This book presents peer-reviewed articles from the International Conference on Optics and Electro-optics, ICOL-2019, held at Dehradun in India. It brings together leading researchers and professionals in the field of optics/optical engineering/optical materials and provides a platform to present and establish collaborations in this important area, with the theme "Trends in Electro-optics Instrumentation for Strategic Applications". Topics covered but not limited to are Optical Engineering, Optical Thin Films, Optical Materials, IR Sensors, Image Processing & Systems, Photonic Band Gap Materials, Adaptive Optics, Optical Image Processing & Holography, Lasers, Fiber Lasers & its Applications, Diffractive Optics, Innovative packaging of Optical Systems, Nanophotonics Devices and Applications, Optical Interferometry & Metrology, Terahertz, Millimeter Wave & Microwave Photonics, Fiber, Integrated & Nonlinear Optics and Optics and Electro-optics for Strategic Applications.

This book presents peer-reviewed articles from the International Conference on Optics and Electro-optics, ICOL-2019, held at Dehradun in India. It brings together leading researchers and professionals in the field of optics/optical engineering/optical materials and provides a platform to present and establish collaborations in this important area, with the theme "Trends in Electro-optics Instrumentation for Strategic Applications". Topics covered but not limited to are Optical Engineering, Optical Thin Films, Optical Materials, IR Sensors, Image Processing & Systems, Photonic Band Gap Materials, Adaptive Optics, Optical Image Processing & Holography, Lasers, Fiber Lasers & its Applications, Diffractive Optics, Innovative packaging of Optical Systems, Nanophotonics Devices and Applications, Optical Interferometry & Metrology, Terahertz, Millimeter Wave & Microwave Photonics, Fiber, Integrated & Nonlinear Optics and Optics and Electro-optics for Strategic Applications.

Marker-assisted plant breeding involves the application of molecular marker techniques and statistical and bioinformatics tools to achieve plant breeding objectives in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner. This book is intended for beginners in the field who have little or no prior exposure to molecular markers and their applications, but who do have a basic knowledge of genetics and plant breeding, and some exposure to molecular biology. An attempt has been made to provide sufficient basic information in an easy-to-follow format, and also to discuss current issues and developments so as to offer comprehensive coverage of the subject matter. The book will also be useful for breeders and research workers, as it offers a broad range of up-to-the-year information, including aspects like the development of different molecular markers and their various applications. In the first chapter, the field of marker-assisted plant breeding is introduced and placed in the proper perspective in relation to plant breeding. The next three chapters describe the various molecular marker systems, while mapping populations and mapping procedures including high-throughput genotyping are discussed in the subsequent five chapters. Four chapters are devoted to various applications of markers, e.g. marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, diversity analysis, finger printing and positional cloning. In closing, the last two chapters provide information on relevant bioinformatics tools and the rapidly evolving field of phenomics.

Biofertilizers, Volume One: Advances in Bio-inoculants provides state-of-the-art descriptions of various approaches, techniques and basic fundamentals of BI used in crop fertilization practices. The book presents research within a relevant theoretical framework to improve our understanding of core issues as applied to natural resource management. Authored by renowned scientists actively working on bio-inoculant, biofertilizer and bio-stimulant sciences, the book addresses the scope of inexpensive and energy neutral bio-inoculant technologies and the impact regulation has on biofertilizer utilization. This book is a valuable reference for agricultural/environmental scientists in academic and corporate environments, graduate and post-graduate students, regulators and policymakers.

Plant Breeding and Cultivar Development features an optimal balance between classical and modern tools and techniques related to plant breeding. Written for a global audience and based on the extensive international experience of the authors, the book features pertinent examples from major and minor world crops. Advanced data analytics (machine learning), phenomics and artificial intelligence are explored in the book's 28 chapters that cover classical and modern plant breeding. By presenting these advancements in specific detail, private and public sector breeding programs will learn about new, effective and efficient implementation. The insights are clear enough that non-plant breeding majoring students will find it useful to learn about the subject, while advanced level students and researchers and practitioners will find practical examples that help them implement their work.

In India, soybean (Glycine max) has established one of the major oilseed crops besides being pulse crop. In the North East India, it is grown on slopes, jhum lands, terraces and plains. In spite of high yield potential, it productivity is much less than the world average. Cultivation of soybean on marginal land combined with sub optimal nutrients supply is the major hurdle in realising potential productivity. Sulphur is required for the synthesis of sulphur-containing amino-acids cystine, cystein and methionine which are essential components of protein. Soybean is very sensitive to boron deficiency as well. It requires an adequate supply of boron, especially during flowering and seed development. Its deficiency may cause restriction of water absorption, carbohydrate metabolism and even sterility. Recently the importance of boron has also been recognized in the development of embryo and synthesis of protein. Boron deficiency is known to inhibit economic yield. Soybean cultivation on acidic soils of northeast India is on rise but both of these vital nutrients are widely deficient in the region due to extreme acidity, excessive rainfall and very low use of mineral fertilizers.

Drought is a normal, recurrent climatic feature that occurs in virtually every climatic zone around the world, causing billions of dollars in loss annually for the farming community. Crops are selected across the country to normal rainfall conditions. If any deviation in normal rainfall towards deficit, it will adversely affect the crop growth, development and production under rainfed conditions. The early break in monsoon, i.e. early season drought is the one which adversely affect the transplanting area of rice while the monsoon failure during July and August, i.e. intermittent drought is highly detrimental in the tropics to a larger extent. This resulted to a sudden decline in agricultural production despite the adaptation of improved technologies to mitigate the effect of drought. This book contains seven chapters. It deals with various basic and applied aspects of drought and dry spells on rice crop. It is illustrative with graphs, photographs, pictures and tables. Information on weather parameters are also incorporated in the end of chapters through table and graph. In addition, references alongwith bibliography has also been presented in the second and last seventh chapter.

The most challenging research areas of 21st century are maintaining the good environment, providing quality food and getting rescued from the environmental hazards increasing due to fast establishment of industries which in turn are also required to meet the demand of gradually expanding population throughout the world. This volume, 'Plant Disease Management for Food Security' embodies forty two research papers of scientists contributed throughout the country. The information on distribution, biology, epidemiology, and control of each pathogens and disease has been updated. The details of key potential diseases and their integrated diseases management (IDM) along with photographs will help the reader to identify diseases, the damage caused by them, and their natural enemies. IDM is also environment-friendly and safer for farmers and farm workers. The book is intended to serve as a text for advanced undergraduate and post graduate students of plant pathology and related discipline and as a reference source for teacher, researchers, students, technologists, extension workers, disease scouts, agribusiness personnel, and others interested in integrated diseases management.

Differentiation i.e. development of single cell into complex multicellular organs & tissues, results through selective gene expression which is specific to cell type, region & organ. Therefore, identification of biochemical markers during sequential stages of organogenesis could be used to identify early events of differentiation, embryogenic potential or serve as an indication of loss of regeneration capacity with culture age. Keeping in view these facts, this M. Phil. dissertation on T. indica, an important medicinal plant comprises of six chapters: Chapter-1 highlights background for selection of this plant species; Chapter-2 is compilation of relevant updated literature in the area of tissue culture, biochemical & SDS-PAGE studies; Chapter-3 deals with details of materials & techniques used; Chapter-4 presents the findings of study supported by tables, photographs & illustrations; Chapter-5 discusses the results in the light of available literature and Chapter-6 is summary of work followed by literature cited. This M. Phil. dissertation will be useful for reseachers working in the area of plant tissue culture & cell differentiation.

Infertility is known to us since ages. There is an alarming rate of increase of infertility cases especially in the young urban males in India. Keeping this in mind we took up this study to evaluate the role of Mesterolone in oligospermic males . We also compared the role of Mesterolone and the effects of a combined therapy of mesterolone and clomiphene citrate on semen parameters, effect on pituitary axis and liver function.Thirty males with idiopathic oligospermia were included in this study. Out of the thirty subjects,10 were given only tab mesterolone 50 mg b.d .Ten were given 50 mg of tab mesterolone 1 b.d and 25 mg of clomiphene citrate 1 o.d. The remaining 10 were used as controls and given tab vitamin C 75 mg b.d for 4 months. A follow- up study was conducted at the end of 100, 150 and 200 days for group A, B and C respectively.A complete semen analysis including the differential count was done. The study showed only mesterolone was not effective in comparison to the combination of mesterolone and clomiphene citrate which was much effective and showed 40% increase in sperm concentration.