Index-based assessment of agricultural drought in a semi-arid region of Inner Mongolia, China

Agricultural drought is a type of natural disaster that seriously impacts food security.Because the relationships among short-term rainfall,soil moisture,and crop growth are complex,accurate identification of a drought situation is difficult.In this study,using a conceptual model based on the relationship between water deficit and crop yield reduction,we evaluated the drought process in a typical rainfed agricultural region,Hailar county in Inner Mongolia autonomous region,China.To quantify drought,we used the precipitation-based Standardized Precipitation Index(SPI),the soil moisture-based Crop Moisture Index(CMI),as well as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI).Correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between dekad-scale drought indices during the growing season(May–September)and final yield,according to data collection from 2000 to 2010.The results show that crop yield has positive relationships with CMI from mid-June to mid-July and with the NDVI anomaly throughout July,but no correlation with SPI.Further analysis of the relationship between the two drought indices shows that the NDVI anomaly responds to CMI with a lag of 1 dekad,particularly in July.To examine the feasibility of employing these indices for monitoring the drought process at a dekad time scale,a detailed drought assessment was carried out for selected drought years.The results confirm that the soil moisture-based vegetation indices in the late vegetative to early reproductive growth stages can be used to detect agricultural drought in the study area.Therefore,the framework of the conceptual model developed for drought monitoring can be employed to support drought mitigation in the rainfed agricultural region of Northern China.

Influences of tree characters on throughfall and stemflow from rainfall and fog in Popa Mountain Park, Myanmar

Available water for communities is insufficient in the central part of Myanmar due to limited rainfall and surface water resources. Over the last two decades, afforestation and reforestation projects have been implemented in this region to provide sufficient water to local communities, expecting forested areas to store more rainwater than other land uses. However, there has been no research and very limited information on rainfall partitioning into throughfall(TF) and stemflow(SF), particularly concerning tree characters. Gross rainfall, TF under different canopy types, and SF of different tree types were measured in 2019. TF and SF were frequently observed even without rain but under foggy conditions. Therefore, both were partitioned into TF and SF from rainfall and fog individually. Sparser canopies resulted in larger TF from rainfall than denser canopies. However, a denser canopy delivered larger TF from fog than a sparser one. TF rates from rainfall in sparser and denser canopies were 54.5% and 51.5%, respectively, while those from fog were 15.2% and 27.2%, respectively. As a result, total TF rate in the denser canopy(70.7%) was significantly larger than that from the sparser one(64.3%). Short trees with small crown projection area and smooth bark(Type Ⅰ) resulted in larger SF from rainfall than taller trees with large crown projection area and rough bark(Type Ⅱ). However, Type Ⅱ trees resulted in larger SF from fog. SF rates by rainfall from Type Ⅰ and Ⅱ trees were 17.5% and 12.2%, respectively, while those by fog were 22.2% and 39.5%, respectively. No significant total SF rates were found for Type Ⅰ(22.5%) and Ⅱ trees(20.1%). A denser canopy results in larger TF, and Type Ⅰ trees result in larger SF. In an area where foggy conditions occur frequently and for a lengthy period, however, Type Ⅱ trees will result in larger SF. These three tree characters(dense canopies, short trees with small crown projection area and smooth bark, and tall trees with large crown projection area and rough bark) should be considered for afforestation and reforestation projects in the Popa Mountain Park to enhance net water input by forests.

The Role of Jasmonates as Antibulbing Substances in the Bulb Formation of Onion

Onion plants form spherical bulbs under long-day conditions.Substances regulating bulb formation remain unknown.In the course of chemical studies on the bulb formation,α-linolenic acid was isolated from onion extracts as an antibulbing substance,the amount of which was synchronized with the bulb formation.Since allene oxide synthase inhibitor canceled the antibulbing activity ofα-linolenic acid,it was disclosed that jasmonic acid concerns this regulation.Structure-activity-relationship study revealed that its(3R,7S)stereochemistry is necessary for showing its antibulbing activity.It is concluded that(3R,7S)-jasmonate derived fromα-linolenic acid actually participates in the regulation of bulb formation.

Fractionation and solubility of cadmium in paddy soils amended with porous hydrated calcium silicate

Previous studies have shown that porous hydrated calcium silicate （PS） is very effective in decreasing cadmium （Cd） content in brown rice. However, it is unclear whether the PS influences cadmium transformation in soil. The present study examined the effect of PS on pH, cadmium transformation and cadmium solubility in Andosol and Alluvial soil, and also compared its effects with CaCO3, acidic porous hydrated calcium silicate （APS） and silica gel. Soil cadmium was operationally fractionationed into exchangeable （Exch）, bound to carbonates （Carb）, bound to iron and manganese oxides （FeMnOx）, bound to organic matters （OM） and residual （Res） fraction. Application of PS and CaCO3 at hig rates enhanced soil pH, while APS and silica gel did not obviously change soil pH. PS and CaCO3 also increased the FeMnOx-Cd in Andosol and Carb-Cd in Alluvial soil, thus reducing the Exch-Cd in the tested soils. However, PS was less effective than CaCO3 at the same application rate. Cadmium fractions in the two soils were not changed by the treatments of APS and silica gel. There were no obvious differences in the solubility of cadmium in soils treated with PS, APS, silica gel and CaCO3 except Andosol treated 2.0% CaCO3 at the same pH of soil-CaC12 suspensions. These findings suggested that the decrease of cadmium availability in soil was mainly attributed to the increase of soil pH caused by PS.

Survival of pathogenic bacteria in compost with special reference to Escherichia coli

Application of compost in agricultural practice could potentially cause contamination of foodstuffs with pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157：H7 （E. Coli O157）. We investigated pathogenic bacteria in compost collected from the compost facilities, and evaluated the survival of E. coli K12 and O157 in laboratory experiments. Out of 19 compost product samples, coliform bacteria and salmonella were detected in 7 and 3 samples respectively. The number of coliform bacteria was 1.8 × 10^2 to 2.5 × 10^6 CFU/g dw and that of salmonella was 4.2 × 10^1 to 6.0 × 10^3 CFU/g dw. Moreover. coliform bacteria, fecal coliform, E. coli and salmonella were detected during composting at 54℃ to 67℃. The results indicated that moisture content was a very important factor to the heat sensitivity of pathogenic bacteria in compost, E. coli in compost of high moisture content was more sensitive than that in compost of low moisture content, cells harvested in logarithmic phase was more sensitive than these in stationary phase, and E. coli K12 was more sensitive than E. coli O157. Based on the D values, the lethal time of E. coli K12 and 0157 from 10^8 to 10^0 CFU/g dw were 16.3 and 28.8 min, respectively, at 60℃ in compost with 40% moisture content. However, some E. coli cells survived in composting process at 54℃ to 67℃. Water potential（low moisture content） and physiological aspects of bacteria（stationary phase） could explain only in part of the prolonged survival of E. coli in compost, and there should be some other factors that are conducive to bacterial survial in compost.

Sequences Characterization of Microsatellite DNA Sequences in Pacific Abalone(Haliotis discus hannai)

The microsatellite-enriched library was constructed using magnetic bead hybridization selection method, and the mi-crosatellite DNA sequences were analyzed in Pacific abalone Haliotis discus hannai. Three hundred and fifty white colonies were screened using PCR-based technique, and 84 clones were identified to potentially contain microsatellite repeat motif. The 84 clones were sequenced, and 42 microsatellites and 4 minisatellites with a minimum of five repeats were found (13.1% of white colonies screened). Besides the motif of CA contained in the oligoprobe, we also found other 16 types of microsatellite repeats including a dinucleotide repeat, two tetranucleotide repeats, twelve pentanucleotide repeats and a hexanucleotide repeat. According to Weber (1990), the microsatellite sequences obtained could be categorized structurally into perfect repeats (73.3%), imperfect repeats (13.3%), and compound repeats (13.4%). Among the microsatellite repeats, relatively short arrays (< 20 repeats) were most abundant, accounting for 75.0%. The largest length of microsatellites was 48 repeats, and the average number of repeats was 13.4. The data on the composition and length distribution of microsatellites obtained in the present study can be useful for choosing the repeat motifs for microsatellite isolation in other abalone species.

Responses of Halophyte Salicornia bigelovii to Different Forms of Nitrogen Source

Salt-affected soils are agricultural and environmental problems on a global scale. Plants suffer from saline stresses in these soils and show nitrogen （N） deficiency symptoms. However, halophytes grow soundly under saline conditions. In order to clarify the N nutrition of the halophyte Salicornia bigelovii, it was grown at several N levels （1, 2, 3, and 4 mmol L-1）, supplied in the form of NO3 or ammonium （NH4＋）, under high NaCl conditions （200 mmol L-l）. NH4^＋- fed plants showed better growth than NO3-fed plants at 1-3 mmol L-1N, and plants in both treatments showed the same growth at 4 mmol L-1 N. Nitrogen contents in NO3-fed plants increased with the N concentrations in solution; competitive inhibition of NO3- absorption by Cl- was observed under lower N conditions. In addition, shoot dry weight was significantly correlated only with shoot N content. Therefore, growth of NO3-fed plants was regulated by N absorption. In contrast, N contents of shoots in NH4＋-fed plants did not change with N concentration. Shoot Na content decreased with increasing N concentration, while K content increased. Dry weight was highly correlated only with K content in NH4＋-fed plants. These observations indicated that growth of NH4＋-fed plants was mainly regulated by K absorption.

Antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitor activities of natural compounds isolated from Quercus gilva Blume leaves

Objective: To isolate and investigate antioxidant and α-glucosidase inhibitor compounds in the leaves of Quercus gilva Blume(Q. gilva).Methods: Dry leaves of Q. gilva were extracted with methanol and the methanolic extract was further separated by silica gel column chromatography using several solvents with increasing polarity. The antioxidant activities of the isolated compounds were evaluated using various in vitro assays: 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity, hydrogen peroxide radical scavenging activity, β-carotene bleaching assay, and reducing power assay. The α-glucosidase inhibitory assay was conducted against α-glucosidase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae.Results: Three compounds were isolated and their structures were identii ed as catechin(1), epicatechin(2), and tiliroside(3) using an instrumental analysis. Compound 2 had higher antioxidant activity with inhibitory concentrations(IC50) of(22.55 ± 2.23) μmol/L than that of quercetin, which was used as the standard, with an IC50 of(28.08 ± 2.39) μmol/L, followed by compound 1 with IC50 of(40.86 ± 3.45) μmol/L. On the other hand, compound 3 had the lowest antioxidant activity with an IC50 of(160.24 ± 8.15) μmol/L. However, compound 3 had the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with an IC50 of(28.36 ± 0.11) μmol/L, followed by compounds 1 and 2 with(168.60 ± 5.15) and(920.60 ± 10.10) μmol/L, respectively.Conclusions: The results obtained for the antioxidant activities and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities in a methanolic extract from the leaves of Q. gilva coni rmed the potential of this plant as a source of natural antioxidants and antidiabetic medicine.

Effects of Nitrogen Forms on Carbon and Nitrogen Accumulation in Tomato Seedling

Utilization of organic nitrogen （N） is an important aspect of plant N assimilation and has potential application in sustainable agriculture. The aim of this study was to investigate the plant growth, C and N accumulation in leaves and roots of tomato seedlings in response to inorganic （NH4^＋-N, NO3^-N） and organic nitrogen （Gly-N）. Different forms of nitrogen （NH4^＋-N, NO3^--N, Gly-N） were supplied to two tomato cultivars （Shenfen 918 and Huying 932） using a hydroponics system. The plant dry biomass, chlorophyll content, root activity, total carbon and nitrogen content in roots and leaves, and total N absorption, etc. were assayed during the cultivation. Our results showed that no significant differences in plant height, dry biomass, and total N content were found within the first 16 d among three treatments; however, significant differences in treatments on 24 d and 32 d were observed, and the order was NO3^--N 〉 Gly-N 〉 NH4^＋-N. Significant differences were also observed between the two tomato cultivars. Chlorophyll contents in the two cultivars were significantly increased by the Gly-N treatment, and root activity showed a significant decrease in NHa^＋-N treatment. Tomato leaf total carbon content was slightly affected by different N forms; however, total carbon in root and total nitrogen in root and leaf were promoted significantly by inorganic and organic N. Among the applied N forms, the increasing effects of the NH4^＋-N treatment were larger than that of the Gly-N. In a word, different N resources resulted in different physiological effects in tomatoes. Organic nitrogen （e.g., Gly-N） can be a proper resource of plant N nutrition. Tomatoes of different genotypes had different responses under organic nitrogen （e.g., Gly-N） supplies.

An AFLP Genetic Linkage Map of Pacific Abalone(Haliotis discus hannai)

A genetic linkage map of Pacific abalone(Haliotis discus hannai) was constructed using AFLP markers based on a two-way pseudo-testcross strategy in a full-sib family. With 33 primer combinations,a total of 455 markers(225 from the female parent and 230 from the male parent) segregated in a 1:1 ratio,corresponding to DNA polymorphism:heterozygous in one parent and null in the other. The female framework map consisted of 174 markers distributed in 18 linkage groups,equivalent to the H. discus hannai haploid chromosome number,and spanning a total length of 2031.4 cM,with an average interval of 13.0 cM between adjacent markers. The male framework map consisted of 195 markers mapped on 19 linkage groups,spanning a total length of 2273.4 cM,with an average spacing of 12.9 cM between adjacent markers. The estimated coverage for the framework linkage maps was 81.2% for the female and 82.1% for the male,on the basis of two estimates of genome length. Fifty-two markers(11.4%) remained unlinked. The level of segregation distortion observed in this cross was 20.4%. These linkage maps will serve as a starting point for linkage studies in the Pacific abalone with potential application for marker-assisted selection in breeding programs.

Production and Accumulation of Xylooligosaccharides with Long Chains by Growing Culture and Xylanase of a Mutant Strain of Bacillus pumilus X-6-19

Bacillus pumilus X-6-9 isolated from soil and subsequently identified, produced xylooligosaccharides with long chains from xylan and accumulated them in the culture. By improving the culture conditions and mutating the bacterium, a 3.2-fold increase in the production of the xylooligosaccharides was established, when compared to the original culture conditions of B. pumilus X-6-19. The addition of D-glucose to the culture of the mutant strain U-3 of B. pumilus X-6-9 repressed the synthesis of β-xylosidase, but not xylanase. Thus, it was revealed that strain U-3 was a good organism for the production and accumulation of xylooligosaccharides with long chains from xylan by a microbial culture. Xylanase produced by strain U-3 was purified to homogeneity and characterized. The hydrolyzates generated by the purified xylanase contained xylobiose, xylotriose, xylotetraose, and xylopentaose, but not xylose.

Morpho-Physiological Response of Oryza glaberrima to Gradual Soil Drying

Soil drought occurrence during dry season has been the main constraint, besides prolonged flooding during rainy season, in increasing cropping intensity and rice productivity in tropical riparian wetland. Use of drought tolerant rice genotype might be a suitable option for overcoming such problem. This study focused on the effects of gradual soil drying during early vegetative growth stage on morphological and physiological traits of five Oryza glaberrima genotypes, namely RAM12, RAM14, RAM59, RAM97 and RAM101, and two Oryza sativa subsp japonica genotypes, i.e. Koshihikari and Minamihatamochi. The plants were subjected to 6 d of gradual soil drying condition from 15 days after transplanting(DAT) to 20 DAT, and were allowed to recover until 22 DAT. Gradual soil drying reduced plant growth as indicated by dry mass accumulation. Drought reduced stomatal conductance and increased leaf rolling score of all the genotypes. All the genotypes showed comparable response on stomatal conductance, but O. glaberrima genotypes performed higher in leaf rolling recovery. Meanwhile, O. sativa genotypes decreased total leaf area and specific leaf area, but increased specific leaf weight in order to avoid further damages due to drought stress. Drought tolerance mechanisms in RAM101, RAM12, RAM59 and RAM14 were associated with leaf morpho-physiological responses, root traits and dry biomass accumulation.

Leonurus sibiricus L.(honeyweed):A review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology

Leonurus sibiricus is a herbaceous plant found in many countries in Asia and America.This plant is widely practiced as a remedy for the treatment of diabetes,menstrual irregularities,and bronchitis.The approval of therapeutic implications of any drugs depends on the well characterized mode of actions of the compounds.The bioactive compounds like diterpenes,triterpenes,flavonoids and phenolic acids in Leonurus sibiricus show analgesic,anti-inflammatory,anti-oxidant,anti-atherogenic and antihemorrhagic,anti-diabetic,anti-bacterial and allelopathic potency.Interestingly,the expression level of some genes is altered by the crude extract treatments,which are effective against cancers,diabetes and cardiovascular diseases where the molecular mechanisms are yet to be explored.Intriguingly,the extracts significantly induce nitric oxide production by endothelial nitric oxide synthase,a signaling molecule of vasodilation in combination with interferon-y indicating positive effect on atherosclerosis.Further investigations are required to unlock the effects of bioactive compounds found in extracts at clinical settings.

Effects of Feces on Spatial Distribution Patterns of Grazed Grassland Communities

Animals excrete feces during grazing. The uneven distribution of feces causes a spatial heterogeneity in grassland communities. In this study, we attempted to clarify the effects of feces on spatial distribution patterns of plant species. A field study was conducted on four grasslands each grazed by a single cow. These four grasslands were defined as Poa pratensis （Kentucky bluegrass） dominated grassland without feces （PoF-）, Poa pratensis dominated grassland with feces （PoF＋）, Zoysia japonica Steud. （Japanese lawngrass） dominated grassland without feces （ZyF-）, and Zoysia japonica Steud. dominated grassland with feces （ZyF＋）. A 50 m line that transects 100 equally spaced quadrats （L-quadrats） was drawn on each of the four grasslands. Each quadrat was 0.50 m × 0.50 m in size and consisted of four equal-area cells of 0.25 m ×0.25 m （S-quadrats）. The occurrences of all plant species were recorded in each S-quadrat. The binomial distribution （BD） and beta-binomial distribution （BBD） were used to represent the variation in spatial patterns. The BBD provided a significant description of the frequency distribution of plants per quadrat. A power law was used to calculate the spatial heterogeneity of each species together with the community heterogeneity. The results revealed that the plants on each of the four grasslands were aggregatively distributed. The ZyF＋ exhibited greater spatial heterogeneity than the ZyF-due to the uneven deposition of feces by cows grazing on the grasslands. Additionally we also found that the feces had effect on the heterogeneity inZyF＋ and did not have effect in PoF＋.

Genetic Variability and Population Structure of Ark Shell in Japan

Ark shell Scapharca kagoshimensis is one of the commercially important bivalve resources in East Asia. In Japan, the mass production method for its natural seedlings was developed in the 1880s, and they had been transplanted to an array of the major fishing areas. It has been therefore concerned with its genetic disturbance among not only current but also former fishing areas in Japan. This study was undertaken to ascertain its genetic diversity and population structure in East Asia by means of nucleotide sequence analysis of a 555-bp portion of the mitochondrial DNA COI gene. Of 225 individuals collected from 8 populations and 1 population in Japan and Korea, respectively, a total of 59 haplotypes, including 14 common haplotypes, were found, and Japan and Korea shared 3 common haplotypes. In Japan, the haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity ranged from 0.65 to 0.93 and from 0.22% to 0.59%, respectively, reflecting relatively high levels of genetic diversity. The values in Korea were determined to be 0.45% and 0.19%, respectively, indicating significantly lower genetic diversity compared with that in Japan. Mismatch distribution analysis and neutrality tests showed a recent history of multiple types of reproduction and signals of demographic change in each population. These results suggest that S. kagoshimensis has experienced rapid population growth or reduction in population size such as a bottleneck in a short period.

Efficiency of soil and water conservation practices in different agro-ecological environments in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia

In developing countries such as Ethiopia, research to develop and promote soil and water conservation practices rarely addressed regional diversity. Using a water-balance approach in this study, we used runoff plots from three sites, each representing a different agro-ecological environment, e.g., high, mid and low in both elevation and rainfall, in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia to examine the runoff response and runoff conservation efficiency of a range of different soil and water conservation measures and their impacts on soil moisture. The plots at each site represented common land use types（cultivated vs. non-agricultural land use types） and slopes（gentle and steep）. Seasonal runoff from control plots in the highlands ranged 214–560 versus 253–475 mm at midlands and 119–200 mm at lowlands. The three soil and water conservation techniques applied in cultivated land increased runoff conservation efficiency by 32% to 51%, depending on the site. At the moist subtropical site in a highland region, soil and water conservation increased soil moisture enough to potentially cause waterlogging, which was absent at the lowrainfall sites. Soil bunds combined with Vetiveria zizanioides grass in cultivated land and short trenches in grassland conserved the most runoff（51% and 55%, respectively）. Runoff responses showed high spatial variation within and between land use types, causing high variation in soil and water conservation efficiency. Our results highlight the need to understand the role of the agro-ecological environment in the success of soil and water conservation measures to control runoff and hydrological dynamics. This understanding will support policy development to promote the adoption of suitable techniques that can be tested at other locations with similar soil, climatic, and topographic conditions.

Production of the Blood Pressure Lowing Peptides from Brown Alga(Undaria pinnatifida)

Brown alga (Undaria pinnatifida) was treated with alginate lyase and hydrolyzed using 17 kinds of proteases andthe inhibitory activity of the hydrolysates for the angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE) was measured. Four hydrolysateswith potent ACE-inhibitory activity were administered singly and orally to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). The sys-tolic blood pressure of SHRs decreases significantly after single oral administration of the brown alga hydrolysates by pro-tease S ’Amano’ (from Bacillus stearothermophilus) at the concentration of 10 (mg protein) (kg body weight)-1. In the 17weeks of feeding experiment, 7-week-old SHRs were fed standard diet supplemented with the brown alga hydrolysates for 10weeks. In SHRs fed 1.0 and 0.1% brown alga hydrolysates, elevating of systolic bloodpressure was significantly suppressedfor 7 weeks. To elucidate the active components, the brown alga hydrolysates were fractionated by 1-butanol extraction andHPLC on a reverse-phase column. Seven kinds of ACE-inhibitory peptides were isolated and identified by amino acid compo-sition analysis, sequence analysis, and LC-MS with the results Val-Tyr, Ile-Tyr, Ala-Trp, Phe-Tyr, Val-Trp, Ile-Trp, andLeu-Trp. Each peptide was determined to have an antihypertensive effect after a single oral administration in SHRs. Thebrown alga hydrolysates were also confirmed to decrease the blood pressure in humans.

Adverse Effects of Allelopathy from Legume Crops and Its Possible Avoidance

Plant releases many bioactive chemicals from its various parts such as leaves, stem, root and sometimes decomposed body through different mechanism into its surrounding environment. These bioactive chemicals are often termed as allelochemicals because they interact with the surrounding environment. This interaction is either positive or negative. Effects of allelochemicals to the agricultural and biological ecosystem are well documented. In leguminosae family many species are involved in releasing of allelochemicals. Many researchers found that this allelochemicals have both positive and detrimental effects on the successive legume crops. Legume monoculture is common in many parts of the world where they cause a numbers of ecological and economic problems such as decline in crop yield due to soil sickness, regeneration failure and replant problem. These negative effects of allelochemicals open a great concern on allelopathy research. This article reviews the adverse effects of allelochemicals, their extraction and isolation, mechanism inside the plant body. These all are done to find out the possible selection methods of succeeding crops to avoid the allelopathic effects in the next crop of a monoculture farm field. The main purpose of this article is to highlight the adverse allelopathic effects of legume crops to provide ways for sustainable development in agro-ecosystem.

Effect of Percolation Pattern on Yields and Accumulation of Copper and Cadmium in the Rice Plants with Soil Dressing Models

A greenhouse experiment was conducted using stratified paddy field models, which were prepared by polluted soil with 12.5 cm soil dressing. The paddy models were assembled with open and closed percolation system to focus the effect of percolation pattern on accumulation of cupper （Cu） and cadmium （Cd） in rice plants in contaminated paddy filed with soil dressing models. Percolation pattern has significant effect on soil environment, especially redox potential that may influence mobilization of Cd, Cu and other elements. In open system percolation models, the plowsole and subsoil were in oxidative condition （600 mV）, whereas reduction condition （-200 mV） was measured in closed system percolation models. Accumulations of Cu and Cd in all parts of rice plants （roots, grains, stems and leaves） were found higher in an open system percolation with the paddy field model comparatively than in a closed system percolation. The soil redox （Eh） condition influenced by the percolation pattern might be one of the main factors for uptake and accumulation of Cu and Cd in rice plants. The plant height and stem number were found lower in open system percolation comparatively to closed system percolation. In the yields section, the average panicle length, number of panicle and rice grain/hill and weight of grain/hill were lower in open system percolation than the closed system percolation.

Diversity and Plant Growth Promoting Ability of Culturable Endophytic Bacteria in Nepalese Sweet Potato

There is no information on Nepalese sweet potato endophytes. We isolated 243 endophytic bacteria belonging to 34 genera in six classes from 12 locations of Nepal. Among them, the predominant classes were Bacilli and Gammaproteobacteria. The principal component analysis revealed that the composition of bacterial classes was unrelated to the environmental parameters of the sampling sites. Regarding their plant growth promoting potentials, 57% of the strains demonstrated indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) producing ability while 5% strains had nitrogen fixing gene (nifH) and acetylene reduction assay (ARA) activity. The representative strains in all six classes showed antagonistic effect against bacterial pathogens while only Bacillus strain showed the effect against fungal pathogen. For endophytic traits, cellulase activity was observed in 5 classes, while pectinase activity was only in Proteobacteria. Fresh weight and vine length of sweet potato increased by inoculating mixed cultures of the isolates from each location.