Chemical hybridizing agents (CHAs) can facilitate two-line breeding in heterosis programs of crops. Twenty-seven oxanilates having different aromatic substitutions were synthesized and screened as CHAs on two genotypes of wheat, PBW 343 and HD 2733, during two Rabi (winter) seasons, 2000-01 and 2001-02. The oxanilates prepared by thermal condensation of anilines with diethyl oxalate or by acylation with ethoxycarbonyl methanoyl chloride were sprayed at 1000 and 1500 ppm at the premeiotic stage of wheat, when the length of the emerging spike of the first node was 7-8 mm. Pollen sterility and spikelet sterility were measured in each treatment. Ethyl oxanilates 5, 6, and 25,containing 4-F, 4-Br, and 4-CF(3) aromatic substituents, respectively, induced greater than 98% spikelet sterility, the desired level, at 1500 ppm. Quantitative structure-activity relationship analysis revealed a direct relationship between F(p) and molecular mass but an inverse relationship between MR, E(S), and R in influencing the bioactivity. Several F(1) hybrids were developed using 5, and at least one showed heterosis.

Giganticine (1), a novel nonprotein amino acid, has been isolated from a methanol extract of the root bark of Calotropis gigantea and its structure established by spectroscopic methods. It exhibited a significant antifeedant activity against nymphs of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria.

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The technology for the production of neem oil coated urea (NOCU) developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute is in the pipeline for adaption by several Indian fertilizer industries. Use of nitrification inhibitors is one of the methods of improving the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture. However, standard specifications for the neem oil as a raw material of NOCU are desired. Accordingly, the present study was undertaken to evaluate 25 samples of neem oils comprising 11 samples of expeller grade (EG) oils, 8 samples of cold-pressed (CP) oils, 3 samples of solvent-extracted oils, and 2 commercial formulations. NOCU was prepared using these oils (5000 ppm of urea-N). The soils fertilized with NOCUs (200 ppm of urea-N) were incubated at 27 degrees C and 50% water-holding capacity for a period of 15 days. Nitrapyrin (0.5% of N) coated urea served as the reference and prilled urea as control. Samples were analyzed for NH4+-N, NO2--N, and NO3--N using standard methods. The percent nitrification inhibition (NI) was calculated, and the results revealed that all of the neem oils caused NI ranging from 4.0 to 30.9%. Two samples of EG oils and two commercial formulations were found to be the best, causing 27.0-30.9% NI. Iodine, acid, and saponification values and meliacin content of all of the oils were analyzed and correlated with NI. The results revealed the direct influence of meliacin content of the neem oils on NI, which, however, was found to be negatively correlated with saponification and iodine values. There is, therefore, a need to introduce new Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) specifications for neem oils as raw materials of NOCU.