eChapters

INTRODUCTION

Digital libraries are a set of electronic resources and associated technical capabilities for creating, searching, and using Information; they are an extension and enhancement of information storage and retrieval systems that manipulate digital data in any medium. The content of digital libraries includes data and metadata. Digital libraries are constructed, Collected, and organized by a community of users and their functional capabilities support the information needs and uses of that community.

A digital library is a library in which collections are stored in digital formats and accessible by computers. The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks. A digital library is a type of information retrieval system. Man is a communicator of information, not simply a user of tools. The history of civilization is the history of improved means of communication. Man always desires to improve the means of communicating. Documents are the artifacts of recorded knowledge that is information. Documents are meant for communication knowledge to larger audiences. Libraries have stored and served the documents to the users.

Thus, libraries have performed as one of the links between generators of information and its users. The developments of libraries from print paper based libraries to digital libraries seem an illustration of man’s never-ending desire to improve his means of communication. In the digital world highway, there is stress on three factors (a) Awareness of information: it provides breadth of vision (b) awareness of technology: gives the power to make the visions manifest, and (c) awareness of needs facilitates the insight to use professional skills and talents to greater effect.

Abstract
Aquatic weeds, such as duckweed, present a dual challenge and opportunity within aquatic ecosystems and the poultry feed industry. These fast-growing plants, often deemed nuisances due to their potential to disrupt ecosystems, offer significant potential as alternative feed sources. Duckweed, a floating aquatic plant, is particularly noteworthy due to its high protein content, rapid growth rate, and nutrient recycling capabilities. In freshwater systems, excessive growth of aquatic weeds can lead to decreased ecosystem productivity, hypoxia, and anoxia, making effective management crucial. However, duckweed’s ability to thrive in nutrient-rich conditions and its high nutritional value, including substantial protein and essential vitamins, position it as a valuable feed ingredient for poultry. The Indian poultry sector, growing at an annual rate of 8-10%, faces challenges such as rising feed costs and limited availability of conventional feed ingredients. Integrating duckweed into poultry diets can provide a cost-effective, sustainable alternative that reduces reliance on traditional feed sources and supports ecosystem management. This approach not only addresses feed shortages but also contributes to environmental sustainability by recycling nutrients and mitigating pollution. Despite its potential, challenges such as lack of standardized regulations and market acceptance remain. Continued research, policy support, and market promotion are essential to harness the full benefits of aquatic weeds.
Keywords: Aquatic, Duckweed, Poultry, Sustainable and Feed Additives

1. Introduction

Electronic journals are an important source for scientific technical research and development. This resource is widely used by research and development workers and other users of the libraries to carry out qualitative research, education and gain knowledge. In recent years there has been a surge in the number of electronic journals available to libraries for their users to access. More titles are made available by publishers and subscription agents. There is a common view amongst Liberians that libraries are forsaking traditional print resources in favor of electronic resources. With the application of information technology, particularly internet, there has been a shift from traditional print journal to electronic journals. This type of use survey is essential to improve the existing library services, to plan new services, rationalize the use of the limited financial resources in an economic way, evaluate the performance of the library and enhance the user satisfaction.

Abstract

Ectomycorrhizal symbionts are important natural resources to revive degraded and deforested areas. Artificial inoculum of these mycobionts improves the growth of tree seedlings in nutrient poor soils due to the formation of extensive network of fungal mycelium responsible for the transfer of water and nutrients to the plants. Seedlings of tree species like, Pinus insularis, Quercus griffithii and Schima wallichii with ectomycorrhizae formed by Suillus bovinus, Boletus edulis and Scleroderma citrinum were studied in field condition. The study was conducted at two different stages of degraded sites. Results of the study indicated that seedlings with ectomycorrhizae were able to generate numerous lateral roots of greater length and thereby utilize water and nutrients more effectively than non- mycorrhizal ones The degree of mycorrhizal development varied in different host species with different fungal species. There was a strong relation between the colonization by mycorrhiza and the survival of seedlings. The study has suggested that mycorrhiza has a potential in reclamation of soil and reforestation of degraded land. S. bovinus., B. edulis and S. citrinum successfully colonized and promoted the growth of P. insulates Q. griffithii and S. wallichii respectively in reforestation programmes of degraded lands of Nagaland.

1. Introduction
 
Today we are living in the Era of Information. Over last decade, electronic resources have become increasingly substantial components of academic library collection. This is due to the continuous development of Information Technology and its impact on library collection development policies due to changing demand of users for the pin pointed and exhaustive information within a short time. With the growing popularity of e-resources, the traditional libraries are gradually migrating from print documents to e- resources where providing access to information is considered more important than owning it. This is further augmented by the advent of Internet. Which has opened up windows of opportunity to different Information sources.

Essential oil obtained from aromatic plants is a mixture of several naturally arising biochemical compounds that occur in some plants which have scented flowers, leaves, bark, seeds, stem wood, or roots. As per the
biochemical view, the active ingredients of essential oils are tranquil of oxygenated hydrocarbons and several other types of hydrocarbons which may be clustered conferring to their biochemical structure into esters, terpenes, aldehydes, alcohols, phenols and ketones etc. Carbon is considered as the basic element for all kinds of essential oils. Majority of essential oil compounds are made of C, H, O, N and S atoms. The atom of these different kind of elements are joined to each other to make the essentia oil molecules. These biomolecules are made up of five carbon atoms is named isoprene. All essential oil compounds mainly consist terpenic compounds having two or more than two isoprene units (C5). These Isoprene units (C5) are generally attached to each other in head to tail fashion, hence ‘isoprene rule’ is followed. When two units of isoprene (10 C) are joint together, they form what is known as monoterpenes. Likewise, when three, four, five, six and eight units are united, they are called sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, sesterterpenes, triterpenes and tetraterpenes, respectively. These terpenes are colourless liquids and are generally lighter than water. They are highly refractive and insoluble in water. The ‘terpene’ term is usually restricted to hydrocarbon but on addition of oxygen in it, these are called terpenoids. These include menthol, cirtral, linalool, geraniol, carotenes, camphor, thymol, menthone etc. (Maheshwari, 1995).
Generally, the essential oil is extracted from aromatic plants through various methods but for production of essential oil for aromatherapy, the only suitable methods are those that are non-toxic. This contains cold pressing, distillation, and, in some cases, extraction by using the non-toxic solvents.

Major field operations for horticultural crops viz., fruit nursery/seedling preparation, post hole digging for planting, intercultural operation, aeration, training and pruning, irrigation, plant protection, harvesting, handling, packaging transport are completed through field tools and implements. The cultivation of horticultural crops is predominantly dependent upon human labour, since commercial cultivation is only on a limited scale. So animal/power tiller or tractor-drawn mould board ploughs, disc ploughs, harrows, cultivators and rotavators are available for land preparation and development of new orchards. The fruit plants are generally perennial plants. So different types of sprayers and dusters are available from manually to power operated such as knapsack sprayers foot operated sprayers, power operated mist blowers and dusters or plant protection equipments used for application of insecticides, pesticides and herbicides in the fruit orchards. Some of important implements and sprayers are enlisted below

Introduction

Food ingredients sector is indicating ample prospects for growth. The segment is an obligatory element for the growth of the food and beverage sector. These ingredients are also driving the development of the healthy functional foods industry to increase by 20% growth annually. Innovation in the food and beverage market, especially in the processed food domain, has created innumerable opportunities for new product development in the ingredients market as well. The segment is driven by the growing food processing industry and India is emerging as ingredients bowl of the future. Additionally, growing urbanization coupled with industrialization and changing lifestyles have led to growing demand for convenient food that offers health benefits, over and above the basic nutritional benefits of the foodstuff. There are nearly 10 to 15 broad classes of ingredients that include the very basic ingredients as well as certain value added ingredients that have niche applications. Key ingredients are preservatives, flavours, colours, hydrocolloids/stabilizers, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners and value added health food ingredients such as omega-3-fatty acids prebiotics, probiotics etc. Until recently, there has been limited research into functional foods in meats, while functional foods in the dairy sector have been developed to a high degree. But meat is less allergenic than many other foods and much more research into the development and marketing of novel functional meat products is required. Such meat products would open up a new market for the meat industry. Nutraceutical and functional food industry is a very vibrant industry today with the claims and a clear mandate of health, wellness and prevention of diseases as one of its main goals.

Genomics-driven approaches to Genebank management

• Pre-breeding can facilitate the characterization and utilization of PGRs.

• Allele mining involves searching useful alleles of genes from a wide germplasm collection.

• Transformation of germplasm collections into bio-digital resource centres like

• DNA Barcoding,

• DNA fingerprinting.

Pre-breeding

• Pre-breeding is the step before practical breeding.

• Aim - To introduce new desirable traits/genes into an adapted genetic background. This will broaden the genetic base in a breeding material in pace with environmental changes.”

• The main link between the germplasm conservation and its use in plant breeding

• A vital contribution of pre-breeding is increasing the total genetic diversity in crops and finding specific genes and traits.

• Main link between conservation of PGR in gene bank collections and utilisation of these resources in agriculture and horticulture.

• Essential for linking genetic diversity arising from wild relatives and other unimproved materials for utilization.

• These activities are a collaboration between germplasm curator and the plant breeder who need to work germplasm collections and how new traits from these collections can bred into new varieties.

INTRODUCTION

The evolution of National Natural Resource Management System (NNRMS) towards fully harnessing the potentials of space remote sensing and the development of the series of Indian Remote Sensing Satellites, besides establishment of necessary ground based data establishment of necessary ground based data reception processing and dissemination systems as well as remote sensing facilities at National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Space Applications Centre (SAC) and Regional Remote Sensing Service Centers (RRSSCs) for efficient and effective analysis of remotely sensed data are the major steps accomplished in pursuit of this goal. With the establishment of Remote Sensing Applications Centers in several States under many Governmental organizations, remote sensing today has come to stay as an integral part of the national development efforts in the vital sectors of agriculture, hydrology, geology, forestry, oceanography, mineral resources and disaster management like drought, flood, cyclone, earthquake, landslides crop pests, forest fires etc., thus touching every facet of national development. Today, India has acquired a strong self-reliant base to harness the full potential of this technology and as a result, the national objective of achieving sustainable development at micro level is being addressed through the integration of remotely sensed data with other relevant collateral information to arrive at locale specific, environment friendly, economically viable and culturally acceptable treatment packages (Rao, 1991 and Jayaraman, el at. 1993).

Abstract

Aquifers are usually composed of permeable layers that can ways a considerable amount of groundwater. Usually, aquifer units are correlated through the concept of lithostratigraphy. For low-permeable aquifers, it is difficult to define the spatial distribution of hydrogeological units, and this study attempts to use geochemical methods to identify the groundwater flow paths in an area of Southeast coast of Tamil Nadu, India. Multiple geochemical analyses, including groundwater chemistry; stable isotopic compositions of d¹⁸O and 8D contents were performed.  Spatial distribution of d¹⁸O, dD, Cl-/HCO-₃ show that northeastern part of the study area seriously affected by seawater intrusion. The highly permeable aquifers at the east coastal region are characterized by high hydraulic conductivity as compared with other regions of the study area. Hydrogeochemical characteristics based on bivariate diagrams of major and minor ions show that changes in the chemical composition of groundwater are mainly controlled by the salinization process followed by cation-exchange reactions.

Abstract

The weather or climate is a natural resource and is an important basic input in agricultural planning and strategies. Every plant process, related with growth, development and yield of a crop and each of inseason and off-season farm operations (according to World Meteorological Organization) is more than 10 per cent and can reach up to 50 per cent in smaller areas and not a surprise even if it reaches to 100 per cent on micro scale. Amongst the various weather elements, temperatures, radiation and rainfall play major role in deciding the crop growth and yield levels. Precipitation is one of the important weather factors being responsible for atmospheric and soil moisture and therefore has more agricultural importance, especially in rainfed agriculture.

Keywords: Remote sensing, weather, agroadvisory, GIS

1.0 Introduction

India receives more than 70 per cent of its annual rainfall during South West monsoon season. Indian summer monsoon rainfall shows large intra - seasonal and intra-annual variability (Parthasarathy, 1960; Alexander et al., 1978; Mooley and Parthasarathy, 1984) and also changes in space and time, intensity and distribution. Borgaonkar and Pant (2001) have reported that Indian monsoon rainfall has shown trend less nature since 17^th century based on proxy data with large inter-annual fluctuations. IPCC (2001) has reported increase in rainfall over tropical and higher latitudes and decrease in rainfall over subtropics and mid latitudes.

While the fourth agricultural revolution has been sparked by technological advancements, humans still face many challenges in achieving agricultural resilience to meet the demands of the world’s expanding population, including declining croplands, depleting water supplies, the negative effects of climate change, and more. On the one hand, food and dairy products are in increasing demand due to the growing population. On the other hand, an increasing number of variables pose a threat to food security and sustainable food production, including globalization, climate change, scarce land and water resources, unsustainable land management techniques, pests and diseases becoming resistant to chemical pesticides, and the emergence of pathogens that have adapted to new hosts. The integration of geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and artificial intelligence (AI) in geospatial approaches offers a solid foundation for the sustainable management of agricultural resources with the goal of boosting agricultural output. These days, local, regional, and worldwide agricultural production uses these sophisticated instruments more and more. Growers have been more interested in implementing precision agriculture during the past ten years. Precision agriculture is a crop-management method that takes into account the temporal and geographical heterogeneity of soil and crops within a field. Another agricultural technique that is being promoted as a future development that will enable the world’s population to be fed sustainably is precision agriculture. The broad use of geographic methods for agricultural resource management, including crop disease monitoring and pest infestation control, is the main topic of this chapter.

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is one of the most valuable and popular fruit crops all over the world (Mohsen, 2021). In India, grapes are mainly grown for table, raisin and wine making. Major grape producing countries are China, Italy, France, Spain, USA, Turkey, and India while, major wine producing countries are France, Italy, Spain, and USA (OIV, 2024). According to an estimate, grapevine is spread on an area of 1.71 lakh ha and production was 37.81 lakh MT in the country during the year 2023-24 (NHB, 2024). India ranks first in world for grape productivity and 7th for grape production during 2023-24 (APEDA, 2024).
Traditionally, grapes are grown on their own roots. However, due to deteriorating soil and water conditions, the use of rootstocks has become essential in the tropical climate of India to maintain production (Singh and Sharma, 2005). The grape industry which is important to produce wine and table grapes is facing  significant challenges due to changing climatic conditions. Climate change has led to increased temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and more frequent extreme weather events, all of which can adversely affect grapevine health and productivity. To combat, the role of grape rootstocks has become increasingly vital for maintaining sustainable viticulture. Grape rootstocks are the belowgraft joint part of the grapevine onto which the scion variety is grafted. These rootstocks are typically derived from species of Vitis genus other than Vitis vinifera, the primary species used for grape production.

The plant growth regulators are the organic compounds other than the nutrients, which accelerate, inhibit or modify the various physiological processes in the plant system, when applied at low concentration. These growth regulators are readily absorbed and move rapidly in the tissues, when applied to the plant system and regulate its life processes in some beneficial ways to enhance the yield and improve the quality of the fruits.

The word hormone is derived from Greek, meaning set in motion. The five major phytohormones are auxins (indole-3-acetic acid and its derivatives), gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid and ethylene. The key difference between plant hormones and plant growth regulators is that plant hormones are natural, while plant growth regulators are artificially synthesized and are applied to plants. Plant hormones are also called phytohormones. Plant hormones are the organic chemicals, which are synthesized by plants themselves naturally during the metabolic processes.These are synthesized at the given site and translocated to the site of action.

1. Introduction
In the realm of modern agriculture, achieving sustainability is paramount. The judicious use of resources and the maintenance of soil and crop health are vital components of this endeavor. Remote sensing is a powerful technique used to gather information about the Earth’s atmosphere and surface without direct physical contact (Lillesand et al., 2015). It involves the acquisition, measurement, and analysis of data from sensors aboard platforms such as satellites, airplanes, drones, or ground-based instruments. These sensors record electromagnetic radiation, providing valuable insights into various aspects of the Earth’s environment. Remote sensing technology has emerged as an invaluable tool for achieving these objectives, offering a range of benefits for sustainable agriculture (Jensen, 2009). With the advent of modern technologies such as hyperspectral remote sensing (HRS) that collects information in narrow contiguous bands, many new avenues of applications have come up. This detailed spectral information enables the precise identification and classification of objects based on their unique spectral signatures. Further, the narrow spectral reflectance provides significant information regarding the biophysical, biochemical, and physiological parameters of crops. These characteristics of HRS provides opportunities for improved feature identification, anomaly detection, and quantification. Often HRS data also complement to the remote sensing data, such as LiDAR or SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar), allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of the Earth’s surface and its features. All these features of HRS enables precision agriculture, allowing the management practices as per the specific needs of the fields. By assessing soil and crop conditions remotely, one can apply resources like water, fertilizers, and pesticides precisely where and when they are needed. This minimizes waste and reduces the environmental impact of agricultural operations. Hyperspectral remote sensing can also assess critical soil parameters such as moisture content, pH levels, and nutrient concentrations. Monitoring these factors over time helps farmers make informed decisions about soil management and the choice of suitable crops. It also aids in preventing soil degradation and erosion. Early detection of stressors like pests, diseases, and nutrient deficiencies is crucial for maintaining crop health and maximizing yields. Remote sensing provides a timely and accurate means of monitoring crop conditions across large areas, enabling rapid responses to threats and reducing yield losses. In regions with water scarcity, efficient water management is essential. Remote sensing can track soil moisture levels and assess irrigation needs. By optimizing irrigation practices, farmers can conserve water resources while maintaining crop productivity. Remote sensing, particularly hyperspectral remote sensing can detect changes in

4.1. Information and Communication Technology

Refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications.

Similar to IT, but focuses on communication technologies.

Includes the Internet, wireless network, cell phones, and other communication medium.

Principle of ICP Optical Emission Spectrometry

The ICP is a partially ionized gas (mostly Ar) plasma produced in a quartz torch using a 1–2.5 kW radio frequency power supply. Samples are typically introduced into the center of the plasma as aerosols. Compared to the atomic absorption spectrophotometers, in which the excitation temperature of the air acetylene flame measures 2000–3000 “K, the excitation temperature of the argon ICP is 7000–10,000 K, which efficiently excites many elements. The solution for analysis is carried by a peristaltic pump through a nebulizer into a spray chamber, where aerosol is produced by the argon gas. The aerosol thus generated is directed into the central channel of the plasma. The plasma in ICP is generated at the end of a quartz torch by a water-cooled induction coil through which a high-frequency alternate current flows. Consequently, an alternate magnetic field is induced, which accelerates electrons into a circular trajectory. Due to the collision between the argon atoms and the electrons, ionization occurs, giving rise to stable plasma. At the core of argon plasma, the temperature is sustained at approximately 10,000 K, where aerosols are quickly vaporized. Subsequently, atomization and ionization of the sample analyte elements take place. Due to the thermic energy taken up by the electrons, they reach a higher “excited” state. When the electrons drop back to ground level, energy is liberated as light (photons). Each element has its own characteristic emission spectrum. By means of an Echelle grating, a prism, and a focusing mirror, these emitted photons at various frequencies are captured simultaneously by the suitable detectors. The wavelength of the photons can be used to identify the elements from which they originate.

ABSTRACT

The study shows the use of information resources and services by the academia. Aim: study focuses on age, designation, gender, qualification and computer literacy impact all use of information resources and services. Objectives: To know the use of information resources by faculty of fashion institute, to study the awareness of OPAC among faculty of fashion institute, to find out the frequency of using library by faculty and to investigate the level of computer literacy. Methodology: used survey method, collected data through questionnaire method. The questionnaire designed and distributed 380 questionnaires to users of selected fashion design institute and we received 120 filled questionnaires. The outcome shows that they are satisfied with information resources and services of Fashion design institution.

Keywords: Information, Resources, Services, Fashion design, Fashion institution, Fashion technology, Swatch library; South India.

Protected cultivation, encompassing systems like greenhouses, polyhouses, and shade nets, has revolutionized modern agriculture by creating controlled environments that shield crops from adverse climatic conditions. This method not only extends the growing period but also enhances the quantity and quality of yields.
A key element of success in protected cultivation is the efficient management of water and nutrients, made possible through advanced irrigation and fertigation techniques.
IRRIGATION IN PROTECTED CULTIVATION
Irrigation is essential for delivering adequate moisture to crops, which is crucial for their healthy development. In protected cultivation settings—where rainfall is either insufficient or unpredictable—reliable irrigation systems become even more important. Traditional methods like surface or furrow irrigation are less effective, often leading to water loss and irregular distribution. In contrast, modern systems such as drip and micro-sprinkler irrigation provide precise delivery of water directly to the plant’s root zone, significantly reducing evaporation and runoff. Among these, drip irrigation has become particularly popular due to its high efficiency. By applying water directly at the soil surface near the roots, it minimizes wastage and ensures consistent moisture levels. This technique not only saves water but also supports healthy root growth and reduces the incidence of soil-borne diseases. Research shows that drip irrigation can decrease water consumption by 30–70% while improving crop productivity by 20–90% compared to conventional irrigation methods.

Introduction

Numerous low-value fish are underutilized for several reasons, including appearance, colour, presence of intermuscular spines, odour, flavour, and taste, as well as size and texture. Creating value-added products from such fish, including surimi and other restructured products, will raise their market value and bring more significant profits. At the same time, the fishing pressure on the commercially important fishes can also be reduced and results in the complete utilization of fish landing. One of the most effective methods for utilizing f ish at a low cost is surimi technology.

ABSTRACT

Interaction of cationic dye acridine orange with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) isolated from Rhizobium strains specific (IC59) and non-specific (TAL1000) to chickpea (Cicer arietinum.L L.) has been investigated by spectrophotometric measurements. The strain specific (IC59) lipopolysaccharide induced decrease in absorbance of the α-band of acridine orange at 490 nm and finally upon further addition of LPS /Dye ratio in the range of 30~60 giving rise to α-polymeric metachromatic band at 660 nm. In contrast the LPS from non-specific strain (TAL1000) induces a decrease in absorbance at the α-band till LPS / Dye ratios are 0~50. This suggest that the anionic changes of strain specific LPS is different from non-specific strain enabling formation of large acridine orange aggregate on the surface of specific strain.

1.0. INTRODUCTION

The plant nutrient cycling depends on micro organisms that constitute major components of the biosphere. Although less than one per cent is cultured, a tremendous diversity exists in their populations. Transformation of nutrients from soil to plants is brought about by soil microorganisms. Latest molecular techniques enable scientists to understand and appreciate the diversity and help to utilize the beneficial effects of microbial diversity for increased productivity. Among soil organisms intense activity is found in and around rhizosphere of plants because of the presence of the secreted nutrients such as carbohydrates, amino acids and other cellular components present at the growing tip of roots. These root colonizing micro organism form symbiotic, associative, or parasitic relationship with the plants. These organisms have evolved mechanisms to occupy and reside in the specialized niche. These mechanisms are often utilized both for growth enhancement and disease suppression. The host also plays an important role in selecting its own microflora for the rhizosphere similar to the probiotic microflora of human gastrointestinal tract (Haas and Keel 2003).

INTRODUCTION

Agricultural systems and the environment in which it operates have become increasingly complex which encompass both agricultural production and marketing systems. Both of them are rich in complexity and diversity (Spedding, 1975) and to understand the complexity and structure of such systems and their functions require the use of mathematical modelling frameworks that represent their key features. Disciplines that are required to develop and solve such models include: biology, computer programming, statistics, mathematics, economics, and social science. Models are being developed to investigate specific issues such as weed infestation, soil health, nitrogen cycling, the effects of climate change, climate variability, and to assist developing countries to improve their production at their farm gate. During the first half of 20th Century, most agricultural products were produced by means of labour and the majority of the produce was used for own consumption. However, as time progressed labour was substituted for machines, production became more market-oriented and consequently the practice of farming also transformed from “a way of living” to business enterprises run on business principles.

Taxonomy, also known as systematics, is the study of classifying organisms into logically related groups. Historically, taxonomy was performed by examining physical characteristics of organisms and classifying species based on the most commonly held traits. Unfortunately, this method of classifying plants and animals assumes that because they share physical characteristics, they must have shared ancestors. Markers are used over the years for classification of plants. Markers are any trait(s) of an organism that can be identified with confidence and relative ease, and can be followed in a mapping population. They can be defined as heritable entities associated with the economically important trait under the control of polygenes. Molecular markers are any kind of molecule indicating existence of a chemical or a physical process. Molecular markers include biochemical constituents (e.g. secondary metabolites in plants) and macromolecules (e.g. proteins and deoxyribo-nucleic acid). These macromolecules show easily detectable differences among different strains of a species or among different species.
The prerequisite for the improvement of any plant species are germplasm collection and its characterization to find out the diversity among the accessions. Characterization can be done by several ways which include morphological, enzymatic and genetical methods. The best way to assess the diversity is based on DNA markers which allow differentiation among genotypes without any environmental influences. These markers have a great potential to identify genetic diversity within and among accessions which help in successful implementation of pre-breeding approaches. Molecular
markers are considered the best tools for determining genetic relationships diversity as they are unlimited in number, show high polymorphism, provides more reliable information, detect more variation than morphological and biochemical markers; and are stage independent, not affected by environment and simply inherited. Molecular markers are ‘tags’ that can be used to identify specific genes and locate them in relation to other genes. They help in ensuing a desired beneficial trait to be maintained or an undesirable trait to be eliminated.

Introduction
Water is an essential and irreplaceable environmental resource, fundamental to the survival of diverse living organisms on Earth. Covering approximately 70% of the planet’s surface, water is categorized into freshwater, marine and saline water. The freshwater system is further divided into lentic (e.g., lakes and ponds) and lotic (e.g., streams, rivers and springs), which serve as crucial sources for meeting daily human water needs (Mishra et al., 2015, 2016). Presently, water quality is influenced by both natural and human-induced factors, including climate conditions, irrigation practices, topography and geological features (Harman et al., 2012). Key physicochemical properties— such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, transparency, conductivity and water current—along with chemical parameters like nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals and organic matter, play a vital role in evaluating the effects ofpollution on water quality (Awasthi and Tiwari, 2004).
Upto pollution has become a major global challenge, driven by rapid industrialization, population growth and urban expansion (Bijekar et al.,2022). The release of untreated or insufficiently treated wastewater into natural water bodies raises serious environmental and public health concerns (Akpor and Muchie, 2011). Wastewater contains diverse pollutants, including heavy metals, organic compounds, pathogens, pharmaceuticals and microplastics, all of which pose significant threats to aquatic ecosystems and human well-being. Conventional treatment methods such as sedimentation, filtration and chemical treatments often fail to effectively remove emerging contaminants and achieve complete purification. Additionally, these traditional techniques can be costly, energy-intensive and may generate secondary pollutants requiring further treatment. In response, the demand for more efficient, sustainable and costeffective wastewater treatment solutions has fuelled research into advanced technologies like nanotechnology (Palit et al., 2023).

11.1 Introduction

Nanotechnology is the manipulation or self-assembly of individual atoms, molecules, or molecular clusters into structures to create materials and devices with new or vastly different properties. Nanotechnology can work from the top down (which means reducing the size of the smallest structures to the nanoscale e.g. photonics applications in nanoelectronics and nanoengineering) or the bottom up (which involves manipulating individual atoms and molecules into nanostructures and more closely resembles chemistry or biology). The definition of nanotechnology is based on the prefix “nano” which is from the Greek word meaning “dwarf”. In more technical terms, the word “nano” means 10-9, or one billionth of something. It is a very promising new branch of small-scale technology named for the unit of measure at which it operates: the nanometer. Nanotechnology enables us to create functional materials, devices, and systems by controlling matter at the atomic and molecular scales, and to exploit novel properties and phenomena. Consider that most chemical and biological sensors, as well as many physical sensors, depend on interactions occurring at these levels and you’ll get an idea of the effect nanotechnology will have on the sensor world.

ABSTRACT

Nanomaterials will potentially play an important role in water quality. Production and applications of nanomaterials in industry are increasing. Furthermore, there are a handsome number of marketed nanomaterial-based consumer products. Therefore, how nanomaterials diagnose and function and how they perturb normal biological systems all become a top concern. In recent years, researchers are actively engaged in such investigations and discussions. At the same time, technologies and methods are developed to make more targeting nanoparticles for use in water.

Key words: Nanomaterial, Applications,Water quality

INTRODUCTION

In arid and semi-arid regions of India, besides weather aberrations, diseases caused by certain soil-borne pathogens are responsible for low productivity of agricultural crops. In addition to losses caused in annual crops, occurrence of these diseases in forestry takes away a major share. Because of the requirement for free water, diseases of aerial plant parts are much less common than those involving roots when plants are grown in dry regions where humidities are low and rains are infrequent and/or of short durations. Under these conditions, pathogens like Macrophomina phaseolina, Ganoderma lucidum, Cylindrocarpon lichenicola, Neocosmospora vasinfectum, Sclrotium rolfii and species of Fusarium (F. oxysporum, F. solani, F. equiseti, etc.) cause root rots and wilts in many commercially valuable and perennial plants.
Certain agro-climatic factors are attributed for the development of few specific diseases caused by soil-borne plant pathogens. Low organic matter, small microbial population coupled with poor moisture retention capacity of soil favour survival and multiplication of soil-borne pathogens (Fig. 12.1).

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) are free-living bacteria  having beneficial effect on plants by root colonization. They stimulate plant’s growth. Intensive research work is carried out on use of various PGPR as plant growth promoters on various crops. There are reports which show that PGPR promoted growth and reproductive parameters of cereals, pulses, ornamentals, vegetable crops, plantation crops and even  tree species. The important PGPR used in vegetable crops are Azospirillum, Azotobactor, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Phosphate Solubilising Bacteria (PSB) and Bacillus subtilis.

Plant growth regulators are organic compounds occurring naturally in plants as well as synthetic, other than nutrients, which in small amounts promote, inhibit or modify any physiological process in plants.

Basically, PGRs are of two types

Plastic has now become an integral part of horticultural production at various stages from nursery to marketing at consumers’ door during the last two decades. It is used at each and every stage of horticultural life cycle right from seeds packaging, nursery seedling raising, planting, propagation, mulching, irrigation, harvesting, fruit packing, preservation and marketing. The application of plastics in the agriculture sector is popularly known as Plasticulture.In 1948 Professor E.M. Emmert built the first plastic greenhouse, a wooden structure covered with cellulose acetate film. He later switched this to a more effective polyethylene film. After the introduction of plastic film to agriculture, it began being used at a larger scale around the world by the early 1950s to replace paper for mulching vegetables. By 1999 almost 30 million acres worldwide were covered in plastic mulch.

Phosphorus is one of the key nutrients required for higher and sustained productivity of potato and its influence on tuber yield is very well established. Phosphatic fertilizers are expensive and in developing countries like India, they are either imported or manufactured using imported raw material. Due to increase in cost in the recent past, there has been a decreasing trend in the amounts of P fertilizer applied in India (Sundara and Natarajan, 1997 and Sundara, 1988). At the same time, soils contain substantial reserves of total P, most of it remains relatively inert, and only less than 10% of soil P enters the plant–animal cycle (Kucey et al., 1989). Upon addition to the soils, soluble phosphates react with the constituents of the soil and form compounds that are less soluble. This conversion depends upon the soil type. In acid soils, the reaction products are aluminium and iron phosphates and in the predominantly calcareous soils, the reaction products are calcium phosphates. As a result most of the P applied (often as much as 90%) is rendered unavailable for crop uptake but is retained in insoluble form. This is the reason that the potato-based cropping systems in different potato growing pockets generally show positive P balance resulting into its build up (Singh et al., 1994). Thus, soils commonly have large reserves of ‘fixed’ P that could support long-term crop requirements if it could be mobilized through appropriate soil management including use of P-solubilizing microbes. The ability of phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to convert insoluble forms of phosphorus to an accessible form is an important trait in sustainable farming for increasing plant yields (Singh and Kapoor, 1994). The beneficial effects of PSB on crop productivity have been widely described. These soil phosphate solubilizing bacteria stay near the roots and make the phosphorus available to plants from soil.

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.

1. Neutron activation analysis

This technique is used in qualitative and quantitative analysis. If an element present in a sample is to be identified by neutron activation analysis, the sample will be bombarded with slow neutrons or other charged particles and converted into radioisotope. It is one of the most sensitive and specific methods available for the determination of trace quantities of a wide range of elements. From the half life measurement, it is possible to identify the element from which the radioisotope has resulted. Also the quantity of element present in a given sample can be calculated by this technique.

16.1 Introduction

The ancient Greek philosopher ‘Heraclitus’ said, that, “You can’t step into the same river twice”. By this, he meant that permanence is an illusion and changes are inevitable. One of such changes, which has created buzz all over world is climate change. To understand the science behind climate change, the first step would be to know about the periodic changes in earth’s climate. Scientists devised innovative techniques to recover evidence from the distant past, first from deposits left on land, then from sea floor sediments, and one of the finest techniques of drilling deep into ice. Evidences from past climates help us to understand the evolution of the earth’s atmosphere, oceans, biosphere, and cryosphere. At the same time, paleo-climate studies help in quantification of properties of earth’s climate, including the forces that drive climate change and the sensitivity of the earth’s climate to those forces. When scientists investigate causes or complex processes in the present and future, they may find evidence in the past that helps them in mapping out the complexities (McMullen and Jabbour, 2009). The paleo-climatologists succeeded brilliantly and discovered strangely regular pattern of glacial cycles, which helps in prediction of future changes.

Introduction

Global population growth has led to an increase in demand for energy, food, and other essentials, resulting in an increase in agricultural land. Poor farming techniques, urbanization, and a lack of soil management measures have negative consequences for agricultural soils, such as reduced soil fertility, migration of soil organisms, and loss of soil microbiota and ultimately loss of soil health(Mehmood et al., 2020; Omotayo and Babalola, 2021; Syed et al., 2022). In addition, fertilizers used in agriculture have an impact on soil quality and health. Soil fertility is defined as the ability of a soil to meet the physico-chemical and biological requirements of a plant for growth, reproduction and quality, taking into account plant and soil type, land use and climatic conditions (Abbott and Murphy, 2007; Tyagi et al., 2019).

INTRODUCTION

Aquaculture is a technology driven industry which relies a lot on research to develop species diversification in culture system as well as in the appropriate technology for commercial production. The rapid development of aquaculture in the world depends largely on the availability of fish feed; which are traditionally based on fish meal as the main protein source (Hardy & Tacon, 2002; Krishnankutty, 2005; Yigit et al., 2006) but the major challenge is its availability, quality and cost (Ghazala et al., 2011; Tabinda and Butt, 2012). In the aqua feed formulation, protein is the main but expensive ingredient and its quality and quantity in fish feeds formulation plays a vital role in promoting fish growth (Pandian, 2001). Dietary protein provides essential and non essential amino acids to synthesize body protein and energy for maintenance. According to fish species, fish size, dietary protein sources and environmental conditions protein requirements ranges from 300 to 550 g /kg (NRC 1993).

In India there is a significant development in fresh water aquaculture in last few decades contributing greatly to overall fish production of the country. The fresh water aquaculture is crossing the traditional boundary of concentration on farming of major carp and entered the arena of diversification to the culture of other species like catfishes. So far in India majority of research works were concentrated on development of commercial fish feed mainly for carps and shrimps. To fulfill the objectives of large scale culture of cat fishes and development as an economic proposition, it is necessary to take up induced breeding and larval rearing of commercially important catfishes in controlled conditions and develop easily adoptable package of practices of the same to cater to the needs of interested fish entrepreneurs. Among the catfishes, Clarias magur, an air breathing species and popularly known as ‘magur’ or ‘walking catfish’ is a high valued fish in the Indian subcontinent and fetches higher price than many other fishes including major carps and it is highly revered for its nutritious flesh which is therapeutic in nature, hence, better prospects are there for developing its culture (Hussain et al., 2016). Vishwanath (2010) reported that this species is very much popular in Bangladesh due to use as important part of the diet for children and lactating mothers and also prescribed as diet for the convalescent of the patients. This fish is highly regarded for food due to its high protein (15.0%), low fat (1.0%) and high iron content (710mg/100g tissue). Paul et al. (2015) in their studies on Indian catfish namely magur (Clarias batrachus) and singhi (Heteropneustes fossilis) for proximate composition and mineral content concluded that both the fishes are rich in protein, fat and minerals content irrespective of their size and season.

Introduction

The country’s population is growing at fast pace putting pressure on agriculture sector to grow more with declining resources. Proper planning and management become ever more crucial to ensure the sustainability of food production with minimal environmental footprints. Space technologies have unique advantages of providing large area synoptic coverage, with repetitive, objective and scientific datasets essential for monitoring a hugely vast and heterogeneous country like India. Agriculture being very dynamic and highly dependent on different natural resources needs continuous monitoring. Therefore these technologies have immense potential for application in the agriculture sector of the country. Space based technologies provide information on crops and natural resources on a real-time basis, proving unmatched opportunity for planning including in-season manipulation of crop production and management practices improving the resilience of farming against weather aberrations. Advanced estimates of regional agricultural output are critical to anticipate and mitigate the course of food shortage from sudden crop failure.

Incidentally, the first practical application of remote sensing in India was in the field of agriculture, wherein early detection of coconut wilt disease in Kerala was possible using air borne infrared cameras (Dakshinamurty et al. 1971). To explore the potential of space technology through satellites Joint Experiment Programme (JEP) started for defining the appropriate configurations of sensors in Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites during the early 1980s. After exhaustive field experimentation, the potential of remote sensing (RS) technology to estimate crop yield and area to forecast its productivity at district and regional level due to the multispectral, large area and repetitive coverage was established. By that time this technology was being used operationally used by a few advance nations. With the launch of the first IRS satellite IRS-1A in 1988, in India

Ultrasonography in goat is becoming popular in the field of reproduction and replacing the other old-age techniques, viz. abdominal ballotment, recto- abdominal probes, X-rays and radioimmuno-assays. The reasons are numerous such as unsatisfactory results, hazardous effects to animal, operator or environment, high cost, long delay in diagnostic results and requirement of sophisticated labs. The ultrasound system has low operating cost and does not need special labs as it can be done at farm itself. Ultrasonography is considered safe to the animal and the operator and provides quick and reliable results. The popular opinion about ultrasonography is that it is noninvasive imaging system and is rapid, safe and practical means of diagnosis of pregnancy and reproductive disorders in sheep and goat. The B-mode real time ultrasonographic system particularly portable system is popular among researcher and practitioners. In goat, B-mode real time ultrasonography was used in 1971, using 5 MHz frequency transducer. A transducer of switchable frequency from 7.5 to 5.0 is more popular in small ruminant research and practice.

Real time ultrasonography provides means to directly image the reproductive tract. An extensive amount of information can be gained from even a single examination, including determination of ovarian (luteal or follicle detection) and uterine status, detection and monitoring of ovarian and uterine pathology, monitoring the post-partum mare, detection of twins, prediction of ovulation, fetal growth and development and determination of sex of fetus. When first introduced the use of ultrasonography was primarily limited to early pregnancy diagnosis only, with advancement of knowledge and interpretive skills, the diagnostic ultrasonography has a much more application in reproduction. Some of the applications are discussed in this lecture.

Procedure

The procedure and precautions for intrarectal ultrasonographic examination are similar to those for rectal palpation, and no additional restraint is required. The transducer should be protected by the examiner’s hand to prevent trauma to the rectal wall, and the transducer should be well-lubricated. Care should be taken to avoid fecal material attaching to the transducer. After evacuating fecal material from the rectum, the probe is introduced and moved across the reproductive tract in the following pattern: uterine body, right uterine horn, right ovary, right uterine horn, uterine body, left uterine horn, left ovary, left uterine horn, uterine body then cervix. Good contact must exist between the transducer and rectal wall. Air in the rectum or a gas or fluid-filled loop of bowel will result in a distorted image. To minimize scanning errors, principally those of omission, it is recommended to conduct the same scanning procedure during each examination.

ABSTRACT

Probably since the beginning of agriculture, farmers have recognized the value of rows of trees/ shrubs planted in the farm (called as Agroforestry) which offers environmental protection, crop and livestock production and reduce the soil health hazards. The role of agroforestry is immense in the undulating terrains like North East India, rain fed area like Central India or the problem soils in general. Even though research and extension work is on the way to increase the trees out side the forest, the information and knowledge on best tree + crop combination is either scarce or limited to regions in the form of research articles, books or  journals. The recent scope of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and its applicability due to its easy, fast and any where accessibility have opened the window of opportunity towards the scientific agroforestry and farm forestry developments. One such means of ICT is through the availability of useful databases and websites on agroforestry.

14.1.2 How it Works
• Temperature Rise: When the temperature rises, the alcohol in the bulb expands, pushing the mercury up the arm on the maximum temperature side. The mercury pushes the index upwards, and this index stays at the highest point reached as the mercury falls back down with decreasing temperature.
• Temperature Fall: When the temperature falls, the alcohol in the bulb contracts, pulling the mercury down on the minimum temperature side (and thus up on the maximum side). The mercury on the minimum side pushes its index upwards. As the temperature rises again, the mercury retreats, leaving the minimum temperature index at the lowest point reached.
• Reading the Thermometer: To read the maximum temperature, you look at the lower end of the index on the maximum temperature scale. To read the minimum temperature, you look at the lower end of the index on the minimum temperature scale. The current temperature can be read from either side by noting the position of the top of the mercury column.
• Resetting the Thermometer: After taking the readings, the indices need to be reset. This is typically done using a small magnet to pull the steel indices back down to the current level of the mercury.

Introduction

While tracing the history of veterinary medicine, we come across the Chinese writings about the diseases of horses, oxen and buffalos in the past about 2500 B. C. Similarly we can find about 4000 years old.  Indian art showing the people caring the horses and elephants. Even we can find in the art about ancient Egypt how they cared for their cattle and dogs health. The Ancient Romans had a word for the people that are doctors for animals, which is, veterinarius. In about A.D. 500 a Roman wrote a book on what veterinarians do.  In 1598, Carlo Ruini, an Italian author wrote a book named as, “Anatomy of the Horse”.

All these methods of utilization and the conversion to useful energies depend on the climate, population density of the area and the basic infrastructure. It is important to work out the market for the products which are produced.
 
Bio-waste management: It needs to take from small actions to the ambitious ones. European Commission proposes to use wastes which could make up to 25% of total energy consumption by 2020. They propose to have directives for the promotion of renewable electricity (Directive 2001/77/EC) and biofuels (Directive 2003/30/EC). The waste production in Europe has gone upto 2 kg per capita per day. Recycling rates are also rising (European Commission, 2017). The Member states must develop a national action plan and outline the national policies to develop existing biomass resources and mobilise new biomass resources for different uses. A European project has studied the amount of renewable energy to be used in 2020. According to them it will be around 195 million tons of oil equivalents (Mton) of biomass which is biodegradable part of MSW. This will be 20% of renewable energy target. It has also been estimated that the amount of bio-energy from the MSW will be 20 Mton, which would account for around 7% of all renewable energy in 2020. This may be available after composting and anaerobic digestion (Atanasiu, 2010).

Abstract

Climate change is today’s major concern throughout the world. All sectors have been influenced with the impact of climate change. Similarly, agriculture sector has also been affected with the worse climatic changes. All components of agricultural production system like water, soil, vegetation, organism and microorganism etc. affected greatly due to climatic abruptions. And thus, the productivity is hampering day by day. Today, we requires to predict the trend of changes in climatic parameters like maximum and minimum temperature, humidity, wind speed, sunshine hours etc, to project future change in these climatic parameters, to assess the effect of theses climatic parameters on agricultural components like water resources, soil, vegetation, organism and microorganism and, also to find the adaptation and mitigation strategies.  All these works have beenmainly done by manual methods earlier. Developed country like USA, Japan, UK etc adopted the computer modelling to climate change research. Computer modelling and software assistance have been adopted slowly in developed countries. Since, climatic changes requires processing of very large number of data, they needs computer and software assistance. Without computer assistance climate change research seems to be impossible.

Forage preservation as silage is a key component of high input (zero-grazing) systems (Mannetje, 1999). It has allowed producers to intensify the productivity of the land and the productivity of the livestock. Large quantities of forage can be conserved in a short time, forage conservation is less weather dependent and thirdly, silage is well suited to mechanization. However, a major disadvantage associated with silage making is that the feeding value of the resultant forage is reduced relative to that of the original crop. Ensiling offers many advantages over haymaking.

INTRODUCTION

The emergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has made the libraries more powerful in the collection development, processing and retrieval of information. The advent of internet has not only made it possible to connect the libraries over the world, but also to search a huge repository of databases. The technology has developed to online system to connect commercialize vendors as well as learned societies with the databases to seek and obtain the needed information. The use of computer and digital technologies in teaching and learning has been evolved not just through the increase of distance learning or virtual courses but through the use of cyber education as an adjunct to the traditional classroom. This increased the trend of access to technology in Library and Information Centers and has given the opportunity to use those resources and improve the skill. In order to acquaint themselves with the new technological environment, the users are required to be more conversant with those skills.

Libraries & Information Centers play an important role in supporting the teaching, learning, research and extension programme of universities. These are made possible by building and developing good collection of selected documents both in print as well as digital form and by supporting it with various services for their dissemination. There is such an exponential growth of information in today’s era that students, faculties, research scholars often lack the scope of getting proper education or instruction to use those resources to the optimum possible limit. To overcome this difficulty and to maximize the use of such resources proper library instruction must be imparted to the user community which is otherwise known as Library User Education.

USER EDUCATION

User Education can be defined as a program to guide and to instruct the potential users either individually or collectively. User education is an action taken by the Library staff to train / educate their users so as to make full use of the existing knowledge to develop their community.

ALA Glossary defines user education as it encompasses all types of activities designed to teach users about library services, facilities and organizations library resources and search strategy.

User education can be defined in the context of electronic sources of Information as educating the users how to operate computer and searching Information on Net using various search strategies and to educate them how to use electronic sources of information and various databases.

Users of the library must be convinced that continuing learning is worthwhile and that the process of education does not end with examination. They must have confidence to be learners and to stand of their own, to possess autonomy to select and to direct their own future study experience. User education has been defined by Mews as “instruction given to readers to help them to make best use of library”. User education was not solely to stimulate library use as this but one of the sources of Information. According to Nancy, Fjalbarnt and Lan Malley “ User Education is concerned with the whole Information and communication process and one part if this involves the total interaction of the users the library. This should be a continuous process starting with schools and public libraries and with possibility of extension to academic and specialized libraries. According to Jacques Tacathan, Director of UNESCO general Information Program “User Education is to include any effort or program which will guide and instruct existing and potential user in the recognition and information service and their assessment.