Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwa Vidyalaya

Organic agriculture promotes soil health through the use of cover crops, biological diversity, and plant- and animal-based amendments. Two concurrent field experiments examined effects of crop diversification on soil nutrients and crop yields. The study spanned two years and encompassed seven cropping systems with different cover crops and production intensities. Each system incorporated three crops annually: a summer cover crop followed by two cash crops, with cash crop rotations reversed during autumn and spring seasons. The least diverse system had no cover crop followed by monocultured vegetables. The more diverse systems included cover crop monocultures of grass-pearl millet (PM), sorghum sudangrass (SS), or legumes, sunn hemp (SH) and velvetbean (VB), followed by monocultured vegetables. In the most diverse systems cover crop bicultures of PM and SH (PMSH) and SS and VB (SSVB) were followed by vegetables intercropped with either living mulch or cash crop. Soil nutrient concentrations varied between cropping systems. P and Ca concentrations increased, while K decreased, over the experimental period. Soil Fe decreased over time in the grass and legume systems. PM and PMSH produced the largest cover crop biomass, with C:N ratios ranging from 23-43. Broccoli yields were unaffected by cover crop diversity. Squash yields were higher in grass systems when grown in the first year, while bell pepper yields were greater in biculture systems when grown in the second year. Sweet corn yields were highest in grass and legume systems. Cover crop-based systems require additional time and complementary strategies to enhance soil fertility and crop yields.

Wheat plays a pivotal role in global food and nutritional security, supplying a significant proportion of calories, protein and essential micronutrients such as iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). However, breeding efforts focused on yield enhancement have often compromised grain nutritional quality, exacerbating micronutrient deficiencies in populations reliant on wheat as a staple. This study aimed to dissect the genetic architecture of key agronomic and nutritional traits in bread wheat using a comprehensive diallel mating design, combining Griffing's combining ability analysis, Hayman's graphical approach and Vr-Wr regression. Significant general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) effects indicated the involvement of both additive and non-additive gene actions across agronomic and nutritional traits. Traits such as total protein content (TPC), grain iron content (GFeC) and grain zinc content (GZnC) exhibited high heritability and predictability, supporting the feasibility of selection-based breeding. In contrast, yield-related traits like grain yield per plant (GYPP) and grains per spike (GPS) were predominantly governed by non-additive effects, favoring heterosis breeding. Graphical analysis further confirmed overdominance and epistasis for complex traits, while additive effects dominated micronutrient traits. Promising parental lines, including JW 1203, HI 1633 and HI 1634, along with superior hybrids such as WB02 & times; HI 1633, were identified for their potential in combined yield and nutritional improvement. These findings highlight the necessity of dual breeding strategies, integrating selection-based approaches for micronutrient enhancement with heterosis breeding for yield improvement, to achieve sustainable gains in wheat productivity and nutritional quality. The insights generated provide a robust genetic framework for advancing biofortification and climate-resilient wheat breeding programs.

Black turmeric (Curcuma caesia Roxb.) is an endangered perennial herb of the Zingiberaceae family. It is widely recognized for its rich phytochemical profile and therapeutic uses. Despite its significance, this crop is underexplored due to limited genomic research. To address this, we assessed the genetic variation and population structure of 54 black turmeric accessions collected from 16 districts of central India covering six agro-climatic zones using SCoT marker system. Out of 36 markers screened, 20 markers showed polymorphic and reproducible bands. These primers amplified 179 distinct fragments (150 –1300 bp; average 8.8 bands per primer) and revealed a high polymorphism rate (avg. 91.13

Fruits are essential for a balanced diet as they provide important nutrients such as dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrates. Despite advancements in fruit production, postharvest losses remain a challenge due to the high moisture content and perishable nature of fruits. To address this issue, effective preservation methods are needed. Edible coatings have emerged as a promising solution by creating a protective barrier that controls moisture loss, gas exchange, and oxidation, thereby extending the shelf life of fruits. These coatings can also enhance the nutritional quality of fruits by incorporating bioactive compounds such as antioxidants and antimicrobials. This review discusses recent developments in edible coating materials, formulation techniques, and application methods, highlighting their impact on fruit storage and postharvest physiology. It suggests promoting the use of biodegradable and active edible coatings on a commercial scale to reduce reliance on synthetic packaging and minimize post-harvest losses. Future research should focus on practicality, regulatory compliance, and consumer acceptance to facilitate the widespread adoption of edible coatings in fruit preservation.

Crop residue burning (CRB) or stubble burning is a persistent environmental and agronomic challenge in India, particularly within the rice–wheat system, where farmers rely on it as the quickest means of disposal despite its harmful impacts. This study was conducted in Jabalpur district of Madhya Pradesh, one of the state’s highest CRB-affected regions, to evaluate farmers’ perceptions of residue burning and analyse how their personal, socio-economic, communicational, and psychological profiles influence these perceptions. A total of 120 farmers from six villages in Patan block were selected using multistage purposive-random sampling. Primary data were collected through structured interviews and analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation. Findings revealed that most farmers (69.17%) had medium-level perceptions, indicating awareness of the adverse effects of CRB such as soil nutrient loss, air pollution, and microbial degradation, but limited motivation or resources to adopt alternatives. Only 15 per cent demonstrated high perception, while 15.83 per cent showed low perception. Strong consensus was noted on the harmful impacts on soil health (85.33%) and the potential of eco-friendly options like biofuel plants and baling, yet traditional beliefs regarding pest and weed control persisted. Correlation analysis highlighted ecological consciousness (r = 0.348, p < 0.01), education (r = 0.321, p < 0.01), mass media exposure (r = 0.284, p < 0.01), economic motivation (r = 0.275, p < 0.01) and landholding size (r = 0.253, p < 0.01) as significant predictors of perception, whereas age (r = 0.058) and family size (r = 0.041) had negligible influence. The study concludes that enhancing awareness, providing affordable technologies, and creating economic incentives are crucial to reducing CRB and promoting sustainable residue management.