eChapters

Introduction

Cassava is an important tuber crop in India grown in 2.7 lakh hectare area with a production of 71 lakh tonnes. The average yield of tapioca is 22 tonnes per hectare. Cassava is a richest source of starch (25 to 35%) mainly processed for starch and sago. Cassava is an industrial crop of Tamil Nadu occupies 32.97% of the area and 45.98% of the production in India. (Edison et al 2006). In Tamil Nadu major traditional tapioca growing districts are Salem, Namakkal, Erode, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri and Kaniyakumari mostly as rainfed. Among the districts Salem District stands first in area (27000 ha) and with the production of 10.475 lakh MT(Anonymous, 2006).

13.1 Introduction

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have become an increasingly important topic worldwide due to their effects on global warming and climate change. The effects of GHG emissions on the ecological and socioeconomic vulnerability have already been noticed and will continue to grow regionally and globally in the years to come (IPCC 2007). Carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons, perflourocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride are the important GHGs that are monitored by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC 2008). Global GHG emissions due to human activities (anthropogenic) have grown since the beginning of the industrial revolution with an increase of 70% between 1970 and 2004 (IPCC, 2007).

The Agriculture sector is by far the largest employer amongst all the major sectors employing roughly half of available workforce. At the same time, agriculture is the smallest sectoral contributor to the GDP. It is ironical that the most important requirement of human being, which is the bulk of agriculture farm produce, is largely considered to be an unrewarding sector in the nation.

Though the Indian agriculture has made significant strides in the course of the last 50 years of planned development, still the farmers today are facing the consequences of host of challenges, namely dependence of monsoon, declining size of land holdings, degradation of soil & water resources, declining investment of public sectors on agriculture. So farmers are increasingly getting indebted and temptation to sell their farm land  for non-farm purposes is growing. Over 45 per cent of farmers want to quit farming says a survey conducted by National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO).

Agricultural land is still a great source of income. But the practice of unsustainable methods and improper resource management leading to successive crop failures that make agriculture non- profitable and highly  risky.  So, the interest of youth in agriculture has been declining. While most developing countries are still experiencing high population growth rates, the youth are migrating in significant numbers to urban areas. The younger generation does not consider farming as a profession and they treat it as traditional activities of their family. The farm youth think that the farming system is not capable to provide a life, therefore they are diverting from agriculture to other profession.

In conventional agriculture, spatial variability over the landscape is ignored and fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides etc. are applied at a uniform rate throughout the crop field. Precision Farming emphasizes on the infield variability which is first recognized, located, quantified and recorded, then managed by applying farm inputs  in specific amounts at specific time and at specific locations.

The factors affecting sustainability of agriculture under small farm production system in coastal ecosystem of Odisha was studied to ascertain the status of ecological factors and suggest means and ways to improve the situation. The response of the sample farmers and the findings of the study together led to suggest the following measures for up-gradation of ecosystem of the coastal area leading to sustainability of agriculture. Like other states, Odisha is also facing with problems of sustainability of agriculture. Our sample districts namely Puri, Khurda, Ganjam and Balasore which are situated in coastal eco-system of the state has different problems concerning to natural resources like soil, water, forest and animal wealth, etc.

The suggestions to improve the sustainability status of agriculture have been viewed from two important angles. One is adoption of technological measures to preserve natural resources and other is the policy and extension approach to educate people about the necessity of taking such measures for sustainability of agriculture and improve upon.

The world is changing rapidly and education is facing new challenges as we move into the 21st century. For Extensionist, this means new approaches to teaching and learning are needed. Futurist John Naisbitt (1994) predicts that as structured employment opportunities decline, entrepreneurial skills will become necessary for the rural youth to compete. Additionally, acquiring skills and attitudes necessary for the youth can be achieved through youth entrepreneurship programs (Cox, 1998)

There is a challenge to convert ideas into policy and then into action to put in programmes aimed at helping the future farmers of the world.  According to UN report , Youth as a target group is not a major policy priority of most governments in developing countries. This review illustrates that youth are only occasionally visible in policy related documents.  Hazelman  (2008) emphasized based on lessons from case studies made by FAO in Asia and the Pacific,  highlighted  the importance of having a clear national policy relating to rural youth; building and utilizing youth networks and partnerships at the national, regional and international levels; organizing youth into youth-led organizations that are active and have strong leadership together with competent and committed advisors, with projects and activities that address youth and community needs; and giving priority and attention to education and training opportunities for continued learning and human-capacity building.

Introduction to strategy implementation involves translating strategic plans into actions and achieving desired outcomes. While many organizations focus on the technical aspects of implementation, it is crucial to consider the behavioral dimensions as well. Behavioral dimensions encompass the attitudes, behaviors, and actions of individuals within an organization that impact the success of strategy implementation. Here are some key points to consider regarding the behavioral dimensions of strategy implementation:

Organizational culture: The culture of an organization plays a significant role in strategy implementation. It comprises shared values, norms, beliefs, and practices that influence employee behavior. An accommodating and flexible culture fosters employee engagement, commitment, and alignment with strategic goals.

Leadership and Communication: Effective leadership is essential for successful strategy implementation. Leaders must articulate the strategy clearly, provide guidance, and motivate employees towards the desired outcomes. Communication channels ought to be open, transparent, and promote a culture of collaboration and feedback.

Employee Involvement and Empowerment: Involving employees in the strategy implementation process increases their commitment and ownership. Empowering employees through delegation of authority and decision-making cultivates a sense of responsibility and accountability, leading to enhanced performance and innovation.

Introduction

Strategy in the global context requires a thorough understanding of the external environment, including economic, political, cultural, and technological factors that could impact an organization's operations. Organizations must also understand their internal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to develop effective strategies that align with their goals. A global strategy involves developing a standardized approach to business activities that can be applied across different countries and cultures, while also adapting to local Market Conditions. Companies that operate globally must consider the differences in legal and regulatory environments, cultural norms, and consumer preferences when developing their strategies. Global strategy requires collaboration across different regions and functions within an organization to achieve a shared vision and common goals. The use of technology and data analytics is crucial in developing and executing global strategies, as it can help organizations identify new market opportunities, monitor changes in the external environment, and make informed decisions. Companies achieving success in formulating and executing global strategies must demonstrate agility and rapid adaptability to external environmental shifts. Additionally, they should maintain a steadfast commitment to continuous improvement and innovation to maintain a competitive edge.

3.1 Introduction
Out of all methods of sampling, the most commonly used procedure in surveys is the stratified random sampling. When population units are of heterogeneous nature and if we select a sample using SRSWOR scheme then the sample selected may not be the representative sample and the estimate worked out from that sample will not be the reliable estimate of the population parameter. The estimate of sampling variance of the sample estimator obtained from that sampling scheme may happen to be very high leading to get a less precise estimate of the parameter. In such type of population, to overcome these draw backs, we use another sampling scheme known as stratified random sampling which is defined as follows.

Q.1 If the sampling units of the population are of heterogeneous nature then stratified random sampling scheme is suitable for sample survey to be conducted.

Q.2 In stratatified random sampling scheme, the strata are homogeneous within themselves but heterogeneous between themselves.

3.1 Introduction

Out of all methods of sampling, the most commonly used procedure in surveys is the stratified random sampling. When population units are of heterogeneous nature and if we select a sample using SRSWOR scheme then the sample selected may not be the representative sample and the estimate worked out from that sample will not be the reliable estimate of the population parameter. The estimate of sampling variance of the sample estimator obtained from that sampling scheme may happen to be very high leading to get a less precise estimate of the parameter. In such type of population, to overcome these draw backs, we use another sampling scheme known as stratified random sampling which is defined as follows.

6.1 Introduction

Stratigraphy is the branch of geology which deals with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification) in their chronological order. It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks in order to interpret geological history and age. The term historical geology is also used as a synonym of stratigraphy but in a wider sense, it deals with the whole sequence of events that make up the history of the earth from its origin and age relations of rock strata, evolution through its life form, and structures. The scope of stratigraphy is very wide; it involves description and classification of layered sedimentary rocks and also of igneous & metamorphic rocks. The study involves correlation between different areas like lithological characters, fossil content, geophysical and geochemical properties including absolute radiometric dating.

6.2 Principles of Stratigraphy

Stratigraphy is based on the following few principles:

6.2.1 Law of superposition

In a sequence of horizontal sedimentary rock layers, the younger layers are on the top and the older layers are at the bottom. To put it another way, in a normal sequence, each bed is younger than the bed beneath it. Geologists today use it as the basis for a bed-by-bed analysis of geological history in a given area. This is important to stratigraphic dating, which assumes that an object cannot be older than the materials of which it is composed. This law known as "Law of Superposition" was first proposed by the scientist Nicolas Steno in the 17th century.

Management of paddy straw is one of the important problems being faced by the farmers. Burning of rice straw in the field is the traditional method being practiced by most of the farmers, which causes atmospheric pollution and nutrient loss. There are three options available to manage the straw viz. i) burning the straw in the field, ii) collecting/baling the straw from the field, and incorporation of straw in the field. If rice straw is not burnt then baling may provide an attractive economic environmentally safe option. Manual collection of paddy straw is a laborious job and also storing the large volume of straw is another problem. As for as paddy straw is concerned, it has higher silica content so animals do not prefer it.

There are many environmental risks associated with stubble burning. Thus the adoption of alternative straw management strategies is the best interest of all concerned. Key points when considering harvesting surplus cereal straw are: i) maintain sufficient crop residue on the land to protect the soil from erosion. This can be accomplished by keeping the stubble standing particularly after seeding; ii) harvest surplus crop residue with an appropriate frequency so as not to lower soil organic matter, soil fertility and crop productivity; and iii) fertilize crops according to soil test recommendations. The decision regarding the amount of straw to be removed should be based on the inherent value of the straw for maintaining the viability of the cropping system and protecting the soil resource versus the value of the straw for other uses (e.g., feed and bedding for livestock, industrial strawboard and feedstock for alternative energy forms). The value of retaining the straw on the land is difficult to determine but should be based on a number of factors such as: value of straw for soil erosion control; equivalent fertilizer value of the nutrients contained within the straw; value of the straw for building soil organic matter, soil quality, and soil tilth; and value of the straw for soil moisture conservation (Singh et al., 2003; Singh et al., 2009). At harvest, it is best to chop the straw as fine as possible and spread both the straw and chaff across in the field. A number of equipment have been developed for managing the straw in the field and discussed here.

Genus : Fragaria
Species : ananassa Duch.
Family : Rosaceae 
Chromosome No. : 2n=14, 25, 42, 56

Strawberry is relatively small genus comprising of usually low perennial creeping herbs, wild forms found wide spread in temperate and subtropical parts of the world. Cultivated strawberry is highly polymorphic and wide range of diversity present in the wild germplasm has resulted in the development of present day strawberry. Today it is grown throughout the world and is rated high in the list of liked foods. The breeders have contributed enormously towards the development of cultivars with wide adaptability and through the incorporation of desired traits helped to improve its quality dramatically over its wild forms. Today strawberry is known for its distinct delicate flavour, attractive fruit shape and colour and has made a special niche in the soft fruits culture. The cultivated strawberry Fragaria x ananassa Duch has resulted from the crossing of two local America species F. chiloensis (L) Duch. and F.virgianana, Duch.

Fragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. It is a low perennial creeping herb which is widely grown in temperate and subtropical regions of the world.

There are more than 20 described species and many hybrids and cultivars. Cultivated strawberries are based on two species, Fragaria chiloensis (L) Duch., native to the west coast of North America and Fragaria virginia Duch., native to eastern coast of North America. Hybrids of these two species are ancestors to all the modern strawberries. The most common strawberries grown commercially are cultivars of the garden strawberry, a hybrid known as Fragaria × ananassa. Strawberries have a taste that varies by cultivar, and ranges from quite sweet to rather tart. Strawberries are an important commercial fruit crop, widely grown in all temperate regions of the world.

The major producers of strawberries are USA, Mexico, Poland, Japan, Italy, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and Turkey. In India it was introduced during 1960’s and is grown to a limited extent in Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and some parts of southern India (Karnataka and Ooty).

Cultivars/Varieites: Tioga, Tufts, Surecrop, Fresno, Toro, Heidi, Hood, Northwest, Puget Beauty, Olympus, Ozark Beauty.

1. Introduction

The modern cultivated strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) is one of the most delicious, refreshing and soft fruits of the world. Worldwide it is also the most widely distributed fruit-crop due to its genotypic diversity, highly heterozygous nature and broad range of environmental adaptation. The plant is cherished in gardens and in commercial fields for its beautiful red fruit that has a tentalizing aroma (Sharma, 2002; Sharma and Sharma, 2004). Being a rich source of vitamins and minerals coupled with delicate flavour, strawberry has now become an important table-fruit of millions of people around the globe. It is amongst the few fruit crops, which gives quicker and very high returns per unit area on capital investment, as the crop is ready for harvesting within 6 months of planting. However, due to several technological advances in its cultivation like, introduction of day-neutral cultivars, and protected cultivation, strawberries remain available as fresh fruit throughout the year.

At present, strawberry is grown in wide climatic zones, extending to temperate, Mediterranean, sub-tropical and taiga zones (Sharma, 2002; Sharma and Sharma, 2004). Its cultivation is influenced by the specific regional adaptations due to critical photoperiods and temperature requirements and thus its cultural systems are highly variable. Due to the constant efforts of strawberry breeders, the world-wide interest for strawberry cultivation has boosted its production tremendously, which has resulted in widespread popularity of strawberry in the last 50 years.

STRAWBERRY

White grubs and cut worms

These insects cut the roots and stems of young plants.
 
Hairy caterpillars

Defoliate plants during June-July

1) Leaf Spot
(Mycosphaerella fragariae teleomorph, Ramularia brunnea Peck anamorph). Disease Symptoms
• Older leaves usually show purple spots (3-6 mm in diameter) on the upper surface, sometimes with a slightly darker halo.
• As the spots mature, they become white to gray and surrounded by a brownish halo.
• A typical lesions, uniformly brown without darker border or lighter centers, may form on young leaves.
• Later on, the whole leaf is covered by numerous lesions and become chlorotic, withered and die.
• Fruits are generally not directly infected, but the loss of foliage can reduce their quality and yield (Fig-1).
Etiology
Scientific Classification
Kingdom : Fungi
Division : Ascomycota
Class : Dothideomycetes