To improve drought tolerance of potato, we bred four cultivars with large root mass and registered them as Konyu-1 to Konyu-4 in 2007. In this paper, we present the yield performance and the related aboveground characteristics of three Konyu cultivars and cv. Konafubuki (small root mass, one of the parents of these Konyu cultivars) in irrigated and droughted fields for 3 years. Consistent with our previous reports, we observed that the yield reduction in droughted fields relative to irrigated fields was less in Konyu cultivars than in Konafubuki. Konyu-2 showed the highest yield in both fields in all three experimental years. Konyu-2 and Konafubuki had a relatively high harvest index (HI) as a result of lower dry weight partitioning to the shoot regardless of water treatment. This characteristic contributed to the higher yield in the irrigated field in both cultivars compared with the other cultivars. In addition, Konyu-2 had a higher leaf/stem ratio coupled with a lower number of branches than the other cultivars. In the year of the most severe drought, the leaf area index remained below 3 (optimum value for intercept radiation) in Konafubuki, but not in Konyu-2 because of its high leaf/stem ratio. The present results suggest that in addition to large root mass, high HI coupled with high leaf/stem ratio with low number of branches may contribute to achieve high and stable yields in drought prone environments.

The Gaur, Bos gaurus Smith, plays an important role in the pyramidal food chain-being an important prey for large carnivores such as tiger, common leopard, and Asiatic wild dog. Presence of Gaur in an area indicates wild and healthy ecosystem. Reduction of global distribution of Gaur by over 80% in the past 100 years, scaling in the IUCN Red List of Vulnerable category shows the species is facing serious threats. The present study assessed the distribution, activity pattern, and abundance of Gaur in the Royal Manas National Park (RMNP) through a single season occupancy modeling. The study was conducted through camera trap survey for a period of three months. Gaur was the second most abundant species among targeted sympatric species (RAI = 6.35) and its distribution was restricted mostly in the southern subtropical forest belts. The highest elevation that Gaur was recorded was 2256 m asl. The mean detection probability of Gaur in RMNP was 33 % ± 0.04 (0.25-0.47) and naive occupancy rate was 51.5%. The estimated Gaur occupancy with inclusion of imperfect detection showed 62.4% ± 0.15 (0.296-0.864) of 659.6 km 2 of RMNP area occupied. Core zone in RMNP was observed as most preferred habitat as Gaur tended to avoid human disturbances. Distance to saltlick and settlement was the most significant habitat parameter for Gaur's existence. Evidences of poaching inside the park call for reinforcing Spatial Monitoring Assessment and Reporting Tool (SMART) in patrolling and management of Gaur conservation in RMNP.