June 2015 - Krishi Info

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KERALA KARSHAKAN e-journal

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From the Editor’s Desk

The role of underutilized plants in the 21st century is a muchdiscussed topic worldwide; It is recognized that mostunderutilized fruits and vegetables are of local or regional

importance and therefore it is most appropriate to fosterpartnership at this level. Due to the development of a globaltrading system a number of crop species have become unutilized,replaced or fallen into disuse. Now there is an increasingendorsement at national and international level of the importantrole in sustainable farming systems and human well-being of less-used crops and species. Such attention stems out fromdevelopments over the last decades that have contributed tochange the perception of people regarding the importance ofsuch species and raised the issue or how best to pursue thepromotion of underutilized species. This development includeagro biodiversity in agricultural development, environmentalchanges and ecosystem stability, food scarcity and nutrition,increased attention to indigenous knowledge new tools for usingbiodiversity etc. Along with this we should realize that manyunderutilized crops have multiple uses and potential of them tobecome commodity crops. If processing and value –addingactivities are generated there is immense scope for the on farmdevelopment of underutilized species.

EDITOR

FARM INFORMATION BUREAUADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS

CHAIRMANSubrata Biswas IASAgricultural Production CommissionerMEMBERSK. AjayaKumar IASSecretary (Agriculture)R. AjithKumarDirector (Agriculture)Mini Antony IASDirector (I&PRD)Dr. ChandrankuttyDirector (Animal Husbandry)K.T. SarojiniDirector (Dairy Department)

Station DirectorAll India RadioDirectorDoordarshan, ThiruvananthapuramC. RadhakrishnanChamravattom, Tirur, MalappuramProf. Abraham P. MathewMarthoma College, Chungathara PO,MalappuramM. RamachandranLakshmivaram, Sankaran Para Lane,Mudavanmukal,Poojappura, ThiruvananthapuramA. YetheendranMadhathil House, Vendai, Pinarayi, ThalasseryRamesh Babu K.P.Mavilari, Chendayadu, Panoor, KannurK.P. NairRagam, YGRA Kavuroad, Kowdiar PO,ThiruvananthapuramAdv. BeenaKarthika Bhavan, Palottuvila, Malayinkeezhu,ThiruvananthapuramSalim MadavoorKanivu, Madavoor PO, Narikkuni Via, KozhikodeK.P. Janardhanan NairMuthedam, Kurippuzha PO, Perinadu, Kollam

CONVENORDr. Roy MathewPrincipal Information Officer

Blend of old and newapproaches essential

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KERALA KARSHAKAN e-journalI N S I D EJune 2015 Volume-3 Issue-1KERALA KARSHAKAN

e journal

Mail: [email protected]: 0471-2314358

Log on to http://www.fibkerala.gov.in

The First English farm e-journal from the house of Kerala Karshakan

Chief EditorDr. Roy Mathew

EditorSuresh Kumar S.

Asst. EditorAnitha C.S.

Design & LayoutDeepak Mouthatil

Articles/ Features appearing in this e-journal are either commissioned or assigned.Neverthless, other articles of farm relevance are also welcome.A maximum of 750 wordage is appreciated. Such items should be addressed toThe Editor, Kerala Karshakan e-journal, Farm Information Bureau, Kowdiar PO,Thiruvananthapuram, Pin: 695001These may also be mailed to [email protected] in word format. Responses can be also sent to this mail.VIEWS expressed in the articles published in KeralaKarshakan e-journal are not, necessarily those of the Government.

Enquiries : 0471 2314358

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4 Cover Story

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The Wonder hot ChilliesSameer Ali M. , Henry Nickolas,Marjana Beegum K.C. ............................................... 4

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Curing and storage of OnionDr. Laxman Kukanoor, Jaishankar H. P., Manjula Karadiguddi, Kavya, H. P. ............................................ 8Adalodakam- The potent ayurvedic healsAthulya S. Nair ................................................................................ 14Tropical Anti-cancerous Plant sourcesSakhubai, H.T., Saraswati Sampaganvi.,Rajeshwari, B. Hosamani .............................................................. 16Low Cost Roof Top Rain Water HarvestingSameer Ali M. , Henry Nickolas, Marjana Beegum K.C. .......... 18Cattle Manure a liability or an assetMarykutty Thomas ......................................................................... 22Booming Bamboo Timber of the 21st CenturyHenry Nickolas, Sameer Ali M. ..................................................... 24Underutilized fruit crops: A new hope for healthAnupama S., Reshma R. S ......................................................................................................... 28Nutritional Excellence of PeanutShridevi A. Jakkeral, M. Hanumanthappa,K.V. Sudhir Kamath, Kavyashree M.C. ....................................... 36Root distribution pattern in CropsSakhubai, H.T., Saraswati Sampaganvi.,Rajeshwari, B. Hosamani .............................................................. 40How to manage Heavy Metal Pollution in Soil?Jeena Mathew, Abdul Haris, A. and V. Krishnakumar ............ 44

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The Wonderhot Chillies

COVER STORY

Latest trends in globally renowned Guntur chilli industry and its cultivation

Sameer Ali M.Leaf Executive, Msc.Agri (Agronomy),ITC- Agri Business Division-ILTD, Guntur

Henry NickolasLeaf Executive, Msc.Agri (Plant Breeding andGenetics), ITC- Agri Business Division-ILTD, Guntur

Marjana Beegum K.CTechnical Officer, Msc.Agri (Statistics),CDB, Hyderabad

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Red stream from GunturChilli forms an indispensable culinary spice

all over the world.Guntur, one of the main pivotsof the so called Indian state of bifurcated AndhraPradesh is world-wide known for its wide varietiesof chillies. A.P stands first in area (25.15%) andproduction(53.27%) of chillies in India.Gunturchillies is a group of chilli cultivars which are grownhere and exported to Asia, Canada, and Europe.

Major varieties and hybrids under Gunturchillies:Wonder Hot (hottest Guntur chilli), GunturSannam (S4), Teja, Namdhari, Rallies-355, Ankur,Indam 5, 273,Tomato Chilies.Asia’s largest chilli market

Guntur is Asia’s largest market for chillies.The marketing season begins in the first week ofMarch and peaks during the month of April, andcloses by the middle of May.Normally, about 80 lakhto one crore bags of chillies are traded during theseason here alone. It is estimated that there are

Guntur- Asias largest market for chillies

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100 odd exporters in this market.During the peakarrival period, around 0.8 - 1 lakh bags are tradedhere daily. Industrial users who prepares Chillipowder gives preference for colour, pungency,fleshly skin and less seeds.Quality parameters

The key parameters for dried chilli productsare pungency level (% capsaicin) contained in theskin and the septa of the fruit and colour (ASTAcolour units). The hotter the chilli pepper, the morecapsaicin it contains.Characteristics of Guntur chillies

Highly pungent: These varieties of chilliconsists high capsaicin content varied from 35000to 40000 SHU which is huge in quantity

Size and body: These varieties with lengthfrom 5 cm to 7cm have thick dark red skin.

Less colour: Guntur varieties have very lesscolour content. These varieties have colour contentvaries from 75 ASTA to 130 ASTA values.

CultivationChilli requires warm and humid climate for

its best growth and dry weather during thematuration of fruits. It can be grown throughoutthe year under irrigation. Black soils which retain

moisture for long periods are suitable for rain fedcrop whereas well drained soils and sandy loamsare good under irrigated condition.Chilli crop issensitive to cold and frost.

HarvestingHarvesting operation is carried out when

the crop attains uniform ripeness. The cropbecomes ready for harvesting in about 3.5 monthsafter planting. The picking of ripe fruits continuesfor about 2 months and about 6-10 pickings aretaken.The summer crop is wholly disposed of asgreen chillies

Post harvesting Ripe fruits are picked along with stalks and

are heaped indoors for 3 or 4 days for the partiallyripe fruit to develop the proper red colour. Chillicontains a high moisture content (60-85%) at thetime of harvest, which must be brought down to 8-12% moisture. In this process chilli is dried insunlight for 4 to 5 days to maintain particularmoisture(10-13%.)

GradingThe dry chillies, after attaining standard

moisture and after the process of de stemming aregraded according to their size, quality and colour.

Authors with chilli farmers in Guntur

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Grading also includes separation of diseasedchillies, other foreign particles etc.

DestemmingDestemming is done according to the

requirements of clients. This process includesremoval of the stem part from chillies. More than200 daily labours indulge in this process. Thesetypes of chillies are supplied only if there is specialrequirement.

PackingAfter grading process, chillies are again

inspected and packed in new gunny bags weighting30kgs each.

AuctionsDealers /middle men who procure from

farmers brings the sample of product to market.The customers after agreeing up on price willinspect the whole product in dealerpremises(Machu operation). If satisfied furthertransactions happens.

Cold storagesAccording to various research conducted on

shelf life of chilli across India, revealed that chilli

loses its flavour and colour if stored it in drycondition or in dry weather. Hence it was concludedthat temp. between 4 - 7 degree Celsius wherechillies will not lose its colour and flavour and shelflife of 8 to 10 months is expected.

Major limitations from farmers point ofview:

1. Due to lack of market informationto interior localities regarding prices, arrivals etc.,prevailing in other markets, farmers sell chillies tothe merchants.

2. Grading of Chillies ensures betterprices to farmers and better quality to consumers,however most of the farmers are less aware onquality grading.

3. Cold storage:Due to inadequate coldstorage facilities farmers are forced to sell out theirproduce at lower rate.

4. Long chain of intermediaries:Farmers-village merchant-Middle Men -Commission agent -Whole seller- Retailer-Consumer.

Guntur S4 Rallies 355 Teja

June2015

Vast plots of chilli field

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Dr. 1Laxman Kukanoor, 2Jaishankar H. P.,2Manjula Karadiguddi, 3Kavya, H. P.1Principle Investigator of RKVY (Onion), KRCCHA2Dept. of Post harvest technology,K.R.C. college of Horticulture, Arabhavi3College of Agriculture, HassanEmail: [email protected]

8KERALA KARSHAKAN e-journal POST HARVEST HANDLING

June2015

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Onion (Allium cepa L.) is an importantcommercial crop grown almost all over thecountry. Hence it’s called Queen of the

kitchen. It belongs to family Alliaceae and wasoriginated in Central Asia. Onion is valued andconsumed throughout the World due to itscharacteristic flavour, taste and pungency. Thepungency in onion is due to a volatile compoundknown as allyl-propyl disulphide. Onion has manyuses as folk medicine and reports suggest that,onion play an important role in preventing heartdiseases and other ailments. One hundred gram ofraw onion bulb contains about 501 mg vitamin ‘A’,0.03 mg of thiamine, 0.04 mg of riboflavin, 0.02 mg

period of availability through arresting metabolicbreakdown and microbial spoilage.

Onion is ready for harvesting in 4-5 monthsafter transplanting. Time of harvesting alsodepends on several factors viz, variety, plantingseason, market price etc.

Maturity can be judged by:1. Yellowing of leaves2. Tops falling3. Neck of plants dries up and thin.4. Roots become dried.HarvestingOnion is harvested depending upon the

purpose for which the crop is planted. 0nion crop

is ready for harvesting in five months for dry onion.However, for marketing as green onion, the cropbecomes ready in three months after transplanting.

When the bulbs developing from the leafbases of onions are fully formed, the leafy greentops begin to yellow and eventually collapse at apoint a little above the top of the bulb, leaving anupright short neck. When the tops “go down” inthis way, the bulbs are ready for harvesting. Becauseall the onions in a crop do not mature at the sametime, large-scale commercial growers harvest themwhen about half the tops have gone down.

In kharif season, since tops do not fall, bulbsare harvested soon after the colour of leaveschanges to slightly yellow and red pigmentation on

of niacin and 9 mg of ascorbic acid and rest are thecarbohydrates which make up the dry matter of thebulb. It is used as salad or cooked in various waysin all curries, fried or baked and also in processedforms like flakes, powder, paste, pickles etc. It ishighly nutritive and has very good medicinal value.

Onion is a seasonal crop and has lowstorability. The bulbs have to be stored for longerperiods due to seasonal glut in market. A significantloss in quality and quantity of onion occurs duringstorage, especially in tropical countries like India.Storage is an important aspect of post harvestmanagement. The post harvest loss occurs due tophysiological loss in weight, sprouting, rotting etc.Therefore proper storage is necessary to extend its

Field curing of onion

Onion is a seasonalcrop and has low

storability. Thebulbs have to bestored for longerperiods due to

seasonal glut inmarket.

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harvested by loosening the bulbs with a forkor hoe before lifting them. The harvested cropis left in windrows in the field for a few daysuntil the tops are dry. The windrows shouldbe made so that the green tops cover the bulbsto protect them from sunburn. The leaves arecut leaving about 2-2.5 cm tops above the bulbafter complete drying. This practice helps toincrease the dry matter content. If tops are cuttoo close, the neck does not close well andprovides entry for decay organisms.

Early harvest results in sprouting of thebulbs and late harvest results in formation ofsecondary roots during storage. In kharifseason, late harvesting results in doubles andbolting.

YieldYield Irrigated onion crop in rabi

season gives an yield of 25-30 t/ha while underrainfed conditions it yields only about 0.7-1.0t/ha. Onion raised as an intercrop in sugarcaneand turmeric, in alleys of young fruit gardenand banana garden, gives a yield of 5-9 t/ha.

Curing: It’s an essential operation toremove the excess moisture from the outerskin and neck of bulbs, which makes outer skindried, tight and reduces susceptible topathogenic infection.

1. It’s done in the field for about 2-3days immediately after harvesting.

2. After that 8-10 days under shadedrying.

3. Then, leaves of the onion are cut byleaving 1-2 cm of the top portion and then gofor shade dried of about 1 week.

Sorting: The diseased, thick necked,damaged, bolted and double bulbs should beremoved to minimize the loss due to rottingand sprouting.

Grading: It’s done by both manuallyand mechanically based on the size (big, mediumand small) and diameter of the bulbs (<35mm, 35-50mm, 50-60mm, 60-80mm and >80mm).

Storage: It depends on the season. Wellcured, sorted and graded onions can use forstorage. The kharif onions are stored up to 2 to 3months and the Rabi onions are stored up to 5-6months. Now days, the onion storage structures are

bulbs develops. Best time to harvest rabi onion isone week after 50% tops have fallen over. Onionsfor sale as dried bulbs or for storage should beharvested progressively after tops have startedfalling over.

Since onion bulbs are normally formed atthe soil surface, it is sometimes possible in sandysoils to pull the mature bulbs by hand. Whereconditions make hand pulling impossible, crop is

Curing under poly tunnel

Curing by using forced hot air drier

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getting more importance for the storage of onionsby reducing the loss due to rotting and sproutingduring storage.Storage structures / methods

Different onion types have different storagepotentials. The storage potential of onions followsthe order: red>white. Within each colour groupthere are significant differences between cultivarsin their storage potential.

Cold storageThe optimum temperature for long-

term storage of onions is 0°C with 65-70% relativehumidity. To ensure a storage life of up to 8 months,onions must be promptly stored after curing.

1. Thatched roof structureIt is an ordinary farm level storage structure

prepared out of wooden pole frame, split bamboowall without ventilation. The roof was covered withdried sugarcane trash.

2. Low cost storage structureLow cost storage structure was made of

wooden pole frame, split bamboo walls, splitbamboo floor (45 cm above the ground) and theroof was covered with dried typhy grass. In thisstructure, both side and bottom ventilation wereprovided.

3. Wooden battens storage structureImproved storage structure was made of

iron angle frame with wooden battens, woodenbattens floor (45 cm above the ground) and the roofwas covered with AC sheet. In this structure, bothside and bottom ventilation was provided.

Manual grading and cleaning

Machine grading

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There is a provision for proper bottom aswell as side ventilation (By using wooden / bamboobattens). Optimum storage temperature andrelative humidity is 25 p C and 50-70 %, respectively.Storage Diseases

Onions are susceptible to Botrytis neck rotduring storage. The disease is characterized by greyfungal growth, often watery in nature, at the neckarea and on the outer scales. The infection usuallyspreads quickly through the whole onion. Bruising

The structures dimension Length: 9.14 m (30'). Width: 6.1 m (each row width 4').Side height: 3m (box height 5').Central height: 4.6 m (15’).Floor height: 1.5-2'.Between the 2 row: 10' (For kharif onion and 5' for rabi onion).Capacity: 20 tonn. (Each row 10 tonns).Expected life: 30 years.

of onion bulbs during harvesting, storing underhumid conditions, and exposing the inner tissuesdue to breakage of outer scales increase theincidence of Botrytis neck rot. Curing onions priorto storage will reduce the incidence of this disease.

Black mould, caused by Aspergillus niger, ischaracterized by black discolouration at the necksof onions. The black discolouration can sometimesbe found on the outer scales. Bruised onions aremore susceptible to this fungus. Black mould causes

Bamboo battens storage structure with AC sheet roofing with bottom and side ventilation (outside and inside view)

Wooden battens storage structure with AC sheet roofing and with bottom and side ventilation(outside and inside view)

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the tissues to become water soaked which often inducesbacterial soft rot. Although low temperature storagedelays growth of the fungus, exposure of infected onionsto temperatures above 15°C, as occurs during marketing,will accelerate its growth.

Stored onions are also susceptible to blue mould,caused by Penicillium. Penicillium moulds induce waterysoft rot of onion tissues and/or blue-greendiscolouration at the neck or other tissues. Minimizingmechanical damage and proper curing often reduces theincidence of this fungus. Bacterial soft rots caused byErwinia often occur during storage of onions. Onionsinfected by bacterial soft rots often appear healthy onthe outside but when cut open some of the inner scalesare brown, water-soaked and have a cooked appearance.A characteristic foul smell often occurs and the centrecore of the onion often slips out when pressure is appliedat the base of the onion.

Bacterial rots caused by Pseudomonas infectsouter scales and are characterized by yellow slime whichproduce a sour odour.

Control of fungal and bacterial rots of onionsduring storage can be achieved by:

(1) Pre-harvest application of a registeredfungicide such as Rovral.

(2) Harvesting at proper maturity(3) Minimizing bruising of bulbs(4) Discarding defective onions(5) Prompt and effective curing(6) Storing as quickly as possible

Onion storage structures

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Adathoda is a medicinal plant of commonoccurrence in Kerala. Botanically, the plantis a profusely branching shrub growing up to

a height of 1.5 metres. Two major species areimportant medicinally viz., Adathoda vasica (Valiyaadalodakam) and Adathoda beddomei(Chittadalodakam or cheriya adalodakam).Chittadalodakam is the medicinally importantspecies mostly seen in Kerala. It is one of the mainingredients of many ayurvedic preparations. Leavesand roots of the plant are medicinal. Leaves containan alkaloid vasicine, which is effective againstcough, chronic bronchitis, asthma etc.Climate and Soil

Though the crop grows in a variety ofclimatic and soil conditions, alluvial soils are bestsuited for raising the crop. The plant is tolerant toshade but is susceptible to water logging. It can becultivated either as a pure crop or as an intercropin coconut and rubber plantations in the initial 3-4years.Propagation

Adathoda is propagated by tender stemcuttings. Stem cuttings of 15-20 cm long and 3-4nodes are ideal for planting. It is better to root thecuttings in nursery before transplanting in the mainfield. Nursery preparation can be done in March-April. For this, the tender stem cuttings are plantedin poly bags filled with farm yard manure, top soiland sand in the ratio 1:1:1. Cuttings will root readilyand will be ready to transplant to main field aftertwo months.

Athulya S. NairI YEAR M.Sc.Department of Plantation Crops and SpicesCOA VellayaniThiruvanthapuram

AdalodakamThe potent ayurvedic heals

HERBS AYURVEDIC

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PlantingRooted cuttings of adhatoda can be planted

on mounds or on ridges. Plough and level the mainfield thoroughly and ridges or mounds are prepared60 cm away from each other. With thecommencement of rainfall, rooted cuttings areplanted on the ridges with a plant to plant spacingof 30 cm. If grown on mounds, up to 5 cuttings maybe planted on a single mound. In sloppy areascuttings are planted directly by making pits with asharp pole. Adequate care should be taken toprevent water logging as it may promote rotting.Manures and fertilisers

Apply organic manure in the form of FYM,compost or green leaf at the rate of 10 t/ha as basaldressing. Apply N:P:K each at the rate of 50 kg/ha.Entire P should be given basally and N and K maybe given in two equal splits. Keep the field free ofweeds and give earthing up after topdressing withfertilisers.Harvesting

Leaves, roots and stem of adhatoda are ofmedicinal value. Leaves can be harvested from thefirst year of planting itself; but roots will be readyto harvest only two years after planting. December-

January is the ideal time for harvesting adhatoda.In the second year, the entire plant is harvested androots are carefully dug out wholly without damageby carefully removing soil. Harvested roots arecleaned and marketed either in fresh form or afterdrying. Total yield of root, stem and leaves fromone hectare of area will be 10-11 tonnes.Uses

Adathoda of commerce consists of the freshor dried leaves of Adathoda. Dried leaves are of adull brownish-green colour, characteristic odourand bitter taste. The leaf extracts of adathoda isused as an expectorant especially in chronicbronchitis and asthma. It relieves cough andbreathlessness. It is also prescribed commonly forlocal bleeding due to peptic ulcer, piles etc. Its localuse gives relief in pyorrhoea and in bleeding gums.The leaves of the plant contain two major alkaloidscalled vasicine, and vasicinone, which are shownto be having bronchodilator and antihistaminiceffects. These alkaloids are said to exist incombination with an acid that has been namedadathodic acid.

Adalodakam plant

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Cancer is the second most devastating diseaseaffecting millions of people all over the worldevery year. Search for new medicine is a

continuous endeavour to combat this menace.Plants provide chemical foundation topharmaceutical research to reach this goal. Manyplants, around us, have been reported to possessanticancerous property (Nirmala et al., 2011).

Nawab et al. (2011) reported that Solanumnigrum and Artemisia vulgaris have the ability toinhibit cell proliferation, colony formation andinduce apoptosis in cancers of breast, colon andprostate at different dose levels. Panduratin A,extracted from Boesenbergia pandurata inhibitedthe proliferation of human colon cancer cells byblocking cells in G0/G1 phase and by inducingapoptosis (Kirana et al., 2007).

TropicalAnti-cancerousPlant sources

Sakhubai, H.T., Saraswati Sampaganvi.,Rajeshwari, B. HosamaniKRCCH, ARABHAVI

NATURAL THERAPY16


Magnolia officinalis

Catharanthus roseus

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Some anti-cancerous plants used in cancer therapyPlant species Experiments on various cancer cells Mechanism of actionCatharanthus roseus Leukemias, lyphomas and lung cancer Mitotic blockBerberineeris sp. Breast, prostrate and lung cancer ApoptosisGloriosa superba Leukemia Anti-mitoticCurcuma longa Colon and pancreatic cancer UnknownZingiber officinalis Breast and lung cancer Un knownAndrographis paniculata Colon cancer ApoptosisPalargonium graveolens Breast cancer Un knownBoesenbergia pandurata Breast and colon cancer Apoptosis and cell cycle arrestRuta graveolens Colon & prostate cancer Cell cycle arrestOcimum sanctum Lung cancer Inhibition of invasionMagnolia officinalis Prostate cancer Not knownAchyranthes aspera Pancreatic cancer ApoptosisSolanum nigrum colon and breast cancer ApoptosisArtemisia vulgaris Prostate & colon cancer Apoptosis

Ruta graveolens extract inducesapoptosis in colon, breast and prostate cancercells by inducing DNA damage response. Henceit can be used as preventive agent or as sensitizerin chemo prevention of cancer (Fadlalla et al.,2011).

Ethanol extract of Ocimum sanctum canbe a potent anti-metastatic agent throughinactivation of MMP-9 and enhancement of anti-oxidant enzymes (Kim et al., 2010). Yin et al.(2011) reported that curcumin has a potentialrole in treating non-small cell lung cancer andsynergistically improves the efficiency ofdocetaxel.

Anticancer compounds have been foundsignificantly active against various cancer cellsin animal models. Further research on precisemolecular mechanisms and targets for cellgrowth inhibition may lead to better treatmentof cancer.

Artemisia vulgaris Berberineeris sp Solanum nigrum

Pelargonium Graveolens Andrographis paniculata

Achyranthes aspera Ruta graveolens

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Rain, the blessing of god from heaven, is nowour only hope for pure natural water.Uniformly, a good amount of fresh Water

we receive through rain water is disappearingwithout being utilized. Hence, harvesting of thiswater offers effective utilisation of under-exploited opportunities of the current world.Broadly there are two ways ofharvesting rainwater.(i) Surface runoff harvesting(ii) Roof top rainwater harvestingØ Surface runoff harvesting

Rainwater flows away as surface runoffwith respect to slope of land. This runoff couldbe managed and used for recharging aquifers byadopting appropriate methods.Ø Roof Top rainwater harvesting

Low CostRoof TopRain Water Harvesting

“The greatestpotential increases in

yield are in rainfedareas where many ofthe world’s poor live

and where managingwater is the key to such

increases”(Molden, 2007).”

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18KERALA KARSHAKAN e-journal

Marjana Beegum K.CMsc.Agri (Statistics)

Sameer Ali M.Msc.Agri (Agronomy)

Henry NickolasMsc.Agri (Plant Breeding and Genetics)

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It is a system of catching rainwater where itfalls. In rooftop harvesting, the roof becomes thecatchments, and the rainwater is collected from theroof of the house/building.

This article will discuss on the various lowcost methods for roof top rain water harvesting.

Components of a rain water harvestingsystem:

The system mainly constitutes of followingsub components.a) Catchments: The surface that receives rainfall

directly is the catchment of rainwater harvestingsystem. It may be terrace, courtyard, or pavedor unpaved open ground. The terrace may beflat RCC/stone roof or sloping roof. Thereforethe catchment is the area, which actuallycontributes rainwater to the harvesting system.

b) Transportation: Rainwater from rooftop shouldbe carried through down take water pipes ordrains to storage/harvesting system. Here as apart of reducing cost or waste utilisation emptyplastic bottles that we through near our housescan be used.

c) Filter system: There is always some doubtsamong people regarding roof top rainwaterharvesting that rainwater may contaminate

groundwater. Filters are used for treatment ofwater to effectively remove turbidity, colour andmicroorganisms. This filter is very important inkeeping the rainwater in the storage tankclean.Clogged filters prevent rainwater from easilyentering the storage tank and the filter mayoverflow.

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Types of filtersSand Gravel Filter

These are commonly used filters,constructed by brick masonry and filleted bypebbles, gravel, and sand. Each layer should beseparated by wire meshCharcoal Filter

Charcoal filter can be made in-situ or in adrum. Pebbles, gravel, sand and charcoal shouldfill the drum or chamber. Each layer should beseparated by wire mesh. Thin layer of charcoal isused to absorb odour if any.PVC –Pipe filter

This filter can be made by PVC pipe of 1 to1.20 m length; Six inches dia. pipe is enough for a1500 Sq. Ft. roof and 8 inches dia. pipe should beused for roofs more than 1500 Sq. Ft. Pipe isdivided into three compartments by wire mesh.Each component should be filled with gravel andsand alternatively. A layer of charcoal could alsobe inserted between two layers.

Waste utilisation empty plastic bottles

Sand Gravel Filter

Charcoal Filter

PVC –Pipe filter

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Sponge FilterIt is a simple filter made

from PVC drum having a layerof sponge in the middle ofdrum. It is the easiest andcheapest form filter, suitable forresidential units.Methods of roof toprainwater harvesting

Various methods ofusing roof top rainwaterharvesting are illustrated in this section.a) Storage of Direct Use: In this method rain water

collected from the roof of the building isdiverted to a storage tank.Excess water couldbe diverted to recharge system. Water fromstorage tank can be used for secondarypurposes such as washing and gardening etc.

b) Recharging ground water aquifers: Groundwater aquifers can be recharged by variouskinds of structures to ensure percolation ofrainwater in the ground instead of draining awayfrom the surface. Commonly used rechargingmethods are:-

Ø Recharging of bore wells: Rainwater collectedfrom rooftop of the building is diverted throughdrainpipes to settlement or filtration tank. Aftersettlement filtered water is diverted to borewells to recharge deep aquifers. Abandonedbore wells can also be used for recharge.While

recharging, entry of floating matter and siltshould be restricted because it may clog therecharge structure.

Ø Recharge pits/dug wells: Recharge pits/wellsof any shape rectangular, square or circular,contracted with brick or stone/concrete wallwith weep hole at regular intervals. Top of pitcan be covered with perforated covers. Bottomof pit should be filled with filter media.

Advantages of roof top rain waterharvesting· Improves buffering and water availability for

humans and livestock.· Recharging of wells helps in overcoming dry

spells.· Offering the possibility of growing higher-value

crops in homesteads.· Reduce the soil erosion &loss of nutrients from

fertile land as siltation/leaching.

Sponge FilterRecharging ground water aquifers

Recharging of bore wellsRecharge pits dug wells

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A crossbred cow produces on an average 30kgof dung and 13 kg of urinedaily. Farm effluent in the

livestock production system posesserious hazard to environment.More importantly, it is a gravethreat to the livelihood security ofpoor and marginal farmers in thestate because of the legislationlimiting the location of farms.Design of state –of-art dairy farmwaste management system appropriateto the production environment is imperativeand is a challenge to the stakeholders in Kerala,where landless small holder dairy productionsystem prevails. Conceptual design of futurefarm calls for clean, green and ethicallivestock production. Vermi-compost is anexample of clean technology that can beadopted by dairy farmers.

The state is witnessing an increasingdemand for organic agriculture products. Besides,it is the policy of Government of Kerala to promoteorganic agriculture throughout the state. Stategovernment has already declared Kasaragod as‘First Organic District ’ in the state. Thesecircumstances open up opportunities for the dairyfarmers in Kerala to venture into vermi-compostproduction. Here is the story of ArunArumughan,a dairy farm entrepreneur who has tailored a vermi-compost unit for his farm and thereby making ahandsome profit

Cattle Manurea liability or an asset

Marykutty ThomasAssistant Professor, Livestock Research Station, Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University,Thiruvazhamkunnu, Palakkad.678 [email protected]

Arun Arumughan- an engineerturned dairy entrepreneur

It is as a part of a recent study tour, wevisited the dairy farm of ArunArumughan atChinniyampalyam, Erode. Mr. Arun is a youngengineer turned dairy entrepreneur who owns adairy herd of more than 200 milking HolsteinFresian animals. Though, a high-tech by training,

COW PAT

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his crystal clear vision on dairying is that of aminimalistic approach to infrastructure. This multi-faceted dairy entrepreneur ventured into dairyingalong with cattle trade and vermi- compostbusiness. Out of the three businesses, the vermi-compost unit fetches him the highest income. Thecompost unit has an added advantage of needing alower capital investment.Site

Arun’svermi compost unit is set up in acoconut plantation which is close to his dairy farm.Here, he has built a shaded area of 6000 sqft usingthatched roof for the composting unit and another100 sqft area semi permanent shed for theprocessing and packaging unit. Vermi compost isheaped on bare flat mud floor. According to Arun ,cementing the floor or making cemented troughswill help in collecting the vermi wash – a byproductof vermi compost—but will need a high capitalinvestment. Moreover the vermin wash is notsaleable in quantity.

MethodologyDung is used as the sole food source for the

worms in the vermi-compost unit. After sun dryingthe fresh dung for 2- 3 days, the dung is transferredto the shaded area to make rows of worm-bed. Theworm-beds have dimensions of 10-12 ft length, 3ft width and 2.5 ft height. The African earthworm(Eudrillusengenial), is used to make the vermi-compost. Harvesting starts after 15 days onwardsand completed by 60 days. The vermi-compost issieved, de-stoned and packed into 5, 10 and 50 kgbags.Marketing

Arun sells the vermi compost in the brandname of “SelliVermi”. Most of the vermi-compostproduced goes to the export market. The importantvermi-compost importing countries are Malaysiaand Singapore. ‘These countries banned the use ofchemical fertilisers in agriculture and this hasturned out to be a boon for the vermicompostexporters from India like me’ says Arun.‘Nevertheless, one should obtain IMO certificationfor the organic manure from the Bangalore basedagency in order to get sanction for export’, hereminds. The certificate has one year validity andneed to be renewed annually.

Organic certification is a process by whichan independent agency certifies that the particularproduct is produced based on a prescribed set oforganic standards. The international organic rulesare set by IFOAM (International Federation ofOrganic Agriculture Movement). There are severalagencies in India who provide organic certification.IMO India is one such agency. There will be at leastone full physical inspection every year of eachproduction unit/operation. All the production,processing, storage, packing, marketing and exportactivities must undergo inspection and certification.

Besides some local sale of vermi compost,Arun sells African earthworms. He employs internetbased social media like Facebook and his ownwebsite for marketing. During the interaction withour team, Arun confirmed one thing: at least forhim, the main product of dairying is dung. ‘Milk isonly a by-product’, he said. ‘And dung is an assetnot a liability’. This was a new piece of knowledgefor us.

One can log on to his informative and wellmaintained web site http://www.sellivermi.com formore information.

Arun Arumughan in dairy farm

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BoomingBamboo

Timber of the 21st Century

Bamboo, a perennial, giant, woody grass whichhas not yet exploited fully. There are about60 to 70 genera and over 1,200 – 1,500 species

of bamboo in the world. About half of these speciesgrow in Asia.The most attractable character of thisplant is its growing ability. Bamboo mature in about3 to 5 years, which means its growth is more rapidthan any other plant on the planet. Some bamboospecies have been observed to surge skyward as fastas 48 inches in one-day. This characteristic is animportant incentive for its utilization. Bamboo hasmany applications beyond imagination. Its uses arebroad and plentiful. The National Bamboo Missionenvisages promoting holistic growth of bamboosector by adopting area-based, regionallydifferentiated strategy and to increase the areaunder bamboo cultivation and marketing.

GRASS WOODY24


Henry NickolasMsc.Agri (Plant Breeding and Genetics)Leaf Executives-ITC-Agri Business Division-ILTD, Guntur

Sameer Ali M.Msc.Agri (Agronomy)Leaf Executives-ITC-Agri Business Division-ILTD, Guntur

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Bamboo as a StructureThe physical appearance itself

implies that bamboo is best suitable formaking various structures. Bamboo isone of the oldest building materialsused by mankind. It is used asstructures for houses, quick erectshelters, house boats, polyhouse etc.

Quick Erect Shelter:Quick erectshelter is Double walled bamboocomposite structure, can be erectedwithin 6 -12 hours’ time at any locationwithout plinth. Construction of quickerect shelters after gigantic naturalcalamities are being done usingbamboo as the material.

Boat House Resort:Aninnovative use of bamboo and their byproduct has been shown for theconstruction of Boat house. Especiallyfor a place like Kerala where boating ishaving a noticeable role in tourism canutilize bamboo for house boatstructures. In the structure,widevariety of structural application ofbamboo (whole, split and engineeredbamboo products) can be seen havingarchitectural innovative ideas.

Bamboo Based Polyhouse:Useof polyhouses to ensure controlledenvironmental condition for growingflowers and vegetables, is on the riseduring last few years. Using bamboo asstructural material in polyhouses isnew application segment. Thissegment has potential for value addedapplications of bamboo by utilizing itsinherent structural strength as well asby ensuring cost competitiveness vis-à-vis steel based polyhouses thatslashes the setup costs of green houseby half.

Bamboo as Decor: Bamboofloors as well as furniture are verypopular right now and have a clean,crisp look. List of bamboo homedecorates are unending –mirrorframes, soap dishes, candle holders,lamps etc.

Bamboo has many applicationsbeyond imagination. Its uses arebroad and plentiful. The NationalBamboo Mission envisagespromoting holistic growth of bamboosector by adopting area-based,regionally differentiated strategy andto increase the area under bamboocultivation and marketing.

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Bamboo shoots as a productOther than the bamboo rice, bamboo

shoots are also edible. Although the shoots (newculms that come out of the ground) of bamboocontain a toxin taxiphyllin (a cyanogenic glycoside)that produces cyanide in the gut, proper processingrenders them edible. This toxins contained in theshoots of some species need to be leached or boiled

out before they can be eaten safely. They are usedin numerous Asian dishes and broths, and areavailable in supermarkets in various sliced forms,in both fresh and canned versions. Bamboo shootshave high nutritional value, low fat and are a goodsource of fibre. They are rich in vitamins, celluloseand amino acids. As well, they are said to be anti-cancerous and antimicrobial in nature which has

Bamboo shoot Bamboo food

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been scientifically tested at Tamil NaduAgricultural University (TNAU).Bamboo fibre (Textile and Paper)

Bamboo fabric is a natural textile madefrom the pulp of the bamboo grass. Bamboofabric is light and strong, has excellent wickingproperties, and is to some extent antibacterial.As well, bamboo fiber has been used to makepaper. Bamboo pulps are mainly produced inChina, Myanmar, Thailand and India, and areused in printing and writing papers. The mostcommon bamboo species used for paper areDendrocalamusand Bamboo bluemanea.Bamboo as medicine

Bamboo is used in Chinese medicine fortreating infections and healing. In Assam, thefermented bamboo paste known as khorisa isknown locally as a folk remedy for the treatmentof impotence, infertility, and menstrualpains.In China, ingredients from the blackbamboo shoot help treat kidney diseases. Rootsand leaves have also been used to treat venerealdiseases and cancer.

Bamboo has been made into anextended diversity of products ranging fromdomestic household products to industrialapplications.Bamboo’s image is undergoing atransformation. It is said that there are some1,500 uses by bamboo. Some now call it “thetimber of the 21st Century”.Due to the fact thatit is abundant and cheap, bamboo should beused to its fullest extent.

Bamboo cloth

Bamboo medicine

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Kerala, the Agro-biodiversity paradise is richwith numerous fruit plants and trees. Minorfruits are nature’s blessing to mankind. Some

of them are indigenous and others are exotic fruitswhich are well adapted to our climate. The fruitsoften classified as minor fruits are neglected by us.We hardly realize the value of these fruits. Hencemany of these plants are facing extinction.

Ancient systems like Ayurveda hasrecognized the qualities of these fruits and includedthem in many medical preparations. Modernstudies are also revealing the properties of thesemiracle foods One another important aspect is thatthese fruit plants mostly grow naturally and fruitsare fully organic. Let us go through the benefits thatthese wonder fruits bestow upon us.

Underutilized fruit crops:

A new hope for health

Anupama S., Reshma R. S

Bilimbi

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Common name: Wood apple, BaelBotanical name: Aegle marmelosFamily: RutaceaeBael, commonly known as the wonder fruit

of India, attains a height of about 8 meters and isdeciduous. Leaves are trifoliate with oil glands.Branches have dimorphic and have straight, longand bold thorns. Flowers are bisexual, whitish greenand have appealing smell. The fruit is characterizedby a hard rind, whose thickness varies. Pulp is softand yellow to orange in color. Seeds are hard,numerous, compressed and surrounded bymucilage.

Bael, stated to a native of India, basicallygrown in sub tropics, of which some varieties canbe grown in tropical conditions also. Propagationis usually done through seeds but budding and stemcuttings can also be used for the propagation.

The fruits are having therapeuticalproperties used for the treatment of chronicamoebiasis, diarrhea, gastro-intestinal ulcer, hyperglycaemia, haemorrhoids, costiveness, removal ofintestinal worms etc. the crystalline substance,marmelosin extracted from the fruits are also

having such therapeutical properties. The roots areused in ethnomedicine and their ethanolic extractshaving many anti fungal and anti bacterialproperties. Leaf extract of Aegal marmelos is havinganti fungal properties against Aspergillus andPenicillium. The leaves are also reported to behaving anti- aphrodisciac properties

Common name: Sour sopBotanical name: Annona muricataFamily: AnnonaceaeThe Sour sop is usually processed in to ice

creams, sherbets and drinks but fibers-free varietiesare often eaten raw. According to latest researchsour sop also called Graviola fruit is a miraculousnatural cancer cell killer.

Sour sop was shown to target the cancercells selectively, leaving healthy cells untouched.Sour sop is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial agentfor both bacterial and fungal infections, is effectiveagainst internal parasites and worms, lowers highblood pressure and is used for depression, stressand nervous disorders. All parts of the graviola treeare used in natural medicine in the tropics. The

Wood apple

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crushed seeds are used as a vermifuge andanthelmintic against internal and external parasites,head lice and worms. Bark, leaves and roots areconsidered sedative, antispasmodic, hypotensiveand nervine. Graviola has a long, rich history ofindigenous medicinal use. The crushed seed is usedto kill parasites.

Bark, roots and leaves are also used fordiabetes and as a sedative and antispasmodic. Leafand bark tea is used as a sedative and heart tonic.In Jamaica, the fruit and fruit juice is used for fevers,parasites and diarrhea and as a lactagogue.

Common name: Star fruit, CarambolaBotanical name: Averrhoa carambolaFamily: Oxalidaceae

The origin of this fruit crops is stated to bethe Indo-China region. The trees are grown in alltropical and sub-tropical situations in India wherethere is very little frost and a warm, moist climateis congenial for better production. The fruits arenot taken raw because of its high acerbity. Theseare usually processed to jam, squash, pickles etc.In some areas of South India, fruit of carambola isused as a substitute for tamarind.

The trees attain a height of 8 to 10 metersand have symmetrical habit of growth. The leavesare found to be sensitive to touch and light and getfolded in low light and darkness and when touched.The fruits are green to light yellow in color and has3 to 5 deep longitudinal, prominent ribs which givesstat shape on cross section. The skin is thin, smoothand translucent and the shape is oval or ovoid.

Star fruit is most commonly propagatedthrough seeds. The sour pulp of the fruits are usedin removing stains from linen and in shining brass.The trees are planted along the avenues andgardens and also for the attractive star shapedfruits.

Common name: BilimbiBotanical name: Averrhoa bilimbiFamily: OxalidaceaeNative to Indonesia, Bilimbi is a tree, which

grows about 5-10 m height and is propagated usingseeds. The bilimbi prefers a tropical environmentand grows well in backyards of South India.

The most common use for the fruits is asflavouring for fish and meat dishes. Fruitsare also used for beverages and preserves.Half-ripe fruits are salted, set out in the sunand kept for longer use. Squash, wine andpickle are made using bilimbi fruit. The fruitis a rich source of vitamin C. It fightscholesterol and is used as a tonic andlaxative. Syrup made from the fruit is usedto cure illness arising from jaundice. Thefruit is also known to stop internal bleedingin the stomach. The fruit conserve isadministered as a treatment for coughs,beriberi and biliousness. Syrup preparedfrom the fruit is taken as a cure for fever

Soursop Graviola

Starfruit

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and inflammation, to stop rectal bleeding andalleviate internal hemorrhoids. The fruits and leavesare applied on bites of poisonous insect. The juiceis useful for bleaching stains from white clothe andalso tarnish from brass.

Common name: West Indian CherryBotanical name: Malpighia

punicifoliaFamily: MalpighiaceaeOne of the richest known sources of vitamin

C is the West Indian cherry fruit. It is grown mostlyas an ornamental shrub and people are rarely awareof the nutritional qualities. West Indian cherry is amedium-sized tropical evergreen fruit-bearingshrub belonging to the family Malpighiaceae. It isnative to the West Indies and North and SouthAmerica

West Indian cherry grows up to threemeters, with dense crowns of leaves that are ovate.The flowers are formed in umbels. Each flower issmall having diameter 1-1.5 cm with five pinkpetals. The ripe fruit is bright, containing seeds. Ithas a sweet and sour taste. West Indian cherry canbe propagated using seedlings and by air layering.Pruning once a year prior to monsoon andapplication of organic manure is recommended.

Layers bear fruit in 6 months, while seedlings bearfruit after 2 years of planting. Fruiting is noticedfrom August to November and April to May. Thejuice of the fruit is used as a nutritional supplementin baby foods and in canning and processingindustries. With added pectin, excellent jelly, jamand other preserves can also be prepared. Thevitamin C in the fruit acts as an antioxidant. WestIndian cherry contains powerful anthocyanins andflavanoids, which can inhibit colon cancer and heartdiseases.

Common name: Star GooseberryBotanical name: Phyllanthus acidusFamily: EuphorbiaceaeStar gooseberry, has yellow cherry like fruits

that are excellent when eaten with sugar. Stargooseberry is a deciduous fruit tree that was oncefrequently found in households of South India.

It is locally known by the names arinelli,seemanelli and pulinelli. Native to Madagascar, itwas spread long ago to India, Southeast Asia andPacific islands. The Star gooseberry prefers tropicalclimate and is grown from seeds and by air layering.

West Indian Cherry

31KERALA KARSHAKAN e-journal

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It grows 6-9 m in height with spreading branches.The branchlets bear alternate leaves that are ovateor lanceolate in form with short petioles andpointed ends. Leaves are 2-5 cm long, green andsmooth on the upper surface, and blue-green onthe underside. There are two tiny pointed stipulesat base of the each leaf. Small rosy flowers are male,female and some hermaphrodite. They are bornecollectively at leafless parts of the main branchesin little clusters. The tree often bears twice a year

in South India, first during April-May and secondduring August- September. The fruits are numerousand oblate with 6 to 8 ribs. They develop verydensely to form spectacular masses giving the treean ornamental appearance. Fruits are pale yellow,waxy, crisp, juicy and sour. There is only one seedin each fruit. The fruit is eaten raw and pickled inKerala.

In Indonesia, Philippines, Surinam andBahamas, the fruit flesh is used for flavoring dishesand for making cold drinks, syrup and vinegar. Thefruit pulp cooked in sugar yields ruby-red colouredjelly. The young leaves are cooked and eaten inIndonesia. In India, Star gooseberry fruits are takento enrich the blood and as liver tonic. Fruit syrup isprescribed as a stomachic and the seeds promotebowel movement.

Common name: Passion FruitBotanical name: Passiflora edulisFamily: PassifloraceaePassion fruit is a vigorous vine, found

especially in the tropics. Propagated using vinecuttings, it can grow over 15 feet in a year. Thetendrils need support for climbing. There are twotypes of passion vines, i.e., yellow-fruited andpurple-fruited. While both passion fruits possessan oval shape and contain a yellowish flesh, the

Star Gooseberry

In Indonesia,Philippines, Surinam

and Bahamas, thefruit flesh is used forflavoring dishes and

for making colddrinks, syrup and

vinegar.

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yellow passion fruit is larger and contains more fruitjuice. However, the purple passion fruit is sweeterin taste than the yellow fruit and has a sweet odour.

Profuse fruiting is seen during the monthsof September to November and May to June. Thefruit can be eaten and is often placed as a toppingfor ice cream, custards and fruit salads. Theundiluted juice is an excellent additive to other fruitjuices, or it may be drunk as such with water andsugar added to it. Passion fruit can also be used tomake jellies and jams. Passion fruit is also used asan ingredient in ice creams, candies, fruit juiceconcentrates and alcoholic beverages, such ascordials.

Passion fruits provide a good source offibers, are low in sodium and contain no cholesterol.They also provide a high amount of the vitamins Aand C and offer an excellent source of potassium,calcium and iron. The fruit juice and the leaves ofpassion fruit contain alkaloids which has bloodpressure lowering, sedative and antispasmodicaction. It is used in the treatment of insomnia anddepression. Passion fruit juice is used for urinaryinfections and as a mild diuretic.

Common name: Cashew AppleBotanical name: Anacardium occidentaleFamily: Anacardiaceae

Cashew apple after separating cashew nutis usually wasted but the fact is that it contains 5times vitamin C as compared to a lemon fruit.Cashew juice, syrup, candy, jam, vinegar, etc. aremade using this.

Cashew apple is a digestive and aids incontrol of intestinal worms, diarrhea, body pain andscanty urination. Cashew apple juice withoutremoval of tannin is prescribed as a remedy for sorethroat and chronic dysentery in Cuba and Brazil. In16th century Brazil, cashew fruits and their juicewere taken by Europeans to treat fever, sweetenbreath and for stomach. A wine made from the fruit

Passion Fruit

Profuse fruiting isseen during the

months of Septemberto November and Mayto June. The fruit canbe eaten and is oftenplaced as a topping

for ice cream, custardsand fruit salads.

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is used for dysentery in other parts of the Amazonrainforest.

Because of its high amount of vitamin C andmineral salts, cashew fruit is used to remineralizethe skin and as a catalyst in the treatment ofpremature ageing of skin. It is also an effective scalpconditioner and tonic and is often used inshampoos, lotions and scalp creams forconditioning activity of its proteins and mucilage

Common name: Java AppleBotanical name: Syzygium javanicaFamily: MyrtaceaeAn evergreen large shrub or small tree, 5-

15 m in height. Trunk is crooked, often branchednear the base. Canopy is dense and irregular inoutline. Bark is 25-30 thick, and open widespreading crown, and pinkish-gray flaking bark lightbrown in colour and fissured in old trees. Leavesare pale to dark green in colour, somewhat curledand slightly aromatic when crushed. Inflorescenceis at the tip of the branches or from axils of the leafwith three to seven large flowers. Flowers are whitein colour. Fruit is a berry, cone shaped, shiny, whiteto red in colour with translucent skin and crownedby calyx segments. Flesh is juicy and watery. Eachfruit contains one to two or at the maximum sixseeds, which are small and round in shape.

The wood is red, coarse, hard and used forconstructing huts in the Andaman and Nicobar

Islands. The flowers are astringent and used inTaiwan to treat fever and halt diarrhea.Investigators have found their principalconstituent to be tannin.

It is grown mainly for fruit, whichis eaten fresh and nearly 80% or moreof the fruit is edible. In some countriesfruits are used in salad or sometimespickled or stewed. Fruit is sweet,somewhat astringent and considered asthirst quenching. Shelf life is very short.Wood is hard and reddish in colour,normally not used because it is

Cashew Apple

Java Apple

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considered as weak and brittle. Various partsof the tree are used in traditional medicine.

Common name: DurianBotanical name: Durio zibethinus,Family: MalvaceaeDurian is considered as the King of

Tropical Fruits in countries like Malaysia andSingapore. According to them, durian fruitwarms up the body. Thailand and SouthVietnam are the chief producers. Seedling treesgenerally come into bearing 7 to 12 years afterplanting, while grafted trees bear in 4 years.Durian generally blooms in March and April.The fruits mature in July and August.

Durian is an evergreen tree and grows80-100 feet in height. Durian fruits are ovoid-oblong, brownish green, covered with sharpspines and weighs 2.5 to 4 kg. Inside the fruit,there are five compartments containing thecreamy-white flesh and 1 to 7 chestnut-likeseeds. The flesh is mostly eaten fresh but is bestchilled. The taste is comparable to Frenchcustard but flesh of durian has a very nastyodour as that of dirty socks. Durian fruit is usedto flavour a wide variety of dishes like

traditional Malay candy, milk shakes, ice cream,custard, moon cakes and cappuccino.

Durian flesh is canned in syrup for export.Durian fruit contains a high amount of sugar,vitamin C, potassium and the amino acidtryptophan. It is a good source of carbohydrates,proteins and fats and has no cholesterol. The odourof the flesh is believed to be due to indolecompounds, which are antibacterial. Eating durianis believed to clear the lungs and breathe pathwaysand also assumed to restore the health of sickpersons. A tree yields about 100 fruits in a year.Malaysia is the largest exporter of fresh durian.Fresh durians are usually imported by countriessuch as Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan where itis in high demand.

References:Jensen, M. (1995). Trees commonly

cultivated in Southeast Asia: An illustrated fieldguide. RAP publication, 38, 93.

Mazumdar, B. C. (2004). Minor Fruit Cropsof India: Tropical and Subtropical. Daya Books.

Selvam, V. E. (2007). Trees and shrubs of theMaldives. RAP Publication, 12.

Durian

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Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of theworld’s major food legume crops. Itoriginated in South America, where the

genus Arachis is widely distributed. The naturaldistribute of all the Arachis Species is confined toArgentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay

(krapovickas, 1973; Krapovickas and Rigoni, 1957)A hypogaeas in not known to occur in the wild state.Groundnut in present cultivated in over 80countries from 400 CN to 400 S in tropical and warmtemperate region of the world. It ranks fifth in theworld among oilseeds with an area of 24.59 million

Shridevi A. Jakkeral,Assistant Professor (Plant breeding)

M. Hanumanthappa,Associate Director of research

K.V. Sudhir KamathAssociate Professor (Agronomy)

Kavyashree M.C.Assistant Professor(Plant Pathology)Zonal Agricultural and HorticulturalResearch Station, Brahmavar, UdupiDistict, Karnataka

Nutritional Excellence ofPeanut

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hectares, production of 38.20 million tonnes (withshell) and productivity of 1.55 tones/hectare(FAOSTAT 2010). China, India and USA are the majorproducers of the crop, of which India accounts forarea of 5.48 million hectares with 5.43 milliontonnes of production (Anon., 2011). Though, Indiais a leading producer of the crop but its productivityis lower (991 kg/ha) compared to USA (2863 kg/ha) and China (2645 kg/ha).

The cultivated tetraploid groundnut (2n =4x = 40) is a member of the genus Arachis andbelongs to the family Leguminosae, subfamilyFabaceae, tribe Aeschynomeneae, subtribeStylosanthenae (Krapovickas and Gregory, 1994).Arachis is a perennial to annual legume with threeor foure leaflets, Stipulate leaves, papilionateflower, tubular hypanthium and Subterraneanfruits. The “Peg” which is a an expelandedintercalary meristam at the same of the basal ovule.(Gregory at al 1973), is unique to the genus. Theexpansion of the intercalary meristem results in alomentiform carpel of the one to five segments,each containing a single seed to two very largecortyledone and a straight embryo. Based on thedifferences in the branching pattern and presenceof reproductive node on the main stem, the specieshas been classified into two subspecies, hypogaeaand fastigiata (Krapovickas and Rigoni, 1960).Further each subspecies has been divided into two

botanical varieties viz. subsp. hypogaea into var.hypogaea (virginia) and var. hirsuta and subsp.fastigiata into var. fastigiata (valencia), var. vulgaris(spanish), var. peruviana and var. aequatoriana(Karpovickas and Gregory, 1994).

Peanuts are a very good source ofmonounsaturated fats, the type of fat that isemphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterraneandiet. A high monounsaturated diet that emphasizedpeanuts and peanut butter decreasedcardiovascular disease risk by an estimated 21%compared to the average American diet. In additionto their monounsaturated fat content, peanutsfeature an array of other nutrients that, innumerous studies, have been shown to promoteheart health. Peanuts are good sources of vitaminE, niacin, folate, protein and manganese. Inaddition, peanuts provide resveratrol, the phenolicantioxidant also found in red grapes and red winethat is thought to be responsible for the Frenchparadox.Source of antioxidants

Not only do peanuts contain oleic acid, thehealthful fat found in olive oil, but new researchshows these tasty legumes are also as rich inantioxidants as many fruits. While unable to boast

Peanut Butter

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an antioxidant content that can compare with thefruits highest in antioxidants, such aspomegranate, roasted peanuts do rival theantioxidant content of blackberries andstrawberries, and are far richer in antioxidantsthan apples, carrots or beets. Research conductedby a team of University of Florida scientists,published in the journal Food Chemistry, showsthat peanuts contain high concentrations ofantioxidant polyphenols, primarily a compoundcalled p-coumaric acid, and that roasting canincrease peanuts’ p-coumaric acid levels,boosting their overall antioxidant content by asmuch as 22%.

Research published in the British Journalof Nutrition (Blomhoff R, Carlsen MH), whichidentified several nuts among plant foods withthe highest total antioxidant content, suggestsnut’s high antioxidant content may be key to theircardio-protective benefits. Nuts’ high antioxidantcontent helps explain results seen in the IowaWomen’s Health Study in which risk of death fromcardiovascular and coronary heart diseasesshowed strong and consistent reductions withincreasing nut/peanut butter consumption.Reduced Risk of Stroke

Resveratrol is a flavonoid first studied inred grapes and red wine, but now also found tobe present in peanuts. In animal studies onresveratrol itself (the purified nutrient given inintravenous form, not the food form), thisphytonutrient has been determined to improveblood flow in the brain by as much as 30%, thusgreatly reducing the risk of stroke, according tothe results of a laboratory animal study publishedin the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.Peanuts Protective, but....

A number of studies have shown thatnutrients found in peanuts, including folic acid,phytosterols, phytic acid (inositol hexaphosphate)and resveratrol, may have anti-cancer effects. Agood source all these nutrients—including thephytosterol beta-sisterol, which hasdemonstrated anti-cancer actions—peanuts havelong been considered a likely candidate as a coloncancer-preventive food.(Awad AB, Chan KC, etal., Nutr Cancer)

Risk of colon cancer was found to behighly correlated with both peanuts, which

greatly lessened risk, and pickled foods, whichgreatly increased risk, particularly in women. Eatingpeanuts just 2 or more times each week wasassociated with a 58% lowered risk of colon cancerin women and a 27% lowered risk in men. Inwomen, but not in men, eating pickled foods 2 ormore times a week more than doubled thelikelihood of developing colon cancer risk forwomen, increasing their risk 215%.

To help prevent colon cancer, avoid pickledfoods, but enjoy peanuts at least twice each week.When purchasing peanut butter, be sure to readthe label. Hydrogenated (trans-) fats and sugar areoften added to peanut butter. Buy organic andchoose brands that contain peanuts, salt—andnothing else!

Peanut chikkies

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Protect against Alzheimer’sResearch published in the Journal of

Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry indicatesregular consumption of niacin-rich foods likepeanuts provides protection against Alzheimer’sdisease and age-related cognitive decline.Researchers from the Chicago Health and AgingProject interviewed over 3,000 Chicago residentsaged 65 or older about their diet then tested theircognitive abilities over the following six years.

Those getting the most niacin from foods(22 mg per day) were 70% less likely to havedeveloped Alzheimer’s disease than thoseconsuming the least (about 13 mg daily), and theirrate of age-related cognitive decline wassignificantly less. One easy way to boost your niacin

intake is to snack on a handful of peanuts—just aquarter cup provides about a quarter of the dailyrecommended intake for niacin (16 mg per day formen and 14 for women).Nuts lowers risk of weight gain

Although nuts are known to provide avariety of cardio-protective benefits, many avoidthem for fear of weight gain. A prospective studypublished in the journal Obesity shows such fearsare groundless. In fact, people who eat nuts at leasttwice a week are much less likely to gain weightthan those who almost never eat nuts. The 28-month study involving 8,865 adult men and womenin Spain, found that participants who ate nuts atleast two times per week were 31% less likely togain weight than were participants who never oralmost never ate nuts.And, among the studyparticipants who gained weight, those who neveror almost never ate nuts gained more (an averageof 424 g more) than those who ate nuts at leasttwice weekly.

Study authors concluded, “Frequent nutconsumption was associated with a reduced risk ofweight gain (5 kg or more). These results supportthe recommendation of nut consumption as animportant component of a cardioprotective dietand also allay fears of possible weight gain.”Nutritional Profile

· Peanuts are a very good source ofmonounsaturated fats. In addition, peanuts are agood source of niacin, folate, copper, manganese,and protein.

Nutrients in Peanuts 0.25 cup (36.50 grams)

Nutrients %Daily ValueManganes 35.5Tryptophan 28.1Vitamin B3 22Folate 21.9Copper21Protien18.8Calories 11

Don’t let concerns about gaining weightprevent you from enjoying the delicious taste andmany health benefits of nuts.

·

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Fertolizer effectivity can be achieved byapplying most suitable form of fertilizers andplacing it in an area where it can be rapidly

taken up at times when the plant’s needs are mostcrucial. Thus root distribution studies areconsidered good preliminary approach in the caseof tree crops.

As such studies provide basic informationas to when and where fertilizers should be appliedto ensure greater effeciency fertilizer use. Vigorousroot system are as essential as vigorous shoots forsuccessful plant growth.

Root- The part of a plant which attaches itto the ground or to a support, typicallyunderground, conveying water and nourishment tothe rest of the plant via numerous branches andfibres.

Active absorption- is the absorption ofwater by roots with the help of metabolic energygenerated by the root respiration. The force for

water absorption originates from the cells of rootdue to root respiration.

Passive absorption-This mechanism iscarried out without utilisation of metabolic energy.Here only the root act as an organ of absorption orpassage (Jonathan Lynch, 1995).Root morphology

Surface features of a single root axis as anorgan, including characteristics of the epidermissuch as root hairs, root diameter, the root cap, thepattern of appearance of daughter roots,undulations of the root axis and corticalsenescence.Topology

Refers to how individual root axes areconnected to each other through branching(Jonathan Lynch, 1995).

Root distribution

Root distributionpattern in Crops

Saraswati Sampaganvi.,Sakhubai, H.T.,Rajeshwari, B. HosamaniKRCCH, ARABHAVI

40KERALA KARSHAKAN e-journal ROOT PATTERN

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Root distribution is the presence of roots ina positional gradient or grid.

Studies of root distribution are concernedwith root biomass, root length, depth in the soil,distance from the stem, and position betweenneighbouring plants (Wahid et al, 1989).Why it is important ?

Knowledge of root distribution patterns isan essential,

For determining optimum spacing,For choosing the most suitable cropcombination,For efficient utilization of below-groundresources through stratified exploitation ofthe vertical soil space,For developing efficient methods offertilizer application, etc.

Environmental factors affecting rootgrowth

Root distribution will be effected by,Soil structureTextureAerationMoistureTemperaturePresence of bacteria, fungi etc.

Functions of roots:Anchorage (mechanical support)Absorption (water and minerals)

Special functions - better gaseousexchange, food storage, absorption of atmosphericmoisture, sucking food from host.

Synthesis of various essentialcompounds such as growth regulators, and storageof food in root crops such as cassava etc.

Methods to study root distribution patternin plants

Destructive methodsProfile wall methodMonolith methodAuger sampling

Non-destructive methodsExcavationRadiotracer methods.Glass wall method, etc.

Excavation methodThe oldest method of studying root systems

is to excavate them, a method that requires muchtime, energy. It is done by cutting a trench and thenremoving the soil by hand or by a stream of wateror air. Soil is removed in the horizontal plane toexpose spread of tree root system.

Monolith methodTo remove large blocks of soil and wash out

roots. Sometime these blocks are enclosed in steelboxes driven into the soil to hold the soil masstogether while removing it.

Root frequencysometimes is sampled

in cores of soilremoved with variouskinds of soil augers,which frequently aredriven into the soil

and removed bytractor power and

washed out the roots.

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Soil auger MethodRoot frequency sometimes is sampled in

cores of soil removed with various kinds of soilaugers, which frequently are driven into the soiland removed by tractor power and washed out theroots.

Mini- rhizotrons methodIt consists of plastic tubes about 5 cm in

diameter and 2 or 3 m long which are driven intothe ground, usually at an angle. A camera and afiber optic illumination system can be lowereddown the tube to record root growth over time.

Radioactive isotope TechniqueRoot extension also has been followed by

injecting small quantities of a radioactive isotopeof phosphorus, sulfur, or rubidium into the soil atvarious depths below and distances from seedlingsand noting when it appears in the plant.Root distribution pattern in coconut

Radicle is temporary and penetrates soilvertically. Adventitious roots produced frombole, basal 60 cm swollen portion of the stemAn adult palm bear 2000 to 3000 living mainroots, confined to top 1.5m from groundlevel.Average length of roots is 6m and a few areabout 25m.

Root lets (tertiaries) feeding roots are devoidof root hairs.Pneumatophores (breathing roots): smallwhitish pointed out growth on the root letorgans of exchange of gases.74% of roots confined to 2m from the boleand 31 to 120cm depth.Roots will not grow any depth into water/water logged soil.

Root pattern studies inarecanutRoots are dense and fibrous.Roots are found 1 m (3.3 feet) away fromradius (trunk).Primary roots are 1.4 cm in diameter and turndark brown with age branch to secondary andtertiary roots.Root hairs are absent.Absorption is through thin-walled cellsbehind root cap.Aerial (adventitious) roots are produced fromthe base of the trunk.

Root pattern studies in oil palm4 types of roots – primary, secondary,

tertiary & quaternary roots. Radicle is short livedsoon replaced by primary roots from base of trunkand descending deeply.

More numerous primaries growhorizontally in top 1 m of soil and producesecondaries, which, ascend to soil surface. Thesein turn produce tertiaries and quaternaries givinga dense surface mat.

Majority of the roots are in top 15 cm ofsoil, with the main concentration near the palm anda secondary concentration 1.5 – 2 m from base.

No root hairs, so most of the absorption isthrough quaternary roots, which are not lignified.Root distribution in tea

• Youngest tea roots are white. Older the cellsof the endodermis and primary cortexbecome gradually suberised and the colourof the root changes to cream and finally toreddish brown.

• Primary cortex shrivels and peels off inpatches exposing reddish brown secondarybark.

• White and cream parts of the fibrous rootsare the feeding roots

• Reddish brown roots are the extension roots

Root extension also hasbeen followed by injecting

small quantities of aradioactive isotope ofphosphorus, sulfur, or

rubidium into the soil atvarious depths below anddistances from seedlings

and noting when itappears in the plant.

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• Root system of tea bush is divided into mainroots, subsidiary roots which originate frommain roots and feeder roots which originatefrom subsidiary roots.

• Seed plant rooting starts with the emergenceof radicle

• Root system is tap root.• Clonal plants adventitious roots are initiated

from the lower end of stem cuttings.• Seedling plant have only one main root.• Clones have fibrous in nature Deep root system – withstand drought (better

than clone)• Fibrous roots help in efficient utilization of

nutrients from soil.Root distribution pattern in coffee

Main root system found in first 0.30 m layerfrom soil surface & distributed – circle of a diameter(1.50 m) around the trunk

* Tap root – not develop to a depthlower down 0.50m.

Root distribution pattern in cocoaTap roots penetrate (depth 1.5 m ) & mat

of lateral roots from the top 20 -30 cm of tap root.Tap root rapidly develops after the seed germinates,grows 1 cm in length after one week 16 – 18 cmafter 1 month, 25 cm after 3 months, rate of growthdecline later, takes 2 years to reach 50 cm.

Fine roots: 90 % of the roots is located inthe upper 10 cm of the soil .Root distribution pattern in cashew

• It has a deep and spreading root system.• Seedlings develop a typical tap root system,

the trees develop from air layers developfibrous root system.

• Majority of feeding roots normally residein the surface layer of the soil.

• Poor establishment of vegetativelypropagated materials in the field -inadequate root development.

• The roots penetrate vertically down evento a depth of 9.5 m.

• In the surface 50 cm soil layer, over 85% ofthe thick roots and 45% of the fine rootscould be extracted.

• Root penetration between 50 cm to 1 mdepth was accounted for about 5% of thethick and 8% of the fine roots.

• Khader (1986) studied the root distributionpattern of seedling raised cashew trees,grown on a lateritic soil, by excavationmethod. Over 67% of thick roots (tap root,secondary and tertiary roots) and 26% ofthe fibrous roots were found within a radiusof 50 cm from the base of the tree.

• In the 51 to 100 cm radial distance from thebase, about 16% of the thicker roots and20% of the fine roots were found.

Root distribution pattern in rubberTrees develop a strong tap root andextensive lateral roots.

ConclusionHence the knowledge of root distribution

will be helpful for,Proper management of irrigation regimesMultistoreyed croppingFertilizer schedulingTo choose suitable shade tree, wind breaksandTo undertake intercultural operations

Proper managementof irrigation regimes

Multistoreyedcropping

Fertilizer scheduling To choose suitable

shade tree, windbreaks and

To undertakeinterculturaloperations

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The ever increasing human population ispresenting serious challenges to the policymakers regarding the quantity of food to be

produced to feed the millions. As per the availableestimates, the present population may reach ninebillion by 2050 for which food production has to beincreased several fold from the present quantum.In this regard maintenance of soil fertility andsustainability of soil resources is a key issue whichneeds our immediate attention. Populationpressure also presents problems to theenvironmental and human health in terms ofpollution by various heavy metals as a consequenceof urbanisation. There are evidences of theinfluence of the relationship between the noxiouscontamination of heavy metals in soil and that ofdreadly diseases such as cancer in human beings.So it is essential to understand possible heavy metal

contamination in soil as well as the strategies tomanage the hazardous effects.

It is a well known fact that the compositionof the soil influences the composition of plantproduce and thereby making an impact on thehuman health. Hence the soil quality has to be wellmaintained so that the adverse effects of pollutantsare not entered in the food chain. In the case ofhuman beings, exposure to heavy metals eitherdirectly or through the food chain can results innervous system disorders, kidney damages and livertoxicities. Hence the management of heavy metalstoxicity in soil need to be prioritised as a measureto ensure healthy well being of the population.

Heavy metals are those elements presentin the nature which exhibits the metallic propertiessuch as malleability, ductility, electrical conductivityand cation stability. They are having high atomic

Jeena Mathew, Abdul Haris, A. and V. KrishnakumarCentral Plantation Crops Research Institute (Regional Station), Kayamkulam

How to manageHeavy Metal Pollution in Soil?

SOIL REMEDIATION

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weight and density and the atomic number isgreater than twenty. Understanding the nature ofmetal ion present in the soil is important fordevising suitable management strategies for theiramelioration in soil. They exist in soil as separateentities or as exchangeable and non exchangeableions. They also remain as their insoluble carbonatesor phosphates.

Heavy metals such as iron, manganese,copper, zinc, nickel cobalt, molybdenum andvanadium are required by organisms in minutequantities and that excessive amount of theseelements becomes harmful to them. On the otherhand, elements such as cadmium, mercury, arsenicand lead have no beneficial effect on growth onorganism, but poses serious threats to themetabolic system.

Potential negative effects of heavy metalsin soil include the effect on soil properties directand indirect damage to the crop plants and therebytheir productivity. There are certain soil propertieswhich affect the availability of heavy metals in soil,the foremost of which is the soil pH. The solubilityof certain heavy metals such as copper and zinc arereduced at higher pH where as their solubility isincreased at lower pH. Presence of organic mattercontent as well as hydroxides of iron can immobilisethe availability of heavy metals in soil. Researchstudies have shown positive correlation betweensoil physical properties such as moisture contentand water holding capacity and the heavy metalcontent in soil. Availability of heavy metal is alsoinfluenced by the density and type of charge in soilcolloids, degree of complexion with ligands and therelative surface area. As the surface area of thecolloids increases, the solubility of arsenic,cadmium, copper, molybdenum and lead was foundto be decreasing.Heavy soil metals and plant growth

Heavy metals present in the soil solutionas well as those which are readily solubilised by theroot exudates are readily available for plant uptake.The direct toxic effects of heavy metals in soilinclude inhibition of cytoplasmic enzymes anddamage to the cell structure due to oxidative stress.The indirect toxic effect includes the replacementof plant essential nutrient with these metal ions atthe cation exchange sites of the plant roots.

It was also observed that heavy metalconcentration can affect the growth and activity ofsoil microbes which in turn affects the soil processessuch as organic matter mineralisation and therebyaffecting the availability of nutrient ions in the soilsolution, ultimately the crop nutrition as thesufferer. The toxicity of heavy metals to plantgrowth follows the order cadmium>cobalt>mercury>lead> chromium.Tolerance of specific plants to heavymetal toxicity in soil

Certain plants can tolerate highconcentration of heavy metals in the soilenvironment. The mechanisms by which plants cantolerate the high concentration of heavy metals insoil include 1) Exclusion: This involves the restrictionof metal transport into the plant system and themaintenance of a constant metal ion concentrationin the environment, 2) Inclusion: metalconcentration in the shoot reflects those in the soilsolution through a linear relationship, 3) Bioaccumulation: accumulation of metals in the rootsand shootsManagement of heavy metalpollution in soil

Bioremediation is considered as the mostsuitable method for the management of heavymetal polluted soil. It is the use of living organismsfor the treatment of polluted soils. Bioremediationcan be achieved through microorganisms, plantsand a combination of both. The mechanismemploying plants are termed as phtoremediationwhere as those involving microbes are termed asmicro remediation.A. Micro remediation of heavy metal pollution insoil

Certain microbes are able to produce metalcomplexing molecule such as siderophores as amechanism for the amelioration of heavy metaltoxicity in plants. Siderophores are low molecularweight, high affinity iron chelators that transportiron in the soil solution to the bacterial cells.Pseudomonas fluorescens produce fluorescentsiderophores which sequester the iron compoundspresent in the soil. Heavy metals also under certainconditions stimulate the production ofsiderophores and consequently affect their bioavailability in soil. Microrememdiation can alsooccur indirectly through the bio precipitation by the

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sulphate reducing bacteria viz., Desulphovibriodesulphuricans which can convert the solublesulphates to the insoluble sulphides of cadmiumand zinc. Microbes can also reduce the solublemercuric ions (Hg2+) to the volatile Hg (0) or metallicmercury.

Through the methods of geneticengineering metal binding proteins from higherorganisms can be introduced into the microbeswhich can sequester the contaminated metal ionin soil solution. Addition of organic amendmentssuch as bio char produced by the process ofpyrolysis of carbonaceous materials can stimulatethe growth and activity of microbes and therebyaccelerate the remediation process.B. Phytoremediation

One among the indispensible solution forthe amelioration of vast stretches of heavy metalcontaminated soil is phytoremediation through themediation of plants. The mechanisms involved inphytoremediation include phytoextraction,phytostabilisation and phytovolatilisation.

Phytoextraction involves accumulation ofheavy metals in the roots and shoots of higherplants which are later harvested and incinerated.These plants should have rapid growth rate,capacity to produce huge biomass, extensive rootsystem and should have the ability to tolerate highamounts of heavy metals.

Phyto extraction can be done by the use ofhyper accumulator plants with very high metalaccumulating ability such as water hyacinth(Eichornia crassipes) and Brassica spp. Chineseladder plant (Pteris vitata), a plant belonging to thespecies of ferns can accumulate large quantities ofarsenic from contaminated fields. Spiny amaranths(Amaranthus spinosus) seen in the homesteads hasthe capacity to accumulate lead from thecontaminated area. The ability to accumulate heavymetals can also be induced through the use ofchelates which are having metal mobilising capacity.Hyper accumulator plants have the capacity toexclude the metals through thecompartmentalisation of these metal ions in thevacuoles or in the cell wall and thus may not haveaccess to cellular sites where vital functions suchas respiration or cell division takes place. For a plantto be designated as hyper accumulator, the ratio ofshoot to root concentration of the metal ion shouldbe higher than one. The following table shows

some of the common plant species present in ourlocality which are hyper accumulators of certainmetals.

The mechanism of phytostabilisationinvolves the use of plants to physically immobilisethe elements and thus reducing their bio availabilityand is used wherever the phto extractionprocedures are not feasible to perform. But whenthe metal concentration in the soil is very high thismethod may not be suitable because plant growthwill be adversely affected. Plants help in stabilisingthe soil environment through their root system andthe prevent the erosion and leaching of metal ionsto the soil. These plants should have dense rootsystem, easy to establish in the adverse soilenvironment and should have rapid growth rate toprovide adequate coverage.

Sunflower

Sun hemp

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Phtytovolatalisation involves theconversion of active metal ions into their volatileforms which are subsequently transpired intothe atmosphere. It is mostly used for theremediation of soils polluted with mercury andselenium. Genetically engineered plants suchas tobacco plant (Nicotiana tabaccum) andArabidopsis thaliana are utilized forphytovolatalisation.

Both plants and microbes can becombined together for the more efficientremediation of contaminated soils. Mycorrhizalassociation with plants can be utilized for theremediation of soils polluted with chromium.Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria canproduce siderophores as well can promote thegrowth of plants and thereby enhance theremediation process.

Common name Scientific name Heavy metal extracted by the plant

Sun hemp Crotalaria juncea nickel, chromiumFat duck weed Lemna gibba arsenicBermuda grass Cynodon dactylon nickel and chromiumBrahmi Baccoppa Monnieri cadmium, chromium, lead and mercurySpinyAmaranth/Mullan Cheera Amaranthus spinosus cadmium, lead, chromiumWater hyacinth Eichornia crassipes chromiumHydrangia Hydrangia vulgare aluminiumSunflower Helianthus annus copper

ConclusionThe growing demand for sustainable food

production has to meet the challenges of ensuring thesoil quality and productivity. Heavy metal pollutionpresents serious threat to soil quality and thereby thequality of the produce from it become hampered.Apart from posing challenge towards soil quality, theirexposure can also be hazardous to human health.Hence the management of soil heavy metal pollutionhas to be considered in a multi dimensional approach.Bioremediation offers a viable tool for dealing thethreat of heavy metal pollution. The strategies shouldbe focused towards the enhancement of soil qualityfor sustainable food production washing off the threaton food security from the ever increasing population.The quality aspect of food produced need to be takencare of along with food security for better health andfitness of people.

HydrangiaBermuda grass

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Published by Dr. Roy Mathew, Owned by Department of Agriculture,Government of Kerala andPublished at Farm Information Bureau, Kowdiar P.O, Thiruvananthapuram-3. Editor Suresh Kumar S.

KERALA KARSHAKAN e-journalJune 2015The first English Farm Journal from Kerala

June 2015 - Krishi Info

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