Paclobutrazol boost up flower induction and improved fruit set and yield of Mango. This investigation aimed at assessing the effect of paclobutrazol, combined with tip pruning on the flower induction, yield and quality of mango. The experiment was conducted at Regional Horticulture Research Station (RHRS), Chapainawabganj during 2018-2019. Two level of pruning viz. P₁ = heavy pruning and P₀ = no pruning and four doses of Paclobutrazol viz. T₀ = control (0.0 g a i/m), T₁ = Paclobutrazol at 0.5 g a.i./m canopy, T₂ = Paclobutrazol at 1.0 g a.i./m canopy and T₃ = Paclobutrazol at 1.5 g a.i./m canopy were included in this experiment. Paclobutrazol had significant influence on the time of flowering, percentage of flowering, yield and fruit quality attributes of mango. Paclobutrazol treated tree at 1.0 and 1.5 g a.i/m canopy produced earlier flowering by 2 weeks over control tree. Simultaneously, paclobutrazol at all doses induced flowering in the heavy pruned tree, whereas heavy pruned tree without paclobutrazol application did not produce flowers. Significantly the highest percentage of flowering (93%) and yield both regarding number (66) and weight of fruits (16.06 kg) per tree were produced by higher dose of Paclobutrazol (1.5 g.a.i/m canopy) but it was statistically similar to that of Paclobutrazol at 1.0 g.i/m. Higher dose of paclobutrazol treatments decreased the individual fruit weight, fruit size, edible portion and higher grading fruits whereas heavy pruned tree combined with lower doses of paclobutrazol at 0.5 g a.i/m canopy increased them in somehow.

This study examined the utilization of mass media gadgets among semi-settled pastoralists in Kwara state, Nigeria. A three-stage technique was used to select 120 pastoralists as respondents for this study. Primary data were obtained by using the interview schedule. Findings revealed that most of the farmers were male (100%) and married (98.3%). The size of herds of the respondents were commonly 51 to 100 herds while some had between 10 to 50 herds (31.6%). Most of the respondents sourced for information through mobile phone (97.5%), radio (95.8%) and market place (90.8%). Also, mobile phone (mean=4.0), radio (mean=3.99) and television (mean=2.28) were highly used gadgets used by pastoralist farmers. Low literacy level (mean=3.70), unavailability of mass media gadget (mean=3.57), and inadequate electricity (mean=3.36) were the leading constraints of the respondents to effective use of mass media gadgets for pastoral farming. The study suggests the need to provide adult education on use of gadgets, provision of drinking water for their cattle and stable supply of electricity by concerned organizations.

A laboratory experiment was conducted with six NaCl levels viz. 0 (control), 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 dS/m of Electrical Conductivity (EC) to determine the effects of different levels of salinity on seed germination and seedling growth of eight different boro rice cultivars viz. BRRI dhan28, Vajon, Bapi aus, Zia, Kajol lota, Abdul hai, Sharna and Lal sharna. The experiment was laid out in a factorial Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with five replications. Data were collected for final germination percentage (FGP), shoot and root length, shoot and root dry weight, and total dry weight. Based on the dry matter reduction, rice varieties were classified as tolerant (T), moderately tolerant (MT), moderately susceptible (MS) and susceptible (S). There was wide variation in germination and growth parameters among varieties due to different levels of salt applications. Salinity decreased FGP and led to reduction in shoot and root length and dry weight in all varieties and the magnitude of reduction increased with increasing salinity stress. Rice variety Bapi aus exhibited greater salt tolerance during germination (even at 20 dS/m). Sharna and Lal sharna varieties were the inferior regarding germination. However, varieties Vajon and Bapi aus performed better based on the dry matter reduction. The result of the present study suggests that variety Bapi aus might be used for further study of salinity effect on growth processes and physiological consequences at later stages of growth.

Rice blast caused by Pyricularia grisea (perfect state: Magnaporthe grisea) is one of the major fungal diseases of rice in Myanmar and severely affects the yield under favourable environmental condition. Growing resistant cultivar is the most effective control method for this disease. However, the durability of the resistance is limited because of variability of the pathogen. Knowledge of genetic and pathotypic diversity of a plant pathogen in a disease occurrence location is important to produce relatively durable resistant cultivars. Consequently, the objectives of the present study were to determine genetic and pathotypic variations of the collected isolates from Myanmar and compare the relationship between genetic lineages and pathotypes for developing rice blast resistant rice breeding.

Forty-six isolates collected from Myanmar (Aung Ban area and Hmawbi Township) and 26 isolates from Japan (Fukuoka prefecture and Oita prefecture) were obtained in 2011 to 2012, respectively. The population structure of the P. grisea was determined by Rep-PCR using the two primers, Pot2-TIR and MGR586-TIR primers, separately. The combined dendrogram was constructed based on the different fingerprint patterns. Four fingerprint groups (designated Type-A, B, C and D) were identified and indicated that the Myanmar isolates are genetically divergent from Japan isolates; the tested Japan isolates showed a less divergent. The genetic fingerprint group Type-A was dominant in Aung Ban area, on the other hand, Type-C was dominant in Hmawbi region, and all isolates collected from Japan belonged to Type-D.

Pathotypes of the representative isolates from each fingerprint group were randomly selected and examined by using a set of twelve Japanese differential rice cultivars. The rice variety, Aichi asahi (Pia), Kento (Pik) and Tsuyuake (Pik-m) were strongly susceptible to Myanmar isolates and the virulence frequencies on those varieties were 94.1%, 82.4% and 88.2%, respectively. Whereas Fukunishiki (Piz), Pi no. 4 (Pita2) and BL1 (Pib) were resistant to all isolates. Moreover, Toride1 (Piz-t) and K60 (Pik-p) were incompatible to the isolates from Aung Ban area but compatible to most of the isolates from Hmawbi area. Yashiromochi (Pita) was susceptible to most of isolates collected from Aung Ban and resistant to the isolates from Hmawbi area. Nine races (031.0, 032.0, 036.0, 106.4, 122.4, 132.4, 136.4, 432.5 and 437.5) were identified from Myanmar isolates. The races (136.4 and 106.4) and (432.5 and 437.5) were dominant in Aung Ban and Hmawbi, respectively.

The distributions of genetic lineages of P. grisea generated by Rep-PCR were relatively associated to the geographical locations. The resistant genes, Pik-s, Piz, Pita2, Piz-t, Pik-p and Pib, and Piz, Pita, Pita2 and Pib, could be used as the sources of rice blast resistance in breeding programs for rice growing area of Aung Ban and Hmawbi, respectively. Additionally, the resistant genes, Piz, Pita2 and Pib were totally resistant to all tested isolates and those resistant genes could be useful for rice breeding of blast resistant cultivars in Myanmar. The correlations between the pathotypic races and fingerprint groups were not fully agreed because some isolates exhibited complex pathotypic reactions.