No abstract

Proteases are ubiquitous enzymes that occur in various biological systems ranging from microorganisms to higher organisms. Microbial proteases are largely utilized in various established industrial processes. Despite their numerous industrial applications, they are not efficient in hydrolysis of recalcitrant, protein-rich keratinous wastes which result in environmental pollution and health hazards. This paved the way for the search of keratinolytic microorganisms having the ability to hydrolyze "hard to degrade" keratinous wastes. This new class of proteases is known as "keratinases". Due to their specificity, keratinases have an advantage over normal proteases and have replaced them in many industrial applications, such as nematicidal agents, nitrogenous fertilizer production from keratinous waste, animal feed and biofuel production. Keratinases have also replaced the normal proteases in the leather industry and detergent additive application due to their better performance. They have also been proved efficient in prion protein degradation. Above all, one of the major hurdles of enzyme industrial applications (cost effective production) can be achieved by using keratinous waste biomass, such as chicken feathers and hairs as fermentation substrate. Use of these low cost waste materials serves dual purposes: to reduce the fermentation cost for enzyme production as well as reducing the environmental waste load. The advent of keratinases has given new direction for waste management with industrial applications giving rise to green technology for sustainable development.

A set of diallel crosses involving 10 parents was made to have information on the extent of heterosis over mid-parent and better parent and inbreeding depression for yield and yield contributing characters under three different environments. Marked heterobeltiosis for grain yield and its important components were observed. For grain yield, 83 crosses showed significant positive heterobeltiosis in all the three sowing dates, however, twenty crosses showed significant consistent heterobeltiosis for grain yield per plant over all the three environments. The maximum heterobeltiosis for grain yield per plant observed was 50.94% (Raj 3765)/HD 2285), 121.08% (PBW 373)/HD 2329) and 93.96% (PBW 373 )/HD 2329) under early, normal and late sowing conditions, respectively. Cross PBW 373)/HD 2329 in both early and normal plantings and cross Raj 3765)/HD 2285 under late planting were observed most heterotic for grain yield. The crosses showing heterosis for grain yield were not heterotic for all the characters. Heterosis for grain yield per spike followed by tillers per plant and 1000-grain weight was independently associated with heterosis for grain yield in early and normal plantings. However, heterosis for grain yield per spike, dwarf plant height and tillers per plant contributed maximum towards yield heterosis. Significant inbreeding depression was recorded frequently for yield and yield contributing traits, however, in a few traits it was observed significant negative indicated that F 2 was superior to F 1 considered desirable combination for trait(s). The study reveals good scope for commercial exploitation of heterosis as well as isolation of pure lines among the progenies of heterotic F 1 for improvement of yield levels in bread wheat.

There are several reports about the optimization of protease production, but only few have optimized the production of organic solvent tolerant keratinolytic proteases that show remarkable exploitation in the development of the non-polluting processes in biotechnological industries. The present study was carried with aim to optimize the production of a thermostable organic solvent tolerant keratinolytic protease Thermoactinomyces sp. RM4 utilizing chicken feathers. Thermoactinomyces sp. RM4 isolated from the soil sample collected from a rice mill wasteyard site near Kashipur, Uttrakhand was identified on the basis of 16S rDNA analysis. The production of organic solvent tolerant keratinolytic protease enzyme by Thermoactinomyces sp. RM4 was optimized by varying physical culture conditions such as pH (10.0), temperature (60°C), inoculum percentage (2%), feather concentration (2%) and agitation rate (2 g) for feather degradation. The result showed that Thermoactinomyces sp. RM4 potentially produces extra-cellular thermostable organic solvent tolerant keratinolytic protease in the culture medium. Further, the feather hydrolysate from keratinase production media showed plant growth promoting activity by producing indole-3-acetic acid itself. The present findings suggest that keratinolytic protease from Thermoactinomyces sp. RM4 offers enormous industrial applications due to its organic solvent tolerant property in peptide synthesis, practical role in feather degradation and potential function in plant growth promoting activity, which might be a superior candidate to keep ecosystem healthy and functional.

Field experiment was conducted at G.B.P.U.A.T. Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, India in rainy season of 2008 and 2009 to study the impacts of increased nitrogen doses on growth dynamics, biomass partitioning, chaffy grain and nitrogen use efficiency in 4 rice genotypes viz., Vasumati, Tulsi, Kasturi and Krishna Hamsa. Four doses (N(0), N(50), N(100) and N(200) kg N ha(-1)) of nitrogen in the form of urea were applied in 3 split. Increased trend in growth dynamics during active tillering and flowering stage, and biomass partitioning at the time of active tillering and flowering stage was observed with respect to nitrogen doses. Chaffy grain number and chaffy grain weight per 5 panicles was significantly increased with enhancing nitrogen doses and was highest for Vasumati. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was increased up to N(100) kg N ha(-1) and it was declined with rising nitrogen doses (N(200) kg N ha(-1)). The highest values for NUE was achieved by rice genotype Krishna Hamsa whereas lowest by Vasumati. In addition to this, a significant correlation between nitrogen doses and growth dynamics, biomass partitioning and chaffy grain was observed. These findings suggest that growth dynamics, biomass partitioning, chaffy grain could be enhanced by the input of high rate of nitrogen fertilizer but not nitrogen use efficiency. Therefore, this study is useful to screen most N efficient genotypes which can be strongly suggested to rice growers to enhance crop yield irrespective of use of high dose of N fertilizers.

The mitigation potential of avenue tree species needs a sound understanding, especially for landscape planning or planting tree species on roadside, especially in city limits where there is huge traffic due to more number of vehicles. A preliminary study was conducted to investigate the impact of heavy traffic movement and pollution thereof on physiological functioning of Lagerstroemia speciosa trees planted on roadside in terms of carbon absorption, mitigation potential and adaptive behavior. Trees on roadside exhibited reduced carbon assimilation (36.7 ± 2.4%) and transpiration rate (42.14 ± 2.9%), decreased stomatal conductance (66.85 ± 3.87%), increased stomatal resistance (212.2 ± 11.25%), more leaf thickness (40.54 ± 3.25) and water use efficiency (9.4 ± 0.87%), and changes in lead (179.31 ± 10.24%) and proline (15.61 ± 1.92%) concentration in leaf tissues when compared to less traffic area (FRI campus). The impacts were also witnessed in the form of enhanced vapour pressure deficit of air (63.18 ± 4.94%) and leaf (45.72 ± 3.25%), and air temperature (3.2 ± 0.16%) and leaf temperature (9.0 ± 0.82%) along roadside trees. It was inferred that heavy traffic movements interrupt the physiological functioning of trees due to alteration in the surrounding environment as compared to non-traffic areas. The present study provides baseline information to further explore and identify the potential avenue tree species having significant mitigation potential and adaptive efficiency to heavy traffic movements for improving urban environment.

No abstract

Paphia malabarica is an important clam species, which has formed vast beds in the Kalbadevi estuary (Shirgaon creek) and Kajali estuary (Bhatye creek), Ratnagiri. They are exploited here commercially throughout the year for local as well as external markets due to the heavy demand. This study was undertaken to assess seasonal variations in the quality of the meat of clams by estimating the condition index and percentage edibility. Higher values were recorded during the monsoon (June^August). A rapid decline was observed in the edibility values from November onwards. Higher condition index and percentage edibility were recorded from June to November, indicating the high quality of clam meat.