eChapters

A. Beejamruit
Beejamrit is an organic solution primarily used in seed treatment to promote better germination, protect against soil-borne diseases, and enhance plant growth. It is part of traditional agricultural practices in India and is commonly used in organic farming. he preparation of Beejamrit involves simple, locally available ingredients like cow dung, cow urine, lime, water, and a handful of
soil (often sourced from under a banyan tree). The process is straightforward: cow dung is soaked in water overnight, and the mixture is later combined with lime, cow urine, and soil to create the final solution. This solution is then used to coat seeds before planting, providing them with a protective layer that boosts germination and shields them from pathogens. Beejamrit is valued for its low cost and quick preparation compared to chemical treatments. It is rich in beneficial microorganisms that help improve soil health and support plant growth.
The preparation of Beejamrit, a traditional organic solution used for seed treatment, is simple and involves locally available ingredients. Here’s the  process:

The low productivity in guava because of traditional planting distance (6-7 m apart) with no canopy management practices. Guava under traditional and high density planting system, though it gives high yield during initial stage but as the tree advances in age light interception and aeration decreases inside the canopy due to shading and overcrowding, resulting low yields and poor quality. In order to develop efficient canopy architecture for HDP and traditional planting system, the ICAR-CISH has standardized training system and canopy management with objective to have sustained high yield and quality of guava.
Guava bears flower on current shoots produced on mature wood laterally or terminally. In general flowers are produced in the leaf axils in 1 or 2-3 in cluster. The crop load depend on number of new shoots, hence more new shoots resulting more fruiting surface area.
High Density Planting System
Accommodation of more plants per unit area is known as high density planting system. Since guava respond well to pruning and fruiting starts 40-50 days after pruning and more new shoots emerged on which more flowers and fruits appears, thus yield increased. For successful HDP suitable canopy shape and its management is prerequisite. Guava is usually planted 6-7 m distance accommodating 277 to 204 plants per hectare the yield vary 35-80 kg/tree with yield per hectare 15-12 t/ha. In traditional planting density usually fruiting takes place on high on the tree.

Definition: Food preservation can be defined as the science which deals with the process of prevention of decay or spoilage of food thus allowing it to be stored in a safe condition for future use. All foods gradually undergo deterioration or spoilage from the time they are harvested or manufactured. Some commodities spoil rapidly, while others can keep for longer but limited periods.
Preservation is a set of techniques used to extend the shelf life of perishable fruits and vegetables, maintaining their quality, nutrition, and safety. Proper preservation methods are crucial in post-harvest management to reduce wastage, meet consumer demands, and ensure food security. Let us explore the principles and methods of preservation using easy vocabulary
Principles of Preservation
• Temperature Control: Preservation involves maintaining low temperatures to slow down enzymatic and microbial activity. Lower temperatures can inhibit the growth of spoilage microorganisms and extend the freshness of fruits and vegetables.
• Removal of Air and Moisture: Air and moisture can accelerate deterioration and spoilage. Preservation methods often involve vacuum sealing or drying to remove air and reduce moisture content.

The aromatic plants are the valuable source for flavours, fragrances and other pharmaceutical products. The aromatic plants possess odoriferous and volatile substances, which occur in the form of essential oils, gum exudate, balsam and oleo-resin. The chemical nature of these aromatic substances may be due to a variety of complex chemical compounds. Natural essential oils comprising a complex mixture of aroma chemicals, which are difficult to reconstitute in the chemical industry, fetch very high prices. India has a long perfumery tradition that dates back to over 5,000 years in Indus Valley Civilization. In the excavation of Harrappa and Mohanjodaro, a water distillation still and receiver have been recorded, whose shape resemble to the deg and bhabka currently used by attaries (traditional perfumers) of Kannauj in India (Gupta and Chadha, 1995).
Aromatic plants are very important part of agriculture and have been grown in India for their fragrance and therapeutic use from ages. Presently, several aromatic plants are in use for medication have come from our ancestors, inhabiting in different countries. The recent advances made in chemical and instrumentation technology led to the identification and isolation of principal chemical compounds diversely used in medicines, food, cosmetics, toiletries, bouquets, aerosols, paints, varnishes, insecticides etc (Arya et al., 2021). However, the perfumery and allied industries consume much larger amount of the natural fragrant material. Many of the aromatic plants are valued for naturally occurring essential oils and the bulk of the produce finds use in perfumery and the food flavouring industries.

India is endowed with rich treasure of aromatic plants of great industrial importance in its forests, wetlands and marine areas. India is among the 12 mega biodiversity centers of the world, which accounts for about 8 percent of the total biodiversity recorded so far. Despite of having only 2.4 percent land area of the world, India has been divided into 16 Agroclimatic zones having about 49000 plant species. Out of which 15000 species belong to medicinal and aromatic plants group. Out of these, 1500 medicinal and aromatic plants have identified, but only 500 species are commonly used in the preparation of ISM&H drugs. Besides, more than 150 plant species have been found endangered and are at the verge of extinction.
Indian export of raw drugs based on medicinal and aromatic plants has grown steadily at 25 % over the last few years. WHO has forecasted that the global market for herbal products is expected to be around US$ 5 trillion by 2050, and further emphasized the need for revitalization, and expansion of traditional system of medicines. But merely 150 medicinal and aromatic plants species are being reported to be used commercially on fairly large scale (Chandel et al.,1996).
The global market in plant based pharmaceuticals in growing rapidly day-byday leading to a sizeable increase in demand for herbal plants. Even today, 80-90% of naturally growing wild populations have remained the main source of raw materials used for drugs in India without applying scientific management techniques essential to sustain the growth and preserve useful properties essential to determine the efficacy of the medicines. The wild source is now being depleted and exploited without scientific harvesting techniques/ practices.

There has been increasing demand of plant based raw materials for manufacturing pharmaceuticals, flavours, fragrances, cosmetics & other related products. Among these, ginsenosides, taxol, artemisinin
etc. are some of the biomolecules used in making drugs with great demand in the market. Aromatic plants are an integral component of research and development in the pharmaceutical and aroma industry.
In India, the annual growth in this sector is around 15-20 percent. There are approximately 7500 plant species of medicinal value, including aromatic plants having significant scope for phyto-pharmaceuticals and cosmetic & perfumery industry. Because raw materials are still harvested from wild growing populations in the forests, introduction of these plants in agriculture is need of the hour for further research efforts to bring them into commercial cultivation as these plants also promise large benefits to farmers, if brought under cultivation. This can be achieved by screening germplasm from natural flora to select suitable genotypes for sustainable use in the prevalent cropping system.
Plant tissue culture technically known as micro-propagation and broadly defined as a collection of methods used to grow large number of plants in vitro (in an aseptic and closely controlled environment). This technique is effective because almost all plant cells are totipotent, meaning thereby that each cell possesses the genetic information and cellular machinery to generate an entire organism. Micro-propagation, therefore, can be used to produce large number of plants, which are genetically identical to parent plants as well as to one another (Raveen et al., 1999).

Essential oil obtained from aromatic plants is a mixture of several naturally arising biochemical compounds that occur in some plants which have scented flowers, leaves, bark, seeds, stem wood, or roots. As per the
biochemical view, the active ingredients of essential oils are tranquil of oxygenated hydrocarbons and several other types of hydrocarbons which may be clustered conferring to their biochemical structure into esters, terpenes, aldehydes, alcohols, phenols and ketones etc. Carbon is considered as the basic element for all kinds of essential oils. Majority of essential oil compounds are made of C, H, O, N and S atoms. The atom of these different kind of elements are joined to each other to make the essentia oil molecules. These biomolecules are made up of five carbon atoms is named isoprene. All essential oil compounds mainly consist terpenic compounds having two or more than two isoprene units (C5). These Isoprene units (C5) are generally attached to each other in head to tail fashion, hence ‘isoprene rule’ is followed. When two units of isoprene (10 C) are joint together, they form what is known as monoterpenes. Likewise, when three, four, five, six and eight units are united, they are called sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, sesterterpenes, triterpenes and tetraterpenes, respectively. These terpenes are colourless liquids and are generally lighter than water. They are highly refractive and insoluble in water. The ‘terpene’ term is usually restricted to hydrocarbon but on addition of oxygen in it, these are called terpenoids. These include menthol, cirtral, linalool, geraniol, carotenes, camphor, thymol, menthone etc. (Maheshwari, 1995).
Generally, the essential oil is extracted from aromatic plants through various methods but for production of essential oil for aromatherapy, the only suitable methods are those that are non-toxic. This contains cold pressing, distillation, and, in some cases, extraction by using the non-toxic solvents.

Introduction
Chamomile is generally known as German or Hungarian chamomile. Its herb is commonly used for both medicinal as well as aromatic purposes. It was introduced in India during late fifties by Regional Research Laboratory, Jammu (Handa et. al., 1957) and subsequently in different parts of India. It was successfully grown over saline soils at CIMAP, Lucknow and later at several other locations. It was also introduced at YSPUH&F at Solan (H.P.) under AICRP on M&APs and several parameters were identified for better utilization of inputs for higher production of herb. Its flowers also contain an essential oil with multiple uses.
Origin
It is native to Europe and mainly cultivated in the regions of northern, central and eastern European countries, Mediterranean, N. Africa, United States, Germany, France, Hungary and Russia. It is found grown in wild state in
eastern and southern Europe, West Asia and North Africa.

Introduction
It was first introduced from Java by National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow in 1959. Later on Regional Research Laboratory (RRL) of CIMAP, Bangalore started research work from 1961. Presently, it is cultivated in Karnataka, Assam, Maharashtra, TN, WB, AP, Southern Gujarat and UP. Citronella oil is produced from two species, viz., Cymbopogon winterianus (Java type) and C. nardus (Ceylon type). About 300-350 tonnes of oil is produced annually in India, as against 7000 tonnes in the world.
Origin
It is reported to be originated from Borneo, Java and Sumatra
Uses
Despite production of synthetic isolates in large scale, there is still a widespread preference for natural citronella oil because of its unique olfactory and stable technical properties, which are vital in blending perfumes and compounding industrially important essences. The oil is mainly used in perfumery, soaps, detergents, industrial polishes, cleaning compounds, mosquito repellent products and other industrial products.

Introduction
Davana (Artemisia pallens Wall.) is one of the important aromatic herb found abundantly in humid habitats in the plains all over India. It is popularly known as sage brush, worm wood and mug word. The davana (Artemisia pallens) is a small to medium height; annual and herbaceous aromatic plant. This herb is erect, and grow up to 60 cm height. Its leaves are highly divided and bears small size yellow coloured flower. Its leaves and stem found protected with greyish-white tomentum. The leaves are lobed, alternate, and petiolate.
Origin & Distribution
It is native to southern India, where it is traditionally grown in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, T.N., and A.P, growing widely in tropical to subtropical
plains as Rabi season crop. It also found growing in wild form in the Himalayan region in the Simla, Kashmir valley, and Nainital hills. It is widely used by Ayurvedic healers to balance the three energies. It is an erect growing
plant up to 60 cm height. It does not grow wild, but grown as a garden plant in South India. It is a crop of irrigated conditions; and do well when planted in November-December, yielding significantly higher oil yield in comparison to crop planting in July-August. The crop should be harvested 2-3 inches above ground level during bright sunny days at 50 percent flowering stage to have high oil content and oil yield.

Introduction
Geranium is also known as cranesbill, scented geranium/rose geranium. It is adaptable over a wide range of soil conditions and drought tolerant. Being perennial aromatic herb, it is cultivated for rose scented essential oil extracted from leaves and tender shoots. The oil thus obtained is also called pelargonium oil or rose-geranium oil. The oil is of varied colour from colourless to pale yellowbrown or greenish. The genus Pelargonium belongs to the family Geraniaceae.
Origin
Geranium is native to sub-tropical southern Africa, and the most popular of bedding and green-house plants. The genus Pelargonium consists of about 600 species, which are annual, biennial, and perennials found in Cape province of South Africa.
Botany
The cultivated geraniums may belong to herbaceous to woody with thick fleshy leaves of round to lobed shape and deep cut. The flowers are present in terminal clusters with varying colours from white to pink, deep red and violet. Cultivated species are hybrids, having double flowers of mixed colours.

Introduction
Genus Curcuma belongs to the Zingiberaceae family, and containing of about 122 species. These are grown profusely in Asian countries including, India, China, and Southeast Asia, Northern Australia and New Guinea. Like ginger, it is also the popular herb of this family for the utilization of its underground rhizomatous stem by human beings. Botanically it is named as Curcuma longa L. Its bright yellow spicy powder is got from the dried rhizome is termed turmeric powder, which is the final product of this herb. In addition to this curcumin bio-active compound is also extracted by cursing rhizomes of turmeric. The plants turmeric are considered to be a hybrid and sterile leaving vegetative propagation from rhizome as the single mode of propagation. India is recognized as the power house of turmeric production. Along with us, our neighbours in South East and Eastern region, including Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Philippines, Indonesia and even China are considered major producers.
Floral Biology
All species of Curcuma genus have almost alike flowering spikes that mainly originate from the topmost region of the rhizome (pseudo-stem) or sometimes on a separate stem directly from the rhizome. These two stems differ onlyin the inner portion of rhizome, which differ in colour, i.e., creamy, white, orange, yellow, bluish-green, blue, and sometime black also. The rhizomes exhibit commercial value as a medicine as well as food spice. Curcuma longa L. (Syn. Curcuma domestica Val.), is the common turmeric. It is the top ranking herb based on its economic potential among all the members of this genus and cultivated in India about 150,000 hectares.

Introduction
Patchouli is known as patcholi in Hindi, patche tene in annada, patchapan or patcha in Marathi, patchilla in Malayalam, pacchilai in Tamil. It is a hardy perennial herb well-adjusted against the hot and humid climatic situations. Patchouli is an aromatic herb of immense importance due to presence of essential oil extracted from shade dried leaves. It possessed a powerful sweetness and spicy fragrance. Patchouli has tremendous business potential owning to its unique fragrance properties in the global market. Its oil easily blends with other essential oils giving strong base as fixative properties in preventing evaporation and promoting tenacity. Worldwide, Indonesia is considered as the chief patchouli oil producer.
Origin
Pogostemon cablin Benth. is natural to Philippines but also found growing wild in many countries of South Asian region. The word ‘cablin’ is derived from ‘cabalam’, a local name in the Philippines. Presently, it is not only cultivated on commercial scale in India but also in Indonesia, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Brazil, West Africa, Seychelles, Vietnam and West Indies.

Introduction
Vetiver/Khas is a fibrous, perennial and aromatic root crop spread over Indian subcontinent. The genus Vetiveria is derived from its Tamil name ‘Vettiver’. It occurred largely in wet and damp environments over marshy lands in south-east Rajasthan and Haryana. Also found in river banks of western, central and northern U.P. up-to 1200 m elevation in the Himalayan foothills, T.N., Karnataka, Kerala and some parts of central India. Besides India, it is also widely grown in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Haiti, Vietnam and Brazil for its fragrant volatile oil (Guenther, 1972). This species along with its unique xerophytic characteristics of tolerating prolonged drought, also survives under long seasonal flooding; extreme temperature and sustainability over a wide range of soil salinity and alkalinity. The South Indian types are rich in oil percent, but content more of hydrocarbons and less oxygenated constituents, thus inferior to North Indian types having higher percentage of oxygenated compound and very high quality odour value. It belongs to family Graminae or Poaceae.
Uses
• Spongy and fibrous roots are commonly used for making cooler pads, floor mats, door screens emitting sweet fragrance with cooling effect in hot summer season when sprinkled with water as roots retain its delightful odour for a long period.

Introduction
Wild marigold (Tagetes minuta) is also famous as African marigold and mint marigold, valued for its higher content and superior in essential oil quality among all the cultivated species undergenusTagetes. Marigold/Genda (Tagetes species) are mostly grown for scented flowers for utilization in functions all over the world. The flowers and leaves are of different varieties, which are identified by their distinct odouriferous oil.
Origin
It is inhabitant to the grasslands of temperate region in South America and now become widespread throughout the world. In India, it has been customized in the North-West Himalayas up-to an altitudes ranging from1000-2500 meters in H.P., U.P. and J&K. Now-a-days, Tagetes minuta is considered as an extensive weed in South Europe, Africa, South Asia, Australia, and Madagascar (Chalchat et al., 1995). It is found growing naturally as a noxious
weed in the wild and arable farming systems. The high demand of its essential oil may leads into reduction of the wild resources, thus it is essential to start systematic cultivation in sub-tropical to temperate agro-climatic zones all over the world, mainly in the region of Indian subcontinent (Singh et al., 2003).

Duration: 60-75 minutes
Objective: Equip participants with the skills to work effectively in diverse teams, fostering trust, clear roles, and constructive conflict resolution to achieve shared goals.
Why It Matters
Teamwork drives innovation, productivity, and workplace morale. Effective collaboration leverages diverse strengths, but poor teamwork can lead to miscommunication, duplicated efforts, or resentment. For example, a team without clear roles might miss deadlines, or unresolved conflicts can erode trust. This module empowers participants to build cohesive, high-performingn teams.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this module, participants will:
1. Understand the principles of trust, role clarity, and conflict resolution in teams.
2. Practice collaborative decision-making and communication in team settings.
3. Develop strategies to strengthen team dynamics and resolve conflicts constructively.

Duration: 60-75 minutes
Objective: Develop creative and analytical skills to identify, analyze, and resolve workplace challenges effectively.
Why It Matters
Problem-solving is critical for overcoming obstacles, improving processes, and driving innovation. Effective problem-solvers think critically and act decisively, while poor problem-solving leads to delays or ineffective solutions. For example, misdiagnosing a client complaint can escalate issues, while a structured approach resolves it quickly. This module equips participants with practical tools to tackle problems confidently.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this module, participants will:
1. Understand a structured process for problem-solving (define, generate, evaluate, implement).
2. Practice root cause analysis and brainstorming techniques.
3. Apply problem-solving strategies to real-world scenarios.

Duration: 60-75 minutes
Objective: Enhance self-awareness, empathy, and relationship management to build stronger workplace connections and leadership skills.
Why It Matters
Emotional intelligence drives effective collaboration, leadership, and conflict resolution. High EQ creates positive workplace cultures, while low EQ can lead to misunderstandings or disengagement. For example, an empathetic response to a stressed colleague builds trust, while a dismissive one erodes it. This module equips participants to manage emotions and relationships effectively.
Learning Outcomes: By the end of this module, participants will:
1. Understand the four components of EQ: self-awareness, self-regulation, empathy, relationship management.
2. Practice empathetic listening and emotional regulation.
3. Develop strategies to strengthen interpersonal relationships.
Key Concepts
1. Self-Awareness
Recognize and understand your emotions.
• Identify Triggers: Notice what sparks strong emotions (e.g., tight deadlines cause stress).
• Reflect Regularly: Journal or pause to assess your emotional state.

Microbiologists are constantly at risk of exposure to hazardous microorganisms that can cause diseases. These microorganisms may enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, cuts, abrasions, or the eyes. Therefore, handling cultures, slides, and live microorganisms requires utmost care. To ensure safety in the laboratory, several precautions must be followed:
1. Maintain cleanliness in microbiological labs at all times, taking extra care to prevent contamination from the air, equipment, personnel, or the environment.
2. Always wear a clean white lab coat or apron while working. After handling infectious microorganisms, the lab coat should be autoclaved.
3. No eating, drinking, or smoking is allowed in the laboratory.
4. Personal hygiene is essential in microbiological labs.
5. Wash hands with soap and water or a mild disinfectant solution (e.g., hypochlorite solution containing 50-100 ppm chlorine or 1-2% lysol solution) before starting work.
6. Disinfect the work surface by wiping down the lab bench with a disinfectant solution, such as 5% phenol or hypochlorite solution containing 200-300 ppm chlorine, both before and after work.
7. Keep the work area neat and organized at all times.
8. Use self-adhesive labels instead of moistening labels with your tongue.
9. Sterilize inoculating loops and needles by heating them in a Bunsen burner flame until red hot before and after use.

Introduction
• A cell is the most basic structural and functional unit of life. These are of two types:
i) Prokaryotic cells– Prokaryotes are those cells which lack a membrane bound nucleus and other membrane bound cell organelles. These cells are primitive cells. Examples, bacterial cells, archaeal cells.
ii) Eukaryotic cells– Eukaryotes are those cells which have distinct membrane bound organelles. These are advanced cells. Example, animal cells, plant cells, fungi.
• A microorganisms (from the Greek: mikros, “small” and organism’s, “organism”) are those small living organisms which cannot be seen with naked eyes. These are of two types:
i) Single cell– Organism made up of a single cell.
ii) Multi-cellular– Organism made up of multiple cells.
Shape and Arrangement of Bacterial Cells
• Prokaryotes display following shapes
• Spherical cells called Cocci
• Cylinders called rods or Bacilli
• Coma shaped called Vibrio
 

A. Morphological Examination of Bacterial Samples
Introduction
Bacteria are most widely distributed, the simplest in morphology, the smallest in size and difficult to identify. They are prokaryotic and a few are photosynthetic. Most bacteria are only 0.5 to 2.0 μm in diameter. Bacteria are generally rod, spherical or curved shaped. Rod shaped bacteria may vary considerably in length, have square round or pointed ends and may be motile or non-motile. The spherical or coccus shaped bacteria may occur single, in pairs in tetrads, in chains or in regular masses. The helical and curved shaped bacteria exist as slender spirochetes, spirillum and bent rods (vibrios). In this exercise the ubiquitousness of these organisms will be demonstrated in the air and water, on body and in mouth etc.
Materials
1. Petri plates containing nutrient agar
2. Sterile cotton swabs
3. Sterile water blank
4. Tube of nutrient broth
5. Materials for simple staining

Introduction
Microbiology techniques are used for various objectives like:
• To observe and isolate the micro-flora
• To test the microbiological quality of various food and dairy products
• To find the presence of any particular pathogenic microorganism
• To maintain a pure or mixed culture of specific microorganisms
1. Serial Dilution Techniques
• Bacteria are often present in such huge numbers that they can be difficult to count. Yet accurate counts are necessary for a variety of reasons like, for instance, assessing the quality of water or the safety of food. There are a number of counting techniques but most rely on the dilution of the sample to reduce the bacterial numbers down to a quantity that can be counted accurately.
• All bacterial plate count methods require the sample to be serially diluted until an estimated count of 30-300 colony forming units (CFU) on the plate is obtained. Plates with more than 300 CFU are very difficult to count. Plates with less than 30 CFU are not statistically reliable.
• If turbidity is observed in a broth culture, it might have millions more bacteria than you need. If this turbid broth is used directly for plating, all the CFU would grow together into a confluent mass and we would not be able to distinguish one colony from another.

(A) Effect of Temperature
Introduction
Temperature is one of the most important physical factors affecting microorganisms. Bacteria are different from higher plants and animals in the lack of homeostatic mechanism and cannot regulate heat generated by metabolism and are, therefore, directly and readily affected by temperature. Over a limited temperature range, there is a two-fold increase in the rate of enzyme catalyzed reaction for every 10°C rise in temperature.
Bacteria may be divided into three major groups with respect to their temperature requirements: (i) Psychrophiles, those with optimum temperature between 0°C and 20°C; (ii) Mesophiles, with optimum temperature between 20ºC and 40°C and (iii) Thermophiles, with optimum temperature between 40°C and 80°C. Thermophiles are of two types: (a) Facultative thermophiles with an optimum temperature of growth between 45°C and 60°C and (b) Obligate thermophiles with optimum temperature above 60°C. Temperatures in the range between 50°C and 100°C are normally in the lethal range for bacterial cells and spores. The range of temperature preferred by bacteria is genetically determined, resulting in enzymes with different temperature requirements.
Each organism grows within a particular temperature range (i.e. cardinal temperature points). The minimum growth temperature is the lowest temperature at which growth of a species will occur. The highest temperature at which a species can grow is its maximum growth temperature, and a species grows fastest at its optimum growth temperature.  Time of exposure is a vital factor in assessing the

The concept of Centers of Origin given by Russian scientist N.I. Vavilov (1935) is based on his studies of vast collection of plants at the Institute of Plant  Industry, Leningrad. According to him, crop plants evolved from wild species in the areas showing great diversity and termed them as primary Centers of Origin; but in some areas, certain crop species show considerable diversity of forms although they did not originate their, such areas are known as secondary center of origin of these species. He identified 8 primary centers (Chinese, Indian, Inner Asiatic, Asia Minor, Mediterranean, Abyssinian, South Mexico, Central America and South America Andes Center) and three sub-centers (Indo-Malayan, Chilean and Brazilian-Paraguayan sub-center) of origin for crop plants. Basilevskaya (1960) first investigated the geographical origin of garden plants. Coats (1968) who first stressed out the ornamental herbs whereas Hui-Lin-Li (1974) wrote about the introduction of woody plants. According to Tay (2007) survey of thirty common flowers and their related species show a similar pattern of concentrated occurrence of species in certain geographic regions.
Exploration and exploitation of gene centers need to be proceed with the systematic cooperation of taxonomists, geneticists and plant pathologists. The 17 centers of origin identified for different flower and ornamental crops are
given (Table 2.1)

Plant collection and field preparation of specimens are the fundamental aspects of study, training and research in plant systematics. Herbarium specimens are the permanent records of plant species of a particular place at a given time. Therefore, the plants should be carefully collected, selected, and the herbarium specimens should be properly prepared and preserved.
6.1 Which Type of Specimens Should Be Collected?
The points to be kept in mind during a plant collection are:
1. Collect entire, vigorously growing typical specimens.
2. Select such individuals that represent almost all phases of the natural population.
3. Avoid collecting insect-damaged specimens.
4. Collect underground parts (e.g. roots, bulbs, rhizomes, tubers, etc.) of herbaceous perennials.
5. Collect those specimens of flowering plants that contain flowers, fruits, and seeds, because keys are prepared mainly on the basis of these characters.
6. Specimens larger than the size of a single sheet, should be divided an pressed on a series of sheets.
7. Collect plants with the leaves intact as different kinds of foliage prove helpful in identification.
8. Collect the bark and wood samples of the woody plants.
9. Avoid collecting rare or uncommon plants. Never collect the only plant of a species at a locality.

The application or utility of serology in solving taxonomic problems is called serotaxonomy or systematic serology. The study of antigen-antibody reactions is called serology. It had its origin towards the end of 20th century with the discovery of serological reactions and development of the discipline of immunology. The substance capable of stimulating the formation of an antibody is called antigen. A highly specific protein molecule produced by plasma cells in the immune system is called antibody. The antibodies combine chemically with specific kinds of antigens. Proteins are the useful carriers of
taxonomic information and are most widely used antigens in serotaxonomy.
Serology is Useful in The Following Ways
1. It expresses similarities and dissimilarities amongst different taxa, and these data are helpful in taxonomy. It determines the degree of similarity between species, genera, families, etc. by comparing the reactions of antigens from various plant taxa with antibodies raised against the antigen of a given taxon.
2. It helps in comparing non-morphological characteristics, the knowledge of which is useful in taxonomy.
3. Single proteins from different plant taxa are also compared by serology techniques.

A botanical and horticultural library is a library specializing in the preservation and collection of literature and materials about plants. Botanical libraries are like special libraries are specialized information resources tailored to the unique needs of a particular organization, profession, or subject area. A botanical library is a specialized resource center dedicated to the study of plants and plant science. It typically houses a vast collection of books, journals, and other materials related to botany, horticulture, plant biology, and related fields. The mission of many botanical and horticultural libraries is to make accessible and available to those who use it the information on this topic. Botanical and horticultural libraries can be found in arboretums, botanical gardens, research institutions, horticultural societies, conservatories, governmental offices, colleges, and universities as part of a larger university library.
The collections within these types of libraries cover such topics as flowers, grasses, trees, fungi, aquatic plants, weeds, algae, pests, and fertilizers. The typical collection is composed of books, periodicals, and photo collections. The types of materials depend on the types of patrons. A public botanical
garden library may contain books for children, nursery catalogs, seed catalogs, popular how-to publications, movies, and various other media resources. At an academic library, there may be such archived materials, such as historical letters, autographs of famous botanists, plant lists, field notes, and reports of botanic expeditions. These libraries might include:

14.1 Herbarium and Its Limitations
A collection of dried and pressed plants arranged according to a classification system and available for study or reference is known as herbarium (plural, herbaria), a name first applied by Linnaeus.
Plant specimens are usually mounted on a sheet of high quality paper. Properly dried, pressed and identified plant specimens are placed in thin paper folders (species covers) which are kept together in thicker paper folders (genus covers), and finally they are incorporated into the herbarium cupboards in their proper position. Some fleshy members (e.g. Cactaceae) are preserved in liquid preservatives instead of being pressed and dried. Bulky plant parts (e.g. dry fruits, cones of several gymnosperms, etc.) are dried without pressing and are stored in special bags.
A herbarium may contain a few hundred locally collected plant specimens kept in a small place, or it may contain millions of them collected from different parts of the world and housed in a very big building. Herbaria in different countries remain associated with colleges, universities, scientific societies, research institutes, botanical gardens or flora of a district, state, country, continent or several continents. There are also private herbaria.

A floral formula is a numerical representation of various parts of the flower. Such notations use numbers, letters and various symbols to convey significant information in a compact form. They may represent the floral form of a particular species, or may be generalized to characterize higher taxa, usually giving ranges of numbers of organs. It also depicts the symmetry, interrelationship of various floral parts, unisexuality as well as bisexuality in the flower.
Floral formulae were developed at the beginning of the 19th century (Prenner et al., 2010). The first authors using them were Cassel (1820) who first devised lists of integers to denote numbers of parts in named whorls; and Martius (1828). Grisebach (1854) used 4-integer series to represent the 4 whorls of floral parts in his textbook to describe characteristics of floral families, stating numbers of different organs separated by commas and highlighting fusion. Sachs (1873) used them together with floral diagrams, he noted their advantage of being composed of “ordinary typeface”.

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

A family of 140 genera and over 4,075 species, Araceae are distributed mostly in tropical and some also in temperate regions of the world. About 25 genera and over 140 species have been reported from India, chiefly from western and southern parts. Some larger genera along with the number of their worldover reported species are Anthurium (500), Philodendron (275), Arisaema (150), Amorphophallus (100), Rhaphidophora (100), Pothos (75), Alocasia (70), Monstera (50), Arum (15), Colocasia (8), Acorus (2) and Pistia (1). Colocasia (Colocasia antiquorum) and ‘money plant’ (Pothos aureus) are two famous plants of Araceae.
Anthurium is a beautiful group of tropical aroids. It is cultivated globally for its attractive flowers and foliage. The flowering stalks have a long vase life and add an ethnic beauty to any floral decoration. Anthurium also called as ‘Flamingo flower’ or ‘Boy flower’, both referring to the structure of the spathe, and spadix. ‘Anthra’ is a worldwide knowledge center for the cultivation of anthurium, based on Holland and Germany. ‘Anthura’ performs activities in the field of research and development breeding, tissue culture technology, training and publishing cultivation know- how. ‘Anthura’ collaborates with research stations and test locations in Thailand, China, USA, Japan and India.

A family of about 66 genera and over 2,244 species, Iridaceae are distributed in both tropical and temperate regions with the chief centres of distribution in tropical America and South Africa. Chief areas of distribution in India are Kashmir, and Kumanon hills. Common species cultivated in Indian gardens include Belamcanda chinensis, Crocus sativus, C. biflorus, C. speciosa, Gladiolus primulinus, G. colvillei, Freesia refracta, Iris kumaonensis, I. germanica and I. foetidissima. Iridaceae are cultivated throughout the world for their beautiful flowers.
Gladiolus ‘the queen of bulbous flowers’ is one of the most important bulbous ornamentals grown commercially in all parts of the world for its attractive flowers. It is very much liked for its majestic spikes containing attractive,
elegant and delicate florets which open in sequence over a long duration and hence, has good keeping quality of cut spikes. These are extensively employed as cut flower in herbaceous borders, individual beds in the gardens, for exhibition, as pot plants for various kinds of interior decoration and for making bouquets. North American Gladiolus Council, Boston established in 1910 (www.gladworld.org), and New England Gladiolus Society (www.britglad. com), came into existence during post war era (1945-55), are actively involved in popularization and improvement of gladiolus in tune with flourishing cut flower trade in western countries.

This family of sub-class polypetalae is represented by only single genera and three species. Members are cosmopolitan in distribution, except in very cold regions, and are favorite plants for garden pools. Nelumbo lotus are the ‘sacred lotus’ plants of the family. Indian lotus, found commonly in shallow lakes and pods, is Nelumbo nucifera. Nelumbo, genus of aquatic angiosperms belong to monogeneric family Nelumbonaceae is represented by two elemental species N. nucifera and N. lutea. The 1st fossil record available with Pleistocene epoch of Kashmir.The NBRI, Lucknow acts as a biodiversity conservation centre.
Among the few bulbous ornamentals which survive only in water, one of them is lotus.N.aureavallis, known from Eocene fossils from North Dakota, USA is an extinct species from USA. Nearly all parts are edible. Leaves are used for wrapping around other food before it is cooked. Stalks are sliced & added to salad. Flowers are cultivated for ornamental value, religious offerings, environment beautification, water purification, besides for food, Chinese traditional medicine & yield valuable perfume. Flowers recommended as cardiac tonic and used in curing diseases of liver, skin. Its dried and powdered rhizomes are used to cure piles. Due to its astringent qualities, rhizome is known for its hypoglycemic, anti-pyretic, anti-diarrheal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. It possesses anti-fungal activity against Aspergillus, Trichoderma, and Penicilium. Many traditional ancient medical texts report its use for skin conditions, notably ring worms & leprosy, sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and syphilis. Milky latex found in stems, leaves and flowers is used to fight bacterial infections. Lotus has been found to have 77% anti-oxidant activity. Swollen rhizome of vegetable lotus is used in culinary preparations. The roasted seeds are used as a substitute to coffee. Seeds are ground to obtain almond-flavoured flour. Seed pods (fresh or dried) are used in dry flower arrangement. Bhasinda is an underground stem i.e. rhizomes are edible as raw or cooked in northern parts of India.

This family of sub-class polypetalae is represented by only 5 genera and over 70 species. Members are cosmopolitan in distribution, except in very cold regions, and are favorite plants for garden pools. Plants are mostly ornamental, few are medicinal or edible. Flowers of water lily are variously coloured and open just above the water surface in ponds while that of crow lily (Nuphar) are golden yellow and extend up and out of the water in the pond. Nymphaea nouchali is the Indian red water-lily. Victoria regia is a native of South America. Genus Nymphaea attained wide spread fame as ornamentals in Europe and North America in the early 19th century. Word ‘Nympha’ in Greek and in Roman mythology means ‘Nature-goddess’. Nymphacine is an alkaloid present in all parts except seeds and contain 47% starch and fatty oils. Flowers are used as cardiac tonic to relieve pains and cures diseases of liver and skin and rhizomes are used in tannin industry, seeds for culinary purposes and leaves as dining plates. Dried rhizome powder is used to cure piles.
Among the few bulbous ornamentals which survive only in water, one of them is water lily. Water lilies constitute an important element in tropical aquatic ornamental horticulture because of their strikingly beautiful flowers with wide spectrum of colours. Its flowers are very formal in shape and rather more attractive than lotus. Many are fragrant and there is great variation even in size of the flowers and leaves. Unripe fruits of Nymphaea rubra are used as vegetables and flowering stalks as vegetables and salad. Rhizomes are used in tannin industry and seeds for culinary purposes. Leaves are used as dining plates. Nymphacine alkaloid is available in all parts of the plant except the seeds which are free from this alkaloid and contain 47 per cent starch and fatty oils. Rhizomes of N. stellata are edible and also used to relieve cardiac pains. Rhizomes of N. nouchali are used to cure dysentery and diarrhoea. The vegetable ‘kamal kakri’ is actually the rhizome of N. nouchali.

A family of 183 genera and over 2,600 species distributed widely in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world and a few also in warm, temperate regions. About 28 genera and over 95 species have been reported from India. Chief genera along with the number of their total reported species and the common names of them are Calamus (300, cane palm), Chamaedorea (130), Areca (54, betel nut plam), Coccothrinax (50, Biscayne palm), Copernicia (30, wax palm), Raphia (30, wine palm), Sabal (25, cabbage palm), Phoenix (17, date palm), Roystonea (17, Royal palm), Metroxylon (15, sago palm), Phytelephas (15, ivory-nut palm), Caryota (12, fish-tail palm), Elaeis (2, oil
palm) and Cocos (1, coconut palm). Selected Indian Genera Araca, Borassus, Calamus, Cocos, Nypa, Phoenix.
Economic Importance
Palm family, supposed to be second in importance to Poaceae, is used for food, oils, shelter, coconuts, copra, dates, clothing, etc. As many as 801 uses of only Borassus flabellifer have been mentioned in one ancient Tamil song. Cocos nucifera (coconut Fig. 45.2) is another such plant of this family whose almost every part of entire plant body is utilized in some ways or other, i.e.

This family is represented by about 62 genera and 2,252 species, chiefly distributed in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Eastern Asia and eastern North America are the regions of their most common occurrence. The common genera, of which over 150 or more species have so far been reported, include Ranunculus (400), Aconitum (300), Delphinium (250), Clematis (250), Anemone (150) and Thalictrum (150). Some species occur in Arctic and Alpine zones. However, they are rare in tropics. Twenty genera and over 165 species of this family have so far been reported from India. Plants of this family flower mainly during winter in our country. Selected Indian Genera and Species
• Ornamentals: Many Ranunculaceae have showy flowers and are grown as ornamentals in gardens. Some of such ornamentals are Aconitum napellus (aconite), Anemone parviflora (wind flower), Aquilegia coerulea (columbine), Caltha palustris (Marsh marigold), Clematis virginiana (traveller’s joy), Delphinium ajacis (larkspur), Helleborus (Christmas rose), Nigella damascena (love-in-a-mist), Paeonia emodi (Peony), Ranunculus aquatilis, R. seleratus (cedery peaved crow foot).

A family of approximately 91 genera and 4,828 species which are cosmopolitan in distribution but particularly abundant in Eastern Asia, North America and Europe. About 25 genera and 230 species of Rosaceae have so far been reported from India. Some of the largely represented genera along with their common names and approximately reported species include Potentilla (Cinquefoil, 500), Prunus (peach, plum, almond, cherry, apricot, 430), Rosa (Rose, 250), Rubus (Raspberry, blackberry, 250), Alchemilla (250), Crataegus (Hawthorn, 200), Sorbus (Chokeberry, 250), Acaena (100) and Spirea (100). Named after the universally famous flowering plant, rose, the Rosaceae show great diversity in types of fruit (Fig. 48.1).
Roses, universally acclaimed as the ‘queen of flowers’, have played major role in human culture and artistry from ancient times. Among the ornamentals, roses occupy very important position both as garden plants and cut flowers for their beauty and fragrance. This unique position is attributed to great amount of variation in flowers and plant characteristics as well as their wide adaptability to varied agro-ecological conditions. Damask rose (R. damascena) and Edouard rose (R. bourboniana) are cultivated for extraction of essence, rose attar or rose oil, otto and other products, gulkand, gulab jal and pankhuri from petals. Rose oil has a significant place as an ingredient in pharmaceutical preparations viz., ointments, lotions, perfumes, creams and soaps and in food products including beverages, baked foods, puddings and frozen dairy desserts. Characteristics of damask rose oil as anti-HIV, anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant have been established.

A family of about 23 genera and 800 species, Violaceae are distributed in both tropical and temperate regions. Only three genera (Hybanthus, Vahila and Viola) have been reported from India. Famous pansies, violas and violets belong to this family. Some of the larger genera with their approximate number of species in parenthesis include Viola (500), Rinorea (340) and Hybanthus (150). Majority of Indian Violaceae are found in Himalayas and hills of
southern and western India.
Garden pansy is an annual or perennial herb planted in flower beds worldwide owing to its pretty shape and contrasting colour markings, looking like a butterfly. It is called as ‘King of annuals’. In horticultural industry, there are variety of forms, sizes, and shapes of pansies which are employed for landscape planting, garden design, and container gardening. With the advent of F1 hybrids, pansies are known as high quality bedding plants. Dried flowers of Viola odorata Vern. are used against cough, influenza, and lung troubles while oil obtained from flowers is used in perfumes and flavourings.
Selected Indian Genera and Species
• Except for garden favourites, such as pansies, violas and violets, the family is of little economic importance. Over 100 species of Viola, are being grown as ornamental plants.

In fruits, vegetables, and their products, the sugars are estimated as reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, and total sugars. Reducing sugars in fruits and their products represent glucose and fructose. A combination of reducing and non-reducing sugars gives total sugars, whereas non-reducing sugars mainly sucrose are calculated after deducting the value of reducing sugars from the total sugars as invert sugar and multiplying the remainder with a factor of 0.95. Many fruit, vegetables, and their products like jam, jelly, juice, preserve, candy, fruit toffees, etc., containing substantial amounts of sugars, are estimated as a routine by using Lane and Eynon’s method using Fehling’s solution. However, for products having a smaller quantity of sugars, more precise methods like colorimetric methods can be used.
Method: Lane and Eynon’s Method
Principle: Invert sugar reduces the copper in Fehling’s solution to red, insoluble cuprous oxide. The sugar content in a food sample is estimated by determining the volume of the unknown sugar solution required to completely reduce a known volume of Fehling’s solution. Glucose, fructose and other] sugars capable of reducing oxidizing agents are called reducing sugars and this property is used for the estimation of sugars.

A cut-out examination is conducted for the evaluation of canned fruit and vegetables and other products for various quality attributes, viz., physical, chemical, sensory, and microbiological attributes. The examination is conducted by following the undermentioned steps: External/physical examination of unopened Can
1. External Appearance of the tin can: Note the external condition of the tin can like dents, rusty spots, scratches, leakage around seams, and the condition of ends. Based on external appearance describe the condition of the tin can by using the following terms:
i. Flat Can: A can where both ends are concave. The vacuum is high enough to maintain the ends concave.
ii. Flipper Can: A can where the vacuum is so low that mechanical shock will produce distortion of one or both ends.
iii. Springer Can: A can in which one end is distorted and the other end is flat and pressure on the convex end will cause the flat end to spring out when pressed.

Palak or spinach beet or beet leaf, Beta vulgaris var bengalensis under the family Amaranthaceae (previously under Chenopodiaceae) (Chromosome No. 2n = 2x = 18) is one of the most common leafy vegetables of the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Its tender, soft and succulent leaves are used as a leafy vegetable. It is a rich and cheap source of β carotene, iron, essential amino acids, ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine, minerals like, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and zinc and fibre. It is very common vegetable in India, particularly in eastern and northern plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. It is also grown in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh however, it is not common in southern states.
Origin, domestication and adaptation in India
Palak originated from Indo-Chinese region. The Romans used this crop as food for humans and animals. The crop was introduced to USA in 1800 AD (Campbell, 1976). However, it is not known when it was introduced into India. Mentioning of palak in the medical treatise, Charak Samhita, c. 600 BC is the testimony of its long history of cultivation in India. Perhaps it was first cultivated in Bengal. In India, earlier improvement through natural selection by the farmers might have been in the direction of larger succulent leaves, late bolters and ability for regeneration after repeated cuttings. However, despite such a long history of cultivation genetic variability recorded in this species is not wide enough, commensurate with outcrossing breeding behaviour.

Amaranthus is an important leafy vegetable and is grown all over the Indian subcontinent. Amaranthus tricolor Linn and A. blittum Linn. are the common varieties cultivated. These herbaceous annuals are a rich source of proteins, vitamins A and C, and iron. The foliage is a good source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A, B, and C. In contrast, grains are good sources of important amino acids, particularly lysine, and are rich in dietary fibre, calcium, and minerals such as iron, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese. It enhances the body’s immune system and antioxidant status while lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Fresh leaves and tender stems are used as vegetables. Production of amaranthus is affected by the incidence of pests. Cultivated amaranth is currently infested by a total of 92 different insect pests. (Rajeshkanna et al., 2017) among which the leaf webbers and amaranthus stem weevil are the most important pests.
Biology: Black moth with dark brown wings bearing white wavy markings on wings. Eggs are laid singly on leaves. Egg period 3 to 4 days. Larval duration will be completed within a period of 2 weeks. Pupation occurs among the leaf webbings and pupal duration lasts for 10 days. Several larvae can be seen inside each leaf web.

Distribution: India, China, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand
Host: Turmeric, ginger, cardamom, castor, guava, mango, cocoa etc.
Biology: Adult moths are yellowish medium-sized moths. Wings are pale yellowish with black spots on the wings. The female moth lays round yellowish eggs singly or in groups on the tender part of the plant. Larva is long, pale greenish with a pinkish tint dorsally, head and pro-thoracic shield brown in color, body covered with minute hair. Pupation takes place in a loose silken cocoon inside the larval tunnel (Chong et al., 1991)
Nature of damage and symptoms
• Yellowing and drying of leaves of infested pseudostems
• Presence of a bore-hole on the pseudostem through which frass is extruded
• Withering and yellowing finally cause death of the central shoot
(dead heart) (Devasahayam et al., 2010 and Chong et al., 1991)
Management
• Pruning and destruction of infected plant parts
• Application of neem oil 1%

Rose, one of the most popular cut flowers of the world known as the queen of flowers owing to its fragrance and aesthetic value. The rose has represented love, affection, innocence, and other noble traits for thousands of years. Roses are used for bouquets, flower arrangements, garlands, and worship. Apart from these, it is widely used in ayurvedic preparations, perfumes, soaps, cosmetics and also as flavouring agents in soft drinks and beverages.
1. Rose thrips: Rhipiphorothrips cruentatus, Thripidae, Thysanoptera
Adults are blackish brown in colour while nymphs are reddish in colour. Both adult and nymph lacerates leaves from the under surface and also on flower and flower buds.
Host range: Rose, grapes, Lagestoemia indica, Punica granatum.
Biology: Adult thrips lay about 45-55 eggs. Eggs are inserted into the plant tissues. The nymphal period is about 2-3 weeks, and the adult period is about five days.

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) belonging to the family Caryophyllaceae is very remarkable as a cut flower crop all over the world. It is well known for its attractive flowers with fragrance and varying colors. In India, the area under its cultivation is 2190 ha with a production of 8940 tones. But its production is affected by a number of insect pests and spider mite.
It is the two spotted spider mite or red spider mite which is considered as one of the most serious pests of carnation. High temperatures and low relative humidity favor the multiplication of these mites. These mites are found to be persisting throughout the year under polyhouse conditions.
Host range
Citrus, grapes, apples, pears, tomatoes, okra, potatoes, eggplant, beans, cucumbers, peppers, roses, jasmine, tea, coffee etc.

Lily (Lilium spp.) is a high-value bulbous ornamental plant prized for its large, attractive, and often fragrant flowers. Belonging to the family Liliaceae, lilies are widely grown for cut flowers, landscape decoration, and potted plant markets. Despite its beauty, lily cultivation is often challenged by several insect and mite pests that reduce aesthetic quality, market value, and bulb health.
Biology: Eggs are laid in clusters or singly on the undersides of lily leaves. They are yellowish to pale white, round, and smooth. Incubation lasts for about 3–6 days, depending on temperature and humidity. There are typically 5–6 larval instars. Newly hatched larvae are small and yellowish, later turning bright orange-red with black bands and spots. Caterpillars feed gregariously at first, skeletonizing leaves, then disperse to bore into stems or bulbs in later stages. The larval stage lasts for about 12–20 days. Pupation occurs in the soil, where larvae form a silken cocoon often mixed with soil particles. The pupal stage lasts 7–14 days. Pupae are reddish-brown and cylindrical. The adult is a medium-sized, metallic blue-black moth with bright yellow bands on the forewings and orange markings on the thorax. Adults are nocturnal and feed on nectar. Adult lifespan is around 4–6 days, during which female mate and lay eggs (Sathe, 2015).

Introduction
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS), a condition under which a plant is unable to produce functional pollen, is widespread among higher plants. CMS systems represent a valuable tool in the production of hybrid seed in self-pollinating crop species, including maize, rice, cotton, and a number of vegetable crops. Hybrids often exhibit heterosis, more commonly known as hybrid vigor, whereby hybrid progeny exhibit superior growth characteristics relative to either of the parental lines. CMS systems can be of considerable value in facilitating efficient hybrid seed production.
Male-sterility-inducing cytoplasms were recognized in the 1900s. Bateson and Gairdner reported male sterility in flax in 1921, was inherited from the female parent, although genes passed from both the male and female parents affected its expression. Chittenden and Pellow (1927) recognized that male sterility in flax was due to an interaction between the cytoplasm and nucleus, with the male sterility conditioned by the homozygous recessive nuclear genotype in combination with the sterility-inducing cytoplasm.

Location and Layout
• As the laboratory will be handling materials hazardous to human and animal health, it must be isolated as much as possible from livestock yards, poultry farms and quarantine stations and should not function in or near establishments handling healthy animals, food products for human or animal consumption or near vaccine production laboratories.
• Animal houses, garages, workshops, stores, water tanks, residential accommodation, administrative blocks have to be constructed as per the need of ideal microbiological laboratory. Expansion possibilities should
also be kept in mind. The building can be arranged in 5 main groups:
• Administrative / laboratory rooms
• Decontamination and disposal area
• Animal house facilities
• Workshops / stores/garages and
• Residential accommodation for the staff, hospital, schools, playgrounds, parks, shops etc. • The laboratory building may be rectangular in blocks, arranged in L, T or U shapes and may be of one or several stories. The temperature, wind velocity, rainfall,

On the face of an outbreak of a disease, collection of right clinical specimens in proper preservative, their transportation to the laboratory under ideal conditions and quick processing of specimens in the laboratory to identify the causative agent are crucial to successful control of the disease. This attains more importance when a highly contagious disease appears.

Collection of specimens from a virus-infected host is the first step for demonstration or isolation of a virus. Specimens for virus isolation should be collected at the time when the maximum amount of virus can be expected to be present. i.e. collect the specimens as early as possible after the onset of clinical symptoms. In many viral diseases maximum viral production occurs before the patient becomes ill so that it is ideal to collect the specimen at an even early time.
The nature of the specimen taken in any particular instance is determined by the patient’s clinical syndrome and previous history. They are best considered under three main headings.

1. Specimen for virus isolation/antigen detection/ nucleic acid detection
2. Specimen for serological investigation
3. Specimen for direct examination

Special Staining
A. Spore stain
Spores may be spherical or oval and may be central subterminal or terminal in position within the cell. Shape, size and position of the spore in the cell are useful for the identification of sporulated organisms. Spores are difficult to stain and when once stained, they are difficult to decolourize. With Gram’s stain, mature spores remain unstained bodies. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen’s method of staining will be used for the staining of spores.
Composition
a. Concentrated carbol fuchsin
b. Sulphuric acid 0.5 % solution.
c. Loeffler’s alkaline methylene blue
Materials
Old cultures of B. subtilis and Cl. Chauvoei and staining solutions.
Procedure
1. Make smears and fix over flame.
2. Stain with carbol fuchsin and steam for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Wash with tap water.
4. Decolourize with 0.5% sulphuric acid.
5. Wash with water.
6. Counter stain with Loeffler’s methylene blue for 2 minutes.