Popularization of improved maize (Zea mays L.) production technology through frontline demonstrations in semi arid zone IVA of Rajasthan

Front line demonstrations (FLD,s) on maize (Zea mays L.) were laid down at 661 farmers’ fields to demonstrate production potential and economic benefits of improved production technologies comprising high yielding varieties namely PM-3, PM-5, PEHM-2, Bio- 9681 and Mahyco 3765 in Rajsamand district of Semi Arid Zone IVa of Rajasthan state during kharif seasons from 2006 to 2012 in rainfed farming situation. The improved production technologies recorded an additional yield ranging from 2.50 to 15.78 qha-1 with a mean of 7.94 qha-1. The per cent increase yield under improved production technologies ranged from 33.17 to 68.16 (PM-3), 14.09 to 59.82 (PM-5), 46.61 to 66.97 (PEHM-2), 55.83 to 92.82 (Bio 9681) and 80.12 (Mahyco 3765) in respective years. The average extension gap, technology gap and technology index were 9.10 qha-1, 5.94 qha-1 and 20.08 per cent, respectively in different varieties of maize. The improved production technologies gave higher benefit cost ratio ranging from 1.28 to 3.00 with a mean of 2.45 compared to local checks (1.10) being grown by farmers under locality. The productivity of maize per unit area could be increased by adopting feasible scientific and sustainable management practices with a suitable variety. Considering the above facts, frontline demonstrations were carried out in a systematic and scientific manner on farmer’s field to show the worth of a new variety and convincing farming community about potentialities of improved production management technologies of maize for further adoption by the farming community

Financing the U.S. Health System: Issues and Options for Change

Explores key issues of health reform and options for financing health care -- redirecting funds to more effective uses, rolling back tax cuts, modifying tax exclusions for health benefits, an employer play-or-pay model, and a value-added tax

A study of clinical and laboratory profile of dengue positive cases in hadoti region Rajasthan, India

 Background: Dengue fever is one of the most common arboviral mediated outbreaks reported with increased prevalence year after year with considerable morbidity and mortality in hadoti region. the aim to study various clinical and laboratory manifestations of Dengue fever admitted in MBS Hospital KOTA, with a diagnosis of Dengue fever according to WHO protocol from December 2018 to January 2020.Methods: Prospective observational study was undertaken among adult patients. 132 patients were studied and analysed. And diagnosis was confirmed with Dengue IgM ELISA test. Other routine investigations done were routine hematological and biochemical investigations.Results: A total of 132 cases, out of which 95 cases of Dengue Fever (DF), 34 cases of dengue hemorrhagic fever and 3 cases of Dengue Shock syndrome, out of which Male: Female ratio was 2.1. and mean age of presentation was 37. Fever and myalgia were the most common finding (100%) followed by arthralgia and headache. Pruritus was found in 21 cases (15.9%) which carried a significant difference between DF and DHF (p value 40 IU/L) was seen in 39 cases (29.54%.). Pleural effusion was seen in 4 cases (3%), of which 3 cases of DHF and 1 case of DSS. Ascites in 6 cases (4.8%), all cases belong to DHF. Gall bladder wall thickening was seen in 28 cases (21.21%) of which 20 cases (54.04%) were of DHF. Melena was the most common bleeding manifestation. Skin rash was found to be positive in 40.5% cases. Hess test was positive in 4 cases (10.8% of DHF).Conclusions: Incidence of dengue fever is on the rise in hadoti region and one of the most important differential diagnosis of patients presenting with fever during monsoon and post monsoon seasons

High frequency plant regeneration from shoot tip explants of Citrullus colocynthis (Linn.) Schrad. – An important medicinal herb

A high frequency and rapid regeneration protocol was developed from shoot tip explants of Citrullus colocynthis on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with N6-benzylamino-purine (BAP, 0.5 mg/l) and α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA, 0.5 mg/l). Highest number of shoots (23.0 ± 0.567) was obtained on MS medium containing BAP (0.5 mg/l) and NAA (0.5 mg/l). The regenerated shoots were further elongated on same medium. In vitro shoots were excised from shoot clumps and transferred to rooting medium containing indole-3-butyric acid (IBA, 4.0 mg/l) with 0.2% activated charcoal. The rooted plants were hardened in polycups containing sterile soil and vermiculite and finally well established in the field; survival rate was 60%. This is the first report of direct in vitro plantlet regeneration in C. colocynthis from shoot tip explant.Key words: Citrullus colocynthis, regeneration, shoot tip

Rajam Krishnan’s Novel Saetril Manithan

Human life is embedded in society, and the word society is widely spoken all over the world today. It is considered that even the rights of the individual can be taken away for the sake of social development and social welfare. This sense in a community is not a sudden development. This feeling has been emerging and growing since the day people began to think in the world. Society is currently used in colloquial terms as a group or an organization. Society is defined as a system of tradition, activity, power, mutual help, practical life, and a system of order that regulates man

Screening of Coriander Genotypes for their Relative Susceptibility against Aphids under Field Conditions

The field experiments were conducted during Rabi 2013-14 and 2014-15 to screen out twelve varieties/entries of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) for their relative susceptibility against aphids. None of the varieties/entries escaped the infestation of aphids. The build-up of aphid infestation started from second half of December and reached to its maximum in the first to third week of February in both years and then gradually declined. On the basis of grade index of mean aphid population, coriander varieties RCr- 684 (25.45 aphids/plant), RCr-446 (26.45 aphids/plant), ACr-1 (26.60 aphids/plant), RCr- 436 (41.75 aphids/plant), Gujarat Coriander-2 (42.45 aphids/plant), Pant Haritma (43.50 aphids/plant) and Gujarat Coriander-1 (43.70 aphids/plant) were categorized as least susceptible, Rajendra Swati and RCr-41 were moderately susceptible, whereas, Swati (CS-6), Sadhna (CS-4) and Sindhu (CS-2), 73.88, 70.60 and 69.50 aphids/plant, respectively were categorized as highly susceptible varieties of coriander against aphids under field conditions. Coriander variety RCr-684 received maximum yield (16.82 and 16.63 q/ha) for both the years followed by ACr-1 and RCr-446

Evaluation of Productivity of Pearl Millet and Clusterbean and Growth Parameters of Neem Strains under Agro-Forestry System under Semi-Arid and Rainfed Condition

Neem (Azadirachta indica) tree is a native to Indian sub-continent and found throughout the India with maximum number of trees which are distributed over 70-75% geographical area of this country. It is distributed throughout south and southeast Asia, Australia, Africa and many other countries in central and south America including Carribean, Puer to Rica and Virgin Islands (Ram Mohan and Nair, 1993). The tree has been considered so invaluable and miraculous that it became a major inseparable component of the Indian ecosystem. Neem has been held in high esteem because of it provde medicinal and insecticidal properties. As a single tree it has maximum uses like medicines, bio-pesticides, mosquito repellents, fertilizers, diabetic foods, soaps, lubricants, gums, agriculture implements, tooth paste, tooth sticks, contraceptives etc. which is receiving worldwide recognition for its variety of bio-active principles. For a farmer the tree provided seeds, leaf and bark which could be converted into fertilizer and pest control material and medicine for livestock. Neem enjoys a wide range of climatic and edaphic factors. It is successfully grown in arid, semi-arid, wet tropical and sub-tropical climates. It is tolerant to high temperature up to 49oC but susceptible to excessive frost and water logged conditions (Hegde, 1993). Its performance is well on poor, shallow, stony or sandy soils and can be established easily without irrigation in hot and dry regions with low annual rainfall of 500 mm or less. It can be planted at farm/field boundaries, road sides, canal banks, river banks and wherever any space is vacant. Neem is the most ideal tree known to be successful under various agroforestry systems. Many Indian companies are currently engaged in processing neem seeds for extracting Azadirachtin. A large number of liquid and powdered formulations are being marketed in India. Although, this tree has tremendous potential, but till now it is to be exploited for full genetic potential in terms of growth and Azadirachtin content. By increasing Azadirachtin content more than 0.50 % in seed kernel much better price would be fetched (Gupta et. al. 2010). Realizing the economic potential of neem products in world market and good adaptability in wider climatic conditions and land situations in India, Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi collected a good amount of neem germplasm from nine states and evaluated critically for all the important characters and published in the form of “Neem catalogue” (Gupta et. al. 2011)

Electrical and Magnetic behaviour of PrFeAsO0.8F0.2 superconductor

The superconducting and ground state samples of PrFeAsO0.8F0.2 and PrFeAsO have been synthesised via easy and versatile single step solid state reaction route. X-ray & Reitveld refine parameters of the synthesised samples are in good agreement to the earlier reported value of the structure. The ground state of the pristine compound (PrFeAsO) exhibited a metallic like step in resistivity below 150K followed by another step at 12K. The former is associated with the spin density wave (SDW) like ordering of Fe spins and later to the anomalous magnetic ordering for Pr moments. Both the resistivity anomalies are absent in case of superconducting PrFeAsO0.8F0.2 sample. Detailed high field (up to 12Tesla) electrical and magnetization measurements are carried out for superconducting PrFeAsO0.8F0.2 sample. The PrFeAsO0.8F0.2 exhibited superconducting onset (Tconset) at around 47K with Tc({\rho} =0) at 38K. Though the Tconset remains nearly invariant, the Tc({\rho} =0) is decreased with applied field, and the same is around 23K under applied field of 12Tesla. The upper critical field (Hc2) is estimated from the Ginzburg Landau equation (GL) fitting, which is found to be ~ 182Tesla. Critical current density (Jc) being calculated from high field isothermal magnetization (MH) loops with the help of Beans critical state model, is found to be of the order of 103 A/cm2. Summarily, the superconductivity characterization of single step synthesised PrFeAsO0.8F0.2 superconductor is presented.Comment: 15 Pages Text + Fig

Phenological performance of groundnut varieties under sowing environments in hyper arid zone of Rajasthan, India

An experimental trial was conducted on groundnut during kharif seasons of 2009 and 2010. The experimental soil was loamy sand in texture. The experiment was laid out in split-plot design with three replications, assigning 32 treatments consisting of four date of sowing (20th April, 15th May, 9th June and 4th July) and two varieties (HNG-10 and TG-37A) as main-plot treatments and four fertility levels of nitrogen and phosphorus application (0, 20 N-40 P2O5, 30-60 P2O5 and 40 N-80 P2O5 kg/ha) as sub-plot treatments. The results showed that significantly higher plant stand was observed in 9th June and 4th July sowing date of the groundnut at harvest. 20th April sowing had significantly higher dry matter accumulation, CGR of 30-60 and 60-90 DAS of HNG-10 variety. Further delays in sowing significantly reduce growth parameters. However, growth parameters viz. dry matter accumulation, CGR, RGR etc. in all the sowing dates in TG-37A was statistically at par with each other. All the fertility treatments produced significantly higher dry matter, CGR, RGR etc. Application of 30 kg N-60 kg P2O5 / ha significantly enhanced the dry matter accumulation over 20 kgN-40kg P2O5/ha but statistically at par with 40 kg N- 80 kg P2O5/ ha