eChapters

Wildlife Sanctuary is a natural habitat, owned by the government or private agency, that safeguards particular species of birds and animals to make sure that viable population of the wildlife and their habitats are maintained.

Amounts up to 5 ml of blood can be safely drawn from the auricular marginal vein, using a 23- to 25-gauge needle (or) a 23-gauge butterfly attached to a syringe or tube. The jugular vein should be avoided for blood collection if the rabbit suffers from a respiratory problem or shows respiratory distress. It may become cyanotic during the procedure. Alternate sites for blood collection are the cephalic and the lateral saphenous veins. (Their locations are the same as in dogs and cats. These veins are fragile, and a hematoma is easily formed).

Barley is believed to be originated from Asia and Ethiopia. Its Sanskrit name ‘Yava’ is mentioned in ‘Veda’ and use of barley in religious ceremonies has been described which shows that barley has been grown in India since ancient times. It is widely believed that the ‘Near-East region’ is the probable place of origin of barley around 8000 BC (Harlan, 1968). There are two theories regarding the origin of barley. 

Jaggery making is a simple process comprising crushing of sugarcane for juice extraction, filtration and boiling of juice for concentration and then cooling and solidifying to give jiggery blocks.

Mints are a group of perennial herbaceous plants, belonging to the family Lamiaceae: Labiatae, which yield essential oil on distillation. The various species of mints which are commercially cultivated in different parts of the world are: Japanese mint or corn mint or field mint (Mentha arvensis subsp haplocalyx Briquet var. Piperscens Holmes var. Javanica), peppermint (M. Piperita L.) spearmint or garden mint or lamb mint (M. spicata L.) and bergamot mint or orange mint (M. citrata Ehrh.)

Seed is a basic input to raise the crop plants. Healthy seeds produces the healthy crop. However, the seed carries different pathogens either externally or sometimes internally in the seed to affect the seed emergence and healthy seedling growth. Therefore, the seed treatment with fungicides/bactericides, based on the infection of the pathogen, is highly essential to counter the attack and infection of these pathogens to the germinating seedlings.

Many chemical and visual lures attract insects and therefore can be used as attractants to monitor or directly catch and reduce insect populations. These attractants are used in ways that do not injure other animals or humans or result in residues on foods or feeds, and can be used in an environmentally sound manner in pest management programs.

Grape is one of the important fruit, crops being grown in area of 79.6 thousand hectare with annual production 1878.3 thousand MT. India is a major exporting country of grapes, it exported fresh grapes 24633.79 MT (2018-19) (Anonymous, 2018).

Identification of key communicators
For effective introduction of innovations and transfer of technology among farmers, effective communication is the prime need. An extension worker passes his information more effectively if he communicates with farmers/livestock owners through local leaders and key communicators.
Leader:  Is a person who effectively influences a group to cooperate in setting and achieving the goal.
Leadership: Leadership is a process by which an individual influence, guide and direct the thought, feelings and impressions in desired way.
Key communicators: Key communicator is a person who has maximum information about his society and vicinity area on different aspects.

Cluster Sampling (Meaning and Concept)

Cluster sampling is a special type of sampling which is used when we have to make a large survey such as a survey for the whole country and whole state etc. to know the privilege. Under this method, the total population is divided into some recognizable subdivisions known as clusters. Out of all the clusters, a given number of clusters are chosen at random. All the items covered by the selected clusters are included in the sample.

A sampling technique in which we divide the whole population into groups or subgroups in such a way that there is heterogeneity within each group and homogeneity among the groups and then a simple random sample of n groups is selected from a total of N groups of population and finally all the units of selected clusters from our sample.

Non-Probability sampling methods are also known as non-random sampling methods or deliberate sampling. These types of methods are reliant on the researcher’s ability to select members at random. These sampling methods are not fixed or pre-defined selection processes making it difficult for all elements of the population to have equal opportunities to be included in the sample.

Types of non-probability sampling techniques

1. Judgmental or Purposive sampling

This technique involves the purposive selection of units of samples based on the judgement of the researcher. The researcher selects the sample on the basis of his a priori knowledge and experience.

Yet now we have discussed probability sampling techniques in which sampling units are assigned with equal probabilities. But sometimes in practice if want to draw a sample with unequal probabilities i.e., every sampling unit is assigned with varying probabilities and we draw a sample from these units with the help of equal probability methods, then the results are not as much efficient as compared to unequal probability sampling.

Simple random sampling is a procedure wherein the chance of selection of every unit in the required sample is equal. However, the use of simple random sampling is not advisable when the units differ substantially in size as the significance of unit size is ignored.

The basic idea of this type of probability technique is that chance of each unit of a population being selected in the sampling is proportional to its size. The units vary significantly in size and the variable under study is largely related to the size of the unit. Therefore, the probabilities fixed for each unit are proportional to their sizes.

In our previous chapters, we have discussed various sampling designs or techniques such as simple random sampling, stratified sampling, systematic sampling and cluster sampling recently we have discussed unequal probability sampling i.e., probability proportional to size sampling. In all these sampling designs the variable of interest (generally there is only one variable of interest) which we have considered and perform our estimation based on that single variable. There are some other variables which are related to our variable of interest and if we utilize those variables, we may gain some efficiency in our estimator i.e., if we take some correlated variables with our variable of interest or study variable by this, we can enhance our estimation. The variable which is correlated with the study variable is usually known auxiliary variable or supporting variable or supplementary variable or benchmark variable. This auxiliary variable is utilized in two stages either in the design stage or estimation stage.

Graunt (1662) was the first who used auxiliary information to estimate the population size of England. After this Laplace used auxiliary information for the estimation of the population in France.

Non-Response

Non response occurs when respondents are not available or do not occur in the survey and refuse to respond by any means. This non response is mainly of two types either item non response or unit non response.

If we are conducting an online survey and mailing a questionnaire to various persons. But sometimes we get a reply for some questions and sometimes not i.e., in case of questions in which income is concerned. In some cases, the mail is ignored due to lack of time. So, if the whole questionnaire is ignored by any means, then it is known as non-response and if some of the questions are ignored due to their fussy nature such type of response is known as a unit non response. Such types of non-response problems are very common in surveys. Whenever we carry out a survey non response always exists because it is almost impossible to get every response from each individual.

The individual chosen for the sample is not ready to participate in the survey is known as non-response. This type of selection bias is unit/item non response.

Agriculture economics is the study of how resources are used, distributed, and utilised in order to create agricultural products. A consistent level of farm surplus is one of the sources of technological and commercial expansion, so agricultural economics has an impact on the economics of development.

In general, it may be said that average salaries are low when a sizable portion of a nation’s population depends on agriculture for a living. It is more accurate to argue that a country’s majority of people must rely on agriculture because it is impoverished rather than that a country is poor because the majority of its population works in agriculture.

Features of Agriculture

Agriculture is the principal industry of employment. Nearly 61 percent of the whole population is employed there. It makes up 25% of the country’s income.

Monsoon dependence: The monsoon is crucial to Indian agriculture. The production will increase if the monsoon is good, and the crops will fail if it is below normal. Floods can occasionally ruin our crops. Agriculture depends on the rainfall since irrigation systems are so poor.

Supply

Supply refers to the good being sold at a specific price and moment.

Supply is the quantity of a commodity that is actually made available for purchase at a specific price and moment. The various quantities of a commodity that would be available for sale at varying prices are referred to as the supply schedule.

Supply schedule of Rice The supply schedule for the whole market is called market supply. It is arrived at by adding the quantities supplied by all the sellers at varying prices. The increasing portion of the marginal cost curve is used to create

Macroeconomics approaches the economic problems in terms of aggregates like national income, general employment level, aggregate demand, aggregate production and so on. The important among the above is national income. The one common thing to all products is value. Therefore, the national income must be expressed in monetary terms. The entire value of the goods and services (output) produced by an economy over time is measured by national income (normally a year). It also serves as a measure of the money generated by production and/or the total amount of expenditures made in order to produce the output.

Significance

The Central Statistical Organization of India has been calculating the country’s gross domestic product. We can measure your academic performance in relation to other students by the percentage of the marks scored by you. Similarly a country’s economic performance has been measured by indicators of national income such as GDP or GNP. Additionally, it is crucial to measure national income for a number of reasons, such as making predictions about how the economy will develop in the future,

Theories of Population

The theory of population is studied because the supply of labour depends upon population and its growth. Observing the abnormal growth of population and consequent fall in the standard of living, Thomas Malthus (1760-1834) an English Clergyman frst studied population growth in various countries of Europe. Later he wrote a book entitled “An Essay on the Principles of Population” in 1798. His his theory is popularly known as Malthusian theory of population. To quote the theory in his own words “By nature human food increases in a slow arithmetic ratio, man himself increases in a quick geometric ratio unless want and vice stop him”

Money

Money has made rapid economic progress possible in this modern age. In the early stages, exchange took the form of barter The direct exchange of one good for another is known as barter. For instance, the potter received paddy from the farmer in exchange for cooking pots. Barter became more challenging as there were more items to trade. Silver and other precious metals were thus utilised as currency. Then the paper currencies were used as legal money, i.e., an instrument of exchange, by the governments.

Definition of Money

Anything that the general public readily accepts as payment for products, services, other assets, and the discharge of debt is referred to as money. Robertson defned money, “as anything that is acceptable in discharge of obligations”.

According to Crowther, “Money is anything that is generally acceptable as a means

Definition

‘Whipping agent’ are a wide variety of materials to describe their role in confectionery manufacture as a means of holding air introduced into a product, to produce a uniform dispersion of air cells within the confection leading to a lower specific weight and considerable modification to the texture.

Stable foams cannot be obtained by whipping high concentration sugar solutions without the presence of a ‘surface-active’ agent.

Many types of proteins have whipping properties and those used in the sweet industry are:

(a) Egg albumen, crystal powdered and spray dried;

(b) High Bloom gelatine and gelatine hydrolysates;

(c) Skimmed milk in spray dried form;

(d) Whey, or whey in a mixture with skimmed milk;

A glucose syrup is defined as ‘A purified and concentrated aqueous solution of nutritive saccharides derived from starch’, and having the following characteristics:

1. Dry matter of not less than 70%.
2. A dextrose equivalent (DE), expressed as d-glucose, of not less than 20% based on dry matter.
3. A sulphated ash content of not more than 1% on a dry basis.

Starch has a DE value of zero, whilst dextrose, the final end product of starch hydrolysis, has a DE value of 100. For the lay person, the term dextrose equivalent or DE can be regarded as an indication of how far the conversion process from starch to dextrose has gone. While technically DE is a measure of the total reducing sugars present in a glucose syrup.

Introduction

Botanical name of cocoa is Theobroma cacao and family is Malvaceae. The cocoa bean, also cacao bean or simply cocoa or cacao, is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted. Cocoa flavour is the most distinct feature of chocolate, thus cocoa beans are the basis of chocolate. Dried cocoa beans are usually processed into cocoa butter, which contains fat between 56% and 58%, made up of a mixture of triglycerides. Cocoa butter with this composition is good for making chocolate and has favourable hardness and a melting point of body temperature. Theobroma cacao originated from the Jungle of the Amazon in Brazil. Theobroma cacao consists of two subspecies: the Cacao, a subspecies known as the Criollo, which can be found in Central and South America, and spharocarpum, which is also called theForastero. The Criollo has superior and fine flavour. The pods are red and the beans have no color. Forastero has a green pod

Dried Cocoa Bean have chemical composition as: The shell (testa) represents 10-14% dry weight of the cocoa bean, while the kernel or cotyledon is made up of most of the remaining 86-90%. The cotyledon confers characteristic flavours and aromas of chocolate and is composed of two types of parenchyma storage cells.

Before processing, the quality ofbeans is evaluated for the following indicators:

1. Degree of fermentation
2. Moisture content (maximum 6%)
3. Number of defects
4. Number of broken beans
5. Bean count (number per 100 g)

The development of a recipe for chocolate should be based on three criteria:

(i) The intended market or use;

(ii) The limitation being placed on material and production costs;

(iii) The desired quality.

The amount of fat present in the chocolate will affect the flow properties, and fat content must therefore be varied according to the intended use.

Some point to remember while manufacturing chocolate:

1. To maintain proper viscosity if fat content is increased then sugar content should also be increased.
2. Milk chocolate requires lower fat content than dark chocolate.
3. Addition of emulsifier like commercial lecithin can save upto 5% of added cocoa butter.

Chocolate is almost unique as a food in that it is solid at normal room temperatures yet melts easily within the mouth. This is because the main fat in it, which is called cocoa butter, is essentially solid at temperatures below 25^oC when it holds all the solid sugar and cocoa particles together. This fat is, however, almost entirely liquid at body temperature, enabling the particles to flow past one another, so the chocolate becomes a smooth liquid when it is heated in the mouth. Chocolate also has a sweet taste that is attractive to most people.

The first known cocoa plantations were established by the Maya in the lowlands of south Yucatan about 600 AD. Cocoa trees were being grown by the Aztecs of Mexico and the Incas of Peru when the Europeans discovered central America. The beans were highly prized and used as money as well as to produce a drink known as chocolatl. The beans were roasted in earthenware pots and crushed between stones, sometimes using decorated heated tables and mill stones, similar to those illustrated in Figure 1.1.

The biofilm formation is usually assayed by using Congo Red Agar (CRA) plate test. According to a method developed by Freeman et al., (1989) the isolates are stored in nutrient agar slants and screened for biofilm formation ability using CRA plates. Biofilm forming strains are observed as dark black colonies while others as red colonies on the CRA plates. Recently, the concept of these biofims have changed with new imaging technologies, biochemical methods and molecular ecosystem biology tools. A biofilm structure can be observed in 3-D form to the nano-scale level (Neu and Lawrence, 2015). A lot of studies are being conducted on the physiology of the biofilm cells, the genotypic and phenotypic variation among the biofilm community, as well as the biofilm metabolome, proteome and transcriptome (Raes and Bork, 2008). This will help in the the development of efficient methods to control deleterious biofilms (clinical biofilms, food contaminants, biofouling on industrial equipment and on ship hulls) and to enhance and modulate beneficial ones

(A) Anatomy of Lens

The lens is anoptically clear, avascular, biconvex structure of crystalline appearance with an anterior surfaceless curved than the posterior surface, placed between the iris and the vitreous. It is suspended by the suspensory ligament of the lens which is attached to the ciliary body and equator of the lens.

The lens consists of a central nucleus surrounded by the lens fibres and anterior epithelium, encapsulated in an elastic lens capsule. The anterior surface of the lens is in contact with the posterior surface of the iris whereas posterior surface is in contact with the vitreous. As the adult lens does not have a blood supply, its metabolic needs are met by the aqueous humour. The lens is composed of 65% water, 35% protein with scant amounts of electrolytes. The proteins can besubdivided into soluble proteins,

Introduction

A microscope is an optical instrument consisting of a lens or a combination of lenses for making magnified images of minute objects. A simple microscope consists of a single lens of magnified glass held in a frame, usually adjustable and has a stand for holding the object and a mirror for reflecting the light. But a compound microscope consists of two lenses i.e., objective and eye piece respectively. A compound microscope gives much greater magnification than simple microscope. The compound microscope will be extensively used in this course in studying various morphological and staining characters of soil microorganisms.

Abstract

This chapter examines how agricultural credit is a vital input for all agricultural development programmes. Private moneylenders used to be the main source of agricultural credit. However, this source was insufficient, costly and oppressive. To overcome this, a multi-agency approach involving cooperatives, commercial banks and regional rural banks has been adopted to provide cheaper, timely and adequate credit to farmers.

Abstract

Many obstacles hinder agriculture credit in rural regions: insufficient funding, failure to reach vulnerable rural residents, especially marginal and small farmers, and lack of local focus in agriculture credit distribution. India adopted a “Social and Development Banking” policy after nationalizing commercial banks in 1969. This policy aimed to solve some of these issues and boost the supply of formal credit to the agriculture sector. Rural communities would benefit from more loans at competitive interest rates due to this policy. In the 2000s, agriculture credit grew annually by 17.6%, much higher than the 2.6% growth rate in the 1990s. The increase in agriculture credit had three distinct features: indirect financing, a sharp rise in loans of Rs. 10 crore and above, and growing availability of agriculture credit through urban bank branches. The revival of agriculture lending in the 2000s mostly benefited small farmers and marginal farmers

Milk yield is one of the most important economic traits and modelling the lactation curve is important with respect to the unique shape with ascending, persistent and descending phases. The non-linear relationship of daily milk yield with days in milk has led to extensive research in modelling the lactation curve. The nature of the lactation curve, different models, identifying the best model of fit, factors affecting the curve parameters and orthogonal polynomials to model the curve are discussed in this chapter.

5.1. Introduction

The energy equivalent can be considered to be an alternate energy unit, precisely related to units such as the joule, calorie, or Btu. In energy talks, many units are employed. They are divided into two categories: (a) basic units and (b) source-based units.

Current scenario of Startups in India

India, currently is being evolved as a hub for Revolution, innovation and Startups as it holds 3^rd rank in global startup ecosystem worldwide after US and China. The flagship initiative of Government, Startup India, is intended to construct arobust eco-system for fostering innovations and startups in the country. Through this initiative, the Government aims to empower the growth of startups through new innovations and strategies. As per the reports of Startup India, the startup sector is expected to mark steady annual growth of 12-15% (startupindia.gov.in). By the year 2018, India already had a list of about 50,000 startups. As per the data, more than 800 technology startups are being established every year (NASSCOM, 2015). The annual growth has increased to 15% and the number of female entrepreneurs has also increased to 14% (startupindia.gov.in). As of December 2021, the country is home to 81 unicorns which has a total estimate of $ 274.17 Bn. Out of these unicorns, 44 unicorns came into existence in 2021 itself, which was a record year for the country. These Figures show that startups have exploded in the country in recent years.

Artificial intelligence is a computational science concerned with smart computer machines capable of performing tasks similar to the human intelligence. The term AI is widely used for the projects involved in the developing the intellectual processes of human intelligence such as reasoning ability, meaning discovery, generalization, learning from the past. AI technology mainly analyses the huge amount of data based on the set of instructions or commands known as algorithms to do a specific function or task. The mathematician Alan Turing with a simple question “Can machines think?” revolutionised the history. His paper “Computing Machinery and Intelligence” in 1950 and Turing test has favour the development of goal and the vision of AI.

The research in AI are mainly focussed on the following intelligence components namely:

1. Learning
2. Reasoning
3. Problem solving
4. Perception
5. Language use

Entrepreneurship involves seeking and exploiting opportunities available for the benefit of the society. The changing agro-economic conditions in our country have offered a prospective context for developing entrepreneurship in agri-business in the country. Agri-entrepreneurship has the prospect of social and economic development, for example, employment generation, poverty reduction, improvements in nutrition, health and overall food security in the national economy especially in rural areas. The task of promoting entrepreneurship was earlier given to different departments and government agencies. In 2014, the Prime Minister decided to dedicate an entire ministry to build this sector as he felt that skill development required greater push from the government’s side. The idea is to reach maximum people and startups through funding and skill development initiatives.

Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in driving economic growth, and its significance in the agriculture and allied industry cannot be overlooked. As the backbone of many economies, agriculture and its allied sectors provide employment to a significant portion of the global population. We shall highlight the benefits of being an entrepreneur in this sector, discuss the different types of entrepreneurs, provide relevant statistics and case studies, and touch upon the factors affecting entrepreneurial behaviour. Additionally, we will examine the current trends and forecast for the next three years in the agricultural entrepreneurship landscape and examine relevant statistics and case studies and shed light on the government’s role in promoting entrepreneurship in the Indian startup ecosystem.

Following are the reasons why must understand topic indepth.

1. Agritech startups have raised over $1 billion in funding in the past 5 years.
2. The Indian agritech market is expected to reach $15 billion by 2025.
3. There are over 1,000 agritech startups in India.
4. The top three agritech sectors in India are precision agriculture, farm management, and farm equipment rental.

Definition

Entrepreneurship refers to the process of identifying, creating, and pursuing opportunities to develop new products, services, or processes, often involving innovation and risk-taking. It involves the willingness to take calculated risks in order to capitalize on these opportunities. Entrepreneurs are individuals who exhibit a unique mindset, combining creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience to bring their ideas to fruition. Entrepreneurship can manifest in various forms, including starting a new business, introducing novel products to the market, or even implementing innovative strategies within an existing organization. It is a dynamic and evolving concept that plays a vital role in driving economic progress and societal development.

Abstract

This chapter explores farm management, a subfield of economics that addresses decision-making on the organization and operation of a farm. The goal is to secure maximum continuous net income while ensuring the welfare of the farm family.

Abstract

This chapter explores farm budgeting, a method of evaluating plans for the allocation of agricultural resources at the decision-maker’s level. It involves estimating the income, costs, and profit of different farm activities.

Abstract

The waste utilization as derivative from different food processing sector has been emerged as the main challengeable problem around the world due to the generation of by-products at large quantities consisting seeds, peels, rags, unused flesh, bran, husk, germ, stalk etc. during various processing chain steps. Though these food by-products are potentially rich source of natural compounds which finds its wide utilization in different industries as affordable, cost-effective, novel ingredient comprising dietary fiber, phytochemicals, antioxidants, pectin, enzymes, organic acids, food additives, essential oils etc. subsequently after extractions, purified fractionation and fermentations methods. These food byproducts also have pharmaceutical and nutraceutical activity. A nutraceutical is like a medicine or food grade product, which not only provides physical benefits and nutritional supplements but also protects against various chronic diseases. This food processing waste utilization should be a topic of interest, by means of two ways, i.e., through waste quantity reduction and increased value-added food products production and also as renewable energy source. The purpose of this study is to highlight the opportunities to utilize food by-products from various food processing industries and to encourage the vital exploitation of the by-products containing large number of bio-active compounds having nutraceutical potential.

Fruit crops are mostly composite plants consisting of scion and rootstock, except banana, papaya, and strawberry. Rootstock exhibits a great influence on the performance of a scion in terms of production efficiency, yields, quality, adoptability, and resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. The primary function of a rootstock is to provide anchorage or support to the scion by growing deep into the soil and also regulating the uptake of moisture and nutrients. The rootstock cannot be changed during the life-time of a plant, so it makes it inevitable to pay more focused attention to it because its functions are long-term and complex.

Introduction

Aonla or Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn. Syn. Phyllanthus emblica) is one of the important indigenous fruits of the Indian subcontinent. Most of the xerophytes are members of the Euphorbiaceae.

The tropics are evergreen, while the subtropics are deciduous. The highest concentration of vitamin C in aonla is found in mature fruit rather than immature fruit. The special attribute is its capacity to retain vitamin C even in a dried stage, which is not possible in other fruits.

Aonla contains six seeds per fruit, and in it is found zygotic dormancy. Flowers are borne in the axils of the leaves on determinate shoots.

Introduction

Guava ranks 4^th in area and production after mango, banana, and citrus. It is a very hardy sub-tropical plant, prolific bearer. It is known as the “poor man’s apple” in India and has spread widely throughout the country. Allahabad has the reputation of growing the best guava in the country as well as in the world. A native of tropical America, guava was spread rapidly throughout the world’s tropics by the Spanish and Portuguese. The major guava producing countries are India, China, Thailand, Indonesia and Pakistan. In India, it is grown in Uttar Pradesh (largest area and production), Bihar, M.P, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. The fresh fruits are very rich in vitamin C (100-260 mg/100 g pulp). Vit-A, B and minerals like Calcium, P, acidity 2.4 per cent, carbohydrates 9-10 per cent, TSS-13 per cent, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamin and niacin, also a rich source of pectin. The fresh ripe fruits are used as table/salad fruit. Fruits are rich in pectin. The best quality jelly can be prepared.

Introduction

It can be grown as a mixed crop in most of the orchards, as a hedge plant or as a pure crop. monocotyledonous, monocarpic, xerophytic, CAM, herbaceous perennial herb. It is drought-tolerant and suitable for marginal lands. Pineapple does not contain starch. Pineapple is a Spanish word, botanically it is called syncarpous (Sorosis) fruit. Brazilian Pineapple, Ananas microstachys is considered to ancestor of cultivated (A. comosuss). The pineapple is a tropical fruit and is known as the “Golden Queen” all over the globe. It can be grown as a mixed crop in most of the orchards, as a hedge plant or as a pure crop. Fruits are relished as dessert in the form of slices, either fresh or canned, juice, squash, jam and mixed jam. Candy is prepared from fruit cores.

Introduction

Winter hardy and highly drought tolerant. This is an excellent choice crop for the arid and semi-arid conditions of India. Maharashtra is the leading state in India for pomegranate cultivation: Maharashtra. NRC of Pomegranate, Kesaon, Solapur, Maharashtra: Established in 2005. Because of the presence of anthocyanin, the aril and skin have a red color. Dried seeds with pulp are known as ‘Anardana’: It is widely used as a condiment, prepared from a sour type of wild pomegranate is called as Daru. Commonly found in the Himalayan region, has a long productive cycle and is resistant to bacterial blight. Double flower type ornamental plant in it modification of stamens into petals makes them look like rose flowers. Nana or dwarf type is called Bonsai pomegranate, exclusively used for ornamental purposes.

Introduction

Cherries occupy an important position among temperate fruits all over the world. Cultivated cherries are divided into two main groups, i.e., sweet cherries (Prunus avium) and sour cherries (P. cerasus). Cherries are rich in protein, sugar, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc. Sweet cherries are believed to have originated in an area between the Black and Caspian Seas in Southern Europe. The earliest records indicate that it was first domesticated in Greece around 300 BC. It spread to Italy from Greece where it was established as a fruit crop by 37 BC. Early setter’s brought seeds to North America and parts of South America. In India, it was introduced by British setter’s in Kashmir, Kullu and Shimla hills during the pre-independence era. World leading breeding of cherry: John Innes Horticultural Institution, Merton. A putative ancestor of cultivated sweet cherries: Anthocynins (antioxidants) are the red pigment found in cherries.

Introduction

It is considered as Kalpavriksha as it provides the basic necessities of life. Coco- Spanish word meaning monkey face (probably refers to the three scars on the base of the shell resembling two eyes and a nose on a monkey’s face). World Vietnam, India, Guyana, Jamaica, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Fiji, etc. Vietnam has the highest productivity. In India, coconut is mainly grown in Kerala, which stands first in India in both area and production of coconut, while productivity is highest in Tamil Nadu.

• World Coconut Germplasm (WCG) is located at Sipoghat, Andaman Nicobar Islands
• Coconut Development Board (CDB) is located at Cochin, Kerala
• CDB comes under Ministry of Agriculture established at Kochi in 1981, Kerala

Introduction

Coffee is the second important beverage, ranking second among traded commodities. Its dried beans are roasted, ground, and brewed to make a stimulating and refreshing beverage. Arabica coffee originated in Ethiopia, from a place called Caffa. The word “coffee” is derived from a place called “Caffa.” Here it occurs naturally in the forest between 1,400 to 1,800 feet of elevation. Nearly 80 percent of the world’s coffee is produced by Coffea Arabica. Robusta coffee is thought to have originated in Central Africa (Congo and Zaire). Arabica coffee was introduced in 1670 by Muslim pilgrim Baba Budan. He brought seven seeds from Yemen and cultivated them in Chikmagalur, Karnataka. The original seeds he brought were probably Mokka seeds. Robusta coffee was introduced from the Indochina region at the close of the 19^th century for planting in the states of lower elevations. World: Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, India, Ethiopia, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. It is also growing in India in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

Introduction

Tea is the most popular and cheapest beverage consumed by two-thirds of the world population. The stimulative effect of tea is due to the presence of caffeine (1.25–4.5 %). Panthothenic acid, caffeine and theophylline present in tea stimulate the nerves and are good for the heart. Tea is grown in 50 countries, predominantly in Asia, Africa and Europe. Of the major tea producers, India, China, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Russia and Indonesia contribute the maximum share to global production. Though the share of India in global tea production has declined over the years, it still retains its status as the largest tea producer with 30 % of world output (2,780 million kg). India can also boast of producing many varieties of tea. Well-known varieties like Darjeeling, Assam and Nilgiris are well-known for their distinctive characters. Assam (24.86 %), West Bengal (15.20 %), Tamil Nadu (6.28 %) and Kerala (2.28 %) are major tea producing states in the country.

In agro-ecosystem, many agricultural and horticultural crops are dependent on insects for their pollination; their degree of interdependence varies species to species. Some plant species depend primarily on a single pollinator’s species or genus, whereas some plant species accept diverse pollinators. About to 80 per cent of flowering plants’ pollination determined for pollinators (FA0, 2007) and out of that most of the floras depend on insect pollinators for pollination and pollinators depend on flora for their food. Bees are considered as most important pollinator due to their diversity, credential ability and effective pollinators of many plant species. Most of the crops pollination need was met by wild pollinators living within the farming landscape (Kevan and Phillips, 2001). Therefore, pollinators play paramount role in ecosystem through enhance the crop productivity and conserving biodiversity. On the above service of pollinators is priceless and natural endowment, but the society we live in, always categorized and measured in terms of financial value. In 2005, globally, insect pollination services economic value was estimated to be about €153 billion (Gallai et al., 2009). The United Nations also reported that the economics of ecosystems and biodiversity by insect pollination was valued at £134 billion. The assisted pollination may have to be done when natural pollination is insufficient in order to reduce potential yield loss (Klein et al., 2007).