University of Hyderabad researchers find ways to improve yield of red gram in India

After a three-year collaboration with two UK-based groups, a UoH research team made a breakthrough in plant symbiosis studies related to pigeon pea.

A new study conducted by the University of Hyderabad (UoH) researchers has revealed that a proper selection and application of appropriate symbionts can improve yield of red gram, which is also known as pigeon pea or kandulu in Telugu.

After a three-year collaboration with two UK-based groups, a UoH research team made a breakthrough in plant symbiosis studies related to pigeon pea. The team was led Prof. Appa Rao Podile of the Department of Plant Sciences at UoH. Pigeon pea, is a climate-smart pulse crop of Indian origin and is widely grown in the tropical drylands around the globe. However, the crop often suffers from inconsistent yields and poor nodule formation in India.

The study concluded that the low nodulation efficiency of pigeon pea is due to the inadequate presence of appropriate symbionts in the soils. Indian soils were mainly found to harbour non-symbiotic Rhizobium spp. The new findings will pave the way for selecting and applying appropriate symbionts to improve pigeon pea yields and nodulation under Indian conditions. It suggests that inoculant strain selection of symbionts should be based not only on their nitrogen fixation potential but on their competitiveness in agricultural soils. 

Earlier, a  team of researchers from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) had also found that planarian flatworms can sense light, even without eyes, with the help of an eye-independent system (extraocular) lining the periphery of the worm's body.

Prior research has shown that planarians can survive decapitation (removal of the head) and retain the ability to move away from the light source when exposed to low doses of ultraviolet light.

Read More:

• University of Hyderabad Courses & Fees 2021
• University of Hyderabad Admission 2021