ErratumIn the paper entitled “Marker-assisted Foreground Selection for Identification of Salt Tolerant Rice Genotypes” published in The Agriculturists 10(2): 1-8 (December 2012), the authors should be read as M. S. Alam, S. N. Begum, M. M. Islam, M. Moniruzzaman and M. A. K. Patwary instead of M. S. Alam, M. Salim, M. Moniruzzaman, J. A. Rashid and M. M. Islam (Authors changed on the online version on 13th June 2013).Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) technique was used to develop salt tolerant rice genotypes using molecular markers during June 2009 to November 2010 in the experimental field and Biotechnology Laboratory of Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA), Mymensingh. FL-378 was identified as donor or male parent for saltol QTL and Binadhan-7 as recurrent or recipient parent which had high yield with short life cycle. Crossing was done between them and 10 F1 seeds were produced. PCR bands from all the 10F1 plants were scored as “H” represented heterozygous alleles for donor and recipient parent. Backcrossing was done to produce 105 BC1F1 seedlings. Foreground selection was performed with 72 BC1F1plants with a tightly linked salt tolerance marker RM21. Out of 72 plants, 33 plants were selected for RM21 showing ‘H’ scores. The selected segregants were subjected to further recombinant and background selections at BC1F1 generation. These selected genotypess could be used for further foreground, recombinant and background selections with appropriate markers upto BC3 generation for the development of salt tolerant rice genotypes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/agric.v10i2.13128 The Agriculturists 2012; 10(2) 1-8

Ethanol extract of Coccinia grandis Linn. (Family- Cucurbitaceae) were subjected to Phytochemical screening, which showed the presence of Alkaloids, Reducing sugar and Saponins. The pharmacological interest of these compounds, coupled with the use of this plant in traditional medicine encouraged to check Coccinea grandis (Linn.) for possible antimicrobial, antidirrhoeal and analgesic activities. The ethanolic extract at the dose of 500 mg/kg exhibited marked action against pain, (p<0.001), percentage of protection was 60% while the standard drug diclofenac’s percent of protection was found to be 76% at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight. It showed no antidiarrhoeal activity at the dose of 500 mg/kg body weight. The obtained results provide a support for the use of this plant for traditional medicine and for its further investigation.

An experiment for diversity analysis with 66 genotypes of lablab bean (Lablab purpureus L.) was conducted at Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) during 2009-2010. Data were collected from all experimental plants on the following characters: days to first flowering, days to 50% flowering, days to first pod setting, no. of pods per plant, wt. of 20 pods (g), pod yield per plant (g), pod length (cm), number of seeds per pod, number of seeds per plant, 100-seed weight (g), and seed yield per plant (g). As per multivariate analysis, the genotypes were grouped into seven clusters. The highest number of genotypes 15 was included in cluster V followed by cluster II, which contained 13 genotypes. Cluster III, I, VI, IV contained 12, 11, 6, and 5 genotypes, respectively. The cluster VII which included 4 genotypes was the smallest among the 7 clusters. It is important to note that the highest amount of genetic divergence within the cluster group was noticed in the cluster VII having only 4 genotypes. The inter-cluster distances (D2) were higher than the intra-cluster distances. The inter-cluster D2 values varied from 2059.094 to 19302.6. The distances between the cluster VII and V; VII and VI; VII and II and VII and I were comparatively high than the other inter-cluster distances. The genotypes of these clusters were thus more diversified for yield and yield contributing characters. The intracluster distance (8502.795) observed in cluster VII revealed maximum diversity among themselves. While the least variation (625.372) was noticed between genotypes of the cluster II signifying the closeness of the genotypes included in this cluster. Data on the contribution of individual characters towards divergence suggested that no. of pods per plant contributed maximum (34.033%) to the genetic divergence followed by pod yield per plant and 100-seed weight. The genotypes of the cluster VII produced highest pods per plant and those of the cluster II produced lowest pod yield per plant. Seed yield per plant was found to be highest in cluster VII and lowest in cluster II. Results of the study suggested that selection for these traits in climbing genotypes might be effective. By strategically using this diversity, the breeder can develop high yielding varieties of lablab bean. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 38(1): 105-114, March 2013 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v38i1.15195