eChapters

Apart from honey, bees also generate several other valuable products— beeswax, propolis, royal jelly, and pollen—all of which offer significant nutritional, therapeutic, and commercial benefits. In natural beekeeping systems, these secondary bee products are collected carefully to maintain ecological balance and avoid disrupting the natural functioning of the hive. Each of these substances plays a crucial role within the colony and finds diverse applications in healthcare, cosmetics, traditional medicine, and small-scale industries. When harvested responsibly and kept free of synthetic additives, they serve as sustainable income sources for beekeepers and contribute to environmental conservation and biodiversity.

HONEY

Among all bee products, honey is the most recognized and widely used from ancient times to the present day. Human cultures have celebrated honey for centuries, embedding it in literature, folklore, and religious symbolism. The earliest known references to honey use involve religious offerings, possibly among the first non-animal sacrifices. It was often presented alongside milk, butter, ghee, oil, or incense.

ABSTRACT

The main function of extension is to bring a desirable change in human behavior. The extension workers, thus are essentially educators and their most important job is to communicate useful and practical research findings to the farmers in such a way that they understand, accept and adopt. In order to achieve this objective, the extension agencies are disseminating new technologies through different means including mass media like radio, T. V, and print media. Considering the wide areas of coverage, exposure and frequent use by people, the mass media such as television, newspaper and radio play an important role in the transfer of technology. Mass media are increasingly becoming a veritable instrument and tool for transforming agriculture. Hence, mass media play a vital role in agricultural extension. There is a gap between the agricultural researchers and the farmers. A lot of findings from the research institutions and laboratories are not used by the farmers, either because of the information did not reach them, or the received information was not implemented by them. To overcome this problem, mass media play a vital role in diffusing scientific knowledge among the mass. This is used to link researchers and extension workers and collecting the feedback from farming communities. Further, agricultural technology information acquired by farmers through mass media. Generally, the agricultural technology information includes techniques of applying fertilizer, insecticides and fungicides to crops, improved methods of cultivation and conservation techniques of planting, maintenance, harvesting and storage of crops. There are also new technologies of animal husbandry as well as processing and marketing various agricultural products. Hence, mass media is the most effective means of reaching people with new ideas and persuading them to utilize these innovations. The appropriate use can create knowledge and catalyze behavioral change among farming communities for better family farming.

Jamun fruit holds a dear place in Indian literature and religion. One such tale states that when Rama was exiled from Ayodhya, he lived on nothing but jamun for 14 years. Hindu mythology also likens Krishna’s blue skin to the color jamun. Its correlation with Krishna is one reason why the fruit is planted near temples honoring him, even today. Another text states how the Puranas split the cosmos into seven continents. The continent at the center and the one on which humans live was regarded as the island of jamun. At the center of the earth was a single jamun mother tree that produced fruits so large that, upon falling, gushed life-giving rivers for all to enjoy.

Quality Standards and Laws

Quality is how well a product or service satisfies the needs of the customer. This includes all aspects related to the needs of the customer such as quality specifications, safetgy, delivery method or date, price etc. Quality can be interpreted in several ways as conformance to the standards, meeting customers’ preference/ satisfaction for desired quality attributes, degree of excellence and zero defect products etc. Because of education and consequent greater understanding of implications of poor quality commodities in recent years, consumers have become quality conscious and this fact is also applicable to food and food products. In order to strengthen competitiveness, quality must be incorporated throughout the value added chains right from the harvesting, handling, manufacturing, processing, packaging, storage, marketing and distribution stages, especially in the case of food and food products.

A close relationship between the mode of reproduction of a cultivated plant and the methods to be employed for its improvement is now well accepted. Crop plants are broadly placed in two groups according to the mode of their reproduction: sexually reproduced and asexually propagated or reproduced plants. Asexual reproduction does not involve the union of gametes and/or reduction in chromosome numbers.

Plants may reproduce asexually in a variety of ways. In 1980, Mayo has identified the following methods of asexual reproduction on the basis of the classification made earlier by Stebbins in 1941 and Brown in 1972.

INTRODUCTION

‘Library is to Education’ as ‘Soul is to Body’. Library has always been central to education and self-improvement. Library is like an ocean of knowledge. One can find information in a library in almost all areas, be it history, politics, economics, geography, science, fiction, computers, or technology a library has it all. A library is like the whole world encompassed in one room. It is very essential to the education and school system. Libraries are an integral part of the education system and one is incomplete without the other. Francis Bacon quoted that Libraries are the shrines where all the relics of the ancient saints, full of true virtue without delusion or imposture, are preserved and reposed.

EDUCATION SYSTEM IN INDIA

India consists of 28 states, 6 union territories and a national capital territory having a rich and diverse culture spanning many years. The Constitution of India distributed the powers between the Union and the States in three lists such as Union list, State list and Concurrent list. Education is in the Concurrent List. Under the State list, state governments are exclusively responsible for education in their respective states. Union government is responsible for maintaining national and integrative character of education under the Union list. But both state and central government share responsibility for education in case of partnership under the Concurrent list.

Introduction

India has been advancing excessively in terms of workforce engagement as a lot of women have started seeking space in the business arena. The new age has given way to a new trend of entrepreneurshipwhich is flourishing without the quantification of gender. Needless to say, India has been dealing with a very bad history of patriarchal class arrogance and work division that cannot fully provide all the freedom to women who want to prosper in their professional lives.

The female entrepreneurs have to undergo a lot of obstacles right from the initiation of the idea till the plan operates. Sometimes, the existence as a women itself comes with a baggage of responsibilities. Indian women are bound to fulfill their responsibilities towards their family, community and work, balancing everything equally and in an efficient manner.

The conventionalism, ethnicity, social and cultural principles, parenthood, the tag of feeblest sex and insecurity curb the confidence of women in comparison to their male counterparts. Even though there have been considerable changes found in the women dwelling in urban areas, the rural women still have numerous hindrances blocking their path. The perceptive of the opponent sex is irrational in rural areas due to the lack of education and it becomes hard for the women to resist men in such cases.

The Indian customary draws a thin line between the capability and responsibility allotted to different gendersMohsen B., and Zouari S. (2014). It has even threatened the employment chances of females in the traditional and eccentric sphere of fiscal exercises. The present scenario has not broken the undeterred confidence of women who sought to make a career in business, since the last decade. With the alteration in technology, globalization and rivalry accentuation has made the operation of business more multifaceted and vibrant.

The climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues of our time, with farreaching consequences for global agriculture, ecosystems, economies, and societies as extreme weather events, shifting rainfall patterns, and rising temperatures threaten crop yields and food security. However, the climate crisis is not a new phenomenon. Its roots can be traced back to the Industrial Revolution, when human activities such as8 burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and land-use changes began to release large amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. In the 1960s and 1970s, scientists began to sound the alarm about the potential consequences of human-induced climate change. The first climate models were developed, and researchers such as Roger Revelle and Charles David Keeling began to track the rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The 1980s saw the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which has since become the leading international body for assessing climate change science.
1.1 Climate Crisis
Despite these early warnings, the climate crisis has continued to worsen. The past decade has seen a proliferation of extreme weather events, from heat waves and droughts to floods and storms. The year 2024 was the hottest on record, with global temperatures averaging 1.55°C above pre-industrial levels (Fig. 1.1). The consequences of climate change are already being felt, from melting glaciers and sea-level rise to devastating wildfires and water scarcity.

Abstract
 
Adoption of agricultural practices is cost effective bioremediation techniques to mitigate arsenic problems and can contribute substantially to the cause of removal of arsenic and other heavy metal contamination of soils and water thereby quality enrichment in marketable agricultural produce leading to increased crop productivity in the area of intensive cropping under irrigated eco system. Though the farmers are already practicing some traditional techniques to mitigate the arsenic problems in soils and water, like cultivation of crops which are less affected to arsenic and heavy metals pollution, growing hyper accumulating crops and so many practices wherein the modern methods are not prevalently used by the farmers due to the lack of scientific validity of these techniques, particularly in the context of prevailing socio-economic conditions. Moreover, acceptance of these improved practices by the small farmers of this region is an evolutionary process and should be intensively proved. Hence, extensive studies need for bio or phyto-remediation of heavy metals including arsenic contamination for quality marketable agricultural produce, which ultimately can realize better crop productivity.

• The seed production of varieties and hybrids should be carried out carefully by following various techniques in the region where they are well adopted.
• The various factors affecting quality seed production includes,
  1. Agro climatic factors / Ecological factors - edaphic and climatic factors
  2. Production factors
  3. Post harvesting handling of seed
  4. Seed quality control factors

Good cataract outcome depends on pre-operative selection of patients, the skills and knowledge of the eye surgeon, the surgical technique, the surgical facilities and environment, the post-operative care and the optical correction provided.

Preoperative Procedures

Owners are advised to instill antibiotic eye drop such as Moxifloxacin @ two drops b.i.d. for 7 days and eye drop tropicamide @ two drops b.i.d. for 2 days before the cataract surgery for proper dilation of pupil. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops such as Flubriprofenis started t.i.d on the day before surgery. Further, tropicamide (1%) used as mydriatic agent is instilled 30 minutes before operation at the rate of two drops every 5 minutes in the eye to be operated. 0.5% povidone iodine drops are instilled on cornea prior to surgery.

Natural beekeeping presents a valuable economic opportunity for farmers, rural populations, and aspiring entrepreneurs by blending ecological farming methods with sustainable income generation. This approach emphasizes low-cost, environmentally conscious practices that align with the natural behavior of bees, thereby minimizing production expenses while delivering high-value outputs such as honey, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly, and propolis.

One of its key strengths lies in reduced dependency on costly inputs like synthetic drugs, chemicals, and advanced machinery. By employing traditional hive models, natural pest control methods, and organic feeding practices, operational costs are kept low, making the venture accessible to small and marginal farmers with limited capital resources.

Natural beekeeping yields multiple marketable products beyond honey, enabling producers to diversify their income. Products like beeswax and royal jelly are in demand in premium sectors, both domestically and globally. With multiple harvests across seasons, this diversity ensures consistent revenue and improved economic resilience.

Global consumer trends increasingly favor natural, organic, and chemical-free products due to their health and environmental appeal. As a result, natural honey and related derivatives are gaining traction in wellness, skincare, and gourmet food markets, creating promising opportunities for certified natural beekeepers to access niche segments and export markets.

This chapter introduces chrysanthemum as one of the world's important commercial cut flowers, particularly suited to controlled production because flowering is strongly influenced by environmental conditions. It discusses standard and spray types, origin, genetics, botanical characteristics, varieties and greenhouse cultivation. Temperature, humidity, light regulation, carbon dioxide, nutrition, irrigation, pest and disease management, harvesting, grading and storage are covered. The chapter also highlights the use of modern breeding and protected environments for year-round production.

Abstract

The species of liver flukes of the genus Fasciola (Platyhelminthes: Digenea: Fasciolidae)are obligate parasitic trematodes residing in the large biliary ducts of the herbivorous mammalian hosts causing fascioliasis worldwide. While Fasciola hepatica has a cosmopolitan distribution, the other major species, i.e., F. gigantica is reportedly prevalent in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa and Asia. To determine the phylogenic location of Fasciola sp. of Assam (India) origin based on rDNA molecular data,ribosomal ITS regions were sequenced (Accession numbers- EF027103 and EF027104) and compared with other species of trematodes in the family Fasciolidae that includes, Fasciolopsis buski and Fascioloides magna besides the species of Fasciola. NCBI databases were used for sequence homology analysis using BLAST; multiple sequence alignments were performed using ClustalW program.The phylogenetic trees constructed based upon the ITS (I & II) sequences by multiple tree building methods in MEGA revealed a close relationship with isolates of F. gigantica from China, Indonesia , Japan, Egypt and Zambia, the isolate from China with significant bootstrap values being the closest. Using the novel approach of molecular morphometrics that is based on ITS2 secondary structure homologies, phylogenetic relationships 

Flower growing, once used to be a gardener’s activity has today transformed into an astounding business proportion. Globally, more than 140 countries are involved in cultivation of floriculture crops. The global floriculture trade stands at US $ 60 billion with an annual growth rate of 10-15%. But the picture is not all that rosy. The extensive use of pesticides especially in greenhouse grown crops is threatening workers health and safety, besides disturbing environment and may also affect consumers health.

Gaston Dorren and Niala Maharaj, authors of “The Game of the Rose” noted that floriculture consumes more pesticides than any other agricultural sector. Floral workers suffer the brunt of the trade’s pesticide use. About 60% of Colombian flower workers (the sprayers and handlers) suffer from headaches, nausea, impaired vision, rashes and asthma, reports Pesticide Action Network, North America. A study published by the Netherlands ‘Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment’, reports that Dutch floral workers are exposed to pesticide concentrations of up to 60 times the amount considered safe.

Dr. Marion Moses of the San Francisco-based Pesticide Education Center says that many of the pesticides in use are highly toxic. “One of the chemicals widely used in greenhouses for flowers is temik (aldicarb), and that has caused serious problems”. Methyl bromide, an ozone destroyer and a category I acute toxin, among the most dangerous toxic substances known, is also heavily used in Latin America and the U.S. on flower crops. According to a 1997 EWG (Environmental Working Group) study, California-grown roses have 1000 times the level of cancer causing pesticides as comparable food products. Consumers are buying roses that, toxicity levels suggest, should be handled by workers wearing protective gear. Testing the leaves and petals of roses from California, New Hampshire, Colorado, Canada and Colombia, EWG found two probable human carcinogens, three Category I pesticides (the most hazardous) and three neurotoxins at up to 50 times the amount allowed in food.

Abstract

India is one among the major fruit producing countries of the world and offers opportunities of women empowerment through quality fruit production, planting material generation and production of value added products. There is a great opportunity to increase and improve the production of tropical, subtropical, and temperate fruits. Underutilized fruits also have a huge potential waiting to be exploited. This will only be possible with a concerted effort by researchers and growers, especially women to improve quality and increase production based on consumer demand and export potential. Women play significant role in fruit production activities. Unfortunately their access to knowledge, technology, finance, information, and training is minimal which hampers productivity of fruit crops. The mode of female participation in agricultural production varies with the land owning status of farm households. Their roles range from managers to landless labourers. In all farm production, women’s average contribution is estimated at 55 percent to 66 percent of the total labour with percentages much higher in certain regions. About 48 percent of India’s self-employed farmers are women. Thus, rural India is witnessing a process of transition which could be described as feminization of agriculture particularly fruit crop cultivation and their post harvest management. Women play an active role in various production and postproduction activities of horticultural crops. The number of women engaged in horticulture has increased continuously in the past two-three decades due to various factors such as migration of men to urban areas in search of non-farm income, increase in the demand of labour force in construction and other sectors. The data on the women involved in horticulture sector are scanty however the involvement of women in various operations of cultivation and post harvest handling and storage is very high because of entrepreneurial nature of horticulture. There is need to adopt collective and SHG approach to take women contributions to socio-economic significance. Thus horticulture, especially the pre-harvest and post harvest management of fruit crops have considerable employment avenues for women and make horticulture an effective subject of women empowerment.

History of plant pathology records chronological account of important events, contributions of persons who significantly influenced the thinking of their era and interpretation of the observed facts or phenomenon over a period of time. Historical writings help us to understand systematic development in plant pathology, and there problems faced by certain outstanding workers whose view points were unacceptable to majority of opinion makers, simply because it was new and against the established norms of the day. History of plant pathology is a must read for the students of this discipline. The historical accounts will unfold the stories that may motivate the new generation to think and interpret the findings in their own way, without fear of established theories and dogmas carried from the past.

Introduction

A collaborative environment is necessary to enable a nurturing future for any business or entrepreneurship to succeed. While ventures may or may not have benefitted from collaborations, it is undoubtedly a step highly considered and regarded in any kind of field be it research, business, partnership between organizations or any international collaborations. The parties involved in these collaborations/partnerships share resources and risks as per agreed. The various kinds of models are discussed in this chapter ahead.

Venture Capital

Venture capital refers to financing that comes from companies or individuals in the business of investing in young, privately held businesses. They provide capital to young businesses in exchange for an ownership share of the business. Venture capital firms usually don’t want to participate in the initial financing of a business unless the company has management with a proven track record. Generally, they prefer to invest in companies that have received significant equity investments from the founders and are already profitable. Venture capital investors also prefer businesses that have a competitive advantage or a strong value proposition in the form of a patent, a proven demand for the product, or a very special (and protectable) idea. Startups with innovative ideas and technologies that have a great potential for wealth creation, but a high risk of failure might receive funding from venture capital. Typically, venture financing comes in the form of equity shares or a claim on equity that may arise in the future, such convertible debt, allowing the venture capital firm to acquire a portion of the company. New businesses are often the focus of venture capital, and Georges Doriot, a professor at Harvard Business School, is widely regarded as the “Father of Venture Capital.”

5.1 Plant Breeder’s Rights (PBR) and Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act
5.1.1 Introduction
In the context of biotechnology and agricultural innovation, Plant Breeder’s Rights (PBRs) offer exclusive intellectual property protection to individuals or organizations that breed, develop, or discover new plant varieties. These rights ensure economic incentives for plant breeders while promoting innovation in seed development and agricultural productivity. In India, the unique and inclusive Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Act (PPV&FR), 2001, balances breeders’ rights with recognition of farmers’ contributions, making it one of the most progressive legislations in the world.
5.1.2 Concept of Plant Breeder’s Rights (PBR)
Plant Breeder’s Rights refer to the exclusive rights granted to plant breeders to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export their registered plant varieties. These rights are sui generis, meaning they are a special form of IP distinct from patents, developed to cater specifically to plant varieties.
Key Objectives of PBR
• Encourage investment in plant breeding and biotechnology.
• Ensure access to improved crop varieties.
• Prevent unauthorized commercial exploitation of novel varieties.
• Facilitate biodiversity conservation through formal registration systems.

Introduction
Globally, the agricultural sector plays an important role in poverty reduction, food security and promotion of nutritious food (Jones & Ejeta, 2016). Although agricultural crop production is essential, there are challenges associated with plants due to pests and diseases infestation in the value chain of crop production. Plant health problems can be resolved through appropriate diagnosis and identification of plant pests affecting agricultural (Ausher et al., 1996). However, Oerke (2006) reported that 40 per cent of crop yield losses are caused by plant pests and diseases of economic importance. The majority of smallholder farmers are faced with risks associated with pests and diseases in plant production. To address challenges faced by smallholder farmers, plant health clinics are important for plant pests and disease diagnosis. The plant health clinics can be defined as a system in which farmers obtain advisory services on the plant pest problem affecting agricultural crops and provide management control strategy for pest management (Alokit et al., 2014). There are many plant health clinics initiatives within the Indian region that provides plant pests and diseases advisory services to all categories of the farmers (Boa et al., 2016). Many plant clinics in developing countries which are run by international research institutions are more efficient and effective as compared to those not run by the research institutions. This review seeks to investigate and assess the state of global plant clinics with the aim of obtaining the efficient and effective plant health clinic model for South Africa. The knowledge, awareness, availability and accessibility of basic plant healthcare to smallholder farmers for plant pests and diseases diagnosis to ensure early detection, pest management and pest reporting remain a challenge. Furthermore, there is limited literature and research on plant health clinics’ establishment and its importance to smallholder farmers in the Indian developing country.
Background of the Plant Health Clinics
To date, there are about 34 countries operating plant health clinics globally and it is estimated that there are 4,500 plant clinics across the globe Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI), 2020; Tambo et al., 2020). These include plant clinics in Africa, South America and Asia respectively (Boa, 2009; CABI 2020). The first plant health clinics were established in 2003 in Bolivia (Bentley et al., 2009; Boa, 2009). In Africa alone, plant clinics were established with the help of CABI to assist smallholders and household to respond effectively and efficiently towards plant pests and diseases. According to Boa et al. (2016), there are two types of plant health clinics in terms of service provisions, namely (1) Fixed structure with appropriate laboratory equipment