Livestock industrialization, trade and social-health-environment impacts in developing countries: a case of Indian poultry sector

This paper presents the results of an empirical study of the Indian Poultry Industry which is specially focused on the social and environmental outcomes generated by the rapidly increasing scale of egg and broiler production in India. Among the effects of these rapid changes that occurred in the poultry industry include increased risk for animal health, changes in demand patters in terms of amount, quality, and food safety, higher prices for high value items; but there is also a threat to smallholders that they will be excluded from more demanding markets. There are important questions, which have arisen with the industrialization of poultry activity in India. Is the scaling up of production driving small producers to disadvantage on account of high transaction costs, policy distortions and environment externalities? Why do some poultry farms have higher incomes than others? Do large farms earn more profit per unit of output than small farms? What explains the differentials in efficiency? An attempt is made here to take stock of these changes and to assess their social and environmental outcomes particularly those that affect the welfare of poor. The paper starts by examining the state of the Indian Poultry Industry, and then it goes in dealing with selected socio-economic, health, and environment changes that affect the competitiveness of livestock production including domestic institutional arrangement of food safety standards.Indian poultry sector; livestock industrialization; competitiveness; transaction costs; environmental externalities; contract farming

Studies on solid matrix priming of seeds in bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.)

A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of solid matrix priming of seeds on emergence (%), growth and fruit yield characters of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L.) cultivar ‘Solan Hara’. The Experiment comprised of two vigour groups of seeds viz., ‘V1’ (High vigour seeds) and ‘V2’ (72 hours accelerated aged seeds/low vigour seeds) and five seed priming treatments viz., ‘P1’ (Solid matrix priming with Cocopeat), ‘P2’ (Solid matrix priming with Perlite), ‘P3’ (Solid matrix priming with Vermiculite), ‘P4’ (Seed soaking in water), ‘P5’ (Control -Without treatment).Investigation proved that low vigour seeds were inferior in respect of high vigour seeds in terms of seed physiological quality, emergence, growth and yield characteristics. Seed priming with Perlite for 72 hours proved its potential over other priming treatments, seed soaking and control (non-primed seeds) in both high vigour and low vigour seeds for agronomic attributes under study. High vigour seeds primed with Perlite ‘V1P2’ was found to be the best treatment for most of the traits understudy recording highest total field emergence (76.60%), fruit yield per plot (16.12 Kg) and per hectare (250.35 q). Similarly, Low vigour seeds primed with Perlite also recorded enhanced and improved total field emergence (73.83%) fruit yield per plot (9.28 Kg) and per hectare (143.26 q) compared to other low vigour treated and non treated seeds. From the present investigation it was inferred that that the extent of improvement w.r.t. attributes studied was more in low vigour seeds (V2) and seed priming with solid matrix carrier ‘Perlite’ can be used as a beneficial pre-sowing treatment to enhance the seedling emergence, growth and yield characteristics in bitter gourd

A Proof-of-principle for Time-Of-Flight Positron Emission Tomography Imaging

Time-Of-Flight (TOF) is a noble technique that is used in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging worldwide. The scintillator based imaging system that is being used around the world for TOF-PET is very expensive. Multi-gap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPCs) are gaseous detectors which are easy to fabricate, inexpensive and have excellent position and timing resolution. They can be used as a suitable alternative to highly expensive scintillators. For the sole purpose of TOF-PET, a pair of 18 cm $\times$ 18 cm, 5 gap, glass-based MRPC modules have been fabricated. Our main aim was to determine the shift in the position of the source (Na-22) with these fabricated MRPCs. In this document, the details of the experimental results will be presented

Make food safety a business plan

The story of water contamination with pesticide residue is only the tip of the iceberg that shows business interests dominate any scientific and safety considerations. With a little bit of planning, argue Dr. Mehta and Prof. George, trade could be the meeting place for food science and safety to the billion plus population

Effect of biofertilizers on horticultural and yield traits in french bean var. Contender under dry temperate conditions of Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh

Kinnaur district is known as the dry temperate zone of Himachal Pradesh and is known for off season and quality production of vegetables.In this district of Himachal Pradesh, Natural farming is mostly done with the minimum use of chemical fertilizers. Farmers are unaware of the judicious use of farm yard manure, and biofertilizers due to which yield of the french bean is very low (50-70 q/ha). French bean is one of the most important vegetables intercropped with apple in Kinnaur District. An experiment was conducted during the summer season of 2011 at the Experimental Farm of Vegetable Research Station, Kalpa, Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh to study the effect of Rhizobium and Phosphorus Solublizing Bacteria (PSB) on the horticultural and yield traits in french bean var. Contender. Six treatments comprising seed treatments (with and without Rhizobium), seed treatment (with and without PSB) along with the combination of 60 % dose of recommended quantity of Calcium Ammonium Nitrate and 75 % dose of recommended quantity of Single Super Phosphate and organic matter were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The results revealed that T5 treatment, i.e. Rhizobium+ PSB+ Organic matter resulted in more number of pods per plant (20), pod length (18 cm) and pod yield/ha (140 q/ha)

Effect of head decapitation and planting density on quality seed production of sprouting broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.)

A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of head decapitation and planting density on plant growth, seed yield and quality of sprouting broccoli, Brassica oleracea var. italica L. using cultivar ‘Green Head’. The twenty treatments comprised of combinations of four head decapitation methods viz., D1 (decapitation of primary head at appearance and harvesting seeds from secondary heads), D2 (decapitation of primary head at marketable stage and harvesting seeds from secondary heads), D3 (removal of secondary heads at appearance and harvesting seeds primary head) and ‘D4’ (No decapitation- control) and five planting densities viz., S1 (60x60 cm), S2 (60x45 cm), S3(45x45 cm), S4 (60x30 cm), and S5 (45x30 cm). Decapitation of primary head at appearance and harvesting seeds from secondary heads (D1) and planting density S3 (45x45 cm) independently as well as in combination gave highest seed yield per plot and per hectare. This combination was also found comparable to other combinations for other characters like days to 50% flowering, days to seed harvesting, plant height at harvesting (cm), number of branches per plant, number of siliqua per plant, siliqua length (cm), number of seeds per siliqua and seed quality parameters. Therefore, it is suggested that decapitation of primary head at appearance and harvesting seeds from secondary heads (D1) in combination with plant spacing of 45x45 cm i.e. D1S3 can be recommended for commercial seed production of sprouting broccoli