eChapters

Milk

Importance

Milk contains approximately 86% water, 4.7% sugar (lactose), 4.1% fat, 4.2% protein and 1% minerals. It supports the growth of micro-organisms and thus is prone to contamination. The purpose of milking a dairy cow is to obtain milk that is fit for human consumption. Milk from the udder of a healthy cow contains very few bacteria and to ensure that it remains fresh for long it should be handled under conditions of good hygiene. Unclean milk can be a source of disease to the consumer, rejected at the market and so is a loss to the farmer, does not keep for long and is not good for processing.

Millets like finger millet, foxtail millet, pearl millet, sorghum millet and other small millets are the ancient super grains and nutrition reservoirs for better health. In semi-arid regions, these are the important food and fodder crops, and primarily acquiring more importance in the world. 

Millets or nutri-cereals are the ancient grains which have now regained the interest of the scientific community as the super grains. These exhibit excellent nutritional and technobiofunctional profile apart from exhibiting tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The millets are gluten free and show high in vitro protein digestibility, resistant starch content, antioxidant and prebiotic potential providing health benefits for all age groups ranging from paediatrics to geriatrics. The presence of certain anti-nutritional factors can lower the bioavailability of proteins and minerals. Processing enhances the nutritional and functional properties by increasing the antioxidant content and lowering the antinutrients. Different value added products can be prepared by incorporating millets thereby enhancing the nutritional and functional attributes. It is necessary to bring millets into regular consumption by the food industry in the interest of nutritionally and health-conscious consumer.

1. Introduction Millets, also known as “smart crops” or “miracle grains,” are a group of small-seeded, hardy cereal crops that have been cultivated for millennia. They are used as a staple food in many of the countries particularly located in arid and semi-arid regions. Millets have been overshadowed for quite a long time by commonly consumed cereals like wheat, rice, and maize. Nevertheless, they have made a remarkable comeback in our cuisines owing to the growing awareness and recognition of the numerous benefits at individual and environmental level. These small, drought-resistant grains play a pivotal role in addressing some of the most pressing global issues like food security, malnutrition and climate change.

Millets are a type of minor cereals found in the Poaceae family. Millets are often described as “Nutri-Cereals” since they contain more nutrients than commonly produced main cereals. They are an important part of human’s diet in the world. These are foods with a high nutritional content, gluten-free and have nutraceutical qualities. The adequate amount of protein (essential amino acid), micronutrients and phytochemicals are found in millets. The phytochemicals found in millet grains enhance human health by lowering cholesterol and phytates in the body. Millets are full of antioxidants, minerals including dietary fibre, iron, calcium and magnesium that are vital for battling a variety of diseases. These are beneficial to include in our daily diet because the grain is healthy and nutritious. They decrease blood pressure, prevent cancer and lessen the chance of tumour growth. The rich nutrient content in millet has many health advantages such as cancer, obesity, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal issues, migraines and asthma. People utilise millet-based products to fight a variety of nutritional deficiencies and diseases.

Millets which are also known as “Shree Anna” are a type of grass with small seeds that belongs to the Poaceae family and are widely grown throughout the world. Millets have high levels of proteins, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants that why they are known to be climate-change-resilient crops. Proteins are essential amino acids that the body cannot synthesize and are used as a nitrogen source during embryo development following germination. Millets are high in dietary fibre and are important staple crop in many parts of the world. They are versatile grains that can be used to make a variety of food products, including millet flour. Millets are good for cardiac health, weight management, antioxidant activity, and may have anti-cancerous properties. They are nutrient- dense, provide sustained energy, and contain antioxidants such as polyphenols and flavonoids. Millets are considered safe and have a variety of health benefits. Surprisingly, millets perform major non-millet cereals in terms of nutrition. They are particularly high in dietary fibres, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, and polyphenols, all of which have broad-spectrum positive effects on human health.

Introduction

Millet is a very important cereal grain that many people around the world eat. In fact, over a third of the world’s population consumes millet. It’s the sixth most produced cereal crop globally. Some common types of millet include Jowar (Sorghum), Sama (Little millet), Ragi (Finger millet), Korra (Foxtail millet), and Variga (Proso millet). Among these, Bajra and Sama have more fat, while Ragi has the least. Millet has been cultivated for thousands of years and is used in many parts of the world. In the past, even the Romans and Gauls enjoyed millet-based porridges. Today, China, India, Greece, Egypt, and various African countries are the major producers of millet. In rural areas, some types of millet, like Finger millet and Sorghum, are eaten by people, while others are primarily used as animal feed. These millets have packed with several beneficial nutrients and play a crucial role in traditional diets in many regions. Compared to commonly used rice and wheat, millet is three to five times more nutritious. While wheat and rice mainly provide food security, millet offers not only food security but also health benefits and livelihood opportunities. It can help manage health issues like diabetes and high cholesterol.

In India, Karnataka is the top producer of millets, accounting for over 58% of global production. Despite its nutritional and health benefits, many people in India are not aware of the advantages of consuming millet. (Upadhyaya et al., 2007). Millets are fantastic crops when it comes to pest management. Traditionally grown millets don’t require pesticides and the land used for millet cultivation remains largely pest-free. Some millets, like foxtail millet, not only resist pests themselves but also serve as natural protectors against pests in storage conditions for other crops like green gram. This means there’s no need for fumigants to keep them safe. It has a treasure trove of micronutrients, including vitamins and beta-carotene, which are now seen as essential as pharmaceutical pills. In the present day, millets are exceptionally superior and serve as a solution to the widespread issues of malnutrition and obesity affecting a significant portion of the Indian population (Singh KP et al., 2012). Millets are rich in essential fatty acids, including linoleic, oleic, and palmitic acids, which are present in their free form. They also contain compounds like monogalactosyl, diacylglycerols, digalactosyl diacylglycerols, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylcholine in bound forms. Although other fatty acids like arachidic acid, behenic acid and erucic acid are found in millets, they are in trace amounts. Millet oil can be a valuable source of linoleic acid and tocopherols. Additionally, millets are gluten-free and have an alkaline effect in the body. They contain essential B vitamins such as niacin, folacin, riboflavin, and thiamine, as well as phosphorus. These nutrients play a crucial role in energy synthesis within the body.

Introduction

One of the most important concerns confronting both developed and developing nations in this age of rapid industrialization is how to deal with the ever-increasing volume of solid waste. One aspect of the environmental crisis that occurs alongside the development of the global economy is the rapid increase in waste volume (Zibres et al., 2011). The threat that organic waste poses to both the natural world and people’s health in today’s modern society makes it a primary topic of investigation in the modern community. The annual production of agricultural waste across the globe is greater than hundreds of megatons, and a significant portion of this waste is either improperly disposed of or burned directly, which contributes further to the acceleration of both global warming and air pollution (Zhang et al., 2016).

The compost that is produced through the biological process of composting can be used as an organic fertilizer in agriculture, vegetable gardens, and other types of gardens. Composting is a biological process that acts on the transformation of the organic matter that is present in the residues into material that is humidified (Antunes et al., 2021). In addition to having low production costs, this method is also environmentally friendly, making it a viable option for the long-term processing of this waste (Lopez-Gonzalez et al., 2015). Composting processes that are mediated by invertebrates from the soil fauna, such as vermicomposting and milli-composting, are proposed along with a variety of mixtures, practices, and management to improve the efficiency of composting as well as the quality of the compost produced. Traditional composting relies heavily on the activity of microorganisms. Vermicomposting and milli-composting are two examples of composting processes that use invertebrates from the soil fauna. Milli-composting is a relatively unknown biotechnology that uses diplopods, more commonly known as millipedes, to increase the biotransformation of vegetable wastes into stable organic matter. It not only aids in climate change mitigation but also aids in carbon sequestration, so milli-composting can be used as an alternative to modern composting as it is crucial for preventing pollution and promoting lush plant life.

Introduction

The milling machine is one of the maximum flexible conventional system equipment with a huge variety of steel-reducing capabilities. Many complex operations along with indexing, multi-milling and saddle milling, etc. may be completed on a milling system. A milling device is a tool that cuts steel at the same time as the workpiece is fed closer to a rotating multi-element milling cutter. This machine can also contain one or greater knives at a time. That is why a milling device has extensive utility in production work. It’s better for other machines when it comes to precision and a better surface finish. It is also designed to perform a variety of jobs in the tool room.

Introduction

Robotics is a branch of engineering and science that deals with robot design, construction, operation, and uses. A robot is a machine that is capable of carrying out a complex series of actions autonomously or semi-autonomously, typically programmed by computer software or controlled by remote operators. Robotics technology combines various disciplines such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science to create machines that can interact with the physical world and perform tasks that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for humans to accomplish. The term "robot" was initially brought to public attention by Karel Capek, a Czech writer, in his play Rossum's Universal Robots, which was published in 1920.

1. Introduction

Man (Homo sapiens) since his appearance on the sylvan Blue Planet started his search for healthcare and beautycare, besides food and shelter. Eventually, he also became conscious about his mind and attempted at ‘mindcare’. He employed leaves, flowers, fruits, etc. or some plant products altering his mind to remain aloof from his heavy worldly affairs, stress or even incurable diseases. He also endeavoured to use plants for his amusement. He exerted more pressure on local biodiversity, modified his study and observations on biodiversity which resulted into ‘cultural biodiversity’. He intensified his method of ‘trial and errors’ to search new sources or biodynamic chemicals. In recent times, he is emphasizing value-addition of the products in hand for his welfare. After food, medicine was his next priority to sustain life in primitive societies. Naturally, his study and research laid emphasis more on food and medicine in comparison to mind-altering bioresources. Even the modern man also paid more attention on the former rather that the latter. These trends have perforce led in partial negligence of research for psychoactive plants in his ambience. The present author, therefore, extended efforts to prepare an inventory of the mind-altering vis-à-vis psychoactive plants in the state of Maharashtra.

Neural suitcase determines the size of our world.

We think. We imagine. We generate ideas. We make sense of things. We take decisions. We observe patterns, and then try to understand their significance. Our neural suitcase does all this. It tells us the tales of many minds (1). The tales are beautiful, vulnerable, quiet, chaotic, real, fictional, wise, foolish, friendly, hateful, meaningful, and blind. Our neural suitcase builds castles in the air. It determines the size of our world.

CALCIUM & PHOSPHORUS

Source of mineral

Soluble grits (Limestone grits containing chiefly CaCo3) which is soluble in acid medium of crop. It differs from insoluble grits (gravel, granites, sand etc.) which acts only mechanically in the gizzard.

ABSTRACT

Mineral exploration is not only highly imaginative and creative but a very costly activity as well. The fast emerging Geomatics technology is a real boon in mineral exploration as it encompasses a whole spectrum of solutions and services which are of great help for exploration geologists. Geological maps which generally form the basic requirement for any kind of natural resources inventory operations currently witness tremendous changes and the same is mainly attributed to the integration of Geomatics technology. Usage of Geomatics has revolutionized the art of mineral exploration as geological maps can be easily integrated with other important details like geomorphology, structure and tectonic pattern, geophysical data etc. This kind of data integration facilitates for the better identification of mineralized zones. In addition, GIS with its powerful analyzing capability provides tools at several stages in the process of mapping for building up a database containing various types of data for quantifying and extracting features related to mineralization. The present paper narrates an overview of mineral exploration using Geomatics technology.

Summary

Fertilizers are materials when applied replenish lost soil nutrients on farmer’s field. Without the use of fertilizers farmers would find it extremely difficult to increase their production to meet the ever-growing mouths. The purpose of this session is to discuss what a fertilizer is, and the different terminologies used in fertilizer technology.

PLANT NUTRITION

Plants use inorganic minerals for nutrition, whether grown in the field or in a container. Complex interactions involving weathering of rock minerals, decaying organic matter, animals, and microbes take place to form inorganic minerals in soil. Roots absorb mineral nutrients as ions in soil water. Many factors influence nutrient uptake for plants. Ions can be readily available to roots or could be “tied up” by other elements or the soil itself. Soil too high in pH (alkaline) or too low (acid) makes minerals unavailable to plants.

The living organisms in the terrestrial ecosystem have unique characteristics of taking up the substances from atmosphere and soil for the synthesis of their own cellular component or as a source of energy. The supply and absorption of chemical compounds required for the growth and metabolism of the organisms may be defined as nutrition and the compounds required by them are called nutrients. The process by which the nutrients are converted to cellular material is known as the metabolism. Out of 118 chemical elements so far detected in the modern periodic table, 92 elements from hydrogen to uranium are naturally occurring, a large portion (more than sixty) of such have been detected in the plant tissues. But, the elements which take part in the nutritional requirement and metabolic processes of the plant are said to be essential elements, others which do not participate in such processes are considered non-essential.

Introduction
A mineral is a naturally occurring substance that possesses distinct physical qualities and a specific chemical makeup. An ore is a mineral or group of minerals that can be used to extract a useful substance, such a metal, and use that substance to makeother useful commodities. In  the crust of the earth, minerals are created over millions of years. These nonrenewable resources are crucial to the advancement of modern civilization. India’s mineral resources are confined to a small number of places and are unevenly distributed. The Chotta Nagpur Plateau region contains almost 90% of our mineral riches. Mining is the procedure used to extract minerals from the earth.
Mining Activities Move Through Four Phases
Mining Procedure
Mining activities move through four phases:
a) Prospecting: Mineral exploration
b) Exploration: Determining the deposit is dimensions, form, location, and economic worth.
c) Development: The process of making the deposit accessible so that minerals can be taken out of it.
d) Exploitation: Mining the minerals and taking them out.

19. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MINERALS

Def : The minerals are naturally occurring solid bodies having definite chemical composition and certain atomic arrangement, and are formed by inorganic processes in the nature.

All the minerals possess certain physical properties which are considered as follows.

1.Characters depending upon light such as colour streak, luster, transparency, translucency, phosphorescence and fluorescence.

2.Characters depending upon certain senses such as taste, odour and feel.

3.Characters depending upon the atomic structure and state of aggregation such as form, hardness, tenacity, fracture, cleavage and surface tension effects.

On the basis of these three characteristics, the minerals are identified and distinguished.