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Sri Lanka - Agriculture

Agriculture is the most important sector of the Sri Lankan economy. Even though its contribution to the gross domestic product declined substantially during the past 3 decades (from 30 percent in 1970 to 21 percent in 2000), it is the most important source of employment for the majority of the Sri Lankan workforce. Approximately 38 percent of the total labor force was engaged in agriculture in 1999. In the subsistence sector, rice is the main crop and farming rice is the most important economic activity for the majority of the people living in rural areas. During the last 5 decades the rice sector grew rapidly and output more than tripled, reaching the highest ever output of 2.9 million metric tons in 1999. Increases in the area under cultivation, and improved productivity due to the modernization of agriculture are the main reasons for an increase in production. The rehabilitation of Sri Lanka's extensive ancient irrigation network and massive new investment in construction and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure led to a large increase in the area under rice cultivation. Between 1960-2000, the area used to grow rice increased 6 times to 546,249 hectares. The modernization of farming methods, such as the use of high-yielding seeds, tractors, and chemical fertilizers also led to increased productivity in the rice sector. Between 1960-1999, rice yield per hectare doubled from 1,877 kilograms to 3,672 kilograms. In addition to rice, various other food crops are produced for local consumption. They include yams, pulses, grains, vegetables, and fruits. Most of these crops are cultivated in family gardens, except for potatoes and sugar. Sugar cane is cultivated in the dry zone, and Sri Lanka produces only 15 percent of what it consumes domestically.Read more: https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/economies/Asia-and-the-Pacific/Sri-Lanka-AGRICULTURE.html#ixzz6vrxdyz7V

By: Anne miller chinthana

Thursday, May 27, 2021

AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS

Functional genomics and the biosynthesis of artemisinin

Artemisinin, a sesquiterpene lactone endoperoxide derived from the glandular secretory trichomes (GSTs) of Artemisia annua, provides the basis for the most effective treatments of malaria. The biology and biochemistry of GSTs of the Asteraceae and their biosynthesis of isoprenoids is reviewed. Recent efforts to understand the biosynthesis of artemisinin in A. annua GSTs are discussed in detail. This includes the development in the authors’ laboratory of an expressed sequence tag (EST) approach to identifying the relevant biosynthetic genes using isolated GST as a source of mRNA. This has lead to the isolation of a cDNA encoding CYP71AV1, a multifunctional cytochrome P450 which catalyzes multiple oxidations of the sesquiterpene intermediate amorpha-4,11-diene to artemisinic acid. Further biochemical and molecular genetic work is required to elucidate the precise route from artemisinic alcohol to artemisinin and to engineer more efficient low cost production of artemisinin-based antimalarial drugs.

By: rupali

Thursday, May 27, 2021

WATER, ENERGY, AND THE ENVIRONMENT
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Natural product substances

Natural product substances have historically served as the most significant source of new leads for pharmaceutical development. However, with the advent of robotics, bioinformatics, high throughput screening (HTS), molecular biology-biotechnology, combinatorial chemistry, in silico (molecular modeling), and other methodologies, the pharmaceutical industry has largely moved away from plant-derived natural products as a source for leads and prospective drug candidates. Can, or will, natural products ever recapture the preeminent position they once held as a foundation for drug discovery and development? The challenges associated with the development of natural products as pharmaceuticals are illustrated by the Taxol® story. Several misconceptions, which constrain the utilization of plant natural products, for the discovery and development of pharmaceuticals, are addressed to return natural products to the forefront. have historically served as the most significant source of new leads for pharmaceutical development. However, with the advent of robotics, bioinformatics, high throughput screening (HTS), molecular biology-biotechnology, combinatorial chemistry, in silico (molecular modeling), and other methodologies, the pharmaceutical industry has largely moved away from plant-derived natural products as a source for leads and prospective drug candidates. Can, or will, natural products ever recapture the preeminent position they once held as a foundation for drug discovery and development? The challenges associated with development of natural products as pharmaceuticals are illustrated by the Taxol® story. Several misconceptions, which constrain utilization of plant natural products, for discovery and development of pharmaceuticals, are addressed to return natural products to the forefront.

By: Vijaya Super admin

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS
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Natural Plant Products: A Less Focused Aspect for the COVID-19 Viral Outbreak

The sudden emergence of COVID-19 caused by a novel coronavirus (nCoV) led the entire world to search for relevant solutions to fight the pandemic. Although continuous trials are being conducted to develop precise vaccines and therapeutic antibodies, a potential remedy is yet to be developed. Plants have largely contributed to the treatment of several human diseases and different phytoconstituents have been previously described to impede the replication of numerous viruses. Despite the previous positive reports of plant-based medications, no successful clinical trials of phyto-anti-COVID drugs could be conducted to date. In this article, we discuss varying perspectives on why phyto-anti-viral drug clinical trials were not successful in the case of COVID-19. The issue has been discussed in light of the usage of plant-based therapeutics in previous coronavirus outbreaks. Through this article, we aim to identify the disadvantages in this research area and suggest some measures to ensure that phytoconstituents can efficiently contribute to future random viral outbreaks. It is emphasized that if used strategically phyto-inhibitors with pre-established clinical data for other diseases can save the time required for long clinical trials. The scientific community should competently tap into phytoconstituents and take their research up to the final stage of clinical trials so that potential phyto-anti-COVID drugs can be developed.

By: rupali

Tuesday, May 25, 2021

AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS
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Importance and Key Points Of Crop Production and Management

Agriculture is intertwined with many other processes such as - cultivation, preparation of soil, sowing, irrigation, and so on. A farmer is involved in all these processes. He prepares the soil, sows the seeds, adds manure, irrigates, and harvests. the production and management of crops is an important aspect to ensure optimal productivity in the fields. The major agricultural practices involved in crop production and management are listed below: The soil is loosened and tilted before the seeds are sown The entire world depends on agriculture for its food. Therefore, it is very important to produce and store the harvested crops carefully. The soil should be loosened and aerated properly during crop production. Manures and fertilizers need to be added carefully. Too much fertilizer damages the soil while too little makes the crop deficient in nutrients. The crops should be irrigated periodically. The unwanted plants should be removed from the cultivated fields. These plants absorb the nutrients provided to the crop and obstruct their growth and development. The matured crops are harvested mechanically or manually. The harvested grains are dried and stored to protect them from pests and pathogens.Agriculture provides employment either in crops and livestock productions thus improving the family's standard of living and reducing poverty level.

By: rupali

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS
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Agriculture

Agriculture is the art and science of cultivating the soil, growing crops and raising livestock. It includes the preparation of plant and animal products for people to use and their distribution to markets. Agriculture provides most of the world’s food and fabrics. Cotton, wool, and leather are all agricultural products. Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is unquestionably the largest livelihood provider in India, more so in the vast rural areas. It also contributes a significant figure to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Sustainable agriculture, in terms of food security, rural employment, and environmentally sustainable technologies such as soil conservation, sustainable natural resource management and biodiversity protection, are essential for holistic rural development. Indian agriculture and allied activities have witnessed a green revolution, a white revolution, a yellow revolution and a blue revolution.This section provides the information on agriculture produces; machineries, research etc. Detailed information on the government policies, schemes, agriculture loans, market prices, animal husbandry, fisheries, horticulture, loans & credit, sericulture etc. is also available. Agriculture is the science, art and practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in cities. The history of agriculturebegan thousands of years ago. After gathering wild grains beginning at least 105,000 years ago, nascent farmers began to plant them around 11,500 years ago. Pigs, sheep, and cattle were domesticated over 10,000 years ago

By: rupali

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

AGRI-FOOD SYSTEMS
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Health and Factors for good health

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being. For a healthy life cycle, a person needs to have a balanced diet and has to regularly exercise. One must also live in a proper shelter, take enough sleep and have good hygiene habits. Health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being in which disease and infirmity are absent. Good health is central to handling stress and living a longer, more active life. In this article, we explain the meaning of good health, the types of health a person needs to consider, and how to preserve good health. Factors for good health Good health depends on a wide range of factors. Genetic factors A person is born with a variety of genes. In some people, an unusual genetic pattern or change can lead to a less-than-optimum level of health. People may inherit genes from their parents that increase their risk for certain health conditions. Environmental factors Environmental factors play a role in health. Sometimes, the environment alone is enough to impact health. Other times, an environmental trigger can cause illness in a person who has an increased genetic risk of a particular disease. Access to healthcare plays a role, but the WHO suggest that the following factors may have a more significant impact on health than this: where a person lives the state of the surrounding environment genetics their income their level of education employment status It is possible to categorize these as follows: The social and economic environment: This may include the financial status of a family or community, as well as the social culture and quality of relationships. The physical environment: This includes which germs exist in an area, as well as pollution levels. A person’s characteristics and behaviors: A person’s genetic makeup and lifestyle choices can affect their overall health. .

By: rupali

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

HEALTH AND NUTRITION
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