Promising Technologies for dry land Agriculture

Not AvailableNatural Resource Management has important research agenda in view of the climate change, degradation of land and declining productivity in greenrevolution areas. Efficient methods of soil and rain water conservation and water harvesting become important areas of dryland agriculture research to achieve sustainability. Variation in crop yields is more in dry lands due to non receipt of timely rainfall and prolonged dry spells during crop periods. Adoption of soil and moisture conservation measures and improved management practices will help in getting higher yields.A large number of location specific practices for insitu moisture conservation, water harvesting and supplemental irrigation have been developed and tested successfully at All India Co-ordinated Research Project for Dryland Agriculture (AICRPDA), Agricultural Research Station, Ananthapuramu. Dryland Agriculture occupies a prominent place in rural livelihoods of Andhra Pradesh. In Andhra Pradesh out of 92.04 lakh ha of cultivable land an area of 34.56 lakh ha is under rainfed agriculture, mainly in scarce rainfall and southern agro climatic zones. AICRPDA, ARS, Ananthapuramu is continuing efforts to generate location specific technologies in the areas of rain water management, integrated nutrient management, cropping systems, farming systems, alternate land use and energy management.Not Availabl

Clinical profile of sickle cell syndromes: experience at a tertiary care centre in South India

Background: Sickle cell syndromes are commonly encountered inherited haematological disorders regarding which sparse published data are available from Telangana State. Methods: Prospective study of 55 patients diagnosed to have sickle cell syndromes at our tertiary care teaching hospital in Hyderbad, Telangana State, South India. Results: Their mean age was 19.9 (range 3-48) years; there were 35 males. Consanguinity was noted in 31%. History of cholecystectomy was evident in 5 cases. Blood transfusions were received in the past in 52% of cases. Symptoms at presentation were jaundice (85%), pain (80%), fatiguability (60%), pallor (30%), dyspnoea (29%), lump abdomen (7%) and leg ulcer (3%). Acute chest syndrome was seen in 10.9% cases. Physical examination revealed pallor (90%), icterus (80%) hepatomegaly (49%) and splenomegaly (41%). Mean haemoglobin at presentation was 8.3 g/dL. Sickle cells were seen in peripheral smear in 51%. Sickling test was positive in all after induction. Characterization of haemoglobin by high performance liquid chromatography revealed homozygous sicke cell anaemia was evident in 22/ 43 (51.2%), sickle thalassemia in 16/43 (37.2 %) and sickle cell trait in 5/43 (11.6 %). Conclusions: Sickle cell disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis while evaluating patients presenting with anaemia and skeletal pains. Prompt recognition and management improves survival and eventual prognosis in these patients