eChapters

Abstract

Human resource management (HRM) has experienced a strong evolution. It is necessary to evaluate the design and implementation of personnel policies in order to provide useful information to managers. The objective of HR Audit is to analyze and evaluate the HR policies and their level of fit with the firm’s strategy and the characteristics of human capital. A periodic and systematic audit is very important in order to check the effectiveness and proper implementation of various HR policies in the organization. This chapter will represent various sections where the HR audit can be carried out, what should be the task of auditors, what are the steps/processes that needs to be followed at the time of audit, and various tools for HR Audit and preparation of Audit Report to be used for future references. At the end of this chapter a case study has been presented in order to make the study more effective.

10.1 Leading Self and Other

Leading up

In order to develop the ability to be a good Leader, people must learn to lead up with their leader, lead across with colleagues, and lead down with followers. Each of these skills draws on different principles. Leading up is the process of influencing a leader. The principles of leading up greatly increase the chance for success.

11.1 Time Management

One of the greatest assets business can have is an employee who uses his or her time to its fullest potential. Time is something that we can lose and never get back. People are always wishing they had more hours available in the day. The solution to this common problem is easier than one might realize. With a few minor adjustments in how to utilize time, people can change how to manage time. Proper time management can change life on a fundamental basis for the better.

Time management is not an instinct and instead, must be learned. . Using time wisely allows a person to complete tasks in an allotted time period, take on additional work, or spend more time with family. There are many things in an office environment that prevent effective time use.

Interruptions are time-wasters, especially since items one may consider urgent are not necessarily important. There is no way to pre plan the time and duration of an interruption, which may cause a loss of train-of-thought, difficulty concentrating, or complete memory lapse. Although it is difficult to avoid interruptions, there are methods for limiting their duration and impact the schedule.

Time is not like other resources which can be stored and used in the future, Time is a very special resource that you cannot be stored or saved for later use. Everyone has the exact same amount of time each day. Time not well used cannot be retrieved. Most people, feel like they have too much to do and not enough time. They blame lack of time for their poor finances, stress, bad relationships, and for not exercising their body.

Wise time management can help people find the time for what one desire, and for what they need to do. People need time to get what they want in life. If they wait for extra time to appear, they might lose the game of life. Through right time management, they can “create” the time they need, and not just wait for it to come. By planning time wisely, they will have more time to do more things.

Abstract

Ensuring the provision of safe and healthy working conditions to all workers and promoting the availability to them of certain minimum welfare amenities are the constitutional obligations of all employers as well as the Indian state. Enlightened employers tend to provide for these facilities on their own, as part of their performance and retention strategies. Others, however, largely consider these obligations as burden. Some recent researches reveal that the pursuit of numerical flexibility policies is becoming rampant amongst employers in the advanced world; they are doing so to cut costs and become more competitive. This means more use of labour-cost-saving devices and neglect of some basic rights of workers. Of course, intense competition amongst companies puts pressure on them to attempt cost-cutting and ignore these legal provisions. It should be noted however, that the law relating to working conditions is perhaps the most basic of labour laws in any country; therefore, its sanctity has to be maintained with an added responsibility by all concerned and as a societal value.

Introduction

In free India’s tryst with destiny, achieving survival and sustenance through agriculture, was not only an option but an imperative. This led to the remark of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to say in 1947, “everything else can wait but not agriculture.” Green Revolution was indeed one of the major achievements of India in the post independence period. We no longer experience famines, where millions of people were starved to death in the pre independence period. But we still have over 200 million children, women and men who go to bed each night partially hungry. Access to clean drinking water and balanced diet remains a far cry despite substantial Govt expenditure in large number of programmes launched by the Centre and all the States. According to Niti Ayog, the country is far behind in reaching to the objectives of UN millennium development goal of reducing the incidence of hunger and maternal and foetal under- nutrition. 

Human wellness is the psychological well-being of human beings. The behavioral skills of human beings are concerned with human wellness. The main purpose is to make life more comfortable and to help people be happier, healthier, and effective. So, the concept of human wellness has acquired significance in the field of positive psychology in this current era when people are suffering from strains and stress.

Ever since more attention has been paid to the quality of life, the concept of human wellness has become more popular. However, less importance has been given to the conceptual development of the theory behind it, thus creating confusion between terms like psychological well-being, subjective wellness, quality of life, satisfaction, happiness, and mental health.

Quality of life and life satisfaction are measures of an individual’s perceived level of human wellness and happiness. It is sometimes used as a synonym for subjective or general well-being. Human wellness is related to the psychological well-being of an individual. The latter is concerned with the mental and emotional health of a man. Psychological well-being may be stated as the general feelings of enjoyment, happiness, contentment, job satisfaction, and one’s role in the workplace, a sense of achievement, belongingness, as well as the is no distress, dissatisfaction, or worry, etc.

HCI is the study of how people interact with computers, especially as it relates to technology design. User-centered design, UI and UX are combined with HCI to provide intuitive technology and products.

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the field of study that focuses on optimizing how users and computers interact by designing interactive computer interfaces that satisfy users' needs. It is a multidisciplinary subject covering computer science, behavioral sciences, cognitive science, ergonomics, psychology, and design principles. HCI focuses on designing, implementing and evaluating interactive interfaces that enhance user experience using computing devices.

Humane slaughter is an act of killing the food animals in such a way as to cause the minimum stress or distress to the animal. To achieve this objective animal must be rendered insensible instantaneously and remain insensitive to pain until there is a complete loss of brain responsiveness due to exsanguination. The unconsciousness in animals is induced by stunning procedures which are varying in number. The method of stunning primarily based on species, breed, age, sex, kind and mental state of animals. Stunning is essential to safeguard the feelings and anxieties of animals. It facilitates maximum bleeding from the animals because animal becomes unconscious after stunning. To make animal unconscious before bleeding is not only essential for animal welfare point of view but it is legislation in many countries.

The immune system protects the body from harmful substances by recognizing and responding to antigens. Antigens are the protein molecules which are present on bacteria, virus, fungi or some other microorganisms.Some toxins can also be antigens. These antigens are recognized by immune system. The destruction of antigens by producing antibody is called antibody-mediated immune response. As antibodies are present in the body fluids i.e. humors,this type of response is called humoral immune response.

Humoral immune response is the immune response which is mediated by antibodies.. It is called humoral immune response because antibodies are transferred with the ‘humour’ that is fluid or blood. Antibodies are the proteins produced by B lymphocytes.

It is well known that organic matter plays a unique role in the binding of pesticides in soil, and that this phenomenon is usually the most important cause for interaction of pesticides in the soil environment. Fulvic or humic acids are most commonly associated with the binding interactions. Binding can take place with either the original pesticide or a transformation product, the reaction being induced by abiotic or biotic agents (microbial or plant enzymes). The reactions or processes involved are apparently the same as those responsible for the formation of humic substances, i.e., for the humification process.

The synthesis of humic substances is the least understood and the most intriguing aspect of humus chemistry. Studies on this subject are of enduring and continued research. Several pathways have been identified for the formation of humic substances during the decay of plant and animal remains in soil, the main ones being shown in Fig. 26.1.

6.1. Humus

Fraction of organic matter.

Complex and resistant mixture of brown or dark brown amorphous and colloidal organic substance.

6.2. Humus formation

1. Decomposition: Chemicals in the plant residues are broken down by soil microbes.

Simpler chemicals are metabolized into new compounds in the body tissue of soil microbes.

New compounds are subjected to further modification and synthesis as the microbial tissue is subsequently attacked by other soil microbes.

History of human civilization initiated with the struggle against hunger, it flourishes with the fight against poverty and turns oblivious with absence of voices being raised against these two bio-social lethal. If hunger is a pain, poverty is an agony, then, keeping silent against this carcinoma of civilization is no doubt a crime. Is it that poor people are put to an insurmountable silence by the ruthless hegemonies of political economy, or, they are silent, that’s why they remain poor? Silence has been the lethal enzyme in transforming poverty into hunger, and, offers to a socio- chemical bond, poverty-hunger-silence; the bond that remains non-breakable as on date. Economists lament for poverty, nutritionists regret hunger, but the issues of silence and its cohesion to both hunger and poverty has seldom been scholastically delved into or dealt with. We can hope, a desperation of wishful thinking as it may be, shall drench the researchers who think and feel to explore a missing link between hunger and poverty, the silence or the social anemia of voices.

INTRODUCTION

The concept of hurdle technology has been developed as a new way to realize safe, stable, nutritious and economical foods. It employs combination of different preservation techniques to achieve a multi-target, mild but reliable preservation of foods. The application of hurdle technology in food preservation is increasing rapidly worldwide. Over the years, insight into the hurdle effect has been broadened and the application of hurdle technology has been extended. A better understanding of the occurrence and interaction of food preservative factors (hurdles) in foods is the basis for improvements in food preservation. If the hurdles for the microbes are known, the microbiological stability and safety of this food might be optimized by changing the intensity or quality of these hurdles. Using the proper combination of hurdles, it is possible to improve not only the microbial stability and safety but also the sensory and nutritive quality as well as the economical aspects of food. The hurdle concept is also referred to as food preservation by combined methods, combined process, combination preservation or combination processing techniques. The hurdle effect is of fundamental importance for the preservation of foods. The illustration of hurdle effect was first introduced by Leistner in 1978. Based on the understanding of hurdle effects, the concept of hurdle technology was derived (Leistner 1985).

Hybrids are produced by crossing two genetically diverse parents variety. Hybrid vigour is at its maximum in the F₁ generation and hence highest emphasis is placed on the F₁ hybrids. Hybrid varieties leads to maximum exploition of heterosis as compared to any other varieties. Beal in 1880 recommended the use of F₁ varietal crosses of maize for commercial cultivation.

Mangelsdorf (1951) has opined that hybrid corn has been the most far-reaching development in applied biology. Hybrid cultivars have contributed enormously to world’s food and feed resources. Although dramatically successful at first in corn, hybrids have spread to several other crops both in cross-pollinated and self-pollinated species. Their use is likely to spread more in time to come. Hybrid varieties are those in which F1 populations are used to produce commercial crop. Parents of F1 may be inbred lines, clones, varieties, or other populations. Hybrid breeding is historically rooted in development of hybrids in corn and therefore most of the issues covered in this section relate to hybrid breeding in maize.

The term hybrid or hybrid variety is used to designate F1 populations that are used for commercial plantings. Such F1 populations are obtained by crossing clones, open-pollinated varieties, and inbred lines that are genetically dissimilar. Historically the first attempts to make practical use of fortunate mating system of maize came late in the nineteenth century by W. J. Beal in Michigan, stimulated by Darwin’s work on inbreeding and outcrossing. Beal suggested use of F1 varietal crosses to exploit heterosis for commercial crop. The hybrid seed was to be produced by detasseling alternate rows. It was George Harrison Shull (1909) who first suggested a pure line method of corn breeding based on inbred lines obtained by continued self-fertilization and the use of F1 hybrids between these inbred lines for the production of commercial crop. His proposal was to make use of single crosses (hybrids between two inbred lines) based on the superior performance of the hybrids in various combinations between the inbred lines.

Symbolic systems provide logical reasoning and explicit knowledge representation, whereas sub-symbolic models offer learning, adaptation and pattern-recognition capabilities. This chapter explains how combining these approaches can create more accurate, adaptive and interpretable intelligent systems. It discusses rule-based systems, logic programming, ontologies, neural networks, fuzzy systems, evolutionary computation and swarm intelligence. Neural-symbolic, neuro-fuzzy, rule-augmented and ontology-aware architectures are examined, along with loose, tight and deep integration strategies. Applications in healthcare, cybersecurity, manufacturing and knowledge-based information systems demonstrate their practical potential. Challenges involving integration complexity, scalability, knowledge engineering, transparency and continuous updating are considered, together with future directions in human-centred hybrid intelligence.

Hybrid vigour in plants has long been noted, and the first suggestion that it be exploited in vegetables was by Hayes and Jones in 1916. F1 hybrid eggplants were used on commercial scale in Japan before 1925. Demonstration of the value of hybrids in corn in the early 1920’s gave impetus to a few exploratory studies in other crops. Methods of its application to large scale field production of hybrids in vegetable crops were first proposed in 1932 using the self incompatibility system in cabbage and in 1943 using the cytoplasmic genetic male sterility system in onion. Today hybrid varieties are common in several vegetable crops viz., sweet corn, onion, tomato, summer squash, ordinary cabbage, cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon, asparagus, sweet pepper, chilli pepper, spinach, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, eggplant, Brussels sprout, Chinese radish, red beet, celery, bottle gourd, bitter gourd, okra, etc. India figures prominently in commercial exploitation of heterosis in vegetable crops like cabbage, tomato, okra, watermelon, muskmelon, eggplant, bottle gourd, bitter gourd and cucumber.

INTRODUCTION

Information services are keys to the development of agriculture education, research and extension education in India. The services are rendered by the agricultural department, university, college and ICAR institute libraries. In changing scenario the users of libraries access the information themselves from various sources such as computer, internet, television, e-governance, videoconferencing, call centers, mobile phones and other electronic sources from anywhere, at any time as and when required.

Agricultural trends are changing everyday with the development of new research techniques and technologies and in support of this a heterogeneous knowledge is available in the form of various electronic sources. To make the best of emerging technologies in agriculture, it is vital that agricultural students, scientists, research scholars, academicians, extension workers, agriculturalists receive continuous information on education, research, extension work, training and to the cultivators on topics such as pesticide management, use of better seeds, irrigation and use etc. for the development of farm and farming. With the introduction of new technology that affects both their processes and products, libraries become more and more hybrid organizations. Hybrid libraries are mixes of traditional print material like books and magazines, as well as electronic based material such as downloadable audio books, electronic journals, e-books, etc. Because of this shift, libraries face many challenges, the most important of which is the competition for scarce resources. In this competition libraries have to change the allocation of resources from the more traditional processes like circulation to more value added processes like direct self-services to their patrons. The FAO is also a source of knowledge and information, providing behind the scenes assistance to help people help themselves.

Floral Biology and Crossing

Pearl millet spikelets bear 2 types of florets, one being bisexual and the other staminate. A singIe pistil with 2 feathery and 3  anthers is enclosed between the lemma and palea. The unisexual staminate florets are sessile and borne below the bisexual flowers. These have 3 anthers and lack the female organs. Pearl millet is a highly protogynous species and thus  highly cross pollinated.
 
The time of panicle exertion from boot leaf varies in inbreds and hybrids. Bhatnagar and Kumar (1960) observed that spike takes 6 days to emerge from the sheath with the maximum emergence on the fourth or fifth day. The stylar branches protrude first from the florets at the tip of the head and gradually proceed downwards. Most of the stylar branches on the earheads emerge by the third day. There exists a great variation in the time taken for the complete emergence of the styles in the hybrids than in the inbred lines (Tewari et al.,1971). Anthesis in pearl millet is completed in two phases. The first involves the bisexual florets while the second involves staminate florets. It has been generally observed that the anthers in the sessile male florets emerge 2-3 days after the anthers have emerged in the bisexual florets. Thus most heads continue to shed pollen for 4-6 days.The largest number of anthers emerged between 8 PM and 2 AM. Environmental factors like temperature and humidity have significant role in the anther emergence.

Hybrid Rice

People’s Republic of China announced the successful development and use of F1 rice hybrids in the late 1970s. The first hybrid rice combinations were put into commercial production in China in 1976. Since then commercial exploitation of hybrid rice attracted the attention of researchers around the world. It is accepted that about 20% yield advantage of hybrid rice would be usually required to meet the extra cost of seed production and the future rice demands of a growing world population. Realizing the prospects of hybrid rice, IRRI intensified research on this and organized an ‘International Symposium on Hybrid Rice’ on 6-10 October 1986 at the Hunan Hybrid Rice Research Centre, Changsha, China where Prof. Yuan Longping and his co-workers had made their names in development of hybrid rice. The proceedings were brought out in form of a book entitled ‘Hybrid Rice’ in 1988 by International Rice Research Institute, Philippines. This book documents the information exchanged, and presents for the first time, in English, much of the Chinese literature on hybrid rice.

Squashes and pumpkins are vegetable crops of the genus Cucurbita. They are grown in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of the world. These crops are common elements in home gardening and subsistence agro-ecosystems in most countries and are produced on commercial scale in some countries. The economic botany, genetics and evolutionary history of Cucurbita has been reviewed by Whitaker and Davis (1962) and Whitaker (1974).

India is the second-largest producer of vegetables in the world (FAO, 2021). Its diverse soil and climate condition provides ample opportunity to grow a variety of crops (be it tropical, semi-temperate, or temperate type). Vegetables form a significant part of the total agricultural production of the country. India grows vegetables in an area of 10.86 mha with annual production of 200 million tonnes (NHB, 2021). Vegetables alone contribute 66.97 % of the total horticultural production (341.63 million tonnes). During 2021-22, India exported vegetables worth Rs. 5,745.54 crore. The growth in vegetable production is largely due to an increase in productivity of average productivity is 18.18 tonnes per hectare, The increase in productivity has led to improved per caput availability of over 250g.

Improved production technology is an integral part of hybrid seed production technology, which is a very high venture practice. This is because like several factors (climate, availability of parental lines and technical labour etc), success of hybrid seed production also depends on the success of crop management in the hybrid seed production field

A hybrid is the first generation progeny of a cross between two genetically different identical inbred lines. The individual lines are known as inbreds.  Ineffective cross-pollination is a major constraint in a commercial production of hybrid seeds in many crop species. In such crops manual pollination is the way to produce hybrid seeds. Eg. Cotton. In the case of rice it is highly self-pollinated crop and cross-pollination is a big problem. The increased vigour, uniformity and yield of F1 hybrid have been exploited in most crops where the pollination system allows for convenient and economic cross hybridization.  This system is called breeding tool in exploiting the hybrid vigour.

The term heterosis from Greek means hetero different, osis-condition was coined by skull (1914).

Heterosis or hybrid vigour, refers to the increase or decrease in vigour of off spring (hybrid) over parents. Usually, theses two terms are used synonymous.   But hybrid vigour refers to increased vigour; Heterosis both increased and decreased vigour.

Superiority of the hybrid as hybrid vigour and the mechanism by which this superiority is developed is heterosis (Rangaswamy, 1998).

Hybrid Seed Production Technology At a Glance

3.1. Natural cross-pollination

Breeding procedures in any plant species of economic importance are guided by its reproductive system particularly, pollination mechanism. In the cereal crops such as maize, pearl millet etc., where cross-pollination is facilitated by wind, the breeders have developed schemes for commercial exploitation of dominance and epistatic genetic variation through hybrid and population breeding. In contrast in self-pollinated crops, the efforts are always made to exploit additive genetic variation primarily through pedigree and mass selection.
 
In pulses, self-pollination is a rule and pigeonpea is no exception. However under field conditions, occurrence of hybrid plants in the populations is not uncommon; and it happens due to some degree of natural out-crossing that took place in the preceding generation. This type of partial natural out-crossing in pigeonpea is affected by a variety of insects (Fig 10) which forage on its large flowers to collect the nectar. These minor incidences of out-crossing are the primary source of varietal deterioration. Recently, the pigeonpea breeders converted this constraint into an opportunity for genetic enhancement of yield through exploitation of hybrid vigor and developing commercial hybrids.

Heterosis

The superiority of F₁ hybrid over both its parents in terms of yield or some other characters or heterosis is increased vigours, growth, yield or function of a hybrid over the parents, resulting from crossing of genetically diverse organisms. The term heterosis was first coined by Shull in 1914. Generally heterosis manifested as an increase in vigour, size, growth, yield or some other characteristics. But in some cases, hybrid may be inferior to the weaker parent this is also regarded as heterosis.

1. TECHNIQUES OF HYBRID SEED PRODUCTION

1.1. Field crops

Table 1: Techniques of hybrid seed production in field crops

Hybrids are released for commercial cultivation either by the Central or State Varieties Release Committee. The release of a hybrid for commercial cultivation is based on conclusive demonstration of its superiority over the best existing hybrids (included as check in evaluation trials) in yielding ability or in some other features of economic importance, e.g. abiotic and biotic stresses etc. Due to above reason, hybrids are extensively evaluated for their performance, resistance to diseases and insects, and quality in multilocational trials. The multilocational trials are conducted under All India Coordinated Vegetable Improvement Projects, which play a key role in testing, identification and release of new hybrids. Before release of hybrids, three activities and operations are involved. These are:

India has emerged as the second largest producer of vegetables 176.17 mt after China 573.93 mt in the world and is gradually striding towards achieving food and nutritional security at national level. The average productivity of vegetable crops is 17.6 t/ha (NHB, 2015) which is comparatively lower than the productivity of China (23.4t/ha), Spain (39.3t/ha) and USA (32.5t/ha). The lower productivity could be attributed to limited use of quality seeds, inefficient production management, impact of biotic stress and climatic factors during crop production. Among the limiting factors limited availability of quality seed is one of the important factors. Since, the performance of other inputs is also depend on the quality of seed. At present the seed replacement rate among vegetable crops is around 25%, whereas highest in cabbage (>90%) followed by tomato, capsicum, bitter gourd, muskmelon, bottle gourd etc.The use of hybrid seed is in increasing due to higher productivity, tolerance to biotic and a biotic stresses and better market value than the open pollinated varieties but the higher price of the hybrid and their availability is still a constraint in adopting the use of hybrid seeds among small and marginal farmers.

Ash gourd (syn:wax gourd, winter melon, white gourd, white pumpkin, ash pumpkin, Chinese preserving melon and hairy melon) is a vegetable belonging to family Cucurbitaceae and genus Benincasa with only one cultivated species, Benincasa hispida (Thunb.) Cogn. (2n=2x=24). Ash gourd is an important vegetable especially in the Indo-China region, which is also the major producer of ash gourd (Rubatzky and Yamaguchi, 1997), but it is also a potential crop of tropical Africa and America (Sirohiet al., 2005).

Hybridisation

Hybridisation occurs when two species cross to form a new species. If they are named before their hybrid nature has become apparent, the names would become invalid as soon as the hybridity of the specimen has been established.

Hybridism can be of three types:

1. Sympatric Hybridisation

When individuals in two regions overlap in an otherwise well-defined species, they are called sympatric hybridisation. This is common in bird of paradise and humming birds. This hybridisation is listed as cross of two parental species.

14.1 Introduction

The mating or crossing of genetically dissimilar individuals is called hybridization. Hybridization results in recombination that in turn widens the spectrum of variation among individuals. So, the reason for genetic diversity in progenies of crosses is the formation of new combinations of genes. This newly created variability is then channelized into development of better cultivars.

The importance of pure line selection as a method of breeding started decreasing when plant breeders felt that the genetic variability existing in the land races of self-pollinated crops had been almost completely exploited and there was little chance for further improvement in these crops by using pure line breeding. Therefore, no option was left for plant breeders except to cross diverse individuals and combine together desirable characters in a single genotype from two or more parents. The planned hybridization which could avoid self-pollination and chance cross-pollination, soon became the main feature of almost all plant breeding programmes.

The mating or crossing between two genetically dissimilar plants or lines is known as hybridization. In other words, hybridization is an artificial controlled pollination in which pollen grains of desired male parent is transferred on the stigma of the desired female parent.

Objectives of Hybridization

To create genetic variability, which is pre-requisite for crop improvement programme.

To transfer one or more characters into single plant.

To know the inheritance of the characters.

To estimate the general combining ability of the parents and specific combining ability of the crosses.

To exploit and utilize the hybrid vigour.

To produce hybrid/synthetic varieties.

This chapter introduces hybridoma technology and its application in producing monoclonal antibodies. It explains the fusion of antibody-producing B lymphocytes with immortal myeloma cells, selection in HAT medium and the roles of HGPRT and polyethylene glycol. The survival and cloning of hybrid cells and the advantages of monoclonal antibodies are considered. The chapter also discusses tissue and organ transplantation, including autografts, isografts, allografts and xenografts. The immunological mechanisms of acute graft rejection, donor histocompatibility antigens and the involvement of T lymphocytes are addressed. These questions connect laboratory antibody production with transplantation immunology and its diagnostic, therapeutic and research applications.

The genus Hydrangea is the best-known member of family Hydrangeaceae tribe Hydrangeae from the Asterid order Cornales. With more than two centuries of horticultural trade, Hydrangea cultivars are among the most popular ornamental shrubs worldwide (McClintock, 1957 and Kardos et al., 2009). Hydrangea (Hortensia) is a very popular ornamental plant for gardens. Hydrangeas occur most often on partly shaded but open slopes, rock edges, cliffs, roadside banks, edges of woods, or in moist open woods. Usually, restricted to the more moist, protected slopes. Recently it is commercialized for the production of cut flowers (Sacco et al., 2012). In India is widely grown in hilly areas.

The genus Hydrangea is the best-known member of family Hydrangeaceae tribe Hydrangeae from the Asterid order Cornales. With more than two centuries of horticultural trade, Hydrangea cultivars are among the most popular ornamental shrubs worldwide (McClintock, 1957 and Kardos et al., 2009). Hydrangea (Hortensia) is a very popular ornamental plant for gardens. Hydrangeas occur most often on partly shaded but open slopes, rock edges, cliffs, roadside banks, edges of woods, or in moist open woods. Usually, restricted to the more moist, protected slopes. Recently it is commercialized for the production of cut flowers (Sacco et al., 2012). In India is widely grown in hilly areas.

ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION

The species of genus Hydrangea L. grow naturally in temperate areas of Eastern Asia, including some Pacific islands adjacent to Eastern Asia (Philippines, Taiwan, etc.), in temperate Northeastern America, in subtropical Middle and South America (McClintock, 1957). Throughout the eastern United States, ranging from the middle Atlantic States southward through the Southern Appalachians, and westward into the Ozarks and lower Midwest, numerous populations of shrubs with large, ovate, opposite leaves and compound cymes of small white flowers are en-countered. These are the wild hydrangeas.

SPECIES

Hydrangea is a genus of about 75 species of flowering plants native to southern and eastern Asia and North and South America. Most are shrubs 1-3 tall, but some are small trees and others lianas (Sacco et al., 2012). Species differ qualitatively in flavonoid constituents.

Three types of water movement within the soil are recognized. They are

1. Saturated flow
2. Unsaturated flow
3. Water vapour movement

Saturated flow

This occurs when the soil pores are completely filled with water. This water moves at water potentials larger than 33 kPa. Saturated flow is water flow caused by gravity’s pull. It begins with infiltration, which is water movement into soil when rain or irrigation water is on the soil surface. When the soil profile is wetted, the movement of more water flowing through the wetted soil is termed percolation.

Hydraulic conductivity can be expressed mathematically as

Hydraulic pumps are the devices utilized to transfer pressure energy to liquids at the expense of electrical energy. The electrical energy is transferred to a motor which converts it into mechanical work and a pump is coupled to the shaft. The pump converts the mechanical energy to hydraulic or potential energy. 

INTRODUCTION
Hydraulics is the study of liquids and their behavior, specifically focusing on the use of pressurized fluid to generate power in engineering systems. Hydraulic systems operate by applying pressure to a small amount of fluid, which in turn generates significant power. The development of hydraulic technology has enabled major advancements, such as lifting heavy loads and rotating large shafts with minimal effort through mechanical linkages.
Compared to mechanical and electrical systems, hydraulic power systems offer greater flexibility and produce more power relative to their size. They also provide quick and precise responses to control inputs. As a result, hydraulic systems are widely used in modern applications such as aircraft, automobiles, heavy industrial machinery, and various machine tools. This article will focus on the hydraulic systems used in tractors.
HYDROSTATIC TRANSMISSION
Hydrostatic transmissions rely entirely on hydraulics, using the power of oil to transmit energy. The system consists of two main components: a variable displacement pump and a hydraulic motor. The pump’s displacement is controlled by a movable swash plate, which adjusts the piston stroke. Essentially, the system operates as a variable-displacement hydraulic pump driving a fixed-displacement hydraulic motor.
The key benefits of hydrostatic transmissions include the ability to infinitely vary ground speed and rapidly change directions. They are also known for their reliability, with self-protecting features that prevent operator abuse.
Additionally, foot pedal-controlled systems have a built-in safety feature that allows for a controlled stop simply by lifting the foot from the pedal. However, hydrostatic transmissions have some drawbacks, including high cost, sensitivity to contamination, and slight power loss at the PTO shaft. Additionally, when

Hydraulic turbines is a device which transforms the hydraulic energy or potential energy existing with the working medium to mechanical energy. The working medium is normally water which run the hydraulic turbine. The hydraulic energy is available with water by virtue of its height or altitude. The water which flow through the mountains is stored by constructing a dam or reservoir.

In drip irrigation water is distributed throughout the field from a system of pressurized pipelines. The pressure must be sufficient to overcome the frictional losses and elevation differences. The system also deserves discharge from all the emitters and the emitters must dissipate the pressure difference between the inlet to emitters and atmospheric pressure.

The flow through the drip pipes may be laminar or turbulent or a combination of both. The laminar flow is characterized by the layers of cylindrical tubes of which the maximum velocity is at the center about double of the average velocity. The turbulent flows having pulsatory cross current velocities and maximum velocity is about only 1.25 time of the average velocity. Turbulent f lows loss more energy than laminar flow due to development of the cross current velocity.

Reynolds Number

The criterion for distinguishing the flow from laminar to turbulent was developed by Osborne Reynolds (1842-1900) and was named as Reynolds number; Re . The Reynolds number in circular pipes flowing full is expressed as

11.1. Hydraulic system

It is a mechanism in a tractor to raise, hold or lower the mounted or semi-mounted equipment by hydraulic means. All the present day tractors are equipped with a hydraulic control system for operating three point hitches. Some of the tractors are fitted with a hydraulic brake system and a few others are fitted with a hydraulic steering system. Tipping trailers, front mounted loaders or dozers are examples of multi use of hydraulics.

11.2. Principle

The working principle of a hydraulic system is based on Pascal’s law (Fig 11.1.) This law states that the pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted equally in all directions. A small force acting on a small area can produce higher force on a surface of larger area.

14.1 Introduction

Hydro-electric power is electricity produced by the movement of fresh water from rivers and lakes. Gravity causes water to flow downwards and this downward motion of water contains kinetic energy, that can be converted into mechanical energy, and then from mechanical energy into electrical energy in hydro-electric power stations. (“Hydro” comes from the Greek word hydra, meaning water). At a good site hydro-electricity can generate very cost-effective electricity.

Hydro-climatology is defined as the investigation of the impact of climate upon the waters of the earth. This topic includes hydrometeorology, the water processes of evaporation (surface and near surface), rainfall-runoff, and groundwater studies (Langbein, 1967; Wendland, 1998). Hydroclimatology provides a systematic foundation to assess how the climate system causes spatiotemporal changes in the hydrologic cycle with respect to global or local aspects. Variations in the relationship between the hydrologic cycle and the climate system underlie droughts, floods, and future impacts of global warming on available water resources. Both land and satellite based data and computer programming and modelling contribute to our knowledge of the spatiotemporal changes of physical processes shared by the hydrologic cycle and the climate system (Shelton, 2009).