Coordinates: 22°32′9″N 72°58′29″E / 22.53583°N 72.97472°E / 22.53583; 72.97472Anand Agricultural University (AAU) is located in the western Indian state of Gujarat between the cities of Vadodara and Ahmedabad. This was formerly the Anand Campus of Gujarat Agricultural University, which is now independent. It has three constituent colleges, for agriculture, veterinary science and animal husbandry and dairy science. The jurisdiction of the university covers Kheda, Anand, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Dahod and Panchmahal districts. It was set up to provide education support to the farming community in areas such as Agriculture, Horticulture, Engineering, Information technology and Business Studies.
The current study evaluated the genetic divergence and molecular diversity among 50 finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) genotypes to identify potential candidates for crop improvement. Using Mahalanobis’ D2 statistics, significant variability was observed across 19 traits, with Tocher's method grouping the genotypes into nine clusters. Cluster I was the largest, while four clusters comprised single genotypes, indicating high genetic uniqueness. Intra- and inter-cluster distances revealed substantial diversity, with the greatest inter-cluster distance between Clusters VIII and V, suggesting potential for heterosis in hybridization programs. Cluster V showed superior performance in traits such as grain yield, days to maturity, and total phenol content, making it a valuable candidate for breeding. Phenol content (36.24
The environmental fate of fluopyram was evaluated through laboratory dissipation, field dissipation, and soil column leaching studies using representative Indian soils. In vitro dissipation of technical-grade fluopyram (5 mg/kg) was investigated in six soils under aerobic conditions. Fluopyram dissipated slowly, with 27–33
The coevolution of plant-microbe (PM) associations over approximately 450 million years has been a fundamental driver of terrestrial life, giving rise to mutualistic, commensal, and pathogenic relationships along a dynamic friend-foe continuum. The need to adapt to the host environment has driven the convergent evolution of common strategies among mutualists and pathogens, enabling them to evade or modulate the plant immune system. This review synthesizes PM coevolution within a deep-time, three-pillar framework: organellogenesis, root evolution, and immune gatekeeping, linking ancient endosymbiotic events (mitochondria, chloroplasts, and nitroplasts) to contemporary holobiont-level phenotypes and biotechnological applications. We organize the friend-foe continuum around a coevolut ion-guided cost-benefit and tipping-point framework, using identified molecular switches and evolutionary constraints to derive actionable design rules for engineering PM associations. Moving beyond a descriptive toolbox of technologies, we integrate recent breakthroughs to analyze how four principal axes (host and microbial genetics, evolutionary dynamics, environmental and ecological conditions, and metabolic switches) define the thresholds that govern microbial lifestyle transitions. Finally, we propose specific, testable strategies for PM coevolution-informed crop improvement, distinguishing near-term feasible targets from long-term speculative goals in nitrogen utilization, synthetic microbial communities, immune receptor engineering, modulation of plant memory, and microbiome-integrated breeding through genome editing, synthetic biology, AI, and microbiome engineering. Together, these approaches extend existing syntheses into a predictive, evolution-informed framework that translates coevolutionary principles into a functional blueprint for sustainable, resilient agriculture.
Agricultural systems face mounting pressures from climate change, as rising temperatures, elevated CO2, and shifting precipitation patterns intensify plant disease outbreaks worldwide. Conventional strategies, such as breeding for resistance, pesticides, and even transgenic approaches, are proving too slow or unsustainable to meet these challenges. Synthetic biology offers a transformative paradigm for reprogramming plant immunity through genetic circuits, RNA-based defences, epigenome engineering, engineered microbiomes, and artificial intelligence (AI). We introduce the concept of synthetic immunity, a unifying framework that extends natural defence layers, PAMP-triggered immunity (PTI), and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). While pests and pathogens continue to undermine global crop productivity, synthetic immunity strategies such as CRISPR-based transcriptional activation, synthetic receptors, and RNA circuit-driven defences offer promising new avenues for enhancing plant resilience. We formalize synthetic immunity as an emerging, integrative concept that unites molecular engineering, regulatory rewiring, epigenetic programming, and microbiome modulation, with AI and computational modelling accelerating their design and climate-smart deployment. This review maps the landscape of synthetic immunity, highlights technological synergies, and outlines a translational roadmap from laboratory design to field application. Responsibly advanced, synthetic immunity represents not only a scientific frontier but also a sustainable foundation for climate-resilient agriculture.
Context: Soil organic carbon (SOC) plays a critical role in maintaining soil fertility, structure, and resilience, especially under intensive production systems. However, long-term data on the role of integrated nutrient management (INM) practices in SOC stabilization and COQ-sequestration remains limited in semi-arid regions of India Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effect of balanced fertilization using farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilizers on SOC pools, soil health, and COQ-sequestration under the pearl millet-mustard-cowpea (PM-Mu-C) production systems. Methods: A long-term field experiment (initiated in 1980 and modified in 1994) was conducted on loamy sand soil at Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat, India. The study tested eight treatments involving varying FYM (0 and 10 t ha-1) and nitrogen-phosphorus (NP) fertilizer levels (0%, 50%, 100%, and 150% of the recommended dose). Soil samples were collected from 0 to 15 cm and 15-30 cm depths after summer cowpea harvest in 2023 and analyzed for SOC pools, microbial activity, and nutrient availability. Results: Application of FYM at 10 t ha-1 combined with 150% NP fertilizer significantly enhanced total organic carbon by up to 31.9% in surface soil (0-15 cm) and 18.3% in sub-surface (15-30 cm). Active and passive carbon pools increased substantially (40-193.6%), accompanied by a marked rise in microbial biomass carbon (46.7-49.8%). The SOC stock improved by 9.2% over five years, and COQ-sequestration rates reached 0.22 and 0.23 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in 0-15 cm and 15-30 cm depths, respectively, representing increases of 266.7% and 130.0% over control. Soil bulk density decreased by up to 3.27%, while porosity and water holding capacity increased by 4.2% and 13.7%, respectively. Conclusions: Long-term application of FYM (10 t ha-1) and higher NP (150%) fertilizer doses substantially improves SOC dynamics, nutrient availability, and microbial activity in the PM-Mu-C production systems. Implications and limitations: This study highlights the potential of integrating organic and inorganic nutrient sources to enhance COQ-sequestration and maintain soil health in intensive production systems. Adoption of FYM at 10 t ha-1 with 150% NP fertilizer is recommended as a sustainable practice for improving soil resilience and mitigating climate change impacts in field crop systems
