Earlier, the agriculture system was oriented more towards achieving higher agronomic yields than the nutritional quality of food. Green revolution significantly enhanced the crop production primarily rice, wheat and maize production was boosted to meet the energy needs of growing population. As a consequence of the predominance of cereal-based staples that are fundamentally low in micronutrients, specifically Zn and Fe, more than 2 billion people worldwide suffer from an insidious type of deficiency known as micronutrient malnutrition. Just moderate amounts of micronutrient malnutrition can affect cognitive development, reduce disease resistance and increase the risk of women dying during childbirth. The approach to micronutrient fertilization has been shown to improve the yield and nutritional content of the staples. Agronomic biofortification provides an immediate and effective method to enhance accumulation of micronutrients especially Zn and Fe in cereals. An adequate amount of plant available micronutrients is a prime requisite to ensure adequate nutrient uptake. Most of the cereals are grown in soils deficit in Zn and under reduced conditions of rice ecosystem, its availability is decreased due to formation of less soluble Zn complexes with sulphate and carbonate. The form of fertilizer used, timing and method of application is critical for the enhancement of the grain quality of Zn and Fe. The effectiveness of agronomic biofortification can be enhanced by application of synthetic chelated micronutrient fertilizers and/or organic fertilizers fortified with micronutrients in combination with NPK ensuring proper nourishment of crops with adequate nutrient supply by slow release of nutrients in soil solution. Further, the response of foliar application has shown better results than soil application. Previous studies suggest that Zn fertilization not only enhances Zn concentration in grain but also improves the overall performance of maize crop. Agronomic biofortification of crops is advantageous in terms of accessibility, rapid result, ease in application and high sustainability.

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India supports nearly 20 per cent of the world’s livestock population on just 2.2 per cent of the world’s geographical area. The fodder production in the country is not sufficient to meet the requirement of growing livestock population and country faces a net deficit of 61.1% in green fodder, 21.9% in dry crop residues and 64% in feeds. This puts a tremendous pressure to increase fodder and forage production to meet the diet demands of increasing livestock population. Intensification of fodder and forage can be done by increasing productivity per unit area that can be achieved by integration of fodder crops in the cropping systems as intercrops, round the year forage production and introduction of fodder and forage crops in tree crops as alley crops. In addition to the intensification, the quality parameters of forage are equally important to be stressed upon. Important components that determine forage quality include fats, carbohydrates, crude protein, percent dry matter, pH etc. Anti-Nutritional Factors (ANF) in plants reduce the intake or nutrient utilization and determines the extent of uing those plants a fodder for livestock. The presence of anti- nutritional components viz., nitrates, tannins, oxalates, mimosine, cyanogens, Saponins, BOAA ( Benzo-Oxalic Acetic Acid) limit the forage and fodder consumption. For the lean periods in which land may not be accessible for forage production, forage conservation is the best measure to meet the fodder demands. The forage conservation methods include hay making and silage making. These strategic measures will ensure food and nutritional security by supplying quality food and nutritional security by supplying quality fodder and forage for animals.

A field trial was conducted during the Kharif season of 2020 to assess the effect of spatial and temporal crop geometry on the phenology, yield and agro meteorological indices of hybrid maize at the Agronomy Research Farm, FoA Wadura, Sopore, SKUAST-Kashmir. The experiment was carried out in split- split plot design with dates of sowing (17th SMW; D1), 19th SMW; D2 and 21st SMW; D3) as main plot treatments; varied row spacing (50 cm × 20 cm; S1, 60 cm× 20 cm; S2 and 70 cm ×20 cm; S3) as sub- plot treatments and two maize hybrids (Hytech- 5801;H1 and YSH- 1; H2) as sub- sub plot treatments. Results indicated that hybrid Hyteh- 5801 sown on 17th SMW observed highest grain yield and biological yield and took greater days to reach different phenological stages, thereby piled higher heat units, PTUs, HTUs, HyTUs, PTI followed by 19th SMW and 21st SMW. The plant spacing of 70 cm ×20 cm took maximum days for reaching different phenophases and accumulated maximum heat units, PTUs, HTUs, HyTUs, PTI. Thermal use efficiencies were maximum ((HTUE, PTUE, HyTUE and HUE)) when the maize hybrid Hytech-5801was sown on 17th SMW. The biological yield based thermal efficiencies showed the highest response with row-spacing of 50 cm × 20 cm whereas grain yield based thermal efficiencies were maximum under 70 cm×20 cm plant spacing.

Meat is the most perishable of all important foods since it contains sufficient nutrients needed to support the growth of microorganisms. Meat is susceptible to bacterial decomposition, which results in the production of off odours, followed by slime production and structural breakdown. Curing of meat is done to stop this decomposition of meat caused by microorganisms and to retain the colour of meat. Meat is considered to be spoiled when it is unfit for human consumption and is subjected to changes by its own enzymes, by microbial action and its fat may be oxidized chemically by microorganisms which grow on it causing visual, textural and Organoleptic change when they release metabolites. Mutton sample procured from local market were subdivided into three parts. One part was treated with turmeric and a part with turmeric+ Nitrite and rest was kept as control i.e. without any treatment. All the three samples were kept in low density polythenes and were analyzed 0, 15 and 30 days after storage.