Marketing Behavior of Banana Grower in Bhagalpur District of Bihar

The study was conducted on primary data, collected from a sample of 60 banana growers, consisted of 26 (43%), 25 (42%) and 9 (15%) marginal & small, semi-medium and medium & large category. The data were collected from the sample growers with the help of specifically prepared pre-tested schedules through Survey Method by interviewing them, selected through Multi-Stage Sampling Technique from a cluster of 3 villages of Nawgachhia block of Bhagalpur district. The growers in general (76.67%) were found selling banana in ‘local market’. The semi-medium and medium & large category (36.0 and 56.0 per cent) growers were also found selling it to ‘distant markets’. The ‘contract sale’ was pre-dominantly prevailed as ‘mode of sale’ in the area. The ‘cash sale’ as-well-as ‘credit sale’ was prevailing in the area. The marginal & small category growers sold banana to the pre-harvest contractors

Evaluation of perinatal outcome in women presented with first trimester vaginal bleeding: our experience

Background: First trimester vaginal bleeding (FTVB) plays a role in occurrence of late pregnancy complications in both mother and infant. Late pregnancy outcomes in mothers and infants are the main concerns for the obstetricians. The purpose of this study was to assess the perinatal outcome of pregnancies complicated by first trimester vaginal bleeding.Methods: The present study included total 100 singleton pregnant women with history of FTVB whose pregnancy was confirmed chemically. Patients were closely observed and follow up done 2 weekly upto 36 weeks and weekly after that. Late pregnancy outcomes such as gestational hypertension, pre eclampsia, placental abruption, preterm delivery and pre mature rupture of membranes in the mothers and  low birth weight, intrauterine growth ristriction, apgar score after 1 and 5 minutes,  and  NICU admission in new born were calculated.Results: Incidence of PROM, gestational hypertension and placental abruption is more in women with FTVB. However there infant had higher rate of IUGR and LBW. Apgar score after 1 and 5 minutes were less than 5 and admission to NICU too.Conclusions: FTVB is an important factor to predict both the maternal and fetal outcomes in late pregnancy. It is therefore important to evaluate and consider these pregnancies as high risk group and provide careful antenatal care

Effect of cold stress on boro rice seedlings

Cold stress at seedling stage is a major constraint in boro rice production. Nine boro rice lines were crossed in diallel fashion excluding reciprocals to obtain 36 crosses. All the 36 crosses along with parents were grown in nursery in three seasons (boro-2014, kharif-2015 and boro-2015). Performance of seedlings for survival per cent, chlorophyll content, relative water content, membrane stability index was recorded just before transplanting in all the three seasons. Scoring for cold tolerance was done in both boro seasons. Gautam showed highest survival rate over three seasons. Among crosses, IR 64 x Krishna Hamsa showed highest survival (84%) in boro-2014, MTU 1010 x Jaya (86.33%) in boro-2015 and MTU 1010 x Krishna Hamsa (95.67%) in kharif-2015. Jaya x Krishna Hamsa was most cold tolerant cross over both boro seasons. Significant positive correlation was observed among survival per cent, chlorophyll content, relative water content and membrane stability index over seasons

A new species from Genus Megachile Subgenus Callomegachile (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) from Chandigarh and Punjab plains

A new species Megachile pseudodisjuncta of the bee is being reported from Genus Megachile and Subgenus Callomegachile. It bears a close resemblance to M. disjuncta from which it has been distinguished on the basis of certain morphological characters and genitalia. Megachilid bees bear utmost significance because they are very good pollinators of both cultivated and wild fauna. Consequently, their taxonomic identification and conservation are very crucial. The detailed taxonomically important morphological characters of both the species were studied and photographed. Male sternum and genitalia were studied microscopically and photographed. The material examined and floral associations have also been presented in the paper

Description of a new species of Neocressionella Gupta (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) from North western India

A new species, Megachile (Neocressionella) patialensis is described from Patiala, India. Full description of male with their floral relationship, morphological measurements and specimens examined is provided. Knowledge of the life history and nesting habits of Megachile bees will pave the way for their manipulation so that these can be used to increase pollination. Documentation of the genera and species will increase our knowledge of the biodiversity of these bees in the study area

Algebraic methods in difference sets and bent functions

We provide some applications of a polynomial criterion for difference sets. These include counting the difference sets with specified parameters in terms of Hilbert functions, in particular a count of bent functions. We also consider the question about the bentness of certain Boolean functions introduced by Carlet when the $\mathcal{C}$-condition introduced by him doesn't hold

Antioxidative role of selected herbs against ethanol induced liver injury in rats

The purpose of this study was to know the hepatotoxicity of ethanol in laboratory rats Rattus rattus and to observe the individual and combined phytotherapeutic role of five herbs viz. Arctium lappa, Curcuma longa, Piper longum, Plumbago zeylanica and Terminalia chebula through biochemical and histopathological parameters. Ethanol is commonly used as solvent, pharmaceutical, drugs and alcohol abuse. Lipidperoxidation, glutathione content, urinary hydroxyproline, collagen and histopathological studies showed hepatotoxicity of 1 ml/kg bodyweight dose of ethanol and protective role of 100 mg/kg body weight dose of herbs. Histopathological changes observed in the liver of rats after ethanol treatment showed hepatitis, collagenesis, fatty infiltration, sclerosis, perilobular necrosis, cytoplasmic degeneration, enlarged bile canaliculi, hydropic degeneration, focal necrosis, binucleated hepatocytes and nuclear degeneration. Mild cytoplasmic degeneration, necrosis, collagenesis and hepatocytes regenerations were observed in rats treated with same dose of ethanol and herbal combination.Ethanol treatment decreased the glutathione content, increased tissue malondialdehyde and collagen content, thus causing tissue injury and liver collagenesis. Urinary hydroxyproline level and biochemical parameters also showed the protective role of herbs against ethanol induced toxicity. Herbal combination i. e. 100ml/kg body weight from the mixture of five herbs given orally was found more effective than their individual role. Herbs and plants contain aromatic substances, secondary metabolites, alkaloids and polyphenols which act as antioxidant thus showing protective role

An Analysis of Women’s Participation in Agriculture in Bihar

Understanding the nature of rural landscape change during the urbanization process is vital to formulate rural management plans for sustainable development. However, there is little information on how rural landscapes changes and limited evidence as to how it can be improved. There were 244.9 million households in India of which 179.7 million households or 833 million people were in rural areas (SECC Survey 2011). Survey revealed that 87.2 million rural households reported one of more criteria of deprivation, while 92 million households were engaged in casual manual labour and agricultural activities. In agriculture, the role of women cannot be denied. They contribute in every operation of agricultural activities and are also active in allied sectors like cattle management, dairying, beekeeping, goat rearing mushroom production and poultry farming etc. Women participation in total workforce was assessed 27.44% as against 72.56% by male workforce in 2011. Share of women agricultural workforce in total workforce was computed to be 16.57% in 2001 which declined to 6.23% in 2011. Causes of decline may be their participation other sectors with improvement in their literacy rate which rose to 51.50% in 2011 as compared to 33.57% in 2001. The male-female sex ratio has registered a decline of 0.11% as compared to 2001 census. Women holding land account for only 13.31% as against 87.27% by men in Bihar. Share of women agricultural workforce in total agricultural workforce was estimated to be 19.32% as per census 2011. Analysis of CACP unit level data of Bihar for the year 2013-14, revealed that the contribution of women in agricultural activities was assessed to be 35.94%. Women’s contribution in agriculture is significant and plays diverse role, still their wages were found 7.04% less than their male counterparts during 2015-16. To strengthen women’s participation in agriculture and allied sectors and to improve their access to land, loan and other facilities, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has policy provisions like joint leasing for both domestic and agricultural land under National policy for farmers. Under credit facility provisions government has framed policy for issuing Kisan Credit Cards to women for creating livelihood through livestock practices and agricultural processing. Beside all efforts, there is still a wide gender gap in the state which may be addressed properly for overall development of women and enhancing the rural landscape of the state in particular and nation in general. The paper tries to analyze the role women in agricultural development of Bihar and the issues confronting them