Districts Of Tamil Nadu Research Articles

Exploration of Exopolysaccharide Producing Bacterial Cultures from Various Drought Affected Region

Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are extracellular macromolecules secreted by microorganisms play a vital role in improving soil aggregation as well as enhancing the water holding capacity of the soils. This study focuses onto the isolation and characterization of bacterial strains capable of producing Exopolysaccharides (EPS) from drought-affected soil regions across different districts of Tamil Nadu. The core objective revolves around the molecular identification of elite cultures and pivotal genes, responsible for EPS production namely dex (dextransucrase) by using the primer pair WConDex fw and WConDex rev at an amplification size of 1037 bp size. A total of 72 bacterial cultures were isolated from 67 soil samples that are capable of secreting EPS using specific medium.

Delineation and Mapping of Ground Water Quality in Kanchipuram District of Tamil Nadu Using GIS Techniques

Agriculture relies heavily on irrigation especially with groundwater which is a significant source in many countries. However, excessive use of groundwater can lead to a decrease in groundwater levels and cause scarcity of water. Irrigation requires good-quality water which is governed by dissolved ions. The groundwater quality is greatly influenced by global population growth, climate change and human activities including mining, agriculture, industrial effluents, seawater intrusion, household usage, etc., A study was conducted to evaluate the quality of groundwater for agriculture in various blocks of Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu. The sampling was done during March 2023 and about one hundred and fifty groundwater samples were collected from different blocks of the Kanchipuram district viz., Sriperumbudur(32 Nos), Kundrathur (28 Nos), Walajabad (34 Nos), Uthiramerur (29 Nos) and Kanchipuram (27 Nos). The physio-chemical (pH and EC) and chemical characteristics of the groundwater samples, including the cations Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+, as well as the anions CO32-, HCO3-, Cl-, and SO42-, were analyzed and the resulting properties were computed (SAR and RSC). The pH and EC values ranged from 3.29 to 8.49 and 0.09 to 5.22 dS m-1, respectively. The Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) ranged from nil to 32 meq L-1, while the Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) ranged from 0.19 to 34.78 mmol L-1. According to the CSSRI, Karnal Water Quality Classification about 38 percent of the samples falls in the good quality category, alkali water was about 57.33 percent and Saline water was 4.67 percent in Kanchipuram district. The Good quality water was dominant in Uthiramerur block followed by the Sriperumbudur block. The Saline and Alkali water was dominant in Sriperumbudur and Kanchipuram blocks respectively.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Livelihood Index among Millet Farmers Associated with Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) in Madurai District of Tamil Nadu

This study conducted in 2022 across the Sedapatti, Thirumangalam, and Usilampatti Blocks of Madurai District in Tamil Nadu, aimed to explore the Livelihood Index among Millet Farmers associated with Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs). Employing a sample size of 120 respondents through a proportionate random selection procedure, data collection was facilitated via structured personal interviews. The study unveiled that a majority of respondents (68.33%) exhibited a medium level of livelihood, characterized by access to all five capitals - Natural Capital, Physical Capital, Human Capital, Social Capital, and Financial Capital. Moreover, 19.16% reported a high level of livelihood, while 12.05% experienced a low level, This distribution underscores the varying degrees of resource accessibility among the surveyed individuals, shedding light on the diversity of livelihood conditions within the studied population. The study's findings emphasize that the elevated livelihoods of millet farmers and members of Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs) are strongly linked to their access to natural capital resources. It becomes evident that there is a notable requirement for improvement, particularly concerning financial capital, followed by social capital and human capital. The enhancement of these aspects holds the potential to empower respondents to efficiently harness the available capitals, thus fostering sustainable livelihoods. This suggests that strategic efforts towards bolstering financial resources, social networks, and individual capabilities are key to optimizing livelihood outcomes in the context of millet farming and FPO engagement.

Isolation and Characterization of Rice Blast and Brown Spot Disease in Different Regions of Tamil Nadu, India

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the most important staple food crop cultivated in almost every district of Tamil Nadu. Among the rice fungal diseases, rice blast caused by Pyricularia oryzae and brown spot caused by Bipolaris oryzae are considered to be most potent threats causing major yield losses in Tamil Nadu. The present study aims in identification and characterization of rice blast and brown spot pathogen from different rice growing regions of Tamil Nadu. Three isolates of blast pathogen and five isolates of brown spot pathogen were collected and characterized based on colony morphology and conidial characters. P. oryzae and B. oryzae was identified based on cultural and morphological characters. Molecular characterization of blast and brown spot isolates were done with universal ITS primers. Pathogenicity test was carried out for all the isolates of blast and brown spot and the isolate showing maximum disease incidence was found as virulent one. The present work of morphological and molecular characterization of blast and brown spot pathogen will therefore be helpful to identify and manage the disease effectively in Tamil Nadu.

Women Educators’ Satisfaction while Working from Home During Covid-19

Objective: The study aims to assess women educators’ satisfaction while working from home during COVID-19 in the higher education sector. The women educators were the respondents who work from home during this pandemic period from the four districts of Tamil Nadu.
 
 Theoretical Framework: During the COVID-19 pandemic, educator satisfaction is regarded as an important factor of quality while working from home, especially among women educators. The pandemic forced academic staffs at higher educational institutions to find alternative teaching strategies so that the curriculum could be completed without interruption. The pandemic has caused a tremendous jolt among all educators in higher educational institutions.
 
 Methods: Using the SPSS software, frequency distribution, percentage, and multiple regression analyses were performed on the data. The samples were collected from 120 women educators working in higher educational institutions from the districts of Tamil Nadu namely Ranipet, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, and Vellore. The structured questionnaire, which includes elements related to satisfaction while working from home, is the instrument utilized for data collection.
 
 Results & Conclusion: The findings of the research imply that most of the women educators in the study were not satisfied while working from home during the pandemic and they struggled to work in a home environment, and were not able to deliver the lectures properly using the online digital platform tools and they also had less satisfaction with the modes of communication during online classes.
 
 Implications of the Research: Uma vez que as mulheres se habituam a multitarefas, múltiplos papéis durante o período de pandemia são agitados, portanto, as instituições de ensino superior devem sugerir meios realistas e eficientes de fornecer cursos online por meio do WFH.
 
 Originality/Value: As descobertas do estudo provam que as educadoras não estão satisfeitas com o conceito de trabalho em casa durante o COVID-19.

Social Media Utilization by the Farmers of Coimbatore District in Tamil Nadu – An Analysis

Social Media Utilization by the Farmers of Coimbatore District in Tamil Nadu – An Analysis

Morpho-molecular Characterization of Carrot Soft Rot Incitant, Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp carotovoroum

Carrot is an important root vegetable which plays an important role in human health. Globally, Post harvest diseases are the major constraint in carrot production, especially soft rot which resulting in severe yield loss. Early diagnosis of these post-harvest diseases paves a way for reducing the economic losses. Carrot samples showing typical rotting symptoms were collected from markets of four different districts of Tamil Nadu and the pathogen involved were isolated. Severe carrot soft rot incidence (66.74%) was observed in samples collected from Ooty area of The Nilgiris district and the least disease incidence of (16.21%) was recorded in Perundurai of Erode district. Pathogenicity of soft rot pathogen were conducted and the virulent isolates were identified based on Percent Disease Index (PDI) showing >50% rotting falls under disease grade 9 using disease grade scale (0 to 9). The bacterial isolates (KPB-7 and OCB-5) causing soft rot were characterized using various biochemical assays where in they showed positive response for methyl red, H2S gas production, KOH and catalase tests besides showing negative response for gram’s reaction. Furthermore, molecular characterization of 16s rRNA region revealed the soft rot isolate (KPB-7) as Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp carotovorum (with an accession number OR251119).

Sustainability of Farmer Producer Organisation’s – Major constraints in functioning of FPO in Tamil Nadu, India

The concept of group formation and collectivization by organizing at the regional level is very important in the era of globalization and free trade liberalization. FPOs organize small farmers for forward linkages such as collective, marketing, processing, and market-driven agriculture production, as well as backward linkages for inputs like seeds, fertilizers, credit, insurance, knowledge, and extension services. Even though FPOs are doing well, still they face lot of challenges and struggle for their sustainability. Keeping these factors in view, the current study was done to determine the constraints, that Farmers' Producers Organization (FPO) faced for sustainable functioning. The study was conducted in Pennagaram block of Dharmapuri district in Tamil Nadu. 100 members of FPO were selected for the study. The interview schedule is used to collect the data. Rank Based Quotient (RBQ) was used to analyse the data collected. The results showed that lack of initiatives among the FPO members with the RBQ score of 83.83 under personal constraints, lack of well-developed processing facilities with the RBQ score of 90.00 under infrastructural constraints, lack of crop insurance facilities with the RBQ score of 93.00 under economic constraints, high transportation cost with the RBQ score of 95.17 under marketing constraints, weak economic status to run the organisation with the RBQ score of 86.38 under organisational constraints and lack of timely, cheap and good quality inputs with the RBQ score of 94.00 under technical constraints were the major constraints faced by the FPO members. Initiation among the FPO members, well developed processing and marketing facilities in their villages, provision of crop insurance for affected farmers, tax exemption, inclusion of their millets production in ration shops for supply are the suggestions expressed by the FPOs for their sustainability.

Utilization Behaviour of Digital Tools by Farmers for Marketing Their Produce during Covid-19 Lockdown Period

The present study was conducted to examine the role of digital tools in agricultural marketing during the Covid-19 lockdown period in Tamil Nadu. The study aimed to understand how farmers leveraged digital tools to overcome marketing difficulties in marketing their produce during the lockdown period. The research focused on the time spent on digital tools, the purpose for which farmers used digital tools, and the awareness of e-commerce web portals for marketing their produce. The research was conducted in three districts of Tamil Nadu, viz., Krishnagiri, Erode, and Madurai, which were selected based on highest production of tomatoes, banana, and jasmine respectively. The findings revealed that the time spent by farmers on phone calls increased for marketing their produce during Covid-19 lockdown period, followed by SMS/WhatsApp/Telegram messaging to engage in direct communication and share information with buyers. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, Digital payment platforms like Phonepe, Gpay, Bhim and E-commerce portals and apps were not used much by farmers for marketing their produce during the lockdown period. Most of the farmers used digital tools for getting market information, arranging transport and labour. However, farmers didn’t use the digital tools for processing and storage purposes., The awareness on E-commerce web portals among the farmers differed among the three crops. None of them were aware about the portals like Jaivik Kheti, Kisan Mandi, and Arya.ag. However, farmers had relatively higher awareness on e-NAM portal. These findings have implications for policy makers and stakeholders in devising strategies to enhance farmers' awareness and access to digital tools and to develop digital interventions for improving their marketing capabilities in times of crisis.

Adopter Categorization and Level of Adoption among Protected Cut Flower Growers

In India, Tamil Nadu occupies the first position in terms of area under flower cultivation then followed by Karnataka and West Bengal. Out of the 33 districts in Tamil Nadu, Krishnagiri district ranks first in cut flower production due to its suitability to climatic conditions. The cut flowers are by and large cultivated under protected conditions (poly greenhouse structure) to meet the quality standards as expected in the global trade arena. The present study was conducted to identify the adopter categories and their level of adoption with respect to protected cut flower cultivation technologies. An ex-post facto research design was used for the study. The first two intensive blocks (Thally & Hosur) cultivating cut flowers under protected methods were purposefully selected for the present study. From both blocks, six villages were selected, and the data were collected from 120 respondents among these twelve selected villages using a well-structured interview schedule. The collected data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, cumulative frequency, and principal component analysis (PCA). The results of the adopter categorization showed that 40.83 percent of respondents belonged to the early majority and only 5.00 percent were innovators. The results regarding the overall adoption of protected cultivation by each adopter category reported that 54.17 percent of respondents had medium-level adoption, in that 44.61 percent and 30.77 percent were early majority and late majority, respectively. The majority of respondents have a medium-level adoption of protected cultivation, leaving potential for growth among early majority and late majority adopters. Targeted strategies and incentives should address their specific needs, and encouraging more innovators to adopt can drive widespread adoption.

Health insurance policies and its awareness among the policyholders in Sivagangai district in Tamil Nadu: An analysis

Health insurance policies and its awareness among the policyholders in Sivagangai district in Tamil Nadu: An analysis

Nutritional status of rural school-going children (11-13 years) of Dharmapuri district, Tamil Nadu, South India

Background: The childhood years are characterized by rapid growth and development on both a physical and mental level. Compared to adults, they require a greater amount of nutrition per unit of body weight. The prevalence of undernutrition among schoolchildren is one of the foremost public health problems in developing countries such as India. Various studies have highlighted the burden of undernutrition nationwide among different groups in India. The objective of the present study was to assess the nutritional status of school children attending schools in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 972 school children of 11 to 13 years of age for 6 months by consecutive sampling technique. The children were assessed for nutritional status by clinical examination as well as anthropometric assessment and were compared with the WHO growth standards. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22 on the data obtained. Results: The mean age of the children was 12.11±0.8 of which 491(51%) were boys and 481 (49%) were girls. Among children, the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity was 565 (58%), 25 (2.6%), and 23 (2.4%) respectively. Conclusions: The burden of undernutrition is indeed a serious concern in the rural school children of Dharmapuri district in Tamilnadu. The importance of routine school health visits is stressed and this issue needs to be addressed promptly through a multipronged approach.

Response of Various Intercrops on Growth and Yield Attributes of Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) under Irrigated Situation

Intercropping in cotton is one of the best approachs to improve the food security and soil fertility in addition to that of generating cash income of the rural poor. At present intercropping is common in conventional agriculture to augment the land use and also symbolic in reducing the weeds infestation. But, introducing superfluity population of intercrops without reducing the base crop population is of preeminence. Therefore field experiments were conducted at farmer’s field located at Erode District in Tamil Nadu, India (during 2018-2019) to investigate the compatible, remunerative and best smothering intercrops on the base crop, cotton. The experiment was outlayed in randomized block design with three replications. The treatment encompass of seven treatments viz., Cotton alone (Gossypium hirsutum L.), Cotton + Blackgram (Vigna mungo), Cotton + Greengram (Vigna radiata), Cotton + Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), Cotton + Coriander (Coriandrum sativum), Cotton + Onion (Allium cepa) and Cotton + Sesame (Sesamum indicum). The study clearly showed that among the treatments Cotton + Cowpea showed superior response in growth attributes like plant height (harvest stage) (153.23 cm), LAI -Leaf Area Index at 70 DAS (6.18), DMP – Dry Matter Production at harvest ( 6788.01 kg per ha) and yield attributes like number of Monopodial branches per plant (3.22), number of Sympodial branches per plant (19.62), number of squares per plant (48.83), number of bolls per plant (32.23), boll weight (3.98 g) and seed cotton yield (2455.70 t ha-1) and next in order was Cotton + Blackgram. The result evidently proved that Cotton + Cowpea will be an appropriate intercropping system for cotton and it was having considerable increase in growth and yield of cotton.

Addition of three lesser known endemic species to the state flora of Tamil Nadu

Three lesser known endemic flowering plant species are reported here as additions to the flora of Tamil Nadu based on specimens collected from Bolampatty Reserve Forest of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu

Isolation, Identification and Characterization of Poultry Associated Bacterial Pathogens

In order to meet consumer demand, the global poultry business is constantly expanding; hence it is crucial to ensure the bio-safety of the poultry farms. In poultry farms, the main sources of bacterial development, increased antibiotic resistance, and environmental dispersion may be poultry feed, litter, and water. The focus of this research is on the identification and characterization of bacterial pathogens found in commercial poultry farms, drinking water samples, feed samples, and litter samples. The 100 samples were gathered from chicken farms in different districts of Tamil Nadu and transported to the lab for additional examination. Serial dilution was used to analyse the samples, which were then examined for colony morphology, microscopic features, and the biochemical traits of the bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas spp., Proteus spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Bacillus spp., staphylococcus spp., and Streptococcus spp. The disc diffusion method was used to evaluate bacterial isolates against various antibiotic drugs. The results of this research indicate that the main sources of bacterial infections are chicken feed, drinking water samples and poultry litter. Salmonella, Pseudomonas, and E. coli prevalence rates were 94%, 80%, and 75%, respectively. Chloramphenicol and Tetracycline both had overall antibiotic resistance rates of 65.65% and 59.23%, respectively. Public health is alarmingly threatened by the presence of these harmful microorganisms in poultry habitats. To reduce the chance of transmitting the bacterial diseases linked to poultry, strict hygiene procedures must be put in place. The use of antibiotics in chicken for promoting growth and illness prevention needs to be properly regulated and executed.

Ethics and professionalism among community health workers in Tamil Nadu, India: A qualitative study.

Community health workers (CHW) are the backbone of the public health system in developing countries. Little is known about the practice of ethics and professionalism in their work. This study was conducted to explore the experiential wisdom of ethics and professionalism among CHWs in Tamil Nadu. We conducted a qualitative study among 125 CHWs in six districts of Tamil Nadu. We found that the CHWs went beyond the call of their duty to do good to the community. Their conceptualization of autonomy ranged from shared to full paternalistic decision making. The CHWs were sensitive to issues of privacy and confidentiality, but the discussion on these topics were limited. They reflected the societal norms of gender, class, and caste hierarchies in their work. They had to work amidst difficult power struggles and had their own innovative strategies to subvert power. In conclusion, there is a need for framing a code of ethics and professionalism for CHWs and training in ethics and professionalism for them to help them effectively deliberate on ethical issues.

Respectful Maternity Care Practices During Normal Delivery at the Public Health Facilities in Tamil Nadu, Southern India: A Descriptive Study.

The quality of maternity care in Tamil Nadu has significantly improved in the past few years and various public health initiatives have helped to reduce crucial indicators like Maternal Mortality Ratio and Infant Mortality Rate. The improvement in quality of interface between the mothers and service providers in term of language, behaviour and attitude for ensuring 'Respectful Maternity Care' would support further enhancement of maternal and new born outcomes. Delivery of appropriate and respectful care to each pregnant woman would not only go a long way in reducing mortality and morbidity for the woman and new-born but also help in improved cognitive development of the baby. To assess the quality of delivery care practices provided during normal delivery among women accessing public health facilities in Tamil Nadu. A descriptive evaluation study was conducted from May to December 2018 in 16 facilities across 14 districts in Tamil Nadu. The health facilities were stratified according to the level of services, Government Medical College hospitals (MC), District headquarter hospitals (DHQ), Sub-district hospitals (SDH), and PHCs, 4 facilities in each category were selected. Data was collected by direct observation using a facility observation check list in an Android-based tablet application. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. A total of 1006 pregnant women out of 2242 women who had normal delivery were assessed and included in the study. More than 50% of deliveries were conducted by nurses and midwives and the perinatal and maternal outcomes were found to be good. The parameters for the respectful maternity care were recorded. Routine care monitoring parameters helped to reduce mortality rate and improved delivery care. The state though has achieved substantial success in promoting institutional delivery practices, still needs certain crucial improvements in the quality of respectful maternal care during the delivery.

Prediction and classification of groundwater quality index (WQI) using regression learning models

Groundwater has developed into a vital natural resource as a result of its significant use in home applications, particularly for drinking, as well as in the agricultural and in-dustrial sectors. The quality and quantity of groundwater have varied greatly across time and space. Water quality index (WQI) which depends on many parameters, remains a critical indicator of the quality of water, which leads to effective water management. The administrators will be benefitted if an automatic system for predicting water quality exists. The primary aim of this study is to design a model to predict the groundwater quality in different districts of Tamil Nadu, India, using machine learning techniques. The available data constitutes the physical and chemical characteristics of groundwater such as pH, electrical conductivity, water hardness, along with its suitability for irrigation and drinking purposes. In this study, many machine learning algorithms were implemented, and the results were compared.

CHARACTERISTICS OF GROUND WATER QUALITY AND DRINKING WATER QUALITY INDEX: A CASE STUDY OF CUDDALORE DISTRICT

The water and environment has become an emotive issue with the people and policy makers. The chief causes for the pollution of water and environment are anthropogenic activities of human beings. The primary objective of this paper is to study the groundwater quality parameters in the wells of Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu. The data is collected from the study area for two years i.e., 2002 and 2022. The groundwater contour analysis is done by using Geographical Information System (GIS). The water quality index has calculated based on Total Dissolved Substances (TDS), Nitrate (NO3), Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg), Chloride (Cl), Sulphate (SO4), Fluoride (F), Power of Hydrogen (pH) and Electrical Conductivity (EC) The study reveals that the concentration of major constituents is well within the permissible limits of Indian Standard, except in few cases where Electrical Conductivity, Chlorine and Sulphates concentrations are high. The overall ground water index reveals that the water quality in Cuddalore district has increased considerably from the year 2002 to 2022. Spatially, unsuitable area has increased from the year 2002 to 2022 similarly excellent suitability of drinking water is also increased during the same period. Hence, from the assessment it is recommended to take necessary steps to improve further for the protection of environment and human beings.

Land suitability evaluation for cattle grazing through multi-criteria approach using remote sensing and GIS

The current study aimed to map the potential grazing areas available in the Thondamuthur block of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu, India. Factors like distance from cattle location, distance from water sources (natural and manmade), slope, enhanced vegetation index (EVI) and land surface water index (LSWI) were considered. Various suitability classes (very high, high, moderate, low and very low) were derived for each factor and the final suitability map was prepared by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and weighted overlay techniques using Sentinel-2A data. The results revealed that the high suitability category occupied the largest area (14.81%) followed by the very high suitability category (3.57%). The moderate, low and very low suitability categories occupied a small per cent of the total area viz., 1.66%, 0.20% and 0.03%, respectively. The identified areas could be brought under scientific management for pasture development.