eChapters

In the present study, chicken (broiler) meat mince was used as protein sources. Incorporation of chicken meat minceat10, 20, 30, 40 and 50percent levelweretriedbesidesotheringredientswhichwereaddedincontrol.Chicken Biscuits incorporated with 20 per cent CMM were preferred the most on the basis of their sensory evaluation. Asthe chicken incorporated biscuits have not been reported in India and abroad. Majority of biscuits available in market are prepared from cereal (refined wheat flour), which has very low protein content & lack lysine, threonine & tryptophan essential amino acids. The biscuits thus developed can contribute good amount of nutrients especially protein if consumed in place of cereal (refined wheat flour) biscuits. The developed products can be used for feeding programme at institutes and school going children and elderly people, who are more prone to malnutrition particularly due to protein with essential amino acids deficiency. Chicken meat is also rich in threonine, tryptophan and lysine. Thus development of chicken incorporated biscuits using chicken meat and wheat flour would provide a nutritious, convenient and ready to eat food item. With an aim to develop biscuits by incorporating the chicken meat, the present study was planned. It was concluded that the biscuits with 20 per cent chicken meat mince and wheat flour would provide a nutritious with sufficient amount of essential amino acids (lysine, tryptophan and threonine), convenient and ready to eat food item. The cost of production of biscuits with 20 per cent CMM worked out to be Rs. 82.40 per kg.

1. _____________ is the main source of energy for the earth. (Sun)
2. The major cause of ‘Minamata’ disease in Japan was due to pollution by_____________. (Mercury)
3. _____________ method in water analysis is used for the quantitative estimation of dissolved oxygen. (Modified Winkler’s method)
4. Systematic scientific study of fresh water ecosystem is called as_____________. (Limnology)
5. The Earth Summit held in 1992, was organised at_____________. (Rio de Janeiro)
6. The altitude of troposphere in atmosphere is about_____________ kilometre. (Upto 11 km)
7. Bhopal gas tragedy took place in the year_____________. (1984)
8. The unit of noise pollution is measured in_____________. (Decibel)
9. Most important mitigation strategy for reducing global warming and climate change is _____________. (Carbon sequestration)

In countries like India where majority of the population are vegetarians, leguminous vegetables serve as the major source of protein in the diet. In the developing third world countries, especially for the poor, the major protein source in the diet are vegetable legumes. Most leguminous vegetables are rich in phosphorus, calcium, iron and a number of essential vitamins. Crops like soybean, groundnut and Bamabara groundnut are also rich in fats which are needed by the body to absorb vitamin A.

Abtract: Dahlia, tuberous flowering plant, is valued for potted flowering and garden crop worldwide. The genus contains ~85 species native to Mexico, central America and Columbia. Numerous phenotypes (star/ anemone/ paeony/ decorative/ pompon/ cactus/ water lily flowered) and cultivars (giant/ large/ small/ miniature/ ball/ pompon/ mignon single) are available on world market. Cultivated dahlias are allotetraploids with great diversity in flower colour/ forms. Limited genetic information and trait heritability has been established for this crop. Precise elucidation of the genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway has enabled in the creation of new flower colours or modification of pigment production and expression discussed. Research succeeded in mutation breeding and interspecific hybridization and colourful dahlia varieties have been developed by individual enthusiasts, nurserymen and flower breeders. Complicated genetics, heterozygosity often pose significant challenges to breeders. Future crop ideotypes are proposed to continue transformation of this important crop during the next millennium.

Microbial Based Formulations examines preparations produced through beneficial microorganisms, fermentation, and indigenous microbial resources. It covers Waste Decomposer, Effective Microorganisms, Fermented Plant Extract, EM-Bokashi, Indigenous Microorganisms, Fermented Plant Juice, Fermented Fruit Juice, Oriental Herbal Nutrient, and lactic acid bacteria. Water-soluble potassium, phosphoric acid, and calcium preparations, brown rice vinegar, loess powder, fermented seawater, and microorganism-enriched mixtures are also discussed. The chapter demonstrates how microbial activity and fermentation can transform locally available materials into agricultural inputs. Together, these formulations illustrate approaches for nutrient management, plant growth support, compost enrichment, and ecological farming using biologically mediated processes and farm-level resources. for preparation.

Water is indispensable for human, animal and plant life. It is a major component of all organisms some of which contain more than 90% of water. Water is a constituent of protoplasm. It maintains turgidity of cells which is essential for stomatal opening, expansion of cells and for different physiological processes. Water is also required for translocation of nutrients and dissipation of heat.

16.1 Irrigation

Irrigation is generally defined as the artificial application of water to soil for the purpose of supplying the moisture essential for plant growth.

However, a broader and more inclusive definition of the term irrigation is the application of water to the soil for any number of the following six purposes —

1. To add water to soil to supply the moisture essential for plant growth.
2. To provide crop insurance against short duration drought.
3. To cool the soil and atmosphere, thereby making more favourable environment for crop growth.
4. To wash out or dilute salts in the soil.

Evaluation Theory vs Practice

Theory based evaluation is an approach to evaluation (i.e., a conceptual analytical model) and not a specific method or technique. It is a way of structuring and undertaking analysis in an evaluation. A theory of change explains how an intervention is expected to produce its results

What are Evaluation Theories?

7.1 Introduction

Food processing has become one of the most competitive sectors in recent years. With increasing consumers’ demands, food industry needs to keep updating technology. These efforts are focussed at improving the organoleptic quality and nutrition of food and improve its keeping quality. This drives the industry to look for newer technologies which include new products as well as new processes. Some of the new processing technologies include non-thermal processes such as high pressure processing, pulsed electric fields and ultrasound processing. Advanced thermal processing techniques such as ohmic heating, inductive heating, extrusion and infrared heating have also been developed. Innovative methods for improving food quality through irradiation, removal of heat and moisture from food are now available. Newer packaging techniques now help to improve shelf-life and attractiveness of the food products and cater to the biodegradability of the packaging material. Hence, there is abundance of new products that have now become part of our daily life.

Food nanotechnology has its long history when the first step of revolution in food processing and improvement in quality of foods was introduced by Pasteur to kill the spoilage bacteria (1000 nm). Later, Watson and Crick’s model of DNA structure, which is about 2.5nm, opened the gateway of applications in biotechnology. Nanotechnology is defined as the design, production, and application of structures, devices, and systems through control of the size and shape of the material at the nanometer (10^-9 of a meter) scale. Nanotechnology is one such technology that has the potential to revolutionize the food industry. Taniguchi first used nanotechnology in 1974 to describe production technology at ultrafine dimensions. The word “nano” means “dwarf” in Greek and one nanometer is equivalent to 10^-9 m. Objects of this scale are not visible through the human eye or the ordinary optical microscope. A nanometer (nm) sized particle measures one billionth of a meter. A human hair measures 80,000 nm while a DNA strand is 2.5 nm wide whereas a protein chain is 5nm in diameter. Nanotechnology can be applied to develop nanoscale materials, controlled delivery systems, contaminant detection and to create nanodevices for molecular and cellular biology. Nanotechnology may be defined as the understanding and management of matter at dimensions of roughly 1-100 nanometers. Unique behavior of matter at the nanoscale enables novel applications. Nanoscale science, engineering, and technology can be used for imaging, measuring, modeling, and manipulating matter at this length scale. Range of sizes of nanomaterials in the food sector and their relative position on nanoscale/microscopic scale are listed below.

With the current food production level of 275.11 million tonnes, India has to step up food grain production by next decade to feed the burgeoning population (Report Ministry of Agriculture). India with 2.3% of the global geographical area, supports about 16.8% human population, 20% of the world’s livestock. However, per capita availability of land for producing agricultural commodities has declined from 0.34 ha in 1951 to about 0.23 ha in 1980 and 0.15 ha in 0.15 ha during 2015 and it is expected to decline further to about 0.09 ha by 2050 A.D. With the possibility of horizontal expansion or putting more land under cultivation being remote, further augmentation in yield in Indian agriculture will be forced more and more into marginal or problematic soils accompany about 57% geographical area with increasing competition for good quality lands.

9.1 Introduction

Food quality and safety are central issues in food economics today. A number of developed countries (EU, UK, US) has imposed a number of new regulations to track food products across the supply chain which is forcing the companies to invest in new automated approaches for their implementations. These solutions facilitate better process efficiency with more productivity, quality control in production lines, lower manufacturing costs with higher profit margins, and also help to achieve improved presentation as customers request. The high labour costs in developed countries make cost-cutting inevitable to remain competitive production. The growth in products packaged for the market, the increasingly strict hygiene regulations, the need to reduce risks at work, cut costs, and control product quality are all calling for the development of technologies that enable robots to be used for these tasks. In fact, robotics has a great opportunity in this industry. But the variation in physical properties of various food products and the necessity to avoid damaging them, make it necessary to seek flexible handling solutions for a wide range of products.

The robotics industry is looking into a bright future. As per the report given by the Statistical Department of International Federation of Robotics (IFR), it was projected that between 2014 and 2016 worldwide robot sales will increase by about 6% on average per year. Ten years ago, global sales figures were hovering around 80,000. So, three key factors for the boom - factory modernization, increases in production capacity and rising demand from a number of emerging markets.

Endowed with varied agro-climatic situations, topography and soil type, India has been a leading vegetable producing country in the world occupying the second
position in vegetable production after China with an annual production of 87.53 million tonnes from 5.86 million hectares having a share of 14.4 per cent to the world production. With commercial cultivation of as many as 61 annual and 4 perennial vegetables, India is the most diverse vegetable growing country in the world (Prakash et al., 2006).

Introduction

Water pollution is a significant issue that damages the quality of aquatic ecosystem. The pollution of water bodies is caused by several point and non point sources. Among them, wastewater released from livestock farms poses a potent risk for environmental pollution accelerating disease load and premature deaths (Vaishnav et al. 2023). Numerous small and large scale livestock farms are being operated around world to compensate the increased food demand from about 200 kcal per person per day in 2000 to about 400 kcal per person per day in 2050, South Asia's food demand for livestock products is expected to almost double (Thornton, 2010). Significant dietary changes toward animal based foods accelerates the livestock production (Springmann et al. 2016).

An aquarium functions as more than a simple container for aquatic life— it is a carefully balanced miniature ecosystem designed to replicate the natural environment of its inhabitants. Key elements that support both the biological health and visual aesthetics of an aquarium include substrates, gravels, and decorative features. These components are essential for creating a stable, appealing, and lifesupporting
underwater world.
Substrates serve as the foundational layer in any aquarium setup and fulfill several critical roles—biological, chemical, and mechanical. They offer a surface for beneficial bacteria to thrive, help root aquatic plants securely, impact water chemistry by altering pH and hardness, and shape the visual theme of the tank. The type of substrate used—be it sand, gravel, nutrient-rich soil, or crushed coral—depends on the specific aquarium setup, whether it’s a freshwater, marine, planted, or biotope-focused tank.
Gravels, a common form of substrate, combine utility with decorative value. Available in diverse sizes, textures, and colors, they contribute to the tank’s visual appeal while also supporting aeration and microbial life in the substrate layer. Choosing the right type of gravel depends on the species of fish and plants involved, as well as the intended function of the tank.
Decorative elements such as rocks, driftwood, ceramic structures, and aquaticsafe ornaments add character and structure to the aquarium’s layout. Beyond aesthetics, they serve practical purposes—providing shelter, defining territories, and encouraging natural behaviors like hiding or exploring. These additions can also help recreate specific natural settings, like riverbanks or coral reefs, thereby increasing the aquarium’s realism and educational value.

5.1 Introduction

Waste from the dairy processing industry is generated through production of milk products at different stages. With diversification of dairy products, by-products have also gained some importance. Utilization of dairy by- products improves economical and nutritional aspects of milk production and reduces environmental pollution originating from dairy waste. Important dairy by-products include butter milk, ghee residues and whey, the major waste arising from production of cheese, casein, paneer and chhana. Whey arises as a result of protein coagulation/precipitation in the preparation of these products. It is used for manufacture of whey powder, whey drinks and lactose (milk sugar). Whey protein concentrates can be prepared by modern technological methods like ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis. Desi buttermilk is an important domestic beverage since olden days. Ghee residue can be utilized for manufacture of chocolate burfi, samosa filling etc. Hence, utilization of dairy waste particularly whey, butter milk and ghee residues obtained during manufacturing of various main products, has not only increased the availability of nutritional milk foods but has also indicated the profitable method of by products utilization and helped in minimizing the problems of pollution. This chapter focuses on utilization of these dairy industry wastes.

Recent pandemic (COVID-19) impacted global economy significantly and increased economic disparity. Vaccines are significantly beneficial and cost effective compared to other public healthcare preventives. Vaccines reduce hospitalisation, treatment costs and associated morbidity and mortality. Although COVID-19 vaccination and natural viral infection protected against reinfection, it waned in part due to emerging novel variants. Waning immunity from vaccine and natural infection are documented, and it was more so in severe hospitalised COVID-19. Many countries developed their own vaccines successfully to counter as COVID-19 became global. Vaccines needed updates to effectively fight COVID-19 as the wild strain constantly mutated. Among the intrinsic, perinatal, extrinsic, environmental, behavioural and nutritional aspects, the host factors included antibiotics usage pattern, sleep habits, physical activities, smoking habit and alcohol intake. Similarly, the external factors influencing vaccine response included childhood vaccination, early-age infections, nutrient supplements soon after birth, and breastfeeding pattern. Vaccination time also affected the efficacy. Forenoon vaccination developed less breakthrough infection compared to afternoon or evening vaccination due to varying immunological responses like immune cell functions, recruitment and transport, owing to circadian rhythm. Although vaccination side-effects are there, almost all vaccines are reportedly safe, effective and prevented serious illness, hospitalisation and death. Vaccine usually takes two weeks to manifest, and it prevented 14·4–19.8 million pandemic fatalities globally in 185 nations in a single year during December 2020 and December 2021. It was necessary that the boosters alongside vaccines enhanced immunological effects and provided extended protection. Thus, vaccine and booster design and development, dosing, targeted immunisation, cost-efficacy and vaccine acceptance are challenges to address. Government, not-for-profit organisations, health agencies and researchers may systematically analyse, justify and validate vaccine R&D and vaccinations economics. This chapter comprehends biological, commercial and economic benefits and impacts of booster dose in vaccination drives, and the roadmap ahead.

11.1 Introduction

Phytosterols or plant sterols are bioactive plant constituents having similar chemical structure and biological functions as cholesterol (cholest-5-en-3b-ol), but differ in their side chain configuration. They are non-nutritive compounds with chemical structure differing from that of cholesterol only by minor modifications like in the structure of their side chain by a methyl or ethyl group at C-24. Sitosterol and campesterol have an ethyl and a methyl group at C-24, respectively (Fig. 11.1). Phytosterols present a tetracyclic ring and side chains linked to C-17 that differ according to sterol compound same as cholesterol, to which they resemble structurally as well as biosynthetically. Saturated form of sterols referred to as stands, occurring in small amounts, mainly in cereals are represented by the absence of the double bond at the D5 position. Phytosterols represent a part of the broad group of isoprenoides and are 28- and 29-carbon atom steroid alcohols naturally occurring in plants. Phytosterols and phytostanols are triterpene compounds, found ubiquitously in plants which can only be synthesized by plants, whereas humans and animals obtain them from their diet.

Theory

Rural Development: The economic betterment of people as well as greater social transformation. The efforts for rural development comprises the direct and indirect involvement of people at the grass root level for development of agriculture/animal husbandry, industry, communication, education, health and allied sectors. 
Democratic Decentralization: To ensure people’s participation in rural development programmes, democratic decentralization has been the core principle of the government since 1957. In the process, people’s participation in all developmental activities has been the unique phenomena to find out the solutions of their problems.
Panchayat Raj: On the principle of democratic decentralization, Panchayat Raj institutions were launched in 1957 as per the recommendations of Balwant Rai Mehta Committee. Under this, the government has derived its authority from the people, and distribute to some extent to the people for decision and action at the local level called Panchayat Raj.

Building upon the foundational statement, this chapter on “Practical Training for Professional Seeding” recognizes that equipping the next generation of agricultural meteorologists requires a multifaceted approach that goes beyond classroom lectures and textbook knowledge (Fig.6.1). It necessitates immersing students in real-world scenarios and providing them with the tangible skills demanded by the evolving agricultural landscape. Let’s delve deeper into the crucial areas of practical training that will be explored in this chapter:
6.1. Hands-on Experience with Meteorological Instrumentation and
Field Data Collection
This section will underscore the importance of direct interaction with weather monitoring equipment. Trainees will gain practical proficiency in:
• Operating and Maintaining Weather Stations: Learning the intricacies of setting up, calibrating, and maintaining various meteorological instruments like thermometers, hygrometers, anemometers, rain gauges, pyranometers, and soil moisture sensors. This will include understanding the principles of operation, potential sources of error, and best practices for ensuring data accuracy.
• Conducting Field Measurements: Moving beyond automated stations, trainees will learn manual data collection techniques for parameters like leaf area index, canopy temperature, radiation interception, and soil physical properties. This hands-on experience will foster a deeper appreciation for the spatial variability of microclimates and the challenges of obtaining representative data.

INTRoDUCTION

In developing countries, cereals and legumes are the principal source of daily energy and protein intake. The major economic loss caused by grain infesting insects in not always the actual material they consume, but also the amount contaminated by them and their excreta which makes food unfit for human consumption. Today million of tones of the food grains are damaged by the ravages of the pests that not only cause quantitative but also qualitative changes in food grains. Stored product insects depress the food value of a product, introduce pathogens, parasites or toxins or make it less palatable. Insect infestation in high in the tropics and may lead 100 per cent damage in severe cases.
 
In order to cope with the requirement of the increasing population and food problem, at present as well as for the decades to come, the world will have to raise agricultural production very substantially, both by increasing the production and by reducing losses on account of post harvest spoilage especially of cereals and legumes which are the primary sources of food for men kind. This is a major problems during agricultural production, food transfer and processing. Million tonnes of grain worth several hundred corers of rupees every years are either damaged or loss for want of knowledge of scientific methods of saving the foodgrains during storage. In India, post-harvest losses caused by the unscientific storage, rodents, insects, micro-organisms, moisture etc. account for about 10 per cent of total foodgrains (Anonymous, 1971). A world survey by F.A.O. indicated about 5 per cent loss of cereals, in storage annually (Herford, 1952).

Introduction

The first step of geostatistical analysis in R is the creation of dataset which is acceptable in R environment by using the data collected from field survey or laboratory experiments. Different type of data is collected during experiments e.g. sand content, silt content, organic carbon content, geographical location of data points, soil type, land use type etc. Here, we will discuss how these data are converted into a acceptable dataset format for R environment and how we manage these data. In R this task is performed in two steps. First, a data structure is created to hold the data and second is the entering or exporting the data into data structure.