eChapters

Biotechnology plays a very important role in agriculture as a result of its ability to modify microorganisms, plants, animals, and agricultural processes. The umbrella of microbial technology in agriculture covers numerous scientific activities, ranging from production of biofertilizers to that of microbial pesticides; from biological nitrogen fixation to lignocellulose degradation; from production of biomass and biofuels to transgenic plants. Terrestrial ecosystem contains an important dynamic living matrix termed soil, which is critical for agricultural production and food security. Soil forms the medium for growth and maintenance of a variety of plant species. Soil is considered a store house of microbial activity, though the space occupied by living microorganisms is estimated to be less than 5% of total space.

Abstract

People dealing with forest tree seeds are very much concern with the collection and supply of pure and quality seed. Assessing genetic purity of tree seed is always a challenge. Besides, studying tree diversity and tree improvement are also the key components of forestry. With the discovery of DNA based molecular markers these tasks have been made easier and authentic. So, the basic concepts behind different molecular markers were the principal concerns of this chapter. It has been focused here about the pros and cons of the markers along with their applicability. The application may be expanded towards hybrid seed testing and even to clonal forestry.

Introduction

Soil test-based fertility management is an effective tool for increasing productivity of agricultural soils that have a high degree of spatial variability. However, major constraints impede wide scale adoption of soil testing in most developing countries. In India, these include the prevalence of small holding systems of farming as well as lack of infrastructural facilities for extensive soil testing (Sen et al., 2008). Under this context, GIS-based soil fertility mapping has appeared as a promising alternative.

Introduction

Cultivation under house are framed or inflated structures covered with plastic material or glass in which crops can be grown under partially controlled environment.  This technology was well adapted in Europe and USA by the end of the nineteenth century. Presently, China, Netherland, Israel, Canada, Spain and Japan are the leading countries. Other countries where this technology is being widely used are India, Egypt and some Arab countries. Under protected structures are suitable for growing a variety of vegetables, fruits and flowers. Year-round cultivation even under extreme climatic conditions is possible.

Pseudostem borer: Odoiporus longicollis: Curculionidae

Distribution : It is widely distributed in all banana growing areas and has got introduced into South India somewhere in the eighties and spread fast in the banana areas of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka.

Biology : Adults of the weevil are reddish brown to black and resemble the adults of the rhizome weevil in size and shape. They live for about four months. The snout is long with the characteristic geniculate antennae.

Cacao Mealy Bug : Planococcus lilacinus : Pseudococcidae

The adult female mealy bug is 3.9 mm in length and 2.25 mm in width. Eggs are laid on the plant parts within a mass of tangled waxy strands, a female laying 50 to 300 eggs. The eggs hatch in less than 6 hours and the nymphs feeding on the plant juice become full-grown in 20-25 days with a mean of 23 days in the case of females and 17 to 20 days for the males. The male nymph assumes a pupal period which lasts for 4 to 6 days and the adult male is winged. They live for 2-3 days while the adult female has longevity of 12 -16 days. The females dominate the population, 67.6 per cent of the crawlers developing into female mealy bugs.

Coffee is an important cash and export crop for small-scale farmers. The crop suffers heavy yield losses due to damage caused by a wide range of insect pests
 
White stem-borer : Xylotrechus quadripes : Cerambycidae

This is one of the important and serious pests of arabica coffee. Other types are also attacked to a slightly lesser extent. The adult is a dark-brown longicorn beetle having several white markings on the elytra and thorax.

Cardamom thrips: Sciothrips cardamomi: Thripidae

Thysanoptera

This thrips attacks other crops like amomum,  tea, colocasia, grapevine, castor, cotton, ginger and turmeric also. The thrips are minute greyish brown insects with fringed wings. They breed on unopened leaves, spindles, leaf sheath, flower bracts and floral tubes .

Pollu beetle: Longitarsus nigripennis:Chrysomelidae

This pest is monophagous to pepper and no alternate host has been reported so far.

Nature of Damage

Adult is a shining blue flea beetle with yellow head and thorax and has thick enlarged femur and tibia. The adult beetle is only the size of a pin head.  The infested berries dry up and turn dark in colour. Berries become hollow and crumble when pressed and such hollow berries are called “Pollu” meaning empty. The eggs are laid on the berries @ 1-2 eggs in each hole. Eggs hatch in 5-8 days. The grub period extends for 30-32 days. The emerging grubs feed on the berries of pepper and consume the internal contents.

Shoot and fruit borer: Earias vitella (=E.fabia), E. insulana: Noctuidae

This is a pest on cotton, bhendi, hibiscus, holly hock and other malvaceous vegetables. The damage is due to the larva that bores into tender terminal shoots in the vegetative stage and flower buds;  flowers and young fruits in the fruit formation stage.  The damaged shoot drops, wither and dry up.  The infested fruits have bore holes, are deformed and become unfit for consumption.  Bore holes are plugged with excreta.

Shoot and fruit borer: Leucinodes orbonalis: Pyraustidae

The pest is active throughout year, but more during monsoon period. Heavy losses up to 60% can occur.

The adult is a greyish brown medium sized moth with white and hyaline wings, having triangular brown and red markings on forewing. A crescent shaped mark facing outside at the apical margin is typical for the species. About 150-250 creamy white eggs are laid singly on leaves, tender shoots, flowers and developing fruits. Egg period is 3-5 days and the hatched larva completes its life in 15 days with 5 instars.

Diamond back moth: Plutella xylostella: Plutellidae
 
The adults of this moth are small, greyish brown having pale whitish narrow wings and with inner margins yellow. There are three pale whitish triangular markings on hind margins of each forewing. At rest, when both forewings come together, they form a dorsal median patch of three diamond shaped yellowish white spots that give them their name diamond back moth. Hind wings have a fringe of long hairs.

Chilli thrips: Scirtothrips dorsalis, Thrips palmi: Thripidae

The adults of this insect are small brownish black with fringed wings. The nymphs are slender and yellowish straw coloured, later acquiring more brownish hue. They lacerate the tissues and feed on the exuding sap. Leaves become crinkled, curled upward and shed. The attack can be confused with chilli mosaic symptom.  In capsicum and chilli, they also feed beneath calyx of flowers and fruits causing flower/fruit drop and reduction in yield and market value of capsicum. Buds become brittle and drop down. Plants get stunted and bronzed. The fruits if at all formed are crinkled and small.

Plants are vital part of the world’s biological diversity and essential resource for human well being. Besides meeting our basic food and fibre requirement, many thousands of wild plants have immense economical and cultural importance and potential for providing food, medicine, fuel, clothing and shelter for vast number of people at the global  level. Traditional Chinese medicines use around 5000 plant species and about 7000 different plants are used in traditional medicines in India. Plants play an important role in maintaining basic ecosystem functions essential for survival of animal life. Thus, it is of vital importance to collect and conserve the plant genetic resources on a global basis. It is all the more important as several cases of genetic vulnerability of plants that are grown for food and other uses have been recorded (National Research Council, 1972, Granett et al., 1991). Genetic diversity in the germplasm of crop plants is an effective defense against genetic vulnerability. The genetic diversity is strategically used as modern plant breeding intervention to help increase stability and sustainability of food production using modern cultivars.

The place of origin of the crop plant can be found out on the basis of genetic affinities. This would mean to find out the geographical distribution of the wild progenitors of the cultivated plants. If one can locate the distribution of a given progenitor, one can delimit the area in which domestication could have occurred. Vavilov based his judgment on variation patterns in cultivated plants. Information on wild plants in those days was much more fragmentary than what it is today. Even today, genetic and ecological information on wild relatives of several cultivated plants is incomplete and in such cases assessment of a place of origin is difficult to make. However, in most cases required information is available on genetic affinities between wild and tame, on distribution areas and on ecological affinities of the wild progenitors. On this basis it is possible to determine the initial place of origin.

Aplant collector and conservationist faces many problems. These include adverse weather, limited availability of personnel, insufficient material because of poor growing season, general scarcity of the plant in the target region, grazing of the plant by animals, damage by pests or diseases or immaturity of the material. These problems are common to both seeds and vegetative propagules. The vegetatively propagated plant material face another unique problem related to excessive weight and bulk. The cost and inconvenience of transporting large amounts of material can be a limitation on the scope of a plant exploration mission. There is additional need to maintain selected clones in a disease-free condition for distribution to national programmes.

The methods of plant germplasm preservation or conservation depend  upon type of germplasm i.e. seed or non-seed clonal materials. 

Storage of Seeds

According to the storage tolerance of seeds to low temperature and dry environments seeds are further divided into storable (orthodox) and non-storable (recalcitrant) types. The orthodox seeds are those seeds which are fully desiccation tolerant. These basically include small seeded grain crops and vegetables. They can be stored for a long time under low temperature and low humidity environment and are separately stored in long, medium and short term storage conditions in accordance with the purpose of storage.

Hybrid technology is one of the options to boost crop productivity. Hybrids give more yield than improved varieties under optimum crop production conditions. Further, uniform size, earliness, better adaptability to adverse environments, better transportability due to better keeping quality and resistance to stresses are certain additional advantages of growing hybrids with better monetary return to the growers. Hence in coming years, hybrid technology has to go a long way in our country to meet the future challenges (Kalloo et al., 2000). Thus, it is pertinent to have an overview of the methods of the hybrid seed production technology. Various methods are as follows:

The information under this section is primarily based on Yordanov (1983). It is almost unanimously accepted that heterosis manifestation in tomato is in the form of the greater vigour, faster growth and development, greater earliness, and productivity, higher resistance to disease and adaptability unfavourable environmental conditions. The first step towards a large scale extension of hybrid tomato cultivars in the practice and proper organization of hybrid seed production took place in Bulgaria. After the second world war tomato heterosis breeding developed quickly in the Netherlands, England France, USA, Japan and other countries. In India, tomato hybrid cultivar on commercial scale was introduced in 1973 by Indo American Hybrid Seed Company.

The Indian agriculture is characterized by agro-ecological diversities in soil, rainfall, temperature and cropping system. Besides favorable solar energy, the country receives about three trillion cubic meter of water from rainfall. Of the total geographical area of 329 million hectares the net sown area has remained at about 140-142 million hectares during the last 40 years. The gross cropped area however has increased to about 200 million hectare in 2011-2012 (Anonymous, 2013). The total operational holding is estimated at 105 million with average size of the holdings of 1.6 ha. The Indian agriculture is not only characterized by small fragmented land, but also hill farming and shifting cultivation are also practiced. Out of an estimated 142 m ha net cultivated area around 40% is irrigated and rest is rain fed. About 65% of the population depend upon agriculture for their livelihood.

1. Why Plant Nutrient Disorders?

Plant Nutrient Disorders result from nutrient imbalances in soils and plants. In-adequate use of one or more nutrients can result in nutrient imbalances. Presence or use of a nutrient in excess amount can hinder the absorption or uptake of another nutrient and thus,cause nutrient disorders. Lime induced iron chlorosis or use of excess Potassium can hinder the absorption of Ca²⁺/and, or Mg²⁺ by plants. Enhanced level of Mg can decrease the uptake of Zn. Excessive use of NPK fertilisers can result in micronutrient deficiencies.

Soils are being regularly depleted of their native reserves, due to intensive cropping and non-application of essential nutrients (primary, secondary and micronutrients). Lack or restricted use of quality organic manures, such as compost, green manures, crop residues etc. and cultivation of HYVs in most crops have accentuated the problem.

Gas chromatography is one of the most valuable techniques available for organic analysis. It has been applied for the separation, identification and analysis of virtually all volatile compounds. In gas chromatography, the mobile phase is gas. When the stationary phase is liquid , it is called gas liquid chromatography (GLC). If the stationary phase is solid, it is called gas solid chromatography (GSC). The sample is transported through a stationary phase with help of an inert carrier gas, namely the mobile phase. The fractionation of the components in the sample mixture takes place based on the partitioning between the stationary and mobile phases.

In 1896, French physicist Becquerel observed that uranium compounds affected a photographic plate that was wrapped inside a black paper. He found that all uranium compounds gave off penetrating rays. He called the production of radiation by uranium compounds “radioactivity”. Madame and Pierre Curie later identified thorium, polonium, and radium as the other radioactive elements.

Titration, also known as titrimetry, is a common laboratory method of quantitative chemical analysis that is used to determine the unknown concentration of an identified analyte.  Since volume measurements play a key role in titration, it is also known as volumetric analysis. A reagent, called the titrant or titrator is prepared as a standard solution. A known concentration and volume of titrant reacts with a solution of analyte or titrand  to determine concentration. The volume of titrant reacted is called titre. Volumetric analysis originated in late 18^th-century in France.

Nucleic acids were first discovered in 1868 by Friedrich Meischer. Nucleic acids are high molecular weight polymers that are present in our cells. They store and transfer genetic material from generation to generation. Knowledge of how genes are expressed and how they can be manipulated is becoming increasingly important for understanding of nearly every aspect of biochemistry. These macromolecules p ass on information for cellular growth and reproduction. All the genetic information in the cells is called the genome. Every time a cell divides, the information is copied and passed on to the new cells.

Molecular biology labo-ratories are becoming very common in every University and research institutes and a good laboratory manners is extremely important as many of the equipments are very expensive and sensitive. Hence familiarity with equipments becomes very crucial before starting any experiment.

Introduction

Restriction enzymes, recognizes specific base sequences in double-helical DNA and cleaves at specific places, both strands of a duplex containing the recognized sequences. To biochemists, these exquisitely precise scalpels are marvelous gifts of nature. They are indispensable for analyzing chromosome structure, sequencing very long DNA molecules, isolating genes, and creating new DNA molecules that can be cloned. Werner Arber and Hamilton Smith discovered restriction enzymes, and Daniel Nathans pioneered their use in the late 1960s.

ABSTRACT

This paper provides an overall view on the history, structure and functions of World Intellectual Property Rights Organization.

Introduction

Human genius is the source of all works of art and invention. These works are the guarantees of a life worthy of men.  It is duty of the state to ensure with diligence the protection of the arts and inventions,” reads an inscription on the copula in the WIPO Headquarters building in Geneva. True to this inscription, WIPO functions through various mechanisms fostering judicious utilization of human intellect.  This paper intends presenting an overview on WIPO.

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to portray prevailing scenario of IPR in the light of globalization with special emphasis on harmonization of IPR systems and laws of different countries. 

INTRODUCTION

The globalization of information, facilitated by the Internet, has significant implications for intellectual property regimes of national and international levels. Assessment of these implications and their probable outcomes is unavoidably value-driven. Globalization represents ever-increasing influence of developed nations and transnational entities over developing and less developed nations. The process has also brought in significant changes in understandings of sovergenity. An analysis of the implications of globalization of information on international and domestic intellectual property rights and legal regimes is a complex endeavor.

ABSTRACT

This paper is an attempt to analyze the plausible impacts on the economy and social issues of developing countries with reference to enforcement of IPR.

Introduction

From commodity based nature, business has changed during the past hundred years in a way that ideas and knowledge have taken higher value than commodities. Today, many companies find their most valuable assets being intangible and they are therefore dependent on functioning IPR systems. But does the rigid protection of IPR serve all the people in our globalized world? The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of the introduction of IPR protection on developing and under developed countries in the light of TRIPS Agreement.

Research is the basics which have changed human life and surrounding environment what existed on earth million years ago into present form. As soon as man realized himself as a separate entity from other animals, he started thinking about himself, creatures co-inhabiting with him and the universe. In that sense, biological science is the oldest subject which fascinated man, though it was called natural sciences in ancient times. Perhaps, the first curiosity was about himself, his birth, death and alike matters. As soon as he realized mortality of life or faced death of his dear ones, he attempted to become immortal or ‘amar’. This is reflected by worshiping of ‘Asur ’(Hirnakashyap, Bhasmasur, Ravan etc) to ‘Brahma’ or ‘Shiva’ for receiving the blessings of becoming immortal . However, even God refrained to bless these personalities becoming ‘amar’ confirming the realization by all that life is strongly linked with death ; as such they were blessed with certain conditional ties which may lead their death. Eventually, they met with their death under specific circumstances (3). When God or His little part (Ansh) took birth on earth as incarnation, He also followed all the rules and regulations of cosmic laws. But He never tried to become immortal and left His body on the earth, after finishing His duties.

Parasitology is the branch of biological sciences that deals with the study of parasites and all the related aspects. This leads to a basic question who is a parasite ? In fact, this term is frequently used in our society for those persons who are doing nothing and depending on others for their survival. The term Parasite means the organism (parasite) which depends on other organism (host) for its nutritional requirements. By definition, it excludes the organisms which are free living and do not depend on other organism for their food requirements. There are other details in fulfilling its nutritional requirements and important one is that in doing so, it causes some harm to the host other wise it will not be a parasite but a commensal.

Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, German physicist, born on November 8, 1895 discovered X-rays and was awarded the first ever Nobel Prize in Physics in 1901 in recognition of the extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the remarkable rays subsequently named after him. These short-wave electromagnetic radiations have the wavelengths that are matching with both the atomic sizes and shortest interatomic distances. But, the index of refraction of X-rays is near unity for all materials and hence they could not be focused by a lens in order to observe small objects such as atoms, as it is done by glass lenses in a visible light microscope or by magnetic lenses in an electron microscope. Thus, in general, X-rays cannot be used to image individual atoms directly. As an alternative to this difficulty, Max von Laue in 1912 proved that the periodicity of the crystal lattice allows atoms in a crystal to be observed with exceptionally high resolution and precision by means of X-ray diffraction for the first time by using a single crystal of hydrated copper sulfate (CuSO₄ 5H₂O).

Electron Microscopes are scientific instruments that use a beam of highly energetic electrons to examine objects on a very fine scale. This examination can yield information about the topography (surface features of an object), morphology (shape and size of the particles making up the object), composition (the elements and compounds that the object is composed of and the relative amounts of them) and crystallographic information (how the atoms are arranged in the object).

Electron Microscopes were developed due to the limitations of Light Microscopes which are limited by the physics of light to 500x or 1000x magnification and a resolution of 0.2 micrometers. In the early 1930’s this theoretical limit had been reached and there was a scientific desire to see the fine details of the interior structures of organic cells (nucleus, mitochondria...etc.). This required 10,000x plus magnification which was just not possible using Light Microscopes.

Introduction

Weeds are unwanted plants in agricultural production causing huge losses in crop production system particularly rainfed agriculture. Of the total estimated losses caused in crop production by pests, diseases and weeds in the world, the weeds alone are responsible for one-third of it. Weeds interfere with crop growth and cause an yield loss to the tune of 10% of crop production which amounts to a total loss of about 20 million MT of food grains, valued at over Rs.10,000 crores, at current prices in India. Besides, losses of similar magnitude are experienced in vegetable, fruit and plantation crops. The losses inflicted on biodiversity, environment and health are considerable and have not been quantified scientifically.

Nanofibres are an exciting new class of material used for several value added applications in the field of such as medical, filtration as barrier in composites, garments, wipes, insulation, and energy storage. Special properties of nanofibres make them suitable for a wide range of applications from medicine to consumer products and industrial to high-tech applications. The US - National Science Foundation (NSF) defines nanofibres as having at least one dimension of 100 nm or less (Hegde, 2005). Amongst the various nanostructures that have recently been developed for use in practical applications, nanofibres produced from synthetic and natural polymershave received increased attention due to their ease of fabrication and the ability to control their compositional, structural and functional properties (Burgeretal.,2006).

Introduction

Since past decades, the application of nanotechnology in the areas of medicine, materials science and electronics have been widely accepted and appreciated due to its potential and benefits.  However, only during the recent years, researchers from other disciplines have started to see the potential applications of nanoscience in the field of agriculture (Robinson and Morrison, 2009). Recently, a generalized and process based framework to enable identification and characterization of the outputs (publications, patents etc.), and map them to the different agricultural research theme areas through the filter of links in the agri-value chain were developed by Kalpana Shastri et al., (2010) from National Academy of Agricultural Research Management (NAARM), Hyderabad, India. The frame work also permits assessing the implications for technology transfer, and impacts on society and environment. This frame work mainly relies on the identification of nano research and relating them agri-food thematic areas (Fig.1).

The understanding of VAM symbiont and VAM symbiosis is of prime importance in manipulating VAM associations for the welfare of plants. Many contributions have been made worldover in the areas of taxonomy, morphology, anatomy, histology, cytology and genetics of VAM fungi and/or their associations with the plants. However, the share of Indian mycorrhizasts in such contributions is negligible. The following description gives an account of work done by the mycorrhizasts of the country in these areas.

Groundwater is a precious renewable resource which gets replenishment from the precipitation. Total water resources of the world are estimated at 1.37 x 10⁸ million ha-m. Of these, about 97.2% is salt water, mainly in oceans, and only 2.8% is available as fresh water. And, out of this 2.8%, about 2.2% is available as surface water (2.1% is fresh water in glaciers and icecaps, 0.1% is available in lakes and reservoirs, 0.0001% in streams) and 0.6% is available as groundwater. Only 50% of groundwater resource is economically extracted with available technology. Presently, 1.3 x 10⁴ million ha-m fresh water in reservoirs and 41.1x10⁴ million ha-m groundwater is theoretically available to provide usable water for drinking, domestic use, irrigation, etc., to mankind. Groundwater is the largest source of fresh water excluding the polar icecaps and glaciers. The amount of groundwater within 800 m from the ground surface is over 30 times the amount in all fresh water lakes and reservoirs, and about 3000 times the amount in stream channels, at any one time.

Introduction

Salinity in India is a major issue affecting the sustainability of irrigated as well as non-irrigated areas particularly in the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Orissa. Salt affected soils are unproductive unless excess salts are reduced or removed. These soils occur most extensively in arid and semi-arid climates, but these soils are also found in coastal sea areas where soils are unundated by ocean or sea water. Soils are said to be saline if they contain an excess of soluble salts and sodic or alkali if they contain an excess of sodium salts. Again soils are said to be saline-sodic or saline-alkali if they contain appreciable amounts of both soluble salts and sodium. The impact of salinity manifests itself in several ways. As the salinity increases, not only does the productivity decline but sensitive crops also go out of cultivation and are replaced by salt-tolerant, low value crops and other plant species.

Importance

Drought is a climatic anomaly characterized by deficient supply of moisture, which may result from sub-normal, untimely and unevenly distributed rainfall. Among the various hazards of nature, drought is one of the major disasters because it brings innumerable miseries to the mankind. Almost every year some part or the other of the country suffers from such calamities. Drought is a recurring phenomena and its occurrence cannot be avoided. However, its impact can be minimized through application of science and technology by developing drought management plans.

Agriculture is world’s single largest employer and probably the most weather dependent of all human activities.  Climate and its variability have been and continue to be, the principal source of fluctuations in global food production. Throughout history, extreames of heat and cold, droughts and floods, and various form of violent weather have wretched havoc on the global agricultural production. With the unprecedented increase in population over past few decades, clearly the mankind faces undertaking task to ensure food and nutritional security for all, considering reduced per capita land, reduced availability of water, depleting biodiversity and need to preserve ecology and environment. In India, of the total geographical area of 328 m ha, about 175 m ha (53 % of total) are categorized as degraded land, of which 150 m ha are subjected to serious water and wind erosion (Singh et al. 1981). Crops are sown in about 180 m ha annually. Since it seems very much impossible to bring more area under cultivation we need to achieve greater efficiency in the natural resources use while conserving the environment by placing greater emphasis on understanding and exploiting climatic resources for the benefits of agriculture.

Vegetables are defined as edible herbaceous plants or parts of plants consumed as raw or after cooking and are rich in vitamins and minerals, low in calorific value and neutralize the acid substances produced during digestion of high energy foods.  Olericulture is a branch of Horticulture that deals with production, storage, processing and marketing of vegetables and has its origin when man started growing vegetables for consumption. The term Olericulture comes from Latin words holus-holeris = any kind of culinary vegetable, pot herb, and cultura = to cultivate.

Okra is predominantly a crop of tropics and subtropics.  It occupies fifth position, next to tomato, in area under vegetables in the country with a production of 33.24 lakh metric tonnes from an area of 3.47 lakh hectares.  The crop is cultivated for its young tender fruits, used in curry and soups after cooking. It is a good source of vitamins A and B, protein and minerals. It is also an excellent source of iodine and is useful for the treatment of goitre.  Fruit is useful against genito-urinary disorders, spermetorrhoea and chronic dysentery. Fruits are also dried or frozen for use during off-season.  Dried fruit contain 13-22% edible oil and 20-24% protein and is used for refined edible oil.  Dry fruit skin and fibres are used in manufacture of paper, card board and fibres.  Root and stem are used for clearing cane juice for preparation of jaggary.

ABSTRACT

Family farming is the blending of experience, skill, managerial qualities, business strategies and finally economic independence because this type of farming involves the blending of different minds of the family members. There is not any doubt in saying that youth are the of future. This is the time between childhood and adulthood. It is the time when a young individual get out of their dreamy world of childhood and face some of the most complicated realities of the world. Family farming is still facing the problem of urbanization and unemployment. But youth of present scenario are the solution of every problem because skilled youth of rural background can drive future economic growth as they are innovative in bringing and applying new ideas on a large scale. Rural youth are enthusiastic and they can act as good leaders as their orientation is scientific. Youth support family farming as well as perform gender specific activities. They are said to be the key to sustainable and innovative development. Investment in rural youth is the key to country‘s progress and boost economic opportunities. Rural youth of today want that their capabilities should be utilized for producing food and for conserving productive resources in rural environment. Their mental skills make them different from others so Govt. should adopt such policies that mark the correct value of their skill. This research paper emphasizes the role of rural youth in agriculture and family farming and what are their aspirations from this sector.

ABSTRACT

The United Nations has declared 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming. The central role of increased participation by youth in agriculture is necessary and vital to facilitate food and nutrition security. Rural Family farming generates food and income for hundreds of millions of rural people, including the poor and marginalized fostering jobs for men, women and young people, both within their family farms and in related enterprises along food and agricultural value chains. It provides models of adaptability and resilience for more sustainable food production and is socially and culturally part of communities and territories constituting regions and as such underpins national food security in most countries safeguarding and protecting the environmental assets and natural resources, biodiversity and cultural heritage. Under the right conditions and with supportive policies, family farmers particularly the youth and women have proven to be innovative, productive and resilient, especially if they are supported to use agroecological practices that are based on their own resources and priorities. This makes youth in family farming key players in tackling the pressing issues of our time, such as hunger, climate change and biodiversity loss. Family farming includes all family-based agricultural activities, and it is linked to several areas of rural development. Family farming is a means of organizing agricultural, forestry, fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production which is managed and operated by a family and predominantly reliant on family labour, including both men and women. Rural youth, smallholder and family farmers face numerous challenges in the prevailing times such as climate change and climate variability; lack of tenure security in a context of increasing competition for land and water (population growth, urbanization) and inadequate governance of land tenure; limited access to financial resources, inputs, technology, training, research and advisory services, and education, price volatility and limited access to markets among a few. As an opportunity the availability of real income generating options in agriculture can offer rehabilitating young persons whose alternative options are neither socially acceptable nor responsible. Simultaneously, the vibrant and expanding market for primary and secondary agricultural commodities offers tremendous opportunities for young people to earn good income from agricultural activities.

ABSTRACT

Agriculture and allied sectors is the largest livelihood providers in rural India, still Indian farmers are among the poorest in the World. Agriculture sector is potentially largest employment providing sectors in the country. Despite this, unemployment is high among educated rural youth, and they prefer to migrate to urban areas to take up low paying jobs. The present study was carried out mainly to find out the challenges faced by rural youth in choice of agriculture as a means of livelihood. The study was conducted in four villages in Udham Singh Nagar district in Uttarakhand. Data was collected from 115 youth using pre-tested interview schedule. It was found that maximum number of respondents had education up to higher secondary level, majority were students and had medium level of mass media exposure and change proneness. The study indicates that limited access to new agricultural technologies, limited access to farm machinery, perception regarding suitability to agriculture, damage of crops from pests and insects, and lack of information on agricultural inputs and government policies were the main challenges faced by rural youth in choosing agriculture as a means of livelihood. The study indicates that government has developed policy framework for involving youth in agriculture. This study can be carried on training needs of youth in agriculture and allied sectors.

ABSTRACT

Assessment of technical and financial feasibility of two resource conservation technologies suitable for rice establishment1. Zero Tillage Machine (ZTM) for direct seeded rice (DSR) and; 2. Paddy transplanter machine (PTM) for mechanical transplanted rice(MTR) in Rohtas district was carried out at the demonstration farm of Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Rohtas during Kharif-2012 and 2013 in a view to reduce the drudgery and cost of cultivation. An eight row self-propelled PTM (Model 2ZT-238-8) and 9 tined National Make ZTM were used for the purpose. Technical performance of these resource conservation technologies was found satisfactory. The field capacity, field efficiency, fuel consumption and cost of establishment of rice by these technologies were evaluated for the purpose. For the assessment of financial feasibility; benefit-cost ratio, internal rate of return, pay-back period and net present worth of these technologies were evaluated and demonstrated to rural youths for their quick adoption and get rid of labour-shortage and delayed transplanting of rice crop and hence saving of significant loss of Rabi crops that happens due to delayed harvesting of rice crop.

ABSTRACT

Information is the data that have been put into a meaningful and useful context and communicated to a recipient who uses it to make decisions. Information is needed because of it affects individuals living activities. The present age has rightly termed as an ‘information age’. Information cannot provide finance, inputs or infrastructure. But, it can help in creating awareness about technologies and mobilise people to use them. It also helps in imparting training to people, organising community and ultimately the development of the whole nation.

The present study was undertaken to assess the information needs of young farm women (18-35 age group) with respect to kharif paddy cultivation. The study was conducted in Bolpur sub-division of Birbhum district, West Bengal. Results of this empirical study indicated that farm women wanted to know more about selling of product, pest control, nursery raising and disease management. The study also revealed that most preferred sources of information for the young farm women personal localite sources.

Key words: Young farm women, information needs, personal localite, personal cosmopolite, kharif paddy

ABSTRACT

A detailed survey was carried out in all the 19 rural blocks of Birbhum district of West Bengal. Pisciculture is a powerful income generating activity (IGA) by the women Self Help Group (SHG) members related to poverty reductionand employment generation for a vast section of the rural society. Self Help Groups are non-formal cooperatives that are causing a silent revolution in rural India through micro credit and various other economic activities involving women are the major change agents. Nearly, thirty thousand SHGs have been formed in Birbhum district of West Bengal that had made a notable success in micro finance. This study has focused on the functioning of 38 women SHGs of Birbhum district comprising 644 members mainly belonging to Below Poverty Line family. Totally 38 SHGs have been selected for the study. Each group had it unique name and consists of about 10 to 18women members. Information was elicited from all the members of 38 women SHGs, which together formed 644 members, constituting the study sample. The data were collected with the help of semi-structured interview survey schedule. The survey was carried out during the year 2009. Different social class of these fisher women members of the SHGs were assisted under Swarnjayanti Gram SwarojgarYojana. These SHGs were found to save a portion of their meager income and pool that money for their inter-lending among them at an interest decided by the SHG. The survey revealed that cash credit and project loan was used for better sustainability and enhancement of income from pisciculture. Most of the cultural water bodies i.e. ponds were under lease condition. Self Help group members particularly belonged to scheduled caste community actively take part in retail marketing of fish in rural areas. Empowerment of women was undertaken through training and other assistance given by local Panchayat, NGOs and Govt. Officials. The SHG women members increase in self-confidence, leadership qualities, skill to undertake pisciculture and marketing, knowledge of book keeping, enhanced income, linkage with bankand protest against social injustice.