Constraints in Production and Marketing of Arecanut in Salem District of Tamil Nadu, India

Arecanut is an important cash crop in our country. The study was carried out to ascertain the constraints faced by arecanut farmers in Salem district of Tamil Nadu with a sample size of 120, by employing proportionate random sampling technique. Majority of the respondents expressed lack of specific grading of nuts in marketing as a constraint. More than three-fourths of the respondents suggested that there should be a mechanism to regulate import of nuts from other countries and to create market potential for nuts in the local markets

Power Efficient MAC Unit Based Digital PID Controllers

Proper closed loop has been an ever hot issue in the automotive industry. The industrial equipments governed by PID controllers have very simple control architecture and efficiency but still they find a trouble dueto large power consumption and slow mathematical computation. Many researchers have worked out and are trying to design a low power, less delay PID. This paper reviews three MAC architectures with array, booth and wallace tree multipliers incorporated in PID architecture. The simulations are done and the area, power, delay results are synthesized using Xilinx ISE. Comparisons are made between these three architectures in terms of power delay product and area delay product

Nanoparticles - A review

For the past few decades, there has been a considerable research interest in the area of drug delivery using particulate delivery systems as carriers for small and large molecules. Particulate systems like nanoparticles have been used as a physical approach to alter and improve the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of various types of drug molecules. They have been used in vivo to protect the drug entity in the systemic circulation, restrict access of the drug to the chosen sites and to deliver the drug at a controlled and sustained rate to the site of action. Various polymers have been used in the formulation of nanoparticles for drug delivery research to increase therapeutic benefit, while minimizing side effects. Here, we review various aspects of nanoparticle formulation, characterization, effect of their characteristics and their applications in delivery of drug molecules and therapeutic genes. Keywords: nanoparticles, drug delivery, targeting, drug release > Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 5 (1) 2006: pp. 561-57

Fish culture in marine farm at Mandapam

The large-scale monoculture and polyculture of the milkfish, Chanos chanos were reported earlier form Southeast Asian countries.This article highlights some interesting and encouraging results obtained during the experiments of milkfish monoculture and polyculture of milkfish with mullet in Mandapam ponds. In the monoculture of milkfish the average size of the fish as well as the production rate could be substantially stepped up by resorting to supplementary feeding. In the polyculture of milkfish, the average growth rate was found to be more or less similar in both the fertilized and unfertilized ponds but the survival and production rates were higher in unfertilized pond. The yield of milkfish under monoculture in the present study is comparable to that of Ceylon, where selective harvesting followed by replenishment gave a production of 799 to 1159 kg/ha/annum. A production rate of 1405 kg/ha/10 months obtained in the present experimental polyculture of milkfish

Analysis on knowledge level of recommended plant protection technologies in areca nut (Areca catechu) cultivation in Salem district of Tamil Nadu

Areca nut (Areca catechu) is one of the important cash crops in India. India ranks first in terms of area and production of areca nut and accounts of 54.07 per cent of its world production. The harvesting of nuts commence on the Tamil month of ‘Thai’ (Mid-January to Mid-February) and spread over six months in carrying out the post-harvest practices and marketing of nuts. This study was purposively conducted in Salem district 2018-2019 and occupies first position in area (2,421 hectares) of areca nut in Tamil Nadu. The Peddanackenpalyam, Valapddy, Gengavalli and Attur blocks were selected based on the 87.28 per cent of the area under areca nut in this district with a sample size of 120 areca nut farmers selected by using a proportionate random sampling technique. Most of the respondents (80.00 per cent) had knowledge level of medium to high level of knowledge on the recommended plant protection technologies in areca nut cultivation. It was mainly due to the medium to the high level of information seeking behaviour and social participation. The study revealed that the areca nut growers differed widely in their social characteristics. Most of the respondents had a medium to a high level of knowledge on recommended technologies in areca nut cultivation. This finding stressed the importance of formulating different extension strategies for different audiences by the change agency system.

Results of experimental monoculture of milkfish in marine fishfarm at Mandapam

The results of the experiments conducted during 1980-82 on the monoculture of milkfish at Marine Fishfarm, Mandapam are presented. In a 0.25 ha earthen pond, each experiment was conducted for a period of 10 months. Fertilization with 1000 kg/ha of chicken manure and 400 kg/ha of N-P-K (12-24-12) was done in the first experiment. Supplementary feed at the rate of 5-10% body weight of the fish was given in the second experiment. The stocking density of 4000 f ingerlings/ha yielded 216 kg/ha in the fertilized pond with a survival rate of 89.7% and 852 kg/ha in the unfertilized pond with 63% of surviva

Status of marine fisheries in Gujarat with strategies for sustainable and responsible fisheries

Gujarat with about 20% (1600 km) of the country’s coastline, 33% of the continental shelf area (1,64,000 sq. km) and over 2,00,000 sq. km of EEZ ranks second among the maritime states in marine fish production. The marine fish production in the state has shown a declining trend from 2002 (4.68 lakh tons) to 2005 (3.56 lakh tons) with promising increase by 42.7 % to 5.08 lakh tons during 2006. There is a conspicuous change in the resource composition over the years with quality fishes like pomfrets, larger sciaenids, threadfins and penaeid prawns being replaced by low value fishes such as ribbonfishes, threadfin breams, carangids, nonpenaeid prawns and smaller crabs. During the five year period, pelagic resources contributed (40%), followed by the demersal resources (30%), crustacean resources (22%) and cephalopod resources (8%). Among the pelagic resources, the contribution of Bombay duck Harpadon nehereus (Synodontidae) decreased from 34.8% in 2003 to 24.6% in 2006, while the contribution of Trichiurus lepturus (Trichiuridae) increased from 33.5% in 2003 to 46.6% in 2006. The demersal resources were dominated by croakers (30%) and the crustacean resources by non-penaeid prawns (60%). The substantial component of the catches was landed by trawlers (59%), followed by dolnetters (26%) and gillnetters (14%). The last quarter (46%) recorded the highest landings with the poor catches in the second (14%) and third quarters (15%). There was a distinct change in species composition of sciaenids caught by dolnetters over the years with smaller sciaenids (Otolithes cuvieri, Sciaenidae and Johnius glaucus, Sciaenidae) completely replacing commercially important larger sciaenids like koth (Otolithoides biauritus, Sciaenidae) and ghol (Protonibea diacanthus, Sciaenidae). The mean length for Harpadon nehereus increased from 159 mm in 2003 to 216 mm in 2006, whereas for Otolithes cuvieri and Nemipterus japonicus (Nemipteridae) the mean length decreased from 202 mm and 223 mm in 2003 to 163 mm and 193 mm in 2005. The emergence of mackerel fishery in 2006 coupled with increased landings of high export value cephalopods and tunas provide scope for the sustenance of marine fishery of Gujarat. Strategies for sustainable responsible fisheries are outlined

Biology and biometry of milkfish Chanos chanos (Forsskal)

Observations made on length-weight relationship for adult milkfish, ova-diameter frequency distribution, relationship between fecundity and total length, fecundity and standard length; and weight and fecundity are presented. The regression lines for 17 morphometric characters in relation to the standard length were worked out. Snout to anal origin grows faster than snout to ventral origin. Head length; shows faster rate of growth than head depth. The stomach content revealed the presence of diatoms predominantly. Fecundity varied between 1424 and 5321 thousands in the fish in the size range of 1,100 - 1,340 mm

Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus landed at Mangamaripeta, north of Visakhapatnam

A live male Blue whale Balaenoptera musculus Linnaeus locally called "papper meenu" measuring 12.17 m in total length was entangled accidentally on 9th May 1994 in a synthetic drift gillnet operated by a mechanised-cum-sail craft at a depth of 50 metres off Mangamaripeta which is situated 12 km north of Visakhapatnam. The fishermen towed the Blue whale to the Mangamaripeta marine fish landing centre