India is an influential agricultural powerhouse worldwide, having farmers and all related workers as its backbone. Like many other sectors, the agricultural landscape also faces decades-long problems and unexpected challenges that are crucial to rectify. Let’s discuss some of the main issues farmers face in India and the best possible solutions.
VOl.1 Issue 8, October, 2022
Content
01
Nair et al
Trace mineral requirement for growth performance and immunity of calves
For many years, it has been understood how crucial trace minerals are to the productivity of livestock. The supplementation of essential trace minerals has led to increased growth performance and immunity in claves. There deficiency can lead to impairment of various physiological functions of the animal and can compromise the growth and development of calves. The nine trace minerals that are known to be more essential are Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn), Chromium (Cr), Cobalt (Co), Iodine (I), Iron (Fe), Molybdenum (Mo) and Selenium (Se). This article will discuss about the major effect of supplementation of these trace minerals in calves.
02
Shalini et al
​Technologies, limitations and constraints in phosphorus application through biofertilizers in organic farming
Phosphorus is an 2nd most essential element for plant development and growth making up about 0.2 % of plant dry weight. Plants acquire P from soil solution as phosphate anions. However, phosphate anions are extremely reactive and may be immobilized through precipitation with cations such as Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe3+ and Al3+ (such as tricalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite). Different bacterial species has ability to solubilize insoluble inorganic phosphate compounds, by producing organic acids lactic, isovaleric, iso-butyric and acetic acids, glycolic, oxalic, malonic, and succinic acid
03
Palthyavath et al
Application of GIS in agriculture
Geographic Information System is a system that has been put in place specifically to capture, store, deploy, evaluate and present geographic data. This system has proved effective in the agricultural sector in various ways. The tools that are represented by the system have enabled users to create questionnaires, which are interactive in nature, analyse three-dimensional information, edit data in maps and present the findings of the operations. GIS comes as an advantage to farmers because it helps them in achieving the best in terms of production and reducing extra costs, which could have been incurred in operations, resulting in better management.
04
Sadar et al
Micropropagation (Shoot initiation and Development) of Hibiscus from nodal explants using BAP (6-Benzyl Amino Purine)
In this study, the nodal explants collected from the healthy shoots were cultured on the basal MS medium supplemented with 3mg/lit of BAP (6-Benzyl Amino Purine). In the earlier study, several researchers reported that the concentration of 3mg/lit is optimum for the growth and development of shoot tip in Hibiscus by the duration of 1month. The different stage of shoot development was observed from the third day to one month interval. It revealed that the callus initiation starts from the 10th day and auxiliary shoot initiation from 2 weeks, and subsequent growth and development was observed from the third week and one month interval respectively. Further the developed healthy shoot culture will be maintained and will be treated with NAA at different concentration for root initiation. Finally, the optimum concentration of NAA will be fixed for better root initiation and development
05
Pankaj Dhakarwal et al
Livestock Methane Reduction: A Global Challenge
Nutrition is the backbone of the production system. Feed is financially the single most important element of animal production system, irrespective of species. Feed costs can account for up to 70% of the total cost of production of an animal product. Nutritionally balanced feeding increases milk production of lactating animals. It also enhances growth rate and efficiency of meat-producing animals. Good nutrition also has the potential to increase reproductive efficiency, reflected in a higher cyclicity, lower age at first calving, lower inter-calving interval, higher productive life and higher profitability to farmers. Poor feeding decreases productivity and reproduction of the animal.
06
Lokendra¹*, Manisha Doot²
Feeding Management of Buffalo: An Overview
For thousands of years, humans have used animals for several purposes, including milk, meat, bones, wool, skin, and draught work. The goat is considered to be one of the earliest ruminant species to be domesticated about 10,000 BCE. Humans have utilized goats for their skin, bones, and hair in addition to their milk and lean flesh. Globally there are more than 300 different goat breeds which are kept for meat or milk purposes. The goat is also known as the “Poor men’s Cow” as its cost of rearing is significantly less as compared to cow or buffalo. The goat is economically significant to those who live in arid, semiarid, mountainous, and isolated tribal areas because of its resistance to extreme weather, capacity to consume crop wastes of lower quality, small size, high rate of growth, and short gestation period.
07
Sahoo et al
Scope of dairy goat production in India
Methane in the atmosphere has doubled due to human activity during the last 200 years. Methane is thought to be responsible for 23% of all greenhouse gas-induced warming, making it the second-largest contributor to global warming after carbon dioxide (CO2). CH4 emission from Indian livestock was 15.3 Tg in 2012. One of the major human-caused producers of methane (CH4) in the world is livestock farming in India. The largest source of naturally occurring methane is wetlands, and it is estimated that agriculture accounts for 27.3% of all methane emissions. One of the most significant GHGs, methane has a 28-fold greater potential to cause global warming than carbon dioxide. To diminish methane reduction various strategies can be used like the use of bacteriocins, change in dietary profile, defaunation, vaccinations against microbes or monensin as an antibacterial.
08
Sharma et al
Artificial Insemination in Goats: Paving a New Path
The country is the largest exporter of Sheep & Goat meat to the world. The country has exported 8,695.97 MT of sheep & goat meat to the world for the worth of Rs. 447.58 Crores/ 60.04 USD Millions during the year 2021-22 according to APEDA. Sheep and goat together contributes 20% (13 and 7) of total meat production in the country. Goats constitute 26.40% of the total livestock population and the 19th Livestock Census puts the number of goats in the country at 135.17 million. The local goats are blessed with high fecundity combined with ability to breed throughout the year. The locally available goats are small in size, mature relatively late and milk production of the is also low in comparison to the other Indian breeds. Thus, increasing the high genetic merit population by way of introduction of Artificial Insemination, ETT and other modern breeding techniques are the way ahead.