Data on the ultrastructural characteristics of Paenibacillus polymyxa isolates and biocontrol efficacy of P. polymyxa ShX301.

We present the data corresponding to the ultrastructural characteristics of Paenibacillus polymyxa isolates and control efficacy of P. polymyxa ShX301 for controlling Verticillium wilt of cotton, isolated in experimental fields at the Sanyuan Agricultural Experiment Station of North-West Agriculture and Forestry University, Sanyuan county, Shaanxi province, China. Ultrastructural characteristics of P. polymyxa isolates made using technique of transmission electron microscopy. A strain ShX301 has a broad-spectrum antifungal activity against V. dahliae and other plant pathogens and has been used for in vitro experiments for controlling this disease in greenhouse, "Biocontrol potential of Paenibacillus polymyxa against Verticillium dahliae infecting cotton plants" [1].

Drinking Water Quality Status and Contamination in Pakistan.

Due to alarming increase in population and rapid industrialization, drinking water quality is being deteriorated day by day in Pakistan. This review sums up the outcomes of various research studies conducted for drinking water quality status of different areas of Pakistan by taking into account the physicochemical properties of drinking water as well as the presence of various pathogenic microorganisms. About 20% of the whole population of Pakistan has access to safe drinking water. The remaining 80% of population is forced to use unsafe drinking water due to the scarcity of safe and healthy drinking water sources. The primary source of contamination is sewerage (fecal) which is extensively discharged into drinking water system supplies. Secondary source of pollution is the disposal of toxic chemicals from industrial effluents, pesticides, and fertilizers from agriculture sources into the water bodies. Anthropogenic activities cause waterborne diseases that constitute about 80% of all diseases and are responsible for 33% of deaths. This review highlights the drinking water quality, contamination sources, sanitation situation, and effects of unsafe drinking water on humans. There is immediate need to take protective measures and treatment technologies to overcome unhygienic condition of drinking water supplies in different areas of Pakistan.

Seed priming by sodium nitroprusside improves salt tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by enhancing physiological and biochemical parameters.

The germination, seedling vigor, crop establishment and yield of agronomically important crops is negatively affected by soil salinity. The current study aimed to investigate the ability of exogenous fertigation by sodium nitroprusside (SNP) to induce salt tolerance in four high yielding wheat cultivars (Sahar-06, Punjab-11, Millat-11 and Galaxy-13) that differ in their response to salt stress in terms of biomass production, oxidative defense mechanisms and grain yield. Three levels of SNP (0, 0.1 and 0.2 mM) were used for seed soaking. During soaking the seeds were kept in the dark. After soaking for 12 h the seeds were air-dried for 5 h before sowing. Salinity caused a significant reduction in biomass and grain yield, while it increased proline (Pro), ascorbic acid (AsA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. Cultivar Sahar-06 and Galaxy-13 were found more tolerant to salinity based on shoot length root fresh and dry wights, 100 grain weight, decreased MDA and H2O2 accumulation, phenolic and ascorbic acid (AsA) contents, accumulation of proline, activities of SOD, POD and CAT as compared to the other cultivars. Seed priming with SNP was effective in reducing the adverse effects of salt stress induced oxidative stress on plant biomass and grain yield in all the studied wheat cultivars, but maximum amelioration of salt stress tolerance by SNP treatment was found in cv. Sahar-06. The increased salt tolerance in wheat plants by SNP seed priming might be due to the role of NO in improving seed vigor and germination and early establishment of seedlings with better growth. 0.1 mM SNP was found the most effective in improving salt tolerance, as compared to other SNP concentations. Exogenous SNP fertigation increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) and the contents of AsA, Pro and total phenolics content (TPC) in the salt stressed wheat plants. Our data indicate that SNP-priming induced salt tolerance by up-regulating the antioxidative defense mechanisms resulting in better biomass production and grain yield.

A new species of Scopulariopsis and its synergistic effect on pathogenicity of Verticillium dahliae on cotton plants.

A new species, Scopulariopsis gossypii, was found to be present in the vascular bundles of cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum) infected by Verticillium dahliae which is an economically important pathogen in Hangzhou, China. The fungus was only present in the diseased plants, but it never became isolated from the healthy plants. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the fungus was present in parenchyma cells enclosing vessels in dark brown vascular tissues of stems, and produced asexual conidia within the tissues. Phylogenetic analysis of combined nuclear ribosomal D1/D2 region of the 28S rDNA as well as translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) and beta-tubulin (TUB) gene showed that S. gossypii represents an undescribed species of Scopulariopsis, Microascaceae. In this study, characteristics of sexual and asexual stages of the fungus were described, illustrated and compared with similar taxa. In addition, the molecular and morphological analyses indicated that S. gossypii was a distinct species of Scopulariopsis. The pathogenicity tests proved by inoculation of wounded roots confirmed that S. gossypii was an opportunistic pathogen causing leaf interveinal chlorosis and vascular browning of cotton plants. However S. gossypii did not infect host with undamaged roots. Moreover, coinoculation with S. gossypii and V. dahliae significantly increased disease severity.

Alleviation of lead-induced physiological, metabolic, and ultramorphological changes in leaves of upland cotton through glutathione.

Plants face changes in leaves under lead (Pb) toxicity. Reduced glutathione (GSH) has several functions in plant metabolism, but its role in alleviating Pb toxicity in cotton leaves is still unknown. In the present study, cotton seedlings (28 days old) were exposed to 500 µM Pb and 50 µM GSH, both alone and in combination, for a period of 10 days, in the Hoagland solution under controlled growth conditions. Results revealed Pb-induced changes in cotton's leaf morphology, photosynthesis, and oxidative metabolism. However, exogenous application of GSH restored leaf growth. GSH triggered build up of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid contents and boosted fluorescence ratios (F v/F m and F v/F 0). Moreover, GSH reduced the malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and Pb contents in cotton leaves. Results further revealed that total soluble protein contents were decreased under Pb toxicity; however, exogenously applied GSH improved these contents in cotton leaves. Activities of antioxidant enzymes (catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), glutathione reductase (GR), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)) were also increased by GSH application under Pb toxicity. Microscopic analysis showed that excess Pb shattered thylakoid membranes in chloroplasts. However, GSH stabilized ultrastructure of Pb-stressed cotton leaves. These findings suggested that exogenously applied GSH lessened the adverse effects of Pb and improved cotton's tolerance to oxidative stress.

Mapping of quantitative trait loci for oil content in cottonseed kernel.

Oil content in cottonseed is a major quality trait which when improved through breeding could enhance the competitiveness of cottonseed oil among other vegetable oils. Cottonseed oil content is a quantitative trait controlled by genes in the tetraploid embryo and tetraploid maternal plant genomes, and the knowledge of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and the genetic effects related to oil content in both genomes could facilitate the improvement in its quality and quantity. However, till date, QTL mapping and genetic analysis related to this trait in cotton have only been conducted in the tetraploid embryo genome. In the current experiment, an IF(2) population of cottonseed kernels from the random crossing of 188 intraspecific recombinant inbred lines which were derived from the hybrid of two parents, HS46 and MARCABUCAG8US-1-88, were used to simultaneously locate QTLs for oil content in the embryo and maternal plant genomes. The four QTLs found to be associated with oil content in cottonseed were: qOC-18-1 on chromosome 18; qOC-LG-11 on linkage group 11; qOC-18-2 on chromosome 18; and qOC-22 on chromosome 22. At a high selection threshold of 0.05, there was strong evidence linking the QTLs above the oil content in cottonseed. Embryo additive and dominant effects from the tetraploid embryo genome, as well as maternal additive effects from the tetraploid maternal plant genome were found to be significant contributors to genetic variation in cottonseed oil content.

[Determination of amino acid contents in cottonseeds using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy].

A total of 445 samples with great variability in amino acid contents were harvested for different seasons in different regions for developing calibration equations of amino acid content in cottonseeds. The spectral data of cotton kernel powder was processed using the first derivative mathematical treatment combined with SNV and de-trend, as well as modified partial least squares (MPLS) regression method. The chemometric models for 17 amino acids present in cottonseed were developed, and 12 of them were excellent for the determination of related amino acids, namely asparagic acid, threonine, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, lysine, histidine, and arginine, with RPDc of 3.735-7.132 and determination coefficient (r2) of 0.910-0.979 in external validation. For those 12 amino acids, their values predicted by NIRS are comparable to those obtained by the chemical method with good accuracy. The RPDc of serine, methionine, tyrosine and proline were 2.205 -2.814, and their determination coefficient (r2) were 0.800-0.830 in external validation. For those 4 amino acids, the values from NIRS are not so accurate as chemical analysis, but could be used in sample screening in cotton breeding program. While the equation for cystine was useless as its RPDc was only 1.358, which was not suitable for estimating its content in cottonseeds.

[Determination of protein and gossypol content in cotton kernel powder with near infrared reflectance spectroscopy].

Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) was used as a rapid and nondestructive method to determine the protein content and gossypol content in cotton kernel powder samples, using 49 upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) germplasms and 188 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). The cottonseed samples harvested from the upland cotton germplasms and RILs grown in different cotton growing regions in different years were analyzed chemically for protein and gossypol contents, as well as scanned in the reflectance mode of a scanning monochromator. Using ISI software for scanning and data analysis, protein and gossypol calibration equations were obtained with a standard normal variate + detrending scatter correction and a 2, 4, 4, 1 math treatment and modified partial least square (MPLS) as the regression method. The protein content calibration results revealed that the multiple correlation coefficients (RSQ) and statistic 1--variance ratio (1-VR) for the determination of protein content in cottonseed kernels were 0.933 and 0.929, respectively, and its standard error of calibration (SEC) and standard error of cross validation (SECV) were 0.623 and 0.638, respectively. As the calibration equations were judged by the calibration RSQ (or 1-VR) and SEC (or SECV), the results indicated that NIRS is comparable to chemical methods in both accuracy and prediction and is reliable in the determination of protein content in cottonseed kernels. However, the RSQ, SEC, 1-VR and SECV for gossypol content determination of NIRS were 0.836, 0.811, 0.074 and 0.079, respectively. Although it was weaker than that of protein content, the NIRS method is still good enough for the determination and prediction of the gossypol content in cottonseed kernels. Therefore, NIRS models were successfully developed for protein content and gossypol content analysis of cotton kernel powder sample in the present study and they could be introduced into the cotton germplasm evaluation and breeding program for the cottonseed quality improvement.

[Studies on the cytological characters of the interspecific hybrid F1 among the cultivated species in Gossypium and their genetic relationship].

Interspescific hybridization among four cultivated species in Gossypium (G. herbaceum, G. arboreum, G. hirsutum and G. barbadense) were carried out to produce dispecific hybrids F1, (G. arboreum x G. herbaceum) F1 and (G. hirsutum x G. barbadense) F1, and quadrispecific hybrid F1, which was produced by crossed the chromosome doubled (G. arboreum x G. herbaceum) F1 with (G. hirsutum x G. barbadense) F1. In order to study the evolution relationship among the four cultivated species in Gossypium, the characteristic of chromosome behavior during the meiosis and pollen viability in those interspecific hybrids F1 were studied in this paper. The results showed that the diploid interspecific hybrid, (G. arboreum x G. herbaceum) F1, had a four-chromosome-ring, the chromosome configuration was 2n = 26 = 11 II + 1 IV. And the normal pollen percent was 50.71%, which showed the character of typical gamete semi-sterility, and approved that there was a chromosome translocation between the two diploid cotton species, G. arboreum and G. herbaceum. For the allotetraploid species interspecific hybrid F1, (G. hirsutum x G. barbadense) F1, most of the chromosomes at metaphase I could be paired into bivalents, with a few number of univalents, trivalents, and quardrivalents. The chromosome configuration was 2n = 52 = 0.78 I +22.24 II +0.94 III +0.98 IV, with a normal pollen rate of 54. 84%. The experiment showed that there were a few chromosome translocation or chromosome inversion between the two allotetraploid cotton species, G. hirsutum and G. barbadenses. The meiosis of the quardrispecific hybrid F1 was abnormal, and the loss of chromosomes was common. Most of the chromosomes could not synapse at metaphase I, which led to many univalents and some multivalents. The chromosome configuration of the quardrispecific hybrid F1 was 2n = 52 = 5.45 I +14.41 II +2.44 III +1.59 IV +0.63 V +0.15 VI, and the normal pollen rate was 6.87%, which showed that the relationship of four cultivated cotton species was relatively closed. It is possible to produce a new germplasm with the good characters of the four cultivated species through genetic recombination.