A study was taken up to assess the knowledge and perceptions of Trinidad consumers about various components of a typical food label and the socio demographic factors that impact their knowledge level and perception. Apilot tested survey was conducted with 52 closed ended questions that measured consumers’ knowledge of selected components of a typical food label, their perception about the importance of the major components of a typical food label was used to collect the data from 302 consumers over the age of 18 years residing in Trinidad. In each region of Trinidad (South, Central and North), surveys were done at the exit points of two of the physically largest supermarkets. Descriptive and Ordinary Least Square (OLS) Regression analyses were used to analyze the collected data. Results revealed the high blood pressure and diet restrictions due to religious concerns as the most important factors affecting knowledge level. The fact that elevated blood pressure levels, as well as the higher fibre intake also positively impacted perceptions, is a good sign for the population; however, males in the population need special attention as they did not fully perceive food labels as important sources of information with respect to their health.

A precise pregnancy determination in dairy animals is an important decisive factor for better reproductive management. Dairy production of animals depends on reproductive ability. Better reproductive supervision involves a principle rule of diagnosis of pregnant animals as early as possible and thereby reduces the calving interval. This paper reviews methods of pregnancy diagnosis including visual, clinical and laboratory methods and their accuracy.

The experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2012-13 at live stock farm, Adhartal, JNKVV, Jabalpur (MP) variety i.e. JG-315 plot size 5x3 sq. m. and replication 3 times. The pod borer Helicoverpa armigera is the most serious insect pest in the most of the chickpea growing areas of the country. Study the parasitization (%) of H. armigera by Campoletis chlorideae Uchida in the laboratory. The observation of natural enemies (C. chlorideae) were also recorded by collecting the larvae from one meter row length and reared in the laboratory. The numbers of healthy and parasitized larvae were recorded and calculate the per cent parasitization of H. armigera larvae under field condition. Second instar larvae of H. armigera were collected from the untreated chickpea plot and put separately into the Petridis. Fresh leaves were provided daily and counted the parasitized larvae. No. of H. armigera larvae were changed weekly and parasitization (%) per week were calculated. Only one species of parasitoid C.chlorideae, (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) was observed parasitizing early in star larvae of H. armigera on chickpea under field conditions. The per cent parasitization of H. armigera by C. chlorideae was observed ranging from 10% to 35% during the period of investigation. In the 1st SW, (first week of January 2013) 20% parasitization was observed, when the maximum and minimum temperature was (25.3°C& 7.1°C) respectively, and morning & evening relative humidity was (88% & 29%) respectively. The peak per cent parasitization (35 %) was observed in the 52nd SW, fifth week of December when the maximum and minimum temperature was (23.80C & 5.0°C) respectively, and morning & evening relative humidity was (90% & 30%) respectively and there was no rainfall. Then after the per cent parasitization was decreased in the 1st and 2nd SW, (20% & 13.33%) respectively. It was observed when the maximum and minimum temperature showed decreasing trend and morning & evening relative humidity also showed decreasing trend.

A laboratory trial was conducted to determine the relative toxicity of various insecticides against larvae of Spodoptera litura on cabbage. The bio-efficacy of various insecticides against larvae of S. litura revealed that higher larval mortality by leaf dip method was recorded in the treatment with spinosad 45 SC @ 0.025 per cent (87.49%). The second effective treatment was profenophos 40 % + cypermethrin 4% @ 0.017 per cent (80.49%) which was also superior over rest of the treatments except spinosad 45 SC @ 0.025 per cent. The bio-efficacy of various insecticides against larvae of S. litura revealed that the higher larval mortality by topical application was recorded in the treatment with emamectin benzoate 5 SG @ 0.025 per cent, which gave the maximum 90.50 per cent mortality and it was at par with spinosad 45 SC @ 0.025 per cent (87.49%).

The osmotic dehydration was carried out with 40, 50 and 60o Brix sugar syrup at 40, 50 and 60 oC syrup temperature and constant syrup to sample ratio (5:1). The water and sugar diffusivity varied in the range from 1.39 x 10-9 to 4.905 x 10-9 m2/s and 0.9241 x 10-9 to 1.8467 x 10-9 m2/s respectively. The water diffusivity and sugar diffusivity during the osmotic dehydration of sapota samples at various syrup concentrations and temperatures as determined experimentally and predicted by mathematical equation. There is a good co-relation between the observed and the predicted values of water and sugar diffusivities R2 as 0.95 and 0.92. The mathematical models for osmotic dehydration based on the Fick’s law of diffusion were found quite adequate to predict the mass transport data during osmotic dehydration process.