Impact of Pre and Post-emergence Herbicide Mixtures in Direct Seeded Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major source of food for more than half of the world population especially in South and Southeast Asia and Latin America. A field experiment was conducted at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Yamunanagar district, Haryana during Kharif season of 2022 to study the effect of pre and post-emergence herbicides combinations herbicides in direct-seeded rice under irrigated condition. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized block design with three replications. The weed management treatments were T1: Pendimethalin + pyrazosulfuron T2:Pendimethalin + pyroxasulfone, T3:Pretilachlor + pyrazosulfuron, T4: Fenoxaprop-p-ethyl with safener + ethoxysulfuron,T5: Cyhalofop-butyl + penoxsulam and metsulfuron-methyl + chlorimuron-ethyl, T6.:Triafamone + ethoxysulfuron, T7: Pendimethalin + pyrazosulfuron fb bispyribac-sodium, T8: Pendimethalin + pyroxasulfone fb bispyribac-sodium, T9:Pretilachlor + pyrazosulfuron fb bispyribac-sodium, T10:Pendimethalin fb fenoxaprop-p-ethyl + ethoxysulfuron T11: Weed free, T12:Weedy check. Among herbicides, application T10 (pendimethalin fb fenoxaprop-p-ethyl + ethoxysulfuron) and T5 (cyhalofop-butyl+ penoxsulam and metsulfuron methyl + chlorimuron ethy (pre-mix) was superior over other treatment. Application of pendimethalin fenoxaprop-p-ethyl + ethoxysulfuron reduced 58.89% grassy weed and 50 % BLWs compared to weedy check plot at 60 DAS. Assessment at 60 DAS and at harvest showed that bispyribac-sodium was effective in controlling E. colona and E. crus-galli. However, bispyribac-sodium did not control D. aegyptium and L. chinensis. Fenoxaprop significantly reduced the densities of Dactyloctenium aegyptium, L. chinensis, and Digitaria sanguinalis. Fenoxaprop tank-mix with ethoxysulfuron appeared to be synergistic for the control of E. crusgalli and E. colona, and Cyperus sp. as this tank mixture. Integration of pendimethalin fb fenoxaprop-p-ethyl+ ethoxysulfuron provided control of all type of weeds with highest grain yield (6.1 t ha-1) among different treatments which was statistically at par with weed free (6.3 t ha-1). In economics points of views, the highest B-C ratio (3.03) was obtained in cyhalofop-butyl + penoxsulam + metsulfuron methyl + chlorimuron ethy followed by pendimethalin fb fenoxaprop-p-ethyl + ethoxysulfuron (2.98).

Blood meal identification by using Microdot ELISA in vector mosquitoes.

The blood meals of five mosquito species which are vectors for malaria, J.E. and Filaria were determined by using Microdot ELISA technique, which is a rapid and sensitive method. A total of 4354 freshly fed mosquitoes comprising of Anopheles culicifacies, An stephensi, Culex quinquefasciatus, Cx. vishnui gp. and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus were tested. Results of the study reveal that highest proportion of An. culicifacies between 76-100% fed on bovine host followed by 0.3 to 24.2% on human. Cx. vishnui showed 1.9% feeding on human, 49-87.7% on bovine and 7.4-12.3% on the pigs. It has been observed that malaria vectors namely An. culicifacies and An. stephensi are still zoophilic in nature. Similarly, the vector of J.E. namely Culex vishnui gp. and Cx. tritaeniorhynchus also fed on cattle but some samples have indicated feeding of blood meal from pigs.

Socio-economic status & its relationship to morbidity among elderly.

This paper seeks to review the current state of art in the area of morbidity and the socio-economic status of the elderly in India and the relationship between the two. It is concerned primarily with research on social factors, illness and its relationship. It has the following concerns: (i) conceptualisation of morbidity, illness, disease and mortality; (ii) the nature of illness, disease; (iii) quantum of disease and; (iv) how variations in the rates of diseases are related to social characteristics. Available evidence from past and contemporary studies indicate that a large number of factors tend to affect morbidity among the elderly.

Immunological study in pleural effusion.

Thirty patients of pleural effusion (25 tubercular, 5 malignant) were studied for enumeration of T and B cell percentage in pleural fluid (PF) and peripheral blood (PB) along with estimation of IgG, IgA and IgM. Ten healthy subjects were taken as controls. T cell percentage was significantly low and B cell percentage high in the PB of patients with effusion compared with controls. Comparing malignancy and tuberculosis patients it was seen that in both T cells in PF were higher and B cells lower compared with their respective values in PB. Significantly increased percentage of T cells in PF indicates either an active sequestration in PF or the presence of suppressor adherent cells in PB. However, T and B cell percentage in PB and PF were not significantly different in the two study groups. PB immunoglobulin (IgG, IgA, IgM) levels in patients were higher as compared to those in the controls, without significant difference in their levels in the two study groups. Ratio of PF/PB values for various immunoglobulins was less than unity but a cut-off point of 0.6 for IgG & IgA and 0.5 for IgM worked out as pointer for differentiating between malignant and tubercular effusions.