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S. K. Bhardwaj

Abstract

Aqueous extracts from twenty plants were tested for their antifungal activity against Coriolus versicolor inciting wood rot in trees. Test results showed a differential activity of the plant extracts against the mycelium growth. The maximum inhibitory effect was shown by stem extract of Aloe vera against the mycelium growth of test fungi. The ischolar_main extracts of Asparagus racemosus, leaf extract of Azadirachta indica and leaf extracts of Camellia sinensis showed strong inhibitory effect against the test fungi. The flower extracts of Adhatoda vasica and seed extract of Albizia lebbek showed appreciable good inhibitory effect against the test fungi.

Keywords

Coriolus Versicolor, Antifungal, Plant-extracts, Phytochemicals

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S. K. Bhardwaj , K.S. Verma , N. S. Thakur

Abstract

No abstract

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C. K. Ndungu ¹, S. K. Bhardwaj ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Environmental Science, Dr. Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni (Solan), IN

Abstract

The impact of the mountain cropping system on groundwater quality and soil heavy metal accumulation was studied in mid-hills of Solan and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh. To assess the impact of dominant cropping systems, the four commonly occurring systems, namely vegetable, fruit, cereal crop and agroforestry were selected in the area ranging from 800-1800m. Uncultivated land in the region was considered as control. In total, there were five treatments which were replicated six times under randomized block design. The study was conducted for two years, i.e. during 2014 and 2015. The study indicated that the mountain cropping systems varied significantly with respect to their impact on groundwater quality and soil heavy metal accumulation. The pH, electrical conductivity, chlorides, nitrates and sulphates in groundwater were within drinking water permissible limits prescribed by Bureau to Indian Standards (BIS). The concentration of zinc, arsenic and nickel in groundwater was also within drinking water critical limits prescribed by BIS but lead and cadmium exceeded the limits. The concentration of lead and cadmium ranged from 0.12 to 0.27 mg L^-1 and 0 to 0.02 mg L^-1, respectively, and followed similar crop system-wise trend, i.e. vegetable > fruit > agriculture > agroforestry > control. The soil accumulation of zinc, arsenic and nickel was within permissible limits prescribed by WHO but lead and cadmium violated the limits. Interestingly, soil accumulation of lead exceeded WHO permissible limits under all cropping systems, including the control. The accumulation of lead and cadmium in soil ranged from 0.16 to 0.44 mg kg^-1 and 0.02 to 0.12 mg kg^-1, respectively, and had a similar crop system-wise trend they had in groundwater. Therefore, to maintain the quality of the important natural resources like groundwater and soil in mid-hills of Himachal Pradesh, necessary steps need to be taken.

Keywords

Cropping System, Heavy Metals, Groundwater Quality.

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Nancy Loria ¹, S. K. Bhardwaj ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Environmental Sciences, Dr. Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan-173 230, IN

Abstract

The study examined the farmers' perceptions regarding climate change, types of adaptation strategies, factors influencing adaptation choices and barriers to adaptation, in the low-hill zone of Himachal Pradesh in India. In low-hill zone, 202 farm households were randomly considered for the study. In the region, 62.4 % of the farm households were of the opinion that temperature has increased during the last 10 years, whereas, 57.9% of the respondents have perceived that there is a decrease in rainfall in low-hills of the state. In this part of the state, people have switched over to off farm jobs to meet their livelihood as perceived by 89.1 percent of the respondents. At farm level, farmers have adopted irrigation, crop diversification, change of sowing/planting dates and crop variety as the strategies to cope up with the changing situation. About 50% of the people have perceived that high cost of adaptation, limited knowledge of adaptation measures, lack of access to technology, labour availability and early weather warnings were the main barriers to climate change adaptation. In the region, adaptation to climate change was influenced by education level, household and farm size, access to irrigation and credit, and number of salaried persons in the household.

Keywords

Farmers' Perception, Climate Change, Adaptation Strategies.

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Bhavika Sharma ¹, Sandeep Sharma ¹, S. K. Bhardwaj ²

Affiliations
1 Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Panthaghati, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, 171 009, IN
2 Y.S. Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh, 173 230, IN

Abstract

Industrialization has provided humanity with materials and social benefits. It has also brought in its wake up many unwanted substances and social problems. One of these problems is the degradation of the environment. The environment, upon which our life is most dependent, has fallen victim of pollution brought by the man himself through unplanned and unscientific development and mineral exploitation. Air pollution is an inevitable harmful by-product of rapid industrialization and urbanization that is responsible for a variety of deleterious effects on both human and plant communities. It has been a major environmental concern since the beginning of industrialization, resulting in a release of gaseous and particulate pollutants into the atmosphere. A relationship between traffic density and photosynthetic activity, stomatal conductance, total chlorophyll content and leaf senescence has been reported. Exposure of evergreen plants to air pollutants create many changes in physiological and biochemical parameters. Each plant species has a different ability to absorb and adsorb pollutants by their foliar surfaces, which is influenced by several biochemical, physiological and morphological characteristics. Rampant and uncontrolled use of fossil fuels in industries and transport sector has led to an increase in concentrations of the gaseous pollutants. Indian cities are facing serious problems of airborne particulate matter. Atmospheric particulate matter, which is a mixture of diverse elements, is of most concern in context of public health. Particulates may also cause a reduction in yield, change in photosynthesis and transpiration along with foliar injuries. The plant species which accumulate more dust onto their surfaces can act as buffer around industries and along roadsides. The present study deals with the plant-pollutant interactions and how the physical and chemical characteristics of plants vary with air pollution. It also throws light on how dust affects various plant species and what is the role of plants in dust accumulation.

Keywords

Biochemical Parameters, Dust Accumulation, Evergreen Plants, Foliar Injuries, Photosynthesis.

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Adil Amaan ¹, S. K. Dubey ¹, Chirag Vij ², S. K. Bhardwaj ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, MVN University, Palwal, Haryana, IN
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, DITMR, MD University, Haryana, IN

Abstract

Vehicles with SI engines are provided with carburettor for fuel air mixture supply. Fuel consumption affects the design of carburettor. For better uniform fuel air supply there is a need to design the carburettor with an effective design tool. Parameters of the carburettor will be analysed using computational fluid dynamics. The results obtained from the open source software's enGrid, open FOAM, will be analysed for optimum design of a carburettor. Current CFD models describe important physical and chemical processes of engine flows, but validation experiments are needed for model development and improvement. CFD combustion models capture engine performance and emissions trends and can be combined with optimization tools for design and evaluation of engine design concepts. In recent years CFD has been successfully established for the calculation of fluid flow, mixture formation and combustion in internal combustion engines as a complementary tool to in-cylinder pressure analysis and optical mixture formation and combustion diagnostics.

Keywords

Carburettor, enGrid, OpenFOAM.

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Jyotsana Pandit ¹, S. K. Bhardwaj ¹, Anish Kumar Sharma ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Environmental Science, University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan 173 230, IN
2 School of Sciences, P.P. Savani University, Surat 394 125, IN

Abstract

Urbanization is one of the most significant global trends of modern times, driving and driven by multiple social, economic and environmental processes. Due to uncontrolled urbanization, there is rapid environmental degradation which causes many problems. Scientific assessments can help provide solutions by considering the local realities. Numerous assessment strategies have been suggested such as emerge analysis, material flow analysis, data development analysis and ecological footprint analysis (EFA). EFA has been implemented as a useful analytical and planning tool for assessing urban sustainability in numerous cities. The aim of this study is to use one of the EFA components, viz. built-up land footprint (EF_built-up) to evaluate the urban sustainability of Solan district, Himachal Pradesh (HP), India, in terms of settlements. The study concludes that EF_built-up of Solan district, HP, exceeds its biocapacity, resulting in an ecological deficit. Therefore, element of built-up land in Solan district is considered as an unsustainable system.

Keywords

Biocapacity, Built-Up Land Footprint, Ecological Footprint Analysis, Ecological Deficit, Urban Sustainability.

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Jyotsana Pandit ¹, S. K. Bhardwaj ¹, Anish Kumar Sharma ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Environmental Science, University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan 173 230, IN
2 School of Sciences, PP Savani University, Surat 394 125, IN

Abstract

Unsustainable resource use on earth must be addressed from a variety of perspectives and at multiple levels of governance. Understanding the environmental consequences of urban-dwellers will become increasingly important as the human population urbanizes. Having access to reliable, cross-cutting, quantitative city-level sustainability measures is crucial. By taking into account local facts, scientific analyses can assist in providing solutions. Emergence analysis, material flow analysis, data development analysis and ecological footprint analysis (EFA) are only some of the assessment methodologies that have been offered. EFA has been used to assess urban sustainability in a number of cities as a useful analytical and planning tool. The purpose of this study is to assess the sustainability of Solan district, Himachal Pradesh, India, using four EFA components: crop land, grazing land, forest land and infrastructure land footprints. According to the study, the total ecological footprint of Solan district is 6865.30 gha, and its components are in the following order: crop land footprint (3287.40 gha) > infrastructure land footprint (2088.21 gha) > grazing land footprint (978.03 gha) > forest land footprint (511.67 gha).

Keywords

Crop land, ecological footprint analysis, forest land, grazing land, infrastructure land, sustainability.

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