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Maize (Zea mays L.) occupies an important place in world agriculture due to its high yield potential and greater demand. Because of its divergent character, maize is grown over a wide range of climatic conditions, ranging from near sea-level to several thousand meters above sea-level (2,700 msl). It can also be grown in all types of soils ranging from sandy to heavy clay. Among the factors adversely affecting productivity, incidence of diseases is prominent. In India Maize is prone to a number of biotic stresses like foliar diseases, downy mildews, banded leaf and sheath blight, stalk rots and ear rot caused by fungi and bacteria, incidence of which are variable in time, space, and genotype. Disease may be minimized by the reduction of the pathogen’s inoculum, inhibition of its virulence mechanisms, and promotion of genetic diversity in the crop (Richard et al., 2005). Conventional plant breeding for resistance has an important role to play that can now be facilitated by marker-assisted selection.

Chemical control measures for some of the diseases are helpful in reducing losses, however for stabilizing production it is necessary to build level of genetic resistance. Germplasm improvement programme undertaken in sixties and early seventies by All India Co-ordinated Maize Improvement Project provided an opportunity for combining resistance against important diseases with other desirable agronomic traits. Thus, breeding for resistance had been an important objective of the overall crop improvement programme and it had been a cooperative venture of the plant breeders and plant pathologists. Consequently, it was recognized that there should be an efficient technique for the mass multiplication of inoculums, artificial inoculation technique and scoring/rating of plant disease as a pre-requisite for the successful identification of resistant sources in such improvement programme. With these objectives in to consideration, a six days seminar on the “Techniques of scoring for resistance to diseases of maize in India” was held at Andhra Pradesh Agriculture University, Hyderabad during 15-20 March, 1982 (Payak and Sharma, 1983).

Introduction

The world’s population is expected to grow from 6 billion people in 2000 to 7.5 billion people in 2020. Availability of land for farming is on the decline, and water for agriculture and other uses is increasingly scarce. Together these and other forces will challenge the capacity of the world’s food production system. The world has experienced an unprecedented increase in population during the past century, with a billion people added every decade during the last three decades alone. Dramatic shifts in production and consumption of food have accompanied this population explosion, including a surge in grain production, a spectacular rise in meat production and consumption, and the emergence of an increasingly vital role for international trade (Fig. 1). High-yielding varieties of wheat and rice swept across much of Asia during the 1970s and early 1980s, easing fears of imminent famine. Cereal yields have risen more modestly in recent years, but they have still outstripped gains in other crops such as cassava, potatoes, and beans.

Introduction 
Maize (Zea mays L.) which belongs to the Poaceae family, has its roots in the American continent where it was once grown by ancient cultures like the Indians, Magyars, and Aztecs. Today, maize is one of the most widely cultivated crops globally, with the largest productions in countries such as the US, China, India, and Brazil. As a monocotyledonous and cross-pollinated annual plant, maize is an angiosperm with seeds enclosed in a fruit or shell. The root system of maize is fibrous, reaching up to 60 cm. in soil depth. Maize is a warm-season crop with specific agro climatic requirements for successful cultivation. It thrives in warm temperatures and requires a minimum temperature of around 10°C (50°F) for germination. The ideal temperature range for its growth is between 20°C and 30°C (68°F to 86°F). However, maize is sensitive to frost, and exposure to freezing temperatures can damage or kill the crop. Adequate and well-distributed rainfall is crucial during its growing season, as maize needs about 500 to 1000 mm. (20 to 40 inches) of rainfall to support its development, with higher water requirements during flowering and grain-filling stages. While the crop is moderately droughttolerant, moisture stress at critical growth stages can significantly impact yield. Maize is a sun-loving crop and requires long daylight hours with ample sunshine for efficient photosynthesis and plant growth. The soil should be well-drained, loamy or sandy, rich in organic matter, and have a pH ranging from 5.8 to 7.0 (Greaves et al., 1996). Avoiding waterlogged or compacted soils is crucial, as they can impede root development and nutrient uptake. Maize can be cultivated at varying altitudes, but its suitability is generally limited to elevations below 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level. The crop typically requires 90 to 120 days from planting to maturity, although some varieties with shorter growing seasons are available for regions with limited frost-free periods. High salinity can result in decreased plant leaves, green weight, fresh weight, shorter shoots, and root length but salt-tolerant varieties have been developed.

Maize (Zea mays L.) has tropical origin and is traditionally grown in monsoon. The crop is grown in diverse geographical and climate conditions around the world and in India maize is grown in kharif (rainy season), rabi (winter season) and spring seasons where more than 70 per cent of the production happen in kharif alone. Of late, the area under rabi maize has increased because of higher productivity and ever increasing demand.

Insect pests of maize

Compared to most cereals, maize faces fewer biotic and abiotic constraints in production. Among biotic stresses, insect pests are major constraints in the production and productivity of maize crop. The earlier literature cites over 160 insect and mite species which attack maize crop (Fletcher, 1914, 1917; Ayyar, 1940; Bhutani, 1961; Pant and Kalode, 1964) but later Mathur (1987) observed over 250 species of pests associated with maize in field and storage conditions. Dick and Guthrie (1988) identified 87 species that directly or indirectly exert severe stress on corn culture in tropical and temperate regions throughout the world. Excluding stored grain insects, Luckman (1978) lists 34 pests or pest groups for which chemical controls are recommended on corn in the United States. There have been more than 130 insect pests reported to cause damage to maize in India but only about a dozen cause economic losses (Sarup et al., 1987).

Plant diseases are of paramount importance to humans because they damage plants and plant products on which humans depends for food, clothing, furniture, the environment and in many cases the housing. The kinds and amounts of losses caused by plant diseases vary with the plant or plant products, the pathogen, the locality, the environment, the control measures practiced and combination of these factors (Agrios, 2005). Disease is one of the major biotic constraints to reduce crop yield and also deteriorate the quality of product that ultimately reduce the market price.

Maize production in India has been dominated by erstwhile Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka which together contribute around 38 per cent of the total maize production of the country. Erstwhile Andhra Pradesh has achieved the highest mean yield of 4441 kg/ha in the country during the last decade (2001-02 to 2010-11) by surpassing Karnataka which had the highest productivity in the country, earlier. The main reason for achieving the highest productivity in the country was due to adoption of improved production technology along with 100% area grown under hybrids. In Telangana, maize is the third most important crop after rice and cotton. It is cultivated in 5.74 lakh hectares, predominantly in Kharif season (4.54 lakh ha), with a productivity of 3.69 t/ha (2015-16).

Trends in maize area, production and productivity in the state (1950 to 2016)

The erstwhile Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana) is the non-traditional maize growing state. But, the climate of the state is very favorable for the crop and hence maize can be grown in any season in the state. However, it is mainly grown as a rainfed crop during monsoon season, concentrated in Telangana. The trends in area, production and productivity of maize in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh have shown a remarkable increase during the past six decades. During 1955-56, the maize acreage in the state was very less (1.89 lakh ha), which has been up by 5.3 times to the present (2014-15) level of 9.95 lakh hectares. The production has also increased dramatically from merely 1.14 lakh tonnes during 1955-56 to 42.36 lakh tones during 2014-15, which is nearly 37 times higher. Similarly, the productivity of maize in the state was merely 601 kg/ha during 1955-56, which has been increased to 4257 kg/ha during 2014-15 (Fig. 1).

Maize is presently the crop with growing importance in the state. Earlier it was primarily grown for human consumption only. In view of rapidly increasing demand of poultry feeds and fodder in Assam presently it has more use in some small industries. It is the raw material for most of the feed industries. Presently the crop has state acreage of 27953 hectare and production of 93179 tonnes with a productivity of 3333 kg/ha (2014-15).

While most other states in India are gradually moving away from their traditional agriculture based economy toward industry or service oriented economy, Assam is still predominantely dependent on the agricultural sector. While the sociopolitical problems afflicting the state since the last few decades are partly to blame for a lack of conducive environment for economic development of the state, particularly in industry or service oriented areas, there are various economic reasons (e.g. fragmented land) responsible for the lagging agricultural sector in the state. Economy of Assam is fundamentally based on agriculture. Over 70% of the state’s population relies on agriculture as farmers, agricultural laborers, or both for their livelihood.

Assam produces both food and cash crops. The principal food crops produced in the state are rice (paddy), maize (corn), pulses, potato, wheat, etc., while the principal cash crops are tea, jute, oilseeds, sugarcane, cotton, and tobacco. Although rice is the most important and staple crop of Assam, its productivity over the years has not increased while other crops have seen a slight rise in both productivity and acreage.

Bihar is an important maize growing state in India after Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, where it is cultivated during all season. However, the yield of maize is much higher during Rabi and summer seasons than the Kharif. Due to climate change and other factors, the yield of maize is likely to further decline during the Kharif season. However, the cultivation of maize in Bihar during the Rabi season will be much more profitable as compared to wheat due to rise in temperature. There is need to develop maize varieties which can with stand biotic and abiotic due to changing climate factors.

Decadal trends of maize area, production and stresses yield in the Bihar from 1950–2015.

Chhattisgarh, the 26^th state of the Indian Union came into existence on November 1^st, 2000. The state is geographically situated in the central part of India, between the latitudes of 17° 46' N - 24° 5' N and the longitudes of 80° 15' E - 84° 20' E. Its proximate position with the Tropic of Cancer has a major influence on its climate. The total geographical area is around 137.90 lakh ha of which cultivable land area is 46.77 lakh ha and forest land area is 63.53 lakh ha with more than 2.55 crore population. In Chhattisgarh region about 22% of net cropped area was under irrigation. About 80 percent of the population in the state is engaged in agriculture and 43 percent of the entire arable land is under cultivation. Paddy is the principal crop and the central plains of Chhattisgarh are known as rice bowl of central India. Other major crops are coarse grains, wheat, maize, groundnut, pulses and oilseeds.

Importance of Maize in Chhattisgarh

Earlier maize was mainly cultivated in Surguja and Bastar division of Chhattisgarh but now it is emerging as main cash crop in entire Chhattisgarh state. There had been an increase of 20 per cent in maize crop acreage in Chhattisgarh during the past 10 years. Now the farmers of the area are cultivating maize in lines, applying atrazin weedicide, full dose of chemical fertilizers, etc. They are willing to buy the hybrid seed for cultivation from the market and taking maize as green cob and also utilizing as green fodder. Maize threshers have been purchased by some farmers in the region which is an indicative of large maize production.

For industrial utilization of the maize Chhattisgarh state has “Raja Ram Maize Factory” in Rajnandgaon district. They are producing and supplying Maize starches, liquid glucose, dextrose mono hydrate, dextrin, maltose liquid, malto dextrin, maize oil, maize gluten, maize grit, maize husk etc. But most of the maize production is used as poultry feeds in the state. Traders purchase it directly from the farmers’ fields in the villages. It is also exported to the neighboring states either as grain or green cob. Around 10-15% is retained by the farmers for own consumption and seed purpose.

Maize ranks fourth after rice, wheat and bajara with respect to area and production, and grown on 4.23 lakh ha average with 6.72 lakh tones production and yield 1589 kg/ha in the Gujarat (2014-15). The state has 38.0% lower than national yield. It mainly grown in Panchmahal, Dahod, Mahisagar, Vadodara, Chhota Udepur, Kheda, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha and Aravali districts as rainfed Kharif and irrigated winter/Rabi crop for food, feed and industrial raw materials.

It is staple food and feed of tribal and grown as sole and intercrops with pigeon pea, black gram and soybean in Kharif season. The white and yellow flints to semi-flint maize are preferred to prepare bread and other food preparations

Maize is one of the most important food, feed, fodder and industrial crop in Haryana and is cultivated in all the three seasons (Kharif, Rabi and spring). It was cultivated on 6 thousand hectares in Kharif season with average productivity of 2.83t/ha during 2015-16. The maize is also increasing in spring season which was grown on ~ 7 thousands hectare with productivity of 4.5t/ ha. The specialty corn (baby corn and sweet corn) is also grown in >2 thousand hectare area of Haryana in national capital region. The demand of maize is increasing every year due to growth in poultry industry and expansion of maize based industries. There is a good scope of cultivation of specialty types of corn (baby corn, quality protein maize and sweet corn) in Haryana as it is very near to national capital, Delhi. The cultivation of specialty corn and its value addition by establishing

Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the most versatile crops having the highest genetic yield potential among cereals and wider adaptability under varied agro-climatic conditions rightly earning it the name of ‘the queen of cereals’. Maize is cultivated in all agricultural areas around the world and is an economically significant crop for all human population. It is grown from 58⁰ L north to 40⁰ L south and extends from the sea level up to an altitude of above 3,800 m; covering regions with rainfall varying from 250 to 10,000 mm (Hallauer and Miranda, 1988). Globally, maize occupies an area of about 184.0 million ha with production of 1065 million tons and productivity of 55.2 q/ha (FAOSTAT, 2014). It is the third most important cereal crop and a major source of energy, protein and other nutrients for human and livestock in the world (Jompuk et al., 2011). India is the second most important maize growing country in Asia, and now ranks as the world’s fifth largest consumer of maize. It is an important cereal crop in India covering an area of 9.42 million ha with a production of 24.35 million tonnes and productivity 25.83 q/ha (Anonymous, 2015). Maize is cultivated in the country throughout the year mostly during rainy or Kharif season (June to September, 80%) followed by winter or Rabi (November to April,18%) and spring (February to May, 2%) for various purposes including grain, fodder, green cobs, sweet corn, baby corn and popcorn.

Agriculture is the predominant sector in the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. Directly and indirectly, it supports about 80 per cent of the population besides contributing nearly 60 per cent of the state revenue. The total geographical area of the state is nearly 22.2 million hectare and population of 12.5 million, which is approximately 1.04% of the national total. The J&K is divided into three agro-climatic zones: Cold arid desert areas of Ladakh, temperate Kashmir Valley and the humid sub-tropical region of Jammu. Each has its own specific geo-climatic condition which determines the cropping pattern and productivity profile.

In Jammu province, a small portion of the land lies in the plains along the borders of Punjab while the rest of the area is hilly, dominates both in maize and wheat production. About 67 per cent of the area is under maize and wheat production with the production of 21.25q/ha maize and 15.36 q/ha wheat. This region contributes 79.56 per cent and 95.69 per cent of total production of these two cereals respectively. Even though the yield is not high, the region makes appreciable contribution to the cereals production.

The second agro-climatic zone Kashmir is also known as ‘cultivator’s paradise’. The region practically depends on irrigation, which is easily available. A large area of level land has alluvial soil. Extensive elevated plateaus of the alluvial or lacustrine material (locally called Karewas) also exist in the Kashmir valley. These Karewas are productive only in the face of sufficient rainfall or adequate irrigation facilities. Rice is the chief crop of this zone, followed by maize, oat, barley and wheat.

Ladakh zone is endowed with bare rocky mountains and bare gravel slopes. Villages are located near pockets of land with level ground and irrigation facilities, where cultivation is viable. In this region, barley is the major cereal crop followed by summer wheat. Millets and wheat rank second in importance and are grown in the warmer belt of the region.

Maize or corn (Zea mays L.) is second most important crop after rice in Jharkhand. Though considered as a Kharif season crop, it can be successfully grown in other two crop seasons viz., Rabi and zaid also as the climatic condition in Jharkhand is conducive for growth of the plants. Rabi maize has comparative advantage over Kharif maize due to low incidence of diseases and insect pests slow growth of weeds and crop does not have to suffer on account of heavy rainfall hence, higher yield potentiality could be realized from Rabi maize. In Jharkhand, the Kharif crops including the maize are grown as rainfed as the 80 to 85% of the annual rainfall takes place during June to September. The share of maize under irrigated condition is restricted to only 15 to 18% of the total cropped area. Maize is not only an important source of nutrient to the human beings but also constitutes a basic component of animal and poultry feed. Here, farmers grow maize mainly for green cobs as cash crop whereas the grains are to be used for human consumption as well as for animals and poultry feed. The cultivation of the specialty corns like baby corn, sweet corn and popcorn is still in its infancy in Jharkhand and hence, large scale cultivation of specialty corn in the state will take some more time. Establishment of food processing unit in the state is at the nascent stage. However, the Government of India is implementing a Mega Food Park in Getalsud Industrial Area of Ranchi district in Jharkhand. The establishment of this mega food park is expected to give a significant boost to the food processing sector in Jharkhand.

Karnataka is India’s eighth largest state in geographical area covering 1.92 lakh sq km and accounting for 6.3% of the geographical area of the country. As per the population Census 2011, agriculture supports 13.74 million workers, of which 23.61 per cent are cultivators and 25.67% agricultural workers. A total of 123,100 km² of land is cultivated in Karnataka constituting 64.6% of the total geographical area of the state (Table 1). Of the total cultivated area in the state, about 33.0% is covered by cereals, 42% by pulses and 19% by oilseeds and 6.0% by commercial crops (Savitha and Kunnal, 2015). Agriculture employs more than 60% of Karnataka’s workforce. The large portion of agricultural land in the state is exposed to the vagaries of monsoon with severe agro-climatic and resource constraints.

The state of Madhya Pradesh is one of the high profile maize growing state of the country cultivating maize in about 11.32 lakh hectare area which is ~12% of the total maize area of the country having 90-95% of total maize area having rainfed. Madhya Pradesh is situated in heart of India between 17°-26° N latitudes and 74°-84° E Longitude. The rainfall in maize growing belt varies from 800 to 1600 mm. Due to erratic and uneven rainfall in the state, the production and productivity of maize fluctuates every year. Maize cultivation in the area is associated with resource poor tribal farmers. As the demand for maize is growing globally due to its multiple uses for food, feed and industrial uses, we need to produce more from same or even less resources, which can be achieved through targeting technologies in potential regions.

Besides, monsoon crop due to mild winter conditions the climate allows the cultivation of maize during winter successfully under assured irrigation conditions. At present about 50 thousand ha area is under Rabi cultivation with high productivity levels as compared to monsoon crop. However, the major area increase was achieved during past few years mainly due to adoption of hybrids and shift in acreage under non-traditional areas, replacing soybean crop on farmers field. Uncertain climatic conditions and more disease and pest problem lead farmers to adopt maize in place of soybean.

The trends in area production and productivity of maize in Madhya Pradesh has shown a remarkable increase during four decades. During 1966-67 the maize acreage in the state was very less (5.59 lakh ha) that has grown up by 11.32 lakh ha in 2014-15. Moreover, the productivity also increased dramatically from mere 811 kg/ha during 1966-67 to 1513kg/ha in 2014-15.

Maharashtra is the third largest state in terms of area in the country located in the north-centre of peninsular India. It links the southern part of the northern plains to the southern peninsula. Maharashtra occupies the western and central part of the country with total 3.08 lakh sq. km geographical area and has a long coastline stretching nearly 720 kilometers along the ARabian Sea. The prominent physical trait of the state is its Plateau character, which has up to 1350 meters high altitude. Physiographically this state may be divided into three natural divisions-the coastal strip (the Konkan), the Sahyadri or the Western Ghats and the Plateau. The Sahyadri mountain ranges provide a physical backbone to the state on the west, while the Satpuda hills along the north and Bhamragad-Chiroli-Gaikhuri ranges on the east serve as its natural borders. It has a geographical area of 307713 sq. km and is bounded by north latitude 15°40’ and 22°00’ and east longitudes 72°30’ and 80°30’.

NBSS & LUP has divided the state into 356 soil mapping units and published a map of the soils of Maharashtra. It has broadly categorized as soils of Konkan coast, soils of Western Ghats, soils of upper Maharashtra, soils of lower Maharashtra. The soil status of Maharashtra is residual, derived from the underlying basalts. In the semi-dry Plateau, the regur (black-cotton soil) is clayey, rich in iron and moisture-retentive, though poor in nitrogen and organic matter. The rainy Konkan and the Sahyadri Range, the same basalts give rise to the brick-red laterites, which are productive under a forest cover, but readily stripped into a sterile varkas when devoid of vegetative cover. The soil in the Deccan Plateau is made up of black basalt soil. This type of soil is rich in humus. The soil is commonly known as the black cotton soil because it is best suited for the cultivation of cotton. The volcanic action which had taken place in the Deccan region has given rise to the soil texture and composition. These igneous rocks break down into the black soil which is very fertile. The Wardha-Waliganga river valley has old crystalline rocks and saline soils which make the soil infertile. This type of soil has a natural resistance to wind and water erosion because it is rich in iron and granular in structure. A very important advantage of this type of soil is that it can retain moisture. This makes the soil very reactive to irrigation.

Maize is the only cereal crop which is being used as human food, animal feed and as a source of large number of industrial products. In Odisha traditionally maize is a Kharif season crop and second most important crop next to paddy during Kharif season in terms of both area and production. The Rabi maize is cultivated under irrigated condition, and accounts only 7% of total area and production of the State. While only 24% of the Kharif maize area have irrigation facilities. Irrespective of the season, it is that is the fourth most important food grain crop with respect to area in the state which is next to rice, mungbean and urdbean. Even though maize is grown as a sole crop in the state but, some farmers are also adopting maize based inter-cropping and the major recommended/adopted inter-crops are arhar, cowpea, yam, runner bean, greengram and blackgram. The comparative analysis of compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of area, production and yield of the major crops is the state was done for the years 2004-05 to 2013-14. The CAGR study of major crops revealed that no other major crop including rice has the impressive growth rate a like maize in the state (Fig. 1).

Maize is one of the most important cereal crops of the world. Being a C₄ plant, it is physiologically more efficient than rice, wheat and other important cereal crops which belong to C₃ category. In Punjab, traditionally, maize is grown during Kharif season but from last few years the area under spring maize is increasing because its cultivation is highly profitable and commercially viable after harvesting of potato crop. No doubt, Punjab has been the leading state in contributing to the national food security but simultaneously paddy-wheat rotation resulted in depletion of underground water, deterioration in soil health and environmental pollution. These problems need to be addressed for the sustainability of these natural resources and at the same time meeting the food grain production for the ever-increasing human population. Under such circumstances, maize crop is a viable alternative to replace some area occupied by rice and can help in breaking rice–wheat dominant cropping pattern in the state. Promising maize hybrids possessing high grain yield potential and offering comparable economic returns to the farmers are available with Punjab Agricultural University as well as with the private sector.

In Punjab, maize is commonly used in the form of chapatis, boiled or roasted green cob, breakfast food like cornflakes, popped grains etc. Maize chapatis are used as a delicacy with saag. The high carotene content of yellow grained maize is considered very useful in imparting yellow colour to egg yolk. Therefore, a substantial quantity of maize grain is utilized as an important ingredient of animal/ poultry feed industry. The use of maize grains for such purposes is going to increase as poultry and dairy industries are expanding. Maize plant is extensively used as green as well as dry fodder. The digestibility of maize fodder is better than sorghum, bajra and other non- legume forage crops. Maize plant does not have any anti quality factor hence can be fed to cattle at any stage. Maize can be utilized as an industrial raw material for number of industries viz., starch, ethanol, rubber, paper, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals etc. Quality Protein Maize (QPM) can be promoted for nutritional security of poor masses whereas pop corn, baby corn and sweet corn can help in increasing the farm income due to high market value. In Punjab, major industries which are utilizing maize are The Sukhjit Starch & Chemical Limited, Kapurthala, and M/s Field Fresh Food Pvt. Ltd, Ladhowal, Ludhiana.

Maize (Zea mays L.), the “Queen of Cereals” is one of the most important highly evolved coarse cereal crop originated at Mexico. This is most widely distributed crop of the world cultivated predominantly in tropics and sub-tropics right from sea level to 4000 m altitude as irrigated or rainfed crop. The demand for maize as an animal feed will continue to grow faster than the demand for its use as a human food, particularly in Asia, where, doubling of production is expected from the present level of 165 m t to almost 400 mt.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the third most important crop of country after rice and wheat and is cultivated round the year. Its grain is used as feed, food and industrial raw material. Enormous progress has been made during last six decades to enhance yield potential through genetic improvement and alleviate effects due to various biotic and abiotic-stresses. In India, it is an important crop not only in terms of acreage but also in context to its versatility for adoption under wide range of agro-climatic conditions. Of the different forms used for human consumption, 45% is consumed as staple food in various forms viz., bread, biscuits, cookies or transformed into corn flakes, soups, fresh-roasted sweets, boiled cobs and vegetables etc. Maize grain is main ration for poultry birds while forage maize is used as fresh or dry fodder for dairy industries. In Rajasthan maize occupies 0.89 m ha area with an annual production of 1.55 mt and productivity of 1.74 t/ha (Govt of Rajasthan, 2015). Being major Kharif crop in Rajasthan, the productivity levels of maize are still below the national average and farmers are not getting better economic returns. However, profitability can be accelerated further by growing recently popular speciality corns.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the third most important grain crop in India after rice and wheat with respect to area and production. It has wide ecological adaptability and is grown in almost all parts of the country extending from extreme semi-arid to sub-humid and humid regions. The crop is also popular in low and mid-hill areas of Western and North Eastern regions. It has the highest yield potential and used as human food, animal feed and as a source of large number of industrial by-products. Hence, it is called as “Queen of cereals”. In India, about 59% of the total production is used as feed, while the remaining is used as industrial raw material (17%), food (10%), exports (10%), and other purposes (4%).

Tamil Nadu has a total geographical area of 13 million hectares with a coastal line of 922 km and is endowed with 3 per cent of water resources of the country. Out of 13 million hectares of geographical area, the cultivable area in Tamil Nadu is around 7 million hectares and 55 per cent of which is dryland. The State has gross irrigated area of 33.94 lakh ha out of which 79% is under food crops and 21% is under non-food crops. In Tamil Nadu, maize was grown in an area of 0.14 lakh ha during 1970-71 with the annual production of 0.16 lakh tonnes, mainly concentrated in Tanjore, Pudukkottai and Trichy districts. Due to rapid increase in the demand of maize for poultry and animal feed, industrial uses and introduction of high yielding varieties and hybrids, the area under maize has gone up to 3.8 lakh ha with the production of 22.45 lakh tonnes during 2013-14. The major maize growing districts are Perambalur, Tuticorin, Dindigul, Erode, Karur, Ariyalur, Salem and Southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The demand and production of maize is increasing more rapidly as compared to other major commodities. It is estimated that the demand for maize will continue to increase in coming days (Yadav et al., 2016). Thus, in the next 10 years there is a necessity and opportunity for doubling India’s maize production from the current level of approximately 26 million MT.

Uttar Pradesh, a fourth largest state of India geographically, where agriculture is a prime occupation and this is the traditional maize growing state, accounts 7.7% of area and 5.4 percent of total maize production of the country with an average yield of 1791 kg/ha (IIMR Annual Progress Report, Kharif Maize 2015). Maize is mainly taken as a Kharif crop but, gradually Rabi maize is gaining popularity with the availability of high yielding varieties and advanced production technologies. The rice, wheat, potato, sugarcane based cropping is more popular, and maize is given a moderate priority. The current level of growth in productivity definitely fall short to meet the demand of rapidly growing population even it may increase the poverty, unless vigorous measures are taken to accelerate yield, growth, employment generation, increasing the income of farming family and ultimately targeting for the sustainable climate resilient maize production.

Maize is mainly used as a staple food and quality feed for animals. In addition to that it also serves as a basic raw material for several industries like, starch, oil, protein, alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic, textile, gum, package, paper etc. A major portion of the maize produce is directly consumed as a food in the form of boiled or roasted green ears, chapattis, porridges of various forms, popcorn, cornflakes etc. and as livestock feed viz., cattle, poultry and piggery both in

the form of grain and fodder The central rachis of maize cob, to which the grains are attached remains as an agricultural waste after threshing, has many important agricultural and industrial uses. It is approximately 15 to 18% of the total ear weight and contains 35% cellulose, 40% pentose and 15% lignin (used as a raw material in cardboards). Its uses in agriculture includes as a litter for poultry and as a soil conditioner.

Maize is an important crop of Uttarakhand and is cultivated in about 22 thousand ha in both hills and plains. The crop is grown for food, feed and fodder and forms an integral constituent of all major cropping systems prevalent in the state. Kharif (June-September) is the main grown season in the hills, whereas in the foothills and tarai plains, the crop is grown during zaid (Feb-May) as well. The crop is grown broadly for two different end products – grain and green ears. In areas where maize forms staple diet, the crop is grown for grain, whereas in areas adjoining/en route popular tourist destinations and towns, the crop is grown mainly for green ears. The crop is also gaining importance as an industrial crops following establishment of maize processing industry in the state.

The major maize growing districts of the state are Dehradun, Nainital, Pithoragarh, Pauri, Tehri and Almora (Fig. 1), which together comprise about 90% of total

West Bengal is the fifth largest state in terms of (GSDP) Gross State Domestic Product after Maharastra, UP, TN and AP and is the third largest contributor in agriculture sector of real GDP. West Bengal has 3% of India land mass and 8% population with population density of 1029 per km².

Agriculture accounts for about 17% (2013-14) GSDP and provides employment to over 55% of workers. About 64% of the geographical area of West Bengal is under cultivation. There is little scope for further increase the current cultivable area. Because it is difficult to maintain the growth rate in the absence of adequate infrastructure support, crop diversification and market access.

Food production remained stagnant as the green revolution by-passed the state. However, there has been a significant increase in food production since 1980’s and the state is now one of the few Indian states with a surplus in food production, producing nearly 20% of the rice and 33% of potato. Agriculture accounts the largest share of the labour force. Rice, potato, jute, sugarcane and wheat are the top five crops of the state, while other major food crops include maize, pulses, oilseeds, wheat, barley and vegetables. In recent years, significant changes have occurred in maize production and utilization due to increasing commercial orientation of maize crop and rising demand for diversified end users, specially for feed and industrial uses. A sizable number of districts in West Bengal have potential for growing winter maize. Though maize favourably responds to better crop management both in Kharif and Rabi season, the erratic rainfall pattern of the south-west monsoon comes in the way of timely field operations of Kharif season. In absence of any major environmental impediments in Rabi, the desired field operations can be planned and executed at the most desired time. Moreover, the various environmental factors including absence of any major disease and insect pests in this season, helps in realizing the better profits from every additional unit of monetary inputs. Hence, future of Rabi maize in West Bengal is bright.

Maize (Zea mays L., 2n=20) is a cereal crop that is grown widely in more than 165 countries in a range of agro-ecological environments. Even in Asia, the rapid increase in maize acreage in the last decade is an indication that it is winning the battle as compared with rice. The Asian region will see itself as a major global player in the near term. In the past it was mainly confined to food in India and many other countries however, now it has become the industrial crop. Maize has several industrial applications and more than 1000 products are being developed from maize in India and around 3500 products in USA and other countries. It is a raw material for many of the important industries viz. pharma, textile, paper, film, tyre food, processing, packing and biofuel, etc. The growth rate of poultry, livestock, fish, wet and dry milling industries are very high therefore, maize demand will continue to increase in year to come.

Global Maize Scenario

Globally, maize is primarily used as feed livestock and has many industrial uses; however in many developing countries it is still used as a food crop. Small-scale farmers in both sub-Saharan Africa and Mesoamerica generally grow maize as a food crop for household consumption and for saline urban markets. Maize is particularly important in the diets of the rural and urban poor in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Globally, maize is grown in 165 countries in a total of 185.1 million hectares area with 1018.1 million tones of production and 5.52 tonnes/ha productivity (Anonymous 2015-16). Almost 70% of the total maize production in the developing world is coming from low and lower middle income countries. In Asia, maize has recorded the fastest annual growth (around 4%), as compared to other cereals. Maximum maize production was in USA (353.7 million tonnes) followed by China (218.6 million tonnes) and Brazil (80.3 million tonnes) (Fig. 1), while the area under maize cultivation was in China (36.3 million hectare) followed by USA (35.5 million hectare) and Brazil (15.3 million hectare) (Fig. 2). The average world maize productivity is 5500 kg/ha, but the highest productivity of maize was achieved in USA (9970 kg/ha) followed by Canada (9591 kg/ha) and France (8137 kg/ha) (Fig. 3).

I. FILL UPS

1. _____ crop is known as the Queen of cereals.
2. Maize is a _____ pollinated crop.
3. Male inflorescence of maize is known as_____.
4. Female inflorescence of maize is known as_____.
5. Pollen viability in maize crop is_____.
6. Silk receptivity in maize crop is _____.
7. Isolation distance for maize certified seed production is_____.

Maize or corn (Zea mays, 2n = 2x = 20, Family Gramineae now called as Poaceae, cross-pollinated crop) is produced more than any other grain crop globally. In the Western world, the term maize is used interchangeably with corn. The reason for this is that all grains were called corn under early British and American trade and the name was retained for maize because it was the most common grain in commerce. Although the origin of the word maize is also controversial, it is generally accepted that the word has its origin in Arawac tribes of the indigenous people of the Caribbean. On the basis of this common name, Linnaeus included the name as species epithet in the botanical classification Zea (Zea mays L.) as reported by Smith (2001).

AIR POLLUTION FROM AUTO EXHAUST

Motor vehicles are the major source of a number of pollutants, in particular carbon monoxide (CO),nitrogen oxides (NOx), unburnt hydrocarbons (HC),ozone (O3) and other photo chemical oxidants and lead (Pb) and, in smaller proportions Total Suspended Particulate Matter (TSPM), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and volatile organic compounds.

The great vessels that leave and enter the chambers of the heart include the Aorta, the Pulmonary Artery and the Pulmonary Veins.

Aorta

The Aorta is the main systemic arterial trunk. It begins as ascending aorta at the base of the left ventricle, passes craniad and dorsad between the pulmonary artery on the left and the right atrium on the right and then turns caudad inclining slightly to the left, thus describing a curve called the aortic arch with its convexity directed upward and forward and the concavity facing downward and backward. From here it proceeds caudad on the ventrolateral surface of the thoracic vertebrae and the longus colli muscle as the descending aorta. At its origin from the base of left ventricle, the caliber of the aorta is greatest forming the bulbus aorta and here it presents three dilatations called the aortic sinuses. As the descending aorta reaches the level of the seventh thoracic vertebra it continues behind as thoracic aorta running through the middle and caudal mediastinum between the left and right lungs. The thoracic aorta first lies to the left of the median plane and then gradually inclines inwards medially and becomes median in position when it reaches to the diaphragm. It then passes through the hiatus aorticus of the diaphragm and enter the abdominal cavity as abdominal aorta. From here it passes caudad below the bodies of the lumbar vertebrae and the psoas major muscle. After reaching at the level of the sixth lumbar vertebra, the abdominal aorta terminates in the iliac quadrification by dividing into two external and two internal iliac arteries.

SYNOPSIS

Vegetables are essential for well-balanced diet since they supply phytonutriceuticals. About 3 billion people in the world are malnourished due to imbalanced diets. Regular consumption of a vegetable rich diet has undeniable effects on health since they have been strongly associated with improvement of gastrointestinal health, good vision, and reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, chronic diseases such as diabetes, and some forms of cancer.

Diseases are often the most important constraint to the production of different fruit crops. They directly or indirectly reduce yields by debilitating the plant, and depleting the fruit quality. They range from aesthetic problems that lower the marketability of the harvested product to lethal problems that devastate the overall production. Virtually all fruit crops are affected by one or more serious diseases. Diseases determine how and where a crop is produced, what postharvest treatments are utilized, in what markets the crops are sold, and whether production is sustainable and profitable. Hence, as a fruit crop student one should know have the knowledge of different diseases occurring on major fruit crops, their symptoms and management strategies;

The biofertilizer technology has paved way for the manufacturers and entrepreuners to establish a biofertilizer production unit due to an increasing demand and awareness among farmers. Biofertilizer production units have already been started with most of them in the southern states of India. The biofertilizers can be produced using different kinds of carrier materials (peat, coal, lignite, clays, inorganic soil), organic materials (composts, soybean meal, wheat bran, sawdust, etc.), or inert materials (e.g., vermiculite, perlite, kaolin, bentonite, silicates). Natural carriers like peat, plant waste materials, composts, sawdust, sludge lignite, clays, coal, vermiculite, perlite and bentonite and mixture of organic and inorganic materials may also be used.

The Government of India is also encouraging a low cost technology by providing a subsidy to establish a biofertilizer production unit . The major equipment’s and other materials required for a biofertilizer production unit with the capacity of 150 metric tonnes/annum are given below

Colouring Agents
Colouring agents are called as pigments. Tissues may be discoloured (e.g. 
Jaundice, tattoo) or excessively coloured (e.g. Melanosis) in diseases.
Origin
• External or exogenous pigments
• Internal or endogenous pigments
Exogenous Pigmentations
In exogenous pigmentations colouring substances can enter the body by three different routes.
• Respiratory route by inhalation
• Alimentary route by ingestion
• Cutaneous route by injection

Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is a closely linked cluster of genes which have codes for cell surface proteins known as  MHC molecules. These molecules have very important role in presentation of processed antigens to the T cells in initiation of an immune response as T cells recognize an antigen only when it is presented along with MHC molecule. These are highly polymorphic and are the major barrier to organ/tissue transplantation. All vertebrates have MHC. MHC differs among members of a species and are thus called alloantigens. MHC participates in the development of both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses.

Major Histocompetibility Complex (MHC) is a closely linked cluster of genes which have codes for cell surface proteins known as MHC molecules. MHC molecules were previously called as HLA molecules. Since these molecules were first discovered on the leucocytes, these were called human leukocyte antigen or HLA molecules.

Major International Treaties Related to IPR & TRIPS

There are different forms of intellectual property like Patents, Copyright, Trademarks, Industrial design, Plant Varieties etc. Various meeting and conventions were also convened for the protection in these intellectual properties at international level from time to time and to bring uniformity and coordination among member countries. These were reflected in different treaties, which are mentioned below. Among all these treaties/conventions the agreement on Trade related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPS), which runs under aegis of World Trade Organization is most influential, comprehensive and inclusive of all.

Definition

• Aetiology is defined as study of causation of disease.

Classification of Causes

• There are several agents or factors that can produce diseases in animals and can originate from within the body (intrinsic) or outside the body. (extrinsic).

Causes are classified into two categories

1. Predisposing causes (Intrinsic/Endogenous factors)

2. Definitive causes (Extrinsic/Exogenous factors)

Predisposing Causes

• Make the animal susceptible to definitive causes.

Among subtropical fruit crops mango, guava, bael and aonla are among the most important ones. The productivity of these crops is affected by many factors, among which diseases have their own economic significance. The crops use to suffer from a large number of diseases, however, economically important diseases having significance in agro-advisory are mentioned below.
Mango Wilt and Decline
The mango wilt disease caused by Ceratocystis fimbriata is one of the most devastating diseases (Shukla et al., 2015, 2018b, 2020; Shukla, 2020). Association of Berkeleomyces basicola and Lasidiplodia theobromae in wilt, decline and branch drying has also been observed. Symptoms: Ceratocystis infection on the trees causes dark staining of the affected wood, exudation of gum, leaf drying and ultimately death of the tree (Al Adawi et al., 2003; Shukla et al., 2018b). Later symptoms include vascular discolouration beneath the gummosis (Masood et al., 2008; Shukla et al., 2018b). The symptoms may appear in the form of sudden wilt, decline or branch drying and accordingly the whole tree or branch may die within a period of a fortnight to six months of appearance of first symptom.

Abstract
The western Himalayan region is rich in a variety of natural resources owing to the existence of a range of biophysical and climatic interactions. Mountain inhabitants have been living in harmony with these natural resources for generations to meet their subsistence needs out of these resources.  However, recent decades have witnessed a substantial imbalance between man and nature that has adversely affected the livelihood of native people. Several anthropogenic and natural factors are responsible for this change. Furthermore, the exposure of mountain societies to outside world has opened up a number of new livelihood options based on both natural resources and other forms of human capital. The local people have adopted some livelihood practices suiting to the changed conditions at the expense of the age-old agri-silvi-pastoral mode of livelihood. There is an emerging challenge for policy makers and planners to make developmental interventions and tailor made livelihood options suiting to the changed scenario. Several government and non-government organizations and other agencies initiated a number of programmes that focus on natural resource management vis-à-vis livelihood improvement in the region. However, for want of cause and effect analysis many of these programmes are not yielding the desired results. This chapter provides an overview of the traditionally important livelihood practices of the western Himalayan region and some of the emerging livelihood supporting activities based on natural resources of the region. A case study of Bhimtal lake catchment where transformation of traditional livelihood has taken place at a rapid pace due to the influence of tourism and urbanization has also been included to highlight the emerging scenario. The paper suggests some useful policy options for planning livelihoods in the western Himalayan region of the country.

There are many manufacturers of biofertilizers in both government and private sectors. Only some of them have been listed here for the information

Introduction

Food demand is rising at an unprecedented rate as the world's population continues to rise. Meeting this rising demand is a significant challenge that requires innovative and sustainable solutions. While traditional agriculture has long been the backbone of food production, alternative methods such as aquaculture have gained recognition for their vital contribution to global food security. The projected global population of over 9 billion by 2050 presents a significant challenge in meeting the nutritional demands of an ever-expanding populace. Seafood represents a crucial source of animal protein, essential nutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids, making it a dietary staple for millions of individuals globally, particularly in coastal regions and developing nations.

American Ecologist Whittaker (1969) proposed the five kingdom system of classification. In his ‘Five Kingdom System’, he added three more kingdoms in to Linnean model of two kingdom system. These were: Monera, Protista and Fungi. Whittaker succeeded to overcome the difficulties as well as demerits of two, three and four kingdom systems and to represent the living organisms according to the evolutionary relationships among themselves. He also defined the kingdoms by a number of special characteristics such as whether the organisms possessed a true nucleus or not. Whittaker’s five kingdom system of classification is based on (a) mode of nutrition (b) cell structure and complexity (c) phylogenetic relationship (d) body organization and (e) reproduction.

The large branches within the Animal Kingdom evolutionary tree are ‘phyla’ (the singular being ‘phylum’). ‘Animal phyla’ outlines thirty three phyla, although there are still disputes and disagreements concerning how many phyla are needed to classify the less well-known species. The most easily recognised are Porifera, Cnidaria, Arthropoda, Nematoda, Annelida, Mollusca, Platyhelminthes, Echinodermata, and Chordata. Animal phyla each comprise a branch of the evolutionary tree and these branches are always connected to other branches.

In India, some of the major horticultural crops productivity is affected by major problems. Some of these have been overcomed by certain control measures strategies. However, a few of them are long lasting and have attained the status of national problems. These are mango malformation, alternate/biennial bearing, spongy tissue in mango, bunchy top of banana, guava wilt, citrus decline, rootwilt of coconut and yellow leaf disease of arecanut.

Mango malformation: Mango malformation was reported for the first time from Darbhanga, Bihar. The disease is more prevalent in northwest than northeast and south India. This disorder is widespread in flowers and vegetative shoots.Three types of symptoms are mainly observed. These are bunchy top phase, floral malformation and vegetative malformation. Bunchy top phase is observed in nursery, bunching of thickened small shoots, bearing small rudimental leaves. Shoots remain short and stunted giving a bunchy top appearance. In vegetative malformation, excessive vegetative branches of limited growth are observed in seedlings. 

Introduction

 India, situated between the latitude of 08004’ and 37006’ N and longitudes of

68007’ to 97025’ E, has a geographical area of 329 Mha. Physiographically, it

can be divided into three broad regions, viz., Peninsula (a triangular Plateau in

the Deccan and South of the Vindhyas), Mountain region of the Himalalayas

(Extra-Penninsula), and the Indo-Gangetic Plain separating these two regions.

Geologically, a great part of the Penninsula is occupied by the gneiss, schists

and other rocks of diverse nature. Red soils (Alfisols) generally predominate in

this region. The western and central parts predominate in basaltic rock having

Black cotton soils of different thickness (Vertisols, Inceptisols). The mountain

region shows the development of marine sediments of all ages, especially, in

north of the Himalayas. The vast Indo-Gangetic and other plains of Pleistocene

origin are composed of alluvium of the great river systems flowing in this

region. The alluvial soils of this region depend on the age of alluvia and degree

of development.

Climatically, India shows three distinct seasons:

 i) Cool and mainly dry winters from November to February

ii) Hot and mainly dry summers from March to June

iii) Monsoon rainy season from mid-June to September.

Camphor plant is valued for presence of camphor in its wood and leaves. Camphor is chiefly a pharmaceutical product though it is used in preparation of artificial essential oils like lavender and lavendin.  It is used as incense and in balms of various kinds.  It is employed as a masking agent in perfumery and sometimes used to achieve lift in perfume blends. Redistilled brown oil is used directly in soap perfumes for a masking effect. Oil is a source of safrole which is a starting material for production of various perfumery chemicals. In 13th century, Marco Polo noted that camphor oil was highly valued by Chinese as a medicine, scent, and embalming fluid.

Black pepper, christened as “King of spices” and “Black gold” is the most important and the most widely used spice in the world occupying a position that is supreme and unique. It was the lure of Indian pepper that brought the western world to Indian sub continent.

The black pepper of commerce is the dried mature fruit of the tropical perennial climbing plant Piper nigrum. Pepper originated in the tropical evergreen forests of the Western Ghats. The Malabar coast of India was the centre of pepper trade from time immemorial. Black pepper was essentially a minor forest produce in the past, people collected it from forests where it abundened. Domestication of pepper appears to be a much later event. The recorded history shows that Arabs, followed by the Portuguese, the Dutch and the British traders took pepper to all over the world and spread its use and cultivation. Initially black pepper was taken from the Malabar coast to the Indonesian islands, then it spread to various Pacific islands, South East Asian countries and later to tropical Africa and America. Currently, pepper is grown in about 26 countries, major being India, Indonesia, Brazil, Malaysia and Srilanka. In India, pepper is grown mainly in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and to a little extent in Goa, Orissa, Assam and Andaman group of islands. Kerala is the original home of pepper. This state accounts for 95% of country’s area and production.

India, the land of oldest civilization known through out the world for its vibrant cultures, faiths, lifestyle, traditions, rituals etc. which are interwoven with each other since time immemoral. Here people of different ethnic groups live together who speak different languages and dialects according to their religion and choice. Altogether, 68 million inhabitants belonging to 227 ethnic groups, comprising of 573 tribal communities exists in different part of the country. These people constitute 8.08% of the total population of India (1991 Census of India) and speaks <750 dialects that can be classified into one of the following three language families: Austro-Asiatic (AA), Dravidian (DR), and Tibeto-Burman (TB). When come to think of different tribal community’s inhabiting India, they can be easily divided into six major racial lineages i.e. - Negroid, Mongoloid, Proto-Australoid/ Austrics, Mediterranean or Dravidian, West Brachycephals and Nordic Aryans

Fertilizer recommendations are generally made on the basis of soil test. Recommendations of fertilizer for top-dressing are best made on tissue testing.

SOIL TEST

A number of approaches have been adopted to increase the precision of soil-test values in making fertilizer recommendations. Four most important ones are discussed.

Low-Medium-High Approach

Making fertilizer recommendations based on soil test for a nutrient involves conducting a large number of ?eld experiments on soils similar to those which are intended for making recommendations. For an individual nutrient (say P for example) experiments are conducted with graded doses of P on a crop for which the fertilizer recommendations are to be made. Thus, agronomic experiments are to be conducted for each crop on each kind of soil. The response curve can then be divided into three sections: a, low soil-test value and high response to fertilizer zone; b, medium soil-test value and medium response to fertilizer zone; and c, high soil-test values and no response to fertilizer zone. In India, this was done

Introduction

It is common that after a rocket start, entrepreneur’s lack the motivation to scale up business and eventually fails to succeed in the market. There are many factors that may lead to such failures or even success stories, the most important being the entrepreneurial skills and traits that enable business to sustain in the competitive world.

What makes an entrepreneur competent in running a business? According to Fisher and Koch (2008), ‘Entrepreneurs are born; the advantage that they derive by birth being the natural advantage. However, we have changed our mindset now-a-days, that it is possible to nurture (make) an entrepreneur; the connotation points out that, right kind of education and training can inspire people with capacities to become motivated to be an entrepreneur.

In this chapter, our focus will be on identifying the entrepreneurial capacities in oneself, after reviewing the essential characteristics and traits that an entrepreneur should possess. Also we try to put forward a framework for entrepreneurship, fitting into the canvas of a food based entrepreneur.