Castor being an important non-edible oilseed crop requires a constant need for the
development of superior hybrids. To achieve the objective, the availability of diverse
germplasm is the pre-requisite. One such way to broaden the diversity of germplasm or
parental lines is by developing gene pools. The present study was aimed at studying the
phenotypic diversity of fifty advanced lines of castor derived from gene pool. Ten agro-
morphological traits were evaluated in the genotypes and significant differences were
found for all the traits. The genotypes were grouped into ten clusters in D 2 clustering
method due to high heterogeneity. The cluster I was the largest with 29 genotypes and
the clusters V, VI, VII, VIII, IX and X had only one genotype each. The genetic
distance was highest between the clusters III and X. The genetic divergence within the
clusters was maximum for cluster IV. The highest cluster means for the characters
understudy were distributed across different clusters. The genetic diversity was mostly
contributed by plant height up to primary raceme and seed yield. The superior-
performing lines for different traits were placed at different clusters in D 2 analysis. Thus
to generate heterotic hybrids, such diverse parental lines can be utilized in crossing
programmes. However, to further improve the genetic resources of castor, genotypes
from diverse clusters with high performance of yield attributing traits can be utilized.

Bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is a major concern for chilli production,
leading to substantial yield losses. As a highly destructive soil-borne pathogen, R. solanacearum
poses a significant threat to hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivation worldwide. In India
cultivated pepper fields, the relentless spread of R. solanacearum is exacerbated by global
warming, posing a serious threat to crop productivity. The most sustainable strategy to combat
bacterial wilt lies in the development of resistant pepper varieties. However, resistance to
bacterial wilt is quantitatively inherited and varies depending on specific R. solanacearum
isolates. Thus, this study aimed to assess the inheritance pattern of bacterial wilt resistance by
analyzing an F 2 population of 157 plants along with their parental varieties, B-HP-143 and B-HP-
144. In addition, disease reactions in 100 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the F 5 population
were screened to evaluate disease susceptibility. The severity and progression of bacterial wilt
were quantified using the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). The analysis of
bacterial wilt resistance confirmed a polygenic inheritance pattern in the F 2 population. Several
RILs such as, 84, 101, 106, 149, 155, 196, 210, 220, 232, 242, 283, 301, 307, 315, 324, 333, 336,
340, and 342 along with the resistant parent B-HP-143, exhibited complete resistance to bacterial
wilt with no signs of infection. In contrast, B-HP-144 displayed a 70% incidence of bacterial
wilt. The calculated AUDPC value for the F 2 generation was 545.54, while B-HP-143 and B-HP-
144 had values of 0.00 and 735, respectively. These results highlight B-HP-143 as a promising
source of high resistance. The incorporation of resistant RILs into breeding programs can greatly
enhance the development of bacterial wilt-resistant hot pepper varieties. The findings of this
study provide a crucial foundation for integrating bacterial wilt resistance into elite commercial
hot pepper genotypes, contributing to future crop improvement efforts.

Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi, is a severe disease that
significantly impacts garden pea (Pisum sativum (L.) var. hortense) yields worldwide. This
study delves into the genetic basis of resistance to Fusarium wilt in garden peas, focusing on
identifying molecular markers associated with resistance genes. Genetic resistance is a more
cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative to fungicide applications. Through
detailed genetic analysis, the study confirmed that resistance to Fusarium wilt is monogenic
and dominant. This was demonstrated by the segregation patterns observed in different
generations: F 1 (100% resistant), F 2 (124 resistant: 36 susceptible), and backcross
generations (BC 1 F 1 P 1 : 19 resistant: 16 susceptible; BC 1 F 1 P 2 : 35 resistant: 0 susceptible),
using 'GP-6' as the resistant parent and 'Arkel' as the susceptible parent. The resistance gene,
derived from the resistant parent 'GP-6', was characterized through phenotypic screening and
validated using molecular markers. The SCAR marker Y15_999Fw identified the 999 bp
band associated with resistance in 131 out of 160 F 2 plants. Additionally, the polymorphic
ISSR marker UBC-812 was found to be closely linked to the Fusarium wilt resistance locus,
exhibiting a 3:1 Mendelian segregation ratio in the F 2 population. Marker linkage analysis
placed UBC-812 at a distance of 5.01 cM from the resistance locus. These findings offer
crucial insights into the genetic mechanisms behind Fusarium wilt resistance in garden peas,
supporting the development of marker-assisted breeding strategies to cultivate wilt-resistant
pea varieties.

Family is playing a very significant role in growing the society in a positive direction. It is
concerned with hovering all the basic functions of family. Today gradually the traditional society
is changing by changing the roles of male and female members. The traditional stereotype that
male members work outside to get income for the financial support of the family and the female
role of taking care of the household work inside the home has been changed. Both males and
females are performing egalitarian sex roles. In this context, the study was conducted to find out
the family support for the ladies working outside the home. 80 nos. of lady govt. Employees were
interviewed with the help of an interview schedule. Frequency and percentage measures were
used as statistical measure.Aspects like children education marketing, health and hygiene,
attending marriage ceremony of a near and dear, good relationship with neighbour, community
function, children games and sports, children cultural programme, charitable work on behalf of
family and financial help at the time of needs or need of the situation to the full extent (100%)
the least support arefound to be washing clothes for the purpose.

Coffee is a significant commercial crop in India, predominantly grown in the southern
states, with the Western Ghats playing a pivotal role due to their unique biodiversity and
climate. This two-year study (2022-2023 harvesting seasons) evaluated the performance of
arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.) under four distinct shade patterns: two-tier native species,
mixed species (native and exotic), exotic species (Grevillea robusta), and unshaded
conditions. Conducted in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with five replications,
the study assessed the impact of shade management on quality attributes, bean grades,
caffeine content and yield. Coffee cultivated under native and mixed species shade exhibited
significantly higher proportions of premium-grade beans (84.83% and 84.00%, respectively),
improved sensory attributes, and enhanced caffeine content (1.17% and 1.13%, respectively),
compared to unshaded conditions. Native shade systems yielded the highest total cup score
(75.33) and clean coffee yield (986.65 kg ha -1 ), highlighting the positive impact of shade on
fruit quality, ripening uniformity, and chemical composition. Conversely, unshaded coffee
showed poorer quality, lower yields, and increased stress due to direct sunlight. These
findings emphasize the role of shade in optimizing coffee quality and yield while maintaining
sustainability and biodiversity in agroforestry systems.

Iron deficiency is a significant constraint to rice production, particularly in
aerobic systems. A two-year field experiment was conducted at Professor Jayashankar
Telangana State Agricultural University, Hyderabad, India to evaluate the iron uptake of
three aerobic rice cultivars (M1, M2, and M3) under twelve different iron fertilization
strategies in sandy clay loam soil. The experiment laid out in a split-plot design, examined
the efficacy of iron sulphate and iron chelate applied through foliar and soil applications, as
well as their combinations. Iron content and uptake were measured at various growth stages
(seedling, maximum tillering, panicle initiation and harvest). Results revealed significant
differences in iron uptake among cultivars and fertilization treatments. Cultivar M3 (KRH 2)
consistently demonstrated the highest iron uptake in both grain and straw. The most effective
fertilization strategy involved the basal application of iron chelate @ 25 kg ha⁻¹ followed by
three foliar sprays of iron sulphate starting from 21 days after sowing at 7-day intervals.
These findings suggest that the judicious selection of rice cultivars and application of a
combined soil and foliar iron fertilization strategy can significantly enhance iron uptake and
potentially improve yields in aerobic rice cultivation.

This study aimed to enhance the consumers’ acceptability of pomelo fruit juice by
reducing its bitterness by blending it with sweet orange juice. The study involved the extraction
of pomelo and sweet orange juices and the preparation of their blends. The blends were prepared
by adding sweet orange juice with pomelo juice in different proportions and compared with pure
pomelo and pure sweet orange juices by sensory evaluation. The prepared blends were subjected
to sensory evaluation using a hedonic scale. The sensory evaluation revealed that the blending
ratio of 3:2 (pomelo: sweet orange), matched the overall consumers’ acceptability to that of the
sweet orange juice. Moreover, the prepared drinks were stored for 90 days to evaluate their shelf-
life and changes in biochemical properties such as TSS, pH, total sugar, reducing sugar, non-reducing sugar, vitamin C, titratable acidity and the microbial counts were analyzed at intervals
of 30 days. Some biochemical properties such as TSS, pH, total sugar and reducing sugar were
noted to be increasing with storage duration. Whereas, other biochemical properties such as
vitamin C, titrable acidity, and non-reducing sugar decreased with the increase in storage
duration. The microbial counts were found to be within limits for consumption up to 90 days.
This finding has resulted in a minimal processing technique that has potential to increase the
utilization of the underutilized pomelo, in the form of fruit juice. Furthermore, the blends thus
prepared were completely natural beverages that has the potential to compete heavily with
synthetic drinks.

A field experiment was carried out at CCS HAU, Regional Research Station, Bawal during the year
2022-23 and 2023-24 consisting of nine treatment combinations viz. RDF (T 1 ), RDF + 25 kg/ha
Zinc Sulphate (21% zinc) as soil application at the time of sowing (T 2 ), RDF + 25 kg/ha Ferrous
Sulphate (19% iron) as soil application at the time of sowing (T 3 ), RDF + Foliar spray of 0.5% Zinc
Sulphate solution at 30 and 60 days after sowing (T 4 ), RDF + Foliar spray of 0.5% Ferrous
Sulphate solution at 30 and 60 DAS (T 5 ), RDF + 25 kg/ha Zinc Sulphate as soil application at the
time of sowing + Foliar spray of 0.5% Zinc Sulphate solution at 45 DAS (T 6 ), RDF + 25 kg/ha
Ferrous Sulphate as soil application at the time of sowing + Foliar spray of 0.5% Ferrous Sulphate
solution at 45 DAS (T 7 ), RDF + 25 kg/ha Zinc Sulphate as soil application at the time of sowing +
Foliar spray of 0.5% Ferrous Sulphate solution at 45 DAS (T 8 ) and RDF + 25 kg/ha Ferrous
Sulphate as soil application at the time of sowing + Foliar spray of 0.5% Zinc Sulphate solution at
45 DAS (T 9 ) laid out in randomized block design with three replications. Soil of the experimental
site was sandy loam in texture low in N, P and medium in K, with slightly alkaline in reaction (pH –
7.9). The castor crop (hybrid ICH-66) was sown in second fortnight of July, 2022 and 2023 and
harvested in the last week of March, 2023 and 2024 during both the years, respectively. Pooled data
(2022-23 and 2023-24) reveal that zinc and iron either soil applied, foliar applied or both (alone or
in combination) resulted in an increase in yield attributes and yield of castor. Treatment where 25
kg/ha Zinc Sulphate soil applied followed by foliar spray of 0.5% Ferrous Sulphate solution at 45
days after sowing recorded significantly higher seed yield in comparison to RDF and RDF + 25
kg/ha Ferrous Sulphate as soil application at the time of sowing. Oil content was not influenced by
the treatments tested. All the treatments did not differ significantly among themselves in respect of
available N, P and K in soil. Higher available Zn and Fe content was found under the treatments
where iron and zinc either soil applied, foliar applied or both (alone or in combination) over RDF,
respectively. Agronomic efficiency and partial factor productivity of Zn and Fe was highest (88.7
and 350 kg/kg, respectively) under RDF + Foliar spray of 0.5% Zinc Sulphate solution at 30 and
60 days after sowing.

The present study was conducted at the research Farm of Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi
Vishwa Vidhyalaya, Jabalpur Madhya Pradesh (482004), India during July-November
2016.The soybean crop grown in vertisols in central India as an oil seed crop. Humans,
animals, and plants all need zinc (Zn). The lack of Zn in Indian soil raises questions about
how crops will be cultivated. Zn fertilizer is frequently applied on poor soils that are
subjected to intensive cultivation. Still, not much is understood about the ideal Zn dosage. As
a result, three frequency levels of Zn application were studied: Zn application in the first year
alone, every year, and every other year, and five rates of Zn (0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, and 10.0 kg Zn
ha -1 ) were applied. The results showed that the contents of N and K in soybean seed and
stover increased significantly as Zn levels increased, and the maximum contents were noted
at 10 kg of Zn ha -1 application. However, it was on par with 7.5 kg of Zn ha -1 . Applying 5 kg
of Zn ha -1 every other year greatly enhanced the uptake of N, P, K, and S by soybean crop. At
5.0 kg of Zn ha -1 , the soil had the highest levels of leftover N, P, and Zn. Thus, the best
practice in a vertisol for improving macronutrient uptake by soybean and improving soil
health.

An on-farm experiment was conducted to assess the effect of the mineral mixture on
the growth performance of goats. 60 growing kids of Non-descript local breeds were
randomly distributed in three groups (FP, T1, T2). The growing kids were fed as per the
farmer's practices along with supplementation of NIANP mineral mixture and TANUVAS
sheep and goat mineral mixture @ 10g/goat/day through water for 90 days. The results of the
present study revealed that supplementation of mineral mixtures non significantly improve
final body weight, total body weight gain and average daily gain compared to farmers
practice. The BCR of the TANUVAS sheep and goat mineral mixture was higher than the
NIANP goat mineral mixture and farmers practice. The results of the present study showed
that the growing kids reared under grazing with groundnut haulms supplemented with
TANUVAS sheep and goat mineral mixture showed higher economic return compared to
NIANP goat mineral mixture and farmers practice.