IOSR-JAVS   Volume-5 ~ Issue-1 ~ SEP-OCT-2013

ABSTRACT: The morphology and histology of somatic embryogenesis were examined using embryogenic calli derived from immature inflorescences of pearl millet using light and electron microscopic techniques. Young immature inflorescences, 30-35 days old (2.5 cm long) were cultured on LS medium supplemented with 2.0 mgL-1 of 2, 4-D and 0.5 mgL-1 of kinetin. The primary callus initiated was non-embryogenic, loose, white but differentiated rapidly into pale yellow, nodular and friable embryogenic callus within 2 weeks. Histological studies revealed the formation of somatic embryos and their maturation. Initial stages of somatic embryo induction showed calli with internal segmenting divisions, which gave rise to discrete groups of cells. Continued divisions and organization in some discrete groups formed globular structures, presumably proembryoids, which showed a distinct epidermis. Further these structures developed to form somatic embryos with a well-organized bipolar structure showing embryonic axis, scutellum, coleoptile and coleorhiza. Multiple shoots (5-6) were produced from each embryo when transferred to MS regeneration medium supplemented with hormonal combinations, viz., BAP + IBA, 2.0 + 0.5 mg L-1 which further developed into complete plantlets.

Key words: Immature inflorescences, callusing, embryogenic cells, morphology, histology Abbreviations: MS - Murashige & Skoog, 2,4-D – 2, 4, dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, LS – Linsmaeir & Skoog, Kn – kinetin, BAP – 6-benzylaminopurine, IBA- Indole 3- butyric acid

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ABSTRACT: Rice being cultivated under anaerobic condition is vulnerable to arsenite, a mobile arsenic speciation Both arsenate and arsenite are highly toxic to human body. Experiments were conducted in Nonaghata (Nadia) and De-ganga (North 24 parganas) with 40 genotypes of rice in Boro season. A few varieties have been identified with low arsenic. Simultaneously some of them were characterized at molecular level by RAPD technique. It is worth to be seen how the low grain and high grain arsenic varieties behave in RAPD fingerprinting. Fourteen out of the 18 decamer random primers showed amplification of genomic DNA in all individuals. A total of 59 fragments were scored, of these fragments, 10 (16.94%) were common to all accessions, 49 (83.06%) were polymorphic and shared by at least eight accessions. It is interesting to mention that the genotypes Azucena and Lemont have already been identified as low grain arsenic genotypes and occupied a distinct different cluster for all primers at the molecular level also. More research is needed in arsenic research in crop plants in different agro climatic situation to have a meaningful and stable conclusion so that the farmers and also the people of West Bengal do not suffer from arsenic hazards at least from the consumption of rice.

Key Words: Arsenic, Genetic diversity, RAPD, Rice

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[2] Chowdhury, U.K., Biswas, B.K., Chowdhury, T.R., Samanta, G., Mandal, B.K., Basu, G.C., Chanda, C.R., Lodh, D., Saha, K.C., Mukherjee, S.K., Roy, S., Kabir, S., Quamruzzaman, Q., Chakraborti, D., 2000. Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. Environ. Health Perspect. 108, 393–397.

[3] Cohen, S. M., L. L. Arnold, M. Eldan, A. S. Lewis, and B. D. Beck. 2006. Methylated arsenicals: The implications of metabolism and carcinogenicity studies in rodents to human risk assessment. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 36:99–133.

[4] Dasgupta T, Hossain SA, Meharg AA, Price AH. 2004. An arsenate tolerance gene on chromosome 6 of rice. New Phytologist 163, 45–49.

[5] Gareth J. Norton1, Meher Nigar1, Paul N. Williams1, Tapash Dasgupta, Andrew A. Meharg1 and Adam H. Price. 2008. Rice–arsenate interactions in hydroponics: a three-gene model for tolerance Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol. 59, No. 8, pp. 2277–2284,

[6] Duxbury, J. M.; Panaullah, G. Remediation of Arsenic for Agriculture Sustainability, Food Security and Health in Bangladesh;FAO Water Working Paper; FAO: Rome, 2007; p 28.

[7] Fazal, M.A., Kawachi, T., Ichio, E., 2001. Validity of the latest research findings on causes of groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh. Water Int.26, 380–389.

ABSTRACT: The field experiment on ginger was carried out at the Derived savanna zone of Obubra which lies within latitude 06051 and 060 101 North and longitude 080 211 and 080 251 of the Cross River State University of Technology experimental farm during the 2006 and 2007 cropping season to evaluate the response of ginger with different levels of nitrogen (N) (0,100, 200, 300 and 400kg/ha) and potassium (K) (0, 150, 100, 150 and 200kg/ha). It is revealed that combined application of N and K was found more pronounced than the single effect of N and K. It is also noticed that the effect of nitrogen was more distinct than K. The combined effect of N and K had significantly increased the yield and other yield contributing characters of ginger. It was also observed that N300 and K150 kg/ha significantly augmented the ginger yield and other yield parameters. However, the highest plant height (69.3 cm and 63.7cm), maximum number of leaves (20.5 and 18.8), leaf area (39.7cm3 and 36.3cm3) and total number of shoot (5.5 and 7.3) were recorded at N400 K100 kg/ha and were significantly different over NoKo. Similarly, rhizome yield was also significantly influenced by combined application of N and K up to N300 K150 kg/ha. With highest yield (8.1 t/ha and 8.0 t/ha) and the two years mean yield of 8.0 t/ha were recorded during the trials.

Key words: Effect of N and K, ginger quality and yield.

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