Showing papers by "Central Agricultural University published in 2007"

Aquaculture practices in Northeast India: Current status and future directions

Abstract: The northeast region of India, comprised of the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura, is blessed with rich biodiversity and fisheries resources. With more than 90% of population being fish eaters, there is heavy demand for fish but a wide gap exists between supply and demand. The region produces over 0.214 million tons of fish annually, with almost 50% coming from aquaculture. Aquaculture development in the region is taking place at a rapid rate. However, efforts are necessary to increase the present level of production through both horizontal and vertical expansion. The region has rivers, coldwater streams, floodplain wet lands, reservoirs, lakes, ponds, paddy fields, and mini-barrages to support large-scale aquaculture activities, which can not only produce fish to meet regional requirements, but also export the surplus. This paper describes and discusses the current status of aquaculture, production level, constraints, and future directions towards achieving “fish for all” in the region.

Staphylococcal zoonosis on dairy farms in Assam and Meghalaya

Abstract: Objective : To assess if Staphylococcus aureus is transmitted between man and animals & viceversa. Methods : Staphylococcus aureus belonging to biotype C (bovine origin) were isolated from nares and hands of workers on six dairy farms of Assam and Meghalaya. The cows on the farms had a high rate of prevalence of mastitis caused by the same biotype of S. aureus. Three strains of S. aureus biotype A (human origin) were isolated from mastitis milk samples from cows on one of these farms, in which one of the workers was having cuteneous lesions (crusty abscess) and one strain of S. aureus biotype A was isolated from a swab sample collected from an abscess on the skin of the worker. Results : It has been revealed that all the members of the workers family were suffering from a similar type of cuteneous infection, indicating that it was a case of impetigo. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of all the three biotype A strains from bovine origin was identical to that of the biotype A strains isolated from the worker. The percentage of resistance to 12 commonly used therapeutic antimicrobial agents was higher among the biotype C strains from human origin than the biotype C strains from bovine origin. Several strains from cattle and human origins showed identical antimicrobial susceptibility patterns against the tested agents.

Sulphur status and forms in acid soils of Manipur

Abstract: The sulphur status of surface soils of 37 samples of Manipur was diagnosed for sulphur forms and available sulphur and their relationship with some physico-chemical properties of soils. The total sulphur ranged from 150.0–1100.0 ppm (average 293.9 ppm), organic sulphur ranged from 127.5–1038.8 ppm (average 260.6 ppm), sulphate-sulphur content ranged from 10.0–70.0 ppm (average 26.6 ppm) and adsorbed sulphur ranged from trace-45.0 ppm (average 18.3 ppm). Total sulphur, organic sulphur and sulphate-sulphur were significantly correlated with organic carbon (r=0.853**, r=0.846** and r=0.678**), with electrical conductivity (EC), (r=0.369*, r=0.358* and r=0.395*), with available nitrogen (r=0.699**, r=0.725** and r=0.435**), with total nitrogen (r=0.871**, r=0.888** and r=0.647**), with available K2O (r=0.423**, r=0.392* and r=0.590**), with CEC (r=0.520**, r=0.496** and r=0.551**) and with clay (r=0.455**,r=0.410* and r=0.383*) and negatively correlated with silt content of the soil (r=- 0.472**, r=-0.434** and r=-0. 367*). The soils had average C: N and C: S ratios of 7.6: 1 and 72.7: 1, respectively. The data indicated that parent material, organic matter content and to a lesser extent pH had influenced the sulphur status of the soils.

Dangers of Pesticide Misuse : Challenges and Strategies

Abstract: Organic agriculture is a viable alternative because it enlivens the soil, strengthens the natural resource base and sustains biological production at levels to commensurate the carrying capacity of the managed agro eco-system. In addition to this export market can also be tapped by group initiatives in organic farming. In a country like India, food production has to grow steadily. A sudden switch over to organic farming is not feasible. The minimum food requirement for the year 2001 is 240 million tonnes. The stage will be set in due course for a smooth transition to organic farming without causing any decline in production. The efforts from extension, research, supply of inputs, development of market channels, for disposal of organic foods are needed to facilitate the successful adoption of organic farming by the farmers. The approach shall be farmer centered and the programmes developed shall create conditions for the conservation and efficient use of locally available resources as inputs in agriculture.

A Study on Impact of ATMA Model in Bihar

Abstract: The ITD component of NATP was implemented with the financial support of World Bank in seven States, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Orissa and Punjab from November, 1998 to June, 2005. In Bihar ATMA were started in Muzaffarpur (Yr-1999), Madhubani (Yr-2000), Munger (Yr-2001) and Patna (Yr-2002). The project focused on bottom-up planning process for technology assessment, refinement and dissemination in order to make the whole extension system demand-driven and farmer accountable. This has helped to strengthen research and extension capabilities, restructure public extension services and test new institutional arrangements for technology transfer with the involvement of all the stakeholders of Government and Non-Government agencies at the district level. The new institutional arrangements namely Technology Dissemination Management Committee (TDMC), Inter-Departmental Working Group (IDWG), State Agricultural Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI), Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Farm Information and Advisory Centers (FIACs), Block Technology Team (BTTs), Farmer Advisory Committees (FACs) and Farmers’ Organizations were established, operationalized and pilot tested at national, state, district, block and village level. To operationalize this new concept in the state and to change the mindset of all the stakeholders, various HRD interventions through more than 70 workshops, seminars, trainings and exposure visits that were organized by MANAGE and state level SAMETI (BAMETI). Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) were registered as an autonomous institution and operationalized in four districts across the State. ATMA was managed by its GB headed by District Magistrate and its day to day activity by ATMA Managing Committee headed by Project Director drawn from the SAU (RAU, Bihar) and line department. Block level mechanism was set up through 69 block level Farm Information and Advisory Centers (FIACs). State Agriculture Management and Extension Training Institute (SAMETI), an autonomous institution was established and operationalized in the State. The technology validation/dissemination was made demand-driven, market-led and farmer accountable, through bottom-up, participatory planning procedures. First, PRA were carried out in each district, which resulted in Strategic Research Extension Plans (SREPs). Research-Extension-Farmer-Market linkages were strengthened in all the districts. To promote the use of IT, the line departments including KVK/ZRS at district level and FIACs at block level were equipped with computers, telephone and internet connectivity. The mass media played a very important role in creating the awareness about the reforms and replication of success stories to non project areas . For skill up gradation and capacity building of field functionaries and farmers interest groups, both HRD activities and field programs, which included demonstration of new technologies, farmers training and exposure visits, were undertaken on a massive scale by ATMAs through line departments in various fields of agriculture, horticulture, vegetables, floriculture, aromatic and medicinal plants, animal husbandry, fisheries and allied sectors, including bee keeping, vermi-compost, value added food products and market led activities. The institutional restructuring and operational reforms which included farmer participation in planning and implementation/bottom up planning process, broad based farming system approach, public-private-partnership, collaborations of different stakeholders, strengthening R-E-F linkages, mainstreaming gender concern, augmenting IT application in agriculture and extension have started addressing the identified constraints faced in technology dissemination, as envisaged in the project. Despite some hiccups and the lower than expected support from the state government the model worked due to its innovative approach i.e. autonomy and fund flow mechanism, and was able to win back the confidence of all the stakeholders including farmers, towards the system which they had lost over the years due to the general apathy of the successive government towards this sector. If this pattern of funding is changed or the state’ governments financial rule are applied the autonomy of ATMA would be compromised and then this would go the same way other similar projects have gone, downhill.

Influence of Legumes and their Planting Geometry as Intercrop with Potato ( Solanum tuberosum L.) on Productivityand Soil N Fertility

Abstract: Peas, gram and broad bean were tried as intercrops in potato for two seasons. The results revealed that potato + gram intercropping in 2:1 and 1:1 row ratio combinations produced higher yield over potato sole cropping. Higher uptake of N was also observed in the said intercropping systems in comparison to that of potato sole. Inspite of higher N uptake, better N soil balance were observed in these intercropping systems as indicated by positive soil N balance while that of potato sole cropping showed a negative balance.

Quality changes in smoked Colisa fasciata from the markets of Manipur during storage

Abstract: The traditional smoking process adopted in the state of Manipur, is different from the smoking process adopted else where in the world. Fishes are not salted during the entire smoking process. Smoked fish Colisa fasciata obtained from the market were packed in low density polyethylene pouches (200 gauge thick) and evaluated for its quality during storage. The product had a moisture content of 9.77 %, which showed an increase (p<0.05) during storage whereas the crude protein and fat decreased (p<0.01) during storage. The total volatile base nitrogen and alpha amino nitrogen showed an increase (p<0.01) during storage indicating protein changes which is further confirmed by an increase in non protein nitrogen (p<0.05) and decrease in salt soluble nitrogen (p<0.05). The peroxide value and free fatty acid value increased during the storage period confirming fat degradation. The yeast andmould countswereminimal during storage but the visible fungal colonies increased during later periods of storage. The fresh smoked fish had a crispy texture, golden yellow colour and high smoky odour and the sensory quality showed a decline during storage. The product kept well up to 120 days under ambient storage conditions (30 ± 20C).

Sequential inflammatory response of fingerlings of Indian major carps to Aphanomyces invadans

Abstract: The present paper describes the sequential inflammatory response of fingerlings of Indian major carps (IMC) to experimental infection of the fungal pathogen, Aphanomyces invadans. In all the three species of IMC, at one day of post injection (dpi), few fungal hyphae penetrating the muscle fibres were observed in the lesion area but no inflammatory response was found at the site. At 2 dpi, numbers of hyphae in the lesion increased and there was extensive infiltration of inflammatory cells. At 4 dpi, the mycotic lesion spread in the musculature at the site of injection and the lesion further extended even to the non-injected lateral side of the body. The fungal hyphae at the central part of the lesion were encapsulated by macrophages and/or epithelioid cells forming granulomata. At 6 dpi, both injected and non-injected sides and most of the internal organs revealed extensive mycotic lesions. There was extensive myonecrosis in large areas of myotome.