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| ARPN Journal of Agricultural and Biological
Science
May 2015 | Vol. 10 No. 5 |
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Title: |
Effect
of salinity stress on seed germination and antioxidative
defense system of
Catharanthus Roseus |
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Author (s): |
Mohammad
Reza Amirjani |
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Abstract: |
In this study the effect of responses of
Catharanthus roseus to NaCl stress has been
explored. Periwinkle plants were exposed to different
concentrations of salt and the effect of treatment on
germination, growth parameter and antioxidative defense
system investigated. Seeds were presoaked in solutions with
different salinity after sterilization. Experimental samples
irrigated once every two days with solutions containing
given NACl concentration. Increasing the NaCl concentration
to 25, 50, 75 and 100 μM salt reduced germination percentage
by 8, 29, 41 and 81 percent respectively. Plant fresh and
dry weights of treated plants showed a decrease, compare to
the control. Ascorbic acid content increased to 42, 56, 129
and 218 percent when treated by 25, 50, 75 and 100 μM salt,
respectively, compared to the control. Glutathione
concentration showed a significant (P<0.05) increase at all
treatments. NaCl caused to significant decrease of SOD
activity. Salinity enhanced the activities of catalase,
peroxidase and glutathione reductase. The MDA content
increased with the increasing concentrations of NaCl. MDA
content of samples treated by 100 μM NaCl increased up to 45
percent more than the control. |
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Title: |
Response
of brinjal (solanum melongena L.) cultivars to
zinc levels |
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Author (s): |
Saleha
Tawab, Gohar Ayub, Faiza Tawab, Owais Khan, Nadia Bostan,
Ghazala Ruby, Shawana Ahmad and Ume-Kalsoom
Afridi |
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Abstract: |
To assess the effect of different degrees of
zinc to brinjal cultivars, an experiment was carried out at
Horticulture Research Nursery, The University of Agriculture
Peshawar during 2012. Two Factorial Randomized Complete
Block Design (RCBD) was used in this experiment. Four levels
of zinc (0, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3%) were applied to three
brinjal cultivars (Purple, Shimla, Shamli). Both cultivars
and zinc levels proved significantly different among growth
parameters. Plant height, number of leaves per plant,
numbers of fruits per plant, fruit weight and total yield
were significantly increased by zinc levels. Maximum plant
height (131.89 cm), number of leaves per plant (437.78),
number of fruits per plant (9.00), fruit weight (280.11 g)
and total yield (15.33 t/ha) were recorded for plants
treated with 0.2% zinc, while least number of leaves per
plant (231.33), number of fruits per plant (5.33), fruit
weight (143.89 g) and total yield (4.51 t/ha) were recorded
in control treatments. Plant height, number of leaves per
plant, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight and total
yield was significantly different among cultivars. Maximum
number of fruit per plant (7.42), fruit weight (210.583 g)
and total yield (10.21 t/ha) were recorded for cultivar
Purple. The growth and yield parameters indicates that
cultivar Purple applied with 0.2% zinc showed best results
and hence recommended for the brinjal growers in Peshawar
valley. |
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Title: |
An
hybrid, extremely simple, steering solution for tractors
with continuously variable transmission ratio |
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Author (s): |
Luca
Piancastelli and Leonardo Frizziero |
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Abstract: |
The implementation of an
electrically controlled dual drive inherently stable heavy
duty tracked vehicle is introduced in this paper. The
proposed solution makes it possible to obtain a CVT
(Continuously Variable Transmission) by using two single
stage planetary gearings for each sprocket. An additional
motor is added to the annular gear. By controlling the motor
speed, it is possible to vary the transmission ratio
continuously and to obtain also continuous reverse speed.
The torque of the electric motor and the engine are added.
It is then possible to obtain extremely high torque at very
low speed. This track steering mechanism is simple,
continuous, efficient and additive; this means that, when
transitioning to a turn, the mean track velocity remains the
same. It is also additive, since keeping both tracks moving
helps prevent the tracked vehicle from getting stuck.
Driving in a straight line is easy. Neutral steering can be
achieved. Finally, the energy from the slowed track can be
transferred to the sped up one in a regenerative way. An
example is proposed in this paper to clarify the concept. |
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Title: |
Effect of
density on weeds seed production and biomass and sorghum
yield rotated with different plants |
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Author (s): |
Elnaz
Ghotbifar and Mehrdad Yarnia |
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Abstract: |
The present study aimed at evaluating effect
of crop rotation and planting density on sorghum yield, weed
seed production and biomass. The experiment was conducted as
split plots using completely randomized blocks design with
three replications. The factors included prior cultivation
at five levels: lentil, maize, wheat, bean, and rapeseed as
main factor and sorghum density as secondary factor at four
levels including 50 plants/m2 (row spacing = 4
cm), 25 plants/m2 (row spacing = 8 cm), 17
plants/m2 (row spacing = 12 cm), and 12 plants/m2
(row spacing = 16 cm). According to the results,
maximum length of panicle, 1000 kernel weight, and biomass
of sorghum was seen in densities of 12 and 17 plants/m2.
In these treatments, there was not any significant
difference between densities of 12 and 17 plants/m2.
However, more density resulted in significantly decrease of
these traits. Sorghum biomass in densities of 25 plants/m2
and 50 plants/m2 was 37.3% and 34.4% less than
that of 12 plants/m2, respectively. The highest
biomass per area unit (1636g/m2) was seen in
wheat rotation and density of 50 plants/m2. After
this treatment, maximum biomass (1213 and 1170 g/m2),
was seen in bean and rapeseed rotations in the density of 50
plants/m2. |
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Title: |
Variance
components and heritability of some growth parameters in
purebred Nigerian indigenous chickens |
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Author (s): |
C. C. Ogbu, E. N. Nwachukwu
and C. C. Nwosu |
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Abstract: |
The objectives of the study
were to evaluate growth performance (body weight, BW; body
weight gain, BWG; feed intake, FI; and feed:gain ratio, F:G)
in a population of purebred Nigerian indigenous chicken
(NIC) and to determine the variance components and additive
genetic heritability of BW, BWG, and F:G in this population.
Data were collected from a total of 500 purebred NIC (G1
generation) produced from 5 sire groups (1 cock:10 hens)
established from a foundation stock (G0
generation) made up of mature hens and roosters (≥ 39 weeks
of age) maintained in the Teaching and Research Farm of the
Department of Animal Science, Enugu State University of
Science and Technology, Enugu. On hatching, the chicks were
identified according to sire group using wing bands. They
were brooded and reared together on deep litter from hatch
to 8 wk of age and thereafter separated into sire groups and
then reared to sexual maturity (20 wk). Data on BW, BWG, FI
and F:G were collected from hatch to 20 weeks of age and
subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using a sire model
(paternal half-sib analysis). Sire component of variance was
determined for BW, BWG, and F:G and used to calculate the
additive genetic heritability for the traits. There were
significant (P˂0.05) sire effect on BW, BWG, and F:G across
the age periods but not FI. Sire (σs2)
and additive genetic (σA2) variances
increased rapidly during the early phase of growth (0-12 wk)
compared to later age periods. Additive genetic heritability
(hA2) ranged from 0.28 ± 0.24-0.71 ±
0.47, 0.63 ± 0.53-0.77 ± 0.58 and 0.56 ± 0.50-0.79 ± 0.61
for BW, BWG, and F:G, respectively. It was concluded that
BW, BWG and F:G varied significantly in NIC population and
would respond to selection for genetic improvement. |
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Title: |
The role
of agricultural extension services in tomato production in
district Mansehra Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |
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Author (s): |
Ahmad Abrar Khan, Muhammad
Zafarullah, Muhammad Mumtaz, Inamullah Laila Khurshid,
Muhammad Binyamin, Fazal Rabi and Nadia Bostan |
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Abstract: |
The present study was
initiated to investigate the role of agricultural extension
services in the area, regarding tomato. The study was
conducted in four villages of Pakkhal plain of district
Mansehra. The sample of 120 respondents was selected through
proportional allocation sample technique. The respondents
were categorized in different groups on the basis of their
age, education, land holding size. It was revealed that
majority (33%) of the respondents were belonged to age group
of 25-35 year. In the category of literate farmers majority
(28%) of respondents were those who got their education up
to middle level. In the field study it was observed that
majority (55%) of farmers were unsatisfied from the role and
services of agricultural extension department. The main
source of information / awareness of majority farmers about
tomato cultivation was due to their ancestral and relatives.
The agricultural extension services and role was found poor
in the study area. |
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