New Measures of Skewness of a Probability Distribution

Symmetry of the underlying probability density plays an important role in statistical inference, since the sampling distribution of the sample mean for a given sample size is more likely to be approximately normal for a symmetric distribution than for an asymmetric one. In this article, two new measures of skewness are proposed and the confidence intervals for true skewness are obtained via Monte Carlo simulation experiments. One advantage of the two proposed skewness measures over the standard measures of skewness is that the proposed measures of skewness take values inside the range (-1, +1).

Microwave Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Properties of SnO2 Nanoparticles

In the present endeavour, SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized using microwave method. Synthesized SnO2 NPs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrscopy (EDS) to find their structure, morphology and elemental composition. SnO2 NPs were of spherical morphology having crystallite size of 35.42 nm as obtained from Scherrer’s formula using most intense peak of XRD. Synthesized NPs were used for photodegradation of melthylene blue (MB) dye under UV light. The SnO2 NPs ware found to have photodegradation efficiency and apparent rate constant of 55.97% and 2.149 × 10_2 respectively.

Response of Salt-Tolerant Rice Varieties to Biocompost Application in Sodic Soil of Eastern Uttar Pradesh

Sodic soils have immense productivity potential, if managed through proper technology interventions. Biocompost is prepared by composting pressmud (a sugar industry byproduct) received from cane juice filtration and spent wash received from distilleries through microbial aerobic decomposition and can be used to reclaim sodic soils. Field experiments were conducted during the wet season of 2011 and 2012 to study the effect of incorporation of biocompost in sodic soil with four treatments: T1—Control, T2—Biocompost at 2 t ha-1, T3—Biocompost at 4 t ha-1 and T4—Biocompost at 6 t ha-1. The two promising salt tolerant rice varieties preferred by farmers, Narendra usar 3 and NDR 359 were used as test crops, which can produce yields ranging between 2-4 t ha-1 in soil having a pH range of 9.2 to 10.5. Among the different doses of biocompost tested, application of biocompost at 6 t ha-1 registered highest yields, enabled by a higher biomass, ear bearing tiller (EBT), and grain fertility in both varieties. Narendra usar 3 was more responsive to treatments even at lower doses of biocompost than NDR 359, but NDR 359 yielded slightly higher than Narendra usar 3 in all treatments. Soil health was also improved evidently on better fertility and low soil pH and EC at harvest. Thus, biocompost can be considered as a commercially viable, environmentally acceptable and practically enforceable option for improving the crop productivity and soil fertility status.

Genetic Variability and Direct Selection Criterion for Seed Yield in Segregating Generations of Barley (<i>Hordeum vulgare</i>L.)

The aim of this study was to determine nature and extent of variability parameters and their utilization in barley breeding programme. A total of 45 F1s along with their parents and F2 populations were evaluated in a randomized block design with 3 replications during Rabi (winter season) 2014. The various traits measured were days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, flag leaf area, upper leaf area, tillers-plant, spikes-plant, spike length, grains-spike, spike weight, grain weight-spike, spike harvest index, 1000 grain weight, biological yield-plant, grain yield-plant (g), harvest index, grain size, husk content and protein content. Results showed that significant variation was observed for all the traits studied in the entire gene pool. The degree of genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation was high for tillers-plant, spike-plant, grain yield-plant, flag leaf area, harvest index, 1000 grain weight, grain weight-spike, upper leaf area and husk content. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance was recorded for tillers-plant, spikes-plant, grain yield-plant, flag leaf area, harvest index, grain weight-spike, upper leaf area, husk content, grain size and plant height suggesting that these traits are highly heritable and governed by additive gene action. Moderate heritability coupled with high genetic advance was observed for 1000 grain weight, biological yield-plant, spike length, protein content, grains-spike and spike weight;however, days to 50% flowering and days to maturity had moderate heritability coupled with low genetic advance suggesting preponderance on non-additive gene action in the inheritance of these traits. It could be concluded that the traits of tillers-plant, spikes-plant, grain yield-plant, flag leaf area, harvest index, grain weight-spike, upper leaf area, husk content, grain size and plant height were identified as most decisive factor intended towards developing high yielding barley cultivars.