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The present investigations were carried out to study the influence of various seed hardening treatments on growth and yield parameters in black gram under drought condition. The black gram cv.VBN 3 was imposed with various seed hardening treatments (i.e.,) MnSO4 @ 100 ppm, ZnSO4 @ 100 ppm, Cobalt nitrate @ 1 %, Sodium molybdate @ 100 ppm, KCl @ 100 ppm, Pungam leaf extract @ 1 %, Prosopis leaf extract @ 1% and GA3 @ 40 ppm. The above treated seeds along with control were evaluated for their seed quality parameters, growth, gas exchange and yield parameters under laboratory and drought field condition. The study revealed that seeds hardened with prosopis leaf extract @1% recorded higher seed yield, yield attributing characters and many seed quality characters as compared to other treatments and control under drought condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was attempted to find out the influence of various seed hardening cum foliar spray treatments on growth and yield parameters in black gram under dry land condition. The seeds of black gram cv VBN 3 were imposed with hardening treatment with prosopis leaf extract @ 1%, and then they were again given with foliar spray treatments. The above treated seeds along with control were evaluated for their growth, physiological and yield parameters under field condition. The study revealed that, 1%, Prosopis leaf extract hardened seeds along with foliar spray of salicylic acid @ 100 ppm recorded the higher seed yield and other parameters when compared to other treatments and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field experiments were conducted to study the effect of fly ash seed pelleting in rice under aerobic agriculture which can be recommended for better crop growth and establishment. The study was conducted with three concentrations viz., 200, 250 and 300g per kg of seed. Observations on growth and yield parameters viz., plant height, dry matter production, leaf area, root weight, number of productive tillers/plant, number of grains/panicle, 1000 grain weight, and single plant yield were recorded. Gas exchange parameters viz., net photosynthetic rate, leaf transpiration rate, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO2 concentration were also recorded. The experimental results revealed that aerobic rice seeds treated with fly ash @ 250 g kg-1 performed better due to increased growth, gas exchange parameters and seed yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genetically pure seeds of groundnut cv. VRI 2 were obtained from the Oilseed Research Station, Virudhachalam. The bulk seeds were graded for uniformity using 18/64" size sieve and were imposed with various physical seed enhancement techniques. The treated seeds along with control were stored in cloth bag and 700 gauge polythene bag under ambient condition of Annamalai nagar for a period of 10 months and were evaluated for seed quality characters viz., moisture content, germination per cent, oil content and electrical conductivity at bimonthly intervals. The study revealed that the seeds treated with halogen slurry treatment and stored in 700 gauge polythene bag registered low moisture content (8 %), electrical conductivity (0.529 dsm-1), high germination percentage (74 %) and oil content (43 %) when compared to control. It was also noted that they maintained the minimum seed certification standard upto 10 months of storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to identify rice varieties suitable for aerobic agriculture and to formulate the seed hardening and pelleting treatment that can be recommended for better crop growth and establishment under aerobic condition. The seeds of four rice varieties viz., ADT 43, ADT 38, ADT 36 and ADT 39 were treated with KCl, KH2PO4, Thiourea and CaCl2, @ 1.0 % and subsequently pelleted with pongam (Pongamia glabra) leaf powder @ 200g/kg, along with a control. The physiological parameters viz., leaf area, leaf photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, intercellular CO2 concentration, root dry weight and seed quality parameters were recorded. Among the varieties tested, ADT 43 was found more suitable for aerobic agriculture and, even though all the treatments performed better as compared to control, the seeds hardened with KCl (1%) followed by pelleting with pongam leaf powder @ 200 g kg-1 recorded higher physiological parameters and seed yield and better seed quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black gram is highly priced pulse, rich in protein (24%) and phosphoric acid. Besides being cooked for consumption with chepaties (rotis) and rice, it is also used in preparation of several South Indian dishes like idli, vada, dosa etc. In India, black gram is grown on an area of 2.07 million hectares with a production of 0.94 million tonnes. It is mainly grown in the States of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Bihar. Seed is a biological entity. Flyash is generated during the combustion of coal in coal fired thermal power plants and paper industry. In agricultural studies, it has been reported that flyash at optimum rate can be utilized as a fertilizer. Hence, a study was formulated to elucidate information on the use of flyash seed pelleting on seed yield in blackgram. The study revealed that the flyash pelleting @ 200 g/kg-1 registered significantly higher values for plant height (cm), number of branches per plant, days to 50% flowering, number of clusters per plant, number of pods per plant, pod length, pod weight, seed weight/pod and seed yield plant-1 (g). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Cotyledonary leaves, shoot tips, hypocotyls and nodes were used to accomplish regeneration methods in Spermacoce hispida. • High frequency plant regeneration through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis was achieved from nodal segments. • Hypocotyl-derived calli were induced shoot regeneration on MS medium containing kinetin. • Survival rate of successfully accomplished plantlets was evaluated under greenhouse and at filed conditions. • Histological evidences confirmed the regeneration mode through organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. Shaggy button weed (Spermacoce hispida L.) is a therapeutically important herb widely used in Indian System of medicine particularly Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani. S. hispida is recalcitrant during germination in natural habitat. Plant tissue culture is an alternate approach for mass multiplication of such vulnerable plants. Plant regeneration by organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis in S. hispida was attempted using cotyledonary leaf, shoot tip, hypocotyl, and nodal explants. Maximum shoot regeneration frequency (72%) and number of shoots (10.5 ± 0.3) through direct organogenesis was achieved from nodal explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium amended with 2.0 mg/dm3 of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Further, MS medium containing 0.5 mg/dm3 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2, 4-D) produced higher frequency of callus induction (86.25%) from hypocotyl segments. Optimum shoot regeneration response (69.5%) through indirect organogenesis was observed from hypocotyl-derived callus on MS medium fortified with 1.0 mg/dm3 kinetin with 6.1 shoots per callus. The highest regeneration frequency (68%) through somatic embryogenesis was recorded from nodal explants on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/dm3 BAP and 0.8 mg/dm3 kinetin. The regenerated plantlets were acclimatized successfully under ex vitro conditions with normal phenotypic appearance. Shoot tips and nodes did not induce organogenesis (indirect), whereas nodal segments showed better regeneration via organogenesis (direct) and somatic embryogenesis in MS medium with either BAP or BAP with kinetin. Histological examinations confirmed the distinctive developmental stages and bipolar structure of somatic embryos. The described regeneration protocols can be effectively utilized for the large-scale multiplication, germplasm conservation, pharmacological and genetic manipulation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]