Determination of the characteristics of plant exudates from selected tropical trees and unripe fruits
February 2011
Exudates were obtained from the African pear and mango trees and also from unripe plantain and banana fruit bunches, and their keeping and functional properties as industrial raw materials were determined. Exudation from the trees was carried out by making an incision on the tree bark, while those from the unripe fruit were collected from the cutting made to severe the bunch from the stock during harvesting....
Diversity in chromosome number and raphide morphology of yam (Dioscorea spp.) genotypes from Sierra Leone
February 2011
The ability to count chromosomes is among the valuable tools used by plant breeders and cytogeneticists. This exercise is difficult with yams (Dioscorea spp.) since the chromosomes are small, dot-like, frequently having only a few cell division visible in a single root tip. The aim of this study was to...
Grain legume impacts on soil biological processes in sub-Saharan Africa
January 2011
Grain legumes occupy about 20 million hectares in Africa. The major crops are cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.), which is grown on about 11 million hectares mostly in West Africa, and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), grown on about 5 million hectares mostly in eastern and southern Africa. These grain legumes have impacted soil organisms, including nitrogen fixers, mycorrhizae, fauna, and the processes that...
Physiological disorders of Brassicas /Cole crops found in Swaziland: A review
January 2011
Physiological disorders of Brassicas/Cole crops are abnormalities in leaf and stem morphology, colour, or both which are not caused by infectious diseases or insects. The abnormalities occur as a result of environmental stress, nutritional deficiencies or excesses on the plant. Reported causes of physiological disorders include genetic, environmental factors, nutrition, and cultural practices such as irrigation...
Ethnobotanical survey of some Cameroonian plants used for treatment of viral diseases
January 2011
In this study, five species (Enantia cholorantha Oliv., Pteleopsis hylodendron Mildbr.and Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv., Costus afer Ker-Gawler and Mormodica charantia L.) belonging to five families were used for treatment of viral diseases including chicken pox, measles, influenza, shingles and viral hepatitis. The ethnobotanical survey of plant medicine was conducted in the Centre...
Studies on cellulose degrading bacteria in tea garden soils
January 2011
Cellulose degrading bacteria of tea garden soil were isolated, screened in vitro and its characterization, in relation to cellulase activity, was studied. Among the 25 isolates, the five strains showed higher enzyme activity when compared to other strains. Cellulase activity was expressed at a higher level by strain CDB 12 when blotting paper was used as a cellulose source in comparison with the other two...
Indigenous plants in Uganda as potential sources of textile dyes
January 2011
Natural dyes derived from plant-based materials have proved to be important alternatives to the use of synthetic dyes in the textile industry. A large plant resource base for natural dyes exists in Uganda but remains in the wild and largely unexploited. Forty (40) plant species with potential to produce natural dye compounds for textile applications belonging to twenty two (22) families were identified in this...
Clonal trial of five genotypes of “camu-camuâ€, Myrciaria dubia (h.b.k) mc. Vaugh, in non-flooded area
January 2011
The objective of this research was to evaluate fruit yield, other agronomic characteristics and content of ascorbic acid (aa) of five promissory genotypes of “camu-camu” in non-flooded area of the experimental field “El Dorado”. The plantation has been established for 4 years and is located in 03° 56’ 50’’S, 73° 25’ 13’’W and 118 a.s.l. altitude, which...
Energy consumption in alfalfa production: A comparison between two irrigation systems in Iran
January 2011
The purpose of this study was to determine the amount of input-output energy used in two irrigation systems in baled alfalfa hay production in Hamedan province, Iran, from efficiency of energy consumption point of view. Data were collected from 80 alfalfa farms in August and September 2009. The sample volume was determined by random sampling method. The population investigated was divided in two gropes based on the...
Salt effects on seed germination and seedling emergence of two Acacia species
January 2011
Germination is the first stage in plant life cycle confronted with soil salinity and because of expanded saline areas around the world it is important to determine salt effects on this stage. In this study, we report an in vitro procedure for studying germination of Acacia spp. under salt stress with different NaCl and KCl concentrations. Seeds of Acacia...
Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (Glomus clarum) and organomineral fertilizer on growth and yield performance of okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)
January 2011
The influence of Glomus clarum and organomineral fertilizer on productivity of Okra was studied in a field experiment conducted in National Horticulture Research Institute (NIHORT) Ibadan. The experimental design was randomized complete block design (RCBD). There were seven treatments which were replicated three times. The arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) and organomineral fertilizer (OMF) were applied into 6...
Foliar micromorphology of Salvia greggii A. Gray (Lamiaceae)
January 2011
Foliar micromorphology of Salvia greggii A. Gray was investigated using the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The leaves were characterized by anisocytic stomata which were more abundant on the abaxial epidermal surface. Short multicellular glandular trichomes were observed on both leaf surfaces. Uniseriate and multicelullar non glandular trichomes were also found but more abundant over the mid-rib....
Variations in growth of tubers of field grown Coleus barbatus as affected by different hormonal treatments
December 2010
The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of Plant Growth Regulators (PGRs) viz. Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), Gibberellic acid (GA3) and Kinetin in their physiological ranges from 10-7 to 10-5 M on tuberous roots of Coleus barbatus(patharchur) with their respective control. The certified seed material was procured from Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun, Uttarakhand...
Offspring of the crosses of two anti-sense potato plants exhibit additive cellulose reduction
December 2010
Two transgenic potato lines, csr2-1 and csr4-8, containing two different antisense genes: csr2 and csr4, respectively, were crossed to investigate the possibility of achieving reduction in cellulose content in the tuber cell walls of the progeny. The progeny containing both transgenes (double csr2/csr4 transformant) exhibited reduction of 63% in cell wall cellulose content, while the single transformants csr2...
Effect of endogenous phenols and some antioxidant enzyme activities on rooting of Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.)
December 2010
In-vitro cultured microshoots of two Persian walnut cultivars differed in rooting response following induction with auxin (3 mg dm-3 IBA). Microcuttings of the cultivar ‘Sunland’ rooted well (66%) with a mean of 2.81 roots per shoot, while ‘Howard’ microshoots rooted poorly (29%) and produced only 1.6 roots per shoot. Because no exclusive order for the progress of phenolic...
Isolation and expression analysis of Berberis chitria Lidl. specific transcripts using subtractive hybridization technique
December 2010
The method of suppressive subtractive hybridization has been used to detect and clone differentially expressed genes during the development of Berberis chitria Lidl. in cold stress condition. For this, we used two different species, B. chitria Lidl. andBerberis asiatica Roxb., B. chitria containing high yield of berberine and B. asiaticahas less. We used B....
Production, characterization and nutritional quality of Napier grass [Pennisetum purpureum (Schum.)] cultivars in Western Kenya
December 2010
Napier grass [Pennisetum purpureum (Schum.)] is the most popular perennial fodder recommended for smallholder crop-livestock farming systems in Kenya, where 80% of the national milk output is produced. The emergence of new diseases resulting in DM yield losses signals the need to develop alternatives to currently grown cultivars. Eight new cultivars (Kakamega 1, Kakamega 3, Machakos hairless,...
Allelopathic appraisal effects of straw extract wheat varieties on the growth of corn
November 2010
Allelopathy is a process in which secondary metabolites produced by plants, micro-organisms, viruses and fungi control growth and development of other biological systems. Some plants may beneficially or antagonistically affect other plants through allelochemical compounds which may be released directly or indirectly from live or dead parts and cause allelopathic and phytotoxic effects. In Kerman province of...
Pathogenesis-related gene expressions in different maize genotypes under drought stressed conditions
November 2010
Aflatoxins are carcinogenic compounds produced by Aspergillus flavus during infection of crops including maize (Zea mays L.). Contamination of maize with aflatoxin is exacerbated by late season drought stress. Previous studies have implicated numerous resistance-associated proteins (RAPs) that may be responsible for resistance to A. flavus colonization and aflatoxin accumulation. This...
The status and use of tree biomass in the tribal village ecosystem of Bolangir District, Orissa, India
November 2010
The status of tree biomass resource was investigated in 3 tribal villages (Chikalbahal, Kudasingha and Bhutiyarbahal) of Bolangir District of western Orissa. There were 57 tree species with 12 tree capita-1 and 35 trees ha-1. Multiple benefits yielding local tree species dominated the village ecosystem, while fuel only or single end use trees accounted for a small proportion of trees. The standing tree...
Constituents of the essential oil from leaves and buds of clove (Syzigium caryophyllatum (L.) Alston)
November 2010
Essential oil obtained by hydrodistillation from fresh leaves and dry buds ofSyzigium caryophyllatum were analyzed by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirty eight components were identified in the leaf oil. The main components were eugenol (74.3%), eucalyptol (5.8%), caryophyllene (3.85%) and a-cadinol (2.43%). Thirty one components were identified in bud oil with the main components being...
Status of some species of rattans in the forests of the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India
November 2010
The rattans of Peninsular India belong to only one genus namely Calamus and of the 21 species reported here, 20 are from the western Ghats Forests. Of these, the status of Calamus delessertianus and Calamus rheedei is uncertain and of the remaining 18 species 15 are endemic to the Western Ghats. Among the five states falling within the jurisdiction of the Western Ghats, Karnataka...
Correlation and path analysis for yield and yield contributing characters in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
November 2010
Correlation coefficients were determined in fifteen wheat genotypes for plant height, days to heading, days to maturity, 1000-kernel weight, spike length, number of tillers per plant, number of spikelets per spike and grain yield per plant. The result revealed that grain yield per plant was positively and highly significantly correlated with days to maturity but negatively and highly significantly associated...
Variations among some Nigerian Cucurbita landraces
October 2010
The diversity among some Nigerian accessions of Cucurbita species was investigated using 19 quantitative and 14 qualitative characters. The result showed that the accessions evaluated differed significantly (p < 0.05) in most of the quantitative characters evaluated. The clustering based on quantitative character, grouped the various accessions into two clusters. However, clustering based on the...
Effect of IBA and age of cuttings on rooting behaviour of Jatropha Curcas L. in different seasons in western Himalaya, India
October 2010
Present study deals with the effect of different concentrations of IBA on rooting behaviour of Jatropha curcas L. stem cuttings in different seasons. The study was carried out in Western Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India during 2005-2006 in spring, monsoon and winter season. The juvenile and mature cuttings of J. curcaswere treated with different concentration of IBA (0, 500,...
Kinetics of drumstick leaves (Moringa oleifera) during convective drying
October 2010
Drying characteristics of drumstick leaves (Moringa oleifera) were investigated in a convective type dryer for a temperature range 50 to 80ËšC at constant air velocity, 0.5 m/s. Results indicated that drying took place in the falling rate period. The sample dried at 60ËšC was found better in color as compared to the samples obtained at 50, 70 and 80ËšC. The chroma of the samples, dried in between 50 to 80ËšC...
Study of influence of temperature regimes on germination characteristics and seed reserves mobilization in wheat
October 2010
In a laboratory, experiment germination characteristics and seed reserves mobilization of wheat cultivars were evaluated at three temperature regimes (16, 26 and 36°C). Four heat tolerant cultivars (Gourab, Sourav, Kanchan and Shatabdi) and two heat sensitive cultivars (Sonora and Kalyansona) were used as study materials. Germination characteristics expressed as rate of germination, coefficient of...
Slow growth conservation and molecular characterization of Deutzia scabra Thunb.
October 2010
Possibility of long-term storage in vitro of Deutzia scabra Thunb. shoots and their genetic stability were evaluated. The effect of mannitol concentrations (20 and 40 g/L), presence and absence of activated charcoal (AC) and temperature (24 or 4°C) in MS medium were studied in respect to survival percentage, number, length, leaves number of axillary shoots...
Pharmacological studies of Passiflora sp. and their bioactive compounds
October 2010
Human infections particularly those involving microorganisms that is, bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, can cause serious infections in tropical and subtropical countries of the world. In recent years, multiple drug resistance in human pathogenic microorganisms has been developed due to indiscriminate use of commercial anti-microbial drugs commonly used in the treatment of such diseases. Plants have been...
Effects of slash and burning on soil microbial diversity and abundance in the tropical rainforest ecosystem, Ondo State, Nigeria
September 2010
This study was carried out to examine the effects of slash and burn on the diversity and abundance of soil microorganisms. Composite soil samples were collected from the study area before burning and two weeks after burning progressively for a period of three (3) months. The bacteria and fungi in the soil samples were isolated and identified. In addition, the pH, soil temperature and soil moisture content of...
Evaluation of cassava varieties for cassava mosaic disease resistance jointly by agro-inoculation screening and molecular markers
September 2010
The whitefly-transmitted cassava mosaic disease (CMD) has become a potential threat to cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivation in ASEAN countries because of its devastating impact on cassava and overgrowth of whitefly vector regionally. To reduce the risk caused by the disease, it is necessary to evaluate the capacity of major cassava germplasms for CMD resistance to guide local farmers in...
Effects of low cost drying methods on seed quality of Sorghum bicolor (L.) Monech
September 2010
The effect of low cost drying methods on the seed quality of different genotypes of sorghum was investigated. Fresh seeds from five genotypes were subjected to three drying regimes, namely sun, shade and silica gel, and were compared to the standard recommended drying condition using a seed dryer (Munter seed dryer Model M120) as control. The effects of the drying regimes on seed moisture content, viability...
Response of some ornamental flowers of family Ranunculaceae to sucrose feeding
September 2010
The effect of different concentrations of sucrose on some ornamental flowers of family Ranunculaceae was examined. Sucrose was found to enhance vase life in cut spikes of Aquilegia vulgaris and Consolida ajacis cv. Violet blue; besides it improves blooming, fresh and dry mass of flowers. A. vulgaris and C. ajacisexhibits abscission type of flower senescence, while senescence...
Seed germination and viability in two African Acacia species growing under different water stress levels
September 2010
Acacia species are important in forestation programs and for producing non-timber forest products in arid and semiarid zones, but few studies have been carried out concerning the effects of drought in the germination in order to understand the regeneration process of the species. In this paper, we studied the morphology and the germination pattern under different water stress of Acacia...
Ecological distribution and feeding preferences of Iran termites
September 2010
From nine province of Iran, surveyed for wood destroying termites carried out, in 2008 - 2009, sixteen species were collected. Out of the 1050 plants examined in the nine provinces, only 190 were infested by termites. Maximum infestation (22.41%) was recorded in province of Sistan and Baluchestan. Anacanthotermesvagans (Hagen) and Microcerotermes diversus (Silvestri) were more...
Determining genetic diversity based on ribosomal intergenic spacer length variation in Marama bean (Tylosema esculentum) from the Omipanda area, Eastern Namibia
September 2010
Marama bean [Tylosema esculentum (Burchell) L. Schreiber] is an under-utilized non-nodulating legume, native to the arid and semi-arid areas of Southern Africa, including Namibia, South Africa and Botswana. Its primary benefit to man is based upon the high nutritional value of the seeds. The protein content is slightly higher than that of soybeans and the oil content is twice that of soybeans and...
Effect of sowing date and planting density on seed production of carrot (Daucus carota var. sativa) in Ethiopia
August 2010
An experiment was conducted in 2006 and 2007 cropping seasons to investigate the effect of sowing date and planting density on yield and quality of carrot seed. The crop was grown in factorial combination of four sowing dates (mid November, December, January and February) and four different planting densities (133 333, 200 000, 266 666, and 400 000 plants/ha) in randomized block design with three...
Factors influencing soil CO2 efflux in Northeastern Indian oak forest and plantation
August 2010
Temporal changes in soil CO2 efflux rates were measured in a subtropical natural mixed oak forest and managed oak plantation in the Northeastern Himalayan region. Soil CO2 efflux rates in two ecosystems were correlated with key soil biotic (e.g. fungal, bacterial and actinomycetes populations) and abiotic (e.g. soil moisture, temperature, pH and organic carbon concentration) variables. Rate of...
Effect of cutting positions and growth regulators on rooting ability of Gonystylus bancanus
August 2010
The effect of cutting positions and growth regulators on rooting ability ofGonystylus bancanus were studied. This study, aims to determine the effects of cutting positions (top, middle, and bottom) and hormonal treatments (control, Seradix 3, Planton 3000, IBA 100 mg and IBA 150 mg) on the rooting ability of G. bancanus. The top position recorded the highest survival percentage of 90.7%...
Some observations on the culture of attached groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) gynophores in simplified nutrient solutions
August 2010
Attached groundnut gynophores of Virginia line Virginia bunch strain 1 (VB-1), Spanish line TMV-3 and Valencia line CBBR4 were cultured singly in aerated, simplified nutrient solutions consisting of (2 μM iron (Fe) and 0.5 μM zinc (Zn) with or without 100 μM calcium (Ca). In all lines, normal and apparently healthy pods were produced in solutions containing Ca, whereas, pod growth was severely...
Antimicrobial activity evaluation of the oleoresin oil of Pistacia vera L.
August 2010
The hydrodistilled essential oils from the exudates of Pistacia vera L. stems have been tested against three bacteria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus andProteus using three methods: agar disc diffusion method, determination of MIC (minimal inhibitory concentrations) and in the liquid phase, by Maruzella method.The results obtained showed that E....
The effects of some cryptogamic extracts on the primary productivity of Vigna unguiculata L. Walp
August 2010
The effects of hot and cold aqueous extracts of Barbula lambarenensis, Dryopteris flix-max; Nephrolepis davalloides, Phymatodes scolopenta, Platyceriumangolense and Azadrachta indica and Karate 2.5EC (chemical) on the primary productivity of cowpea were investigated. The extracts of the plant materials and the chemical were appropriately used to irrigate the cowpea twice a week...
Evaluation of intra and interspecific rice varieties adapted to valley bottom conditions in Burkina Faso
August 2010
Rice is one of the major staple foods in Burkina Faso and in-country production covers about 60% of the demand and 40% is met from imports. The immense potential of the lowlands in Burkina Faso for durable intensification of rice cropping have not been realised due to biotic and abiotic constraints. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase and improve the production of rice in order to meet up with the...
An efficient protocol for in vitro clonal propagation of natural sweetener plant (Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni)
August 2010
Leaf segments of Stevia were cultured on MS medium supplemented with varying concentrations (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 mg/L-1) of growth regulators (BAP and 2, 4-D). Ninety one percent aseptic cultures were obtained when sterilized with 0.1% HgCl2 for 10 min. The highest amount of callus was obtained in MS medium supplemented with1.0 mg/L-1 BAP+0.5 mg/L-1 2, 4-D, respectively. On the...
Influence of watering regime and mycorrhizae inoculations on the physiology and early growth of Acacia senegal (L.) Wild.
July 2010
Acacia senegal is endowed with features that give it potentials for ecosystem stabilization, anti-desertification and for production of high quality gum-Arabic. However, the natural population which is becoming low has been traced to poor seed germination and seedling survival. The influence of watering regime and mycorrhiza inoculation on some physiological parameters and early growth of A....
High and low pressure gene gun devices give similar transformation efficiencies in maize calluses
July 2010
Maize (Zea mays) is a major food crop of the world. Biotechnology plays an important role in plant genetic improvement, particularly for the introduction of novel traits in order to improve agronomic performance, medical and industrial applications and food quality. Particle bombardment is a rapid and simple method that enables the generation of events and affords genes expression studies. Nonetheless, an...
Effects of leaf harvest and season on the fruit yield of summer squash genotypes in Madagascar
July 2010
Summer squash (Cucurbita pepo L.) is one of the most popular vegetables in Madagascar, where it is grown for both leaves and fruit. Previous breeding efforts concentrated solely on high fruit yield. In recent years the demand for varieties that can produce edible fresh leaves and high fruits yield has increased. Our objective in this study was to evaluate the effects of leaf harvest and season on...
Genetic diversity and characterization of African eggplant germplasm collection
July 2010
Genetic diversity among 70 “scarlet eggplant” (Solanum aethiopicum L.) entries from different geographical origins was assessed. Entries were firstly evaluated for the main morphologic traits and chlorogenic acid content. Standard statistics and multivariate analyses were utilized to assess the phenotypic diversity and grouping the entries. In addition, amplified fragment length...
A comparative study of morphological and molecular diversity in Ethiopian lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus) landraces
July 2010
Genetic diversity assessment with different methods and their comparison could provide complementary information for improvement and conservation programs. However, such information is not available for Ethiopian lentil landraces. To fill this gap, nine morphological traits and four ISSR primers were used on seventy Ethiopian lentil landrace accessions to study morphological and genetic diversity among the...
Assessment of traditional medicinal plants in Endrta District, South-eastern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia
July 2010
Ethnobotanical data were collected between September and December, 2009 on six field trips to investigate medicinal knowledge and application of medicinal plants in Endrta Wereda (the lowest administrative unit in Ethiopia), South-eastern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Semi-structured interviews, observation and guided field walks with informants were employed to obtain ethnobotanical data. A total of 35...
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