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India is one of the largest producer of the pomegranate. Apart from India, Spain, Iran, Egypt, Peru, Israel, Pakistan, Afganisthan, Turkey and America are the countries where the crop is cultivated. World production of Pomegranate is around 10 Lakh tones out of which India’s share is 40-45 percent .At present Spain is the maximum producer and exporter of pomegranate due to high quality and low transport cost capturing most of the European market. The total demand for pomegranate in the world is around 1.5 Lakh tones, which is increasing day by day. Spain contributes 75,000 to 80,000 tones (75%)of the total demand followed by Iran 25,000 tones and India 10000 tones (5%). Thus to increase the export there is only one way to improve the quality.

Fruit Cracking

The results fruit cracking is observed in almost all the cultivars. The extent of cracking ranged from 3.57% in kazkai to 76 .6% in Suni Bedana, Josan et al (1979). Fruit cracking is mainly associated with fluctuation in soil moisture, day and night temperature and relative humidity and rind pliability and nutrient imbalance. Phadnis (1974) reported that irregularity in watering and lack of moisture at the time of fruit development leads to cracking. Singh et al (1967) reported that cracking might be due to boron deficiency as well as wide variation in moisture content of the soil and humidity in the air. Prasad and Bankar (2000) also reported that varietal character plays important role in cracking. The percentage was minimum (36.6%) in Jalore seedless and maximum (78.2%) in Jodhpur red.

Fruit Maturity Criteria
 
    1.    The fruit takes about 135 to 170 days to mature depending on the variety.

    2.    In summer, mature fruit turns yellow and is dark pink in winter and rainy season.

    3.    The calyx at the bottom of the fruit turns hard and curves inwards.

    4.    The fruit shape gets compact

    5.    The fruit skin becomes hard.

    6.    The color of the aril turns dark red or pink and is full of juice and sweetness.

Crop Regulation

Staggering in pomegranate is practiced with a view to regulate crop load on the plant which will help in availability of the fruit for the long period helping the farmer fetching remunerative prices in the market. Also it will help in avoiding the glut in the market leading to distress sale. The relationship between source and sink can be regulated which helps in better fruit development. Pomegranate flowers and fruits through out the year if irrigation is provided to the plant. Taking of particular bahar leads to the glut in the market. This results in distress sale by the farmers. To avoid this staggering of pomegranate crop was attempted to find out and fruiting flowering during various months of the year so that maximum production with best quality fruits can be obtained.

The old orchards become non-productive due to incidence of pest and diseases and neglect, once the orchard becomes old its productivity goes down, and it is general tendency of the farmers to neglect the orchard. In pomegranate when the survey was conducted it was observed that 25 percent of the old orchards become unproductive due to loss of vigor in the plant. Owing to heavy incidence of pest and diseases. There is still scope to review production from these orchards through intensive care. Rejuvenation can be bone by mechanical measures, chemical measures as well as by pruning of plants. Work carried out on non-selective pruning at CHES, Vejalpur has shown encouraging results.

High Density Orcharding

India is the second largest producer of the fruits (41.5 million tones) in the world. Still the productivity of almost all the fruits in India is very low (12 tones /ha) as compared to other fruit growing countries of the world. It is a major cause of concern to our scientists, extension personnel and orchardists. Many reasons may be attributed to the low productivity and to solve this problem our scientists have to develop high yielding varieties/hybrids, resistant to the biotic and abiotic stresses and develop better agro-techniques for realizing the maximum potential of the fruit cultivation in India. Though, we have achieved this distinction, but the per capita consumption of the fruits in our country is still 80 g/day due to our huge population, which is far below from the recommendation of 120g/capita/day.

Manures and Fertilizers

Even though pomegranate grows well in soils of low fertility, production can be increased by application of manures and fertilizers. Initial soil analysis is desirable for proper scheduling of fertilizers. The nutritional recommendation depends on fertility of the soil and also the age of the plant. For young plants (2-3 months old) application of 200 g Neem cake along with 3-4 kg FYM/plant is recommended. After 3 months, each plant may be given 250 g DAP along with 250 g Neem cake and 5 kg FYM. Again after 9 months, application of 500 g DAP, 250 g Potassium sulphate, 1 kg Neem cake and 10 kg of FYM/plant is recommended.

Irrigation/ Drip/ Fertigation

Pomegranate is considered to be drought hardy fruit crop. Supplemental irrigation, however, is necessary for realizing higher fruit yield and better quality. Irrigation is also used to regulate cropping in pomegranate and the total water applied therefore depends on the desired bahar. In Gujarat and Maharashtra, where Ambe bahar is taken, regular irrigation is required during March to July and irrigation is stopped after the fruit harvest until January. For Mrig bahar crop irrigation is not required from July to September. However, in case of prolonged break in monsoon one or two supplementary irrigation at an interval of 10-15 days during October to December are required. In hasta bahar (September flowering) prolonged rainy season helps in reducing requirement for irrigation 3-4 irrigation at monthly interval after cessation of rainfall are must to obtain good fruit size and higher yield.

Soil and Climate

Commercial pomegranate orchards are confined mainly to Mediterranean, and semi-arid regions of the world. It is hardy fruit, which can be grown successfully, even in low fertile soils. Although pomegranate of high quality can be grown only where there is a cool winter and a hot dry summer, the trees grow under wide range of climatic conditions. It can be grown from the plains to an elevation of about 1829 m. The tree can withstand frost but gets injured by temperatures below 11.1^ºC.

In areas of low winter temperatures the tree is deciduous but under tropical and sub-tropical conditions, it is evergreen or partially deciduous. The tree cannot produce sweet fruits, unless the temperatures are high for sufficiently long period. The quality of fruit is adversely affected in humid climate.

Pomegranate is emerging as one of the important fruit crops for semiarid and arid areas of India with the identification of superior varieties like Ganesh, Mrudila, Arka Ruby, and Bhagwa the area under pomegranate is increasing fast. Therefore the demand for elite planting material is also increasing fast. Pomegranate is propagated vegetatively either by cutting or air layering since ages. However now a day’s orchards raised from tissue culture are also very common. Nursery as a business preposition can also be as profitable as raising a crop. 

Types of Nurseries According to Marketing
    1.    Wholesale nurseries
    2.    Garden centers
    3.    Nurseries for large-scale gardening (municipals etc.)
    4.    Regular nurseries

The world’s largest collection comprising 1117 entries is maintained at Turkmenistan (CIS). They exhibit great variability for fruit size and quality, skin color, resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses but most of them are temperate in nature and do not grow well in the Indian tropics. There is scope to use this material for breeding superior types.

There are several varieties adopted to both tropical and subtemperate climate. They are either evergreen on semi deciduous or deciduous types. The flowering habit, fruiting and flower physiology are altered with the habitat. The tropical climate with mild winter of south India, growth and flowering are continuous processes, while in the subtropical climate of north India the trees remain dormant during cold winter and flowers in the following spring and in temperate climate flowering occurs in summer.

Breeding

Pomegranate is genetically heterozygous material thus there is lot of variability existent in the nature. Therefore there is scope for crossing two selected genotypes. Raising of hybrid population and identification of superior types for following major constraints in its successful cultivation.

    1.    Cracking and splitting of fruits is a severe menace due to variation in atmosphere, humidity. 
    2.    Resistance to fruit borer and stem borer. 
    3.    To develop varieties having high sugar (16%) and less acid (1.5 %).
    4.    All varieties bear some sterile flowers. This reduces the yield appreciably. Selection of varieties bearing high percentage of fertile flowers should be achieved.

Introduction

Pomegranate is emerging as one of the important fruit crops owing to its hardiness and ability to withstand adverse soil and climatic conditions. Today out of world production of ten Lakh tons; India contributes 40-45 percent. Currently the export of pomegranate is around 10,000 tones, which is just 5 percent of the total export. With the increase in population the domestic demand of fruits has also increased substantially. As on date out of total area of 1,25,000 ha. area, under pomegranate major area under the crop is found in the state of Maharashtra. The state has 85,000 ha. (68 % area) under the crop, of which only 51,000 ha is under production, followed by Karnataka 12,727 ha. Gujarat 3,787 ha. up to 2003 –2004.

The quality of medicinal plants is paramount in respect of its therapeutic value. The therapeutic value of a plant solely depends on its genuineness in respect of its identity and optimum quantity of therapeutically active phyto-constituents. The medicinal plants are resourced from wild and cultivated sources. The major sources of medicinal plants are wild sources viz. forest areas, open land, non-cultivated sources etc. The medicinal plants collected from wild sources remain questionable for their quality especially when they have been procured from trade channels owing to fair chances of adulteration, substitution and inappropriate storage condition which lead to deterioration in quality. All the medicinal plants which are available in dried form in the trade are termed as crude drugs and are always subject to quality check in a laboratory on the basis of pharmacognostical, physico-chemical, phyto-chemical, microbiological and other analytical specifications. These specifications are available in pharmacopoeial monographs under regulatory frame work.  The pharmacopoeial standards are experimentally established and are also approved standards incorporated in a pharmacopoeia. A pharmacopoeia is a book of standards applicable to drug substance and their dosage forms of common usage in a country. Pharmacopoeia is prepared by recognized authority appointed by the Government of a particular country. It is an essential requirement of a regulatory framework in the sphere of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and Rules there under (Anonymous 1940). Pharmacopoeial standards are experimentally established and approved standards.

Introduction

Harshberger first used the term ethnobotany in 1895-96, for the plants used by the local tribes and people, for their basic needs and requirements. They also used plant, plant parts and plant products for animal healthcare and other practices. This indigenous or traditional animal health care practice is called ethnoveterinary medicine. Ethnoveterinary medicine is defined as a holistic comprehension of the indigenous systems of animal health, their interpretation through western medicine and the development of effective and appropriate technologies (McCorkle 1986). McCorkle et al. (1989) define Ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) as dealing with the folk beliefs, knowledge, skills, methods and practices pertaining to the health care of animals. McCorkle et al. (1996) give a description of ethnoveterinary medicinal research as the holistic interdisciplinary study of the local knowledge and the socio-cultural structures and environment associated with animal health care and husbandry.
 
EVM consists of local people’s knowledge pertaining to animal health and production. According to Mathias (1996 & 2002), it includes:

In its original concept, vaccination aims to mimic the development of naturally acquired immunity by inoculation of nonpathogenic but still immunogenic components of the pathogen in question, or closely related organisms. The term “vaccine” (from the Latin term “vacca,” meaning cow) was first coined by Edward Jenner to describe the inoculation of humans with the cowpox virus to confer protection against the related human smallpox virus and illustrates the close relationship between human and animal infectious disease sciences. The famous proverb saying ‘Prevention is better than cure’ implies perfectly to the vaccines. Vaccines have proven to be boon for animals which can be regard a potential weapons against infectious diseases caused mainly by bacteria and viruses. The major aims of veterinary vaccines are to improve the health and welfare of companion animals, increase production of livestock in a cost-effective manner, and prevent animal-to-human transmission from both domestic animals and wildlife. Vaccines have long been used to combat infectious disease; however the last decade has witnessed a revolution in the approach to vaccine design and development. Apart from improving animal health and productivity, veterinary vaccines have a significant impact on public health through reductions in the use of veterinary pharmaceuticals and hormones and their residues in the human food chain.

Introduction

After introduction  of Green Revolution and White  Revolution in our country, India had high growth in food and milk production but farmers of our country had  applying more chemical fertilizers, insecticides  pesticides, weedicides and various medicines  in injudicious way  to increase grain, vegetable, fruit, flower, milk, meat and egg production . Due to this reason soil fertilely and soil health is deteriorating continuously. The soil  of food bowl states of our country viz. Punjab, Haryana, Western Uttar Pradesh and plain area of Uttarakhand deficient in organic matter, macro and micro and trace elements. Now soil became non living due to death of earthworms and beneficial micro organism. Farmers are using mainly nitrogen, phosphorus and potash in crop production. However there are 15 essential plant nutrition’s for growing of crops. Due to more application of chemical fertilizers in crop production these days’ farmers are not properly using organic, green and compost manures in crop husbandry. Soil fertility and ground water level has been declined very fast by adopting intensive farming.

To sustain the meat industry in profitable manner, efficient utilization of meat by-products is an important issue. In today’s competitive world the realization of old saying “Only the last cry of the animal is wasted” has become essential. The utilization of by-products not only ensures additional revenue but also reduce the cost of various mandatory disposal treatments. The live animals are becoming costlier over the dressed carcass which compels the utilization of by-products. Moreover, unused by-products is also a great threat to environment and public-health apart from loosing nutritional resources. According to FAO (2004) estimates 106.75 million livestock and more than 650 million poultry birds were slaughtered annually in India leading to production of 6.3 million MT meat and different by-products of appreciable value. Now a day’s various techniques are available for the utilization of by-products for different purposes still significant portion of the by-products are unutilized and poses huge economic losses.

Animal By-products are the portions of animal body which are not included in dressed carcass. Animal by-products can be estimated by subtracting the dressing percentage from 100. Dressing percentage is inversely proportional to the byproducts means lower the dressing percentage, higher will be the yield of by-products and vice versa. In normal cases dressing percentage usually ranges between 50-70 percent and by-products yield in between 30-50 percent. However, the actual percentage may be higher because it excludes the weight of bones in muscles which is a part of dressed carcass.

India has the highest livestock population in the world with 50% of the buffaloes and 20% of the world’s cattle population, most of which are milch cows and milch buffaloes. The dairy industry in our country is considered as one of the most successful development programmes in the post-Independence period. In the year 2006-07the total milk production in the country was over 94.6 million tonnes with a per capita availability of 229 gm. per day. The industry had been recording an annual growth of 4% during the period 1993-2005, which is almost 3 times the average growth rate of the dairy industry in the world. Milk processing in India is around 35%, of which the organized dairy industry account for 13% of the milk produced, while the rest of the milk is either consumed at farm level, or sold as fresh, non-pasteurized milk through unorganized channels. Dairy Cooperatives account for the major share of processed liquid milk marketed in the India. Milk is processed and marketed by 170 Milk Producers’ Cooperative Unions, which federate into 15 State Cooperative Milk Marketing Federations. Over the years, several brands have been created by cooperatives like Amul (GCMMF), Vijaya (AP), Verka (Punjab), Saras (Rajasthan). Nandini (Karnataka), Milma (Kerala) and Gokul (Kolhapur). Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are the milk surplus states in India.

Introduction

The present world wide situation of food items calls for a broad range of poultry alternatives to meet increasing demand of quality protein. Besides, complication involved in managing chicken, emergence of new diseases, increase in feed cost and increasing demand of poultry meat bound us to search for alternative species of poultry. In this circumstance rearing of Guinea fowl framed for centuries to meet poultry production requirements of diversified agricultural milieu. The traditionally reared Guinea fowl could become a significant source of food and also a source for substantial supplement income.

History
 
Guinea fowl a bird of West African origin came to India during mediaeval age. Now guinea fowl are being raised in the districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and in some parts of Tamilnadu. The birds are very popular with marginal farmers and poor classes and are being largely kept as foragers and insectivorous under semi-range and range conditions.