ICAR-CIBA successfully sequences genome of goldlined seabream
Being a euryhaline species, the goldlined seabream has strong potential for farming across a wide range of salinities and can be cultivated under various production systems, including ponds and cages. 'It is distinguished by its characteristic golden stripes and is prized for its premium-quality white meat. It is considered a promising candidate for expanding India's aquaculture sector,' a CIBA press release said.
The availability of this high-quality, reference-level genome is a significant achievement that advances the overall understanding of the species. It paves the way for future research into biological characteristics, selective breeding programmes, broodstock management, ecological interactions, and adaptive evolution.
Kuldeep K. Lal, Director of ICAR-CIBA, said the goldlined seabream's sequenced genome would provide valuable insights into its growth potential, reproductive biology, and metabolism. This resource is expected to support future efforts in the genetic improvement and breeding of the species, refining aquaculture methodologies to enhance both productivity and sustainability.
The project was led by M.S. Shekhar, head of department and principal scientist. Other members of the team include Vinaya Kumar Katneni, Ashok Kumar Jangam, Raymond, and Kuldeep K. Lal.
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The Hindu
5 hours ago
- The Hindu
Servants of Knowledge presents digital libraries to science, educational institutions in Bengaluru
Servants of Knowledge, a non-profit organisation working towards creating free and universal access to public data, has gifted offline digital library archives for research and education to two institutions in Bengaluru. SoK representatives presented the archives to Arvind Narrain, secretary RBANM Trust, and scientists at the Science Gallery, Bengaluru, at two different events earlier this week. These facilities are in a ready-to-use mode, and will be maintained and updated by the SoK. SoK founder Carl Malamud, co-founders Omshivaprakash H.L., Sushant Sinha, and Lawrence Liang of Dr. Ambedkar university, New Delhi, and others were present at the events. 'The library curated for the Science Gallery has science books in English, Kannada, Tamil and other languages, collected from various sources. It has additional material in different languages for educational and research,' said Mr. Omshivaprakash. It has digitised copies of around 20,000 books. All of them are searchable in Optical Character Recognition format. The library created for RBANM has the over 12,000 books that were digitised from the libraries of various educational institutions run by the RBANM Trust and other materials. This includes materials for pedagogy, online and offline teaching and practical training. It has children's books, text books and other books and educational material that can be used by school, pre-university and degree college students, he informed. 'All such efforts are aimed not only at helping these institutions aid better educational delivery, but also to engage them in protecting and preserving knowledge and archiving it, and making it easily accessible to the general public,' said Mr. Malamud. Mr. Narrain said the Trust would encourage its students to utilise the facilities not only for their regular studies and projects, but also to take up research in multi-disciplinary studies, and other areas. He said the Trust library will be utilised to provide access to books and magazines to students, researchers and the general public in phases. SoK has put up over seven lakh pages of Indian gazettes and over six lakh books in Indian languages and English online. Their facility in the Gandhi Bhavan in Bengaluru has the capacity to digitise over 15 lakh pages every month. 'We are making progress. However, it is not easy, due to technical issues and fund raising delays,' said Mr. Malamud. 'Our motto is to provide free and universal access to knowledge, in all languages. We are working towards facilitating free, open access to knowledge, through online and offline resources,' he said. SoK has digitised over 33,000 books of the National Law School India University, and the complete library of Indian Academy of Sciences. Work on digitisation of libraries in Azim Premji University, Hampi Kannada University, Karnataka Sanskrit University, and other institutions is nearly complete. 'The books were digitised and made searchable through Optical Character Recognition technology. The digitisation project in the Gandhi Bhavan is complete with over 11,000 books in multiple languages archived. The group has completed digitisation of over 70,000 science books in the Lalbagh library, and other places. Books on Indian languages, art forms, and children's literature and Assam Theatre archives, have been digitised in the last few months,' he said.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
Leafhopper outbreak threatens cotton crop in region
1 2 Bathinda: The South Asia Biotechnology Centre, a scientific organisation, has revealed an infestation of green leafhoppers (jassid), commonly known as 'hara tela', on cotton across major cotton-growing districts of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. The impact is notable in Mansa, Bathinda, and Fazilka in Punjab, Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa in Haryana, and Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. SABC observed the outbreak during a field survey conducted under Project Bandhan by the Jodhpur-based centre, which has its research and development centre at Sirsa. The field team, led by Dilip Monga, Bhagirath Choudhary, Naresh, Deepak Jakhar, and KS Bhardwaj, reported infestation levels of 12-15 leafhoppers per leaf, significantly above the Economic Threshold Level (ETL). The field survey also reported cotton leaf injuries exceeding ETL based on the damage grading system. For the past three consecutive weeks, green leafhopper (jassid) populations exceeded ETL, triggering yellowing of leaf margins and downward curling, classic symptoms of jassid attack. The outbreak is attributed to a confluence of weather conditions, including above-average rainfall, an increased number of rainy days, persistent humidity, and cloud cover, all of which created ideal conditions for jassid proliferation. Fields were graded 3 to 4 based on the ICAR-CICR infestation scale, indicating severe to extreme damage. "The leafhopper infestation emerged at a time when the overall conditions are significantly better than the past three to four years. The crop appears robust across the northern region, except in late-sown areas of Sri Ganganagar, where irrigation was unavailable during the sowing period," stated Bhagirath Choudhary, director of the South Asia Biotechnology Centre's High-Tech R&D Station, Sirsa. Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida), commonly referred to as the Indian cotton jassid or 'hara tela', is a season-long sucking pest of cotton. Leafhopper adults are very active, pale green in colour, measuring about 3.5mm in length with two distinct black spots on forewings and vertex, readily identified by their characteristic diagonal movement on the leaves, hence referred to as 'leafhoppers'. The population of leafhoppers occurs throughout the season but attains pest status during July-August. Up to 11 generations per season have been estimated to occur on cotton. Both nymphs and adults of leafhoppers suck the cell sap from the cotton tissue and inject toxins, causing the 'hopper burn' symptom, characterised by yellowing, browning, and drying of leaves. The affected leaves show crinkling and curling symptoms, and in extreme situations, result in reduced photosynthetic activity, browning, and drying of leaves, which can considerably hamper the productivity of the cotton, leading to yield losses of up to 30% if unmanaged. Leafhopper ≥5 plants showing damage grade II/III/IV, grade II shows minor crinkling, curling, and yellowing in lower leaves, grade III is observed with leaf crinkling, curling, and crinkling across the plant; stunted growth, grade IV with severe bronzing, crinkling, curling, and drying of leaves. If ≥5 plants per 20 sampled show grade II or above damage, immediate action is necessary, said Research Scientist Deepak Jakhar. However, PAU Scientist Paramjit Singh said there is no alarming situation as the leafhopper is only slightly above ETL. The survey team noted that failure to control this green leafhopper infestation promptly could lead to damage to the cotton crop in the coming days. Farmers must remain alert and take immediate action to manage the pest effectively to avoid potential yield losses. SABC has urged cotton farmers to adopt science-backed measures to effectively manage and control the growing menace of green leafhoppers (jassids), such as regular field monitoring, accurate pest identification, and assessing infestation severity. It has been recommended to use neem-based bio-insecticides or other eco-friendly, organic pesticides to manage mild infestations. Spray during early morning or late evening when the wind is calm. Ensure thorough coverage, especially on the underside of leaves, where pests usually hide. Eliminate weeds within the field and along borders, as they serve as alternative hosts for leafhoppers and other pests. MSID:: 123021342 413 |
New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Leafhopper outbreak in decade hits North India's cotton belt
A severe outbreak of leafhopper pests, commonly known as jassids, in the cotton fields of North India could significantly impact the country's already declining cotton production. A recent field survey conducted by the South Asia Biotechnology Centre revealed a massive infestation of green leafhoppers, referred to locally as hara tela, in key cotton-growing districts. These areas include Hisar, Fatehabad, and Sirsa in Haryana, as well as Mansa, Bathinda, Abohar, and Fazilka in Punjab, and Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan. The survey was part of the Bandhan project, a programme run by government institutions such as the Central Institute of Cotton Research and various State Agriculture Universities, in collaboration with local non-profit organisations. The aim of this project is to assist farmers in combating Pink Bollworm pests in cotton crops. The survey team, consisting of scientists, found infestation levels of 12–15 leafhoppers per leaf—significantly above the Economic Threshold Level (ETL). The team further noted that an alarming number of cotton leaf injuries exceeded ETL, based on the damage grading system. For the past three consecutive weeks, green leafhopper (jassid) populations have exceeded ETL, allegedly triggering widespread yellowing of leaf margins and downward curling—classic symptoms of jassid attack. Scientists attribute the outbreak to a confluence of weather conditions, including above-average rainfall, an increased number of rainy days, persistent humidity, and cloud cover, all of which have allegedly created ideal conditions for jassid proliferation. Fields were graded 3 to 4 based on the ICAR-CICR infestation scale, indicating severe to extreme damage. Experts confirm this is the worst outbreak in a decade in the North cotton-growing zone. 'The leafhopper infestation has emerged at a time when the cotton crop stands, and overall condition, are significantly better than in the past three to four years. The crop appears robust across the northern region, except in late-sown areas of Sri Ganganagar, where irrigation was unavailable during the sowing period,' noted Dr Bhagirath Choudhary, Founder & Director of South Asia Biotechnology Centre's High-Tech R&D Station, Sirsa, Haryana. The survey team noted that failure to control this green leafhopper infestation promptly could lead to substantial damage to the cotton crop in the coming days. Farmers must remain alert and take immediate action to manage the pest effectively to avoid potential yield losses. The field team was led by scientists and cotton experts including Dr Dilip Monga, Dr Bhagirath Choudhary, Dr Naresh, Deepak Jakhar, and KS Bhardwaj.
