eChapters

Source

? Consumption of seeds (dog/cat), Baits containing strychinine kept for foxes, rats, mice

? Cattle are more susceptible to strychnine poisoning parenterally than orally because strychnine is destroyed in the rumen

? Ingestion of birds or rats poisoned with strychnine and ingestion of strychnine treated seeds of peanuts, wheat (in human).

? In Seeds, 1.53- 3.24% total alkaloids out of which 50% is strychnine.

? Loganin (glycoside), Vomicine, α-colubrine, betacolubrine, pseudo strychinine (alkaloid), Brucine, strychnine and strychnicine (leaves), Brucine and small amount of strychnine (bark)

? Average amount of strychnine and brucine in nuxvomica seeds is 1.23 and 1.55% respectively.

? Strychnine- an indole alkaloid found in seeds of Strychnos nuxvomica is extremely stable and can be detected in specimens many years even after the death of animals.

? It is rapidly absorbed from the GIT and parentrally significant amount found in liver and kidney while small amount reaches CNS.

? Metabolized by hepatic MFOs and primarily excreted in urine within 10 hrs.

? Lantana camara (lantana, wild sage, bunch berry) one of the ten most toxic weeds in the world. Brought to India in early part of the 19th century as an ornamental plant.

? Very hardy shrub grows very luxuriantly, capable of prospering in adverse soil.

? It has no. of adverse interactions with the biosphere.

? Causes hepatotoxicity, photosensitization in grazing livestock and growth inhibition of the neighboring vegetation due to allelopathic action which is rapidly changing the ecological balance.

? Reports of poisoning have been received form India, Australia, Cuba, Mexico, Kenya, Brazil and New Zealand.

? Very pungent plant. Cattle eat only in scarcity of other feed/fodder.

? Bos taurus more susceptible than Bos indicus.

1. Atropine Toxicity

? Toxicity of atropine depending upon the route of administration and the sp. of animal.

? Herbivores are more resis-tant than carnivores. Dogs, cats and birds are sensitive to its action. Rabbits are quite resistant to belladona leaves since an atropinase enzyme present in liver rapidly hydrolyses and inactivates atropine.

? Horse cattle and goats are relatively resistant to bellladona when administered orally, however poisoning on ingestion occurs more often in swine. Resistance in ruminants due to destructive maceration of atropine in rumen.

? All parts of plants are toxic as these contain atropine like alkaloids. Toxic dose of hyoscamine is 2.7 mg/kg for pigs.

INTRODUCTION

? Nitrate poisoning is generally caused when animals eat too much forage that is high in nitrates not changed to protein in the plant.

? Poisoning can also happen when animals eat too much urea or nitrogen fertilizer spilled in the field or left where the animals can find it.

? Nitrate fertilizer is palatable, especially to cattle.

? Nitrates are relatively non-toxic.

? Reduction of nitrates depends on the supply of fermentable energy as carbohydrates supply hydrogen ions for reduction of nitrates and production of nitrite in rumen.

? Cyanogenetic plants contain hydrocyanic acid or cyanogenic glycosides.

? Two forms of cyanide in plants- HCN( free form) and cyanogenic glycoside(bound form).HCN released from glycosides by physical disruption (mastication, trampling) , stress (drought, frost) or the action of an Hydrolyzing enzyme present in ruminal microflora beta glycosides and hydroxynitrile lyase.

? One of the most common plants poisoning among the grazing livestock.

? Cattle and buffaloes are most susceptible. Sheep and goats are less susceptible.

? Monogastric animals (pig, Horse) are relatively resistant due to destruction of the glycosides by the gastric activity.

? Poisoning occurs when HCN content in plants is high and ingestion of large amount of the plants in short period of time.

? Starved or underfed animal also ingest large amount of plants. Poisoning may also occur due to accidental ingestion of potassium cyanide.

BASIC PRINCIPLE FOR TREATMENT OF POISONING

Introduction

All the toxicants or poisons including various toxins causing various toxicoses or poisonings in animals comprise two major classes. Firstly, poisons having specific an tidotes and secondly, those having no specific antidotal therapy and require symptomatic and supportive therapy for the treatment of their poisonings. The adage "Treat the patient, not the poison" is the most basic principle of clini cal toxicology. Thus, in cases of both type of toxic conditions, an immediate attention is required for the maintenance of vital functions particularly cardiopulmonary function by providing supportive or therapeutic measures before institution of antidotal or symptomatic therapy. Vi tal signs and important reflexes should regularly be monitored to judge the response to therapy and progress of recovery. As per need of the situation, a flexile step wise practical approach may be opted by veterinarians for the diagnosis and treatment poisonings in animals.

SOURCES OF POISON

1. Malicious poisoning

Unlawful or criminal killing of the animals by certain toxicants as arsenic, Insecticide, datura etc.

 2.Accidental    poisoning    
A) Natural sources 
 ? Plants - e.g. Lantana, datura etc.
 ? Animals - e.g. snake bite etc.
 ? Microbes - fungi (aflatoxicoses etc.), bacteria (Botulinum toxin) etc.
 ? Minerals - Se, As, fluoride etc.
 B)  Man made sources
 ? Agrochemicals - Insecticides, Herbicides etc.
 ? Industrial wastes - Mercury, Copper, Lead etc.
 ? Household products - disinfectants (phenol), Napthelene etc.
 ? Therapeutic agents - paracetamol in cats be lethal
 ? Food & feed - Genetically modified food (GM)
 ? Environmental pollutants & managemental practices

1. Acute    Toxicity    
 ? Duration-exposure of the toxicant for 24 hrs either single dose or 
multiple doses
 ? Species selection-Rat preferred rodent species
 ? weight variation should not exceed ± 20% of mean weight
 ? Number and sex -Atleast 5 rodents at each dose level of same sex
 ? If female-nulliparous and non pregnant
 Housing and feeding    
? Temperature of experimental room-22( ±3 °C)
 ? Relative humidity (R.H.)-30-70%
 ? Animals in cage should be properly spaced
 ? Individual caging for morbid and excited animal
 ? Artificial lightining-12 hrs light,12 hrs dark
 ? Conventional laboratory diet & ad lib water

Diagnosis of Poisoning    
Three types of diagnosis
 a) Tentative
 b) Presumptive
 c) Confirmative based on the following conditions
 1. History
 2. Physical examination and clinical evidences    
Hyperthermia- Organochlorine;    
Hypothermia- OP compunds    
Miosis: Opium 
Mydriasis- Belladona    
Dryness of mouth (Xerostomia)- belladona;    
Moist and Hypersalivation- OPC, Carbamates and synthetic pyrethroids 
Bitter Almond    smell-Cyanide
Garlic odor in expired air- Phosphorus, Arsenic    
Mice smell- Hemlock    
Rotten Garlic/Horse raddish smell- Selenium Poisoning

1. ABSORPTION

Deals with the translocation of the xenobiotics. Passage of toxicant from site of adminstration to blood stream or systemic circulation.

Translocation may occur by following processes

a) Simple /Passive diffusion - most common route by which xenobiotic pass through the membranes:

? Down hill transport, No energy involvement

? It is not substrate specific.

? Small molecular weight (600) hydrophilic toxicants cross membranes by simple diffusion through aqueous pores.

? High molecular wt. hydrophobic molecules diffuse across the lipid domain of membranes.

? Follows Ficks Law of diffusion

? The rate of diffusion depends on their lipid: water partition coefficient value, Conc. Gradient, degree of ionization.

? Higher lipid: water partition coefficient and lower degree of ionization favours absorption of toxicants by this process.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Definition

Paracelsus saying– Nothing is devoid of poison it is the dose that differentiate between a drug and a poison.

? Poison- Any chemical substance either naturally present or Man made produces deleterious effect on the health of living organism are termed as Poisons.

? Toxicology term derived from Greek Word Toxicon which means Poison.

Definitions

? Toxicology: It is the science or study of poisons on biologic systems, including their properties, actions and effects. Also their detection and identification, the treatment and prevention of the conditions produced by them.

? Toxicant: Any poisonous agent/ Professional Term used for Poison.

? Xenobiotic: Derived from Greek Word Xenos means – alien or foreign.

? Xenobiotics are those substances which are foreign to the body and are biologically active but do not take part in the process of energy production.

Pineapple is a tropical plant with edible multiple fruit consisting of coalesced berries. It is named after pine cone due its resemblance with its structure. It is the most economically important plant in the family of Bromeliaceae. It is widely grown throughout the world for its dual-purpose use in the form of fresh fruit and many processed products. It is a tropical fruit having excellent taste, juiciness, aroma and flavour which is preferred by many people. It is also rich source of fibre, potassium and vitamin C, vitamin B1 and vitamin B6. One of the important constituents in the fruit is proteolytic enzyme bromelein which is known to have significant use in treating conditions like inflammation, sinusitis, arthritis and early recovery from surgery (Joy, 2010). Bromelein is a digestive enzyme also used as meat tenderizer. Pineapple is cultivated in an area of 106.22 thousand ha and total production is 1,527.93 thousand tons (APEDA). Major producing states of pineapple were West Bengal, Assam and Karnataka. Pineapple is highly perishable fruit which transpires heavily and lose moisture thus have high susceptibility to spoilage microorganism (Hossain and Bepary, 2015). There are often several difficulties in production of pineapple with its physiologically active state even after harvest and non climacteric nature. Even though production is more, there are enormous post harvest losses for the fruit. The overall losses being encountered constitute 32.12 percent (6.82% at farm level, 3.09% at wholesale market and transportation, 5.44 % at retail market level, 5.64% during storage, 4.31% in processing unit and 6.82% at consumer level respectively) as reported by Ningobam, (2019).

Horticultural sector, which is contributing significantly for food and nutrition security, employment opportunity and poverty alleviation, got a real boost only in the early 1990s which coincided with liberalization of Indian economy. National area and production of horticultural crops are showing increasing trend over the years and production of horticultural crops has outpaced the production of food grain since 2012-13(Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India, Ministry of Finance, 2016). According to Economic Survey 2015-16, the share of horticultural output in agriculture is more than 33% over last decade and the sector contributes 30.4% to GDP of Agricultural sector. Horticulture sector accounts for 37% of total export of agricultural commodities at present and the exports have recorded sustained rising trend (Jha et al., 2019). The export status of APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority) products in the recent years shows 28.18% growth in value of horticultural products over the previous year. The investment in horticultural sector with focused attention has resulted in spectacular change in the horticultural scenario and production and productivity of horticultural crops.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) is an edible fruit bearing plant native to South America belonging to family Bromeliaceae. Pineapple is grown over an area of 1.06 million hectares with an annual production of 29.36 million metric tonnes (FAO, 2022). Pineapples are rich in vitamin C, minerals, fiber and low in calories. The enzyme bromelain present in pineapple is of considerable importance to the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry (Varilla et al., 2021). The market for pineapples has been expanding significantly because of its appealing aroma compounds and nutritional benefits. The climate and distribution of rainfall in tropical and sub-tropical regions make these areas ideal for pineapple cultivation. Worldwide, Brazil is the leading producer of Pineapple followed by Philippines, Thailand, Costa Rica and India (FAO, 2022). In India the leading pineapple producing states are West Bengal, Northeastern region, Bihar, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra.This ‘Kew’ of Cayenne group and ‘Mauritius’ of the rough leaf Queen group are the two varieties dominating in India (Devi et al., 2013; Joy and Sindhu, 2012).

Botanically, Pineapple is a herbaceous perennial having short stem and tough waxy leaves. It produces a fleshy, edible, yellow fleshed which is a fusion of 100-200 berry like fruitlets. Most of the members of Bromeliaceae family are epiphytes i.e. grown on rocks and living trees though pineapples grow on the soil bearing sensitive adventitious root that cannot regenerate once damage and intolerant to poor soil aeration. The cultivated varieties of pineapple can be categorized into three groups namely, Cayenne, Queen, and Spanish. The Spanish and Cayenne groups can be cultivated for dual purposes viz. fresh fruit and canning. However, the Queen group are only cultivated for fresh fruit markets due to the presence of deep eyes making it unsuitable for canning (Devi et al., 2013).

Pineapple is an important tropical fruit crop of India introduced by Portuguese from Southern Brazil early in the 16th century. It is a versatile fruit acting as a rich source of nutrients in many favourite recipes. In addition, it is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants,highlighting its role as anti-inflammatory, digestion, and immunity support.It resembles epiphytes where roots are sensitive to poor soil aeration (Joy and Sindhu, 2012). In the present day, the demand for pineapple is increasing gradually in different parts of the country. However, insect-pests infestation turns out to be one of the major impediments in its quantum of production.

Pineapple is infested by several insect pests like mealy bug, scale insect, thrips, fruit borer, white grubs, bud moths, midges, fruit flies, termites etc. during its entire crop duration. However, Mealy bugs appeared as the key pest of pineapple while otherslike scale insects, thrips and fruit borer could cause economic damage to the crop only under favourable environment. Therefore, emphasis must be given for development of suitableecofriendly management techniques by proper prophylactic (cultural, mechanical, biological etc.) and protective measures to reduce the insect-pest population below the economic damage through proper monitoring and regular survey of the crop field.Thus, this chapter emphasizes on the important insect-pests infesting Pineapple along with their appropriate management options.

Pineapple i.e. Ananas comosus (L.) Mer. belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, which has around 46 genera and 1700 species, mainly cultivated in the tropical and sub- tropical regions. It is ranked third in production of tropical fruit after banana and citrus. The pineapple market has been growing extensively due to the attractive aroma compounds and nutritional values as well as huge demand and competitive retail prices (Ali et al., 2020). But, several sanitary problems have been reported in pineapple and they are considered as the main constraints for low yield of that crop in several producing areas. Significant yield losses have been caused by infestation of different pests like mealy bug, fruit borer, mites, scale insects, as well as with different nematode species (Pires de Matos, 2017). The crop lifecycle phases, soil, climatic variables and crop management practices influence the pest infestation intensity. In order to prevent severe crop losses, an integrated approach comprising prophylactic, biological, cultural, mechanical and need-based chemical steps is most appropriate for controlling pineapple pests and maintaining their population below the threshold level. This chapter deals with globally important pests of pineapple with their nature of damages and effective control measures in depth.

Pineapple, are well adapted crops for the farmers towards water economy due to its morphological, anatomical, and physiological characteristics. However, the plant contains rosette leaf structure can able to channels the light rainfalls and dew through stem and finally into the soil. It also have the ability to absorb water and nutrients through their waxy leaves and aerial roots and can capable to store water in specialized aquiferous leaf tissue; multicellular trichomes that cover the leaves and protect the plant from excessive transpiration by reflecting radiation; a thick cuticle covering the leaf epidermis that restricts water loss by evaporation, location of the stomata in furrows at the lower leaf surface where they also are covered by trichomes, limiting evapotranspiration; and its nocturnal carbon dioxide fixation via the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) carbon assimilation pathway, which results in stomatal opening primarily at night when evaporative demand is lowest (Reinhardt et al., 2018). The most common propagating material of pineapple is suckers or slips. Suckers are used to arise from the underground parts of the plant are used for propagation. Slips arise from the fruiting stem and the crown region on top of the fruit.

In this context, it is important to know the nutritional aspects of pineapples which are as attractive as their unique anatomy. “Pineapples contain high amounts of vitamin C and manganese,” said San Diego-based nutritionist Laura Flores. These tropical fruits are also important for the dietary fiber and bromelain (an enzyme). “As well as having high amounts of manganese, which is important for antioxidant defenses, pineapples also contain high amounts of thiamin, A, B vitamin that is involved in energy production,” Flores said. Pineapples are fat-free, cholesterol-free and low in sodium (Arpaia et al., 2004; De Costa, 2010). Side by side they contain sugars of about 14 grams per cup (www.livescience.com, 2019). In continuation with this, the chapter was focused on physiological disorder of pineapple caused by various reasons.

Basically, non-pathological conditions are the reasons of physiological disorders of any kind of crop plants; it includes poor light, adverse weather, water-logging, phytotoxic compounds or a lack of nutrients, which affects the normal functioning of the plant system. Sometimes physiological disorders may be initiated before harvest, continue their development after harvest, or appear after harvest. In was observed several times that physiological disorders are causative agent for the deterioration of horticultural commodities which leads to economic losses. An important commercialized fruit i.e., pineapple is also facing the same problem of different kind of physiological disorders; it includes multiple crowns, fruit and crown fasciation, collar of slips, dry fruit and bottle neck, sun-scald/ sunburn, blackheart etc.

Post-Harvest Losses

A post-harvest loss is defined as the measurable qualitative and quantitative food (including fruits and vegetables) loss along the supply chain, starting at the time of harvest till its consumption or other end uses (Hodges et al., 2011). Pineapple fruits are highly perishable in nature and continuously respired even after harvesting which limited its shelf-life leading to the storage problems (Hossain and Bepary, 2015) and decline in production due to post-harvest losses (Babalola et al., 2008). During the storage for distant marketing, pineapple fruits easily losses its moisture content through transpiration and become more susceptibility to microbial spoilage (Hossain and Bepary, 2015). In India the top five leading pineapple producing states are West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, Meghalaya and Manipur (Anonymous, 2018). The measurable qualitative and quantitative losses of pineapple at post-harvest level are from the various stages of handling from the farm level up to the consumers (Table 1 and 2).

The history of plant growth regulation was knownfor many years before the time of Christ, when it was common practice in the Middle East to place a drop of olive oil on figs to promote development. The use of plant growth regulators (PGRs) to modify growth and flowering of pineapple began in 1930s. In eighteenth century when a carpenter was working in a greenhouse in the Azores Islandaccidently set fire to a pile of shavings. To the surprise of the grower who had thought his plants were ruined, they burst into flower instead of being damaged (Collins, 1960). In Hawaii, Rodriguez (1932) noticed in the pineapple fields that smoke from brush fires adjacent to the field caused premature flowering. The ingredients of smoke were subsequently found to be ethylene and acetylene, the unsaturated hydrocarbons. During the 1940’s, auxins were also shown to produce this effect,α-Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), β-Naphthalene acetic acid (BNA), Fruitone and naphthaleneacetamide were the next forcing agent to become commercially used in pineapple. Since that time many works have been carried out with improving results like natural and synthetic compounds that alter function, shape and size of crop plants have been discovered. Today, specific PGRs are used to modify crop growth rate and growth pattern during the various stages of development from germination through harvest and post-harvest preservation. The use of regulating chemicals has become an important component of agro-technical procedures for most of the cultivated plants and especially for fruit plants.

Pineapple is one of the most economically important fruits in tropical and subtropical regions and gaining popularity to the consumers all over the world. The pineapple plant has many specific morphological, anatomical and physiological characteristics that determine crucial aspects of pineapple crop management, such as water use efficiency, nutrient management, weed management, flower induction etc.

Water Requirements and Irrigation

Determination of water requirements and plant moisture status: Pineapple plant responds well to as much as 5 cm of water per month from rain or irrigation though it is a xerophyte type and is capable of good production under relatively meager water supply. Maintenance of available soil moisture in the root zone areas requires less water for pineapple than for other crops due to lower transpiration rates. Plants achieve this type of adaptability through a process called assuberization, where suberin act as a physical barrier, preventing water loss from the tissues it surrounds.Stomata remains closed as an effect of drought during the entire day. But, whenever the plants are grown with sufficient moisture in well-aerated soils produced well-distributed roots with numerous white root tips. It helps the water use efficiency and carbon f ixation that pineapple shows to drip irrigation. The pineapple leaf is a major water storage organ for the pineapple plant (Malézieux et al., 1993). When the leaves are full of water the cells present in upper mesophyll layer can occupy almost half of its volume. Invery little water-supply, the water in the mesophyll layer is absorbed by the plant. Generally, representative ‘D’-leaves are taken in a group of six to ten leaves and the total thickness is measured and compared with the thickness of fully turgid leaves.

Organic products are grown under a system of agriculture without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides with an environmentally and socially responsible approach. This is a method of farming that works at grass root level preserving the reproductive and regenerative capacity of the soil, good plant nutrition, and sound soil management, produces nutritious food rich in vitality which has resistance to diseases. India is bestowed with lot of potential to produce all varieties of organic products due to its various agro climatic conditions. In several parts of the country, the inherited tradition of organic farming is an added advantage. This holds promise for the organic producers to tap the market which is growing steadily in the domestic and export sector.

As per the available statistics, India’s rank 8th in terms of World’s Organic Agricultural land and 1st in terms of total number of producers as per 2020 data (Source: FIBL & IFOAM Year Book, 2020). The APEDA, Ministry of Commerce & Industries, Government of India is implementing the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP). The programme involves the accreditation of Certification Bodies, standards for organic production, promotion of organic farming and marketing etc. The NPOP standards for production and accreditation system have been recognized by European Commission and Switzerland for unprocessed plant products as equivalent to their country standards. Similarly, USDA has recognized NPOP conformity assessment procedures of accreditation as equivalent to that of NOP of US. With these recognitions, Indian organic products duly certified by the accredited certification bodies of India are accepted by the importing countries. APEDA is also in the process of bilateral equivalence with South Korea, Taiwan, Canada, Japan etc.

Pineapple is considered as one of the important tropical fruits which are extremely demanded in the international market. This is due to its various quality characteristics like sweeter taste, blemish-free flesh, a cylinder shape with golden yellow pulp, a very pleasant aroma when ripe, low acidity, and a longer shelf life compared to other varieties (Banful et al., 2011; Malezieux et al., 2003). Pineapple can grow well in low as well as high fertile soil but the best production is obtained with high fertile soils. Souza et al. (2007) found that a fruit’s weight is directly correlated with the plant vigour at the time of f loral differentiation with a minimum D-leaf length. Therefore, it is proved by Souza et al. (2007) that nutrients play animportant role in pineapple cultivation to increase the growth and yield of the crop. It is also noted that the pineapple plants have a large nutrient uptake demand, especially for potassium, followed by nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, sulphur, and phosphorus.

The focus on pineapple production should not only aim for stable volumes but also sustainable growth while maintaining quality standards amidst a growing population. The ‘Green Revolution’ with high inputs has plateaued, emphasizing the need for a natural balance to sustain life and property. Effective plant nutrient management is crucial for environmental, economic, and social reasons. Pineapple’s nutrient requirements, high in nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and iron (Fe), with lower needs for phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca), make soil organic matter desirable. Repeated cultivation exhausts soil nutrient reserves, leading to decreased yields. Heavy synthetic fertilizer use may cause soil impaction and acidification. Combining organic manure with chemical fertilizers is recommended for profitable and sustainable crop production while preserving soil fertility. However, excessive nitrogen application poses health risks. As farmers transition to organic farming, the negative impact of inorganic fertilizers on pineapple size, yield, and quality is evident.

Pineapples are commonly propagated through vegetative means, as the crop sets very few or no seeds and seeds possess slow germination process and low survival rate of seedlings under natural conditions. Vegetative parts such as stem suckers, peduncle slips, and fruit crowns are commonly utilized for vegetative multiplication of pineapple.

Selection of planting materials: Slips or hapa suckers are commonly preferred for commercial multiplication because they may produce fruit within 14-16 months after planting. Crowns are not commonly used as they may take up to 24 months after planting to harvest. Ground suckers (ratoon) and side suckers (side shoots) produce fruit 12-14 months and 18-20 months after flowering, respectively.(Pineapple Technical Group, 1999).

The fresh suckers should not be used for planting. Pineapple suckers should be stored for a few months to allow them to dry before planting, as they may begin to decay if planted in moist soil. Suckers are graded according to vigour and size, such as small, medium, and large. Planting the same graded suckers in the same plot helps to avoid uneven growth of the plant, uneven flowering times, and harvesting times. Additionally, using uniform planting material makes cultural practices easier, increases labour efficiency and other inputs, ultimately reducing the cost of cultivation.

Chadha et al. (1974) observed the superiority of slips and suckers as planting materials compared to crowns. In both slips and suckers, larger planting materials resulted in more vigorous plants. Medium-sized slips or suckers led to more flowering, while larger grade material resulted in a more staggered f lowering period. Smaller slips or suckers yielded fruit earlier. Slips produced better quality fruits, and the yields were comparable to the highest yield obtained with the largest suckers.

Sexual Propagation in Pineapple

Pineapple occupy a gametophytic self-incompatibility system so that commercial cultivated pineapple rarely produces very few seeds in the field (Coppens d’Eeckenbrugge et al. 1992). However, if two varieties are grown close together and flowering time is same, it is chance for insect-aided crosspollination to set seeds. The vectors for natural cross-pollination vary with the location. Where humming birds are present, they are likely to be a primary pollinator. Where these birds are absent, honeybees and ants would be the main pollinators. The small corolla tube and the fact that pollen is not shed rule out wind as a pollinator. Since seedy fruit is not acceptable for either fresh or processing, it is rare to find more than one cultivar on large plantations. If more than one cultivaris grown in a farm, spatial separation and careful management of time of forcing will prevent seed production. However, cross-pollination between cultivars is used by pineapple breeders to generate new hybrids like “MD-2” and “CO-2” (Williams and Fleisch 1993). Sexual propagation is important for the generation of new varieties and is successfully used in pineapple breeding programs (Reinhardt et al., 2018). Pineapple Seeds are placed in shallow trays on moistened sand beds under controlled environmental conditions for germination(Junghans et al., 2015).Seed germination come up mostly from two weeks after sowing and rates are high, usually 80% or more (Chang et al., 2003). The new growing seedlings have 6 to 8 leaves stage within about three months after sowing and are then transplanted to pots with agricultural substrate and are grown under greenhouse or screen house conditions. After an additional 9 to 15 months of growth stage, during which the seedlings height reach 25 cm, which is considered adequate for planting in the field, the plants are finally acclimatized in an open nursery.

Successful cultivation of a crop is governed by various factors including the edaphic and climatic conditions of the region, owing to which the crop responds in terms of quality and productivity. Pineapple (Ananas comosus L. Merr.) is one of the major crops cultivated across the tropical and sub tropical countries worldwide. Adaptability of the crop under different climatic conditions, topography, temperature, photo-periodicity, rainfall and edaphic conditions will be discussed in this chapter.

Climatic zone: Pineapple is a tropical fruit crop though it can thrive well in the sub-tropical condition as well.Pineapple grows well inwarm and humid climate ranging from mild coastal climate up to an altitude of about 1000 meters, provided the area is free from frost (Singh, 2014).Pineapple is commercially grown over a wide range of latitudes from 30° N (Assam, India) in the northern hemisphere to 33°S in the Southern hemisphere (South Africa) (Malezieux et al., 2003; Purseglove, 1972).

Topography: Pineapples are easy to cultivatesince they thrive naturally in a variety of places with different elevation, especially in tropical countries (Kaudo, 2014). Though the plant survives at different altitude, the fruit quality and size may alter at different elevation. When pineapple is grown at altitudes greater than 1000 m, smaller fruits with elevated tartness with less attractive pulp colour (Purseglove, 1968).Moreover, fruit flavour can also vary, wherein the fruit tends to bemore acidic and sour when cultivated above 1800 meters, but will be sweet and tasty under 1350 meters (Kaudo, 2014).

Temperature: On an average, the temperatures required for growing pineapples range within 18-30°C (Kaudo, 2014) andmore specifically at 23 - 24 ° C (Neild and Boshell, 1976; Py et al., 1987). The optimum day and night temperatures for pineapple were reported to be about 30°C and 20 °C, respectively (Neild and Boshell, 1976). Bartholomew and Kadzimin (1977), however have reported that leaves and roots grow best at 32°C and 29°C respectively and the growth practically ceases below 20°C and above 36°C. Py and Tisuucau (1965) have observed 25°C to be optimal for fruit ripening.

Pineapple is a short-stemmed herbaceous plant that necessitates a significant amount of planting material. For example, depending on the intensity of planting and the cultivar used, one hectare of cultivation needs 35,000 to 70,000 planting parts. Realizing the need for quick multiplication, Ma (1968) devised a method for quick pineapple multiplication using the decapitation technique. Later a technique for rapid in vitro propagation has been developed. Since then, numerous reports on crop micro-propagation using tissue culture techniques have been published. On supplemented MS medium, different types of explants, such as leaf base, shoot base, excised lateral buds and tips from crowns, young-leaf segments, and excised leaf buds, have been used to regenerate plants. Plantlets raised in this manner thrived in the field. In vitro mutation may also be induced using tissue culture techniques. Shoot tips from in vitro grown plantlets may be treated with chemical mutagens (EMS) or irradiated with gamma rays to produce mutants with superior traits such as spineless leaves, larger fruits, improved pulp consistency, or disease resistance. Similarly, somaclonal variants can be screened out early to improve f ield results.

The pineapple, botanically known as Ananas comosus Merr, is the most famous edible member of the Bromeliaceae family. It is native to southern Brazil and is known by a variety of names, including “pina” in Spanish, “abacaxi” in Portuguese, “ananas” in Dutch and French, “nanas” in Southern Asia and the East Indies, “po-lo-mah” in China, “sweet pine” in Jamaica, and merely “pine” in Guatemala (Morton, 1987). After banana and mango, the pineapple is the third most important tropical fruit of the world (Chen et al., 2019; Nath et al., 2019). The pineapple became a major cultural icon of luxury after its introduction to Europe in 17th century. Pineapple has been grown commercially in greenhouses and on many tropical plantations since the 1820s. Furthermore, it is the world’s third-largest tropical fruit producer. Hawaii was a major pineapple producer in the twentieth century, with Costa Rica, Brazil, and the Philippines accounting for nearly a third of global pineapple production. Pineapples grow as a small shrub, with the un-pollinated plant’s individual f lowers fusing to form multiple fruits. The plant is usually propagated from a side shoot or an offset produced at the top of the fruit and it matures in about a year.

Crop Improvement

Pineapple is usually propagated through asexual method by using slips, crowns or suckers. Sexual reproduction in pineapple is barely used due to its self-sterile nature and failure in formation of seeds. Seed set can occur in case of self-fertilization but the seedlings are with low vigour due to inbreeding depression (Robert et al., 2003). Pineapple is heterozygous in nature, on this wise hybridization is possible in this crop. Gametophytic self incompatibility is reported in this crop where pollen tube growth is repressed in the uppermost part of the style. Diploid chromosome number of the crop is 2n=50. The genome size of the crop is estimated to be 526Mb and total genes were anticipated to be around 25,862 in number (Zhang et al., 2014).

Pineapple is a monocarpic perennial herb. Each stem flowers only once and dies after fruiting, similar to bananas, before a side shoot takes over. After the pineapple plant reaches a certain size, natural inflorescence initiation (flowering) occurs in response to decreasing day length and temperature (Bartholomew, 2003). Flowering of Smooth Cayenne pineapples grown under an 8-hour day length was encouraged by a night temperature of 20°C, whereas f lowering was delayed by temperatures of 15 and 20°C, and totally inhibited by 30°C.Flower initiation usually starts in November and lasts through the winter. Flowering in nature is highly irregular, and some plants can fail to produce fruit. Thus, growth regulators such as ethylene (25-50 ppm) and NAA (25 ppm) are used in industrial practise to force plants to bloom. The numerous radish-purple sessile flowers are spirally arranged on the axis, each with a pointed bract. To explain the emergence of developing inflorescence, this stage is also known as the red bud stage. The spike-like inflorescence contains 100 to 200 florets. The petals are white at the base and bluish-purple above the calyx at anthesis. They are ligulae form in shape, about 1.6 cm long and 5 mm wide, and are about 1.6 cm long and 5 mm wide (Collins, 1960).The outer f lower petals are very close together, allowing only small insects to reach the f lower; they have 14 to 20 locules, resulting in a capacity of 6000 to 7000 seeds per 150 floret fruit. After pollination, fruits with 2000 to 3000 seeds are not uncommon (Collins, 1960).

History

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

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

Pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.] is one of the most importanttropical fruit belonging to the family Bromeliaceae and is native to Brazil. It is cultivated in High rainfall and humid coastal regions of peninsular India and Hilly areas of North eastern states. In India, pineapple is commercially cultivated in the states like West Bengal, Assam, Karnataka, Bihar, Tripura, Kerala, Nagaland, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Meghalaya on large scale whereas on small scale in the states like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh etc. It is popularly known as ‘Ananas’ in India and has lot of health benefits due to the presence of a proteolytic enzyme called bromelin, which is used to tenderize meat (Coppensd’ Eeckenbrugge, 2011). It acts as antiamoebic, arbortifacient and also used in correction of stomach disorders (Leal and Coppensd’ Eeckenbrugge, 1996). It is consumed both fresh and processed but mostly as fresh (70%) (Loeillet, 1997). Portuguese are the first people to introduce pineapple to India. The greenhouse cultivation of pineapple was first started in 1500s by Europeans, which led to the varieties like Smooth Cayenne and Queen and transported to all tropical and subtropical regions of the world (Collins, 1951). Due to its ease in transport of its propagules and high tolerance to drought, pineapple cultivation has spread worldwide. But due to its short shelf life, in temperate regions it is consumed more as processed food. The first commercial product made out of pineapple is jams and sweets (Thevet, 1957).

The states in the Eastern India where pineapple is grown include West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. In between this states the ideal condition for pineapple is found in most parts of north Bengal and some north eastern districts of Bihar. West Bengal ranks first in production of pineapple in India (Figure 2).

West Bengal and Bihar

West Bengal ranks ninth in fruit production in India with a total production of 3850.5 thousand ton from 261.02 thousand hectare area (Table 1). Major fruit crops are mango, banana, pineapple, guava, litchi, jackfruit, mandarin, papaya and sapota. A large number of other fruit crops such as Jamun, bael, custard apple, ber, lime, lemon, plum, karonda, aonla, etc. are also grown in various parts of the state (Mitra, 2013). Pineapple is one of the important fruit crop of West Bengal covering an area of 11,410 ha with an average productivity of 30.24 t ha-1(Table 2). The state of West Bengal, having five distinct agro climatic zones, is ideally suited for growing several tropical and subtropical fruits. These agro-climatic zones are:

I. Hill zone II. Terai zone III. Alluvial zone IV. Laterite zone

V. Coastal zone In between these five agro-climatic zones commercially pineapple is grown mostly in Terai zone which is situated at the foot hills. High rainfall, light acidic soils and prolonged monsoon are characteristics of this zone. So the districts are Darjeeling, North Dinajpur, Jalpaiguri and some parts of Alipurduar. Besides terai zone other places where pineapple is grown in small scale or for experimental purpose are described below.

Pineapple botanically called Annanas comosus L. is basically believed to be native to Brazil and thereafter it spread to worldwide over many centuries from its centre of origin. It is a subtropical fruit crops requiring humid climatic conditions with slightly acidic soils for its favourable growth and development. In India it reached around 1548AD. The juicy fruits are good source of Vit-A, B and C along with micronutrient Calcium. A single unit of pineapple fruits is reported to contain moisture-85%, sugar-13per cent, protein-0.6%,mineral mater-0.05%, fibre 0.3%, Ca-0.02%, phosphorus- 0.01per cent iron- 0.09.0 acids- 0.6%, Vit-A (60IU/100g), riboflavin (120mg/100g) and Vitamin-C (63mg/100g). All parts of pineapple are utilizable from delicacy of fruit for table purpose to making fabric Pina in some country like Philippine. Indeed the dry waste after juice extraction can also be used as good feed for cattle. India is such a country blessed with diverse agro climatic zones and eight classification of agro-climatic zone has been officially classified for suitability of different fruit crops based on their climatic requirement. One of those classifications is North Eastern subtropical Humid Zones which comprises of eight states namely Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. Manipur is a land-locked state situated in the North Eastern Region of India. It is encircled by 9 hill ranges in all sides and has a small valley in the center (the capital Imphal is located in this valley). The State has 352 km long international border with Myanmar to the south-east and 502 km long border with the adjacent states of Nagaland on the North, Cachar district of Assam on the West and Chin Hills (Myanmar) and Mizoram on the South and the South-west and Surma Tract and upper Chindwin of Myanmar on the East. Manipur is next to Assam among NE states in respect of area of Pineapple cultivation. Owing to conducive soil and climate, Manipur is one of the major hubs for pineapple cultivation among the north east states where because of its popularity, it has surplus in area and production compare to other fruit crops in the state.

Pineapple is a wonderful tropical fruit having exceptional juiciness, vibrant tropical flavour and immense health benefits. Pineapple contains considerable calcium, potassium, fibre, and vitamin C. It is low in fat and cholesterol. Vitamin C is the body’s primary water soluble antioxidant, against free radicals that attack and damage normal cells. It is also a good source of vitamin B1, vitamin B6, copper and dietary fibre. Pineapple is a digestive aid and a natural Anti-Inflammatory fruit. A group of sulfur-containing proteolytic (protein digesting) enzyme (bromelain) in pineapple aids digestion. Fresh pineapples are rich in bromelain used for tenderising meat. Bromelain has demonstrated significant anti-inflammatory effects, reducing swelling in inflammatory conditions such as acute sinusitis, sore throat, arthritis and gout and speedy recovery from injuries and surgery. Pineapple enzymes have been used with success to treat rheumatoid arthritis and to speed tissue repair as a result of injuries, diabetic ulcers and general surgery. Pineapple reduces blood clotting and helps remove plaque from arterial walls. Studies suggest that pineapple enzymes may improve circulation in those with narrowed arteries, such as angina sufferers. Pineapples are used to help cure bronchitis and throat infections. It is efficient in the treatment of arterioscleroses and anaemia. Pineapple is an excellent cerebral toner; it combats loss of memory, sadness and melancholy. Pineapple fruits are primarily used in three segments, namely, fresh fruit, canning and juice concentrate with characteristic requirements of size, shape, colour, aroma and flavour.

Considered as one of the leading members of the family Bromeliaceae, pineapple is one of the most extensively consumed fruits in the world. Fruit juices, extracts, concentrates and processed edibles are consumed worldwide. Besides, plant fibres, enzymes obtained from the stems and leaves find many applications across industries. Pineapple residue mainly consists of pulp, stem, leaves and peels and the huge wastes produced as a result of improper handling, harsh environmental conditions, decaying and deterioration. Thesecan be successfully processed and extracted for further inexpensive and sustainable utilization instead of discarding. Agro-based and chemical industries have been switching to using plant-based substrates from various resources. Above all, all the natural substrates obtained are highly renewable, won’t contribute to the global waste production, require less expenditures in processing, less toxic and has considerably better biochemical properties than the synthetic alternatives.

Industrial Importance of Pineapple

Pineapple Leaf Fibre (PALF)

Back in the days, pineapple leaf fibre was considered to be an agricultural residue until it’s potential capabilities as an organic fibre and its commercial prominence heaved into view as a consequence of pioneering researches (Uddin et al.2017). According to Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) standards, many chemical constituents like holocellulose, α-cellulose, lignin, and ash content of PALF were analyzed from a different source of f ibres, with varying environmental conditions, cost, etc. (TAPPI,1991). Mainly because of its highest tensile strength (413 to 1627 MNm−2), high cellulose content, as compared to other organic fibres with its Young’s modulus varying from 34.5 to 82.51 GNm−2. Furthermore, it has also been ascertained that upon its conversion to yarn, a 13% rise in its strength is observed and a bundle of saturated PALF adheres a reduced strength by 50% (Asim et al., 2015). Various researches and aided projects of SITRA (South India Textile Research) under UNDP/UNIDO have demonstrated the production of 100% PALF yarn by blending with other synthetic or natural fibres like cotton or silk. The threads, thus produced, are used to make fabrics, fancy carpets, mops, curtains, etc. where pineapple-jute blended yarns are used by the textile and fabric industries (Mishra et al., 2004; Debnath, 2016). It is also used in furnishings, decorations, sports items, baggage, quilts due to its aesthetic and elegant fabric (Anon, 1992).

Pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.] is an important commercial tropical fruit crop under the family Bromeliaceae. Centre of origin of this fruit can be traced back to Brazil, South America. It is eulogized as “Queen of Fruit” or “Friendship Fruit” or “Haven Fruit” or “Golden Queen”. The word ‘Pineapple’ came from the Spanish word “Pina” based on appearance of fruit which resembles a pine cone. Now, pineapple is termed as “Boon for dry land agriculture”. Pineapple is an introduced crop in India and was first introduced in Goa by Portuguese. The largest producer of pineapple is Thailand and India ranks 6th in the world pineapple production. In India, Tripura, Assam, West Bengal, Kerala are the leading pineapple producers. Pineapple is a CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism), monocarpic (each stem flowers only once and dies after fruiting), herbaceous perennial plant (Baruwa, 2013) and is suitable for cultivation in xerophytic conditions (Baraily and Deb, 2018).

The earliest written references to pineapple are found in the reference of Christopher Columbus, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, and Sir Walter Raleigh. They found pineapple growing in the West Indies mainly for for food and wine making. The Portuguese sailors were responsible for early dissemination of the pineapple and introduced it to Saint Helena in 1502. They also carried it to Africa and India by about 1550. Cultivation of pineapple had spread over most of the tropical countries including some of the islands of the South Pacific before the end of the 16th century. Costa Rica, Brazil, China, India, and Thailand are now major growers of pineapple.

Retrospection

India is a unique country in the world with many religions and cultural diversity. Indian culture has been continuing through the ages because of its adjustability with others and openness. Unity in diversity is one of the major characteristics of Indian culture. It is a diverse nation where people of many religions live together peacefully. Religion in India is characterized by the diversity of religious beliefs and practices. In Indian history, religion has played an important role in the cultural set up of the country.

Hinduism is the main Indian religion and considered as a universal order, a way of life which is followed by the people. The origin for Hinduism is very old having no exact date of its inception. This is a belief and practices followed by people through the ages and considered as a process of humanity. The earliest known sacred text of Hinduism is ‘Vedas’ which dates back to at least 3000 BCE. However, it is believed that these texts are of divine origin and timeless. Hinduism was more philosophically and theoretically described in Upanishads, written roughly between 800 and 400 BCE. The Mahabharata and Bhagavad-Gita are other best-known book and widely cited on Hinduism. The Ramayana is the other most important epic book on Hinduism which teaches about life, principles, duty, justice etc. through the life-story of Rama.

Dasharatha was a great Hindu king of the Kosala kingdom and Ayodhya was the capital from where He ruled. He was the son of King Aja of Kosala and Queen Indumati of Vidarbha. Dasharatha had three primary queens namely - Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi. Unfortunately, the King had no sons to continue his dynasty after him. Despaired Dasharatha summoned Rishyashringa, a forest rishi for a ritual to fulfill his desire of have sons. By that way, the King had four sons. Queen Kaushalya gave birth Rama and similarly, Kaikeyi gave birth Bharata and Sumitra gave birth two sons, namely - Lakshmana and Shatrughna. Lakshmana was very much attached and devoted to Rama while Shatrughna was devoted to Bharata.

In previous Chapter, a list was furnished mentioning common names, botanical names, family and types of the all plants mentioned in the Ramayana. The purpose was to know the total number of plants and trees mentioned besides providing reference of the Shlokas as well. This information led to identification of the plants and trees but details about their morphological and floral characters were not mentioned. Therefore, in this Chapter details of the trees and other plants have been provided. This will help to know all about their botanical standing, conservation status, nativity, morphological and floral characters so that one can know the full details including present-day status, availability and importance (Cowen, 1950; Randhawa, 1983; Roy, 2015; 2024).

1. Botanical Name: Adenanthera pavonina L.

Synonym: Adenanthera gersenii Scheff.

Common Name: ‘Red Bead Tree’, ‘Curly Bean’, ‘Red Sandal Wood’

Family: Fabaceae

Nativity: India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia to Queensland

Conservation Status: Common (Not Threatened)

Type: Tree

Morphological and Floral Characters: Red Bead Tree is a timber tree found wild in India. Leaves compound, bipinnate, green when young, turning yellow on maturity. Flowers small, yellowish, grows in a dense, drooping almost cat tail like flower-heads. Fruits curved pods, hanging, green that turn brown, coil up and split open on ripening, showing small bright red seeds which are attractive, used as beads in jewellery.

In this chapter, a comprehensive list of all plants and trees mentioned in epic Ramayana has been furnished with salient details in order to establish their botanical identity and references of Sholka where it had been mentioned. Some of the plants and trees had been mentioned in multiple sholokas but the plant has been taken into account as a single reference to avoid repetition and to get correct count of the trees and plants in whole of the Epic (Amirthalingam, 2013, Arun Kumar, 2019; Balapure et al., 1987; Bast, 2022; Ghimire et.al, 2021; Mao and Dash, 2010; Prasad and Mishra, 1976).

The plant species mentioned in Ramayana were of different types having various usages. Considering their morphological characteristics, usages and other importance, they have been categorized broadly into the following heads.

1. Economically important plants (Timber value, product yielding etc. having commercial importance).

2. Edible (major and minor fruits etc.).

3. Culturally important plants (Plants used for plantation for shade, greening etc.).

4. Non-Edible Plants (Ornamental importance and other usages)

5. Medicinal Plants (having therapeutic uses).

6. Sacred Plants (having religious importance).

7. Others (having multipurpose uses).

The exile of Rama and his journey to the forests (vanvasa) for 14 years was started from Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh, India) and ended to Lanka (Sri Lanka), through different forests, territorial regions, lands, hills, lakes of old India. The whole journey to those places was candidly portrayed in Ramayana with vivid descriptions, from narrations of the night sky, the position of different stars to descriptions of the flora, fauna and landscape. In this chapter, a retrospection of the places, forests, Rama passed through during his entire journey has been documented. The present status of those forests and places has been considered to evaluate a comparison over the thousands of years and the changes taken place besides significance they hold till date (Anonymous, 2024; Iyer, 2014).

Journey to the Forest and Route Map

Ayodhya, the capital city, kingdom of Kosala, was situated on the banks of holy river Saryu and was the birthplace of Rama. To fulfill the wish of his father, king Dasharatha, Rama left Ayodhya for 14 years of exile to the forest, along with Sita and Lakshmana. Their journey started from Ayodhya and passed through different places / forests.

The Ramayana written by sage Valmiki is one of the great epics of the Sanskrit language. It is most religiously regarded and popular book in Hinduism. The book is believed to be complied between 300 B.C.E. – 200 AD. However, the original story could be as old 500 B.C.E. (Goldman, 1984). There are many other versions of the epic in various regional languages found in India and South Asia (Raghunathan, 1981; Arya,1998; Dutt, 2004; Mukherjee, 2015; Sharma and Arya, 2022).

As per literature references, the name ‘Ramanaya’ is composed of two words, ‘Rama’ and ‘Aya?a’. Rama, the name of the main character of the Epic, has two contextual meanings. In the Atharvaveda, it means 'dark’, dark-coloured, ‘black' and is related to the word ‘ratri’ (night) which means 'darkness of night'. The other meaning, which can be found in the Mahabharata, is 'pleasing’, pleasant, charming, lovely, beautiful. The word ‘Ayana’ means travel or journey. Thus, Ramaya?a means ‘Rama's Journey’ from his kingdom to various places, forests during his life time (Anonymous, 1960; Tulsidas, 1966; Murthy, 2003; Kishore, 2007; Rajagopalachari, 2013).

Ramayana contains over 24,000 couplet verses, in its full form, which are divided into following seven ‘Ka??as’ (booklets) - Balaka??a, Ayodhyaka??a, Ara?yaka??a, Ki?kindhaka??a, Sundaraka??a, Yuddhaka??a, Uttaraka??a and about 500 sargas (chapters). It is regarded as one of the longest epic poems written in history (Keshavadas, 1988; Debroy, 2017; Gupta, 2021).

morally right man in the world? Narada replied that such a man is Rama, son of King Dasharatha of Ayodhya. Valmiki wanted to know more about Rama and proceeded to take bath when he saw two birds in playful mood and was happy. Suddenly, a hunter hiding in the bush shot one of the two birds. Valmiki became painful and chanted some dialogues in curse which ultimately created a new form of sloka. This was the beginning of the main narrative (Goldman, 1984; Sachithanantham, 2004).

India has a unique social and cultural setting with diverse people, culture and religions. It is one of the oldest and greatest civilizations of the world. Geographically India extends snow clad Himalayan mountains in the north to the tropical rain forests of the south. It is the 7th largest country in the world and well recognised in Asia by its mountains, seas, deserts, and vast stretch of fertile plain land, which give the country a distinct geographical identity.

India has a very rich, diverse religious and cultural heritage. The four main religions of India are - Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism. Hinduism is the largest religion in India, with approximately 80% of the population is Hindu while Islam (Muslim) is the second-largest religion having 14% (approx.) share.

Religion in India is characterised by the diversity of religious beliefs and practices. In Indian history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture. Indian subcontinent is the birthplace of four of the world's major religions, namely, Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism and Sikhism, which are collectively known as native Indian religions and represent 83% of the total population of India approximately.

Hinduism

Hinduism is the main Indian religion. It is considered as a religious and universal order, a way of life which followed by the people who believed in Hinduism. The word ‘Hindu’ refers group of particular people who believes and follow Hinduism, the oldest religion in the world. It has also been described as ‘Sanatana dharma’.

Introduction

Over the course of past decades India is one of the fastest growing economies of the world with a robust growth and transformations in its economy. In this journey subsidies played a crucial role in influencing market behaviour, support industries, address market failures, and achieve social and economic objectives of the country. Now what actually the economic subsidies are.

Subsidies are financial incentives provided by governments to individuals, businesses, or industries in the form of cash, grants, or tax breaks to influence economic behaviour and outcomes. They aim to correct market failures, promote specific industries, encourage production, and address economic challenges. Subsidies can be direct (cash payments) or indirect (tax breaks), benefiting recipients by reducing burdens or promoting certain actions. They are in the public interest, supporting social goods or economic policies.

The importance of subsidies lies in their ability to offset market failures and externalities, leading to greater economic efficiency. By providing financial aid, subsidies can stimulate production, increase supply, lower prices for consumers, and drive economic growth in targeted sectors. They play a crucial role in stabilizing economies, responding to economic shocks, and promoting long-term economic stability. Subsidies can also help governments address poverty, encourage investment in research and development, and support essential industries like agriculture, energy, and healthcare.

Introduction

The economic cycle, also known as the business cycle, refers to the fluctuating state of an economy characterized by periods of economic expansion and contraction. It involves the cyclical pattern of growth and decline in economic activity, impacting various indicators like gross domestic product (GDP), employment rates, interest rates, and consumer spending2. The economic cycle is a fundamental concept in economics that helps determine the overall state of an economy as it moves through four distinct stages: expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. Understanding the economic cycle is crucial for investors, businesses, and policymakers as it influences investment decisions, business strategies, and economic policies based on the prevailing stage of the cycle.

1. Expansion

The upswing of the business cycle towards a peak is called an economic expansion. An economic expansion is associated with: Firstly, an increase in production and output is a prominent feature of economic expansion. This uptick in production signifies growing economic activity, as businesses ramp up their operations to meet rising demand.

Introduction

The world of finance revolves around the management, generation, and analysis of money and investment opportunities. Financial professionals orchestrate a complex dance involving credit, borrowing, and various investment instruments like securities and stocks. This intricate choreography aims to fund present endeavours using a strategic allocation of anticipated future income. Since finance deals with the flow of money across time, grasping the time value of money is essential. Understanding interest rates and how they impact investments becomes paramount for making sound financial decisions that consider both present needs and future goals. This intricate web of concepts is what finance professionals navigate to ensure the optimal use of financial resources. Finance can be broadly divided into three types:

1. Public finance

2. Corporate finance

3. Personal finance

1. Public Finance: The government steps in to prevent the economy from going off track by managing how resources are distributed, income is shared fairly, and the economy remains stable. Taxes are the main way the government gets the money to fund these programs.

Introduction

Monetary policies are the policies used to regulate the money supply, cost, and availability of credit in the economy. Monetary policy is considered as an important tool of controlling inflation in the economy.

Central banks use monetary policy to guide the economy. They set interest rates, control the amount of money in circulation, and take other actions to affect inflation, encourage economic growth, and ensure financial stability. The ability of monetary policy to influence the economy is not absolute. It is affected by several variables, such as how adaptable the economy can expand or contract (supply and demand) and the link between monetary policy and economic development. It plays a significant role in shaping the effectiveness of monetary policy. For example, when people have more pessimistic expectations of inflation, they tend to hold less money and monetize more debt. Economic growth tends to be positively correlated with certain financial factors. For instance, higher inflation, an increased money supply, and lower interest rates are often associated with stronger economic growth. Plus, people's expectations regarding future inflation can also impact economic growth. A reduction in available money can weaken the impact of monetary policy. To accurately assess the effectiveness of monetary policy, it's important to consider. Flexibility and limitations in economic supply and demand. The relationship between monetary policy and economic growth. Expectations of inflation It's also essential to account for potential drawbacks and unexpected effects of monetary policy. Additionally, monetary policy should consider the interaction between monetary and fiscal policies. In formulating domestic monetary policy, the global economic landscape holds significant sway. Factors such as the global economy, currency exchange rates, and international trade can profoundly influence a country's monetary policy framework. Moreover, in today's interconnected financial system, central banks must be cognizant of the broader implications their monetary actions may have on other economies, highlighting the need for a global perspective in monetary policy decision making.

Introduction

The international monetary system refers to the operating system of the f inancial environment, which consists of financial institutions, multinational corporations, and investors. It encompasses a set of regulations and norms designed to facilitate global trade and facilitate the movement of capital and investment between nations. It involves a network of government and f inancial institutions that establish exchange rates for different currencies. The evolution of this system is remarkable, considering its origins centuries ago when currency relied on gold coins and people engaged in bartering goods for trade. It's incredible how far the financial system has come from the days centuries ago, when the only form of money was gold coins, and transactions required bartering of goods or products for cash. The international monetary system provides financial support to nations in order to help them overcome debt and poverty. Inflation is a phenomenon that occurs when there is an excess of supply relative to demand.

Evolution of the International Monetary System

Prior to 1870, there was a bimetallic international monetary system, in which coins made of both gold and silver could be used as means of exchange. Each currency's gold or silver content governed the exchange rates between them. There were certain nations that used the gold or silver standard.

Introduction

The backbone of economic growth are financial systems, which act as the channels for managing risks, facilitating investments, and allocating resources within an economy. Financial systems, which consist of a wide range of organizations, markets, and tools, are essential for coordinating the movement of capital between surplus (savers) and deficit (borrowers) units. They basically provide risk management, resource allocation, payment facilitation, and intermediation, among other crucial responsibilities. This complex network of interconnected roles makes sure that money is effectively allocated to its most profitable uses and offers safeguards against risk and smooth transactions. It supports sustainable growth and development by acting as the lifeblood of the economy.

A wide range of elements, such as macroeconomic conditions, regulatory frameworks, and technological breakthroughs, influence the evolution and dynamics of financial systems. Financial systems have changed significantly over time because of new difficulties and shifting environments. Resilience, creativity, and adaptation have been characteristics of the growth of finance, from the rise of modern banking institutions to the introduction of modern f inancial technology solutions. It is essential to solving urgent global issues including climate change, inequality, and sustainable development in addition to fostering economic growth and societal improvement. Financial institutions and stakeholders are using their resources to leverage sustainable finance practices, impact investment, and green finance efforts to create positive social and environmental consequences. It can be a strong tool for bringing about positive change and creating a more sustainable and equitable future.

Introduction

The field of public finance is a critical aspect of economic governance that delves into how governments manage their revenue, expenditures, and debt to fulfill societal needs and ensure economic stability. Public finance encompasses the financial activities of governments at various levels, including national, state, and local, focusing on the income and expenditure of public authorities and the underlying principles guiding these financial transactions.

Significance of Public Finance

• Role in Society: Public finance is a branch of public policy and economics concerned with how governments raise funds, allocate resources, and address economic and social needs.

• Government Functions: Governments provide public goods and services like infrastructure, defense, education, and social welfare programs that are essential for societal well-being.

• Market Correction: Public finance enables governments to address market failures by providing public goods that individuals or businesses would not produce efficiently on their own.

• Income Redistribution: Through programs like social security and welfare, public finance helps moderate income disparities by supporting those in need.

Introduction

Financial markets play a critical role in the health and stability of a nation's economy. They act as a complex network where individuals, businesses and governments can exchange financial instruments, facilitating the flow of capital and fostering economic growth. According to the World Bank, the global stock market capitalization reached a staggering $93 trillion USD in 2022, highlighting the vast pool of resources circulating within these systems. At the heart of financial markets lies the ability to connect those who possess capital with those who require it (Karpova et al?, 2020). Companies seeking to expand their operations can raise funds by issuing stocks or bonds, essentially selling a piece of ownership or a promise to repay a loan with interest. Investors, on the other hand, can utilize these markets to put their money to work, seeking returns on their investments through dividends, interest payments, or capital appreciation. This efficient allocation of resources fuels economic growth by enabling businesses to invest, innovate and create jobs.