eChapters

Experimental mutagenesis is an important unconventional source to produce mutations in high frequencies in cultivated plants. It makes possible the achievement of desired breeding objectives or atleast decisive progress in this direction through selection of mutants. By establishing extensive collection of mutants based on productive varieties excellent sources of valuable material for theoretical studies and for breeding work can be provided. The induced mutagenesis helps in diversifying varieties and in internal rectification. The simultaneous realization of different breeding objectives may be possible through induced mutagenesis especially in leguminous crops.

Stubbe (1959) stated that mutation breeding as a modern method of plant breeding has proved its justification. It mutation breeding, basic information is a prerequisite on the type of spectrum of induced mutations and relative effectiveness and efficiency of different mutagens.

4.1 Introduction

More and more industrial applications require self cleaned surfaces, water repellent, anti-dirt pickup and many other specific surface requirements. Introduction of nanotechnology has changed the coating scenario drastically. Hard, anti-scratch, hydrophobic coatings are achieved by the addition of small amounts of nano-pigments which help in creating hydrophobic surface. It is also possible to grow certain nano-fibers which on chemical treatment give surfaces which can either attract water or repel it. It is also possible now to create self healing coatings which can repair surface once they are damaged by scratch. Capacitance coupler pads have been devised to reach those corroding areas which are not covered by other corrosion protection methods. Stringent requirements of many modern industrial application resulted in developing coatings which can give special surface properties such as high hardness, scratch resistance, hydrophobicity, anti-dirt pickup etc.  This brief article presents a few new researches which provide one or more special properties to the surface.

Water is indispensable for human, animal and plant life. It is a major component of all organisms some of which contain more than 90% of water. Water is a constituent of protoplasm. It maintains turgidity of cells which is essential for stomatal opening, expansion of cells and for different physiological processes. Water is also required for translocation of nutrients and dissipation of heat.

16.1 Irrigation

Irrigation is generally defined as the artificial application of water to soil for the purpose of supplying the moisture essential for plant growth.

However, a broader and more inclusive definition of the term irrigation is the application of water to the soil for any number of the following six purposes —

1. To add water to soil to supply the moisture essential for plant growth.
2. To provide crop insurance against short duration drought.
3. To cool the soil and atmosphere, thereby making more favourable environment for crop growth.
4. To wash out or dilute salts in the soil.

Introduction

Clean and renewable energy is a basic requirement for developmental activities. Global energy crisis is caused by increasing world population, escalating demand due to urbanisation, and continued dependence on fossil-based fuels. Non-renewable energy sources like coal, natural gas oil contribute 79 per cent of world electricity generation; only 21 per cent comes from renewable energy sources. Promoting the use of existing renewable energy sources and identifying new environment-friendly technology is gaining importance. Switching to renewable energy sources like wind energy, ocean energy and solar energy is gaining a lot of importance. These green technologies emit less greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and hence are pollution free and immensely available. Recently, investigators have identified plants as weak energy sources. Plants are versatile organisms capable of communicating with each other with a number of signaling mechanisms. It was observed that plants generate electronic signals inside their system. The concept of utilising electronic signals for studying various physiological plant processes was first put forth by Sir Acharya J. C. Bose, an eminent biophysicist, botanist, archaeologist and polymath from India (Fromm and Lautner, 2007). His ideologies and concepts of movements of plants laid the foundation for modern electrophysiology-a branch of physiology that deals with electrical phenomena associated with metabolic functions. Attempts have been made to harvest electricity from free electrons available in plant leaves produced during photosynthesis and from rhizosphere of plants formed as a result of bacterial activity. Currently, a lot of attention is being given to improvise and develop this technology. To proceed forward in this direction, it is very critical to understand the mechanism of electrical signaling in plants.

Principle

To retrieve and purify any specific DNA fragment from an agarose gel slice; the expected yield is from 50-75% of the amount in the gel slice.

Time required

Restriction digest - minimum of 2 hours

Electrophoresis - approx. 4 hours

Elution - 2-5 hours depending on fragment size

DNA Purification -2 hours

Principle

The principle of Electrophoresis involves the motion of a particle in a fluid medium, where the gravitational attraction (on a flowing liquid) is the sedimenting force, and the frictional force is the opposing force and is proportional to the velocity of the particle. These forces balance each other acting in opposite directions and hence balance each other. This will lead to the uniform motion of the particle in the mobile liquid medium (i.e. the particle moves at constant velocity). In case the external field is an electric field instead of a gravitational field, a macromolecule will respond to the external field in two ways. In case the molecule is charged, it will migrate in an electric field to the electrode of opposite charge. Under this principle the technique of electrophoresis functions.

All electrophoresis operations are governed by the principle:

Electrophoresis is an analytical method frequently used in molecular biology and medicine. It is applied for the separation and characterization of proteins, nucleic acids and subcellular-sized particles like viruses and small organelles. Its principle is that the charged particles of a sample migrate in an applied electrical field. An electric current is passed through a medium containing the molecules, and each molecule travels at a different rate depending on its electrical charge, size and shape. Separation by electrophoresis is based on these differences. In electrophoresis, agarose and acrylamide gels are used for electrophoresis of nucleic acids and proteins.

What is Gel Electrophoresis?

A gel is a solid form. The term electrophoresis describes the migration of charged particle under the influence of an electric field. Electro refers to the energy of electricity. Phoresis, from the Greek verb phoros, means “to carry across.” Thus, gel electrophoresis refers to the technique in which molecules are forced across a span of gel, motivated by an electrical current. Activated electrodes at either end of the gel provide the driving force. A molecule’s properties determine how rapidly an electric field can move the molecule through a gelatinous medium.

Technology Scouting and Innovations in Technology Incubation
Technology scouting and innovations in technology incubation have a symbiotic relationship, fuelling each other for the benefit of budding startups and the broader technology ecosystem. Let’s dive deeper into their individual roles and how they interact:
Technology Scouting
Technology Scouting is the process of discovering, analyzing and evaluating new or existing technologies that will help them with their innovation process. In simple terms, it is a process for companies to find the necessary technology outside the company.
Hunting for promising technologies: Scouts actively search for emerging technologies, patents, research advancements, and market trends across various sectors.
Evaluating potential and fit: They assess the technical feasibility, market potential, and compatibility with the needs of incubators and their supported startups.
Connecting innovators and ventures: Scouts bridge the gap between technology creators (researchers, inventors, startups) and potential users (incubators, established companies).
Fuelling innovation pipelines: Technology scouting helps incubators access a wider range of technologies and ideas, enriching their portfolio and diversifying the innovations supported.

Pest resurgence is defined as the rapid reappearance of a pest population in injurious numbers following pesticide application. Use of persistent and broad spectrum pesticides that kills the beneficial natural enemies is thought to be the leading cause of pest resurgence. However, resurgence is known to occur due to several reasons, for instance, increase in feeding and reproductive rates of insect pests, due to application of sub lethal doses of pesticides and sometimes elimination of a primary pest provides favorable conditions for the secondary pest to become primary pests (Harsh Garg, 2014). There are several pesticide induced pest outbreaks reported in walnut, hemlock, cotton and soybean. Among these, brown plant hopper in rice cultivation has gained a major importance in Asian countries. In general, natural BPH populations were kept under check by natural enemies including mired bugs, ladybird beetles, spiders and other pathogens. Pesticides, however, not only have destroyed the natural enemies, but have influenced the fecun

Introduction

Fruits are important sources of vitamins, carbohydrates, fiber and sugar. A large variety of fruits are grown in India, of which mango, banana, citrus, guava, grape, pineapple and apple are the major ones. In India, grapes occupies fifth position amongst fruit crops with a production of 16.77 million tonnes from an area of 0.64 million ha (FAO, 2009). The total grape export from India during the year 2007-08 was 96,723 tonnes worth Rs 317.84 crores. (APEDA, 2009). Grape is an excellent source of many nutrients and phytochemicals, able to contribute to a healthy diet. Grapefruit is a good source of vitamin C and pectin fiber. The major varieties of grapes grown in India are Thomson seedless, Sonaka, Anab-e-Shahi, Perlette, Banglore blue, Pusa seedless, Beauty seedless etc. (NRCG, 2009). Red grapes are grown in large quantities, especially for wine and juice production. Grapes are used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, grape seed oil and some kinds of candy.

Nutrient supply is one of the major inputs for agricultural crop production in a sustainable manner. The factor productivity of inputs especially the fertilizers in agriculture was found to be in a declining phase during the last four decades. This had a detrimental effect on annual compound growth rate of major crops as wells on soil quality. The current status of nutrient use efficiency in different cropping system is low in case of major macro nutrients likes Nitrogen (30-50%) and Phosphorus (15-20%). Because 50-70% of the nitrogen applied using conventional fertilizers, with particle size dimensions greater than 100 nm, is lost to the soil due to leaching, nutrient utilization efficiency (NUE) by plants is low. Attempts to increase the NUE in conventional fertilizer formulations have thus far resulted in little success. On the other hand, the emerging nano strategies indicate that, due to the high surface area to volume ratio, nano fertilizers are expected to be far more effective than even polymer-coated conventional slow-release fertilizers. In this context, nanotechnology offers an important role in improving the nutrient use efficiency of agricultural systems.

Nano-bioinoculants represent a novel class of agricultural inputs that integrate beneficial microorganisms with nanotechnology-based delivery systems to enhance microbial stability, nutrient efficiency, and plant performance. While these formulations offer promising solutions for sustainable agriculture, their environmental implications require careful evaluation due to the inclusion of engineered nanomaterials. This chapter critically examines the environmental impact of nano-bioinoculants, focusing on their interactions with soil, water, air, plants, and higher trophic levels. The mechanisms governing nanoparticle behavior in soil matrices, effects on indigenous microbial communities, potential for bioaccumulation and trophic transfer, and risks of aquatic and atmospheric contamination are discussed. Positive environmental outcomes, including reduced dependence on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, improved soil health, enhanced nutrient use efficiency, and increased plant resilience to abiotic stresses, are highlighted alongside potential risks such as microbial disruption, nanoparticle persistence, oxidative stress induction, and long-term ecological uncertainty. The chapter further addresses human health considerations, risk assessment frameworks, ecotoxicological testing approaches, and existing regulatory gaps at national and international levels. Real-world case studies illustrate both the benefits and environmental concerns associated with nano-bioinoculant applications. Finally, future perspectives emphasize the development of biodegradable nanocarriers, integration with precision agriculture technologies, and the need for harmonized regulatory frameworks. Overall, this chapter provides a balanced assessment of nano-bioinoculants, supporting their responsible development and deployment for environmentally sustainable agriculture.

Introduction
Environmental science plays a critical role in understanding and addressing the complex interactions between human activities and the natural world. This chapter explores the intersection of environmental science and agriculture, emphasizing the importance of ecological balance for sustainable development. As agriculture continues to be a major driver of environmental change, understanding its impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, and climate is crucial for developing strategies that promote sustainability.
The chapter begins by examining the environmental impacts of agriculture, including land degradation, deforestation, and pollution. It then explores agroecology and biodiversity, highlighting the importance of maintaining diverse ecosystems to support sustainable agricultural practices. Sustainable resource management is discussed as a key approach to conserving natural resources and minimizing the environmental footprint of agriculture.
Climate-smart agriculture, a modern concept that integrates environmental sustainability with agricultural productivity, is introduced as a solution to mitigate the effects of climate change while ensuring food security. The chapter also covers environmental regulations and policies, which are essential for guiding sustainable agricultural practices and protecting the environment.
As the chapter progresses, it delves into the importance of environmental science in food security, the impact of environmental factors on global warming, and various modern concepts in environmental science, including sustainable food systems, circular economy, and ecosystem-based approaches. The chapter concludes with a discussion on combating food security and global warming challenges through sustainable practices and policies.
Environmental science plays a crucial role in agriculture by studying the interactions between agricultural practices and the natural environment. This chapter explores various aspects of environmental science in agriculture, including the environmental impacts of agriculture, agroecology and biodiversity, sustainable resource management, climate-smart agriculture, and environmental regulations and policies. Agriculture and the environment are inherently interconnected, as agricultural practices have both direct and indirect impacts on the natural environment. Environmental science in agriculture aims to understand these impacts and develop sustainable practices that minimize negative environmental

Enzymes are biological catalysts that regulate biochemical reactions and control metabolic pathways. This chapter explains how metabolomics can contribute to the discovery and functional characterization of enzymes by identifying changes in metabolite concentrations associated with enzymatic activity. Comparative metabolomics, gene knockout experiments, stable-isotope labeling, and multi-omics integration are discussed as approaches for linking metabolites with enzyme functions. Analytical platforms such as GC–MS, LC–MS, and NMR, together with databases including KEGG, BRENDA, HMDB, and METLIN, support metabolite identification and pathway analysis. The chapter also considers experimental validation, bioinformatics, challenges associated with unknown metabolites, and future applications involving artificial intelligence and computational biology.

Introduction
The science of epigenomics has emerged as a key area of research across numerous biological disciplines. Epigenomics is the analysis of epigenetic changes occuring across many genes in a cell or entire organism, whereas the concept of epigenetics focuses on processes that regulate how and when certain genes are turned on and turned off. Understanding on the science of epigenetics can be traced back to the early hypothesis proposed by Aristotle to disprove the theory of preformation. Waddington’s initial conceptualization of epigenetics as a “conceptual tool” to integrate genetics and embryology established a foundational framework for subsequent research. Over time, advancements in molecular biology, developmental biology and evolutionary biology have since profoundly expanded and refined our understanding of epigenetics. Waddington further progressed in the 20th century with his introduction of the “Epigenetic Landscape” model (Baedke, 2013), marking a crucial milestone in the evolution of epigenetic theory.
In modern times, epigenetics refers to the study of heritable changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype that do not involve alterations to the underlying DNA sequence. Recent genetic and biochemical research has improved the understanding of various epigenetic regulation by three mechanisms including DNA methylation, histone modifications and non-coding RNA regulations. These mechanisms induce changes in chromatin conformation (active-open or repressiveclosed), which influences the gene expression that results in gene activation or gene silencing (Fig.1).
The transition between open and closed chromatin states, along with interactions among various epigenetic mechanisms, is essential to maintain optimal cellular function in diverse cell types, tissues and in response to varying developmental or environmental stimuli (Allis and Jenuwein, 2016).
Extensive studies in Arabidopsis led to a profound understanding of epigenetic mechanisms in plant growth and development. Later, intensive investigations was

Introduction

Hydrogels are loosely cross-linked, highly hydrophilic, organic polymers. They can absorb and retain aqueous fluids up to 500 times of their own weight (Singh et al., 2011). In the field application, such absorbents exhibited a limited swelling capacity within the soil matrix.

1. pH meter

pH meter/electrode systems are the most common method of measuring pH in the biology laboratory. Although more expensive and more complicated to use than chemical indicators, pH meters provide greater accuracy, sensitivity, and flexibility. When used properly, pH meters can measure the pH of a solution to the nearest 0.1 pH unit or better, and they can be used with a variety of samples.

Escherichia coli is an important model organism for studying microbial metabolism, metabolic regulation, and metabolic engineering. This chapter introduces the use of metabolomics to investigate the metabolic architecture and physiological responses of E. coli. It examines metabolite profiling, central carbon metabolism, metabolic pathways, environmental responses, and metabolic flux analysis. The chapter explains how metabolomic data can reveal changes in cellular metabolism and support the identification of pathway bottlenecks and regulatory mechanisms. Applications in microbial biotechnology, recombinant production, metabolic engineering, and optimization of fermentation processes are considered. The chapter demonstrates how E. coli serves as a useful experimental system for connecting metabolite changes with cellular function.

The establishment of a technology transfer office is an important and complex process for an organization. It needs careful planning to ensure its long-term sustainability. Before establishing a TTO, it is essential to evaluate whether institution’s core mission includes research commercialization, and if the volume and quality of its research output justify the need for an inhouse TTO. For institutions that may not meet all criteria, those institutions can collaborate or outsource for TTO services. It is also important to decide about its operational scope, funding, management, and for what kind of issues the office should develop a policy. There is no “right” way to set up a TTO, but successful TTO does require considering some key issues. This chapter outlines key steps and considerations for establishing a TTO. It also explains what physical infrastructures are needed, manpower, outlines the responsibilities and powers of TTOs.
2.1 Evaluating the need for a TTO
Establishing a TTO is an important step for any research focused organization. But before initiating a planning process for a new TTO, the organization must review its relevance by considering a few fundamental points:
Key considerations for institutions
1. Is institution’s mission focused on “research commercialization” If an institute’s primary mission is education, or it does not support research it might not be justified to create a TTO. For such institutions, it usually makes better sense to seek alternative solutions to the occasional technology transfer without the expense of a formal office. But institutions with strong research commercialization focus, a TTO has the ability to contribute meaningfully to the mission. The Association of University Technology Managers (AUTM), USA has identified following key motivations for initiating academic technology transfer:

When there is indication of linkage from F or testcross data through significant deviation from 9: 3: 3: 1 and 1: 1: 1: 1 ratio, it is implied that independent assortment is not taking place and this is taken as an indication of linkage. The inverse of linkage strength is the recombination value and is often symbolized by ‘p’ whose maximum value is 50% because out of four strands of a tetrad, two are always parental types and two are recombinant types when all the cells show crossing over.