<div>Background: This paper has attempted an economic analysis of tissue-culture pointed gourd and non-tissue culture pointed gourd. As we know that vegetables are rich and comparatively cheaper source of vitamins. Consumption of these items provides taste, palatability and fiber for digestion. Their consumption in plenty provides fair amount of protein and also play a key role in neutralizing the acids produced during digestion of fatty foods. While pointed gourd contains 2 per cent protein, 0.3 per cent fat, 2.2 per cent carbohydrate, 153 IU vitamin A and 29 mg vitamin C per 100g edible portion (www.agrifarming.in). 
 
Methods: This study was conducted in the year 2017-18. The study has been conducted in the Anand and Kheda districts of Middle Gujarat using personal interview method. And 4 talukas were selected. Total 80 respondents were selected, out of them 40 were cultivating non-tissue culture and 40 were cultivating tissue culture variety of pointed gourd. Cost and return analysis had been done by using cost concepts. The Garrett ranking technique was used to study the adoption behaviour of farmers.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The study revealed that tissue-culture pointed gourd is more beneficial as compared to non-tissue culture pointed gourd. The cost of cultivation (Cost C2) of pointed gourd per hectare for tissue culture and non-tissue culture was ₹ 306655 and ₹ 237216, respectively. The average yield of tissue culture and non-tissue culture pointed gourd was 483 q and 248.49 q, while gross income was ₹ 597595 and ₹&nbsp;324741 respectively. Per hectare net returns in tissue culture pointed gourd for Cost C2 was ₹ 290940 whereas for non-tissue culture pointed gourd the per hectare net return over Cost C2 was ₹ 87525. The overall per hectare farm business income, family labour income and farm investment income for tissue culture farmer were found to be significantly higher compared to their counterpart non-tissue culture farmers. The overall input-output ratio on Cost C2 was 1.95 for tissue culture and 1.37 for non-tissue culture. &lsquo;Higher yield&rsquo; was the main reason for adoption of tissue culture technology followed by &lsquo;high quality fruit&rsquo; and &lsquo;higher income per hectare&rsquo;. On the whole, the analysis has revealed that the tissue culture technology in pointed gourd cultivation can go a long way in enhancing the farmers income which is the need of the hour.&nbsp;</div>

An Economic Analysis of Technology Change in Tissue Culture and Non-tissue Culture Pointed Gourd in Anand and Kheda Districts of Middle Gujarat

<div>Background: The present research was undertaken to study the effects of yoghurt culture and bamboo tubes on the microbiological and shelf life attributes of curd prepared from buffalo milk in bamboo tubes (popularly known as &ldquo;Banhor Chunga Doi&rdquo; in Assam) under room temperature. 
 
Methods: Banhor Chunga Doi was prepared using Jati and Jatie Makal bamboo tubes. Starter culture was added and the tubes were kept in ambient room temperature. The shelf-life of the set products was ascertained by objective assessment of pH, titratable acidity and microbial load. 
 
Result: Amongst the 4 treatment groups, the samples of B(JB) i.e., Banhor Chunga Doi prepared from boiled and cooled buffalo milk and stored in tubes of Jati bamboo at room temperature for 5d showed the highest pH value of 4.01&plusmn;0.011 with a corresponding least lactic acid content of 1.21&plusmn;0.005%. Amongst the 2 control and 4 treatment groups, the highest mean TVC of 8.69 log10cfu/g&plusmn;0.001 was enumerated in the samples of SC (JB) which might be due to the addition of the starter culture at the dose level of approximately 6.86 log10cfu/g in the beginning of the production process. The starter culture added samples [SC (JB) and SC (JMB)] showed an increasing TVC up to 3rd day of storage. Thereafter, the TVC of these samples decreased on 5th day. The lowest mean TVC of 4.38&plusmn;0.003 log10cfu/g was noted in the samples of B (JMB) which is due to the thermal destruction of the contaminating microbes during boiling of the milk sample. The samples of the buffalo milk Banhor Chunga Doi that were not inoculated with the starter culture exhibited an increasing TVC from 1st to the 5th d of storage at room temperature. Over the storage period, none of the Banhor Chunga Doi samples either from the control or the treatment groups were found to possess coliform organisms, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, yeast and moulds. The shelf life of the end product was found to be good for consumption upto 5 days with gradual decrease in pH values and concomitant increase in titratable acidity in all the treatment groups.</div>

​Effects of Starter Culture and Types of Bamboo Tubes on Microbiological and Shelf Life Characteristics of Buffalo Milk Banhor Chunga Doi- an Ethnic Product of India

<div>In vitro culture of plant cells/tissues is now routine using a range of explant types from many of the important vegetable and fruit crops. Successful technologies include isolation, culture of tissues, cells, protoplasts, organs, embryos, ovules, anthers and microspores and regeneration from them of complete plantlets. The development of plant tissue culture technology represents one of the most exciting advances in plant sciences. For example, the prospect of being able to introduce, develop, produce, transfer and conserve the existing gene pool of plant sciences by using tissue culture methods opens up new opportunities for researches and entrepreneurs. The term plant tissue culture should denote in vitro cultivation of plant cells or tissues in an unorganized mass, i.e., callus culture. Plant tissue culture techniques, in combination with recombinant DNA technology, are the essential requirements for the development of transgenic plants. However, culture techniques like anther/pollen/ovule culture, meristem culture can themselves be utilized for crop improvement or may serve as an aid to conventional breeding. In recent, isolated microspore culture has developed as a breeding tool and an experimental system for various genetic manipulations. The inherent potentiality of a plant cell to give rise to a whole plant, a capacity which is often retained even after a cell has undergone final differentiation in the plant body, is described as &lsquo;cellular totipotency&rsquo;. On the other hand, production of virus-free plants via meristem culture can reduce losses caused by phyto-pathogens. Embryo culture has many potential uses ranging from overcoming seed dormancy to facilitation of inter-specific hybridization. Protoplast fusion technique can be used for the transfer of cytoplasmic male sterility from one species to another in a short period of time. In cabbage, male sterile cybrids are being utilized by seed companies to produce hybrid seeds on commercial scale and at competitive rates. Plant tissue culture and cell culture are providing useful methods for germplasm storage either by low temperature storage of organized tissue, or cryopreservation of cell or embryo culture.</div>

<div>Plant Tissue Culture- A New Tool for Vegetable Improvement (Indian scenario): A Review</div>

Background: The effect of two adjunct cultures (Lacticaseibacillus casei and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum) on quality parameters of goat milk white brined cheese (GM-WBC) was investigated during ripening. 
 
Methods: Three batches of cheese were prepared as control with blend starter culture, GM-WBC(C) with starter culture + L. casei and GM-WBC(P) with starter culture + L. plantarum. The control and experimental samples were analysed for their colour, textural, sensory and microbiological characteristics during 60 days of ripening period. 
 
Result: Significant decrease in hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness and gumminess led to increased creaminess and smoothness of the product treated with adjunct cultures. Sensory scores were found to improve in adjunct culture treated samples. Significant increase in instrumental colour (L* value) and sensory attributes with increased ripening resulted in consumer acceptability. Microbiological counts of Lactococci and Lactobacilli showed a significant (P&lt;0.05) decline in initial days due to its adaptability and then increased, maintaining its viability during all stages of ripening period. While keeping the counts above 106&nbsp;log cfu/ml for the adjunct treated samples compared to control sample. The overall effect of L. casei was more promising in enhancing textural and sensory attributes as compared to L. plantarum due to its higher proteolytic activity.

Impact of Adjunct Culture on Colour, Texture, Sensory and Microbiological Parameters of Goat Milk White Brined Cheese during Ripening

<div style="text-align: justify;">Crayfish, commonly known as freshwater lobster, have been scientifically distributed in three genuses, which are as follows: - Cumberfish, Oronectes and Phalisaberus. Crayfish breeding and rearing techniques in China and some Adapted and practiced in South-East Asian countries. The proper ratio of broodstock female and male is 3: 1. Adult males are comparatively larger than females. The mating season of crayfish is usually from May to September. Larvae are stored in cultured ponds. Crayfish are cultivated in paddy fields with carp fish or eel fish in lotus and polyculture. The size of crayfish transported to the market is 20&ndash;60h in a period of 3 to 7 months, and is sold alive in most markets. Productivity varies from 750h to 3,000h per ha depending on the type of farming. It is possible that the farmer can earn up to 7000 to 14,000 rupees per day.</div>

Crayfish: A Culture Species for Freshwater Bodies

<div>Background: Dairy sector has highly fragmented supply base and unique ecosystem of delivery resulting that a chain of value addition actors involved in its production and distribution. Value chain financing approach provides opportunities to develop equitable business models that better link all actors in the value chain. Accordingly, this study has carried out to assess the diversity of financial arrangements and the actors involved in dairy value chain in the Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The study also brings about the relatively prominent components/actors of the dairy value chain that could be emphasised while financing dairy value chain.&nbsp; 
 
Method: The value chain actors including milk producers have identified purposively and interviewed with well-constructed scheduled. The study has analysed on the data collected from 64 milk producers in 8 villages, 3 inputs suppliers, 8 milk collectors/assemblers, 4 milk transporters, 1 milk processor and 12 distributers for the year 2019-20.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The study observed that there is vast network of financing institutions have engaged in the financing of dairy value chain in the study area. Financing agencies have identified the set of activities associated with milk value chain and determine the structure of finance accordingly, in order to minimize costs, to maximize efficiency and to reduce risk. However, there are several informal mechanism of value chain financings also existed parallel to institutional finance due to informal sources are willing to lend money more easily without collateral. Relationships between actors in the value chain facilitate informal financial flows directly to his client actors is also observed in the study. The study has further inferred that among all the actors involved in milk value chains, the processor, producer and distributer have added greater value addition in comparison to other actors in the value chain.&nbsp;</div>

<div>Value Chain Finance to Dairy Sector-A Case Study of Eastern Uttar Pradesh</div>

Present study was conducted at Central Research Station of BAIF Development Research Foundation, Urulikanchan, Pune during 2013 to 2015 with an objective to determining the nutritive values and keeping quality of legume blocks. Leaf meals were prepared from sun dried leaves and chaffed twigs of subabul (Leucaena&nbsp;leucocephala), desmanthus (Desmanthus vergatus), sesbania (Sesbania sesban) and lucerne (Medicago sativa). Five blocks were prepared by adding molasses, corn flour, mineral mixture and salt. Chemical composition such as dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE), ash and silica content were determined according to standard analytical procedures. The chemical composition was more or less similar in fresh and stored legume blocks in all the recipes and did not vary much during storage. Further, no deterioration in colour, odour or texture was observed in storage, or any apparent contamination with mould. Among the five leguminous blocks, highest nutritive values in terms of CP, CF, EE, ash and silica were observed in sesbania legume block (22.17, 12.14, 3.52, 10.71 and 0.52%) followed by blocks of subabul (20.52, 10.61, 3.42, 10.72 and 0.81%) respectively. The cost of per kg production of leguminous block of subabul and sesbania was low as compared to lucerne blocks, which were Rs. 20, 21 and 29 correspondingly. All the goats offered legume blocks accepted them readily. All the blocks were offered to difeerent five goats for feeding and their acceptance and the intake was 100 per cent. &nbsp;Hence, the leguminous blocks prepared from sesbania and subabul leaf meal were selected as the best leguminous blocks as goat feed. 
&nbsp;

Leguminous blocks: Nutritional values and economics

<div>Pulses assume special significance in the cropping systems and daily diets in India. Traditionally pulses are used for human consumption as dehusked seed splits after minimal processing. They are also the important ingredient of popular Indian snacks. The present paper reviews the research studies done on various components of value chain of pulses and draws upon the learnings. The value chains of pulses in India are long and complexed with a number of actors performing specific roles. The input providers, farmers, aggregators, wholesaler, commission agents, retailers, processors, millers, consumers, financial institutions, ware houses, researchers and policy makers together work to build the pulses value chains in India.</div>

Pulse Value Chains in India- Challenges and Prospects: A Review

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a vital crop with significant economic importance globally, primarily for its sugar and bioenergy production. Tissue culture techniques have emerged as valuable tools for sugarcane improvement, offering rapid multiplication, genetic transformation and germplasm conservation. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in sugarcane tissue culture, focusing on protocol optimization, genetic transformation, somaclonal variation and their applications in sugarcane breeding programs. Various factors influencing the success of tissue culture protocols, such as explant selection, culture media composition, growth regulators and environmental conditions are discussed. Furthermore, the paper highlights the challenges and future prospects of sugarcane tissue culture, including the development of stress-tolerant cultivars, enhanced production of bioenergy and the integration of molecular techniques for precise trait manipulation.

Advancements in Sugarcane Tissue Culture: A Review

Background: Azolla is a free floating aquatic fern fixes atmospheric nitrogen in association with nitrogen fixing blue green algae. There have been some studies about the differences in temperature, rainfall and humidity influence on Azolla production. Hence, the present experiment was undertaken to study the effect of seasonal variation on growth and nutritive value of Azolla under the agro climatic condition of Assam. 
 
Methods: Azolla beds were used to cultivate Azolla pinnata with three replications and the size of the individual beds were (10&times;4) m. Deep bore well was the source of water for growing with pH 5.8. The fresh Azolla pinnata was collected from the nearby pond of the farm and further cultured. The meteorological data were collected everyday and production data were collected fortnightly. Two samples of fresh Azolla pinnata were collected and analysed for its nutritive value during the month of January and June 2021 in order to evaluate the difference of nutritive value due to seasonal variation. 
 
Result: Highest fresh Azolla was recorded in bed 2 (9.5 kg) in the month of May and lowest being recorded by the bed 2 (2.0 kg) during January. The increased Azolla production during May to June was attributed to the rise of temperature prevailed in the surrounding area of ZLRS, Mandira. There were no significant differences between the two seasons regarding the nutrient content of Azolla.