eChapters

Flowers, the aesthetic creations of God over the earth and symbolize beauty, purity, peace and love. Flowers have been associated with progress and prosperity from ancient times. They have long been associated with each civilization and culture in the world, and are integral part of traditional, religious ceremonies and rituals and no function, from birth till death, are complete without the use of flowers. They play a cardinal role in human behaviour and culture, bringing tranquility and peace of mind. Sensory elements of flowers like fragrance, colour, texture, softness, freshness, etc. influence human psyche in different manner.

From a symbol of love, flowers have transformed into an industry generating both income as well as employment. In the flower industry, significant changes are occurring in the competitive relationships worldwide due to increasing habit of “saying it with flowers” to celebrate major life events, expressing emotions in ways that words are deficient. Estimate of the annual consumption of commercially grown flower vary by source and range from 40-60 billion USD. Global exports over the last few years have grown by more than 10 per cent annually. Flower growing and its value addition viz., essential oils, natural dye extraction, dry flowers, floral ornaments, bouquets and artistic garlands, etc. is associated with variety of employment generation activities. Besides the traditional centres of production, new production centres are also developing.

In the beginning, human kind selected some of the useful wild flowers and brought them to gardens for decoration; mainly used for their floral and other values. The rose, which is an high value flower today, has long history, perhaps older than man. Carnation was grown in Greece during 300 B. C. Orchids were known for their attractive flowers and scent in China about 2500 years ago as mentioned by Confucius. Chrysanthemum is the another oldest flower grown in China as early as 500 B. C. At the time of Confucius, only a wild single-flowered type was known in chrysanthemum. Later on many new varieties arose and in Japan, the flower reached a high stage of development and popularity. From Japan, the chrysanthemum spread to Europe. Now some of the best known modern varieties have been developed in Europe, America, and Australia. Lotus, an aquatic ornamental flower, is native to India and is associated with religion, art and culture of Indian civilization. Eloquent references to the aesthetics of these ornaments are available from ancient literature and sculptures. Most of the garden flowers were introduced into Europe for cultivation from their wild habitats between 16^th and 19^th centuries.

Introduction

Cultivation of crops in greenhouse or protected structure has been increased tremendously in recent times and also has been spread from temperate regions to the warmer regions of tropics and subtropics. Plentiful technologies have been developed for heating the inside environment of greenhouse for optimum plant growth (Sethi et al. 2013). However, in hot arid areas, cultivation in greenhouse is very difficult as the temperature reaches to a very high level to sustain plant growth (Pek and Hayles 2004, Saran et al. 2010). Under such situation requirement for cooling the greenhouse microclimate environment is the necessity, but is very energy and water intensive. Hence, in such regions, reduction of air temperature inside the greenhouse or the regulation of temperature closer to the ambient temperature during summer is necessary for successful crop production. A typical diurnal variation of temperature and global solar radiation during late winter months inside a shade net structure has been plotted in Fig. 18.1. It has been found that global solar radiation has been decreased to almost 1/3 of the radiation received outside by using 75% shade net cover. The temperature inside structure during morning time has also been found higher than outside temperature and in summer such increase is expected to be much higher.

Therefore, cooling is considered as the basic necessity for greenhouse crop production in tropical and subtropical regions to overcome the problems of high temperatures during summer months. Development of suitable cooling system that provides congenial microclimate for crop growth is a difficult task as the design is closely related to the local environmental conditions. Different cooling techniques for greenhouse crop cultivation may be found in Kumar et al. (2009). Fan pad cooling system has been widely used for greenhouse cultivation however, requires large amount of water during evaporation based cooling. Since water resources are becoming scarce in future such fan-pad cooling system may not be viable in future specifically in hot arid region.

Introduction

Modern-day agriculture and civilization together demand increased production of food to feed the global population. New technologies and solutions are being applied in the agricultural domain to provide an optimal alternative to gathering and processing information while enhancing net productivity. At the same time, the alarming climate change and increasing water crisis demand new and improved methodologies for modern-age agricultural and farming f ields. Automation and intelligent decision-making are also becoming more important to accomplish this mission in flower production. In this regard, the Internet of Things (IoT) ubiquitous computing, wireless ad-hoc and sensor networks, radio frequency identifier, cloud computing, remote sensing, etc. technologies are becoming increasingly popular.

Most of the IoT-based applications are targeted for various applications. For example, IoT for environmental condition monitoring with information on soil nutrients are applied to predict crop health and production quality over time. Irrigation scheduling is predicted with IoTs by monitoring the soil moisture and weather conditions. The world’s first IoT device was invented in the early 1980s at Carnegie Melon University.

16.1 Introduction
The fluid product “Cream” is defined by FSSAI standards as an emulsion of fat-in-skimmed milk that is comparatively rich in fat. It is derived by physical separation from cow milk, buffalo milk, or milk of any other species as defined under this regulation, or a mixture thereof. Cream, with the exception of sterilized variants, is composed of a minimum of 25% milk fat and is derived from cow or buffalo milk or a combination of both. It is a high-energy source that is abundant in fat and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. The vitamin content is contingent upon the fat percentage in the cream.
16.2 Classification
Cream may be broadly classified into Market cream (direct consumption) and Manufacturing cream (manufacture of dairy products). The three different types of cream are:
i. Table cream/Light cream contains 20-25% milk fat.
ii. Coffee cream/ Whipping cream Contains 30-40 % milk fat, and
iii. Heavy cream/Plastic cream contains 65-85 % milk fat.
As per FSSAI Standards, Cream may be labeled according to milk fat content (m/m) along with product name as specified in item 1 of this Standard, as follows:
i. Low fat cream: Minimum 10 per cent. and less than 40 per cent.;
ii. Medium fat cream: Minimum 40 per cent. and less than 60 per cent.;
iii. High fat cream: Minimum 60 per cent.

Introduction

However, most of the crops get damaged by pest infestation, microbial attacks, and insufficient nutrient availability. Currently, the primary goal of world’s agriculture is to fulfil the nutritional demand of the rapidly growing population. Nanotechnology tries to fill the gaps in agriculture to become more resilient, while making sure there is enough food for everyone. As a result, nanoparticles are evolving into a cutting-edge material that will change how contemporary agriculture is done. The use of nanotechnology in agriculture encompasses the creation of novel materials, devices, and systems at the nanoscale to enhance the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of agriculture. This technology has the potential to bring a revolutionary change to the field of agriculture by offering innovative solutions to various agricultural problems.

Dairy equipment and utensils with which milk and milk products come into contact are the main sources of contamination in the products. By the use of effective equipment cleaning and sterilization methods on routine basis, milk of high bacteriological quality can be consistently produced. In composite milk plant, a variety of equipment and utensils are used. The use of stainless steel for the fabrication of dairy utensils and equipment provide highly polished and hard smooth surface that can be cleaned readily, apart from showing resistance to corrosive action of detergents and bactericidal solutions. Utmost care is taken to avoid dents and scratches, which could be the possible focal points of subsequent contamination. To overcome all these problems aluminium and stainless steel vessels and equipment present an ideal situation.

ABSTRACT

The occurrence of fluoride more than permissible limit has been observed in ground water near Danishpet, Rajammannar Colony, Vayapurikombai, Melkombai, Umbilikampatty, Andikottai HC in Kadyampatty area, Salem district. Fluoride reaches to a maximum of 2.8 mg/l. Fluoride concentrations in ground water in various areas are as follows: Danishpet(2.0mg/l), Rajammannar Colony (2.8mg/l), Vayapurikombai (2.4 mg/l), Melkombai (2.4mg/l), Umbilikampatty (2.2 mg/l), and Andikottai HC (2 mg/l).. Granite gneiss and associated secondary vein filling minerals may be the source of high fluoride in ground water. The high concentration of Fluoride in ground water has led to human health hazard in the form of dental and skeletal deformation in the parts of Danishpet, Rajammar Colony, Vayapurikombai, Melkombai, Umbilikampatti and Andikottai HC villages.

A watershed is a geohydrological unit or all the land and water area bounded by a divide which contributes runoff to a common point. Watershed is considered to be synonymous with ‘catchment basin’ and ‘drainage basin’. In watershed management approach, development is not only confined to agricultural lands but also covers the area, starting from the highest point of the land to the outlet of the natural stream. Watershed management becomes increasingly important as a way to improve livelihood of people while conserving and regenerating their natural resources.

Watershed management is the process of creating and implementing plans, programmes and projects to sustain and enhance watershed functions that affect the plant, animal and human communities within a watershed boundary. It implies the judicious use of all the resources i.e. land, water and vegetation in an area to prevent soil erosion, improve water availability and increase food, fodder, fuel and timber on sustained basis.

Introduction

Gerbera is a herbaceous flower crop with leafless stalk and daisy like flowers. It is also known as Transvaal daisy. Gerbera is a popular cut flower grown throughout the world. It is ideally suited for flower beds, borders, pots and gardens.

In California and Florida, it is grown in outdoors and is becoming increasingly popular as potted plant and bedding plant, whereas in other parts of United States it is cultivated in greenhouses. Gerbera cultivation has emerged as a very important option to progressive farmers in many parts of India, especially in Maharashtra, Karnataka, North Eastern states, U.P. and Uttarakhand.

Genetics

The genus Gerbera belongs to family Asteraceae. Gerbera comprises about 70 species, which are of African and Asiatic origin. The basic chromosome number is n=25. G. jamesonii is a diploid species with somatic chromosome number 2n=50. Among the different species, G. jamesonii is the only species under cultivation.

Abstract
The growing youth population in developing countries, particularly in agriculturedominated economies, presents a demographic dividend that remains underutilized due to skill mismatches and unemployment. Despite agriculture engaging nearly 50% of the workforce, it is often stigmatized as a low-skill profession, necessitating up-skilling and knowledge enhancement to transform it into a profitable, modern enterprise. Government initiatives in India, such as PMKVY, Start-up India, Mudra Yojana, ARYA, and Student Ready, aim to foster skill development and agripreneurship to align with global market trends. This paper examines challenges in leveraging this demographic potential, including outdated interventions and societal perceptions, and proposes visionary reforms to enhance training, promote equity, and mainstream agri-preneurship for sustainable economic development.
Keywords: Agri-preneurship, Demographic Dividend, Skill Development, Unemployment, Government Initiatives, Agriculture, PMKVY, Start-up India, Mudra Yojana, Sustainable Development

Labour is one of the biggest input costs for vegetable growers. Vegetable farming is labor intensive and time consuming. Frequently, it is associated with low yield and poor quality production. The constraints are high labor requirements for land clearing, ploughing, bed forming, mulch laying, seeding, transplanting, harvesting and transporting. Mechanization is interjection of improved tools, implements, machines and other equipments between man and materials (soil, water, environment, seed, fertilizer, pesticides, growth regulators, irrigation water, agricultural produce and by-products such as fruits, vegetables, and seeds, etc.)

Growing of flowers in gardens was patronized by the rulers themselves earlier. Commercial production of flowers gathered momentum globally, efforts to breed new varieties of flower crops intensified in the 70s, and 80s primarily due to their high commercial value. With the advent of WTO followed by the Plant Breeder’s Rights, the commercial breeding efforts got intensified further. Domestication, introduction, selection, hybridization, mutation, and polyploidy breeding have played a major role in the evolution of the present day ornamental plants.

4.1 Brief historical account

Flowers have long been associated with each civilization and culture in the world. Numerous cultures have incorporated flowers into their everyday lives expressions of beauty and art. Flowers are used to celebrate major life events and to decorate graves, expressing emotions in ways that words are deficient.

In the beginning, human kind selected some of the useful wild flowers and brought them into gardens for domestication. They were used for their floral and other values. According to Theophrastus (372-287 BC), carnation was grown in Greece during 300 BC. It was used for medicinal purpose in France. Romans prepared dye from calendula flowers. During early days, Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis) was used as a vegetable, but now after much improvement, it is used as a cut flower. The rose, which is an important flower today, has long history, perhaps older than man. Orchids were known for their attractive appearance and fragrance in China about 2500 years ago as mentioned by Confucius. Man’s interest in cultivating and growing orchids developed during the 19^th century in Europe. Chrysanthemum is the one of the oldest flower grown in China as early as 500 BC. Most of garden flowers were introduced into Europe from their wild habitats between 16^th and 19^th century. Ornamental annuals constitute an amazing group of plants widely grown in the parks and gardens in different seasons. The enchanting beauty of colour, shades, form and fragrance have made them an obvious choice for every garden. No other plant can influence the general landscape in such an incredible manner by riot of colours.

SWOT analysis is the systematic identification of the internal strength and weakness of an organization or enterprise and environmental opportunities and threats. The analysis is based on the assumption that effective strategy maximizes strength and opportunities and simultaneously minimizes its weakness and threats. Entrepreneurial activities require a SWOT before initiation to provide first hand information about feasibility of the enterprise. All SHGs in rural sector are formed for income generation. A variety of enterprises coming up through SHG in rural sector may or may not be successful. SWOT provides basic direction for entrepreneurship at any level for benefit of the practitioners. The SWOT of SHG in tribal area where study was conducted has been analyzed.

Only a very brief mention of various basic aspects of plant nutrition is given here. Associates wanting to know more details should refer to any one of the standard Plant Nutrition publication (PRINCIPLES OF PLANT NUTRITION by K. Mengel and E.A. Kirkby).

Increased production of food and cash crops is the need of our times; as land and irrigation water are limited and beyond any means of expansion. Crop yields per unit input should increase. Crop yield under natural production systems is limited by the availability of nutrients in the soil. Unless the supply of nutrients can be enhanced yields cannot be high.

20.1 Introduction

A hybrid cultivar (also called hybrid) is the F₁ progeny of a planned cross between inbreds, cultivars, clones or populations. Depending upon the breeding approach, the hybrid cultivar may involve two or more parents. A critical requirement of hybrid production is that the parents are divergent. This divergence is the cause of superior performance of hybrids. The outstanding performance of crops is due to the exploitation of the phenomenon of heterosis (hybrid vigour) which is high when parents are divergent. Much of what we know about heterosis breeding (also called hybrid breeding) came from the work on maize hybrid cultivar development. However, commercial hybrids are now available in many crops including self-pollinated crops.

There are various methods available for isolation of high molecular weight genomic DNA from plants. The basic steps involved in all these methods are removal of cell wall, nuclear membrane, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, cell debris, RNA without affecting the integrity of DNA. The two major factors that affect DNA integrity are action of endogenous nucleases and impact of mechanical shearing.