Districts Of Karnataka State Research Articles

A PCR-Based Assay for the Detection and Differentiation of Potential Fumonisin-Producing Fusarium verticillioides Isolated from Indian Maize Kernels

One hundred and three Fusarium isolates from maize samples collected from different districts of Karnataka state, India, were analyzed with genus-specific, species-specific, and potential fumonisin specific oligonucleotide primers. One set of genus-specific primers ITS F and ITS R based on a highly conserved ITS region of the genus Fusarium were used to differentiate Fusarium species from closely related genera. All the Fusarium species tested scored positive with the ITS pair of primers. Detection and identification of Fusarium verticillioides species was done by using a newly designed reverse primer VERT-R (5′- CGA CTC ACG GCC AGG AAA CC −3′) based on an intergenic spacer sequence (IGS) combined with an already designed forward primer VERTF-1 (5′-GCG GGA ATT CAA AAG TGG CC -3′) published previously. Out of 103 Fusarium species tested, 83 isolates of F. verticillioides scored positive for VERTF-1/ VERT-R species-specific pair of primers. Further to discriminate potential fumonisin-producing and nonproducing strains of F. verticillioides, the VERTF-1/VERTF-2 set of primers [VERTF-1 (5′-GCG GGA ATT CAA AAG TGG CC -3′) and VERTF-2 (5′-GAG GGC GCG AAA CGG ATC GG -3′)] were used. 64 isolates of F. verticillioides scored positive for VERTF-1/ VERTF-2 pair of primers. In total, three primers, one forward primer VERTF-1 and two reverse primers VERT-R and VERTF-2, were used for the confirmation of F. verticillioides up to the species level and the second pair of primers were used to confirm the potential for fumonisin production. The developed PCR assay should provide a powerful tool for the detection and differentiation of potential fumonisin-producing F. verticillioides strains in a population.

Menarche and Menopause among the Iruliga Tribal Women

In the present study an attempt has been made to study the age at menarche and menopause among the Iruliga women of Mysore district Karnataka state. The mean menarcheal and menopausal age of Iruliga women was found to be 13.93 +or- 1.6 years and 46.63 +or- 0.53 years respectively. (authors)

Rainfall and Runoff Pattern of Coorg District of Karnataka State

Rainfall and Runoff Pattern of Coorg District of Karnataka State

Micronutrient Deficiencies and Morbidity in Indian Rural Pre School Children

The investigation was undertaken with the objective of evaluating the impact of interventions (food and nutrient) on health status of preschool children at different intervals on withdrawal of interventions. 205 preschool children attending Anganwadi centers (functional unit of a national women and child welfare program) from rural areas near Mysore city, a district of Karnataka State, Southern India were enrolled. Nutrition and health status was assessed. Children were divided into five groups based on economic status with statistician's assistance for intervention. Each group constituted 30- 50 children. Two groups were supplemented with biscuits fortified with calcium, iron and vitamin A, another two groups received the fortificants in the tablet form on alternate days for a period of 6 months. One of the two groups in both the categories were priorly dewormed. One group served as control. The impact of the programme evaluated at the end of 6 months showed a reduction in the occurrence and duration of illnesses. On withdrawal of interventions, morbidity rates of all the groups reverted to their pre-intervention state but the extent of reversion was comparatively higher in the control group. A significant improvement in hemoglobin status, lowering of duration and incidence of illnesses at the end of intervention and deterioration of health status six months after withdrawal of interventions clearly demonstrated benefits of nutrient supplements.

Factors and Consequences of Home Deliveries: A Study in Rural Karnataka

The main focus of this paper is to understand the factors influencing the place of delivery, and why women preferring home deliveries in rural areas though a large number of health institutions such as subcentres, primary health centres and community health centres exists. To highlight these dimensions a study was conducted in three districts of Karnataka state. The respondents for the study were women who had had at least one child during last three years. The study finds that though primary health care services have expanded in recent years, deliveries conducted in health institutions or deliveries assisted by trained personnel are very few. Over half the deliveries are unsafe. Several factors have contributed to this phenomenon. They are: time of delivery, illiteracy, economic conditions of women, customs of natal home, transportation and place of stay of health workers. Moreover, most health centres do not have women medical officers in position, and the lack of staff and inadequate facilities at subcentres and hospitals is an important factor as well. Nearly half the infants died due to maternal causes among women who had deliveries at home. The causes of infant death are: premature delivery, infection in the umbilical cord, being accidentally hit on the head while delivery, breach presentation, severe anaemia of mother, etc. These problems could be easily solved if women are provided with good antenatal services, adequate rest and nutrition during pregnancy and counselled to deliver at health institution. Therefore, one has to promote institutional deliveries to reduce perinatal and neonatal mortality rate. Also there is need to strengthen the dai training programme as a traditional dai would be easily accessible to women in rural areas.

Role of some salient geophysical, geochemical, and hydrogeological parameters in the exploration of fresh groundwater in a brackish terrain

Geophysical, geochemical, and hydrogeological parameters, for example longitudinal unit conductance (S), transverse unit resistance (T), total dissolved solids (TDS) and thickness of the weathered zone (Wz), have been compared for 25 sites of Navalgund taluk in Dharwar District of Karnataka State, India. Interrelation among these parameters has been analyzed quantitatively by the standard statistical technique leading to a suitable mathematical model. The contrasting geophysical, geochemical, and hydrogeological characteristics of the fresh water pockets in the regionally brackish aquifers are compared and illustrated. The study explains the significant bearing of these parameters on exploration, development, and exploitation of fresh groundwater sources in the areas affected by the occurrence of a brackish water aquifer. The importance of such a comparison in raising the confidence to identify a fresh groundwater aquifer in the brackish terrain by quantitative interpretation of resistivity data has been demonstrated.

Farmers' perceptions and practices for managing tomato leaf curl virus disease in southern India

A survey of 174 tomato farmers in five districts of Karnataka State, South India, was conducted between March and July 1998 with the objectives of assessing farmers' knowledge and perceptions of tomato leaf curl virus disease (ToLCVD) and examining their current control practices. The findings showed that farmers were familiar with ToLCVD and regarded it as a serious constraint upon production, particularly in the hot season. However, only 2% of farmers were aware that tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) was transmitted by a whitefly vector, Bemisia tabaci . A similarly small number of farmers knew that ToLCVD was caused by a virus, whilst 86% of farmers believed that it was caused by high temperatures. Approximately 90% of farmers relied primarily on pesticides for control of ToLCVD. Few ToLCV-resistant varieties were available but one such variety, Avinash II, was grown by 13% of farmers in the hot season when incidence of the disease is highest. Farmers visiting experimental trials at a farmer field day, showed a strong interest in new advanced breeding tomato lines with resistance to ToLCV. Factors affecting the adoption of ToLCV-resistant varieties by tomato farmers are discussed.

End-uses of electricity in households of Karnataka state, India

This paper describes the results of a survey of electricity consumption in a sample consisting of 1,165 households in four districts of Karnataka state in India. The survey revealed the patterns of consumption of electricity in AEH[1] and non-AEH[2] households, the stock of electrical appliances used by the households, the differences in the consumption of electricity in urban and rural areas, the use of other sources of energy for domestic purposes, and the degree of penetration of energy-efficient appliances/devices. The analysis of electricity consumption of appliances in AEH households showed that the consumption of electricity is mainly due to lighting, air circulation, water-heating and cooking. In non-AEH households, the end-uses accounting for most of the consumption of electricity are lighting, entertainment and air circulation. The survey also yielded the appliance elasticities and the degree of penetration of energy-efficient devices. As a result policy-makers can take corrective actions by promoting efficiency improvements in certain end-use devices so that increases in the penetration of these devices would not significantly affect the overall electricity requirement for the domestic sector.

AN INTERPRETATION OF SEDIMENT TRENDS ALONG D. K. COAST

ABSTRACT The coastal zone of Mangalore region in Dakshina Kannada (D. K.) District of Karnataka state is acquiring an ever increasing importance. To study the coastal zone for planning of navigational improvements, erosion control, land reclamation and in general coastal zone management online data is required by coastal engineers, oceanographers and sedimentologists. In the present study one such problem namely sediment movement is considered. In order to study sediment movement and influence of median grain size on the beach face slope along D.K. coast, sand samples were collected from 35 locations along coast during November 1999 and January 2000 and they have been analysed. The sediment grain size characteristics (statistical parameters) were obtained and sediment trend matrix was prepared. By using sediment trend matrix, sediment travelling paths were drawn. It has been found that during November 1999, sediments were predominantly moving towards south and during January 2000 the direction of sediments got reversed along this coast. It is seen that during this period there is no significant net littoral drift along D.K. coast.

First Report of Lasiodiplodia theobromae as a Foliar Pathogen of Parthenium hysterophorus.

Parthenium (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) has been a target of weed researchers in India for more than four decades. The weed is attacked by many pathogens, some of which have been tried as mycoherbicides with mixed results (1). In an effort to identify more pathogens of parthenium, surveys were conducted in different regions. A typical foliar disease was frequently observed in several districts of Karnataka State, especially during the winter months of 1996 to 1998. The primary symptoms were circular to irregular, light brown to gray leaf spots, ranging from 2 to 8 mm in diameter. Careful observation of diseased plants revealed that the development of several lesions in close proximity resulted in a rapid necrosis and withering of the entire leaf. The suspected causal organism, which was a dark, chocolate-brown fungus, grew well on potato-dextrose agar at 25°C and a 12-h photoperiod. It produced slowly maturing conidia (20 to 27 × 12 to 14 μm), which were dark brown, ellipsoid, thick-walled, and single-septate with longitudinal striations. A dense conidial suspension (108 conidia per ml) of the fungus was evenly applied (250 μl per leaf) on detached, surface-sterilized, healthy parthenium leaves (N = 10), and infection was ascertained after 4 days of incubation at 26 ± 2°C in petri dishes lined with moist cotton. When 45-day-old pot-grown parthenium plants (N = 50) were similarly inoculated and maintained above 95% RH for at least 48 h, typical symptoms resembling those of naturally infected plants were visible on 88% of the plants within 3 weeks of incubation at 28 ± 2°C. Whereas the fungus was consistently isolated from diseased leaves of inoculated plants, with 80% frequency of reisolation, uninoculated controls neither displayed symptoms nor yielded the pathogen. The experiment was performed three times with similar results, satisfying Koch's postulates. The identity of one of the virulent isolates, WF(Ph)8 (ex Siddeswaranadurga, Chitradurga district, December 1997), was confirmed as Lasiodiplodia theobromae (Pat.) Griffon. & Maubl. (=Botryodiplodia theobromae Pat.) (IMI 378919a) at CABI Bioscience, UK Centre (Egham). Although it is a ubiquitous tropical and subtropical plant pathogen that occurs between 40°N and 40°S (2), it was not previously recorded as a cause of leaf disease on parthenium. Investigations on the possible use of the pathogen as a mycoherbicide have given encouraging results.

Performance Evaluation Model for Primary Agricultural Credit Societies

This article by Dongre and Narayana Swamy is an attempt to evolve an appropriate statistical model to evaluate the financial performance of the primary agricultural credit societies. It is based on the empirical data gathered from 14 sample societies of two talukas in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka state. Considering that fund management is the basic weak link in most primary agricultural credit societies, it is imperative that they be able to evaluate their performance and, based on the feedback, restructure their financial policies. It is hoped that the model suggested here comes handy to the management in periodic evaluation, feedback, and follow-up activities.

Giardiasis in the adult population of Dakshina Kannada district of south India.

A 10-year study of Giardia intestinalis infections in adults was conducted in the Dakshina Kannada District of Karnataka State, South India. Coproparasitological investigations were made on 10,000 stool specimens collected from selected patients. The infection rate was 37.1% with a male disease rate of 91.4%. The highest incidence rate was recorded in the age group 15-26 years. A possible reason for this preponderance of giardiasis in these males, is discussed. The optimum time for transmission appeared to be during the warmer months of the year (May to October) which coincided with the greatest amount of rainfall. The most common symptoms were abdominal discomfort, flatulence, diarrhoea, weight loss and anorexia. The predominating symptoms in our series varied with socio-economic level. There appeared to be some correlation between the clinical manifestations and the immune status of the individual.

Potential and Prospects of Solar Energy in Uttara Kannada, District of Karnataka State, India

Solar energy can meet a large variety of the small-scale decentralized energy needs of a region. The design of solar devices depends on the global and diffuse solar radiation data. Estimation of solar radiation for Uttara Kannada district is done on the basis of solar and other climatological data available at stations located at Karwar, Honnavar, Shirali, Mangalore, and Goa. A variety of empirical equations for estimating monthly global solar radiation exist in the solar energy literature. The most commonly used empirical formula is the one that relates sunshine duration and global radiation, also referred to as Angstrom's equation. We have used this relationship to estimate global radiation based on 20 years of data at Mangalore and 25 years of data at Goa provided by the India Meteorological Department. It is seen that computed and measured values (actual values) of global radiation (GR) agree within the range of 2–5% for most months. Data at Goa and Mangalore have been analyzed in order to improve accuracy and to establish the role of other climatological parameters, such as mean daily temperature, relative humidity, specific humidity, minimum and maximum temperature, and rainfall. Based on the R2 value and the least value of the standard error of the Y estimate, the empirical formula consisting of mean temperature, sunshine duration, and specific humidity is the best relationship to estimate GR with the available climatological information. The computed and estimated values are within the range ± 5%. With this empirical relationship, GR is estimated (kWh/m2) for Karwar (with 37 years of climatological data), Honnavar (with 50 years of climatological data), and Bhatkal (Shirali, with 15 years of climatological data). Karwar has a GR range of 5·5–6·5 for January-May and is in the range of 4–5 during the monsoon months, July-September, while at Honnavar the GR range during January-May is 5·47–6·5 and is minimum during the monsoon months. Thus this study, covering five locations of the coastal bell of the western Ghats region, demonstrates that good solar energy potential is available in this region during most months of the year. The amount of solar energy that could be harnessed by utilizing 5% of the present wasteland in coastal taluks as a solar collector area, is found to be of the order of 95·72 million units (mkWh) annually from the coastal belt of the Uttara Kannada district alone. That means the solar energy can meet at least 32·5% of the present electriciry demand of Uttara Kannah. This study suggests that solar conversion technologies have considerable potential for application, provided that questions of storage and the monsoon season requirement can be adequately addressed through other options. The abundance of solar re- sources can be illustrated by comparing the land requirements of solar projects (thermal or photovoltaic) with those of hydro or energy plantation projects. kept for run-of-river projects and for high head sites in deep gorges, the land requirements for hydel projects at today 5 conversion efficiencies average around 25–45 times that required for solarprojects. This means that solar energy is capable of supplying 5–10 times the electricity demand of Karnataka State while occupying a land area less than that currently used by hydel projects.

Interlinkages of NOAA/AVHRR derived integrated NDVI to seasonal precipitation and transpiration in dryland tropics

The NOAA/AVHRR derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) offers immense potential to study dryland ecosystems. Its relation with rainfall in semi-arid regions is both sensitive and complex. The physical basis of this relation is vegetation, mainly grown due to soil moisture availability as the result of the seasonal rainfall, which intercepts photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and hence directly influences the aggregate of NDVI. While the major part of rainfall is lost through direct evaporation from the soil surface, run-off and drainage, a small fraction of rain water which is used by crops for their growth and yield, is a key parameter linking rainfall with NDVI, especially in dryland tropics. The extent of non-utilized rain water depends not only on the local weather parameters but also on optimal land and water management practices along with the cropping pattern having efficient radiation use efficiencies. Although there have been several studies reporting the relation between AVHRR NDVI and rainfall in semi-arid regions the sensitivity of this relation in varying dryland conditions has rarely been analysed quantitatively. The present study aims to interpret seasonal AVHRR NDVI variations with the seasonal aggregate of rainfall and fraction of soil moisture used by vegetation in the six drought prone districts of Karnataka State, India representing very severe, severe and moderate drought conditions. Area averaged seasonal transpiration which has been theoretically linked to integrated NDVI (INDVI), has been realized up to a certain extent in the study areas. The study reveals a closer AVHRR NDVI relation with the water used by vegetation for its growth and yield than the precipitation in dryland ecosystems.

Levels and Determinants of Gynecological Morbidity in a District of South India

This article presents the results of an assessment of gynecological morbidity among 385 women with young children residing in a district of Karnataka State, South India. All three main modes of assessment (clinical examination, laboratory tests, and self-reports) reveal a high burden of reproductive tract infections. The two most common conditions, identified by laboratory tests, were bacterial vaginosis and mucopurulent cervicitis. Approximately one-fourth of the women had clinical evidence of pelvic inflammatory disease, cervical ectopy, and fistula. The contribution of sexually transmitted diseases to overall gynecological morbidity appears to be relatively modest; 10 percent were so diagnosed. Associated conditions of anemia and chronic energy deficiency were common. Severe anemia was found in 17 percent of cases and severe chronic energy deficiency in 12 percent. These results indicate that radical improvements in women's health in India will require far more than the diagnosis and treatment of reproductive tract infections.

SPECTRAL BEHAVIOUR AND SPECTRAL SEPARABILITY OF ERODED LANDS USING MULTI-SENSOR DATA

A sound knowledge of the spectral behaviour of any feature or phenomenon helps to establish its spectral response pattern, which ultimately allows it to be detected and delineated using spectral measurements made by multispectral sensors aboard different platforms. The spectral behaviour of eroded lands and associated features was studied in part of the Bijapur District of Karnataka State using multispectral measurements made by the Landsat-multispectral scanner system (MSS) and thematic mapper (TM), and SPOT-HRV multispectral linear array (MLA) sensors under near-identical illumination and atmospheric conditions. The spectral separability of different categories of eroded lands was also studied using scattergrams and divergence analysis. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rationalization of milk procurement, processing and marketing in southern India

Abstract Developmental efforts for animal production systems in India started with organized milk procurement, processing and marketing. Most rural areas around Bangalore and Kolar districts of Karnataka state are covered by an organized dairy development program. Parallel to this organized sector, the unorganized (informal) dairy sector also functions with different strategies. This study compared the cost of procurement/distribution of the organized and informal sectors of the dairy industry in Bangalore and Kolar districts. The optimum quantity of milk to procure per collection route in the organized sector was calculated and a saving of Rs. 0·09 kg−1 of milk marketed could be generated using this level, compared to a loss of Rs. 0·13 kg−1 of milk marketed under existing conditions. By contrast, the informal marketing sector, by using differential procurement price, diversified procurement channels and selective selling channels, earned Rs.0·42-0·77 kg−1 of milk marketed. To reduce losses in the organized sector and assist producers who are not able to participate in the formal sector, control points in the existing system were identified and analyzed.

Selection of Phcs for Evaluation of Family Welfare Programme in a Developing Country : Alternative Methods and Applications

The existence of large number of Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and the paucity of resources (money, time and labour), often compel the policy makers to selecting a set of few representative PHCs as the spatial bases for evaluation of family welfare programme. In this context, this paid develops simple (non-stochastic and non-axiomatic) methods for selecting representative PHCs in different levels of programmers' performance, such as, good, average and poor levels of performance. The alternative methods are implemented for actual PHC data in the Chitradurga district of Karnataka State in South India. The empirical results indicate the operational validity of analytical methods and the sensitivity of selection of representative PHCs with regard to the methods. From the policy viewpoint, the alternative classifications of PHCs according to performance levels indicate the need for differential and area-specific approach to evaluation of famiIy welfare programme. Finally, subject to the availability of comparable performance data, the simple methods developed in this paper can be replicated for selection of PHCs elsewhere in developing countries.

Some noteworthy Desmids from Shimoga district, Karnataka State (India)

Freshwater algal collections in ponds and lakes of Shimoga district of Karnataka State (India) during 1977–1978 contained 9 Desmid taxa with interesting variations. Two new taxa belonging to Staurastrum Meyen ex Ralfs are described.

Spirit Cult Festivals in South Kanara

On the southwest coast of India, between the mountain rangeof the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, lies the South Kanara District of Karnataka State. Here, paddy fields and plantations of palm, mango, cashew and banana alternate with patches of thick jungle forest. In this lush setting, devotees of nearly three hundred cults meet in nightlong sessions offering worship to locally unique spirit deities. Some of these spirits are believed to have been sent to earth by Hindu Gods; others are considered the souls of persons who long ago died violent and untimely deaths. Yet others are recent ancestors troubling their descendants. As spirits have benevolent and malevolent aspects and are believed to possess power over human health, fertility and fortune and over the land and cattle, they must be ritually propitiated.Each spirit has its own form, mythic history, special powers and propitiatory requirements. Therefore the worship of each spirit differs somewhat from that of all others.