R4D India

Technical Note 23. Surveying Siblings: The case for tracking brothers and sisters of Young Lives Index Children in Round 4 and Beyond

Fri, 25 May 2012 04:18 GMT

Document Type: Report

Production Year: 2012

Citation: Porter, C.; Sanchez, A.; Nair, M. Technical Note 23. Surveying Siblings: The case for tracking brothers and sisters of Young Lives Index Children in Round 4 and Beyond. Young Lives, Department of International Development at the University of Oxford, Oxford, UK (2012) 18 pp.

Summary: This note sets out the arguments for extending the sibling cross-section collected in Young Lives Round 3 (2009) to a panel in Rounds 4 and 5. It is a non-technical synthesis of two background notes from an economic and health perspective1, with some additional information and arguments. We point out three main gains in terms of content from collecting the panel of sibling data, as well as noting that extending the amount of information collected would considerably add value. Finally, without making calculations we assert that collecting sibling data would be a relatively low-cost addition to the existing survey.

New plant hosts for group 16SrII, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’, in India

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:05 GMT

Document Type: Journal Article

Production Year: 2009

Citation: Arocha, Y.; Singh, A.; Pandey, M.; Tripathi, A.N.; Chandra, B.; Shukla, S.K.; Singh, Y.; Kumar, A.; Srivastava, R.K.; Zaidi, N.W.; Arif, M.; Narwal, S.; Tewari, A.K.; Gupta, M.K.; Nath, P.D.; Rabindran, R.; Khirbat, S.K.; Byadgi, A.S.; Singh, G.; Boa, E. New plant hosts for group 16SrII, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia’, in India. Plant Pathology (2008) 58 (2) 391-391. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3059.2008.01969.x]

Summary: Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), carrot (Daucus carota) and French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) are important staple food crops in India. Symptoms of leaf yellowing, chlorosis, and little leaf were recently observed in these species in Uttarakhand, Pantnagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. Plants of Amaranthus sp. growing in adjacent hedges also exhibited leaf yellowing symptoms. Three leaf samples of each plant species with symptoms were collected, including healthy looking plants. Total DNA was extracted and indexed in a nested PCR assay with universal primers R16mF2/R1 and fU5/rU3 that target the phytoplasma 16S rRNA. PCR amplicons (880 bp) were produced in all samples with, but not without symptoms. RFLP profiles were all similar to those of group 16SrII, 'Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia'. Sequences of phytoplasmas (GenBank) identified in lettuce (EU362630), carrot (EU362628), French bean (EU362629) and Amaranthus sp. (EU362627) shared 99% identity to each other, and to a member of group 16SrII, 'Candidatus Phytoplasma aurantifolia' (EU099570). This is the first record of a 16SrII phytoplasma isolate in lettuce, carrot, French bean, and Amaranthus sp. in India.

Cohort Profile: The Young Lives Study

Tue, 22 May 2012 06:27 GMT

Document Type: Journal Article

Production Year: 2012

Citation: Barnett, I.; Ariana, P.; Petrou, S.; Penny, M.E.; Le Thuc Duc; Galab, S.; Woldehanna, T.; Escobal, J.A.; Plugge, E.; Boyden, J. Cohort Profile: The Young Lives Study. International Journal of Epidemiology (2012) : [DOI: 10.1093/ije/dys082] Published online 21 May, 2012

Summary: Young Lives is an international longitudinal study investigating the changing nature of childhood poverty in four low-income countries [Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam] over a 15-year period. In each country, the cohort is comprised of ∼2000 children aged between 6 and 18 months and up to 1000 children aged between 7 and 8 years, recruited in 2002 and sampled from 20 sentinel sites. The first survey data collection from primary caregivers and older children took place in 2002, the second in 2006–07 and the third in 2009–10. Data on the community contexts were collected to complement the household surveys. To elaborate and extend the quantitative data, longitudinal qualitative research with a subgroup of the children was carried out in 2007, 2008 and 2010–11. Topic areas covered included nutrition, health and well-being, cognitive and physical development, health behaviours and education, as well as the social, demographic and economic status of the household. Survey data from the study are archived in the International Section of the UK Public Data Archive.

Performance of potato (Solanum tuberosum) clones under water stress

Tue, 22 May 2012 02:48 GMT

Document Type: Journal Article

Production Year: 2011

Citation: Neeraj Sharma; Parveen Kumar; Kadian, M.S.; Pandey, S.K.; Singh, S.V.; Luthra, S.K. Performance of potato (Solanum tuberosum) clones under water stress. The Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences (2011) 81 (9) 39-43.

Summary: An experiment was conducted at the Central Potato Research Institute Campus, Modipuram, during autumn crop seasons of 2008–09 and 2009–10, to assess the influence of different irrigation regimes on advanced clones of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) developed at the International Potato Center, Lima. Three irrigation regimes adopted were: non-stress (five irrigations), moderate water deficit (three irrigations up to 55 days after planting) and severe water deficit (two irrigations up to 25 days after planting). Seven clones and two varieties were screened. High canopy temperature was witnessed under reduced irrigation and a difference of 2.1 degree C was recorded between normal irrigated and severe water deficit treatments 80 days after planting. Plant height decreased significantly with reduced irrigation, especially under severe water deficit from 48.3 cm to 35.4 cm. Marketable tubers/plant reduced significantly from 7.2 (normal irrigation regime) to 3.9 (severe water deficit). Tuber yield was also reduced significantly from 560 g/plant (normal irrigation regime) to 271 g/ plant (severe water deficit). Yield reduction under severe water deficit was minimum in CIP clone 397069.11 (39.6%), followed by clone 395195.7 (47.3%). The high yield maintenance ability of clones 395195.7 and 397069.11 under severe water stress was also supported by the higher drought tolerance index (0.983 and 0.566 respectively) and the lower drought susceptibility index (0.914 and 0.729 respectively). Across the clones, tuber dry matter content was higher under severely reduced irrigation (21.9%) compared to normal irrigation (18.9%). Among clones, maximum tuber dry matter content was recorded in clone 395195.7 (22.4%) compared to varieties Kufri Bahar (21.0%) and Kufri Pukhraj (18.2%).

Perception of Gujarat farmers on heat-tolerant potato varieties

Tue, 22 May 2012 02:10 GMT

Document Type: Journal Article

Production Year: 2011

Citation: Rana, R.K.; Sharma, N.; Kadian, M.S; Girish, B.H.; Arya, S.; Campilan, D.; Pandey, S.K.; Carli, C.; Patel, N.H.; Singh, B.P. Perception of Gujarat farmers on heat-tolerant potato varieties. Potato Journal (2011) 38 (2) 121-129.

Summary: A survey of farmers foumd heat tolerance, high yield, resistance to late blight, resistance to potato tuber moth, and uniform large-sized tubers to be the top five most desirable characteristics for potato varieties for heat-prone areas.

Impact of climate change on crop productivity in Western Ghats, coastal and northeastern regions of India

Mon, 21 May 2012 07:57 GMT

Document Type: Journal Article

Production Year: 2011

Citation: Kumar, S.N.; Aggarwal, P.K.; Swaroopa Rani; Surabhi Jain; Rani Saxena; Nitin Chauhan. Impact of climate change on crop productivity in Western Ghats, coastal and northeastern regions of India. Current Science (2011) 101 (3) 332-341.

Summary: Assessment on impact of climate change on major crops in ecologically sensitive areas, viz. the Western Ghats (WG), coastal districts and northeastern (NE) states of India, using InfoCrop simulation model, projected varying impacts depending on location, climate, projected climate scenario, type of crop and its management. Irrigated rice and potato in the NE region, rice in the eastern coastal region and coconut in the WG are likely to gain. Irrigated maize, wheat and mustard in the NE and coastal regions, and rice, sorghum and maize in the WG may lose. Adaptation strategies such as change in variety and altered agronomy can, however, offset the impacts of climate change.

Field release of the rust fungus Puccinia spegazzinii to control Mikania micrantha in India: protocols and awareness raising.

Fri, 18 May 2012 07:36 GMT

Document Type: Conference Paper
Creator: Sankaran, K.V.; Puzari, K.C.; Ellison, C.A.; Kumar, P.S.; Dev, U.

Production Year: 2008

Citation: Sankaran, K.V.; Puzari, K.C.; Ellison, C.A.; Kumar, P.S.; Dev, U. Field release of the rust fungus Puccinia spegazzinii to control Mikania micrantha in India: protocols and awareness raising. In: Julien, M.H., Sforza, R., Bon, M.C., Evans, H.C., Hatcher, P.E., Hinz, H.L. and Rector, B.G. (Eds), Proceedings of the XII International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds. CAB International, Wallingford, UK (2008) 384-389. ISBN 9781845935023

Sustainable control of Mikania micrantha – implementing a classical biological control strategy in India using the rust fungus Puccinia spegazzinii

Fri, 18 May 2012 05:48 GMT

Document Type: Conference Paper
Creator: Ellison, C.A.; Puzari, K.C.; Sreerama Kumar, P.; Usha Dev; Sankaran, K.V.; Rabindra, R.J.; Murphy, S.T.

Production Year: 2007

Citation: Ellison, C.A.; Puzari, K.C.; Sreerama Kumar, P.; Usha Dev; Sankaran, K.V.; Rabindra, R.J.; Murphy, S.T. Sustainable control of Mikania micrantha – implementing a classical biological control strategy in India using the rust fungus Puccinia spegazzinii. In: Lai PoYung; Reddy, G.V.P.; Muniappan, R. (Eds). Proceedings of the Seventh International Workshop on Biological Control and Management of Chromolaena odorata and Mikania micrantha, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan, 12-15 September 2006. (2007) 94-105.

Summary: Mikania micrantha H.B.K. (Asteraceae), or mile-a-minute weed, is a neotropical invasive plant found in many countries within the tropical moist forest zones of South and Southeast Asia. In India, it is a highly problematic species in the Western Ghats of Kerala and in Assam. Since conventional cultural and chemical control options are expensive, can have non-target effects, and are unsustainable, the UK–Department for International Development funded a program to develop and implement a classical biological control strategy for M. micrantha in India. Phase I of the program resulted in the selection of a rust fungus Puccinia spegazzinii as the candidate agent. A full risk assessment of an isolate of this rust from Trinidad was undertaken in CABI-UK containment facilities. The rust was found to be specific to Mikania (more than 55 nontarget plant species were tested) and is very damaging, causing leaf, petiole and stem infections, leading to plant death. The rust also has environmental requirements compatible with those prevailing in the invasive range of the weed. The results of this work were presented in a Dossier to the Plant Protection Advisor to the Government of India, and permission to import the rust into quarantine in New Delhi was obtained. Under Phase II of the program, additional host-specificity testing was successfully completed in New Delhi (74 species were screened), prior to issuing the release permit. The rust was initially released in the field in Assam late in the rainy season of 2005 (October) with subsequent releases at the start of the rains (March) in 2006. Preliminary observations show the rust to be spreading from the initial release site. The potential efficacy of the rust and follow-up field studies are discussed.

Current Status of Releases of Puccinia spegazzinii for Mikania micrantha Control

Fri, 18 May 2012 04:03 GMT

Document Type: Magazine/Newsletter/Newspaper Article
Creator: Ellison, C.; Day, M.

Production Year: 2011

Citation: Ellison, C.; Day, M. Current Status of Releases of Puccinia spegazzinii for Mikania micrantha Control. Biocontrol News and Information (2011) 34: 1N-2N.

Summary: The rust fungus Puccinia spegazzinii was selected, screened for specificity to the target weed at CABI Europe – UK (EUK) and then released in India in 2005–7 by Assam Agricultural University and Kerala Forest Research Institute. Unfortunately, the rust apparently failed to establish persistent populations in the field. The effectiveness of subsequent releases in China in 2006, Taiwan in 2008, and Papua New Guinea and Fiji in 2009 is briefly discussed.

Evapotranspiration paradox at a semi-arid location in India.

Wed, 16 May 2012 04:47 GMT

Document Type: Journal Article
Creator: Kesava Rao, A.V.R.; Wani, S.P.

Production Year: 2011

Citation: Kesava Rao, A.V.R.; Wani, S.P. Evapotranspiration paradox at a semi-arid location in India. Journal of Agrometeorology (2011) 13 (1) 3-8.

Summary: Paradox of decreasing evaporation and evapotranspiration under increasing temperature conditions in the semi-arid tropics assumes greater importance as agriculture in these areas is more vulnerable to climate change. Trends in annual reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) at Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh indicated a reduction of about 200 mm from 1850 mm to 1650 mm during the past 35 years. Contribution of energy balance term to the total ETo has shown an increasing trend while aerodynamic term has a decreasing trend. Wind speed has shown a strong negative trend leading to the dramatic fall of the aerodynamic term and consequently the ETo. Rate of reduction in evapotranspiration demand was about 10% for kharif (Jun-Oct) and about 14% for rabi (Nov-Feb). At Patancheru, measured temperature and solar radiation showed opposite trends and at locations where no measured solar radiation data available and if solar radiation is estimated from air temperature alone for use as an input in crop modelling, outputs under such conditions need to be interpreted with caution. Present study highlights the need for climate change impact studies at a local level in addition to those based on regional and global circulation models.