Department of Botany

DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY

The department was established in the year 1970 as an allied department. The

department has deeply involved itself in various research activities mainly focusing on

understanding, utilization and conservation of Floristic wealth of the Southern

Western Ghats through conventional and biotechnological methods. At present one

member of the department is recognized as research guide for guiding scholars for the

award of Ph.D. degree by the M. S. University, Tirunelveli. 21 Scholars have been

obtained M. Phil., degree under the guidance from this department. The department is

equipped with all basic instruments for a Degree course.

The research outputs are published in national and international journals. 20 papers

have been published during the last five year period. Publications are referred by the

scientific community and cited in their scientific work. Apart from lending their

expertise, the department is also collaborating with five institutes in Tamil Nadu. As a

lab - to - land programme the department has done the following extension activities in

the adopted village, Environmental awareness programmes, Tree planting, Cultivation of

medicinal plants and Preparation of drugs for local ailments using locally available

medicinal plants, Preparation of compost, Vermicompost and Biofertilizers.

Department has organized following programme in the last five years Sponsor Total no of Title / theme of the programme Date participants STATE LEVEL SEMINAR ON 27 -, 09- 2006 Rani Anna 300 Recent trends in Environmental Safety Govt. College (10 Colleges) STATE LEVEL SEMINAR ON March 30, 31 TANSCHE 78 Bioprospecting and Ethnopharmacy of – 2009. Bioresources MEDICINAL PLANTS EXHIBITION Department 520 Jointly organized with Centre for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha, Survey of Medicinal Plants Unit (Siddha), Palayamkottai Changing Food Habits and Its Effects 18 -08 – 2009 TANSCHE 82 (Jointly organized with Dept. of HRD) Science Expo - 2010 29 – 01 -2010 Rani Anna 360 Govt. College Faculty profile

S.n Name of the Qualificatio Additional Date of Total year Research activity o faculty n competency joining of service Guidance Project 1. Dr. Mrs. C. M.Sc., Passed 06-04- 29 years M.Phil - 4 - Vijayambika M.Phil., Account 1981 Associate Ph.D. Test for Professor Executive officers. 2. Dr. A. M.Sc., GATE 26.12.2007 10 years self M. Phil – UGC Saravana M.Phil., examination finance 17 minor Ganthi Ph.D. M.Ed., passed college + Completed project Assistant CFN, CGT, 2 years in Pursuing -1 Professor Rani Anna M. Phil -1 Govt. College

Changes made in the courses (or) programmes during past five years and the

contribution of the faculty to those changes.

 The course pattern, their curricula and syllabi are designed by M.S. University,

Tirunelveli, to fulfill the standards of excellence bearing in mind the twin aspects of

expansion of knowledge and demands of the employment market.

 University restructured the exciting course with choice based credit system to

provide knowledge and skills, required for creative and productive functioning,

generating more employment potential and avenues for self-entrepreneurship.

 In the context of objective and subjective to the evaluation, each paper has been in

modular form with five units. This has very much enabled the examiners to go in

for syllabus to fulfill the needs and aspirations of the different levels of learner

group.

 Non-major courses – Gardening and Garden Management, Mushroom and Seaweed

culture, Botany for competitive examinations, Biofertilizers and Biocides are

introduced as part of existing first degree courses. Learning resources of the department – Library computers, laboratories and other resources

Library - Totally 543 books are available in the Department Library.

Book Bank - 60 Books are available in the Book Bank.

Journals - The department is subscribing the following journals

Agrobios,

International Journal of Plant Sciences,

Indian Journal of Botanical Research,

Asian Journal of Microbiol. Biotech. and Env. Sci.

Plant Archives

Horticulture.

Computer - 1 desktop computer is available.

Laboratory - The department is equipped with a laboratory.

List of equipments Our laboratory is being equipped with the following instruments. The instruments are purchased under state fund and UGC grants.

S. No. Name of the Equipment S. No. Name of the Equipment 1. Air conditioner for tissue culture - Samsung 33. Heating Mantle make – ordinary window type 2. Apparatus for stomatal studies 34. Herbarium cabinet

3. Apparatus for the comparison of rate of 35. Hot air oven transpiration 4. Apparatus to demonstrate hydrotropism 36. Hot plate

5. Apparatus to demonstrate osmotic pressure 37. Hygrometer

6. Apparatus to demonstrate suction pressure 38. Inoculation chamber

7. Apparatus to demonstrate transpiration pull 39. Inoculation needle 8. Auxnometer 40. Instrument to study fermentation

9. Bacteriological incubator 41. Klinostat

10 Beranges balance 42. Laboratory mixer .

11 Camera Lucida 43. Leaf area cutter .

12 Centrifuge 44. Magnetic stirrer .

13 Chromatographic automizer 45. Micropipettes variables .

14 Chromatography Cabinet Deluxe quality 46. Microtome rotary .

15 Colony Counter 47. Muffle Furnace .

16 Craft tissue culture hood 48. Pellenkofer’s transpiration . apparatus

17 Dark chamber 49. Photo electric calorimeter .

18 Demonstration Auxanograph 50. Photomicrographic equipment .

19 Digital pH meter with combine electrode 51. Photosynthometer .

20 Dissection Microscope 52. Physical Balance .

21 Dissolved oxygen meter 53. Pressure cooker for sterilization .

22 Distillation assemblies 54. Refrigerator 23 Double folding magnifier 55. Research microscope .

24 Electronic monobalance 56. Root pressure apparatus .

25 Fermentation vessel 57. Slide projector .

26 Ganong’s light screen 58. SMF volumetric flask .

27 Ganong’s photometer 59. Soil testing Kit with colour . comparator

28 Ganong’s respirometer 60. Soxlet apparatus .

29 Ganong’s respiroscope 61. Stage Micrometer .

30 Haemocytometer 62. Students compound microscope .

31 Heater 63. Thin Layer Chromatography Kit .

32 Heater with single burner 64. 4 KVA stabilizers .

Modern teaching methods practised and use of ICT in teaching – learning

 OHP, power point presentation, field visits and group discussions are the common

methods of teaching methods practised in the department.

 To expose students to develop the skills needed for specific jobs, previous year

questions of various competitive examinations are used to discuss.

Participation of teachers in academic and personal counseling of students  Even though Botany is an allied department, the students are guided for educational,

vocational, personal and psychological development.

Details of the faculty development programmes and teachers who have been benefited

during past two years

Name Date Institute Dr. C. Vijayambika 08-11-2005 - 05-12-2005 Academic staff college, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai. Dr. A. Saravana 26.12.2007 - 24.01.2008 Academic staff college, Bharathiyar Ganthi University, Coimbatore

Participation / contribution of teachers to the academic activities including teaching,

consultancy and research

a) Activities in teaching

Assignments, chart preparation, student projects and group discussions are given to

the students regularly.

b) Research

o An intensive and exhaustive research focus on the basic knowledge in Herbal drug

standardization, biodiversity conservation and trade of medicinal plants.

Collaboration with other departments, Institutions, at the State, National and

International levels and their outcome during the past two years

Department is collaborated with Survey of Medicinal Plants Unit (SMP), CCRAS,

Dept. of Ayush, Govt. of India, Palayamkottai – an exhibition was organized on 30 –

31 march 2009.

Department staff members collaborated with Dept. of Plant Biology and Plant

Biotechnology, MDT Hindu College, Dept. of Plant Biology and Plant

Biotechnology, St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, Dept. of Botany, Dr. Zahir Husain College, Ilayankudi – many research papers are published in collaborative

research work.

Editorial Board and Executive Council member in International Journal of Plant

Sciences

Member in WWF – India

Treasurer in Plant Biology and Biotechnology Alumni Association, St. Xavier’s

College, Palayamkottai.

Participation of the teachers in seminars/ conferences and presented papers for the past two years

No. of seminars No. of papers No. of papers S.No Name attended presented published 1. Dr. Tmt. C. Vijayambika 4 4 2 2. Dr. A. Saravana Ganthi 12 11 21

Priority areas for Research and details of the ongoing projects, important and noteworthy publications of the faculty during past two years

a) Ongoing Project

 UGC sponsored Minor project titled as “Status of wetlands in Tirunelveli

District, Tamil Nadu - Strategies for restoration, conservation and

management”

b) Publication

Pharmacognostical studies on Sandhana Vembu (Toona ciliata.L) – in Plant Archives

7 (1) 2007 pp 251 – 253.

Antibacterial studies on Sandhana Vembu (Toona ciliata.L) – in Plant Archives 7(1)

2007 pp 141 – 143. Isolation of the natural colorant from the seeds of Terminalia chebula and its use as a

new neutralization indicator - in Indian Journal of Botanical Research 4 (1).2008.pp:

Antibacterial studies on Cordia obliqua - in Indian Journal of Botanical Research 4(1)

2008. pp: 69-72

Pharmacognostical studies on Cissus vitiginea L. (Vitaceae) – in International Journal

of Plant Sciences 4 (1) 2009: pp: 172 – 175.

Pharmacognostical studies on Umari Keerai (Sudea maritima (L.) Dumort) - in Plant

Archives 9 2009 pp 79 – 82.

Antibacterial effect of Cissus vitiginea L. (Vitaceae) – in Convergence 10 (1-4) 2009

pp 42 – 45.

Quantitative biochemical analysis of Lentinus squarrosulus Mont. – in Indian Journal

of Botanical Research 5 (1 & 2) 2009. pp: 33 – 36.

Indigenous Knowledge on Natural Dyeing of Mat in Pattamadai, Tirunelveli District,

Tamil Nadu – in Natural Product Radiance vol. 8 (5) 2009 542 – 545.

Isolation of the natural colorant from the roots of Rubia cordifolia L. and its use as

a new neutralization indicator – in Journal of Ecotoxicology and Environmental

monitoring vol.19 (6) 2009 pp: 601 – 604.

An assessment of the quality of water from Tiruchendur temple, Tamil Nadu – in

Asian Journal of Environmental Science vol. 4(2) 2009 pp: 177 – 180.

Synthetic Dye Decolourisation by Fungal Cultures under static conditions – in

Asian Journal of Microbiol. Biotech. and Env. Sci. 11 (4) 2009 pp: 769 – 772.

Extension services:  Conduct training programme on Herbal drug preparation and medicinal plants

cultivation to the Kani tribals in Karayar - I, Tirunelveli on 01-08-08 organized by St.

Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai.

 Conduct training programme on Herbal drug preparation and medicinal plants

cultivation to the Kani tribals in Karayar - II, Tirunelveli on 29-09-08 organized by St.

Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai.

 Conduct training programme in Herbal drug preparation in the village

Lakshmiyapuram, Tirunelveli on 16 – 03 – 2008.

 Talk on local medicinal plants and their uses in the village Mavadi, Mannoor Taluk,

Tirunelveli District on 10 – 03 – 2007.

 Conduct training programme in Herbal drug preparation in the village Kilaomanallur,

Tirunelveli on 04 – 03 – 2009.

Plan of action of the department for the next five years

1. Plan to organize seminars and workshops.

2. Plan to submit proposals for major projects.

3. Job-oriented training programmes related to Botany

4. Steps are to be taken to elevate allied department to major Botany department

(submitted the proposal to the Government continuously for last five years).