychis by the ladybird Harmonia axyridis