Books by V.L. Chopra

The book has been compiled to bring together comprehensive information and literature on medicinally and commercially important plants in respect of biosystematics, reproductive biology, genetic amelioration, cultivation, conservation, chemistry, pharmacology, trade, value addition and future prospects for wider readership. The ten plants are: Aegle marmelos, Aloe vera, Saussurea costus, Aconitum heterophyllum, Asparagus racemosus, Berberis aristata, Bergenia ciliata, Crocus sativus, Picrorhiza kurroa and Piper longum.The primary motivation for writing this book was to collate scientific information on some of the most privileged plants used in India and to give a critical analysis of next-generation research problems worth pursuing. We have identified a set of ten plants which have great potential for safeguarding and promoting wellness and human health and possess promising potential of product development for commerce. Recent global regulatory developments, exemplified by US-FDA creating a road-map for marketing approval of plant- based botanical drugs and nutritional supplements, has opened up global market for Indian medicinal plants.Over a hundred Indian plants that have been used in traditional systems of medicine for centuries have now been recognized and included in the global pharmacopoeias (US, EU and Japan). In 2015, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has created a separate category for phytopharmaceutical drugs, and over 100 plants have been approved by Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) for inclusion as nutritional products.

Twenty five s in this book are grouped into six sections: o    setting the stage: topics relevant to livelihoods context, o    crop agriculture, o    vegetables and fruits, o    animal sciences and fisheries, o    agroforestry, o    other livelihood options. Section on "setting the stage topics relevant to livelihoods context" (s 1-4) deals with a range of livelihood options, and addresses the issue of livelihood promotion, protection, and sustenance including under the emerging scenario of climate change. This section also deals with corporate social responsibility and the criticality of water as fundamental to livelihood The second section on "crop agriculture" (s 5-9) highlights the relevance and importance of technologies that have the potential of boosting productivity of food, feed and horticultural crops for enhancing livelihood security and quality of life of farmers. Discussion here deals with approaches for combating abiotic and biotic stresses for improving production stability and efficiency with focus on combining productivity with stress tolerance. Importance of weed management and early warning systems for disaster management is also highlighted for safeguarding livelihoods. The vegetables and fruits section (s 10-14) discusses use of traditional and emerging technologies, hybrid technology, green-house and related protected cultivation technologies, and appropriate policies to empower farmers to boost their income. Protection against insect-pest and deployment of disease tolerant crops not only improves socio-economic status of farmers but also ensures cleaner environment. Realizing the vast potential of animals and fisheries for reducing poverty and enhancing livelihood, the next section has five presentations (s 15-19) covering issues ranging from cold water fishes to highlander yak. The importance of cattle, the relevance of veterinarians and the criticality of currently available and futuristic technologies is also underlined. Where relevant, the section undertakes SWOT analysis and discusses issues emerging from climate change. The agroforestry section (s 20-22) propagates the value of synergy of agriculture with appropriate forestry technologies to evolve a profitable and sustainable land-use system. The section details with many potentially powerful agroforestry technologies, the range of available tradable bioresources and important pursuable options pertaining to medicinal and aromatic plants. Indigenous food products, bee keeping and silk productions are three important issues grouped under "other livelihood options" (s 23-25). This section discusses the importance, need of introducing scientific and technological interventions, and improving policy decision making for improving livelihood via agro-industrial development.