eChapters

Abstract

Drug design is a complex computational process that involves studying the structural and physicochemical properties of biological moieties in order to identify new chemical or biochemical substances that can be used as drugs with specific pharmacological properties. The drug discovery pipeline is a crucial aspect of drug design that requires a detailed understanding of the various phases involved. In this chapter, we discuss the fundamental principles and phases of drug design. Additionally, we delve into the concept of docking, a critical step in the drug discovery process that involves predicting the orientation and affinity of a ligand binding to a protein target. The use of computational tools and techniques in drug design has revolutionized the field and is essential for the development of safe and effective drugs.

Abstract

Systems biology is an interdisciplinary field that combines computer and mathematical analysis with biological research to understand the complex interactions within biological systems. This chapter explores the history and evolution of systems biology and its significant impact on modern biology. Systems biology uses a holistic approach to analyze biological systems at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels, providing a better understanding of biological processes and the interactions between genes, proteins, and other molecules. Systems biology has immense potential in improving human health, agriculture, and the environment, and this chapter explores the ongoing efforts to translate systems biology research into practical applications.

Abstract

Synthetic biology is a multidisciplinary field of study that seeks to understand living systems and organisms, and utilizes engineering principles to design and create new biological components, devices, and systems, as well as modify existing natural systems. This chapter provides an introduction to synthetic biology and describes the procedures and methodologies involved in the design and construction of novel biological systems. The applications of synthetic biology are vast and include the development of biosensors, gene circuits, metabolic pathways, and genetically modified organisms for use in a variety of industries, including healthcare, agriculture, energy, and environmental remediation.

Concept of Entrepreneur

An entrepreneur is an economic man who seeks to maximize revenues by identifying and adopting innovations. However, entrepreneurs are willing to take risks and create change by organising human efforts. Entrepreneurs are vital to the country’s economic growth. Entrepreneurial development as a component of economic growth has long been acknowledged.

Starting from the basics, etymologically, the word entrepreneur comes from the French word “entreprendre”, which means “to do something”, and, in the Middle Era, it was originally used in the sense of a person who is active, who gets things done. The study of entrepreneurship reaches back to work in the late 17^th and early 18^th centuries of Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. “Entrepreneur” is a French word that first appeared in the French dictionary entitled Dictionnaire Universel de Commerce, compiled by Jacques des Bruslons and published in 1723. Richard Cantillon’s 1755 work “Essai sur la nature du commerce en general” changed the entrepreneurial concept. Risk has been used to identify entrepreneurs since ancient times. In India, entrepreneurship means Udyog.

Development of the country build is upon the aspect of the human measures. Imaginative, inventive, truthful and persevering persons head the nation in the virtuous path and guide to all aspects of growth in every field. Entrepreneurs drive nation’s growth. Entrepreneurs are familiar for their specific features Acknowledging this reality on growth of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is an ingenious and imaginative reaction to the surrounding. The expression “entrepreneurs” normally mention to person who tackle recently developed capabilities that are imaginative and inventive. Analysis towards the entrepreneurial character has manifest that majority of the successful entrepreneurs share a defined category of personality features. This acquires the peculiarity as to. The existing analysis is an effort to inform the main features of entrepreneurs in food processing enterprises of Assam.

Introduction

Strategic planning is how an organisation determines how to allocate its resources to pursue its strategy or direction. Based on an assessment of the internal and external environments within which an organisation operates, strategic management is concerned with developing and implementing an organisation’s long-term goals for its stakeholders.

When it comes to strategic planning and management, the SWOT analysis (or SWOT matrix) is a tool that can be used to determine a company’s competitive advantage by analysing its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Situational assessment or situational analysis is another name. TOWS and WOTS-UP are two other acronyms based on the same components.

“Only those who attempt the absurd can achieve the impossible.”

- Albert Einstein

Motivation– An inner state of need or desire that activates an individual to do something that will satisfy that need or desire.

The processes that are responsible for an individual’s intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal.

Key Elements

1. Intensity: how hard a person tries
2. Direction: toward the beneficial goal
3. Persistence: how long a person tries

Introduction

Entrepreneurship assimilates a very decisive dynamic dimension in a modified form through the globalisation progression into the Indian economic system. The core strength of economic development and economic growth in all underdeveloped and developing nations around the world is only due to the presence of entrepreneurial activity. A successful entrepreneurial approach plays a crucial role in the progress of industrial, manufacturing and service sectors and the development of agriculture. The government of most developing countries have invested much effort and resources in the past to enrich entrepreneurship (Oni and Daniya, 2012). According to a recent study, Saudi Arabia has been attempting to build a ten-year innovation and efforts entrepreneurship programme starting the year 2010. Similarly, in Malaysia, the government guided to set up of several technologies through the growth of technological know-how in entrepreneurship.

Introduction

Entrepreneurship has a significant impact on the country’s economic growth and standard of living. As a start-up founder or small business owner, the person contributes not only towards oneself but also towards the local community, state, region, and country. Starting a new venture requires resources and facilities. Small scale enterprises generally find it difficult to have these resources and facilities of their own. Adequate finance is life and blood to start and run enterprises as it facilitates an entrepreneur to have enough funds to procure land, labour, materials, plant, machinery etc. Recognizing it, the government has come forward to support small entrepreneurs by providing them funds and other needed facilities.

Introduction

Entrepreneurship refers to the capability and willingness to develop, establish and run an enterprise and manage uncertainties to profit. It can also be defined as a process concerned with the creation and extraction of economic value. Entrepreneurship is more than just starting a business purely to make money. The person who bears the risk of starting a new enterprise is an entrepreneur. In this chapter, we will discuss entrepreneurship and its development in detail.

Entrepreneurship development is a process involving several phases and steps. The process has been viewed at the level of individual-developing entrepreneurial quality in an individual and the group of community-creating an environment in which entrepreneurship activities can grow.

Introduction

India’s change in the economic environment and market-oriented economic reforms can be traced back to the 1990s which led to the growth of the country. There was a clear evident change from the condition it was in the 1970s when it was far behind the other Asian countries. The economic reforms brought by LPG (Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation) model have affected not only international trade but also led to an increase in the competitiveness of the industries. But what triggered these economic reforms? Before 1990, India was in a severe economic crisis condition due to repeated policy failures. India was experiencing a huge fiscal and balance of payment deficit, a high inflation rate and a fall in foreign exchange reserves. This led to the sickening of the public sector units whose prime role was to bring a reduction in inequality and poverty. The self-reliance condition in India was not of much help as there was insignificant trade with the rest of the world. The crisis mainly depicted the mismanagement of the resources. In light of this, this chapter discusses the impact of the economic reforms on agri-enterprises.

Introduction

An entrepreneur is someone who starts or runs their own business. By having an equity stake in the company, the entrepreneur can profit greatly if things go well; however, they also take on a great deal of risk-far more than a regular employee of the company. Financial, career, emotional, and overall business risks are all examples of entrepreneurial risk. Because there is so much at stake in starting and growing a successful business, there are very specific skills that an entrepreneur usually requires to be successful. It could be a picture of a talented college dropout or a seasoned business professional with an uncanny ability to predict the next big thing. Replace whoever the persona is with ourselves. A successful entrepreneur does not have a specific demographic or personality profile. We can be entrepreneurs regardless of our age, race, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or upbringing if we have dedication, drive, and essential business skills. Unlike personality traits and demographic information, entrepreneurial skills can be learned and practiced. If we want to pursue entrepreneurship, use this list to assess our strengths and weaknesses and determine which skills we need to develop before launching our venture.

Introduction

Entrepreneurship plays a vital role in ensuring our country’s economy as well as social welfare. Entrepreneurs are considered national assets to be motivated, cultivated and remunerated for the greatest possible outcome. It is a fact that our societies today give importance to entrepreneurship and have higher income levels, and are self-reliable. Entrepreneurs have the highest potential to change the way how people work and live on a local and national level. Along with the creation of wealth and entrepreneurial projects, entrepreneurs have the ability to create jobs and employment opportunities which will contribute to the growing economy of India. These reasons it signifies the importance of entrepreneurship. In the current era of science and technology, many youths are not afraid to try out their idea, talents, skills and knowledge to become an entrepreneur. The present entrepreneurs are well established with the recent technologies and are prone to the effects of changes. The majority of society has access to the internet, and the youth are reintegrating their technological powers into their passion for bringing changes into society with entrepreneurship. India is facing a major issue regarding employment generation; however, with its rich, resourceful, distinctive geographic and demographic advantage, it has a major prospective to raise and innovate the entrepreneurs resulting in employment generation and hence contributing to the nation’s economy. 

Introduction

Entrepreneurial and start-up firms share traits but also differ. It takes courage to start a new business, but not always with the latest technology. Founders of new companies, almost always based on new technology, take risks. Both types of firms must overcome limited resources and talent. Both entrepreneurs and start-ups seek to segment and expand markets. Starting a business involves risks, but start-ups face additional risks of innovation. (Rao, 2018).

The project is the very foundation of any business. As a result, the success or failure of a company is primarily determined by the project. In layman’s terms, a project is an idea or plan meant to be carried out. According to the dictionary, a project is a scheme, design, or proposal for something intended or devised to be accomplished. (MANAGE, 2013)

Beginners often wonder where to begin. Some options are obtaining power-water connections, pollution control clearance, approvals of weights and measures/drug control, and registration with sales and income tax departments. But, first, an entrepreneur must set priorities. (IGNOU, 2017).

Introduction

Finance is vital to entrepreneurship. With limited resources starting a business is a challenge. Earlier generations of entrepreneurs establishing a business were different. They first guaranteed that money would be available to start—the business. So, if one wanted to build up a unit for a business, one would undertake market research and then approach the bank. Then activities like product development, ordering equipment, determining the site, acquiring land for the facility, what government policies are applicable etc., were considered. Before starting a business, an entrepreneur considers these factors. That was the old regime.

Introduction

India has been an agricultural economy since its inception. Several mechanisms are used in agribusiness, such as forward and backward linkages with secondary and tertiary sectors, such as manufacturing and service sectors. Opportunities in agriculture and related sectors can be identified at various stages of the farming process. Generally, agribusiness opportunities exist at the input stage, the farming stage, the value chain, the output processing and marketing stage, and the related services stage. As a result of globalisation and a more interconnected global market, the scope and potential of agribusiness opportunities is expanding. For entrepreneurs, there are numerous potential opportunities. Many different inputs are required in the agricultural process, such as seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, and innovative and localised farm technology. As a result, the aforementioned areas create agribusiness opportunities in developing and producing these inputs.

1. Sample: One or more units selected from a population of units, or a portion of material selected from a larger quantity of material
2. The Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) should contain full working instructions as well as information on applicability, expected performance, internal quality control (performance verification) requirements and calculation of results. It should also contain information on any hazards arising from the method, from standards or from reagents.
3. Analytical Samples: The quantity of the analytical sample to be used is usually indicated in tests and assays. Unless otherwise specified, the quantity used may deviate by 10% from that stated. All quantitative determinations should be conducted on triplicate test portions and in these cases, the amount actually taken should be accurately weighed or measured and the result of the analysis calculated on this exact quantity. When substances are to be “accurately weighed” in a test or assay, the weighing is to be performed in such manner as to limit the error to ± 0.1% or less. Quantities smaller than 100 mg should be weighed to the nearest 0.1 mg.

The proximate system of analysis consists of the analytical determinations of water (moisture), ash, crude fat (ether extract), crude protein and crude fibre. Nitrogen-free extract (NFE), more or less representing sugars and starches, is calculated by difference rather than measured by analysis.

Water

1. Water constitutes about 70 percent of an adult’s body weight and water (moisture) is the predominant constituent in many foods.
2. All foods contain varying amounts of water in the range of 20 to 90%.
3. The hypothalamus is a brain center that controls activities such as maintenance of water balance, regulation of body temperature, and control of appetite.
4. Moisture content of some foods

Food adulteration means anything adding or subtracting with food making it injurious to health. This adulteration may be done intentionally or unintentionally. Intentional adulteration is a criminal act and punishable offense. Or the process of lowering the nutritive value of food either by removing a vital component or by adding substances of inferior quality. Food Safety and Standards Act of India (FSSA) defined “adulterant” as any material which is or could be employed for making the food unsafe or sub-standard or mis-branded or containing extraneous matter”. According to Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), the primary food safety law administered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), food can be declared adulterated if:

1. a substance is added which is injurious to health
2. cheaper or inferior quality item added to food
3. any valuable constituent is extracted from main food article
4. quality of food is below the standards
5. any substance has been added to increase bulk or weight
6. to make it appear more valuable

1. Natural Mineral Water- Food Safety & Standard Regulations - 2011 and IS 13428:2005 Reaff. 2009 requirements
2. Packaged Drinking Water other than Natural Mineral Water- Food Safety & Standard Regulations - 2011 and IS 14543:2004 Reaff. 2009 requirements
3. Water for processed Food Industry- IS 4251 : 1967 Reaff. 1992 requirements
4. Drinking water- IS 10500 : 2012

1. Ethyl alcohol content in alcoholic beverages is determined by Pyknometer Method or SG (Hydrometer) Method (after distillation). %Alcohol (v/v) = 8610.6 – (16584 x SG) + (7973.3 x SG 2)
2. 1 ml of 0.05N NaOH is equivalent to 0.00375 g of tartaric acid.
3. Volatile acidity of alcohol drinks is measured in terms of as acetic acid. 1 ml. of 0.05N NaOH is equivalent to 0.003g of acetic acid.
4. Esters in alcohol drinks is expressed as ethyl acetate gms. per 100 liters of abs. alcohol. 1 ml. of 0.1N NaOH is equivalent to 0.0088g of Ethyl acetate.
5. Esters in Higher alcohol drinks is expressed as Amyl alcohol gms. per 100 liters of abs. alcohol.1 ml of 0.1N NaOH is equivalent to 0.0088g of Amyl alcohol.
6. The concentration of Higher alcohol g/100L is determined by spectrophotometer method using p-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde solution by reading the % T or Absorbance (OD) of developed colour of samples and series of standards in spectrophotometer at 530/535 nm against reagent blank as reference.

Safe Food means

• It is not injurious to health
• It does not contain any filthy, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal
• substance or vegetable substance
• It is produced undermost hygienic conditions to produce/manufacture it, inferior or cheaper ingredients/raw materials are not used
• Food additives/processing aids used are permitted and are within prescribed limits.
• It is not misbranded

1. Proteins in solution absorb ultraviolet light with absorbance maxima at 280 and 200 nm. Amino acids with aromatic rings are the primary reason for the absorbance peak at 280 nm. Peptide bonds are primarily responsible for the peak at 200 nm.
2. Aromatic amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan give proteins their characteristic ultraviolet (UV) absorption at 280 nm, which is routinely used to estimate protein concentration. Phenylalanine and disulfide bonds also contribute to absorption at 280 nm, albeit slightly.

Pig farming is considered as a beneficial sector in India that provides avenues of fast economic growth for new entrepreneurs and socioeconomically weaker sections, due to high fecundity rate, better-feed conversion efficiency, early maturity, small generation interval, and minimum investment on housing and equipment. Pig farming has evolved into a semi-commercial enterprise using intensive farming practises, in addition to being reared through free range management. Pig farming provides money to rural impoverished people from the lowest socioeconomic strata. As a result, effective programmes to popularise technological pig rearing of meat producing animals with enough financial supplies are required to modernise the Indian pig business and advance the productivity of small sized rural pig farms. 

The issues that our country faces in ensuring nutritional security for its rapidly growing population necessitate an integrated strategy to domestic animal rearing. Of the various livestock species, pigs are the most likely source of meat production and the most capable feed converters after broiler chickens. It not only provides meat but also bristles and dung. Pig farming provides rural residents with job options and additional revenue to help them better their living conditions. It is critical to assist capital formation in the animal husbandry sector in order to boost farmer incomes. The following are the benefits of pig farming:

• The feed conversion efficiency of the pig is best possible. Except for broilers, pigs produce more live weight gain per kg of feed than any other class of meat-producing animals.
• The pig can transform a wide variety of feed stuffs, such as grains, forages, and broken feeds into valuable nutritious meat. Furthermore, the majority of these meals are not edible or pleasing to humans.

The indigenous pig has been the basis used for pig production for a long period of time. It is small in size. Improved breeds are now being used for grading up the form the basis for pig production in the rural areas. The majority of the pig population in India is of indigenous breeds though population of crossbred and exotic pigs increased by 12.7 percent from year 2003 to 2012. The exotic breed mainly comprises Hampshire, Large White York Shire, Duroc, Landrace, and Tamworth.

Successful management strategies require an understanding of the pig reproductive system. Profitability in pig production farm is primarily limited by reproductive efficiency. Increasing reproductive efficiency lowers the cost of each pig sold. Increased pig marketing per female could reduce the number of sows required or increase the overall number of pigs marketed per year. Nonetheless, improving reproductive performance requires time. There are no quick fixes for enhancing reproductive performance. To improve the reproductive parameters of swine farms, sound management approaches and a rigorous genetic selection programme are required.

Successful artificial insemination (AI) is necessary to maximise productivity on any pig farm. There are two types of breeding methods viz. natural mating and artificial insemination. Natural mating involves mating with a boar of superior breed qualities. On the field, only a few farmers have their own boar, and they are employed without regard for genetic merit, breed, or superiority of boar. Only the best quality breeding boar available in the area should be used to produce better piglets with larger litter sizes. Artificial insemination involves artificially collecting sperm from a proven boar, evaluating it for perfection, and depositing it into the cervix of a receptive sow. Artificial means are used for both collection and insemination. This expertise offers an extraordinary opportunity for the genetic upgrading of the animal species to which it is applied. Furthermore, it provides the most cost-effective approach of preserving genetic diversity in a population.

To achieve maximum reproductive efficiency, animals recently introduced into the breeding herd should be closely monitored. Effective management results in an increase in the number of live farrowed and weaned pigs. The following boar management strategies will aid in increasing fertility.

Care and Management of Breeding Boar

• Boars should be fed at a level of energy that prevents excessive fat deposition. This approach should ensure that they are physically fit and sexually active.
• To fulfil the minimum daily recommended amount, nutrients other than energy need be delivered.
• Boars must be at least 7.5 months old and to be tested for reproductive health.

Pigs are inherently prolific, and two farrowings per year under optimal management conditions should be planned. One boar must be kept for every ten sows for optimal fertility. Breed the animals at their most active heat cycle (12 to 24 hours of heat). After every 21 days, the sows come into heat. Proper feeding and handling promotes heat, which facilitates breeding and results in larger litter numbers. In addition to grains, there is fish meal, skim milk or butter milk feed can be administered 2-3 weeks before breeding to allow for a 200-300 gm/day increase in body weight. The normal gestation period for a sow is 112-115 days, and the usual litter size is 8-10 piglets. Larger litters with higher birth weights are produced by older sows.

Pure-breeding

Mating purebred individuals of the same breed. The progeny share the same genetic make-up. The primary goal of pure-breeding is to identify and propagate superior genes for use in commercial production, primarily through crossbreeding programmes, as well as to identify and propagate better females for the preservation of precious genetic material. Therefore, crossbreeding will be futile unless superior purebred individuals are used.

The selection of individual animals from a group is very important in a livestock farming business. While creating a herd, every farmer should buy animals from a trustworthy disease-free herd and learn as much as they can about the animals. Once the herd is established, the selection of gilts and boars for replacement in the breeding herd should be based on type and performance. The following are important criteria to consider while creating a healthy sow herd:

• Size of litters
• Strength and vigour of litters
• Milking ability
• Temperament

The house should provide adequate protection from direct sunlight and rain. Pigs are extremely sensitive to heat and cold. In rural locations, simple low-cost dwellings built with locally accessible materials are preferred. It is also possible to construct adaptable pens that may be used for all types of pigs. Adequate pig housing is critical for disease prevention, parasite control, and labour savings.

The vital points about the pig house are as follows:

• Build the shed on a dry and adequately raised site.
• Avoid locations that are flooded, swampy, or have a lot of rain.
• The shed’s side walls should be 4-5 feet tall, with the remaining height supported by GI pipes or wooden poles.
• Plastering the walls will make them damp proof.

The digestive mechanism of a pig is ideally adapted to full concentrate-based meals. The digestive organs are quite simple, with a continuous musculomembanous tube from the mouth to the anus. However, this system includes multiple sophisticated interaction functions.

Mouth

The mouth is necessary not only for food consumption, but also for first partial size reduction by grinding. While teeth are the major means of reducing meal size and increasing surface area, when feed is mixed with saliva, the first step in the chemical breakdown of food occurs. The three primary salivary glands are the parotid, mandibular, and sublingual glands. Saliva secretion is a reflex activity that occurs when there is food in the mouth. The amount of mucus in saliva is determined by the wetness or dryness of the meal consumed. As a result, on a dry diet, more saliva mucus is secreted, whereas on a moist diet, only enough is secreted to aid in swallowing. Amylase, the enzyme that hydrolyzes starch to maltose, is present in saliva in very low amounts. Salivary digestive enzymes provide a minor effect. Food is chewed and mixed with saliva before going to the stomach via the mouth, throat, and oesophagus. Oesophageal movement involves muscle peristalsis, or the contraction and relaxation of muscles to move food.

Pig Nutrition

Proper feed is necessary for development, body maintenance, and the production of meat and milk. When correctly prepared, one can use less expensive locally available feeds that are nutritionally sufficient. Pigs can be fed effectively with leftovers from a family’s kitchen. Pig nutritional needs can be divided into six sections. Examples include water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Pigs are omnivorous, which means they can consume both meat and plants. Pigs’ digestive systems can also manage roughage-rich diets. Pig must drink plenty of clean, fresh water every day. Pigs will consume practically anything. They will consume grass and other plants. They can be kept in a safe field where they will consume all vegetation and grass. The pig will burrow into the ground and consume both the roots and the green parts of plants. A pig with a nose ring cannot root plants. Pigs will develop and fatten more quickly if fed concentrate feed. Grain meal that has been thoroughly pulverised is a good feed for pig.

Pigs can also be fed leftover veggies and scraps from the kitchen. Before feeding scraps to the pig, household scraps, especially those containing meat, must be well prepared. The pig requires constant access to fresh, clean water. Each day, a sow with young requires 20 to 30 litres of water.

Pig Identification

Animal identification is very important aspect on any livestock farm. Some types of identity are merely temporary, dissipating after a few days. Temporary identification, such as a grease paint stick, can be used to identify certain pigs within a pen, such as when immunisation pigs.

Some forms of identification are more durable. Ear tags are commonly used. Some producers use plastic tags with numbers to help them identify individual pigs. Pigs, on the other hand, are inquisitive creatures who frequently consider a plastic tag on another pig as an intriguing toy. Plastic tags are commonly torn and misplaced as a result. Additionally, when the tag punctures the ear, pigs frequently develop an ear infection. Tiny metal tags may be used, but they are subject to the same long-term loss and infection problems.

The most lasting method of identification used by most manufacturers is ear notching. In this procedure, little notches are carved into the baby pigs’ ears right after birth using a small pair of v-shaped pliers. The notches represent numbers and will accompany the pig for the remainder of its life. Farmers may develop their own ear-notching system, but the universal ear notching system is the most widely used.

Identification of Diseased Animals

Detection of compromised pigs necessitates awareness and fast decisions about treatment, transportation, and/or culling.

Walking the pens daily to observe the pigs will aid in the early identification of healthy and unwell pigs. Before unsettling a group of pigs, try to assess them from afar. This allows you to assess their behaviour.

Check the pens for down or lame animals, watch for increased activity around the water or feeders, and listen for coughing or sneezing. Inspect the ventilation system for improper or poorly managed air quality.

Then, enter the pen area quietly and study the pigs individually utilising B.E.S.T. Method. This acronym stands for:

• Body
• Eyes/Ears/Nose
• Skin/Hair-coat
• Temperament.

Several definitions of plant breeding have been put forward. All of these have a core component of the definition that is “the art and science of improving the heredity of plants for the benefit of the humankind” as mentioned by famous plant breeding teacher and a popular plant breeding text book author, J. M. Poehlman. N. I. Vavilov has defined plant breeding as “evolution directed by the will of the man”. The most modern definition of plant breeding by Bernardo (2002) is “plant breeding is the science, art, and business of improving plants for human benefit”. A few more definitions on these lines given by several other famous plant breeders are as follows.

Systematic scientific efforts to improve genetic potential of crops in India were initiated in 1905 at the Imperial/Indian Agricultural Research Institute. In 1929, with the establishment of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), several associated developments took place in the first half of the 20th century leading to establishment of several crop-based institutes (sugarcane, cotton, jute, rice, oilseeds, tobacco, potato) and multidisciplinary institutes such as the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Central Arid Zone Research Institute (CAZRI), and Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI). Additionally, a Project on Intensification of Regional Research in Cotton, Oilseeds and Millets (PIRRCOM) was implemented during 1950s with establishment of several research stations in different regions.

Gametogenesis

Male Gametogenesis: Male gametogenesis is the formation of male gametes and it occurs in the anthers. The end products of meiosis in higher plants are four microspores. Two mitotic divisions occur in microspores. The first division produces a tube nucleus and a generative nucleus. The second mitotic division occurs only in the generative nucleus resulting into production of two sperm cells (Fig. 3.1). The microspore is haploid (n) and develops into pollen grain in the anther, and the pollen grain further develops into a pollen tube on the stigma and in the style. The pollen tube, when it reaches the embryo sac is the fully developed male gametophyte and is trinucleate, two sperm cells and one tube nucleus.

Qualitative characters are those characters which show discontinuous or discrete differences and are counted into different classes and there is no need to measure them. Typically speaking, characters studied by Mendel in garden pea whose results were published in 1966 as Mendel’s Law were the typical characters that fitted into this class of characters in those days. To recall, these characters were (i) tall vs dwarf plants, (ii) round vs wrinkled seeds, (iii) yellow vs green pods, (iv) violet vs white flowers, (v) flat pods vs constricted pods, (vi), green pods vs yellow pods and (vii) axial flowers vs terminal flowers. Mendel postulated “Factors” responsible for these differences and he could explain his results of F₂ in ratio of 3:1 while dealing with one trait at a time and 9:3:3:1 while dealing with two traits simultaneously and proposed (i) law of segregation and (ii) principles of independent assortment to explain these ratios. Later on the term “factor” was called as gene.

Quantitative traits are governed by many genes or polygenes genes with small individual effects. They are often described by their gene action rather than by the number of genes by which they are governed. There are four types of gene action: additive, dominance, epistasis, and overdominance. Because gene effects do not always fall into clear-cut categories, and it should be pointed out that gene action is conceptually the same for major genes as well as minor genes, the essential difference being that the action of a minor gene is small and significantly influenced by the environment. A general way of distinguishing between these types of gene action based on interaction among alleles is as follows: