eChapters

Antirrhinum is a genus commonly known as snapdragon belongs to family Scrophulariaceae. Snapdragon is one of the flowering plant present with vast genetic diversity in India. The term Antirrhinum is derived from the Greek word “anti” means like and “rhin” means a nose, referring to the snout like shape of the flower. The cultivated Antirrhinum majus is grown in tropical, subtropical and temperate countries. The common name snapdragon, originates from the flowers reaction to having their throats squeezed, which causes the mouth of the flower to snap open like a dragon’s mouth. Flowers are borne on terminal long spikes of many colours except blue and with numerous shades. It is one of the excellent cut flowers which have long lasting qualities. These are also used as garden plants, bedding plants, in rockeries or herbaceous borders and as potted plants. Plants can be grown for cut flowers in an open field or under protection depending on the climate. The leaves and flowers are antiphlogistic, bitter, resolvent and stimulant (Chiej, 1984).

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION

The garden snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) has emerged as a model organism during early studies of inheritance and mutation (Darwin, 1868) because of its diploid inheritance, ease of cultivation and variation in morphology and flower colour. The genus Antirrhinum includes 15 New World species in the section Saerorhinum and 21 Old World species in the sections Antirrhinum and Orontium. A. majus (Snapdragon) is a species of Antirrhinum native to the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern France and East to Turkey and Syria. Most species are found around the Mediterranean Sea and in North America (Stubbe, 1966). The progenitor of the modern snapdragon is from the Mediterranean region and more specifically, it is native to southern France. It was believed that the snapdragon reached Britain with the Romans at an early date, where it has been naturalized on mountainous regions. Thereafter, it spread to different parts of the world from Britain.

The scientific name of the genus Antirrhinum was first defined by Carl von Linne in the year 1753. In the year 1914 Professor Erwin Baur the founder of the MaxPalnck-Institut für Züchtungsforschung in Cologne published a volume called ‘Einführung in die experimentelle Vererbungslehre’ (Introduction to Experimental Genetics) 2nd edition. This book contained several plates with reproductions of water colour paintings of snapdragons as examples. He crossed a white line with a red line resulting in a pink flower. This pink flower then was selfed and the offspring showed the typical distribution of 1 white, 2 pink and 1 red as a demonstration of Mendelian inheritance. Antirrhinum glandulous is native of California. In United States of America, winter flowering cultivars were introduced in 1926 by Frank Volz of Cheviot, Ohio. In 1959, snapdragon were included in the Agricultural Censuses of Horticulturally Special Crops and ranked seventh as a cut flower crop.

The genus Antirrhinum offers an inexhaustible resource for genetics-based studies in developmental biology, biochemistry and evolution (Stubbe, 1966). Wide diversity of Antirrhinum species, combined with classical and molecular genetics, the two traditional strengths of Antirrhinum provides an opportunity for developmental, evolutionary and ecological approaches (Schwarz-Sommer et al., 2003). Transposons responsible for flower variegation were identified in the 1980s. The Max-Planck-Institute in Cologne, Germany, allowing genes involved in flower and leaf development and in pigmentation to be isolated by transposon tagging. Population genetic studies that have been applied to Antirrhinum species show different population sizes, geographic distributions and breeding systems, from self-fertility to obligate out-crossing (Jimenez et al., 2002 and Mateu-Andres and de Paco, 2006). It was introduced to India with the advent of British. Among them, only A. majus has been domesticated as an ornamental.

Introduction
Using short, single-stranded oligonucleotide strands complementary to the targeted mRNA, as RNA technology can regulate gene expression, leading to changes in phenotype, disease resistance, and other traits associated with protein expression profiles. Since gene function depends on expression, this technology can be used to silence genes and inhibit their expression. Because it can manipulate and regulate protein expression during its translation, it can knock out or down the expression of a gene of interest. As such, functional genomics can benefit from this technology as it allows for the regulation of protein expression.
Gene expression involves two main steps: transcription, in which the DNA sequence serves as a template to create an mRNA molecule, and translation, in which the mRNA is used as a template to synthesize a protein. The genes in DNA provide the instructions for making proteins, which are essential for the functions of the cell.
Polymer chain that transforms into an effective protein. The triplet code, which forms the basis of the genetic code, designates an amino acid for each codon made up of three nucleotides. Several enzymes, including together, enzymes such as polymerase, exonuclease, ligase, etc., unravel the DNA double helix and match RNA base pairs with DNA bases to create an RNA copy of the original DNA.

Introduction

Casein has been widely used as a substrate for measuring the trypsin inhibitor activity of natural trypsin inhibitors such as those which occur in Soybeans and other legume. The most common method employing casein is the one originally described by Kunitz (1947) which involves the spectrophotometric determination of the breakdown products produced by a given concentration of trypsin in the presence and absence of the inhibitor. On the other hand, the tryptic hydrolysis of a synthetic substrate such as benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPA), first introduced by Erlanger et al. (1961), does follow a zero order reaction, and one obtains, within broad limits, a linear relationship between the quantity of p-nitroaniline released and the concentration of the active enzyme. Although BAPA has been used for assaying the antitryptic activity of soybean fractions (Sambeth et al., 1967).

Antiviral Factor (AVF)

When an incompatible virus enters the host, resistance to viral diseases is seen. A number of substances, including polyacrylic acid, aspirin, salicylic acid, benzoic acid, and other growth regulators, including Indole acetic acid (IAA), 2, 4-D, Benzyl amino-in (3P), and ethylene, cause resistance to viral diseases. For each of these situations, certain plant compounds have also been identified to cause the development of novel proteins in plant tissues. They are referred to as “antiviral factors.” Healthy plants lack these antiviral components. They are only created once the host has been infected by the virus. These post-infectional substances resemble “phytoalexins.”

Indian gooseberry or aonla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.), is an important fruit crop of 21st century and it has been regarded as ‘Amritphal’ in ancient literature, and has been identified as an ideal plant for various kinds of wastelands viz, moisture stress, eroded, ravines, upland, riverbed and the areas with undulated topography (Korwar et al., 2006) as it possesses some specific characters like intensive and deeper root system, summer dormancy of zygote, reduced leaf area, synchronization of fruit growth and development with moisture availability period and selective absorption of cations and anions which enable it to grow in fragile agro-climatic conditions. India is principal aonla growing country and Uttar Pradesh is the leading state and Pratap garh district, U.P. is well known for aonla cultivation throughout the country. Aonla is a deciduous tree, small to medium in size and distributed in tropical and sub-tropical forests in India. Looking to its high demand and value added products, now, it is being commercially cultivated in different parts of country. It can tolerate alkalinity and salinity and can be grown in wide range of soils.

Aonla is said to be indigenous to tropical south-eastern Asia, particularly in central and southern India (Firminger, 1947). The genus comprises of about 350 species. It is also called Indian gooseberry, amla, nelli, myrobalan, amlaki, amali, ambala, amlika, sirikai, amalakamu in different regional languages in India. Aonla is one of the richest sources of natural ascorbic acid which is protected by high polyphenols content during storage and processing. Aonla is indigenous to central and southern India. It is found it Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China and Malacca. In India, it is widely cultivated in Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu. Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhatisgarh and Jharkhand.

Cultivars/Varieties: Some of the well-known improved varieties are Banarasi, Chakaiya, Krishna (NA-5), Kanchan (NA-4), Hathi Jhul, Neelam (NA-7), Amrit (NA-6), Balwant, Anand-1, 2 & 3.

Uses

The fruit is widely used in ayurvedic preparation due to its pharmacological properties. The fruits are made into preserve (murabba), sauce, candy, dried chips, etc., Fruits are pickled and made into, jelly, toffee, etc., bark and leaves are used for tanning and wood is used for preparing hookah.

Aonla or Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.) is one of the most important traditional but underutilized fruits of Indian origin, having immense potentiality of cultivation on marginal and waste lands. It belongs to  family Euphorbiaceae and sub-family Phyllanthoidae. Aonla tree thrives well throughout the tropical and sub-tropical parts of India either found growing wild or cultivated. Aonla is a quite hardy, prolific bearer and highly remunerative even without much care. It can be grown easily on calcareous and slightly saline as well as alkaline soils where common fruit crops do not thrive.
 
Aonla is regarded as sacred by Hindus and has great mythological significance. According to Hindu mythology, one day meal is arranged beneath an aonla tree during Kartik (October) when trees are laden with fruits. Hindu religion also prescribes that ripe fruits of aonla be eaten for forty days after fast  to restore health and vitality known as Kaya Kalp (Benthal, 1946).

ABSTRACT

A long term study was conducted to evaluate different aonla based silvipastoral systems for compatibility, productivity and conservation effects. Three grass species viz. dholu, hybrid napier and perennial arhar were evaluated for 14 years for degraded lands of Shivaliks. Hybrid napier because of its vigour growth adversely affected the growth of aonla but effect on yield turned non-significant. Arhar could survive only during pre-bearing state. Studies on soil losses and runoff for decades showed that Embilica officinalis + Chrysopogon fulvus was the best silvipastoral system for soil conservation. This system saved rainwater and soil in a range of 4.88 to 30.66 cm and 862-2818 kg ha^-1 respectively over sole plantation. The combination of Embilica officinalis + Chrysopogon fulvus proved to be the most effective silvipastoral system for reclamation of degraded lands and improving economic status of people in Shivalik foot hills.

Aonla or Indian Gooseberry (Emhlica officinalis Gaertn. syn. Phyllanthus embfica L.). belonging to family Euphorbiaceae. is an indigenous fruittree to Indian sub continent. It is one of the most important commercial crops suitable for marginal soils and various kinds of waste lands particularly salt affected lands. A lot of genetic variability is available in India with respect to growth and fruit quality characteristics of aonla. Almost all the budded varieties of aonla were selected from naturally occurring superior chance seedlings having in view their earliness, lateness, hardiness to adverse conditions, yield and superior fruit quality.

1-or successful aonla orchards, it is utmost necessary to have basic knowledge of various cultivars suitable for a particular set of environmental and soil conditions.

This crop is gaining importance as a main ingredient in Indian diet due to its medicinal properties. Large areas are under its cultivation and the larger fruited varieties have become very popular. It is one of the prime constituents in ayurvedic preparations
Bark-eating caterpillars - Indarbela quadrinotata, I. tertraonis: Metarbelidae
The larvae of this species make zigzag galleries and feed on the bark under silken ribbon- shaped webs. They are stout and dirty brown in colour.
Fruit- borer : Deudorix Isocrates : Lycaenidae: The larvae of this beautiful butterfly cause considerable damage (up to 42%) to fruits.  They start feeding while the fruit is tender, and growing. During severe infestations, chemical control may be warranted. This can be done by spraying contact insecticides like malathion, or dichlorvos or  fenvalerate or other synthetic pyrethroids.

Aonla, indigenous to Indian subcontinent popularly known as Indian gooseberry (Amla), is a fruit with immense nutritional and medicinal value. In fact, aonla, in its processed form is very popular among the social elites. Its fruit is valued very high amongst the indigenous medicinal fruits and has even been recommended by the ancient Ayurvedic system for sound health. Aonla is the second largest source of Vitamin C (600 mg/100 gm) among all the fruits, after Barbados cherry and this is 10 times the amount of Vitamin C present in orange. Vitamin C plays a major role in the health of the teeth and gums. In addition to this, it increases the resistance against pathogenic attacks. Aonla is also rich in fibers (3.4%) that are important for the smooth flow of ingested food in our alimentary canal. It also contains carbohydrates (14%) and vitamin B1 (30 mg/100g of fruit weight). Minerals like iron, calcium and magnesium, which are crucial for the various metabolic reactions in a human body, are also present in ample quantities in aonla. 

Genus : Phyllanthus
Species : emblica L.
Family : Euphorbiaceae
Chromosome No. : 2n = 28

The aonla (Emblica officinalis syn. Phyllanthus emblica) is native of tropical south-eastern Asia, and to central and southern India in particular. Aonla although considered as a minor fruit, but is of commercial significance primarily due to early high returns without much care. The small lateral branches resembles pinnate leaves of walnut or sumac and when fall off leaves behind a big scar. Flowers are axillary, apetalous mono or dioecious in small clusters or singly. Plants show great adaptability, are hardy and high bearer. The genus Phyllanthus (Greek-for leaf flower) has some 500 species or even more and two have been identified as important from fruit point of view i.e. P. emblica and P. acidus.

Origin and history  : Aonla or Indian gooseberry is also known as Indian amla. Aonla is the tropical South eastern Asia particularly central and southern India. It is commercially grown in Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. In Uttar Pradesh aonla cultivation is more popular in Pratapgarh, Mirzapur and Barely. It is very rich from nutritional point of view being next to Barbados cherry in terms of vitamin C content (500-750 mg/100g pulp)which is not oxidized due to presence of tannins and even it is least destroyed during storage. Besides, it has an excellent medicinal value. It can be grown successfully in arid climate and in the soils of higher pH and poor fertility wastelands.

Aonla or Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn), belongs to family Euphorbiaceae, is indigenous to Indian subcontinents (Morton, 1960). It has become an important commercial fruit crop in India, due to its hardy nature, suitability to various waste lands, high productivity, nutritive and therapeutic values (Singh et al., 2003). In its processed form, is very popular among the social elites (Singh, 2012). As an indigenous fruit, it has extensive adaptability to grow in diverse climatic and soil conditions ranging from plain lands to hills. The climate ranging from hot tropical plains to humid subtropical mid-elevation hills has been found suitable for its cultivation. It is successfully raised in arid, semi-arid, coastal and warm temperate conditions. Similarly it grows well in saline, alkaline and degraded as well as in sandy, red and clay soils (Singh, 2012).

It is not merely a source of nutrients and medicines but its cultivation is also highly remunerative for small and marginal farmers. Traditionally, aonla has been a common crop of forest or household, but during the last decade or two, unprecedented expansion has been witnessed in the sphere of aonla cultivation across the country, utilizing the wasteland. Many small and big orchards have been established. This has resulted in efficient utilization or resources culminating in increase in farmers’ income and nutritional security coupled with enhanced employment and better utilization of wastelands.

Medicinal plants especially underutilized fruit are the nature’s gift to arid zone. Many of fruits are popular in this area but aonla posses an important place among all. Aonla or Indian gooseberry (Emblica officinalis Gaertn) is native to tropical south-eastern Asia mainly peninsular of central and southern India. The tree is known as Amla, Amlaki, Amli, Ambala, Amalakamu and Nelli in different parts of India. It is a very hardy tree and can be grown under diverse soil and agro-climatic conditions without much care. Aonla fruits has been reported to have potential of antioxidant, free radical scavenging capacity, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, immune modulation properties, which is used to cure various cancer, diabetes, liver and heart related diseases

Aonla has been regarded as a sacred tree in India. It has religious value and it is medicinally very important since ancient time. It has hallowed position in Indian medicine system called as Ayurveda as a protective remedy for several mankind problems. The tree was worshipped as Mother Earth and is believed to nurture humankind because the fruit are very nourishing. Kartik Mahatma and Vrat Kaumudi order the worship of this tree. The leaves are offered to the Lord of Shri Satyanarayana Vrata, Samba on Shri Shanipradosha Vrata and Shiva and Gowri on Nitya Somvara Vrata. The fruit and flowers are also used in worship. Fruits of aonla are processed in various forms like Juice, Murabba, Chayvanprash, candy, powder and flakes which has significant role in mitigating several malnourished disorders. Aonla cultivation has gained special attention of researcher community due to its significant role in medicinal industry as well as processing potential.

Aonla or Indian gooseberry, Emblica officinalis is indigenous to Indian sub-continent. India ranks first in the world in area and production of this crop. Aonla is mainly cultivated in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh etc. It performs well even in the wastelands. Aonla is a plant of great medicinal value and its fruits are a rich source of vitamin C. It has acrid, cooling, diuretic and laxative properties. Dried fruits are useful in hemorrhages, diarrhoea, dysentery, anaemia, jaundice, dyspepsia and cough. Aonla is used in the indigenous medicines (Aurvedic system) viz. trifla and chayvanprash. Fruits are commonly used for preserve (murabbas), pickles, candy, jelly and jam. Besides fruits, leaves, bark and even seeds are being used for various purposes. Very few insect pests are reported on aonla and the details of which are provided here under:

Mealy bug, Planococcus citri Risso (Pseudococcidae: Hemiptera)

It is a highly polyphagous pest feeding on wide range of cultivated/ uncultivated plants. Citrus, mango, guava are few major hosts besides aonla. The bug is a small soft bodied insect the female of which is wingless

Choosing an appropriate location for an apiary is a crucial aspect of natural beekeeping. The productivity, health, and survival of bee colonies are strongly affected by environmental elements such as vegetation diversity, local climate conditions, availability of water, and absence of regular disturbances. In natural farming systems, selecting a site takes on greater importance, as it aims to harmonize with nature, reduce interference, and integrate smoothly with the broader farm ecosystem

An ideal apiary should be situated in a calm, shaded location, away from frequent human activity, loud noises, and pesticide contamination. Bees are extremely sensitive to chemical residues; therefore, the surrounding area should follow organic or chemical-free farming practices. The site must offer year-round access to nectar and pollen sources—like flowering plants, trees, herbs, and native vegetation—to maintain steady nutrition for the bees

Having a clean water source within 500 meters is essential, as bees use water for cooling, honey processing, and nurturing the brood. If there’s no natural water body nearby, shallow containers filled with water and pebbles or floating sticks should be provided. The area should also be shielded from high winds, harsh sunlight, and heavy rains through natural barriers such as hedgerows, bamboo groves, or dense shrubs.

Beekeeping symbolizes the biological interdependence between insects, pollination and production of seed. Honey bees have been tirelessly rendering this yeoman service to benefit human-kind since time immemorial. Beekeeping is defined as “the science and art of rearing honey bees for man’s economic benefits”. Since, honey producing bees are restricted to the genus Apis beekeeping is also called ‘Apiculture’. A suitable place selected for housing honey bee hives, equipments and related accessories is referred to as an “apiary”. The invention of movable hive with separable frames in 1851 by L.L. Langstroth gave beekeeping the impetus to flourish. Further fine-tuning of scientific rearing techniques in these movable hives helped in spreading beekeeping to the newer areas.

Honey Producing Species of Bee

About 20,000 bee species are found worldwide. However, only four species viz. the European honey bee (Apis mellifera Linnaeus), the oriental bee (A. cerana Fabricius), the dwarf bee (A. florae Fabricius), and the giant or rock bee (A. dorsata Fabricius) are commonly recognized as honey producing. Amongst these two, only A. cerana and A. mellifera are hived because these build multiple-combs in dark cavities. The other two build single comb nests in the open (Akratnakul 1987a, Ruttner 1987).

Introduction

Honey bees are the most fascinating creature found in the nature and are very closely associated with our cultural heritage. They have been evolved with structural perfection and behavioral instinct to render their service as the best pollinator and enable to realize the potential yields of several cross pollinated crops under various agro-ecological situations. They are indispensable for human survival. The words of the great scientist Albert Einstein quoted below is very pertinent in this context “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man”.(Thakur, 2011). Thus, starting from honey hunting since time immemorial to traditional bee keeping and its present transformation to scientific bee keeping has been a continuous endeavor of human for harnessing both direct and indirect benefits from bee keeping activities. Bee keeping has been a very popular agro based enterprise which does not compete with any resource of farming system rather acts as an integral component of Integrated farming system. Now-a-days it has not only attracted the attention of a diverse group of people, administrators and institutions for various purposes but also it has been the point of attraction of the rural poor and youth for their livelihood improvement.

Nearly 70 percent of the cultivated crops all over the world are cross-fertilized and depend on insects like honeybees for pollination. At present, several countries are making desperate efforts to achieve self–sufficiency in food production by physical expansion of the area under cultivation, production of better quality seeds and animals, bringing more waste lands under cultivation, use of fertilizers,pesticides and irrigation. However, in the past decade or so, food production has come to a point of stagnation for some cultivated crops. Emphasis in the future therefore, should be on full use of under used resources. In order to maximize horticultural production, pollinators can be used as an important resource or input as improved variety of seed, timely irrigation, doses of fertilizers and plant protection.

1. ‘Apis’ means …. . .

 a) Waxf b)   Bee      

 c)  Honey d) All of these

 2. Apiculture is also known as …. . .

 a) Bee-keeping b) Wax preparation                

 c) Both a & b d) None of these

 3. Importance of bee-keeping …. . .

 a) It provides honey      

 b) It provides bee wax             

 c) Honey bees are excellent pollinating agents, thus increasing agricultural

 d) All of these

 4. Species of honey bee is …. . .

 a) Apis dorsata b) Apis indica             

 c) Apis florae d) All of these

Apomixis was defined by Winkler as replacement of the normal sexual reproduction by asexual reproduction, without fertilization. This definition notably does not mention meiosis. Thus “normal asexual reproduction” of plants, such as propagation from cuttings or leaves, has never been considered apomixis, but replacement of the seed by a plantlet, or replacement of the flower by bulbils are types of apomixis. Apomixis deviates from sexual reproduction in several aspects: modification or complete omission of meiosis, formation of unreduced megaspores, parthenogenetic development of embryo, and autonomous, or pseudogamous, endosperm development (Ramulu et al., 1998). Apomixis produces embryos or seed progeny that are exact genetic replicas of the mother plant. The main advantage of apomixis over sexual reproduction is the possibility to select individual plants with superior characteristics and to propagate them clonally through seeds. Apomictically produced offsprings are genetically identical to the parent plant. In flowering plants, the term “apomixis” is commonly used in a restricted sense to mean agamospermy, i.e. asexual reproduction through seeds.

Apomixis is an asexual method of reproduction through the seed. Apomictic reproduction is widespread and found in over 300 species of plants in 30 families. Interest in apomixis as a reproductive mechanism has increased as its potential and role are being recognized in genome preservation, polyploid build up, propagation of derivatives of wide crosses, permanent fixation of hybrid vigour, evolution, speciation and plant breeding .

Winkler (1906) defined apomixis as “the substitution for sexual reproduction of another asexual reproductive process that does not involve nuclear or cellular fusion.” One of the chief barriers to an understanding of the apomictic phenomenon has been the highly complex terminology as well as the differences of opinion among specialists as to the correct usage of these terms, probably because the phenomenon by itself is complex and in many ways quite different from that of amphimixis. Convincing evidence for the presence of apomixis can be obtained by tracing the steps that are involved in embryonic development. It should be amply clear that as the prerequisite for apomixis, fertilization does not take place at all in any form. Thus there is no normal development of embryo from the egg cell. However, the embryo may develop from an unfertilized egg cell other than the egg cell within the embryo sac.

Apomixis is widely distributed among higher plants. More than 300 species belonging to 35 families are apomictic. It is most common in Gramineae, Compositae, Rosaceae and Rutaceae. Among the major cereals like maize, wheat and pearl millet have apomictic relatives.

I. FILL UPS

1. Development of seed without fertilization is called _____.
2. _____ is the substitution for any sexual nuclear fusion.
3. Apomitic seed will have genetic material only from the _____ plant.
4. In _____ apomixis type, the megaspore cell undergoes the usual meiotic division and forms a haploid embryo sac.
5. The process of seed formation without sexual fusion is known as _____.
6. _____ is defined as the development of embryo from some other cell of embryo sac other than egg.
7. Haploid embryo arises from the egg without fertilization is called_____.

1. APOMIXIS

Development of seed without fertilization. When the seed formation occurs without sexual fusion, the process is known as apomixis. This occurs by several mechanism, however all apomitic seed have genetic material only from the female plant Apomixis may or may not require pollination and pollen tube germination to initiate seed formation, however sexual union.

Introduction

Apomixis is a phenomenon in which there is development of seed without fertilization or sexual fusion. Embryo develops without fertilization in apomixis. Hence, apomixis is an asexual means of reproduction therefore the genotype of plant will be same as of mother plant. Apomixis was first time discovered by Leuwenhock in 1719 in citrus whereas the term apomixis was first time used by Winker in 1908.The main benefit of apomixis over sexual reproduction is the selection of individual plant with superior characters and propagation of clonally through seeds. Higher plants commonly exhibit apomixis. There are more than 300 species belonging to 35 families that exhibit apomixis. Most commonly, it occurs in Gramineae, Compositae, Rosaceae, and Rutaceae.

5.1 APOMIXIS

Apomixis is derived from two Greek words “Apo” (away from) and “mixis” (the act of mixing or mingling). It refers to the occurrence of an asexual reproductive process in the place of normal sexual processes involving reduction division and fertilization. During sexual reproduction, developmental steps occurring inside the ovule produce the female gametophyte (embryo sac) and following a double fertilization event give rise to embryo and endosperm structures. Apomixis can be best described as the reference to the asexual process. In some species, embryo sac is produced not as a result of meiosis and fertilization but by certain asexual processes. The occurrence of such asexual reproductive process in the place of normal seed reproductive processes of reduction division and fertilization is known as Apomixis. Such seedling plants produced in this manner is known as apomicts. ’’Apomixis’’ is used synonymously with ’’agamospermy’’ (Stebbins 1950), referring to the asexual production of seed.

Apomixis (asexual seed formation) is a phenomenon in which a plant bypasses the most fundamental aspects of sexual reproduction—meiosis and fertilization—to form a viable seed. Plants can form seeds without fertilization, and the seed genotype is consistent with the female parent. The development of apomictic technology would be revolutionary for agriculture and for food production as it would reduce costs and breeding times and also avoid many complications typical of sexual reproduction (e.g., incompatibility barriers) and of vegetative propagation (e.g., viral transfer). The application of apomictic reproductive technology has the potential to revolutionize crop breeding. Apomixis is widely distributed among higher plants. More than 300 species belonging to 35 families are apomictic. It is most common in Gramineae, Compositae, Rosaceae and Rutaceae. Among the major cereals maize, wheat and pearl millet have apomictic relatives. Apomixis is reproduction where only one parent passes genes to the offspring (King, 2006). Apomictically produced offspring are genetically identical to the parent (clones).The method is mostly seen in plants, especially flowering plants. Apomixis was defined by Hans Winkler (2008) as the replacement of the normal sexual reproduction by asexual reproduction, without fertilization. Propagation from cuttings or leaves, is not apomixis. Natural replacement of the seed by an asexual method is apomixis.

A family of about 400 genera and 4,555 species of mostly tropical and subtropical distribution, but a few species distributed also in temperature regions. About 30 genera and over 60 species of Apocynaceae have been reported from India. Some of the larger genera along with their approximately reported species in bracket are Rauvolfia (100), Tabernaemontana (100), Parsonsia (100), Aspidosperma (80), Prestonia (65), Strophanthus (60), Apocynum (7), Plumeria (6) and Catharanthus (5). Some plants are of medicinal value and some are highly ornamental.
Periwinkle (syn. Vinca) is grown as an ornamental bedding plant in gardens and parks and is known for its colourful flowers and ever-blooming nature. In India, it is commonly known as sada bahar, sada phuli, and barmasi. It is one of the top ten best selling plant in USA. Its importance has increased owing to medicinal properties and as a model species for study of plant’s secondary metabolism. The plant contains more than 70 different alkaloids in leaves and roots which contribute to anti-cancerous (vincristine and vinblastine) and antihypertensive (ajamalicine) properties, respectively.

APPENDIX – 1: Basic Information

Table 1: Spacing and plant population

The researcher desires to make a study on the socio-cultural aspects of cyber spatial interactions. As you are aware, cyber space or Internet has emerged as a powerful medium of communication. The survey is meant purely for academic purpose and therefore, shall not be passed on to any one and the data obtained from the respondents shall be kept confidential for all practical purposes. The researcher sincerely requests your honest responses. The questions are of people in general, and that there is no right or wrong answers.

Appendix 1 : Syllabus (For the Degree of Bachelor Of Veterinary Science And Animal Husbandry (B.V.Sc. & A.H.)

The cattle skeleton, like that of other mammals, is a complex structure that provides support, protection, and mobility. The skeleton for study purposes is divided into two main parts: the axial skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton forms the central axis of the body and includes bones such as the skull, vertebral column, ribs, and sternum. The appendicular skeleton comprises the bones of the forelimb (scapula, humerus, radius-ulna, carpals, metacarpals and phalanges) and hindlimb (os coxae, femur, patella, tibia-fibula, tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges).

Appendix - 1

Differential Diagnosis of Poisons based on Clinical Signs

1. Introduction

The cultivated apple (Malus × domestica Borkh.), is the most important fruit in temperate regions of the world. Apples were frequently used in different mythologies as symbols of immortality or reincarnation. One of the most popular stories attached to apple is that of Adam and Eve, who ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of good and evil which was in the center of the garden of Eden. The Latin word Malus has two meaning i.e. apple and evil, which has probably stemmed from this story from bible. In Greek mythology, mother earth or Gaia, presented a tree with golden apples to Zeus and his bride Hera on their wedding day. These golden apples were later indicated with many stories of love, bribery and temptation ranging from the abduction of Helen of Troy to the defeat and marriage of Atlanta. Goddess Pomona was deity of fruit trees in Rome. In many cultures, garden of paradise and pleasure is symbolized as the place with fruit-laden apple trees. Apple is popular because of its delicious taste and pleasant aroma.

Apple is the pomaceous fruit (Malus domestica) in the rose family (Rosaceae). It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans.

The apple originated in South-West Asia which includes Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Soviet Central Asia, Himalayan India and Pakistan. It is grown extensively in the temperate region. The major apple growing countries are Australia, Argentina, Brazil, China, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Gemany, USA, India, etc. In India states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and mountanous region of Uttar Pradesh are the major apple producers.

Cultivars/Varieties: The apple varieties are divided into three groups based on their maturing periods. The early season varieties grown in the states of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttranchal are: Tydeman’s Early(P), Irish Peach, Early Shanburry(P), Michael Molies, Benoni Fenny, Benoni Delicious, Schlomit Starkrimson, and Chaubattia Princess. The Mid season varieties are: American Mother, Red Delicious, Richared Razakwar, Starking Delicious, Vance Delicious, Jonathan(P), McIntosh(P), Top Red Lord Lam, Cox’s Orange Pippin(P), Cortland bourne(P), Red Chief, Red Gold(P), Golden Delicious(P), Oregon Spur, Queen,s Apple, Redspur, Rome Beauty, Scarlet Siberian. The late season varieties are: Golden Delicious(P), King’s Pippin, Rymer, Yellow Newton(P), American Apirouge, Buckingham(P), Winter Banana, Kerry Pippin, Granny Smith(P), Sunhari Chamure, Golden Delicious(P), Red Delicious, Ambri Baldwin, and Yellow Newton(P).

1). Scab
Diagnostic Symptoms
• Symptoms generally noticed on leaves and fruits.
• Affected leaves become twisted or puckered and have black, circular spots on their upper surface.
• On the under surface of leaves, the spots are velvety and may coalesce to cover the whole leaf surface. Severely affected leaves may turn yellow and drop.
• Scab can also infect flower stems and cause flowers to drop.
• Lesions later become sunken and brown and may have spores around their margins.
• Infected fruit become distorted and may crack, allowing entry of secondary organisms(Figure-1).
Etiology
Scientific Classification
Kingdom : Fungi
Division : Ascomycota

Delicious and crunchy apple fruit is one of the most popular fruit favoured by health conscious, fitness freaks who believe in “health is wealth”. It is one of the popular wonderful fruit that contains a long list of essential nutrients that in the true sense are indispensable for human health. The antioxidants in apple have many health promoting and disease prevention properties; thus justifying the adage “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. Apples help in controlling heart diseases, weight loss and cholesterol levels. Apples do not have any cholesterol instead they have fibre which reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption and thus are low in calories. Unpeeled apples provide plenty of nutrients which are present just under the skin. Apples are a good source of minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron, vitamins of B-complex such as riboflavin and pyridoxine (vitamin B6), vitamin C, folic acid and beta carotene. Apart from this they also contain appreciable quantities of tartaric acid that gives tart flavour to them.

Apple codling moth: Cydia (Carpocapsa) pomonella: Tortricidae 

This is an international pest and is now seen in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This is a fruit borer whose moth is silvery white with a dark band on the margin of the forewing and light brownish hind wings with a fringed margin. The moths hold their wings roof-like over the body while at rest.

Genus : Malus  
Species : domestica (Borkh.)
Family : Rosaceae 
Chromosome No. : 2n = 34, 51, 68

Like many other fruit crops, apple too is a very old crop in cultivation. Theophratus as early as third century B.C. has indicated that the Greeks and Romans knew apple culture and among the temperate fruit crops, apple is the most ubiquitous of all fruits and is extensively grown all over the world. Huge genetic variability present has permitted the better adapted types to be selected for plantation under different agro climatic conditions.  Through continuous selection both from wild population and also from hybrid seedlings, varied types or varieties have been selected, some are suitable for cultivation in warm temperate regions and others for extreme cold conditions.  This has resulted/added to the gene pool of desired types of apples enormously. At present cultivars are available destined for specific purposes like dessert, cooking, juice, cider and for large number of other uses.

Apple is a king of temperate fruit, symbol of health and premier fruit of the world. It is a deciduous temperate fruit tree and most widely grown in the world from time immemorial. In India, a large number of apple varieties were introduced in 1887 by Mr. Alexander Coutts, and his orchard is called Hillock Head in Mashobra near to Shimla. It was also introduced in Nilgoris and Bangalore, but it was destroyed by wooly aphid in 1887. At present a small cultivation is done in Nilgiris. Among the fruits, apple is having longest storage life. Apples are mostly consumed as fresh but a small part of the production is processed into juices, jellies, canned slices, wine and other products.

Origin and Distribution

An apple is originated in the Middle East/Central Asia more than 4000 years ago where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. It is spreading across Europe to France; the fruit arrived in England during the time of Norman Conquest in 1066. The pioneer apple orchard in the North American continent was planted in Boston by Reverend William Blaxton in 1625. The Only North America native apples are called crab apples or common apples.

Captain R C Scot of the British army had introduced apples like Newton Pippin, King of Pippin and the Cox Orange Pippin to the Kullu valley in 1870. These apples were not popular because of their sour taste. The sweet apples were still being imported from Japan to meet the demand of Indian market. It was during a visit to America in 1915 that Samuel Stokes bought a few saplings and planted them at his Barobagh orchard in Thanedar and in the year 1926 the first apple trees bear fruit and the apples was sold and imports from Japan is stopped. The first few saplings from its, Golden Delicious of Kinnaur and Sweet Delicious of Shimla were became popular and Himachal Pradesh grew to become one of the largest producers of the fruit today. Therefore, the Himachal Pradesh is known as apple bowl of India.

It is a serious disease of apple which not only reduces the quality and size of fruit but also cause premature fruit drop and defoliation. Fruit loses its marketability due to poor quality. It also reduces storage time and cause loss up to 70%.

• Seeds stratification at 4-7°C for 60-90 days from December to February.
• Scions cannot be used for grafting at their active stage of growth.
• Meadow orcharding: 20,000-70,000 plants/ha (Super high density)
• Bitter pit of apple: Golden delicious, yellow (due to calcium) Newton.
• Internal browning: Newton
• Himachal Pradesh is known as the “Apple bowl of India”
• Flower colour: White to Pink
• Apple is the most widely grown temperate fruit in the world
• India rank 5th in apple production in the world
• Apple crop accounts for 55% of the total area and 75% of the total production of temperate fruits in the country.
• 25% to 33% of pollinating trees in India are recommended for regular cropping.
• San Jose scale was introduced in India from France in 1906.
• Apple cider-fermented wine is prepared from apples.

Smart Farming is a hi-tech and effective system of doing agriculture and growing food in a sustainable way. It is an application of implementing connected devices and innovative technologies together into agriculture. Smart Farming majorly depends on IoT thus eliminating the need of physical work of farmers and growers and thus increasing the productivity in every possible manner.

With the recent agriculture trends dependent on agriculture, Internet of Things has brought huge benefits like efficient use of water, optimization of inputs and many more. 

Abstract

The phosphorus deficiency in soil is a major problem for agricultural production as phosphorus is one of the major constituents in energy metabolism and biosynthesis of nucleic acids and cell membranes. The phosphorous present in soil is an important macronutrient for the growth and development of the plants. The phosphorus occurs in two forms in soil, organic and inorganic. The phytates (salts of phytic acid) constitute the major form of organic phosphorus other than nucleic acids, phospholipids and other compounds in soil. Phytate-phosphorus is not readily available to plants due to its chelation with metal ions forming insoluble complexes or adsorbed to soil particles. Phosphate solubilizing and phytate hydrolyzing microorganisms, bacteria and fungi, are ubiquitous in cultivated, wetland, grassland and forest soils, which play an important role in supplying soluble phosphorus to plants. Microbes hydrolyze organic forms of phosphorus by secreting phytases and acidic/alkaline phosphatases. By genetic engineering, several attempts have been made to develop transgenic plants which are able to utilize phytates as sole source of phosphorus for their growth and development. This review focuses on the applicability of microbial phytases in promoting the growth and development of various crop plants.

Biosensors are the next generation detection devices, use biological sensing elements like enzymes, nucleic acids, antibody, cells, organelles, tissues, receptors; have got varied applications in the field of drug discovery, diagnosis, biomedicine, food safety and processing, environmental monitoring, defense and security etc. Microbial biosensors are analytical device that uses naturally occurring or engineered microbial cells as the recognition elements to detect physiological changes in cells with the help of suitable physicochemical transducer.

Introduction

The rapid pace of urbanisation and abrupt growth of population in few large cities in India has become a standing menace to balanced socio-economic development of India. The rapid pace of development in cities had always attracted investors and entrepreneurs to set their enterprises leading to creation of employment opportunities in these cities. On the contrary, the lack of opportunities in rural areas has created a backwash effect leading to creation of slums in and around potential growth poles (i.e. large cities and growing cities).

1. Introduction

Aquatic algae is present in both contaminated and uncontaminated water sources. serve as essential bioindicators for evaluating water quality. Their sensitivity to pollutants and position in The significance of lower-level organisms in the food chain lies in their invaluable role in comprehending the effects of toxic substances on aquatic ecosystems. (Dwivedi & Pandey (2002). Pesticides, including herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides, play a crucial role in agriculture by utilizing forestry and animal husbandry to improve crop production. However, their indiscriminate use can lead to environmental contamination, which poses significant risks to ecosystems and human health. Pesticide contamination primarily results from surface runoff, emissions during spraying, improper transportation, inadequate spraying practices, and insufficient wastewater treatment from the pesticide industry. Introduction of pesticides into the environment Presents numerous environmental and health risks., inhibiting plant and animal growth and affecting the development and nervous systems of animals Pesticides have the potential to infiltrate the food chain, bioaccumulate in higher trophic levels, and reach the human body through biomagnification. Commonly used pesticides, such as imidacloprid, isoproturon, simazine, atrazine, mecoprop, and glyphosate, along with historical organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), contribute to significant pesticide contamination.