eChapters

It is an organized set up to provide micro credit to the rural women on the strength of the group savings without insisting on any collateral security for the purpose of encouraging them to enter in to entrepreneurial activities and for making them enterprising women (Gurumoorthy, 2000).

Puhanzhendi and Badatya (2002) find that the SHG programme has a positive social impact.

Rajamohan (2003) stated that SHG is a medium for the development of saving habit among the women.

Jeyasudha (2004) reported that eradication of poverty and the ushering in of speedy socioeconomic progress is the goal with which the developmental programmes are being implemented through a multipronged strategy, reaching out to the most disadvantaged sections of the society. She placed the concept of rural development at the top of agenda in national policies of developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. The developed countries have also recognized this need and have directed their efforts towards meeting the basic needs of the poorest people in developing countries.

Introduction

Fish and shellfish constitute an important component of global nutrition. Fish protein is an essential source of nutrients for many people, especially in developing countries. Health benefits of fish oil in preventing heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases are well appreciated. Mounting evidences suggest that the benefits of fish consumption are not limited to the well-known effects of fish oil alone. Fish is also a rich source of protein containing all essential amino acids, which is required for the body maintenance and muscular build-up. The protein content in most of the raw finfish meat is in the range of 17 to 22% (g per 100 g), while the cooked portions of some fish such as tuna may have as high as 30% protein. The amino acid score of fish protein compares well with that of whole egg protein, which is considered as a standard protein source. Fish is also rich in the non-protein amino acid - taurine, which has a unique role in neurotransmission. Apart from nutritional properties, fish proteins also possess a number of functional properties such as emulsifying, foaming, gel forming, water binding and fat binding properties, which are important in product formulations. These functional properties are mainly attributed to the major meaning myofibrillar proteins, actin and myosin.

During the processing of fish only the fillets are generally retained while the bulk of product (up to 66%) is discarded. About 30% of the total fish weight remains as waste in the form of skins and bones during preparation of fish fillets. This waste is an excellent raw material for the preparation of high value products including protein foods. The utilization of fish wastes help to eliminate harmful environmental aspects and improve quality in fish processing. Skin and bone are sources of high collagen content. The average quantity of waste generated during fish and shellfish processing operations (based on average annual marine landing data) is indicated in Table 1.

15.1 Introduction

Plant breeding aims at developing genetically improved crop cultivars with economic benefits for small-scale and commercial farmers. Population growth, dwindling agricultural land and global climate change present increasing risk to crop production. Consequently, plant breeding aims to constantly develop crop cultivars with improved yield and quality and tolerant to drought, diseases and pests. Use of genetically improved crop cultivars and better management practices are among the best strategies to increase food production and meet a projected doubling of food demand in the next 40 years. Both the public and private plant breeding sectors face several constraints, including a shortage of professional plant breeders and breeding technicians, limited budget, inadequate facilities and lack of access to information. Successful plant breeding requires adequate infrastructural investment, in addition to the actual breeding activities. The benefits of plant breeding research and development can only be realized on a long-term basis because of the inherent nature of the crops and the eminent breeding procedures involved. Plant breeding involves two main activities, i.e., pre-breeding/ germplasm enhancement and cultivar development per se. These interdependent activities are the controlling factors that determine the pace at which cultivars are released timeously and consistently to farmers. The two phases, in turn, depend upon various factors, e.g., breeding goals, genetics and agronomy of the crop, breeder’s long-term objectives, availability of testing facilities and national cultivar-registration requirements. Despite these factors, there are certain clear steps and breeding procedures found in any conventional breeding programme. These include choice of parents, making crosses among chosen parents, and selection from recombined parents followed by extensive field testing of the candidate cultivars. Maintenance, multiplication and distribution of the seed are the ultimate stages of a breeding programme. Systematically outlined conventional breeding procedures, timeframes and estimated breeding generations are essential to objectively consider the ultimate timescales required to release new and improved cultivars of all crops. The information may assist plant breeding- students, educators, researchers, project advisors, administrators and funding agencies. Dear students, in this chapter we outline the timeframes of conventional breeding procedures of clonally (also called vegetatively) propagated, self-fertilizing (also called self-pollinated) and cross-fertilizing (also called cross-pollinated) crops.

Renal failure is one of the most commonly presented conditions in veterinary clinics world over. Although the potential for recovery is favorable, most animals die due to multisystemic effects induced by azotemia. Hence, extracorporeal removal of endogenous and exogenous toxins is very essential for expanding the window of recovery. Hemodialysis has been used in treatment of veterinary patients for the last 50 years and is still one of the most expensive and technically demanding treatment modalities in veterinary medicine. It is an advanced extracorporeal renal replacement therapy which has recently transitioned from a clinical curiosity to a more advanced standard for management of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in companion animals particularly dogs and cats.

In addition to eliminating selective toxins that cause AKI, regardless of renal function, hemodialysis is also effective in the removal of pharmacokinetically active soluble uremic substances in CKD to enhance life expectancy and quality of life (Singh, 2021). Other common indications of hemodialysis in veterinary medicine include fluid overload, dysregulated body fluid composition, drug overdose or intoxications (Foster, 2020; Singh et al?, 2024). Medical management alone is often insufficient to control the clinical signs and metabolic abnormalities associated with uremia when AKI is severe or when there is involvement of acute on chronic kidney disease. Consequently, animals are at risk of death within a short therapeutic window, despite the potential reversibility of AKI and the improvement of life expectancy in CKD.

Food preservation is increasingly influenced by digital technologies associated with Industry 4.0. Ensuring food safety now requires not only microbial control but also authenticity, traceability, continuous quality monitoring and rapid decision-making. Artificial intelligence and machine learning can analyse complex datasets to predict shelf life, recognise spoilage patterns and assess risks arising during processing, storage and distribution. Internet of Things devices connect sensors across the cold chain, while blockchain supports transparent and secure traceability. Smart pH, temperature, humidity, optical and biosensors provide real-time information about product conditions. The chapter examines these technologies alongside automation while considering data quality, model validation, infrastructure, cost and industrial implementation challenges.

Open nucleus breeding system is considered to be a best approach to bring genetic improvement in livestock. This system was first introduced New Zealand for faster genetic improvement of sheep. The milk recording under field condition is quite expensive.  Moreover, farmers are not under any obligation to retain the animal till the lactation is completed.  The generation interval is also very large as it takes about 6-7 year by the time complete record on progeny testing programmes in developing countries is available, so that the effective genetic improvement is small.  Use of best proven bull on the elite cow, which are best 5-10% of the cow for genetic improvement of the population. The net genetic gain in the herd considering the actual genetic improvement from various parents off spring path is around 0.7% per annum.  Considering these situation in develop countries it has been proposed that ‘nucleus’ herd be created where males from the best cows are obtained.  The nucleus herd would be open in the sense that the lowest yielding cows are culled every year and are replaced by procurement of that many high yielding cow from farmers herd.  The nucleus herds are utilized entirely for production of males for breeding purposes in the population.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are legal rights, which result from intellectual activity in industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields. These rights safeguard creators and other producers of intellectual goods and services by granting them certain time-limited rights to control their use. Protected IP rights like other property can be a matter of trade, which can be owned, sold or bought. These are intangible and non exhausted consumption. The term “intellectual property” denotes the specific legal rights which authors, inventors and other IP holders may hold and exercise and not the intellectual work itself (Chadha, 2013). Intellectual property rights are essentially territorial in nature so, where registration is necessary, for patents, registered designs and trademarks, these will not exist in other countries unless registration has been sought and obtained there.

IP protection is crucial for a sustainable contribution of plant breeding and seed supply. Breeding new varieties of plants, which are developed after contributing number of years to the selective inheritance of traits which provide improved yields, higher quality and better resistance to such plant varieties requires a substantial investment in terms of skill, labour, material and economic resources. However, a new variety once released could in many cases be readily reproduced by others so as to deprive its breeder of the opportunity to benefit adequately from the investment made. Thus, an effective system of plant variety protection (PVP) is a key enabler for investment in breeding and the development of new varieties of plants or improving existing plant varieties, encourage importation of foreign varieties, promote exportation of plant varieties provide access to information of the created products and the methodology of creation for the enhancement of social welfare and generally benefit the market place. An international system of IPR protection for plant varieties expands these benefits by facilitating access to new varieties created in other states (Gautam et al., 2012).

Intellectual property is usually divided into two branches: (i) industrial property and(ii) copyright and the rights which neighbour upon copyright. The principal categories of industrial property are: patents, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs and trade secrets. Industrial property according to the 1883 Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property is to be understood in the broadest sense and to apply not only to industry and commerce proper but also to agricultural and extractive industries and to all manufactured or natural products including wines, grain, tobacco, leaf, fruit, cattle, minerals, mineral waters, beer, flowers and flour.

Microorganisms (or microbes) are organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye. The science of microbiology is the study of microorganisms, their properties, classification, growth requirements, method of reproduction and distribution in nature. These organisms range in size from tiny viruses to larger bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungi and some of the microscopic worms (helminthes). They are present everywhere in our environment, in our homes, on our bodies, on the things we touch and on the food we eat. They are important for human survival on Earth, playing an essential role in many processes that maintain life. In nature, microorganisms carry out a number of important functions.

1.They are responsible for the decomposition of organic matter.

2.Recycling of nutrients that help to maintain the balance of chemicals in the soil.

3.Special nitrogen-fixing bacteria live symbiotically with certain plants, absorbing nitrogen from the air and converting it into compounds which can be used by the plant for growth.

4.Some algae are capable of photosynthesis, using energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide in air into carbohydrate.

5.Marine microorganisms form the basis of the food chain in lakes, rivers and oceans.

6.Certain microorganisms are used in the manufacture of food.

7.Pharmaceuticals and drugs.

8.Industrial processes.

9.A valuable tool for scientific research.

10.Use in laboratory experiments to understanding metabolic pathways and in the discovery of the genetic code.

Trees that provide materials for propagation are called mother trees. Selection of mother trees is important because the young trees will be expected to inherit the favourable characteristics from the mother tree, such as fast growth, upright or spreading shape of the tree crown, good flowering and fruiting, and tolerance of diseases or pests. There may be sexual propagation by seed or vegetative propagation by using other parts of the tree. The genetic make-up of the seeds differs due to recombination of the genes, resulting in seedling variation. Thus, all the seedlings may look like the mother tree in some respects, but no two seedlings are the same. In case of vegetative propagation through cutting, layering, grafting or budding, the genetic make-up of the young tree is exactly the same as that of the mother tree. Consequently, all new trees grown vegetatively from one mother tree have the same set of gene pairs and therefore the same characteristics; they form a so called clone. Differences between plants of a clone can only be caused by different growing conditions.

Introduction

The huge nutritious potential of agricultural based byproducts has generated an interest of nutritionist for utilizing them in efficient ways in order to improve the production of animals. In this concern, solid state fermentation (SSF) is a promising and novel technique. The lignocellulosic structural characters of plant residues provide them a solid support and act as substrates for the microbial fermentation to produce certain value added products through SSF. The scope of SSF in the field of animal nutrition is wide, in terms for the production of enzymes, bioactive components, organic acids, vitamins, and feed additives, bio-transforming products, biological degradation and detoxification of agricultural residues/wastes. 

Introduction

Nanoparticles are minute particles with at least one dimension that measures less than 100 nanometers. They have been extensively studied in various f ields including medicine, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and environmental science. Nanoparticles have several unique properties, such as a high surface area to volume ratio, enhanced reactivity, and optical, electrical, and magnetic properties that differ from the bulk material. These properties make nanoparticles suitable for a variety of biomedical applications, including diagnosis, imaging, drug delivery, and therapy. This chapter will discuss the current and potential applications of nanoparticles in healthcare and research.

Population growth and rising demand for processed food have increased pressure on food industries to improve safety while reducing energy, water, waste and environmental impacts. Green preservation technologies seek to deliver effective processing through cleaner operations, responsible resource use and reduced dependence on toxic substances. These approaches support sustainable industrial development by lowering processing time, conserving nutrients and improving the utilisation of raw materials. The chapter discusses energy-efficient preservation, water-saving techniques, waste valorisation and the conversion of by-products into useful materials. Life-cycle assessment is introduced as a method for evaluating environmental performance across the preservation system and identifying opportunities to reduce emissions, resource consumption and food-chain waste.

Progeny testing in India was introduced in the late 1950’s the first sire index in our country was suggested by Krishnan (1956) which was, however, similar to the herdmate and contemporary comparison methods. Robertson and Rendel (1954) stated that an efficient method of sire evaluation should satisfy two conditions: 

Introduction

It is well known that, over 50% of requirement of food for the entire humanity is obtained from just three crops- rice, maize and wheat though 150 crops are commercialized globally. Ethnobotanically, over 7000 plants species are cultivated or harvested from the wild which represent immense agro-biodiversity. Most of these species are under exploited but have the potential for contributing to food security, health (nutritional/medicinal), income generation and environmental services. Examples include little millets which provide calcium and iron and vitamins like niacin and sulphur containing amino acids, having more fiber than rice and wheat. Some other species which have in the recent past contributed to income generation in Indian arid zone include ber, anola, karonda and gonda. Likewise the perennial grasses in this area are not only source of nutritious fodder but also the grains e.g. gramana (Panicum antidotale) are consumed during famine. They have acquired importance being alternative sources of income as also alternate life support system during crisis. They often have neutraceutical, medicinal uses or often multiple uses. Demand for traditional food in large multi-ethnic cities and metros have brought these species into sharp focus, Hence, these are being viewed now as potential candidate for diversification in the cropping system, conservation of bio-diversity, enhancing the limits of green revolution even during climate change and finally as provider of molecules for curing various ailments of men and animals.

Farmers have been growing trees for different purposes for thousands of years. Tree species that are grown to provide more than one significant function are called multipurpose trees. These functions may be productive such as producing fuelwood, timber, fibre, fodder, food, medicine, etc. and/ or protective such as soil conservation, shade, shelterbelt, microclimate amelioration, land sustainability, biodiversity preservation, etc. All trees are multipurpose; some, however, are more multipurpose than others. Tree species can be multipurpose in two ways.

1. A single tree can provide more than one function. For example, Gliricidia sepium is grown as living fences that provide fuel, fodder and green manure for agricultural crops - all at the same time.
2. Trees of the same species, when managed differently, can provide different functions. For example, Leucaena leucocephala is managed so that some trees will mainly yield wood while others mainly produce leaf fodder.

Farmers can grow multipurpose trees (MPT) in various combinations with other crops, as in agroforestry, in block plantations of trees or in naturally regenerating tree farms. In certain cases, multipurpose trees are grown and managed for only one purpose. For example, Gliricida sepium is grown only to provide shade in coffee plantations. The same species may be planted in some other places and is managed differently for a very different use.

ABSTRACT

Microalgae in general and Cyanobacteria in particular are considered to be ideal biotechnological tools for their importance in the production of food, feed, fuel, fertilizers, fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals and their role in pollution abatement. So far, only 20 strains of microalgae have been cultivated for industrial purposes. To make use of more such organisms, it is essential to first identify their biodiversity in the naturally occurring populations and establish their germplasm for further characterization. With this in view, a detailed survey was made to study the biodiversity of Cyanobacteria in the Veeranam lake soil microflora in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu. Influence of physico-chemical parameters habitat preferences of these soil microalgae, and their light and Electron microscopic features have been documented. The selected species of Cyanophyceae were subjected to energy dispersive spectroscopic analysis (EDS). They were found to accumulate different elements such as Zn, P, Mg, Ca, Mn, S and N. Thus these observations would determine the chemical dialogue between the cell structures and role of the elements. Further, it gives the clue about the soil microflora growth requirements.

17.1 Introduction

Self-pollinated vegetable, spice and ornamental crops may be heterogeneous. It is exemplified by landrace cultivars. They may have originated from single plant selections but have been grown over a long period of time. Landrace cultivars are a mixture of genotypes, perhaps because of breeders’ lack of appreciation of selection techniques to produce a pure line, spontaneous mutations, chance hybridization, or a combination of factors. Natural selection in landraces has resulted in a cultivar that is well adapted to the local environment. Depending on amount of human selection, differences among genotypes in a landrace cultivar may be small and inconspicuous. On the other hand, a lack of human intervention may mean that differences among plants in a landrace cultivar will be conspicuous. After years of self-pollination, individual plants are homozygous. Selection of such individuals would result in a true-to-type reproduction of their phenotype within the limitations imposed by the environment.

Anthracnose

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Glomerella cingulata)

Diagnostic Symptoms

• Disease produces symptoms like leaf spot, blossom blight, withertip, twig blight and fruit rot

• Symptoms on leaves show as gray to brown spots with dark margins and a yellow halo. The spots later enlarge and coaleasce to form sizable necrotic areas.