Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is a vital cash crop in India’s rainfed Central Zone, facing challenges from low productivity, erratic rainfall, and biotic (sucking pests, diseases) and abiotic (drought) stresses. While Bt cotton varieties with the Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) gene have reduced bollworm losses, the need persists for high-yielding, stable varieties with broader tolerance. This study evaluates the newly released Bt cotton variety NH 1901 Bt (BG I), bred for rainfed regions of Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. Evaluated over three years (2020–21 to 2022–23) in multi-location trials under the All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Cotton, NH 1901 Bt achieved a weighted mean seed cotton yield of 1474 kg/ha—a 17.32

The global population is expected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, which will put pressure on food production systems that are already vulnerable to climate change. Crop diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses cause significant yield losses in major food crops. Conventional breeding has contributed to developing resistant cultivars, but it is time-consuming and limited by genetic variability. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) systems have emerged as transformative tools for the precise and rapid improvement of disease resistance in food crops. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the application of CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing platforms such as Cas nucleases, base editors, and prime editor systems for developing disease resistance in food crops. These technologies enable targeted knockout of susceptibility (S) genes, precise nucleotide substitutions, promoter engineering, and direct viral RNA interference for imparting disease resistance. Delivery of DNA-free ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes further supports the development of non-transgenic (GM-free) crops for quick regulatory approvals and field cultivation. The review highlights successful applications of CRISPR/Cas tools across major cereals, legumes, and tuber crops for developing disease resistance. Additionally, CRISPR-enabled diagnostics provide new prospects for rapid pathogen detection in field conditions. It also draws in roads for future adoption of CRISPR/Cas tools for developing disease resistance in major crops and extension to minor cereals such as millets. Prudent applications of CRISPR/Cas tools will play a pivotal role in promoting sustainable agriculture and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger.

Red dragon fruit (Hylocereus polyrhizus) is a nutritionally rich fruit; however, its high mucilage and pectin content hinder efficient extraction of clear, and high-yield juice without further processing. Among various green extraction methods, enzyme-assisted extraction with pectinase is a known method to improve juice extraction and its clarity, yet its application to red dragon fruit juice (RDFJ) remains insufficiently optimized. This study aimed to evaluate this by optimizing process parameters for enzymatic extraction of RDFJ from red dragon fruit by using the pectinase enzyme. The effects of independent factors enzyme concentration (0.1 to 0.5 %), incubation temperature (35 to 55 °C) and incubation time (100 to 140 min.) on the dependent variables juice yield, total soluble solids (TSS) and viscosity, were studied by employing Box Behnken Design. Quadratic models were used to examine the interaction between process parameters and responses. The optimal suggested parameters for maximizing juice yield (72.25 %) and TSS (11.01°brix) while minimizing viscosity (4.33 cP) were at 0.3 % enzyme concentration, 45 °C incubation temperature and 120 min incubation time. Physicochemical properties, bioactive potential, and color attributes of the optimized juice were comprehensively evaluated and compared with a control juice produced without enzymatic treatment. Pectinase enzyme assisted extracted juice exhibited significantly higher yield, TSS, total phenolic content (192.72 mg GAE/100 mL), antioxidant activity (73.87 % DPPH inhibition), betacyanin content (62.31 mg/100 mL), reducing sugar (6.69 %) and total sugar (10.26 %) with lower vitamin C (13.26 mg/100 mL), viscosity and improved color characteristics compared to the control. Overall, pectinase-assisted extraction proved highly effective in enhancing the quality, yield, and bioactive potential of RDFJ, offering a viable strategy for developing value-added functional beverages and for integrating enzymatic green extraction into fruit processing and by-product valorization frameworks.

Intercropping systems involving Soybean (Glycine max) and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) offer potential for sustainable intensification in semi-arid agroecosystems. Yet, the optimal spatial arrangement for maximizing growth, yield, and economic returns under vertisol soils remains inadequately defined. This study evaluated eight row ratio treatments of soybean and pigeonpea intercropping during the kharif seasons of 2023 and 2024 at Parbhani, Maharashtra, India. The treatments included strip cropping at varying row ratios (6:3 to 18:12 Soybean: pigeonpea), a 4:2 soybean-pigeonpea intercropping system, and sole crops, arranged in a randomized block design with three replications. Results demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) variation across treatments. The 18:12 row ratio strip-cropping system (T5) consistently outperformed others, producing the highest SEY of 3,950 kg/ha, a net return of Rs. 65,200/ha, and a B: C ratio 2.43. Soybean plant height increased from 19.83 ± 0.97 cm at 30 DAS to 63.60 ± 5.35 cm at harvest, while dry matter accumulation rose from 3.09 ± 0.99 g to 21.62 ± 2.79 g per plant. Pigeonpea attained a maximum height of 159.24 ± 8.54 cm and dry matter accumulation of 98.26 ± 10.35 g/plant at harvest. Enhanced leaf area duration and pod number under T5 reflected improved photosynthetic capacity and reproductive efficiency. The study substantiates that the strategic spatial arrangement of Soybean and pigeonpea in an 18:12 row ratio optimizes growth, yield, and profitability under semi-arid vertisol conditions. Adopting this system can enhance resource use efficiency and farm income in rainfed environments. Further research should focus on long-term impacts on soil health and resilience under climatic variability.

Thirty four accessions of okra were assessed for variability for nineteen characters with with checks Arka Anamika and Parbhani Kranthi. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation was observed for number of leaves per plant, fruit yield per plot, incidence of yellow vein mosaic virus, enation leaf curl virus and fruit and shoot borer indicating the existence of wider genetic variability. High heritability accompanied with high genetic advance was observed for plant height, internodal length, number of leaves per plant, fruit length, fruit weight, fruit diameter, number of seeds per fruit, number of fruits per plant, fruit yield per plant, fruit yield per plot, yellow vein mosaic virus, enation leaf curl virus and fruit and shoot borer suggesting that they can be improved through direct selection due to predominant additive variation.