http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56329 Mon, 12 Oct 2026 20:04:06 GMT 2026-10-12T20:04:06Z https://http://nopr.niscpr.res.in:443/retrieve/177891/BVAAP 28(2) (Cover Page).jpg http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56329 http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56372 Title: Effect of stem gall disease on long-term germplasm preservation and quality seed production of coriander Authors: Akhtar, Jameel; Singh, Baleshwar; Kumar, Pradeep; Kiran, Raj; Shekhar, Meena; Sadhana; Pandey, Sushil; Lenka, Smita; Dubey, Sunil Chandra Abstract: To know the health status of crops germplasm received from various sources, seed health testing (SHT) is a routine process for long-term conservation of healthy seeds in the National Genebank at ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi. In this process, 1328 accessions of coriander were received in the Plant Quarantine Division for SHT through Germplsm Conservation Division. In the present study, SHT revealed that most of the samples of coriander in which the seeds are deformed suffer from stem gall (seed gall) disease caused by Protomycesmacrosporus. Infection of P. macrosporus greatly affects the size and quality of seeds. As a result, infected seeds become excessively larger (from 6.46x5.01 to 12.76x3.94 mm) as compared to normal seeds and the germination capacity of the seeds is also lost. Deformity in size and measurement of infected seeds compared to healthy seeds indicates susceptibility to stem gall disease. Our observation revealed that the chlamydospores present in the infected seeds survive for a long period (~ 2 years) and if such infected seeds are conserved for long term in the National Genebank, it is possible that along with the seeds, dormant chlamydospores also survive. While on the one hand such diseased seed can prove to be the carrier in spreading the pathogen from one place to another, on the other hand, market demand will be affected which will result in lower prices for the farmers cultivating coriander. Page(s): 123-131 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56372 2020-12-01T00:00:00Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56371 Title: Conservation of the night soil composting and the importance of organic farming in high altitude regions : A review Authors: Singh, Jagdeep; Prashant, Swami Pragya; Kumari, Sareeka; Borker, Shruti Sinai; Kumar, Rakshak Abstract: Human civilization took an advanced step with the advent of agriculture. For long agricultural operations were dependent on natural inputs, but with the onset of Industrial Revolution chemical fertilizers were developed to fulfil the demands of rapidly growing human population. The chemical inputs that dramatically increased the agricultural yield, however, brought along some detrimental side effects that harm both the environment and the farmer. Consequently, there's a gradual reversal towards using natural inputs in the form of organic farming. The high altitude regions of Himachal Pradesh viz. Lahaul-Spiti had been practicing organic farming using traditional night soil compost. However, due to modernization and easy availability of subsidized chemical fertilizers, this practice is facing steady decline. Usage of chemical inputs puts the already fragile environment of the region at risk of pollution. Thus, to save the region from pollution via chemicals and preserve the traditional practice of Night Soil Composting, we are trying to improve the hygiene of the winter dry toilet. Accelerated degradation leading to minimizing the foul odor to negligible level have been obtained with implementation of microbial intervention for rapid decomposition using cold tolerant bacteria with efficient hydrolytic enzymatic activity. Page(s): 132-139 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56371 2020-12-01T00:00:00Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56370 Title: Evaluation of road safety audit implementation on interurban expressway Authors: Gupta, Kamini; Verma, Rajan; Rao, A M Abstract: The main aim of the road infrastructure development is to provide seamless travel with safety. At the same time, it is very much necessary to make sure that the developed roads are safe in operation. In this direction, the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA) has given due consideration to assess the safety scenario on the project corridor and hence conducted Road Safety Audit (RSA) of the Noida Expressway starting from 0.00 km to 20.00 km through an independent team of experts in the year 2013. The audit team recommended host of measures to improve the road geometrics and safety features to the authority which has been largely implemented by stakeholder. As it is known that Safety Audit (RSA) is a formal examination of the proposed or existing roads and road related areas from the perspective of all road users with the intention of identifying road safety deficiencies and areas of risk that could lead to road crashes. Subsequent to the implementation of the recommended RSA measures it is worthwhile to understand whether the recommended measures have facilitated in enhancing road safety by comparing road accidents. In this paper, analysis is carried out after two years to know how the countermeasures working on the field and up to which extend these are showing effect in reduction of crashes. Minimum of two-year accident data is required to calculate the reduction factors. To know the impact of safety features on road accidents by using CRF value will be used as measure to judge the road investments as the safety improvements are highly economical, to see the investments carried out on the safety implementation. Page(s): 140-150 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56370 2020-12-01T00:00:00Z http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56369 Title: Prediction of groundwater level fluctuations by artificial neural network models : A case study Authors: Nema, Sourabh; Nema, M K; Awasthi, M K; Nema, R K Abstract: In the last few years, due to excessive exploitation of groundwater resources, the water level has gone down in many parts of India. According to a data from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the average groundwater level in India has decreased by 61 per cent between 2007 and 2017, due to which the availability and quality of water are taking serious problems day-by-day. According to the CGWB (2017), 313 blocks out of a total of 6881 blocks are Critical, 1186 blocks are over exploited, and 100 blocks fall into the category of saline. And there are 94 such blocks where the availability of groundwater is significantly less. The overall development and management of groundwater resources are critical because of the water crisis arising from the declining level of groundwater resources and its immense importance in the social and economic growth of the country. Accurate forecasting of groundwater levels is essential for efficient management of groundwater resources and sustainable development of ecosystems. In this study, Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network (ANN) was used to predict groundwater levels in a selected aquifer system. The development of the ANN model included data on rainfall, temperature and river water level and groundwater level. The ANN model was trained using the gradient decant algorithm (GDM). The said model was applied and validated at seven different observation locations, and the estimated capacity of the ANN model was developed for each location. This was assessed using four statistical indicators [Bias, RMSE, NSE and MSE] as well as visual testing. Based on the results of this study, the Neural Network Model (ANN) was found to be efficient for forecasting monthly groundwater levels at almost all selected observation locations. The study concluded that artificial neural network techniques (ANNs) could be used efficiently to predict groundwater level fluctuations, especially in data-scarce situations. Page(s): 151-158 Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT http://nopr.niscpr.res.in/handle/123456789/56369 2020-12-01T00:00:00Z