The experiment was laid out in RBD with four replications. The treatments comprised of growth regulator GA3 (25, 50, 75 ppm) and NAA (25, 50, 75 ppm). Two foliar spray at 50 ppm produced significantly more plant height and plant spread at 45 DAT and at harvest, leaf area per plant at harvest no. of flowers per plant, fruit set percentage, no. of fruit per plant, fruit weight, yield, TSS and ascorbic acid. Application of GA3 at 75 ppm as foliar spray recorded significantly lower fruit drop percentage as compared to rest of the plant growth regulator treatments. Significantly higher total soluble solids, ascorbic acid content and TSS/acid ratio and lower acidity percentage were observed with application of GA3 at 50 ppm in comparison to 25 and 75 ppm GA3 and NAA.

The present study was carried out to analyze the growth and instability in area, production and productivity of sesamum and acreage response to sesamum crop in arid zone of Rajasthan. The study was confined to six districts of arid zone having more than 10,000 ha area under sesamum cultivation during last decade. The data were collected for the period 1960-2003 and analyzed by using exponential production function and instability index. The results revealed that area and production have increased in the arid zone of Rajasthan but with high instability. The productivity registered lower but relatively more stable growth compared to area under production. The allocation of area to sesamum crop guided by rainfall during crop growing season, yield lagged by one year and also have positive response to lagged price in Bikaner and Jodhpur districts only.

Plant extracts have been used since time immemorial to protect human life from several diseases as well as improve his health and life-style. With the advent of latest technology several compounds known as antioxidants have been characterized from plants which play a protective role against diseases. In recent years, there is a tremendous interest in the possible role of nutrition in prevention of disease. In this context, antioxidants especially derived from Indian medicinal plants and herbal drugs derived from them, require special attention. In biological systems oxygen gives rise to a large number of free radicals and other reactive species collectively known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). Antioxidant can combat the deleterious effect of ROS by forming a strong defense system and prevent several diseases caused by free radicals.. Certain chemicals which were thought to be useless for the human body, for instance terpenoids, flavonoids are now valuable to human diet as they possess antioxidant properties. This article is aimed at projecting the importance of medicinal plant molecules used as antioxidants and their role in the prevention of different disorders on human health.