Browsing by Author "S. George"

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Double zero tillage and foliar phosphorus fertilization coupled with microbial inoculants enhance maize productivity and quality in a maize–wheat rotation
(Nature Research, 2022) M.N. Harish; Anil K. Choudhary; Sandeep Kumar; Anchal Dass; V.K. Singh; V.K. Sharma; T. Varatharajan; M.K. Dhillon; Seema Sangwan; V.K. Dua; S.D. Nitesh; M. Bhavya; S. Sangwan; Shiv Prasad; Adarsh Kumar; S.K. Rajpoot; Gaurendra Gupta; Prakash Verma; Anil Kumar; S. George
Maize is an important industrial crop where yield and quality enhancement both assume greater importance. Clean production technologies like conservation agriculture and integrated nutrient management hold the key to enhance productivity and quality besides improving soil health and environment. Hence, maize productivity and quality were assessed under a maize–wheat cropping system (MWCS) using four crop-establishment and tillage management practices [FBCT–FBCT (Flat bed–conventional tillage both in maize and wheat); RBCT–RBZT (Raised bed–CT in maize and raised bed–zero tillage in wheat); FBZT–FBZT (FBZT both in maize and wheat); PRBZT–PRBZT (Permanent raised bed–ZT both in maize and wheat], and five P-fertilization practices [P100 (100% soil applied-P); P50 + 2FSP (50% soil applied-P + 2 foliar-sprays of P through 2% DAP both in maize and wheat); P50 + PSB + AM-fungi; P50 + PSB + AMF + 2FSP; and P0(100% NK with no-P)] in split-plot design replicated-thrice. Double zero-tilled PRBZT–PRBZT system significantly enhanced the maize grain, starch, protein and oil yield by 13.1–19% over conventional FBCT–FBCT. P50 + PSB + AMF + 2FSP, integrating soil applied-P, microbial-inoculants and foliar-P, had significantly higher grain, starch, protein and oil yield by 12.5–17.2% over P100 besides saving 34.7% fertilizer-P both in maize and on cropping-system basis. P50 + PSB + AMF + 2FSP again had significantly higher starch, lysine and tryptophan content by 4.6–10.4% over P100 due to sustained and synchronized P-bioavailability. Higher amylose content (24.1%) was observed in grains under P50 + PSB + AMF + 2FSP, a beneficial trait due to its lower glycemic-index highly required for diabetic patients, where current COVID-19 pandemic further necessitated the use of such dietary ingredients. Double zero-tilled PRBZT–PRBZT reported greater MUFA (oleic acid, 37.1%), MUFA: PUFA ratio and P/S index with 6.9% higher P/S index in corn-oil (an oil quality parameter highly required for heart-health) over RBCT-RBCT. MUFA, MUFA: PUFA ratio and P/S index were also higher under P50 + PSB + AMF + 2FSP; avowing the obvious role of foliar-P and microbial-inoculants in influencing maize fatty acid composition. Overall, double zero-tilled PRBZT–PRBZT with crop residue retention at 6 t/ha per year along with P50 + PSB + AMF + 2FSP while saving 34.7% fertilizer-P in MWCS, may prove beneficial in enhancing maize productivity and quality so as to reinforce the food and nutritional security besides boosting food, corn-oil and starch industry in south-Asia and collateral arid agro-ecologies across the globe. © 2022, The Author(s).
Effect of Momordica charantia on lipid profile and oral glucose tolerance in diabetic rats
(2004) P. Chaturvedi; S. George; M. Milinganyo; Y.B. Tripathi
In this study, the methanol extract of Momordica charantia fruit extract was administered to diabetic rats to assess the long term effect of the extract on the lipid profile and the oral glucose tolerance test. Treatment for 30 days showed a significant decrease in triglyceride, low density lipoprotein and a significant increase in high density lipoprotein level. A significant effect on oral glucose tolerance was also noted. Chronic administration showed an improvement in the oral glucose tolerance curve. The effect was more pronounced when the test was done in rats fed the extract on the day of the test compared with tests done in rats which were not fed the extract on the same day. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Some thermochemical studies on binary faceted organic eutectics and 1:1 molecular complexes
(Akademiai Kiado Rt., 1996) U.S. Rai; S. George
The phase diagrams of binary organic systems of benzidine with pyrogallol and p-nitrophenol give a double simple eutectic type phase diagram showing formation of a 1:1 molecular complex with congruent melting point and two eutcctics. The growth data on the pure components, the eutcctics and the molecular complexes, determined by measuring the rate of movement of growth front in a capillary, justify the square relationship between growth velocity and undercooling. While enthalpy of mixing values suggest intermolecular hydrogen bonding, the excess thermodynamic functions reveal strong interactions among the components forming eutectics and addition compounds. © 7996 Akadémiai Kiadó.