Evaluation of Elite Sorghum Accessions for Multiple Disease Resistance
Several plant diseases reduce grain and fodder yields of sorghum (Sorg/jum bicolor) and its stover quality (Bandyopadhyay et al. 2001). Participatory rural appraisal studies In India by Rama Devi et al. (2000) Indicated that sale of crop residues to perl-urban milk producers accounted for approximately 50% of the income from sorghum cropping In rural areas of the Deccan Plateau of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra, and diseased residues command much lower price In the fodder market. Adverse effects of foliar and panicle diseases on quality and quantity of sorghum grain, fodder and residues have recently been reported (Bandyopadhyay et al. 2000, 2001). Most sorghum diseases can be effectively managed through host-plant resistance. The objective of this study was to Identify resistance to multiple diseases in the selected agronomic elite landrace accessions and breeding lines of sorghum. In this article we report both agronomic features and multiple disease resistance of some of the accessions for their possible use in resistance breeding program.
Farmers' Perceptions of the Effects of Plant Diseases on the Yield and Nutritive Value of Crop Residues used for Peri-Urban Dairy Production on the Deccan Plateau: Findings from Participatory Rural Appraisals.
Plant diseases influence the quantity and quality of groundnut and sorghum crop residues used as fodder for 
ruminants. The present socio-economic study assessed farmers' perceptions, their awareness, and the relative 
importance and impact of plant diseases in farmers' livelihood systems. Case studies were carried out in four 
villages in the state of Andhra Pradesh in the Deccan Plateau with the help of participatory rural appraisal 
(PRA) techniques. The results from PRAs suggest that sorghum and groundnut crop residues constitute a 
major source of fodder, and predominantly provide 'feed security' to the ruminants during summer, as few 
alternatives are available to farmers in dryland areas. The problem of foliar diseases cannot be viewed in 
isolation, as farmers' concerns are more on the cumulative effects of pests and diseases. Farmers believe that 
diseases reduce the quality of crop residues that leads to feed refusal by, and poor health of ruminants. The 
effects on the quality of crop residues are more seriously perceived in groundnut as farmers report 50% losses 
in foliage and fodder yield. In sorghum, the perceived losses are 10-30%, but low price offered by traders for 
disease-affected fodder reduce earnings of the poor from fodder sale. Commercial markets exist for fodder 
transactions of sorghum stover while no such markets are reported for groundnut crop residues. The poor are 
the link to the sorghum fodder market. Therefore, validation of fodder-related technologies through the poor 
is necessary to increase cash incomes from fodder sale. Genetic improvement of feed-quality of crop residues 
without compromising on essential yield traits is critical for farmers' acceptance of new sorghum and 
groundnut varieties. Research on inexpensive and easy-to-use pest and disease management options is 
necessary to improve the quantity and quality of crop residues of sorghum and groundnut.
Synergistic Effect of High Temperature and High pH on the Destruction of Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia co1i O157:H7.
This study was undertaken to determine if high temperature and high pH interact synergistically to enhance the rate of destruction of two important gram-negative foodborne pathogens, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enteritidis . The rates of destruction in NaHCO3-NaOH buffers at pH 7.0, 10.0, and 11.0 were determined at 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, and 65°C. Use of an improved heating protocol eliminated a "tailing effect" at longer exposure times. The present study demonstrated that the combination of high pH and high temperature resulted in a highly significant synergistic interaction (P > F = 0.0001), which caused rapid death of both E. coli O157:H7 and S. enteritidis . This "alka-therm" technology might be used commercially to destroy gram-negative foodborne pathogens on various raw agricultural commodities.