Interference of bio-control Trichoderma to enhance physical and physiological strength of sugarcane during Pokkah boeng infection.

Tremendous benefits have been derived from the use of fungicides but excessive use of chemical fungicides not only posing threat to human and animal life but also contaminates the prevailing environment. Damage by pathogenic fungi alone causes significant damage to crops like maize, rice, wheat, soybeans, and potatoes. Therefore, it becomes imperative that these diseases are checked and controlled, for which chemical pesticides are being sprayed on plants extensively. Considering the devastating damage and toxicity, the global focus has taken a drift from synthetic chemicals to nature-friendly biological control agents. The present study focuses on the use of biological control agents particularly Trichoderma in sugarcane during Pokkah boeng infection. In the present experiment, twenty promising Trichoderma strains were evaluated for plant growth promotion, lytic enzymes, and physiological and biocontrol activity. Out of the twenty, four potential Trichoderma strains were assessed in the pot experiment viz. T. harzianum strain T28, T41 and T49 and T. aureoviride strain T38. The T. harzianum (T28) showed efficient plant growth-promoting traits as it produced IAA (20.67 µg/ml), phosphorus solubilization (18.57 µg/ml), and cell wall degrading enzymes such as chitinase (24.98 µg/ml) and ß-glucanase (29.98 µg/ml). The interference of biocontrol agent T. harzianum (T28) controlled the disease by 73.55%. Apart from this, the inoculation of Trichoderma (T28) enhanced growth attributes including germination percentage (26.61%), mean tiller number (8.28 tiller/pot), individual cane length (241.5 cm), single cane weight (1.13 kg) and the number of milleable canes (6.00 cane/pot). Improvements in physiological activities at different growth stages of the sugarcane crop were observed based on the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) on the leaf surface, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and photosynthetic rate. Further, improvement in juice quality parameters was also observed as it recorded the highest 0brix, sucrose, and commercial cane sugar by 21.26%, 19.28%, and 13.50%, respectively, by applying T. harzianum strain T28. Thus, results proved that T. harzianum strain T28 may be an effective eco-friendly biocontrol tool for managing Pokkah boeng disease in sugarcane. This is the first report of the biocontrol potential of Trichoderma spp. against Fusarium proliferatum causing Pokkah boeng disease in sugarcane.

Analysis of bile in various hepatobiliary disease states: A pilot study.

AIM: Our study aims to find various enzymatic and biochemical components of bile and their clinical or prognostic correlation with regard to progression and severity of hepatobiliary diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: It was a cross-sectional study where all the patients suffering from choledochal cyst (CDC), extrahepatic portal venous obstruction (EHPVO), and infantile obstructive cholangiopathy undergoing diagnostic preoperative cholangiogram; and patients with history of total parenteral nutrition (TPN) undergoing surgery for some other condition were included in the study. Intraoperatively, bile was collected from the gallbladder and sent for estimation of amylase, lipase, sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, bicarbonate, total bilirubin, pH, cholesterol, triglycerides, and total bile acid. RESULTS: A total of 80 patients were included in the study (20 in each of the four disease-based groups). Amylase, lipase, and pH were significantly different among the patients of CDC when compared with the presence or absence of dilated intrahepatic biliary radicals. Similarly, amylase, lipase, and pH were also significantly different among the patients of EHPVO when compared with presence or absence of biliopathy. Levels of cholesterol and bile acid were significantly higher in patients who were evaluated after 1 year following TPN than those who were evaluated before 1 year. The patients of infantile cholangiopathy, who had history of fever, had significantly higher level of calcium. CONCLUSION: The components of bile show close correlation with various clinical and prognostic markers, there is a very close correlation between these parameters and the clinical severity, disease progression, and final outcome.