<div>Background: The positive effect of fenugreek and onion and their active components on the digestion process has been reported in several studies. The present experiment was conducted to study the effect of supplementation of Fenugreek sees powder and Onion powder on haemato-biochemical and carcass charactistics of broilers. 
 
Methods: Day-old, 210 broiler chicks (Vencobb-400) were randomly allotted to seven treatment groups. The T1 i.e., control group was fed on basal diet, while, group T2 and T3 were supplied with 1% and 2% fenugreek seed powder, respectively. Whereas group T4 and T5 were supplied with 1% and 2% onion powder, respectively and group T6 and T7 were supplied with 0.5% fenugreek seed powder and 0.5% onion powder and 1% fenugreek seed powder and 1% onion powder, respectively in the basal broiler pre-starter, starter and finisher ration. 
 
Result: Haemoglobin, PCV, TEC, TLC, total serum protein and creatinine levels were higher (P&lt;0.01) in T6 group while highest level of blood glucose was found in T6, but the variation was statistically non-significant for blood glucose. Whereas serum cholesterol level was higher (P&lt;0.01) in control group. Non-significant effect was observed on dressing percentage but numerically highest in T6 group and eviscerated weight percentage was higher (P&lt;0.05) in T6 group. The gizzard (P&lt;0.01), heart (P&lt;0.01) and giblet weight (P&lt;0.01) were found statistically higher in T5 and liver weight (P&lt;0.01) was statistically higher in T7 group.</div>

Effect of Herbal Feed Additives Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) Seed Powder and Onion (Allium cepa) Powder on Haemato-biochemical and Carcass Characteristics of Broilers

<div>Background: This study was carried out to determine the effect of addition of 1% dietary garlic and onion powder on the internal and external quality characteristics and chemical and fatty acid composition of Chukar partridges eggs. 
 
Methods: A total of 240 Chukar partridges with 60-week age was assigned to four dietary treatment group: control, 1% onion powder, 1% garlic powder and garlic onion powder, respectively. Totally, 92 eggs obtained from partridges were used for the study. 
 
Result: The addition of onion powder had significant effect on yolk weight (P&lt;0.05). Supplementation of the diets with garlic and onion powder did not significantly affect quality traits of chukar eggs (P&gt;0.05). Moisture, ash and protein contents and 16 fatty acid composition of chukar eggs were not statistically affected by the addition of garlic and onion powder either. In conclusion, the addition of 1% dietary garlic and onion powder did not cause a significant change in the internal and external quality characteristics and fatty acid composition of the Chukar partridge eggs. Increasing the rate of garlic and onion powder to the chukar ration may cause some significant differences on the egg parameters.</div>

Egg Quality Traits, Chemical Analysis and Fatty Acid Composition in Chukar Partridges Supplemented with Garlic and Onion Powder

Background: Snail farming is becoming increasingly popular in sub-Saharan Africa. But the real success of snail farming depends on the right feed formulas. With the aim of contributing to the formulation of diets for giant African snails, a study was carried out on the growth performance and meat yield of Achatina achatina subjected to different diets based on leaves powder. 
 
Methods: Fifteen batches of 30 two-month-old snails seedlings were fed for 6 months on diets made by enriched the leaves&nbsp; (papaya, taro, moringa and pigeon pea) powder at different rates (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) with oyster shell powder. The growth performance and meat yields of these snails were determined and compared with those of a control batch of snails fed fresh papaya, taro, moringa and pigeon pea leaves.

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Result: Snails fed with leaf powder enriched with 20% oyster shell showed the greatest gains in weight (97.33&plusmn;4.2 g) and shell length (3.3&plusmn;0.8 cm). Although these animals had the highest proportions of shell (40&plusmn;3.2%), they provided the greatest quantities of soft tissue (60.3&plusmn;3.2 g) and edible flesh (33.5&plusmn;2.9 g). The diet consisting solely of fresh leaves induced the smallest gains in weight (21.6 &plusmn;5.1 g) and shell length (1.08&plusmn;0.9 cm).&nbsp; Snails fed this diet had the highest percentage of soft tissue (78.02&plusmn;6.53%). However, they provided the lowest amounts of soft tissue (19.34&plusmn;2.8 g) and fresh edible meat (9.66&plusmn;1.4 g).

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Growth Performance of Achatina achatina Fed with Leaf Powder Enriched in Oyster Shell Powder

<div style="text-align:justify">Background: Seed is an important component and the quality seed plays a crucial role in agricultural production as well as in the national economy. Availability of viable and vigorous seeds at the planting time is important. Onion seeds have a short life span among the vegetable crops and lose viability rapidly after harvest. The main reason for the low quality of onion seeds includes a long flowering period resulting in different stages of seed maturity in the umbel, very fast reduction of viability if stored in suboptimal conditions and seed infestation with fungi. Seed priming is a widely used technique to enhance seed performance during storage. 
 
Methods: The seed was primed with Neem leaf powder (100 g/kg) after hydration and dehydration, hydration with KH2PO4 (2.0%), KNO3 (1.0%), K2SO4 (1.0%) and Captan (N-trichloromethylthio-4-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboximide) at 2.5 g/kg and stored in polyethylene (100&micro;) bags under ambient conditions. After each treatment, seeds were dried back to their original moisture content under shade.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results revealed that different priming treatments had a significant effect on germination percentage, seedling length and vigour index-I except for moisture percentage in both the years. The maximum germination (74.1 and 71.2%) was observed in seeds treated with Captan (2.5 g/kg) followed by Neem leaf powder 100 g/kg seed (71.1 and 69.72%) during 2014-15 and 2015-16, respectively. The onion seeds primed with KH2PO4 (2.0%), KNO3 (1.0%) and K2SO4 (1.0%) had an adverse effect on seed germination. The germination decreased significantly with the increase in the storage period. The maximum seedling emergence (60.0%) was observed from the seed primed with Captan (2.5 g/kg) followed by Neem leaf powder 100 g/kg seed (56.1%).&nbsp;</div>

Maintaining Onion Seed Quality during Storage Through Seed Priming

<div style="text-align:justify">Background: Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a major bulbous vegetable as well as condiment of family Alliaceae grown in India, originated in Iran and Pakistan. Seed pelleting is a mechanism of applying various materials to the seed that can enhance the seed quality with respect to physiological, physical and health attributes. Seed pelleting make it easy to handle small and irregular shaped seeds. Methods: The present investigation was conducted in the field of Department of Seed Science and Technology, Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan during seasons of 2016-17 and 2017-18.&nbsp; Result: This experiment comprised of pelleted seeds with different botanicals carried out to determine the effect of sowing dates and seed pelleting and their interactions on plant growth, yield and quality of bulb crop. All the factors in the experiment as well as their interactions showed significant influence on plant growth, yield and yield contributing characters in onion. The seeds pelleted with Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clay and Melia azedarach &nbsp;leaf powder + clay sown directly showed maximum values w.r.t. emergence (91.50 %), plant height at 60 days after sowing (35.35 cm), average leaf length (38.43cm), number of leaves per plant (8.67), number of days to harvesting (233.49),&nbsp;polar diameter (46.72 mm), equatorial diameter (57.77 mm), bulb size index (2699.74 ), neck thickness (12.12 mm), number of bulb per plot (89.00) average bulb weight (75.24 g), bulb yield (6.67 kg per plot or 400.01 q per ha), plant height before neck fall stage (58.55 cm). From the present studies, it can be concluded that onion seeds pelleted with Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clay and Melia azedarach leaf powder + clay showed significant effects for enhancing bulb quality, growth, quality and yield of bulb crop raised through direct seeding.</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Effect of Sowing Dates and Botanical Seed Pelleting on Plant Growth, Bulb Yield and Quality of Onion (Allium cepa L.)</div>

<div>Background: Onion (Allium cepa L.) is a major bulbous vegetable as well as condiment of family Alliaceae grown in India, originated in Iran and Pakistan. Seed pelleting is a mechanism of applying various materials to the seed that can enhance the seed quality with respect to physiological, physical and health attributes. Seed deterioration during storage is inevitable process; however seed pelleting can reduce the rate of deterioration. The leaf powders possess antioxidant, fungicidal and insecticidal properties that helps in maintaining the seed quality during storage.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The present investigation was carried out in the laboratory of Department of Seed Science and Technology, Dr. Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (HP) during the seasons of 2016-17 and 2017-18. This experiment comprised of pelleted seeds with different botanicals carried out to determine the effect of seed pelleting and storage potential of pelleted seeds.&nbsp; 
 
Result: This experiment comprised of pelleted seeds with different botanicals. In all the treatments gum Arabica (5%) was used as the adhesive except control. The pelleted seeds with different material were stored at ambient conditions for nine months. Highest germination (81.75%), seedling length (11.20 cm), seedling dry weight (1.82 g), seedling vigour index- length (920.33), seedling vigour index- mass (148.90) and speed of germination (26.57) were observed in onion seeds pelleted with Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clay and Melia azadirechta leaf powder + clay. Among the storage periods, fresh pelleted seed (0 month) showed maximum values with respect to germination (86.50%), seedling length (13.38 cm), seedling dry weight (2.02 g), seedling vigour index- length (1154.50), seedling vigour index- mass (173.52) and speed of germination (29.04). From the present studies, it can be concluded that onion seeds pelleted with Azadirechta indica leaf powder + clay and Melia azadirechta leaf powder + clay showed significant effects for enhancing seed quality during storage.</div>

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<div>Influence of Botanical Seed Pelleting on Storability of Onion (Allium cepa L.)</div>

The bulbous vegetable onion Allium cepa Var. aggregatum L. (2n=16) is the most important species of Allium group and is regarded as the single most important vegetable spices as it forms an indispensable part of many diets, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Onion is valued for its bulbs having characteristic odour, flavor and pungency. Onion is regarded as a highly export oriented crop and earns a valuable foreign exchange for the country. Weeds are of great menace as they interfere with production of crop and add to the cost of cultivation. The reduction in crop yield has direct correlation with weed competition. Onion exhibits greater susceptibility to weed competition as compared to other crops due to its inherent characteristics such as their slow growth, small stature, shallow roots and lack of dense foliage. The effective weed control involves identification of weed flora, method of weed control and judicious combination of effective weed control methods. Hand weeding in onion is a common practice in India, but it is a tedious, expensive and time consuming task due to closer spacing and shallow root system. Non-availability of labourers during critical period of crop makes hand weeding difficult leading to heavy yield losses. Spraying of pre-emergence herbicides keeps the crop in weed free conditions during the early stages. At later stage, second flush of weeds will affect the bulb formation. Hand weeding helps to keep the weed population below economic threshold level throughout the crop growth period. Pre-emergence combined with hand weeding may be costly because of the reduced labour availability and higher labour cost. After bulb formation manual or mechanical methods of weed control will damage the bulb. Application of early post emergence may be helpful to reduce damage to the bulb, weed competition and cost of weeding. Hence a brief review was presented to find out the effect of different weed management method in onion.

Weed management in onion: A review

<div style="text-align: justify;">India is the second largest producer of onion in the world next after China. Mechanization of farming is increasing day by day to produce yield of crop for gaining the profit. This study was related to the development of an onion bulblet planter for vertisol. The development and fabrication of different furrow opener for matching to the existing inclined plate metering device for planting of onion bulblet. The performance of onion bulblet planter in term of depth and width of planting, missing index percentage, multiple percentage, seed damage , actual field capacity and field efficiency. The result indicated that the field efficiency was maximum 83.33% with minimum seed damage 10.2%. Multiple index was 5.1%, missing index was 2.2 % and bulb to bulb spacing was 10.66 cm in chisel type furrow opener at 1.8 km/h speed with moisture content 17.2 %.&nbsp;</div>

Development and performance evaluation of an onion bulblet planter for vertisol

<div>Background: Onion (Allium cepa L.) is an important and indispensable item of every kitchen. It is used as a vegetable, spice and condiment and commands an extensive internal market. Even though onion is one of the major crops in India, its cultivation is not yet popular in Kerala. Successful onion production depends on the selection of varieties that are adapted to different conditions imposed by specific environment and best planting time. In this background, the current study aimed to evaluate five onion varieties in the tropical planes of Kerala and also to study the effect of different planting time and varieties on the performance of onion in Kerala. 
 
Methods: Five onion varieties were evaluated in four different dates of planting with an interval of fifteen days. Planting commenced from 10th November to 25th December 2017 in a split plot design with four replications. Yield attributing characters such as number of leaves per plant, leaf length, bolting percentage, neck thickness, bulb weight and yield were noted. 
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Result: All the parameters showed a significant variation over different dates of planting. There was a significant variation in number of leaves per plant, leaf length, bolting percentage, total bulb yield and neck thickness among the varieties. Interaction effect of varieties and dates of planting was significant only for leaf length and total bulb yield. Highest bulb weight was recorded in 25th Nov. planting. Highest yield was recorded in 25th Nov. which was on par with 10th Dec. and 10th Nov. plantings. Arka Kalyan recorded a highest yield, which was statistically on par with Agrifound Dark Red and Arka Pragati. Varieties when planted on 25th Dec. recorded a lowest neck thickness. Agrifound White exhibited a non-bolting behavior in all the dates of planting. Overall performance and yield of onion was found to be better when planting was done on 25th November.</div>

<div>Effect of Varieties and Planting Time on the Performance of Onion under Tropical Planes of Kerala</div>

<div>Background: This work focused on the valorization of cashew apple, which, when ripe, rot in plantations in Togo despite its richness in vitamin C and other nutrients. The aims were to produce and characterize cashew apple powder.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: In this study, six different of cashew apple powder were made. After the process of picking, sorting, washing, steam bleaching for 15 minutes or not, cutting into rounds, drying at 45-50&deg;C in the oven or in the sun, grinding was carried out. The powders were sealed and stored in polyethylene bags at temperatures between 30 and 32&deg;C. The physico-chemical characteristics were determined by titrimetry and atomic absorption spectrophotometer.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Result: The moisture content of the powders varies from 10 to 11% with a yield ranging from 22.52 to 28.12%. The vitamin C and protein content obtained ranged from 688.7 to 924.5 mg/100 g (12.83 to 15.33%) respectively. The fiber content from 7.48% to 7.83%. Two powders retained a light yellow color more visibly than the other powder which are a little darker.</div>