eChapters

Learning outcomes

1. To make student aware about proper procedure of conducting oral and poster presentation and to develop their skill in delivering effective presentation.

What is presentation?

• Presentation is the process of demonstrating and conveying a topic’s information to an audience or learner.
• Presentation may be customised for speaking to a group, addressing a meeting, or briefing a team.

Making oral presentations is nothing new for anyone, but there is still a lot of room for growth. An oral presentation is more than simply delivering the relevant technical information and using the perfect language. Public speaking is an address delivered at an anniversary or inauguration to encourage, congratulate, or amuse the audience.

Requirements: Clipboard, Pencils, Hand lens, Pocket knife, insect catching nets, attractants, spread sheet Collection bags and vials, Camera etc.

Sampling techniques are used to draw valid inferences about the population parameters using the sample statistics

Components of an insect sampling program 

Knowledge of pest and beneficial insects

Identification

 Life cycle and biology

Injury caused

Sample: Sample is a subgroup of the population. It is defined as a collection of individual observations from the population about which inferences are to be made, and is obtained by a specific method.

Materials Required

Cut flowers, 1000 ml conical flasks, scissor, tape, distilled water, chemicals, weighing balance, volumetric flasks, labels, thermometer (max. & min. type) and hygrometer. 

Procedure

    1.    Collect fresh spikes of flowers
    2.    Cut at the base keeping about 25-60 cm of the cut flowers stick (uniformly for each flower).
    3.    Prepare Pulsing/ Vase solutions.
    4.    Put the prepared flower spikes in labeled conical flasks containing different Pulsing/ Vase solutions (for a known period of time).
    5.    Record the weight of the spikes and other observations daily.
    6.    Record the temperature and relative humidity of the storage chamber daily.
    7.    Analyse the recorded data and draw conclusion about the best vase solutions for the selected cut flower.

Materials Required

Fruits/ vegetables, weighing balance, plastic crates, CFB boxes or other packaging material fruit pressure tester, hand refractometer, markers etc.

Procedure

    1.    Harvest the fruits
    2.    Subject them to various pre-treatments (as discussed in previous exercise).
    3.    Record their initial parameters i.e. weight, firmness, surface colour, TSS, rotting etc. 
    4.    Place properly packed commodity in storage alongwith a check under ambient conditions
    5.    Record the observations regarding changes in quality during storage
 

Learning outcome

The purpose is to enable the student to develop deeper knowledge, understanding, capabilities, and attitudes in the context of micro teaching skills.

icroteaching helps teachers worldwide improve easy teaching tasks. Microteaching promotes real-time learning experiences for novices and seniors. Presentation and reinforcement skills help inexperienced teachers acquire the art of teaching easily and thoroughly. 

Objective
After performing this experiment you will be able to learn:
Mildew resistance packaging material.

Introduction

Studying the mildew resistance of paper involves evaluating how well the paper can resist fungal growth under specific conditions. Mildew, a type of mold, can degrade paper quality, causing discoloration, weakening, and unpleasant odors. Here’s a detailed procedure to assess the mildew resistance of paper:

Materials Needed

Paper samples (different types, if comparison is required), Sterile petri dishes, Sterile distilled water

Fungal spore suspension (commonly Aspergillus niger or similar mildew spores), Nutrient medium (e.g., potato dextrose agar or a similar agar that promotes fungal growth), Incubator, Sterile tweezers and scissors, Forceps, Micropipette or dropper, Humidity chamber (can be a sealed container with a saturated salt solution to maintain high humidity), Control samples (untreated paper).

Objective
After performing this experiment you will be able to learn:
Moisture content of packaging material.

Introduction

The moisture content of paper is a critical parameter that significantly affects its other properties, such as printing quality and absorbency. Maintaining an optimal moisture level is essential for ensuring the functionality and durability of the paper. For instance, double-faced corrugated boards tend to break or crack during bending operations if they are too dry.

Procedure

• Weigh the conditioned specimen and place it in a drying oven, maintained at a temperature of 103°C ± 2°C, to expel moisture. Continue heating until a constant weight is achieved.

• If the moisture content of the paper is to be determined "as received," the sample should not be conditioned.

Learning Objectives

1. To evaluation of actual functioning of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDAs)
2. Guidelines for implementation of the various Rural Development Programmes.

Theory/Principle/Background of the topic

District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) is the district-level entity that oversees Ministry of Rural Development anti-poverty programmes. This organisation was initially founded to execute the Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP).

DRDAs were later given state and central government programmes. DRDA’s job is to identify rural needs and implement relevant programmes has a technical, administrative, and financial role in scheme implementation. DRDA disburses cash for programmes and offers management and technical assistance.

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is a set of tools and techniques used with households to gather and analyse information on community resources, problems, potential and needs.

Why is PRA used?

Look at how a village or community is now and what it could be.

Look at problems and what’s causing them.

Help families find ways to deal with problems and take advantage of opportunities.

Objective
After performing this experiment you will be able to learn:
pH value of packaging material.

Introduction

As mentioned earlier, these tests are performed to assess the suitability of the board for printing, corrosion protection, food packaging etc. The presence of acid in paper or paper possessing an acidic reaction is a property of specific importance. Not only may the presence of acid effect the aging properties of paper, but it also may act upon materials that come into contact with the paper. In addition, the sizing of paper, wet strength treatment, and dye and fillers retention, usually depend upon the addition of alum or other acidic materials to the beater furnish. Hence many appers are acidic to various degrees at the time of manufacture. pH is a measure of hydrogen ion present which depends both upon the amount of acidic material and upon its degree of ionization. Hence, pH does not measure the amount of acid present. Since it is the 'activity or ‘intensity’ of acid that is usually of most interest, the pH value is the more common test.

Objective
After performing this experiment you will be able to learn:
Physical tests of packaging material.
I. Determination of Machine Direction 
Introduction
Machine-made paper has two directions and two sides:

Directions

a) Machine Direction: The direction in which the paper or board aligns with the flow of material on the paper machine.

b) Cross Direction: The direction perpendicular to the machine direction

Learning outcome

The purpose is to enable the student to develop deeper knowledge understanding capabilities and attitudes in the context of preparation of extension literature.

Extension materials are straightforward messages that encourage, educate, and improve farmers’ understanding of an innovative, proven technology. Therefore, extension materials must encourage awareness and highlight the benefits and effective application of innovative technologies. Orally or through bulletins/brochures, fact sheets, posters, radio dramas, and videos, extension materials can suggest innovative technologies. Literature is the foundation of any instructional programme. Extension materials must persuade individuals to alter their behaviour.

Learning outcome

• To learn writing for print media such as newspaper, magazine, books.
• To have in knowledge about script writing in electronic medium such as using mobile apps- LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and Podcast

What is Print Media?

It’s a sort of mass media that publishes news and information. Print media is the oldest way to reach a large audience. It exclusively distributes information in physical copy

Books, magazines, and newspapers are popular print media. These may consist of chapters or themes, pictures, advertising, printed journals, pamphlets and so on. Print media cannot do live reporting, discussions, or shows.

Requirements: Agriculturally important insects of each order

 Orthoptera

 Examples: Grasshopper, cricket, etc.

Metamorphosis: Paurometabolous

Mouthparts: Chewing

 Significance: Variable or Pest

 Characteristics

 •            They are medium to large-sized insects.

 •            Antenna is filiform.

 •            Mouthparts are mandibulate.

 •            Prothorax is large. The pronotum is curved, ventrally covering the pleural region.

•             Hindlegs are saltatorial

 •            Forewings are leathery, thickened and known as tegmina.

 •            They are capable of bending without breaking.

 •            Hindwings are membranous with large anal area.

 •            They are folded by longitudinal pleats between veins and kept beneath the tegmina.

The typical thoracic leg consists of six parts, basal coxa that articulates with the thorax in the pleural region, small trochanter, femur, tibia, segmented tarsus, and pre-tarsus. The coxa is often divided into two parts, the posterior and the anterior (usually the larger part) being called the meron. The trochanter articulates with the coxa but usually forms an immovable attachment with the femur. The femur and tibia are typically the longest leg segments. The tarsus, which is derived from a single segment, - is usually subdivided into individual tarsomeres. The pretarsus may consist of a single claw, but it is usually composed of a pair of moveable claws and one or more pads or bristles. Legs are usually looked upon as the principal organs of terrestrial locomotion.

Mouthparts of insects vary among insects of different groups depending upon their feeding habits. They are mainly of two types viz., Mandibulate (feeding mainly on solid food) and haustellate (feeding mainly on liquid food). Insect mouthparts have become modified in various groups to perform the ingestion of different types of food and by different methods. Indeed the modifications in the mouthparts to ingest almost all kinds of the food material, are one of the factors for the success of the group.

1. Biting and chewing type: e.g. Cockroach & grasshopper.

The best learning situation requires one specimen and set of tools per two students for studies. Students working in pairs have ample opportunity to fully participate in the dissection and to carefully examine the specimen. They are also able to share and discuss their observations during and after the dissection.

Requirements: Dissecting pan with wax pad, dissecting pins, forceps, hand lenses and scissors

Procedure

Place the specimen in the dissecting pan ventral side up. Use scissors to cut through the exoskeleton‘s ventral side from the head to the posterior end of the abdomen.

Objective
After performing this experiment you will be able to learn:
The effect of can close temperature on the resultant vacuum produced.
Principle

The unfilled volume of the hermetic (air-tight) food container usually referred to as the headspace, is a most important part of the container –contents system. In the majority of canned foods, the headspace consists of air and water vapor. Whereas a canned food would keep for a long time i.e. minimum two years of shelf life, stable, only if a certain degree of vacuum is created inside the can. The degree to which air has been extracted from a hermetic food container is measured by the pressure inside, which is referred to as vacuum. A vacuum of -101 kPa would mean that all of the gas has been expelled from the container; a vacuum of zero would mean that the pressure in the headspace is equal to atmospheric pressure. The difference between the pressure within the container and the air pressure is measured by a vacuum gauge.

Materials Required

Fruits/vegetables, thermometer, refractometers, NaOH, Phenolphthalein, glassware, weighing balance, plastic crates for storage of commodity, water cooling facility.

Procedure

    1.    Harvest the fruit / vegetable
    2.    Count No. of unmarketable fruits in every 100 fruits harvested
    3.    Record the internal fruit temperature in about 5-10 randomly selected fruits with the help of a thermometer
    4.    Pre-cool the commodity in cold water (<5ºC), air or refrigerator till the temperature reaches near its optimum storage temperature
    5.    Record the internal fruit temperature
    6.    Record the time required to pre-cool the commodity
    7.    Keep the product for storage at ambient conditions alongwith control
    8.    Record the difference in the shelf life and quality during storage