Community farm school approach for coconut seedlings/juveniles through collaborative social actions

Three Grama Panchayats in Kerala's Alappuzha district undertook community-level participatory action research in 2019–2021. A total of 90 coconut farmers participated in the adoption of ICAR-CPCRI technology to produce West Coast Tall (WCT) coconut seedlings that are resistant/tolerant to the root (wilt) disease at the community level. Partners included extension agents, coconut producers' societies (CPS) and clusters, women self-help groups (WSHGs), and agricultural labor organizations. The characteristics of technologies that are suggested for adoption in root (wilt) disease-affected tracts, such as the scientific management of young coconut trees and the production of high-quality seedlings through community nurseries, challenge the idea of adoption. There are a lot of variances in the homestead gardens' marginal holdings, including expertise, the use of technology, and access to advisory services. Government agencies provided the majority of the seedlings and extension advisory services, emphasizing the necessity for FPO-based or private extension in the coconut growing industry. The coconut farmers' understanding has significantly improved as a result of the participatory interventions for managing seedlings. The participatory demonstration and community farm school (CFS) strategy is discussed in the paper as a way for homesteads to manage juvenile coconuts while integrating new ideas and fostering cross and reciprocal learning. Refining the current extension approach requires integrating new knowledge about the characteristics of seedling growth, future economic performance, and social evaluation of choices of technological, individual, and skill-oriented interventions in risk-prone areas with debilitating root (wilt) disease

Effect of Non Surgical Periodontal Therapy on Serum Levels of IL-6 AND TNF-α in Chronic Periodontitis Patients With and Without Hypothyroidism

BACKGROUND: IL-6 and TNF-α has been implicated in the pathogenesis of both periodontal disease and hypothyroidism. IL-6 and TNF-α are two major pro-inflammatory cytokines that are locally produced in different tissues in thyroid dysfunction. This enters systemic circulation and stimulate resident cells of the periodontium to produce matrix metalloproteinases, leading to alveolar bone destruction. AIM OF THE STUDY: To evaluate the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in chronic periodontitis patients with and without hypothyroidism before and after scaling and root planing. OBJECTIVES: 1. To find out the effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on clinical parameters like plaque index, gingival index, recession, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level in chronic periodontitis patients with and without hypothyroidism before and after scaling and root planing. 2. To evaluate the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in chronic periodontitis patients with and without hypothyroidism before and after scaling and root planing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was an comparative interventional study including a total of 40 subjects (20 systemically healthy subjects with chronic periodontitis and 20 subjects with chronic periodontitis with hypothyroidism). Clinical parameters (Plaque index, Gingival index, Probing pocket depth and Clinical attachment level) were recorded at baseline and 4 weeks after non surgical periodontal therapy. Non surgical periodontal therapy included oral hygiene instructions and full mouth scaling and root planing. 5 ml of venous blood sample was collected from each subject at baseline and 4 weeks after non surgical periodontal therapy. Serum IL-6 and TNF-α were analysed by ELISA sandwich method. T3, T4 and TSH hormone levels were evaluated at baseline and 4 weeks after non surgical periodontal therapy. RESULTS: The periodontal parameters like plaque index, gingival index, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment level and biochemical parameters like IL-6 and TNF-α in both the groups showed pronounced reduction at the end of four weeks following non surgical periodontal therapy from its baseline values. However, simultaneous comparison of baseline and post treatment periodontal parameters and serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α between the two groups was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Serum level of IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced following non surgical periodontal therapy in systemically healthy subjects with chronic periodontitis and chronic periodontitis patients with hypothyroidism. This study provide evidence that non surgical periodontal therapy contribute to reduction in serum level of IL-6 and TNF-α in these patients. Larger controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings

An Enhanced Least Significant Bit Steganography to Improve the Effectiveness of Graphical Password Authentication

Authentication means acknowledging a user’s identity. It is the way of associating a request with a set of identity. The identification provided is an authorized user’s information on a personal computer system or within an authentication server. A graphical password is a validation system in which user has to select from images, in a particular order, presented in a graphical user + interface (GUI). Graphical passwords can be easily remembered, as users remember images better than words. Also, the system should be more unaffected by brute-force attacks, because there is practically an infinite search space. Complex text passwords are hard to remember and simple textual passwords are easy to guess. Graphical passwords provide more robustness and memorability. It is a secure mechanism to provide authenticated sign up to a system

Community-level management of bio-resources for augmenting income from coconut-based farming systems in Kerala state, India

On-farm management of farm residues for mass multiplication of beneficial microbes plays an important role in organic farming as well as integrated nutrient management by improving soil health. Community-level production of organic inputs from crop residues can be a potential source of income for farmers’ groups also. A large scale operational research on community-based bio-resource management, along with soil test based nutrient management, was undertaken by ICAR-CPCRI with financial support from NABARD in the major organic tract of Kerala in the coastal belt - Kanjikuzhy block during 2014-2016. The bio-resource management components under technology integration included farm-level production of organics from crop residues, enrichment using bio-agents, utilization of enriched organics for soil and plant health management and production of bio-primed planting materials. For enhancing the efficiency of Trichoderma-enriched organic manure, two ideal media viz., coir pith compost + neem cake (4:1) and coir pith compost + neem cake + poultry manure + cow dung (2:1:1:1) were standardized. Coconut seedlings produced through bio-priming with Trichoderma sp. showed early germination (90%), higher recovery percentage (79.5%), higher collar girth (17 cm), more number of fronds (9) and height (160 cm). Farm-based participatory action management integrating cost-effective bio-resource management interventions in coconut-based farming systems resulted in improvements in income from coconut by 26 per cent and intercrops by 142.9 per cent, contributing to an increase in the average farm income by 149.8 per cent. The average knowledge index of the respondents related to bio-resource management increased by 115.8 per cent and that of integrated nutrient management by 74.5 per cent

An Enhanced Least Significant Bit Steganography to Improve the Effectiveness of Graphical Password Authentication

Authentication means acknowledging a user’s identity. It is the way of associating a request with a set of identity. The identification provided is an authorized user’s information on a personal computer system or within an authentication server. A graphical password is a validation system in which user has to select from images, in a particular order, presented in a graphical user + interface (GUI). Graphical passwords can be easily remembered, as users remember images better than words. Also, the system should be more unaffected by brute-force attacks, because there is practically an infinite search space. Complex text passwords are hard to remember and simple textual passwords are easy to guess. Graphical passwords provide more robustness and memorability. It is a secure mechanism to provide authenticated sign up to a system

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