eChapters

Botanical Name: Areca catechu L. Family: Arecaceae / Palmae Chromosome No: 32 Place of Origin: Philippines, Malay, Indonesia, Cochin, China and Malaya Peninsula Common Name: Betel nut 3.1 Introduction Arecanut (Areca catechu L.), commonly known as Supari or Betel palm or Arecanut palm, is cultivated primarily for its kernel obtained from the fruit which is chewed in its tender, ripe or processed form. It is an important cash crop of India. The economic produce is the fruit called ‘betel nut’ and used mainly for masticatory purposes. Its cultivation is restricted in South Western and North Eastern regions of the country. The chromosome number of Areca catechu L. was first determined as 2n=32 (Venkatasubban, 1945) and it belongs to family Arecaceae. It is one of the important commercial crops grown in parts of Karnataka, Kerala, Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The cultivation of arecanut has also been extended to other states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. India is the largest producer and consumer of arecanut in the world holding 62% of the area and 60% of the production. The other major arecanut growing countries are Indonesia, Bangladesh, China, Myanmar and Thailand. Arecanut being a profitable plantation crop, it is important to understand the package of practices and seasonal operations to be followed in the nursery, in young gardens and in old plantations to get maximum returns. To get additional income in the adverse periods, concept of cropping system is very important. The exact origin of areca nut is not known till date but, arecanut is a palm which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, Asia, and parts of East Africa (Kumar, 2013).

Importance

It helps to cope with fever, cough and cold, stress, high blood pressure, excessive fats in body. It lowers the cholesterol level, cleanse the body by eliminating toxic substances, improve the digestive system, improve blood circulation, cleanses other organs of our body including kidney, pancreas, liver, bladder etc.and aid to deal with menstrual problems. The oil is distilled from leaves and flowering tops of Lemon grass. The oil has strong lemon-like odour, due to high percentage (over 75%) of citral in the oil. The characteristic smell of oil makes its use in scenting of soaps, detergents, insect repellent preparations. However, the major use of oil is as a source of citral, which goes in perfumery, cosmetics, beverages and is a starting material for manufacture of ion ones, which produces vitamin – A. The Citral rich oil has germicidal, medicinal and flavouring properties. An allied species called West Indian lemon grass (C.citratus) has low citral content in the oil and has meager trade in the country.

Botanical Name: Anacardium occidentale L.

Family: Anacardiaceae

Chromosome No: 42

Place of Origin: Brazil

Common Name: Cashew, cashew tree, caju

7.1 Introduction

Cashewnut (Anacardium occidentale L.) is an important tropical tree crop which leads the edible nuts in international trade with 29% market share only after hazelnuts (35%) and followed by walnuts (21%) and almonds (16%). It is one of the major exports earning crops which accounts nearly Rs. 2515 crores contributing about 1.5% of the total Indian exports. It was only during the past two decades it gained the status of horticulture crop. India is the world’s largest producer of cashewnut. The cashew cultivation area in India during 2018-19 was 10.89 lakh hectares with an annual production of 743 thousand metric tons of fruits. Maharashtra is a much-advanced state for horticulture which occupies large area (1.9 lakh hectares) under this crop (Directorate of Cashew & Cocoa Development, Cochin, Kerala). Cashew exports amounted to over 566 million U.S. dollars from India in fiscal year 2020. This included cashew kernels and cashew nut shell liquid. India’s main export markets for this commodity included South Korea, China, Spain, United States and Belgium (Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare).

Botanical Name: Theobroma cacao L.

Family: Sterculiaceae

Chromosome No: 20

Place of Origin: Tropical South America

Common Name: Cacao, cacao bean, cocoa, cocoa bean

6.1 Introduction

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) is a perennial plant and is used as beverage crop. The generic name Theobroma means the “Food of the God”. The word cacao refers to the tree, while the word cocoa refers to the drink made from its seeds. The roasted product of the dried beans is called as Cacao nibs that are used for the manufacture of various products. When cacao nibs are ground, the resulting product is called chocolate liquor or mass, which contains around 55% fat. The fat that is pressed from chocolate liquor is termed as cacao butter. It is mainly used for the manufacture of chocolates, in pharmaceutical preparations and soap making. After pressing out the fat the resultant product with reduced fat content is called cacao powder. For preparation of chocolates cacao powder is mixed with cacao butter and sugar with a definite ratio. Milk chocolates are prepared by adding milk to the above mixture. The cocoa powder contains 22- 25% fat, 20.4% protein and 35% carbohydrate with caloric value of 452 cal. Rind or shell of pod is used as a cattle feed.

Botanical Name: Cocos nucifera L. Family: Arecaceae / Palmae Chromosome No: 32 Place of Origin: Malaysia Common Name: Coconut 2.1 Introduction Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), is widely known as ‘Kalpavriksha’ (i.e., tree of heaven) as each and every part of the palm is useful in one way or the other and is an important perennial oil yielding crop of humid tropics. It provides food security and livelihood opportunities to 20 million people around the globe and 10 million people in India (Chowdappa et al., 2017). Even though India is the largest coconut growing country in the world, its contribution to the export market is not significant. Coconut as an edible oil and food crop, is now slowly transforming into raw material for various pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetic products. Coconut is rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals. Because of its health benefits beyond its nutritional content, it has been considered as “functional food”. Hence, there exists a huge scope for coconut-based agribusiness in India, which will increase the present 8% level of value addition to 25%. The coconut-based value-added products are desiccated coconut powder, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut milk powder, coconut flour, coconut water concentrate, coconut jelly (Nata-de-coco), coconut vinegar, virgin coconut oil, coconut chips, coconut pickle, coconut ice cream, neera and neera based value added products such as syrup, squash, honey, jaggery, candy and sugar (Chowdappa et al., 2017).

Botanical Name: Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora

Family: Rubiaceae

Chromosome No: 44, 22

Place of Origin: Africa

Common Name: Coffee

8.1 Introduction

Coffee is widespread throughout the tropics with more than 70 species. All cultivated species originate from Africa. Economically important today is Coffea arabica (Arabica, 64 % of world production) and Coffea canephora, (Robusta, 35 %). It is cultivated worldwide on approximately 10.3 million hectares and represents the sole economic income for more than 25 million families. The crop is produced and exported by more than 60 nations and ranks as one of the top cash crops in developing countries with 3.19 lakh MT production per annum in India in 2018-19 from more than 459 thousand hectares crop area. The coffee plant is a fast-growing tropical bush tree, with two types of shoots: upright growing orthotropic main shoots (stem), and horizontally growing plagiotropic shoots (branches). Traditionally, coffee trees are cultivated only for the berries, which are processed using dry or wet techniques directly in the growing areas to the final raw product, green coffee; this serves as the basis for various coffee products. Both the coffee species tolerate shade and share quite similar growth requirements with various forest crops and trees, thus predisposing them to be grown in agro-forestry ecosystems.

Botanical Name: Phoenix dactylifera L.

Family: Arecaceae

Chromosome No: 2n = 36

Place of Origin: Countries around Persian Gulf

10.1 Introduction

Date palm is a nutritive fruit rich in sugar and iron and predominantly seen in desert oasis. It is the main fruit crop in arid and semiarid regions, particularly in the arid regions of western Asia and North Africa. The palm tree is well adapted to desert environments that are characterized by extreme temperatures and water shortage. Beyond the arid climates, date palm can also be grown in many other countries for food or as an ornamental plant including the continents of Americas, Southern Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. The majority of date palm growing areas are located in developing or underdeveloped countries where dates are considered the primary food crop, thus playing a major role in the nutritional status of these communities. By-products from date palm are used in building structures, animal feed, and also in several items such as baskets and ropes. The date palm tree has been in cultivation since 2400 BC. It is one of the oldest cultivated fruit trees on earth. India is the leading importer of dates. According to FAO statistics, in 2011 India was the largest world importer of dates (256,295 mt) and its neighbour Pakistan, in 2012, was the world’s sixth largest producer (600,000 mt). The major date palm growing areas in India are Kutch (Gujarat), Rajasthan and certain parts of the Punjab, as well as Tamil Nadu state to some extent. In Kutch, there are more than 2 million date palms, the majority of them grown from seeds and offshoots, providing a huge biodiversity for experimentation and improvement of products. Efforts by the Indian government in the last decade have resulted in an increase of date palm cultivation from 8,973 to 16,000 ha and establishment of a prominent effort in Rajasthan (Shah, 2014).

The practice of smoking the trees to induce off-season crops in mango is

A. Smudging      B. Bending

C. Ringing         D. Notching

India is a natural reservoir of the several fruit species. The several less known fruit species, which have the potential for commercial exploitation, are yet to be utilized to their potential. An attention to the less known fruit would play a significant role in increasing the income, providing employment opportunities, uplifting of the poor, small and marginal farmers and the development of value added products. These fruits are well known for their medicinal and nutritive value. There is a great need to develop and popularize not only for their domestic market but also for their export. Some of the less known fruits are described here with respect to their cultivation technology.

Where is the Central Institute for Medicinal & Aromatic Plants situated at?

A. Srinagar        B. Bengaluru

C. Anand           D. Lucknow

Importance

Ajwain is an important seed spice and is also useful for its medicinal values. It is a traditional potential herb for curing many ailments in human and animals. It is usually used as a digestive aid, relieves abdominal discomfort due to indigestion and antiseptic. The seeds of ajwain is bitter, pungent and contain 2-4.4% brown coloured oil known as ajwain oil. The main component of this oil is Thymol, which is used as gastrointestinal ailment, lack of appetite and bronchial problems. Thymol is also used in toothpaste and perfumery (Joshi, 2000). Seeds are also used for curing abdominal pains, abdominal tumors and piles (Krishnamoorty and Madalgeri, 1999). In southern parts of India dry ajwain seeds are powdered and soaked in milk, which is then filtered and fed to babies as it relieves colic in babies. It can be used as digestive mixture in large animals.

Botanical Name: Elaeis guineensis Jacq.

Family: Arecaceae / Palmae

Chromosome No: 32

Place of Origin: Guinea Coast of West Africa

Common Name: Oil Palm

4.1 Introduction

The cultivated oil palm Elaeis guineensis Jacq. is a native of West Africa and exists in wild, semi- wild and cultivated forms. It was introduced as an ornamental crop in 1860 and planted at National Botanical Garden, Kolkata. Research on oil palm in India started during 1960 with the establishment of a research station at Thodupuzha by the Department of Agriculture, Kerala with Dura and Tenera germplasm imported from Malaysia and Nigeria. National Research Centre (NRC) for oil palm is situated at Elur, Andhra Pradesh. Oil palm crop is one of the highest oil yielding crops among all perennial crops. It gives 4 to 6 tonnes of edible oil/ha from 3 to 25 years of its life span compared to less than one tonne of oil per ha from other cultivated oil yielding crops. This oil palm is considered as golden palm due to its high yielding capacity. Among the 10 major oilseeds, oil palm is accounted for 5.5% of global land use for cultivation, but produced 32.0% of global oils and fats output.

Botanical Name: Borassus flabellifer L.

Family: Arecaceae

Chromosome No: 36

Place of Origin: Tropical region of Africa, Asia and New Guinea

5.1 Introduction

Palmyrah is a monocotyledon and perennial crop. The word “Borassus” was derived from a Greek word and it means the leathery covering of the fruit and “flabellifer”, means fan-bearer. The distinguishing characters of palm in this genus are their palmate, fanlike leaves and dioecious character, i.e., male and female flowers are borne on separate trees (sex ratio 1:1), allotetraploid (X= 8 or 9, n = 18), the male tree has a heteromorphic XY pair of chromosomes while the female has an XX pair (Sankaralingam et al., 1999). Next to coconut, palmyrah is the most abundant palm found in the world. Palmyrah thrives in arid conditions and is grown extensively in Tamil Nadu. Palakkad district of Kerala is popularly known as land of palmyra trees. Palmyra trees are known as the icon of this district and have a vast cultural, heritage and literary association.

Importance

It is one of the most valuable primary products in world trade, in many years second in value only to oil as a source of foreign exchange to producing countries. Its cultivation, processing, trading, transportation and marketing provide employment for hundreds of millions of people worldwide. Coffee is crucial to the economies and politics of many developing countries; for many of the world’s Least Developed Countries, exports of coffee account for more than 50 percent of their foreign exchange earnings. Coffee is a traded commodity on major futures and commodity exchanges, most importantly in London and New York.

Botanical Name: Hevea brasiliensis

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Chromosome No: 2n =36

Place of Origin: Amazon basin in Brazil

Common Name: Rubber tree, Rubber plant, Para rubber tree

11.1 Introduction

Rubber is a fast-growing tropical tree and mainly grown for the production of latex. In 1495, Columbus was the first person to report about latex. The latex was used for rub out pencil marks and this gave the product name as rubber. The latex is used for production of various rubber products. The most important application of latex rubber was initially accomplished in the 1880s when the rubber was used for making motor cars tyres. When rubber is heated with sulphur, it retains the physical properties.

The products of the plants which are used as food adjuncts to add taste only is called

A. Spices                   B. Medicinal plants

C. Aromatic plants     D. Condiments

Importance

Ginger is a perennial herbaceous monocotyledon, usually grown as annual, and is known to human as spice as well as medicinal crop. The word Zingiber is thought to come from the Sanskrit word singabera meaning ‘shaped like a horn’. It probably got its name because the rhizomes look like deer’s antlers. It first appeared in the writings of Confucius in the 5^th century B.C.

The economic part is the underground rhizomes, which is pungent and aromatic. It is valued for its medicinal properties and is useful against gastritis, dyspepsia, cold and cough. It is widely used in food, beverages, confectionery, etc. Baby ginger or young ginger results from early harvesting and is a gourmet quality product with a tender, low-fiber texture and is mostly used for pickling. Rhizome contains proteins, fibre, starch, essential oil, Zingiberol, Glutamic acid, Aspartic acid, Glucose, Fructose, and Sucrose. Most ginger varieties have about 3-6% crude fibre, 1.5-3.0% volatile oil and 4-10% oleoresin. The major pungent principle in ginger oleoresin is gingerol. Among the gingerols 6-gingerol, 8gingerol and 10-gingerol are very important in contributing the pungency. Gingerol (Hydroxy methoxy phenyl decanone) on storage gets converted to another compound called shogaol. The age of ginger oleoresin can be assessed based on the shogaol content. Chemically, gingerol is a relative of capsaicin, the compound that gives chilli its spiciness. Cooking ginger transforms gingerol into zingerone, which is less pungent and has a spicy-sweet aroma.

Botanical Name: Camellia sinensis L.

Family: Theaceae

Chromosome No: 30

Place of Origin: China

Common Name: Tea

9.1 Introduction

Tea (Camellia sinensis L.) of family Camelliaceae or Theaceae is the oldest and second most widely consumed beverage in the world following water. Tea is an evergreen plant that mainly grows in tropical and subtropical climates. India is world’s 2nd largest tea producer after China with production of 1.25 million tonnes in 2020. In India it is grown in an area of 6 lakh hectares, contributing one fourth of world total tea production annually. Interestingly, India is also the world’s largest consumer of the beverage and using nearly 30 percent of the world’s tea output. India stands third in terms of tea export after Kenya (including neighbouring African countries) and China. The total tea export was US$ 501.16 million in April 2020 to November 2020 and for November 2020 it was US$ 71.61 million.

India ranks ___________ in area and production of vegetables in the world.

A. First           B. Second

C. Third         D. Fourth

Barleria L. (Acanthaceae) is a pantropical genus of herbs and shrubs comprising about 300 species, occurring mainly in Africa and Asia. In India, the genus is represented by about 32 species of which 24 are endemic to India.  About 80 % of the species are found in Peninsular India. Many species of Barleria are of ornamental value and can be grown for their foliage and showy colorful flowers. There are certain indigenous species which show good growth performance in cultivation and have economic importance as ornamentals. Moreover, some species fall under IUCN categories of threatened plants which need immediate attention for their conservation. Considering the horticultural importance especially in landscape gardening and rarity of Barlerias, various species found in India are collected and cultivated through various methods in the Botanical Garden of Shivaji University, Kolhapur.

Facilities required for propagating many plant species by seed, cuttings, or grafting and budding include two basic units namely a structure with temperature control and ample light such as a greenhouse or hot bed where seeds can be germinated or cuttings rooted. The second unit is a structure into which the young tender plants can be moved for hardening preparatory to transplanting and cold frames or lath houses are useful for this purpose.Greenhouses: There are different types of greenhouse namely low cost greenhouse and commercial greenhouses. In all polyhouses/ greenhouses means of providing air movement and air exchange is necessary to aid in controlling temperature and humidity It is best, if possible, to have in the greenhouse heating and self-opening ventilators and evaporative cooling systems. Plastic greenhouses covered with various types of plastic film have become very popular among nursery men.

Cashew being a highly cross pollinated crop, planting of seedling is not recommended. In the past seed propagation was in vogue, which has resulted into large variation in plants due to highly heterozygous nature. However, it is seldom practiced now-a-days except to raise the rootstock materials. Selection of seed is very important for raising rootstock material. Seed nuts which are heavy and sink in water should be selected for raising seedling. Seed nuts should be collected from high yielding trees. Seed nuts collected from the current season’s crop during March, April and May are the best for seed production as they have been found to give high percentage of seed germination. Studies conducted to investigate the time taken and germination percentage revealed that heavy nuts (sunken in water) gave 92 per cent germination on 14-17 days, whereas floating nuts took 14-22 days and gave 64 per cent germination (Krishnamurthy et al., 1985).

i. SHIELD OR ‘T BUDDING

Materials and equipments- Budding knife, tying material and petridis.

Procedure

Operations on the stock- Select healthy, uniform stock plants of about a lead pencil thickeness and about one to one and half years of age. Remove the thorns (if any) and side branches up to a height of 20 to 25 cm from the soil surface. Select a spot at height of about 15 to 20 cm from the soil surface in between two internodes, which is smooth, other than the southern aspect. With the help of a sharp knife make a horizontal cut of about 1.25 to 1.80 cm in length, deep enough to cut bark only. Starting from the centre of the horizontal cut make a vertical cut, deep enough to cut the bark only of about 2.5 to 3.5 cm long making the shape of english letter ’T’. Open the flaps with the help of knife blade or the back of the budding knife.

Purpose-Multiplication of plants by cutting includes stem, root and leaf cuttings. The stem cuttings are of four different types i.e. hard, semi hard, soft wood and herbaceous wood cutting consist in producing new individuals after the piece of stem has been detached from the mother plant and planted in conditions suitable for regeneration to the missing organs. Stem cutting have to develop a new root system as they already have buds to give rise to shoots. Many cells of the cutting are capable of becoming meristematic and thus are able to produce new roots. The success in the stem cutting multiplication depends upon factors such as condition of the mother plants, part of the tree from where the cuttings are made, time of the year, care while planting and after care. Cuttings can be made during monsoon (July-Sept.) and spring (Feb. -March) season when active cell division is taking place.

Purpose-The term ‘Grafting’ includes all forms of grafting and budding. It is the art of joining the part of together in such a manner that they will unite and continue their growth as one plant. A grafted plant consist of two parts a rootstock, also known as understock or stock, and a scion. The part of the graft combination which is to become the upper portion or top and performs the function of flowers production and fruits is known as scion and the part which is lower portion or root which performs the function of fixing itself in the soil, absorbs moisture and nutrient from the soil is known as rootstock.

When the scion part is a small piece of bark containing only one bud the operation is termed as budding, but when the scion part is a branch containing more than one bud, the operation is termed as grafting.

Purpose: Layering includes several forms of ground and aerial layering (goottie). When rooting is encouraged on the aerial part of a plant after wounding it is known as air layering or goottie or morcottage. When branches running parallel to ground are utilized, then the method is known as ground layering. Layering is the development of root on a stem while it is still attached to the mother plant. The root formation on the stem is stimulated by removing a ring of bark or by making a notch which cause an interruption in the downward movement of carbohydrates and auxins from the leaves and growing shoot tips. The materials accumulate near the points of treatment and helps in rooting. Root formation depends upon continuous moisture supply, good aeration and moderate temperature around the rooting zone. For the same reason the best result are obtained by these methods during monsoon month (July-Sept.) and spring (Feb. -March) from branches 1 to 2 years of age.

Veneer grafting

It has one striking advantage in using the detached scion sticks for propagation, i.e. the shoot of the mother plant which is to be multiplied can be cut away from the mother plant and taken to the seedling growing in the nursery for grafting. Proper selection of scion is very important for the success of this method. The scion stick ought to be 3 to 4 months old and with some activated bud, either auxiliary or terminal. This is secured by defoliating the scion shoot about a week before the actual operation

This method can be practiced on seedling stocks grown in pots or nursery beds. A slanting cut about 5cm long on one side of scion stock, is given and the bark along with wood is removed, giving an oblique cut. Now a slanting cut on one side of the scion is made, which will just fit with the notch of the stock. The scion is then placed in position in such a way that the cambium rings of both stock and scion come in close contact. It is then wrapped tightly with 1.5cm wide tape of 200-300 gauge alkathene film keeping the terminal ends free. When the scion begins to grow at the top, (after about 3 weeks) the upper part of the stock is removed, thus forcing the buds to grow more rapidly. The plastic wrap is removed after 2-3 months.

The success is more or less the same in the entire scion (2.5 to 10.50 cm in length) but the growth of scion is always more when bigger scions are used.

Media for plant growth and seed germination has great significance in nursery business. It is the basic need of the propagation industry. The material for rooting and growing media may be used either alone or incorporated with one or more products in combination. The materials used for rooting media may be naturally occurring or may be manufactured artificially.

Characteristics of an ideal rooting medium: These are as follows.

1. The medium must be sufficiently firm and dense to hold the cuttings or seeds in place during rooting or germination.
2. It must retain sufficient water and air, allowing sufficient drainage.
3. It should be highly decomposed and stable.
4. It must be free from weed seeds, insect pests and diseases.
5. Acidity or alkalinity should be the optimum for different species.
6. Its volume must be fairly constant, when either wet or dry.
7. It must be capable of being sterilized.

Plant propagation by means of seed is called ________ propagation.

A. Sexual          B. Parthenocarpy

C. Asexual        D. Apomixis

Objectives

1. To know the propagation and its methods.
2. To know the propagation methods of various spices and condiments.

Propagation of plants

The process of increasing plant numbers is called propagation

Or

Multiplication of plants is known as propagation

Plants are propagated either by

1. Sexual (Seed) or
2. Asexual (vegetative) methods.

1. DEFINITIONS

Propagation : Propagation of plants may be defined as the controlled reproduction of plants by man to perpetuate selected individual or groups of individual plants which have specific value to him or it is the perpetuation of plants as independent units by means of seeds, bulbs, layers, cuttings, or grafts.

• Seed: A seed has been defined as a young plant packed ready to start growing when required.
• Apomixis: Development of seeds without the complete sexual process is known as apomixes and seed produced in this manner is called apomictic seeds.
• Seed dormancy: The embryo of the seed remains in inactive stage from the time of its development to the time it germinates. This failure of the embryo is termed as dormancy of the seed.
• After-ripening: Some seeds germinate fully when freshly harvested, but they germinate after a period of dry storage. The change taking place in such seeds are known as after- ripening.
• Embryo dormancy: Conditions existing within the embryo.
• After-ripening dormancy: Seeds fail to germinate when freshly harvested, but they germinate after a period of dry storage. Such seeds are known as after-ripening dormant seeds. This is due to the physiological changes taking place in embryo.

Plant propagation techniques refer to the methods by which the plants are multiplied and increased in number.

Methods of Propagation

i) Sexual Method of Propagation - Seeds are used as propagating material.

ii) Asexual Methods of Propagation - Plant parts, other than seeds are used for plant propagation.

Spices play important roles in daily life and India is a rich repository of spices. Various biotechnological approaches like micropropagation, somaclonal variation, in vitro conservation, synseed technology, protoplast fusion, production of flavor and coloring components, and development of novel transgenics have great significance in conservation, utilization and increasing the production and productivity of spices. Protocols for micropropagation and production of disease free planting materials are available for many spices. Efficient plant regeneration protocols are also available for exploiting somaclonal variation ,where the available natural variability is relatively low. Technologies for isolation and culture of protoplasts were reported in a few spices. Development of transgenics for disease resistance is gaining momentum. Synseed and Micro-rhizome technology are also available for many spices for safe propagation, conservation, movement, and exchange of germplasm. In vitro and cryo preservation technologies for conservation of spices germplasm are available for many spices.

Kewda is exclusively propagated through ground suckers and leaf bearing terminal cuttings. In kewda growing areas, predominantly the terminal shoot cuttings are used in commercial plantations. However, the seeds are also capable to germinate and give rise to plants, but it is not in practice due to hard mesocarp and seed coat (Bailey, 1950, Deshaprabhu, 1966, Mott, 1975, Maharana and Jagadev, 1993).

Seed propagation

In kewda, the flowers develop into berries, which fuse to form a multiple fruit. The receptacle and bracts are included in the fruit. The seeds are deep seated and very difficult to extract, hence seeds are sown along with the fibrous drupes. Each drupe contains 2-9 seeds. Seeds collected from ripe fruits are sown during spring. The seeds normally, take about 3 months for germination due to the hard seed coat and impervious fibrous covering. Experimentally, it was observed that one hour sulphuric acid scarification treatment of the drupes reduced the germination period by about one month increasing the germination percentage as compared to direct sowing, however, scarification for more than one hour was deterimental (Table 14) (Maharana and Jagadev, 1993). Bailey (1950) reported that seed soaking in tepid water for 24 hours would aid the germination. The seed propagated plants (Plate-27) take about 2-3 years more for flowering as compared to vegetatively propagated plants.

The Indian arid zone is characterized by high temperature and low and variable precipitation which limit the scope for high crops productivity. However, these conditions greatly favour the development of high quality in a number of fruits such as date palm, ber, aonla, bael, pomegranate, kinnow, lasoda and in vegetables cucurbits, legumes and solanaceous crops, spices, medicinal and aromatic plants. The existing low productivity could be increased by following improved technologies and inputs. It is now realized that there is a limited scope for quantum jump in fruit and vegetable production in the traditional production areas. The amelioration of the extreme conditions is also considered vital for life support to the inhabitants of this area. The recent awareness regarding the potential of these ecologically fragile lands for production of quality produce has not only opened up scope for providing sustainability for the people of this region, but also for bringing in new areas to increase horticultural production. The area expansion and yield potential of arid horticultural crops has increased many folds because of development of new varieties and advancement in production techniques in arid region.

Introduction

The green revolution technologies involving the greater use of synthetic agrochemicals with adoption of nutrient responsive, high yielding varieties of crops have boosted the production output. However, this increase in production has slowed down and in some cases there are indications of decline in growth of productivity and production. Environmental and health problems associated with agriculture. These questions have given rise to a process of serious thinking to safeguard the environment and the quality produce.

1. Introduction

As purveyors of ornamentation, inciters of attraction, symbols of inspiration and peace as well as repositories of beauty, flowers hold special roles worldwide. Flowers have always been associated with mankind since time immemorial because they were used in religious offerings and other social ceremonies. Today; floriculture has emerged as one of the most lucrative business profession and as a major diversification options in the agri-businessin many countries of the world due to higher income per unit area. Floriculture is also known as sunrise sector of agriculture because of its fast growing and increasing demand. In India, about 3,09,000 hectares across the country was used for floriculture and produced 23,88,000 metric tonnes (MT) of loose flowers. India is second largest flower producer after China.

Vegetables are short duration crops and provide more returns per unit area and time besides, they play a major role in balancing human diet, thus, helping in alleviating hunger and malnutrition (Annon., 2009). In the previous few years, India has attained quantum jump in vegetable production and present estimated vegetable production is around 162.9 mt in an area of about 9.4 mha (NHB, 2014), and holds second position at global level. But this level of vegetable production is insufficient to meet the recommended daily intake (~300 g per capita per day) for a huge population of the country. This is mainly due to lower average productivity (17.5 t/ha) of the nation. There are several crop diminishing factors such as soil borne- and foliar- diseases, insect-pests and nematodes as biotic factors, and soil or water salinity, alkalinity, metal toxicity and heat and moisture stress as abiotic factors, which greatly affect vegetable crops yield in almost all growing areas, especially in fragile arid and semi arid regions.

The testis is composed of up to 900-coiled seminiferous tubules, each averaging more than 0.5 meter long, in which the sperm are formed. The sperm than empty in to the epididymitis, another coiled tube about 6 meters long. The epididymis leads into the vas deferens, which enlarges in to the ampulla of the vas deferens immediately before the vas enters the body of the prostrate gland. A seminal vesicle, one located on each side of the prostrate, empties into the prostatic end of the ampulla, and the contents from both the ampulla and the seminal vesicle pass into an ejaculatory duct leading through the body of the prostrate gland to empty from the prostrate gland into the ejaculatory duct. Finally the urethra is the last connecting link from the testis to the exterior.

The prostrate gland secretes a thin, milky fluid that contains citrate ion, calcium, phosphate ion, a clotting enzyme, and a profibrinolysin. During emission, the capsule of the prostrate gland contracts simultaneously with the contractions of the vas deferens so that the thin, milky fluid of the prostrate glands adds further to the bulk of the semen. Slightly characteristic of the prostatic fluid may be quite important for successful fertilization of the ovum because the fluid of the vas deferens is relatively acidic owing to the presence of citric acid and metabolic end products of the sperm and consequently, helps to inhibit sperm fertility. The vaginal secretions of the female are acidic. Sperm do not become optimally motile until the pH of the surrounding fluids rises to about 6.5. Consequently, it is probable the prostatic fluid helps to neutralize the acidity of these other fluids after ejaculation and thus enhances the motility and fertility of the sperm.

Greenhouses are frames or inflated structures covered with a transparent or translucent material in which crops can be grown under partially controlled or totally controlled conditions of atleast. It is large enough to permit persons to work within, to carry out cultural operations. Greenhouse cultivation as well as other modes of controlled environment cultivation has been evolved to create favourable microclimate, for the crop production all through the year or during off season, when the produce is highly priced and remunerative. Green house is a broader term of protected structures which includes different types of structures according to the need. Green houses vary in size and complexity from small home or hobby structures to large commercial units, from solar green house to sophisticated environment controlled ones.

Protected cultivation provides controlled or modified growing environments that enable horticultural crops to be produced beyond their normal climatic limitations. This chapter covers greenhouses, polyhouses, shade nets, insect-proof structures, tunnels, and other protected systems. It explains environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, light, ventilation, carbon dioxide, irrigation, and fertigation. Protected cultivation can improve productivity, quality, resource-use efficiency, and production timing while reducing exposure to adverse weather and certain pests. The chapter also discusses crop selection, substrate culture, automation, and integrated management. Proper environmental control and economic planning are essential because protected systems involve higher initial investment but can generate high returns through quality produce and extended market opportunities.

Introduction

Since 2001, India’s human beings population has crossed 1000 million, which is presently 1361 million and will became more than 1462 million during 2025. Such a large population of human beings can be fed and clothed only if we make the best use of the country’s land and water resources. While water is replenishable natural resource. Contrary to this, the land is a non-renewable and irreplaceable resource. It, therefore, becomes an imperative to think of about the main problems of protecting/preserving and managing the land resources f irst of all and thereafter managing the water resources. Such an approach will, infant, prove a solution of both of these resources. It is because if the land of the country is looked after properly, the problem of water management would be automatically tackled (Singh, 2007)

Out of the total land area of India, about 329 million hectares (m ha) as many as175 m ha suffer from degradation, caused for the most part by the soil erosion, water logging, soil salinity and sodicity as well as acidity. This denotes that on an average at least two out of every 3 acres (1.2 ha) of land is in poor condition. It is also known that at least half of the sick land i.e., one third of the total is almost completely unproductive. Another one third is partially productive and it is only the remaining one third is in good health.

ABSTRACT

The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of α-mangostin on cardiac markers against isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats. Induction of rats with Isoproterenol (150 mg/kg body wt, i.p) for 2 days resulted in a marked reduction in the activities of cardiac tissue marker enzymes (LDH, CPK, GOT and GPT). Pretreatment with α-mangostin (200 mg/kg of body wt/day) orally for 6 days significantly prevented these alterations and restored the enzyme activities to near normal levels. In conclusion, these findings demonstrate the protective effect of α-mangostin on isoproterenol induced experimental myocardial infarction in rats.

1. INTRODUCTION

Proteins are polymers of amino acids. Twenty different types of amino acids occur naturally in proteins. Proteins differ from each other according to the type, number and sequence of amino acids that make up the polypeptide backbone. Proteins are the important constituents of foods for a number of reasons. They are a major source of energy, as well as containing essential amino-acids, like lysine, tryptophan, methionine, leucine, isoleucine and valine which are essential to human health, but which the body cannot synthesize. Proteins are also the major structural components of many natural foods, often determining their overall texture, e.g., tenderness of meat or fish products. Isolated proteins are often used in foods as ingredients because of their unique functional properties, i.e., their ability to provide desirable appearance, texture or stability.

Proteins are complex organic molecules made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Most proteins also contain sulphur and phosphorus and also play an important role in food preparation. The final quality of many food products are influenced by how the proteins are treated while food is being prepared.

Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL) is a method for detecting DNA fragmentation by labeling the terminal end of nucleic acids. TUNEL is a common method for detecting DNA fragmentation that results from apoptotic signaling cascades. The assay relies on the presence of nicks in DNA which can be identified by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase or TdT, an enzyme that will catalyze the addition of dUTPs that are secondarily labeled with a marker. Here we perform the apoptotic assay test by TUNEL assay kit to identify the apoptotic property of any agent or chemical after treatment of primary cells culture at different concentration as per protocol provided with TUNEL Assay Kit and apoptotic cells are identified by using fluorescent microscope. Detailed procedure of TUNEL assay is as follows:

1. Preparation of primary cells culture as described in earlier methods.

2. Induction of apoptosis in primary cells culture is done by treatment of primary cells culture with different concentration of xenobiotics and incubation in CO2 incubator for 12 h as mentioned in micronuclei assay method.

3. The positive and negative control cells provided with the kit are already f ixed. However, negative control cells are prepared from control sample with absence of inducing agent.

4. Cell Fixation: Cell fixation is a required step in the TUNEL assay and it is done according to the procedure mentioned in the supplied kit by using paraformaldehyde solution. Suspend 1–2 × 106 cells (treated) in 0.5 ml of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and the cell suspension into 5 ml of 1% (w/v) paraformaldehyde in PBS and place on ice for 15 minutes.

5. Centrifuge the cells for 5 minutes at 300 × g and discard the supernatant.

Introduction

Pruning is the practise of cutting back, shaping, or removing branches, shoots, or leaves from plants in order to improve their overall health, regulate their development, make them seem nicer, or increase their output. Thinking about the plant’s requirements, growth habits, and intended results is essential in this horticulture discipline. Pruning is an essential tool in arboriculture, gardening, and agriculture; its use varies from plant to plant and from purpose to goal, from encouraging strong development to improving the plant’s aesthetic appeal. In the grand scheme of things, pruning is a deliberate action taken to improve the health and productivity of plants in their natural habitats.

This is characterized by formation of erythematous papules or patches with clear margins and covered with white scales, in different parts of the body without any constitutional disturbances.

It is more common among young adults of either sex and occasionally a family history is present. This has a seasonal prevalence often appearing in winter and clearing up in summer.

The course in chronic is very obstinate and tends to recur after an apparent cure. It disappears without leaving scars or pigmentation. It is not infectious.

The epithelial layer is thickened and intercappilary processes and papillae are elongated, the horny layer is defective and there is cellular infiltration between the horny cells and blood vessels.