bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kinetics of nitrogen in sodic soil of Kumulur village, Trichy District, Tamil Nadu under different organic and inorganic amendments
Authors: Naveenkumar T. , Baskar M. , Aswitha K.
Published: July 2022

Currently more than 20 per cent of the world’s irrigated land is salt affected. Of that about 60 per cent are sodic soils, warranting greater attention for efficient and eco-friendly environmentally amelioration techniques. Transformation and availability of several plant nutrient elements are affected by soil sodicity. Alkali/sodic soils are to be reclaimed so as tomake nutrients available to plants optimally. A laboratory incubation study was examined to analyse the impact of various amendments, either alone or in combination with nitrogen (N) @75 kg/ha, on the physico-chemical characteristics and nitrogen dynamics in sodic soil of Kumulur village Trichy District, Tamil Nadu (pH-10.4, EC-0.40 dS, m-1, ESP-31.8). The investigation was conducted at ADAC&RI in Trichy with three replications and eight treatments in a completely randomized design. The treatments used for sodic soil reclamation utilizing a standardized procedure were Gypsum (GYP) + Green manure (GM) @ 6.5 t ha-1 (T2), Distillery spent wash (DSW) @ 5 lakhs liter-1(T4), and Green leaf manure (GLM) @ 12.5 t ha-1(T3). Soil samples were taken at 15-day intervals from the 15th to the 60th day and tested for NH4-N, NO3-N, and accessible nitrogen. Using DSW, GYP + GM, and GLM, the pH of the water was decreased from 10.2 to 8.37, 8.42, and 9.21, respectively. The soil pH dropped the most in the DSW-controlled treatments. The application of nitrogen alone without any amendments (T5) recorded a higher value (135 kg ha-1) during an initial period (15 days) only and thereafter declined sharply due to various losses, i.e., volatilization, denitrification or fixation. When nitrogen was applied along with amendments, a significant (CD-0.05%) buildup in available N contents was observed over the application of N alone. Available nitrogen (325 kg ha-1), nitrate nitrogen (102 kg ha-1) and ammonical nitrogen (205 kg ha-1) were significantly increased due to the addition of amendments. However, the decline in available N with incubation period was only marginal when nitrogen was applied along with amendments. An increase in NH4-N at 30 DAI might be due to the release of nutrients. A slight increase in the nitrate-N content of the soil was observed at the end of the incubation period due to microbial oxidation of NH4-N to NO3-N. The application of amendments could save a quantity of N dose besides reclaiming the sodicity.
Impact of Bt cotton technology in an Indian cotton production system: A comparative econometric analysis between Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu
Authors: Gayathri R. , Karunakaran K. R.
Published: July 2022

Cotton is one of India's most important commercial crops, known as the "White Gold." India has the largest area under cotton production with comparatively low productivity, owing to the enormous area under rainfed agriculture with insufficient input supply, implying inefficient resource usage. The present study measures the resource use efficiency and technical efficiency of Bt cotton production in Tamil Nadu in comparison with one of the major cotton-producing states, Maharashtra. The resource use efficiency was calculated using the Cobb–Douglas production function, and the stochastic frontier approach is deployed to estimate technical efficiency. Resource use efficiency analysis indicated that the majority of resources are being used at suboptimal levels, and there is the potential to increase cotton production by reaching the most profitable level of input use. However, frontier analysis confirmed that production was inefficient, with a greater gap in which both Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, particularly small and marginal farms, need to be addressed to increase production and farm income. The results indicated that the mean technical efficiency among Bt and non-Bt farmers was 94 % and 76 % in Tamil Nadu and 97 % and 74 %, implying the potential to increase cotton production with the current level of resources and technology. This study suggested a development policy aimed at stimulating extension activity through motivation to provide rural farm households with the necessary farm management skills to boost productivity].
India’s trade potential and export opportunities for spices
Authors: Jagadeshwaran P. , Ashok K. R. , Vidhyavathi A. , Prahadeeswaran M.
Published: July 2022

Economic growth and development of a country rely on trade as it serves as a driving force with efficient utilization of factor of endowments. Several commodities are traded world-wide, among them spices which has a long history of being one of the highly traded commodity. Developing countries including India are the leading producer and exporter of spices in the world. The demand for Indian spices has gone up in the United States of America, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, etc. The study assess the comparative advantage of major spices exporting countries for pepper, cardamom and turmeric-based on data available in International Trade Centre. To analyse the effect of trade liberalisation, a simulation model (SMART) developed by UNCTAD was used to estimate trade creation, diversion and revenue effect on importing and exporting countries. The result shows that India has a comparative advantage in the export of Turmeric, Guatemala in Cardamom and Vietnam in Pepper. The impact of tariff relief on India has greater advantage, which has trade creation in the export of cardamom and turmeric. Whereas in pepper, comparatively, trade diversion is higher than trade creation, indicating that less efficient countries are given a chance to export to the top importing countries due to a reduction in tariff. Indian spice exporters should focus on promoting or exporting spices to countries like Netherlands, United States, United Kingdom, and Germany.
Suitability of vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) for removal of Cr (III) from tannery effluent using floating bed and rhizofiltration systems
Authors: Karthikeyan Ganesan , Banu Kamaludeen Sara Parwin , Maheswari Muthunalliappan , Karthikeyan Subburamu , John Joseph Ezra , Prabhu Rajarathinam , Poornima Ramesh
Published: July 2022

Various physico-chemical methods have been employed in remediating heavy metals from wastewater, but most of them are expensive. While phytoremediation, is one cost-effective and eco-friendly technology, proves to be an alternate amongst which Vetiver, a unique tropical plant, is recognized for its large biomass and dense root system and has been proven for various remediation studies. The current research was conducted to assess the potential for Vetiver rhizofiltration of chromium. A pilot study was conducted in rhizobox wherein Vetiver was grown using sand as a medium and samples were collected from rhizobox port 1 and rhizobox port 2. Subsequently, the study was upscaled to a floating bed experiment. In both studies, Vetiver were grown under 500 mg L-1 Cr (III) solution and tannery effluent had a chromium concentration of 379 mg L-1 and the results were compared to control. Between the samples collected from port 1 and 2, the removal of chromium in port 1 was recorded to be higher than that of port 2. Moreover, the removal of chromium ions from the tannery effluent was relatively higher than the spiked solution. In both the ports, the highest removal of chromium concentration was recorded in T5 (Sand + Vetiver + Cr (III) @ 500 mg kg-1) with a removal percent of 12.59 and 10.38% in port 1 and 2, respectively. Hence, Vetiver grass has a great potential in removing pollutants like chromium from the wastewater.
Inheritance studies through generation mean analysis for quantitative traits in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill.)
Authors: Nagarajan D. , Kalaimagal T. , Murugan E.
Published: July 2022

Most of the economically important traits in soybean are quantitatively inherited. The generation mean analysis involving a five-parameter model was carried out in four crosses, viz., Pratap Soya- 2 × LP 5-2, Co 3 × LP 5-2, Co 3 × LP 5-1 and Co 3 × LP 13-1 to investigate additive, dominance and epistatic variance. Therefore, F1, F2 and F3 generations of the above four crosses were evaluated along with their respective parents to estimate the gene action for eleven quantitative traits through generation mean analysis, which provides information about all the gene interactions. The crosses Co 3 × LP 5-1 and Co 3 × LP 13-1 for plant height, Pratap Soya-2 × LP 5-2 for protein content and Co 3 × LP 5-2 for both oil content and seed yield per plant exhibited the adequacy of the additive dominance model. The remaining crosses exhibited epistatic interactions with all other traits. Hence simple recurrent selection can be followed to increase the frequency of desirable genes in the population and the resulted improved population can be used to develop superior lines with desirable genes by pedigree breeding. The crosses Co 3 × LP 5-1 and Pratap Soya - 2 × LP 5-2 were best for further selection programmes with regard to seed yield and quality improvement.
Optimization of Heat pump-assisted dehumidified air drying (HPD) temperature on phytochemicals, drying characteristics and nutrient compound retention of drumstick by GC-MS and principle component analysis
Authors: Pandidurai G. , Amutha S. , Kanchana S. , Vellaikumar S. , Prabhakaran K.
Published: July 2022

Drumstick (Moringa oleifera Lam.) is an incredible plant to humans because of its pharmacognostic and nutraceutical properties. M. oleifera contains vital nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, and phytochemicals like tannins and flavonoids. The present work aims to study the optimization and quality attributes retention in drumstick through Heat Pump-assisted dehumidified air Dryer (HPD) because the conventional drying process takes more time and energy, affecting the product quality and safety. Different solvents, such as ethanol, chloroform, hexane, acetone and ethyl acetate, were used to determine the presence of phytochemicals (alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids and saponins) in the drumstick. The phytochemicals were highly present in methanol and ethanol extracts from qualitative screening of drumstick. Dried drumstick powder was prepared by using fresh drumstick pieces, steam blanched for 2-5 min and then sulfated at 0.1 % for 10 min. After that, the dehydration process was performed at different temperatures (45, 55 and 65°C) in an HPD drier. HPD dried drumstick powder at 55⁰C was found to have maximum physicochemical properties, drying characteristics and higher retention of bioactive compounds with special reference to high powder recovery (97.22 %), excellent flowability and better retention of nutrients like β – carotene (174.49 mg), total antioxidant (266.02 mg), flavonoids (6.207 mg/RE), phenol (229.54 mg/GAE) and vitamin C (253.16 mg). The extract of fresh and HPD dried drumstick powder contained 50 major bioactive compounds such as 2,6-Dihydroxybenzoic acid 3TMS derivative, Butanal 2-ethyl-3-methyl- etc., these bioactive compounds act as various nutraceuticals and therapeutic values.
A comparative study of effective microorganisms (EM) and biocompost in the decomposition of coconut waste material
Authors: Arun Kumar Pandi , Chozhan Kannan , Dhevagi Periyasamy , Mahimairaja Santiago , Prabhu Rajarathinam , Poornima Ramesh
Published: July 2022

Lignocellulosic waste materials are recalcitrant in nature due to their interconnected complex polymer. Hence, composting of this type of lignocellulosic waste material is time consuming. This study aimed to compare the efficiency of effective microorganisms (EM) and biocompost in enhancing the decomposition of coconut waste.. A windrow heap of 3 x 2 x 1.5 m was prepared with alternate layers of coconut waste and cow dung. Two percent of effective microorganisms and biocompost were augment in each heap and the changes in the nutrient status of the compost across different composting time periods (15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and 90 days) were studied. It was observed that augmentation of both effective microorganisms and biocompost significantly reduced the organic carbon, while the total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium increased on successive days of composting. At the end of study period, application of effective microoganisms (EM) reduced the organic carbon by 30.97%; and recorded the highest total nitrogen (1.20±0.024%), phosphorus (0.21±0.003%) and potassium (1.21±0.016%) content. Furthermore, augmenting effective microorganisms was highly effective, and the compost maturity was attained on the 60th day with a CN ratio of 17.8:1. The compost maturity test also validated that the effective microorganisms were more effective than biocompost in improving the rate of degradation of coconut waste and in producing mature compost of good quality.
Android application development for identifying maize infested with fall armyworms with Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Integrated proposed pest management (TNAU IPM) capsules
Authors: Prabha R. , Kennedy J. S. , Vanitha G. , Sathiah N. , Priya M. Banu
Published: July 2022

Several pests and diseases wreak havoc on maize crops worldwide. Novel and rapid methods for detecting pests and diseases in real-time will make monitoring them and designing effective management measures easier. In the recent past, maize has been imperilled by fall armyworms (Spodoptera frugiperda), which have caused substantial yield losses in maize. This study aimed to create an Android mobile application via  DCNN (Deep Convolutional Neural Network)-based AI pest detection system for maize producers. Everyone benefits from the deployment of these CNN models on mobile phones, especially farmers and agricultural extension professionals because it makes them more accessible. Automatic diagnosis of plant pest infestations from captured images through computer vision and artificial intelligence research is feasible for technological advancements. Therefore, early detection of maize fall armyworm (FAW) infestation and providing relevant recommendations in maize could result in intensified maize crop yields. . An Android mobile application was created to identify fall armyworm infection in maize and included the recommendations given by Tamil Nadu Agricultural University proposed Integrated Pest Management (TNAU IPM ) capsules in the mobile app on as to how to deal with such a problem. Digital and novel technology was chosen to address these issues in maize. Deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) and transfer learning have recently moved into the realm of just-in-time crop pest infestation detection, following their successful use in a variety of fields. The algorithm accurately detects FAW (S. frugiperda) infected areas on maize with 98.47% training accuracy and 93.47% validation accuracy.
Growth dynamics and forecasting of minor millets in India: A time series analysis
Authors: Prabhu R. , Gowri M. Uma , Gayathri R. , Govindaraj M. , Manikandan G.
Published: July 2022

The forecasting behaviour of millet plays a critical role in production planning at the Indian farm level. This study made an effort to forecast the area and production of small millets in India with time series analysis. The performance of the forecasting models was appraised and collated by the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE), Partial Autocorrelation Function (PACF) and Auto Correlation Function (ACF) criteria. For this analysis, the yearly data of the area and production of small millet from 1950 to 2021 were calculated. Among all Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models, ARIMA (0,1,0) was found to be the best fitted for forecasting the area and production of minor millets in India since, principally, this model relies on historical ideals of the sequences in addition to earlier error relations for forecasting minor millets and it does not adopt information of any fundamental model or associations as in some other approaches. The predicted values of minor millet area showed decreased trend from 422.4 thousand hectares in the year 2022 to 409.2 thousand hectares in the year 2026. Likewise, the production under small millets declined from 393.5 thousand tons to 159.5 thousand tons for the corresponding period. Hence, production of these crops can be enhanced by suitable use of inputs and timely application of inputs, high yielding varieties, government interventions like policy support, subsidising through the Public Distribution System and awareness by the way of propaganda and demonstration.
Genetic variability and correlation analysis in F2 segregating population in brinjal (Solanum melongena L.)
Authors: Rameshkumar D , R Swarna Priya , B. K Savitha , R Ravikesavan
Published: July 2022

Genetic advance denotes the improvement in the mean genotypic values of selected families over the base population. Thus, it helps the breeder select the progenies in the earlier generation. The objective of the study was to analyse the heritability, genetic advance and genetic variability for ten traits in brinjal contributing to fruit yield were studied in the F2 population obtained from the cross of Sevathampatti local x Seetipulam local. The study examined the subsistence of a significant extent of genetic variability for the traits considered. The characteristics of brinjal exhibited higher values of genotypic variation (GCV), viz., the height of the plant (20.93), yield per plant (17.42), number of branches (22.73)  and shoot infestation (56.39) and phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) viz., the height of the plant (21.10), yield per plant (22.32), number of branches (23.42)  and shoot infestation (57.24). However, the number of branches (45.44 %), height of the plant (42.76%), number of fruits (38.58%), fruit yield (28.02%) and shoot infestation (114.4%) exhibited high estimates of genetic advance and heritability for plant height (98.36), number of branches per plant (94.19) and shoot infestation (97.06). These characteristics can be effectively improved through selection. Association analysis mentioned that the yield of the fruit was significantly and positively correlated with the number of fruits, number of branches, individual fruits per plant and fruit girth. Direct selection may be executed because of these characteristics as the key choice of criteria to minimize the indirect result of additional traits throughout the improvement of high yielding varieties.
Nutritional and rheological properties of pumpkin seed based fruits spread
Authors: Rohini C. , Geeth P. S. , Vijayalakshmi R. , Pasupathi E.
Published: July 2022

Fruit spread is prepared by combining sugar with processed fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice, or whole fruit. Pumpkin (Curcurbita maxima) seeds are commonly seen as industrial waste and discarded. Pumpkin seed was roasted and made into powder form.  β-carotene rich fruits such as mango, papaya, and muskmelon were used to extract the pulp. To obtain a desired consistency of fruit spread, the fruit pulp (25%) was blended with roasted seed powder (70%) Fruits were scattered at 5° to 10° Brix and sugar was added. To extend the shelf life and improve the quality of the spreads, they were pasteurised at 60°C for 30 minutes. The spreads were packaged in two different types of packaging material food grade glass containers and polypropylene containers. They were kept in refrigerated conditions at 4°C for further analysis. After organoleptic evaluation, the fruits spreads were analysed for nutritional content, textural properties and microbial content. Pumpkin seed based fruit spreads have 15.23 to 15.64% moisture, 6.7 to 7.18 %  protein, 4.53  to 4.89% fat, 5.29 to 5.69% fiber and 15.36  to 28.67% carbohydrates. The pumpkin seed based fruit spreads had 15.41 to 23.04°Brix of total soluble solids. The fruit spreads had 85.82 to 764.54 g hardness, -88.54 to-205.45 g adhesiveness, 0.87 to 0.95 springiness,0.48 to 0.74 cohesiveness, 64.78 to 344.06 gumminess and 61.53 to 311.64 chewiness. The pumpkin seed based fruits spread had viscosities of 2.21 to 3.58 centipoises. The mango based fruit spreads had the highest score values among the fruit spreads. The fruit spread encompassed enormous bioactive compounds when compared to other fruit spreads available on the market.
Bioefficacy of certain chemical insecticides against rice yellow stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas Wlk.)
Authors: R Sountharya , Prasad Rabindra
Published: July 2022

Rice is the major staple food in Jharkhand in India and is threatened by various biotic and abiotic stresses. Among the insect pests that imperil the rice cultivation in Jharkhand, the yellow stem borer (Scirpophaga incertulas Wlk.) is one of the most notorious ones. The present investigation was conducted in Kharif 2018 to study the bioefficacy of certain chemical insecticidal treatments against yellow stem borers in rice measured in terms of mean values of dead heart (% DH) and white ear (%WE). Ten insecticidal treatments, namely, T1 - Flubendiamide 240 SC + Thiacloprid 240 SC (combination product) @ 200 ml/ha, T2 - Flubendiamide 240 SC + Thiacloprid 240 SC (combination product) @ 250 ml/ha, T3 - Imidacloprid 17.8 SL @150 ml/ha, T4 - Flubendiamide 480 SC @ 50 ml/ha, T5 - Rynaxypyr 20 SC @150 ml/ha, T6 - Fipronil 80 WG @ 65 g/ha, T7 - Dinotefuran 20 SG @ 200 g/ha, T8 - Fipronil 0.3 GR followed by Chlorpyriphos 20 EC @2000 ml/ha, T9 - Chlorpyriphos 20 EC@ 2000 ml/ha and T10 - untreated control  were taken for the experiment. The results showed that two of the insecticidal treatments,namely T2- flubendiamide 240 SC + thiacloprid 240 SC @ 250 ml/ha (2.07% DH and 2.30% WE)  and T4 - flubendiamide 480 SC @ 50 ml/ha (1.89% DH and 2.49% WE), were at par with each other. They performed better than all the other treatments, suggesting that using these two newer insecticidal treatments could provide all-around protection for the rice crop against rice yellow stem borer in terms of both dead heart and white ear.
Traditional knowledge adopted by the tribal farmers of the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu in animal husbandry
Authors: Sujeetha T. N. , Ashokan M.
Published: July 2022

The study assessed the awareness and adoption behavior of the tribal respondents belonging to the Kotagiri and Udhagamandalam blocks of the Nilgiris district, Tamil Nadu with respect to indigenous practices in animal husbandry and assessed the rationality of the Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK). Three tribal communities viz. Todas, Kotas and Irulas were selected for the study thus comprising 180 as sample of the study.  A multistage random sampling method was adopted for the study. The results revealed that the majority of the ITKs had rationality mean scores above 2.5, revealing their wider usage and application in the field of animal husbandry. Turmeric was used to cure ‘bumblefoot’ in chickens, followed by cinnamon which is widely used as a form of oral medicine with feed to poultry. The tribals cured FMD of animals by giving them spider eggs and the ragi flour viz. The rotten horn was cut away with a backstaw leaving a 4cm stub. Traditional knowledge is built on everyday observation and transmitted from the older generation to the young generation through word of mouth. Although, this is more effective in their habitat, it is believed to be totally unscientific and unreliable because it is not recorded. This is recorded only in the minds of the people. The main novelty of this research work is to document and validate the indigenous practices of the tribal communities which are compatible with their traditions and culture. Thus such documented and meaningfully validated indigenous technologies could be promoted among other tribes and farmers of other localities.
Effect of simple processing on selected pesticide residues in cottonseed (Gossypium spp.)
Authors: Subramani Thirukkumar , Ganapathyswamy Hemalatha , Sampathrajan Vellaikumar , Sundararajan Amutha , Marimuthu Murugan
Published: July 2022

Food processing techniques reduce pesticide residue accumulation in food components. The present study investigated the effectiveness of simple processing techniques such as roasting, soaking, autoclaving and storage conditions on twenty-seven selected pesticides belonging to the classes of organophosphates (OPs), organochlorines (OCPs) and pyrethroids (PPs) in pesticide-fortified cottonseed (Gossypium spp.). The residue concentration was analysed by GC–MS/MS from the extract of different treated samples as untreated and pesticide free (T1), pesticide treated (T2) and pesticide treated cum processed (R1- Roasting 5 min; R2-Roasting 10 min; S1-Soaking 6 hours; S2-Soaking 12 hours; AC1-Autoclaving 5 min; AC2-Autoclaving 10 min; ST-Storage) cottonseed. The recovery values of the residues ranged from 78.20 to 114% with the application of 1, 5 and 10 μg/g pesticide in pesticide-free cottonseed. The concentration of pesticide residues is presented for nondetected levels in pesticide-free samples. Otherwise, pesticide-treated samples contained all pesticide residues ranging from 856 to 1138 ng/g OP, 782 to 1058 ng/g OCPs and 857 to 1140 ng/g PP, which are higher than the maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by The Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation (FFCR). Among the different processing methods, autoclave samples had fewer residues detected (3 compounds), followed by stored (5 compounds), soaked (7 compounds) and roasted (8 compounds) samples. The stored cottonseeds contained residues for phorate, total lindane excluding δ-lindane and deltamethrin at the end of storage. Nevertheless, the residue from phorate, δ-lindane and deltamethrin exceeded the concentration of MRLs. This finding indicated that the most effective method for reducing pesticide residues was autoclaved treatment from the respective pesticide-fortified cottonseed sample.
Impact of nontariff measures on the exports of the beverage sector in India
Authors: Gowri M. Uma , Shivakumar K. M. , Padmarani S.
Published: July 2022

In the recent past, agricultural exports, especially plantation crops, which are the backbone of India, have been subjected to many nontariff measures. Since the liberalisation of trade has led to the integration of global commodity markets, developing countries are significantly affected by these trade barriers, which indirectly hurt millions of plantation community. Traditionally, India is well known for its exports of beverages and stringent maximum residual limits, traceability issues, and food safety standards are complex issues surmounting trade in the plantation sector around the world. Hence, the present research study attempts to find the shock of nontariff measures on the prices of both export and domestic beverages and the hammering in returns to the Indian beverage industry by the partial equilibrium method. This model directly measures the simulation effect of nontariff measures by imposing NTM on tea and coffee sector.  It is obvious that as the NTM percent increases from 10 percent to 25 percent on tea sector, the loss in export quantity was more from 22.24 million kg to 55.61 million kg and loss of revenue was from Rs. 2997 million to Rs. 7492 million for the corresponding NTMs. Likewise the loss in export quantity (62.85 million kg) and loss in revenue (Rs. 9412 million) were high in 25 per cent of NTM. The present study shows how to allow for market imperfections and trade facilitating effects of nontariff measures in the beverage sector.
Microirrigation and establishment methods for water use studies, fodder yields and postharvest available nutrients on Bajranapier hybrid grass [CO (BN) 5]
Authors: Varshini S. V. , Jayanthi C.
Published: July 2022

The availability of quality fodder is becoming a major concern in India. To address this, a field experiment was conducted on bajranapier hybrid grass CO (BN) 5 (Interspecific hybrid between Cumbu (Pennisetum glaucum) and Napier (P. Purpureum Schumach) during 2018-19 in strip plot design with 3 replications. Treatment comprises of main plot viz., Irrigation methods sub plot viz., Crop establishment methods. The results showed that in water use studies, higher WUE (23.74 t/ha/mm) was recorded with sbsurface drip irrigation. Similarly, higher water productivity (WP) (0.024 t/m3) and economic WP (474.78 ₹/ha/mm) were also with the same. In crop establishment methods, horizontal planting of setts with settling treatment recorded higher WUE (21.47 t/ha/mm), WP (0.021 t/m3) and economic WP (429.43 ₹/ha/mm). Significantly higher (0.05 %) green (335.0 t/ha/year) and dry fodder yields (71 t/ha/year) were registered with subsurface drip irrigation (M3). In crop establishment, horizontal planting of setts with settling treatment (S2) registered higher green (331.5 t/ha/year) and dry (71.4 t/ha/year) fodder yields.On postharvest soil available nutrients, higher N (172.3 kg/ha), P (22.2 kg/ha) and K (591.5 kg/ha) were observed with surface irrigation. Vertical planting of setts without settling treatment recorded higher N (172.1 kg/ha), P (23.3 kg/ha) and K (604.8 kg/ha). By adopting this subsurface drip irrigation with horizontal planting of setts with sett treatment, the bajranapier hybrid grass cultivation can be optimized for the betterment of cultivation.
Weekly rainfall analysis using the Markov chain model in the Dharmapuri region of Tamil Nadu
Authors: K. N Vidya , Nagarajan K.
Published: July 2022

During a rainy season, dry and wet spells tend to persist and can be represented using a Markov process. Knowing the succession of dry and wet periods is necessary to plant crops and carry out agricultural operations. This study aimed to analyze the probability of dry/wet spell rainfall using the Markov chain model in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, India. In estimating the chance of dry and wet spells, the model used rainfall of below 20 mm in a week as a dry calendar week and rainfall of 20 mm or more as a wet calendar week from the years 1980 to 2019. From the 1st through the 32nd Standard Meteorological Week (SMW), a continuous dry week probability was 75-100%. The likelihood of a dry week trailed by another dry week was more up to the 32nd standard week, while the chance of a dry week followed by a wet week was more up to the 31st standard week, ranging from 75 to 100%. During the 37th to 45th weeks, the conditional likelihood of a rainy week followed by another rainy week ranged from 43.8 to 68%. According to a review of consecutive dry and wet spells, two consecutive dry weeks had a 55 to 97.5% chance of occurring within the first 32 weeks of the year. In the first 32nd week of the year, the chance of three successive dry weeks ranged from 32.6 to 92.6%. Consecutive dry weeks suggest the need for additional irrigation and proper moisture management practices. In contrast, consecutive wet calendar weeks indicate an abundance of extra water available for rainwater collection and the necessity for proper soil erosion control measures.
Effect of supplementary sugar feeding on colony growth of Asiatic hive bee, Apis cerana indica F.
Authors: Vijayakumari N , P A Saravanan , N Chitra , L Rajendran
Published: July 2022

Honey bees also known as "Angels of Agriculture" are arguably the most vital insects on the planet. Bee nutrition is an important aspect of colony management. Supplementary feeding is essential for maintaining the strength and health of honey bee colonies, especially during dearth periods. Experiments were conducted to evaluate a suitable, cheaper carbohydrate supplement and its effect on the colony growth of the Asiatic hive bee Apis cerana indica. Four different sugar syrup components, viz., sugar, water, milk and glucose, were combined to form  seven treatments : T1-Sugar: water (1:1), T2-Sugar: water (1:1) + Glucose (2%),T3- Sugar: water (1:1) + Desi cow’s milk (2%),T4- Sugar + water (2:1), T5- Sugar + water (2:1) + Glucose (2%) ,T6- Sugar + water (2:1) + Desi cow’s milk (2%) and T7-Control and evaluated to select honey bee colonies . Among the different sugar syrup feeding treatments, the colonies fed with T2 - Sugar: water (1:1) + Glucose (2%) had a profound effect within a month and the colonies recorded an increase in sealed brood area from 175.66 cm2 to 425.00 cm2, honey store area from 49.00 cm2 to 130.33 cm2, pollen store area from 47. 33 cm2 to 125.33 cm2, adult bee population from 4318.66 bees/colony to 4933.33 bees/colony. The work is new to A. cerana indica. Many of their bee colonies suffer from poor nutrition and absconding during the dearth period. The present study will help the beekeeping farmers maintain these Asiatic honey bee colonies during the starved period and will be useful in income generation.
Factors influencing the performance of mechanical end effector during automatic transplanting of tomato seedlings
Authors: Periasamy Vivek , Gounder Duraisamy Veppangadu Marrappa , Ramasamy Kavitha
Published: July 2022

A number of elements of probabilistic nature mightily influence the picking efficiency of a transplanting mechanism. There are two key factors to be considered in the development of seedling pickup devices. One is the mechanical features of the end effector, and the other is the horticultural features of the protray seedling. The investigation aimed to find the features affecting the transplanting of protray grown tomato seedlings using mechanical end-effectors. Various mechanical linkage-picking fingers were developed and tested with an experimental setup for gripping and releasing the seedling. Two different pneumatic cylinders triggered the mechanical end effector, one for holding the seedling and then ejecting the seedling from the protray. When all the seedlings were ejected from the initial line of the protray, the endless belt shifted the protray just below the end-effector mechanism. Assessments were carried out with moisture content of media (16 ±1, 18 ±1 and 21 ±1%), mechanical end-effector (sliding plate cam type, sliding end cam type and four bar type picking finger)  angle of end-effector needle (6, 8 and 10 deg.) to enhance the picking, transmission and dropping with low missing as well as harms for the seedlings. The minimum value of missing seedlings (6.55 %) and maximum success rate of picking (93.45 %) were noted at 18 ±1% of the growth media moisture content (M2) and at 8 deg. angle of gripper needle (θ2) with a sliding plate cam-type picking finger (F1). The transplanting frequency was 840 seedlings h-1.
Shelf-life extension of tender endosperm of Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) through retort processing
Authors: Mathanghi S. K. , Kanchana S. , Hemalatha G. , Kumutha K. , Vanniyarajan C.
Published: July 2022

There is a demand for Palmyra palm (Borassus flabellifer) tender endosperm (Taal; Nungu) in the off season due to its health benefits. To extend the shelf life of Palmyra palm Tender Fruit Endosperm (PTFE) it was thermally processed. The versatile retort processing technology was used to increase the shelf life. Processed tender endosperm packed in transparent retort pouches (TRP) and nontransparent retort pouches (NTRP) were evaluated for textural, color, microbial, and sensorial properties. Heat penetration tests and F- values were also determined. Processed tender endosperm was compared with fresh endosperm and there was a shelf life of 6 months under ambient storage conditions (30-32°C). The process time to reach lethality in nontransparent pouches (14.03 min) was higher than that in transparent pouches (13.02 min) and the difference may be due to the layer addition of packaging material. Textural profile analysis revealed that hardness, gumminess, and chewiness decreased when the processing and storage time was increased. The sensory score obtained similar results to the textural analysis (Hardness value of TRP:5.063kgfand NTRP: 4.58kgf); succulence and toughness decreased over the prolonged processing time. The tender endosperm in metalized retort pouches scored higher (7.9 as overall acceptability) than that in transparent retort pouches (7.8 as overall acceptability) in terms of sensory analysis. Retorted pouches were microbiologically safe until 6 months with the absence of Clostridium, Staphylococcus and Salmonella spp.The present experiment on shelf life extension of Palmyra tender endosperm (Nungu) helps in preserving the perishable healthy delicacy for more months and also enables to fetch higher income for the farmers with minimal investment.
Efficacy of talc-based formulation of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. (MZ749636) against two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch
Authors: V. P. Abarna , R. Vishnupriya, , N. Sathiah, , V. Sendhilvel,
Published: July 2022

Tetranychus urticae is one of the most important and destructive mite species infesting the vegetable crops, which is very important to control because of its wide host range. The damage caused by the two spotted spider mite can be eliminated by using entomopathogenic fungi, as the acaricidal control causes various problems such as resistance, resurgence and residue problems. Therefore, the present study was carried out with a view to evaluate the efficacy of the talc-based formulation of Beauveria bassiana (MZ749636) under pot-culture conditions against two spotted spider mite (TSSM), T. urticae in potted bhendi (Abelmoschus esculentus) plants, in comparison with fenazaquin 10 EC @ 1.5ml/l, azadirachtin 3000 ppm @ 2ml/l and crude formulation of B. bassiana, MZ749636 @ 1 x 108 conidia/ml. After two rounds of spraying at fortnight intervals, the talc- formulation of B. bassiana, MZ749636 resulted in 62.83 per cent cumulative reduction of TSSM over the control. However, fenazaquin 10 EC @1.5 ml/l recorded the maximum cumulative mortality of 80.07 per cent, followed by azadirachtin 3000 ppm @ 2ml/l, which recorded a cumulative mortality per cent of 71.06 per cent. Crude formulation of B. bassiana recorded 58.12 per cent reduction of TSSM over the control after two rounds of spraying. This was the first study that attempted to evaluate the efficacy of the talc formulation of the B. bassiana (MZ749636) isolate against TSSM.
Ice nucleation active bacteria and its mitigation on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Authors: M Guna , S Panneerselvam , K. S Subramanian , M. N Harinarayanan
Published: July 2022

Microbes play a vital role in ice nucleation, supporting bio-precipitation, and allowing plants to live in low-water environments. A field experiment was conducted during December 2018 with two phyllosphere microorganisms’ spraying viz., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM) and under three moisture regimes (0.6, 0.8, 1.0 IW/CPE (irrigation water/ cumulative pan evaporation) ratio) on tomato (PKM 1) in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu). A laboratory experiment was conducted to confirm ice nucleation using two phyllosphere microorganisms’ P. aeruginosa and PPFM. The bioprecipitation impacts on tomatoes were assessed using a set of physiological parameters such as photosynthetic rate, average chlorophyll Index and the ice nucleation activity (INA) assessed using tube nucleation test and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results showed that the mean photosynthetic rate of PPFM sprayed tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) (PKM 1) plants (40.7 μmol CO2/m2/s) at 10 DAS was significantly higher than P. aeruginosa sprayed plant (38.7 μmol CO2/m2/s) under different irrigation regimes. The average chlorophyll Index value of the P. aeruginosa sprayed tomato plants (58.1) was higher than PPFM sprayed plants (56.4). The tube nucleation tests were proved that ice crystallization induced by P. aeruginosa in super-cooled buffer at - 2 to -10°C while PPFM not catalyze the buffer even after 3hours. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) indicated the P. aeruginosa growth at the upper surface of the leaf and PPFM growth more at the lower surface of the leaf compared to without inoculation of microbes on leaves. Overall, the result revealed that P. aeruginosa may assist in ice nucleation activity that will help to make artificial rain in the near future.
Surface runoff estimation using geographic information system and soil conservation service-curve number method for sub catchments of Karamadai, Tamil Nadu
Authors: K K Shaheemath Suhara , A Raviraj , C G Karishma , K N Vidya , R Rahul
Published: July 2022

Water conservation becomes essential as the resource becomes scarcer. The most important step in managing water resources is estimating watershed runoff generated from rainfall, as the runoff and rainfall are the key factors in determining water availability for surface storage and groundwater recharge. So, this study is mainly focused on estimating the surface runoff generated from the three sub-catchments of Karamadai, Tamil Nadu, India, using the heavy to extreme daily rainfall events received in the study area within the span of 20 years (2000–2019). The study was performed in the ArcGIS environment using remote sensing data. The SCSCN (Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number) method was used to estimate surface runoff. The changes in the land use in each sub-catchment were analysed in each decade and studied for their impact on the runoff depth. The land use and land cover classification map of the study area was prepared from LISS III satellite imagery for the years 2006 and 2016 by using supervised classification. The curve number was assigned based on land use as well as the hydrologic soil group. The weighted curve number was calculated from the area under each land use and then used to calculate storm runoff. The maximum runoff occurred in 2011 in all the catchments of the Karamadai block. It was found that more runoff occurred in the Mandrai Pallam catchment compared to Periya Pallam and Pare Pallam, as the Mandrai Pallam catchment had less soil moisture retention capacity than the other two catchments. So, more priority must be given to this catchment while planning to implement the soil and water conservation measures.
Bank of Industry micro, small and medium enterprises financing and poverty reduction in north-central Nigeria
Authors: Bello Sunday Ade
Published: July 2022

The paper studied the effects of the Bank of Industry MSME financing on poverty reduction in North-Central Nigeria. The aim was to determine the effects based (1) on the opinions of male and female stakeholders and (2) their educational qualifications. A descriptive survey technique was espoused, and it was discovered that the Bank of Industry MSMEs financing has a significant effect on poverty reduction in the region. Therefore, the Federal, state, and local governments are encouraged to be deliberate in providing more capital funding through the Bank of Industry to grow the MSMEs sector and minimise poverty, especially in north-central Nigeria.
The Nigerian State and the crisis of industrialization: lessons from Singapore
Authors: Barigbon Christopher Barisi , Idoniboye-Obu Sakiemi Abbey
Published: July 2022

Nigeria faces the crisis of industrialization and development despite rich mineral and natural resources endowment. The present work is therefore set out to investigate the role of the Nigerian state in this crisis. The Nigerian post-colonial state, due to a certain stereotyped rationalization for explaining her underdevelopment, is dressed in a borrowed rope of certain characters; such characters,  the paper contends are rather those of the ruling and political class, not the Nigerian state. It is the dependencia propositions that by the nature and character of the post-colonial state; and by the global character of capitalism, the integration of peripheral and dependent economies into the world capitalist orbit, portends disaster. This by the emergence of the Asian tigers such as Singapore has proven to be ahistorical and not in sync with contemporary reality. This paper finds the crisis in leadership, in the manner of organization of resources and in the patrimonial redistribution instead of wealth creation, thus making the Nigerian state a failed planner and regulator of development. The resource curse theory is adopted as the theoretical framework for the present work. As desktop, qualitative and descriptive research, extensive reliance is placed on secondary data with the use of content analysis. The example of Singapore proves that what is needed is a transformational leadership, whether democratic or totalitarian, with the political will to make sacrifices, champion, organize and utilize Nigeria’s abundant natural and mineral resources and lead her on the path of industrialization and social progress.
The role of internal control in fraud prevention and detection
Authors: Rashid Chnar Abdullah
Published: July 2022

An effective internal control system should be able to provide managers with increased accountability for their plans and reasonably ensure that the plans they guide reach the set goals. However, effective systems are not limited to digital systems but also systems that can prevent and detect fraudulent activities. The overall goal of this research is to analyze the impact of internal control systems on fraud detection and prevention. It is necessary to set an appropriate tone at the top, and top management should encourage ethical behaviour in a transparent manner. A risk assessment process needs to be set up, and the risk of fraud can be assessed by brainstorming to deceive the organization. It is necessary to create report and the investigation process. Thus, this work attempted to review and analyze 20 articles among different countries to reveal the importance of internal control system in preventing and detecting fraud in commercial companies. It is discovered that it has a significant role in fraud prevention.
Impact of information and communication technology on the economic growth of Nigeria: 1991-2020
Authors: Igbayue Solomon
Published: July 2022

This paper examines the impact of Information and Communication Technology on the Economic Growth of Nigeria: 1991-2020. An ordinary least square regression is applied to annual aggregate data to determine the type of relationship that exist between the dependent and independent variables. The results of this study showed that Government expenditure on ICT (GEI) has a positive and significant impact on the GDP. Telecommunication sector (TLS) has a positive and significant impact on the GDP and Foreign investment on ICT (FDI) has a positive and significant impact on the GDP in Nigeria during the period under review. In conclusion, Nigeria's march towards becoming one of the top economies of the world in the year 2030, ICT provides practical ways of diversifying the economy away from its overdependence on the oil sector.
The suitable leadership for industry 4.0
Authors: Durmaz Osman , Hawrami Shram Shawkat , Hamasaeed Ahmad Mahmood
Published: July 2022

Leadership has vital role in the success of the organisation. However, many factors are always negatively or positively influencing their success actively. Developments in the industry is one of the most critical factors on the effectiveness of the leadership. Many researchers noted that leaders should have UpToDate information and communication skills to improve the relationship between leadership and employees in the organisation for further improved performance. In this regard, industry 4.0 brought many opportunities for the organisations. Especially, during the pandemic lock down, leaders had to provide slight adaptation to new market as giving proper trainings to their staff. Based on our perceptions, characteristics of the transformational leaders might be correct leadership styles that provides proper adaptation to the changes in their environment and improves the employee and organisational success in the long term.