Management of grape anthracnose

Management of grape anthracnose

Biological control is preferred

Most of the important diseases of grapes such as anthracnose downy mildew and powdery mildew are caused by fungi.

The incidence of the diseases depends not only on the presence of pathogens but also on vineyard management practices and environmental factors such as temperature, humidity and rainfall.

Though relatively quick results are obtained by chemical pesticides, the use of biological control methods is preferred particularly about 45 days before the harvest or during the berry development, for management of pests and diseases, to minimize pesticide residues.

Poor fruit quality

The losses due to anthracnose disease are to the tune of 15-30 per cent. The fungus attacks all green parts of vine shoots, leaves, tendrils, blossoms and berries. The affected berries results into loss of fruit quality and good market price.

Alternative method

The alternative method of using biological agents isolated and screened from grape rhizosphere was found to be an effective solution for the management of anthracnose, to the extent of 62.9 per cent in field conditions when sprayed with a consortium of aspergillus (PSFG), fluorescent pseudomonads (GPF) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSBG).

Consortia of all these microbes can be sprayed in the form of liquid foliar spray at berry development stage in grape at 1:3 dilution (1 litre culture and 3 litres water).

Taking a leaf from the book of ancient, time-tested practices

Taking a leaf from the book of ancient, time-tested practices

Input cost has greatly decreased and yield has increased considerably

Effective solution: The formulations can be easily prepared and no big investment is required Well before modern science had invented crop growing strategies and pest control measures, Indian farmers were growing crops successfully and at the same time were able to control crop infestations using traditional methods which were handed down to successive generations by word of mouth.

Though the traditional methods may vary from place to place, their efficiency in terms of pest control has been proven and accepted by those who use them.

For example in Kozhikottu pothai, a small village in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, several farmers are using one or more of the traditional formulations for managing pest menace to their crops.

Effective remedies

“These preparations can serve as a quick remedy to temporarily stop the increasing incidence of crop pests and also help farmers to phase out their dependence on chemical pesticides, which in turn will prevent them from sinking into debts,” said Mr. S. Aravindan, Social scientist, Vivekananda Kendra-Natural Resources Development Project, Kanyakumari.

Easy availability

The main reason for their popularity among farmers is that the items necessary for making them are easily available, not much investment is required to prepare them and lastly they have been found effective, he explained.

For example, farmers use a pest repellant made from papaya leaves. It is made by soaking about one kg of papaya leaves in water (the entire leaves should be submerged) overnight. The leaves are then ground and mixed in a litre of water and sprayed over the crops.

Pungamia extract (Pungam in Tamil) can be made by four different methods. The first is by soaking one kg of Pungamia overnight in water. It is then ground and mixed in about 5 litres of water and sprayed.

The second is by grinding about 50 gms of Pungamia seedsand soaking them in a bucket of water overnight. About one litre of water is added to it later and used.

In the third method, take about 100 gm of Pungamia oil cake and soak it in water for some time and then add about 1 litre water to it and then spray.

In the last method about 1 kg of Pungamia oil cake and neem oil cake each are mixed. Half a litre of aloevera juice and 3 litres of cow-urine are added to it. The mixture is soaked in 15 litres of water overnight. About 6 litres of this mixture is filtered and diluted in 60 litres of water and sprayed.

Tulsi leaves are also commonly used by the farmers to protect their crops from pest and infestations.

About 100 gm of Tulsi leaves are soaked in water overnight. Next day, about 2 litres of water is added to it and the concoction sprayed. Similarly, about 1 kg of turmeric tubers are soaked in about 10 litres of cow’s urine overnight. Next day the turmeric tubers are ground and mixed with 30 litres of water and sprayed.

Similarly neem extract is made by three different methods. In the first method about 6 kg of neem leaves are soaked overnight in water.

The next day the leaves are ground and added to about 60 litres of water and sprayed. In the second method about 3 kg of neem seeds is soaked in water overnight.

It is ground into a paste the next day and mixed in about 60 litres of water and sprayed over the crops.

In the third method, about 6 kg of neem oil cake is ground well and soaked overnight and mixed in 60 litres of water and then used as a spray.

Another common leaf based extract made by the farmers is moodru ilai karaisal (three leaf formulation) It is made by soaking about 3 kg each of Calotropis (Yerukku in Tamil), Neem (Vembu in Tamil)and Vitex (Nochi in Tamil) in about 3 litres of cow’s urine diluted in 2 litres water overnight. Next day this solution is filtered and diluted in about 60 litres of water and sprayed.

Usually the leaf extracts are filtered with a clean cotton cloth and about 4 gm Khadhi soap’ solution are added per litre of the solution and then sprayed.

Traditional knowledge

“Though these formulations have been proven to be effective by the farmers who use them, it should be remembered that all these formulations are not scientifically validated. Their use is mainly based on traditional knowledge which is prevalent in that particular area or region and can vary from place to place and pest to pest."

All the above leaf based extracts have been found effective in controlling stem borer, aswini, leaf roller, cotton bollworms, ear head bugs and thrips, according to Mr. Aravindan.

For more information readers can contact Mr. S. Aravindan, Social scientist, Vivekananda Kendra-Natural Resources Development Project, VK-Nardep, Vivekanandapuram, Kanyakumari - 629 702, Tamil Nadu, India, email. ngc_vknardep@sancharnet.in and vknardep@gmail.com, mobile: 9443748714, phone: 04652 246296 and 04652 -247126.

Studies link gene to upright gait

Studies link gene to upright gait

Scientists claim to have discovered a gene that helps humans walk upright, after studying families with a rare condition that causes some of their members to walk on all fours.

Only a handful of families worldwide are known to be affected by quadrapedal locomotion syndrome, a condition that gained widespread attention in 2006 when the BBC aired a documentary on the lives of five affected members of the Ulas family, who live in Turkey.

People with the syndrome do not walk upright but use the palms of their hands in what is described as a “bear crawl.”

Speech also impaired

Prof Tayfun Ozcelik, a geneticist at Bilkent University, Turkey, tested four unrelated families affected by the condition, believed to be caused by faulty brain development. The disorder also impairs speech and mental ability.

All of the affected children tested by Ozcelik were the offspring of marriages between cousins. The scientist found that two of the families carried a rare mutation in a gene that governs levels of a protein important for healthy growth of the cerebellum area of the brain.

Ozcelik said: “We think this protein is critical for the proper development of the nervous system and our unique ability to balance and adopt a bipedal gait.”

Prof Nicholas Humphrey, a psychologist at the London School of Economics, said more genes were likely to be involved in the disorder. Tests on families in Iraq and Brazil found different genes causing the syndrome, in each case.

According to Humphrey, the condition may could shed light on our evolutionary history and overturn the widely-held belief that our ancestors were knuckle walkers like modern-day apes.

“What’s intriguing is how easily these people seem to take to this alternative gait when they can’t walk properly.

“It raises the question of whether this was how our ancestors walked.”

Smartly ensuring environmental security using bio fuel

‘Smart’ biofuel crops ensure food and environmental security

The leftover stalks after juice extraction, can be used for animal feed

Sweet harvest:Dr. Belum V.S. Reddy, Principal Scientist, Icrisat, at a sweet sorghum field.

While the global debate rages on whether the biofuel revolution is causing imbalances in food security systems and increasing the greenhouse gas emissions the ‘smart’ biofuel crops developed, utilized and promoted by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, ensure energy and environmental security.

According to Dr William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, the time has come to ensure that only smart biofuel crops are developed and utilized so that they can link poor dryland farmers with the biofuel market, without compromising on their food security, or causing environmental damage.

Energy security

“Smart biofuel crops are those that ensure food security, contribute to energy security, provide environmental sustainability, tolerate the impacts of climate change on shortage of water and high temperatures, and increase livelihood options,” he said.

Through its BioPower Strategy, ICRISAT is developing and promoting sweet sorghum as a major feedstock for producing bioethanol.

Sweet sorghum is a carbon dioxide neutral crop, which is a big contributory factor to being called a smart crop.

ICRISAT-bred sweet sorghum varieties and hybrids have increased sugar content in their stalks.

It has a strong pro-poor advantage since it has a triple product potential, that is grain, juice for ethanol, and bagasse (waste) for livestock feed and power generation.

Its highlight is that there is no compromise on farmers’ food security, since the grain is available for the farmers, along with sugar-rich juice from the stalk that can be distilled to manufacture ethanol.

Cost-effective

There are other benefits also. It is a cost-effective and competitive feedstock. It has a shorter crop cycle of 4 months compared to sugarcane, which is a 12-month crop and requires lesser water.

It requires only half of the water required to grow maize and one eighth of the water required to grow sugarcane. The cultivation cost is less when compared to sugarcane.

The juice from the stalks is used for fuel alcohol production. The leftover stalks (called sillage), after juice extraction, can be used for animal feed, according to Dr. Belum Reddy, Principal Scientist, Sorghum Breeding, of the Institute.

Sweet sorghum is tolerant to water scarcity and high temperatures, two qualities which will keep the crop in good stead in the context of climate change. It also has high water use efficiency.

Environment friendly

It is a carbon dioxide neutral crop that makes it environment friendly, and does not add to greenhouse gas emissions. During its growth cycle, a hectare of sweet sorghum cultivation absorbs about 45 tonnes of carbon.

It has been found from studies that gasoline blended with ethanol has lower emissions when run through an automobile engine than pure gasoline.

Field experiments conducted have proved that from one hectare of sweet sorghum, a farmer can harvest about 30 tonnes of fresh stalk. The cost of cultivation of sweet sorghum works out to Rs.10,500 per hectare. It generates a total income of Rs. 21,000 with a net return of Rs 10,500.

Good animal feed

The stalks of sweet sorghum are relished by cattle and the digestibility is higher compared to grain sorghum. In the absence of a distillery, the farmer can sell the stalks to animal feed manufacturers. The sillage from sweet sorghum stalk is a good animal feed like grain sorghum.

ICRISAT’s initiative to produce biofuels is not limited to bio ethanol from sweet sorghum alone.

Water shed project

Through its watershed development project, it is promoting the cultivation of Pongamia and Jatropha also from which biodiesel can be extracted.

For more information readers can contact Dr. Belum V.S. Reddy, Principal Scientist, email: b.reddy@cgiar.org, GT-Crop Improvement, email: b.reddy@cgiar.org , phone: 040-30713487 and 040-30713348, ICRISAT P. O., Patancheru, Medak district, Andhra Pradesh: 502324.

Now cancer patients can safeguard their fertility

Safeguarding cancer patients’ fertility

Scientists have found a way to store and grow a woman’s immature eggs in the laboratory using a technique which could be used to protect the fertility of women undergoing chemotherapy.

Anti-cancer drugs can often destroy the ovary’s follicles, where immature eggs remain dormant from birth until they are matured by the body.

This means a woman may survive cancer but become infertile as a result.

Several centres in the U.K. already offer to store pieces of ovary tissue from women about to undergo cancer treatment in the hope that, one day, techniques can be found to mature the eggs and use them for IVF.

The new research, led by Evelyn Telfer of the University of Edinburgh, has taken a major step towards that goal.

She took pieces of ovary tissue and, by adding artificial growth hormones in the laboratory, successfully grew the eggs within the follicles.

Advanced stage

The ovary tissue she used was donated by six women who gave birth by elective caesarean section, and about a third of the follicles within them went on to reach the advanced stage of development.

Eventually, said Tefler, fully matured eggs using this technique could be used in assisted reproduction procedures such as IVF. Telfer said the new technique had several advantages over standard practices. It took just 10 days for an egg to mature using the new method, while it might take several months for an egg to mature inside the ovary, and one piece of tissue can provide many dozen eggs, rather than the 10 or so harvested during IVF.

No hormone injections

In addition, the technique would avoid the need for a woman to take hormone injections, which are needed in standard IVF to stimulate her ovaries to over-produce eggs.

Telfer said that there was still work to do before the laboratory-matured eggs were suitable for fertilisation, but she had high hopes because animal studies had already shown that eggs matured in this way could be suitable.

Good evidence

“We believe there’s good evidence that we can get normal [eggs], but of course you would never apply this technique clinically until you are sure,” said Telfer. Jane Stewart, a consultant in reproductive medicine at the Newcastle Fertility Centre, said the procedure to collect a biopsy from a woman’s ovary was relatively simple and could be done at short notice.

But she added: “The storage and use of such biopsies, which may contain abundant but immature eggs, remains experimental, however.”

— Guardian Newspapers Limited

The metal consuming fast breeders

Metallic fuel for fast breeders after 2020

The scientists are aiming at a breeding ratio of 1.5 for the metallic fuel

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Going metallic: The entire fuel core of the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) will be changed to metallic fuel by 2017

Fast breeder reactors (the sixth reactor onwards) that would come up after 2020 will be 1,000 MW and not 500 MW reactors. And they would have metallic fuel and not mixed oxide fuel.

The entire fuel core of the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) would be changed to metallic fuel by 2017. “We are getting ready to irradiate advanced metallic fuel in FBTR by 2010,” said Dr. Baldev Raj, Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.

Pilot facility

A facility to fabricate, reprocess and refabricate metallic fuel would come up at IGCAR and become operational by 2014. IGCAR is first setting up a pilot reprocessing facility at its complex.

The need to go in for a metallic fuel is understandable. The ability to put up new fast breeder reactors depends on the amount of plutonium available. Breeder technology, as the name indicates, produces or “breeds” more plutonium than it consumes for producing energy.

Self-sustaining

Hence fast breeder reactors are not only self-sustaining but have the capability to produce extra plutonium to start new reactors.

The rate at which surplus plutonium is produced depends on the fuel used in a fast breeder reactor. In the case of mixed carbide fuel used in the FBTR, the extra plutonium produced would be 0.2-0.3 (breeding ratio being 1.2-1.3); it would be just 0.1 (breeding ratio being 1.1) in the case of oxide fuel.

However, in the case of metallic fuel the plutonium gain would be 0.3-0.5. The breeding ratio is 1.3-1.5.

“We are aiming at a breeding ratio of 1.5 against 1.3 which is the norm,” said Dr. Raj.

Faster doubling time

The higher the breeding ratio, the faster would be the doubling time — (time taken to produce surplus plutonium to start a new reactor).

So the doubling time would be the least in the case of metallic fuel and the most in the case of oxide fuel.

“We would have at least 15 years’ advantage to get the necessary fuel [plutonium] for another 1,000 MW reactor,” said Dr. Raj.

The plutonium content of 20-25 per cent in metallic fuel would be the same as in carbide or oxide fuel.

“But there are no lighter elements like oxygen or carbon to absorb the neutrons [in metallic fuels],” explained Dr. Raj on why metallic fuels have a higher breeding ratio and hence faster doubling time.

The reprocessing of metallic fuel will be very different from other fuels.

“The reprocessing technology is very difficult,” he said, “it will be a pyro-metallurgical route.”

Though the FBTR fuel core would be changed from carbide to metallic, it would not be possible to do the same with the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) or the two reactors coming up at Kalpakkam.

Design constraint

“We can’t put metallic fuel in these reactors as the design does not permit it,” he said, “though it is a desired situation.”

But he and the scientists at Kalpakkam have not given up on the idea. “We will continue to explore ways of doing this,” he said, sounding optimistic.

algae for rescue

Algae’s surprising new application

Some varieties of algae, a kind of unicellular plant, contain an enzyme called hydrogenase that can create small amounts of hydrogen gas.

Many believe this is used by nature as a way to get rid of excess reducing equivalents that are produced under high light conditions, but there is little benefit to the plant.

Algae for production

Scientists at U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory are working to chemically manipulate algae for production of the next generation of renewable fuels – hydrogen gas. The move is in direct response to soaring gasoline prices.

“We believe there is a fundamental advantage in looking at the production of hydrogen by photosynthesis as a renewable fuel,” senior chemist David Tiede said.

“Right now, ethanol is being produced from corn, but generating ethanol from corn is a thermodynamically much more inefficient process.”

Enzyme hydrogenase

Tiede and his group are trying to find a way to take the part of the enzyme hydrogenase, that creates the gas and introduce it into the photosynthesis process, according to an Argonne National Laboratory press release.

The result would be a large amount of hydrogen gas, possibly on par with the amount of oxygen created.

“Biology can do it, but it’s making it do it at 5-10 percent yield that’s the problem,” Tiede said.

“What we would like to do is take that catalyst out of hydrogenase and put into the photosynthetic protein framework.

We are fortunate to have Professor Thomas Rauchfuss as a collaborator from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana who is an expert on the synthesis of hydrogenase active site mimics.”

Several benefits

Algae has several benefits over corn in fuel production. It can be grown in a closed system almost anywhere including deserts or even rooftops, and there is no competition for food or fertile soil.

It is also easier to harvest because it has no roots or fruit and grows dispersed in water. “If you have terrestrial plants like corn, you are restricted to where you could grow them,” Tiede said.

“There is a problem now with biofuel crops competing with food crops because they are both using the same space.

Algae provides an alternative, which can be grown in a closed photo ioreactor analogous to a microbial fermentor that you could move any place.”

Tiede admitted the research is its beginning phases, but he is confident in his team and their research goals.

The next step is to create a way to attach the catalytic enzyme to the molecule.