Two days training programme from 4th to 5th March, 2024 on “Advanced cultivation for sub- Tropical Fruits” has been organised by Abhinavakrishi Research Organization, Sambalpur, Odisha in collaboration with the Indo-Israel Centre of Excellence – Centre for Subtropical Fruits, Ladwa, Kurukshetra, Haryana.
Day one of the programme focused on Advanced production technology and understanding the specific requirements of several sub-tropical fruit species such as Pomegranate, Mango, Guava, Sapota and Litchi. Apart from that the first day of the program focused on training and pruning practices that help maintain the balance between vegetative and reproductive growth, ensuring healthy fruit production. Discussions were carried out on several methods to facilitate the adaptation of low-chilling temperate fruit varieties of pear, peach, plum, and apple in sub-tropical areas & tropical highlands of India.
The second day of training commenced with a visit to the food processing unit of Mr. Dharambir Kamboj Ji at Damla, Yamunanagar, Haryana. His innovation of “Multi-Purpose Food Processing Machine” not only expands the scope for fruit processing but also advocates for possibilities of employment generation and reduced food waste. Through his Multipurpose Food processing machine, which operates on principles encompassing cutting, mixing, pulping, juicing and distillation, he has paved the way for the comprehensive utilization of fruits, vegetables and flowers. The same apparatus can be employed for extracting essential oils from aromatic and medicinal plants. Producing pulped juice and preparing juice that is ready for immediate consumption. Afterwards, farmers actively participated in practical sessions focusing on different grafting and budding techniques, that are essential for producing robust seedlings ready for transplantation, specifically tailored for subtropical fruits at CSTF, Ladwa.
With the collaborative efforts of both organizations, farmers gained valuable insights into improving fruit production in sub-tropical as well as tropical fruit species cultivation and nursery management. Through collaborative efforts, we aim to address the specific challenges of fruit cultivation in tropical and subtropical climates of India. Participants engaged in discussions regarding potential collaborations between CSTF, Ladwa, and Abhinavakrishi, Sambalpur.
The goal is to leverage each other’s expertise for the adaptation of low-chill temperate fruit varieties in the Eastern Ghats hills of Odisha. This partnership has the potential to significantly impact fruit production addressing our sole vision towards achieving excellence in innovative farming practices for the improvement of small and marginal farmers of India.
The PLANTICA – Association of Plant Science Researchers (APSR) is thrilled to announce the 6th Plant Science Researchers Meet (PSRM)-2024- National Conference on Current Trends in Agriculture, Applied, and Life Sciences. This prestigious event is co-organized by Geeta University, Panipat, Haryana, in collaboration with Shri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttarakhand Open University, Haldwani, Uttarakhand.
Event Details:
Date: March 11 – 12, 2024
Venue: Geeta University, Panipat, Haryana
This conference aims to bring together leading scientists, researchers, academicians, and industry experts from around the globe to discuss and share the latest advancements in Plant Science and the interdisciplinary fields of Agriculture, Applied, and Life Sciences.
Highlights of the Event:
1. Keynote Speakers: Renowned experts will deliver keynote addresses, providing insights into cutting-edge research and developments in the field.
2. Scientific Sessions: The conference will feature parallel scientific sessions covering a wide range of topics, ensuring a comprehensive exploration of the latest trends and breakthroughs.
3. Oral and Poster Presentations: Researchers and students are invited to submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations, offering an excellent platform to showcase their work and engage in discussions.
4. Awards: Recognizing excellence in research, awards will be presented for outstanding contributions in various categories.
Call for Abstract Submission and Award Nominations:
Researchers and scholars are invited to submit their abstracts for oral and poster presentations. Additionally, nominations for awards are welcome. The deadline for abstract submission and award nominations is 05 March 2024.
For detailed guidelines, submission instructions, and registration details please visit the conference website: www.pgrindias.in
We look forward to your participation in the 6th Plant Science Researchers Meet (PSRM)-2024 – National Conference on Current Trends in Agriculture, Applied, and Life Sciences.
PLANTICA – Association of Plant Science Researchers (APSR), Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Geeta University, Panipat, Haryana
Sri Dev Suman Uttarakhand University, Rishikesh
Uttarakhand Open University, Haldwani
Registration Link : https://pgrindias.in/6th-psrm-2023-24/
We take great pleasure in inviting you all to the “6th INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ADVANCES IN AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGY AND ALLIED SCIENCES (ICAATAS 2023) on June 19-21, 2023 (IN HYBRID MODE)” being organized by the Society of Agriculture Research & LOYOLA ACADEMY, SECUNDERABAD, TELANGANA), Sponsored by OIL INDIA & Scientific Partnered by “SolResLab”. We hope that you will grace the conference with your presence, which will provide you with an opportunity to meet with National- International resource persons, colleagues, and friends working in the area of Agriculture and Allied Sciences.
If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at contacticaatas@gmail.com
Contact Details- 7005652842/ 9863977658
We sincerely also request you to kindly circulate the information among relevant faculty, students, and industrial resource persons of your department.
We look forward to seeing you as a participant at ICAATAS 2023!
PUBLICATION PARTNERS
Akinik Publication-An International Journal with NAAS RATING 5.23
International Journal of Entomology Research- Web of Science indexed
Plant Science Today, Scopus Indexed Journal (Q3)
Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology, Scopus & Web of Science Indexed (Q3, Special Issue)
International Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, NAAS RATING- 4.98 ( Only Selected Papers )
International Journal of Statistics and Applied Mathematics, NAAS RATING- 5.12 ( Only Selected Papers )
International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry, NAAS RATING- 4.62 ( Only Selected Papers )
Sponsored Partners:
Oil India
SolResLab- Solutions for Research Laboratories
Knowledge Partners:
IIMR-Indian Institute of millets research
TS AG HUB
IIRR- Indian Institute of Rice Research
Telangana Mahila Vishwavidhyalaya, Telangana
IIOR- Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, Hyderabad
TNU-The Neotia University, West Bengal
Parul University, Gujrat
College of Agriculture, Tripura
Asian PGPR Society
Plant Protection Association of India, Hyderabad
Centurion University
Society for Advancement of Rice Research
Abhinava Krishi Research Organization, Sambalpur, Odisha
Pic.1#Picture from a rice field in Jajpur (Odisha) depicting shortage of rainfall during the kharif (2021)
The snag of the water crisis, commonly called as drought, is not an uncommon issue in the state of Odisha. Historically, the ‘Na Anka Durbhikhya’had already proved the prolificacy of drought and its consequences in the state. Apart from the five districts such as Bolangir, Bargarh, Phulbani, Nuapada and Kalahandi which are marked as the drought-prone areas, the coastal Odisha had also been suffered, although not frequently as the formers but severely in the current year.
Pic.2# Cracking of soil due to deficient rainfall during kharif in a rice field
In the mid-2021, the northern, central and coastal northeastern Odisha comprising the districts of Jajpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Bhadrak etc. have also experienced a huge water crisis. In the state of Odisha, 26 districts barring Khordha, Jagatsinghpur, Koraput and Malkangiri have recorded deficient rainfall of 20% or above. Jajpur was the worst affected with 54% less rainfall. It is observed in the blocks of Jajpur and Bhadrak district that after a long standby, the paddy fields are being less transplanted by lift irrigation by using private pump sets which is undoubtedly unaffordable for the long run. Consequently, the paddy fields were severely affected.
As the periodicity of drought in Odisha is usually once in five years and is mostly confined to the drought-prone areas of the state and the northeastern coastal plain experiences plenty of annual precipitation which is sufficient for the crops like paddy, then the question arises, should this temporary irregularity in rainfall be a relevant reason for the reduction of paddy yield and should the same be considered as a parameter for affecting the annual income of a marginal farmer or disturbing the state agricultural GDP . The prevailing rainfall is usually observed during mid-June and persists up to the end of August. However, in this year (2021), the climate alternation has brought minimal precipitation during the monsoon. Simultaneously the dry spell period has dominated over the monsoon months.
Usually, in the drought condition, a farmer completely relies upon the accountability of rain falling in his field, whereas the primary cause is hidden behind the faulty cropping system and intercultural practices. One would suggest a lot more solutions to the prevailing issues where most of them are not feasible in the current scenario of the state.
Firstly, crop rotation is a safe alternative to beat the dry spell period by the use of alternative crops like legumes or millets. However, this option is preferably considerable for farmers those who don’t rely upon rice completely as their livelihood. In the northeast coastal Odisha, there is uncertainty in drought prevalence where a farmer couldn’t plan a resistant variety of paddy against it. Most often, the problem is observed after a standing nursery bed is raised. This leaves no option to modify the variety in between the cropping season.
Secondly, drought breakers such as mulching and greenhouse cultivation for paddy is restricted to western countries only as there is large scale cultivation of paddy in India which wouldn’t give space to such intensive methods and is not affordable to the farmers as well.
However, the average moisture level in the paddy field can be maintained by the use of safe alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This might sound weird to the commercial ears, but factually, the constant deposition of chemical inputs over the land for a longer period results in forming a hardpan and depletes the moisture level of the soil. Minimum use of chemical inputs or replacing the same with organic manure containing humus as the major constituent which effectively restores moisture (70-80%) in the soil for years. The frequency of drought occurrence is also reduced by adopting the Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) with minimum use of inputs in the field.
There are other productive options to counter the drought prevalence such as making water reservoirs near the agricultural fields for rain water harvest and utilizing during the dry spell. An acre of paddy field may consist of about four to six small fields in general, which can be effectively irrigated by a reservoir of dimensions (25x15x10) feet. The reservoirs must be covered by concrete lids to check evaporation.
Moreover, plantation of avenue trees in a radius of about 200 meters around the rice field and along the bunds as well was found to minimize evaporation loss. These trees take about three to five years for full canopy development. When we think about our traditional methods of rice cultivation, broadcasting seed during summer (Bihida dhana chasa) can be carried out during the expected drought year in the rainfed districts of Odisha to save our standing crop from loss due to irregular or deficient rainfall.
Lastly, the Government should equally emphasize creating lift irrigation projects ona wider scale, both in rural as well as urban agricultural sectors. Various irrigation projects have been officially planned but unfortunately, most of them are limited to the files only. Utilization of the two perennial rivers of the coastal plain, the Brahmani and the Baitarani should be made by encouraging dams and reservoirs. The Rengali project that has come into action in the districts helps foresee a better agricultural structure of the belt. Eventually, the seasonal MSP (Minimum Support Price) of paddy should be raised during the period of disaster to stabilize the state economy and be a safe alternative for the paddy farmers.
Agroforestry systems can be playing an advantageous role over conventional agricultural and forest production methods. They can offer increased productivity; social, economic and environmental benefits, as well as greater diversity in the ecological goods and services provided. Multipurpose trees are also a part of the agroforestry system. In addition to providing fodder, fuel, wood, and other products, trees in agroforestry systems promote soil and water conservation, enhance soil fertility, and act as windbreaks for nearby crops. Multipurpose tree species that is purposefully grown so as to provide two or more than two products and also service function like shelter, shade, land sustainability of the land-use system. Fodder trees are important feed sources for livestock in a wide range of farming systems over the world.
Low quality and quantity of feeds are major constraints limiting livestock productivity among smallholder farmers. In many country’s farmers have fed tree foliage to their livestock for centuries, using wild browse or trees that grow naturally on their farms. New agroforestry systems for feeding livestock have emerged over the last three decades, involving the planting of mostly exotic species, grown most frequently in hedges along field boundaries or along the contours to limit soil erosion.
As mentioned above the Monkey jack (Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb.) is an important agroforestry species. The lakoocha is one such important multipurpose plant species member of the family Moraceae. Lakoocha is a tropical tree species widely distributed in the countries like India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. It is generally found in Sub-Himalayan humid regions of India and grows up to an altitude of 1200 A MSL (Dwivedi et al., 2011).
Lakoocha is a medium to large deciduous or evergreen tree. The deciduous period is very short in Eastern India which generally commences in February and ends in early March. The deciduous period has been reported to be absent in Western Ghats (Krishnamurthy and Sarala., 2013). It can grow up to 15 m in height and makes a handsome ornamental tree. The leaves are oblong, acute, alternate, 10-25 cm, long, glossy green on the upper side whereas old leaves are rough. Lakoocha is a multipurpose tree that provides fruit, fodder, fuel, timber, medicine, dye and thick shade. The large leaves are excellent fodder and contain 16 per cent crude protein (Kharel et al., 2000). A single tree can produce 60 to 200 kg of leaves per year (Orwa et al., 2009). It is considered as one of the best forages for milch animals due to its palatability and nourishing values in Nepal and fodder for goats in Jharkhand (Dhungana et al., 2012).
A single fruit weighing between 250 g and 300 g contains 10-30 seeds that are irregular in shape and vary in size. The seeds containing white sticky latex are highly recalcitrant and are dispersed by birds and monkeys (Orwa et al., 2009 and Islam et al., 2016). Fresh fruits and seeds have high nutritional and medicinal value. The unripe fruit and male flower spike are used as vegetables and also used to make pickles, sauce and chutney. The fruits are sweet-sour in taste. The edible pulp is reported to have hepatoprotective properties due to the presence of antioxidants (Gautam and Patel., 2014) and is considered a liver tonic (Hari et al., 2014). It is used in anti-inflammatory therapy and also as an anti-ageing agent (Mongolsuk et al., 1957). The powdered bark is used as a paste for curing skin ailments like boils, pimples, and sores etc. Lakoocha is reported to be widely used in the ethnomedicinal formulations by the tribal people of Jharkhand (Pandey and Bhatnagar., 2009).
(Photographs taken from forestry farm of College of Horticulture and forestry at Khaggal, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh (one single tree from natural germination)
Artocarpus lakoocha is a potential tree species for nutrition, poverty alleviation, environmental, agricultural and forest ecosystem diversification and is capable of creating new market opportunities for livelihood security. Hence, a number of problems are associated with the regeneration and propagation of lakoocha including, (1) tree population of lakoocha is gradually decreasing due to its extensive exploitation for food, fodder, timber and other uses; (2) seeds, once extracted from the fruit, quickly lose viability within a week, or sometimes even in few days; and (3) vegetative propagation methods such as rooting of hardwood or softwood stem cuttings have not been successful (Napier and Robbins, 1989). Budding has been reported to be successful with only a single report in Western Himalaya (Sharma et al., 2005).
Pic.3#Fruits of A.lakoocha
It belongs to family Moraceae other fruit like Jack fruit, Bread fruit belongs from same family. These are sour in test and the edible pulp is reported to have hepatoprotective properties due to the presence of antioxidants (Gautam and Patel., 2014) and is considered as a liver tonic (Hari et al., 2014). Photographs taken from forestry farm of College of Horticulture and forestry at Khaggal, Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh (one single tree from natural germination).
Leaves of A. lakoocha containing moisture (61.0%), total ash (8.0%), crude protein (28.6%), crude fat (1.52%), crude fibres (26.3%) and carbohydrates (0.84%) respectively. Due to the high amount of protein content and palatability, it will help to eradicate fodder deficiency in dry months. It’s containing a higher amount of crude protein it will help to enhance milk production in milch animals even though it can help to maintain body weight and reproduction. By considering the importance of this tree it will provide help to provide an ample amount of essential nutrients to livestock in each and every season.
References:
Gupta A K, Rather M A, Kumar Jha A, Shashank A, Singhal S, Sharma M, Pathak U, Sharma D and Mastinu. 2020. A. Artocarpus lakoocha roxb. and Artocarpus heterophyllus lam. flowers: New sources of bioactive compounds. Plants. 9:1329.
Sharma K and Thakur S. 2005. Vegetative Multiplication of Artocarpus lakoocha Roxb. a Hard to Root Species. Indian Forester131:259-260.
Napier I and Robbins M. 1989. Forest seed and nursery practice in Nepal.” Forest seed and nursery practice in Nepal 412p.
Mongolsuk S, Robertson A and Towers R. 1957. 429. 2: 4: 3′: 5′-Tetrahydroxystilbene from Artocarpus lakoocha. Journal of the Chemical Society 92: 2231-2233.
Kanak A R, Khan M J, Debi M R, Pikar M K and AktarM. 2013. Nutritive value of three fodder species at different stages of maturity. Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science 41: 90- 95.
Islam S M, Hasan F M, Ali M, Robbani M and Hossain T M. 2016. Socioeconomic potential of monkey jack: a promising underutilized fruit in Bangladesh. International Journal of Innovative Research1:40-44.
Gautam P and Patel R. 2014. Artocarpus Lakoocha Roxb: An Overview. European Journal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine 1:10-14.
Dwivedi D H, Mishra V, Singh N and Dwivedi S K. 2011. Genetic Variability Studies in Barhal Emile, Jean-Claude. Nutritive value and degradability of leaves from temperate woody resources for feeding ruminants in summer. 3rd European Agroforestry Conference Montpellier pp. 23-25.
Orwa C, Mutua A, Kindt R, Jamnadass R and Simons A. 2009. Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide. Version 4. Agroforestree Database: a tree reference and selection guide. Version 4.
Krishnamurthy S R and Sarala P. 2013. Phytochemical studies of Artocarpus gomezianus Wall. ex Trecul. var. lakoocha Roxb. fruits collected from various altitudes of Central Western Ghats. Indian Journal of Natural Product and Resources4:398-411.
Kharel R, Amatya S M and Basukala R. 2000. Survival and growth of selected fodder species in Dhading, Kabhra and Sindhupalchok districts. Proceedings of the national-level Workshop on Improved Strategies for Identifying and Addressing Fodder Deficits in the Mid-Hills of Nepal (Eds Khare, R, Amataya SM, Kiff L. and Regmi, BN) Department of Forest Research and Survey, Kathmandu. 13p.
Pandey A, Bhatnagar SP. 2009. Antioxidant and Phenolic Content of the Bark of Artocarpus lakoocha. The Pharma Review1:23-8.
Dhungana S, Tripathee H P, Puri L, Timilsina Y P and Devkota, K P. 2012. Nutritional Analysis of Locally Preferred Fodder Trees of Middle Hills of Nepal: A Case Study from Hemja VDC, Kaski District. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology13: 39-44.
Hari A, Revikumar K G and Divya D. 2014. Artocarpus: A review of its phytochemistry and pharmacology. Journal of Pharma Search 9: 7-12.
