Diversity of Endophytic Actinomycetes From Wheat and Its Potential as Plant Growth Promoting and Biocontrol Agents

A total of 35 endophytic actinomycetes strains was isolated from the roots, stems and leaves tissues of healthy wheat plants and identified as Streptomyces sp. (24), Actinopolyspora sp. (3), Nocardia sp. (4), Saccharopolyspora sp. (2) Pseudonocardia (1) and Micromonospora sp. (1). Seventeen endophytic actinomycetes isolate showed abilities to solubilize phosphate and produce IAA in the range of 5 to 42mg/100ml and 18-42µg/ml respectively. Nineteen isolates produced catechol-type of siderophore ranging between 1.3-20.32µg/ml. Also, hydroxamate-type siderophore produced by 9 isolates in the range of 13.33-50.66µg/ml. Maximum catechol-type of siderophore production was observed in Streptomyces roseosporus W9 (20.32µg/ml) which was also displaying maximum antagonistic activity against ten different pathogenic fungi. The results indicated that internal tissues of healthy wheat plants exhibited endophytic actinomycetes diversity not only in terms of different types of isolates but also in terms of functional diversity

Demonstration of ornamental fish farming in a coastal village

Ornamental fish farming has great potential for income generation among the rural and urban communities. With a view to make a beginning in this direction, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute has been demonstrating the methods of homestead production of selected groups of aquarium fishes to the inland fish farmers of Chellanam, a coastal village near Cochin adopted by the Institute for promoting various fisheries activities and the details are reported in this communication

Marine Fisheries along the Southwest Coast of India

Marine fisheries production in India has increased from 0.5 million t in 1950 to 2.47 million t in 1997. The gross value of fisheries landings in India was US$2.37 billion in 1997. The contribution of fisheries to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has risen from 0.7% in 1980 - 81 to 1.2% in 1994 - 95. The contribution to agricultural GDP has risen from 1.9% to 4%. Fisheries production also plays a critical role in food security and livelihood in rural area

Trophic Model of the Coastal Fisheries Ecosystem of the Southwest Coast of India

The Ecopath approach and software were used to construct a trophic model of the coastal fisheries ecosystem of the southwest (SW) coast of India. The model consisted of 11 ecological groups and used estimated landings from all areas along the southwest coast (based on the sample surveys conducted by Coastal Marine Fisheries Research Institute for the years 1994, 1995 and 1996). The trophic model suggests high catch levels, particularly for the large and medium predators, demersal feeders and detritivores. The biomass estimates in the trophic model were comparable to the biomass estimates from trawl surveys based on the swept area method for the southwest coast

Diversity of Endophytic Actinomycetes from Wheat and its Potential as Plant Growth Promoting and Biocontrol Agents

A total of 35 endophytic actinomycetes strains was isolated from the roots, stems and leaves tissues of healthy wheat plants and identified as Streptomyces sp. (24), Actinopolyspora sp. (3), Nocardia sp. (4), Saccharopolyspora sp. (2) Pseudonocardia (1) and Micromonospora sp. (1). Seventeen endophytic actinomycetes isolate showed abilities to solubilize phosphate and produce IAA in the range of 5 to 42mg/100ml and 18-42µg/ml respectively. Nineteen isolates produced catechol-type of siderophore ranging between 1.3-20.32µg/ml. Also, hydroxamate-type siderophore produced by 9 isolates in the range of 13.33-50.66µg/ml. Maximum catechol-type of siderophore production was observed in Streptomyces roseosporus W9 (20.32µg/ml) which was also displaying maximum antagonistic activity against ten different pathogenic fungi. The results indicated that internal tissues of healthy wheat plants exhibited endophytic actinomycetes diversity not only in terms of different types of isolates but also in terms of functional diversity

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Not AvailableThe carbohydrate rich root and tuber crops are next to cereals and grain legumes in supplying energy to the world population. The vegetatively propagated root and tuber crops i.e. sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), greater yam (Dioscorea alata), taro (Colocasia esculenta), elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius), cassava (Manihot esculenta), yam bean (Pachyrhizus erosus) and arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) etc. have great flexibility in adjusting any farming system and also, they are the best climate resilient crops under changing climate. The Regional Centre of ICAR-CTCRI, Bhubaneswar and ICAR-CTCRI, Thiruvananthapuram have developed number of high yielding and nutritionally rich varieties and resource use efficiency technologies of tuber crops. The technologies very well fit into crop diversification as well as farming systems. Under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP), the Regional Centre of ICAR-CTCRI, Bhubaneswar has demonstrated tuber crops technologies in crop diversification as well as location specific farming systems in 1840 tribal farmers fields in Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh states for a decade (2012-2021). Under TSP, the Regional Centre of ICAR-CTCRI, Bhubaneswar has distributed quality planting materials of greater yam tubers 69500 kg, elephant foot yam corms 34800 kg, colocasia/taro cormel 20000 kg, sweet potato vine cuttings 38.6 lakh and tubers 2080 kg, cassava stem 42800 nos. and yam bean seeds 822.5 kg at free of cost to the tribal farmers. Under this project, backyard poultry 6220 nos., ducks 750 nos., goats 109 nos. and pigs 120 nos. were also distributed to the tribal farmers for improving their livelihood. Seeds of cereals (rice 260 kg and maize 70 kg), millets (ragi 26 kg), pulses (red gram 66 kg) and vegetables seeds 18.6 kg and seed kits 1085 were also distributed to be included in their farming system to achieve food and nutritional security. Tribal farmers also contributed elite land race seeds of rice, ragi, maize, red gram, green gram and black gram for farming system demonstrations. To reduce the drudgery of field operations, small agricultural implements were distributed to the tribal farmers. Sprayers 539, hand hoe 717, sickle 717, crow bar 717, pickaxe 717, cultivator 118, garden hoe 118 and spade 688 numbers were distributed to the tribal farmers. As the tribal farmers’ fields are adjacent to the forest, to protect tuber crops from animals GI mesh fencing material 3370 kg were also distributed. Raised cement floor for goat keeping (57 Nos.) and duck-shed (55 Nos.) were also constructed near to their fields. Most of the tribal villages are remote, with less accessibility and without electricity and hence, during 2016-17, a solar pump set was installed in Dayanidhiguda village, Koraput Block, Koraput District, Odisha and during 2017-18, one more solar pumpset was installed in Ranchi district, Jharkhand for irrigating the crops during dry spell and also to cultivate crops during rabi season. Seventy-four trainings and exposure visits were organized to train 4068 tribal farmers (2505 men and 1563 women) on scientific methods of tuber crops, cereals, pulses and vegetable crops cultivation, backyard poultry, duckery, goatery and piggery farming. Crops and animals performance were monitored by the experts by regular field visits. The results of the demonstrations indicated that tuber crops yield was influenced by the locations. The yield variation of greater yam was 22.3-26.2 t/ha, elephant foot yam 20.2-25.0 t/ha, colocasia/taro 14.3-15.8 t/ha, sweet potato 11.6-14.2 t/ha, yam bean 15.4-20.5 t/ha and cassava 15.4-18.3 t/ha. Tuber crops-based farming system (0.4 ha model) resulted in net return of Rs 120938/0.4 ha with crops and backyard poultry, and Rs 148375/0.4 ha with crops, backyard poultry and goats. The income of the tribal farmer is doubled with the inclusion of tuber crops in their cropping/farming system and they had sufficient food for household consumption. Thus, food and nutrition security and livelihood improvement are achieved through tuber crops technologies.Not Availabl

Preliminary Assessment of the Coastal Fishery Resources in India - Socioeconomic and Bioeconomic Perspective

India is endowed with a continental shelf of 0.5 million km2 and an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of about 2 million km2. Almost half (39%) of the Indian population utilizes the marine fisheries resources. India ranked sixth worldwide in total fish production (4.95 million t) and second in inland fish production (2.24 million t) during 1995 - 96. Fish production expanded from 0.75 million t in 1950 - 51 to 4.95 million t in 1995 - 96, giving a significant increase at a cumulative growth rate of 4.2% per annum. Marine fish production increased from 0.53 million t in 1950 - 51 to 2.71 million t in 1995 - 9

Birthing practices of traditional birth attendants in South Asia in the context of training programmes

Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA) training has been an important component of public health policy interventions to improve maternal and child health in developing countries since the 1970s. More recently, since the 1990s, the TBA training strategy has been increasingly seen as irrelevant, ineffective or, on the whole, a failure due to evidence that the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in developing countries had not reduced. Although, worldwide data show that, by choice or out of necessity, 47 percent of births in the developing world are assisted by TBAs and/or family members, funding for TBA training has been reduced and moved to providing skilled birth attendants for all births. Any shift in policy needs to be supported by appropriate evidence on TBA roles in providing maternal and infant health care service and effectiveness of the training programmes. This article reviews literature on the characteristics and role of TBAs in South Asia with an emphasis on India. The aim was to assess the contribution of TBAs in providing maternal and infant health care service at different stages of pregnancy and after-delivery and birthing practices adopted in home births. The review of role revealed that apart from TBAs, there are various other people in the community also involved in making decisions about the welfare and health of the birthing mother and new born baby. However, TBAs have changing, localised but nonetheless significant roles in delivery, postnatal and infant care in India. Certain traditional birthing practices such as bathing babies immediately after birth, not weighing babies after birth and not feeding with colostrum are adopted in home births as well as health institutions in India. There is therefore a thin precarious balance between the application of biomedical and traditional knowledge. Customary rituals and perceptions essentially affect practices in home and institutional births and hence training of TBAs need to be implemented in conjunction with community awareness programmes