eChapters

Introduction

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) is the most widely grown type of millet and it is an important staple food grain crop for millions of people in arid and semi arid regions of the world. Pearl millet is very well adapted crop to growing areas characterized by drought, low soil fertility, and high temperature. It is also performs well in soils with high salinity or low pH. Because of its tolerance to difficult growing conditions, it can be grown in areas where other cereal crops, such as wheat or maize, would not survive. Physiologically, it is a C₄ plant which imparts it potential to grow under hot and dry climatic conditions. Among cereals, it is highly responsive to fertilizers and has highest water use efficiency. Pearl millet is being grown as dual purpose crop for both grain and fodder in dry areas like Rajasthan where animal production is complimentary with crop production. Pearl millet is also a good source of important essential minerals for human health like Fe and Zn hence it is useful to alleviating malnutrition.

In enhancing  the food production there appears to be two solutions, viz., horizontal or vertical increase in production.  In the vertical expansion of production varieties are important. High yielding, high starch and value added varieties suitable to each region/ cropping system play vital role in enhancing vertical production.  Therefore varieties especially value added consumer preferred ecologically adaptable ones hold the key and is very much true in tuber and root crops which have a significant role in supplementing the food and nutritional requirement in rural and semi urban population of India.

India ranks third after China and Canada in the world in production of edible oilseed crops. Average yield of rapeseed-mustard in the world is 2043 kg/ha. Average yield of European Union, Canada and China is higher than India. Higher yield in these countries is due to cultivation of long duration varieties suitable for their local climatic conditions. Duration of favorable climatic condition to grow rapeseed-mustard is shorter in India as compared to EU, Canada and China, which enforces cultivation of short duration varieties (130-145days). Rapeseed-mustard contribute one third in the production of edible oils in India. These crops ranks second in area and production after soybean. Total area and production under these crops is 5.80mh and 6.28mt respectively. It is necessary to mention that total water requirement of these crop is 80-240mm, which is very low as compared to other crops. These crops pay higher return by utilizing low inputs, thus, are highly remunerative for the farmers.

Rapeseed-mustard group of crops are mainly cultivated in irrigated areas where at least one irrigation facility is available and only 24.0% of area is under rain-fed situation. Five states of India namely, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal contribute 82.00% and 85.67% in total area and production, respectively, under these crops. In Madhya Pradesh 53.2% of total area is irrigated with average yield of 1006 kg/ha, however, 76.6% of total area of country is irrigated even then average yield is only 1083 kg/ha. The lower average seed yield can be attributed to (i) cultivation of very short duration and low yielding B. rapa genotypes in Eastern and North-Eastern states; (ii) susceptibility of varieties to different pests; and (iii) high temperature stress at seedling and reproductive stage. Out of total area under these crops, Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) is grown over more than 80% area. Cultivation of Indian mustard has also been taken up in non-traditional areas of southern states of India viz., Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh, recently. This has become possible due to its higher average yield, tolerance against different biotic and abiotic stresses, availability of varieties with 100-152 days maturity, and non-shattering behaviour.

Protected cultivation was introduced in India during 1985 but its progress is slow during the last 25 years due to lack of suitable varieties and hybrids for protected cultivation. Presently, area under polyhouse in India is 2000 ha, therefore, knowledge of polyhouse vegetable production technology of tomato and cucumber with intervention of drip irrigation and fertigation along with suitable varieties will be quite effective for enhancing their productivity. Therefore, it is imperative to develop hybrid seed and production of suitable varieties/hybrids at affordable prices to small and marginal farmers to achieve the targeted production potential of vegetable crops. Keeping in view some genotypes were isolated and pure line and hybrid breeding programme were adopted for improvement of these genotypes. After three years of multilocational testing at tarai, midhills and higher hills under polyhouse condition, four genotypes were identified and released. They are: Pant Parthenocarpic Cucumber 2 (1,755 q/ha) and Pant Parthenocarpic Cucumber 3 (1,605 q/ha) of cucumber and Pant Polyhouse Hybrid Tomato 1 (1,616 q/ha) with average fruit weight of 130-140 g and Pant Polyhouse Tomato 2 (1,291 q/ha) of tomato with single fruit weight 100-105 g. These genotypes were released by Uttarakhand State Variety Release Committee during May 2011 for commercial cultivation.

Introduction

Plants are responsive to the applied Non-scheduled caste, which constitute most of the vital macromolecules and metabolites related to its vegetative and reproductive cycle. The applied fertilizer N enhances crop productivity per unit area, as agricultural soil deficient in N worldwide. The fertilizer application is thus considered essential to meet the requirement of the burgeoning population, particularly in the developing countries (Abrol et al., 1999; Chanda and Sati, 2005). The farmers practicize heavy dressing of N-fertilizers in crop fields for high productivity, which has resulted into world including Indian sub-continent and China have resulted into the excessive use of N-fertilizers intending to maximize crop yield. Decrease in the organic fertilizer input and depletion of micronutrients in intensive cultivation zones have caused a decline or stagnation in the crop productivity, which  has been attempted with a further loading of soluble chemical fertilizers (Maleshwar, 2003; Kumar and Yadav, 2003; Anonymous, 2004; Chanda and Sati, 2005; Abdin et al., 2006).

India, internationally recognized as the principal producer, consumer and exporter of spices globally, is often referred to as the spice bowl of the world. A total of 75 spices out of 109 are cultivated in the country, among which
pepper, cardamom, chillies, ginger, turmeric, coriander, cumin, and fenugreek are of significant importance. The approximate export of spices during 2021- 22 was 15,31,154 MT valued at 30,576.44 crore (US $4,102.29 million)
compared to 17,58,985 MT valued at 30,973.32 crore (US $ 4,178.80 million) during the previous financial year. Indian spices are exported to more than 180 destinations, with the leading importers being USA, China, Bangladesh, Thailand, UAE, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, UK, Indonesia, and Germany. The key spice-producing states of India include Himachal Pradesh (ginger), Haryana (garlic), Karnataka (pepper, ginger, cardamom (small), chilli, turmeric and garlic), Orissa (ginger, chilli, turmeric, and garlic), Kerala (pepper, chilli, turmeric, nutmeg, mace, and clove) and Rajasthan (coriander, chilli, cumin, garlic, fenugreek, fennel, and ajwain).
Seed Spices in Rajasthan Economy
Of the 75 spices grown in India, 20 are classified as seed spices, where the economically important part is the seed.

Abstract

Sunflower seeds of variety PSFH- 67 were obtained from the PAU seed farm. These seeds were cleaned with commonly used seed processing equipment. Samples were divided into 2 parts. One part was kept as such for taking the observations of feed (control) and the remaining part was passed through specific gravity separator for its refinement. The various fractions obtained were recovery (heavier, healthy seeds), middlings (intermediate, under size) and rejections (lightweight seeds, wevil eaten, foreign matter). The respective percentages of each fraction were computed. These graded fractions as well as the feed were packed in 2-kg cloth bags and stored under ambient conditions. Different quality parameters viz. moisture content, physical purity, percent germination, thousand grain weight and vigour index were recorded at 30 days interval from Jan, 2010 to Apr. 2010. The physical purity, moisture content, thousand grain weight, percent germination, root length, shoot length and vigour index were found to be higher in recovery and minimum for rejections while moisture content was highest for rejection compared to all other fractions. The physical purity remained more or less constant throughout the period of storage. The thousand-grain weight showed a rapid decrease during first month thereafter it remained constant. There was continuous decrease in percent germination with the period of storage irrespective of the treatment.

India is emerging as a major stakeholder in the global horticulture scenario accounting for 10.00 % of the world production of fruits. This has been made possible due to concerted efforts of scientists and progressive farming community. In recent years, there is considerable awareness about the nutritional security and food safety. Underutilized fruit trees not only provide nutrition and income security to the people but can also ameliorate the harsh environment of the semi-arid and arid region. Jamun has been named as diabetes fighter for its hypoglycemic (lowering blood sugar) properties.The minor fruits like bael, karonda, khirni, mahua, tamarind, mulberry, pilu, chironji, phalsa and wood apple have tremendous scope for their proper utilization. These fruits are nutritionally rich in bioactive compounds and some of these are of great medicinal value, processing quality and other uses. They have a growing demand in local as well as export market and for processing besides diversification in agriculture in the wake of global changes in weather conditions.

ABSTRACT

Commercially valuable plants are one of the main sources of economy. Growth, development and yield of these plants are severely affected by various environmental factors, which depend on dynamic fluctuations in different parameters. To counteract these responses, plants try to adapt evolutionarily but one form of adaptation is never going to suffice the simultaneous attack of multiple stresses. Crossing and plant breeding approaches came to practice, which is quite beneficial but requires lot of screening and is manpower consuming. In recent era new approaches have been developed combining recombinant DNA technology with tissue culture techniques to obtain improved varieties with specific desired traits. This method had an edge over other technologies but it still carries lot of complications. It is evident that genes do not act alone but act cooperatively and remain in continuous influence of other factors. So to target a particular gene for improved variety development requires a lot of detailed micro-details. In this communication, an attempt have been made to discuss mainly how transcription factors (TFs) have been targeted for this purpose. TFs in many occasions act as master regulators or central players of a particular pathway. This is attained by their ability to interact with multiple cis-elements present in the promoters of downstream stress or metabolism responsive genes. This behavior sometime leads to occurrence of some unwanted traits, which should be kept in mind to develop transgenics. Here, we focused mainly on important TF families such as ERF, WRKY, NAC and bHLH. We have been an attempt to analyzed how these TFs influence growth, yield and stress response of commercially valuable plants such as rice, wheat, tomato and cotton. This section will help to understand the genetic manipulation of plants can be targeted for improved variety development.

Abstract

Study was undertaken to investigate the toxicity of heavy metals on the structure and function of ectomycorrhizal fungi and their ability to colonize the pine seedlings. Ectomycorrhizal fungi were isolated, cultured and multiplied on MMN medium. Six heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cu and Al) were selected and different concentrations viz; 0 ppm (control), 10 ppm, 50 ppm, 100 ppm, 200 ppm and 500 ppm were used for treating the seedlings. The study was continued for one year. Different growth parameters were measured. Factors such as soil moisture, pH and soil organic carbon on ectomycorrhizal colonization were also analyzed. The mycorrhizal colonization was more in those seedlings having lower concentration of heavy metal treatment. Statistical data analysis has shown that the heavy metals had negative correlation with mycorrhizal colonization. High concentration of metals were toxic to external mycelium, which ultimately resulted in reduction of ectomycorrhizal development. The accumulation of metals in the fungal mycelium and protecting root against metal toxicity was an important factor.

Maize is a miracle crop and is popularly known as “Queen of Cereals” due to its very high yield potential. It’s a leading crop worldwide in terms of area, production and productivity and is suitable to diverse agro-climates. Its extent of adaptability is unmatched by any other crop. Due to this adaptability to diverse climates, maize had been grown by many generations in different parts of the world. Earlier, the primary utilisation of maize was focused towards human consumption and even today it is a staple food of many underprivileged societies especially in African countries and certain tribal pockets in India. It is playing an important role as a cheap source of carbohydrate in daily meals due to high productivity and wider adaptability. With the passage of time the productivity increased due to conscious selection towards high yield by farmers and researchers. This enhanced production and productivity opened new doors of utilisation of this wonderful crop. Maize found its place as a feed crop for economically important anima ls like chicken and swine. This shift towards feed industry got encouragement by change in the food habits of people. Looking at the recent consumption pattern of maize as a food crop displays declining trend. As per a NSSO survey (2014) maize consumption in rural areas in India has seen a decline of around 35% from 3.7 kg/year in 2004-05 to 2.4 kg per year in 2009-10, and further declined to 1.56 kg during the year 2011-12. Continued efforts towards yield enhancement and decline in human consumption made its way to utilise surplus maize in economically viable industrial products. Maize is a crop where every part of its plant can be utilised to produce food and non-food products. Oil, starch, glucose, dextrose and sorbitol are few important products produced by processing of maize grains. Apart from these, maize has been very widely used for production of ethanol which is used as a fuel in many developed countries. Direct utilisation of maize grains in poultry and other feed industries is on the rise with increasing demand of such foods. Maize oil is of high quality and is being widely used in developed countries. Maize is a major source of industrial starch which finds its way to diverse utilization such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical, textile, paper and other industries. Processing of maize is done by two ways- Dry Milling and Wet Milling. Wet milling produces starch, gluten and husk and Dry Milling produces corn meal, germ, grits and animal feed. Apart from these processed products, maize is also being developed to be utilised as a biopharmaceutical crop. Maize crop is being bioengineered to extract products of therapeutic and medicinal importance. Such a diverse utilisation of maize has generated a necessity to improve morpho-physiological traits which are important with respect to its industrial utilisation. In the present chapter, we will discuss various aspects of maize improvement for industrially important traits which will include oil, starch, methionine, biofuel and biopharmaceuticals.

Sustainable agricultural production is endangered by several ecological factors, including biotic & abiotic stresses. Biotic stress is the stress as a result of damage done to an organism by other living organisms. The agents of biotic stress are fungi, bacteria, virus, nematodes, insects, weeds & other plants which reduces quality and production of crops. These challenging environmental factors may have adverse effects on future agriculture production. Breeding resistant cultivars is considered as the best strategy to mitigate the effect of biotic stress. It is durable, economical & environment friendly and provide broad-spectrum resistance. Widely cultivated but susceptible genotypes can be improved by introgression of resistance genes from donor genotype into the background of recurrent genotype by different breeding strategies. In modern agriculture, conventional crop-breeding strategies alone are inadequate for achieving the increasing population’s food demand on a sustainable basis. The advancement of molecular genetics and related technologies are promising tools for the selection of new crop species with resistance genes. Transfer of several genes or quantitative trait loci (QTL) with potential characteristics into a single widely cultivated genotype is possible through the process of marker assisted selection (MAS). Gene pyramiding through MAS have accelerated the development of durable resistant/tolerant lines with high accuracy in the shortest period of time. With marker assisted backcross breeding (MABB), a major gene can be precisely targeted, the genome of the recurrent parent can be recovered fast, and linkage drag can be reduced. Genomic selection (GS) allows selection for multiple traits directly in the genome. These techniques help in identifying plants with two or more genes by employing gene-linked markers without the need for repeated testing in each generation during the development of pyramided lines and hence shorten the time of breeding program.

Introduction

The semiarid and arid ecosystem is not only neglected in India but also the whole world in respect of socio-economic and scientific development. Middlefon and Thomas, 1997) reported the arid and semi arid covers 47% of land surface of the plant and home town to 1/3 of human population. Conventional plant breeding so far only increased the yield of crops grown under arid tropics at about half the rate achieved for crops grown in temperate regions (Turner, 2004, b). The major crop of other ecosystem are considered as under exploited crop of arid ecosystem. Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), is one such crop, which was domesticated in ancient Peru, has become the most popular and widely consumed vegetable in the world today, for its rich flavor and high nutritional value (Vitamins A and C)

Mostly goats are reared in extensive small holder systems in developing countries. Goat breeding programmes in these environments have been limited, amongst other factors, by the non availability of pedigree and performance records for traits of economic importance. Cross-breeding and selection play an important role in increasing production in the goats.The development of breeding strategy for the improvement of goats should be based on genetic parameter estimates of economically important traits. Biological, cultural, statistical, socio-economical and management aspects should also be an important component of the selection process.

Goats were domesticated for the triple purpose of milk, meat and hair. Although the development of milk and hair producing animals did not go together, the development of meat and hair together worked very well and there are several breeds like Angora which in addition to providing fiber, are excellent meat animals too. The development of meat breeds was favored by natural selection. The characters which aided to this aspect were high fertility rates and the relatively more active life which goats were forced to lead in order to get enough of nutrition in poor agricultural lands, deserts etc. where these animals were domesticated. These animals were exposed to the vagaries of the environment resulting in decline in production traits such as milk, meat etc. But meat production was not. Most of the breeds of Asia and Africa are thus predominant meat breeds which have been improved little by conscious effort of breeders. Some of them still have slow growth rate and feed conversion efficiency. The preference for goat meat had eroded the dairy potential of Indian goats, as the fastest growing males are slaughtered for meat purposes and only poor animals are retained for breeding purposes. Careful selection and utilisation of breeding males can alleviate this problem to a large measure and animals for both milk and meat production can be developed.There are several goat breeds that have good potential for meat production. Generally, there have been limited planned selection and breeding programs carried out by animal scientists to improve rate of growth and carcass composition of goats. As a result, many goat breeds deposit less intramuscular and subcutaneous fat. In the past, domesticated meat animals were selected for heavier mature weight and greater rate of gain. Selection for such parameters usually resulted in undesirable characteristics because some of the animals had not only gained weight faster and were heavier at maturity, but also had more subcutaneous and intramascular fat. Since consumers currently prefer leaner red meat, the livestock industry is making significant changes to satisfy these demands. Goat meat has unique attributes which will be beneficial to the present day consumer. Goat meat has 10% more lean carcass than cattle. At the same time the fat content is lower by 47% than beef. These qualities of the goat meat need to be emphasized so that the general public can become aware of this useful product.

There is a high demand for arable land to meet food demand and end malnutrition due to the growth of megacities and the global urban population. To enhance yield per unit area, conventional agricultural practises result in agricultural intensification and land clearing for crop cultivation. It has been established that these behaviours have a negative effect on the ecosystem, including soil and water contamination. It is crucial to take into account the application of vertical farming technology which makes use of both horizontal and vertical space and utilises nutrients, water and time (off-season production with artificial illumination) more efficiently to create a larger yield per unit volume of area than conventional outdoor farming. Since microgreens are rich in phytonutrients and are easily harvested, it is being thought of to grow them utilising cutting-edge vertical farming technology. Forest area being turned over to agriculture causes deforestation, the depletion of natural resources like groundwater, loss of biodiversity due to the destruction of habitats, increased soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions.

1. INTRODUCTION

India is principally an agricultural country with seventy per cent of its population living in villages and fifty nine per cent of the total work force dependent on agriculture for its daily bread. Almost 20% of the gross GDP is contributed by agriculture. A steep surge in production since late 1960s has made country self-reliant in food grain production with buffer stocks full to the brim. Since independence, 0.66% growth/ year in gross agricultural area combined with 2.67%/year increases in food grain production led to a net increase in per capita food grain availability from 395 g/ day to 475 g/ day. An outstanding achievement, as it happened despite an unabated population build up at a rate of 2.15 %/ year or 13 million more mouths to be fed every year. Not only in food grain production, the country has made revolutionary progress in milk, fish, eggs, fruits and vegetable production also (NAAS, 2004).

Needless to say that the economic growth of our country depends largely on the prosperity of the agriculture. The agricultural sector acts as a bulwark in maintaining food security as well as national security. The first and the foremost role of agricultural is its promotion of economic progress in the country by enlarging the savings of the rural sector and making them available for the development of industries. Gandhiji, the father of the nation called “Agriculture as the soul of India”. Also, agriculture has been termed as “The mother of all industries and the maintainer of human life standing at the need of all sciences and arts, indeed, at the head of civilization and progress”. The significance of agriculture in India arises also from the fact that the development in agriculture is an essential condition for the development of the national economy. Thus any change in the agriculture sector- positive or negative- has a multiplier effect on the entire economy (Rekha & Rangappa, 2010).

Over 70 years ago, Mahatma Gandhi made the following observations while addressing youth who wanted to serve rural India:

‘The fact is that the villagers have lost all hope. They suspect that every stranger’s hand is at their throats and that he goes to them only to exploit them. The divorce between intellect and labour has paralyzed our agriculture. The worker should enter a village full of love and hope, feeling sure that where men and women labour unintelligently and remain unemployed half the year around, he working all the year round and combining labour with intelligence cannot fail to win the confidence of the villagers’.

This message is as relevant today as it was 60 years ago. Integrating brain and brawn in farm enterprises should hence be the purpose of agricultural education. (ICAR, 1997)

Abstract

Ongoing rise in human population and affluence, and socioeconomic imperatives continue to demand more efficient and productive use of global finite resources. This is particularly true with water which society has to share between its domestic, industrial, agricultural, environmental and recreational purposes. With greater concern for nature and environment, and the socioeconomic development more water must be allocated to non-agricultural uses. Increasing crop water productivity (WP) is a key response option conserves water, energy and soil while satisfying society’s increasing demand for crops for agricultural products. Improvements to crop WP help to meet rising demands for food from a growing, wealthier, and increasingly urbanized population, when at the same time there are pressures to reallocate water from agriculture to cities and to make more water available for environmental uses contribute to the urgency for achieving gains in agricultural water management. The papers in addition to the rationale and basic concept of crop WP, explore the techniques for crop WP increases.

Abstract

India has got a pool of medicinal herbs which are proved to be beneficial in curing various diseases. Their regular consumption not only will improve the health status but also reduce risk of lifestyle diseases. Though simple solutions, associated colloids, suspensions and emulsions are some of the traditional techniques for encapsulating functional agents, micro-encapsulation techniques is the most successfully employed technique for the controlled release of sensitive bioactive compounds. Owing to the targeted delivery of functional components directly to the human gut system, emulsion based delivery system are getting more attention now-a-days. With advancement in science, more complex and novel structures can be created which can successfully deliver these nutraceutical and bioactive ingredients into existing food systems. The technological interventions in emulsion science have opened great opportunities to improve the delivery of bioactive herbal components into milk and milk products. Various milk and milk products functionality can be improved in this way which will improve the gut- microflora within short period of time after consumption.

Increased importance of research publications, impact factor and citations as metrics in evaluating science and assessing the quality of research is driving unethical practices too in research and publications. Adding to that, limited access to research publications, exuberant subscription charges, heavy article processing charges and several other transboundary science and technology issues are further dividing the scientific community which is severely impacting the progress of the Nation (Pathak, 2025). The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) journal rating system serves as a cornerstone for researchers in India, particularly in the domain of agricultural sciences. Its significance lies in providing an accessible and systematic framework for evaluating the quality and relevance of academic journals. This chapter explores avenues for enhancing the NAAS journal rating methodologies to ensure greater accuracy, inclusivity, and ethical rigor in the assessment process. By integrating global best practices, incorporating diverse metrics, and addressing emerging challenges in the academic publishing landscape, the proposed framework aims to make NAAS ratings more robust and globally competitive. To enable universal access to scholarly scientific literature, under Aatmanirbhar Bharat it would be appropriate to strengthen our own Indian Journals to compete globally in the long run. In this regard, NAAS rating of Agri-journals has been a progressive step and NAAS should continue to upgrade its evaluation mechanism. The Professional Association of Agricultural Societies (PAAS) and NAAS partnership in upgrading of publications in Indian society journals should be encouraged.

Introduction

Phosphorus (P) is a major nutrient in crop production, but is also a major constraint due to its low bioavailability in soils. It is 11th most abundant element on earth’s crust and a  vital component of DNA, RNA, ATP and photosynthetic system and catalyses a number of biochemical reactions from the beginning of seedling growth through to the formation of grain and maturity. Many factors influence soil P availability like type of parent material from which the soil is derived, degree of weathering and climatic conditions.

Introduction

Water retention is an important soil hydraulic property that affects how soil operates in an ecosystem and how it is managed. Hydrology, agronomy, meteorology, ecology, environmental protection, and many other soil-related professions employ soil water retention data. Some soil survey programs measure water retention. A soil survey can estimate water retention from other soil properties. However, these measurements are problematic during project design and in large-scale implementations (Rawls et al., 1991; Wo sten et al., 2001) since agricultural land needs rise periodically. Agriculture is using dry land. Food self-sufficiency and becoming a world food barn by 2045 necessitate agricultural land expansion (Mulyani and Agus, 2017). Water concerns afflict farming in this agroecosystem (Syam et al., 1996; Mulyani and Agus, 2017). Because of soil composition, much water stays in the earth. Tang et al. (2022).

For plant growth, soil water retention variables indicate how well the soil holds water. The dirt provides most of the plant’s water. Water in root layer dirt pores is absorbed by plants. Thus, soil water retention is the key factor affecting plant development and productivity. Plants can take in the soil pores’ water between the field capacity and the point where they always wilt. Field capacity occurs when the matrix potential and gravitational potential match. The most significant component for plant growth is soil water (Tang et al., 2022, Deng et al., 2016, Su et al., 2020). The soil’s physical features determine plant water availability. The amount of water available depends on clay minerals, organic matter, absorbed cations, soil texture and structure, and water availability. Thus, to prevent plants from experiencing water or groundwater stress, soil physical attributes must be investigated to determine groundwater availability (Kirkham 2023). Infiltration is crucial to groundwater availability. The amount of water that can penetrate the soil depends on its physical features, such as soil texture, organic matter, bulk density, porosity, aggregate stability/stability, and water content. Thus, soil water availability depends on its physical qualities, particularly its ability to absorb and transfer water. The physical properties of saturated soil affect how water travels through it, which affects runoff and infiltration (Sauer and Logsdon 2002).

Introduction

The Indian Thar Desert is a marginal zone for agricultural production. Scanty and un-even rain, extremes of high (March–October) and low (December–January) temperature condition for the prolong duration and in-together these factors creates an associated abiotic stressed environment that limiting choice of crops, quality of produce, productivity and production under hot arid agro-climate. Out of 9–12 mean rainy days/annum in the hot arid region of northwestern parts of Rajasthan, much of the rain often comes in only a few (1–3) heavy rainfall events during the monsoon season (June–September), which can be erratic and unpredictable. In kharif season, higher day temperature range (35–42°C) and prolonged drought periods in combination with sandy soil creates an environment where few crops can survive under rainfed situations. Here, the native crop-plants both annual and perennial can play an equally vital role for food and fodder especially when the livestock population is an important element of farming system. Further, horticultural exploitation with native crop-plant species in general is found to be potential and stable in the arid and semiarid areas which receive about 150–650 mm of rains.

Introduction

India is primarily an agriculture-based country, with the livestock sector being a vital component of its agricultural landscape. The meat sector plays a crucial role in providing livelihoods and jobs to rural and village populations. Slaughtering food animals not only yields meat but also generates valuable byproducts that can significantly benefit society. Typically, only one-third of an animal’s weight is meat; the remaining two-thirds consist of byproducts and waste, which must be effectively processed and utilized. Efficient utilization of these byproducts directly impacts both the economy and environmental pollution. The yield of animal byproducts can range from 50% to 60% of an animal’s live weight. According to statistics from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD, 2019), India saw the slaughter of 11.92 million buffalo, 3.05 million cattle, 50.86 million sheep, 97.19 million goats, 10.73 million pigs, and over 2.81 million poultry birds in 2018-19, resulting in the production of 8.11 million tonnes of meat.

An overwhelming proportion of plant material used for compounding herbal medicines and nutraceuticals is currently collected from the wild. With traditional health care systems gaining increasing popularity, the enormous amount of plant material extracted from the limited plant populations available in natural stands is a cause of justifiable alarm. The unscrupulous plunder of plant populations growing in the wild is pushing increasing number of important species to the endangered category and many to the verge of extinction. Also, unethical practices like adulteration and storage of medicinal plants under unacceptable conditions are rampant. All this is happening, when the consumer is becoming increasingly quality conscious and is demanding traceability of source material used for formulations and adherence to good practices for the entire chain of manufacturing process for herbal drugs and plant-based nutraceuticals. Clearly, solution to this problem lies in replacing the ‘collection from the wild’ paradigm to ‘production by cultivation’. An essential prerequisite for meeting this objective is a well thought out research agenda which not only tackles productivity enhancement goals for the targeted plant species but also addresses the validity of the entrenched notion among healers who use the traditional medical systems, that only material collected from the wild produces the desired results. The reason advanced in support of this argument is that phytomedicines are derived from plant populations growing in the wild under organic conditions and under their natural rhizosphere and rhizoplane. The associated soil-microbial complexes, and a variety of endophytic microorganisms, may be the initiators or modifiers of the production and expression of medicinal properties.

An overwhelming proportion of plant material used for compounding herbal medicines and nutraceuticals is currently collected from the wild. With traditional health care systems gaining increasing popularity, the enormous amount of plant material extracted from the limited plant populations available in natural stands is a cause of justifiable alarm. The unscrupulous plunder of plant populations growing in the wild is pushing increasing number of important species to the endangered category and many to the verge of extinction. Also, unethical practices like adulteration and storage of medicinal plants under unacceptable conditions are rampant. All this is happening, when the consumer is becoming increasingly quality conscious and is demanding traceability of source material used for formulations and adherence to good practices for the entire chain of manufacturing process for herbal drugs and plant-based nutraceuticals. Clearly, solution to this problem lies in replacing the ‘collection from the wild ’ paradigm to ‘production by cultivation ’. An essential prerequisite for meeting this objective is a well thought out research agenda which not only tackles productivity enhancement goals for the targeted plant species but also addresses the validity of the entrenched notion among healers who use the traditional medical systems, that only material collected from the wild produces the desired results. The reason advanced in support of this argument is that phytomedicines are derived from plant populations growing in the wild under organic conditions and under their natural rhizosphere and rhizoplane. The associated soil-microbial complexes, and a variety of endophytic microorganisms, may be the initiators or modifiers of the production and expression of medicinal properties.

It also so happens that a majority of medicinal plants are shade loving, C4 types and will necessarily require their species-specific ambient environment for elicitation of the medicinally relevant moities.

Citizens’ Perceptions And City Revival : An Approach To Regeneration

Regeneration Strategies To Be Case Specific And Based On Citizens Perception

It is important to realise the driving force of the inherent potential of a city. In case of Allahabad, the Master Plan guidance was framed since 1950 but it is surprising that the role of the city as a cultural and educational node has not been sufficiently recognized and reflected in the Plan document. We still witness the development of the city like any other city of the state where special areas or historic precincts are surrounded by non-descript structures. It was essential to reach out to the citizens of Allahabad and to know their views on the growth and decline. The perception of citizens would give an idea about their belief regarding the degree of amendments needed in regenerating the city.

To draw regeneration strategies for a city it is important to understand the city, therefore physical as well as social transformations, major events in history should be observed and analyzed. The strength of a regeneration technique lies in discovering the potential thrust areas for the city.

In order to have a better understanding of the urban setting of an Indian historic city, the ancient city of Allahabad is discussed. The history and development of this ancient city has been studied in a chronological fashion. This part of the book focuses on the period:

From antiquity to the revolt of 1857, city’s inherent potential as a popular pilgrim center, and also the phenomenon of Kumbh. Further exploring the sacredness of Allahabad. Why Allahabad is regarded as a Tirthraj? And what sacred elements constitute the ‘Prayag’ of olden times? Apart from Sangam, confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, the city is also known for Temples, namely, the Bharadwaj Ashram, Nag Basuki, Mankameshwar.

3.1 Introduction
Understanding the Earth’s atmosphere—its intricate dynamics, ever-changing weather patterns, and long-term climate trends—hinges critically on the quality and detail of the observations we collect. While remote sensing technologies offer broad perspectives from a distance, a fundamental and indispensable category of atmospheric data comes from in situ observations. The term “in situ,” meaning “in place” or “on-site,” precisely describes the nature of these measurements: they are direct, physical readings taken within the atmospheric volume itself.
These direct observations are the bedrock of meteorological science. They provide the ground truth for atmospheric conditions, offering unparalleled precision in measuring parameters such as temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, and the characteristics of precipitation. Unlike indirect sensing, in situ methods involve instruments physically interacting with the air, yielding highly accurate and localized data points. This granular detail is crucial for a multitude of applications: it allows for the precise calibration of remote sensing instruments, provides essential validation for complex numerical weather prediction models, and enables scientists to dissect and understand fine-scale atmospheric processes that influence local weather.

ABSTRACT

Successful in vitro clonal propagation of mature tree of Lasoda (Cordia myxa Roxb) has been achieved through single node explant. Both types of organogenesis of shoot and root formation were obtained by placing nodal explant on shoot induction medium and subsequently on rooting medium. More than 90% culture were responsive for in-vitro axillary shoot proliferation on MS media supplemented with 30g Sucrose 8.0 g agar and a combination of 2.0 mg BA and 0.1 mg NAA per litre. After culture period of 6-8 week, the nodal explants with micro shoot were rooted on the MS media supplemented with30 g Sucrose + 3g activated charcol and different level of NAA (0, 1, 3 and 6 mg/ litre). The season and position of explant on the mother plant was also shown to influence in vitro performance of the regeneration in terms of establishment of aseptic culture, percentage of responsive explants and intensity of leaching of growth inhibitory phenolic chemicals.

In vitro cloning is a vegetative propagation performed in the Plant Tissue Culture system. In vitro micropropagation cloning propagation is mostly applied to the vegetatively propagated plants and in particular in ornamental, fruit and in a few orchard crops and in vegetable crops besides in many forest tree species.

ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants are the most important source of life saving drugs for the majority of the world’s population. Therefore the biotechnological tools are important to select, multiply and conserve the critical genotypes of medicinal plants. With the increase in the demand for the crude drugs, the plants are being overexploited, threatening the survival of many rare species. Also, many medicinal plant species are disappearing at an alarming rate due to rapid agricultural and urban development, uncontrolled deforestation, and indiscriminate collection. Advanced biotechnological methods of culturing plant cells and tissues should provide new means for conserving and rapidly propagating valuable, rare, and endangered medicinal plants. Maintenance of germplasm in the green house or in the field has many difficulties and so there is a need for the in vitro conservation of these plant germplasm. In the present paper we report the in vitro conservation of two medicinal plants and each of it has its own medicinal value. The tuberous roots of Holostemma are medicinally important and are utilized as a major ingredient of the drug ‘jivanthi’. Tylophora is used as a herbal medicine and the plant has been traditionally used as a folk remedy for the treatment of bronchial asthma, bronchitis and dermatitis. Shoot buds of these plants were cultured in Murashige and Skoog’s (1962) medium with different strengths and with different concentrations of sucrose and mannitol. The different treatments induced varied response with respect to the slowing of growth of cultures. Sucrose was found essential in combination with mannitol to induce maximum reduction in the growth of the plant tissues. The cultures could be maintained without sub culturing for over one year and resumed normal growth on transfer to mannitol free medium. This method of conservation has many advantages.

ABSTRACT

Jasmine is one of the economically most important flower crops cultivated for its fragrant flowers and valuable essential oil. In vitro studies to explore the possibility of regeneration of plantlets from different explants and to undertake biochemical analysis to detect the flavour compounds if present in the in vitro cultures were taken up with local varieties of Jasminum grandiflorum.

Among the different explants tried, leaf bits were found ideal for callus induction, followed by petals and shoot tips. MS medium with 2, 4-D at 1.25 ppm was the suitable medium for callus induction in leaf explants. Miller medium with NAA at 1.25 ppm and BAP at 1.25 ppm was the suitable medium for callus induction in petal explants collected from 18 days old buds of local varieties of Jasminum grandiflorum. Among the different media combinations tried, MS medium supplemented with 0.2 ppm NAA and 0.3 ppm GA₂ is the best medium for callus induction in shoot apex explants of 10mm size. Direct regeneration of plants was obtained in 10 per cent of shoot apex explants cultured in MS medium supplemented with 0.2 ppm GA₁ and 3 ppm BAP in 60 days. A maximum of 95 per cent embryogenicity is induced in leaf callus transferred to MS basal medium supplemented with 1.5 per cent sucrose from MS medium with 2, 4-D at 1.0 ppm.

The peroxidase assay indicated that embryogenic calli had six isoperoxidases while the non-embryogenic had only two. Biochemical analysis of the callus samples showed high Phenylalanine ammonia lyase and phenol indicating the initiation of phenolic pathway, which branches out and ultimately leads to the synthesis of flavour compounds in callus.

Only few single sperm viability parameters show a significant correlation with fertility of semen samples. Therefore, need to explore functional in vitro fertility tests having capability to disclose the ability of spermatozoa to undergo complicated processes such as capacitation, binding of zona pellucida, acrosome reaction, fertilization of Oocyte and induction of embryo development invitro have been designed and explored for their correlation with fertility achieved after artificial insemination.

In vitro fertility tests used in evaluation of semen includes: 

14.1 Estimation of membrane integrity
        
    14.1.1 Morphological integrity
        
    14.1.2 Functional integrity
        
    14.1.2.1 Hypoosmotic swelling test
        
    14.1.2.2 Acrosome integrity

14.2     Cervical Mucus Penetration Test

Micrografting is a method to produce virus free, viroid free and disease free grafts that are clonally propagated. This method is an aid to mass multiplication. In vitro grafting is applied to difficult to root clones. Micrografting is performed to understand incompatibility prediction between the two grafting partners, virus indexing, deduction of latent virus, safe germplasm exchange and to do grafting functions throughout the year. It is not season specific. Protocols for micrografting are available for almond, pistachia, olive, prunus, grape, mulberry, cashew, citrus, peach, pear, avocado, hazlenut, walnut, chestnut and grape fruit (Hussein et al., 2014).

ABSTRACT

An efficient in vitro micro propagation protocol was developed for direct shoot produc tion of Contoloupe (Cucumis melo variety (NS Abhijit) using cotyledons as explant. The excised cotyledons were cultured on Murashige and Skoog’s medium (MS) contain- ing plant growth regulator, 6 Benzyl adenine with various concentrations for the study of shoot production. The best condition for the shoot production was with 1.2mg/l Benzyl adenine (BA) in MS medium. The shooting frequency was 65% and three shoots were obtained from each explant after 14 days of culture. The shoots (~1.5 cm length) were rooted most effectively on 0.1mg/l of α Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) supplemented MS medium. We have also standardized the transformation protocol for GUS gene in the muskmelon variety Eden Gem to see test the feasibility of this variety for Agrobacterium mediated transformation. The transformed explants were confirmed through Indigogenic GUS assay.

ABSTRACT

The investigation was carried out to develop protocol for micropropagation of acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia S) var. Sai-Sharbati. Shoot tip and nodal segment explants were obtained from axenically grown seedlings having 21 to 30 days age. Direct regeneration of shoots, roots and whole plant without intervention of callus was obtained from both the explants on MS basal media. In both the explants 100 per cent shoot proliferation was induced in nutrient medium MS + BA 0.25 mg/l + ME 200 mg/l. The shoot proliferation rate was more (5.0) in nodal segment as compare to the shoot tip explant (4.33). Regenerated shoots of more than 2.5 cm length with minimum of 4 leaves were transferred for rooting. Half strength MS medium supplemented with IBA 1.0 mg/l was best for root induction and root initiation within 15.66 days. More than 75 per cent plantlets were survived after hardening period of four weeks.

ABSTRACT

Rubia cordifolia is an effective blood purifier in indigenous medicine. Habitat destruction and indescriminate harvesting is posing threat to its survival necessitating concerted efforts for conservation. The present study is an attempt to standardise in vitro multiplication protocol, a basic step for in vitro conservation, in Rubia cordifolia. Nodal explants cultured in MS basal medium supplemented with BA 1mg l ^-1 and IAA 0.2 mgl^-1 induced axillary bud break. The in vitro formed shoots developed roots on MS basal medium supplemented with IBA 1mg l ^-1. The plantlets were ready for plant out in 100 days of culture initiation and established well on planting out.

ABSTRACT

Plants as a source of medicine are of special importance in the countries like India which has well developed traditional system of medicine which derive more than 90 per cent of medicaments from higher plants. Several of these also constitute important ingredients of Allopathic medicines. Most of the requirements for the medicinal plants are met from wild sources. But due to the changing ecological factors in the forests and unserupulous collection of medicinal plants, the wealth of medicinal plants is getting depleted and some types have already become extinct. The collection of these plants from the forests cannot cope up with the ever increasing and changing demand from the pharmaceutical, perfumery and cosmetic industry. In order to provide regular and sustained supply of medicinal plants, it is essential now to domesticate and systematically cultivate these plants for which large scale availability of planting material has to be ensured. In this context, in vitro multiplication protocols were standardised for rare, valuable and endangered medicinal plants such as Holostemma ada-kodien, Trichopus zylanicus, Aristolichia indica and Terminalia chebula. The study indicates the feasiblity of rapid multiplication of these plant species using in vitro techniques and the standardised protocols could be used to generate large number of true to type protocols within a short time.

ABSTRACT

Kattupadavalam (Trichosanthes cucumerina) is regarded as a laxative and blood purifier, considered beneficial in the treatment of skin diseases. Its entire supply being met from wild, unscrupulous exploitation has led to erosion of genetic resources of this crop. Hence it is imperative that in vitro trechniques are employed to conserve this valuable medicinal species and to evolve feasible protocols for large scale multiplication of this crop. Nodal cultures were established from two months old seedlings of Trichosanthes cucumerina and Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium, supplemented with BA @ 0.5 mg l^-1. Subculture of initiated shoots in the same medium at intervals of three weeks registered enhanced release of axillary buds producing 21 shoots from a single culture at the end of fifth subculture cycle. Elongated shoots were rooted in half strength MS medium, following a pulse treatment with IBA @ 1000 mg l^-1. A single stage root hardening process, wherein, rooted plantlets were subsequently transferred to half strength semisolid MS medium supplemented with 2 per cent sucrose, improved success rate. The rooted plantlets planted out in sterilized media and subjected to a hardening process in a phased manner, survived well.

The knowledge and principles from interconnected disciplines of bioengineering, material science and life sciences are combined in tissue engineering with the aim of developing a construct, that can wholly or partly restore/maintain/augment the function of a damaged tissue or organ. Tissue engineering construct generally comprises cells on a suitable scaffold. The ultimate functionality of a tissue engineering construct is mainly dependent on the cell behavior on scaffolds. The proliferation and cell viability on scaffolds varies from one cell type to another and from one species to another. So it is important to investigate individual cell-scaffold combinations. The similarity in structure and composition to bone mineral, osteoconducive properties, ability to integrate with the bony tissue and absence of immune response makes hydroxyapatite [Ca₁₀ (PO₄)₆(OH)₂] the choice of calcium phosphate biomaterial with only disadvantage of slow rate of resorption. On contrary, silica–calcium phosphate composite in comparison to calcium phosphate is rich biomaterials having a faster resorption rate. Studies have shown that coating of hydroxyapatite with a calcium silicate containing layer encourages cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human bone marrow-derived stromal cells. So in this chapter, a triphasic composite scaffold (calcium silicate, hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate), namely HASi with elements in the following percentages: 66.36 % - calcium, 25.35 % - phosphorus and silicon - 8.29 % and porosity of 50 – 500 µm is reported to evaluate the rBMSC proliferation and differentiation properties in vitro.

The present chapter is therefore, included with the aim of assessing cytocompatibility of HASi and rBMSC in terms of cell attachment, cell morphology, cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation.

ABSTRACT

Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. is one of the important medicinal plants that contains L DOPA (L-3,4 dihydroxy phenylalanine) which is the precussor for the neurotransmitter dopamine that plays an important role in curing Parkinson?s disease. To accommodate the huge demand for L DOPA, in vitro production of the drug using cell cultures is felt essential. Hence, an experiment was carried out with completely randomized design with seven treatments viz., T₀ - Control; T₁ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 NAA; T₂ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 IAA; T₃ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 2,4-D; T₄ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 Kinetin; T₅ - MS + 2 mg l^-1 BA; T₆ - MS + 1 mg l^-1 IAA + 1 mg l^-1 BA and 3 replications. Among the various explants investigated stem bits registered the least days (12.38) for callus induction. The stem bits responded well with better callusability (78.57 per cent), relative growth rate (2.57) and callus index (249.16). MS medium + 2 mg l^-1 2,4-D was found to be the best for inducing callus in various explants namely stem bits, leaf bits and root bits. L DOPA accumulation was more in cell suspension cultured in liquid MS medium with 4 per cent sucrose + 1 mg l^-1 IAA + 1 mg l^-1 BA and that was confirmed by means of HPLC.

Introduction

Plants contain a variety of substances of nutraceuticals importance which are useful medicines, food additives, cosmetics and health supplements etc. However, low availability under in vivo condition, decreased plant resources, increases in labour cost and other problems in obtaining these high-value added substances from natural plants have pointed toward the use of in vitro techniques for production of the products. Because in vitro cultures are not affected as the production affected under in vivo conditios.This has led scientists and biotechnologists to consider plant cell, tissue and organ cultures as an alternative way to produce the corresponding secondary metabolites.Therefore, studies on the production of useful metabolite by in vitro techniques have been carried out on an increasing scale since the end of the 1950’s. The large scale cultivation of tobacco and various vegetable cells was examined in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. At present, several firms are manufacturing a plant pigment, shikonin, and ginseng cell biomass on a commercial scale and several other products including anti-oxidant products.

Research efforts on in vitro derived extracts is well documented on each of these major product categories: flavors (onion and garlic, peppermint and spearmint, fruit flavors, chocolate aroma, seaweed flavors, vanilla, celery, coffee, spice, sweeteners, and so on); edible colors for foods and medicines (mainly betalains and anthocyanins): non-food pigments for cosmetics and textiles (shikonin, berberine, and various other products); several examples of fragrances and essential oils; and bioactive natural insecticides and phytoalexins useful in current integrated pest management programs. Of course, intensive activity has centered on production of natural drugs of chemoprotective compounds from plant cell culture. Some of the most prominent pharmaceutical products in this latter category include ajmalicine (a drug for circulatory problems) from Catharanthus roseus and taxol (a phytochemical effective in treatment of ovarian cancer) from Taxus species.

ABSTRACT

Aprotocol for in vitro clonal multiplication of Dendrobium var. Betty Ho is reported. Aseptic shoot tip explants cultured in MS medium containing Benzyl Adenine (5 mg l^-1) and casein hydrolysate (1000 mg l^-1) recorded a maximum multiplication rate of 10 fold in 30 days. Explant cultured in LS) medium supplemented with 1-napthalene acetic acid (0.1 mg l^-1) and Kinetinetin (1 mg l^-1) developed a maximum of 8.3 shoots in 30 days. Shoots thus obtained were rooted on MS medium supplemented with BA (0. 1mg l^-1 ) and NAA (0.5mg l^-1). Rooted plantlets after hardening were transferred to green house.

ABSTRACT

In vitro clonal propagation of Smilax zeylanica Linn was attempted. Axillary buds from shoot tip and single node explants were induced to proliferate on half strength MS basal medium supplemented with BA (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg l^-1) and IAA (1.0 and 2.0 mg l^-1). Multiple shoots (6.0 - 10.0 per explant) developed from the axillary buds in about four weeks time in all the treatments tried. However, the highest rate of multiple shoot production was in the medium containing BA 1.0 mg l^-1 and IAA 1.0 mg l^-1. Maximum shoot length was also observed in the same medium. Rooting (83.3 per cent) of micro shoots could be induced on MS supplemented with NAA 0.5 mg l^-1. Individual rooted plantlets could be successfully transferred to soil and established in the field with 80 per cent survival.

Introduction

At the Banana Research Station, Kannara activities focused on Musa germplasm conservation and evaluation are in progress. The aim of the project is to collect and conserve wild and cultivated germplasm representative of the diversity existing in the Musa genepool for evaluation and subsequent use in breeding programmes and to make available selected superior material to the farmers of Kerala. The center presently holds a Musa germplasm of 256 accessions in its field gene bank. These accessions have been characterized and evaluated as per INIBAP/IPGRI Musa descriptors and a database developed.

In a vegetatively propagated crop like banana, in vitro culture is widely employed in germplasm introduction and conservation and is an essential requirement for the safe movement of germplasm (Sharrock and Engels, 1996). By this method, germplasm material is readily propagated, thereby facilitating the dissemination of disease free plants. Since 2001, efforts have been made at Banana Research Station, Kannara to introduce forty new exotic accessions employing in vitro culture for conservation and evaluation. These are material from the global Musa germplasm collection maintained by International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP), France and supplied by National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi.

ABSTRACT

Coleus forskohlii Briq. is a threatened medicinal plant , susceptible to fungal disease. The regeneration of this plant has been achieved on MSo medium supplemented with 2 mg/l or 3 mg/l BAP and 0.2 mg/l 2,4-D for callus induction using leaf as explants. Multiple shoot production from the leaf-derived transformed callus of coleus has been standardized using the various concentration of NAA with 2 mg/l BAP. The combination of 2 mg/l BAP and 0.5 mg/l NAA was found to be best for multiple shoot production. Rooting was found to be best on MS medium supplemented with 0.7 mg/l NAA. Coleus forskohlii was transformed with glucanase-chitinase gene along with npt-II gene. The presence of npt-II genes in the leaves of putative transformants were confirmed by PCR analysis. SDS- PAGE analysis and glucanase assay revealed the over expression of glucanase enzyme in the transgenic plants. The transgenic coleus plants survived the infection caused by Fusarium chlamydosporium due to the accumulation of glucanase-chitinase enzyme, where as control plants were susceptible to the disease.

ABSTRACT

Aprotocol has been developed for the induction, maturation and germination of somatic embryos from leaf explants of Hevea brasiliensis (clone RRII 105). Leaf explants were cultured with their adaxial sides on modified Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different combinations of phytohormones such as 2,4-D & BA, NAA & BA as well as 2,4-D, BA and NAA. Compact calli could be developed from the cut ends of the explants on media containing 2,4-D (1.5 mg/l) and BA (1.0 mg/l) whereas pale yellow friable calli was obtained on media which contained NAA (0.2 mg/l) along with 2,4-D (1.2 mg/l) and BA (1.0 mg/l). The calli formed were detached from the explants and sub cultured for proliferation in medium containing reduced auxin (0.4 mg/l 2,4-D) and slightly increased level of sucrose (40 g/l). Proliferated calli were then sub cultured for embryo induction in modified MS medium supplemented with different auxins and cytokinins. Embryo induction could be achieved in modified MS medium containing BA (2.0 mg/l), GA (1.0 mg/l) and NAA (0.2 mg/l) and maturation occurred in WPM medium containing BA (0.3 mg/l), TDZ (0.5 mg/l) and GA (1.5mg/l). The cotyledonary stage embryos developed into plantlets on transfer to hormone free ½ MS medium. A distinct feature of this study is the induction of somatic embryogenesis from leaf explants of Hevea which has not been reported previously. This explant could be used further as an ideal target tissue for Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation in Hevea.

ABSTRACT

In cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) there are successful reports on the production of shoots from nodal segments under in vitro,the rooting was always inconsistent and mortality during hardening stage was very high. In the present study 20-30 per cent rooting was obtained in half strength MS supplemented with activated charcoal. Maximum rooting was obtained when the shoots were pretreated with IBA 5000 mg l^-1 for three seconds followed by culturing in the media.

ABSTRACT

Aquilaria agallocha Roxb. (Thymelaeceae), otherwise known as ‘Eagle wood’ is a large evergreen tree restricted to the eastern parts of India and Bhutan. The tree is valuable for its fragrant wood - ‘Agar wood’ which is tremendously used in the perfumery and incense stick industries. Lack of rapid natural regeneration and over exploitation has reduced its population drastically. Micropropagation offers a rapid means for clonal multiplication and conservation of this endangered species and attempts were made to standardize available protocol for in vitro multiplication. Media and conditions were standardized for culture establishment and propagule multiplication. Multiple shoots were induced in vitro from nodal segments of 10 yr old trees having enhanced axillary branching. Culture establishmnet was strongly influenced by the nature of the explant and the season of collecting the explants. Nodal segments collected during the period March- April from current season shoots showed a better response (90 %) in half strength Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l^-1benzyl adenine and 0.1 mg l^-1kinetin. The rudimentary multiple shoots induced, proliferated in the basal media supplemented with benzyl adenine (0.1 mg l^-1), naphthalene acetic acid (0.5 mg l^-1) and coconut water (10%). This media also supported further multiplication in serial subculturing with a multiplication rate of 1:6. There exists no earlier report on in vitro multiplication of this tree species valued in perfumery.

ABSTRACT

Ipomoea mauritiana (L.) belonging to the Family Convolvulaceae is an important medicinal plant. The roots, leaves and flowers possess medicinal properties. It is used in indigenous medicine as a tonic, aphrodisiac, galactogogue, diuretic, carminative, expectorant and appetizer. It is useful in syphilis, inflammation, leprosy, diseases of blood and in the improvement of voice and complexion. Tender nodal portions from one year old disease free plants grown in pots were used as the source of explants. The explants were inoculated on half strength MS medium containing 3.0 per cent sucrose and 0.6 per cent agar supplemented with 2,4-D 0.5 mg l^-1. All the explants showed callus initiation after three weeks. The contamination free, one week old callus cultures were used for testing the effect of the different treatments. The treatments comprised of different combinations of BA (0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 mg l^-1) and NAA (0 and 0.1 mg l^-1) added to half strength MS medium. The highest rate of shoot regeneration was obtained on half strength MS medium supplemented with BA 4.0 mg l^-1. Rooting of the proliferated shoots could be induced on the same basal medium supplemented with IBA 1.0 mg l^-1 and NAA 1.0 mg l^-1. The regenerated plants were hardened in a humidity chamber and successfully transferred to pots, with 90 per cent survival.