<div style="text-align: justify;">Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) is one of the important underground vegetable crops grows vegetatively in various parts of India as well as in Africa. But there are few standard cultivars available for commercial cultivation and local germplasms across various parts of the world have a lot of genetic variation. For any crop improvement programme, aimed to achieve maximum productivity, a detailed knowledge of facts such as genetic variability, genetic diversity, heritability, genetic advance, correlation and path coefficient of various quantitative traits and their contribution towards yield is essential. Studies in this direction are very less and can not to be generalized for every climatic condition and with other genetic materials. Hence, the information in a collection of some indigenous genotypes of taro in order to formulate a sound breeding plan for its improvement has been reviewed here.</div>

Genetic diversity among taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott var. antiquorum) germplasm- A review

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

The present study appraises different traditional feeding practices followed by farmers and effect of dietary zinc supplementation on the reproductive and productive performances of crossbred Andaman local pigs. In the 1st experiment the effect of three feeding practices were evaluated and in the 2nd experiment the effect of supplementation of 80 ppm Zn on growth of weanling piglets were evaluated. The locally available feed ingredients like rice bran, taro (Colocasia esculenta) leaves, broken rice, broken wheat, maize, and coconut cake were used in different proportion for feeding. The different reproductive parameters like the mean age at puberty, age at first conception and first farrowing and various litter traits varied significantly (&lt;0.01) among the three treatment groups. In the next experiment the effect of Zn supplementation on post weaning growth performances of piglets were studied. &nbsp;In treatment group (n=5) &nbsp; 80 ppm Zn was supplemented along with normal farm diet where as in control group (n=5) &nbsp;normal diet was given. &nbsp;The experiment continued for three months. The results showed that the sow receiving the ration made up of coconut cake, broken rice or maize performed better than the sow receiving ration made up of colocasia leaves and rice bran in respect of reproductive performances. Similarly, inclusion of 80 ppm Zn in &nbsp;stater ration &nbsp;enhanced the daily body weight.&nbsp;

Genetic diversity among taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott var. antiquorum) germplasm- A review

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

Reproductive and productive performances of crossbred Andaman local pigs under small holder production system at Bay Islands, India