Center for Environmental Sciences & Engineering

<p>Shiv Nadar University is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary, research-focused, and student-centric University offering a full range of academic programs at the undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level. With state-of-the-art infrastructure, the University comprises of academic wings, sophisticated labs, international standard sports facilities, amphitheaters, auditorium, conference rooms and smart classrooms. The University&rsquo;s goal is to become internationally recognized for the quality of its research and creative endeavors and their applicability to improving quality of life, generating new insights and expanding the boundaries of human knowledge creativity. Committed to excellence in teaching, research and service, the University aims to serve the higher education needs of India and the world beyond.</p>

Shiv Nadar University

Soluble nymphal antigens (HNAg) were purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using CNBr-activated Sepharose 4B coupled with immunoglobulin ligands from animals immunized with HNAg and 69-71% protected against challenge infestations and 8% recovery of the purified protein (Aff-HNAg) was obtained. Following immunization of crossbred calves (Bos indicus × Bos taurus) with 1600 $\mu$g of Aff-HNAg in three divided doses, significant rejections of larvae (p < 0.001, 84.2%), nymphs (p < 0.05, 61.4%) and adults (p < 0.05, 58.7%) were recorded. No significant changes were recorded in the engorgement weights of the larvae and nymphs, but there was a significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the weight of the engorged adults. Immunization conferred a significant decrease in the numbers of resultant nymphs (p < 0.001) and adults (p < 0.001) that had fed on the immunized animals. SDS-PAGE analysis identified a 39 kDa protein, previously isolated from larvae of Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, as the antigen responsible for the induction of resistance against all the stages of the tick.

World University root node

Tropical Animal Health and Production

Immunoprotective efficacy of a purified 39 kDa nymphal antigen of Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum

Tropical forestry research: challenges in the new millennium. Proceedings of {\ldots}

Tropical forestry research: challenges in the new millennium. Proceedings of the International Symposium, Peechi, India, 2-4 August, 2000.

The Forest Department in 1986 commenced social forestry programme in the Kirindi Oya Irrigation and Settlement Project (KOISP) in Sri Lanka. Under the programme, establishment of the woodlots was undertaken in view of the future shortage of forest products and potential environmental hazards. Raising tree crops together with field crops in "taungya" system was the main objective of the woodlot development. The project identified 400 ha of land with the help of farmers and distributed the lands among 540 farmer families. The land was initially given on 5 year lease which would be extended to 25 years based on performance. The farmers were allowed to obtain crops, small woods and fuelwood for their daily consumption. The project has rated the success of wood lot development over 70 per cent nearly after one decade. Extent planted compared with extent allocated and survival rate of trees have been taken as the main parameters for the evaluation. However, even before the halfway of their tenure, the farmers are in a dilemma on the future prospects of the woodlot with population pressure and acute poverty. This paper is based on an exploratory study on woodlot development programme and perception of local people involved with the programme. Farmers' perception of the woodlot development in terms of environmental protection, future economic benefits and usufruct rights is discussed. Communication gap is explored as user knowledge of available technology, management of interface between research and users, sharing of knowledge with farmers etc. Eventually, need-oriented participatory research based on agronomic/land use system, prevailing socioeconomic conditions and institutional development are proposed.

Tropical forestry research: challenges in the new millennium. Proceedings of the International Symposium, Peechi, India, 2-4 August, 2000

Community woodlot development programme of Kirindi Oya Irrigation and Settlement Project: farmers' perception, communication gap and research needs.

Conference Paper: Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi

Empowering Women Through Self Help Groups: Issues &amp; Challenges

This paper addresses the question whether terrestrial ecosystems will continue to be a potential sink for atmospheric CO2 mitigating the effects of global climatic change, in the light of the findings of various studies on the long term effects of elevated CO2 on productivity of plants in general and forests in particular. Native forests are dominated by plants with C3 type of photosynthesis. Because C3 photosynthesis is CO2-limited at the existing atmospheric CO2 concentration, elevated CO2 increases photosynthetic rates in these plants at any given light intensity. Increased photosynthesis at very low light intensities has relevance to forest undergrowths and shaded leaves of large trees in the forest where photosynthesis is usually light-limited. Several studies show that the initial stimulation in photosynthesis may decrease with time depending upon the nutrition level and sink capacity of the plants, but the photosynthetic rates will not go below the rates observed at the current levels of CO2. Increased canopy photosynthesis and decreased respiration and transpiration rates led to increased biomass at the cost of reduced amounts of water in plants and ecosystems that were exposed to elevated CO2. Plants grown at elevated CO2 had higher efficiency of water, light and nutrient utilization and altered tissue composition, particularly increased carbohydrate and decreased protein contents. This can alter the C:N ratio and thus the quality of litter affecting its decomposition in a future world rich in CO2. Long term regulation of these biological processes in response to elevated CO2 will have a direct impact on the carbon and water balance of ecosystems.

Global climate change and forest productivity.

The climate of a region and the occurrence of pests and pathogens have a major influence on the selection of the species of eucalypts that can be successfully grown as exotics and on the management of eucalypt plantations. Frost and drought are the two most important climatic factors that determine whether certain species can be grown in a region. The major diseases that have restricted the use of commercially desirable species are Mycosphaerella leaf blotch in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, Cryphonectria stem canker in Brazil and South Africa, eucalypt rust (Puccinia psidii) in Brazil and Phytophthora root rot in parts of Australia and in South Africa. Successful management of disease in plantations can be achieved by a combination of plant quarantine measures, silvicultural practices and the use of disease resistant planting stock. Many eucalypt pests and pathogens occur in some regions of the world but not others; the threat to yet uninfested areas can be reduced, although never eliminated, by quarantine practices aimed at reducing the opportunity for the spread of such organisms between regions. Silvicultural practices can be modified to create conditions unfavourable for disease development. The incidence of stem decay, for example, can be considerably reduced by avoiding damage during thinning. Losses from bacterial wilt can be prevented by avoiding injury to the roots of containerized seedlings. The use of resistant stock has minimized the effect of Cryphonectria canker in Brazil and South Africa. Very promising material resistant to Cylindrocladiumleaf blight and pink disease caused by Erythricium salmonicolor is becoming available in India and the management of Mycosphaerella leaf blotch in South Africa is achieved primarily through the planting of disease resistant species and provenances. A prudent manager should seek to combine the advantages of all available control methods. The selection of species adapted to the site, combined with the use of silvicultural regimes that maintain stand hygiene and the use of a mix of productive clones or provenances with enduring field resistance to the major diseases will provide the most successful disease management strategy in eucalypt plantations.

Diseases and pathogens of eucalypts

Management of disease in eucalypt plantations

The research is being conducted at four different locations (Kayampoovam, Punnala, Vattavada and Surianelli) in Kerala, India and is based on the two main eucalypts (Eucalyptus tereticornis and E. grandis) used in industrial plantations in the region. At each location, experimental plots were established in 1998 to investigate aspects of harvest residue management (6 treatments including burning), nutrient application, ground vegetation control, use of legume undercrops (species not given) to increase soil fertility and practical methods of water and soil conservation. Within the general experimental framework established, research is focused on four inter-linked subprojects, investigating the impact of silvicultural options on: (1) nutrient status and nutrient cycling, (2) plant physiology and water relations (3) tree growth and nutrient uptake and (4) soil process and tree growth modelling. In this paper we give details of the research programmes and describe initial results on site inventory, turnover of nutrients in harvest residues and plant physiological and tree growth responses to applied treatments.

Site management and productivity in tropical plantation forests: a progress report. Workshop Proceedings, Kerala, India, 7-11 December 1999

Effects of site management on Eucalyptus plantations in the monsoonal tropics - Kerala, India.

A major expansion of tropical acacia plantations for industrial use has occurred in recent decades, especially in South-East Asia and also in India. The most widely planted species have been Acacia mangium and A. auriculiformis. Trial plantings of A. crassicarpa and A. aulacocarpa have also been established in many locations. The authors of this manual, with their colleagues and with pathologists from Thailand and Indonesia, have surveyed plantations of these species in northern Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and southern India to determine the main diseases present. This manual provides plantation managers and forest health practitioners with short, illustrated accounts of diseases of tropical acacia plantations. A simple key, based on disease symptoms, leads the reader to descriptions of pathogens, photographs of disease symptoms and mycological drawings which will assist in diagnosis of disease. Information is also provided on disease impacts, control and management.

A manual of diseases of tropical acacias in Australia, South-East Asia and India

Extracts prepared from unfed larvae of Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum were purified by immunoaffinity chromatography using anti-gut IgG as ligand. Affinity purified antigen (Aff-GHLAg) was used to immunize cross-bred (Bos taurus x B. indicus) calves of 6-7 months of age. Immunized calves rejected 70.6% larvae, 54.5% nymphs and 61.9% adults. No significant changes in the engorged weight of females was observed; however, significant decrease in the engorgement weight of larvae and nymphs was recorded. There was a significant decrease in the emerging nymphs (p < 0.05) and adults (p < 0.01) of the tick stages fed on immunized animals. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed three antigenic proteins of 100, 59.4 and 37 kDa responsible for induction of resistance in the host.