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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”.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research; formerly known as Imperial Council of Agricultural Research, established on 16^th July 1929 and located at New Delhi. It is an autonomous organization under Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India. It is the apex body for coordinating, guiding and managing research and education in agriculture including horticulture, fisheries and animal sciences. This is one of the largest national agricultural systems in the world.

The ICAR has played a pioneering role in ushering in the green revolution and subsequent developments in agriculture through its research and technology development. Thus, the food grains production increased by 5.6 times, horticultural crops by 10.5 times, fish by 16.8 times, milk by 10.4 times and eggs by 52.9 times to achievenational food and nutritional security during the period of 66 years (1950-51 to 2017-18). It has also played a major role in promoting excellence in higher education in agriculture. Organizational setup of ICAR to achieve mandate is as follows.

Indicators of agricultural sustainability are a composite set of attributes or measures that embody a particular aspect of agriculture. These are quantified information, which help to explain how things are changing over time. Smyth and Dumanski (1993) define indicators as environmental attributes that measure or reflect environmental status or condition of change.

• Fresh seeds germinate in 20-30 days giving as high as 90% germinate.
• An NPK mixture supplying 375g N + 202 P2O5+375kg o/tree gave the highest mean-field of 33 fruits/tree and 14.88 kg fruit/tree.
• Flowering planting after four years.
• Flower bud differentiation of at 40 leaves stage.
• Flowering time March-April after 7 weeks of fruit development.
• Mealybug attacks shoots and in between the fruit segments – 0.5% phosphamidon or dichlorvos.
• A virus transmitted by lace bug or mealybug causes pineapple wilt.
• Ripon normally can be stored at 5°C for six weeks.
• Suckers weighing 500-750g and slips weighing 300-400g are better for yield and quality.
• Pineapple exhibits vegetative parthenocarpy and self-incompatibility.
• This is non-climacteric fruit.
• Sunscald discord is due to exposure of fruit to sun rays. Multiple crown/ fasciations is another important disorder probably due to genetics/nutritional factors.
• It contains an enzyme known as Bromelin.

The inoculum dosage and method of application determines the efficacy of biofertilizers. The quantity of biofertilizers to be applied depends on the type of crop, seed rate and soil edaphic factors. There are 3 methods for inoculation of biofertilizers

Seed treatment: One packet containing inoculant (200 g) is mixed with 200 ml of rice gruel or 40 % gum arabic solution to make a slurry (Fig. 23). Then the seeds required for an acre are mixed in the slurry in such a manner that they have a uniform coating of the inoculant over the seeds. Then, the inoculated seeds are shade dried for 30 minutes. The shade dried seeds should be sown within 24 hours. One packet of the inoculant (200 g) is normally sufficient to treat 10 kg of seeds.

Abstract

Insect pests, fungi, bacteria and other injuries are found in all types of environment and affect the growth, production and survival of both plants and animal species in one way or other. Similarly a large number of insects belonging to different orders, families and genera feed on pods and seeds in natural/ during storage and cause injuries. Regeneration failure in several broad leaved and conifers in India and other countries by heavy insect attack in the natural stands at the time of inflorescence and seed formation and on the ground after seed shedding causes heavy loss to number of afforestation programmes. Several methods like chemical, cultural, natural and biological are available for reduction in loss caused to seeds by insects. Generally, earlier the control measure, the smaller the destruction. Forest seeds can be stored safely by taking some precautions before their final storage, viz. inspection of the seeds for their moisture content, visual examination of cleaning method, scanning through soft X-ray technique, thermotherapy or treatments with chemicals, etc. The present chapter has covered review regarding damage caused to seeds by different insect pests and their management options.

INTRODUCTION

The interactions of plant communities – natural or man-made, with their pests are invariably complex, and the complexity further increases with the diversity of the system. When a farmer adopts agroforestry instead of monocultures, the opportunities of relatively easy monitoring of the pest and their frequent disturbance through crop rotation, tillage and burning are traded against a greater stability of the system with an increased potential for self-regulation, which is however complex and more difficult to control. For this trade to be successful in reducing pest risks, agroforesters should not merely rely on increased diversity, but should attempt to integrate into their decisions the full range of traditional and scientific knowledge on the interactions between plant species, planting designs and management practices on one hand, and pests and their natural enemies on the other hand. This obviously requires collecting knowledge and organizing in more systematic way than up to now.

India is contributing about 10% of the world’s vegetables, and in terms of production, the country stands second after China. The existing area under vegetable cultivation in India is around 6.89 million hectare with a production of about 96.54 million tonnes. There will be a demand of 151-193 million tonnes of vegetables in India by 2030 (Dhaliwal et al., 2006). There are extensive crop losses in vegetable crops due to increased insect infestations. Since vegetables are grown round the year, there is carry over of insect-pests across the seasons and also from sowing until harvesting. Vegetables also invite more pest problems because of their cultivation under high fertility conditions leading to high plant succulence. High yielding varieties and hybrids are further more prone to the attack of insect-pests. Insect infestation affects the quality and market value of vegetables adversely and it is estimated that 30-40% of the total production is lost due to the attack of pests (Lal et al., 2004). A large number of pesticides are being used repeatedly to manage the insect-pests in India. Indiscriminate use of pesticides has led to many problems like toxic residues in edible parts of the vegetables, adverse effects on non-target organisms and beneficial insects, resurgence of secondary pests and development of resistance in major pests to pesticides and also environmental pollution. Therefore, latest approach has been to minimize the use of highly toxic insecticides by integrating different strategies of pest control like use of biological control agents, pesticides of plant origin, insect resistant varieties and other cultural practices. In this chapter, efforts have been made to highlight the distribution, host range, identifying characters, biology and nature of damage of important insect-pests of vegetables and also the methods of their management crop or pest wise.

Integrated farming system is a multidisciplinary whole farm approach, which enables the farmers to identify opportunities and threats and act accordingly. It
is a dynamic approach which can be applied to any farming system around the world. It is very effective in solving the problems of small and marginal farmers.
The approach aims at increasing income and employment from small-holding by integrating various farm enterprises and recycling crop residues and by-products
within the farm itself.

Various studies have demonstrated that the cashew tree responds to the application of mineral nutrients, though the responses are significantly affected by plant age, the genotype utilized, the conditions of cultivation, soil and climate and of the crop management (Barros et al., 1984; Ghosh, 1990; Ximenes, 1995; Bezerra et al., 1999; Crisóstomo et al., 2005). The crop develops well under semi-arid conditions, in which the problems associated with water availability and salt excess in the root environment are common. These two factors interfere with the acquisition of nutrients, in that the levels of nutrients in the plants are affected both by direct effects on absorption and transportation processes and by indirect effects associated with a reduction of growth of the various plant organs including the root system. The effect of salinity on plant nutrition depends on the types of salts that predominate in the cultivation environment which can result in a deficiency of essential nutrients and an excess of toxic ions. These changes under salt stress are accompanied by a loss of structural and functional integrity of the cellular membranes, a reduction in activity of various vital enzymes, and a diminished capacity of the roots to absorb nutrients (Zhu, 2001). On the other hand, water deficit reduces the extraction of nutrients from the soil, limiting the solubilization of nutrients in the root environment and altering the morphology of the root system (Kramer and Boyer, 1995). It should be added that the effects of excess salt and water deficit depend on various factors, including the species under study and the stage of development at which the plants are submitted to these.

The integrated pest management is a set of effective and environmentally safe pest management practices that takes advantages of all appropriate pest management options including, but not limited to, the judicious use of pesticides. The comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment, and the available pest control methods are used to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. 

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)
Intellectual Property Rights refer to the legal protections given to the creators of original works, including inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, names, and images. These rights allow creators to control the use of their creations, preventing unauthorized use by others.
Types of intellectual property rights
1. Patents: Protect inventions, giving the patent holder the exclusive right to  make, use, sell, and distribute the invention for a certain period.
2. Copyrights: Protect original works of authorship, such as books, music, and art. Copyright gives the creator exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, and perform their work.
3. Trademarks: Protect symbols, names, and slogans used to identify goods or services. Trademarks prevent others from using similar marks that could confuse consumers.
4. Trade secrets: Protect confidential business information, such as formulas, processes, or methods, that give a business a competitive edge. Importance of IPR
• Incentive for innovation: IPR provides financial incentives for creators by ensuring they can profit from their work.
• Economic growth: By protecting inventions and creations, IPR encourages investment in research and development, leading to economic advancement.
• Consumer protection: Trademarks help consumers identify the source of goods and services, ensuring they get what they expect in terms of quality.

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are legal rights, which result from intellectual activity in industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields. These rights safeguard creators and other producers of intellectual goods and services by granting them certain time-limited rights to control their use. Protected IP rights like other property can be a matter of trade, which can be owned, sold or bought. These are intangible and non exhausted consumption. The term “intellectual property” denotes the specific legal rights which authors, inventors and other IP holders may hold and exercise and not the intellectual work itself (Chadha, 2013). Intellectual property rights are essentially territorial in nature so, where registration is necessary, for patents, registered designs and trademarks, these will not exist in other countries unless registration has been sought and obtained there.

IP protection is crucial for a sustainable contribution of plant breeding and seed supply. Breeding new varieties of plants, which are developed after contributing number of years to the selective inheritance of traits which provide improved yields, higher quality and better resistance to such plant varieties requires a substantial investment in terms of skill, labour, material and economic resources. However, a new variety once released could in many cases be readily reproduced by others so as to deprive its breeder of the opportunity to benefit adequately from the investment made. Thus, an effective system of plant variety protection (PVP) is a key enabler for investment in breeding and the development of new varieties of plants or improving existing plant varieties, encourage importation of foreign varieties, promote exportation of plant varieties provide access to information of the created products and the methodology of creation for the enhancement of social welfare and generally benefit the market place. An international system of IPR protection for plant varieties expands these benefits by facilitating access to new varieties created in other states (Gautam et al., 2012).

Intellectual property is usually divided into two branches: (i) industrial property and(ii) copyright and the rights which neighbour upon copyright. The principal categories of industrial property are: patents, trademarks, geographical indications, industrial designs and trade secrets. Industrial property according to the 1883 Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property is to be understood in the broadest sense and to apply not only to industry and commerce proper but also to agricultural and extractive industries and to all manufactured or natural products including wines, grain, tobacco, leaf, fruit, cattle, minerals, mineral waters, beer, flowers and flour.

Abstract

Intellectual property has increasingly assumed a vital role that we are witnessing today with the rapid pace of technological, scientific and medical innovation. Moreover, changes in the global economic environment have influenced the development of business models where intellectual property is a central element establishing value and potential growth. In India several new legislations for the protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) have been passed to meet the international obligations under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). Forest seed of economic importance and the non-timber forest products (NTFPs) play a very important role in the country’s economy.

Intellectual property (IP) means a brand, invention, design or other kind of creation.Intellectual property contains an author’s copyright on a book or article, a distinctive logo design of any product or web site, patent regarding the process of manufacturing.However, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) can be defined as legal rights given to people over the creation of their minds or intellectual activity in industrial, scientific, literary and artistic fields. Creator gets an exclusive right for a certain period of time to use his/her creations.Creations of the mind means inventions, literary and artistic works and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce. Intellectual property laws vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, such that the acquisition, registration or enforcement of IP rights must be pursued or obtained separately in each territory of interest.

Intercropping

Canopy of cashew to cover the entire area in about 8 to 10 years when grown under normal spacing of 8m x 8m in fertile soil. However, in marginal lands, it takes 10 to 12 years for the canopy to cover entire area. Cashew when grown in hilly regions there is a possibility of soil erosion and weed growth during initial years of planting (Yadukumar and Nayak, 2000). Intercropping is the only available best options to prevent such erosions and conserve soil and moisture in hilly areas and to obtain sustainable income.

Recently, establishment of large plantations and adoption of systematic package of practices and intercropping is practiced to realize additional income in the initial years of cashew cultivations. When the cashew canopy starts touching the neighbouring trees possibility of intercropping is ruled out. Mixed cropping with other tree species is not widely accepted and even not advisable (Anon., 1997), though there are a few instances of growing casuarina as mixed crop in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states (Yadukumar and Nayak, 2000).

In the orchard, several cultural operations like weeding, mulching, etc. are very important. Similarly protection from fire is also essential. The points are discussed here.

Weed Management

The Luxuriant weed growth is a common sight in neglected old cashew gardens. Weeds are not only harmful by competing for the nutrients and moisture but also cause inconvenience to take up effective plant protection measures and harvesting of fallen nuts; thus resulting in loss of yield. Therefore, sanitation of cashew orchard is very essential, it also minimise the incidence of cashew stem and root borer (CSRB). Careful weeding-clearing the area within 2 m radius of the trunk is essential. Clearing of weed growth is to be carried out twice in a year. Weeds may compete for nutrients and moisture with cashew. The weeding cycles are generally confined to the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods to coincide with the fertilizer application.

Weeds should also be controlled between the rows. This can be done by inter-cropping with certain crops for 3/4 years before the tree canopies close in. In addition a legume can be grown to both control weeds and fix nitrogen for the trees. This improves the soil and makes the nutrient available.