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Ages of some key stratigraphic sequences in central Indian Proterozoic basins are based predominantly on lithostratigraphic relationships that have been constrained by only a few radioisotopic dates. To help improve age constraints, single grains of glauconitic minerals taken from sandstone and limestone in two Proterozoic sequences in the Pranhita-Godavari Valley and the Chattisgarh basin were analyzed by the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar incremental heating method. Analysis of the age spectra distinguishes between ages that are interpreted to refl ect the time of glauconite formation, and anomalous ages that result from inherited argon or postcrystallization heating. The analyses indicate an age of 1686 ± 6 Ma for the Pandikunta Limestone and 1566 ± 6 Ma for the Ramgundam Sandstone, two units in the western belt of Proterozoic sequences in Pranhita-Godavari Valley. Glauconite from the Chanda Limestone, in the upper part of this sequence, contains inherited 40 Ar but is interpreted to refl ect an age of ca. 1200 Ma. Glauconite from the Somanpalli Group in the eastern belt of the Pranhita-Godavari Valley gives an age of 1620 ± 6 Ma. In the Chattisgarh basin, glauconite from two units gives disturbed ages that suggest a period of regional heating in the Chattisgarh basin at ca. 960-1000 Ma. These new ages indicate that these sequences are 200-400 m.y. older than previously recognized, which has important implications for geochemical studies of Mesoproterozoic ocean redox conditions in addition to providing important constraints on regional tectonics and lithostratigraphy.

The water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is considered an efficient converter of poor quality forages into high quality milk and meat. This species is ubiquitous, with prevalence though in Asian and Mediterranean countries. From a genetic standpoint, the species is characterized by two main subspecies: river and swamp type. The former to be found predominantly in Mediterranean countries, whereas the latter is found only in the Asia continent. At present, the majority of the total world buffalo population is distributed in Asia, holding around 97% of the available stock. There, animals are mostly fed on low quality roughages and crop residues with poor nutritive value, resulting inevitably in reduced productive and reproductive performances. A distinctive differential production system is in effect between river and swamp type buffaloes, due to a significant production capacity of the two sub-species. An overview of production systems and their sustainability in the two sub-species with an emphasis on country of origin and feed availability is presented.

The Pranhita-Godavari Valley of central India preserves records of repeated opening and closing of Proterozoic and Gondwana rifts along the zone of NW-SE trending Neoarchean suture between the Dharwar and Bastar cratonic nuclei. The Proterozoic succession in the Valley comprises several major unconformity-bound sequences, each with a distinctive set of litho-assemblage, deposited under diverse tectonic environments with highly variable modes and tempos of sedimentation. Analysis of sedimentary attributes of unconformity-bound sequences indicates that Purana sedimentation in the Valley started with the deposition of stable platformal assemblage of carbonate-quartzarenite in an extensional sag basin. The basin opened at c. 1700 Ma. The stability of the craton was disrupted when the first major cratonic rift nucleated at c. 1620 Ma, and shortly evolved into an oceanic basin along the northeastern margin of the Valley with consanguineous deposition of a thick wedge of conglomerates, tidal sandstones and shales in the Mulug shelf, and a succession of graywacke, carbonate, siltstone-mudstone-black shale and tuff turbidites of the Somanpalli flysch in two parallel adjoining belts. The Somanpalli flysch is bounded by two shallow marine successions, analogous to several geosynclinal deposits preserved in orogenic belts, and was deposited in a deep oceanic basin along a rifted continental margin. Paleocurrent analysis reveals that siliciclastics in the flysch succession were derived primarily from a continental provenance to the southwest of the Mulug shelf, and were transported to the flysch basin across the margin. Coarse sands were deposited in large submarine fan complexes of graywackes and mixed carbonatesiliciclastics at several points. The voluminous carbonate turbidites in the flysch were also derived from the adjoining Mulug shelf. High quartz content of graywackes, their close association with tidally deposited arenites, and ocean-ward transport of sediments from cratonic hinterlands collectively attest to the deposition of the flysch in a trailing margin basin. Opening of the oceanic basin and deposition of the flysch were accompanied by extensive granulite facies metamorphism at deep crustal level indicating a genetic linkage between them, and the litho-tectonic elements were deformed into an orogenic belt during re-assembly of Dharwar and Bastar blocks. The orogenic belt girdled the northeastern margin of the PG Valley, wrapped around its southeastern corner making a syntaxial bend, and continued into the Ongole-NKSB orogenic belt which also had its peak metamorphism at c. 1600 Ma. The age of the orogeny is not well constrained, but was followed by a Neoproterozoic episode of extension, and formation of cratonic rift basin with the deposition of several thousand meters of quartz-rich sandstones of the Sullavai, Albaka and Usur sequences.