Economics of Biotechnology

The sunflower genotypes were evaluated to identify the sources of resistance against collar rot caused by Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. A total of thirty-six sunflower genotypes were screened for their relative resistance against collar rot disease in field under natural conditions at Oilseeds Research Area CCSHAU Hisar in 2014-2015. Only hybrid PSH-1962 showed resistant reaction and twenty one genotypes (nine hybrids, four CMS and eight restorers) showed moderate resistance against collar rot disease. Ten genotypes (one hybrid, four CMS and five restorers) showed moderately susceptible reaction while, three genotype (one hybrid, and two CMS) showed susceptible reaction and one genotype (Restorer) showed highly susceptible reaction against collar rot disease.

A study was conducted to estimate the extent of relative heterosis and heterobeltiosis for various quantitative and qualitative traits using diallel analysis excluding reciprocal crosses in aerobic condition. Among parents, IET-24021, IET-23998 and IET-24025 were found superior for grain yield and most of its yield attributing traits. High magnitude of relative heterosis and heterobeltiosis were observed for grain yield per plant, days to 50 per cent flowering, number of productive tillers per plant, straw yield per plant, grains per panicle, test weight, protein content and amylose content. The cross combination IET24001 × GNR-3, IET-24001 × IR-28 and IET-24002 × GNR-3 exhibited highly significant heterosis in desired direction for grain yield and its yield attributing traits. The cross combination IET-24001 × GNR3, IET-24001 × IR-28 and IET-24002 × GNR-3 were identified as the best combinations for aerobic conditions on the basis of high per se performance and high heterobeltiosis.

Fish and fishery resources play a vital role in improving socio-economic conditions of the fishermen and related people those are involved with its business. It also plays important role of employment opportunities in Purulia as well as West Bengal also. A field study was conducted on the socio-economic conditions of fishermen in Purulia District. The study was carried out for a period of 5 months with the objectives to know the socio-economic condition of involved fishermen and find out some possible suggestions to uplift the livelihood status of local fishermen. The collection of data was done by survey method using well structured questionnaires, PRA and interviewing with fishermen. Socio-economic condition of tribal fishermen communities were presented in terms of, age group, religion, marital status, family type, condition of house, educational status of the fishermen, number of members in their family, school going children, school dropout children, household assets, use of el...

The Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) strategy was evolved for the rapid socio-economic development of tribal people in the 5th Five Year Plan has the objectives of socio-economic development and Protection of STs against exploitation through legal and administrative support for narrowing the gap between their levels of development to that of the general communities. In West Bengal, Purulia District is one of the poorly backward drought prone, topographically severely undulating lands with inadequate irrigation and insufficient of all agricultural inputs. The present status of tribal people is very poor as a consequence they are migrating to neighboring district and state for their source of income. For the socio economic upliftment of tribal people, Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) was formulated and adopted in different districts. Fisheries sector embraces a large population of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Rehabilitation of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes families through fishery activit...

The statistical methods have been applied to examine the relationship between library books consultation and reading habits of Agriculture Scholars of S. K. N. College of Agriculture, Jobner (Rajasthan). The chi square study on various attributes resulted much higher than the table values, rejecting null hypothesis and study clearly proved high significance and association with book consultations and category of reading attitude of Agriculture Scholars. The study implies that the effective use of library services depends on books consultation and reading attitude of library members. The chi square ranking study on different attributes implicates that PhD Scholars of general category ranked first by making better use of books which implicates effective consultation of books whereas the SC/ST scholars which ranked first in making adequate number of library membership. The ranking studies of chi square values for yearly published books (2010 to 2014) suggest non significant at table values and does not affects books consultation. The Coefficient correlation study on year wise books consultation and category of Agriculture Scholars revealed very high and significant. The High correlation implicates better association between book consultations with category of Agriculture Scholars.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major health concern worldwide and India accounts for 23% of the global TB burden. Of all TB cases, extra pulmonary (EP) TB in India accounts for 15 to 20% that remains undetected and untreated not only due to its diverse clinical presentation but also due to lack of diagnostic means. EPTB poses a greater diagnostic challenge in HIV co-infected patients and children. Also with some forms of EPTB like TB meningitis, consequences can be lifethreatening. Early detection of TB and multidrug resistance is a priority in the diagnosis of TB for early disease management. In 2013, the World Health Organization has endorsed the use of GeneXpert MTB/RIF assay, a fullyautomated cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test for the rapid diagnosis of EPTB. We aimed to use the GeneXpert assay on body fluid specimens from patients with strong clinical suspicion, were hospitalized and the microscopic examination was negative for Acid-fast bacilli. GeneXpert assay was performed on 378 body fluid samples that consisted of 164 pleural fluids, 148 CSF, 59 ascitic fluid and 7 other body fluid (synovial, pericardial, peritoneal) specimens. Of these, 32 specimens were positive for MTB with a positivity rate of 10.1%, 8.8% and 9.3% respectively for pleural fluids, CSF and ascitic fluid. Rifampicin resistance was detected in 4 of the pleural fluid and one of the ascitic fluid samples. Collectively, 19.2% of the MTB positives in our study were multidrug resistant (MDR) TB. Thus the results suggest that GeneXpert assay has a good potential in the rapid accurate diagnosis of EPTB especially in body fluids, aids in prompt initiation of appropriate therapy and improving the quality of TB care.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) keratitis is a common and serious external ocular infection leading to unilateral blindness, primarily because of its recurrent nature. Despite considerable progress in the understanding of the virus at cellular and molecular levels, there is still a dilemma whether to use antiviral or steroids or both. The risk of using the steroids with its complication has to be weighed against its concomitant risk of progression without it. This dilemma can be reduced to a considerable extent if basic principles of virology and pathogenesis are kept in mind. Therefore, this article reviews current concepts of the virological and clinical aspects of HSV keratitis to enable a broad understanding of the disease process.

The anti-allergic effects of herbs Albizzialebbeckand Syzygium cumin were analyzed in wistar albino rats and Swiss albino mice, from the aqueous and methanol extracts of roots of these plants. Mast cell degranulation in rats was induced by clonidine and as a known factor d-disodium chromoglycolate administration and the extracts showed a significant reduction in mast cell degranulation, suggesting a possible antihistamine and anti-allergic actions. Clonidine induced catalepsy was reduced by a known chemical diphenhydramine. Clonidine induced catalepsy was also shown to be reduced to a lesser extent by the extracts. Milk induced Leukocytosis was reduced by Diazepam and it was compared with the extracts. Extracts also caused significant reduction in milk induced leukocytosis, but to a lesser extent than diazepam. Milk induced eosinophilia was reduced by Dexamethasone and it was compared with the extracts. Extracts also caused significant reduction in milk induced leukocytosis, but to a lesser extent than Dexamethasone. With these results it is indicated that roots of Albizzialebbeck and Syzygium cumin have anti-allergic effects. Research Article Volume 1 Issue 1

If it is the job of science to elucidate the processes of nature and use that knowledge to solve problems, why do more and more people distrust science? People from all walks of life have taken stands against science on a variety of issues including: Climate Change, Oceanacidification, Vaccinations, Environmental regulation, Evolution, Medicine and Nutrition. The distrust of science is nothing new, when Galileo indicated that the earth circled the sun, he was declared a heretic and placed under house arrest for the rest of his life. Similarly, Darwin's theory of evolution came out over 150 years ago and is a corner stone of modern biology, yet it is still being rejected by knowledgeable people and the teaching of evolution challenged in certain states. Some propose that people cling to what they know, and that changing entrenched opinion can be a slow process for both individuals and for society. Editorial Volume 1 Issue 1

There are some biological sciences which are essential for human being's life. Among an abundance of sciences, applied microbiology, biotechnology and genetic engineering play a key role in our lives. All of these science branches support and guarantee the life continuity and health of human being on the earth. Although the terms of applied microbiology, biotechnology and genetic engineering are novel and new, the sciences are prehistoric in practice. Through the several millennia, the human populations in different regions around the world such as the north part of the Persian Gulf, the Caspian Sea areas, Mesopotamia, etc. have recognized fabulous and incredible biological tools like Saccharomyces cerevisiae which binds the prehistoric era to the modern time. We have no choice to progress and qualify our knowledge to increase the quality of the biological processes.

∗ Introducir nuevos o mejorados productos en el mercado nacional o extranjero (ejemplos: medicamentos, equipos, dispositivos médicos, diagnosticadores; y de productores: LABEX, IMEFA, CIDEM, CQF, etc.). ∗ Introducir nuevos o mejorados servicios (ejemplos: nuevos servicios quirúrgicos, preventivos, de atención estomatológica, PPU). ∗ Implantar nuevos o mejorados procesos productivos o procedimientos (ejemplos: medicoquirúrgicos, docente-educativos, informativos y de automatización). ∗ Introducir y validar nuevas o mejoradas técnicas de gerencia y sistemas organizacionales con los que se presta atención sanitaria y que se aplican en nuestras fábricas y empresas.

Sweet potato is a tuberous root vegetable cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions of the world mainly for its high nutritional content. Symptoms observed on the crop has suggested it's susceptibility to a wide range of pathogens including fungi. Due to high impact of infections on the nutritional content of the crop, this study is aimed at determining the effect of Trichoderma harzianum and Trichoderma viride on the proximate composition of I. batatas. Infected and non-infected tubers were collected and proximate analyses was carried out. Isolation of pathogens from infected tubers was carried out by surface sterilizing in 1% sodium hypochlorite solution for 60 3 seconds and then, segments of tissue (3mm ) from the margins of rotten tubers were cut 0 out aseptically, and plated on petri dishes containing PDA and incubated at 28±1 C for three days. Developing colonies were scrapped and cultured on fresh PDA plates to obtain and identify pure cultures of pathogens. Nutritional composition of infected samples was determined by oven drying sliced, flat tiny pieces of symptomatic tubers at o 60 C, and subsequently ground into fine powder and analyzed. Results identified T. harzianum and T. viride as the causative agents of postharvest rot of potato tubers. Also, nutritional content of tubers infected with T. viride showed a decrease in the carbohydrate, crude protein, and crude fat content when compared with non-infected tubers. Proximate content analysis showed, carbohydrate content, crude protein, crude fat, respectively decreased as follows: from 18.28±0.15 to 12.18±2.15, 1.81± 0.07 to 0.15±0.45, and from 0.08± 0.18 to 0.02± 0.12. While T. harzianum depleted carbohydrate, crude protein, and fat respectively to 10.31±0.33, 1.20±0.01, and 0.02±0.50. Fungal infection was found to negatively impact proximate composition of the crop. Since healthy plants are better able to resist fungal infections, enhanced soil fertility and plant health through proper nutrient management and soil amendments was recommended.

We report the seed germination and associated metabolic responses of differentially stored seeds of Verbascum thapsus L. (Scrophulariaceae), an economically and medicinally important herb from the cold desert region of Lahaul (Himachal Pradesh, India) in trans Himalaya, to certain physico-chemical and GA₃ treatments. The freshly harvested seeds of V. thapsus exhibited high (96 %) viability but low germination (55 %). During the storage of seeds under ambient conditions, viability did not change until 1-year but declined progressively thereafter showing a 33 % decline in 4-year stored seeds. The seed germination was promoted to varying extents by acid scarification (AS), SNP (sodium nitroprusside), SHC (sodium hypochlorite) and GA₃ pre-treatments. Storagedependent changes in seed germination performance and responsiveness to different effectors were evident. Germination performance improved significantly due to 1-year storage followed by a sharp decline subsequently. The responsiveness of seeds to various treatments tended to be higher in seeds stored for ≥2 years. The changes in germination were paralleled by those in α-amylase activity in seeds. Lipid peroxidation generally increased during storage that was paralleled by a gradual decline in superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and phenolic contents. Catalase (CAT) activity increased transiently in 1-year stored seeds and declined thereafter. Data are expected to have implications for multiplication and cultivation of V. thapsus.

A trial was conducted to assess variability and correlation for seed yield and its attributes with a set of 64 genotypes of castor (Ricinus communis L.). The characters studied were 12 quantitative characters viz., days to 50% flowering of main raceme, days to maturity of main raceme, number of nodes up to main raceme, plant height up to main raceme, total length of main raceme, effective length of main raceme, number of capsules on main raceme, number of effective branches per plant, seed yield per plant, 100-seed weight, oil content and shelling out turn. The analysis of variance revealed highly significant differences among the mean square due to genotypes for all characters. High GCV and PCV, high heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for all the characters except number of nodes up to main raceme and number of effective branches per plant. Seed yield per plant had significant and positive correlation with total length of main raceme, ef...

This study explores the marketing practices of small biotechnology companies. The recent critical literature has questioned the direct applicability of traditional marketing concepts (e.g., sales, advertising, PR, pricing, etc.) to specific types of businesses, such as science-based and high-tech start-ups, and within the small business context more generally. This study contributes to the small business marketing literature by examining how marketing practice emerges and evolves in biotechnology start-ups. The primary data were collected during two years of ethnographic fieldwork examining a team of natural scientists who had established a university spin-off company. In addition, the dataset includes documents and interviews. This study introduces a new type of marketing practice called science marketing, which has not yet been identified in previous studies. The analysis reveals, first, how the practice of science marketing emerges in a biotechnology start-up and how science marketing differs from traditional marketing. Second, the analysis illustrates how an embodied and routinised means of promoting scientific work is transferred from a research group to the start-up to be infused and combined with more traditional marketing activities. As part of science marketing, the scientists conducted academic activities, such as publishing journal articles, making conference presentations and compiling publication lists, which are tasks that the previous literature has regarded as stubborn preoccupations of science but which have become an understandable and valuable asset in marketing small science-based ventures such as biotechnology start-ups.

In order to study grain yield and some of the morphological traits of sunflower hybrids, a factorial experiment was conducted based on complete randomized block design with three replications in research farm of Agricultural jihad Ministry of Ardel town during the 2012. This experiment comprised of three implantation dates, including: May 13 th (which is considered to be the current date of implantation in that region), June 5 th and June 28 th and had three hybrids of Azargol (control), Farokh and Aline59* R-864. The results of the research indicated that number of leaves and leaf surface during the harvest, petiole length, the third petiole length under the tray, stem length, bush height, stem diameter, chlorophyll concentration (a) and (b), dry matter in maturity stage and grain yield have been all affected by the implantation date. On the other hand the traits of the angle of leaf-lamina to horizon, angle of leaf to stem and bending of tray did not become significant affected by implantation date. There was a significant difference between the hybrids according to: leaf surface during the harvest stage, petiole length, the third petiole length under the tray, bush length, bush height, stem diameter, chlorophyll concentration (a) and dry matter during the maturity stage. Also grain yield, number of leaves during the harvest stage, the angle of leaf-lamina to horizon, angle of leaf to stem, bending of the stem and chlorophyll concentration (b) did not become significant affected by hybrid difference. The maximum grain yield, leaf surface during the harvest stage, petiole length, the third petiole length under the tray, stem length, bush height, stem diameter and dry matter during the Maturity stage, were observed during the implantation date of May 13 th x Azargol hybrid. And also the maximum amount in trait number of leaves during the maturity stage was observed in implantation date of May 13 th in Aline59*R-864 hybrid. The maximum amount of chlorophyll concentration (a) and chlorophyll (b) was related to Azargol hybrid during the implantation date of June 28 th .

A laboratory experiment was carried out in one of the laboratories of the horticulture department ,college of agriculture ,Al-qadisiya university ,during the spring season of the year 2023 ,with the aim using environmentally friendly natural materials instead of chemical fertilizers and studying their effect as fertilizer for chickpea plant (cricer arietinum L). Acomplete randomized design (CRD) was used with three replications and one factors ,as the treatments included (T1 control distilled water ,T2 banana peels fertilizer , T3 eggs shell fertilizer and T4 mixture of two fertilizers. Results showed that the treatment of the plant with mixture natural fertilizer gave agood result compared to the control treatment 100% ,while it gave the lowest germination rate when the control treatment 91.6 % without significant differences.The results were also the highest in the number of branching of the root of the seedling and in the same treatment 18.6 branch ,while the comparison treatment gave the lowest number of branch and reached 14.3 branch without significant differences .the length of the root stock and feather ,its dry weight and the strength of the seedling also had the highest rates when theT4 treatment reached 12.1 cm ,4cm ,0.299 mg .0.322 mg and 1.7000 respectively ,with significant differnces ,while the rates were lower when the control (T1 treatment)the comparison an ounted to 5.5 cm ,2.3 cm 0.142 mg 0.133 mg and 726.0 resectively.

The statistical methods have been applied to examine the relationship between library books consultation and reading habits of Agriculture Scholars of S. K. N. College of Agriculture, Jobner (Rajasthan). The chi square study on various attributes resulted much higher than the table values, rejecting null hypothesis and study clearly proved high significance and association with book consultations and category of reading attitude of Agriculture Scholars. The study implies that the effective use of library services depends on books consultation and reading attitude of library members. The chi square ranking study on different attributes implicates that PhD Scholars of general category ranked first by making better use of books which implicates effective consultation of books whereas the SC/ST scholars which ranked first in making adequate number of library membership. The ranking studies of chi square values for yearly published books (2010 to 2014) suggest non significant at table values and does not affects books consultation. The Coefficient correlation study on year wise books consultation and category of Agriculture Scholars revealed very high and significant. The High correlation implicates better association between book consultations with category of Agriculture Scholars.

The last two decades have seen great progress and even greater promise for biotechnological approaches to genetic modification of forest trees. A number of studies and commercial experiences have shown the delivery of important traits in the field, including herbicide tolerance, pest resistance, modified wood properties, enhanced nitrogen metabolism, and male-sterility. These studies have also shown that, after initial screening of transgenic events for gene/trait expression, stability in gene expression and limited somaclonal variation is the rule. The development of extensive genomic sequence information for many species, including a draft reference sequence in poplar and one soon to be published for Eucalyptus, has provided numerous new tools for continued study, especially for cis/intragenic approaches. Thus, the biological potential for new advances in great. However, a number of serious challenges have developed and are severely constraining further development. These include: 1) Transformation systems that are inadequate in efficiency and generality to address the diversity of tree species and genotypes; this is unfortunate as the application of new advances in developmental genetics could greatly reduce these problems. 2) Regulatory constraints on research that make it extremely costly and risky to conduct field tests; this is a serious problem as most the value and pleiotropy of new biotechnologies cannot be fully appreciated without field study. 1 3) Regulatory and marketplace obstacles to commercial applications that have limited commercial investment, reduced the attraction of the best students to the field, and slowed scientific progress. Unfortunately, these regulatory constraints reflect deep social, cultural, and ethical issues that cannot be easily addressed by scientific research or dialogue. If transgenic forest biotechnology is to fulfill its potential to promote forest health and productivity over the long term, it is essential that scientists, scientific institutions, the private sector, and concerned NGOs (non-governmental organizations) work to reduce the regulatory and market stranglehold that is suffocating the field in many parts of the world, including in the USA, Japan, and Europe. This requires engaging on the foundation issues that have prevented meaningful progress.

The present investigation was carried out during rabi season (March June) 2017 at central research farm of SHUATS, Allahabad in RBD with three replications. The ten okra genotypes viz. HRB-55, H14-A, JPM-20-16-32, IIVR-10, IC-14-934, IC-45862, JC-034-1124-A, VRO-6, 317-10-1, 326-10-1 were taken to know their response on incidence of major sucking pests viz., Aphid (Aphis gossypii), Jassid (Amrasca biguttula biguttula) and Red cotton bug (Dysdercus cingulatus). Among these ten genotypes VRO-6 showed the lowest mean population of aphid (1.57) and IIVR-10 showed the lowest mean population jassid (1.82) and red cotton bug (2.23). The highest population of all pests was recorded in genotype 31710-1. It is observed that the population of all sucking pests reached the peak level on 22 standard week.

Natural polyphenolics are a diverse group of compounds widely recognized for their significant biological activities and potential health benefits. This paper reviews the sources, chemical structures, and biological properties of natural polyphenolics, highlighting their roles in antioxidant defense, anti-inflammatory responses, and modulation of various physiological processes. It also explores their therapeutic potential in preventing and treating chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disorders, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions. The study emphasizes recent advancements in extracting, characterizing, and utilizing polyphenolics from natural sources, as well as their applications in functional foods, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. By synthesizing current research, the paper underscores the promise of natural polyphenolics as valuable bioactive compounds with substantial impact on health and disease management.

Gallic acid has enormous application in many fields and is regarded as a non toxic substance to man. Furthermore, considerable health promoting effects have been ascribed to gallic acid. This work demonstrated the ability of microorganism to utilize cashew testa and crude intermediate product to produce gallic acid in a submerged fermentation system. Under optimal time and temperature tannins experiment was carried out, and estimation of concern byproduct was estimated.

This review critically evaluates the role of probiotics in modulating gut microbiota composition and their potential health benefits. Probiotics are live microorganisms that confer health benefits to the host when consumed in adequate amounts. The gut microbiota plays a crucial role in maintaining gastrointestinal homeostasis, immune function, and overall health. Numerous studies have investigated the effects of probiotics on gut microbiota composition and their impact on various health outcomes. Probiotics summarize recent findings on the mechanisms by which probiotics influence gut microbiota composition, including competitive exclusion, production of antimicrobial compounds, and modulation of host immune responses. Furthermore, we discuss the clinical evidence supporting the use of probiotics in the management of gastrointestinal disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and antibioticassociated diarrhea. Additionally, we examine emerging research on the potential benefits of probiotics for non-gastrointestinal conditions, including allergic disorders, metabolic syndrome, and mental health disorders. Finally, we highlight gaps in current knowledge and propose future research directions to optimize the use of probiotics for promoting gut health and overall well-being.

Total eleven Ocimum spp. samples were collected from northern region of India. All the samples were used to isolate leaf proteins. For the study of genetic diversity various techniques based on the DNA and protein which includes RFLP's, AFLP's, RAPD's micro satellite DNA fingerprinting and SDS-PAGE were in used according to literature survey. Present study SDS-PAGE was utilized to the determination of the variability in different genotypes of Ocimum spp. Isolated protein samples were subjected to separation through Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate-Poly Acrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). 17% Separating gel and 5% stacking gel were used. SDS-PAGE analysis results were shown in table 1a, 1b & 1c. Molecular weights of the proteins were determined according to the marker protein. Similarity matrix was analyzed by UPGMA method. The data was analyzed by using computer software. Euclidean dissimilarity coefficients ranged between 0.00 and 1.00. The lowest similarity and the highest similarity was observed in the samples and the observations were shown in a dendrogram. Considering vast medicinal uses of Ocimum, it is essential to study this plat at genetic and molecular levels to get potential uses for industrial purposes and to develop conservation and management studies.

Farmers in developing countries face monumental constraints which directly impact food security and socioeconomic wellbeing. Conceivably, the sustainable adoption of any viable agricultural innovations such as biotechnology (biotech) is capable of providing some palpable solutions. However, biotech for food security enhancement or farmers’ empowerment can be stalled due to the dissemination approach utilized by stakeholders. Consequently the need for sound institutional approach in the design and dissemination of appropriate agricultural innovations especially in Africa is imperative considering the production challenges confronting farmers and the enormous socioeconomic hardships that a non-adoption or disadoption of such relevant innovation can have on the intended users. This article considered biotechnology awareness level among farmer, information sources, level of trust ascribed on information sources, possible biotech attributes that will motivate farmers to adopt it and farm...

Feeding billions, a healthy and nutritious diet in the era of climate change is a major challenge before plant breeders, geneticists and agronomist. In this context, the continuous search for adaptive and nutritious crops could be a better alternative to combat the problems of hunger and malnutrition. The zombi pea, a nutritious and underutilized leguminous vegetable, is one of such better alternatives to feed billions a nutritious food besides being a potential gene source for breeding abiotic stress resistant varieties. To evaluate its potential as a wonder crop in the tropical and subtropical regions of India, the nutritional status of tubers, pods and pericarp were investigated under different treatments of plant spacings and deblossoming. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with three replications and eight treatments during 2021-2022 in the coastal regions of India. The nutrient profiling in tubers and pericarp of pods in zombi pea revealed higher accumulation of nutrients viz. potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) with blossom retention. The zombi pea tubers reflected significantly high protein accumulation with the increase in plant spacing. The results pertaining to nutrient profiling in the pods of zombi pea indicated that the plant spacing has no significant effect on the accumulation of majority of nutrients under study. The above-mentioned findings are conspicuously novel and valuable. The present study would pave the way for understanding nutritional importance and breeding potential of this orphan crop. The blossom retention renders higher nutrient accumulation in tubers, pods and pericarp of zombi pea. Deblossoming has no significant influence on nutritional profile of this wonder crop but, wider spacing is effective in producing tubers with high protein content.

Feeding billions, a healthy and nutritious diet in the era of climate change is a major challenge before plant breeders, geneticists and agronomist. In this context, the continuous search for adaptive and nutritious crops could be a better alternative to combat the problems of hunger and malnutrition. The zombi pea, a nutritious and underutilized leguminous vegetable, is one of such better alternatives to feed billions a nutritious food besides being a potential gene source for breeding abiotic stress resistant varieties. To evaluate its potential as a wonder crop in the tropical and subtropical regions of India, the nutritional status of tubers, pods and pericarp were investigated under different treatments of plant spacings and deblossoming. The experiment was conducted in split plot design with three replications and eight treatments during 2021-2022 in the coastal regions of India. The nutrient profiling in tubers and pericarp of pods in zombi pea revealed higher accumulation of nutrients viz. potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) with blossom retention. The zombi pea tubers reflected significantly high protein accumulation with the increase in plant spacing. The results pertaining to nutrient profiling in the pods of zombi pea indicated that the plant spacing has no significant effect on the accumulation of majority of nutrients under study. The above-mentioned findings are conspicuously novel and valuable. The present study would pave the way for understanding nutritional importance and breeding potential of this orphan crop. The blossom retention renders higher nutrient accumulation in tubers, pods and pericarp of zombi pea. Deblossoming has no significant influence on nutritional profile of this wonder crop but, wider spacing is effective in producing tubers with high protein content. Micronutrient deficiencies such as zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), selenium (Se), magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), and iodine (I), are a widespread and growing problem in both crop plants and human populations worldwide 1. Insufficient amounts and low bioavailability of micronutrients in plant-based diets represent a major reason for the high prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in humans. About one-third of the human population is globally affected by the micronutrient deficiencies (also known as 'hidden hunger') which are attributed to low dietary intake, mainly in developing regions where populations rely on plant-based diets from micronutrient poor cereal crops 2,3. Low dietary intake of micronutrients is also widely reported in European populations, especially among elderly people and children, with significant adverse impacts on health. In addition, the high alcohol consumption that is common in Europe significantly interferes with the intestinal absorption of micronutrients and contributes to Zn, Fe, and Se deficiencies in human populations 4,5. Various approaches can be adopted for combating the micronutrient deficiencies and delivering a micronutrient enriched diet at door step: (i) biofortification of major and minor crops through agronomic and breeding strategies (ii) screening of orphan or indigenous crop species or macroalgae for micronutrient content and availability, and their introduction into the daily human diet 6,7 (iii) The crop plant species with abundant micronutrient content, like Zn-hyperaccumulating species, can be cultivated and used as an additive in other foods. Zombi pea is one of the potential underutilized leguminous vegetable crops and which can be harnessed for combating problems of malnutrition and poverty 8. Zombi pea (Vigna vexillata (L.), 2n = 2x = 22), a pan-tropical herbaceous legume crop, is widely distributed in Southern and Eastern Africa,

Background: Tofu is increasingly captivating the food industry as a milk-based product alternative. Diverse soybean varieties worldwide are harnessed to create various milk substitutes. This study assesses the potential of Uttarakhand's indigenous bhat variety for producing soymilk and tofu, comparing its commercial viability and quality with conventional counterparts. Methods: The study focused on Uttarakhand's indigenous variety, bhat and the commercially popular PS-1347 for soymilk extraction. Preliminary investigations were conducted to optimize the process to maximize recovery and minimize beany flavor, grinding soybeans for 6 minutes and boiling for 20 minutes. Tofu was produced using CaSO 4 as a coagulant at varying concentrations (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%) and coagulating temperatures (75C, 85C, 95C). Result: Tofu produced from bhat, coagulated with 0.4% CaSO 4 at 85C, exhibited superior acceptability, making it suitable for largescale commercial production. Its quality matched commercial counter parts, with protein at 16.45%, total mineral at 6.23%, calcium at 152.66 mg/100 g and iron at 14.62 mg/100 g.

Farmers' consistency in adopting improved crop varieties is capable of guaranteeing sustainable development via high productivity and enhanced food security. The study assessed the effects of adoption of Improved Onion Varieties (IOVs) on farmers' productivity in Kudan Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna State, Nigeria. Twostage sampling procedure was used to select 111 onion farmers from four Wards in the LGA. Structured interview schedule was used to obtain required data. Descriptive statistics (frequency count and percentages), and ANOVA were used to analyse the data. Results shows that the average output before adoption was 3.29 while the mean after adoption was 4.55. ANOVA showed a significant difference between the adopters of improved onion varieties and non-adopters; F(1.109) = 154.91, P<0.001. The major constraint to adoption of IOVs was high cost of improved seeds (x ̅ =4.81). This paper concludes that the adoption of IOVs has effect on the productivity of onion farmers. The National Agricultural Seed Council should ensure availability of improved seeds by fast-tracking seed multiplication and distribution to farmers so as to increase the sustainable adoption of IOVs.

Study was conducted during 2013-14 to examine the role of various dormancy breaking treatments, viz. hot water treatment, scarification, stratification, concentrated acids (H 2 SO 4 , HNO 3 and HCl), gibberellic acid, potassium nitrate, alcohol, and acetone and gamma-rays irradiation on the percentage germination, seedling growth and seed vigour. Dried seeds were incubated in the plant growth chambers for 20-28 days at constant temperature of 25±2 °C under continuous light (16 hrs) photoperiod after its treatments. Maximum percent germination 97.2% was obtained in Innula racemosa followed by Rheum webbianum (95.1%), Carum carvi (93.4%), Saussurea lappa (90.01%) and Bunium persicum (81.4%) when seeds were pretreated with acid (H 2 SO 4 for 5 minutes). According to results obtained in present study, all studied species found best germination with H 2 SO 4 for 5 minutes in duration of 30 days. The seedlings derived from seeds exposed to the various treatments performed well when grown in a green house. Maximum length of seedlings were found in 24.3 cm in S. lappa followed by R. webbianum (23.8 cm) and C. carvi (22.2 cm) when seeds were pretreated with H 2 SO 4 for 5 minutes, on the other side B. persicum (19.4cm) in hot water treatment at 80°C for 20 minutes and I. racemosa (17.4 cm) in 0.2 KNO 3 for 10 minutes. Highest value of seed vigour index (2263) and lowest seed vigour index (390) was found in R. webbianum and B. persicum. The well developed seedlings were observed in 90 days and transplanted it for further developments. The data have implications for conservation and cultivation of the species studied.

∗ Introducir nuevos o mejorados productos en el mercado nacional o extranjero (ejemplos: medicamentos, equipos, dispositivos médicos, diagnosticadores; y de productores: LABEX, IMEFA, CIDEM, CQF, etc.). ∗ Introducir nuevos o mejorados servicios (ejemplos: nuevos servicios quirúrgicos, preventivos, de atención estomatológica, PPU). ∗ Implantar nuevos o mejorados procesos productivos o procedimientos (ejemplos: medicoquirúrgicos, docente-educativos, informativos y de automatización). ∗ Introducir y validar nuevas o mejoradas técnicas de gerencia y sistemas organizacionales con los que se presta atención sanitaria y que se aplican en nuestras fábricas y empresas.

The Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) strategy was evolved for the rapid socioeconomic development of tribal people in the 5th Five Year Plan has the objectives of socioeconomic development and Protection of STs against exploitation through legal and administrative support for narrowing the gap between their levels of development to that of the general communities. In West Bengal, Purulia District is one of the poorly backward drought prone, topographically severely undulating lands with inadequate irrigation and insufficient of all agricultural inputs. The present status of tribal people is very poor as a consequence they are migrating to neighboring district and state for their source of income. For the socio economic upliftment of tribal people, Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) was formulated and adopted in different districts. Fisheries sector embraces a large population of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Rehabilitation of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes families through fishery activities has become a major boon for upliftment of their economic status above poverty line.

Fish and fishery resources play a vital role in improving socio-economic conditions of the fishermen and related people those are involved with its business. It also plays important role of employment opportunities in Purulia as well as West Bengal also. A field study was conducted on the socio-economic conditions of fishermen in Purulia District. The study was carried out for a period of 5 months with the objectives to know the socio-economic condition of involved fishermen and find out some possible suggestions to uplift the livelihood status of local fishermen. The collection of data was done by survey method using well structured questionnaires, PRA and interviewing with fishermen. Socio-economic condition of tribal fishermen communities were presented in terms of, age group, religion, marital status, family type, condition of house, educational status of the fishermen, number of members in their family, school going children, school dropout children, household assets, use of el...

The Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) strategy was evolved for the rapid socio-economic development of tribal people in the 5th Five Year Plan has the objectives of socio-economic development and Protection of STs against exploitation through legal and administrative support for narrowing the gap between their levels of development to that of the general communities. In West Bengal, Purulia District is one of the poorly backward drought prone, topographically severely undulating lands with inadequate irrigation and insufficient of all agricultural inputs. The present status of tribal people is very poor as a consequence they are migrating to neighboring district and state for their source of income. For the socio economic upliftment of tribal people, Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) was formulated and adopted in different districts. Fisheries sector embraces a large population of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Rehabilitation of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes families through fishery activit...

The evolution of sexual dimorphism and expansion of sex chromosomes are both driven through sexual conflict, arising from differing fitness optima between males and females. Here, we pair work in poplar (Populus) describing one of the smallest sex-determining regions known thus far in complex eukaryotes (~100 kbp) with comprehensive tests for sexual dimorphism using &gt;1300 individuals from two Populus species and assessing 96 non-reproductive functional traits. Against expectation, we found sexual homomorphism (no non-reproductive trait differences between the sexes), suggesting that gender is functionally neutral with respect to non-reproductive features that affect plant survival and fitness. Combined with a small sex-determining region, we infer that sexual conflict may be effectively stymied or non-existent within these taxa. Both sexual homomorphism and the small sex-determining region occur against a background of strong environmental selection and local adaptation in Populu...

The present study was consists of 26 sweet corn lines to study genetic variability, heritability and genetic advance estimates for quality traits in sweet corn. Analysis of variance for five quality traits viz., total sugar, reducing sugar, sucrose, total carbohydrates and starch revealed that high significant mean sum of squares for all the characters indicating greater diversity among the genotypes. The genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) for all the characters studied were lesser than the phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV) indicating the influence of environment under traits. High GCV and PCV values were observed for all the quality traits studied, suggesting that the sufficient variability thus offers scope for genetic improvement through selection. High heritability coupled with high genetic advance as per cent of mean was observed for all the characters studied indicating the role of additive genes in governing the inheritance of these traits which could be improved through simple selection.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have been used extensively to dissect the genetic regulation of complex traits in plants. These studies have focused largely on the analysis of common genetic variants despite the abundance of rare polymorphisms in several species, and their potential role in trait variation. Here, we conducted the first GWAS in Populus deltoides, a genetically diverse keystone forest species in North America and an important short rotation woody crop for the bioenergy industry. We searched for associations between eight growth and wood composition traits, and common and low-frequency single-nucleotide polymorphisms detected by targeted resequencing of 18 153 genes in a population of 391 unrelated individuals. To increase power to detect associations with low-frequency variants, multiple-marker association tests were used in combination with single-marker association tests. Significant associations were discovered for all phenotypes and are indicative that lowfrequency polymorphisms contribute to phenotypic variance of several bioenergy traits. Our results suggest that both common and low-frequency variants need to be considered for a comprehensive understanding of the genetic regulation of complex traits, particularly in species that carry large numbers of rare polymorphisms. These polymorphisms may be critical for the development of specialized plant feedstocks for bioenergy.

Biotechnology is an evolving research field that covers a broad range of topics. Here we aimed to evaluate the latest research literature, to identify prominent research themes, major contributors in terms of institutions, countries/regions, and journals. The Web of Science Core Collection online database was searched to retrieve biotechnology articles published since 2017. In total, 12,351 publications were identified and analyzed. Over 8500 institutions contributed to these biotechnology publications, with the top 5 most productive ones scattered over France, China, the United States of America, Spain, and Brazil. Over 140 countries/regions contributed to the biotechnology research literature, led by the United States of America, China, Germany, Brazil, and India. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering was the most productive journal in terms of number of publications. Metabolic engineering was among the most prevalent biotechnology study themes, and Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae were frequently used in biotechnology investigations, including the biosynthesis of useful biomolecules, such as myo-inositol (vitamin B8), monoterpenes, adipic acid, astaxanthin, and ethanol. Nanoparticles and nanotechnology were identified too as emerging biotechnology research themes of great significance. Biotechnology continues to evolve and will remain a major driver of societal innovation and development.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as a clinical syndrome characterized by excessive fat accumulation in liver, predominantly influenced by dietary choices. This study provides an extensive quantitative literature analysis on dietary influences on NAFLD. Bibliometric data were collected through the search string TOPIC = (“NAFLD*” OR “nonalcoholic fatty liver*” OR “non-alcoholic fatty liver*”) AND TOPIC = (“diet*” OR “nutrition*” OR “food*” OR “feed*”), which yielded 12,445 publications indexed within the Web of Science Core Collection. Utilizing VOSviewer software, term maps were generated to visually illustrate recurring phrases alongside citation data. The literature, which has seen exponential growth since the 2010s, predominantly consists of original articles, with a ratio of 4.7:1 compared to reviews. Notably, the significant contributors to this field were China and the United States. The majority of publications were found journals specialized in Gastroenter...

to evaluate 51 different land races of maize. The analysis of variance for stability showed that mean squares due to environments were statistically significant for all the traits except grain yield indicating that variability among environments was large enough for a proper estimation of 'b' values. The G x E interaction was significant for four traits viz., plant height, ear height, cob weight and shelling percentage. The stability parameters for plant height showed that LR-09 was stable over the environments while, land races LR-24 and LR-51 were top among all land races for stability parameter for ear height. The land race LR-50 was ideally stable for Cob weight per plot as it exposed higher mean (2.08), near unit regression coefficient (b i =1.17) and non-significant deviation of regression coefficient from zero (s 2 d i =-0.047). In case of shelling (%) land races LR-48 and LR-12 registered maximum shelling percentage and fulfill other parameter (b i and S 2 d i values) of stability.

Trees hold the lifeline of the earth’s biodiversity and serve as a commercial entity delivering broad applications to human-kind. In addition to being used as wood and timber, trees are a source of secondary metabolites, medicinal compounds, and other derivatives with high commercial value. Thus, the scope for improvement of these traits and quality traits (insect/pest resistance, wood quality, etc.) has always been demanding; however, limited progress has been made compared to other crop species. Trait improvement has always been challenging in trees owing to several practical difficulties, but genomics has enabled the precise identification of genetic determinants of these traits and provided tools and approaches to tweak them for enhancing the traits of interest. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has expedited genomics and transcriptomics research by facilitating the sequencing of genomes and transcriptomes, identifying genes, profiling the regulation of their expression, and cons...

Background: The pulses are important crop of Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh. Among the pulses, mungbean is an important. Despite the multifaceted importance of this crop, its production could not be stabilized in the Uttar Pradesh as well as in the country due to several biotic constraints like diseases and insect-pests leading to considerable yield losses. Among several diseases affecting mungbean, cercospora leaf spot (CLS) caused by Cercospora canescens Ellis and Martin is one of the most important fungal diseases occurring regularly in the mungbean growing areas during the warm and humid weather. Methods: Experiments were conducted during two cropping seasons i.e. Kharif 2019 and 2020 to find out an efficient management strategy for this disease. In first experiment, 9 fungicides were assessed against CLS during both the seasons. In second experiment, 200 germplasm of mungbean were evaluated for resistance against cercospora leaf spot. Result: Among nine different fungicide treatments evaluated individually and as well as in combinations, spraying Carbendazim twice after first appearance of symptoms and second at 15 days' interval, gave maximum reduction in the incidence and severity of Cercospora leaf spot i.e. 45.57% and 58.45%, respectively along with significant enhancement (53.39%) in grain yield over the unprotected crop followed by treatment with Carbendazim + Mancozeb which resulted in 35.44% and 52.65% reduction in incidence and severity respectively and 44.88% enhancement in yield. Treatment with Captan + Hexaconazole was found to be least effective to reduce the disease incidence/ severity as well as to increase the crop yield. In second field experiment out of 200 mungbean genotypes evaluated against cercospora leaf spot during two consecutive crop seasons, four genotypes viz., PDM 04-123, PDM 54, EC520034-1 and EC 520022 were found to be resistant against cercospora leaf spot disease.

Background: The productivity of chickpea needs to be increased significantly to exploit the maximum benefit from the increasing world market demand for this crop. Hence, the objective of this study was to find suitable heterotic cross combinations for yield and yield related traits in chickpea. Methods: The present study on chickpea was conducted at Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, GBPUAT, Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, during rabi season of 2018-2019. It comprised a half-diallel set of seven diverse parents viz. PG5 and PG170 and five ICRISAT chickpea collections viz. ICC13124, ICC14778, ICC14815, ICC16348 and ICC16349 and their 21 F 1 crosses were used for heterosis studies through 7×7 diallel analysis with respect to seed yield and other yield contributing traits. Result: Variance components of combining ability revealed that both additive and non-additive gene actions were important for yield and yield related traits. The parent ICC13124 was best general combiner for yield and related traits. It was also one of the parents in best specific combinations f or seed yield. T he cross es viz. PG170×ICC16349 (7.15), ICC13124×ICC14815 (3.22) and ICC13124×ICC14778 (3.00) were the best specific cross combinations for seed yield. The highest heterosis for seed yield was observed in cross PG170×ICC16349 (73.14%) followed by ICC13124×ICC14815 (43.17%) and ICC13124×ICC14778 (41.09%). The results showed direct association between the specific combining abilities of the crosses and heterotic response indicating the involvement of additive × additive type of interactions causing heterosis. Hence, the GCA, SCA and per se performance of the crosses should be given equal importance while selecting for heterotic combinations.