<div>A distinct mechanism of generating metagenome is metagenomics which includes sequencing the whole DNA extracted from an environmental sample, mapping it to a reference database followed by gene annotation. Advancement in sequence-based metagenomics has significantly reduced processing costs and has acquired a rapid pace. Metagenomics has been crucial in investigating &ldquo;hidden&rdquo; genetic characteristics and construction biotechnological processes through the discovery of novel genes, enzymes, pathways and bioactive molecules with entirely different or improved biochemical functions. Metagenomics is a fairly recent addition to the molecular toolbox and is the simplest, impartial way of challenging the adaptive ability of microbial populations. Metagenomics is beneficial in recognising the complex consortium of bacteria, protozoa, archaea, fungi, etc. and association amongst them resulting in higher feed utilization and productivity of animals. It allows formulating probiotics feed materials, as well as in immunomodulation in both livestock and poultry. This review emphasizes significant recent achievements in metagenomics, offers insights into the possibilities, modern-day challenges and its utility in livestock and poultry.</div>

Metagenomics: A Novel Tool for Livestock and Poultry Improvement: A Review

A study was undertaken to evaluate the seasonal influence on performance of Vanaraja (n=3924) and Gramapriya (n=2227) maintained in five different batches during 2011-14. Better growth was observed in summer during brooding. At brooding, mortality was significantly higher during winter in Vanaraja and during summer in Gramapriya. The egg production was higher when birds started laying in winter than in summer. The overall Hen Day Egg Production (HDEP) was higher in Vanaraja (p&lt;0.01) than the Gramapriya. The fertility level varied between 68 to 90% in both varieties. The hatchability percentage on fertile egg set (FES) varied within the range of 70 to 90. It was concluded that better egg production performance could be obtained from Vanaraja birds, raised in summer and those initiated laying in winter. Therefore, the seasonal factors should be taken care of while raising parent line to achieve optimum production. &nbsp;

Effect of season on growth and reproduction performance of improved backyard poultry in North Eastern Hill Region

<div>Background: Mango is one of the most important horticultural crops in the world, and North Lombok. The quality of mango fruits appears to be one of determining factors in mango business worldwide, demanding mango producers and other related stakeholders to pay attention. This paper aims at describing agribusiness systems of mango in North Lombok, Indonesia and followed by recommending strategies for improving the quality of mango fruits along the way of all agribusiness sub systems from input, farm, processing, marketing and supporting service.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Methods: This study took place in North Lombok Regency, the Province of West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, during April 2017 to December 2018. Primary data were collected through interviewing respondents of mango growers, traders and key informants of mango agribusiness. These primary data were complemented with data from secondary sources. Data analysis was framed in agribusiness system.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Result: The study revealed that there were several weaknesses in each sub-system of agribusiness and weak connections amongst the subsystems. Therefore, there needs improvement in each subsystem of agribusiness to become strong and supports each other. The sub system of supporting services appears to have more determining role than other sub systems in improving the system of agribusiness, further in improving the quality of mango fruits, the performance of the mango business for benefits of the mango entrepreneurs and the economy of the region. Contributions of this study include in knowledge of agribusiness integration for successful program and in economy of the mango entrepreneurs and of the region.</div>

Improving Quality of Mango Fruits in North Lombok, Indonesia Through the Improvement of Agribusiness System

<div>Background: Limited biosecurity measures in smallholder poultry facilities expose birds to various pathogens as a result, poultry products particularly raw ones are reported to be responsible for cases of human foodborne diseases. The aim of the study was to profile and characterise the zoonotic bacterial pathogens in water, poultry mouth and rectal swabs in a value chain project of Capricorn district, Limpopo Province, South Africa. 
 
Methods: A total of 74 samples comprising of 14 water samples, 60 mouth and rectal swab samples were collected from the farms. The samples were screened for the presence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. through selective cultivation.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The study revealed that the water resources, mouth and rectal swab samples of chickens were contaminated by coliform bacteria. Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp., were dominant isolates. E. coli strains that were isolated from the water sources, mouth and rectal swabs of the chickens showed strong resistance to gentamycin, neomycin, penicillin, streptomycin, tetracycline, erythromycin, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and ampicillin. K. pneumoniae showed resistant to neomycin; penicillin; erythromycin while K. oxytoca and E. absuriae showed similar antibiotic resistance profile as penicillin, erythromycin, nalidixic acid and ampicillin.</div>

Presence of Coliforms in Water, Poultry Mouth and Rectal Swabs from Selected Smallholder Poultry Farming Projects of Capricorn District, South Africa

<div style="text-align: justify;">Background: Chickpea seed supply is limited for a local level farmer to the farmer seed exchange systems. The scale-up was conducted in the vertisol potential areas of North Shewa Zone of Amhara Region to create wider demand for improved chickpea varieties,&nbsp;strengthen the linkage among the possible actors and enhancing technology multiplication and dissemination to improve its productivity.&nbsp; Methods: Naatolii, Mastewal, Arerti and Habru improved chickpea varieties were introduced and more than 393ha of land was covered and about 826 farmers were accessed through delivering more than 49.3 tons of improved seed.&nbsp; Result: The productivity of chickpea in the area was boosted to&nbsp;2.61tons ha-1&nbsp;and yield advantage of 73% to 97.7% was obtained from improved varieties compared to the local cultivar. As a result of this intervention, many farmers benefited easy access to improved seeds of different chickpea varieties through direct seed marketing and farmer to farmer seed exchange.</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Improving Production and Productivity of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Through Scaling-up of Improved Technologies in the Vertisol Highland Areas of Amhara Region, Ethiopia</div>

Background: The effects of poultry manure compost (PMC) on soil fertility parameters under polyhouse conditions were monitored and investigated to study the soil nutrient availability and its improvement in soil fertility and productivity at FEEDS group of Institution, College of Agricultural Sciences, Hengbung, Manipur. PMC application improves the soil fertility and productivity and its efficiency increases with increase doses of PMC. 
&nbsp; 
Methods: Poultry manure is collected from poultry farming shed, FEEDS, Hengbung for preparation of PMC. Randomized block design having six treatments (T) is applied using 2% PMC @T1, 4% PMC @T2, 6% PMC @T3, 8% PMC @T4, 10% PMC @T5 and 12% PMC @T6 with four replications in a polyhouse environment. Soil chemical analysis is done to evaluate the effect of PMC on soil nutrient availability. The yield of cabbage is taken to further study the soil productivity along with its fertility on application of PMC. 
&nbsp; 
Result: The soil nutrient availability significantly increases with the incorporation of PMC doses in the order as follows, 12%&gt;10%&gt;8%&gt;6%&gt;4&gt;2%. The applications of PMC in the soil under polyhouse condition significantly increases pH contents of soils when compare to control (c), as the pH of the poultry manure is 7.4 and makes the soil less acidic. The highest cabbage yield (79.8 t/ha) was obtained with T6 having 12 % of PMC. Incorporation of PMC into the soil in polyhouse improved soil quality and yield of cabbage.

Effect of Poultry Manure Compost on Soil Fertility and Productivity Within a Protected Cultivation Environment in Polyhouse Condition

<div>Background: Use of organic manures to meet the nutrient requirement of the crop would be an inevitable practice for sustainable agriculture. Since organic manures generally improve the physical, chemical and biological properties along with conserving soil moisture and thus resulting in enhanced crop productivity along with maintaining the quality of crop production. Organic farming in recent years is gaining significance due to the realization of inherent advantages it confers in sustaining crop production and also in maintaining dynamic soil nutrient status and safe environment. Organic farming is also concerns to produce the quality food and human health, so that this research and studied the interaction effect of vermicompost and poultry manure on groundnut crop in Chitrakoot condition. 
 
Methods: The experiment was conducted at Rajola Farm of the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya, Chitrakoot in kharif 2019. The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of poultry manure and vermicompost applications. The morphological and biochemical parameters were evaluated in experimental farm and departmental laboratory. 
 
Result:&nbsp;The combination dose of V3P3&nbsp;(6 ton ha-1&nbsp;vermicompost and 4 ton ha-1 poultry manure) was found to be best giving the maximum values. The effect of V3 on the number of pod per plant and number of seed per plant was maximum 15.20 and 3.22 and effect of P3&nbsp;on the number of pod per plant and number of seed per plant was maximum 14.156 and 3.11 respectively. The interaction of vermicompost and poultry manure of the V3P3&nbsp;combination was recorded maximum 17.13 per plant. Seed per pod interaction of vermicompost and poultry manure of the V3P3 combination also recorded maximum 3.66 per pod. Effect of vermicompost and poultry manure on 100 kernel weight was maximum in V3 (42.55 g) and P3&nbsp;(41.00 g) respectively. The shelling percentage also was recorded maximum in V3&nbsp;(69.77) and P3 (67.77) and interaction of both parameters was recorded non significance. Effect on yield (q/ha) was recorded maximum in V3 (1.05) and P3&nbsp;(0.99) and the interaction was recorded maximum in V3P3&nbsp;combination (1.27). The effect of vermicompost on oil percentage, protein percentage and oil yield (kg/ha) was recorded maximum 48.46, 21.33 and 1573.5 in V3 respectively. The effect of poultry manure recorded maximum in P3&nbsp;(48.03), 20.68 and 1411.2 kg/ha oil percentage, protein percentage and oil yield respectively. The interaction of vermicompost and poultry manure was recorded maximum with the combination of V3P3&nbsp;and found 49.52 oil percentage, 21.76 protein percentage and 1696.00 kg/ha oil yield. The results indicated that all these parameters were significantly increased due to vermicompost and poultry manure application. Their interaction was also significant. It was evident that a combination dose of V3P3 (6 ton ha-1&nbsp;vermicompost and 4 ton ha-1&nbsp;poultry manure) was found to be best giving the maximum values.</div>

Effect of the Vermicompost and Poultry Manure on Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) under Rain-fed Condition

<div>Background: In view of abundant availability of Spilanthes paniculata in flora of Jharkhand and widely reported benefits of its dried flowers, the current study aimed to explore the possibility and to quantify the effect of use of flowers of S. paniculata as feed additives in stimulating body growth in poultry birds.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A four week experiment consisting of 60 numbers of poultry birds (Divyan Red) of five months old subjected to four treatments consisting of 15 birds in each treatment distributed equally with 5 replications, was undertaken during 2016-19 following randomized block design to observe the effect of feeding dried flowers of S. paniculata on body weight increase in poultry birds.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Feeding of dried flowers of S. paniculata @ 10 g/bird/day resulted in a gradual increase in rate of weight gain up to 14 days of feeding, whereas feeding @ 15 g and 20 g/bird/day resulted in increase in body weight gain up to 7 days. Feeding @ 10 g/bird/day resulted in highest body weight increase after feeding for four weeks and improved in the feed conversion ratio (FCR) significantly (P ˂ 0.05) than the other 3 treatments. It is advisable for poultry owners to incorporate dried flowers of S. paniculata at a dose of 10 grams per bird per day for three weeks for attaining maximum growth in body weight in poultry birds.</div>

<div>Use of Flower of Spilanthes paniculata Wall. ex DC as Growth Promoter in Divyan Red Poultry Birds</div>

<div>Background: Rural poultry farming with improved dual purpose chicken varieties is fast growing in the country. The meat quality of cocks and its acceptance by the consumer is important for its propagation as dual purpose variety. The two way cross produced by PD-1 xPD-4 (improved Aseel) was evaluated for growth, carcass and meat quality. 
 
Metohds: The growth, carcass and meat quality traits were evaluated in a two way cross developed and propagated for rural poultry farming at ICAR-Directorate of Poultry Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, Telangana. The data collected on 232 birds for growth, 40 birds for carcass and 20 birds for meat quality were utilized for the study.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The body weight and shank length significantly (P&le;0.05) differed between the sexes from six weeks onwards with higher (P&le;0.05) body weights and longer shanks in males. The six week body weight and shank length were 578.23&plusmn;8.22g and 78.93&plusmn;6.22 mm in males and 548.28&plusmn;7.20 g and 76.15&plusmn;5.28 mm in females, respectively. The Least squares means for body weight at 12 weeks of age in males and females were 1652.61&plusmn;21.49 and 1367.86 &plusmn;14.99 g, respectively. Males had strong legs with significantly (P&le;0.05) high proportion of thigh meat. The effect of sex was non-significant on Dressing percentage (DP), neck, back and breast meat proportions. The DP was 71.12&plusmn;0.22% in males and 72.51&plusmn;0.43 % in females, respectively. The bone proportion was higher (P&le;0.05) in males. Abdominal fat proportion was significantly (P&le;0.05) higher in pullets. Feather proportion was higher (P&le;0.05) in males. Sex did not show any significant variation on the pH, Shear force value (SFV) and Hydroxy Proline (HP) values. The yellowness (b*) differed (P&pound;0.05) between the sexes and it was lower in males. The fat and moisture content differed significantly (P&le;0.05) between the sexes. Fat proportion was higher (P&le;0.05) in females (3.57&plusmn;0.05) than in males (2.97&plusmn;0.01). Protein and ash proportions were similar in both the sexes. The sensory attributes ranged from 6.55 to 7.15 &nbsp;on an eight point scale in two-way cross meat indicating better consumer acceptability. The study concluded that, two-way cross with ideal growth, carcass and optimum meat quality and reasonable consumer acceptability may be a suitable variety for propagating in rural and tribal areas under free range backyard conditions.&nbsp;</div>

<div>Evaluation of Growth, Carcass and Meat Quality of a Two-way Cross Developed for Rural Poultry Farming</div>

<div>Background: Paratyphoid infection of poultry is caused by non-host adapted motile salmonellae and are responsible for numerous cases of food borne illness worldwide. The present study was carried out from July 2019 to February 2020 in Jabalpur to know the occurrence and pathology of paratyphoid bacteria in poultry. 
&nbsp; 
Methods: Whole blood agglutination test was performed to know the prevalence of salmonellosis in and areas surrounding Jabalpur region and pooled fecal samples were collected from poultry farms to perform microbe culture and biochemical characterization. Serotyping of Salmonella isolates was done using polyvalent antisera. Necropsy examination was conducted to observe gross and histopathological lesions.&nbsp; 
 
Conclusion: Rapid whole blood agglutination test determined the percent prevalence of Salmonella as 28.0% from 25 private poultry outlets. The percent prevalence of salmonellosis by collecting pooled fecal samples from 15 broiler and 11 layer farms was recorded as 20.0% and 45.4% respectively. Salmonellosis was recorded in 1.58% of total necropsy cases of birds examined for gross and histopathological studies. Polyvalent antisera diagnosed 27.27% motile paratyphoid salmonellae, out of which 18.18% tested positive for Salmonella Enteritidis while 9.09% tested positive for Salmonella Typhimurium. Birds with paratyphoid infection showed hepatomegaly, discoloration, hemorrhagic and necrotic foci in liver and various grades of hemorrhagic to catarrhal enteritis were recorded.</div>