Rice

Problem statement: An Anaerobic Digestion (AD) process, traditionally applied to wastewater and sewage sludge treatment, has a great potential in the valorization of foodprocessing industry wastes. Approach: This study is focused on the evaluation of the theoretical biogas and methane production of some food wastes, coming out from rice, hazelnut and wine processing, on the grounds of their physical-chemical characterization. Results: Almost all of the considered samples exhibited biogas theoretical yields equal to about 0.7-1.6 m 3 /kg VS and methane contents equal to about 40-60% v/v. Conclusion: Although the undeniable limitations of a theoretical evaluation, the gathered results may be useful in planning future experimental tests.

The genomic DNA clone RG28, linked to the major fragrance gene of rice (fgr), was assessed for polymorphism in order to produce a PCR-based marker for fragrance. A small mono-nucleotide repeat, that was polymorphic between a pair of fragrant and non-fragrant cultivars, was identified and developed into a co-dominant PCR-based marker. The polymorphism-information-content determinations for three microsatellite markers, that have been genetically mapped near RG28, are also presented. These PCR-based markers will be highly useful in distinguishing fragrance-producing alleles from non-fragrance-producing alleles at the fgr locus.

The rice industry is one of the most significant food industries since rice is a widely consumed cereal over the world. As a result of this substantial production, the rice industries have a significant amount of side streams, including bran, representing millions of tons of raw materials mainly designated to animal feed. Rice bran is a rich source of γ-oryzanol, a bioactive compound with substantial health benefits. In this perspective, different bran rice samples from distinct germplasm origins (Philippines, Italy and Portugal) were studied for their γ-oryzanol content by HPLC-PDA, cytotoxicity in four human tumour cell lines, hepatotoxicity in a normal cell line and for their antimicrobial effects on different bacterial and fungal strains. The Ballatinao sample presented the strongest activity against all the tumour cell lines, and was also the
sample showing the highest amount in γ-oryzanol, suggesting its contribution to the exhibited cytotoxic properties.
Regarding the antimicrobial activity, the tested samples were able to inhibit the majority of the bacterial and fungal strains, being the Portuguese Ceres sample the one presenting the highest bacterial inhibition and Maluit and Dinorado samples, the highest fungal inhibition. Overall the results show that rice bran extracts may be considered as potential candidates to be used as antimicrobial agents when incorporated on food matrices.

The study based on primary as well as secondary data was carried out in four selected villages namely, Somnaha, Simria Bhindi, Kharsand and Madhurapur of Kalyanpur block of Samastipur district in Bihar. Primary data were collected from a sample of 60 farmers spread over the study area, constituting 20 marginal, 15 small and 25 big farmers who were selected using probability proportional to size method (PPS) for the study. The total Yield Gap in rice production was worked out as the summation of Yield Gap I (YG-I) and Yield Gap-II (YG-II), which was estimated as 47.02 q/ha on big size, 54.97 q/ha on small size and 62.9 q/ha on marginal size farms and on an average, it was 54.30 q/ha. On the whole, the estimated value of Index of Realized Potential Farm Yield (IRPFY) was found to be 88.68 per cent, whereas the Index of Realized Potential Yield (IRPY) was observed as 48.29 per cent. An overall Index of Yield Gap was estimated as 51.70 per cent. It may be inferred from the study that the proper utilization of recommended package and practices of hybrid rice along with the supply of quality inputs viz. seeds, fertilizers, irrigation and plant protection measures on different categories of farms may help reduce the yield gap of the crop on the one hand and raise the income of the cultivators on the other.

In order to study the combined effect of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers on the nutrient content in grain, straw and post harvest soil of boro rice cv. BRRI dhan29, a field experiment was conducted in December, 2013 to June, 2014 at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Sixteen combinations of 4 vermicompost level @ 0, 1, 2, 4 t ha and 4 NPKS levels i.e. 0-0-0-0, 50-8-33-6, 100-16-66-12, 1 replications. Results showed that the highest dose of vermicompost and chemical fertilizer increased the concentration of P, K and S by rice grain and straw significantly at the harvesting stage. Combined application of vermicompost and chemical fertilizer failed to increase the total N content of post-harvest soil. Combination of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers also increased the organic matter, P, K and S status of post harvest soil significantly.

Excess salinity in soil is one of the major environmental factors that limit plant growth and yield of a wide variety of crops including rice. On the basis of tolerance ability toward salinity, rice is considered as salt-sensitive crop, and growth and yield of rice are greatly affected by salinity. In general, rice can tolerate a small amount of saltwater without compromising the growth and yield. However, it greatly depends on the types and species of rice and their growth stage. Salinity-induced ionic and osmotic stresses reduce rate of photosynthesis and consequently cause oxidative stress, which is also responsible for growth reduction. The negative effects of salt stress that mentioned ultimately reduced yield of most crops including rice, except some halophytes. In recent decades, researchers have developed various approaches toward making salt-tolerant rice varieties. Using phytoprotectants is found to be effective in conferring salt tolerance to rice plants. In this chapter, we reviewed the recent reports on different aspects on salt stress tolerance strategies in light of using phytoprotectants.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the granulometry of wheat flour and flour precooked by extrusion obtained from the mixture of rice and coffee (15 and 20%), as well as the acceptability of biscuits and cakes prepared with 20 and 30% of precooked flour in the mixture of the dough (wheat). The results obtained show that the extruded flours presented thicker granulometry than the wheat flour. Granulometry increased with the increase of the content of precooked flour in the mixture with wheat. There were no significant differences among the samples treated with 15 and 20% of precooked flour as to the sensorial preference of aroma, texture, flavor, and global impression. However, the biscuits made with precooked flour with 15% of coffee in the mixture with rice presented greater preference of aroma and texture if compared with those with 20%. It can be said that up to 30% of rice and coffee-based precooked flours can be used as ingredient in the mixture of cakes and biscuits a...

Size distributions of particulate hopanes, steranes, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured in the exhaust from four heavy-duty diesel vehicles (HDDVs) operated under idle, creep, transient, and two highspeed driving modes. Particulate matter was collected using a chassis dynamometer and a dilution sampling system equipped with cascade impactors and filter samplers. Samples were extracted using organic solvents and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Size distributions of hopanes and steranes were functions of engine load conditions and vehicle technology. Hopanes and steranes peaked in size ranges larger than 0.18 µm aerodynamic particle diameter under light load conditions and less than 0.10 µm aerodynamic particle diameter under heavier load conditions. The eight hopane size distributions emitted from newer technology (>1998) vehicles were unimodal while the four hopane size distributions emitted from older technology vehicles (<1992) were bimodal. Similar trends between older and newer vehicles were not observed for sterane size distributions. The PAH composition emitted from HDDVs was a function of driving cycle and vehicle technology. Light driving cycles produced quantifiable emissions of 3, 4, 5, and 6 ring PAHs (including coronene). Heavier driving cycles produced only the 3 and 4 ring PAHs in quantifiable amounts. PM1.8 and PM0.1 source profiles constructed using the relative abundance of hopanes and steranes to total organic carbon were functions of vehicle load condition. Increasing load reduced the relative abundance of motor oil tracers in the PM1.8 size fraction and increased the abundance of these tracers in the PM0.1 size fraction. The relative abundances of PAHs in the PM0.1 and PM1.8 size fractions emitted from the oldest vehicle tested (1985 HDDV) were significantly higher than for any other vehicle tested.

Background: Recently, rice-based formulas have been widely used in hypoallergenic diets, but data on nutritional values are scarce. Aim: To evaluate the growth of infants fed with a rice-based hydrolysate formula, compared to those infants fed with a soy formula or an extensively hydrolysed casein formula, in the first 2 y of life. Methods: A total of 88 infants were enrolled between March 2002 and March 2004. Fifty-eight infants with atopic dermatitis (AD) and cow's milk allergy (CMA), confirmed by open challenge, were enrolled as study group: 15 were fed with a rice-based hydrolysate formula (RHF), 17 with a soy-based formula (SF) and 26 with an extensively hydrolysed casein formula (eHCF). Thirty infants with AD without cow's milk allergy were recruited as a control group (CG) and fed with a free diet. Weight was recorded on enrolment and at 3-monthly intervals in the first year of life, and at 6-monthly intervals in the second year. Infants were weighed naked, before feeding, by means of an electronic integrating scale. The z-scores of weight for age were calculated. Statistics: One-way analysis of variance and Student's t-test were used for statistical comparison. Significance was set at p50.05. Results: No significant differences between the RHF, SF and eHCF groups were observed for the z-score of weight for age during the first 2 y of life, but a significantly lower difference was seen in the RHF group compared to the control group in the intervals 9 mo-1 y ( p=0.025) and 1-1.5 y ( p=0.020) of age. In contrast, the SF and eHCF groups were comparable to the control group, but the eHCF group was significantly lower ( p=0) in the first trimester of life.

In this study, intermittent drying behavior of single layer rough rice with a moisture content of between 22 and 24% on the dry basis was simulated by means of a liquid diffusion model based on a prolate spheroid geometry. For this purpose, solution of the liquid diffusion equation was fitted to the experimental data for the drying air temperature 40°C, drying velocity 1.5 ms−1 and tempering periods ranging from 0 to 1 h. In order to make a comparison, solution of the liquid diffusion equation for a finite cylindrical geometry was also fitted to the experimental data. The results show that the liquid diffusion model based on a prolate spheroid geometry explains the drying behavior of rough rice more accurately. The results also show that greater variations occur in diffusion coefficient with increasing tempering time for prolate spheroid geometry which is more realistic geometry for a rough rice grain.

Weeds and grain feeding birds are the two main biological causes of yield losses in irrigated rice in Africa. To quantify the single and combined effect of these biological constraints on rice yields, and to investigate whether weeds attract birds and thereby contribute to increased bird damage, a three-year factorial experiment was set-up in the Senegal River Valley. We tested two management factors (bird and weed management), each with two levels ('complete' and 'absent'), and one crop cycle factor also with two levels (Sahel 202, a medium-cycle and Sahel 108, a short-cycle rice cultivar). Season-long competition from weeds resulted in high but predictable yield losses ranging from 50% to 75%, with lower yield losses for the medium-cycle cultivar Sahel 202 in two of the three seasons. Due to the nature of the pest, season-long exposure to birds resulted in less predictable yield losses ranging from 13% to as high as 94%, with high seasonal variation. In two seasons, much lower bird-inflicted yield losses were observed in the short-cycle cultivar Sahel 108, whereas in one season the medium-cycle cultivar Sahel 202 was much less damaged. When rice was exposed to both weeds and birds, the relative yield losses ranged from 80 to 99%. The yield reducing effect of weeds and birds was never additive. Bird visits to a weedy crop were more frequent compared to a weed-free crop at least in the early rice grain filling stages. This attraction of birds by weeds resulted in an additional yield loss in five of the six cases, ranging from 2 to 62%. Bird-inflicted yield losses in irrigated rice may be reduced by keeping the crop, as much as possible, free from weeds. (J. Rodenburg), m.demont@irri.org (M. Demont), a.sow@cgiar.org (A. Sow), i. dieng@cgiar.org (I. Dieng).

Different rice starch samples were obtained varying extraction solution, soaking temperature and length. Gelatinization properties were determined at different water concentrations by differential scanning calorimetry at constant heating rate, revealing no influence by the extraction parameters. Gelatinization kinetics were studied on starch extracted for 6 h with 0.2% NaOH, at 30°C with the aim of comparing some mathematical methods, in order to find whether this technique could be used to estimate the kinetic parameters. Activation energy and order of reaction were calculated at different water:starch ratios and heating rates, to partly simulate the wide variety of conditions for processes where starch gelatinization is involved. Water content influenced both gelatinization enthalpy and E a , while heating rate influenced the temperature. Non-isothermal DSC was able to characterize the gelatinization process only if the kinetics of the process were already known, since all the tested models well fitted experimental data but gave quite different values of E a .

Ageratum conyzoides L. (billy goat weed), showed strong inhibition on Raphanus sativus L. (radish) germination and growth in a bioassay. The leaves exhibited a greater suppression than the stem and root. The leaves of A. conyzoides applied at 2 t ha À1 reduced about 70% of the growth of Echinochloa crus-galli var. formosensis Ohwi. and completely inhibited emergence of Monochoria vaginalis (Burm.f. Persil var. plantaginea Solms.) and Aeschynomene indica L. in calcareous soil condition. Application of A. conyzoides leaves at 2 t ha À1 in a paddy field 2 d after transplanting caused about 75% paddy weed reduction and increased yield by 14% compared with a herbicide treatment. Three phenolic compounds were identified in the leaves, stem and root including gallic acid, coumalic acid, and protocatechuic acid, and catechin was found only in the stem. p-hydroxybenzoic acid was detected in both A. conyzoides leaves and stem. Three additional putative allelochemicals were found in the leaves consisting of p-coumaric acid, sinapic acid, and benzoic acid. The greater number of growth inhibitors found in the leaves might result in the stronger inhibitory activity than the stem and root. A. conyzoides might be a natural herbicide for weed control in paddy fields to reduce the dependence on synthetic herbicides. r

Bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi were isolated during natural coffee processing. Bacteria were isolated in greater numbers at the beginning of the fermentation, when the moisture of the coffee beans was around 68%. Gram-positive bacteria represented 85.5% of all bacteria isolated, and Bacillus was the predominant genus (51%). Gram-negative species of the genera Serratia, Enterobacter and Acinetobacter were also found. Approximately 22% of 940 randomly chosen isolates of microorganisms were yeasts. Debaryomyces (27%), Pichia (18.9%) and Candida (8.0%) were the most commonly found genera, and these three genera tended to appear more often as the fruit was fermented and dried. Aspergillus was the most abundant genus besides Penicillium, Fusarium and Cladosporium, with 42.6% of the total fungi isolates. The genera and species identified included members known to have pectinase and cellulase activities. Of the 10 organic acids analyzed and quantified in coffee beans, acetic and lactic acids may have been generated by microbial activity. Butyric acid was not detected in any sample. (R.F. Schwan).

Rice is the most consumed staple food in the world and a key crop for food security. Much of the world's rice is produced and consumed in Asia where cropping intensity is often greater than 100% (more than one crop per year), yet this intensity is not sufficiently represented in many land use products. Agricultural practices and investments vary by season due to the different challenges faced, such as drought, salinity, or flooding, and the different requirements such as varietal choice, water source, inputs, and crop establishment methods. Thus, spatial and temporal information on the seasonal extent of rice is an important input to decision making related to increased agricultural productivity and the sustainable use of limited natural resources. The goal of this study was to demonstrate that hyper temporal moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data can be used to map the spatial distribution of the seasonal rice crop extent and area. The study was conducted in Bangladesh where rice can be cropped once, twice, or three times a year. MODIS normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) maximum value composite (MVC) data at 500 m resolution along with seasonal field-plot information from year 2010 were used to map rice crop extent and area for three seasons, boro (December/January-April), aus (April/May-June/July), and aman (July/ August-November/December), in Bangladesh. A subset of the field-plot information was used to assess the pixel-level accuracy of the MODIS-derived rice area. Seasonal district-level rice area statistics were used to assess the accuracy of the rice area estimates. When compared to field-plot data, the maps of rice versus non-rice exceeded 90% accuracy in all three seasons and the accuracy of the five rice classes varied from 78% to 90% across the three seasons. On average, the MODIS-derived rice area estimates were 6% higher than the sub-national statistics during boro, 7% higher during aus, and 3% higher during the aman season. The MODIS-derived sub-national areas explained (R 2 values) 96%, 93%, and 96% of the variability at the district level for boro, aus, and aman seasons, respectively. The results demonstrated that the methods we applied for analysing and interpreting moderate spatial and high temporal resolution imagery can accurately capture the seasonal variability in rice crop extent and area. We discuss the robustness of the approach and highlight issues that must be addressed before similar methods are used across other areas of Asia where a mix of rainfed, irrigated, or supplemental irrigation permits single, double, and triple cropping in a single calendar year.

The force required for the initial transfer as a static friction. The objective of this research is to calculate the magnitude of the coefficient of static friction of the various types of rice which is the object of measurement, by measuring the static friction. The measurement results are the static frictional forces between red rice and wood for 6.281 N/cm 2 and 5.963 N/cm 2 for rubber. Measurement of static friction ordinary rice with wood 5.744 N/cm 2 and with a rubber 5.670 N/cm 2 . Measurement of static friction for white glutinous rice with the wood of 6.158 N/cm 2 and rubber at 6.037 N/cm 2 . Measurement of static friction for black glutinous rice with the wood amounted to 4.841 N/cm 2 and the rubber of 5.549 N/cm 2 .

Morphological variation of 16 rice accessions representing both traditional and improved varieties was assessed using 12 vegetative traits as described in International Rice Research Institute descriptor for rice, in sand medium using a Complete Randomized Design. The single linkage clustering, morphological dendrogram, multivariate analysis of variance and the Principal Components Analysis were performed to assess the traits. According to the cluster analysis, accessions 2840 and 10617 were the most closely associated among the varieties. Based on the variations associated with morphologically important vegetative traits, all the rice accessions were classified into three major groups as two traditional and one new improved variety groups. Existence of such clusters was validated by the Wilks' lambda statistics. The first four principle components explained over 80% of the total variation associated with the varieties. Among them the first two principle component cumulatively explained 54.46% of the total variation. Rice accessions 8920 and 2835 representing Bg360 and Bg 450, respectively showed the highest principle component 1scores. Traditional rice varieties showed the comparatively higher scores in both principle components 1 and 2 than newly improved varieties. This study indicated that measured vegetative agro-morphological traits were helpful for preliminary characterization of varieties and also they can be used as a broad-spectrum approach to assess morphological diversity among morphologically distinguishable rice accessions.

Le projet de nutrition et de sécurité alimentaire (SECALINE) du Madagascar et le projet communautaire de nutrition du Sénégal (PNC) ont été conçus pour éviter la malnutrition et pour réduire les taux existants de malnutrition parmi les enfants âgés de moins de 3 ans. Le premier projet est en exécution depuis juillet 1993 et le deuxième depuis mi-décembre 1995. Les deux projets ont beaucoup de similarités, en partie à cause de la forte implication politique, un engagement local efficace, et un personnel national très dévoué et dédié, et en partie du fait que le même personnel de la Banque mondiale avait été associé à leur conception. Les leçons tirées d'autres projets de nutrition ont été utilisées dans la conception de ces deux projets. Cependant, ces deux projets diffèrent également à bien des égards. L'analyse de ces projets pourrait donc être utile pour d'autres pays qui veulent diminuer les taux de malnutrition par une approche complètement préventive qui utilise des mécanismes de prestation des services non gouvernementaux.

Rural (ETSHER), 01 BP 594, Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso RÉ SUMÉ Les performances de trois petits périmètres irrigués des régions Centre et Centre-Est du Burkina Faso ont été analysées au niveau de la parcelle en utilisant deux indicateurs de performance: 1. L'approvisionnement relatif en eau ou relative water supply (RWS) pour évaluer l'adéquation entre l'offre ''irrigation et pluie'' et les besoins en eau de la culture; 2. La productivité de l'eau (P e) pour évaluer l'efficience d'utilisation de l'eau. Les résultats montrent que la valeur globale de RWS en riziculture de saison humide est élevée (1.3) à Gorgo, moyenne (1.04) à Mogtédo et faible (0.75) à Itenga. Quant à la productivité de l'eau, elle est assez élevée (0.88 kg m − 3) à Itenga; elle est moyenne (0.65 kg m − 3) à Mogtédo et faible (0.34 kg m − 3) à Gorgo. La relation entre l'approvisionnement relatif en eau et la productivité de l'eau montre qu'il serait possible d'économiser de l'eau sans entraîner une baisse significative des rendements. Par contre, aucune corrélation significative n'a pu être dégagée entre les valeurs de RWS et celles du rendement. Copyright

The application of crop processing models to macro-botanical assemblages has traditionally been used to interpret past husbandry practices and organisation of labour involved in crop-processing. Phytoliths offer an alternative method of analysis because they are durable in most environments, regardless of whether plant parts are charred, and the identification of plant types and plant parts allows them to be used in much the same way as macro-botanical remains. Indeed macro-remains and phytoliths are complementary datasets for examining the input of plant parts, such as crop-processing waste, into archaeological deposits. We outline crop-processing models in relation to macro-remains and then develop the framework for their application to archaeological phytolith assemblages. Rice and millet processing models are explored in relation to patterns expected in both macro-remains and phytoliths. The utility of these models is demonstrated with archaeological evidence from the site of Mahagara, an early farming site in North-Central India. The results indicate a way to employ phytoliths in archaeology which complements the fragmentary evidence available from plant macroremains.

Conserved non-coding sequences (CNS) are islands of non-coding sequence that, like protein coding exons, show less divergence in sequence between related species than functionless DNA. Several CNSs have been demonstrated experimentally to function as cis-regulatory regions. However, the specific functions of most CNSs remain unknown. Previous searches for CNS in plants have either anchored on exons and only identified nearby sequences or required years of painstaking manual annotation. Here we present an open source tool that can accurately identify CNSs between any two related species with sequenced genomes, including both those immediately adjacent to exons and distal sequences separated by &gt;12 kb of non-coding sequence. We have used this tool to characterize new motifs, associate CNSs with additional functions, and identify previously undetected genes encoding RNA and protein in the genomes of five grass species. We provide a list of 15,363 orthologous CNSs conserved across al...

Combination of organic and inorganic sources of nutrients is necessary for sustainable agriculture that can ensure food production with high quality. In order to study the effect of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers on the growth and yield components in rice, an experiment was carried out during December 2013 to June 2014, in randomized block design based on 3 replications. The treatments of vermicompost were given in 4 levels (0.0, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 t ha-1) and 4 levels of chemical fertilizers (0-0-0-0, 50-8-33-6, 100-16-66-12 and 150-24-99-18 kg N, P, K and S ha-1 , respectively). Different levels of vermicompost and NPKS fertilizers showed significant effect on growth, yield and yield contributing characters of BRRI dhan29. Results showed that application of medium level of chemical fertilizer with 4 t ha-1 vermicompost gave the maximum yield. It was observed that over dose of NPKS fertilizers from chemical source decreased rice yield. Results also revealed that the highest pl...

In rice-consuming countries, specific varieties are recognized as premium, “gold standard” varieties, while others are recognized as being superior but second best, despite being identical using the current suite of tools to evaluate quality. The objectives of this study were to determine if there are distinguishable differences in sensory properties of premium and second best varieties and whether these differences are common to premium varieties. Color, an important sensory property, was determined on the raw and cooked rice using a colorimeter. As raw rice, some of the premium varieties were whiter than their second best counterparts while others were not. However, when cooked, with two exceptions, the premium varieties were of the same or greater whiteness than their counterparts. A trained sensory panel employed descriptive sensory analysis, an objective tool, to characterize and analytically measure the flavor (aromatics, taste, mouthfeel) and texture of premium and second best varieties collected from nine rice-consuming countries. Sweet taste, popcorn aroma/flavor, and water-like metallic mouthfeel showed significant differences in intensity between the premium–second best variety pairs. Slickness, roughness, and springiness were the major traits that distinguished the texture of varieties. Quality evaluation programs do not routinely measure these texture and flavor traits, but the fact that they distinguished the varieties in most pairs indicates that their measurement should be added to the suite of grain quality tests in the development of new higher-yielding, stress-tolerant varieties. The incorporation of premium quality will ensure that quality is no impediment to widespread adoption leading to enhanced productivity and food security.

Rice flour is a starchy material with low-cost, because it can be produced from rice that is broken during processing. The aim of this study was to develop biodegradable films based on rice starch and rice flour, and to characterize their physicochemical, microscopic and mechanical properties. Films from rice starch and rice flour were prepared by casting, with glycerol or sorbitol as plasticizer. SEM analysis of starch and flour films revealed compact structures. Rice flour films prepared in the present work have similar mechanical properties to those of starch based films. However, their water vapor permeabilities are two times higher than those of starch based films. Films with sorbitol were less permeable to water and more rigid, while films with glycerol are more plasticized and have poorer water vapor barrier properties. Therefore, preparing edible films from rice flour is a new alternative for using this raw material, which is sometimes much cheaper than commercial starches.

This research aimed to determine optimum extraction condition of black glutinous rice crude extract and to determine its application as an antioxidant in fish oil enriched mayonnaise. Black glutinous rice flour was extracted twice with 70:30 acetone-water mixture (v/v) at pH 2 and 6.8 for 2, 4 and 8 h of total extraction times. Total phenolic content (TPC), total monomeric anthocyanin content (TMA) and antioxidant activities as determined by ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity assays of the crude extracts were measured. The extraction with pH 6.8 solvent for 4 h yielded the crude extract with significantly highest antioxidant activities analyzed by both FRAP and DPPH tests (p 0.05) although its TPC and TMA were not greatest. The freeze-dried extract from this condition was then added into fish oil enriched mayonnaise at 500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg (oil weight basis). Conjugated diene hydroperoxides (CDH), thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARs) and color in CIELAB system of the mayonnaise samples stored at 30 C were determined up to 30 days. The samples contained 1000 mg/kg crude extract had lowest rate of CDH and TBARs increase but had greatest extent of color deterioration, possibly due to anthocyanin degradation and Maillard reaction.

Globally, India ranks second in terms of area planted under rice (Oryza sativa) and its production as well. Potential to yield is dented due to a lack of inbuilt resistance to different biotic stresses as discernible in ~1000 rice cultivars across the country. Farmers usually rely on applying pesticides that result in several environmental adversities apart from rejection of export consignments due to the presence of chemical residue in grains. Yield losses due to pests of rice in tropical Asia range 25-43%. There is a need to explore alternative integrated input-based management options for judicious use of chemicals with optimal combinations of non-chemical interventions to improve productivity and profitability of rice culture. Field trials were conducted in split-split plot design at Chinsurah, West Bengal during three consecutive rainy (kharif) seasons (2013-15) in transplanted rice. The exploratory objectives were to assess different interventions for alleviating crop biotic stresses and obtaining precise estimate of grain yield as well as economic advantages, and to devise a cost-effective recommendation on need-based integrated pest management (IPM) in transplanted rice. Green manuring with 45-day old Sesbania crop showed a significant (P < 0.05) reduction in infestation of leaf folder, stem borer, sheath rot, sheath blight, false smut, brown spot and bacterial leaf blight of rice compared to control. Both the herbicide (pretilachlor)-treated and green (Sesbania)-manured plots displayed a significant (P < 0.05) suppression of weeds. The diseases (sheath rot, sheath blight, brown spot) of rice were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced by all the treatments targeted for better crop management as evidenced from the sub-sub plots. Rice diseases were best managed by seed treatment with carbendazim 50% WP @ 1.0 g a.i./kg seed, and the effect was more pronounced when the crop was green manured. Significantly (P < 0.05) higher grain yield of rice was recorded with Sesbania manuring, which was as good (P < 0.05) as pre-emergence application of pretilachlor. The herbicide application provided the highest (2.03) incremental benefit-cost ratio (IBCR) among the main plot treatments. Seed treatment with carbendazim followed by (fb) seed bed application of Pseudomonas fluorescens in combination with green manuring prior to rice transplanting in main field fb sequential sprays of chlorantraniliprole 0.4% GR (20 DAT), chlorantraniliprole 18.5% SC (40 DAT) and validamycin 3% L (50 DAT) on the standing crop provided the highest (5656 kg/ha) grain yield with a lower (2.02) IBCR. Contrastingly, only seed treatment with carbendazim recorded the highest (73.85) IBCR. Lower pest incidence and higher grain yields did not fetch greater economic return as apparent from the current investigation. Considering quantifiable and economic impact of inputs, their need-based usage would be a cost-effective proposition to take care of dominant pests in transplanted rice. No comprehensive investigation made such a target-based IPM of most influential crop pests of rice for realizing higher productivity and profitability.

Bagasse, corn cob, and rice straw agricultural wastes were found to consist of 37, 39 and 34% cellulose and 24, 41 and 22% hemicellulose, respectively, on a dry solid (w/w) basis and thus have the potential to serve as a low cost foodstock for ethanol production. Hydrolysates produced by dilute-acid pretreatment followed by cellulase digestion were evaluated as substrates for ethanol fermentation bySaccharomyces cerevisiae. After pretreatment by 141 mM sulphuric acid, bagasse waste released glucose (134 mg/g) at a higher level than that from corn cob (75 mg/g) and rice straw (8 mg/g). Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) levels derived from acid pretreatment of bagasse (1.5 g/l), but not corn cob (0.8 g/l) or rice straw (0.1 g/l) attained levels likely to be toxic (1.5 g/l) forS. cerevisiae growth and ethanol fermentation rates. All three agricultural wastes released likely non-toxic levels of furfural (<0.5 g/l) and lactic acid (negligible for bagasse and rice straw and 0.7 g/l for corn cob). After cellulase saccharification of the dilute-acid pretreated agricultural wastes, the glucose content of corn cob hydrolysates (13 ± 0.17 g/l) was marginally higher than that of bagasse (12 ±0.27 g/l) or rice straw (11 ± 0.07 g/l), yet the ethanol conversion yield byS. cerevisiae on corn cob hydrolysate (0.45 ± 0.006 g/g) was lower than that attained with bagasse hydrolysate (0.49 ± 0.007 g/g). Synergistic adverse effects between furfural and HMF with weak acids, or other lignin derived products in the corn cob hydrolysate are proposed as the effective inhibitor (s) for ethanol fermentation byS. cerevisiae.

In Mekong Delta, viral infection, including white spot syndrome virus (WSSV), monodon baculovirus (MBV), heptopancreatic parvovirus (HPV), infectious hypodermal and hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHHNV) and gill-associated nidovirus (GAV) frequently infect cultured shrimp starting at the postlarvae stage. These viral infections cause high mortality of shrimp and affect the farmer's income. Previous studies mainly focused on the detection, transmission and genetic variation of the pathogens, but few studied the correlation between disease occurrence and other factors, including pond conditions, culture technique and management. Three studies analysed the association of culture factors with the WSSV disease incidence determining risk and potential protective factors in freshwater rice-shrimp systems, and brackish water polyculture and monoculture of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon). Studies on the risk and protective factors in the odd of viral diseases in rice-shrimp rotation were lacking, while in 2011 the Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS)/Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Syndrome (AHPNS) caused the great losses of cultured shrimp in Mekong Delta. This study was carried out to describe the culture status of shrimp in Mekong Delta and to identify the risk and/or protective factors that related to disease incidences in black tiger shrimp cultured in 2011. Through interviews, 58 variables collected from 191 farmers (64: rice-shrimp rotation and 127: intensive system) in Soc Trang and Bac Lieu Provinces, Viet Nam. The data were analysed in two steps of variable reduction to increase model stability and binary logistic regression to identify the risk and/or protective factors. The results showed that the risk factors were pond size (entire dataset, rice-shrimp rotation and intensive culture), settling pond (entire dataset), period of pond dry (entire dataset), stocking density first (rice-shrimp rotation), and stocking density second (rice-shrimp rotation). The potential protective factors were the mode of water intake (entire dataset), water level (entire dataset and rice-shrimp rotation), water quality parameters before stocking (entire dataset), and fry test (rice-shrimp rotation).

Background: Somalis comprise one of the largest asylum seeking populations in the UK, yet very little is known about how this migration has affected traditional attitudes towards food or eating habits. The present study was commissioned to examine the health behaviours (smoking, diet and exercise) of a Somali population in London; the study focuses on the dietary beliefs and selfreported eating behaviours of these subjects. Methods: Because of the documented difficulty of engaging black and minority ethnic groups in research, a mixed methodology was used, involving focus groups to elicit specific dietary themes and a questionnaire survey to attempt to quantify community concordance with these themes. Eight focus groups were held in London in 2006; there were two women's and six men's groups, with 62 participants in total. The questionnaire was developed following analysis of the focus group discussions and opportunistically distributed via local Somali community organisations (77 respondents). Results: The typical diet of focus group participants largely consisted of rice, pasta and red meat. There was low consumption of fruit and vegetables reported among the focus group participants: of survey respondents 97% reported eating less than two pieces of fruit, and 92% less than two portions of vegetables, a day. Conclusions: Fruit and vegetable consumption was low and there was uncertainty about what constituted a healthy diet and a stated desire for education around this. Cultural factors such as the traditional Somali diet, social associations of food and lack of appropriate information are issues that need to be addressed.

In order to study the combined effect of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers on the nutrient content in grain, straw and post harvest soil of boro rice cv. BRRI dhan29, a field experiment was conducted in December, 2013 to June, 2014 at Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Sixteen combinations of 4 vermicompost level @ 0, 1, 2, 4 t/ha and 4 NPKS levels i.e. 0-0-0-0, 50-8-33-6, 100-16-66-12, 1 150-24-99-18 kg/ha , respectively were applied in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Results showed that the highest dose of vermicompost and chemical fertilizer increased the concentration of P, K and S by rice grain and straw significantly at the harvesting stage. Combined application of vermicompost and chemical fertilizer failed to increase the total N content of post-harvest soil. Combination of vermicompost and chemical fertilizers also increased the organic matter, P, K and S status of post harvest soil significantly.

Knowledge on the lipid compositions of tropical freshwater aquatic animals is limited despite their importance in the human diet and the health-related benefits of fish lipids. This study examines the lipid content and fatty acid composition from the edible muscle tissue of some common freshwater aquatic animals that inhabit rice fields in Thailand, namely snakehead (Channa striatus), Gunther&#39;s walking catfish (Clarias macrocephalus), climbing perch (Anabas testudineus), blackline rasbora (Rasbora borapetensis), swamp barb (Puntius brevis), and freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense). All specimens were low in muscle fat (≤1.1% of wet weight). There was considerable variation in the fatty acid composition between species. All species were good sources of the essential fatty acids, and particularly of C22:6n-3 (5.2–13.3% total FA) and C20:4n-6 (7.2–14.6% total FA), signifying their high nutritional quality for human nutrition. The findings indicate that strategies for rural d...

Because of the relatively flat topography of Northern Iran consolidated paddy fields and inadequate natural drainage facilities, these lands are usually confronted with waterlogging due to periodic excess of water from rainfall during the wet months. The productivity of these areas could be greatly increased if their drainage problems were solved by subsurface drainage. Subsurface drainage may also facilitate the mid-season drainage (MSD), one of the water management methods during the rice growing season. A drainage pilot consisting of surface and subsurface drainage with different drain depths and spacings was designed at Sari Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University, Iran, to explore the effect of different drainage systems on the productivity of paddy fields. Rice cultivation was carried out during two cropping seasons, 2011 and 2012. In 2011, after rice harvest, canola seed was cultivated in the subsurface drained area. For MSD, the fields were drained 25 days after rice transplanting and remained drained for 7 days. Randomized complete block design was used to find the effect of drainage on crops. The implementation of MSD through subsurface drainage, significantly increased yield, yield components and growth parameters of rice. Rice yield of the subsurface drained area was approximately 1.22-1.66 and 1.32-1.7 times higher than that of the surface drained area in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Subsurface drainage provided better condition for canola cropping while, because of waterlogging, it was not possible under surface drainage. An economic analysis showed that the cost of installing subsurface drainage systems was readily justified by annual increased rice and canola yields. Based on the results, the introduction of the subsurface drainage resulted in an increase in both crop yield and cropping intensity in the study area.

Experiences in the implementation of the Philippine government’s Hybrid Rice Commercialization Program (HRCP) showed that storing rice seeds under a hermetic (gas tight) condition using an imported flexible plastic-lined container can effectively prevent storage pest infestation as well as protect the seeds from the quality-deteriorating effect of high humidity during rainy season. However, the available technology is expensive thus limiting its adoption by the local rice seed producers (RSPs). Hence, this study was conducted to develop a low cost alternative hermetic seed storage technology which can easily be mass fabricated locally. A prototype of a hermetic seed storage container (HSSC), equipped with a simple zipping mechanism, was developed and tested to evaluate its performance in comparison with the other seed storage practices/technologies. Results of the three one-year storage trials showed that the HSSC performed consistently and significantly better than the conventional practice (open-piled bags under ambient condition) and comparably with the imported hermetic container (IHC) in maintaining the viability and vigor of the stored rice seeds (hybrid and inbred varieties) as well as in preventing storage pest infestation.

Rice-prawn gher (RPG) farming system is an indigenous agricultural technology solely developed by farmers since mid 1980s. The present study aims to estimate the land productivity of modern varieties (MV) paddy production under RPG and (year-round modern varieties) YRMV paddy farming systems in the southwest Bangladesh. The RPG farming system has significant impacts on inputs used in MV boro paddy production. The findings of the study indicate that more chemical fertilizers were used in per ha MV boro paddy production under YRMV paddy farming in comparison with RPG farming. Similarly, per ha cost of irrigation, pesticides and land preparation were also higher in MV boro paddy production under YRMV paddy farming system compared to RPG farming system. The inputs usage for MV boro paddy production under two farming systems showed statistically significant difference with each others. Although fewer inputs were being used in MV boro paddy production under RPG farming system, yield was h...