eChapters

This practical assignment is conceptualized and operationalized to plan for preparation and use of non-projected visual aids. In traditional and modern extension communication, the communication aids are helping the communicator to communicate the message in a better way. The examples of non-projected communication aids are poster, charts, flash cards, leaflets, folders etc.

PURPOSE

To provide precise and reliable scientific information told in simple language about a single practice or item of interest in the form of (Non-Projected Visual Aids) NPVA

To serve immediate needs of the farmer.

To catch the attention of the farmer and they can easily understand it.

This practical assignment deals with operational principles and functions of the Overhead Project which governs the appropriate handling and application of OHP in real situation and also guides students in preparing different types of Overhead Projector slides for presentation.

This practical assignment is related with listening, note taking, writing and oral presentation skill, after completion of these assignment students will improve their listening, notes taking, writing skills and will also acquires good presentation skills.

PURPOSE

 To get acquainted the students about the listening, note taking, writing skills and oral presentation skills. After completion of this assignment student will improve their listening skill.

This practical assignment is conceptualized and designed for preparation of enterprise business plan and provides students the preliminary information on developing a business plan

PURPOSE

 To equip students with the preliminary knowledge on how to develop a business plan for an enterprise.

 To acquaint the students with the important aspects of a business plan which are essential for developing and running an enterprise successfully.

Introduction

The AFLP amplified fragment polymorphism also known as selective restriction fragment amplification (SRFA) technique is used to visualize hundreds of amplified DNA restriction fragments simultaneously. The AFLP band patterns, or fingerprints, can be used for many purposes, such as monitoring the identity of an isolate or the degree of similarity among isolates. Polymorphisms in band patterns map to specific loci, allowing the individuals to be genotyped or differentiated based on the alleles they carry. produces highly complex DNA profiles by arbitrary amplification of restriction fragments ligated to double-stranded adaptors with hemi-specific primers harboring adaptor-complementary 5' termini.The technique has been widely used in the construction of genetic maps containing high densities of DNA marker loci.

The AFLP protocol amplifies restriction fragments obtained by endonuclease digestion of target DNA using “universal” AFLP primers complementary to the restriction site and adapter sequence. However, not all restriction fragments are amplified because AFLP primers also contain selective nucleotides at the 3' termini that extend into the amplified restriction fragments. These arbitrary terminal sequences result in the amplification of only a small subset of possible restriction fragments. The number of amplified fragments can therefore be “tailored” by extending the number of arbitrary nucleotides added to the primer termini. Alternatively, the use of endonuclease combinations that vary in their restriction frequency can also be used to tune the number of amplicons. Generally, the abundant restriction fragments produced from complex genomes require of AFLP primers with longer selective regions. Conversely, analysis of small genomes require of only few arbitrary nucleotides added at the primer 3' termini. The resulting AFLP fingerprints are usually a rich source of DNA polymorphisms that can be used in mapping and general fingerprinting endeavors.

Introduction

The northern blot is a technique used in molecular biology research to study gene expression by detection of RNA (or isolated mRNA) in a sample. With northern blotting it is possible to observe cellular control over structure and function by determining the particular gene expression levels during differentiation, morphogenesis, as well as abnormal or diseased conditions. Northern blotting involves the use of electrophoresis to separate RNA samples by size and detection with a hybridization probe complementary to part of or the entire target sequence. The term ‘northern blot’ actually refers specifically to the capillary transfer of RNA from the electrophoresis gel to the blotting membrane; however the entire process is commonly referred to as northern blotting. The northern blot technique was developed in 1977 by James Alwine, David Kemp, and George Stark at Stanford University. Northern blotting takes its name from its similarity to the first blotting technique, the Southern blot, named for biologist Edwin Southern. The major difference is that RNA, rather than DNA, is analyzed in the northern blot.

Sanger Method for DNA Sequencing

One necessity first know a little about the structure of DNA:

1. A segment of DNA, which is ordinarily double stranded, has a specific orientation, as it has a 5' (read as “5 prime”) and a 3' (“3 prime”) end. This can be simply thought of as a front and tail end to the DNA segment.
2. When DNA is synthesized in the lab, the two strands are separated and new bases are added to the 3' end-thus DNA is assembled from the 5' to 3' end.
3. DNA cannot be synthesized from scratch. A short piece of DNA, called a primer, is required for the reaction to begin.
4. Primers are designed such that they are able to bind to the target DNA, the binding of which is the initiator for DNA synthesis.

NTSYSpc 2.0 software is used for various types of analysis including calculation of similarity index values and construction of dendrogram. Construction of dendrogram using gel data in the form of bands. This software accepts zero-one data.

1.1 R and R studio

R has become the world-wide language for statistics, predictive analytics, and data visualization. R is not limited to statistics; it has a wide range of tools for spatial analysis and digital image analysis and can handle any process needed for image analysis flexibly. It offers a wide range of methodologies for digital image processing, from the most basic to the most complex. As an open source project, it’s freely available for a range of platforms, including Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. An integrated development environment (IDE) for R, R Studio, allows interactive execution of R functions with user interface. RStudio is available in two formats - RStudio Desktop and RStudio Server - both available in free and fee-based (commercial) editions.

1.1.1. Download and install R

The R software setup files can be downloaded from any of the widely distributed Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN). To download R, please choose your preferred CRAN mirror, a location close to you. Follow the following steps:

Sensors onboard the satellite records the intensity of emitted or reflected electromagnetic radiations in the form of digital number (DN) for each pixel. These digital numbers can be transformed to more meaningful intensity units like radiance or reflectance. This process of conversion of digital numbers to radiance or reflectance is known as radiometric calibration. Sensor specific information is required to conduct radiometric calibration.

Mosaic is the combination of two or more raster images into single image. Sometimes, single image captured by remote sensing satellite doesn’t completely covers the desired study area mostly. Therefore, users resort for mosaicking two or more images captured by satellite sensors from different paths so that the whole study area is merged into a single raster image to facilitate the image processing and analysis. The pixel size of the raster images should be same for mosaicking.

In most of the cases, there is spatial overlapping among the raster images from which we want to create mosaic. These overlapping areas are handled in multiple ways which is being discussed further using R – code example. For mosaicking raster images in R, mosaic function of the raster package is used.

Garden Rakes

1.For use with moving debris.

2.Aids in the cleaning process.

3.Proper use is with two hands.

Bulbs

Floriculturists use the term “bulbous” to include a wide array of perennial plants that grow from underground organs, including bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes. Any plant described as bulbous will normally have a swollen root or stem or even leaves underground (Some orchids and other plants have swollen stems – above ground). Bulbs, corms, tubers and rhizomes are perennial plants organ that are part of a plant type called bulbous plants in which part of the plant has evolved into a below-ground storage unit where food created one year is used to nourish the plant in the next. They are valuable in the garden for many reasons. Spring bulbs appear early, before most perennials have started to grow again after the winter. They can also add color to containers when other plants are not ready to face the danger of frost. In summer, bulbous plants such as Alliums and lilies can provide stately interest, while autumn crocuses and tiny hardy cyclamen can cheer up the garden toward the end of the season. The purpose of the bulbous part of the plant is to store food for the plant parts that live above ground to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. The leaf bases may resemble scales, or they may overlap and surround the centre of the bulb. A modified stem forms the base of the bulb and plant growth occurs from this basal plate. Roots emerge from the underside of the base, new stems and leaves from the upper side. Most true bulbs have their scales closely packed together such as Hyacinthus but some types, such as the Lily (Lilium), they are loose and swollen. Most popular bulbs have a papery skin, the tunic, whose function is to protect the tissues within. Some true bulbs such as the Lily do not have a tunic and are therefore, easily damaged by rough handling. Cardio crinums dies after flowering but other bulbs are perennial. Vegetative reproduction in true bulbs is by means of offsets called bulblets.

Introduction

Plant analysis can be defined as the quantitative determination of the concentration of an element or extractable fraction of an element in a sample from a particular part or portion of a crop. From the nutritional standpoint, plant analysis is based on the principle that the concentration of a nutrient within the plant is an integral value of all the factors that have interacted to it. Plant analysis is used as an index of available nutrient element supply. Plant growth or yield are compared with the elemental concentrations contained in the dry matter of the entire plant or plant structures such as leaves, petioles, fruit or grain sampled at different times during their development. Plant analysis gives the overall picture of the nutrient levels within the plant at the time the nutrient was taken. The use of plant analysis is based on the principle that the nutrient level present is as a result of all factors affecting the growth of the plant.

Plant analysis involves the determination of nutrient concentration in diagnostic plant part(s) sampled at recommended growth stage(s) of the crop. In a way plant analysis complements soil analysis. There are reliable sampling criteria and procedures for most of the world’s commercial crops.

Importance

Plant analysis assesses nutrient uptake while soil testing predicts nutrient availability. The two tests are complementary to each other as crop management tools. Plant analysis will detect unseen hidden hunger and confirm visual deficiency symptoms. Toxic levels may also be detected. If it is done early, plant analysis will allow a corrective fertilizer application in the same season.

Soil air, its composition, gaseous exchange

Soil air is a continuation of the atmospheric air. It is in constant motion from the soil pores into the atmosphere and from the atmosphere into the pore space. The circulation of air in the soil and renewal of component gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide is known as soil aeration. Soil aeration is essential for the respiration and survival of soil organisms and plant roots.

Composition of soil air

Soil air contains gases like nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapour and others. The composition of soil air is different from atmospheric air. Soil air contains more carbon dioxide and less oxygen than atmospheric air. It also contains more water vapour than atmospheric air. The nitrogen content of soil air is almost equal to atmospheric air. (Table below)

In nature there are nearly 300 nuclei, consisting of different elements and their isotopes. Isotopes are nuclei having the same number of protons but different number of neutrons. These techniques are now being used in almost all the areas of plant physiology, soil chemistry and plant biochemistry. In agriculture, radioisotopes are used in the nutritional studies of major and minor elements, plant metabolism, mechanism of photosynthesis studies, and uptake of nutrients and ions mobility in soil. In applying this technique, a minute quantity of radioisotope element is usually mixed with ordinary element of the same kind, the whole batch is termed “tagged” and their role in chemical reactions is traced. The radio labeled fertilizer has been used to study the uptake, retention and utilization of fertilizers.

Radioisotopes are used for determining the function of fertilizer in different plants. The tracer technique is used to study the rate and direction of movement of an element in a plant. For this a radioisotope of that element is injected in the ground near the plant. After a few days the plant is laid on a photographic paper to produce an autoradiograph. The dark areas in the radiograph show the positions reached by the element. This technique gives valuable information regarding the optimum season for fertilizing crops and for poisoning weeds. Use of N¹⁵ in organic fertilizer studies has significantly advanced the understanding of N release from organic materials. Crop residue or green manure studies are relatively simple. These techniques have been extremely useful in determining how residue quality parameters affect mineralization values. Because of the attention focused on nutrient cycling and management studies in recent years, a number of new P isotope techniques have been developed.

Chemistry of vegetable crops

Vegetables play an important role in human nutrition supplying some of the materials, which other food materials are lacking. Vegetables are important in neutralizing the acidity formed during digestion. They also serve as roughages in human nutrition and thus helping digestion.

They are the important sources of minerals like Ca, P and Fe. They also form an important source of vitamins, especially vitamin A. Green and yellow vegetables like carrot, turnip, spinach, beans, etc. contain appreciable amounts of vitamin A. Direct seed of beans, peas, and legumes contain appreciable amounts of proteins. Vegetables also contain sufficient amounts of vitamin C and also appreciable quantities of thiamine, niacin and folic acid. Tomatoes and potatoes contain fairly high amounts of vitamin C.

Irrigation water always contains some soluble salts irrespective of its source. The suitability of waters for a specific purpose depends on the types and amounts of dissolved salts. Some of the dissolved salts or other constituents may be useful for crops. However, the quality or suitability of waters for irrigation purposes is assessed in terms of the presence of undesirable constituents, and only in limited situations is irrigation water assessed as a source of plant nutrients. Some of the dissolved ions, such as NO₃^- are useful for crops.

Collection of water samples

A representative water sample (500 ml) is collected in a glass or polyethylene bottle, which should be properly washed/rinsed with the same water that is being sampled. Floating debris or any other contaminant should be avoided while collecting the sample. After proper labelling (e.g. source of water, date of collection, and type of analysis required), the sample should be sent to the laboratory without undue delay.
Some of the anions such as SO₄ and NO₃ may be quite low in irrigation waters. Hence, the large volume of the sample has to be first concentrated by evaporating it to about 100 ml in order to obtain their detectable amounts.

Water quality standards (Classification)

Some countries have established national standards and criteria for evaluation and classification of water quality. The classification of irrigation waters has been made according to one or more of the following criteria.

1.    Salinity or total concentration of soluble salts (EC)
2.    Sodicity hazards (SAR)
3.    Alkalinity hazards (RSC)
4.    Combined evaluation on the basis of EC and SAR by USSL diagram
5.    Combined evaluation on the basis of EC and Adj. SAR
6.    Combined evaluation on the basis of EC, SAR and RSC

Biofertilizers are preparations containing micro-organisms, with capability of mobilizing nutritive elements from non usable form to usable form through biological processes. Bio-fertilizers have definite advantage over chemical fertilizers. Chemical fertilizers supply over nitrogen whereas bio-fertilizers provide in addition to nitrogen, certain growth promoting substances like hormones, vitamins, amino acids, etc, crops have to be provided with chemical fertilizers repeatedly to replenish the loss of nitrogen utilized for crop growth. Bio-fertilizers application in agriculture will have greater impact on organic agriculture and also on the control of environmental pollution, soil health improvement and reduction in input use. Farmers try to increase yields of vegetable crops by mean of heavy nutrition’s. The use of chemical nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers at high levels had an adverse effect on the accumulation of NH4+, NO3-, NO2- and PO4- in vegetable product tissues. Therefore, clean agriculture recently depends upon using biofertilizers as well as organic in order to produce high yields with the best commodity quality without contamination and less accumulation with heavy metals.

The application of high input technologies such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides have improved the production but there is growing concern over the adverse effects of the use of chemicals on soil productivity and environment quality. Thus, integrated nutrient management has become an accepted strategy to bring about improvement in soil fertility and protecting the environment. This strategy utilizes a judicious combination of fertilizers, organic manures and bio-fertilizers. Biofertilizer is a natural product carrying living microorganisms derived from the root or cultivated soil. So they don’t have any ill effect on soil health and environment. Besides their role in atmospheric nitrogen fixation and phosphorous solubilisation, these also help in stimulating the plant growth hormones providing better nutrient uptake and increased tolerance towards drought and moisture stress. A small dose of biofertilizer is sufficient to produce desirable results because each gram of carrier of bio-fertilizers contains at least 10 million viable cells of a specific strain. Biofertilizers means the product containing carrier base (solid or liquid)

Maximum potato yield occurs when sufficient P is available during early vegetative development and the entire period of tuber growth. Total plant P uptake increases rapidly during tuber initiation, levels off to a constant rate during tuber bulking, and ceases with plant maturation occurs primarily through the transfer of P reserves from the vine and roots. Phosphorus uptake by potatoes is relatively low compared with uptake of potassium or nitrogen but similar to uptake of sulfur. The amount of P in the soil solution that is readily available for plant uptake is very small compared with the total amount of P in the soil.

A general blanket application of fertilizer leads to its poor efficacy and wastage of costly resources as well as of environmental pollution. This becomes more relevant in case of P as unlike nitrogen applied P remains in soil and adds to its build up. In addition, this has resulted in severe imbalance of nutrients in soil (Kumar et al., 2009).

Keeping this in view, a multilocation experiment was conducted in the major potato growing states of India under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Potato to evaluate suitable dose of P based on soil test on P economy in potato (table 52). Exact quantification of phosphorus fertilizer based on soil test is very important.

Reproduction is the physiological process by which organisms produce offspring. Sexual reproduction involves production of gametes. The gametes are produced by the gonads. The rest of the process of converting the gametes into the offspring involves other reproductive organs. The male and female animals have different genital organs that contribute to reproduction. The organs of reproduction (genital organs) in male include a pair of male gonads the testes (sing.-testis), the epididymis, ductus deferens, the seminal vesicles, a prostate gland, a pair of bulbourethral glands (Cowper’s glands), the male urethra, and the penis. In female the genital organs include a pair of gonads the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the uterus, the vagina, the vulva and the mammary glands.

Male genital system

The overall function of the male genital organs is to continuously produce and store the male gametes the sperms, to maintain the continuous supply of semen, to detect estrus in female, and to inseminate and fertilize the female gametes. While the testes are the site for production of sperms, the epididymis, vas deferens and the accessory glands like prostate, seminal vesicles, and bulbourethral glands are responsible for the production of different secretions which mix together and are known as seminal plasma or seminal fluid. The seminal fluid provides a source of energy, buffers, antioxidants and other compounds needed for sperm survivability, maturation and motility. Once spermatozoa are mixed with the seminal fluid, the combined product is called the semen.

Horse

The fascia in the cervical region of horse has two layers, the superficial and deep. Each of these is also double layered. The superficial fascia contains the cutaneus muscle the cutaneus colli. The fascia of the two sides meets at the median line along the nuchal ligament and ventrally at the fibrous raphe.

The brachiocephalicus is undivided. It arises from the mastoid process, nuchal crest and wing of the atlas and the transverse process of the second, third and fourth cervical vertebrae. The sternocephalicus is also undivided. It arises from the cartilage of the manubrium sterni and inserts at the angle of the lower jaw. The dorsal border of this muscle forms the ventral border of the jugular furrow. The sternothyrohyoideus muscle consists of two separate but unequal parts, the sternothyroideus and the sternohyoideus. The sternothyroideus is and the sternohyoideus is larger. The first part inserts on the thyroid cartilage of the larynx and the second part inserts to the body of the hyoid bone. The omohyoideus is more extensive in horse than that in ox. It arises from the subscapular fascia near the shoulder joint and inserts at the body and the lingual process of the hyoid bone. The scalinus has two parts like those of ox, but the dorsal part in horse is smaller. It arises on the transverse process of the seventh cervical vertebra and inserts on the first rib. The ventral part is very extensive. It arises from the transverse processes of the third to sixth cervical vertebrae and inserts on the medial surface of the cranial border of the first rib. The longus capitis (rectus capitis ventralis major) arises from the transverse process of third, fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae and is inserted on the tubercle at the junction of basilar part of occipital bone with the basi sphenoid. It does not form aponeurosis either at the origin or at its insertion. The rectus capitis ventralis (rectus capitis ventralis minor) is smaller in horse than that in ox. The intertransversarii cervicis (intertransversalis colli) are smaller and present six fasciculi. The most cranial of these is separated from the common mass formed by the rest of these fascicles.

Teeth

Estimation of age from appearance of teeth

The teeth are used as a tool for estimation of age of animal. The time of eruption and the stage of wear of incisors are usually considered as parameters for this purpose. The time of eruption of the incisor teeth in ox has been described under the chapter on gross anatomy of head. The eruption time of incisors in other species is described under the chapter on comparative anatomy of head and neck. To differentiate the deciduous teeth from the permanent teeth is important criteria in this process. The deciduous teeth are smaller, their neck is visible just above the gum line and these are usually whitish in colour. The permanent teeth are larger, their crowns are slightly wider and the neck which separates the crown from the root is concealed inside the gums. These are usually yellowish in colour. In ox, all the four incisors (deciduous) are erupted at the age of 4 years.

The permanent teeth start wearing from fifth year onward. The process of wearing commences on mesiolabial side of the masticatory surface. When the entire masticatory surface is in wear, the outer and inner enamel rings are completely separated by yellow dentin and that particular tooth is considered as leveled. In the process of wearing, the gum starts receding and the neck of the tooth is exposed. In ox, usually the wearing begins at I-1 at the age of 6 years, this is followed by I-2 at 7 years, I-3 at 8 years and I-4 at 9 years. Up to the age of 14-15 years usually all incisors fall off but those remained are reduced to small round pegs.

Lungs and pleura

Horse

The lungs of horse are comparatively larger and longer than those of ox. These are not divided into lobes by deep fissures. The surface markings of lobules of lungs are indistinct due to reduced amount of interlobular connective tissue. The upper part of the medial surface of left lung has two grooves which are the markings of the aorta and oesophagus. These markings are comparatively faint and less marked. The ventral border of both lungs presents cardiac notch. The left cardiac notch is quadrilateral and more extensive than the right one. It extends from third to sixth ribs. The right cardiac notch is smaller and triangular. It extends from third to fifth ribs.

Dog

The lungs of dog are short and wide in order to be accommodated in the correspondingly similar shape and size of the thoracic cavity of dog. The fissures in the ventral border of the lungs are deeper and extend up to the hilus of the lung giving it an appearance of independent lobes. The right lung has four lobes and the left lung has two lobes. The intermediate (accessory) lobe of the right lung presents on its lateral surface a groove for caudal vena cava and right phrenic nerve. The cardiac impression on the mediastinal surface of the cardiac lobe is deeper in the right lung than that in the left lung. The right cardiac notch is triangular and it lies at the level of fourth and fifth interchondral spaces. The left cardiac notch is more ventral in position at the level of fifth and sixth interchondral space. The lobules are small and the surface lobulation is not distinct because of less amount of interlobular connective tissue.

The female genital organs (Fig. 4-6 A) comprise the ovaries where the female gametes (ova) are produced, the uterine (fallopian) tubes which convey the ova to the uterus and where the fertilization takes place, the uterus in which the ovum and the embryo develops, the dilatable passage formed by the vagina and vulva through which the foetus is expelled to the exterior and the mammary glands (udder) which is functionally associated with the female genital organs. All of these except the mammary glands are located in the abdominal and pelvic cavity while the mammary glands are located outside the cavity in the perineal region.

Ovaries

The ovaries are two small oval glands measuring about 3.5 to 4.0 cm in length, 2.5 cm in width and about 1.5 cm in thickness and they weigh about 15 to 20 gm. They are oval in form and are situated a little above the middle of the pelvic inlet and approximately 40 to 45 cm cranial to vulvar opening in a middle sized cow. They are attached to the sublumbar region by the cranial part of the broad ligament of uterus, the mesovarium. Each ovary presents for description two surfaces, two borders and two extremities. The medial and the lateral surfaces of the ovary are smooth and rounded. The attached or mesovarial border is convex. It is enclosed in a part of the broad ligament termed as mesovarium. The vessels and nerves reach the ovary by way of mesovarium to this border and enter the gland through the hilus. The free border which is also convex presents a notch in its middle. The ovarian vessels and nerves enter the gland through this notch. The cranial or tubal extremity is rounded and is related to the fimbriated end of the uterine tube. The caudal or uterine extremity is also round but narrower and is connected to the horn of the uterus by the ovarian ligament.

The male genital organs (Fig. 4-6 C) comprise the two testicles (where the male gametes are produced) with their coverings and appendages; the epididymis (which stores and transports the gametes); the ductus deferens (the ducts of the testicles); the seminal vesicles, prostate and bulbourethral glands (accessory sex glands); the urethra and the penis (the organ of copulation).

Testicles (Testes)

The testicles are the essential male gonads. They produce male gametes, the spermatozoa and the endocrine secretion which influences the development and maintainance of masculine characteristics. The testicles are paired compound tubular glands situated in the scrotum below the inguinal canals suspended by spermatic cords. Each testicle is about 15 cm long and about 6.5 to 7.5 cm in diameter. Their long axis is vertical. The left testicle is more often slightly larger and lower in position than the right testicle. In such conditions the scrotum appears asymmetrical. Each testicle is slightly compressed from side to side and presents two surfaces, two borders and two extremities. The lateral surface is convex and smooth and is covered by the tunica vaginalis propria. The medial surface is slightly flattened due to its contact with the septum scroti. The cranial border is convex and it is free and hence is called the free border. The caudal border is nearly straight and is attached to the epididymis and hence is called the attached border or the epididymal border. The dorsal and ventral extremities are blunt and rounded.

Structure: The gland is compound tubular in structure. It is covered externally by peritoneum, the tunica vaginalis propria which is very closely attached to the underlined tissue. Underneath the peritoneum is the capsule of the testicle called the tunica albuginea because of its white colour. Numerous trabeculae extend from the capsule into the organ forming the supporting tissue for the seminiferous tubules and providing a pathway for vessels. The axial strand of connective tissue extending almost the entire length of the gland is the mediastinum testes. Radiating from the mediastinum are the lobes of yellowish

Horse

The scapula of horse is a flat triangular bone placed at the shoulder region applied against the cranial part of the lateral wall of thorax similar to that in ox. The scapular spine is placed a little further caudad from the cranial border so that the proportion of the area of supraspinous to infraspinous fossa is one third to two third of the lateral surface of the scapula. The subscapular fossa is deeper and presents well marked vascular impressions. The nutrient foramen is placed at the distal third of the infraspinous fossa. The tuber scapulae and the glenoid cavity are placed further apart. The glenoid cavity is oval in outline and its rim has a distinct notch on its craniomedial aspect. The coronoid process is better developed and the acromion process is absent.

The humerus in horse is directed obliquely distally and caudally forming an angle of about 55 degrees with the horizontal plane almost equaling to that in ox. The musculospiral groove on the shaft is deeper and more spirally curved. The nutrient foramen is placed on the distal third of the medial surface. The deltoid tuberosity is better developed. The medial and lateral tuberosities of the proximal extremity are more prominent. The intertuberal (bisipital) groove is divided by an intermediate ridge. The summit of the lateral tuberosity does not arch inward. The head is smaller than that in ox. The coronoid and olecranon fossae of the distal extremity are shallower than those in ox.

The radius of the horse is larger and longer of the two bones of the forearm. Close to the medial border of the caudal surface in the lower third of the shaft is a rough elevation for attachment of the superior check ligament (an accessory ligament of the superficial digital flexor). The caudal surface of the shaft towards its lateral border presents a rough triangular area which tapers to a point in the distal third of this surface. This is for attachment of the ulna. The distal interosseous space is absent because the shaft of ulna is shorter and does not reach to the distal part of the shaft of radius. The grooves on the cranial surface of the distal part of the shaft are better marked. The radial tuberosity at the craniomedial aspect of the proximal extremity is larger and more prominent than in ox. The distal articular surfaces are not oblique. It presents two tubercles one on each side, for ligamentous attachment. The tubercle on the lateral aspect is grooved for passage of tendon of lateral digital extensor.

Shoulder joint

The shoulder joint (Fig. 5-2 A) is an enarthrosis formed between the glenoid cavity of scapula and head of humerus.

Ligaments: The shoulder joint is enclosed by the capsular ligament which is loose enough to accommodate the wide range of movements of the joint and is attached about 1.25 cm away from the periarticular area of the two segments of the joint. The capsular ligament is supported externally by the muscles of the shoulder region.

Movements: The shoulder joint performs all kinds of movements but the extension and flexion are best marked.

The articulations of hind limb (pelvic limb) comprises the joints of pelvic region which include the sacro-iliac articulation, pelvic symphysis and the hip joint; the articulation of thigh region named as stifle joint; the articulation of tarsal or hock joint and the articulations of digits which include the metatarso-phalangeal joint (fetlock) joint, the proximal interphalangeal joint (pastern joint) and the distal interphalangeal joint (coffin joint). The joints of pelvic region especially the sacro-iliac joint and the pelvic symphysis have been described with the articulations of abdomen and pelvis.

Analytical methods for study of soil microbes

The analytical techniques for study of soil microbes are grouped under the following heads :

• Determination of form and arrangement of microorganisms in soil
• Isolation and characterization of soil microorganisms
• Detection of microbial activity in soil
• Determination of microbial biomass.

For the above, the different analytical methods used are described below.

Abstract

Women in India constitute a larger proportion of total unemployed population and hence it is imperative to find out the entrepreneurial problems faced by them. A study was conducted with the objectives to ascertain the financial, marketing and production problems faced by women in their enterprises and assessment of their health status and work place facilities. Boutiques, beauty parlors, embroidery units, fruit and vegetable preservation units and artificial jewelry making were the enterprises selected for study. The results of the study revealed that women faced problems in areas like finance, marketing, health, work place and production. Some recommendations of the study are a) Women entrepreneurs should keep abreast of knowledge about new techniques, financial institutions, training institutions and marketing linkages. b) Information about site or location, physical facilities, transportation etc. must be collected prior to selection of area for development of an enterprise. c) Self help mutually aided groups must be formulated for overcoming common entrepreneurial problems. d) Women should shift to the non-traditional sectors of entrepreneurship in order to earn more.

Abstract

Participation of rural women and youth in beekeeping activities provides a unique opportunity to improve rural livelihood and poverty reduction. Women have explored their own niche in beekeeping industry by actively engaging in post harvesting of bee products. Income generation is one of the major reasons for participating in beekeeping activities and beekeeping was ranked number one at the same level as agriculture as major source of income. Post harvesting beekeeping, however, needs liquid capital investment which, limit women and youth to fully participate in the business. Cultural practices are also one of the main hindrances for adult women and youth to participate in beekeeping activities. Nonetheless, presence of beekeeping groups and associations, community banks, forest reserves and beekeeping awareness campaigns in the areas provided opportunities for women and youth to participate in beekeeping. Beekeeping represents one opportunity for income generation which need not be time consuming and can fit in well with women’s priority activities. women be given the opportunity to start beekeeping, it is important that all beekeeping development programs ensure from the outset that extension messages reach rural women, and that they are able to take full advantage of training and credit facilities.

There are several species in this cosmopolitan family that are of importance chiefly as pests of stored foods, flour, grain, seeds and bulbs, feeding on these products or the fungi that develop on them. These mites are mostly very minute, almost colourless, with the body bearing a few long setae, and with the legs terminating in one claw and usually a sucker. When very abundant the mites and their cast skins form a buff-colored dust and give rise to a characteristic odour. The living mites move slowly away from a source of light. An interesting characteristic of these mites is a nymphal resting stage (hypopus) during which they take no food but attach themselves to other mites, insects and humans by means of suckers and are thereby transported to other suitable places for development, where they drop off, moult, feed, and develop into adult stage. The hypopus may be resistant to fumigants. However, the cheese mites, Tyrophagus casei do not have a hypopial stage. Prolonged storage of products subject to infestation without cleaning of pantries and shelves where such materials are placed. These mites can subsist on organic debris in cracks, crevices and corners and are readily spread to other areas.

It is interesting to note that only 25 of about 1200 species of birds found in India have been reported to inflict damage to crops, vegetables and fruits. The exact ecological causes for population increase of individual species have yet to be studied. It would appear that, in general, the granivorous birds became abundant with the increase in area under grain crops and the subsequent storage of grain in godowns and bulk storage. The details of important bird pests are given below:

As the name indicates, micro-organisms are very minute, cellular, living organisms which cannot be seen with the naked eyes (however, large colonies of fungi can be seen). Micro-organisms affecting stored grain can be divided into the following groups in order of their significance:

1. Fungi
2. Actinomycetes
3. Yeast
4. Bacteria
5. Protozoa (not found in sound food grains)

Fungi, bacteria and actinomycetes are grouped under the Thallophyta of the plant kingdom. The most important factors for their normal development are: (i) Nature of Food, (ii) Moisture, (iii) Oxygen and (iv) Temperature.

Model organisms are widely used in biological researches to describe basic biological processes. When selecting living organisms as models to work with, a wide range of characteristics are used which include: 1) rapid development with short life cycles, 2) small adult size, 3) ready availability and 4) tractability. Being small, growing rapidly and being readily available are crucial in terms of housing them, given the budget and space limitations of research and teaching laboratories. Tractability relates to the ease with which they can be manipulated. Many model organisms have been used including fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, the most obvious organism used for teaching Mendelian genetics and developmental biology; Escherichia coli, a favoured organism for molecular biological studies involving recombinant DNA technology. Research into the molecular and developmental biology of C. elegans was begun in 1974 by Sydney Brenner and it has since been used extensively as a model organism.

C. elegans is a popular research organism as it possesses all the characteristics mentioned, yet shares many essential biological properties with humans. For instance, researchers who study apoptosis (programmed cell death) use C. elegans as an experimental organism in the hope of finding treatments for certain types of human cancers, such as leukaemia.

C. elegans is easy and inexpensive to maintain in laboratory conditions with a diet of E. coli. Embryogenesis occurs in about 12 hours, development to the adult stage occurs in 2.5 days and the life span is 2-3 weeks. The short, hermaphroditic life cycle (~3 days) and large number (300+) of offspring of C. elegans allows large-scale production of animals within a short period of time. Since C. elegans has a small body size, in vivo assays can be conducted in a 96 well microplate. Laboratory stocks of C. elegans can even be stored in liquid nitrogen for 25 years without losing their viability. The transparent body allows clear observation of all cells in mature and developing animals. Furthermore, the intensively studied genome, complete cell lineage map, knockout (KO) mutant libraries and established genetic methodologies including mutagenesis, transgenesis and RNA interference (RNAi) provide a variety of options to manipulate and study C. elegans at the molecular level and for a more detailed presentation of genetic and genomic resources.

Objectives

• Better understand the process and different stages of mitosis.
• Prepare your own specimens of onion root in which you can visualize all of the stages of mitosis.

Principle

The genetic information of plants, animals and other eukaryotic organisms resides in several (or many) individual DNA molecules, or chromosomes. For example, each human cell possesses 46 chromosomes, while each cell of an onion possesses 8 chromosomes. All cells must replicate their DNA when dividing.

DNA replication in eukaryotes is followed by the process called mitosis which assures that each daughter cell receives one copy of each of the replicated chromosomes. During the process of mitosis, the chromosomes pass through several stages known as prophase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. The actual division of the cytoplasm is called cytokinesis and occurs during telophase. During each of the preceding stages, particular events occur that contribute to the orderly distribution of the replicated chromosomes prior to cytokinesis.

An onion root tip is a rapidly growing part of the onion and thus many cells will be in different stages of mitosis. The onion root tips can be prepared and squashed in a way that allows them to be flattened on a microscopic slide, so that the chromosomes of individual cells can be observed easily. The super coiled chromosomes during different stages of mitosis present in the onion root tip cells can be visualized by treating with DNA specific stains, like Feulgen stain and Acetocarmine stain.

Objectives

• Better understand the dihybrid cross.
• Calculation of dihybrid phenotypic, genotypic and testcross ratios.

Principle

A cross is made between two true-breeding parents differing in two pairs of genes, producing an F₁ generation. These plants are inter-crossed to produce an F₂ generation. Mendel second law i.e., Law of independent assortment can be explained by studying the inheritance of two characters at a time, simultaneously. When two phenotypically distinct parents differing with respect to two characters governed by two pair of genes are crossed together. Each pair of genes assorts independently into all possible combination forming four kinds of progeny, two of these are parental type and two are recombinant types.

Objectives

• Better understand the phenomenon of multiple alleles.

Introduction

The word allele is a general term to denote the alternative forms of a gene or contrasting gene pair that denote the alternative form of a gene is called allele. These alleles were previously considered by Bateson as hypothetical partner in Mendelian segregation. Mendel and his followers used the term ‘allele’ or ‘alleleomorph’ to denote the alternative form of the normal gene. It means the genes for tall and dwarf characters of pea plant are alleles. The former is normal or wild allele and the later is mutant allele. A gene can mutate several times producing several alternative expressions. When three or more alleles are found for any particular gene, these are called ‘multiple alleles’. These occupy the same locus in homologous chromosomes.

Multiple alleles are defined as genes that are members of the same gene pair and are located on the same locus. All of them control the same character but each of the allele affects that character somewhat differently than the others. In any diploid organism, a particular gene pair is represented by two alleles of the series, one allele on each of the two chromosomes of a homologous pair. This is because an organism has just two chromosomes of each type. These form a homologous pair. However, in the individuals of a population or species, many alternative forms of the same gene may be present. The grouping of all the possible alleles of a gene pair is defined as a system of multiple alleles and their mode of inheritance is called multiple allelism. The multiple allele system can be represented as A1, A2, A3, A4 etc.

Self-Incompatibility

This is lack of self-fruitfulness and is a condition where the pollen from a flower is not receptive on the stigma of the same flower resulting into no seed setting. This happens despite the fact that pollen and ovule development both are normal and viable. This is caused by genetically controlled physiological hindrance to self-fertilization. This occurs widely among diverse families of flowering plants including the Leguminosae, Onagraceae, Rosaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Solanaceae, Compositae, Cruciferae, Papaveraceae and the Gramineae (now called as Poaceae). The incompatibility reaction is genetically governed by a single locus designated as S with multiple alleles whose number can go more than 100 in some species such as Trifolium pretense. East has estimated that this occurs in more than 3000 plant species distributed over 20 families. Lewis classified incompatibility systems into two main groups, namely, heteromorphic and homomorphic and homomorphic system has further been divided into gametophytic and sporophytic types as illustrated below:

Heterosis or hybrid vigour is the condition where an F1 hybrid falls outside the range of the parents with respect to some character or characters. It is also defined as a manifestation of heterozygosity, expressed as increased vigour, size, fruitfulness and resistance to diseases, insects or climate extremes. It has been observed in nearly every crop including both self and cross-pollinated crops. It is converse of inbreeding depression. However, even the species that show little or no inbreeding depression, often benefit from crossing and resultant hybrids. Therefore, heterosis has been more emphasized than the inbreeding depression. It is defined in two basic ways: