GROWTH AND FLOWERING OF ‘PUYAT’ DURIAN (Durio zibethinus Murr.) AS INFLUENCED BY DIFFERENT TYPES OF FERTILIZER APPLICATION

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different types of fertilizer application on the growth and flowering of 'Puyat' Durian (Durio Zibethenus Murr.); and determine the best fertilizer application for the optimum production of Durian. Ten (10) year old trees at Canoy Durian Farm, Pindasan, Mabini, Compostela Valley Province were tested from November 2015 to March 2016. The experiment was laid out in Randomized Completely Block Design (RCBD) with six treatments, replicated three times. The treatments were: T1- Untreated; T2-Recommended Rate- RR (based on soil analysis); T3- Optimum RateOR + (3kg NPK+1kg MOP); T4- OR+ GOFF; T5- RR+ GOFF; T6- GOFF (Green-shield Organic-based Fortified Foliar Fertilizer).Statistical analysis showed that there were significant differences among treatments in terms of trees with flushes and number of flowers per cluster but no significant effects were observed in canopy diameter and number of flower cluster per tree. Result of the study showed that fertilizer application increased the number of flower per cluster of 'Puyat' Durian and enhanced flushing of durian trees. The study further revealed that organic based foliar fertilizer alone enhanced flowering up to five times higher than without application (control). While numerically, GOFF (Green-shield Organic-based Fortified Foliar Fertilizer) alone had the highest number of flower cluster per tree.

ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES OF SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS OF KASHMIR HIMALAYA AS BIORESOURCES TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES OF ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

Through the realization of the continuous erosion of traditional knowledge of plants used for medicine in the past and the renewed interest at the present time, a need existed to review this valuable knowledge of medicinal plants with the purpose of developing medicinal plants sectors across the different states in India. Our major objectives therefore were to explore the potential in medicinal plants resources, to understand the challenges and opportunities with the medicinal plants sector, and also to suggest recommendations based upon the present state of knowledge for the establishment and smooth functioning of the medicinal plants sector along with improving the living standards of the underprivileged communities. The review reveals that State of Kashmir harbours a rich diversity of valuable medicinal plants, and attempts are being made at different levels for sustainable utilization of this resource in order to develop the medicinal plants sector. Antimicrobial activity refers to the process of killing or inhibiting the growth of microbes. Various antimicrobial agents are used for this purpose. Antimicrobial may be anti-bacterial, anti-fungal or antiviral. Antimicrobial activity can be defined as a collective term for all active principles (agents) that inhibit the growth of bacteria, prevent the formation of microbial colonies, and may destroy microorganisms. In the field of antimicrobial finish, many common terms are used including antibacterial, bactericidal, bacteriostatic, fungicidal, fungistatic, biocidal, and biostatic. Antimicrobial activity refers to a situation where an active agent has a negative effect on the vitality of microorganisms.In present study we studied Antimicrobial Activities of Some Medicinal Plants of Kashmir Himalaya

OIL QUANTITY ANALYSIS OF LAVENDULA OFFICINALIS CHAIX. GROWN ACROSS ASHMIR VALLEY

Essential oils (EOs) are volatile, natural, complex compounds characterized by a strong odour and are formed by aromatic plants as secondary metabolites. The essential oil of Lavendula officinalis was extracted using hydrodistillation process. Hydro-Distillation is potentially a very useful method to extract essential oil from various plants and from their different parts. The principle of extraction is based on the isotropic distillation. The yield is dependent on various parameters like weight of raw material, volume of water, size of raw material and nature of raw material. Samples from aerial parts of three Lavendula ecotypes were analyzed for essential oil content to find out as to which ecotype excels in oil content and which ecotype gave the minimum essential oil output. Air dried leafy stalks and stems of L. officinalis were taken and submitted to Hydro distillation for 4 hrs using Clevenger type apparatus. Briefly, the samples were immersed in water and heated to boiling, after which the essential oil was evaporated together with water vapour and finally collected in a condenser. The distillates (EOs) were isolated and dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate. The oils were stored in the sealed vials at 2°C for further studies. Each extraction was performed at least three times. The oil content was determined on an oil volume to tissue weight basis. Estimated oil content was lowest in Srinagar ecotype to a highest in Pulwama ecotype. Pulwama ecotype was followed by Budgam ecotype. This could be due to the variation in altitude and location.

EFFECTS OF ORGANIC MANURES AND INORGANIC FERTILIZERS ON GROWTH, YIELD AND SHELF LIFE OF TOMATO (LYCOPERSICON ESCULENTUM MILL.)

The present investigation entitled “Effect of Organic manure and Inorganic fertilizers on growth, yield and shelf life of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) was conducted during the kharif season 2020 to assess the effects of inorganic and organic fertilizers on growth parameters, yield attributes and shelf life of tomato variety Pusa Ruby. The experiment was laid in a rendomized block design (RBD) with 8 treatments each replicated thrice.The treatments consisted of different levels of organic fertilizers and inorganic fertilizers. The treatments used were T Control (with 1 no fertilizer), T - 100% NPK RDF (120:80:60),T - 100% CD @20t/ha, T - 100% VC @20t/ha, T - 75% NPK + 25% 2 3 4 5 CD @5t/ha, T - 50% NPK + 50% CD @10t/ha, T - 75% NPK + 25% VC @5t/ha, T - 50% NPK + 50% VC 6 7 8 @10t/ha. Among 8 treatments, treatment T (50% NPK + 50% VC) recorded maximum height (74.30 cm), maximum 8 number of branches (9.8), maximum number of flowers/cluster (7.8), minimum days to first fruiting (49.6 days), maximum number of fruits/cluster (6.4), maximum number of fruits per plant (19), maximum weight per fruit (68.86), maximum yield per plant (1.42) and maximum shelf life (11). However, treatment T - 100% VC showed 4 minimum days to 50% flowering (39.8) and maximum number of flower cluster per plant (14.8). Thus, it could be concluded that the use of combination of organic and inorganic fertilizers has potential in improving growth, fruit yield and shelf life of the tomato Pusa Ruby.

ADULTERATION IN MEDICINAL PLANTS AND HERBAL DRUGS

Medicinal plants are considered as an effective source of traditional and modern medicine. In 20th and 21st century due to side effects of synthetic drugs, there is an increasing interest in Ayurvedic proprietary medicines. In India, about 80% of the rural population depends on medicinal herbs and/or indigenous system of medicine for primary health care. Adulterants and substitutes are the common malpractices in herbal raw material trade. Adulteration is considered as an intentional addition of foreign substances to increase the weight of the product or to decrease its cost. It may be due to Confusion in vernacular names, Lack of knowledge about authentic plants, Non availability, Similarity in morphology, activity, aroma, Careless collection and other unknown reasons. So, understanding of all the ways of adulteration and substitution is necessary to rectify this illegal act and maximizing consumer's safety.

ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE AND MEDICINAL STRENGTH OF VIDANGA (EMBELIA RIBES) : AN ENDANGERED MEDICINAL PLANT OF WESTERN GHATS OF INDIA

Embelia ribes Burm f. a medicinal woody climber belongs to the Myrsinaceae family. It is also commonly known as false black pepper or vidanga. E. ribes is one of the 32 medicinal plant species identified by the Medicinal Board, Govt. of India, New Delhi, as being important for large-scale cultivation because of its commercial use. It is an endangered medicinal plant valued for its digestive, thermogenic, carminative, depurative, anthelmintic and laxative property since time immemorial. It is also used in the treatment of tumours, asthma, bronchitis, diabetes, heart related problems, nerval disorders, cancerous tumors and liver disorders. E. ribes contain quinine derivative Embelin which has various pharmacological and medicinal properties. It helps to bring a medicinal plants revolution in our country good health and prosperity to people.

ASSESSMENT OF LONG DURATION PIGEON PEA (Cajanuscajan) VARIETIES WITHSTAND DROUGHT AND WILT DISEASE IN RAINFED REGION OF NORTH EASTERN ZONE OF TAMIL NADU

A study was conducted for evaluation of different long duration and high yielding pigeonpea varieties in rainfed region of North Eastern Zone of Tamil Nadu to assess its drought and wilt disease tolerance. The field trials were conducted at Vellore district, Tamil Nadu during Kharif season 2017-18using improved varieties along with ruling verities as comparative check. The experimental plot was laid out in Randomized Block Design (RBD) and replicated in five times with the improved varieties of LRG 41, LRG 52 and CO-8 that are conferred for rainfed condition along withruling pigeonpea variety CO-7 as Farmers practices. During the study, the recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF) was applied as per crop production guide. The growth and yield attributes viz.,plant height (cm), number of primary and secondary branches per plant, number of pods per plant, seed yield (kg/ha), Stover yield (kg/ha)were recorded. The wilt disease caused by Fusarium udum Butler which is predominant yield limiting disease was also recorded. The results on field level performance the genotypes revealed that the pigeonpea CO 8 was recorded maximum plant height (184.2 cm), higher number of primary branches per plant (16.7), secondary branches per plant (29.5), number of pods per plant (279.8), minimum incidence (7.0 %) wilt disease with higher yield of 1290 kg/ha was gained. Based on the on farm trial results, it could be concluded that the long duration pigeonpea variety CO 8 was found to be better option for achieving higher productivity and profitability under the rainfed region of North Eastern Zone of Tamil Nadu.

NIGER (GUIZOTIA ABYSSINICA L.) – A PROMISING RABI SEASON CROP UNDER RICE-FALLOW SYSTEM IN NORTH-EAST INDIA

Assam is one of the major niger producing sates of India. Wide spread rice fallow and retreating northeast monsoon are the advantages for cultivation of rabi niger crop in Assam. However, niger yield under rainfed situation of Assam decreases drastically for every 15 days delay in sowing of the crop from 15th November to 30th December. The highest seed (4.1 q/ha) and stover (31.0 q/ha) yield could be obtained from 15th November sown crop. Nevertheless, sali rice is harvested late in Assam and so, delay sowing of next rabi crop leads to lower productivity of the crop. Application of 50% recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) along with 50% nitrogen through FYM considerably increases yield attributing parameters that in the end maximize the stover and seed yield of niger crop. This can give 19.3 and 4.3% increase in stover and seed yield of niger respectively, over RDF. Thus, half of chemical fertilizers required for niger crop could be substituted through organic nutrient sources, which has also lead to an improvement in soil physico-chemical properties and higher availability of nutrients in soil. This review reported the detail management strategies for successful cultivation of rabi niger crop under rainfed situation of Assam of North-East region of India.

AN ASSESSMENT OF EDIBLE COATING AND ITS IMPACT ON SHELF LIFE AND POST HARVEST QUALITY OF GUAVA (PSIDIUM GUAJAVA L.) FRUITS – A REVIEW

Legitimate postharvest treatment of food produces is a higher priority than the serious and broad cultivating in making sure about nourishment for a country, since misfortunes are a misuse of food as well as they speak to a comparable misuse of human exertion, ranch inputs, jobs, speculations and scant recourses, for example, water. Postharvest misfortunes of agricultural yields when all is said in done and new products of the soil (perishables) specifically are normal issues in creating nations, similar to Ethiopia, which negatively affects the food security program. This is mostly a direct result of their transitory nature, absence of information and deficiency of capital. The other explanation is that a large portion of these perishables are delivered by little scope ranchers the individuals who have restricted information and monetarily poor in the creating nations. Along these lines, assessment of postharvest misfortunes of new foods grown from the ground is exceptionally significant for mindfulness creation to deal with the produce appropriately in order to spare from waste and harms by physical and physiological methods. The destinations of this audit are, hence, to evaluate the accessible writings on the postharvest misfortunes of new foods grown from the ground trying to distinguish need zones of the issue; to distinguish the reasons for misfortunes of perishables so as to dodge the foundations for the decrease of misfortunes; and to distinguish the potential methodologies that can decrease misfortunes and keep up nature of the items during the period.

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT UNDER ENCROACHMENT AREA OF SARISKA TIGER RESERVE: A FUTURE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Wild tigers experience unparalleled coercion due to habitat destruction, prey reduction and commercial poaching. The Indian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) one of the world's most endangered carnivore species, and is now thought to be in the verge of extinction in the wild. Sariska National Park in India is considered to be a highly suitable habitat for the tigers. Relocation and change in habitat of these living giant creatures is a thought of study for their survival and existence in the coming future considering change in climatic conditions. But the main problem for the tigers in the new habitat will be poaching and the human-wildlife conflicts. Integrated geospatial techniques provide accurate, cost-effective as well as time-effective method for habitat evaluation. The aim of the study is current status followed by opportunities and challenges. The results point out a large and comprehensive research on each of these issues, in particular on the community involvement in wildlife management and government policies.