Adoption of RRII 400 series rubber clones by rubber small growers

The paper examines the response of small growers to the recommendation of multi-clonal planting in the context of release of RRII 400 series clones for commercial cultivation, since 2005. The data pertaining to 56080.6 ha under 130658 RPD permits, which availed subsidy from the Rubber Board during the seven year period from 2004 to 2010, were gathered from 26 Regional Offices of the Rubber Board located in the traditional rubber growing regions. The study revealed that the adoption had been characterised by the mono-clonal status (95.1%) of RRII 105 till the year 2004. However, the share of RRII 105 declined to 55.7 per cent in 2010. Conversely, share of RRII 400 series clones increased from 1.0 per cent in 2004 to 28 per cent in 2010 in the total planted area. But trends in adoption of new clones did not exhibit a consistent pattern across size-classes and regions during the post-release phase. It is in sharp contrast to the experience of RRII 105 since its release in 1980. Adoption of multi-clonal planting was only 2.6 per cent in 2004 which increased to more than 15 per cent in 2010. Multi-clonal planting was positively associated with the size of holdings during the period under review. But the strength of this relationship has been dependent on region-specific factors. Therefore, the study brings out the need for evolving a long term policy of region-specific clone recommendations based on life-cycle commercial yield performance

Trends in adoption of planting density in rubber smallholdings in the traditional regions of India

The analysis of planting density of rubber in small holdings for the period 2004-2010 indicated multifaceted features over time. In the traditional belt, except in North Kerala, the planting density of new planting was higher than that of replanting. After the release of RRII 400 series in the year 2005, significantly higher planting density was adopted for it in South Kerala. In all other regions, no significant difference in planting density was noticed between RRII 105 and RRII 400 series in the case of new planting, but higher density was adopted for replanting of RRII 105. An inverse relationship was observed between the size of holdings and planting density

Report on the socio-economic impact of Natural Rubber cultivation under the block planting scheme in Tripura

The study is a pioneering attempt to assess the socio-economic impact of the Block Planting Scheme (BPS) from the angle of the beneficiaries,implementing agencies and the policymakers.The report is based on the primary information gathered from 480 households drawn from Block Planting Units with mature (Mature BPUs)and immature (Immature BPUs) area under Natural Rubber (NR) as well as households attached to Group Processing Scheme (GPUs) with mature area under NR during the year 2008.The tripartite BPS involving the Rubber Board, the State Government of Tripura and the beneficiaries has been unique in its contents and mode of implementation since 1992.The average household income of mature BPUs was Rs.99168 compared to Rs.46824 of immature BPUs. Therefore, an annual income difference of Rs.52344 (112%) was observed between households with and without income from rubber (mature and immature BPUs).The compositions of income showed that rubber was the major source of income for GPUs (75%) and mature BPUs (66%). For immature BPUs,employment was the major source of income (77%).In the long-run, the concerned agencies of the state government may initiate skill oriented programmes for empowering the unemployed/underemployed youth along with improvements in the infrastructural facilities. Such policy initiatives will enable diversification of the sources of income and ensure sustainability of NR cultivation as observed in the case of Kerala and FELDA in Malaysia

Western Ghats’ fish fauna in peril: are pseudo conservationist attitudes to be blamed?

Use of threatened species in research – be it for taxonomy, biology or population studies, has always invoked much debate. As a result, the Species Survival Commission of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) developed a set of guidelines entitled ‘IUCN Policy Statement on Research Involving Species at Risk of Extinction’ with special reference to scientific collecting of threatened species1

Comprehensive Screening of Eight Known Causative Genes in Congenital Hypothyroidism With Gland-in-Situ.

CONTEXT: Lower TSH screening cutoffs have doubled the ascertainment of congenital hypothyroidism (CH), particularly cases with a eutopically located gland-in-situ (GIS). Although mutations in known dyshormonogenesis genes or TSHR underlie some cases of CH with GIS, systematic screening of these eight genes has not previously been undertaken. OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate the contribution and molecular spectrum of mutations in eight known causative genes (TG, TPO, DUOX2, DUOXA2, SLC5A5, SLC26A4, IYD, and TSHR) in CH cases with GIS. Patients, Design, and Setting: We screened 49 CH cases with GIS from 34 ethnically diverse families, using next-generation sequencing. Pathogenicity of novel mutations was assessed in silico. PATIENTS, DESIGN, AND SETTING: We screened 49 CH cases with GIS from 34 ethnically diverse families, using next-generation sequencing. Pathogenicity of novel mutations was assessed in silico. RESULTS: Twenty-nine cases harbored likely disease-causing mutations. Monogenic defects (19 cases) most commonly involved TG (12), TPO (four), DUOX2 (two), and TSHR (one). Ten cases harbored triallelic (digenic) mutations: TG and TPO (one); SLC26A4 and TPO (three), and DUOX2 and TG (six cases). Novel variants overall included 15 TG, six TPO, and three DUOX2 mutations. Genetic basis was not ascertained in 20 patients, including 14 familial cases. CONCLUSIONS: The etiology of CH with GIS remains elusive, with only 59% attributable to mutations in TSHR or known dyshormonogenesis-associated genes in a cohort enriched for familial cases. Biallelic TG or TPO mutations most commonly underlie severe CH. Triallelic defects are frequent, mandating future segregation studies in larger kindreds to assess their contribution to variable phenotype. A high proportion (∼41%) of unsolved or ambiguous cases suggests novel genetic etiologies that remain to be elucidated.This study made use of data generated by the UK10K Project and we acknowledge the contribution of the UK10K Consortium. This work was supported by Wellcome Trust Grants 100585/Z/12/Z (to N.S.), and 095564/Z/11/Z (to V.K.C.) and the National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Center (to V.K.C., N.S.). E.G.S and C.A.A. are supported by the Wellcome Trust (098051). Funding for the UK10K Project was provided by the Wellcome Trust under award WT091310

Unraveling a 146 Years Old Taxonomic Puzzle: Validation of Malabar Snakehead, Species-Status and Its Relevance for Channid Systematics and Evolution

The current distribution of C. diplogramma and C. micropeltes is best explained by vicariance. The significant variation in the key taxonomic characters and the results of the molecular marker analysis points towards an allopatric speciation event or vicariant divergence from a common ancestor, which molecular data suggests to have occurred as early as 21.76 million years ago. The resurrection of C. diplogramma from the synonymy of C. micropeltes has hence been confirmed 146 years after its initial description and 134 years after it was synonymised, establishing it is an endemic species of peninsular India and prioritizing its conservation value

The economics of tea plantations in South India

Thc tea industry in lndia is going through a period of crisis. The crisis in brought about mainly by cost caculation and declining or stagnant prices. The impact of the present crisis is felt most by the owners of tea plantations in Kcrala . The present study assumes significance due to the fact that the critic which already affected Keralas tea industry is now threatening to extend to other tea-growing areas in south India. Today, ensuring a favourablc price to the producers via-a-via possibilities or reducing the cost of production through increase in productivity of land and labour are the main considerations. The main purpose of the study is to analyse the factors behind the crisis as well as exploring immediate and long-term measures for the sustained growth of the industry.Cochin University of Science & TechnologySchool of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science & Technolog