Indian Journal of Agriculture Business

 Variety of freshwater prawns (about 100 species) found all over the world of which 25 have inhabited the Indian waters. Among these, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (giant freshwater prawn is a crustacean species belonging to the family Palaemonidae) possessing high potential and great commercial importance in India and abroad. It is a hardy species by virtue of its ability to adapt to various types of fresh and brackish-water conditions. It is omnivorous, bottom dwelling animal, accepts pelleted feed and eat greedily. The giant freshwater prawn is suitable for cultivation in many natural freshwater bodies as well as low saline brackish water ecosystem in tropical and subtropical climates all over the world. Within recent years controlled hatching and grow out culture of marketable forms of this species have been tried in lentic water bodies in India and is still growing. Several culture management techniques have been adopted by various workers and found that the average production rate of freshwater prawn in India is 1-2 tonnes/ha/yr.  Israel has reported 3,000 to 4,000 kg fish and 1,500-2,000 kg/ha prawns within a culture period of 7-8 months under polyculture operation. In India prawn culture with carps under polyculture practices has reported production levels of 600-1640 kg/ha/yr. However, prawns require optimum physico-chemical characteristics in water and rearing of prawn larva up to marketable size is a system specific. Presently, culture of M. rosenbergii is being done in most of the coastal states of the country. Inland states have also initiated prawn culture which may take time to standardize the production under different agro-climatic conditions. The assessment revealed that the growth and production of giant freshwater prawn is highly dependent on the suitable environmental conditions for commercial as well as greater management orientation. Therefore, the farming community and entrepreneurs must understand the scope, prospects, situation, features, impact and constraints of Macrobrachium rosenbergii culture, hatchery operation and its management practices on scientific basis. 

 Livestock sector is one of the most imperative components of agriculture in India. Despite the fact of large livestock population, the meat industry in India has not taken its due share. There are many reasons for the stagnant growth of the meat industry, including lack of implementation of scientific knowledge, inadequate attention of entrepreneurs, negative approach of public towards meat, socio-political considerations and improper retailing system. Most meats are sold in the domestic market without proper sanitary inspection and labelling. The situation is further associated by perseverance of domestic consumers to buy freshly cut meat from the wet market, rather than processed or frozen. In most of the domestic markets, the transaction takes place after examination of the animal by the byres through the broker or commission agent. Meat export market is substantiate and augmenting at acceptable pace by following sanitary and phytosanitary mandatory measures. Government of India has laid down standards for export market, which include standards for abattoir processing plant and various meat products. Though there are many promising outlook which support the potential for growth of meat industry at domestic market, there are still some moderation which if not treated sooner can faze the growth prospects of meat industry in India.   

Recently a variety of ways to finance extension has emerged mainly as a result of the tendency to privatize government services and the increasing role, commercial companies play in agricultural research and extension. In many countries the extension service is either provided or funded by the Ministry of Agriculture. The government-funded extension is likely to focus its activities on public good activities which the market place is unlikely to provide. Decisions on the privatization of agricultural extension are often based on very limited knowledge about the consequences of such a change. There is more experience of privatization in industrial countries than in developing countries. But of course, Extension administrators may have to consider whether the recommendations of a consultant from an industrial country are really valid in their situation. 

Policies in 1990s calls towards liberalisation and globalization make a dramatic shift towards structural transformation. Under such situation, how we can make strategy, preferring a short-term reactive approach over a more coherent long term sustainable approach towards inclusive growth which was emphasized during the existing Plan periods. Dairy sector has the capacity to reduce poverty and to reduce income inequality at the household level. Indian dairy sector has shown tremendous growth in terms of milk production, from 17 million tones (1950-51) to 132.4 million tones (2012-13). To enhance the dairy sector profitability, there is need to put more stress on value addition. To augment value addition in Indian dairy sector policy makers undertaken different policy changes in the post-liberalized era. But MMPO-1992 was introduced in post liberalised era to protect the interest of the cooperative as well as domestic small and medium size dairy plants. This amendment was one of the major policy changes to protect the interest of different stakeholders. Overall growth of dairy sector during the last two decades has been impressive. To restore the value addition in product and to harnessing the consumer market the involvement of organized sector is very much important. As per the finding of study value added products namely butter, cream, ghee, cheese and curd were found to dominate the value chain apart from the manufacture of pasteurized liquid milk in organised dairy sector. The mechanics of the organized sector penetration could be agency-specific as also area-specific. Need of the day is to provide quality input and output support services as provided by the co-operatives (Amul model at Gujarat, Nandani Milk Federation at Karnataka Model), private sector (Nestlé) and contract dairy farming. The scale up or success of each of these models depends upon the value added process which has the potential to satisfy dairy’s inherent complementary nature of farm inputs, resources and institutional components. 

A total of 10 clinical samples and one known control sample in the form of rectal swabs werecollected from dogs showing signs of diarrhoea. The samples were clarified, processed and subjected to haemagglutination, rapid immunochromatography kit test and polymerase chain reaction assays. Of the 10 samples screened all (100%) were positive for CPV infections. Isolation of virus from the clarified faecal samples was done in both CRFK and MDCKcell lines. With one of the positive faecal sample SDS –Page was carried out. Strain variation was detected of which 10 samples belonged to CPV 2a and one sample belonged to CPV 2b by PCR assay with CPV-2ab primers and 2b primers. Partial sequencing based on VP2 gene was carried out with one of the CPV 2a isolate and phylogenetic tree was constructed to know the homology with other Indian isolates.

Lipid Peroxidation is an Indicator of Oxidative Damage in the Liver. Upon exposure to the free radicals, the ratio of natural antioxidants in the liver and reactive oxygen species gets altered which results in the production of various lipid peroxyl radicals and hydro peroxides. The extent of lipid peroxidation can be estimated by elevated levels of Malondialdehyde (MDA)  in Liver tissue. The present study was designed to screen the anti-lipid peroxidation activity of Acorus calamus rhizome extract in paracetamol induced hepatotoxic rat model. Paracetamol at the dose rate of 200 g/kg B.wt was given orally to induce hepatotoxicity and observed the rise in MDA levels. Forty eight hours after paracetamol administration the rats were treated with alcoholic and aqueous extracts of Acorus calamus rhizome for a period of ten days and the liver homogenate levels of MDA was estimated. The treatment of Acorus calamus rhizome extract in paracetamol induced hepatotoxic rats normalized the altered MDA levels in liver homogenate which are comparable with Silymarin, a standard hepato-protective drug.

The River Ganga harbors variety of finfish species including other fauna and flora. It has become a great nutritive value and indicator of ecological condition of river ecosystem which provides sustenance and meet protein requirement to local fishermen as well as other riparian population. The commercial and subsistence fishing activities are in practice by local fishermen using various types of nets, gears and tackles viz., gill nets of varying mesh sizes, large and small drag net, cast net, lift  net, dip net, scoop net, plunge basket trap, hooks and long lines in and around Patna region. Most of the fishermen used sturdy plank built boat for the operation of variety of gill nets, drag nets and cast net, long lines, scoop net, and plunge basket trap. The local fishermen also exploit temporarily formed water bodies of the River Ganga to catch existing fishes during non-flood season. Variety of finfish species were monitored from the bulk of fisher catch during many visits at ten landing sites in and around Patna region. A total of 106 finfish species were identified from the bulk of catches belonging to 67 genera, 28 families and 9 orders.  A single cartilaginous fish (Hypolophussephen) was recorded during flood season while most of the fish were bony skeleton which include 2 feather backs, 4 shads, 2 anchovies, 4 Indian major caprs, 8 barbs, 17 other carps and minnows, one each mahseer, Indian trout, latia fish, Pungas catfish, air breathing catfish, stinging catfish, angler fish, half beak fish, gar fish, panchax minnow, Gangeticmudeel, mottled nandus, badis fish, goby, climbing perch, 2 garra fish, 3 loaches, 8 bag rid catfish, 4 eurasian catfish, 6 schilbid catfish, 11 sisorid catfish, 3 glass fishes, 2 croakers, 2 mullets, 3 gouramies, 4 murrels, 3 spiny eels, and 2 puffer fish. The fish diversity identified from the river Ganga revealed that water is still suitable for proliferation and survival of different types of fish species.

Keywords:  Fish Fauna; Diversity; Commercially Important; River  Ganga; Patna 

The study of information technology on farm income of hill area of India during year 2010-11 using simple random sampling technique revealed that mobile service is more common as compared to the other services and cost incurred on this service was one-fourth of the total cost(Rs370/-)of information technology incurred on average farms situation. On an average cost incurred on additional inputs with us the technology for information by the farmers was Rs 1802.50/ farm and added cost to the labor was Rs 895.30/ farm on overall farms situation. Whereas, technology saved time was 10.33 times with one unit used time through information technology. The substantial impact of information technology was noted in enhancing productivity/ production and employment generation. The total contribution of information technology on per farm income was estimated to be Rs 40037 on an average farms situation, which accounted for about 31 percent. The net additional returns over total cost of information technology and additional inputs were Rs 36935.87, accounted for about 28.53 percent of the total farm income. The output-input ratio analysis of the information technology indicated its superiority; it contributes 13 times more with one rupee investment on it.