eChapters

Chromatography is a general technique available for the separation of closely related compounds in a sample. The term chromatography is derived from Greek where chroma means colour and graphein means to write. It is a very useful technique for both qualitative (preparative ) and quantitative (analytical) analyses. The separation is effected by the differential distribution of the components between two immiscible phases, namely, stationary and mobile phases. The various constituents of the mixture travel at different speeds, causing them to separate. The separation is based on differential partitioning (partition coefficient) between the mobile and stationary phases. The stationary phase is a porous medium through which the sample mixture percolates under the influence of a moving solvent (mobile phase).

Column chromatography is a separation technique in which the stationary bed is in a tube. The particles of the solid stationary phase or the support coated with a liquid stationary phase may fill the whole inside volume of the tube (packed column) or be concentrated on or along the inside tube wall leaving an open, unrestricted path for the mobile phase through the tube (open tubular column). Differences in rates of movement through the medium are calculated as different retention times of the sample.
 
The separation of compounds in the column chromatography takes place based on the phenomenon of adsorption. Here the substance gets attracted by electrostatic forces to the surface of a unit particle. If the substance is in solution and the particle insoluble in the solvent, then part of the substance is adsorbed and part remains in solution. The ratio between the amount adsorbed and the amount in solution is a constant called adsorption coefficient. The separation takes pace based on the differences in the adsorption coefficients.

Kirchner was the first in 1950 to think of thin layers. But it was Egon Stahl in 1958 who was responsible for bringing out standard equipment and related procedures to popularize thin layer chromatography (TLC). TLC is a modified form of column chromatography. Hence it is also called open column chromatography. The adsorbent is spread over a supporting material (glass or plastic sheets) to form a thin layer of adsorbent. As a binder, plaster of Paris or gypsum is added to the adsorbent material like silica gel (hence silica gel TLC). The adsorbent is spread over the plate as a thin layer of 0.25 or 0.5 mm. The adsorbent to water ratio is 1:2. It is initially allowed to air dry, followed by drying in an oven at 110oC for 1-2hr or overnight (activation of TLC plates) after which the plate is ready for thin layer chromatography.

Electrophoresis is the migration of particles under the influence of a direct electric current. There are two requirements for this process to be carried out. First the particles to be separated should be charged or at least should accept charge. Proteins, amino acids, nucleotides etc. conform to this requirement. Second, the medium used for separating the compounds also should carry charge. The mobilities of the ions depend on the nature of the electrolyte solution, the concentration and temperature. The cations and anions move in opposite directions with the cations moving towards the anode and the anions towards the cathode.

Gel-filtration chromatography or molecular sieve chromatography is a method based on molecular dimension. The gel consists of beads which are composed of dextran polymer (sephadex, agarose or polyacrylamide gels). The separation depends upon the different abilities of the various sample molecules to enter pores which contain the stationary phase. Very large molecules, which never enter the stationary phase, move through the chromatographic bed fastest. Smaller molecules, which can enter the gel pores, move very slowly through the column, because they spend a proportion of their mobility, time in the stationary phase. Molecules are, therefore eluted in the order of their decreasing molecular size.

Solvent extraction is mainly used to remove dissolved substances from solutions or soluble material from solids /powders/ solid mixtures. Solvent extraction is explained using distribution law or partition law. The law states that if to a system of two liquid layers made up of two immiscible liquids/ slightly miscible liquids is added a third substance soluble in both layers , then the substance distributes itself between the two layers so that the ratio of concentration in one solvent to the concentration in the second solvent remains constant at a constant temperature.

Dialysis
 
The main purpose of dialysis in biological research is the removal of small molecular weight (M.W.) constituents from biological fluids. This is achieved by dialysing the material in a cellulose tubing with a pore size of 40-80 A0 (4-8mm) diameter which allows the passage of compounds with molecular weight less than 10,000. The following is the procedure followed: cut the length of the dialysis tubing depending upon the volume to be processed. Open the sides of the tubing with a flow of distilled water and transfer it to a boiling water bath. Do not allow the tubing to dry as it will distort the pore size. Make a bag by tying a knot at one end of the tubing. Transfer the solution to be dialysed into the bag. Tie another knot at the top of the bag. The bag is then put in a beaker containing the solution against which dialysis is to be carried out. In general, one volume of the desired solution is dialysed against 50-100 volumes of buffer. The total period of dialysis could range from 8-48hr. The efficiency of dialysis could be increased by stirring and changing the dialysate solution at frequent intervals.

When a particle revolves around an axis, a force is developed and acts away from the axis of rotation. This force is called centrifugal force. A particle suspended in a medium takes some time to sediment, which depends upon the size, molecular weight, and viscosity or density of the medium under normal “g” (gravity). To speed up the process of sedimentation, the external field of force is allowed to act on the particle which depends also on the distance of the particle from the axis of rotation in addition to the other factors.

High pressure (or performance) liquid chromatography (HPLC) is more versatile than GC since it is not limited to volatile compounds. The choice of mobile and stationary phases is wider. HPLC has high resolving power, separations are speedier, quantifications are more precise and it is in general, more reproducible. Liquid chromatography basically involves separation of components due to differences in the equilibrium distribution of sample components between the mobile (liquid) and stationary phases.

Infrared light (800-1500nm) interacts with molecules at the level of atomic vibrations. An infrared spectrum gives valuable information about the molecular structure. It is rarely used for quantitative purposes and hence concentration measurements are not possible. Infrared light detects vibrations characteristic of functional groups. For example the C=O (carbonyl) group absorbs at 1700 cm-1 (wave number). The main region of interest for analytical purposes is from 2.5- 25µm or 4000- 400 cm-1. At wavelengths below 25µm the radiation has sufficient energy to cause changes in the vibrational energy levels of the molecule, and these are accompanied by changes in the rotational energy levels. The pure rotational spectra of molecules occur in the far infra red region (50-1000 µm) and are used for determining molecular properties.

When an element burns in a flame it emits radiation characteristic of its identity. Flame photometry is the determination of an element in solution by measurement of emission of light by atoms of the element in flame. Initial tests for identification of a few elements by flame tests are well known. Na burns with yellow flame, K with lilac flame, Ca, with red flame, Cu, with green flame etc. Emission of characteristic radiation by an element and correlation of emission intensity with the concentration of that element form the basis for flame photometry.

The sample to be analyzed is prepared in solution and sprayed under controlled conditions into a flame. The light from the flame enters a monochromator to isolate the desired region of the spectrum. A photocell and an amplifier measure the intensity of the isolated radiation. After proper calibration of the photometer with solutions of known composition and concentration, it is possible to correlate the intensity of a given spectral line with the unknown concentration of that element. A calibration curve prepared using known concentrations is useful. Internal standards and addition of known concentration of sample to be quantified are more useful.

Inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) uses an inductively coupled plasma to produce excited atoms and ions that emit electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths characteristic of a particular element. A plasma is a neutral gas containing a good number of positive and negative ions or free electrons. A plasma can only be created. A combustion flame is one example of a plasma. Advantages of ICP-AES are excellent limit of detection and linear dynamic range, multi-element capability, low chemical interference and a stable and reproducible signal. Disadvantages are spectral interferences (many emission lines), high cost and operating expense and the fact that samples typically must be in solution.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy is a powerful and theoretically complex analytical tool. The nuclei of certain isotopes are continuously spinning with an angular momentum, which can give rise to an associated magnetic field.

Compounds having one or more asymmetric carbon atoms can rotate the plane of polarized light. Such compounds are called optically active. Measurement   of this property is called polarimetry.
 
The magnitude and direction in which the plane of polarized light is rotated depend on 1.The nature  of the compound, 2. The  concentration of the solution, 3. The path length of light, 4. The solvent, 5. The wave length of light and 
6. The temperature. These variables are related and can be presented in the formula

When a metal M is immersed in a solution containing its own ion Mⁿ⁺, then  an electrode potential  develops. The value of  the  electrode potential  is given by the Nernst equation.

Immunoassays rely on the ability of an antibody to recognize and bind a specific macromolecule in what might be a complex mixture of macromolecules. In immunology the particular macromolecule bound by an antibody is referred to as an antigen and the area on an antigen to which the antibody binds is called an epitope.

In some cases an immunoassay may use an antigen to detect for the presence of antibodies, which recognize that antigen, in a solution. In other words, in some immunoassays, the analyte may be an antibody rather than an antigen.

Gravimetric analysis describes a set of methods in analytical chemistry for the quantitative determination of an analyte based on the mass of a solid. A simple example is the measurement of solids suspended in a water sample. A known volume of water is filtered, and the collected solids are weighed.
 
In gravimetry, the analyte needs to be first converted to a solid by precipitation with an appropriate reagent. The precipitate can then be collected by filtration, washed, dried to remove traces of moisture from the solution, and weighed. The amount of analyte in the original sample can then be calculated from the mass of the precipitate and its chemical composition.

In some cases, it is easier to remove the analyte by evaporation. The analyte might be collected—perhaps in a cryogenic trap or on some adsorbent material such as activated carbon—and measured directly. Or, the sample can be weighed before and after it is dried; the difference between the two masses gives the mass of analyte lost. This is especially useful in determining the water content of complex materials such as foodstuffs.

DNA and RNA are the carriers of genetic information in all the living organisms. The study and analysis of the genetic code can provide information that can be used in clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, genetic engineering and forensic sciences. Hence there is need to understand the techniques in isolation of DNA and RNA followed by their amplification and sequencing.

Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) is crowned as poor man’s crop which provides much needed protein to farming families with least inputs. It is a versatile plant species which can grow successfully in a range of soil types, temperatures and photoperiods. Its deep root system enables it to overcome intermittent drought and other stresses. In India, the crop is grown annually on about 4.04 m ha (FAO, 2012) and the major pigeonpea growing states are Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat (Table 1). The high protein pigeonpea dal (decorticated dry splits) is widely consumed across the country in various cuisines. The annual national production of pigeonpea is about 2.56 m tones. This produce, however, is not sufficient to feed the ever growing population of the country, and hence, necessitates huge (500,000 tons) imports of this pulse. In spite of its importance in food security and sincere research efforts, its national productivity could never cross the bar of 800 kg/ha (Fig 1) since independence. Since last 50 years, ICAR has been very seriously pursuing the issue of genetic enhancement with huge investments and some out-standing pure line varieties with about 10% more grains over the best local varieties were developed.

ABSTRACT

This paper presents an outline on the patenting system prevailing in India. 

INTRODUCTION

Ideas and knowledge are increasingly important parts of trade. Most of the value of new medicines and other high technology products lies in the amount of invention, innovation, research, design and testing involved. Hence, protection of such values is paramount. This paper details how these values are protected in India.

ABSTRACT

This paper presents few measures to be taken up by academic institutions, professional societies, industrial bodies and governmental agencies for the propagation of information of IPR in terms of encouragement of publication of books on IPR, establishment of IPR cells in academic and professional institutions and making IPR education as part of curriculum in Universities and institutions of higher learning.

Our nature is the greatest or only laboratory where a large number of events are occurring at every fraction of a second - there are so many events, creatures, miseries taking place in the nature. Rightly it is considered an unparallel and biggest laboratory, man has ever witnessed. However, understanding it’s any event requires deep devotion and understanding,then only success will come. Our Philosopher and Poet Kabirdas has understood these facts as have reflected in his various couplets “Jin khoja tin paiya, gahre pani paith” or “chalti chaki dekh kar diya kabira roye, do patan ke beech main sabit bacha na koi“. For an ordinary person earth is still flat and he may not know the reasons for change of seasons.

It is always advantageous if there is a senior scientist,a mentor or a Guru ( I have not used the term teacher as all may be teachers but may not be Guru as per Indian mythology) who can recognize your talents and may believe that you may achieve some unusual goals, if properly guided or encouraged. This is important for carrying an important task to its fruitful results. Here what we are referring a Guru is not in the sense as is presently used for searching a god father. There is a vast difference between the two. The perception about god-father is that he may not possess the required knowledge but is perfect in manipulating situations in his favor so that work is done by all means. In scientific world, this is mostly applied to the persons who have contact with higher ups helping in getting promotions or foreign trips. These god fathers are good only to provide some material gifts but are not best in their scientific achievements hence cannot replace a Guru or a good scientist.

As the Veterinary colleges, and Parasitology being an integral part of them, are part of Agricultural universities framed on USA land grant pattern, or separated as Veterinary university imbibing the same philosophy, extension is an integral part of the system. Here, a team of the experts visit the villages to teach the villagers about the basic problems, faced by them in day to day dealing with animals. For explaining a particular problem to the villagers, the experts generally take help of the pamphlets which they have prepared. These pamphlets or extension literature deal the subject with common sense and illustrate the material with line drawings.

The history of nanotechnology in the modern world dates back to 1959 when American physicist Richard Feynman inspired the scientific community in his lecture “There is a plenty of rooms at the bottom”. Research on nanosized particles dramatically developed into an important field of modern research with potential effects in electronics to medicine and recently in agriculture and food industry.

Nanoparticles exhibit unique properties in terms of chemical, physical, photoelectrochemical and electronic properties when compared to their respective bulk materials. The applications of these nanosized particles are defined in a bigger ways in the field of Biotechnology. All these applications require custom based synthesis methods for specific applications.

Raman Spectroscopy

It is a spectroscopic technique based on inelastic scattering of monochromatic light, usually from a laser source. Inelastic scattering means that the frequency of photons in monochromatic light changes upon interaction with a sample. Photons of the laser light are absorbed by the sample and then reemitted. Frequency of the reemitted photons is shifted up or down in comparison with original monochromatic frequency, which is called the Raman effect. This shift provides information about vibrational, rotational and other low frequency transitions in molecules. Raman spectroscopy can be used to study solid, liquid and gaseous samples.

Annual plants complete their life cycle within the space of one year are called annuals. They have multipurpose uses like as cut flowers, a wealth of bloom through out the summer and early autumn months; as component in herbaceous border, to make colour scheme, for window boxes and porches, as pot plants in green house or conservatory, for edging, for drying and herbal medicines.

Herbaceous perennial flowers complete their life cycle in more than a year and usually bloom during a specific time period every year during the growing season. These flowers are hardy and herbaceous. They are popular in their dried form for beautiful and exotic dried flower arrangements. Besides, perennials are used as ground covers, mixed with annuals, grown as potted plants and used as accents or specimen plants. Some important perennial flowers are Baby’s Breath, Bells of Ireland, Blue Globe Thistle, Carnation Flowers, Daisy Flowers, Flax, Hibiscus, Hollyhock, Iris, Ladys Mantle,Larkspur, Lavender, Lily Flower, Monkshood, Pearl Everlasting, Rose Flowers, Statice, Sunflower, Yarrow.

Shrubs are group of plants having woody stems and multi-branching from the base of the plant. These plants are useful to build up the framework of the planting scheme for screens, ground covers, flowers and hedges. They vary in blooming time, colour, size, growth habit, fragrance as well as situations.

Aquatic plants are essential to maintain water balance. They also keep out the dreaded algal bloom. Aquatic plants absorb the minerals and carbon dioxide in the water. Pond plants are classified into four groups: oxygenators, marginals, floaters and aquatic. Oxygenators such as buttercup and water violet supply lots of oxygen in the water. Marginals are ornamental pond plants and planted in pots or baskets in the edge of the ponds to provide space for fishes or frogs, e.g., Primula. Floaters like water hyacinth help in keeping algae at bay and also provide enough cover for tadpoles or small fish.

Bulbous plants are herbaceous perennial or biennial ornamental plants which produce fleshy storage organs including true bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes and tuberous roots. These underground organs have capacity to store moisture and nutrients are utilized by bulbous plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat in a dormant state.

ABSTRACT

India is a developing country and agriculture is at the core of this development. Youth participation in agriculture for its sustained contribution to a nation’s development is crucial but this is not ascertained. FAO has declared year 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF). Today’s youth are tomorrow’s family farmers, and maintaining interest in farming as a profession is vital to future food security. The number of young people of working age is increasing while the same group is typically rejecting careers in agriculture and food system. This scenario can be changed by cultivating the next generation of agricultural leaders—not just as farmers but as food entrepreneurs, scientists, agronomists, extension agents, union and government leaders etc. Governments, particularly in developing countries, need to invest in policies and practices that provide access to land, credit and banking services, education and knowledge, and technical skills for young farmers. And these governments need to ensure that young people have access to markets, goods and service, employment opportunities, and leisure so that they prefer to stay on the farm.

ABSTRACT

Youth denotes-”Young, Original, Unique, Talented, and Hopeful”. Youths represent the most active segment of the population and the engine that do most productive work of the society (Adesope, 1996). Youths are a formidable force in the agricultural production, process, constituting a sizeable proportion of future progressive farmers and better citizens, especially in the rural areas. Fifty percent of Indian population has average age group 25 and more than 65 percent below the age of 35 years therefore United Nations (2005) defines youth as ‘all individuals aged between 15 and 24 year’ and declared 2014 as the “International Year of Family Farming”. 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 of women and men.

INTRODUCTION

The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005(NREGA) was brought into force by the Union Government in February 2006 which was renamed on 2^nd October 2009 as MGNREGA i.e. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. It is the first nation-wide employment scheme that guarantees employment legally to India’s rural population. According to the Union Rural Development Ministry’s figures, more than 1.36 crore people of the country’s total population have been given jobs under the Act. It guarantees 100 days of unskilled jobs per rural household. This is meant to regenerate the rural natural resource base, which in turn, will result in sustainable livelihoods for residents. It is with this background the present article has been planned with the specific objectives to explore the extent of awareness about NREGA among the target group of the Act. Ray (2008) told that, director, Development, Allahabad University included NREGA in the curriculum of rural sociology and has suggested that seminar; workshops and university publications can be used for awareness generation. UNIFEM Workshop (2009) concluded that, in case of Kerala, Kudumbashree and Panchayat have been very vigilant in spreading awareness about NREGA through radio, poster, television, notice board on gram Sabhas, etc.

During the last visit of Barak Obama in the year 2011, he pointed out that India is fortunate to have a youth population with a half of the total population being under the age of 30-35 years. Out of 600 million young people, over 60% live in villages and majority of them are educated. Mahatma Gandhi considered that migration of rural youth from villages to town and cities as the most serious form of brain drain affecting adversely rural India’s development. The National Commission on Farmers stressed the need for attracting and retaining rural youth in farming. Recently, National Sample Survey has indicated that over 45% people want to quit farming under these condition there is need to persuade educated youth including farm graduates to stay in villages and take up agriculture as a profession. There are various economic opportunities for farm graduates which are discussed below:

INTRODUCTION

The trend of rising unemployment is compounded by the existences of regional imbalances in development, within the country, which have collectively accelerated the phenomenon of migration. The history of migration is the history of people’s struggle to survive and to prosper, to escape insecurity and poverty, and to move in response to opportunity. In developing countries like India, migration mostly takes place not due to the so called the full forces of the destination place, as usually happens in case of developed countries, but because of poverty, unemployment, natural calamities and under development of the origin place. Migration in developing countries like India is still viewed as a survival strategy. In India internal mobility is critical to the livelihoods of many peoples, especially for people from rural areas. In the Dindigul District of Tamil Nadu, NREGA works have stemmed migration from many villages. Ministry of Rural Development (2006). It has been conceptualized that, creating job out of NREGA programme will check the migration of the people from one place to another. In Pusa block, of Samastipur district the NREGA is in operation for about two and half years. It is with this background the present article has been presented with the specific objectives toexplore the extent ofmigration check among NREGA beneficiaries, running in this block.

ABSTRACT

The conventional agricultural extension service in India is mainly provided by extension workers visiting farmers to provide agricultural advisory services. This system of extension service provision faces a number of challenges including the few number of extension workers and limited resources. The effectiveness of an impact-driven, radio-based extension service delivery system that has been introduced in some rural areas of India. The system aims to enable extension workers to reach many farmers with minimum efforts. However little is known about the effectiveness of this new extension service delivery system. In rural areas, farmers have started sharing agricultural related information and best practices. Some farmers have also started to change their farming practices. This brings a new finding that farmers can adopt and practice easily what is aired by their fellow farmers in the community radio stations.

ABSTRACT

Small holdings in developing countries have long been associated with poor farming practices, intensive labour and low income, which make the sector unattractive to a new generation of farmers. Lack of youth interest and involvement in agriculture affects the sustainability and survival of family farms. This interest in farming is further strengthened by ICT providing access to markets and information to boost production. Researchers found that youngsters easily grasp the ICT applications, acquire information, and jump onto new market opportunities. Considering the above facts the present paper will address the issue of the role that ICT can play in invoking the interest of youth in farming.

Keywords:ICT, youth, farming, sustainability

The Indian food industry is poised for huge growth, increasing its contribution in world food trade every year. In India, food processing is gaining importance as now it is being considered as profit industry. The increased demand for processed food in the domestic market and Indian foods getting popularized in the global market has put food processing industry on high priority list by the entrepreneurs. Accounting for about 32 percent of the country’s total food market, the food processing industry is one of the largest industries in India and is ranked fifth in terms of production, consumption and export. The total food production in India is likely to double in the next ten years with the country’s domestic food market estimated to reach US$ 258 billion by 2015. The food industry in India has been attracting a lot of attention from foreign investors in the area of processing, development of infrastructure for storage and transportation and retail marketing and scenario is changing rapidly.

Abstract

Investigations were carried out during 2005 at Rajgarh area of District Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh for screening elite germplasm of Kaphal ( Myrica nagi Thunb). A wide range of variability was noticed for 14 fruit characters. Maximum fruit weight (834 mg), fruit length (12.94 mm), pulp weight (5.96 mg), pulp percentage (83.21%) and seed : pulp ratio (1 : 5.96) were recorded in Tree No. 35. maximum TSS (14.40 oB) was recorded in Tree No. 37. maximum fruit diameter (10.71 mm), fruit volume (650 µl), seed weight (154 mg) and seed breadth (7.51 mm) were recorded against Tree No. 25. maximum coefficient of variability was noticed for pulp weight followed by fruit weight and minimum for pulp percentage. Keeping in view the importance of large fruit size two elite trees (Tree No. 25 and 35) were marked which has fruit weight greater than 700 mg for collecting seeds to raise seedlings of this unexploited sub-temperate fruit

Abstract

The runners of ten strawberry cultivars were procured from different research stations, planted in the last week of October every year and mulched with paddy straw.  The earliest flowering was observed in Chandler, which produced the largest sized fruits (13.20 g) followedby Dana.(3.6 g). Higher incidence of fruit rot was observed in Chandler (26.2%) and least in the Sweet Charlie (9.3%). Sweet Charlie produced medium sized (11.80 g), highly glossy and attractive fruits having high TSS (10.2%), and minimum fruit rot can be better substitute for Chandler in sub-tropical areas.

Abstract

A promising strain/seedling have been identified that produces only male flowers (small and pink tinged) on the ventral side of the current season’s shoot all along its length. As many as 24 flowers per shoot were observed. The seedling continued to flower for about one month which attracts large number of honey bees. The pollen is also produced in abundance that dehisces early in the morning. Preliminary observations on the flowering behaviour and pollen studies have revealed that it can be used as a suitable polliniser for persimmon cultivars in general and Hachiya cultivar in particular.

Abstract

Considerable variation for different metric and non-metric characters was observed in seedling population of Pistachionut. The variation for non-metric characters was observed for precocity in flowering, colour of the kernel, shelling and splitting percentage. The studies have resulted in the identification of two pistillate and three staminate trees with desirable traits which can be exploited in breeding programme or used as elite planting material.

Abstract

In order to solve the problems of irregular bearing, lower yields and less colour development in apple, plants of different improved spur types and standard cultivars of delicious and other cultivars on EMLA 111 rootstock were imported from USA. Plants of different cultivars namely, Real Mecoy Red Delicious, Red Chief, Oregon Spur II, Criterion and Mutsu on EMLA 111 rootstock were planted at a distance of 15’x12’ with a density of 598 plants per hectare, in RBD design with 6 replications during 1989-90 at progeny cum demonstration orchard (PCDO) Anu (Jubbal). The observations were recorded during 1999-2002.

Abstract

In the hybridization programme, the horticulturally desirable female line HC-17- 11(susceptible) was crossed with powdery mildew resistant male line FC-1.  Over the years, the variety CHP-2 proved its stable resistance (average disease score 1.58 on 1-5 scale) to powdery mildew under natural epiphytotic conditions as well as supremacy in yield performance (11.7-28.0 t/ ha) over the check variety (10.3-16.5 t/ha) in different testing centers of AICRP(Vegetable Crops) and farmers’ fields (20-26 t/ha).Additionally, the pods are medium long (9.25 cm),light green,7-8 seeded with 48-52 per cent recovery of light green, sweet and tasteful  shelled peas. The shelled peas contain 1.4 per cent soluble protein and 9.5 mg ascorbic acid/100g of fresh shelled peas.

Abstract

Plum breeding work has been in progress since 1991-92 and continued upto 1996- 97.  The hybrid seedlings thus obtained after one year of growth in nursery were planted in test rows for the selection of types that had improved quality and better shelf life. Cultivar Santa Rosa, the mainstay of plum industry in Himachal Pradesh though performing well from production and adaptation point of view but lacked in uniform fruit ripening, very acidic at seed and low shelf life or transportation ability. After detailed evaluation and characterization for various pomological traits, two-way hybridization in seven different cultivars belonging to Japanese and European plum were made. In test rows the hybrid seedlings were assessed for number of horticultural characters i.e. morphological, flower and fruit. On the basis of detailed analysis some promising types have been selected which are briefly described, however yield potential is being evaluated as most of  the seedling have started fruiting regularly only two to three years back.

Abstract

Studies conducted on the role of honey bees in the pollination and fruit set in apple revealed that Apis mellifera played a significant role along with pollinizer cultivars and favourable weather. Due to the paucity of pollen sources in the orchard, it is desirable to plant atleast three pollinizers like Golden Delicious, Red Gold, Tydeman Early Worcestor, Granny Smith, Lord Lambourene, Mc Intosh and James Grieve. In orchards with low population of native pollinators, introduce A. mellifera colonies at flowering for adequate fruit set (more than 5%) and yield.

Abstract

The improvement in the productivity of fruits greatly lies with the use of high density orcharding and successfully practiced in various temperate fruits. This study was carried out to increase fruit yield per unit area in apricot Cv. New Castle. Maximum yield per plant was recorded in planting distance of 5 x 5m while lowest being in 3 x2m plantings. However, calculated yield per hectare basis was maximum in 3 x 2m spacing (1666 plants/ha.) followed by3 x3 m. The girth and spread was maximum under 5 x 5m spacing. Regarding quality parameters the size, weight and volume of fruits were significantly higher under 5 x5 m spacing as compared to fruits under other planting distances. Other parameters were not affected by any of the treatment significantly.

Abstract

The treatments showed significant differences for the characters under study in all the years. The maximum curd yield of 186.91, 180.24 and 192.83 q/ha (Av.186.66 q/ha) was recorded during the year 2002,2003 and 2004, respectively with early planting (30th Aug) and closer spacing (45x30 cm)  found significantly superior to other treatments. Similarly, maximum plant height of 75.06, 69.53 and 60.67 cm (Av. 61.47 cm) during the years 2002, 2003 and 2004, respectively was also recorded in the same treatment. Whereas maximum plant spread of 59.13, 78.97 and 65.45 cm (Av. 67.85 cm) was recorded during the year 2002, 2003 and 2004. respectively with second date of transplanting (15th Sept) and wider plant spacing of 45x45 cm. From the results of three year study it can be inferred that the early planting (30th Aug) and closer plant spacing (45x30 cm) is most suitable for obtaining higher curd yield of broccoli under Kashmir conditions.

Abstract

Three mulch materials (black polyethylene, white polyethylene, and paddy straw) were evaluated to reduce albinism  in five cultivars of strawberry.  The incidence of albinism was the highest (38.60%), with black polyethylene and the lowest with paddy straw (22.45%). Among cultivars, Etna had the highest incidence of albinism (50.60%), followed by Chandler (41.60%), where as  Sweet Charlie had the least (22.50%).