Arti Bhatia

Emission of nitrous oxide from rice-wheat systems of Indo-Gangetic plains of India.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) accounts for 5%of the total enhanced greenhouse effect and responsiblefor the destruction of the stratospheric ozone. The rice-wheat cropping system occupying 26 million ha ofproductive land in Asia could be a major source ofN2O as most of the fertilizer N in this region isconsumed by this system. Emission of N2O asinfluenced by application of urea, urea plus farm yardmanure (FYM), and urea plus dicyandiamide (DCD), anitrification inhibitor, was studied in rice-wheatsystems of Indo-Gangetic plains of India. Total emissionof N2O-N from the rice-wheat systems varied between654 g ha-1 in unfertilized plots and 1570 g ha-1 in urea fertilized plots. Application of FYM and DCDreduced emission of N2O-N in rice. The magnitude ofreduction was higher with DCD. In wheat also N2O-Nemission was reduced by DCD. FYM applied in rice had noresidual effect on N2O-N emission in wheat. In riceintermittent wetting and drying condition of soilresulted in higher N2O-N emission than that ofsaturated soil condition. Treatments with 5 irrigationsgave higher emissions in wheat than those with 3irrigations. In rice-wheat system, typical of a farmersfield in Indo-Gangetic plains, where 240 kg N isgenerally applied through urea, N2O-N emission is1570 g ha-1 (0.38% of applied N) and application ofFYM and DCD reduced it to 1415 and 1096 g ha-1,respectively.

Methane production, oxidation and mitigation: A mechanistic understanding and comprehensive evaluation of influencing factors.

Methane is one of the critical greenhouse gases, which absorb long wavelength radiation, affects the chemistry of atmosphere and contributes to global climate change. Rice ecosystem is one of the major anthropogenic sources of methane. The anaerobic waterlogged soil in rice field provides an ideal environment to methanogens for methanogenesis. However, the rate of methanogenesis differs according to rice cultivation regions due to a number of biological, environmental and physical factors like carbon sources, pH, Eh, temperature etc. The interplay between the different conditions and factors may also convert the rice fields into sink from source temporarily. Mechanistic understanding and comprehensive evaluation of these variations and responsible factors are urgently required for designing new mitigation options and evaluation of reported option in different climatic conditions. The objective of this review paper is to develop conclusive understanding on the methane production, oxidation, and emission and methane measurement techniques from rice field along with its mitigation/abatement mechanism to explore the possible reduction techniques from rice ecosystem.

Greenhouse gases emission from soils under major crops in Northwest India.

Quantification of greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions from agriculture is necessary to prepare the national inventories and to develop the mitigation strategies. Field experiments were conducted during 2008-2010 at the experimental farm of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India to quantify nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from soils under cereals, pulses, millets, and oilseed crops. Total cumulative N2O emissions were significantly different (P>0.05) among the crop types. Emission of N2O as percentage of applied N was the highest in pulses (0.67%) followed by oilseeds (0.55%), millets (0.43%) and cereals (0.40%). The emission increased with increasing rate of N application (r(2)=0.74, P<0.05). The cumulative flux of CH4 from the rice crop was 28.64±4.40 kg ha(-1), while the mean seasonal integrated flux of CO2 from soils ranged from 3058±236 to 3616±157 kg CO2 ha(-1) under different crops. The global warming potential (GWP) of crops varied between 3053 kg CO2 eq. ha(-1) (pigeon pea) and 3968 kg CO2 eq. ha(-1) (wheat). The carbon equivalent emission (CEE) was least in pigeon pea (833 kg C ha(-1)) and largest in wheat (1042 kg C ha(-1)). The GWP per unit of economic yield was the highest in pulses and the lowest in cereal crops. The uncertainties in emission values varied from 4.6 to 22.0%. These emission values will be useful in updating the GHGs emission inventory of Indian agriculture.

Heavy Metal Contamination of Soil, Irrigation Water and Vegetables in Peri-Urban Agricultural Areas and Markets of Delhi.

Dietary exposure to heavy metals, namely cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu), has been identified as a risk to human health through consumption of vegetable crops. The present study investigates heavy metal contamination in irrigation water, soil, and vegetables at four peri-urban and one wholesale site in Delhi, India, and estimates the health risk index. Most of the samples collected from peri-urban areas exceeded the safe limits of lead and cadmium, whereas only lead concentration was found to be higher in vegetable samples collected from the wholesale market. Average uptake of metals by vegetables from soil decreased in the order Cd>Zn>Cu>Pb. The order of metal uptake based on transfer factor was highest in okra, cauliflower, and spinach, from greatest to least. Among the vegetables from peri-urban sites, only okra crossed the safe limit for cadmium; whereas vegetables from the wholesale site exceeded the limit for lead (potato, coriander, chilies, pea, and carrot, in order from greatest to least) with respect to health risk index.

C and N models Intercomparison – benchmark and ensemble model estimates for grassland production

Much of the uncertainty in crop and grassland model predictions of how arable and grassland systems respond to changes in management and environmental drivers can be attributed to differences in the structure of these models. This has created an urgent need for international bench- marking of models, in which uncertainties are estimated by running several models that simulate the same physical and management conditions (ensemble modelling) to generate expanded envelopes of uncertainty in model predictions (Asseng et al. , 2013). Simulations of C and N fluxes, in particular, are inherently uncertain because they are driven by complex interactions (Sandor et al. , 2016) and complicated by considerable spatial and temporal variability in the measurements. In this context, the Integrative Research Group of the Global Research Alliance (GRA) on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases promotes a coordinated activity across multiple international projects (e.g. C and N Models Inter-comparison and Improvement to assess management options for GHG mitigation in agrosystems worldwide (C-N MIP) and Models4Pastures of the FACCE-JPI, https://www.faccejpi.com) to benchmark and compare simulation models that estimate C – N related outputs (including greenhouse gas emissions) from arable crop and grassland systems (http://globalresearchalliance.org/e/model- intercomparison-on-agricultural-ghg-emissions). This study presents some preliminary results on the uncertainty of outputs from 12 grassland models, whereas exploring differences in model response when increasing data resources are used for model calibration.

Some newer marker phytoconstituents in methanolic extract of Moringa oleifera leaves and evaluation of its immunomodulatory and splenocytes proliferation potential in rats

Objectives: The present study was undertaken to unravel the newer marker phytoconstituents in methanolic extract of Moringa oleifera leaves (MOLE) and evaluation of its immunomodulatory and splenocytes proliferation potential in rats. Materials and Methods: Hot methanolic extract of MOLE was subjected to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Immunomodulatory potential was studied in four groups of rats following administration of MOLE at 62.5 and 125 mg/kg for 21 days, followed by immunization with Salmonella typhimurium “O” antigen and antibody titer determined using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Total lymphocytes and T- and B-lymphocytes count were determined in control and after MOLE administration (62.5 and 125 mg/kg) to rats for 42 days. Splenocytes (2 × 106 spleen cells/ml) from MOLE treated rats were harvested and stimulated using concanavalin A and optical density (OD) and stimulation index were determined. Splenocytes from healthy control rats were also collected and treated in vitro with different concentrations of MOLE (5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 µg/ml) and concanavalin A to determine effect of MOLE on OD and stimulation index. Results: GC-MS analysis revealed presence of 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid ethyl ester, 6-octadecenoic acid, cis-vaccenic acid and 2-octyl-cyclopropaneoctanal in MOLE. MOLE at 125 mg/kg increased the antibody titer by 50%. Although there was slight decline in lymphocytes count (total, B- and T-lymphocytes) in MOLE treated rats, percentage of T-lymphocytes was increased nonsignificantly. Ex vivo and in vitro studies revealed marked increase in OD and stimulation index indicating MOLE-induced splenocytes proliferation. Conclusion: GC-MS study revealed four new compounds in MOLE apart from promising its immunomodulatory potential based on humoral immune response, percentage increase in T-lymphocytes count, and induction of splenocytes proliferation.

NITROUS OXIDE AND CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSION FROM MAIZE ( Zea mays L.) UNDER FERTILISER APPLICATION AND ELEVATED CARBON DIOXIDE IN NORTHWEST INDIA

A field experiment was carried out at the farm of Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to quantify the effect of elevated carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and different levels of N fertiliser application on nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions from soil under maize. The experiment included five treatments: 60 kg N ha −1 under ambient CO 2 (385 ppm) in open plots, 120 kg N ha −1 under ambient CO 2 (385 ppm) in open plots, 160 kg N ha −1 under ambient CO 2 (385 ppm) in open plots, 120 kg N ha −1 under ambient CO 2 (385 ppm) in open top chambers (OTC) and 120 kg N ha −1 under elevated CO 2 (500 ± 50 ppm) in the OTC. Peaks of N 2 O flux were observed after every dose of N application. Cumulative N 2 O emission was 13% lower under ambient CO 2 as compared to the elevated CO 2 concentrations. There was an increase in CO 2 emissions with application of N from 60 kg ha −1 to 160 kg ha −1 . Higher yield and root biomass was observed under higher N treatment (160 kg N ha −1 ). There was no significant increase in maize yield under elevated CO 2 as compared to ambient CO 2 . The carbon emitted was more than the carbon fixed under elevated CO 2 as compared to ambient CO 2 levels. The carbon efficiency ratio (C fixed/C emitted) was highest in ambient CO 2 treatment in the OTC.

High Risk Human Papilloma Virus (HR-HPV) Genotyping in Female with Abnormal Cervix

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection is transmitted primarily via sexual and affects mostly basal epithelial cells of the skin or inner lining of tissues and are categorized as cutaneous types or mucosal types. It is known that HPV infection is strongly related to the development of cervical cancer, as viral DNA is detected in 99% of cervical cancer cases worldwide. Proposed study includes 14 cervical brushing, collected from females with cytologically abnormal cervix. The target genes E6 and E7 were amplified by Conventional PCR. Three cases with High grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) came positive. Further the positive cases were digested by restriction endonucleases enzymes for RFLP and the amplicon size for high risk HPV type 16 and type 18 were obtained at 452bp and 455bp respectively. Three cases came positive, out of which HPV type 16 came in two cases with one HPV type 18. High risk HPV characterization at an early stage will prevent further progression of the disease.

Impact of Nitrogen Fertilizers on Methane Emissions from Flooded Rice

PUBLICATION INFO International Journal of Agricultural Invention (IJAI) RNI: UPENG/2016/70091 ISSN: 2456-1797 (P) Vol.: 1, Issue: 2, Pages: 124-128 Journal Homepage URL http://agriinventionjournal.com/ DOI: 10.46492/IJAI/2016.1.2.1 ABSTRACT Methane is second most potent greenhouse gas emitted under anaerobic condition in rice soils. Effects of different nitrogen fertilizer application on methane emissions in flooded paddy field were studied. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three treatments and three replications. The treatments were control (0 kg N ha1), urea (120 kg N ha-1) and ammonium sulfate (120 kg N ha-1). In all treatments P (60 kg P2O5 ha-1) along with K (40 kg K2O ha-1) were also applied as basal dose. The cumulative seasonal methane flux was highest in urea 36.3 (kg ha-1) followed by control 35.2 (kg ha-1) and ammonium sulfate 28.5 (kg ha-1). Ammonium sulfate application reduced total seasonal emission by 19.5% as compared to control while it reduced CH4 emissions by 21.6% as compared to urea application. On the basis of this study we can conclude that application of ammonium sulfate is an effective tool for mitigating methane emissions from rice soils.

Effect of Ozone on Biotic Stress Tolerance Potential of Wheat

Ozone (O3) is generated as an air pollutant in the troposphere in a photochemical reaction by the action of sunlight on volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen emitted by vehicles and industry. O3 concentration in troposphere is rising at an annual rate of 0.5 % (IPCC, 2007) over its background concentration of 10–20 ppb. According to IPCC 4th assessment report (2007), current tropospheric O3 concentrations over the northern hemisphere in summers are about 30–40 ppb and are expected to rise upto 70 ppb in 2100. Elevated levels of O3 present in troposphere are phytotoxic and directly affects plants by reacting with apoplastic leaf components and forming reactive oxygen species (ROS) like hydroxyl (OH−), peroxyl (OH2−) and superoxide (O2 −) radicals (Fiscus et al., 2005). This oxidative burst causes loss of photosynthetic activity and reduced growth and yield of crops (Fiscus et al., 2005). Economic crop losses due to O3 were equivalent to