Seed Technology for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Priyanka Sharma, PhD, is currently an Assistant Professor in Seed Science and Technology at the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, India. She has published several research papers and review articles on medicinal plants in national and international reputed journals and has also published books, book chapters, and popular articles. She is the recipient of a Senior Research Fellowship under the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, New Delhi. She has experience in teaching at Beehive College of Management and Technology, Dehradun, Uttarakhand; as research associate under the ICAR-Directorate of Rapeseed Mustard Research, Bharatpur, Rajasthan; and as seed coordinator under Assam Seeds Corporation Limited, Guwahati, Assam, India. Currently, she is involved in teaching, research, and conducting training for farmers related to the production of quality seeds. She holds BSc (Agri) and MSc (Agri) degrees in Seed Science & Technology from Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, and a PhD (Seed Science & Technology) from Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India. She has also qualified ASRB-ICAR-NET.Kishore Kumar Sharma, PhD, is currently working as Professor and Head of the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, India, with teaching and research experience of more than 20 years. Dr. Sharma was also an Associate Dean at the Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science, AAU. He was involved in the development of two medium duration rice varieties, Satyaranjan and Basundhara. He has also been involved in the development of two Boro rice varieties: Jyotiprasad and Bishnuprasad, which were notified in 2006. Jalashree and Jalkuwari, the two submergence tolerant rice varieties, were recommended for cultivation at a POP meeting in 2009 and notified in March 2017. In addition, he has developed two semi deep rice varieties, Panchanan and Padumoni, and two early duration mustard varieties, PM 25 and PM 26, which have also been recommended at a POP meeting held in 2015. Dr. Sharma has published more than 40 research papers, one book, three newspaper articles, three web articles, four bulletins, and six book chapters from his areas of research. He has handled more than nine research projects funded by national and international organizations and agencies. In addition, Dr. Sharma is involved as a Principal Investigator of the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP), sponsored by the Government of India and the World Bank.Gopal Shukla, PhD, is currently working as Professor and Head in the Department of Forestry at North Eastern Hill University, Tura Campus, Tura, Meghalaya, India. Before joining as Professor, he has worked as a faculty member in the Department of Forestry at Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India. He has more than 14 years of experience in forestry teaching, research, and extension. He have worked on different projects, including the National Agricultural Innovation Project and National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (ICAR) and also as a SERB (DST) young scientist on the project entitled “carbon stock of different land uses of Terai Zone of West Bengal” at UBKV, Cooch Behar, WB. His specialization is forest ecology, and the focus of his research and development work is on forest ecology, medicinal plants, conservation aspects of forest resources, and sustainable land management.. He has published more than 100 papers and articles in refereed journals, 30 book chapters, and eight books. He has attended various conferences and handled three adhoc/extramural project as principal investigator and six as co-principal investigator, as well as organized two national seminars as organizing secretary, one ten-day training program as course coordinator, and nine farmers’ training/awareness programs. Dr. Shukla has served as member, faculty council, faculty of horticulture at UBKV, Cooch Behar, and member of the Board of Studies (UG), Forestry at Bankura University, Bankura, West Bengal. He was one of the members for framing under- and postgraduate forestry syllabus for Bankura University, Bankura, West Bengal, and Amity University, Amity, Uttar Pradesh, India. Dr. Shukla also guided four doctoral and six master’s students in the field of forestry. He has received a SERB (DST) Young Scientist award (2012) and a Young Scientist award (2018) and received best oral and poster presentation awards at a number of seminars and conferences. Dr. Shukla has also delivered invited lectures in seminars, conferences, and training programs and has chaired technical sessions at conferences. He graduated from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Agra, followed by postgraduate and doctorate degrees obtained from Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Cooch Behar, West Bengal.

• Preface Introduction 1. Principles and Practices of Seed Storage for Maintaining Seed Quality of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 2. Organic Farming and High-Quality Seed Production of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 3. Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted by Seeds 4. Metabolic Changes of Carbohydrates, Proteins, Lipids, and Phytohormones During Seed Germination 5. Safe Seed Storage Including Eco-Friendly Techniques Used in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 6. Synthetic Seeds: Pioneering Biotechnology for Conservation and Sustainable Multiplication of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 7. Exploring Optimal Seed Storage and Germination Techniques for Medicinal Plants: A Review 8. Conservation of Ethnomedicinal Endangered Plant Species of the Eastern Sub-Himalayan Regions of India 9. Safe Seed Storage Including Ecofriendly Techniques Used in Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 10. Nanopriming for Enhanced Seed Germination in Medicinal Plants 11. Principles of Seed Collection, Seed Processing, Drying Temperature, Storability, and Seed Germination of Some Seeds of Medicinal Plants 12. Seed Conservation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 13. Packaging Principles of Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Seeds: Practices, Materials, Bagging, and Labeling 14. Seed Germination Behavior of Hogweed (Heracleum candicans Wall.) 15. Drying Temperature and Duration on Seed Germination and Storability with Particular Reference to Seeds of Medicinal Plants 16. Detection of Seed Storage Fungi, Bacteria, and Viruses and Identification of Storage Fungi 17. Biotechnological Intervention for Sustainable Production of Quality Planting Material of Critically Endangered Medicinal Plant Species 18. Challenges and Opportunities of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the Seed Industries Index