Strengthening Pluralistic Agricultural Information Delivery Systems in India

The study on agricultural information flow has revealed that only 40 per cent farm households access information from one or the other source. The popular information sources among farmers have been reported to be fellow progressive farmers and input dealers, followed by mass media. The public extension system has been found to be accessed by only 5.7 per cent households. Only 4.8 per cent of the small farmers have access to public extension workers as compared to 12.4 per cent of large farmers. The sector-wise study on the type of information, sought has revealed that a majority of the farmers have sought information on seed (32-55%) in the cultivation sector; on health care (26-54 %) in animal husbandry; and on management and marketing (8-46 %) in fisheries. Regarding adoption of information by farmers, input dealers and other progressive farmers have depicted greater influence mainly due to easy and convenient access to these sources. The study has suggested promotion of farmers-led extension and strengthening of public extension services to improve coverage and efficiency of agricultural information delivery systems.Agricultural and Food Policy,

FLOURIDE REMOVAL FROM SEWAGE WATER USING CITRUS LIMETTA PEEL AS BIOSORBENT

Objective: The aim of this paper is to study the fluoride removal efficiency of the citrus limetta peel as low-cost biosorbent for defluoridation of sewage waste water.Methods: For finding the best operating condition for maximum removal of fluoride, batch wise experiments were performed at different contact times and keeping other parameters to be constant such as pH, initial fluoride concentration, and adsorbent dose. Various kinetic models such as intraparticle diffusion model, Bangham's model, Elovich model had been investigated for determining the suitable adsorption mechanism. The rate of adsorption of fluoride on citrus limetta peel has been determined by pseudo first-order and pseudo second order rate models. SEM analysis has been used for describing the surface morphology of the peel. The surface characterization of the citrus limetta peel has been investigated by using the FTIR and EDAX analysis.Results: The adsorption kinetics rate and the mechanism were best described by the pseudo-second order model and Bangham's model, respectively. The optimum pH, initial concentration, adsorbent dose and contact time were found to be 7, 20 mg/l, 10 g/l and 40 min. respectively for which there was maximum fluoride removal.Conclusion: The result obtained from the experiments show that the citrus limetta peel has proved to be a low-cost biosorbent for the defluoridation of the sewage waste water and has high fluoride removal efficiency.Keywords: Batchwise Biosorption Experiment, Bangham's Model, Langmuir Isotherm, SEM analysis, FTIR analysi

Impact of endosulfan on the profiles of phospholipids at sublethal concentration in the male Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch).

Abstract: Male Heteropneustes fossilis were exposed for 30 days at sublethal concentration (0.002 ppm) during different phases of its annual reproductive cycle. Its impact on total phospholipids (TP), phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatdylinositol (PI) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) were measured in liver, plasma and testes. During preparatory phase, in general, the levels for TP, PC, PS, PI and PE decreased after endosulfan exposure in the above tissues. During prespawning and spawning phases, the phospholipids also showed decreasing trend. The postspawning phase, exhibited decline in hepatic levels of PS and PI only and remained unaffected in the other two tissues. During the resting phase too, the hepatic levels of TP, PS and PI declined and remained unaltered in others. The present results indicate that endosulfan have very selective effects on phospholipids classes during different phases of the annual reproductive cycle interfering with the production of lipid deprived energy i.e. vitellogenin. In general, endosulfan has inhibitory role during reproductive growth affecting phospholipid biosynthesis via hepatic enzyme systems as well as by hormonal imbalance

Tenapanor: new approach to counter irritable bowel syndrome with constipation

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal disorder chronic in nature and characterized predominantly by abdominal pain or discomfort associated with altered bowel habits, diagnosis requires characteristic symptoms during the last 3 months and onset ≥6 months ago. Symptom-based approaches for functional bloating, constipation and diarrhea are best utilised to identify IBS. IBS with constipation exerts significant impairment on work productivity by hampering quality of life. Inadequate relief by existing modalities, persistent hard stools and visceral abdominal pain demanded further clinical research. Tenanapor a novel molecule acts locally on gastrointestinal sodium/hydrogen exchanger isoform 3 (NHE3), an antiporter a counter transporter and exert antinociceptive effects on visceral sensation thereby decreases the frequency of abdominal pain. Action on NHE3 receptors located on small intestine and colon’s apical surface reduces the absorption of sodium and phosphate, with minimal systemic exposure. NHE3 Inhibition induced sodium absorption results in increase in water secretion into intestinal lumen resultant an accelerated intestinal transit time and softer stool consistency. Most common adverse reactions (≥2%) are diarrhea, abdominal distension, flatulence and dizziness. The drug is metabolised mainly by CYP3A4/5 and excreted in feaces (70%) and urine (7%). Tenapanor’s minimal systemic absorption is likely to be associated with a relatively inert safety and tolerability profile. Based on positive results from the phase III T3MPO trial program, tenapanor demonstrated promising results for IBS-C management and received US Food and Drug Administration approval as IBSRELA @ Ardelyx Pharma in September 2019 and augment existing modalities for management of IBS-C

Rejuvenation of Wild Ber (\u3cem\u3eZizyphus\u3c/em\u3e Species) through Budding at Farmer’s Field

Ber is mainly cultivated for its fresh fruits, which are rich in vitamins C, A and B complex. Due to its nutritional qualities it is called poor man’s apple (Gajbhiya et al., 2003). A large number of wild ber shrubs (Zizyphus mauritiana, Z. rotundifolia and Z. nummularia) were seen growing on the neglected lands, uncultivated lands, roadsides and farm boundaries in Kadesara Kala Village in Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh (India). Production potential of this species is very low because of poor upkeep and inferior genetic makeup. But they have extensive root system which can withstand prolonged drought and has capability to regenerate even if the shoot system is damaged completely (Batahr, 1990). They are also responsibly resistant to common insect and pest. Therefore, these species offer an excellent production potential from the degraded lands of Bundelkhand region of India (Sharma and Tiwari, 1994; Tiwari and Sharma, 1993) after in-situ budding with improved cultivars. It also provides sufficient leaf biomass (pala) which can be utilized as fodder in lean period and also suitable for hay and silage for goat as it contains 11-13 percent crude protein (Tewatia and Khirwar, 2002). Pruned twigs/stems of ber also meet, to some extent, the fuel wood requirement in rural areas (Kumar et al., 2004)

Economics of BN Hybrid Grass Production Bundelkhand Region of India: A Case Study

Napier grass is also called as Elephant Grass due to its tallness and vigorous vegetative growth. The plants tiller freely and a single clump may produce more than 60 tillers under favorable climatic and soil conditions. Unfortunately, the grass coarse-textured, the leaf blade sheaths as well as sharply serrated, leaf margins. Therefore, cross was made between Bajra which is more succulent, leafy, fine-textured, palatable, fast growing and drought resistant and Napier to combine these qualities with its high yielding potential. The outcome Hybrid Napier is a perennial grass which can be retained on field for 2-3 years. Hybrid napier grass are mostly grown under assured water supply but cultivating under varying agroclimatic condition is also possible. Low grass production in dry land area is mainly due to the limited availability of soil moisture and plant nutrients. Agrawal et al., (2001) reported NB hybrid is superior to guinea grass or setaria grass. However the economy of production plays an important role in introduction/ adoption of a crop in an area, village or farm. Many earlier studies have been conducted on economics of BN Hybrid production at research farm, or other government farms. But the information on economics of BN hybrid production at farmer’s field and its integration livestock feeding as well rooted slips are limited. Therefore, the present study was conducted with the object to study the economics of BN hybrid at farmer’s field in Bundelkhand

Constraints for Grassland Development in Kadesara Kala Village, Lalitpur, Bundelkhand: A Case Study

India is maintaining a livestock population of over 500 million and has a grim situation of forage and feed deficit to the tune of 35.6% green fodder, 10.95% crop residues and 44% concentrate. In term of nutrients, the deficit is expected to the tune of 24.6 and 19.9% respectively by the year 2020. The gap is to be bridged up through development as well as extension of appropriate fodder production technologies suitable for different farming situation strategies. Fifty-eight % of the available fodder comes from grazing land and 42% from stall feeding with crop residues (30%) and leaf fodder (12%). Grasses constitute the majority (88%) of fodder available in Uttar Pradesh (GOUP, 1994). However, the role of grasslands cannot be under judged, as the large animal populations owned by small, marginal and landless farm family strive upon these. The livestock sector achieved an average growth rate of 4.8 per cent during the Eleventh Five Year Plan (Economic Survey, 2012-13) and it contributed 3.6 percent of national GDP during the Eleventh Plan. In the same tune, the contribution from this sector is expected to improve because increasing purchasing power is favoring the proportion of protein from animal source in the human diets. Further, The Indian livestock sector is becoming more competitive participant in the world market. All this largely depends, however, on improvement and sufficiency in the production of feeds and forages. Notwithstanding the above, the grasslands and pastureland in the country are continuously shrinking. The paper addresses important issues limiting the development of new grasslands in semiarid Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh particularly the Lalitpur district

Physicochemical characterization and in vitro dissolution studies of solid dispersions of ketoprofen with PVP K30 and d-mannitol

AbstractAim of the present study was to improve the solubility and dissolution rate of poorly water soluble, BCS class-II drug Ketoprofen (KETO) by solid-dispersion approach. Solid dispersions were prepared by using polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVP K30) and d-mannitol in different drugs to carrier ratios. Dispersions with PVP K30 were prepared by kneading and solvent evaporation techniques, whereas solid dispersions containing d-mannitol were prepared by kneading and melting techniques. These formulations were characterized in the liquid state by phase-solubility studies and in the solid state by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The aqueous solubility of KETO was favored by the presence of both carriers. The negative values of Gibbs free energy illustrate the spontaneous transfer from pure water to the aqueous polymer environment. Solid state characterization indicated KETO was present as fine particles in d-mannitol solid dispersions and entrapped in carrier matrix of PVP K30 solid dispersions. In contrast to the very slow dissolution rate of pure KETO, dispersions of drug in carriers considerably improved the dissolution rate. This can be attributed to increased wettability and dispersibility, as well as decreased crystallinity and increase in amorphous fraction of drug. Solid dispersions prepared with PVP K30 showed the highest improvement in dissolution rate of KETO. Even physical mixtures of KETO prepared with both carriers also showed better dissolution profiles than those of pure KETO

Nutrient Intake and Utilization in Jalauni Lambs Fed \u3cem\u3e Azolla \u3c/em\u3e Meal Supplemented Diet

Azolla is an important aquatic fungi due to the occurrence of both photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation in the leaves and also because of its profuse growth habbit, it appears as a potential source of protein, minerals and vitamins for livestock feeding. Keeping in view of the increasing cost and heavy deficit of concentrate ingredients in the country, an attempt was made to replace mustard cake protein @ 25% and 50% levels with Azolla (Microphylla) meal protein in the ration of sheep to investigate the effect of supplementation of azolla meal on nutrient intake and utilization in growing Jalauni lambs fed green chaffed MP Chari based rations