Effects of Paclobutrazol Seed Priming on Seedlings Quality,Physiological and Bakanae Disease Index Characteristics of Rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Rice(Oryza sativa L.)is one of the most important cereal crops in the world.Bakanae disease is a significant rice disease widely distributed in rice-growing regions worldwide.Therefore,the present investigation aimed to assess the optimal concentrations of paclobutrazol(PBZ)as a treatment for rice grains(cv.Sakha 108)to control bakanae disease,also evaluating its impact on grain germination,seedling growth parameters as well as disease index.Paclobutrazol concentrations had no significant impact on seed germination,regardless of whether the seeds were incubated with Fusarium fujikuroi or not.Application of PBZ,either alone or in combination with fungal pathogens,negatively impacted the rice seedlings’height.Paclobutrazol at 25,50 and 100 mg/L,combined with the fungal pathogen positively impacted root length.Paclobutrazol at 3 and 6 mg/L mitigated the adverse impact on chlorophyll pigments content in infected seedlings.The highest proline contents were achieved by 100 mg/L PBZ alone or in combination with fungal pathogens.It has been observed that the application of PBZ,either alone or in combination with a fungal pathogen,leads to the enhancement of catalase,peroxidase,and polyphenol oxidase activities.The median lethal concentration of PBZ was 0.874 mg/L;applying low concentrations of paclobutrazol effectively increased the percentage of fungal growth suppression.Application of PBZ,at higher concentrations(50 and 100 mg/L),decreased infection percentage and disease severity index(DSI)significantly.These findings suggest that PBZ can be an effective treatment for controlling bakanae disease and enhancing resistance in rice plants.

Exogenous application of bio-stimulants and growth retardants improve nutrient absorption and fiber quality in upland cotton

Background Natural and synthetic plant growth regulators are essential for plant health,likewise these regulators also play a role in increasing organic production productivity and improving quality and yield stability.In the present study,we have evaluated the effects of foliar applied plant growth regulators,i.e.,moringa leaf extract(MLE)and mepiquat chloride(MC)alone and in combination MC and MLE on the conventional cotton cultivar(CIM 573)and transgenic one(CIM 598).The growth regulators were applied at the start of bloom,45 and 90 days after blooming.Results The application of MC and MLE at 90 days after blooming significantly improved the relative growth rate,net assimilation rate,the number of bolls per plant,and seed cotton yield.Likewise,the combined application of MLE and MC at 90 days after blooming significantly boosted the nitrogen uptake in locules,as well as the phosphorus and potassium uptake in the leaves of both cotton cultivars.The application of MLE alone has considerably improved the nitrogen uptake in leaves,and phosphorus and potassium contents in locules of Bt and conventional cotton cultivars.Similarly,Bt cotton treated with MLE at 90 days after blooming produced significantly higher ginning out turn and oil contents.Treatment in combination(MLE+MC)at 90 days after blooming produced considerably higher micronaire value,fiber strength,and staple length in conventional cultivar.Conclusion The natural growth enhancer,MLE is a rich source of minerals and zeatin,improving the nutrient absorption and quality of cotton fiber in both conventional and Bt cotton cultivars.

Pre-Breeding Genetic Diversity Assessment of Tomato(Solanum lycopersicum L.)Cultivars Based on Molecular,Morphological and Physicochemical Parameters

Appropriate knowledge of the parental cultivars is a pre-requisite for a successful breeding program.This study characterized fruit yield,quality attributes,and molecular variations of ten tomato cultivars during three consecutive generations under greenhouse conditions.Peto 86,Castle Rock,and Red Star cultivars showed the highest fruit yield(kg/plant),total phenolic compounds(TPC),and sap acidity.Principal component analysis categorized the evaluated fruit yield into three groups based on their quality attributes.A robust positive correlation appeared among traits inside each group.A positive correlation was likewise noticed between the first and the second groups.However,a negative correlation was detected between the first,the second and the third group.Molecular profiling,using seven inter-simple sequence repeat(ISSR)primers,produced 60 loci,including 49 polymorphic loci.The molecular analysis also pinpointed the highest genetic similarity(0.92)between P73 and Moneymaker,while the lowest genetic similarity(0.46)was observed between Castle Rock and Moneymaker.The cultivars P73 and Moneymaker showed the lowest genetic distance(2.24),while the highest genetic distance(5.92)was observed between Super Marmand and Peto86,on the one hand,and between Castle Rock and Moneymaker,on the other hand.The chemical analysis of fruit sap indicated the highest levels of TPC,total flavonoids,anthocyanin,ascorbic acid and total soluble solids in Peto 86 and Castle Rock cultivars.Phylogeny analysis of tomato cultivars based on morphological and molecular attributes indicated four distinct clades.Peto 86,Castle Rock,and Red star cultivars can be recommended for the tomato hybridization breeding programs in the future,with other tomato cultivars as potentially high-yielding parents.

Micropropagation of Daylily(Hemerocallis fulva)from Crown-Tip Explants and Assessment of Somaclonal Variation of in Vitro-Propagated Plants Using SCoT Markers

Determination of the somaclonal variation of in vitro-propagated plants is crucial to determine the appropriate micropropagation protocol and growth regulators for commercial scale multiplication.In this research,nine multiplication media(MM)augmented with different concentrations of 6-benzyl adenine(BA),Kinetin(Kin),and Thidiazuron(TDZ),Three rooting media(RM)supplemented with three levels ofα-naphthalene acetic acid(NAA)and three types of soil mixtures(v/v);Coco peat/Vermiculite/Sand(CVS),Peat moss/Perlite/Sand(PPS)and Peat moss/Perlite(PP)were used in the micropropagation protocol of daylily plants.MM2 showed the maximum shoot length and the number of leaves,while MM9 showed the maximum number of shoots.The RM1 showed the maximum root length and the number of roots.During acclimatization,CVS,PPS,and PP soil mixture showed similar performance except the CVS mixture showed lower performance regarding plant height and diameter.The genetic fidelity of micropropagated plants was evaluated using Start Codon Targeted(SCoT)Markers.Six SCoT primers amplified 51 scorable bands with an approximate range from 146 bp to 1598 bp size.Thirty one out of 51 loci were presented in the mother plants.40 loci were polymorphic,11 were monomorphic and 7 were unique.The amplification patterns of the micropropagated plants demonstrated genetic integrity to the mother plant ranging from 84.32 to 47.06 and somaclonal variations ranging from 52.94 with 5 mg/l BA pathway to 15.68 with 1mg/l TDZ pathway,thus demonstrating that the homogeneity and the variation of the micropropagated plants affected by the type and the quantity of the plant growth regulator used during multiplication subcultures.This research can be successfully used for other ornamental and medicinal plants’bulk multiplication,germplasm conservation,and future genetic improvement.

Betalains protect various body organs through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways

Betalains are natural coloring pigments with betalamic acid as the core structure of all subclasses.Besides their coloring properties,betalains exhibit various biological activities,including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties,which are highly imperative.Further in-vivo studies reported that betalains protect various body organs,leading to health enhancement.Body organs,including the heart,liver,kidney,lung,etc.,are important for a healthy life.However,these organs can be affected or damaged by various stress factors,toxicants,and harmful substances.Recent studies have claimed that betalains could protect all vital organs of the body through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.This review article described the in-vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of betalains in various cell-line or animal models.A comprehensive discussion has been provided on the mechanism of action of betalains in protecting various body organs,including cardio-protective effect,hepato-protective ability,renal protection capacity,repro-protective ability,neuro-protective effect,lung protection,and gut protection ability.Finally,future research directions and conclusions have been outlined.

Molecular Cloning and Expression of Polyphenoloxidase Genes from the Mushroom, Agaricus bisporus

The polyphenoloxidase（PPO） is the key enzyme considered to be responsible for mushroom browning.By using homology cloning and rapid amplification of cDNA ends（RACE）,two new PPO genes and the corresponding cDNA were identified from the fruit bodies of Agaricus bisporus（AbPPO3 and AbPPO4,GenBank accession nos.GU936494 and GU936493,respectively）.The genomic DNA sequences of AbPPO3 and AbPPO4 are 2 080 and 2 189 bp in length,respectively,encoding putative polypeptides of approximately 66 and 68 kDa.The deduced amino acid sequences show characteristic features of two copper-binding domains conserved in the type III copper proteins including fungal polyphenol oxidases.Sequence comparisons indicate that AbPPO3 and AbPPO4 present 55.3% similarity to each other（48% identity）.We also obtained more than 1.5-kb long sequences upstream of the start codon of the AbPPO3 and AbPPO4 and recognized them as their respective putative promoters.Analyses of the two PPO promoter regions show that they contain abundant cis-acting elements which are probably responsible for anaerobic induction,light,wound,stress,and auxin response.Semi-quantitative RT-PCR results indicate that AbPPO3 and AbPPO4 were highly expressed in the mature fruit bodies and up-regulated after 2-d storage of mushroom.These results suggest that AbPPO3 and AbPPO4 may play roles in A.bisporus browning and pigmentation during development and postharvest storage and the elements in promoters may act as regulatory elements for the inducible expression of AbPPO3 and AbPPO4.The successful cloning and expression analysis of AbPPO3 and AbPPO4 warrant a further investigation on the structure and function of A.bisporus PPO which points to the possible targets for genetic manipulation.

Improving the assessment method of seed vigor in Cunninghamia lanceolata and Pinus massoniana based on oxygen sensing technology

Oxygen sensing technology was employed to study the rapid methods for seed vigor assessment of Chinese fir （Cunninghamia lanceolata） and Masson pine （Pinus massoniana）. Firstly, seeds of five lots were performed using accelerated aging （AA） into three vigor levels. Then, four oxygen sensing indices, including increased metabolism time （IMT）, oxygen metabolism rate （OMR）, critical oxygen pressure （COP）, relative germination time （RGT） and the control indiees such as labora- tory germination indices, dehydrogenase activity （DA）, and electrical conductivity （EC） were analyzed by the tests of 15 samples. The results of correlation analysis between these indices and field emergence per- formances based on two-year and two-spot data showed that RGT and OMR should be indicated as the optimal oxygen sensing indices to rap- idly and automatically evaluate seed vigor of Chinese fir and Masson pine, respectively. On the basis, one-variable linear regression equations were built to forecast their field emergence performances by the two oxygen sensing indices.

Over-Expression of Tomato GDP-Mannose Pyrophosphorylase (GMPase) in Potato Increases Ascorbate Content and Delays Plant Senescence

GDP-D-mannose pyrophosphorylase （GMPase） catalyses the synthesis of GDP-D-mannose and represents the first committed step in the synthesis of ascorbate. In the present study, the GMPase gene of tomato was introduced into potato by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Two transgenic lines with higher GMPase expression were selected using qPCR and protein blot analyses. The results showed that the content of L-ascorbic acid （AsA） and the ratio of AsA/ DHA （dehydroascorbate） significantly increased in both leaves and tubers of transgenic potato plants. Both pigment content and photosynthetic rate were much higher in transgenic plants than in wild-type plants. Transgenic plants showed a distinguishable change in phenotype from the wild-type plants. Furthermore, transgenic plants showed delayed senescence.

Comparison of Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of Methanolic Extracts of the Artemisia sp.Recovered by Different Extraction Techniques

The polyphenol content,antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of the extracts obtained by classical, ultrasonic and Soxhlet extractions from dry aerial parts of two Artemisia species(Artemisia vulgaris and Artemisia campestris)were compared.Ultrasound positively affected the yield of extractive substance and the kinetics of extraction,but the extract obtained by the classical extraction showed the highest antioxidant activities and contained higher total contents of phenolic compounds and flavonoids than the extracts obtained by two other extraction techniques.Both flavonoid aglycones(apigenin,quercetin,quercetin 3,3′-dimethyl ether)and flavonoid glycosides(rutin,hyperoside and kaempferol 3-rhamnoside)were identified by thin layer chromatograph(TLC)analysis in the extracts from both species.A.campestris extracts were richer in quercetin than A.vulgaris and its antimicrobial activity was also better than A.vulgaris.Extracts obtained from both species were found to be more effective on the tested yeasts than bacteria.The kinetics of the total extractive substances,such as phenolic,flavonoids and quercetin extraction,was successfully described by the model of unsteady-state diffusion.

Survey and Analysis on Alien Invasive Plants of Jinziling Scenic Spot in Pingle County

According to the field survey of alien invasive plants of Jinziling,there were 23 kinds of alien invasive plants in the scenic spot.Species with the comprehensive dominance degree higher than 10% were as follows: six kinds of Asteraceae: Bidens pilosa,Aster subulatus,Ageratum conyzoides,Conyzai canadens,Parthenium hysterophorus,and Conyza sumatrensis; two kinds of Gramineae: Axonopus compressu,Eleusine indica; two kinds of convolvere: Ipomoea nil,Ipomoea purpurea; two kinds of Fabaceae: Cassiae tora,Medicago hispida; one kind of Verbenaceae: Lantana camara; one kind of Euphorbiaceae: Euphorbia hirta.In total,there were 14 kinds of alien invasive plants.In this survey,the dominant species of invasive plants were obtained by statistical analysis of the composition and distribution of the invasive plants,and the invasion trend was predicted,so as to take effective and economical management and control measures.

Repellent and Fumigant Effects of Essential Oil from Clove Buds Syzygium aromaticum L. against Tribofium castaneum （Herbest） （Coleoptera： Tenebrionidae）

Essential oil from clove buds Syzygium aromaticum L. Merr. ＆ Perry （Myrtaceae） was extracted using petroleum ether in Soxhlet apparatus. The resultant oil contained eugenol （48.92%）, caryophyllene （18.55%）, α-caryophyllene （3.25%）, eugenol acetate （23%）, cis-13-docosenamide （3.2 1%）, presenting more than 96% of the oil. This oil was examined as a fumigant and repellent agent against adults of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. Data showed that various concentrations of the oil have revealed dramatic repellent activity against the tested insect, where it gave 100% repellency by 1.0, 0.8, and 0.2% clove oil at 4, 8, 10 min, respectively. The RTs0 and RT95 were 1.1 and 8.0 min at 0.2% and 0.4, 2.6 min at 0.8%, respectively. In addition, fumigation assay has also exhibited strong fumigant activity toward the adults of T. castaneum. At 100 μL oil/L air, mortality was 75, 80 and 100% after 6, 7, and 8 days exposure period with LCs0 and LC95 17 and 70 μL/L air, respectively. The utilization of clove oil for its potential effects against stored product insect is discussed.

Genome-wide identification,expression and functional analysis of sugar transporters in sorghum(Sorghum bicolor L.)

Sugar transporters are essential for osmotic process regulation,various signaling pathways and plant growth and development.Currently,few studies are available on the function of sugar transporters in sorghum(Sorghum bicolor L.).In this study,we performed a genome-wide survey of sugar transporters in sorghum.In total,98 sorghum sugar transporters(SSTs)were identified via BLASTP.These SSTs were classified into three families based on the phylogenetic and conserved domain analysis,including six sucrose transporters(SUTs),23 sugars will eventually be exported transporters(SWEETs),and 69 monosaccharide transporters(MSTs).The sorghum MSTs were further divided into seven subfamilies,including 24 STPs,23 PLTs,two VGTs,four INTs,three p Glc T/SBG1 s,five TMTs,and eight ERDs.Chromosomal localization of the SST genes showed that they were randomly distributed on 10 chromosomes,and substantial clustering was evident on the specific chromosomes.Twenty-seven SST genes from the families of SWEET,ERD,STP,and PLT were found to cluster in eight tandem repeat event regions.In total,22 SSTs comprising 11 paralogous pairs and accounting for 22.4%of all the genes were located on the duplicated blocks.The different subfamilies of SST proteins possessed the same conserved domain,but there were some differences in features of the motif and transmembrane helices(TMH).The publicly-accessible RNA-sequencing data and real-time PCR revealed that the SST genes exhibited distinctive tissue specific patterns.Functional studies showed that seven SSTs were mainly located on the cell membrane and membrane organelles,and 14 of the SSTs could transport different types of monosaccharides in yeast.These findings will help us to further elucidate their roles in the sorghum sugar transport and sugar signaling pathways.

Investigation and Analysis of Alien Plants in the Scenic Spot Chengbi Lake

A comprehensive survey and analysis of alien invasive plants at the scenic spot Chengbi Lake was conducted by combining route investigation with interviews and quadrat sampling.There were 21 families,33 genera and 42 species in the scenic spot Chengbi Lake.Among them,herbal plants accounted for 69%.The Compositae and Amaranthaceae families were the most frequent,represented by 18 species in total;and 36 species of these alien invasive plants originated from America,accounting for 85.7% of the total.Fifty-seven percent of the species were introduced as ornamental plants.Seven of them were severely harmful,including Wedelia trilobata,Eupatorium odoratum,Lantana camara,Mirabilis jalapa,Solanum erianthum,Ipomoea cairica and Alternanthera philoxeroides.Strategies to increase defensive awareness,reinforce ecological protection,regulate species introduction and improve supervision mechanisms are discussed.

Genetic Diversity and Global Distribution of Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) Strains

Citrus tristeza virus （CTV）, the most devastating viral pathogen in citrus, causes tremendous economic losses to citrus industry worldwide. The CTV isolates exhibit variable pathogenicities on their hosts indicating a mixed population of the CTV in nature. Several fragments within the CTV genome have been used for studying the genetic diversity of the CTV, however, the best region for rapid the CTV strain differentiation is still absent at present. In present study, a systemic analysis was carried out to evaluate the best region within the CTV genome for rapid CTV strain differentiation. Results of our study showed that the major coat protein （CP） coding region was the best region for this purpose. Using pair-wise distance frequency distribution plot, a reasonable genetic distance cut-off value was set for the CTV CP gene for the CTV strain differentiation. Using this criterion, eight CTV strains, including seven well characterized and a new strain, were successfully differentiated using 537 CTV isolates reported from 38 countries. The global strain distribution pattern was then determined and discussed. Our results also provided a new insight into the evolution and spreading of the virus, as well as the information for developing proper disease management strategy.

Purchasing Patterns and Consumer Level Waste of Fruits and Vegetables in Urban and Peri-Urban Centers in the Philippines

Fruits and vegetables are inherently perishable hence they are considered as one of the most wasted categories of food. While several studies have been conducted to assess consumer level waste of fruits and vegetables, few have been conducted in developing countries like the Philippines. A survey, using a pre-tested questionnaire, and involving 500 respondents, was conducted in selected urban and peri-urban areas in the Philippines, to ascertain consumer level fruit and vegetable waste. The quantities of fruits and vegetables wasted by supermarket shoppers and those who purchased fruits in wet markets were comparably low at 3% - 4%. This low level of consumer fruit and vegetable waste was attributed to the small quantities (250 to 500 grams per purchase) purchased by consumers in both categories of markets. Consumer level fruit and vegetable waste, showed a positive correlation to household size. The level of fruit waste was positively related to household income, and negatively related to shopper’s age. Consumers who shopped in supermarkets, purchased larger quantities of fruit when compared to those who shopped in wet markets. Wet market shoppers on the other hand, purchased large quantities of vegetables. Decay, and quality loss manifested by shriveling, wilting, toughening, browning and softening were the main characteristics of fruits and vegetables discarded by consumers. The underlying causes of this waste, cited by respondents included “forgot to eat”, “poor quality”, “forgot to cook” and “overbuying”. Consumer efforts to minimize waste include buying enough for consumption, consuming or using immediately after purchase, planning their menus, improving storage and purchasing produce that is of good quality.

Napier Grass Rumen Degradability in Sacco in Goats (<i>Capra hircus aegagrus</i>) Supplemented with Different Sources and Amount of Dietary Fats

The study aimed to explore the potential of dietary fats supplementation on the overall goat performance. Three (3) mature rumen-cannulated goats weighting 27.33 ± 1.53 kg housed in individual elevated metabolism stalls with customized fecal and urine collection tools with treatments replicated three times over time following the Complete Randomized Design (CRD). Animals were randomly selected on different dietary treatment at different cycle. For each cycle, animals were provided with 30% concentrate on the morning based on feed requirements {3% of their body weight (BW) dry matter (DM) basis} of the animals. Ad libitum feeding of Napier grass will follow thereafter. Clean drinking water were made available all the times in the respective animal watering troughs. The rumen-cannulated goats were supplemented with different levels of two dietary fats (VCO and Lard) with dietary treatment combinations as follows, Control and VCO and Lard at 3% & 5%. Degradability of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were collected sequentially in every cycle of the study. There were seven (7) days lag period in every cycle for the animals to return to each natural state. On the 8th day of every cycle, animals were given different dietary treatment. Sequential insertion of nylon bag was done on the 15th to 16th day (7 days after treatment). The results showed that degradability of the dry matter (DM) was noticed degraded exponentially on the first twelve hours of incubation and slower down in the next few hours until 48 hours. Crude protein, acid and neutral detergent fiber showed breakdown of components was observed in the first 48 hours of incubation. No significant difference (P > 0.05) among treatment means was observed in all parameters gathered. This implies that mature female goat diet cannot be influenced by dietary fats from two different sources (VCO and Lard) at 3% to 5% supplementation. Based on the study conducted, dietary fats supplementation on goats such as VCO and lard given at the maximum level of 5% level did not influence the nutrient degradability of Napier grass in the rumen until it reaches at 48 hours of incubation. Supplementing ruminant diets with dietary fat in goats could increase the energy density of the animal’s diet without adverse effect on rumen degradability. This simple, easy, and basic technique could also be applied to other animal species in pursuit of finding ways to formulate indigenous feedstuff materials that have potential nutritive values. Given the limitations such as the climatic and environmental constraints, this particular study would somehow serve as benchmark in conducting related researches in optimizing the conditions with respect to animal nutrition and feedstuff utilization. Thus, this study was done to augment productivity and to provide new opportunities for achieving enhanced growth performance in a way that alleviates poverty, improves food security and nutrition and promotes sustainable use of natural resources.

Occurrence and Distribution of Alternanthera philoxeroides in the Youjiang River Valley

The occurrence and distribution of Alternanthera philoxeroides in different habitats of four districts and counties in the Youjiang River Valley were investigated from September to November in 2018. The results show that A. philoxeroides certainly has occurred in watercourses, ridges, ditches, roadsides and green belts in those four districts and counties of The Youjiang valley. According to the sampling investigation, ridges have the highest frequency of occurrence, followed by ditches and roadsides. The A. philoxeroides living in ditches grows better than other four habitats, and the plants are stronger and vigorous. In the geographical division, the distribution areas of A. philoxeroides in Tianyang District and Tiandong County are the largest. Youjiang District and Pingguo County have a small amount of A. philoxeroides distributed along farmland, green belts and village houses, which has the characteristics of high local population density and strong aggregation, but the areas are smaller than other counties.

Application of oxygen-sensing technology to measure seed quality of Ginkgo biloba

Germination tests are currently the most widely used method to evaluate seed quality of Ginkgo biloba L., but they are time-consuming and labor intensive. Oxygen-sensing technology, based on the principle of fluorescence quenching to detect oxygen and assess seed quality was used to rapidly evaluate seed quality of two varieties (Shandong Tancheng 202 and Zhejiang Dafoshou) of G. biloba from five mother plants. Fifteen samples of three vigor levels were produced by accelerated aging treatments. This process was applied in duplicate. A portable oxygen-sensing detector was employed to measure oxygen content during seed germination in a closed system at 25 A degrees C each day until day 14. Four oxygen metabolism indices were calculated: oxygen consumption index, oxygen consumption rate, critical oxygen concentration, and theoretical germination time (T (GT)). Additionally, we tested laboratory germination and field emergence. The results of a one-way analysis of variance and correlation analysis showed that T (GT) was the candidate index to evaluate seed quality of G. biloba. Therefore, the T (GT) value was used to validate the reliability of oxygen-sensing evaluation for Zhejiang Dafoshou seeds kept under four storage conditions. The trend in the change in oxygen metabolism agreed completely agreement with that of seed germination under all storage conditions. The oxygen-sensing test reliably and rapidly assessed seed quality of G. biloba. The germination rate of Zhejiang Dafoshou was accurately predicted by T (GT).

The Rice Processing Industry in Nepal: Constraints and Opportunities

A rice mill survey covering diverse rice processing companies in terms of their milling output, type of technology and year of establishment was conducted to understand the current situation of the rice milling industry and to identify enablers and barriers to its growth in Nepal. Coarse rice varieties dominate Nepal’s rice processing industry, with a 42% share by total weight, followed by medium rice (34%) and fine varieties (less than 7%). Polished white rice (Arwa) was the dominant rice type in Nepal in the survey, followed by parboiled and steamed rice. The price and profit margins increased from coarse to fine rice varieties and from Arwa to parboiled and steamed rice. The cost of milling also followed a similar trend. The rice milling industry in Nepal largely influences the adoption or non-adoption of any specific type of rice variety by dictating specific brands in the market and this has important implications for rice research and development. The rice processing industry of Nepal was unable to compete with the Indian rice milling industry because of: 1) low profit margins due to the high cost of rice production and procurement, 2) a lack of economies of scale, 3) a lack of milling technologies for long and extra-long and steamed rice in the country and a lack of investment to modernize rice milling technology, and 4) unavailability of paddy throughout the year locally. Millers were willing to upgrade their rice milling technology to include high throughput parboiling, steamed rice as well as long and extra-long grain rice. This will be a strategic decision in counteracting the ever-increasing rice imports in Nepal. We believe that the findings of the study will be vital for formulating an appropriate rice research, development and rice processing strategy for Nepal to achieve food and nutritional security and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Effects of Aluminum Toxicity on Physiological Indices of Jatropha curcas L.Seedling

Jatropha curcas was taken as the test material,6 concentrations including 0,25,50,100,200 and 400μmol/L AlCl3,plus 3 time gradients including 7,14 and 21 d,were set to study the effects of Al^(3+)stress on the antioxidant system of Jatropha curcas L.seedling.The results showed that with the Al^(3+)treatment being applied,protein content increased first,then decreased and finally increased with the increase of Al^(3+)concentration;the soluble sugar content increased first and then decreased with the increase of Al^(3+)concentration.Under low concentration of Al^(3+)treatment,Pro content,MDA content and POD activity of Jatropha curcas L.seedling leaves changed a little,while under high concentration of Al^(3+)treatment,Pro and MDA content of Jatropha curcas L.seedling leaves rapidly accumulated,POD activity increased and they showed a trend of increase with the increase of Al^(3+)concentration;From the perspective of Al^(3+)stress time,protein content,soluble sugar content,MDA content and POD activity increased with stress time being prolonged,while Pro content decreased with stress time being prolonged.These results indicated that the leaves of Jatropha curcas L.seedlings had certain self-protection and remediation abilities under Al^(3+)stress.