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1993 - 199922000 - 20041
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Author: Sindhu, S × End date: 2012 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: M.Sc ×
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Prospects and constraints of commercial cutflower production in Thiruvananthapuram district
    (Department of Agricultural Extension, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1997) Sindhu, S; KAU; Mothilal Nehru, S
    The present study under the title "Prospects and constraints of cutflower production in Thiruvananthapuram district" was undertaken with the following objectives. 1. To delineate the components of conceptual skill and to measure the conceptual skill of growers. 2. To study the relationship of personal, socio-situational and economic factors with the conceptual skill of growers. 3. To study the production practices of cutflowers followed by the growers. 4. To identify the different marketing channels existing in cutflower marketing in consultation with the growers. 5. To identify the constraints related to cutflower production and marketing as perceived by growers. The study was conducted among the respondents of five cutflower societies functioning in Thiruvananthapuram district. A sample of 100 growers were selected from the societies by adopting stratified random sampling technique with proportionate sampling procedure. Data was collected with the help of well structured, pre tested interview schedule and suitable statistical tests were employed in the analysis of data. In the study conceptual skill has been considered as dependent variable. The factors such as planning, risk-orientation, decision-taking ability, supervision and market perception were the major dimensions of conceptual skill. The selected personal, socio-situational and economic factors of cutflower growers were taken as independent variables which included education, cutflower growing experience, attitude towards cutflower growing, knowledge on cut flowers, self confidence, orientation towards competition, orientation towards skill development in farm workers, information seeking behaviour (personal), operational area, infra structural facilities, extension participation, social participation, mass media exposure (socio-situational), annual income and credit orientation (economic). Relationship of the personal, socio-situational and economic factors with the conceptual skill showed that in the case of Group I, none of the variables correlated with conceptual skill. In the case of Group 11 attitude towards cutflower growing, knowledge on cutflowers were positively and significantly correlated while mass media exposure was negatively and significantly correlated with conceptual skill. In the case of Group Ill, variables like cutflower growing experience, attitude towards cutflower growing, knowledge on cut flowers, orientation towards skill development and information seeking behaviour were correlated positively and significantly with conceptual skill. In the case of Group V a positive and significant relationship exists between conceptual skill and cutflower growing experience and orientation towards skill development in farm workers. In the case of Gr. V, a positive and significant relationship exists between conceptual skill and variables like cutflower growing experience, attitude towards cutflower growing, knowledge on cutflowers, self confidence, orientation towards skill development ill farm workers, information seeking behaviour and operational area. None of the socio-situational factors related significantly with conceptual skill of the respondents of Group I, Group 11, Group III and Group IV except for mass media exposure which was negatively and significantly correlated with conceptual skill of respondents of Group 11. None of the economic factors correlated with conceptual skill of the respondents of Group I, Group 11, Group Ill, Group IV and Group V. Regarding the production practices followed by anthurium growers, majority of growers have ordinary varieties. Majority of the growers follow pot planting using potting media containing sawdust, charcoal, brick and tile pieces, coconut husk and leaf-mould. Orchid growers have the collection of both monopodial and sympodial orchids and majority of the growers plant monopodial orchids in coconut husk alone and sympodial orchids in charcoal pieces alone. Regarding organic manure application, majority of the growers use diluted solution of fermented groundnut and neemcake in both the case of anthuriums and orchids. Majority of the growers apply 17: 17: 1 7 complex fertilizer solutions to both anthuriums and orchids. Majority of the growers apply organic manure and fertilisers once in a fortnight. Majority of the growers apply fungicides and pesticides once in a week regularly. Thus an indiscriminate use of fertilisers and plant protection chemicals was noticed in the study. Majority of the growers harvest flowers whenever there is demand. Flowers are cut during early mornings and late evenings. In the study various marketing channel ha been identified. in which the most important marketing channel of cutflowers identified was 'producer - collection centre - florishop- consumer'. Various production, technological and marketing constraints has been identified in the study. The important constraints perceived by the growers were 'high price of planting materials' (production), 'no standardised practices to follow' (technological) and 'inability of small growers to find market (marketing).
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Quality and shelf life of fillets and cubes of a marine perch (Lethrinus lentjan (Lacepede,1802)) smoked by a mechanical smoker
    (Department of Processing Technology, College of Fisheries, Panangad, 2004) Sindhu, S; KAU; Krishnakumar, S
    A study was undertaken for the preparation of cubes and fillets from a marine perch King emperor or Pig face bream (Lethrinus lentjan, (Lacepede), 1802)). A method was standardised for preparation of smoked cubes and fillets. The parameters standardised were brining conditions, draining conditions, pre-drying conditions, smoking temperature and smoking time. The various brining conditions studied were brine concentrations of 10 %, 15 % and 20 % for brining times 15 min, 30 min and 45 min each. The various draining conditions studied were draining at room temperature and refrigerated conditions for periods of 15 min, 30 nun and 45 min. The pre drying conditions studied were pre-drying in tray drier and smoking kiln at 500e for 15 min, 30 min and 60 min. The smoking conditions studied were smoking at temperatures of so'c, 90oe, 1 oo'r: for 1 hr, 2 hrs and 3 hrs each. Salt content, moisture content and phenol content of the samples were analysed based on parameters studied in addition to sensory evaluation. Based on the test results the following treatments were selected viz., brine concentration of 10 % and brining time 15 min, draining under refrigerated condition for 30 min, pre-drying in tray drier for 30 min at 500e and smoking temperature of 800e for a period of 3 hrs. Smoked cubes and fillets were prepared using the standardised procedure and subjected to storage studies for a period of four months under different packing conditions viz., (i) smoked cubes and fillets packed in PE bags (ii) smoked cubes and fillets dried at 500e for 1 hr and then packed in PE bags and (iii) smoked tubes and fillets dried at 500e for I hr and then packed in paper bags. Quality changes during the storage period were monitored 15 days time intervals for parameters viz., moisture content, per cent free fatty acids, thio barbituric acid value, total plate count, total fungal count and sensory evaluation. Samples packed in paper bags remained acceptable only up to 60 days of storage and samples packed in PE bags were acceptable upto 90 days of storage.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Interspecific cross- compatibility in the genus Abelmoschus
    (Department of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, 1993) Sindhu, S; KAU; Manikantan Nair, P
    Interspecific cross – compatibility in the genus Abelmoschus was undertaken with the objective of probing into the reasons of low fruit and seed set in the interspecifc hybrids of Abelmoschus which may pave the way for the development of yellow vein mosaic resistant varieties through recombination breeding. Crossing was done between the local cultivar Abelmoschus esculentus var. Anacomban and two semi wild species (A. manihot and A. manihot ssp. Tetraphyllus). The fruit set in direct crosses of A. esculentus var. Anacomban x A. manihot and A. esculentus var. Anacomban x A. manihot ssp. Tetraphyllus was very low compared to the reciprocal crosses, exhibiting partial incompatibility consequent on the slow pollen tube growth of A. manihot and A. manihot ssp. tetraphyllus. The seed set was low in crossed fruits and there was recovery of shriveled seeds which may be attributed to the poor endosperm development. The crossed seeds exhibited good viability. All the hybrids exhibited field tolerance to yellow vein mosaic disease. The four hybrids recorded pollen sterility which may be attributed to meiotic abnormalities, due to difference in chromosome number between the species. The seed set in the hybrids was very low. The seed set was inversely proportional to pollen sterility. The lower the pollen sterility higher was the seed set. The F2 seeds showed reduction in seed weight which may be due to high seed sterility exhibited by the hybrids. The recovery of empty seeds which appeared normal may be ascribed to endosperm degeneration. The seed viability of F2 seeds was very low. The result leads to the conclusion that the reason for low fruit and seed set in interspecific hybridization in Abelmoschus may be due to partial incompatibility. The interspecific hybrids displayed hybrid sterility which may be attributed to the meiotic abnormalities consequent on the difference in the chromosome number between the parents. However, all the hybrids were not completely sterile. The hybrids exhibited field tolerance to yellow vein mosaic disease which is an added advantage. Back crossing the F1 as the seed parent to the A. esculentus var. Anacomban may overcome the hybrid sterility and pave way for the development of varieties with yellow vein mosaic resistance coupled with economic attributes of the popular cultivar Anacomban.