Effects of soaking and steaming steps, individually on selected starch characteristics and GI of Pusa Basmati 1121 rice was evaluated. Rough rice was soaked at seven different temperatures (40-80°C) and soaking effect on starch content, Am/Ap ratio, pasting properties, starch crystallinity, degree of gelatinization, grain transparency and GI of rice was determined. Similarly, rough rice was soaked at 65°C for 345 min and subsequently steamed at different steaming conditions to determine the steaming effect on these quality parameters. Starch content, Am/Ap ratio, crystallinity, DG and GI of raw rice was determined as 73.24%, 0.59, 28.49%, 5.59% and 58.41, respectively. Soaking reduced the crystallinity up 14.08% whereas steaming reduced it up to 5.72%. Similar trend was observed for other parameters also. Both soaking and steaming decreased the pasting viscosities, converted crystalline form of starch into amorphous one, imparted translucency to the grains, and decreased the GI. However, soaking step achieved partial gelatinization whereas steaming step achieved complete gelatinization of starch. Soaking step absorbed the moisture to swallow the starch granules whereas steaming step ruptured the crystalline polyhedral structure to yield compact, amorphous and translucent rice.

A field experiment was carried out during summer season of 2016 at Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Sardarkrushinagar to study the “effect of seed priming, plant geometry and nutrient management on growth, quality, yield and nutrient acquisition of summer greengram [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek]". Sixteen treatment combinations consisting of two spacing viz., 30 × 10 cm and 30 × 20 cm tested with and without seed priming and four nutrient management viz., N1 (100% RDF), N2 (50% RDF through fertilizer + 50% RDF through FYM), N3 (50% RDF through fertilizer + 50% RDF through vermicompost) and N4 (50% RDF through fertilizer + 50% RDF through castor cake) were evaluated in factorial randomized block design with three replications. Greengram was sown at distance of 30 cm × 10 cm with seed priming recorded significantly higher plant height at 30 and 60 DAS, number of seeds/pod, protein yield and seed yield (1035 kg/ha). Nitrogen and phosphorus uptake was also significantly higher under 30 cm × 10 cm planting geometry with seed priming. Among the integrated nutrient management treatment application of 50% RDF through fertilizer + 50% RDF through castor cake recorded significantly higher plant height at 60 DAS, protein content (23.26%), protein yield (231 kg/ha) and seed yield (994 kg/ha) as well as N (54.24 kg/ha) and P (10.83 kg/ha) uptake.

Mouldy core, core rot of apple caused by Alternaria alternata has emerged an economically important disease causing direct losses in the field and storage. Bio-efficacy of seven plant extracts, plant oils, bio-agents, systemic fungicides and non systemic fungicides were evaluated under in vitro conditions against the causal agent of mouldy core, core rot. It is evident from the data that among the plant extracts Dodonia viscosa showed the maximum inhibitory effect (66.55%). Among the plant oils Cinnamomum camphora oil showed the maximum inhibitory effect (8.74%). Among the bio-agents Trichoderma hamatum exhibited maximum mycelial growth inhibition (55.13%). Among the systemic fungicides, difenoconazole showed maximum inhibition in conidial germination (93.50%) with no conidia germination at 250 ppm concentration and 100 percent inhibition of mycelia growth in all the test concentration. Among the non systemic fungicides iprodione + carbendazim showed the maximum inhibition in conidial germination (86.02%) and mycelia growth inhibition (82.09%)) of the pathogen.

The present study was conducted in Thane district of Konkan region of Maharashtra state. The objective of the study was to assess adoption level of selected agricultural technologies of rice crop by Warli Tribal farmers. Out of fifteen tehsils, two tehsils were selected on the basis of higher production of rice. From each selected tehsil, six villages were selected on the basis of higher production of rice. Total twelve villages were selected randomly. From each selected village 10 rice growers were selected from each village making a total sample of 120 farmers. The data were collected through personal interview method. The result of the study showed that58.33 per cent of the respondents had ‘partially’ adopted high yielding varieties like Karjat-3, Palghar-1, Ratna, Karjat-1, Sahydri-1, Sahydri-3,Large majority of (91.66 per cent) the respondents had ‘not’ adopted Use of urea brickets and about 91.66 per cent of the respondents had ‘not’ adopted after transplanting use of urea brickets at 7-10cm depth by hand, in square of four seedlings within same day, large majority (85 per cent) of the respondents had ‘not’ adopted the practice ‘Releasing trichocard as egg parasite,85.83 per cent of the respondents had ‘not’ adopted the practice, application of insecticides such as carbofuran, phorate or quinolphos, also the practice of at nursery stage spray quinolphos 25 E.C. @ 1600 ml/ 250 liters of water, respectively, 85 per cent of the respondents had ‘not’ adopted the practice of use of Trichoderma spp and bacillus spp, 81.66 per cent of the respondents had ‘not’ adopted the use of Pankaj puddler, 95.00 per cent of the respondents did ‘not’ adopted the use of husk operated Chula. Regarding extent of adoption, 70.83 per cent of the respondents had ‘medium’ adoption of the selected agricultural technologies of rice crop, while 15.00 per cent and 14.17 per cent of the respondents had ‘high’ and ‘low’ adoption, respectively.

The study was conducted to know the preference pattern of agrowon daily readers from Ratnagiri District. The findings of the study revealed that preferences of readers regarding the various aspects of subject matter, style of writing and source of information was first preference, majority (93.00per cent) of the respondents for agriculture, horticulture (79.00 per cent), (90.00per cent) news, articles (67.00per cent) and (77.00 per cent) news agency, respectively. Regarding second preference, (59.00 per cent) sericulture, animal husbandry and dairy science (55.00 per cent), majority (56.00 per cent) success stories, letters to editors (55.00 per cent) and (56.00 per cent) special correspondence, respectively, (45.00 per cent) short news, (62.00 per cent) khala, puzzles (59.00 per cent) and 54.00%) VNMAU, Parbhani, (44.00per cent) Dr. PDKV, Akola, respectively, third preference was observed of agrowon daily readers from Ratnagiri District.