Natural selection can operate at the individual and group level in natural populations. This study investigates the ecological factors that determine the relative importance of individual versus group selection. In particular, it determines how the relatedness of interacting neighbors influences multilevel natural selection in a population of the Great Lakes sea rocket. Focal plants were grown ...

Rapid rise in human population creates so many problems in developing countries like India. As population increased natural resources declined and increase pollution due to increased demands of urbanization, employment and healthcare. Since ancient time contraceptives have been used to control population including natural methods. In modern time many natural and synthetic agents have been used ...

Kaempferia galanga Linn (Zingiberaceae) is distributed mainly in South East Asia and China [1] and considered as a main ingredient of many traditional Ayurvedic drug preparations [2]. Essential oil in rhizome is volatile and is used as a spice, beverage and also in perfume and cosmetic industries [3,4]. Leaves and flowers contain flavonoids [5]. Main constituents of the rhizome extract contain ...

The dynamics of gametic frequency change have been analyzed in two experimental plant populations. Individual plants were scored for their genotype at four enzyme loci, and four-locus joint gametic frequencies were estimated from the genotypic data over generations. Striking correlations developed in allelic state over loci, including correlations between nonlinked loci, as these populations ev...

The existence of microbe free animals or plants in nature is virtually impossible as they and plants have a certain degree of symbiotic association with microbes. This symbiotic association leads to the formation of holobiont (host and its symbionts). This mutual coexistence is not merely at the physical or chemical level but also at the genetic level leading to the emergence of the concept of ...

Habitat management is a type of conservation biological control that focuses on increasing natural enemy populations by providing them with plant resources such as pollen and nectar. Insects are known to respond to a variety of plant characteristics in their search for plant-provided resources. A better understanding of the specific characteristics used by natural enemy insects in selecting the...

Our recent work has shown that a rice thizospheric natural isolate, a Pantoea sp (hereafter EA106) attenuates Arsenic (As) uptake in rice. In parallel, yet another natural rice rhizospheric isolate, a Pseudomonas chlororaphis (hereafter EA105), was shown to inhibit rice blast pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae. Considering the above, we envisaged to evaluate the importance of mixed stress regime in ri...

Natural antioxidants are widely distributed in food and medicinal plants. These natural antioxidants, especially polyphenols and carotenoids, exhibit a wide range of biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, anti-atherosclerosis and anticancer. The effective extraction and proper assessment of antioxidants from food and medicinal plants are crucial to explore the potential an...

The dynamics of nitrate (NO(-) 3), a major nitrogen (N) source for natural plants, has been studied mostly through experimental N addition, enzymatic assay, isotope labeling, and genetic expression. However, artificial N supply may not reasonably reflect the N strategies in natural plants because NO(-) 3 uptake and reduction may vary with external N availability. Due to abrupt application and s...