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Origin and history- Litchi is a popular subtropical evergreen fruit; the white translucent flavoured aril is liked very much and is used for table purpose in India. The fruits are available during May–June in northern India. China is the biggest producer of litchi followed by India. In India major litchi producing areas are Mujaffarpur, Bihar mountain area of Saharanpur, Dehradoon, Hoshiyarpur and Gurdaspur district of Punjab.

Soil and climate - It can be grown sandy to clay loam and it prefer slightly acidic soil having pH range from 6-6.5 it has been reported that in acidic soil litchi root develop Micorrhyza. Which symbiosis of root fungus and there by Nitrogen fixation take place in atmosphere.

ABSTRACT

The land available to grow food and trees is decreasing owing to population pressure in all the regions of the world. In the Shivaliks, the land available for crop and tree cultivation is further limited by steep slopes and inaccessibility of different land areas. The livelihood options in the Jammu Shivaliks are limited due to poor development of this area compared to adjoining plains. In such a situation, agroforestry is one of the options to increase the livelihood security of the people of this region as it results in concurrent and sustainable use of the limited land for production of food and tree-based products and improves the livelihoods of the rural people. Agroforestry improvement based on scientific inputs and its popularisation has the potential to improve the livelihoods of people of this region. This paper dwells on the role of agroforestry in livelihood security and constraints in realising the potential of agroforestry in Jammu Shivaliks.

Lotus belongs to the Nelumbonaceae family and the genus Nelumbo. There are two species in this genus; Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. distributed in Asia and Oceania, and Nelumbo lutea distributed in North and South America (Qichao and Xingyan, 2005). Although, the species nucifera is the most important (commercially and culturally), it is critical to describe the American species, evaluate its horticultural value and its potential as a source of genetic diversity. The American species, represented by Nelumbo lutea (Syn. N. pentapetala or Nelumbium luteum) is known as American Lotus, Water-chinquapin and Yellow Lotus (Sayre, 2004) and is native to the eastern and central portions of the US ranging from Maine to Wisconsin and in the south from Florida to Texas. It is one of the most spectacular and graceful aquatics among all the native plants of India. N. indica are found all over India and extend as far as Kashmir to Kanyakumari exhibiting enormous thermoplasticity and phenotypic diversity with a large number of racial variants with different shapes, sizes and colours. First Indian fossilised record of N. nucifera has been reported from the Pleistocene epoch of Kashmir. The presence of Nelumbo in the Tertiary period of Assam is reported on the basis of impressions of leaves and rhizomes found in the collection from Eocene bed near Damalgiri. These records confirm the evidence in support of the view that N. nucifera is indigenous to India.

Lotus has good fragrance. About seventy compounds were identified with hydrocarbons representing > 75% of the extract. 1, 4 – Dimethoxy benzene, 10, 8 – Cineole, ferpinen – 4al and linalool were important constituents characterization of the scent of lotus flower (Omata et al., 1991).

Low external input agriculture developed as a concept in the 1980s, gaining ground with the establishment of the Information Centre for Low External Input and Sustainable Agriculture in 1984 (Kessler and Moolhuijzen, 1994). Low external input agriculture developed as a response to the criticisms surrounding Green Revolution technology being neither sustainable nor feasible for many small-scale farmers around the world.

The macroscopic characteristics of wood give the clues to the conditions under which the wood is grown, provide an indication of physical properties and serve as an aid in wood identification.

Growth rings do not always appear as distinct alternating bands of earlywood and latewood. Some hardwoods, for example, form large-diameter pores early in a growing season and much smaller pores later in the year; such woods are called ring-porous. Discontinuous rings are occasionally found in trees having one-sided crowns and in heavily defoliated, suppressed, and over mature trees. Examination of a stem cross-section often reveals a dark-colored center portion surrounded by a lighter-colored outer zone. The dark center area is known as heartwood and the lighter tissue as sapwood. Trees in which fibers are spirally arranged about the stem axis are said to have spiral grain.

Wood can often be identified by macroscopic characteristics, particularly by colour, gloss, odour, weight and structure. Wood have two types of features:

A) Macroscopic or Gross feature

B) Minute structure feature

The biofertilizer technology has paved way for the manufacturers and entrepreuners to establish a biofertilizer production unit due to an increasing demand and awareness among farmers. Biofertilizer production units have already been started with most of them in the southern states of India. The biofertilizers can be produced using different kinds of carrier materials (peat, coal, lignite, clays, inorganic soil), organic materials (composts, soybean meal, wheat bran, sawdust, etc.), or inert materials (e.g., vermiculite, perlite, kaolin, bentonite, silicates). Natural carriers like peat, plant waste materials, composts, sawdust, sludge lignite, clays, coal, vermiculite, perlite and bentonite and mixture of organic and inorganic materials may also be used.

The Government of India is also encouraging a low cost technology by providing a subsidy to establish a biofertilizer production unit . The major equipment’s and other materials required for a biofertilizer production unit with the capacity of 150 metric tonnes/annum are given below

There are many manufacturers of biofertilizers in both government and private sectors. Only some of them have been listed here for the information

In India, some of the major horticultural crops productivity is affected by major problems. Some of these have been overcomed by certain control measures strategies. However, a few of them are long lasting and have attained the status of national problems. These are mango malformation, alternate/biennial bearing, spongy tissue in mango, bunchy top of banana, guava wilt, citrus decline, rootwilt of coconut and yellow leaf disease of arecanut.

Mango malformation: Mango malformation was reported for the first time from Darbhanga, Bihar. The disease is more prevalent in northwest than northeast and south India. This disorder is widespread in flowers and vegetative shoots.Three types of symptoms are mainly observed. These are bunchy top phase, floral malformation and vegetative malformation. Bunchy top phase is observed in nursery, bunching of thickened small shoots, bearing small rudimental leaves. Shoots remain short and stunted giving a bunchy top appearance. In vegetative malformation, excessive vegetative branches of limited growth are observed in seedlings. 

Camphor plant is valued for presence of camphor in its wood and leaves. Camphor is chiefly a pharmaceutical product though it is used in preparation of artificial essential oils like lavender and lavendin.  It is used as incense and in balms of various kinds.  It is employed as a masking agent in perfumery and sometimes used to achieve lift in perfume blends. Redistilled brown oil is used directly in soap perfumes for a masking effect. Oil is a source of safrole which is a starting material for production of various perfumery chemicals. In 13th century, Marco Polo noted that camphor oil was highly valued by Chinese as a medicine, scent, and embalming fluid.

India, the land of oldest civilization known through out the world for its vibrant cultures, faiths, lifestyle, traditions, rituals etc. which are interwoven with each other since time immemoral. Here people of different ethnic groups live together who speak different languages and dialects according to their religion and choice. Altogether, 68 million inhabitants belonging to 227 ethnic groups, comprising of 573 tribal communities exists in different part of the country. These people constitute 8.08% of the total population of India (1991 Census of India) and speaks <750 dialects that can be classified into one of the following three language families: Austro-Asiatic (AA), Dravidian (DR), and Tibeto-Burman (TB). When come to think of different tribal community’s inhabiting India, they can be easily divided into six major racial lineages i.e. - Negroid, Mongoloid, Proto-Australoid/ Austrics, Mediterranean or Dravidian, West Brachycephals and Nordic Aryans

Vegetables being good source of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibers constitute important component of human diet. These are the cheapest source of natural protective food and increase the palatability. India is the second largest producer of vegetables next to China. Diseases are inherent component of agro-ecosystem, which must be dealt with continuous and knowledgeable basis. Diseases in the standing crop from the seedling stage until harvest and spoilage caused by microorganisms during transit, storage and marketing are major constraints in increasing production and availability of vegetables. At different stages of vegetable production, disease management requires several approaches, and it is more successful, if it is integrated into crop production system. Since vegetables are mostly grown year after year in the same fields especially near towns and cities, therefore, concerted efforts are required to manage the diseases. More than 300 diseases have been reported to occur on vegetable crops and it is beyond the scope of this chapter to discuss all the diseases. However, brief description of etiology, diagnostic symptoms and management practices being adopted are presented here for the economically important fungal and bacterial diseases of vegetable crops.

Multipurpose trees and shrubs are defined as all woody perennials that are purposefully grown to provide more than one significant contribution to the production and/or service functions of a land-use system that they occupy. In agroforestry systems, different species of trees and shrubs can be planted with many types of crops in a variety of patterns. Thus, it is required to know about the methods of propagation and nursery raising, planting and other silvicultural management practices along with the diverse uses of multipurpose trees and shrubs of tropical and subtropical areas before their selection for forestry and agroforestry activities. It is important to select the most suitable tree species since it is not easy to replace them once they have been planted.

MANGIUM (Acacia mangium)

Acacia mangium is a single-stemmed evergreen tree that grows to 25-35 m in height and up to 60 cm in diameter. The bole is usually straight, often fluted near the base, free of branches for up to half its height. Mangium is native to Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. However, it tolerates varied site conditions and has adaptability to different planting objectives. Mangium shows most vigorous growth on well-drained, fertile soils in high rainfall areas in the humid tropics. It is valued for its rapid growth and has been planted throughout the humid tropics and is a major plantation species in the Asia Pacific. Provenances from Papua New Guinea consistently show better growth in height and diameter.

Multipurpose trees and shrubs are defined as all woody perennials that are purposefully grown to provide more than one significant contribution to the production and/or service functions of a land-use system that they occupy. In agroforestry systems, different species of trees and shrubs can be planted with many types of crops in a variety of patterns. Thus, it is required to know about the methods of propagation and nursery raising, planting and other silvicultural management practices along with the diverse uses of multipurpose trees and shrubs of tropical and subtropical areas before their selection for forestry and agroforestry activities. It is important to select the most suitable tree species since it is not easy to replace them once they have been planted.

Multipurpose trees and shrubs are defined as all woody perennials that are purposefully grown to provide more than one significant contribution to the production and/or service functions of a land-use system that they occupy. In agroforestry systems, different species of trees and shrubs can be planted with many types of crops in a variety of patterns. Thus, it is required to know about the methods of propagation and nursery raising, planting and other silvicultural management practices along with the diverse uses of multipurpose trees and shrubs of tropical and subtropical areas before their selection for forestry and agroforestry activities. It is important to select the most suitable tree species since it is not easy to replace them once they have been planted.

MANGIUM (Acacia mangium)

Acacia mangium is a single-stemmed evergreen tree that grows to 25-35 m in height and up to 60 cm in diameter. The bole is usually straight, often fluted near the base, free of branches for up to half its height. Mangium is native to Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. However, it tolerates varied site conditions and has adaptability to different planting objectives. Mangium shows most vigorous growth on well-drained, fertile soils in high rainfall areas in the humid tropics. It is valued for its rapid growth and has been planted throughout the humid tropics and is a major plantation species in the Asia-Pacific. Provenances from Papua New Guinea consistently show better growth in height and diameter.

Multipurpose trees and shrubs are defined as all woody perennials that are purposefully grown to provide more than one significant contribution to the production and/or service functions of a land-use system that they occupy. In agroforestry systems, different species of trees and shrubs can be planted with many types of crops in a variety of patterns. Thus, it is required to know about the methods of propagation and nursery raising, planting and other silvicultural management practices along with the diverse uses of multipurpose trees and shrubs of tropical and subtropical areas before their selection for forestry and agroforestry activities. It is important to select the most suitable tree species since it is not easy to replace them once they have been planted.

Mangium (Acacia Mangium)

Acacia mangium is a single-stemmed evergreen tree that grows to 25-35 m in height and up to 60 cm in diameter. The bole is usually straight, often fluted near the base, free of branches for up to half its height. Mangium is native to Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. However, it tolerates varied site conditions and has adaptability to different planting objectives. Mangium shows most vigorous growth on well-drained, fertile soils in high rainfall areas in the humid tropics. It is valued for its rapid growth and has been planted throughout the humid tropics and is a major plantation species in the Asia Pacific. Provenances from Papua New Guinea consistently show better growth in height and diameter.

Annual rainfall requirement- 75-190 cm

Common names of Malda - Fazli in Calcutta Bombay green in UP Sehroli in Delhi

• The ‘Portuguese Jesuits in Goa started Inarching about 300 years ago. (90% success)
• The seedlings can be inarched when they are three months old as is done in the “Philippines”.
• The Indian nurserymen usually practice inarching in one-year-old seedlings.
• Grafts onto older seedlings result in poor root system.
• There should be no rain; otherwise, water gets inside the union and causes rotting of tissues.
• The name Mangifera was given for the first time by “Bontus” in 1658 when he referred to this as arbor Mangifera (the tree producing mango). Linnaeus also referred it as Mangifera arbor in 1747 before changing the name to its present form “Mangifera indica” in 1753.

Mango was firstly grown within glasshouse in 1960 at England.

Mangoes (Mangifera indica L.) belong to the family Anacardiaceae, has become naturalized and adapted throughout the tropics and subtropics. There are over 1,000 varieties throughout the world, which is a testament to their value to mankind. Popularly known as ‘King of Fruits’, mango is eaten throughout the world. Commercial mango cultivation is based on locally adapted and recommended cultivars. There is a great diversity in mango fruit which permits considerable manipulation of various purposes and markets such as juice, candy, chutney, amchur, pickles, jam, jelly, fresh fruit, canned and/or dried fruit etc. Given the multiple products, it is therefore a potential source of foreign exchange for a developing country as well as a potential source of employment for a considerable seasonal labour force.

PRESENT STATUS

India is the leading country sharing 42.1 % of the world mango production. Currently, it is cultivated in 22,97,000 ha with a total production of 1,51,88,000 tonnes. In India, all fruits share 29.25 % of total land and 31.13 % of total fruit production of which, 36 % of land and 20.3 % of production is under mango. Mango prefers a warm, frost-free climate with a well defined winter dry season. Rain and high humidity during flowering and fruit development reduces fruit yield. The tree generally flowers in mid- to late winter, while fruits mature during early to mid-summer. Mango trees are usually between 3-10 m (10–33 ft) tall but can reach up to 30 m (100 ft) in some forests. The canopy is evergreen with a generally spreading habit. The heavy canopy of the mango is a source of shelter and shade for both animals and human beings. It occupies a pre-eminent place among sub-tropical fruits grown in some states.

Origin and history: Mango is the king of fruits which is grown in India for over 400 years. More than 1000 varieties exist today. It grown in almost all state, India’s share is about 56% of total mango production in the world. Its production has been increasing since independent contributing 39.5% of total fruit production in India. Andhra Pradesh top in the production and Uttar Pradesh is top in area. Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, West Bengal and Gujarat together contribute for about 82% of total production. 

Climate and Soil: Mango thrives well in tropical and subtropical climate. High humidity, rainfall and frost during the flowering period is harmful. The favourable temperature for its cultivation is about 24-27^ºC however, it can tolerant to the temperature up to 48^ºC.

Marigold (Tagetes spp.) an annual flowering plant belongs to family Asteraceae, alternately known as Compositae. The word “marigold” means “Mary’s Gold” and refers to the “Virgin Mary”. However, word “Tagetes” named after the Etruscan God “Tages” who supposedly emerged from the earth as it was being ploughed and was imbued with the power of divination. Cultivated species include Tagetes erecta commonly referred as African marigold and Tagetes patula as French marigold. Marigold commonly propagated by seed and cutting is a leading loose flower of India. Selection of variety is favoured by a higher proportion of double inflorescences.

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION

Origin of marigold is central and South America especially Mexico (Kaplan, 1960). Bailey (1951, 1963 and 1976) reported that marigold is a native to Arizona and Mexico to Argentina.

During early 16^th century it spread to various parts of world from Mexico. African marigold (Tagetes erecta) first reached Spain and from there it become popular as rose of Indies in Southern Europe. Major work on improvement and cultural practices on marigold have been done in USA, Switzerland, France and Germany. In India, marigold was introduced by Portuguese and it became popular and spread quickly because of its wide adaptability to varying climatic and soil conditions. Marigold is well distributed in different states and union territories of India (Singh, 2006).

SPECIES

Earlier, Rydberg (1915) reported that genus Tagetes comprises about 33 species and Bailey (1951 and 1976) mentioned over 30 species, however, Turner and Nesom (1993) reported that Tagetes is made up of nearly 55 species distributed in the American continent, most of them located in Mexico. The two species Tagetes erecta and Tagetes patula are commercially important. Details of these species are given below.

Raw cashew nuts are a seasonal commodity and the trading season is from March to May. Growers usually supply the primary or village markets where small traders collect and supply the urban markets. The cashew trade is seldom handled by exclusive traders. Usually, those traders who collect other plantation products also trade in cashew. Due to the highly competitive nature of the cashew trade, growers have few marketing problems. When large quantities are collected by middlemen, the processors enter the marketing chain and make wholesale purchases. Grades and standards for cashew are yet to be introduced in India. Quality is generally determined by appearance and cutting tests that traders employ prior to purchase. The raw cashew nut market involves a large amount of capital where nearly 80 per cent of the produce is transacted within a period of 35 days. The current value of Indian production is estimated at around Rs. 10,000 million. This capital is made available by industry for procurement and processing operations.

There are no growers’ cooperatives or organizations for cashew marketing. In Kerala, however, the government has been involved in the procurement process and supply to large-scale processors. This adversely affected the cashew trade and has now been replaced by a free market policy.

In addition to the local production of nearly 7 lakh tonnes, India also imports a considerable quantity of raw nuts from several African and South-east Asian countries to satisfy the national processing capacity of about 12-14 lakh tonnes established in the country.