116
Proposal
For
ESTABLISHMENT OF LEAF / TISSUE ANALYSIS
LABORATORY
By
M/s ------------------------------------------------------------------
Address: -------------------------------------------------------Submitted to
NHM, GOI New Delhi through SHM Govt. of Uttar Pradesh
117
APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT OF SCHEME
1.
Title of the scheme
:
2.
Name of the Organization
:
3.
4.
Registration under Societies Act
Registration No. and date
:
:
5.
Information regarding
investigators
Principal Investigator
Name and Designation
(a)
(b)
Co-investigators
Establishment of leaf tissue analysis
laboratory
:
:
Name and Designation
:
6.
Name and address of the Head
:
of the organization
7.
Actual location of the institute
:
where the work will be
undertaken
8.
Duration of the Project
:
Five year
9.
Total cost of the Project
:
Rs. 20.00 lakh
1. Brief background of the Project
The continuous removal of nutrients has resulted in multi-nutrient
deficiency in the state. Lack of optimum nutrient status in the soil hampers the
growth and productivity of different horticultural crops in most of the districts of
U.P. Even most progressive fruit growers did not follow balanced nutrient
management, as a result, crop suffers with various nutritional disorders. Both
deficiency and excess of nutrient in soil cause metabolic disorders which induce
specific and readily recognizable symptoms in the external appearance of plant.
118
Visual deficiency symptoms can be identified by leaf tissue analysis. Plant tissue is
a window of the metabolic processes in the plant system. Fertilizer schedule can be
advised based on nutrient status of plants which in turn is assessed by analyzing
plant leaf or tissue analysis. Leaves also provide a reflection of the soil conditions
and in particular nutrition in the soil and as available to the plants. There are
reports that in horticultural crops, the nutrient content of mature leaves is an
accurate reflection of the long term nutritional status of a plant. This necessitates
the establishment of leaf tissue analysis laboratory to detect nutritional status and
provide suitable nutrient recommendations to farmers.
Tissue analysis as Diagnostic Tool
Although visual diagnostic symptoms are an extremely valuable tool for the
rapid evaluation of the nutrient status of a plant, they are only some of the tools
available. Other major tools include microscopic studies, spectral analysis, and
tissue and soil analysis. These methods all vary in their precision, rapidity and their
ability to predict future nutrient status. Because of the close interaction between
plant growth and the environment, all predictions of future nutrient status must
make assumptions about how the environment will change in that time frame.
Tissue analysis is nutrient-specific but relatively slow; tissues must be
sampled, processed and analyzed before the nutrient status can be determined. An
analysis of the mineral nutrient content of selected plants tissues, when compared
against Critical Level values (which are available for most crop plants), can be used
to evaluate the plant nutrient status at the time of sampling with a relatively high
degree of confidence and can be extrapolated to project nutrient status at harvest.
Soil analysis is similar to tissue analysis but evaluates the potential supplying
power of the soil instead of plant nutrient status. Plant analysis provides
information as to what the plant needs, while soil analysis provides information
about the status of the nutrient supply.
Usual symptoms
Nitrogen: Plant light green, lower leaves yellow to light brown, stalks short and
slender, plants stunted.
Iron: Young leaves are chlorotic, with principal veins typically green; stalks short
and slender.
Phosphorus: Plants dark green, often developing red and purple pigments; lower
leaves sometimes yellow; plants stunted.
Zinc: Leaf spots on older leaves, with spots rapidly enlarging and generally
involving the area between the veins; thick leaves; stalks with shortened
internodes.
Potassium: Spots of dead tissue, usually at the tips and between the veins; marked
margins of leaves.
Boron: Young leaves of the terminal bud are light green at the base; the bud
eventually dies.
Magnesium: Mottled or chlorotic leaves, which typically redden; leaf tips and
margins turned or cupped upward.
Copper: Young leaves are permanently wilted, with spotty or marked chlorosis.
119
Calcium: Young leaves of terminal bud hooded; with severe deficiency, dying
buds; dying back at the tips and margins of the leaf.
Manganese: Spots of dead tissue scattered over the leaf; smallest veins tend to
remain green.
Sulfur: In young leaves, veins and tissue between veins are light green.
2. Objectives
 To establish a leaf and tissue analysis laboratory for facilitating analysis of




tissue for deficiencies, nutritional requirements, toxins or abnormality etc.
To detect nutritional disorders in important horticultural crops through leaf
tissue analysis.
Delineating the areas for deficiency of particular nutrients.
To help the farmers in correction of particular nutrient deficiency at early stage
of plant growth.
Extension so that farmers can bring samples for leaf tissue analysis.
3. Location of the Leaf Tissue Analysis Lab and availability of building
4. Technical expertise
5 Justification for creating facility
Calibration of critical nutrient deficiency content and its adequate status can be
made precisely for a specific location, plant species and even cultivars through leaf
tissue analysis. Tissue analysis is more important in horticultural crops because fruits
are rich source of minerals in human diet. The project will help in correcting problems
of nutritional disorders and develop awareness among farmers for supplementing
nutrients in horticultural crops in a balanced proportion. Leaf/tissue analysis is a good
tool to assess nutritional requirement, deficiencies, toxins including estimation of
heavy metals etc. A laboratory that can provide services of leaf and tissue analysis can
be of great use to the farmers particularly if this service is accompanied by expert
advice and remedial measures.
Biotech Park has an incubation facility and as a
part of its analytical laboratories, it has a mandate to provide such services to farmers
and develop infrastructure for such programmes.
6. Component wise Cost of Project (Budget and Facilities Required)
S. No. Items
(A)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Quantity/
Number
Non-Recurring Contingencies/Equipments/Machinery
Micro Kjeldahl Unit with Auto Digester
1
Flame Photometer
1
Centrifuge
1
Balance Analytical
1
Approximat
e Amount
(Rs. lacs)
120
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
(B)
Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer with
Digestion Assembly with HCLs of Na, K, Ca,
Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Al, B, Pb, Si, Cr
Flash Evaporator
pH Meter
Conductivity Meter
Hot Plate
Spectrophotometer
Oven
Water Bath Shaker
Acetylene and Nitrous Oxide Gas Cylinders
Fire Extinguisher or others items
Sub Total (A)
Operational Cost (Glassware, Chemicals,
Contractual Manpower, POL, Display boards for
Lab, Preparation of Reports, Brochures,
Photography, Stationery, Two Iron Display
Boards etc.)
Grand Total
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1 each
18.00
2.00
20.00
7 Justification of Equipments
S.
Name
No.
1.
Micro Kjeldahl Unit with Auto
Digester
2.
Flame Photometer
3.
4.
5.
6.
Centrifuge
Balance Analytical
Atomic Absorption
Spectrophotometer with Digestion
Assembly with HCLs of Na, K, Ca,
Mg, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Al, B,
Pb, Si, Cr
Flash Evaporator
7.
8.
9.
10.
pH Meter
Conductivity Meter
Hot Plate
Spectrophotometer
11.
12.
Oven
Water Bath Shaker
Justification
For digestion of tissue at high
temperature and analysis of Nitrogen
etc.
For analysis of sodium, potassium and
calcium
For concentration of extracted material
Weighing of samples etc
For analysis of samples for elements
For dehydration/concentration of
samples
For pH measurements
For measurement of conductivity
Heating of samples
For taking observation of absorbance
for various analytical tests for tissue
analysis
To dry samples
For incubating samples at desired
121
13.
14.
Acetylene and Nitrous Oxide Gas
Cylinders
Fire Extinguisher
temperature with constant shaking
For
atomic
absorption
spectrophotometer
For fire fighting, as inflammable gases
will be used.
8 Budget Summary
Non-recurring contingencies/equipments/machinery
Operational Cost
Total
Rs 18.00 lakhs
Rs 2.00lakhs
Rs. 20.00 Lakhs
Total Project Cost - Rs. 20.00 Lakhs
9 Facilities Available

The park has available space for the lab and no additional expense for this
purpose has been asked for.

Uninterrupted power supply, twenty four hours water supply, security etc.

Technical experts, supporting staff available at Park.

Central Instrumentation Facility for analysis.
10 Technical Programme
The Approach
The proposed laboratory will be set up based on protocols as standardized by
ICAR or CSIR laboratories. The Biotechnology Park, Lucknow has access to know how
and protocols at CSIR and Biotechnology centers as the Park has been sponsored by the
Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.
The tissues or plant samples will analyse as and when farmers bring leaf and
tissue for analysis as per State Horticulture Department programme:
The tissue will be examined for:
 Toxicity/deficiency of any particular element
 Specific requirement of a particular element
The Unit will undertake analysis of micro- and macro elements, pesticides, heavy
metals, toxins and phyto-chemical specialties as per need. The Biotech Park Leaf Tissue
Analysis Laboratory will have protocols ready as per BIS or other standards as available
from ICAR or CSIR laboratories.
Activities at Leaf Tissue Analysis Lab
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Periodical surveillance of the fields.
Collection and processing of leaf tissue samples.
Digestion (extraction) of the material for elemental and other analysis
Estimation of micro- and macro nutrients.
Estimation of heavy metals and pesticides (residues).
Survey of field and soil tests, collection of environmental information for
assessment and prediction.
122
14 Output/Expected Benefits
Comprehensive support to farmers for:






Analysis of tissue for plant nutrient status.
The only way to get better crop by knowing whether a crop is adequately
nourished and soil nutrient supplies are adequate.
Advise to the formers for application of required doses of manure and
fertilizer based on leaf tissue analysis for rising healthy plants.
Advice to reduce toxicity based on symptoms diagnosed from leaf tissue.
Helpful for preparation of field which in turn give better crop production.
Human resource will also generate by giving training.