eChapters

Botany: Emblica officinalis belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae commonly known as Amla or Indian Gooseberry or Nelli is an important crop with high medicinal value. The fruits have the richest source of vitamin-C (700 mg per 100 g of fruits) and is considered to be good liver tonic. The various preparations using Amla include Chyavanprash, Triphala churna, Brahma Rasayana and Madumegha churna. The fruit is valued as an antiscorbutic, diuretic, laxative, antibiotic and anti-dysentric. Phyllemblin, obtainedfrom fruit pulp has been found to have mild depressent action on central nervous system. It has good demand from the industries for the preparation of various health care products also like hair oil, dye, shampoo, face creams and tooth powder.

Soil: Light as well as medium heavy soils except purely sandy soil is ideal for amla cultivation. The tree is well adopted to dry regions and can also be grown in moderate alkaline soils.

Climate: It is a tropical plant. Annual rainfall of 630-800 mm is ideal for its growth. The young plant upto the age of 3 years should be protected from hot wind during May-June and from frost during winter months. The mature plants can tolerate freezing temperature as well as a high temperature upto 46^OC.

Varieties: The varieties recommended for cultivation are Banarasi, Chakaiya, Francis, NA-4 (Krishna) NA 5 (Kanchan), NA-6, NA-7, NA-10 and BSR-1 (Bhavanisagar).

As the blood returns to the heart it passes through special thin walled vessels called veins. Unlike the tough strong arteries, these vessels are easily distended. One can demonstrate by pressing the finger on a vein on the back of hand and watching it swell as the blood builds up behind it. Blood flowing from the head and upper chest flows downward toward the heart. On the other hand, blood coming from the lower extremities must flow upward. To make this possible nature has provided valves in the veins so that the blood can flow only toward the heart, never in the other direction.

In human beings there are two sets of veins. The deeper veins are located within the muscles where they are given good support. But the veins on the surface just under the skin have little support and are easily damaged. These surface veins are often subject to inflammation or phlebitis.

In some people the veins in the legs are weak and may swell easily. Varicose veins, seems to run in families. Anything that increases the pressure in the pelvis or abdomen may slow the flow of blood back to the heart from the lower extremities. One frequent cause of varicose veins is pregnancy; other is obesity. Anything that increases the pressure within the veins of the legs and thighs may weaken or break down the little valves, so that the veins become enlarged and the blood does not finds its way back to the heart as it should.

Introduction

It is the most popular tree found cultivated throughout India as stray plantations or avenues. Regular orcharding is wanted but common in waste land. The wood is used in cart wheels and rice pounders. Oil mills, etc. The bark is used in tanning. The tender leaves and flowers are eaten as a vegetable. The pulp of fruit is used for culinary purposes. The seeds are rich in pectin. India is the major producer and consumer of this fruit in the world. The seeds are rich in pectin. India is the major producer and consumer of this fruit in the world. Immature fruits are used for chutney, and ripe fruit pulp is an important ingredient in south Indian vegetable dishes to induce sourness. Tamarind is indigenous to tropical Africa and some parts of South India.

The importance of green manuring in crop production has been known since ancient times. However, awareness towards soil enrichment is increasing in recent years, mainly due to comparatively high cost of inorganic fertilizers, increased risk of environmental pollution and need of sustainable cropping systems. Green manuring helps to improve physical, chemical and biological properties of soil and consequently crop yields. Green manuring lowers the nitrogenous fertilizer requirements for succeeding crops. However, it’s influence may vary with soil, crop environmental variables, type of green manure crop used and its management.

Green manuring is a practice of ploughing or turning into the soil un-decomposed green plant tissues for the purpose of improving physical structure as well as fertility of the soil. It is obtained in two ways; by growing green manure crops or by collecting green leaf (along with twigs) from plants grown in wastelands, field bunds and forest. Green manuring by growing the field plants usually belonging to the leguminous family and incorporated into the soil after sufficient growth. The most important green manure crops are sunnhemp, dhaincha, Pillipesara, cluster beans and Sesbania rostrata. The advantages of green manuring are as follows.

Disease is one of those terms that are very difficult to define. It is realized that disease (literally dis-ease) implies lack of ‘comfort’and therefore, involves deviation from normal functioning. From time to time several definitions which have been proposed, in fact descriptive but not simultaneously exclusive. The definitions for the term disease are.

A decoration, interpretation, or visual explanation of a text, concept, or process that is intended to be included in published media including posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, video games, and films is called an illustration.

Using Illustrations

We can comprehend information better when it is shown. Illustrations were one of our first forms of communication, long before any kind of contemporary writing. In reality, new discoveries of cave drawings from more than 35,000 years ago show that humanity have been using images to communicate for a very long time. This did not occur by accident; according to study, over 90% of the information we process is visual, and a significant portion of our brain is dedicated to visual processing.

Benefits of using Illustrations

46.1. Aim: To prepare pickle from different fruits.

46.2. Theory

The preservation of food in common salt (NaCl) or in vinegar or edible oil with the addition of spices and condiments is known as pickling. It is one of the most ancient /oldest methods for preservation of fruits and vegetables. Salt, vinegar, edible oil or lactic acid act as preservative in pickle making. Several kinds of pickles are sold in the Indian market. Mango pickle ranks first followed by lime, lemon, mushroom, galgal, aonla, jackfruit and karonda pickles.

Brining: For pickling, unripe fruits (like mango) after preparation (peeling, slicing) are mixed with salt or brine for its later use in pickle preparation

Dissolved oxygen (DO) refers to oxygen gas that is dissolved in water. Fish are able to absorb oxygen directly from the water into their bloodstream using gills. There are three main sources of oxygen in the aquatic environment: 1) direct diffusion from the atmosphere; 2) wind and wave action; and 3) photosynthesis. Oxygen depletion refers to low levels of DO and may result in fish mortality. A concentration of 5 mg/L DO is recommended for optimum fish health. Sensitivity to low levels of dissolved oxygen is species specific, however, most species of fish are distressed when DO falls to 2-4 mg/L. Mortality usually occurs at concentrations less than 2 mg/L. If fishes gulfing on the water surface and also show the low swimming in the water it indicates deficiency of dissolved oxygen in pond.

Experiment- 1

Aim: Direct DNA delivery to Plant by Particle Bombardment
 
In direct gene transfer method, the foreign gene of interest is delivered into the host plant cell without the help of vector. Klein and Coworkers (1987) evolved a procedure through which the delivery of DNA into cells of intact plant organs or cultured cells is done by a process called Projectile Bombardment. The microprojection (Small and high density particles) are accelerated to high velocity by particle gun apperatus. These particles with very high kinetic energy penetrate the cells and membranes and transmit foreign desired DNA inside of the bombardment cells.

1. AI with liquid semen

The ampoule is thawed in ice water for 6-7 minutes. Then, the ampoule is dried and cut. The semen is drawn in a sterilized glass pipette (40-42 cm x 5 mm length diameter) fitted to a sterile glass/plastic syringe (2-5 mL) filled with 1 mL of semen with a rubber connecter. Artificial insemination is done by recto-vaginal method after securing cow/buffalo in standing position in the trevis.

Introduction:Jamun (Syzygium cumini) belonging to the family Myrtaceae is a popular indigenous fruits Of India. It is also known as black plum, Indian black cherry, Ram jamun etc. in different parts of India. The tree is tall and handsome, evergreen, generally grown for shade and windbreak on roads and avenues. In India, the maximum number of jamun trees are found scattered throughout the tropical and subtropical regions. It also occurs in the lower range of the Himalayas up to an elevation of 1,300 meters and in the Kumaon hills up to 1,600 meters. It is widely grown in the larger parts of India from the IndoGangetic plains in the North to Tamil Nadu in the South.

Soil:The jamun tree can be grown on a wide range of soils. However, for high yield potential and good plant growth, deep loam and a welldrainedsoil are needed. Jamun can grow well under salinity and waterlogged conditions too.

Climate: Jamun prefers to grow under tropical and subtropical climate. It is also found growing in lower ranges of the Himalayas up to an altitude of 1300 meters. The jamun requires dry weather at the time off towering and fruit setting.

Varieties: The common variety grown under North Indian conditions is “Ram Jarnun”. It produces big sized, oblong fruits, deep purple or bluish-black in color at full ripe stage. The pulp of the ripe fruit is purple pink and the fruit is juicy and sweet. The stone is small in size. The variety ripens in the month of June- July and it is very common both in rural as well as in urban markets.

In practice, flowers are collected from wild plantations. Recently kewda has emerged as one of the important commercial commodities. A systematic cultivation practice is essential to develop a successful plantation and to increase the productivity.

Planting

Kewda suckers or crowns are generally planted during June-July. i.e. in the beginning of the monsoon, when the soil is not too wet. Planting in wet soil delayd the root formation and reduces the success level. Just after the first shower of rain or during the summer shower close to monsoon, kewda is planted.

In a full grown plant, stilt roots originate at a few feet above the ground to render a support for the huge canopy of the plant. Each part of the stem is capable enough for development of root initials, but it is retarded once the stem became old and leafless. The root initials develop at the terminal portion, where more leaves cluster, but they do not grow. Hence, the stem cuttings collected from the flowering or non-flowering shoots bear the rudimentary roots and when planted, they establish quickly.

In practice, the cuttings are collected and scattered on the ground for two to three days. Before planting, a few leaves closed to the base of the cuttings are removed to expose the root development sites. The cuttings are planted in trenches of 45 cm depth horizontally or at an angle of 30^o. The new leaves appear on the growing points one month after planting.

Kewda plants are usually planted on the field bunds for fencing and subsequently used for collection of flowers. A 30 years old plant can produce a crown of 6-7 m, for which it is difficult to develop a commercial plantation in a close spacing. It has been observed in the natural plantations that the plants may be spaced at 8-10 m distance to achieve a full length of plantation life. It is, therefore, suggested by the authors to follow a paired row method of planting maintaining a spacing of 4 m between plants and rows of a paired row and 6 m between two paired rows; which provides all facilities for plant growth upto 10-12 years and then pruning of a few branches are required. Hence, a plant population of 500 plants in the field and 150-200 plants on field bunds are maintained in a land of one hectare.

Theory

The amount of moisture in a product is given on the basis of the weight of water present in the product and is usually expressed in percent. Moisture content is designated by (i) wet basis (wb) and (ii) Dry basis (db). The moisture content on dry basis is more simple to use in calculation as the quantity of moisture present at any time is directly proportional to the moisture content on dry basis.

Whooping cough is highly infectious specific disease, commonly of children characterized by respiratory catarrh and a special type of cough with inspiratory laryngeal spasm producing a characteristic sound.

This is common in children below 6 years, females are attacked more. Atypical cases are sometimes seen in adolescents and adults.

The disease occurs sporadically and less commonly in epidemics. It occurs mostly in winters and spring and is more common in temperate areas. The causative organism is Haemophillus pertusis present in the upper respiratory tract, conveyed by the infected sputum droplets of the patient to the contacts during the earlier stages of catarrh and paroxysmal cough.

The incubation period is 7 to 15 days or more.

A moderate degree of laryngeal, tracheal and bronchial catarrh with peribroncholitis and acute localized emphysema of the lungs are often associated. The tracheobronchial glands are sometimes enlarged. Rarely the right heart may be dilated and there may be haemorrhage in the brain and the meninges.

Vermicompost is the product of the decomposition process using various species of earthworms, to create a mixture of decomposing bedding materials and vermicast.

This process is called vermicomposting, while the rearing of worms for this purpose is called vermiculture. Vermicast is also called worm casting, worm humus, worm manure or worm faeces and are the end product of the breakdown of organic matter by earthworms. It is a mesophilic process and certain species of earthworms are used to enhance the process of organic waste conversion and produce a better end product. Vermicompost is an excellent organic fertilizer having water soluble macro as well as micronutrients, growth promoters, enzymes and soil conditioner, helpful for growth and development of plants. It helps to improve biological, chemical and physical properties of the soil.

Cutlines, another name for photo captions, are a few lines of text that provide context or additional information for published images. In some circumstances, captions and cutlines are distinct from one another. A caption is a brief (often one-line) title or explanation for the picture, whereas a cutline is a longer, prose block that describes the picture more thoroughly, provides context, or connects it to the article.

The first things people read in a publication are frequently the photo captions. A crucial component of a news photographer’s job is writing captions for photos. The reader should receive the essential information from a photo caption in order to comprehend the image and its news value.

Caption writing should adhere to the same professional standards of clarity, accuracy, and completeness as any other writing that appears in a publication. A lousy caption can lessen the impact of a beautiful photo and damage the caption’s reputation as journalism by being uninformative or, worse, misleading. Why should readers believe the rest of the publication if they can’t trust the accuracy of the straightforward information in a caption?

47.1. Aim

To conduct practical on preparation of pickle from different vegetables.

47.2. Theory

Pickles are good appetizers and add to the palatability of a meal. Pickles may be unfermented (mostly Indian pickles) and fermented (western pickles). Salt, vinegar, edible oil or acetic acid acts as preservative in pickle making. Mixed vegetable pickle from cauliflower, carrot and turnip is most common. Cucumber and olive pickles are examples of fermented pickles. The process of steeping vegetables/fruits in salt solution is also a common method used for preservation of mango and vegetable slices for longer duration storage for its later use in pickling.

Previous Year Questions

1. CS 2015: Discuss the impact of rapid increase in population on food and agriculture (12.5 marks)

What is Food security?

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) – “when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.

It has Following Dimensions

• Availability: It means food production within the country, food imports and the stock stored in government granaries.

Ready -to -Serve (RTS) drink is a type of fruit beverage that contains at least 10% fruit juice/pulp and 10o Brix total soluble solids with acidity ranging between 0.3-0.5%. The product is not diluted before serving like squash; hence it is called a ready-to-serve beverage. The product can be preserved by using 70 ppm SO2  or 120 ppm benzoic acid. Mango, orange, guava, lemon, lime, litchi, kiwi fruit, apricot, pineapple, etc., fruits are used for making RTS beverages. For lime & lemon drinks minimum level of juice content is 5% as per Indian Food Laws.
Recipe: As a general guideline, the following recipe is used for the preparation of ready-to-serve drinks:
Procedure
i. Select fully mature and ripe fruit like mango, guava, apricot, kiwi, etc., and wash thoroughly.
ii. Some fruits like mango, kiwi, pineapple, and litchi are peeled before heating. Apricots, guava, plums etc are not peeled. Place fruit after peeling in a pan/pressure cooker and boil till softening

The biochemical oxygen demand is a chemical procedure for determining the amount of dissolved oxygen needed by aerobic organisms in a water body to break the organic materials present in the given water sample at certain temperature over a specific period of time. BOD of water or polluted water is the amount of oxygen required for the biological decomposition of dissolved organic matter to occur under standard condition at a standardized time and temperature. Usually, the time is taken as 5 days and the temperature is 20°C. microbes
C6H12O6 + 6O2 ¾¾¾¾®CO2 + H2O
Principle
The test measures the molecular oxygen utilized during a specified incubation period for the biochemical degradation of organic material (carbonaceous demand) and the oxygen used to oxidize inorganic material such as sulfides and ferrous ion. It also may measure the amount of oxygen used to oxidize reduced forms of nitrogen (nitrogenous demand).
Procedure
Fill two BOD bottles with sample (or diluted sample); the bottles should be completely filled.