Genetic study for epistatic gene effects for major yield contributing traits against drought in rice

The study subjected to estimate gene effects and inheritance of quantitative traits of rice with Generation Mean Analysis (GMA). Segregation analysis and estimation of genetic parameters under epistatic model indicated partial dominance and importance of additive effects in the inheritance of drought tolerance, respectively. In present study, absence of epistasis by scaling tests was recorded only for plant height in cross NDR-359 x P0 1564, grains per panicle in cross DSL- 63-8 x NDR- 359, test weight in cross Sarjoo-52 x P0 359, harvest-index in cross NDR-359 x P0 1564 and spikelets per panicle in cross Sarjoo-52 x P0 359 and NDR-359 x P0 1564 in irrigated condition and days to 50 per cent flowering in cross P0 359 x Sonam and harvest-index in cross NDR-359 x P0 1564 in drought condition. In remaining cases, existence of epistasis was observed in either one or both conditions by one or both types of scaling tests. The presence of complementary epistasis in cross P0 359 x Sonam and P0 1564 x Sarjoo-52 would make progress through selection procedures exploiting additive gene actions faster while existence of duplicate epistasis in cross NDR-359 x P0 1564 would have reverse impact. The non-additive gene effects in NDR-359 x P0 1564 for grain yield plant-1may also be utilized for facilitating development of pureline cultivars by involving population improvement methods. Our study concluded that for a large number of traits in six crosses, dominance gene effects and epistatic interactions were significant under drought and irrigated conditions implying that utilization of heterosis through hybrid varieties will act as a budding choice

Environmental Value of Draught Animals: Saving of Fossil-fuel and Prevention of Greenhouse Gas Emission

Animal energy is a renewable and sustainable source of energy. It is renewable because the animals can be reproduced by breeding and rearing the required number of animals. It is sustainable because the animals derive their energy for work largely from agricultural by-products. In addition, there are other environmental contributions of the working animal stock — consider replacing it by agricultural machinery run on fossil-fuel. Animal energy saves natural resources, fossil fuel and prevents green house gases emission. The fossil-fuel equivalent of the animal energy used in the Indian agriculture has been found pretty large, as much as 19 million tonnes of diesel in 2003. If this much amount of fuel were to be burnt through combustion to run tractors in the absence of the working animal stock of over 60 million, it would have released about 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.Agricultural and Food Policy,

India’s Livestock Feed Demand: Estimates and Projections

The paper has estimated the feed consumption rates for different livestock species by age-group, sex, and function at the national level, and based on that the paper has generated demand for different types of feed by the year 2020. According to this study, by 2020 India would require a total 526 million tonnes (Mt) of dry matter, 855 Mt of green fodder, and 56 Mt of concentrate feed (comprising 27.4 Mt of cereals, 4.0 Mt of pulses, 20.6 Mt of oilseeds, oilcakes and meals, and 3.6 Mt of manufactured feed). In terms of nutrients, this translates into 738 Mt of dry matter, 379 Mt of total digestible nutrients and 32 Mt of digestible crude protein. The estimates of demand for different feeds will help the policymakers of the country in designing trade strategy to maximize benefits from livestock production.Agricultural and Food Policy,

Economic Analysis of Menthol Mint Cultivation in Uttar Pradesh: A Case Study of Barabanki District

The present study has been carried out in the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh on economic analysis of menthol mint cultivation in the year 2010. The economics has been worked out by comparing costs and returns at different stages by the conventional method. The linear production function has been fitted to evaluate the resources-use efficiency in the production of menthol mint. The study has shown that the major portion of operational cost is shared by hired labour, interculture operations, distillation charges, irrigation and machine / tractor charge. The overall benefit-cost ratio has been found to be 2.55, which indicates a higher profit for farmers on less investment in mint cultivation. The independent variables like human labour, machinery, manures and fertilizer, irrigation charges and intercultural operations have shown a positive and significant impact on the returns of mentha crop in the study area. The major problems faced by the farmers are high input cost, erratic supply of electricity, lack of adequate information, infrastructural facilities, regulated markets and energy-efficient distillation units.Menthol mint, Medicinal and aromatic plants, Mentha crop, Barabanki district, Economic analysis, Agricultural and Food Policy, Q 12, Q 18,

A PC- Based Transient Method for Thermal Conductivity Measurement.

In this paper, an indigenously developed thermal probe has been interfaced with a PC for automated measurement of thermal conductivity (K ). The developed system has been calibrated and standardised by measuring K of glycerol. The maximum percentage error, for repeated sets of observations, was within 7.29 per cent of standard value reported for glycerol. This methodology has been successfully employed for measuring K of propellant oxidisers, additives, binders, etc

Activation Parameter and Solvent Effect on Solvolysis of Ethyl Benzoate in Aquo-Organic Solvent System.

The rate of hydrolysis of hydrolysis of ethyl benzoate were measured volumetric over the temperature range of 200c to 400c.in water-methanol mixture at different composition. The different solvation in initial and transition state is due to decrease in rate with varying the composition of mixture. The influence of solvent on reaction rate was examined in term of activation parameter. The increase in values of DG* and simultaneous depletion in values of DH* and DS* with solvent composition reveals that the reaction is Enthalpy domination and Entropy controlled. The value of iso-kinetic temperature is less than 300 shows the weak interaction between solvent and solute

Piezoelectric Gyro Sensor Technology

This paper gives an insight into the piezoelectric gyro sensor technology including theprinciple of operation, performance-limiting phenomenon, etc. With a brief account ofconventional gyro sensor technologies, a detailed discussion on piezoelectric vibrating structuregyro sensor technology has been given. The performance of various forms of vibrating structurepiezoelectric gyros, including future trends, has been highlighted

Groundwater Marketing in Nalanda District of Bihar State: A Socio-economic Appraisal

The cost and marketing of groundwater have been assessed in the Nalanda district, which is one of the most agriculturally advanced districts of the Bihar state. For the study, 60 farmers have been randomly selected from the district. It has been found that small and marginal farms use their tubewells mainly for hiring, whereas, large and medium farms use them mainly for their own purposes during the main crop seasons, i.e. kharif and rabi. The average installation cost on a tubewell has been found highest on large size of holdings (Rs 33,130), followed by medium (Rs 27,240), small (Rs 23,850), and marginal (Rs 19,610) holdings. The capital budgeting techniques, viz. net present value (NPV), benefit-cost ratio (B:C ratio) and internal rate of return (IRR) have been used for evaluating the investment on tubewells. The NPV has been found positive (Rs 1440) and B:C ratio more than one (1.05:1). The IRR has been estimated to be more than the capital cost (10.95%). But, the tubewells have failed to generate income flow equal to the investment by marginal farms. Farm size-wise analysis has revealed that the owner-seller farms category predominates in the water market in the study area. The participation in water market has been found to decline with increase in the size of farms. Financial analysis has revealed that the installation of tubewells is financially viable on large and medium farms but not on small and marginal farms. However, with the development of water market in the area, adoption of modern technologies in crop production and cultivation of cash crops would make the installation of tubewells on marginal and small size of farms financially viable.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Adoption of Integrated Pest Management Practices in Paddy and Cotton: A Case Study in Haryana and Punjab

The study has examined the adoption of IPM practices on cotton in Punjab and on paddy in Haryana and has assessed the impact of key socio-economic and institutional factors on IPM adoption. The Poisson count regression models have been used to analyze technology adoption. The awareness generation about technology through formal crop-specific IPM training provided by the farmers’ field schools has been found extremely effective in wider adoption of IPM in the study areas. Hence, investment in IPM education through these programmes will have long-term beneficial impact. Regarding effectiveness of extension services, the study has not shown (frequency of meeting extension personnel) any statistically significant impact on IPM adoption rates. Mixed evidence has been observed about the relationship between farm-size and adoption of IPM practices. In the case of paddy, a negative relationship has been observed, while the cotton has shown a positive relationship. The study has concluded that a higher gross value of crops does not appear to have a positive impact on IPM technology adoption in cotton.Crop Production/Industries,

A Study on the Economics of Milk Processing in a Dairy Plant in Haryana

The economics of manufacturing of different dairy products, viz. ghee, full-cream milk, standardized milk, toned milk, double-toned milk, skimmed milk and ice-cream (processing only) have been reported. The study has been conducted in an ISO-9002 dairy plant situated in the north-eastern part of Haryana. It has been observed that all the products, except the double-toned milk are being produced above the recommended breakeven level. A comparison of unit manufacturing cost with unit price received by the plant for different products has revealed that ice-cream manufacturing has been the most profitable proposition among different dairy products, and standardized milk has provided the maximum profit margin among the milk pouches manufactured during the study period, 2000-01. The double-toned milk has revealed a loss. Therefore, the study has suggested that the quantity of double-toned milk production should be raised at least equal to the recommended break-even level to avoid losses, if there is a market demand for this product or the resources of this product could be shifted to some other profitable products.Agricultural and Food Policy,