Jupiter L. Grospe, Evaristo A. Abella, and Norvie L. Manigbas Dular, a rice variety that is tolerant to high temperature, usually has low yield potential and undesirable traits. Due to its diverse genetic background, however, Dular in combination with a highyielding and improved rice variety such as NSIC Rc150, (Tubigan 9) which yields 8.5 t ha-1, can produce new high-temperature tolerant rice genotypes with high yield potential and suitable for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis. To identify QTL for high-temperature tolerance in rice, the BC2F4 lines derived from NSIC Rc150 x Dular were grown in a glasshouse during the 2014 dry season. The temperature reached 39.88 °C ± 0.17 (min. 29.84 ± 0.14) during heading and maturity stage. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used to evaluate phenotypic traits associated with fertility. Heading days, time of flowering, and dehiscent high-temperature were found to be associated with spikelet fertility. A total o...

Noor Muhammad, Hakim, Umar Masood Quraishi, Hassan Javed Chaudhary, and Muhammad Farooq Hussain Munis Impact of foliar application of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) was studied to induce drought tolerance in commercially important wheat cultivars. Four hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars viz. Aari, Baras, Sahar and Aas were grown under controlled conditions. Plants were subjected to drought stress 14 d after germination. After 21 d, 80 ppm solution of IAA was used for foliar application. Sugar and proline contents increased due to drought stress in all four wheat cultivars. Exogenous application of IAA had a varying effect on sugar and proline contents. Protein content, abiotic tolerance index (ATI) and stress tolerance index (STI) showed variation among different varieties under drought stress conditions and after IAA foliar application. Under drought conditions, relative water content (RWC) and fresh weight of wheat seedlings decreased significantly, which were recovered ...

Syeda Sana Aamir, Mirza Muhammad Qadeer Baig, Touqeer Ahmad, Abdul Ghafoor, Ishfaq Ahmad Hafiz, Nadeem Akhtar Abbasi, Irfan Ali, and Mehwish Yaseen Rose, a valuable flowering ornamental around the world, is used as cut flower, indoor potted plant, in landscape, and for the extraction of essential oil. The rose varieties Rosa borboniana, Rosa centifolia and Rosa gruss-an-teplitz are tall but have small flower size, which is not a desirable character as the essential oil content is dependent on flower size. To improve this trait in these rose varieties, R. borboniana, R. centifolia and R. gruss-an-teplitz were treated with different doses of gamma radiation and colchicine. Surviving mutant lines were evaluated for genetic diversity from their parents using morphological and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Remarkable variability was noticed for different morphological traits among the putative mutants. Maximum plant height and flower diameter was found in mutants of R. centifolia...

Adel D. Al-Qurashi and Mohamed A. Awad The study evaluated the effect of postharvest UV-C radiation at 0.9, 2.8 and 4.9 kJ m-2 on quality, antioxidant capacity, antioxidant compounds and enzyme activities of ‘El-Bayadi’ table grapes after 30 d of storage at 0 °C ± 1 and 90–95% relative humidity (RH) plus 2 d of shelf life at 20 °C ± 2 and 60–70% RH. UV-C radiation decreased decay and increased total soluble solids (TSS) concentration, while acidity, pH and firmness were not affected compared with the control treatment. UV-C treated grapes retained higher total phenols, total flavonoids and vitamin C concentration. Peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activities were higher in response to UV-C radiation, especially at 4.9 kJ m-2. However, polygalacturonase and xylanase activities were lower, especially at 2.8 and 4.9 kJ m-2 of UV-C radiation, compared with the control. Antioxidant capacity measured by both 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6 ...

Anai Zavala-Franco, Héctor E. Martínez-Flores, Alma Vázquez-Durán, and Abraham Méndez-Albores The fate of aflatoxins was studied during nixtamalization by using two tortilla making processes. Maize contaminated with two aflatoxin contents (AC) [AC1=173 ng g-1 and AC2=370 ng g-1] was processed by the traditional (TNP) as well as an innovative nixtamalization procedure based on infrared heating (IRNP). In the case of tortillas from TNP, the aflatoxin contents were 17 ng g-1 and 61 ng g-1, achieved higher degradation rates of 90% and 84%, corresponding to AC1 and AC2, respectively. In contrast, in tortillas obtained from IRNP, the aflatoxin contents were 50 ng g-1 and 100 ng g-1, with degradation rates of 71% and 73%, respectively. Acidification of extracts prior to mycotoxin quantification did not result in a rebuilding of the aflatoxin structure; on the contrary, an extra reduction in the aflatoxin content was observed, up to 15% and up to 25% in tortillas produced with TNP and IRNP,...

Zhongquan Sui, Tianming Yao, Jinfeng Zhong, Yuxi Li, Xiangli Kong, and Lianzhong Ai Changes in the properties of wheat flour after ozonation treatment as a function of exposure time were investigated. Wheat flours were treated by 20 mg SL-1 gaseous ozone for 15 s, 30 s, 1 min, 2 min, 5 min, 10 min, 20 min and 30 min. Ozonation treatment improved the pasting properties, texture properties and solvent retention capacity of wheat flour. Lipid component of wheat flour and the chemical components connectivity of protein were affected to different degrees as a function of exposure time. Results of the study showed that ozone-treated wheat flour could be used to improve the quality of high ratio cakes.

Jessa Marie M. Mojica, Mikel Angelo B. Yap, Haerold Dean Z. Layaoen, Rossana Marie C. Amongo, Angelo C. Ani, and Josefa Angelie D. Revilla The hand tractor is one of the major farm machineries used by Filipino farmers. It exposes farmers to excessive hand-arm vibration (21.09 m s-2 at 2400 rpm), which may lead to disabling diseases if not controlled or reduced. This study evaluated the effectiveness of changing the design of the handlebar structure of the locally made hand tractor to reduce vibration transmitted to operators during idling operation of the tractor. The actual vibration during idling operation of the hand tractor was measured based on the standards set by ISO 5349:2001. Using the results of the study by Bureerat and Kanyakam (2007) as basis for the improvement of the handlebar design, the principles set by the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standards (PAES), and the engineering design process, an improved handlebar design was fabricated. The alterations made on t...

Cherry L. Ringor and Fernando P. Siringan Pampanga Bay receives 50% of the total annual freshwater budget of Manila Bay and has the largest river sediment input. The supply of high loads of sediments has significant implications on the aquatic productivity, coastal evolution and contaminant dispersal in the bay. Sediment dispersal patterns were determined using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imageries, trends of grain size parameters, and water depth changes. Satellite data showed a west-southwest and southward alongshore transport of suspended sediments. Transport of bottom sediments is defined by the analysis of grain size trends, showing seaward trending vectors in shallow waters (~5 m depths) and landward trending vectors in deeper waters, which indicate that sediments deposited in the offshore region are further reworked predominantly northward toward the middle part of the bay. This transport pattern is further supported by bathymetric changes over a period of 13 yr. The central...

Zafar Iqbal Khan, Kafeel Ahmad, Iqra Ashraf, Ameer Khan, Asia Fardous, Muhammad Sher, Nudrat Aisha Akram, Muhammad Ashraf, Zafar Hayat, Vito Laudadio, Vincenzo Tufarelli, Abrar Hussain, Faheem Arshad, and Eugenio Cazzato The study determined the mineral excesses and deficiencies for grazing livestock, and analyzed the heavy metal content and bioaccumulation of certain trace elements to assess the health risk in ruminants from consumption of forage irrigated with either sewage or canal water. The transfer of chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) from soil to forage and to animals was evaluated. Samples of soil, forage and buffalo hair were collected and analyzed. Data showed that heavy metal concentrations were higher in forage irrigated with sewage water compared with forage irrigated with canal water. Among the heavy metals investigated, Cr had the highest concentration followed by Pb whereas Ni and Cd were found in lower concentrations. The highest mineral transfe...

Filomena C. Sta. Cruz, Glenrose B. Belen and April N. Alviar Diagnosis based on symptoms does not clearly distinguish diseases of abaca caused by mixed infections of different viruses causing bunchy top and mosaic diseases. Reliable diagnosis requires more sensitive serological and molecular detection methods. Thus, the occurrence of mixed bunchy top and mosaic virus infections in two abaca-growing areas in the Philippines was determined through serological and molecular virus detection. Abaca leaf samples collected from seven locations in the Bicol and Eastern Visayas regions were analyzed for the presence of Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV), Banana bract mosaic virus (BBrMV), Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV). Serological detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of samples from all locations revealed the presence of BBTV, BBrMV, SCMV and CMV. BBTV, BBrMV, SCMV and CMV were detected in 92%, 71%, 62% and 26%, respectively, of samples from the ...