eChapters

Among angiosperms, there are about 18 families which have more than 30 genera which produce tubers. Most genera have many species which are tuberizing, most of which are unknown to man even now. The history, origin and distribution of only a few species which are economically important root and tuber crops and which are commonly used by men for edible as well as medicinal purpose are elucidated in this chapter.

1. Sweet Potato

Exact centre of origin of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), and the routes and times for its dispersal to some of its present locations, are still in dispute and are likely to remain so until further archaeological or ethnobotanical evidence is available (O’Brien, 1972).

Bakery Industry

Baked goods have been around for thousands of years. The art of baking was developed early during the Roman Empire. It was a highly famous art as Roman citizens loved baked goods and demanded for them frequently for important occasions such as feasts and weddings etc. Due to the fame and desire that the art of baking received, around 300 BC, baking was introduced as an occupation and respectable profession for Romans. The bakers began to prepare bread at home in an oven, using mills to grind grain into the flour for their breads. The oncoming demand for baked goods vigorously continued and the first bakers’ guild was established in 168 BC in Rome. This drastic appeal for baked goods promoted baking all throughout Europe and expanded into the eastern parts of Asia. Bakers started baking breads and goods at home and selling them out on the streets.

This trend became common and soon, baked products were getting sold in streets of Rome, Germany, London and many more. This resulted in a system of delivering the goods to households, as the demand for baked breads and goods significantly increased. This provoked the bakers to establish a place where people could purchase baked goods for themselves. Therefore, in Paris, the first open-air bakery of baked goods was developed and since then, bakeries became a common place to purchase delicious goods and get together around the world. By the colonial era, bakeries were commonly viewed as places to gather and socialize.^[2] World War II directly affected bread industries in the UK. Baking schools closed during this time so when the war did eventually end there was an absence of skilled bakers. This resulted in new methods being developed to satisfy the world’s desire for bread. Methods like: adding chemicals to dough, premixes and specialized machinery. Unfortunately these old methods of baking were almost completely eradicated when these new methods were introduced and became industrialized. The old methods were seen as unnecessary and financially unsound, during this period there were not many traditional bakeries left.

Bakery is a traditional activity and occupies an important place in food processing industry. The bakery manufacturers in India can be differentiated into the three broad segments of bread, biscuits and cake. About 1.3 million tonnes of the bakery products industry in India is in the organized sector out of 3 millions tonnes, while the balance comprises of unorganized, small-scale local manufacturers. Though, there are sufficient automatic and semi-automatic bread as well as biscuit manufacturing units in India but there are still number of people prefer fresh bread and other products from the local bakery. After entry of Pizza and Burgers’ MNCs in the country, people are changing their tastes also. Today, they are not restricted to bread, cake and biscuits but to other bakery products also. The consumers are increasingly going for newer options with respect to bakery products. With the ventures of few Companies like Britannia, Biskfarm, and Morish etc. competition has increased. Also, the Indian market is witnessing the proliferation of bakery cafe chains in the form of Baristacafe, coffee day, Café Coffee & Monginis etc.

Armed with better technology, know-how and novel ideas, these foreign companies have made rapid inroads into the lucrative market within a very short span of time. Though the demand for bakery products in India has always been on the rise, there is clearly a lack of awareness and the will to break new ground, which has helped global players to gain brownie points while exploring the market in India. The unorganized sector accounts for about half of the total biscuit production estimated at 1.5 million tonnes. It also accounts for 85 per cent of the total bread production and around 90 per cent of the other bakery products estimated at 0.6 million tonnes. The last includes pastries, cakes, buns, rusks and others.

History

Pineapple was discovered a little later in time than expected. It had been a staple of the American diet for years before Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer, discovered it on November 4, 1493. (www.library.ucf.edu; www. levins.com). That’s when the Guadeloupe Island natives served him and his colleagues this delectable fruit, pineapple. The varieties cultivated at the time were all seedless, and many typical wild cultivars were missing (Collins, 1948), demonstrating the area’s early vegetation. He brought the fruit to Europe. The European travellers were so fascinated by this fruit that they frequently mentioned it in their accounts (Morrison, 1963; Collins, 1960).

It was known as ‘nanas’ or ‘ananas’ by the people of South America (‘ananas’ meant ‘excellent fruit’ in Guarani). People in the area literally cultivated it according to a strict protocol, and they were especially keen to select superior varieties in order to increase fruit yield and quality. They gained a thorough understanding of crop agronomy and production. They also put into practise some of the processing standards that are still in use today around the world (holidayandtraveleurope.blogspot.in). Pineapple wine was made, fibre was extracted, and pharmacological needs such as emmenagogue, abortifacient, antiamoebic, vermifuge, stomach disorders, and poisoning arrow heads were met (Leal and Coppens d’Eeckenbrugge, 1996). In 1980, Antoni and Leal proposed that the pineapple originated in an area further north, between 10° N and S latitudes and 55–75° W longitude, which included parts of north western and eastern Brazil, Columbia, Guyana, and Venezuela. During colonisation, Spanish and Portuguese navigators were instrumental in the distribution and spread of pineapple to all corners of the globe (www.daf.qld.gov.au 2015).

Cashew has a long history as a useful tree but only in the current century, it became an important tropical horticultural crop. Small-scale local exploitation of cashew for its nuts and cashew apples is the pattern for more than 300 years in Asia and Africa. It was not until early years of 20^th century that international trade in cashew kernels began with first exports from India. Although with slow beginning, cashew became an important commercial crop in the last couple of years. In India, use of cashew apples and nuts was started by local people, and accounts from Africa are similar; making cashew wine/liquor possessing a common practice in both Asia and Africa (Johnson, 1973).

Cashew, an evergreen tree, produces both nuts and apples, has become a crop of importance owing to the highly valued kernel and wide adaptability to varying agro-climatic conditions. India is one of the largest producer, exporter and consumer of cashew in the world. Today, cashew has become a crop of high economy and has moved from a crop of waste lands to commercial crop, even in organized sector (Singh, 1998).

The early history of laparoscopy is unknown to many surgeons, but Hippocrates (460-375 BC) in Greece was first to describe endoscopy). He made reference to a rectal speculum. Hippocrates also advised injecting a large quantity of air into the intestines through the anus in the case of intestinal obstruction. He also advocated the insertion of suppository that was 10 digits long. These descriptions suggest that Hippocrates was well aware of ileus with intestinal obstruction and thought of several possible etiologies, including faecal impaction, intussusception, and sigmoid volvulus. Moreover, Hippocrates treated these life-threatening conditions with minimally invasive approaches.

? Dioscorides- Classified Toxicants on the basis of their origin into Plant, Animal, and Mineral Sources.

? Ibn Hazer- Differentiated between a drug or a poison on the basis of matter of dose.

? Dementhes – died by swallowing an unknown poison in his pen.

? Socrates- was poisoned by a cup of Hemlock (Greek State Poison) obtained from Conium maculatum having active principle coniine causes paralysis, coma followed by death.

? Cleopatra- Egyptian lady use strychinine poisoning and she died of Egyptian Asp.

? Lady Toffana- Arsenic containing perfumes known as Aqua Toffana.

The history of the guava fruit can be traced back thousands of years, and it has a rich cultural and botanical significance. The guava fruit (Psidium guajava) is believed to have originated in the tropical regions of Central America, particularly in present-day Mexico and neighboring countries. Archaeological evidence suggests that guavas were cultivated and consumed by the indigenous people of these regions as early as 2000 BCE. From there, the fruit spread to other parts of South and Central America, the Caribbean, and eventually to other tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Guava holds significant cultural importance in various ancient civilizations. In the Mayan culture, guavas were considered sacred and symbolized fertility (Arévalo- Marín et al., 2021). The fruit was also believed to have healing properties, leading to its use in traditional medicine. The Spanish and Portuguese explorers played a pivotal role in spreading guavas to other parts of the world during the Age of Exploration. They brought the fruit back to Europe, Africa, and Asia, where it quickly adapted to the tropical and subtropical climates. Guava cultivation in Asia can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed that the Portuguese introduced guavas to India and Southeast Asia (Hussain et al., 2021). The fruit’s popularity grew rapidly in these regions due to its adaptability to various soil and climate conditions. Guavas were introduced to Hawaii in the early 19th century. The fruit quickly naturalized and became a prominent part of the Hawaiian diet. Today, Hawaii is known for its delicious pink-fleshed guavas, and guava-based products such as jams and juices are popular exports (Shigeura & Bullock, 1983). Guava has been recognized for its nutritional and medicinal properties since ancient times. It is a rich source of vitamin C, dietary fiber, and various essential nutrients. Traditional medicine in many cultures used guava leaves, fruit, and roots for treating ailments such as diarrhea, dysentery, and respiratory issues. Guava fruit and trees have also found their way into ancient literature and folklore. In some Indian epics and poems, the guava tree is celebrated for its lush greenery and sweet fruits, symbolizing prosperity and abundance (Reguengo et al., 2022).

Hog-plum also known as wild mango (Spondias pinnata), is native to tropical Asia. A small, aromatic deciduous tree, up to 27m height and 2.5m in girth, with a clear bole of 16m, is found wild or cultivated almost throughout India, ascending up to an altitude of 1500m in the Himalayas; also found in the Andamans. Bark thick, aromatic, smooth, grey; leaves imparipinnate, 20-60cm long, leaflets 5-11, 22-28cm long, ovate-oblong, elliptic or elliptic-oblong, more or less oblique with mango-like smell; flowers whitish or greenish white, polygamous, in large, terminal panicles; fruits in terminal clusters of 10-15, drupes yellow-green or rich olive-green, mottled with yellow and black, smooth, ovoid, 4-7cm long; seeds 1-3, one being perfect, oblong-elliptic. Fruit is extremely sour, even when completely ripe.

6.1 Kinetics of Rumen Digestion

The rate and extent of digestion of dry matter or organic matter in the rumen is regarded as the important parameter to predict voluntary feed intake (Khazaal et al., 1993; Blummel,1994). Voluntary feed intake is responsible for more than 50 per cent of the variations in animal response to the diet (Van Soest, 1994) and with low quality unsupplemented roughages, this can be as much as 93% (Blumme1,1994). Therefore, any parameter of feed evaluation that would indicate the voluntary feed intake would be a useful parameter to judge the quality of feedstuff. The rate of digestion of any feed component can be measured by determining extent of digestion at intervals of time. Therefore, the techniques for determining extent of digestion, such as the rumen in vitro techniques (Tilley and Terry, 1963; Goering and Van Soest, 1970) or the in situ Dacron bag technique have been adopted to derive rate of degradation of dry matter of any particular component of the feedstuff. However, unlike in determining the extent of digestion, wherein the incubation is turned off at one particular time (normally 48 hours), measurement of rate of digestion, requires termination of incubation at several points between the start of incubation and until at least 90% of the potentially digestible dry matter is digested (72 or 96 hours). This generates a large number of samples for analysis.

In gas production technique, since gas produced from digestion of substrate is accumulated in the incubations, measurement of gas at different times of incubation would reflect the extent of digestion at different times of incubation. Therefore, unlike with other in vitro / in situ techniques wherein, digestion is determined from the gravimetric disappearance of feed at different times of incubation, gas production technique offers the possibility of using cumulative gas production at different times of incubation to measure the rate of digestion. Thus, a single incubation of feedstuffs is adequate to measure the rate of gas production.

In his classic book ‘The Ascent of Man’, Bronowski has written, “When I was a young man, we all thought that mastery came from man’s domination of his physical environment. Now we have learned that real mastery comes from understanding and moulding the living environment.” Our Biosphere, the living environment that supports us all, has problems and we humans are mainly responsible. We do not live ‘gently’ on the earth. The seven billion of us require air, water, food, energy, housing and amenities and we have developed the earth to provide them and have also created problems. That problems exist are serious is the bad news. That we are recognizing them and that man has shown ability to organize and grow in ascending order from time to time is the good news.
TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIMISTS OR TECHNOLOGICAL CRITICS
A barrier often divides environmentalists and industry. This is the result of a kind of polarization in the 1970s that forced people to define themselves as other technological optimists or technological critics. The environmental debates have usually advocated environmentally benign, small-scale, relatively “low’ technologies. The “soft path” based on conservation and simple renewable energy technologies was pitted against the “hard-path” based on largely on nuclear, fossil fuels etc. In farming Eco agriculture and Organic farming challenged the intensive use of energy, fertilizers, pesticides etc.
WHAT REALLY IS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY
For the optimistic proponents of advanced technology, the main danger was that retrealist, anti-technology “prophets of doom” would be causing a collective loss of nerve. To them, it would mean missing an opportunity to get an affluent, supercritical society that would overshoot the limits to growth.

Abstract: Hollyhocks are seed propagated garden annuals with numerous hybrid phenotypes, series (single and bicoloured Halo series), Spotlight, Carter’s Double, Double Triumph, Giant Double Powder Puff, Halo Bush (tricoloured), Halo Mixed (eight colours) and cultivars are available in the world market. Unusual plant height, delayed flowering compared to other winter annuals handicap its popularity. While little genetic information and trait heritability has been established for this crop, breeding continues to produce new variants for commercial production. Gene pool of hollyhock exhibits great diversity. Breeding objectives with high priority include dwarf stature (2 feet height), compact growth, double and large flowered inflorescence, precocious flowering and resistance to leaf rust disease.

Abstract

Overall geological histories of the Quaternary deltas of all over the world have been studied considerably, to understand the evolution, eustatic – isostatic changes, land – ocean interactive phenomenon, resources, environment etc. But tectonic signatures of these deltas have been less studied, though these have significance in understanding the natural resources, environment and evaluation of natural disasters. In this context, as the state of Tamil Nadu is a low easterly gradient plain, all the easterly flowing rivers have developed well evolved geomorphic features related to youthful, mature and old stages. Such old stages of the rivers are marked by the spectacular development of deltas. These deltas of Tamil Nadu have been studied in detail for understanding the tectonics with the help of visibly seen tectonic and geomorphic features in satellite based remote sensing and ground based data sets. The study has revealed that the upper age limit / ages of these deltas are probably of Middle to Late Holocene and the various tectonic and geomorphic anomalies observed in these deltas obviously indicate the tectonic processes/ phenomena that prevailed during Middle Holocene - till date. The Proto Cauvery delta of Chennai region is witnessing ongoing NE–SW sinistral, NW–SE dextral and E–W vertical tectonic activities. The streams in Ponnaiyar delta are showing persistent southerly migration due to the probable ongoing land subsidence along NE–SW faults in the southern part of the delta. The Cauvery river which has originally developed a broad bird-foot shaped – arcuate delta, has undergone a phase of anticlockwise rotational migration and stabilized in the northern rim of the delta as Coleroon river during 2300–750 Y.B.P. due to the ongoing tectonic emergence in the south of the delta almost since the last 6000 years or so. The Vellar river, in deltaic regime, shows northerly migration due to E–W grabening in the northern part of the delta. Vaigai and Manimuttar rivers are again migrating northerly in their deltaic regions due to the probable land arching to the south of their present day flow. Thus, the paper discusses the post deltaic / Middle -Late Holocene geological processes of Tamil Nadu deltas which are predominated by tectonic activities.

9.1 Introduction

Holocephalians are a group of highly specialised cartilaginous fishes that live in the sea. It is structurally similar to Elasmobranchii and Teleostomi. It exists in both extinct and living forms. Previously considered a class of Pisces, Nelson (1984) classified Holocephali as a sub-class.

9.2 Systematic Position

Phylum: Chordata

Scientific name: Ocimum sanctum L.
Family: Lamiaceae
The ‘Sacred basil’ or ‘Holy basil’, Ocimum sanctum Linn. a biennial shrub belonging to the family Lamiaceae, is commonly cultivated in gardens. The Hindus of India worship the species and is traditionally grown in courtyards and temples. The aromatic plants belonging to genus Ocimum is popularly known by the name Basil. Basil was derived from Greek word “Basilica” which means royal plant. Among the Ocimum genus Ocimum basilicum is variously known as Sweet basil, French basil or Common basil. Ocimum sanctum is known as sacred basil or Holy basil which is a very sacred plant according to Hindu belief.
Origin and distribution
Ocimum Sanctum has broad distributions, covering the entire Indian subcontinent, ascending up to 1,800 m in the Himalayas and as far as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This plant occupies a wide range of habitats.
Botany
Botanically, Ocimum sanctum is an erect, herbaceous, and softly hairy plant that exhibits extensive branching. It typically grows to a height of 30-75 cm. The leaves are entire, serrate, and pubescent on both sides, while the flowers are characterized by their purplish or crimson hue, arranged in racemes. The fruits of Ocimum sanctum are sub-globose or broadly ellipsoid in shape, slightly compressed, nearly smooth, and exhibit a pale brown or reddish coloration with small black markings. It is a biennial or triennial shrub.

I. General information

A kitchen garden/ nutrition garden is a vegetable garden where the vegetable crops are grown in the backyard of a house or any available space in compound or rooftop of the house, to meet the daily requirement of the family. All the members of the family are collectively involved in a kitchen garden.

For a balanced diet, 300 g of vegetables are to be included in our daily food. But on an average, Indians take only 160 g per day. Hence to fill up the gap, vegetable cultivation not only in farmers’ holdings but also in the home gardens is encouraged.

INTRODUCTION
Agroforestry is a land use option that increase livelihood security and reduce vulnerability to climate and environmental change. Agro-forestry has many potential, such as to enhance the overall (biomass) productivity, soil fertility improvement, soil conservation, nutrient cycling, micro-climate improvement, carbon sequestration, bio drainage, bio- energy and biofuel etc. There are many agroforestry systems practiced in India from time immemorial, but the potential of home gardens and their socio-economic significance is very well documented.   Home gardens represent land use systems involving deliberate management of multipurpose trees and shrubs in intimate association with annual and perennial agricultural crops  and livestock within the compounds of individual houses (Fernandes and Nair 1986). Home gardens can also be called as Multitier system or Multitier cropping. Home gardens are highly productive, sustainable and very practicable. Food production is primary function of most home gardens on sustenance basis.

Introduction

Food and nutrition security is the basic requirement of human development. Among the ten global burden of diseases, six are connected with diet related factors. Food and nutrition security is also closely related to other factors like socio economic status, geography and demography. Asia, Latin America and Africa hosts world’s most of the undernourished population. Among these regions South Asia is considered as one of the hotspots of malnutrition, in which India is the major contributor. Fifty seven percent of population cannot afford healthy diet in South Asia.

Over the centuries of remarkable economic growth in India concomitant reduction in under nutrition has not been witnessed and this dilemma is called Indian enigma (Gillespie et al 2012; Sengupta 2019). In India among the different socio economic categories, undernutrition has highly been manifested among SC and STs (Gillespie et al 2012; NNMB 2009).The reasons of food and nutrition insecurity are directly linked to remoteness, dire poverty and dysfunctional food security programmes (Khera 2011; UNICEF 2014). Poor and landless among them are mostly falling prey to chronic food insecurity. Coupled with reduction in locally available dietary inputs, rising food expenditure also compel poor to cut back the quantity and resort to low priced calorie dense food (Smyth & Sweetman; 2010). Therefore, poor people’s diet assume to fraught with starch, which leads to nutritional imbalances and resulting in to various lifestyle diseases like diabetics among them. This situation necessitates the need of local, sustainable household food production through home nutrition gardens. Many studies testify the impact of household level food crop cultivation in addressing malnutrition. Kuhnlein & Raceveur 1996; Pimbert 2009; Vira et al 2015 argues inadequate diets are associated with the “delocalization of food supply” and disruption in existed food systems. Therefore, in general literatures on agriculture and nutrition elicits the positive correlation between cultivating food crops and nutrition security (Gillespie et al 2012; Hossain et al 2016; Viswanathan et al 2015). In this context, home nutrition garden programmeassumes greater significance in countering malnutrition among Paniyan community in Western Ghats region of Wayanad district of Kerala.

ABSTRACT

Homegardens are traditional agroforestry systems present throughout the northeast India especially in foothill region. The high diversity and the intensive care that is given to the homegarden in and around Arunachal Pradesh results in a unique combination of high levels of productivity, stability and sustainability of the system. The homegardens studied here were vertically distributed in four different layers viz, floor, middle, sub-canopy and canopy. Such stratification has given rise to the distribution of a variety of species based on light requirement in the system. Density and diversity index of tree species in the homegardens were highest in Harmutty in the foothills (468.5 plants ha^-1 and 1.17 respectively), whereas lower values were recorded in Ziro in the upper elevation (16 plants ha^-1, 0.651 respectively). Soil nutrients were greater in Harmutty, followed by Doimukh, Nirjuli and then Ziro. Maximum plant detrital (litter and fine roots) biomass and their subsequent decomposition in the homegardens of Harmutty (10185.67 kg ha^-1) might be the probable reason for the efficient nutrient cycling and generation of more available nutrients.

Many human illnesses are contacted from animals and plants; and are also due to imbalance in the environment. Mental, emotional and relational symptoms seen in humans are absent in animals. Nevertheless, careful observations on the behavior of the animal and its relation with others may play key role in homeopathic prescribing in animals. No doubt the use of homeopathy in animals is challenging. Homeopathic treatment of pet animals has many similarities with homeopathic treatment of babies and children such as non verbal communication, the socialization and the relationship with third parties (owners in case of pets and parents in case of children).There are many prescribing strategies in veterinary homeopathy.