Ebooks

Preface The books have been specially designed to meet the needs of students of B.Sc. Agriculture & Allied disciplines strictly following the prescribed syllabus. The salient features points are: Provides basic concepts in a precise way Concepts explained in simple language Easy to grasp MCQs for self evaluation Previous questions papers

  Important Points to Remember The active factor of soil formation is : Climate Black soils (Vertisols) are formed mainly from the weathering of: Basalts Which soils have the highest cation exchange capacity : Black soils Plants wilt when soil water content goes below: 15 bar Available phosphorus in fertilizer is the fraction: Water soluble + Citrate soluble P  

Important Points to be Remember Total number of essential nutrient elements required for plant growth -17 Man made cereal – Triticale Father of India’s green revolution – Dr M.S. Swaminathan Na, Ve, Ni, Si, Co, Se and I - Beneficial nutrients Is added to prevent nitrogen losses from FYM decomposition-SSP

Important Points to be Remember Lysosome was discovered by – Duve (1955) The term chromosome was first named by – Waldayer Power house of the cell – Mitochondria Two lines different for a single locus is called – Isogenic line Ploidy level in seeds – Embryo – 2n, Endosperm – 3n

Important Points to be Remember Father of Indian plant pathology – E.J.Butler Father of Plant virology – Beijerinck Wheat rust is associated with Indian scientist – K.C.Mehta Kresek phase of rice is due to – Bacterial leaf blight Bakanae disease of rice is also known as – Foot rot and Foolish seedling disease

Important Points Factors for Insects Abundance More number of species: In the animal kingdom more than 85 per cent of the species belongs to insect group. Total number of insects described so far is more than 9 lakhs. Large number of individuals in a single species: e.g., Locust swarm comprising of 109 number of individuals, occupying large area. Great variety of habitats: Insects thrive well under varied conditions. Long geological history: Insects were known to occupy this earth for more than 350 million years, which is a good track record. This has given the insects’ great variety of adoptions under different conditions.

Important Points to Remember The word ‘Extension’ is derived from Latin roots ‘ex’ and ‘tensio’. The use of the term ‘Extension’ originated in England in 1866 with a system of University extension which was taken up first by Cambridge and then Oxford Universities. James Stuart is considered as father of University Extension. Dr. K.N. Singh is known as father of Extension in India. Agricultural extension operates within a broader knowledge system that includes research and agricultural education.

  Important Points A farmer with limited funds may operate in a range of increasing returns to capital is however, not an irrational producer. A firm is a particular business firm. A higher rate of accumulation of capital relative to the rate of population growth adds to the real stock of capital of a nation. A profit maximizing farmer will maximize the output for given level of outlay. An isolation curve is negatively inclined.  

Important Points to Remember Statistics is a branch of mathematics that deals with the data collection, examination, description, and display of numerical data masses. Statistics is used in various aspects of life, like in robotics, data science, business, weather forecasting, sports, and much more. An ambiguous term. It often denotes the arithmetic mean, but it can also denote the median, the mode, the geometric mean, and weighted means, among other things. Beware if something reports “the average” without making it clear which average. The geometric mean of n numbers {x1, x2, x3, …, xn} is the nth root of their product: (x1×x2×x3× … ×xn)1/n. The samples are one of the sub-set of the population, whereas a population is an overall set of things or individuals of a specified group.

Important Points to Remember Apple Botanical name: Malus x domestica Borkh. Family: Rosaceae 2n: 34 Origin: Asia Minor to Western Himalayas

Important Points to Remember Cauliflower Botanical name: Brassica oleraceae var. botrytis Family: Crucifereae 2n = 18 Type of vegetable: Leafy vegetable Origin: Mediterranean region

Important Points to Remember ROSE Botanical name: Rosa spp. Family: Rosaceae 2n = 14 Origin: North Hemisphere (Himalyas) Flower colour: Red (commonly)

Important Points to Remember The term Biochemistry (biosG = life) was first introduced by a German chemist Carl Neuberg in 1903. Biochemistry may be defined as a science concerned with the chemical nature and chemical behavior of the living matter. Major organic molecules present in the living beings are: carbohydrates, proteins (of course, including enzymes), lipids and nucleic acids. Carbohydrates are the most abundant organic molecules in nature. They are primarily composed of the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. The name carbohydrate literally means ‘hydrates of carbon’. The simplest carbohydrates are the monosaccharides that have the general formula (CH2O)n where n is 3 or more. Carbohydrates may be defined as polyhydroxyaldehydes or ketones or compounds which produce them on hydrolysis. The term ‘sugar’ is applied to carbohydrates soluble in water and sweet to taste.

Important Points to Remember Microbiology is the study of living organisms of microscopic size majority of which are too small to be observed with naked eye, include bacteria, fungi, algae and protozoa and the infectious agents at the borderline of life that are called viruses. However, a few members of some microbial groups like algae and fungi are clearly visible without the aid of microscope. It is concerned with their form, structure, reproduction, physiology, metabolism and classification. It includes the study of their distribution in nature, their relationship to each other and other living organisms, their effects on human beings and on other animals and plants, their abilities to make physical and chemical changes in our environment and their reactions to physical and chemical agents. Most microorganisms are unicellular in which all the life processes are performed by a single cell. All living cells contain protoplasm which is a colloidal organic complex consisting of largely proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. The major groups of microorganisms include Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic microorganisms.

Important Points to Remember The word “biotechnology” was first coined in 1917 by a Hungarian agricultural engineer, Karl Ereky. He used it to describe a system for raising pigs on sugar beets as their primary food source. He defined Biotechnology as “all lines of work by which products are produced from raw materials with the aid of living things”. He defined such a new terminology since most of the industries use mechanical devices - machines - to make things, biotechnology uses living organisms to make products of economic value. Many different scientific fields are responsible for emergence of this biological revolution. They are biochemistry, molecular biology, microbiology, physiology, computer science and what not? Hence, a newer, refined, definition of biotechnology was offered by U.S. Office of Technology Assessment: “Any technique that uses living organisms to make or modify products, to improve plants or animals, or to develop microorganisms for specific purposes.” The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as: “Any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for specific use.” Schleiden and Schwann proposed cell theory in 1838.