Avijeet Chatterjee

Genotypic variability in vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor L for foliage yield and its contributing traits over successive cuttings and years

SummaryTwenty nine strains of vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor were grown for two successive seasons to study different selection parameters for foliage yield and its nine contributing morphological and quality traits. The strains AV-38 (5.06 kg/plot) and AV-31 (5.04 kg/plot) recorded highest foliage yield, followed by AV-30 (4.78 kg/plot) and AV-23 (4.70 kg/plot). The protein and carotenoid content averaged 1.24 ± 0.03 mg/100 mg and 0.83 ± 0.02 mg/g respectively. The leaves of A. tricolor also have considerable quantities of ascorbic acid (112.33 ± 5.00 mg/100 g) and fibre (8.39 ± 0.10%). The mean of individual cuttings for plant height, leaf size, stem diameter, foliage yield, protein, ascorbic acid and fibre content increased with successive cuttings till third cutting and thereafter showed a decline. Genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) values ranged from 6.80 to 28.25%. However, the fibre content, branches/plant, leaves/plant, plant height and stem diameter showed lowest values of GCV. The values of heritability estimates were high for all the traits in all the cuttings as well as on pooled basis and ranged from 0.89 for branches/plant to 0.98 for foliage yield. Highest expected genetic advance was noticed for ascorbic acid (57.48%), followed by foliage yield (48.30%) and leaf size (29.51%).

Diversity in phenotypic and nutritional traits in vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor), a nutritionally underutilised crop

BACKGROUND Assessment of genetic diversity in a crop-breeding programme helps in the identification of diverse parental combinations to create segregating progenies with maximum genetic variability and facilitates introgression of desirable genes from diverse germplasm into the available genetic base. RESULTS In the present study, 39 strains of vegetable amaranth (Amaranthus tricolor) were evaluated for eight morphological and seven quality traits for two test seasons to study the extent of genetic divergence among the strains. Multivariate analysis showed that the first four principal components contributed 67.55% of the variability. Cluster analysis grouped the strains into six clusters that displayed a wide range of diversity for most of the traits. CONCLUSION Cluster analysis has proved to be an effective method in grouping strains that may facilitate effective management and utilisation in crop-breeding programmes. The diverse strains falling in different clusters were identified, which can be utilised in different hybridisation programmes to develop high-foliage-yielding varieties rich in nutritional components.

Mapping of key bee flora of upper Gangetic region of India – a palynological assessment through regional honeys

Fifty‐one regional honey samples, collected mainly from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh districts, were studied to determine the pollen composition. Pollen spectra of the local honeys varied according to the vegetation type utilized by the bees within this floristically diverse region. Eight pollen types from Uttarakhand and seven from Uttar Pradesh were the predominant pollen types in honey and included both local naturalized flora as well as cultivated crops. The investigation revealed that in addition to already known bee forage (e.g. Brassica, Coriandrum, and Litchi) some other species including Eucalyptus, Callistemon that are planted for social forestry programs, are also heavily utilized as pollen and nectar sources by honey bees in urban and semi urban areas. Naturalized flora including Myrica, Rumex, Erigeron are also utilized and therefore are important for apiculture in these regions.

Recent scenario of airborne pollens of Lucknow, India with special reference to intra- and interannual, diurnal, and vertical variation

Correspondence: Praveen C Verma CPMB, National Botanical Research Institute, (CSIR), Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow – 226 001 (UP), India Tel +91 522 229 7922 ext 944 Fax +91 522 220 5836 Email praveencverma@yahoo.com Abstract: Biomonitoring of airborne pollen in Lucknow, India was conducted for 2 consecutive years (August 2005–July 2007) with the objective of assessing the recent status of airborne pollen of the city and analyzing the intraand interannual variations. Determination of total incidence of airborne pollen with subsequent contributions of individual components was carried out by measuring diurnal and vertical gradients. The Pearson correlation test was conducted to analyze pollen counts for 2 successive years. Principal component analysis was also carried out to examine the relative distribution of major pollen samples according to their dominance in the particular environment for 2 consecutive years. A total of 6089 pollen grains were caught in 2005–2006, which included 77 types against 4335 pollen grains comprising 61 types registered in 2006–2007. Two major pollen seasons, ie, spring and autumn, were confirmed. During 2005–2006, the highest airborne pollen concentration was found in February (154.67/m), while the spring pollen peak was shifted to March (133.7/m) in the consecutive year. The second pollen peak in both years was in August, which included mostly grass pollen. The highest airborne pollen contributor of 2005–2006 was grass, accounting for 25% of total pollen, while in the subsequent year Holoptelea dominated with 47% of total pollen. The diurnal analysis showed that the highest pollen concentration in 2005–2006 was around 2 pm due to abundant flowering of Morus, while in 2006–2007, the maximum concentration was reported at 10 am due to Holoptelea pollen. Inter-annual species variation in climate was also considered as an important factor involved in inter-annual variation in pollen incidence. In general, a positive correlation was observed with temperature, particularly average temperature. During each period, peak pollen counts occurred when the average temperature fell within the range of 22°C–23°C.