An experiment was conducted during 2013-15 at Department of Vegetable Science, Kittur Rani Channamma College of Horticulture, Arabhavi, Belagavi (Karnataka), to study combining ability in eight different lines of ridge gourd. They were mated in half diallel fashion and their twenty eight crosses were evaluated along with parents in Randomized block design (RBD). Significant differences of analysis of variances due to SCA and GCA were observed for all the characters, it indicates predominance of non additive and additive gene action, that provides ample scope for heterosis breeding or direct selection. Out of eight parents DMRG-36 and DMRG-25 were found to be best general combiners as they have made significant contribution towards yield and yield contributing traits. The cross DMRG-36 x Arka Sumeet exhibited high SCA effect for number of fruit yield per vine, average fruit weight and sex ratio. The cross DMRG-25 × DMRG-1 for per cent fruit set and average fruit weight. The cross DMRG-25 × Arka Sumeet for average fruit weight, number of fruit per vine and fruit diameter. The knowledge of combining ability helps in identifying suitable parents or best combiners for hybridization.

The present study was conducted to determine correlation among vegetative growth, fruit physico–chemical parameters of 22 genotypes of Psidium guajava and two species, P. friedrichsthalianum and P. pumilum. The coefficient of correlation was estimated for nineteen morphological characters, which included Plant height, canopy volume, leaf, fruit parameters (Trunk diameter, Plant spread, No. of. flowers, Flowering duration, Petiole length, Internodal length, Leaf shape, Shape of leaf apex, Shape of leaf base, Leaf length, Leaf width, Leaf area, Leaf lamina pubescence, Young leaf anthocyanin, Coloration, Intensity of anthocyanin coloration in young leaf, Fruit weight, Fruit length, Fruit width, Fruit index, Fruiting habit, Shape of fruit Colour of pulp, Colour of fruit skin) and eight fruit biochemical characters. Correlation studies among different horticultural traits indicated that plant height was highly correlated with the plant spread as well as canopy volume. Leaf length and breadth was highly correlated with leaf area, whereas they were negatively correlated with stomata number. Fruit weight was highly correlated with fruit core diameter and seed number. Plant height showed significant positive correlation with plant spread (N-S and E-W) 0.970 and 0.957 as well as canopy volume (0.985). The petiole length was highly correlated with leaf area (0.64) and negatively correlated with a number of stomata (-0.529). Fruit weight had a highly significant positive correlation with relation to fruit length (0.896), fruit width (0.941), and fruit core diameter (0.759), the number of seeds per fruit (0.571) and also with seed weight. Total chlorophyll had a positive correlation with vitamin-C content (0.443).

The present study was conducted in the Anand Agricultural University, Anand of Gujarat state, by personally interviewing the proportionally selected 150 scientists engaged in teaching, research and extension activities. The “Ex-Post-Facto” research design was employed for conducting the proposed study. For measuring the personal and economic characteristics of the scientists, a structural schedule was developed by the investigator in light of the suggestion of the experts. It was found that more than half (58.67 per cent) of the overall scientists engaged in teaching, research and extension education activity were found in middle toold age group, slightly less than three-fourth (74.00 per cent) of the overall scientists had education up to doctoral level, slightly more than half of the overall scientists had rural native, were having more than 10 years of total service experience as a teacher, researcher and extension educationist and a vast majority (93.33 per cent) of the overall scientists had annual income more than `5.01 lakhs.

The present study was conducted in Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh with the objective to identify the mode of marketing, sources of information and constraints faced by flower growers. A total of 60 flower growers were selected which constituted of 40 marigold growers and 20 gladiolus growers. The finding of the study revealed that majority of the respondents (66.67 %) sold their product directly in the market. The other farmers were the main source of information (65 %). Majority (65 %) of the respondents indicated high cost of insecticides and pesticides as the main constraints faced in production followed by pest problems (38.33 %). In case of marketing constraints the dominating constraint was fluctuation in the market price (100 %).

The field experiment was carried out to know the response of soil and foliar application of micronutrients (i.e., zinc, iron and boron) on flowering and fruit characters of sapota cv. Kalipatti under HDP system at Kittur Rani Chennamma College of Horticulture, Arabhavi during 2015-2016. Zinc and iron sulphates are used for soil and foliar application, boron for soil application sodium tetraborate (Jai bore) and for the foliar application solubor were used. The results indicated that the foliar application T10 -RDF + 0.5% ZnSO4 + 0.5% FeSO4 + 0.3% B per tree (i.e. in two times as foliar i.e. 1st at 50 per cent flowering and another at fruits at pea size) was shown reduced number of days (29 days) for flower initiation, flower opening fruit set (29.50 days), days taken to reach harvesting stage (195 days), maximum number of flowers ((16.95) and fruits (2.90) per shoot and the highest per cent fruit set (23.03%) and fruit retained (85.61%) at harvesting stage were noticed. Also it gave superior fruit characters like fruit weight (111.33 g), fruit length (6.06cm), fruit girth (5.78cm) and fruit volume (100.50ml) were noticed where as the lowest values was noticed in control (T1), and water spray (T2).