Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Chitin a naturally occurring compound specifically from fresh water crabs, is observed to have outstanding effect specifically on Cucurbitaceae in controlling plant diseases, growth enhancement increasing size, colour, vigour of the plant & its fruits, leaves etc. When smoked the plant with dried powder of chitin plant showed extraordinary response in its growth, early maturation, disease resistance, colour & size of fruit & leaf. The topic was extracted for an ancient book Vyrukshaveda written by an eminent sage Surapala. Chitin is reported to be active against viruses, bacteria and other pests. Fragments from chitin is known to have eliciting activities leading to a variety of defence responses in host plants in response to microbial infections, including the accumulation of phytoalexins, pathogen related (PR) proteins and proteinase inhibitors, lignin synthesis, and callose formation. Based on these and other proprieties that help strengthen host plant defences, interest has been growing in using them in agricultural systems to reduce the negative impact of diseases on yield and quality of crops. This paper recapitulates the properties and uses of chitin, and will focus on their applications and its affect on growth and growth related aspects.

Biography

Surya Anjani Kumar is a PhD scholar from JNTU Hyderabad and his research title is ?Effect of fresh water Crab Shell Fog on Cucurbitaceae?. He is a silver medalist in MSc Biotechnology From Bangalore University in 2005. Bangalore, India. His area of interest includes: preparing beauty soaps, shampoos, creams etc, preparing perfumes and he is an expert in preparation of liquid biofertilizer & plant growth promoters.