Biological World

     Mangrove ecosystem is a unique, fragile & a highly productive ecosystem in the sea- land interface zone, is the conglomeration of various distinct keystone species of plants, animals and microorganisms acclimatised in the fluctuating environment of tropical intertidal zone. This ecosystem is a highly valued ecosystem in terms of economy, environment and ecology. Mangrove ecosystem ofSundarbans India falls between 21032’ – 22040’ north and between 88085’ – 89000’ longitudes & latitudes respectively, in the vast delta system formed by the confluence of the Ganga, Brahmaputra & the Meghna(in Bangladesh) rivers . These wetlands are spread over an area of 10,000 sq. km with 4,000 sq. km falling on the Indian side.Notably, mangroves are a transition from the marine to freshwater & terrestrial ecosystems. If you are wondering about the uniqueness of this region then here it!This particular area is home to the illustrious Irrawaddy Dolphins, Northern river Te...

  Anthracnose Disease of some Vegetables &Fruits Anthracnose of Strawberry: Anthracnose has been a very major problem on Strawberry plant when they face winter and spring rains.Anthracnose on strawberry is primarily caused by Colletotrichum acutatum , though the plant is also host to an additional species C. acutatum . Colletotrichum acutatum is not a true soil inhabitant and cannot survive in the soil indefinitely.Studies show that this pathogen, under can remain viable in the soil for about 9 months without a strawberry host.This pathogen is rather unique in that it can infect virtually all parts of the strawberry plant, though some infections are more important than other pathogen. However both the pathogen cause more or less same symptomps.Almost all symptoms on above ­ground parts of plants consist of dark, elongated lesions.Warm weather and wet field condition such lesions contain orange masses of the pathogen's spores.For below-­ground parts, symptoms consist of dec...

The structure and function of agriculture ecosystem is largely supported by an array of biological diversity. Biodiversity is the basis of agriculture and our food systems. It has enabled farming systems to evolve since the origin of agriculture about 10,000 years ago. is not just a subset of biodiversity but represents an extension of it so as to embrace units (such as cultivars, pure lines, breeds and strains) and habitats (agro-ecosystems such as farmers’ fields and fisheries) that are not normally considered or even accepted by some conservation biologists as properly part of biological diversity. It includes all those species (including crop wild relatives) and the crop varieties, animal breeds, races and microorganism strains that are used directly or indirectly for food and agriculture, both as human nutrition and as feed (including grazing) for domesticated and semi-domesticated animals and the range of environments in which agriculture is practiced. Agricultural biodiversity a...

  Ecosystem services of faunal diversity towards agriculture production system Like plant diversity, various common fauna species associated with and around agro ecosystem contribute in unique ways for food production. One of such actions is pollination which is performed in approximately 80% of angiosperms by many animals and insects, which amounts to about 300,000 flower-visiting species. More than half of plant species are self-incompatible or dioecious and completely dependent on biotic pollination. Pollinators help maintain the diversity of ecosystems by facilitating the reproduction of many plant species. Examples of pollinators include flies, moths and butterflies (Lepidoptera), wasps, beetles, bats, sun bird, sugar bird, hummingbirds, Pteropodid bats, but bees (Apidae) are the principal agents of crop pollination. Several thousand species of bees and other pollinating insects are essential agents for the production of many crops especially most major fruit and nut crops, ma...

Most Common Cereals and Their Uses Cereals are the most important source of plant food to the human since since earliest time.The ancient civilizations were also dependent on several cereals. During their long period of cultivation their actual wild ancestors have been lost sight of, and countless new speciesand varieties have been evolved.In botanical literature cereals includes all the members of family Poaceae possessing the characterisiic fruit, Caryopsis. In this fruit the wall of the seed becomes fused with the ripening ovary wall to form the husk.The inseparable seed and ripening ovary wall is collectively known as “Grain”.Cereals are famous for nutritive values.These are the rich sources of carbohydrates,proteins,oils and vitamins. Cereals are widely used as principal food for almost all regions due to several reasons, viz., One or few of these cereals are available for each kind of climate; they also have a wide range of soil and moisture requirements; A little amount of l...

          Various methods of gene delivery to a potential transgenic plant        The uptake of foreign DNA or transgenes by plant cell is called transformation. A variety of techniques have been used to introduce transgene into plant cell. This can be grouped into following two major categories:-        a)  Agrobacterium  mediated gene transfer.        b) Direct gene transfer. a)  Agrobacterium  mediated gene transfer :-        The gene transfer through  Agrobacterium  is achieved in the two ways –        (i) Co culture with tissue explants        (ii) In plant a transformation        In the 1 st  method  Agrobacterium  is co cellular with tissue explants (generally leaf discs). The transgene is delivered by this bacterium into the explants cell with the help of acetosyringone. T...

  Origin and Evolution in Sex of algae Sexual reproduction is characterised by the fusion of two similar or dissimilar cells. This is a sign of relatively advanced stage in evolution. Sex is not an obvious in the lower plants (like algae) as it is in higher plants. But in any way the study of reproductive processes of various classes of Algae throws considerable light on the origin and evolution of sex in the branch of plants like Algae.   Origin of Sex: Most primitive algae the cyanophyceae (Myxophyceae) reproduce only the method of asexual and vegetative reproduction. Sexual reproduction is entirely absent in their case. In forms like Nostoc and oscillatoria, it takes place by means of hormogones in which the plant body breaks up into group of few cells. In class xanthophyceae, chrysophyceae, cryptophyceae and dinopphyceae, sexuality is rare and has not much evolved beyond the stage of isogamy.   In higher classes of algae reproduction takes place by vegetative,...