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ThesisItem Embargo Integrated nutrient management in forage Sorghum with the application of liquid biofertilizers(Punjab Agricultural University, 2024) Jaspreet Kaur; Dr. Gulab PandoveForages are the foundation upon which the rumen-healthy livestock diets are formulated. Therefore, amelioration of forage quality via enhanced agronomic techniques, such as Integrated Nutrient Management (INM), is imperative.Thus, the present investigation was carried out to evaluate the influence of integrated nutrient management on forage Sorghum with the application of liquid biofertilizers on the yield and quality attributes. A total of 30 forage Sorghum plants were collected from different Sorghum fields of village Dhudike, Moga, Punjab, India and 17 bacterial endophytes were isolated based on distinct colony morphology. Subsequently, 15 isolates were selected on the basis of qualitative phosphate solubilisation assay and were further scrutinized for quantitative plant growth promoting traits such as IAA production, phosphate solubilization, production of gibberellic acid, ammonia and siderophore (catechol and hydroxamate), ACC deaminase activity, Zn solubilisation assay. Consequently, the potential isolate RPR_3 was selected on the basis of multiple PGP traits and identified by 16s RNA sequencing technique as Enterobacter sp. Furthermore, the identified bacterial culture Enterobacter sp. (JJG_Zn) along with the standard cultures of Burkholderia seminalis and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, procured from the School of Organic farming, PAU were evaluated for the aforementioned PGP traits under abiotic stress conditions of salinity (0,50,100 and 150mM NaCl) and drought (0,5,10 and 15% PEG). All three PGPB were able to tolerate the stress conditions while optimum growth was recorded at 50mM NaCl and 5% PEG concentrations. Additionally, an in vitro experiment was carried out to study the efficacy of liquid bacterial inoculants (B. Seminalis, S. maltophilia and Enterobacter sp. (JJG_Zn)) in enhancing salt (0,50,100 and 150mM NaCl) and drought (0,5 and 10% PEG) tolerance in forage Sorghum seeds. The findings revealed that the seeds at 50mM NaCl salt stress when bio-primed with the treatment T5: dual inoculation (B. seminalis and S. maltophilia), exhibited superior germination and maximum plant growth parameters namely, germination percentage (92.53%), germination speed (2.74), mean germination time (2.94), shoot length (13.55cm), root length (13.41cm), as well as fresh and dry shoot (0.066g and 0.013g) and root weights (0.132g and 0.014g) respectively. Furthermore, at 5% PEG induced drought stress, the bio-priming with treatment T5: dual inoculation (B. seminalis and S. maltophilia) improved the germination percentage (92.45%), germination speed (2.82), mean germination time (2.66), shoot length (14.46cm), root length (14.12cm), as well as fresh and dry shoot (0.123and 0.014g) and root weights (0.073and 0.014g) respectively. Scanning electron microscopy was employed to examine the degree of root colonization in forage Sorghum by liquid bacterial cultures under gnotobiotic conditions. The SEM micrographs demonstrated that Enterobacter sp. (JJG_Zn) exhibited the highest level of root surface colonization, followed by B. seminalis and S. maltophilia. Before commercializing PGPB-based products in the markets, it is essential to conduct thorough characterization and biosafety analysis .In this context, the Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria (PGPB) B. seminalis, S. maltophilia, and Enterobacter sp. (JJG_Zn), were evaluated for various bio safety tests such as E.coli sensitivity assay, ecotoxicity test in earthworms and pathogenitcity test on Albino mice. Furthermore, sheep blood agar biochemical assay was also performed and all the tests displayed negative results for the three PGPB thereby characterizing them as potentially non-pathogenic. Field experiments were conducted at Punjab Agricultural University, Regional Research Station, Bathinda, and School of Organic Farming, IFS, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana during kharif 2022. The experiment employed a randomized complete block design, encompassing a total of 11 treatment combinations involving liquid bacterial inoculants (S. maltophilia, B. seminalis, and Enterobacter sp. (JJG_Zn)) at 100% and 75% recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF), with three replications. Notably, the treatment T11: 75% RDF + dual inoculation (B. seminalis + S. maltophilia), exhibited superior growth, yield and quality attributes such as emergence count, plant height, number of leaves, chlorophyll content, leaf-to-stem ratio, leaf breadth, leaf length, dry matter accumulation per plant, total sugars, ash content, crude protein content, and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Whereas, a significant decrease in acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and a noteworthy reduction in total phenols was observed. In the pooled analysis of green fodder and dry matter yield at both the locations, the treatment T11 demonstrated a 10.23% and 15.79% increment as compared to the control (T1).The liquid bacterial inoculants ameliorated the physicochemical properties of the soil (pH, electrical conductivity, and organic carbon content) and also enhanced the nutritional status (N,P,K). Furthermore, the treatment T11 also demonstrated increased root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Hence, it can be inferred that liquid bacterial inoculants is a promising strategy for enhancing the productivity and quality of forage Sorghum.ThesisItem Restricted Evaluation of low-cost media for Azospirillum sp. based biofertilizer production(Punjab Agricultural University, 2023) Jaspreet Kaur; Kumari, SumanDifferent media formulations of wheat bran and vegetable waste were evaluated for growth of Azospirillum sp. in terms of optical density and logCFU/ml. The optical density (OD) enhanced gradually from 0 to 3rd day followed by constant values onwards. Maximum optical density was recorded in the standard broth i.e., (0.67±0.02)where among the low-cost bioformulations, maximum OD was observed in 40% of wheat bran (WB) (0.67±0.01) followed by 50% of WB. Observations revealed that wheat bran supported comparably better growth tan vegetable waste.The viability of Azospirillum sp.biofertlizer culture wasthen assessed on the 3rd day of incubation wherestandard broth i.e., 9.28±0.02log CFU/mlhad the highest viable cell density compared to 40% WB exhibiting (8.44±0.02log CFU/ml)growth for Azospirillum sp.Analysis of different liquid media formulations for indole acetic acid production, ammonia production, phosphate and zinc solubilization revealed that 40% WB followed by 50% WB were found to be the foremost media formulations where among the vegetable waste (VW) concentrations, 30% of VW exhibited the highest values, but were comparatively lower than that of the WB formulations.On the basis growth and multifunctional traits, the treatments were narrowed down to 50% and 40% of WB and 30% of VW and Jensen’s broth was taken standard broth. Assessment for the seedling emergence, shoot and root length of rice (PR1121) under axenic conditions showed 40% WB to be the most prominent media formulationamong low cost formulations.Additionally, the viable population of Azospirillum sp. biofertilizer cultures was also monitored at monthly interval where gradual decline in the viable cell countof Azospirillum sp. in all the treatments was observed when standard broth was found to be desirable at one month interval followed by sudden drop in the population. It can be deciphered that 50% and 40% of wheat bran can be used as a potential liquid media formulation to develop a low-cost liquid Azospirillum sp. based biofertilizer on the condition of its optimization to enhance the growth and shelf life.ThesisItem Restricted Value addition of Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing. through paste preparation(Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2021) Jaspreet Kaur; Sharma, ShivaniAgaricus bisporus (button mushroom), most widely cultivated edible mushroom, serves the potential to grow on agricultural wastes. Button mushroom being highly perishable in nature, deteriorates immediately after harvesting. Due to this reason, the fresh mushrooms needs to be processed for extending their availability throughout the year. This can be achieved by implementing adequate post harvesting technology and processing into value added products. Therefore, the present work has been dealt with preparation of mushroom paste for shelf life improvement and utilization of this paste as supplement in pasta and soups and as an ingredient in noodles and cookies. The strain U3 showed maximum yield potential (16.38 kg/q compost) by short method of compost as compared to long method. The different mushroom pastes (MP I, MP II, MP III) were prepared and stored at room and refrigerated temperature in glass containers, plastic containers and tetra-packs. All the mushroom pastes showed acceptable physical, chemical and microbial properties at refrigerated temperature in glass containers followed by tetra-packs and plastic containers. Among these three mushroom pastes, MP I showed higher appearance score in glass containers while MP II showed better color and taste score in tetra-packs at refrigerated temperature. The chemical properties (total soluble solids, total sugars and ascorbic acid) and microbiological count were acceptable for MP I in glass containers at refrigerated temperature. Protein content (7.68µg/ml) was maximum in glass containers for MP (control) followed by MP I up to 15 days. Pasta and cookies prepared from MP I was found to be most appropriate in terms of organoleptic properties. While for preparing soup and noodles, all the mushroom pastes were found to be equally good in terms of all parameters such as color, flavor, texture, taste and overall acceptability. Thus, the preparation of value added products not only extend the shelf life but also enhance the income by value addition and marketing.ThesisItem Open Access Development of bacterial consortium to improve green manure degradation and nutrient availability in kharif maize(Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2019) Jaspreet Kaur; Gosal, S.K.The present investigation was conducted to isolate cellulose degrading bacteria with plant growth promoting traits to enhance green manure (Crotolaria juncea) decomposition as well as nutrient mineralization in maize crop. A total of 75 different bacteria were isolated from soil samples collected from various locations. Only 20 isolates were selected on their ability to degrade cellulose. Cultural and morphological characterization showed that most of these bacterial isolates were gram positive, non-motile and non-endospore forming cocci. Biochemical characterization of the isolates revealed that most of these isolates were positive for oxidase, catalase, methyl red, starch and citrate utilization test. Only two bacterial isolates (CD4 and CD6) were urease positive, one (CD11) was indole positive and three (CD1, CD11 and CD15) were found to HCN positive. Functional characterization of these isolates showed that the isolates CD2 and CD9 had highest cellulase (27.543 mg/ml) and β-glucosidase activity (15.46 μg pNP released/ml), respectively. Highest IAA production (42.25 μg/ml), phosphorous solubilization index (1.80) and quantitative P- solubilization (25.39 μg/ml) were recorded for CD9 bacterial isolate. All the isolates were found to have nitrogen fixing ability. The maximum amount of ammonia (6.659 μM/ml) was excreted by isolate CD18 on N-free Jensen‟s medium. On the basis of functional characteristics, three best isolates (CD2, CD9 and CD14) were evaluated for green manure decomposition and nutrient mineralization studies, under pot conditions under different soil (sterilized and unsterilized) and moisture regimes (aerobic and flooded). The application of isolates as consortium was found best for increasing green manure decomposition, nutrient mineralization and soil biological activities relative to uninoculated control treatments. These effects of consortium inoculation were found more pronounced in aerobic conditions as compared to flooded conditions. A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years (2016 and 2017). A significant decomposition of green manure was observed with application of CDBC biofertilizer within the period of seven days in field condition. A total of eight treatments having different combinations of biofertilizer (CDBC), green manure and inorganic nitrogen fertilizers (75% and 100%) were used to study their effect on soil microbial dynamics, soil chemical properties and yield of maize crops (var. PMH1 and var. PMH4). Microbial population (total bacteria, fungi, P-solubilizer, amylolytic and cellulolytic bacteria) and enzymatic activities (dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, urease, cellulase, amylase and invertase) in maize rhizosphere significantly increased in treatments having integrated application of CDBC, green manure and 100% whereas, soil actinomycetes and diazotrophic population were found highest in treatments with sole application of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer. Higher soil microbial populations and enzymatic activities were observed during second year of field study relative to first year. Soil chemical properties viz., electrical conductivity, organic carbon, available nitrogen, available phosphorous and potassium content were found highest under integrated application of CDBC with green manure and recommended dose of nitrogen fertilizer whereas soil pH varied non-significantly among the treatments. Maximum plant height, yield attributes and yield were observed in same treatment. The results indicated that application of CDBC biofertilizer not only decreased the fallow period of green manure decomposition but also enhanced soil health, fertility and yield of maize crop. So, application of CDBC along with green manure and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer can serve as sustainable agricultural practice for maize cultivation.ThesisItem Restricted Effect of freeze tolerant baker‟s yeast on dough rising(Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2018) Jaspreet Kaur; Katyal, PriyaAmong the sophisticated, ready to use frozen products, frozen dough is gaining considerable attention. So, attempt was made to improve freeze tolerance of baker‟s yeast strain by trehalose loading and cold acclimatization and to design its product formulations. Loading with 1.0M trehalose after 7 days of incubation led to increased intracellular trehalose content from 0.3% to 4.71%. Comparative freeze tolerance studies of parent and treated baker‟s yeast revealed that 14 day cold acclimatized culture exhibits maximum cell viability (193cfu/ml) under refrigerated conditions while further incubation for 21 day (167cfu/ml) and 28 day (165cfu/ml) lowered the cell viability. The 28 day cold acclimatized culture showed higher total sugar content of 36.29% followed by 1.0M trehalose loaded culture (29.44%). Maximum trehalose content (4.71%) was shown by 1.0M trehalose loaded culture. Minimum invertase (29.79 nmol/min/ml) and maximum maltase activity (627.99 nmol/min/ml) was shown by 1.0M trehalose loaded culture and 21 day cold acclimatized culture, respectively. Biomass production of baker‟s yeast was carried out at conditions pre-optimized in our laboratory:- pH-6.0, aeration-120 rpm and temperature-30⁰C using unclarified molasses as carbon source and corn steep liquor (CSL) as nitrogen source. Best dough rising ability was shown by 14 day cold acclimatized culture. Product formulation as cream yeast and dried (lyophilized and tray dried) yeast was prepared, out of which cream yeast was used in bread making while nutritional profiling of dried yeast formulations showed the presence of crude protein (23.39-28.98%), crude fat (2.14-2.73%), zinc (7.26-10.13mg/100g), iron (27.54-28.09mg/100g), phosphorus (463.9-593.44mg/100g), calcium (2913.7-5308.38mg/100g), tryptophan (0.71-1.09g/100g protein), methionine (0.73-0.83g/100g protein) and cysteine (0.38-0.4g/100g protein). The present study revealed that cold acclimatization of baker‟s yeast can improve its freeze tolerance. Among the two yeast formulations, cream yeast has been found to be suitable for use in dough rising for bread, while dried yeasts can be exploited as nutritional yeast by further testing for required parameters.ThesisItem Open Access Post harvest processing of Pleurotus florida (Mont.) singer into mushroom soup powder(Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 2017) Jaspreet Kaur; Sodhi, H.S.Oyster mushroom is the third largest cultivated mushroom in the market. Pleurotus species are popular and widely cultivated in the world. Pleurotus spp. altogether make up 27% of globally produced cultivated mushrooms. Cultivation of Pleurotus florida is easy and low cost production technology. They can degrade and colonize large variety of lignocellulosic wastes. They can grow within temperature range of 20C to 30C. Pleurotus florida was grown on wheat straw, wheat+paddy straw (1:1) and paddy straw substrate. Maximum yield of (60.12 kg/q dry straw) was observed on wheat straw substrate. Similarly maximum fruit bodies (6870 per/q dry straw) were observed in the bags filled with wheat straw. The average weight of fruit bodies in all the cases ranged between (7.79-8.06gm/f.b‘s). The spawn run was completed between 21±3-25±2 days and pin heads appeared between 25±2-33±3 days with the first harvest made between 28±3-39±2 days. P. florida mushroom could be kept for 2-4 days at ambient temperature and could be stored for 12 days at refrigerator temperature in polyethylene, polypropylene and paper bags. It was observed that mushroom drying increased the shelf life of mushrooms upto three months. Among the three drying temperatures (45C, 55C and 65C), 45C was found best as it resulted in good colour, texture and rehydration ratio. The carbohydrate, protein, fat, fibre and ash of dried mushrooms was ranged between 41.59-42.85%, 27.40-29.54%, 4.21-4.32%, 23.01-23.38%, 8.81-9.03%. Being highly perishable in nature, the fresh Pleurotus mushrooms need to be processed to extend the offseason availability. Mushroom soup powder was one such option for improved shelf life of the mushrooms. Three set of mushroom soup powders; without flavour, lemon flavour, mint flavour were prepared and scored by ten judges on ten hedonic point scale for colour, texture, appearance, aroma, taste and overall acceptability upto six months of storage. Mushroom soup powder without flavour was the most acceptable giving an overall acceptability between 9.20-9.25 followed by mint flavour and lemon flavour soup powder. The moisture content ranged between 5.00- 5.11%. Protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre and ash ranged between 17.3019.42%, 71.03-77.01%, 2.21-3.12%, 3.42-4.01%, 0.89-1.20%. There was no significant effect of storage on the nutrients of soup powder upto six months at room temperature.
