• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1139-1147
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• 2006

This study was conducted to evaluate the trace elemental nutritive values of soil and forages collected from southwestern part of the province of Punjab, Pakistan. Soil and forage samples were collected fortnightly for two seasons. The concentrations of some trace minerals varied greatly among seasons and sampling periods. Seasonal effects were found in all soil micro-minerals except zinc, while forage iron, zinc, and selenium were affected by seasonal changes. Sampling periods effects were observed in all soil minerals and in forage copper, iron, zinc, and manganese only. All soil mineral levels except cobalt and selenium were sufficiently high to meet the requirements of plants for normal growth during both seasons. In contrast, soil Co and Se levels were severely deficient during both seasons and considered inadequate for plant growth. Soil Fe, Zn, Co, and Se levels were higher, and Cu and Mn lower during winter than those during summer. Forage Zn levels during summer were at marginal deficient levels, and in contrast, all other forage micro-minerals were within the required range for ruminants during both seasons. Although forage mico-minerals were within the range required by the ruminants, they were not sufficiently high to prevent the predisposition to various diseases caused by nutrient deficiency. Consequently, grazing animals at this location need continued mineral supplementation of these elements with a mixtures of high bio-availability rather than of high micro-mineral contents to support optimum ruminant productivity.

• Mycobiology
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.200-205
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• 2005

In Northern Bangladesh, generally mango trees are planted as agroforest that gives higher Net Present Value (NPV) than traditional agriculture. Mango anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Penz. is seen as a very destructive and widely distributed disease, which results in poor market value. Five fungicides such as Cupravit, Bavistin, Dithane M-45, Thiovit and Redomil were tested against conidial germination of C. gloeosporioides. Dithane M-45 and Redomil were the most effective when the conidia were immersed for $10{\sim}20$ minutes at $500{\sim}1000\;ppm$ concentrations. Antifungal activities of 13 plant extracts were tested against conidial germination of C. gloeosporioides. Conidial germination of C. gloeosporioides was completely inhibited in Curcuma longa (leaf and rhizome), Tagetes erecta (leat) and Zingiber officinales (rhizome) after 15 minutes of incubation respectively.

• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.77-86
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• 2013

Anthracnose development by Colletotrichum musae was observed to be significantly less in the fruits of the banana cultivar 'Embul' (Mysore, AAB) infected with Phyllosticta musarum than in fruits without such infections. Anthracnose disease originates from quiescent C. musae infections in the immature fruit. P. musarum incites minute, scattered spots, referred to as freckles, in the superficial tissues of immature banana peel which do not expand during maturation or ripening. P. musarum does not appear to have a direct suppressive effect on C. musae as conidia of C. musae germinate on both freckled and non-freckled fruit forming quiescent infections. Our investigations have shown that P. musarum infection induced several defence responses in fruit including the accumulation of five phytoalexins, upregulation of chitinase and ${\beta}$-1,3-glucanase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) activity and cell wall lignification. $^1H$ and $^{13}C$ NMR spectral data of one purified phytoalexin compared closely with 4'-hydroxyanigorufone. Some of the P. musarum-induced defences that retained during ripening, restrict C. musae development at the ripe stage. This paper examines the potential of P. musarum-induced defences, in the control of anthracnose, the most destructive postharvest disease in banana.

• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.239-243
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• 2008

Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider, a multipurpose and monogeneric dioecious shrub from arid zones, has emerged as a cash crop all over the globe. Its seed propagation poses severe problems due to its male-biased population: the male:female ratio is 5:1. Investigations have been carried out to generate a sex-specific Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker for the early detection of male and female plants. Of the 42 primers analysed with a bulk sample of pooled male DNA and a bulk sample of pooled female DNA, only one primer, UBC-807, produced a unique ~1,200 base-pair fragment in the male DNA. To validate this observation, this primer was re-tested with individual male and female samples from eight cultivars. A similar unique ~1,200 bp fragment was present in the male individuals of all eight cultivars and completely absent in the female individuals tested. This is the first report of the use of ISSR markers to ascertain sex in physiologically mature S. chinensis plants.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.432-438
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• 2006

Twelve actinomycete strains were isolated from Egyptian soil. The isolated actinomycete strains were then screened with regard to their potential to generate antibiotics. The most potent of the producer strains was selected and identified. The cultural and physiological characteristics of the strain identified. the strain as a member of the genus Streptomyces. The nucleotide sequence of the 16S rRNA gene (1.5kb) of the most potent strain evidenced a 99% similarity with Streptomyces spp. and S. aureofaciens 16S rRNA genes, and the isolated strain was ultimately identified as Streptomyces sp. MAR01. The extraction of the fermentation broth of this strain resulted in the isolation of one major compound, which was active in vitro against gram-positive, gram-negative representatives and Candida albicans. The chemical structure of this bioactive compound was elucidated based on the spectroscopic data obtained from the application of MS, IR, UV, $^1H$ NMR, $^{13}C$ NMR, and elemental analysis techniques. Via comparison to the reference data in the relevant literature and in the database search, this antibiotic, which had a molecular formula of $C_{19}H_{29}NO_2$ and a molecular weight of 303.44, was determined to differ from those produced by this genus as well as the available known antibiotics. Therefore, this antibiotic was designated Meroparamycin.

• Mycobiology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.73-78
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• 2006

Inter-specific hybridization between Pleurotus pulmonarius and P. florida was attempted through PEG-induced protoplast fusion to select a fusant. The protocol for protoplast release, regeneration and fusion in these two Pleurotus species was standardized using the variables controlling the process. The mixture of mycolytic enzymes, i.e. commercial cellulase, crude chitinase and pectinase, KCl (0.6 M) as osmotic stabilizer, pH 6 of the phosphate buffer and an incubation time of 3 hours resulted in the maximum release of protoplasts from 3-day-old mycelia of P. florida ($5.3{\sim}5.75{\times}10^{7}$ protoplasts/g) and P. pulmonarius ($5.6{\sim}6{\times}10^{7}$ protoplasts/g). The isolated protoplasts of P. florida regenerated mycelium with 3.3% regeneration efficiency while P. pulmonarius showed 4.1% efficiency of regeneration. Polyethyleneglycol (PEG)-induced fusion of protoplasts of these two species resulted in 0.28% fusion frequency. The fusant produced fruiting bodies on paddy straw but required a lower temperature of crop running ($24{\pm}2^{\circ}C$) than its parents which could fruit at $28{\pm}2^{\circ}C$. The stable fusant strain was selected by testing for the selected biochemical markers i.e. Carbendazim tolerance and utilization of the lignin degradation product, vanillin.

• The Korean Journal of Mycology
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.302-308
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• 1992

Seven genera and 15 species of fungi were isolated from 50 samples of then different steps of dried onion (5 samples of each step) collected from an onion factory in Sohag Governorate, Egypt, and grown on glucose-Czapek's agar (7 genera and 15 species) and 10% NaCl glucose-Czapek's (2 genera and 6 species). The average total counts of fungi were gradually decreased throughout the different steps of drying from 2090 to zero and 152 to zero colonies/g on glucose-Czapek's agar and 10% NaCl glucose-Czapek's agar media, respectively. Aspergillus was the most common genus on the two types of media used. The dominant species were Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, A. terreus, Penicillium chrysogenum and Fusarium of oxysporum on glucose-Czapek's agar and A. terreus and A. niger on 10% NaCl glucose-Czapek's agar. The chloroform extracts of different samples were tested for the presence of mycotoxins using thin layer chromatographic analysis. The results indicated that aflatoxin was present at concentrations decreased throughout the different steps of the drying from step No. 1, onion bulbs, $120\;{\mu}g/kg$; to step No. 8, standard A, $20\;{\mu}g/kg$ while step Nos. 9 & 10 (completely dry powdered onion) were free from aflatoxin. Citrinin was also present in the first three steps at concentrations gradually decreased from 30 to 10 mg/kg.

• Mycobiology
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.196-199
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• 2003

A very reliable and specific method for the identification of fungi in ectotrophic mycorrhizal symbiosis was developed using a specific PCR assay based on the amplification of the ITS1 region. To obtain specific data, an ITS-diagnostic assay was carried out that reveals genera and species specific sequences. Here, an application of one method is presented, which covers the identification of pure mycelia, basidiocarps as well as mixed samples such as ectomycorrhizal roots that were mingled with remains of the host plant. For this purpose a protocol was established that allowed the extraction of DNA from single mycorrhizal roots. In order to perform a specific ITS analysis we generated a new ITS-primer(ITS8) by a multiple alignment of five different genera and species of mycorrhizal fungi. The utilization of ITS1 and ITS8 resulted in specific PCR amplicons, which were characterized by sequencing without purification steps, even when the template DNA was associated with roots.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2015

A pot experiment was conducted to assess the effects of red pepper (Capsicum annuum) and coriander (Coriandrum sativum) on seedling growth of wheat (Triticum aestivum). The aqueous extracts treatment of red pepper and coriander showed a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in root, shoot and seedling length, number of leaves and seedling dry weight of wheat (T. aestivum) as compared to control. The inhibitory different effect on growth of wheat (T. aestivum) was directly proportional to the increasing concentration (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5%) of aqueous extracts of red pepper and coriander as compared to control treatment (0%). The root, shoot, seedling length and number of leaves of T. aestivum significantly p < 0.05 decreased at 5% concentration of red pepper as compared to control. The root, shoot and seedling growth of T. aestivum was also significantly reduced at 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5% concentration of coriander as compared to control. The root, shoot and leaves dry weight of T. aestivum at 5% coriander extract treatment concentration decreased as compared to control. The tolerance in seedlings of T. aestivum to red pepper and coriander extract treatment was dose dependent as compared to control. The seedlings of T. aestivum showed low percentage of tolerance to pepper extract treatment than coriander extract treatment.

• Mycobiology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.113-117
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• 2010

Trichoderma strains were evaluated under field conditions to assay their efficacy in suppressing Alternaria fruit rot disease and promoting chili plant growth. The experiment was conducted at the Botanical Garden, Rajshahi University, Bangladesh from July 2006 to March 2007. Application of Trichoderma harzianum IMI 392432 significantly (p = 0.05) suppressed the disease compared to Alternaria tenuis (T2) treatment and improved both growth and yield. The treatment T4 (T. harzianum IMI-392432 + A. tenuis) was most effective in reducing disease percentage (72.27%) compared to A. tenuis (T1) treatment. The highest seed germination rate (85.56%) and the highest growth and yield (12.5 g/plant) was also recorded in the same treatment (T4), followed by T5 (T. harzianum IMI-392433 + A. tenuis), T6 (T. harzianum IMI-392434 + A. tenuis), T2 (T. virens IMI-392430 + A. tenuis), and T3 (T. pseudokoningii IMI-392431 + A. tenuis) treatment, while single treatment with A. tenuis significantly decreased these values.