Studies were conducted to find out the germination and seedling vigour of 7 month-old teak drupes (fruit with seed). The drupes were subjected to presowing treatments and germinated in open and mist chamber condition. The study revealed that soaking and drying of drupes for 5 days at an interval of 12 hr followed by soaking in 4.5% Potassium nitrate solution recorded 52.0% germination in mist chamber accounting for an increase of 39.0% over the control. The corresponding seeds germinated in open condition gave a maximum of 40.0% (23.0% over control) with 1.0% KNO3 pretreatment. In addition to enhanced germination in mist chamber, seedling emergence took place within 8-12 days as against 12-18 days under open condition.

Mycorrhizal infection with seedlings was maximum by Suillus luteus fungus in grass litter amended soil and minimum by Pisolithus tinctorius in fresh pine needle amended soil. Production of mycorrhizae was maximum by S. luteus fungus in grass litter amended soil and minimum in those seedling inoculated with P. tinctorius grown in unamended soil. Root phosphatase activity was more with mycobionts inoculatese activity of root was observed in seedlings inoculated with S. luteus and grown in grass litter amended soil. In general nutrient concentration recorded higher in the seedlings inoculated with the mycobionts grown in amended soil than uninoculated one.

Meghalaya has been acknowledged to be the richest botanical region in India. The diversity of vegetation types, wild species, agricultural forms and their wild relatives has been described. Various issues affecting plant diversity in this region like extraction for local use, commercial exploitation of medicinal and ornamental plants, effect of eroding traditions on protection of sacred groves, developmental activities, shifting agriculture, problems of forest management, mining, status of floristic studies and the need for inter-institutional linkage have been discussed. This paper presents the different viewpoints held by groups involved in research, utilization and management of plant diversity, and also attempts to present the problems faced by them in their conservation effort.

Plantlets of B. ceiba L. complete with shoot and root have been micropropagated from mature nodes cultred on WPM supplemented with different concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators. Maximum bud break occurred in WPM + BAP (0.5 mg/l + NAA (0.1 mg/l) in 4-6 days. In vitro multiplied shoots could be rooted on medium containing IBA (0.5 mg/l), BAP (0.1 mg/l and 2% sucrose.

The nature and magnitude of genetic variability and their inter-relationship were studied for leaf yield and its nine component characters in 15 genotypes of mulberry (Morus spp.). High estimates of genetic co-efficients of variation, heritability and genetic advance were observed for number of shoot, total shoot length, leaf area, leaf yield per plant, single leaf weight and leaf weight/total shoot length indicating their reliability for effecting selection for high leaf yield. No. of shoot, total shoot length, leaf area and moisture per cent showed high positive association with single leaf weight and leaf yield per plant at genotypic and phenotypic levels. Hence, the studies revealed the importance of number of shoots, total shoot length, leaf area and moisture per cent as selection criteria for improvement of leaf yield in mulberry.

The evolution of some physical properties was studied at various stages of development on restored soils developed from spoil materials of the open cast limestone mine in Dehra Dun (UP, India). The properties of the reconstructed mine soils were compared with the unmined reference soils so as to assess their rejuvenation in physical fertility. In the rooting zone (0-25) cm the physical properties were generally less favourable in mine soils than reference soils. Mine soils had higher bulk density and coarse fragments and lower porosity, clay content and water holding capacity than reference soils at a comparable depth. Despite being on the lower side of normal scale, the recovery in terms of these physical properties was extraordinary with respect to bulk density (10%), porosity (15%) and water holding capacity (60%). The particle size distribution also improved indicating that mineral weathering is the dominant process at the early stages of edaphogenesis on mine distrubed soils.

Untreated seeds of Adenanthera pavonina (Linn.) and Gleditsia assamica Bor showed 0 and 6.6 per cent germina­tion. Seeds of both the species were subjected to 9 pre-treatments, viz., manual scarification, soaking in hot water and acid scarification for varying periods. For both the species, manual scarification was the best treatment in terms of germination per cent, germination value as well as germination energy. Scarification followed by soaking in cold water resulted in slightly low percentage of germina­tion (G%), germination value (GV) and germination energy (GE).

In vitro shoot multiplication has been obtained from 7-10 day old seedlings of Eucalyptus tereticornis. The whole plantlet developed within 8 weeks on Murashige and Skoog’s basal medium supplemented with BAP + NAA (0.5 + 0.5 mg/l). Rooting was best in ½ strength MS liquid medium supplemented with IAA + IBA + NAA each at 0.5 mg/l in dark.

Suitable potting mixture has been developed for use in root trainers which ensures adequate mycorrhization and abundant sporulation of VAM fungi in the rhizosphere. Never before such high number of spores per 100 g of soil by volume has been reported. Out of seven tree species namely Dalbergia sissoo, Dendrocalamus strictus, Bauhinia purpurea, Chukrasia velutina, Taxodium mucronatum, Entolobium timbouva, and Tectona grandis and one medicinal plant, Pogostemon heyneanus examined for mycorrhization, maximum infection on roots was recorded in Dendrocalamus strictus followed by Tectona grandis. In general spore population in the rhizosphere was very high except Taxodium mucronatum and T. grandis. Maximum number of spores in the rhizosphere was recorded in Bauhinia purpurea which varied from 3565 to 9047 with an average of 6761 per 100 g of soil in the root trainer. It is because of such high number of spores of 3-5 Glomus spp. and Acaulospora scrobiulata by B. purpurea and profuse root development and high level of VAM infection in D. stricus, the two plants are recommended to be raised for establishment of mycorrhiza banks for the purpose of supply or starter cultures of VAM fungi and use of VAM inoculum for fortification of containerised seedlings in forest nurseries. No correlation could be drawn between percentage of root infection and spore population of VAM fungi in the rhizosphere. Incorporation of an eco-friendly pesticidal material in the potting mixuture is of interest.

Ultra violet radiation and Sodium hydroxide were tested to suppress the Nuclear PolyhedrosisVirus (NPV) infection in the laboratory culture of poplar defoliator (Clostera cupreata). Exposure under ultraviolet radiation alongwith the treatment of 0.5% aqueous solution of NaOH proved the best to check the infection.

This paper encompasses the cost for establishing saw mills with various types of saw installed in Ratnagiri District and working capital required for running the mills for buying wood and payment of labour charges, etc.

Occurrence of the VA-mycorrhizal symbiosis in forest trees has been evaluated in 46 species selected for biomass energy plantation at Raipur. Seedlings were raised in nursery using both the nursery bed and polypot methods having vertisol type of the indigenous soil. Roots of the seedlings were examined for VAM colonization after 150-180 days of growth. Out of the 46 speceis tested all but Schrebera Swietenioides had the VAM colonization on their roots. It was found that the VAM colonization varied in % colonization from species to species which ranged from the least of 10% to the highest of 94% in Schleichera oleosa and Cassia fistula respectively. Occurrence of the VAM symbiosis in plants belonging to many families are well distributed in the tropical forest of India. The VAM fungi associated with these tree species mainly belonged to the species of Glomus, Acaulospora and Gigaspora.

Preliminary laboratory experiments were conducted to study the allelopathic influence of the leaf litter of certain multipurpose trees, viz., Acacia auriculiformis, Casuarina equisettifolia, Albizia lebbeck, Leucaena leucocephala, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Mangifera indica and Tamarindus indicus on test crops (rice and cowpea). Leaf litter of all trees significantly inhibited germination and growth of rice. Radicle growth of cowpea was suppressed by all trees, while germination was not inhibited by jack and mango. The inhibitory effects of tamarind and acacia, in general, were found to be relatively greater. Response indices revealed that inhibition of radicle and plumule growth was more pronounced.

The seeds of Robinia pseudoacacia procured from 3 different seed resources, when evaluated against Fusarium spp. (i.e., F. oxysporum, F. equiseti, F. semitectum) did not differ significantly with respect to seed germination while the seedling mortality due to F. oxysporum and F. semitectum was observed maximum in Bajaura and Kinnaur seeds. Seed colour also had a marked influence in their susceptibility to wilt pathogen. Black coloured seeds gave highest (46.51%) germination and lowest (42.22%) of seedling mortality than grey and brown coloured seeds, indicating black seeds to be most resistant.

Comparative performance of five wheat varieties, viz., WH-147, S-308, WH-896, WH-542 and WH-533 grown under 5 m x 5 m and 10 m x 10 m spacings of Dalbergia sissoo Roxb. and two wheat varieties, viz., HD-2285 and WH-542 grown along Eucalyptus tereticornis Smith and Populus deltoides Marsh windbreaks was studies. Recently released wheat variety, WH-542 performed better under both block plantation of sissoo and the windbreak of poplar. However, with eucalypt windbreak wheat variety, HD-2285 out yielded WH-542. Grain yield, irrespective of variety, increased with an increase in distance from the windbreaks as well as with increased tree spacing in block plantation and at 10 m x 10 m spacing the grain yield of WH-542 and WH-533 was at par with control. Eucalypt tree belt had more adverse effect on wheat than the poplar tree belt.

The present investigation is aimed at an assessment of the mineral potentialities of five constituent grass species of Nokrek Biosphere in Meghalaya. The edaphic nature and free waters chemical behaviour of the area have been incorporated to focus upon soil-water-plant relationship of the biosphere. Results reveal the mineral richness of the grasses which play a key role in the rejuvination of the soil conditions on one hand, and compensate the mineral deficiency inherent in the usable water of the biosphere for the sustenance of herbivorous animals on other.