Improving Growth Performance of Jatropha curcas by Inducing Polyploidy through Colchicine Treatment

This study was planned to assess genetic variation in Jatropha curcas as affected by colchichine treatments. During the experiment, seeds of Jatropha curcas were collected from mature and healthy Jatropha plants and were soaked in different concentrations of colchicines. The second treatment was that of time of soaking (seeds were soaked in different concentrations for different time durations). The results clearly revealed that by increasing the concentration of colchicine treatment, parameters like stomatal density, and size of the guard cells were reduced.

Gene Action Studies in the Inheritance of Economic Traits in Diallel Cross of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik)

The present study was conducted in 4 × 4 half diallel cross fashion using the genotypes named as NL-2002, NL-2006, Punjab Masoor-2009 and Markaz-2009 for the evaluation of gene action in the inheritance of economic traits of lentil by following the Griffing (1956) Method of analysis. Minirap 13.1 Copyright© 2000, Minitab inc. Method II, Model I was used for the analysis and gene action was computed by variance component analysis using Mixed Model with GLM (general linear model) procedure. The F1 direct crosses along with the parental genotypes were then evaluated by framing the experiment in RCBD in 3 replications. The data were recorded for the characters which are under the study are, plant height (cm), number of primary branches, number of secondary branches, number of pods per plant, number of seed per pod, seed yield per plant, biomass (gram), 100 seeds weight (gram), harvest index (%), yield per plant. The simple ANOVA for all the characters revealed that difference among genotypes was highly significant. As significant differences were present between the genotypes, it permitted subsequent analysis of the data. The Combining Ability (CA) results showed that value of variance for GCA (General Combining Ability) was significantly higher than that of those of the values of variance of SCA (Specific Combining Ability). Hence current results clearly depicted the role of additive type of gene action governing the characters under study.

Concentration-Dependent Solar Thermochemical CO_(2)/H_(2)O Splitting Performance by Vanadia-Ceria Multiphase Metal Oxide Systems

The effects of V and Ce concentrations(each varying in the 0-100%range)in vanadia-ceria multiphase systems are investigated for synthesis gas production via thermochemical redox cycles of CO_(2) and H_(2)O splitting coupled to methane partial oxidation reactions.The oxidation of prepared oxygen carriers is performed by separate and sequential CO_(2) and H_(2)O splitting reactions.Structural and chemical analyses of the mixed-metal oxides revealed important information about the Ce and V interactions affecting their crystal phases and redox characteristics.Pure CeO_(2) and pure V_(2)O_(5) are found to offer the lowest and highest oxygen exchange capacities and syngas production performance,respectively.The mixed-oxide systems provide a balanced performance:their oxygen exchange capacity is up to 5 times higher than that of pure CeO_(2) while decreasing the extent of methane cracking.The addition of 25%V to CeO_(2) results in an optimum mixture of CeO_(2) and CeVO4 for enhanced CO_(2) and H_(2)O splitting.At higher V concentrations,cyclic carbide formation and oxidation result in a syngas yield higher than that for pure CeO_(2).