eChapters

ABSTRACT

Plants as a source of medicine are of special importance in the countries like India which has well developed traditional system of medicine which derive more than 90 per cent of medicaments from higher plants. Several of these also constitute important ingredients of Allopathic medicines. Most of the requirements for the medicinal plants are met from wild sources. But due to the changing ecological factors in the forests and unserupulous collection of medicinal plants, the wealth of medicinal plants is getting depleted and some types have already become extinct. The collection of these plants from the forests cannot cope up with the ever increasing and changing demand from the pharmaceutical, perfumery and cosmetic industry. In order to provide regular and sustained supply of medicinal plants, it is essential now to domesticate and systematically cultivate these plants for which large scale availability of planting material has to be ensured. In this context, in vitro multiplication protocols were standardised for rare, valuable and endangered medicinal plants such as Holostemma ada-kodien, Trichopus zylanicus, Aristolichia indica and Terminalia chebula. The study indicates the feasiblity of rapid multiplication of these plant species using in vitro techniques and the standardised protocols could be used to generate large number of true to type protocols within a short time.

ABSTRACT

Kattupadavalam (Trichosanthes cucumerina) is regarded as a laxative and blood purifier, considered beneficial in the treatment of skin diseases. Its entire supply being met from wild, unscrupulous exploitation has led to erosion of genetic resources of this crop. Hence it is imperative that in vitro trechniques are employed to conserve this valuable medicinal species and to evolve feasible protocols for large scale multiplication of this crop. Nodal cultures were established from two months old seedlings of Trichosanthes cucumerina and Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with BA @ 0.5 mg l^-1. Subculture of initiated shoots in the same medium at intervals of three weeks registered enhanced release of axillary buds producing 21 shoots from a single culture at the end of fifth subculture cycle. Elongated shoots were rooted in half strength MS medium, following a pulse treatment with IBA @ 1000 mg l^-1. A single stage root hardening process, wherein, rooted plantlets were subsequently transferred to half strength semisolid MS medium supplemented with 2 per cent sucrose, improved success rate. The rooted plantlets planted out in sterilized media and subjected to a hardening process in a phased manner, survived well.

The knowledge and principles from interconnected disciplines of bioengineering, material science and life sciences are combined in tissue engineering with the aim of developing a construct, that can wholly or partly restore/maintain/augment the function of a damaged tissue or organ. Tissue engineering construct generally comprises cells on a suitable scaffold. The ultimate functionality of a tissue engineering construct is mainly dependent on the cell behavior on scaffolds. The proliferation and cell viability on scaffolds varies from one cell type to another and from one species to another. So it is important to investigate individual cell-scaffold combinations. The similarity in structure and composition to bone mineral, osteoconducive properties, ability to integrate with the bony tissue and absence of immune response makes hydroxyapatite [Ca₁₀ (PO₄)₆(OH)₂] the choice of calcium phosphate biomaterial with only disadvantage of slow rate of resorption. On contrary, silica–calcium phosphate composite in comparison to calcium phosphate is rich biomaterials having a faster resorption rate. Studies have shown that coating of hydroxyapatite with a calcium silicate containing layer encourages cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived stromal cells. So in this chapter, a triphasic composite scaffold (calcium silicate, hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate), namely HASi with elements in the following percentages: 66.36 % - calcium, 25.35 % - phosphorus and silicon - 8.29 % and porosity of 50 – 500 µm is reported to evaluate the rBMSC proliferation and differentiation properties in vitro.

The present chapter is therefore, included with the aim of assessing cytocompatibility of HASi and rBMSC in terms of cell attachment, cell morphology, cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.

ABSTRACT

Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. is one of the important medicinal plants that contains L DOPA (L-3,4 dihydroxy phenylalanine) which is the precussor for the neurotransmitter dopamine that plays an important role in curing Parkinson?s disease. To accommodate the huge demand for L DOPA, in vitro production of the drug using cell cultures is felt essential. Hence, an experiment was carried out with completely randomized design with seven treatments viz., T₀ - Control; T₁ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 NAA; T₂ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 IAA; T₃ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 2,4-D; T₄ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 Kinetin; T₅ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 BA; T₆ - MS + 1 mg l^-1 IAA + 1 mg l^-1 BA and 3 replications. Among the various explants investigated stem bits registered the least days (12.38) for callus induction. The stem bits responded well with better callusability (78.57 per cent), relative growth rate (2.57) and callus index (249.16). MS medium + 2 mg l^-1 2,4-D was found to be the best for inducing callus in various explants namely stem bits, leaf bits and root bits. L DOPA accumulation was more in cell suspension cultured in liquid MS medium with 4 per cent sucrose + 1 mg l^-1 IAA + 1 mg l^-1 BA and that was confirmed by means of HPLC.

Introduction

Plants contain a variety of substances of nutraceuticals importance which are useful medicines, food additives, cosmetics and health supplements etc. However, low availability under in vivo condition, decreased plant resources, increases in labour cost and other problems in obtaining these high-value added substances from natural plants have pointed toward the use of in vitro techniques for production of the products. Because in vitro cultures are not affected as the production affected under in vivo conditios.This has led scientists and biotechnologists to consider plant cell, tissue and organ cultures as an alternative way to produce the corresponding secondary metabolites.Therefore, studies on the production of useful metabolite by in vitro techniques have been carried out on an increasing scale since the end of the 1950’s. The large scale cultivation of tobacco and various vegetable cells was examined in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. At present, several firms are manufacturing a plant pigment, shikonin, and ginseng cell biomass on a commercial scale and several other products including anti-oxidant products.

Research efforts on in vitro derived extracts is well documented on each of these major product categories: flavors (onion and garlic, peppermint and spearmint, fruit flavors, chocolate aroma, seaweed flavors, vanilla, celery, coffee, spice, sweeteners, and so on); edible colors for foods and medicines (mainly betalains and anthocyanins): non-food pigments for cosmetics and textiles (shikonin, berberine, and various other products); several examples of fragrances and essential oils; and bioactive natural insecticides and phytoalexins useful in current integrated pest management programs. Of course, intensive activity has centered on production of natural drugs of chemoprotective compounds from plant cell culture. Some of the most prominent pharmaceutical products in this latter category include ajmalicine (a drug for circulatory problems) from Catharanthus roseus and taxol (a phytochemical effective in treatment of ovarian cancer) from Taxus species.

ABSTRACT

Aprotocol for in vitro clonal multiplication of Dendrobium var. Betty Ho is reported. Aseptic shoot tip explants cultured in MS medium containing Benzyl Adenine (5 mg l^-1) and casein hydrolysate (1000 mg l^-1) recorded a maximum multiplication rate of 10 fold in 30 days. Explant cultured in LS) medium supplemented with 1-napthalene acetic acid (0.1 mg l^-1) and Kinetinetin (1 mg l^-1) developed a maximum of 8.3 shoots in 30 days. Shoots thus obtained were rooted on MS medium supplemented with BA (0. 1mg l^-1 ) and NAA (0.5mg l^-1). Rooted plantlets after hardening were transferred to green house.

ABSTRACT

In vitro clonal propagation of Smilax zeylanica Linn was attempted. Axillary buds from shoot tip and single node explants were induced to proliferate on half strength MS basal medium supplemented with BA (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg l^-1) and IAA (1.0 and 2.0 mg l^-1). Multiple shoots (6.0 - 10.0 per explant) developed from the axillary buds in about four weeks time in all the treatments tried. However, the highest rate of multiple shoot production was in the medium containing BA 1.0 mg l^-1 and IAA 1.0 mg l^-1. Maximum shoot length was also observed in the same medium. Rooting (83.3 per cent) of micro shoots could be induced on MS supplemented with NAA 0.5 mg l^-1. Individual rooted plantlets could be successfully transferred to soil and established in the field with 80 per cent survival.

Introduction

At the Banana Research Station, Kannara activities focused on Musa germplasm conservation and evaluation are in progress. The aim of the project is to collect and conserve wild and cultivated germplasm representative of the diversity existing in the Musa genepool for evaluation and subsequent use in breeding programmes and to make available selected superior material to the farmers of Kerala. The center presently holds a Musa germplasm of 256 accessions in its field gene bank. These accessions have been characterized and evaluated as per INIBAP/IPGRI Musa descriptors and a database developed.

In a vegetatively propagated crop like banana, in vitro culture is widely employed in germplasm introduction and conservation and is an essential requirement for the safe movement of germplasm (Sharrock and Engels, 1996). By this method, germplasm material is readily propagated, thereby facilitating the dissemination of disease free plants. Since 2001, efforts have been made at Banana Research Station, Kannara to introduce forty new exotic accessions employing in vitro culture for conservation and evaluation. These are material from the global Musa germplasm collection maintained by International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP), France and supplied by National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi.

ABSTRACT

Coleus forskohlii Briq. is a threatened medicinal plant , susceptible to fungal disease. The regeneration of this plant has been achieved on MSo medium supplemented with 2 mg/l or 3 mg/l BAP and 0.2 mg/l 2,4-D for callus induction using leaf as explants. Multiple shoot production from the leaf-derived transformed callus of coleus has been standardized using the various concentration of NAA with 2 mg/l BAP. The combination of 2 mg/l BAP and 0.5 mg/l NAA was found to be best for multiple shoot production. Rooting was found to be best on MS medium supplemented with 0.7 mg/l NAA. Coleus forskohlii was transformed with glucanase-chitinase gene along with npt-II gene. The presence of npt-II genes in the leaves of putative transformants were confirmed by PCR analysis. SDS- PAGE analysis and glucanase assay revealed the over expression of glucanase enzyme in the transgenic plants. The transgenic coleus plants survived the infection caused by Fusarium chlamydosporium due to the accumulation of glucanase-chitinase enzyme, where as control plants were susceptible to the disease.

ABSTRACT

Aprotocol has been developed for the induction, maturation and germination of somatic embryos from leaf explants of Hevea brasiliensis (clone RRII 105). Leaf explants were cultured with their adaxial sides on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different combinations of phytohormones such as 2,4-D & BA, NAA & BA as well as 2,4-D, BA and NAA. Compact calli could be developed from the cut ends of the explants on media containing 2,4-D (1.5 mg/l) and BA (1.0 mg/l) whereas pale yellow friable calli was obtained on media which contained NAA (0.2 mg/l) along with 2,4-D (1.2 mg/l) and BA (1.0 mg/l). The calli formed were detached from the explants and sub cultured for proliferation in medium containing reduced auxin (0.4 mg/l 2,4-D) and slightly increased level of sucrose (40 g/l). Proliferated calli were then sub cultured for embryo induction in modified MS medium supplemented with different auxins and cytokinins. Embryo induction could be achieved in modified MS medium containing BA (2.0 mg/l), GA (1.0 mg/l) and NAA (0.2 mg/l) and maturation occurred in WPM medium containing BA (0.3 mg/l), TDZ (0.5 mg/l) and GA (1.5mg/l). The cotyledonary stage embryos developed into plantlets on transfer to hormone free ½ MS medium. A distinct feature of this study is the induction of somatic embryogenesis from leaf explants of Hevea which has not been reported previously. This explant could be used further as an ideal target tissue for Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation in Hevea.

ABSTRACT

In cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) there are successful reports on the production of shoots from nodal segments under in vitro,the rooting was always inconsistent and mortality during hardening stage was very high. In the present study 20-30 per cent rooting was obtained in half strength MS supplemented with activated charcoal. Maximum rooting was obtained when the shoots were pretreated with IBA 5000 mg l^-1 for three seconds followed by culturing in the media.

ABSTRACT

Aquilaria agallocha Roxb. (Thymelaeceae), otherwise known as ‘Eagle wood’ is a large evergreen tree restricted to the eastern parts of India and Bhutan. The tree is valuable for its fragrant wood - ‘Agar wood’ which is tremendously used in the perfumery and incense stick industries. Lack of rapid natural regeneration and over exploitation has reduced its population drastically. Micropropagation offers a rapid means for clonal multiplication and conservation of this endangered species and attempts were made to standardize available protocol for in vitro multiplication. Media and conditions were standardized for culture establishment and propagule multiplication. Multiple shoots were induced in vitro from nodal segments of 10 yr old trees having enhanced axillary branching. Culture establishmnet was strongly influenced by the nature of the explant and the season of collecting the explants. Nodal segments collected during the period March- April from current season shoots showed a better response (90 %) in half strength Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l^-1benzyl adenine and 0.1 mg l^-1kinetin. The rudimentary multiple shoots induced, proliferated in the basal media supplemented with benzyl adenine (0.1 mg l^-1), naphthalene acetic acid (0.5 mg l^-1) and coconut water (10%). This media also supported further multiplication in serial subculturing with a multiplication rate of 1:6. There exists no earlier report on in vitro multiplication of this tree species valued in perfumery.

ABSTRACT

Ipomoea mauritiana (L.) belonging to the Family Convolvulaceae is an important medicinal plant. The roots, leaves and flowers possess medicinal properties. It is used in indigenous medicine as a tonic, aphrodisiac, galactogogue, diuretic, carminative, expectorant and appetizer. It is useful in syphilis, inflammation, leprosy, diseases of blood and in the improvement of voice and complexion. Tender nodal portions from one year old disease free plants grown in pots were used as the source of explants. The explants were inoculated on half strength MS medium containing 3.0 per cent sucrose and 0.6 per cent agar supplemented with 2,4-D 0.5 mg l^-1. All the explants showed callus initiation after three weeks. The contamination free, one week old callus cultures were used for testing the effect of the different treatments. The treatments comprised of different combinations of BA (0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 mg l^-1) and NAA (0 and 0.1 mg l^-1) added to half strength MS medium. The highest rate of shoot regeneration was obtained on half strength MS medium supplemented with BA 4.0 mg l^-1. Rooting of the proliferated shoots could be induced on the same basal medium supplemented with IBA 1.0 mg l^-1 and NAA 1.0 mg l^-1. The regenerated plants were hardened in a humidity chamber and successfully transferred to pots, with 90 per cent survival.

ABSTRACT

Centella asiatica (Linn.) previously Hydrocotyle asiatica belongs to the family Apiaceae.It is commonly called gotu kola and is rich in triterpene glycosides such as asiaticoside and madecassoside. Health claims range from enhanced memory and longevity, to the treatment of leprosy. It is also used in the treatment of various skin diseases, ulceration, chronic rheumatism, malaria, fever, epilepsy and enlargement of glands. Inspite of its wide range of uses,it is still collected from the wild and commercial cultivation is lacking. A good tissue culture protocol therefore would be useful for commercial propagation and thereby saving the plant from extinction. Of the various explants, nodal segment gave the best response. For direct shoot regeneration from nodal segments, BAP 2.0 mgl^-1, and BAP 1.0 mgl^-1 with Kinetin 1.0 mgl^-1 was found optimum. Callusing was observed in nodal segments and leaf bits when 3.0 mgl^-1 NAA along with 0.3 mgl^-1 BAP was used. ½ MS medium supplemented with IBA 0.5 mgl^-1 and NAA 0.2 mgl^-1 induced rhizogenesis of the regenerated shoots. Rooted plantlets survived well in a combination of pot mixture (1 sand: 1 soil: 1 FYM) and Vermiculite in the ratio of 1: 1.

7.1 What is Soil Moisture Conservation Technique?

In situ soil moisture conservation means capturing rain water and retaining it in soil for utilization by plants for better growth and increase in biomass and grain yield. This is achieved through rain water harvesting on farm or field where crops are planted to get benefit from the conserved rainwater. It reduces rainwater loss through runoff and increases rain water infiltration time, thereby increasing the amount of rain water in the soil that will be useful for crop production.

Plant tissue culture is the process in which mass multiplication is possible from the somatic cells of the plant by utilizing the principle of totipotency. Each plant cell can grow into a plant by converting the somatic nature of the cells to embryogenic ones. In tissue culture, plantlets can be produced either directly through organogenesis or indirectly by somatic embryogenesis. Organogenesis is the process in which shoots develop from the explants directly and then rooting is induced. In indirect somatic embryogenesis, the explant cells pass through a callusing stage where the cells get multiplied. These cells then obtain embryogenic potential and develop somatic embryos. These somatic embryos later germinate and develop into plantlets

Introduction

With global population expansion, there is an increase in demand for high quality protein, especially from aquatic sources which have been achieved to some extent through enhanced management, nutrition, genetic improvement of production traits, disease diagnostics and therapeutics. The increasing role of aquaculture during the past decade has forced fishery managers to begin to address many problems associated with the intensive management of small populations. Any fishery operation which uses the limited number of broodstock fish for the production of next-generation can lead to a constriction in the gene pool of that population (Kincaid,1983).

Inbreeding

Inbreeding means the mating together of individuals that are related to each other by ancestry. This may be defined as any system of mating that will lead to an increase in homozygosity. Selfing is the most intense form of inbreeding which provides the most rapid approach to homozygosity. When selfing is not possible, full-sib and half-sib mating are used to do inbreeding. The progeny of selfed plant is symbolized by Sj and the selfed progeny of the Sj by S₂ and so on. Occasionally symbol  is used to designate selfed seed. The effects of inbreeding are as follows:

Incentives are a powerful stimulus to transfer of technology. They can encourage researchers to get their results to market, a new career path for many of them. They can create a culture that attracts and retains entrepreneurial staff, scientists, students and technology transfer professionals (TTPs) that view the university as a career path and a vehicle for making a contribution to society. Working in a pro-entrepreneurship team of colleagues can also lead to getting people to think in terms of making a connection between their work and its application. Incentives can be short-term or long-term in nature, and can be tailored to individual or collective requirements. As it is likely to be challenging for universities to design incentives that cater to every researcher’s or TTP’s desire, they can design incentive programs to cater to various aspects of human. Nature.
12.1 Why incentives matter in this ecosystem
Incentives can be either financial and non-financial. These are needed to ensure that researchers and TTPs remain motivated, aligned with institutional goals, and committed to the long-term process of technology transfer and commercialization. Incentive programs serve several important purposes:
• Motivation: Incentives energize individuals to pursue innovation and commercialization, often over long- and uncertain-time horizons.
• Retention: By offering recognition, rewards, and career advancement opportunities, institutions can retain high-performing researchers and skilled TTPs.
• Alignment: Well-designed incentives ensure that the personal goals of stakeholders align with institutional and societal objectives.

Abstract

Apple plantations in Himachal Pradesh have been ravaged by a unique hitherto unknown problem of premature leaf fall for the last one decade. In this study, the disease survey revealed 21.3 per cent disease incidence of premature leaf fall in July, 2001 which increased to 63.6 per cent by the month of September. Whereas in 2002, this disease appeared in August and the disease severity was 30 per cent in the September month. The pathogenic fungus Marssonina coronaria was isolated in pure culture and its pathogenicity was proved. Considerable number of conidia were formed in over wintered apple leaf litter with 22.7 per cent germinability. Ascosporic stage Diplocarpon mali was also encountered in the infected over-wintered leaves collected from Charna locality in Sirmour district. The sour tasting pollinizer cultivars Rus Pippin, Granny Smith, Tydeman’s Early Worcestor and King Pippin were rated tolerant in the field. Protective sprays of mancozeb, propineb, carbendazim, thiophanate methyl etc. were effective in controlling the disease. An integrated spray schedule was recommended to the growers.

INTRODUCTION

Prediction of helminthic infections is impractical. The aim of any control programme must therefore, ensure that parasite populations do not exceed levels compatible with economic production. The parasitological monitoring (e. g. faecal egg counts or pasture sampling) at intervals, forecasting on the basis of meteorological data and computer simulation may provide an alternate approach to control parasitic infection (Brunsdon, R. V. , 1980) in a given geographical area. The most common gastrointestinal parasite prevalent throughout the year in Meghalaya, India is Strongyle infection. This is because of the high rainfall and humidity prevalent in the North-Eastern region.

As the prevalence of this infection is mainly dependent on rainfall and humidity, study was being initiated to identify the relationship between rainfall/temperature and strongyle infection. The study would be also helpful in predicting/ forecasting the disease occurrence based on the prevailing pattern of rainfall in a particular location.

The incidence of mammary tumor accounts for 25% of all the recorded tumors in dogs worldwide. Overall, about 198 cases of CMT are recorded per one lakh female dogs annually throughout the world which is quite an alarming percentage (Gray et al., 2020). Malignancy has also been recorded up to 45% which increases the fatality among morbid cases. Epidemiology of CMT is poorly documented particularly in India. In an epidemiological study conducted on canine tumors in Jammu in 2018, the overall prevalence was only 2% over a period of one year. The malignant tumors accounted 41.66% of the mammary tumors (Sharma et al., 2018). The rate of benign and malignant tumors incidence was reported as 46% and 54%, respectively. In another study conducted on the incidence of CMT in Ludhiana (Punjab) in 2020, it was found that 33.96% tumors were benign and 66.03% were malignant (Dash et al., 2020).

Introduction Feed is a major source of nutrition in semi-intensive and intensive culture systems. Fish fed with formulated feed is used for their growth, maintenance, and reproduction. Feed Energy utilized for maintenance is mainly for health and survivability. In intensive aquaculture, animals almost exclusively depend on an external supply of high protein feed (generally >20%), usually based on fishmeal (Beveridge and Little, 2002) because of its high protein content, better bioavailability of amino acids, palatability, and unknown growth factors. Hence fish fed with a fish meal-based diet exhibits better growth performance, feed conversion, and fish health than fish fed with other animal and plant-based protein sources (Hardy and Tacon, 2002; Pike and Barlow, 2002; Tacon, 2003; Cook et al., 1996). Still, Global fish meal production is annually decreasing since 1994 due to increased human utilization and increased use of fish residues and by-products, increasingly replacing whole fish for fish meal (FAO, 2020). Hence many scientists were passionate about replacing the fish meal with an alternative feed ingredient without compromising growth.

IBH is an adenovirus infection of young chickens characterized by sudden onset and sharply increased mortality, short course, anaemia, and hepatitis often accompanied by intranuclear inclusion bodies. It is described in Canada, USA and many other countries.

Introduction

The cultivation of flowering and attractive plants is referred to as floriculture, sometimes known as flower farming. Even though flowers have long been planted in India for a variety of purposes, including aesthetic, social, and religious purposes, the commercial floriculture sector is a relatively recent development.

The industry of floriculture has a great deal of untapped potential and has quickly become an essential part of modern life. The floriculture industry has developed into a business that is run for profit, has achieved significant market value, and is poised to realise favourable prospects. In India, the cultivation of blooming plants, including garden plants, cut flowers, foliage plants, potted flowering plants, and other types of blooming plants, is referred to as f loriculture. In today's world, flowering or ornamental plants are frequently used as part of several celebrations' decorations or as presents due to their versatility. They are also used as vital raw materials in the sectors of perfume, pharmaceuticals, and oil extraction. So, to start a floriculture firm in India, it is necessary to comprehend how agribusiness is used in its marketing and production.

Introduction

Secondary agriculture is described as an enterprise-level productive activity that uses as raw material the primary product and byproducts of agriculture, as well as other biological resources available locally in its rural agrarian neighbourhood. The Government of India's Committee on Doubling Farmers' Income (DFI, Vol. IX, 2018) raised the issue of food waste and loss and proposed secondary agriculture. The committee classified secondary agriculture into three types: A, B, and C. Type 'A' avenues focus on adding value to primary agriculture production systems, either as input or output; Type B avenues focus on alternative firms that do not compete for resources; and Type C avenues focus on primary agriculture crop residues and wastes (Singh et al., 2022).

Sustainable development goals want to link primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors by using idle factors of production like land and labour. Promoting secondary agriculture can help reach these goals by increasing production in primary agriculture, capturing "value" in primary agricultural activities, and making businesses more money (Financial Express, 2019).

In this chapter, four opportunities for income augmentation in secondary agriculture, viz. plant nursery enterprise, herbal gulal farming, mushroom farming and beekeeping, have been explained.

ABSTRACT

Income generating activities are considered as those initiatives that affect the economic aspects of rural youth’s lives through the use of economic tools such as credit and subsidy. If the youth in farming is not economically free and self-earning, he has to depend on others or migrate to the urban cities in search of jobs. Agriculture, self-employment and wage employment are the basic tools to fulfill the desire of economic independence. In the past, agriculture was placed on the top position as an income generation option and self-employment and wage employment to rural youth was the 2^nd and 3^rd priority respectively. Income generating activities such as dairy activities, goat and sheep rearing, poultry unit, bamboo products making, pickle making, leaf plate making, keeping powertiller, husking mill cum wheat grinding machine, tractor etc. Further, there are various self employment and wage employment opportunities through rural development programmes like Prime Minister Rojgar Yojana (PMRY), Swarnajayanthi Gram Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY), Pradhan Manthri Gram SadakYojana(PMGSY), Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP), Training of Rural Youth for Self -Employment (TRYSEM) etc. These are the best programmes especially for the upliftment of the rural youth to enhancing their income level. Some of these programmes are now helping rural youths to become more and more independent and free from economic dependence.

Abstract

Major occupation of women in Bijapur area is agriculture with an average land holding of 1-2 ha. Most of them are unaware of advantages of vermicompost. In recent times, dependence on agriculture is becoming very difficult for them. Majority of the women population in these areas are below poverty line (BPL), because of increased cost of production, and fluctuations in market prices of major crops grown by them. Erratic and ill distributed rain fall pattern makes life hard for them. The ill effects of chemical fertilizers have lead to interest in organic farming through vermiculturing using farm and urban wastes in order to produce risk free crop at reduced cost of cultivation.

India’s rural economy plays a vital role in the overall development of the country, with a significant portion of the population dependent on agriculture and allied sectors for their livelihood. Despite the structural changes in
the Indian economy over the past decades, agriculture continues to be the primary source of income for a majority of rural households. However, the income levels of farmers and rural people vary widely due to factors such as landholding size, access to resources, market linkages, climatic conditions, education, and government support systems.
The average monthly income of agricultural households in India has been a matter of concern and active policy intervention. According to reports from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) and other government bodies, many small and marginal farmers earn less than what is required for a sustainable  livelihood. This income typically comes from multiple sources, including crop production, livestock rearing, wages, and non-farm activities. Yet, the increasing input costs, fluctuating market prices, and the vulnerability to climatic shocks make farming a risky and often unremunerative occupation. To address these challenges, various initiatives have been undertaken by the Government of India, such as the Doubling Farmers’ Income (DFI) strategy, minimum support prices (MSP), crop insurance schemes like PMFBY (Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana), rural employment guarantee schemes like MGNREGS, and efforts to promote farmer producer organizations (FPOs).

Complete block designs become less efficient as the number of treatments increases,primarily because block size increases proportionally with the number of treatments,and the homogeneity of experimental plots within a large block is difficult to maintain.That is , the experimental error of a complete block design is generally expected to increase with the number of treatments.

An alternative set of designs for single –factor experiments having a large number of treatments is the incomplete block design.As the name implies, each block in an incomplete block design does not contain all treatments and a reasonably small block size can be maintained even if the number of treatments is large.With smaller blocks,the homogeneity of experimental units in the same block is easier to maintain and a higher degree of precision can generally be expected.

In an era defined by rapid technological advancements and an ever-changing climate, the need for precise, adaptive, and actionable weather intelligence has never been greater. As global weather patterns become more erratic and extreme events increasingly disrupt lives and livelihoods, the integration of real-time field response into weather intelligence systems represents a transformative opportunity. Just as companies like Google and Tesla leverage real-time user inputs to continuously update their software, refine artificial intelligence (AI) models, and provide timely road-and-traffic guidance, weather intelligence systems that are continuously refined by feedback from farmers, fishermen, and other local stakeholders offer the promise of dynamic, “live” insights that can revolutionize agricultural practices and community resilience (Fig.10.1). This chapter delves into the critical importance of collecting and synthesizing feedback from those who are on the frontlines of weather impacts. It explores the methodologies and benefits of integrating real-time field data into weather intelligence systems, drawing parallels to the iterative processes observed in hightech industries. In doing so, we highlight how these innovations can maximize

Introduction

It is a well known fact that the soluble oxalates are broken down by rumen microbes from buffalo and cattle and one of the end product formed is bicarbonates.

The rumen microbes are obtained from a fistulated buffalo calf fed on wheat bhusa and sarson cake supplemented with 60 g potassium oxalate daily for about three months. Representative sample of rumen ingesta is drawn before feeding and mixed culture is prepared by the method as described Donefer et al., (1960). Mixed culture and basal nutrient mixture (Quicke et al., 1959) of pH 6.9 mixed in equal quantities. Fifty millilitres of this mixture are added into each incubation flask containing one gram of wheat straw, ground to 40 mesh as substrate. In the incubation flasks are added 35,100 and 550 mg oxalic acid in the form of potassium oxalate and 0.24 µCi sodium oxalate 14C. Blank (containing no substrate, no oxalic acid added) and two controls, one having substrate but no added oxalic acid and the other containing the above plus radioactivity, are also run alongwith. All the incubation flasks are taken in duplicate. The flasks are incubated at 39ºC for 24 h  in an incubator and at the end of this period microbial activity is stopped by the addition of few drops of saturated solution of mercuric chloride.

Introduction

It has been observed that the surface waters are getting polluted due to improper disposal of domestic and industrial wastewaters. Most of the River basins which are major supply of water for human activities are polluted. Even the groundwater in not spared because of the incessant growth of the population in India. In Maharashtra the number of bore wells has been increased to 5 Lakhs from 1 Lakhs from few decades only. Out of total area of Maharashtra, 82% is covered by the basaltic rocks made up of lava. That’s why the quantity of the groundwater is comparatively less than the Indo-gangetic plane.

Groundwater in the north region of the Tapi River is found to be hard, unfit for the human consumption. The residences of district like Buldhana, Jalgaon and Dhule have to use hard water for consumption. Rampant extraction of the groundwater for agriculture might have caused alternation in chemical qualities of the groundwater. It has been also well documented that in Marathwada region, groundwater content higher concentration of fluoride and total Hardness.

Fluorine the most electro-negative element is of great interest and importance to human health because of its curative and harmful effects. Fluorides are released by various natural sources and anthropogenic activities into the aquatic environment (that is surface as well as groundwater). Fluoride can enter the human body through drinking water, food, toothpaste, mouth rinses and other dental products, drugs and fluoride containing salts and hydrofluoric acid. It may cause Fluorosis – a crippling and painful disease such as dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis and non-skeletal fluorosis.

Introduction

Arid regions are characterized by stressful edaphic and environmental conditions such as low and erratic rainfall coupled with limited irrigation resources, high evapotranspiration and extreme temperature regimes. Under such environment, the productivity of agriculture crops is far behind the satisfactory level, rendering cultivation of field crops an unprofitable venture. The recent awareness about potential of ecologically fragile lands for cultivation of fruit trees has not only opened up scope for providing economic sustainability for the natives, especially small farmers, but also for bringing new areas under fruit production. Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk.) or Indian jujube, which belongs to the family Rhamnaceae and said to be indigenous fruit crop. Ber is grown in India traditionally from ancient times where it has been in use for almost 4000 years (Mittre, 1961). It is one of the most suitable fruit trees for arid and semiarid regions. It is also known as ‘King of Arid Fruits’, Chinese date, Chinese fig or poor man’s fruit. Ber can do well even under marginal growing conditions and provides quality yields at low cost (Shukla, 1996). Cultivation of ber under the harsh conditions of the Thar desert of India (west Rajasthan) demonstrates its adaptation to desert conditions. Flowering and fruiting of ber coincide with the availability of maximum rain water (monsoon rains), which is during JulySeptember. It has a long taprootand can withstand high temperatures during the summer. During the dry hot summer (AprilJune), it undergoes dormancy by shedding its leaves, thus evading the injury of drought. It can produce fruits even under rainfed situation where average annual rainfall is 150200 mm. It is truly a desert apple for the dwellers of Thar Desert. The tree propagates freely and greatly resists stress conditions in regions experiencing recurrent droughts. It is thus an important tree suitable for integration into the agroforestry systems in the warm desert ecoregions. The tree can provide economic sustenance to the region and insurance against ecological degradation.

Introduction

Soil is one of the elements required for farming and it provides nutrients to the plant. Healthy soil containing all the elements for growth and development of crop as well as heart of soil health is the integration of the soil physical, chemical, and biological process and its functions. But inorganic farming adopted over the recent years to maximize crop production has become Hazardous because in the long run deteriorating the soil health and the quality of the agricultural produces besides polluting the environment and natural resources of soil and water dangerously. Soil testing helps to recommend chemicals fertilizers more judiciously in combination with organic manures and bio fertilizers and hence balanced nutrition to crop. Soil health and fertility is the basis for sustainable profitability of the farmers. Soil testing is a science based and time-tested tool for assessment of soil fertility status and soil ailments and for nutrient amendment recommendations.

Incubation is a critical process in poultry farming, involving the hatching of fertile eggs to produce chicks. This process can be carried out by natural or artificial means. Natural incubation involves placing eggs under a broody hen or duck, allowing the mother bird to provide the necessary warmth and conditions for hatching. In contrast, artificial incubation uses machines called incubators to create the ideal environment for the eggs to hatch. The incubation period, which varies among different poultry species, remains consistent within the same species regardless of whether natural or artificial methods are used.

Incubation

• It is simply the production of chicks by hatching fertile eggs either by natural or artificial means.

An index number is a statistical measure designed to show changes in a variable or group of related variables with respect to time, geographical location or other characteristics like: income, profession, etc. A collection of index numbers for different years, months, locations, etc. is called an index series. Since index number are usually used to measure the level of business and economic activities over a period of time, so they are rightly called barometers of economic activities or simple called economic barometers. The various problems faced in the construction of an index number are to known the specific purpose of index number, selection of items, data for index numbers, choice of base periods, choice of an average, selection of weights and choice of a suitable formula.

Methods of Constructing Index Numbers

A number of formulae have been developed for constructing index numbers, which may be grouped into the following categories:

• Unweighted index numbers

• Weighted index numbers

• Unweighted index numbers: In this case, weights are not expressly assigned. 

8.1 Learning Objectives
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
i) Understand the concept and significance of index numbers;
ii) Identify different construction methods;
iii) Understand the importance of selecting appropriate base and current periods;
iv) Recognize the properties and tests of adequacy;
v) Recognize the challenges and limitations of index numbers;
vi) Stay informed of recent advances;
vii) Synthesize practical examples and calculations for creating index numbers.

8.2 Introduction

In this chapter, we embark on a journey through the intricate world of index numbers, a cornerstone in the realm of statistics. We will explore what index numbers are; their various types; and the methodologies employed in their construction. Delving into real-world applications, we’ll uncover how these numerical tools are pivotal in measuring economic trends, informing policy decisions, and shaping our understanding of complex data sets. By the chapter’s end, you’ll gain insights into not only the mechanics but also the profound impact of index numbers in our data-driven society.

A

Adenocarcinomas 3, 7

Adenomas 7

ALDH1 17, 18

Anaplastic carcinomas 7

B

Babesiosis 1

Bcl 17, 21, 23

Benign tumors 3, 5

Biomarkers 17, , 29, 30, 31

BRCA 31

C

Canine 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 19,

19, 22, 23, 24, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34

Canine distemper 1

Canine Mammary Tumors 1, , 5, 7, 8, 13, 17,

19, 29, 32, 33

Canine parvoviral diarrhoea 1

Carcinogenesis 10, 25

CHEK2 15

Classification and Grading 7

Companion animals 1, 9

COX inhibitors 21, 26

Cyclooxygenases 23, 26, 35

D

Deracoxib 21, 26

Diagnosis 19, 20

Doxorubicin 21

E

EMT 17, 25

Epidemiology 11

Estrogen receptors 20

FGFR2 15

This practical assignment is related with indexing, footnote and bibliographic procedures for writing research articles, this assignment provides hands on experiences for the students on working with indexing, footnote and bibliographic procedures which eventually helps them during writing research articles.

PURPOSE

To make the students acquainted how to write indexing, footnote and bibliographic procedures.

1. Footnotes

Footnotes have a pronounced effect on style, general tone and clarity. Every footnote is a disgression from the main stream of thought. It interrupts the reader. If he reads it, his eyes must make an excursion to the bottom of the page; and when he is through, he must find the place where he departed from it. Lengthy footnotes can cause the reader to lose the thread of your message, to miss what you are trying to tell him.

It is of two types.

Indexing is the act of describing or classifying a document by index terms or other symbols in order to indicate what the document is about, to summarize its content or to increase its findability. The function of indexing in libraries and information retrieval systems is to indicate the whereabouts or absence of items relevant to a request. It is essentially a time-saving mechanism. Theoretically, we can always find the relevant items by an exhaustive search through the whole collection (assuming that we can recognize what is relevant when we see it). Since this is economically impossible, the size of the store to be examined is reduced by classification, using this term in its very broadest sense, i.e., as the recognition of useful similarities between documents.

Indexing performs an indispensable service to the filing function. Index, is a reference list used for locating a particular document in the filing equipment. Similarly, while filing a document, the index aids tracing out the place where the particular paper should be filed. Particularly when a large number of files are maintained for various purposes, index is very essential.

Indexes are constructed, separately, on three distinct levels: terms in a document such as a book; objects in a collection such as a library; and documents (such as books and articles) within a field of knowledge. Subject indexing is used in information retrieval especially to create bibliographic indexes to retrieve documents on a particular subject. Examples of academic indexing services are Chemical Abstracts and PubMed. The index terms were mostly assigned by experts but author keywords are also common.

ABSTRACT

India is blessed with large reserves of strategic and economically important heavy minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, zircon, monazite, garnet and sillimanite. These deposits are mostly located in the coastal stretches of Peninsular India especially between the high tide line and 200-250m inland, with the exception of few inland deposits. Ilmenite is the largest constituent of the Indian beach sand deposits, followed by sillimanite and garnet. These minerals are one of the largest and higher grades in the World. The Indian Ilmenite resource base totals 348 million tones (Mt), along with 18 Mt of rutile, 21 Mt of zircon, 8 Mt of Monazite, 107 Mt of garnet and 107 Mt of sillimanite. Although Indian heavy mineral resources are one of the largest in the world, it is observed that the Production to Reserve Ratio (PRR) is a meager 0.0013; that is insignificant compared to other countries with similar resources.

ABSTRACT

ICT has seen its vertical as well as horizontal growth in various domains, be it rural livelihood sectors and governance. India is well poised to take the benefits of ICT to the common man. There has been consistent progress in addressing the challenges that exists - be it infrastructure or social barriers. The India Development Gateway (InDG) initiative is in response to limitations that exist at the social front. InDG facilitates rural empowerment through provision of relevant information products and services that respond to the real and strategic needs of the rural communities, in their local languages.

There is sufficient support to view that foreign trade plays has a vital role in the economic development of a country. Its contribution to the growth of National Income can be quite substantial. If a country is pulled into world trade, then the country can and should maximize its real income by specializing along lines of comparative advantage. The volume and composition of foreign trade have a profound influence on the character and the extent of development of a country. From the point of view of economic development, both import and export are important. It is through import that a country could obtain plant, machinery and equipment, components, raw materials, technical know-how, etc., which are indispensable for accelerating economic development.

India’s share in world exports was 0.54 per cent in 1970s, which has risen to 0.81 per cent in 2000s and exports has grown 700 times and imports more than thousand times during the course of economic development. It is clearly observed from Table 16.1 that import is greater than export. The rate of growth of export between 2001-02 and 2007-08 was 90 per cent, whereas import growth rate was 150 per cent in the corresponding period.

Abstract

India’s climate policy and its stand in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have developed through a complex and contradictory interactions between global pressures to take actions in the field of climate change, India’s foreign policy orientation, its environmental practices and various other national factors. India has been under growing pressure from the major developed economies and also from many small developing countries to play a leading role in mitigating climate change in keeping with its economic and political importance. National factors, including the very important consideration of maintaining rapid GDP growth, favours a conservative approach, with emphasis on expanding India’s share of global climate space. India ranks high on global climate change vulnerability because of its 7,500 Kilometre-long coastline, high dependence of its agriculture on monsoon, decreasing availability of freshwater and over-exploitation of ground water resources, presence of large population in cyclone-prone areas, low lying river deltas and fragile ecosystems like partially submerged lands, and not least, because of melting of the Himalayan glaciers, which feed close to 70 percent of India’s river waters. In 2008, India formulated a National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) under international obligations. India’s climate policy has always been the preserve of a small group of individuals protected from societal influence and unaccountable to the public at large. Indian policy makers claim to speak on behalf of those very people who have been consciously excluded from democratic and participatory decision-making. The industrialised economies reluctant to own up to their climate obligation only breeds more cynicism within the Indian society. Whatever the outcome of international conventions on climate change or any kind of global negotiations in the immediate future, India cannot afford to give up on the serious issue of climate change.

Keywords: Climate change, Economics, Policy, Agriculture

Trees rise towards the sky, beautiful symbol of Nature’s aspiration for light. Sri Aurobindo writes “When the sun sets and all become silent, sit down under a tree for a moment and put yourself into communication with Nature: you will feel rising from the earth, from below roots of the trees and mounting upwards and coursing through their fibres upto the highest outstretching branches, the aspiration of an intense love and longing, - a longing for something that brings light and gives happiness. There is a yearning so pure and intense that if you can feel the movement in the trees, your own being too will go up in an ardent prayer for the peace and light and love that are unmanifested here”.

As a developing country, India does not have any emission reduction target, but it is able to sell CERs pursuant to the CDM, to large emitters covered by the EU ETS, countries that have emission reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol, or any other entity that wishes to purchase such CERs for compliance purposes. It can also supply ERs and VERs for the growing voluntary markets.

4.1 Status and Trends

India’s participation in the carbon markets has contributed to the recognition that it is a useful tool in attracting climate friendly investments. India was an early player in the market, and it used the hosting of the Eighth Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC in Delhi in October 2002 to sensitize the business community about the opportunity provided by carbon finance and the modalities of the emerging CDM. In 2004, the growth in the Indian carbon market was fostered by a healthy number of indigenous management and technical consultants, which began to offer services to potential sellers of emission reductions, and the response from primarily the private sector to capacity building initiatives concerning the nascent market. In its capacity as the Designated National Authority (DNA) for the CDM, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) also had the foresight to develop simple and transparent rules, whereby project developers can obtain a Letter of Approval (LOA) theoretically within sixty days, which is a key step required for project registration. By the end of 2004, India was the market leader in the forward sale of emission reductions, with 50 % of the supply market. Early successes included the registration of two projects which consisted of the thermal oxidation of HFC-23 generated as a buy-product during the manufacturing of the refrigerant HCFC-22, but also a number of small scale co-generation projects using bagasse, rice husk and mustard crop residues as a source of biomass, and small scale hydropower projects.

1. Country Background

India is one of the oldest civilisations in the world with rich cultural heritage. India has become self-sufficient in agricultural production, and is now the tenth industrialised country in the world. It covers an area of 32,87,263 sq km. Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends between latitudes 8°4' and 37°6' north, longitudes 68°7' and 97°25' east, and measures about 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about 2,933 km from east to west between the extreme longitudes. 
Agriculture is the mainstay of the Indian economy, as it constitutes the backbone of the rural livelihood security system. It is the core of planned economic development in India, as the trickle-down effect of agriculture is significant in reducing poverty and regional inequality in the country. Growth in agriculture has a maximum cascading impact on other sectors, leading to the spread of benefits over the entire economy and the largest segment of population. 141 million hectares is the net sown area, while 190 million hectares is the gross cropped area. The net irrigated area is 57 million hectares with a cropping intensity of 134 per cent. Eighty-two per cent of farmers have small and marginal land holdings.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. National Agriculture Scenario

Agriculture is the most important sector of Indian Economy, contributes 23 per cent of national GDP, accounts for 11 per cent of exports, and 50 per cent of billion depends on it. Interestingly India feeds 16 per cent of population with 2.4 per cent of global land.

In the last five decades, there has been a steady and spectacular transformation of Indian agriculture from the food deficit to food sufficient status. Diffusion and adoption of modern technologies, high yielding varieties, dedicated efforts of farmers, extension personnel and scientists and also programmatic support of central and state governments have all contributed significantly from 50 million tonnes in 1950-51 to land mark achievement of 230.67 million tonnes of food production in 2008-09.

Morphological characteristics

A. balfourii Stapf is an erect, glabrous shrub that grows upto 1.5 m in height. The plant has branched stems which are dull purplish brown in colur that reach about 1.2 m high. Lower leaves are long stalked while the upper ones are short. The plant has long heavy tubers with 7 to 12 cm in length. Roots are tuberous and fusiform.

Floral characteristics

The plants bears about 29 cm long inflorescence with numerous flowered racemes along with the yellow tomentum. The flowers are hermaphrodite and the mode of pollination is by bees. Sepals are helmet shaped, pubescent and blue in colur. The upper two petals are hooded and enveloped in the helmet, and the below two are glabrous. The stamens are many, the filaments are hispidulous, and the pollen is three-colpate. Carpals are yellowish, 3 to 5 in number and tomentose. Follicles range in size from 2 to 5, are sessile, and silky pubescent. Along the raphe, the seeds have a broad winged appearance. The months of September to November are ideal for flowering and fruiting in A. balfourii.