eChapters

Imagine the air around us. Even though we can’t see it, air has weight. Atmospheric pressure is essentially the force exerted by the weight of the air molecules above a particular point on the Earth’s surface. Think of it like this: Imagine you’re at the bottom of a swimming pool. The water above you presses down, and you feel that pressure. Similarly, the atmosphere, a giant ocean of air, has layers of air molecules, and their weight presses down on everything below, including us.
• Definition: Atmospheric pressure is defined as the force per unit area exerted by the weight of the air column extending from the surface of the earth to the top of the atmosphere above that area (Fig.8.1).
• How to Explain It Simply
• Air has weight: Just like water or a pile of books, the air surrounding the Earth has mass, and thus, weight due to gravity.
• Weight creates pressure: This weight of the air presses down on the surface. The more air there is above a certain point, the greater the pressure.
• Like a stack: Imagine a stack of blankets. The blanket at the bottom has to support the weight of all the blankets above it, so it experiences more pressure. Similarly, the air at lower altitudes has the weight of all the air above pressing down on it.

“Quality Control” constitutes the very backbone of the success in any industry, in any field of activity, may it be agriculture or spices, since quality is never an accident, but, the result of a conscientious effort, as rightly visualized by John Ruskin. The quality of spices is evaluated by the following three types of techniques:
1. Physical or sensory evaluation
2. Proximate physico-chemical composition and determination of chemical constituents
3. Nutritional assessment
In the following table (Table 61) presentation of the five proximate physicochemical compositions of 5 minerals and 5 vitamins in as many as 35 spices is presented. Since most of the spices are used basically in small quantities in both vegetarian and non vegetarian food as “Food Additives”, they contribute directly very little to human nutrition, but, indirectly spices can play a very valuable role in healthy human nutrition by not only helping to increase the appeal and appreciation of the food dishes, but, also in various other ways as agents with nutraceutical and pharmaceutical properties. For instance, Turmeric has been found to have immense pharmaceutical and nutraceutical properties. Most recently, it has been found to be very beneficial during the covid pandemic. Excepting in most restrictive diets, spices are regularly used in most food preparations and they can make a difference which persuades a patient to stay faithful to an otherwise unappealing diet. The analysis confirm that even the highest calorie spice, Poppyseeds, will add no more than 2 or 3 calories per serving in normal usage. This should be good news, in particular, to weight – watchers. Considering the amounts used, the others typically contribute no more than a calorie per serving, and, usually less than that. Having this definitive data at last, nutritionists and all those interested in good nutition may utilize spices to their full potential in making wholesome foods as excitingly delicious as they are good for us.

Introduction 
A system approach to understand the soil-plant-water continuum fundamentally shifts our perspective from viewing these elements in isolation to recognizing them as an intricately woven, dynamic whole. It’s about appreciating that every change in one part of this natural tapestry—be it the soil, the plant, or the water itself—reverberates through the others, creating a cascade of interconnected effects. This holistic lens allows us to dissect the continuous exchange of water and energy, unraveling the complex feedback loops and emergent behaviors that characterize this vital agricultural system. Instead of merely tracking individual inputs and outputs, a systems view compels us to comprehend how these components influence each other over time, leading to a far more nuanced understanding of their collective behavior. At the heart of this continuum lie three primary, yet inseparable, components: the soil, the plant, and the water itself, all profoundly influenced by the atmosphere. The soil acts as both a foundational anchor and a dynamic reservoir. Its very composition—the proportion of sand, silt, and clay, its structure, and its organic matter content—dictates how readily water infiltrates, how much it can hold against the pull of gravity, and how quickly it can release water to plant roots. Processes like infiltration, percolation, and capillary rise describe water’s journey within the soil matrix, while evaporation from the soil surface represents a significant loss pathway. Crucially, the soil also serves as the medium for nutrient availability, with water acting as the solvent that transports these vital elements to the roots. The plant, in turn, is the primary biological conduit for water’s journey from the soil back to the atmosphere. It actively absorbs water through its roots, moving it upward through the xylem to the leaves, where it is transpired through tiny pores called stomata. This transpiration process is not merely a loss; it’s the driving force behind the plant’s physiological engine, facilitating

3.1 Introduction
The different moulding machines are listed below.
• Thermoforming moulding
• Injection moulding
• Compression moulding
• Transfer moulding
• Extrusion moulding
• Blow moulding
• Rotational moulding
• Hydroforming
• Laminating
The melting furnaces, which feed molten metal to fill mould cavities are listed below.
• Cupola furnace
• Induction furnace
• Open hearth furnace
This chapter presents the different moulding machines and melting furnaces.
3.2 Thermoforming Moulding
To develop unique packaging solutions, thermoforming is the process of stretching a heated plastic sheet over a mould, then trimming, and assembling the design once the sheet has cooled as shown in Fig.3.1. The hot thermoplastic is stretched over the surface of the mould using the two thermoforming processes, viz. vacuum forming and pressure forming. A thermoforming machine is a sizable piece of industrial machinery that allows us to vacuum-form a plastic sheet onto an object as the sheet is being moulded. Thermoforming machines are used and benefited by a variety of businesses to efficiently package their products. The material used to produce parts by thermoforming machines is thermoforming plastic. Numerous thermoforming polymers are available for use in particular applications.

17.1 Introduction
Pouring liquid plastic into a specific container or mould and allowing it to solidify into the desired shape is known as plastic moulding. After that, a variety of uses for these plastic moulds are possible.
The different types of plastic moulding/ forming processes are listed below.
i. Injection moulding
ii. Compression moulding
iii. Extrusion moulding
iv. Transfer moulding
v. Blow moulding
vi. Rotational moulding
vii. Film blowing
viii. Vacuum bag forming
ix. Thermoforming
x. Bonding of thermoplastics
17.2 Injection Moulding
Using a pre-made mould and plastic resin, thermoplastic injection moulding is a manufacturing technique that produces completely functional items. It falls into a few subcategories, like fast injection moulding, which is best used for finetuning prototypes before approving a product for mass production. Plastic resin of any engineering grade can be used for thermoplastic injection moulding. General resins are used to make early prototypes or less important portions of a product, whereas engineering grade resins are usually employed to construct final prototypes before to manufacture. The term “general resins” refers to materials such as TPE, ABS, nylon, PET, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Reels of engineering grade include ultem, valox, noryl, and lexan. Product developers can experiment with various materials and surface treatments for their products because of the wide variety of plastic resins that can be processed via thermoplastic injection moulding.

Introduction
Defining GLP: Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) are a comprehensive set of quality system principles designed to ensure the reliability, reproducibility, and integrity of non-clinical health and environmental safety studies. These principles establish a framework for planning, performing, monitoring, recording, reporting, and archiving studies. Adherence to GLP is crucial for generating data that can be trusted and utilized for regulatory submissions and scientific advancements.
Purpose of GLP
• To ensure the quality and integrity of non-clinical and clinical laboratory studies.
• To provide assurance that data submitted to regulatory authorities is truly reliable.
• To standardize procedures and practices in non-clinical and clinical studies.
Scope of GLP
• Primarily applies to non-clinical health and environmental safety studies.
• These studies often support applications for research or marketing permits for regulated products (e.g., pharmaceuticals, pesticides, food additives).
Key Elements of GLP
• Organizational structure and personnel responsibilities.
• Standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Introduction 
Agricultural extension systems are vital in bridging the gap between research and practical application by farming communities. By providing farmers with access to the latest technologies, practices, and knowledge, these services help improve crop yields, optimize resource use, and promote sustainability. Beyond just technical advice, agricultural extension often involves helping farmers adapt to new market trends, climate changes, and government policies. Extension agents typically work directly with farmers through meetings, oneon- one consultations, and community-based demonstrations. Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, originally known as Rajendra Agricultural University, was established as India’s first Imperial Agriculture Research Institute. The foundation stone was laid by Lord Curzon on April 1, 1905, with financial support from American philanthropist Henry Phipps, Jr. Located in Pusa, Bihar. It is an Institute of National Importance. The University focuses on teaching, research, and extension, with the Directorate of Extension Education founded in 1977. This Directorate bridges the gap between technology generation and dissemination by coordinating with the State Department of Agriculture, ICAR, and other research and training institutes. It aims to deliver the latest agricultural information to farmers through its colleges and Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), as well as plan and monitor extension activities based on research results. Public spending on Agricultural extension is one of the key policy instruments of the government to provide growth and alleviate property in rural areas. A comprehensive analysis of farming systems is essential to identify areas that need training, highlight technology gaps, address the adoption gap, and recognize production constraints. The goal is to develop and showcase alternative sustainable farming practices that enhance farmers’ productivity and profitability while conserving biodiversity and improving environmental health. Additionally, farmers should be connected to the rapidly evolving global market by providing them with relevant information and guidance to help them adapt to new opportunities and challenges.

Water Resources: Classifications of water: Groundwater, surface water and Virtual Water; Conjunctive use of water in agriculture; Water resources in different states and Stakeholders of water use.
Introduction
Despite fact that more than two-third of the earth’s surface is covered with water, currently, near about 450 million people in 29 countries are facing severe water shortage and at least 20 percent more water would be required to feed additional 3 billion populations by 2025. About 97.5 percent of ocean-sea water is not available due to its salinity and 2.49 percent is locked up in ice and only 0.01 percent is technologically available and economically accessible water either from surface or ground water sources for human uses. So water saving technologies developed so far is very pertinent to propagate amongst the users. Water is an essential natural resource for sustaining the environment and supporting life where the agriculture is the major user of water resource. Water is an indispensable for sustainable agricultural growth and development. Previously, rainfed agriculture was associated primarily with conservational land treatments to check soil erosion and land degradation.But in the areas of medium to heavy rainfall, there is ample scope of tapping excess rain water through suitable water harvesting structures constructed for this purpose for its subsequent uses as irrigation or to apply lifesaving irrigation to the crops which should also come under the purview of water management for crop production. Although there is a difference in the objectives of water management where there is abundant availability of water from continuous flow connected with perennial sources or lakes and rivers and that of from restricted or limited supply from collection of excess rain through water harvesting structures.The former is associated with to obtain as much as yield of crop per unit area under water application and later is associated with increasing productivityof crop per unit of water application even under rainwater recycling and its effective management for the purpose of irrigation. Hence, both the rainwater and irrigation water are considered to be equally important to context of

4.1. Introduction
The food is the main factor known to affect the health of an individual. By interference in the protein synthesis, function and metabolites and alteration in genome expression, the healthy condition must be altered to diseased condition. Side by side we can say that the dietary component directly or indirectly modulates the molecular fingerprint and understanding of which is dealt with nutrigenomics. So, by modulation of a particular gene for a specific disease by nutrition, we can prevent the specific disease and promote the health of a population. Consuming fruits and vegetables on a regular basis has been linked to better health outcomes and diminution of several chronic or life style linked diseases.
Concept of Nutritional Genomics
After completion of human genome sequencing, the unique term “Nutritional genomics” tends to replace the old term “Nutrient-gene interaction”. It has been stated that so many polymorphism can influence protein structure and function. There are several regulatory sites where nutrients can impact the flow of genetic information. The two components of the nutritional genomics field are nutrigenomics, which studies how dietary components interact with the genome to regulate changes in proteins and other metabolism, and nutrigenetics, which determines how dietary components affect genetic variations. (Farhud et al., 2010). Nutrients are as environmental influences can interact with genetic material. It is commonly known that DNA metabolism and repair require a range of dietary elements that serve as cofactors or substrates in metabolic pathways. However, little is known about how cofactors and/or micronutrient excess or deficiency affect the accuracy of DNA replication and repair (Caroline and Fenech, 2008). The response to a particular nutrient, which is determined by the individual genotype, must also be taken into consideration, even though the nutrients can influence the development of a particular phenotypic.

Therapeutic Aspects of Drug-nutrient Interactions
Drug-nutrient interactions are expressed as physical, chemical, and pathophysiological relationships between a drug and a nutrient. This reaction is multifactorial. The drug has the potential ability to interact with nutrients which may lead to a reduction or enhancement of therapeutic efficacy, nutritional risk, and drug toxicity. Even such interactions lead to the discontinuation of drug therapy. But these kinds of interactions vary from person to person. Infants and children are the most vulnerable group in this concern as they are in the developmental phase where there is a lack of proper drug-metabolizing enzymes and inefficient renal function. Generally, DNIs signify negative impacts on human health but sometimes these interactions work in a positive way by reducing irritation in the GI tract or by increasing the absorption of drugs. Proper updated knowledge about DNIs is important for the appliance of diet therapy simultaneously with drug therapy as both of these are important strategies to manage or treat public health issues (Table 10.1., Table 10.2.).

The transformation of communities through collective action requires systematic approaches that can navigate the complexities of human behaviour, social structures, and environmental contexts. Community mobilization, while grounded in universal principles of participation and empowerment, manifests differently across various settings and circumstances, necessitating flexible yet structured processes that can adapt to local conditions while maintaining effectiveness. This chapter examines the intricate processes and diverse models that guide community mobilization efforts, with particular attention to rural contexts where unique challenges and opportunities shape the mobilization landscape

Crop yields and agricultural sustainability are inextricably linked to weather patterns. While optimal weather conditions facilitate robust growth and abundant harvests, extreme weather events pose significant threats, disrupting food systems and impacting livelihoods globally. The chapter, “Effect of Extreme Weather Conditions on Crops,” delves into the multifaceted ways in which deviations from ideal climatic norms compromise agricultural productivity. The Earth’s climate is characterized by increasing variability and the rising frequency and intensity of extreme weather phenomena. These include, but are not limited to, prolonged droughts, severe floods, heat waves, cold snaps, hailstorms, and unseasonal strong winds .Such events can occur suddenly or develop gradually over extended periods, each presenting unique challenges to different crop types at various stages of their life cycle. For instance, a sudden hailstorm can physically destroy crops, while a long-term drought can stunt growth, reduce yield quality, or lead to

Modern agriculture faces the challenge of increasing food production while minimizing environmental impacts like soil degradation, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. To address these issues, integrating microbial biotechnology with nanotechnology has emerged as a promising approach. Nanoparticles (NPs) with plants and microbes, enhances nutrient uptake, plant growth, and stress tolerance. Bioinoculants, which contain beneficial microorganisms, promote plant health, but are limited by stability and environmental factors. The synergistic use of nanoparticles and bioinoculant offers a novel solution, improving crop yield, nutrient uptake, and resilience to stress, reducing dependence on chemical inputs. This integration supports the development of more resilient, resource-efficient, and environment-friendly agricultural systems.

Bioenergetics is a branch of Biochemistry that focuses on the study of energy transformation and utilization in living organisms. It primarily deals with how cells capture, store, and utilize energy to drive various biological processes essential for sustaining life. The flow of energy in biological systems operates in accordance with the principles of thermodynamics, which govern the conversion of energy from one form to another. In living cells, energy is typically obtained through biochemical reactions involving the breakdown of organic compounds such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. This energy is then utilized for various physiological processes like the synthesis of biomolecules, active transport of ions, muscle contraction, and nerve conduction, enabling the cell to maintain its structural and functional integrity. Thermodynamics, a branch of physical chemistry, plays a crucial role in bioenergetics as it explains the changes in energy associated with biochemical reactions. In biochemical thermodynamics, also referred to as bioenergetics, the primary focus is on how energy released from one reaction can be utilized to drive another reaction that requires energy input. This is achieved through

There are many migratory, semi-migratory and sedentary shepherd communities in India with sheep rearing along with goats as the main livelihood)Besides scores of land less wages-earning families keep small numbers of goats for crucial supplementary income. Sheep and goat farming, due to its quicker and better returns on investment provides an additional source of income to farmers who normally depend on crops for their livelihood) Thus these animals fit in ideally in a mixed farming system. In India, goats and sheep are mostly maintained under extensive system which includes migratory, transhumance, free range, grazing community pastures, stubbles of cropped lands supplemented with crop residues and tree-lopping. Although a number of management systems are in practices varying from region to region these may be conveniently divided in to extensive, Semiintensive and Intensive systems.

Biomedical signals provide valuable information about physiological conditions and support continuous health monitoring. This chapter introduces ECG, EEG, EMG, PPG, respiratory and blood-pressure signals and examines the challenges associated with their acquisition and interpretation. It discusses noise removal, filtering, normalization, resampling and artifact correction before presenting time-domain, frequency-domain, time–frequency, wavelet and nonlinear feature-extraction methods. Feature selection and dimensionality reduction are considered in relation to model accuracy and clinical interpretability. The chapter also explores machine learning, deep learning and hybrid approaches through applications involving arrhythmia detection, seizure prediction and wearable cardiovascular monitoring, highlighting their importance in intelligent and personalized healthcare.

Flood estimation determines the probable magnitude and frequency of flood events for designing hydraulic structures and managing flood risk. Intense rainfall over a catchment generates excess water after interception, infiltration, evaporation, and depression storage have been satisfied. This runoff reaches the drainage system and may cause flooding when channel capacity is inadequate. Reliable estimates help engineers select suitable dimensions for dams, spillways, bridges, culverts, reservoirs, and other protective works. This chapter describes rainfall-based and streamflow-based estimation techniques, including the Rational and Cook’s methods, unit-hydrograph procedures, frequency distributions, Gumbel, log-normal and Log-Pearson Type III analyses, empirical formulae, flow-mass curves, and partial-duration series.

Fabric defects are imperfections or irregularities that diminish the appearance, structural integrity, functionality or performance of textile materials and finished products. They may develop during fibre preparation, yarn production, weaving, knitting, dyeing, printing, finishing, handling or storage. Their early detection and prevention are necessary for maintaining quality, minimizing material waste and protecting customer satisfaction. Quality-control personnel use inspection systems and analytical tools to record the frequency and seriousness of defects. Check sheets, histograms, control charts and Pareto analysis help classify faults and identify the most important problems. Understanding defect types and their underlying causes allows manufacturers to implement suitable remedies and prevent their recurrence.

Foundation architectures provide the technological basis for modern artificial intelligence systems and enable models to generalize across diverse tasks and modalities. This chapter examines the evolution of neural architectures that ultimately led to the dominance of the Transformer in contemporary language and multimodal AI. It begins with early neural networks, convolutional neural networks and recurrent neural networks before introducing attention mechanisms and the Transformer architecture. Particular attention is given to the major components of Transformers, including self-attention, multi-head attention, positional encoding and feedforward layers. Encoder, decoder and encoder–decoder configurations are examined through influential models such as BERT and GPT. The chapter further considers Vision Transformers and CLIP, demonstrating the extension of Transformer principles beyond natural language processing. At the same time, limitations such as computational complexity, memory requirements and long-context processing are discussed. Alternative approaches, including state-space models such as Mamba, efficient attention mechanisms, hierarchical architectures and Mixture-of-Experts models, are also explored as promising directions for scalable, efficient and adaptive AI.

Large Language Models have moved beyond experimental research environments and now support conversational agents, coding assistants, recommendation systems and intelligent decision-making applications. However, delivering these services to millions of users requires extremely low latency, high throughput, scalability, security and cost efficiency. This chapter examines the engineering principles required for real-time LLM inference and large-scale deployment. It decomposes end-to-end latency into model execution, network and queuing components and discusses techniques for optimizing each stage. Model-level approaches such as quantization, knowledge distillation, LoRA, QLoRA and speculative decoding are examined for reducing computational requirements while maintaining model quality. At the infrastructure level, tensor and sequence parallelism, GPU and TPU acceleration, efficient batching, autoscaling and cloud-native deployment strategies are considered. Key-value caching and speculative decoding are discussed as important methods for reducing response time in interactive applications. The chapter also addresses privacy, confidential computing, real-time PII protection, energy consumption and monitoring of model performance. Practical deployment examples demonstrate how these techniques can support responsive, secure and efficient AI services at production scale.

Horticultural crops are vulnerable to numerous insect pests, diseases, nematodes, weeds, and other biological stresses that can reduce yield and quality. This chapter presents integrated pest and disease management as a coordinated approach combining prevention, monitoring, cultural practices, biological control, mechanical methods, resistant varieties, and need-based chemical intervention. Accurate diagnosis and regular scouting are emphasized as foundations of effective management. Biorational products, pheromones, microbial pesticides, and natural enemies can reduce dependence on conventional pesticides. Responsible chemical use requires correct product selection, dose, timing, coverage, safety measures, and resistance management. The chapter promotes economically effective and environmentally responsible crop protection while safeguarding beneficial organisms, workers, consumers, and ecosystems.

INTRODUCTION

Resource, land use patterns and erosion of homrgardens biodiversity have been at the core of the debate on sustainable ecosystem management today. Homegardens are considered as a resource system of multiple functions and an important wheels of vehicle for biodiversity, environmental and ecological benefits, food security (either directly food grains, fruits, vegetables and root crops or indirectly improving soil conditions and there by promoting understory crop productivity especially on degraded sites), soil conservation potential, nutritional security, socio-cultural as well as mitigation of the impact of climate change and job creation in developing and under developed countries. While increasing human population, urbanization and pressure on the earth’s ecosystems, has resulted in the breakdown of these traditional agroforestry systems, accompanied by increasing economic, cultural, nutritional, and environmental problems, there is little awareness that homegardens are under similar threats.

C horizon: i) A horizon or layer, excluding hard bedrock, that is little affected by pedogenic processes and lacks properties of O, A, E, or B horizons —note the material of C horizons may be either like or unlike that from which the solum presumably formed. ii) A mineral horizon generally beneath the soil solum that is relatively unaffected by biological activity and pedogenesis and is lacking properties diagnostic of an a horizon or a b horizon. See also Soil horizon.

Abstract

Intensification of agriculture during the last few decades has resulted in considerable depletion of the productivity of Indian soils and the balance sheet of potassium (K) is highly negative due to very low level of K fertilization. Although the need for balanced fertilization is known for many years, it is not always observed in practice by farmers. Since the effects of nitrogen are easily seen and crops look more vigorous and yield better, excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers, accompanied by an inadequate supply of other nutrients, is considered by farmers as a reasonable insurance against yield losses. Often, the lack of K restricts nitrogen uptake and utilization, and hence plant growth. When K is limiting, nitrogen fertilizers are used inefficiently by the plants. This nutrient imbalance is thus closely associated with low nitrogen-use-efficiency (NUE) of crop plants, which is detrimental to crop production and environment – because of the consequences of N unused by the crop.

    
1.    Introduction
    
2.    Containers
    2.1     Materials used for forming containers
    2.2    Types of cans
    2.3    Labeling and coding
    2.4    Can seam
    
3.    Microbilogical Aspects
    3.1     Organisms associated with non acid foods
    3.2     Heat resistance of bacteria
    3.3     Logarithmic order of destruction
    3.4     Thermal death time curve
    3.5     Determination of TDT and survivor number
    3.6     F-value
    3.7    12 D concept
    
4.    Heat Penetration Aspects
    4.1    Factors that influence heat penetration
    4.2    Measurement of cold spot temperature
    
5.    Thermal Process Calculation
    5.1    General method
    5.2    Formula method
    
6    Inoculated Pack Studies

7.    Effect of Thermal Processing on Food Quality
    7.1    Cook value
    
8.    Steps of Canning Fish
        
    8.1    Handling raw material
    8.2    Dressing and size cutting
    8.3    Salt treatment
    8.4    Precooking
    8.5    Smoking
    8.6    Packing/ Filling
    8.7    Exhausting and seaming
    8.8     Retorting and cooling
    8.9    Inspection and storage

References

Introduction

Drought is the most common adverse environmental factor which limits crop production in different parts of the world. Often drought is accompanied by relatively high temperatures, which promote evapotranspiration, and hence could accentuate the effects of drought and thereby further reduce crop yields. Since these events occur more frequently in tropical and semitropical regions where most of the developing countries are situated, droughts are often associated with food shortages and an overall setback to developmental activities. Therefore, raising of drought-resistant crops is common sense to achieve stability in production and to enhance the possibility of self-suficiency in food. Consequently, breeding for drought resistance is a major objective of many research programmes in the international and national institutions. This has been so for the past several decades. But, it is disappointing that, there has not been any measurable success in these programmes compared with the success achieved in breeding for yield; or breeding for disease resistance or breeding for quality attributes. In fact, this was amply expressed by Arnon (1980) when he stated “Breeding for drought resistance has been a consistent theme for as long as I remember and probably the greatest source of wasted breeding efforts in the whole field of plant breeding.” However, the fact remains that we do hear of drought resistant varieties in many crops. For example, C-306 in wheat, Lalnakanda in rice and M 35-1 in Sorghum are some of the better known examples in India. It is also claimed that a large number of cultures among the Assam Rice Collection exhibit a considerably high degree of drought tolerance. Many land races and wild relatives of several crop species are said to contain drought resistant traits, which could be profitably utilised in breeding programmes. This situation is not unique to India alone but is a common experience in different parts of the world. However, to afirm a conviction a short questionnaire to assess the current state-of-art on breeding for drought resistance was distributed to 75 distinguished plant breeders and plant physiologists all over the world. The questionnaire and a summary based on the responses is as follows:

Mulching is a practice of covering the surface of soil with plastics, organic and non-organic materials like straw, grasses, sands, stones (boulders), synthetic plastics, etc. to reduce evaporation and to moderate wide fluctuations in diurnal soil temperature, especially in the root zone environment. It controls external evaporability and reduces energy supply to the evaporating site by cutting off solar radiation falling on the ground. Its main function is limited to control first stage of drying, which helps in improving moisture status and reducing soil temperature (Loy and Wells, 1975), besides checking seedling mortality and improving crop stand. It also suppresses weed-flora and reduces weed competition with crop for water and nutrients making them available in greater quantities for crop plants. Moreover, mulching helps in increasing downward movement of water, and its storage deep in the profiles escapes evaporation due to reduction in thermal gradients and exchange of vapours. The effectiveness of mulches in conserving moisture has generally been found to be higher under more frequency of rainfall, drought conditions and also during early period of plant growth when canopy cover remains scanty.

The beginning of the 20^th century was heralded by methodological revolution in geomorphological studies brought in by Davis (1899). His classical model of geographical cycle defined by him ‘ as a period of time during which and uplifted landmass undergoes its transformation by the process of land sculpture ending into a low featureless plain (peneplain)’ dominated the geomorphological investigations all over the world throughout 1^st half of the 20^th century.

The statistical techniques by Horton (1932 and 1945) brought quantitative revolution in the field of geomorphology when he presented quantitative analysis of morphometric characteristics of fluvially originated drainage basin. Post 1950 geomorphology has undergone vast change in the methods and approaches to the study of landforms, conceptual framework, paradigm and thrust areas of study. The most outstanding contribution to the advancement of geomorphological knowledge in this period is the adoption of quantitative approach based on deductive scientific method to the study of landforms and processes at short spatial and temporal scales (Strahler, 1956 and Schumm, 1956).

Several attempts have been made in the world in past to classify large territories and landforms into morpho-units. Valuable contributions pertaining to landform analysis have been summarized below: Joerg (1914) subdivided North America into natural regions, Fenneman (1914) established physiographic boundaries and gave physiographic divisions of the United States, whereas Anderson (1941) gave physiographic divisions of Columbia plateau. Howard and Spock (1940) and Weaver (1965) presented the excellent ways of classification of the landforms while Wood and Snell (1960) applied the quantitative systems for the classification of the landforms. However, Linton (1951) and Hammond (1954 and 1965) gave techniques for mapping delineating small scale and large-scale landforms.

ABSTRACT

Soil borne fungal pathogen causing root diseases of vegetables are difficult to control by chemical methods. The existing biocontrol bacteria are not very effective in control of soil borne fungal pathogens. As such very less number of bacterial biopesticide is available commercially to control the fungal pathogens. Increasing concerns in recent years about human health and environmental problems due to chemical pesticides, couple with increasing pest resistant to chemical, have led to a reappraisal of our approach to control pest and disease in crops. The trends now are towards a management concept in which the best combination of tools is used to manage plant diseases below economic thresholds with minimal risk to human health and environment. The modern management concept includes extensive use of biocontrol agents which are harmless to non-target organisms. Development of effective technology for control of pest and disease by using microbial resources of a region to enhance the quality of ecosystem is a potential alternative approach to chemical control of plant diseases. In such strategy, search for microorganisms and biological system is an important prerequisite prior to development and practical exploitation of biocontrol. Rhizosphere microorganisms are shown to be perspective candidate for biocontrol agent as they provide the front line of defense for plant roots against the attack by various plant pathogens causing the most diseases of vegetables and crops. Chemical control of soil-borne fungal pathogen had been the subject of growing concern because of their adverse effect on the environment and emergence of chemical pesticide resistant to plant pathogen, moreover, soil borne pathogens are very difficult to control. Crop rotation, breeding for resistant plant varieties and application of pesticides are insufficient to control root diseases of important plants because they survive as sclerotia and has got wide host range.

Vegetables are cheaper source of carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and dietary fibers, and hence, assume a place of very great importance in the diet of individuals. All kinds of vegetable are grown almost universally. India occupies the prime position in the production of vegetable crops and is the second largest producer of vegetables in the world. The area and production of vegetables in India have been increasing during the post-green revolution period, and the country is heading towards another revolution in the form of Golden Revolution. However, there is an utmost requirement for genetic improvement of vegetable crops in terms of productivity, qualitative characters and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. For any genetic improvement programme, the presence of genetic variation is pre-requisite and mutation is the ultimate source of this heritable variation.

Mutation technique that holds promise of generating a much wider desirable variability than classical breeding has been refined. Out of 2275 mutant varieties worldwide in all crops, as many as 66 mutants are in vegetables. In terms of percentage, China, India, USSR, The Netherlands, The United States of America and Japan account for 26.8, 11.5, 9.3, 7.8, 5.7 and 5.3%, respectively of mutagen varieties in all crops. Such varieties are 3% in case of vegetables. After mutation treatment by a mutagen to a specific plant, DNA alterations (deletion, duplication, inversion, translocation, or transposition of larger DNA fragments, or simple basic pair changes) occur and lead to the DNA sequence change. Hence, new characteristics of that plant are established. In fact, induced mutations supply us with many new plant lines, which may be used as primary materials for crop breeding. Hence, mutation breeding seems to be an effective and ultimate option to improve vegetable crops in the shortest possible time. A large number of new promising varieties in different crops, including vegetables, have successfully been developed worldwide using various mutagens (Chopra, 2005).

Fruits are very important in human diet, as they are chief sources of vitamins and micronutrients. Variable agro-climatic condition in India provides tremendous scope for cultivation of fruit crops. Among fruits, apple, pear, cherry, plum, peach, apricot, walnut and almond (temperate fruits); mango, grapes, banana, citrus, pineapple (tropical and subtropical fruits); pomegranate (arid zone fruit) are important fruit grown in India. Insect-pests are amongst one of the major constraint for the low productivity of fruit crops in India. Therefore, it is important to have some information of the important insect-pests of fruit tree and their management. Over 1000 species of insects found damaging fruit trees all over the world, of these as many as 800 insect species have been intercepted from India (Butani, 1979). The information on insect pests of apple and other temperate fruits in India have been reviewed by several workers (Pruthi and Batra, 1960; Butani, 1979; Bhalla and Gupta, 1993; Sharma and Thakur, 1996). In India, more than 200 insect species on apple trees (Bhalla and Pawar, 1977), 70 species on pear, 80 species on peach, 60 species on plum, 30 species on apricot (Butani, 1979), 85 species on grapevine (Tandon and Verghese, 1994), 175 species on mango, 182 species on banana (Dhaliwal et al., 2006) and 250 species of insect and mites on citrus (Pruthi and Mani, 1945; Wadhi and Batra, 1964; Rajput and Hari Babu, 1985; Tandon, 1993) have been reported. The important insect-pests of fruits are as follows:

In this chapter of machine learning algorithms we will cover the basic algorithms of machine learning with their implementation using dataset and discuss their pro’s and cons of algorithms for better understanding and how to use them in any project or with any dataset to get an correct result which can useful for research or study.

Key Component

We defined a data set composed of audio, images and binary labels that provided an understanding of how we could train a model from snippets to classifications. This sort of problem is one of many kinds of machine learning problems when we try and predict a specified unknown label given known inputs, provided that a dataset of examples for which labels are known is called supervised learning. Let’s discus what are the major key components we have to get there

Mole (mol)

1 mole of any substance contains 6.02 x 10²³ units. The number of moles in a given weight of substance can be calculated using following equation.

4.1 Introduction

India is a land of many rivers, lakes, ponds, coastal, marines and mountains. Its geographical area of about 329 million hectare is crises crossed by a large number of small and medium, large rivers, some of them figuring amongst the mighty rivers of the world. The rivers and mountains have a greater significance in the history of Indian civilizations, development, religious and spiritual life. It may not be an exaggeration to say that the rivers are the heart and soul of the Indian civilizations

India is a union of States with a federal set up. Politically, the country is divided into 26 States and 7 Union Territories. A major part of India’s population of 869 millions (1991 census) is rural and agriculturally oriented for whom the rivers are the source of their life. India is a land of many religions, diversity of cultures and languages. The different regions of the country have different cultural, linguistic and other ethnic groups. The land and people present a vast panorama of diversity in unity. Physiographically, India may be divided into seven well-defined regions.

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a subtropical and evergreen tree belonging to the family Sapindaceae. This fruit has highly specific climatic adaptability due to chilling requirement for floral initiation on one hand and the damage caused due to high summer temperature along with low relative humidity during fruit growth period on the other hand. Some other factors influencing expansion in different regions of the world are difficulties in establishment of plants in nursery and orchards, bearing and further into harvesting and post-harvest management. Calcium rich soil with mycorrhizae is best suited for the luxuriant growth of litchi plants which are commercially propagated by air-layering or gootee.

There has been a substantial increase in the area and production of litchi in India during the past 50 years. The area has increased from 9400 ha (1949–1950) to 91,000 ha (2016–2017). The contribution of litchi to the total area under fruit cultivation has increased from 0.75% to 1.70%. Increase in area during 1991–1992 to 2016–2017 (22 years) has been more than 80%, whereas production increase during the same period is to the tune of more than 150% (NHB, 2016–17). Productivity also recorded an increase of about 50% during the same period. Evidently, production and productivity of litchi are constantly increasing in the country. On a global scale, the fresh fruit market dominates the trade, followed by dried and canned fruit. Low success rate of establishment, lesser fruiting span, low and irregular yields because of poor flowering and fruit set, fruit cracking, browning and rotting of fruits, fruit borers and mites, poor shelf life, and lack of suitable varieties with early and late maturity and good-quality fruits are some of the factors encountered

1.1 Introduction Among the C4 grasses known as panicoids (subfamily: panicoideae), which also includes nutrient-rich cereals like millets and sorghum as well as commercially valuable crops like switchgrass, napier grass, and guinea grass, are bioenergy feedstocks like sugarcane and miscanthus. Among all, millets overpowered others in terms of biotic/abiotic stress resilience, resource sustainability as well as nutritional benefits. Minor millets, often known as nutritional cereals, are a type of small-seeded grains that are members of the Poaceae family. Up to 35 kinds of grass from 20 genera are well-known for being minor millets. Finger millet, foxtail, proso millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, and little millet are the most significant small millets that are grown worldwide. India is the leading producer and consumer of millet crops and their products. The total area of small millets in India is around 1.63 m ha, with a production of 1.82 m tones during the year 2016- 17 (Annual progress report 2018-19, ICAR-AICRP on small millets).

Apterygotes

The Apterygota, which formerly included the other primitively wingless insects currently placed in the class Entognatha, are now restricted to the two orders Archaeognatha and Zygentoma, which in turn were formerly united as the Thysanura. Despite the superficial similarity of the two groups, it is now clear that they are not closely related, mainly because of fundamental differences in the mouthparts. The Archaeognathous mandibles are monocondylic, having a single articulating point with the head so that the mandible can rotate. The Zygentomous mandibles are dicondylic, with two articulating points that restrict the motion to a single plane yet enable the development of a much stronger biting action; this is the type found in all the higher insects, and the Zygentoma may well be the sister group of the Pterygota, or winged insects. Clearly the ‘Apterygota’ is not a monophyletic group and is simply retained for convenience in grouping these two orders that superficially resemble each other and have similar life histories.

Population: The word population or universe in statistics means a set of observations relating to a phenomenon under investigation.

Sample: It is a fraction or a subset of population drawn through a valid statistical procedure so that it can be regarded as representative of the entire population.

Sampling: The statistical procedure of drawing a sample from the population is called Sampling.

Census enquiry or complete enumeration: When each and every unit of the population is investigated for the characteristic under study, known as census enquiry or complete enquiry.

Sample enquiry or sample enumeration: It is a part of the population is investigated for the characteristic under study, known as sample enquiry or sample enumeration.

Necessity of sampling: Since, the process of collecting information from all the elements of a large population may be, in general, expensive, time consuming and difficult. We help to sampling and generalise the properties of the sample to the entire population. The statistical procedures which are used for drawing inferences or conclusions about the population from sample data are covered under Inferential Statistics or Statistical inference. Thus, sampling theory is the basis of statistical inference in which we wish to obtain maximum information about the population with minimum effort and maximum precision.

Bovine leukocyte adhesion deficiency (BLAD) is a lethal autosomal recessive disease caused by a point mutation in CD 18 gene. Through Minimum Standard Protocol (MSP), Government of India made mandatory to screen all the breeding and newly introduced HF bulls for this BLAD. In this present study screening for mutation is carried out by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique (PCR-RFLP). Non availability of positive control made us to resort for synthesis of DNA probes with similar sequence of the gene with mutation and authenticity was verified by nucleotide sequencing. A total of 200 blood samples collected from phenotypically normal HF bulls from organized farms and subjected to PCR-RFLP technique. The results indicate that out of 200 bulls, 01 bull (0.5%) was found to be carrier for mutated gene CD18. Hence it is mandatory to screen each bull to prevent accidental transmission of mutant gene to a large number of future populations.

Introduction

Neuroanatomy research covers a wide range of topics including, gross anatomy of brain and spinal cord, imaging technologies for diagnosis, surgical anatomy, microscopic anatomy on nervous system, ultrastructural details on neurons and neuroglia, research on gene and protein expression patterns using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. Despite many challenges, neuroanatomy in animals remains a crucial area of study for understanding the basic principles of structural organisation and its physiology. This review on the master glands i.e. hypothalamus and hypophysis cerebri, is mainly focused on the histomorphology and ultrastructural details reported in rat, rabbit, sheep, goat, buffalo and camel.

Mastering the Master gland

The hypothalamus (“hypo” meaning below, and “thalamos” meaning nuptial chamber / innermost room) is a major centre of the brain consists of regulatory circuits that controls internal body functions for survival. The hypothalamus is a small, central region of the brain composed of a conglomerate of hypothalamic nuclei and their nerve tracts. The hypothalamic neural connections to the pituitary glands in various mammals have been studied under light microscopic examination of sections of hypothalamus and pituitary gland together intact with infundibular stalk (Paramasivan et al., 2011). The nerve fibres of various hypothalamic nuclei coursed on as a distinct bundle into the infundibular stalk and then continued into the neurohypophysis. Through its connections with pituitary gland, the hypothalamus exerts an enormous influence over the endocrine system and thereby over the general metabolic functions and reproduction (Clemente, 1985). The pituitary gland (hypophysis cerebri) is considered as the master endocrine gland as it plays a critical role in influencing and controlling the activities of other endocrine glands viz. thyroid, adrenal, ovary, testis and pineal. However, the hypophysis itself is under the control of the hypothalamus which actually masters the endocrine function of various hormones released from the master gland i.e. hypophysis cerebri.

Freezing is among the oldest and most commonly used techniques for preserving food, as it effectively maintains taste, texture, and nutritional value better than other preservation methods. This process leverages the advantages of low temperatures, which inhibit microbial growth, slow down chemical reactions, and delay cellular metabolic activities.
ROLE OF REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS FOR FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES
Proper collection, handling, storage, and distribution of fruits and vegetables are crucial to ensuring they reach consumers in the best possible condition. Refrigeration plays a key role in maintaining freshness and extending the shelf life of these products. Companies involved in production, processing, and marketing that implement efficient commercial and industrial refrigeration systems benefit in several ways:
• Slowing down the ripening and aging of tissue cells.
• Preventing microbial growth.
• Reducing overall quantitative and qualitative losses.

Introduction
Processing fruit and vegetables by applying heat is one of the most important methods of preservation as it exerts a positive preservative effect on the foods by destroying spoilage causing micro-organisms, enzymes, insects, parasites, etc. Heat processing also improves the availability of nutrients by improving digestibility, releasing vitamins like bound niacin, destroying anti-nutritional factors like trypsin inhibitor in some legumes including soybean, causing gelatinization of starches, and producing shelf-stable products. However, heating also causes some alteration or destruction of the sensory quality of fresh foods like changes in flavor, color, taste, and texture as a result, heatprocessed foods are perceived to have different sensory qualities than fresh produce.
Preservation by heat (thermal processing) involves heating foods in hermetically sealed containers for a specific time at a particular temperature to eliminate/kill/inactivate the microbial pathogens that endanger public health
and micro-organisms and enzymes that deteriorate food during storage. Most of the raw material used for canning is usually contaminated with different species and strains of bacteria, molds, and yeasts undergoing different stages of growth (lag phase, log phase, stationary phase, vegetative phase, sporulation phase, etc.,). Amongst these, bacterial spores are more difficult to inactivate. Thus, the criteria for heat processing chosen to inactivate the spores are also presumed to be capable of inactivating all other forms of microorganisms. Unlike fruits, most vegetables being low acid or even non-acid require a severe heat treatment to kill most bacteria. It is, therefore, necessary to work out the proper time and temperature combination for each category of food to ensure complete preservation.

A boiler is a sealed vessel designed to heat water or other liquids, producing steam or vapor for various applications, including heating, power generation, cooking, and industrial processes. The operation of a boiler is similar to that of a pressure cooker but on a larger scale. The steam or vapor generated is used for domestic or industrial purposes, with the system usually involves involving combustion products that heat the water.
Boilers come in various types, tailored for specific uses. While domestic boilers are compact and suited for household needs, industrial boilers play an important role in production processes, often operating on a much larger scale. These industrial boilers can be environmentally friendly when powered by natural gas or other low-emission fuels, helping industries reduce harmful emissions while maintaining performance.
Industrial boilers have been a part of various sectors for centuries, with applications ranging from steam-powered locomotives to power plants. Their primary benefit lies in their energy efficiency and capacity to generate Exclusively Distributed by NIPA GENX Electronic Resources and Solution Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi significant heat, supporting industrial operations. Whether in cooking or running manufacturing plants, heat plays a central role in daily life, and boilers provide a reliable means of delivering it efficiently.
In industries, the use of industrial boilers helps reduce dependency on costly electric energy. As electricity can be expensive on a large scale, boilers allow manufacturers to lower operational costs. Additionally, industrial boilers require less management and minimize dependence on electricity, making them an economical and efficient option for industries.

A boiler is a sealed vessel designed to heat water or other liquids, producing steam or vapor for various applications, including heating, power generation, cooking, and industrial processes. The operation of a boiler is similar to that of a pressure cooker but on a larger scale. The steam or vapor generated is used for domestic or industrial purposes, with the system usually involves involving combustion products that heat the water. Boilers come in various types, tailored for specific uses. While domestic boilers are compact and suited for household needs, industrial boilers play an important role in production processes, often operating on a much larger scale. These industrial boilers can be environmentally friendly when powered by natural gas or other low-emission fuels, helping industries reduce harmful emissions while maintaining performance. Industrial boilers have been a part of various sectors for centuries, with applications ranging from steam-powered locomotives to power plants. Their primary benefit lies in their energy efficiency and capacity to generate significant heat, supporting industrial operations. Whether in cooking or running manufacturing plants, heat plays a central role in daily life, and boilers provide a reliable means of delivering it efficiently. In industries, the use of industrial boilers helps reduce dependency on costly electric energy. As electricity can be expensive on a large scale, boilers allow manufacturers to lower operational costs. Additionally, industrial boilers require less management and minimize dependence on electricity, making them an economical and efficient option for industries.

This chapter converts policy concepts into practical learning activities related to agricultural Extension and Advisory Services. Readers are guided to analyse national and state policies, compare extension frameworks across countries and interview key actors in government, universities, commodity boards and development organizations. Exercises examine the evidence policymakers require, the roles of public, private and civil-society stakeholders and policy bottlenecks affecting district-level delivery. Institutional mapping, compliance audits, consultations, convergence scorecards and policy-reform notes provide structured diagnostic tools. The chapter develops analytical, communication, interviewing and problem-solving skills while encouraging learners to design decentralized, accountable, gender-responsive and climate-sensitive improvements to extension policy and implementation.

The rapid expansion of Large Language Models has created two major development ecosystems: open-source models that emphasize transparency, accessibility and community participation, and proprietary models that emphasize centralized control, commercial support and scalable services. This chapter provides a comparative examination of these approaches across technical, economic, ethical and operational dimensions. Open-source models typically provide access to model architectures, weights and development tools, enabling researchers and organizations to inspect, modify, fine-tune and deploy models for specialized applications. Their community-driven nature can accelerate innovation and reduce barriers to experimentation. Proprietary models, in contrast, generally provide controlled access through commercial APIs or platforms and may offer optimized infrastructure, enterprise support, security mechanisms and large-scale deployment capabilities. The chapter compares the two approaches in terms of transparency, customization, licensing, scalability, accessibility, security, cost, accountability and innovation potential. It also discusses the advantages and limitations of each model for startups, academic institutions, enterprises and researchers. Rather than presenting a universal winner, the chapter emphasizes that model selection should depend on application requirements, available resources, governance needs, technical expertise and desired levels of control.

Systems biology examines living organisms as integrated and interconnected systems rather than as isolated genes, proteins, or metabolic pathways. This chapter introduces the historical development, principles, and major components of systems biology. It explains biological networks, pathway architecture, transcriptome analysis, gene-expression analysis, and interactions among genes, proteins, enzymes, and metabolites. Network-based approaches provide a framework for understanding complex biological processes and predicting cellular responses. The chapter also introduces synthetic biology and synthetic networks and discusses applications of systems biology in medicine, biotechnology, agriculture, and environmental research. Advantages, limitations, computational requirements, and future developments are considered as systems approaches continue to expand biological understanding.

2.1 Simple Random Sampling
The simplest and common most method of sampling is simple random sampling. In this procedure, the sample is drawn unit by unit with equal probability of selection for each unit at each draw. It is sometimes referred to as unrestricted random sampling.

13.1 Introduction
In the previous chapters, we have considered different tests of significance based on normal distribution, F distribution, student’s t distribution and Chi-square (χ2) distribution which are frequently applied by the users of different disciplines of applied sciences and social sciences. In this chapter some more tests of significance are considered which have not been covered in those chapters. These tests are also based on t, F, Fisher’s z transformation, χ2 and some other test statistics are also discussed one by one in the following sections.