AP APPLE

Many of us have heard the saying `An apple a day keeps the doctor away`.

The apple is crisp and light tasting.

Apple has a plainly delivered and easily palatable taste.

Apples have a good claim to promote health.

Apple fruit is an excellent source of antioxidant flavonoids, phytochemicals, polyphenolic compounds that can get rid of free radicals which damage body tissue and lead to heart disease, strokes and cancer. Some strong antioxidants found in apple fruit are quercetin, catechin, phloridzin, chlorogenic acid, and vitamin C. There are significant amounts of vitamin C in the apple skin. According to research, although the amount of vitamin C in 100 g of apples is only about 5.7 mg, the total antioxidant activity of 100gr of whole apple fruit (with the apple peel) was found to be equivalent to the antioxidant effect of about 1500 mg of vitamin C.

Apple also contains vitamin B-6, vitamin E, vitamin A, pantothenic acid, niacin, folic acid. About minerals, Apple fruit has also magnesium and potassium, two of the important minerals necessary for a healthy heart. Apple also contains galacturonic acid, which lowers the body's need for insulin. This may help diabetics treat their diabetes disease. Apple fruit is also a good source of dietary fiber. They contain Vitamin C, which aids the immune system, and phenols, which reduce cholesterol. They also reduce tooth decay by cleaning one's teeth and killing off bacteria. It has also been suggested by Cornell University researchers that the quercetin found in apples protects brain cells against neuro-degenerative disorders like Alzheimer's Disease. Approximately 81 calories in one medium apple fruit.

Apples grow on small, deciduous trees. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe, and were brought to North America by European colonists. Apples have been present in the mythology and religions of many cultures, including Norse, Greek and Christian traditions. Apple (Malus pumila) is commercially the most important temperate fruit and is fourth among the most widely produced fruits in the world after banana, orange and grape. China is the largest apple producing country in the world. Apples originated in the Middle East more than 4000 years ago. Spreading across Europe to France, the fruit arrived in England at around the time of the Norman conquest in 1066.

Cultivative Conditions

The apple forms a tree that is small and deciduous, generally standing 6 to 15 feet (1.8 to 4.6 m) tall in cultivation and up to 30 feet (9.1 m) in the wild. The skin of ripe apples is generally red, yellow, green or pink, although many bi- or tri-colored varieties may be found.

Different cultivars are available for temperate and subtropical climates. The apple-growing areas in India do not fall in the temperate zone of the world but the prevailing temperate climate of the region is primarily due to snow covered Himalayan ranges and high altitude which helps meet the chilling requirement during winter season extending from mid-December to mid-March.The agro climatic conditions in these states are not as conducive as in north-western Himalayan region. Early and continuous rains from April onwards do not favour the production of quality fruits besides resulting in high incidence of diseases.

Dry temperate areas suitable for apple cultivation in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are most suitable for production of high-quality fruits having intense colour development, high sugar content and longer shelf-life. Apple can be grown at altitudes 1,500-2,700 m. above m.s.l. in the Himalayan range which experience 1,000-1,500 hours of chilling (the no. of hours during which temperature remains at or below 70 C during the winter season). The temperature during the growing season is around 21-240 C. For optimum growth and fruiting, apple trees need 100-125 cm. of annual rainfall, evenly distributed during the growing season. Excessive rains and fog near the fruit maturity period result in poor fruit quality with improper colour development and fungal spots on its surface. Areas exposed to high velocity of winds are not desirable for apple cultivation. Loamy soils, rich in organic matter with pH 5.5 to 6.5 and having proper drainage and aeration are suitable for cultivation.

Is there any chance in A.P?

Certainly Yes, scientists said. They referred Andhra Kashmir Lambasingi village for Apple crop. The village and the surrounding area looks pleasant sleeping under the blanked of fog. Lambasingi is a special place in Andhra Pradesh as the temperature fall below zero degrees centigrade frequently. Lambasingi also has special geographical features. It is a Gram Panchayat that is located between Chintapally and Narsipatnam. The buses that go towards Chintapally from Narsipatnam has to cross Lambasingi. Vehicle drivers have to switch on the lights of their vehicles, as the village is covered by fog even during afternoons. Lambasingi is situated at a height of 3,600 feet from sea level. It has valleys on either sides and so the temperatures at this village are always very low. Sometimes during winter the minimum temperature recorded here is -1.5 degrees. In summer maximum temperature in the afternoon will be not more than 24 degrees. The village is also called Korrubayalu. Korru in local language means to become stiff. Here, all these conditions given eligibility to Lambasingi for Apple cultivation. Some scientific researches are still going on there. Horticulture department also hoped that about apple production in the state. So, In near future Andhra Pradesh also having the stature of apple productivity states in India. Now the most important temperate fruit of the northwestern Himalayan region in India. It is predominantly grown in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland, accounting for about 90% of the total production. Its cultivation has also been extended to Sikkimm and Meghalaya in north-eastern region and Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu. Arunachal Pradesh is one of the ideal locations for apple cultivation. If high yielding varieties of apple are introduced in the state.

About 69 million tonnes of apples were grown worldwide in 2010, and China produced almost half of this total. The United States is the second-leading producer, with more than 6% of world production. Turkey is third, followed by Italy, India and Poland. Apples are often eaten raw, but can also be found in many prepared foods (especially desserts) and drinks. Many beneficial health effects are thought to result from eating apples; however, two forms of allergies are seen to various proteins found in the fruit.

The essence of true leadership

What does a leader mean? What qualities define a leader? Do leaders always arise owing to difficult situations? Are they born or made? Sometimes situation demands a leader`s arrival. But `The Leader` must be a continuous reader, a dedicated learner and a critical thinker.

Great leaders often have leadership styles that fit into few categories, and they interchange these leadership styles when it makes the most sense. The basic categories of leadership are autocratic, participative and free-rein. Autocratic leaders are often very commanding in style. Autocratic leaders typically make choices based on their own ideas and judgments and rarely accept advice from followers. `Do as I say because I am the boss` is the common attitude amongst leaders using this particular style. Participative leaders believe in equality between leaders and followers soliciting input from followers. This leader often asks followers “What you think?” making some major decisions by a majority-rule vote. Free- rein leaders are unengaged in leadership. This style of leadership caters for minimal control by the leader or manager and maximum flexibility for the team members. The team leader often takes a back seat role and functions to coordinate and direct the actions of the team rather than dictate it. The free reign style can be good or bad, depending on whether the followers are high performers or not.

Whether one type of leadership is better is not of importance. Different situations require different types of leadership. Leadership is much more than the management of people. It is the ability to lead a group of followers effectively, make them and their purpose successful, and still maintain valid principles and ideas. Leaders must have followers to be successful, and they must know how to treat the followers to ensure their success. Leaders should have values that are consistent with high moral and ethical standards, and they should know how to motivate others effectively. The greatest leaders in history, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Hitler, had the ability to motivate their followers and elicit change, and change is a vital element of a great leader, they have to know how to create successful change and motivate others to change, too. Great leaders are not all positive, as someone like Hitler clearly indicates, and that can be the negative aspect of leadership and the power of leadership.

Positions of leadership

People respond to a task when they know they will be treated fairly, their input will be respected, and they can trust in the integrity of the person responsible for the success of a pursuit. Thus, everybody believe good leadership is derived from being a careful listener and communicator who understands the needs of others and the goals of an endeavor. To me, leaders are not complacent by the way the world shapes them, but are motivated by the way they can shape the world. A leader is directed by what is achievable, not by what is preventing his or her success. When leaders see past hurdles or difficulties, they inspire hope and commitment, which is essential for any pursuit. Furthermore, Leadership is not characterized by rushing to the forefront and being a directing charge, but rather acting as a rudder in the rear maintaining a course with a clear view of what is ahead.

Follow And Lead

The essence of true leadership is the ability to follow as well as to lead. Well defined values, clear vision, a sense of purpose, sufficient resources, and a good strategy or a policy are some of the main components of true leadership. A true leader must be self-confident, well informed, and persuasive in the community or in business and in relationships. A true leader must endure hatred and rejection and turn failure into success. A true leader must stay competitive and innovative if he or she is to create the future. A true leader must also have a keen sense of humor, self-knowledge, outstanding manners, and a few trustworthy friends. Above all, he/she must know how to balance power and gather shrewd teammates.

leadership is more than power or influence over subordinates, it's more about team building, confidence building among the team members, encouraging continuous learning, and inspire the team members to bring out their real potential. Every leader is challenged to respect the power they have been given, to be morally and ethically responsible, and to ensure that the decisions of today will provide a promising tomorrow for all humanity.

ON-I-ON

Supply and demand is perhaps one of the most fundamental concepts of economics and it is the backbone of a market economy. Demand refers to how much (quantity) of a product or service is desired by buyers. The quantity demanded is the amount of a product people are willing to buy at a certain price; the relationship between price and quantity demanded is known as the demand relationship. Supply represents how much the market can offer. The quantity supplied refers to the amount of a certain good producers are willing to supply when receiving a certain price. The correlation between price and how much of a good or service is supplied to the market is known as the supply relationship. Price, therefore, is a reflection of supply and demand. Necessity goods are goods that we can't live without and won't likely cut back on even when times are tough, for example food, power, water and gas. Now we can take a look on onions. In india onions rate stands at high. why? it is simple., the above principle applicable here.

Across the country, arrivals have decreased in all the major markets due to lower supply from Maharashtra and Gujarat region. The other reason for decrease in arrivals is lower late kharif crop this season and gap between arrivals of rabi crop as late kharif arrival is almost over. Depending on the production of onion, there is a seasonality in arrivals and prices every year. The changes in arrivals may occur due to a rise or fall in production, poorstorage, early harvesting, lack of retention power by growers and exports. However, now due to unseasonal rains, the production of onions declined. To some extent, this reduction in production was offset by marginally higher production in all onion cultivating states.The magnitude of decline in production did not affect arrivalsin the market very much. Staggered planting of onions with suitable varieties can address the supply gap during the slack period, thereby stabilising prices during all the year. As part of market reforms, minimum support prices for onions and the implementation of market intelligence systems can help in discovering the right prices for producers as well as consumers.

Hi`story`

Common onions are normally available in three colours: yellow, red, and white. Yellow onions, also called brown onions, are full-flavoured and are the onions of choice for everyday use. Yellow onions turn a rich, dark brown when caramelized and give French onion soup its sweet flavour. The red onion is a good choice for fresh use when its colour livens up the dish. It is also used in grilling and char-broiling. White onions are the traditional onions that are used in classic Mexican cuisine. They have a golden colour when cooked and a particularly sweet flavour when sauteed.

The onion plant (Allium cepa) is unknown in the wild but has been grown and selectively bred in cultivation for at least 7,000 years. It is a biennial plant but is usually grown as an annual. Modern varieties typically grow to a height of 15 to 45 cm (6 to 18 in). Bulbs from the onion family are thought to have been used as a food source for millennia. In Bronze Age settlements, traces of onion remains were found alongside date stones and fig remains that date back to 5000 BC. However, it is not clear if these were cultivated onions. Archaeological and literary evidence that onions were probably being cultivated around two thousand years later in ancient Egypt, at the same time that leeks and garlic were cultivated.

Energetic

In ancient Greece, athletes ate large quantities of onion because it was believed to lighten the balance of the blood. Roman gladiators were rubbed down with onions to firm up their muscles. In the Middle Ages, onions were such an important food that people would pay their rent with onions, and even give them as gifts. Doctors were known to prescribe onions to facilitate bowel movements and erections, and to relieve headaches, coughs, snakebite and hair loss. Most onion cultivars are about 89% water, 4% sugar, 1% protein, 2% fibre and 0.1% fat. They contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, folic acid and numerous other nutrients in small amounts. They are low in fats and in sodium, and with an energy value of 166kJ (40 kcal) per 100 g (3.5 oz) serving, they can contribute their flavour to savoury dishes without raising caloric content appreciably.

Onions were taken by the first settlers to North America, where the Native Americans were already using wild onions in a number of ways, eating them raw or cooked in a variety of foods. They also used them to make into syrups, to form poultices and in the preparation of dyes. Onions are cultivated and used around the world. As a foodstuff they are usually served cooked, as a vegetable or part of a prepared savoury dish, but can also be eaten raw or used to make pickles or chutneys. They are pungent when chopped and contain certain chemical substances which irritate the eyes. Onions contain phenolics and flavonoids that have potential anti-inflammatory, anti-cholesterol, anticancer and antioxidant properties.

Top Ten Onions Producers

China, India, United States, Egypt, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Brazil, Russia, Republic of Korea.

It is estimated that around the World, over 9,000,000 acres (3,642,000 ha) of onions are grown annually. About 170 countries cultivate onions for domestic use and about eight percent of the global production is traded internationally.

Plastic Roads

Plastic-waste in road construction i.e., Plastic roads. The present newly construction method highlights the developments in  using plastics waste to make plastic roads.The use and abuse of plastics vis-a-vis environmental protection  can go on, without yielding results until practical steps are initiated at the grassroots level by everyone who is in  a position to do something about it. The plastic wastes could be used in road construction and the field tests  withstood the stress and proved that plastic wastes used after proper processing as an additive would enhance the life of the roads and also solve environmental problems. Plastic is everywhere in today’?s lifestyle. It is used  for packaging, protecting, serving, and even disposing of all kinds of consumer goods. With the industrial revolution, mass production of goods started and plastic seemed to be a cheaper and effective raw material.  Today, every vital sector of the economy starting from agriculture to packaging, automobile, building construction, communication or infotech has been virtually revolutionised by the applications of plastics. Use of  this non-biodegradable (according to recent studies, plastics can stay unchanged for as long as 4500 years  on earth) product is growing rapidly and the problem is what to do with plastic-waste. Studies have linked the  improper disposal of plastic to problems as distant as breast cancer, reproductive problems in humans and  animals, genital abnormalities and even a decline in human sperm count and quality. If a ban is put on the use  of plastics on emotional grounds, the real cost would be much higher, the inconvenience much more, the  chances of damage or contamination much greater. The risks to the family health and safety would increase  and, above all the environmental burden would be manifold. Hence the question is not ‘?plastics vs no  plastics’? but it is more concerned with the judicious use and re-use of plastic-waste.

Not New.!

Plastic use in road construction is not new. It is already in use as PVC or HDPE pipe mat crossings built by cabling together PVC (polyvinyl chloride) or HDPE (high-density poly-ethylene) pipes to form plastic mats. The  plastic roads include transition mats to ease the passage of tyres up to and down from the crossing.Both  options help protect wetland haul roads from rutting by distributing the load across the surface. But the use of  plastic-waste has been a concern for scientists and engineers for a quite long time. Recent studies in this  direction have shown some hope in terms of using.

A Bangalore-based firm and a team of engineers have  developed a way of using plastic waste for road construction. An initial study was conducted in 1997 by the  team to test for strength and durability. Plastic roads mainly use plastic carry-bags, disposable cups thickness  up to 60micron (PE, PP and PS), Hard foams (PS) and any thickness (PET) bottles, Soft Foams (PE and  PP) any thickness. Laminated Plastics thickness up to 60 micron (Aluminum coated also) packing materials  used for biscuits, chocolates, etc., That are collected from garbage dumps as an important ingredient of the  construction material. When mixed with hot bitumen, plastics melt to form an oily coat over the aggregate and  the mixture is laid on the road surface like a normal tar road.

Basic Process

Waste plastic is ground and made into powder; 3 to 4 % plastic is mixed with the bitumen. Plastic increases the melting point of the bitumen and makes the road retain its flexibility during winters resulting in its long life. Use of shredded plastic waste acts as a strong “?binding agent”? for tar making the asphalt last long. By mixing  plastic with bitumen the ability of the bitumen to withstand high temperature increases. The plastic waste is  melted and mixed with bitumen in a particular ratio. Normally, blending takes place when temperature reaches 45.5C but when plastic is mixed, it remains stable even at 55C. The vigorous tests at the laboratory level  proved that the bituminous concrete mixes prepared using the treated bitumen binder fulfilled all the specified Marshall mix design criteria for surface course of road pavement. There was a substantial increase in Marshall Stability value of the BC mix, of the order of two to three times higher value in comparison with the untreated orordinary bitumen. Another important observation was that the bituminous mixes prepared using the treated binder could withstand adverse soaking conditions under water for longer duration.

Comparison

The durability of the roads laid out with shredded plastic waste is much more compared with roads with asphalt with the ordinary mix. Roads laid with plastic waste mix are found to be better than the conventional ones. The binding property of plastic makes the road last longer besides giving added strength to withstand more loads. While a normal 'highway quality' road lasts four to five years it is claimed that plastic-bitumen roads can last up to 10 years. Rainwater will not seep through because of the plastic in the tar. So, this technology will result in lesser road repairs. And as each km of road with an average width requires over two tonnes of polyblend, using plastic will help reduce non-biodegradable waste.

Expensive?

The cost of plastic road construction may be slightly higher compared to the conventional method. However, this should not deter the adoption of the technology as the  benefits are much higher than the cost. Plastic  roads would be a boon for countries like India’? Hot and extremely humid climate, where temperatures  frequently cross 50C and torrential rains create havoc, leaving most of the roads with big potholes. Already, a  kilometre-long test-track has been tested in Karnataka using this technology. The government is keen on  encouraging the setting up of small plants for mixing waste plastic and bitumen for road construction. It is hoped  that in near future we will have strong, durable and eco-friendly roads which will relieve the earth from all type of plastic-waste.

Plastics will increase the melting point of the bitumen. The use of the innovative technology not only  strengthened the road construction but also increased the road life as well as will help to improve the  environment and also creating a source of income. The plastic roads include transition mats to ease the  passage of tyres up to and down from the crossing. Both option of making roads was to protect wetland haul  roads from cracks by distributing the load across the surface. 

A stretch of 800 metre bus route of Valluvar Kottam High Road from Unit Office 21 Junction to Dr.MGR Salai  junction would have 13,700 square metre of plastic road in chennai. A 1,250-metre stretch of Nelson  Manickam Road would have 22,500 square metre of plastic road. The civic body would complete re-laying of  121 plastic roads on 80-km-long bus routes at a cost of Rs.51.7 crore. Shredded plastic waste would form at  least 8 per cent of the weight of the binder used for re-laying. Initially, the civic body planned to use plastic for  re-laying of the top layer of 40 mm in the roads. The 75 to 50 mm macadam layer beneath the top layer of 40  mm is also likely to have plastic content in areas where damage to road is high. The Corporation has put in  place bins for collection of plastic waste in every ward office. The civic body is procuring plastic for road re- laying, as it is yet to get enough plastic waste from residents. Patch work on Anna Nagar West School Road,  Perambur High Road, Greams Road and Taluk Office Road also ready for began. Work on 292 km of interior roads started at a cost of Rs.59.5 crore.

World's Longest and Sturdiest Recycled Bridge

Stretching out across the peaceful waters of the River Tweed in Peeblesshire, Scotland, the Dawyck Estate  river crossing is an unlikely record breaker. Measuring 30 meters in length and made entirely out of waste  plastic products, the newly completed structure is the world's longest and sturdiest recycled bridge. Utilizing a super-strength composite plastic material -- engineered by researchers at Rutgers University from  items as common as plastic bottles and household plastic waste -- the bridge caters for pedestrians, cars and  heavy goods vehicles. The river span is one of five such structures now in existence, although all others are  smaller and based in the U.S., and can support weights of up to 44 tons. According to Vertech Composites,  the British company behind the project, the bridge is a prototype that has the potential to meet future road and  bridge requirements in an eco-friendly manner.