Andhra Research Articles

Aflatoxin Contamination of Livestock Feeds and Feed Ingredients in Andhra Pradesh

Aflatoxin Contamination of Livestock Feeds and Feed Ingredients in Andhra Pradesh

Site Suitability Analysis for Farmlands in Agro-Climatic Zone of Andhra Pradesh using Geo-Spatial Techniques

Abstract: The Anantapur region has moderately healthy vegetation, which produces impressive biodiversity, climate variations, and a variety of wildlife and flora. As a result, the southern areashave a lot of room for agricultural growth to support rural economies. The Northern part's potential for agriculture in this region has been limited by several physical obstacles, including ahigh slope and elevation, built-up area, a lack of irrigation infrastructure, dry soil, poor rainfall, and socio-economic problems. Planning the expansion of agricultural output can benefit from researching a location's suitability for a particular purpose. Using a GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making technique based on DEM and Landsat 8 satellite data, AHP will be utilised to evaluate site suitability for agricultural production in unused areas. A pairwise comparison matrix will be used to set the weights. It will help to determine whether hilly terrain is suitable for farming using the study's techniques, approaches, and findings.

Assessment and Hydro Chemical Classification of Groundwater Quality in the Western Delta Region of the Godavari River, Andhra Pradesh: Suitability for Drinking Purpose

The Godavari River is the largest river in southern India, flowing through five states before entering the Bay of Bengal in Andhra Pradesh. Historically, the Godavari Basin has shared water flows among its six states. However, due to declining rainfall and surface water flow, farmers and villagers have increasingly relied on groundwater for their daily activities, including drinking and agriculture. To evaluate the suitability of groundwater for drinking and other uses, the current study analyzed physical and chemical parameters, such as pH, TDS, Alkalinity, Total hardness, Sodium, Potassium, and chlorides, in parts of the Godavari Western Delta using APHA methods. Comparisons were made with the standard limits recommended by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Results showed that most chemical parameters had higher values during the summer season compared to other seasons. Furthermore, based on the TDS classification, 90% of the samples were classified as brackish water; based on the EC classification, 40.90% of the samples were categorized as saline; and based on the chlorides/Stuyfzand classification, 40.90% of the samples were classified as brackish water during the summer season. Additionally, most water samples in the study area were categorized as hard or very hard based on the total hardness.

Anxiety and Depression among patients with chronic pain

Background: Chronic pain is a pervasive and debilitating state experienced by many individuals across the globe. It produces a wide range of physiological impact which are well documented in literature but the psychological impact which is also equally profound has not received much attention. This study aims to investigate severity of anxiety and depression in patients with chronic pain that contributes to the development of holistic and effective treatment approaches. Materials and Methods: A non-experimental descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted. Non probability purposive sampling was used to recruit a sample of 50 patients with chronic pain attending OPD services in a secondary hospital, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. Patients who aged between 20 and 70 years with a chronic pain for at least 3 months were included. Patients with malignant pain were excluded. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was used to capture data on anxiety and depression. Results: The mean anxiety score on HADS was 9.2 (SD-3.72) and depression score was 8.48 (SD-3.23). Nearly one third of participants (32%) reported abnormal level of anxiety and 26% had reported abnormal depression. There is no significant association found between level of anxiety and Sociodemographic variables such as age, gender, marital status, type of family, education and occupation. Level of depression showed a significant association with age (p=0.042). Conclusion: Patients with chronic pain experience varying degrees of anxiety and depression. Routine assessment of these attributes would help the healthcare team to plan patient-tailored interventions to manage pain and to prevent anxiety and depression.

Market Concentration of Branded Rice in Kerala

In Kerala rice is a staple diet. As per the information from Kalady Rice Millers’ Consortium, 40 per cent of the consumers in Kerala prefer branded rice, and out of this Kerala absorbs only 16 per cent, the rest of the branded rice is from outside states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. This study investigates the market concentration of Kerala’s branded rice market, focusing on the dominance of a few key players and its market share, pricing power, and concentration. The analysis employs four-firm concentration ratio, the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), Gini coefficient and the Lorenz curve to reveal an oligopolistic structure, where a small number of firms control a substantial portion of the market. Major players like Pavizham, Keerthi Nirmal, Periyar, Kottaram, and Jayabharath, alongside the Kalady Rice Miller’s Consortium, play a crucial role in shaping the branded rice market in Kerala. The study involved a survey conducted between November 2023 and June 2024, with a random sample of 10 non-exporters, 5 exporters, and one co-operative rice mill, selected from the 46 branded rice manufacturers in the state, predominantly from Ernakulam and Palakkad districts. The findings of the study highlighted that the branded rice market in Kerala had an oligopolistic behaviour. This research fills a gap in understanding the distribution of market power in Kerala’s rice industry and offers suggestions for fostering greater competition and inclusivity in the market.

Molecular Characterization and Antibiogram of <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> Isolated from Fish Sold in Markets of Tirupati, India

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an emerging opportunistic pathogen and is one of the pathogens in the acronym ESKAPE representing a global threat to human health associated with antimicrobial resistance. The present study aimed for molecular characterization, virulence gene profiling and antimicrobial resistance studies of P. aeruginosa isolated from 200 fish samples collected from different fish markets in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, India. Of the 200 fish samples screened, 30.5% were confirmed as P. aeruginosa by PCR, targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Among the positive isolates, it was found that 70.4% and 75.4% of the isolates harbored toxA and exoS virulence markers, respectively. All 61 P. aeruginosa isolates recovered were phenotypically characterized for antimicrobial resistance patterns by the disc diffusion method. The study has found 100% resistance against erythromycin followed by 98.4% resistance to amoxicillin, 91.8% resistance against tetracycline, 88.5% resistance to vancomycin and cotrimoxazole, 45.9% resistance to ciprofloxacin, 44.2% resistance against cefepime and 9.9% resistance to gentamicin. The MAR indices were in the range from 0.5 to 1.0. The prevalence of multiple antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa harboringvirulence genes in fish can pose a serious threat and hazard to public health through the consumption of raw or undercooked fish.

Longitudinal analysis of growth and nutritional disparities across socio-demographics from early childhood to adolescence: Findings from the Indian cohort of the Young Lives Survey.

Previous studies generally used cross-sectional data and focused on under-five children to assess the risk factors for malnutrition among Indian children. Some recent studies have reported that recovery from or faltering in malnutrition is possible after five years of age, but socio-demographic subgroup disparities have not been explored. This study aims to find the longitudinal disparity in height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ) and body-mass-index-for-age Z-scores (BMIAZ scores) across various sub-groups of a cohort from childhood to adolescence. This study used a cohort from the Young Lives Survey, which followed children aged of 1-15 years between 2002 and 2016-17 in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India. Mixed-effect models were applied to find the main, time, and interaction effects of HAZ scores and BMIAZ scores. In addition, an extended Kitagawa-Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition approach to assess group-based differences over time was used. The cross-sectional prevalence of stunting reduced across all subgroups, while thinness rose during the same period. The interactions of child sex, mother's education, place of residence, wealth index, and antenatal care with time were statistically significant at p <0.05. The gender disparity in adjusted HAZ score decreased from 0.214 units at 1 year to 0.011 units at 15 years, whereas BMIAZ score differential increased from 0.106 to 0.538 units over same timeframe. Disparities in scores were also observed across rural-urban, maternal education, social group, religion, socioeconomic status, maternal age at birth, antenatal care, and premature birth status. The study sheds light on the nuanced dynamics of paediatric growth, emphasising the importance of longitudinal approaches in understanding and addressing the health disparities across different stages of childhood and adolescence.

Long-Term Morphological Analysis of a Coastal Inlet: Insights from Nawabpet Beach, Andhra Pradesh, India

Long-Term Morphological Analysis of a Coastal Inlet: Insights from Nawabpet Beach, Andhra Pradesh, India

A Molecular Approach to Understand the Involvement of Mycoplasma in Suppurative Otitis Cases of Cattle in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh

In bovines the economic losses mainly due to the outbreak of diseases, leads to mortality, morbidity, treatment cost and reduced production. Recently in August month of 2024, received 13 bovine suppurativeotitis samples from outbreak in KuppamMandal of Chittoor district. The history having the purulent discharges with foul smell from ear infections of cattle that to crossbreed cattle of all age groups are affected. After 5 days of appearing aural discharges the animals were also shown the nervous signs, head tilting and other clinical findings includes unilateral or bilateral ear droop, epiphora, ptosis, abnormal nystagmus, strabismus, regurgitation, stiff neck, opisthotonus, facial hyperesthesia, purulent aural discharge, nasopharyngeal collapse, recumbency and finally death were noticed in severely affected animals. All the samples were processed for cultural tests by inoculating in PPLO selective broth and selective media PPLO agar then incubated anaerobically at 370C and observed the color development in broth pink to yellow color after 3- 5 days of incubation indicative of positive growth and fried egg micro colonies on selective PPLO agar media after 8-14 days of incubation observed under low power and 40X. The DNA was isolated from all the samples and screened for presence of Mycoplasma by targeting 16s rRNA gene and found that out of 13 samples 10 were positive for genus Mycoplasma and produced the predicted 280bp size product in all positive samples. The suppurativeotitis in cattle usually is caused by Actinomyces spp., Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis, E. coli, Heamophilus, P.multocida, Pseudomonas spp, Streptococcus spp., and Mycoplasma bovis. This study was targeted only the emerging pathogen i.e the cellwall deficient bacteria Mycoplasma because of infections is hampered by a lack of effective vaccines and specific treatments, leads to increasing trends in antimicrobial resistance. Concluded that isolation and identification of the pathogenic ........

Mental health needs of tribal college students in Araku Valley

The indigenous tribal population in India, often residing in remote and underserved regions, represents a marginalized minority with limited access to healthcare, particularly mental health services. Despite the pressing need, there is a scarcity of research focusing on the mental health challenges faced by adolescents and young adults within these communities. This study addresses this gap by examining the mental health needs of tribal college students in the Araku Valley region of Andhra Pradesh, India. The study sample comprised 291 participants (118 males, 173 females), representing adolescents and young adults from various tribal backgrounds. Utilizing the Students Counseling Needs Questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire-30, the study identified alarmingly high prevalence rates of mental health concerns, including uncontrollable disturbing thoughts (73.18%), loneliness (62.19%), depression (57.04%), phobias (54.97%), and suicidal ideation or attempts (39.16%). Notably, the study revealed a trend of decreasing mental health needs with advancing age, suggesting that adolescents are more vulnerable than young adults. Furthermore, significant gender differences were observed, with female students reporting higher family-related needs compared to male students. These findings provide critical insights into the mental health challenges faced by tribal college students and have important implications for policy development and educational practices aimed at addressing the unique needs of this population. Educators at tribal institutions can use these findings to address the mental health needs of tribal students.

Isolation, Screening and Identification of Biosurfactant Producing Strain Nocardiopsis dassonvillei var B2 From Oil Contaminated Soil.

Petroleum and other oil manufacturing industries contribute to environmental pollution by releasing hazardous hydrocarbons. Biosurfactants offer a sustainable solution for mitigating oil pollution through emulsification processes, safeguarding agricultural soils, aquatic ecosystems, and human health. This study focuses on isolating, screening, and identifying actinomycetes producing biosurfactant from oil-polluted soil in the naval dockyard of Visakhapatnam. Biosurfactant production was successfully achieved utilizing Kim's medium, which was supplemented with olive oil serving as the carbon source. The evaluation involved preliminary identification tests, including oil displacement, Parafilm-M, and lipase activity assays, using sodium lauryl sulfate as the standard reference. Surface tension and emulsification index measurements were conducted, and the chemical composition of glycolipids and phospholipids was elucidated using phenol-sulfuric acid and phosphate assays. Glycolipids, specifically identified as rhamnolipids, were confirmed via cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) testing and quantitatively analyzed using the orcinol method. The cell-free broth exhibited antagonistic activity against Gram-positive and negative bacilli.16S rRNA sequencing-based phylogenetic analysis was carried out by the NCIM, Pune, with the gene sequence being deposited in GenBank. Further characterization of isolate B2 included scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis, as well as physiological and biochemical assays. This study highlights the ability of Nocardiopsis dassonvillei var. B2, isolated from oil-polluted soil, to produce biosurfactants, specifically glycolipids identified as rhamnolipids. Our findings represent the first reported instance of biosurfactant production from isolate B2 originating from the naval dockyard in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Combining Ability and Heterosis Analysis in Maize: Insights from Line × Tester Hybridization

Fifty hybrids were obtained by crossing twenty five lines with two testers and were evaluated to study heterosis and combining ability for kernel yield per plant and its components traits. The experiment was laid out in simple lattice design with two replications during kharif 2019 at Agricultural Research Station, Peddapuram, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh. Heterosis studies revealed that twelve out of fifty crosses exhibited significant positive heterosis over the mid-parent, five crosses showed significant positive heterosis over the better parent and one cross exhibited significant positive heterosis over the standard check, DHM117, for kernel yield per plant. The cross PDM1732 × BML6 recorded significant heterosis over mid parent, better parent and standard check in desirable direction for kernel yield per plant. Out of the 25 lines evaluated in the present investigation, the line PDM1733 for protein content and kernel yield per plant was found to be good general combiner in desirable direction and can be utilized as parent for production of good hybrids by crossing with other divergent lines and can also be employed in the development of synthetic varieties. None of the fifty crosses recorded significant sca effect for kernel yield per plant.

Morbidity Profile And Nutritional Assessment Of School Children In The Rural Field Practice Area Under Government Medical College, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh: A Descriptive Cross‐Sectional Study

Morbidity Profile And Nutritional Assessment Of School Children In The Rural Field Practice Area Under Government Medical College, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh: A Descriptive Cross‐Sectional Study

Evaluating the IUCN conservation status of Tritaxis kurnoolensis (R.R.V.Raju &amp; Pull.) R.Y.Yu. &amp; Welzen (Euphorbiaceae), an endemic tree species found in the Eastern Ghats region of Andhra Pradesh, India

Tritaxis kurnoolensis, a small tree of the Euphorbiaceae family, is endemic to a valley within the Sullavai Sandstone plateau in close proximity to the Paleru Reservoir (Owk dam). The species is a narrow endemic. No documented sightings of this species have been recorded beyond the type locality since its description in 1994 by Venkataraju &amp; Pullaiah as Dimorphocalyx kurnoolensis from the Nandyal District of Andhra Pradesh. In this study, the authors applied the grid method for quantification and subjected the species to a meticulous analysis aligning with IUCN Red List Criteria. The distribution was found to be restricted due to habitat (valley) fragmentation, reservoir which is arresting seed dispersal, and destruction caused by tunnel construction civil works. The area of occupancy (AOO) at 16 km² and the extent of occurrence (EOO) at 0.474 km², were systematically computed using GeoCAT. The species is assessed here using the Red List methodology for evaluating extinction risk. Based on its AOO, EOO, and population size, it has been classified as Critically Endangered.

Evaluation of Field Performance of Groundnut Varieties through Different Vigour Tests

A field experiment was carried out to evaluate the field performance of groundnut varieties through different vigour tests during Rabi, 2023-24 at S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Andhra Pradesh. The experimental material consisted of 10 groundnut varieties Narayani, Dharani, Dheeraj, TCGS-1694, Nithya Haritha, Kadiri-9, Kadiri-6, Kadiri Amaravathi, Kadiri-1812 and TAG-24 collected from different sources. In the preliminary experiment seed multiplication was done and the multiplied seed was used for conducting six vigour tests namely Germination test, speed of germination test, Seedling vigour index-Ⅰ, Seedling vigour index-Ⅱ, Accelerated ageing test, Electrical conductivity test in the laboratory using Completely Randomised Design with four replications. The multiplied seed was used for evaluating field performance using Randomised block design with three replications. Significant differences were found among the varieties based on vigour levels. Results with respect to field experiment showed that growth parameters i.e. field emergence percentage, days to 50 % flowering, days to maturity, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, pod yield per plant, kernel yield per plant, pod yield per plot, plant height, shelling percentage, 100 seed weight and harvest index varied significantly among different varieties based on different vigour levels. Varieties with higher vigour had shown higher field emergence percentage. Among the ten varieties Kadiri-6 had shown highest field emergence percentage. Significant correlation was observed among laboratory and field experiments. Vigorous varieties were able to perform better in terms of some of the field parameters and among all the vigour tests performed speed of germination test had high correlation with field emergence.

Assessment of radioactivity levels and dose metrics in coastal drinking water sources of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, India

Assessment of radioactivity levels and dose metrics in coastal drinking water sources of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, India

Prevalence of Co-infection of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy at A Tertiary Care Centre, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India

Prevalence of Co-infection of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus among Human Immunodeficiency Virus Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy at A Tertiary Care Centre, Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India

Historical Background, Origin, Distribution &amp; Present Status of Wood Apple

Wood apple (Feronia limonia L.; Rutaceae family) commonly known as poor man’s fruit in India due to its several nutraceutical importance, is native to South India and Sri Lanka. Sanskrit term, “kapittha,” receives several mentions in a number of ancient texts including “Hinduism: an Alphabetical Guide”. Buddhist scholar mentioned wood apple as an Indian fruit while, military commander and poet Chauvundaraya (940-989AD) listed wood apple in numerous medicinal remedies and also mentioned in Charak Samhita and Sushruta Samhita. Wood apple has been planted extensively or being allowed to grow naturally in the reserved forests throughout Southeast Asia, Northern Malaysia and on Penang Island. In India, it is more common in Deccan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhatishgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Odisha, however, no data is available for its area and production. Unfortunately, the lack of attention has meant that their potential value is under-exploited and they are in danger of continued genetic erosion, ultimately leading to disappearance. Therefore, it is necessary to spread the awareness of its importance among common people and researches to identify superior genotypes, production problems of wood apple for their ex-situ collection, conservation, evaluation and utilization that is being explained by this study after having various literatures available in different forms from different sources. This review article will help future researchers to conserve as well as explore the possible benefits of this crop to the common people harnessing societal value of growers.

Performance Evaluation of Tomato Hybrids Arka Samrat and Arka Abedh in Alluri Sitarama Raju District of Andhra Pradesh, India

Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Pandirimamidi, DR. YSRHU conducted on farm trials from 2019-20 to 2021-22, in four selected villages involving eighteen farmers covering an area of 4.5 acres. The principal objective of this study was varietal assessment of high yielding tomato hybrids i.e. Arka Abedh (multiple disease resistant) and Arka Samrat (triple disease resistant) for ascertaining and recommending the cultivars best suited for the region. The results showed that tomato hybrid Arka Abhed (T2) (528.23 q/ha, 564.65 q/ha and 589.78 q/ha) proved to be the best in yield followed by Arka Samrat (T3) (501.24 q/ha, 538.67 q/ha and 558.75 q/ha) and INDAM - Rashmi hybrid (T1) (402.72 q/ha, 434.55 q/ha and 455.45 q/ha) for the three consecutive years of the study. The net returns increased steadily in the demonstration plots ranged from Rs. 2,54,261/- to Rs. 3,38,074/- in tomato hybrid Arka Abhed, whereas tomato hybrid Arka Samrat recorded Rs. 2,35,368/- to Rs. 3,13,250/- from 2019-20 to 2021-22. An Extension gap of 125.51 to 134.33 q/ha and 98.52 to 103.30q/ha were recorded in Arka Abhed and Arka Samrat respectively. Technology Index for tomato hybrids observed as i.e. INDAM - Rashmi (13.24%), Arka Abhed (18.65%) and Arka Samrat (30.15%).

OPEN-PIT LIMESTONE MINING AREAS MAPPING AND ASSESSMENT USING RANDOM FOREST ALGORITHM FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Limestone excavation is prone to land use/cover change, which impacts the ecosystem. The objective of this paper is to use a remote sensing dataset and the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) to map and assess active captive limestone mining sites at the Yerraguntla in the YSR Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, India, for the year 2019. In this paper, the Limestone mining area was assessed as 379.57 ha with an overall accuracy of 95.79%, user accuracy of 97.25%, producer accuracy of 99.18%, and kappa coefficient of 0.957 by analyzing Sentinel-2A imagery dataset with Random Forest (RF) classifier. The findings were assessed in 2019 using very high-resolution (&lt;1m) Google Earth images (486.47 ha) from Google Earth Pro and industrial field survey reports (487.10 ha). This research helps Limestone mine owners and Environmental engineers implement eco-friendly mining operations and monitor mining progress at low cost with less human efforts for sustainable development.