Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) is the state agricultural university of Tamil Nadu located in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Edible coatings offer a sustainable alternative to synthetic packaging. However, achieving uniform, material-efficient, and reproducible deposition on complex food geometries remains a major barrier to industrial-scale adoption. This review examines a wide range of coating materials including polysaccharides, proteins, lipids, agro-industrial waste derivatives, and emerging biopolymers from seaweed, microbial, and insect sources and summarizes their key physicochemical properties, molecular interactions, and functional performance. Coating application methods are critically evaluated from both material and process perspectives, spanning traditional dip, spin, brush, and flow coating to advanced layer-by-layer assembly, vacuum impregnation, pressure-based spraying, electrostatic deposition, and next-generation ultrasonic and multi-fluid atomization. The analysis highlights the superior scalability of pressure-based spray coating and the enhanced droplet control and surface conformity offered by electrostatic and hybrid atomization technologies. Persistent challenges include inconsistent coverage on curved or recessed surfaces, lack of real-time monitoring tools, limited predictive models for three-dimensional substrates, and minimal pilot-scale validation. The insights presented provide a clear technical foundation for developing edible coating systems capable of delivering uniform, controlled, and industrially robust performance across diverse food products.
Satellite-based precipitation products (SPPs) are an important method for measuring and analyzing rainfall, especially in areas with limited rain-gauge networks. These products offer more reliable coverage and are valuable for various environmental applications, such as precipitation analysis, hydrological modeling, and drought monitoring. Unlike ground-based rain gauges, SPPs provide more evenly distributed coverage over large areas using sophisticated infrared and microwave instruments to detect precipitation. A number of satellite-based rainfall products have been developed and successfully implemented, including GSMaP, PERSIANN, TRMM, CHIRPS, and GPM IMERG. However, there are several drawbacks in employing SPPs, such as lacking the capacity to measure the temporal and spatial variability of the daily precipitation rate due to instrument uncertainties, particularly over large areas. SPPs may be inaccurate due to variations in the quality of data collected directly from rain gauges. Hence, it is essential to understand the limitations and potential biases of these products. This comprehensive review aims to address the challenges in obtaining reliable precipitation data, particularly in developing countries, and investigates the potential of SPPs as a solution by emphasizing their importance for accurate precipitation estimation for climate change analysis, extreme event prediction, and hydrological impact assessment. The methodology for selecting relevant literature on satellite-based high-resolution precipitation products is discussed, along with the characteristics and applications of various SPPs. This highlights the need for future research to improve the accuracy and reliability of SPPs. Overall, SPPs offer a valuable substitute to traditional rain gauge data; however, their limitations should be carefully considered when interpreting and utilizing the data for different applications. SPPs an alternative to rainfall data gaps in areas with limited ground-based rain gauges. IMERG and CHIRPS were quite successful in capturing precipitation events in the study area. They provide near-real-time rainfall data for regions with limited ground data. Further studies should focus on data downscaling and error correction for higher resolutions.
The rising global population and climate change demand sustainable weed management to ensure food security. Conventional herbicides face limitations due to resistant weed species, land use changes, and environmental concerns. Nanoherbicides offer promising solutions through targeted delivery, reduced residues, and enhanced efficacy. A scientific evaluation of their mechanisms, benefits, and limitations is essential to support their integration into sustainable agriculture. This article explores the potential of nanoherbicides as a sustainable alternative to conventional herbicides, emphasizing their role in precision weed management through nanocarrier systems and controlled-release formulations. It highlights how organic and inorganic nanocarriers enable targeted delivery, minimize environmental damage, and improve herbicide efficacy while reducing chemical runoff and soil/water contamination. The review also discusses the ecological and regulatory concerns, stressing the need for standardized global guidelines and multi-tiered risk assessments to ensure environmental and human safety. It presents strategies for minimizing these risks by utilizing eco-friendly nanomaterials and context-specific controlled-release systems integrated with advanced monitoring protocols. From this study, nanoherbicides emerge as a sustainable and efficient alternative to conventional herbicides, offering targeted weed control with minimal environmental disruption. Nanocarriers enable controlled-release formulations that reduce chemical runoff and improve herbicide efficacy. Despite their benefits, concerns remain about bioaccumulation, toxicity to non-target organisms, and long-term effects on soil health. A multi-tiered risk assessment framework is essential to ensure environmental safety and effective regulation. Advancements in smart delivery systems and encapsulation technologies hold promise for future precision weed management. Nanoherbicides offer a promising approach to sustainable weed management, in line with the global push for environmentally friendly agricultural practices and food security.
The transition from indeterminate to determinate growth represents a key achievement in crop improvement, as it enhances agricultural productivity by synchronizing flowering, facilitating uniform harvest, and improving overall efficiency. In tomato and other crops, this shift is largely governed by mutations in the SELF-PRUNING (SP) gene, a key member of the CENTRORADIALIS (CEN), TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (TFL1), and SELF-PRUNING (SP) (CETS) gene family that regulates the vegetative to reproductive phase transition and influences overall shoot architecture. With increasing labour constraints, climate variability and rising global food security challenges, the ability to engineer optimized plant architectures has become increasingly important. CRISPR-based genome editing provides a precise and efficient strategy to modify SP/TFL1 homologs, enabling targeted transition from indeterminate to compact, determinate growth forms that exhibit synchronized flowering and enhanced mechanical harvestability. These genome editing approaches have been successfully applied across diverse crop species, including tomato, legumes, cotton, cereals and horticultural crops. This review consolidates current understanding of the molecular mechanisms governing determinacy, with emphasis on the central role of SP/TFL1 genes and their interactions with hormonal pathways such as auxin and cytokinin. By integrating these insights with recent advances in CRISPR-based editing platforms, this review provides a practical framework for researchers and breeders aiming to leverage CRISPR technology for next-generation crop improvement. Such strategies hold significant potential for enhancing productivity, resilience and sustainability within modern agricultural systems.
Phytopathogens are responsible for substantial yield losses in global agriculture. Significant use of chemical fungicides for controlling these pathogens often poses a threat to the environment. Thus, the application of fusaricidin-producing Paenibacillus offers a promising and eco-friendly alternative to conventional chemical control strategies. Fusaricidins possess a hexapeptide core linked to a consistent 15-guanidino-3-hydroxypentadecanoic acid tail, which is instrumental in membrane disruption and the eradication of a broad spectrum of pathogens. Recent genomic mining studies have identified the fusGFEDCBA gene cluster and elucidated the pivotal role of the KinB-Spo0A-AbrB signaling cascade in integrating environmental stimuli with the developmental regulation of fusaricidin biosynthesis. Beyond their direct antimicrobial effects, fusaricidins function as plant-defense elicitors, primarily activating systemic responses through salicylic acid (SA)-dependent pathways. In vitro, greenhouse, and field trials have demonstrated significant disease suppression and plant growth promotion across various crops. However, variability in field performance, challenges in formulation, and limited understanding of in-field stability and ecological interactions present significant barriers to commercialization. Through integrated molecular and applied research, these limitations and future directions are being addressed. Collectively, these insights position fusaricidins as promising candidates for sustainable plant disease management in agriculture. This review concentrates on the current understanding of fusaricidins, encompassing their chemical diversity, biosynthetic gene architecture, regulatory networks, mechanisms of antimicrobial action, and advancements toward field-level application.
