Tabily, the common name for Operculicarya pachypus Eggli, is a member of the Anacardiaceae family. In addition to possessing strong nutraceutical potential and a variety of phytochemicals, Anacardiaceae plants have a number of bioactivities. The primary goals of this study are to analyse the phytochemicals using high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the aerial part hexane extract and to use 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide analysis to evaluate the cytotoxic potential of the hexane extract against Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cells and human breast epithelial normal cell lines (MCF10-A) in vitro, compared to a positive control (tamoxifen). Maceration (cold extraction) of O. pachypus aerial parts was performed at room temperature in n-hexane and the resulting extract was subjected to quantitative and qualitative analyses of phytoconstituents. Advanced gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis verified the existence of multiple bioactive compounds, revealing that the hexane extract contains β-sitosterol, along with high levels of α-linolenic acid (23.46 %), methyl cinnamate (17.17 %), humulene (6.37 %) and caryophyllene (4.11 %). High-performance liquid chromatography assay confirmed the existence of sterol and terpenoid compounds and facilitated the quantitative assessment of selected marker compounds. The extract demonstrated significant and selective cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cells compared to normal MCF10-A cells, in a time-and concentration- dependent manner. Over time, the half-maximum inhibitory concentration decreased from 404.3 μg/mL to 292.7 μg/mL, and ultimately to 159.2 μg/mL and cytotoxicity increased, with a notable decrease in cell viability and a selectivity index of >2.5. This project offers a detailed investigation into the phytochemicals, extraction and cytotoxic effects of O. pachpus.
Jasminum sambac cv. CO.1 (Gundumalli), a commercially important fragrant flower crop of South India, experiences a marked decline in production during winter months (November to February), limiting year-round market availability. The present investigation evaluated the influence of driplock diffused polyfilm (light transmission 87 %; diffusion 62 %) as a polytunnel cladding material in combination with end-of-day (EOD) photoperiodic (light emitting diode (LED)) lighting (4 hr, 18:00–22:00 hr) under different spectral regimes on off-season flowering in CO. 1 (Gundumalli). The experiment was conducted in Mettupalayam, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India during November 2024 – February 2025 in randomised block design (RBD) with 5 treatments and 4 replications. Treatments included open field control (T1), polytunnel without supplemental light (T2), polytunnel with 60 % red : 20 % blue : 20 % far-red (T3), polytunnel with 80 % red : 20 % blue (T4) and polytunnel with 80 % red : 20 % far-red (T5). Treatment T₅ significantly improved flower yield and quality parameters compared with other treatments (p ≤ 0.05), recording the highest pooled mean number of flower cymes (42.26 per plant), flower buds per plant (194.37), flower yield per plant (52.53 g), weight of 100 buds (28.49 g), length of flower bud (2.42 cm), length of corolla tube (1.59 cm) and width of flower bud (0.95 cm). Based on the pooled mean values, Treatment T₅ resulted in approximately 5–6-fold higher values for these parameters than the open-field control. The diffused polyfilm structure maintained mean temperatures 3–5 °C higher than ambient, facilitating sustained flower bud initiation during the cold season. The superior performance of the 80 % red : 20 % far-red spectrum may be attributed to enhanced phytochrome-mediated flowering responses. These findings demonstrate the potential of integrating a diffused polyfilm polytunnel with EOD LED spectral lighting as an effective strategy for improving off-season jasmine production under protected cultivation.
Organic floriculture is gaining importance as a sustainable production system that addresses the environmental concerns associated with conventional flower cultivation, particularly the excessive use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. These inputs contribute to soil degradation, ecological imbalance and reduced sustainability of ornamental crop production. This review presents recent advancements in sustainable organic practices in floriculture, emphasising the role of organic nutrient sources, biofertilisers, biostimulants, eco-friendly growing substrates and integrated pest and disease management strategies. Studies on organic production systems in major ornamental crops have reported improvements in plant growth, flowering attributes, flower quality, essential oil content and post-harvest performance. An integration of biological inputs, microbial inoculants, botanical-based pest management and environmentally safe cultivation practices offers promising alternatives for reducing chemical dependency. Sustainable resource management approaches, including water conservation techniques, protected cultivation, precision farming and improved post-harvest handling, further enhance the efficiency and resilience of organic floriculture systems. Additionally, organic certification standards, including International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), European Union (EU) organic and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organic, promote sustainable floriculture by restricting synthetic chemicals and encouraging environmentally responsible production practices. However, limitations related to nutrient availability, effective pest and disease management, production consistency and certification constraints continue to restrict widespread adoption. Future research should focus on developing efficient organic input formulations, innovative cultivation technologies and region-specific sustainable production models to enhance productivity, sustainability and adoption among farmers. This review highlights the potential of organic floriculture as a viable approach for achieving environmentally sustainable, economically viable and high-quality ornamental crop production.
Fertilisers are essential for increasing agricultural output and ensuring food security. In India, fertiliser consumption has increased substantially to 32.93 million tonnes by 2025 and the imbalanced and excessive use of fertilisers has led to declining soil fertility and reduced fertiliser use efficiency (FUE). In this context, customised fertilisers (CFs) have emerged as an effective strategy to address these challenges by providing balanced nutrition tailored to specific soil and crop requirements. These multi-nutrient fertilisers improve nutrient availability, correct deficiencies and enhance crop uptake of nutrients. Customised fertilisers also support precision nutrient management by aligning fertiliser application with soil test values and crop demand, thereby minimising nutrient losses and preventing soil degradation. Additionally, CF reduce labour, time and cost associated with fertiliser application. This review highlights how the gradual and need-based nutrient release from CF improves soil nutrient availability, crop nutrient uptake, FUE and crop productivity. Studies have shown that the use of CF increased nutrient availability and nutrient uptake by up to 45 %, while crop yield increased by 9–22 % in rice, 16–33 % in wheat and 15–20 % in chickpea compared to conventional fertilisers. These values represent ranges reported across individual studies. Overall, CF offer a sustainable approach for improving FUE, crop productivity and soil health.
Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are critical mediators of tritrophic interactions, providing parasitoids with reliable cues for host location and parasitisation. This study investigated whether HIPVs emitted by rice infested (I) with the rice leaffolder, Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (Guenee), affect the olfactory perception and behavioural responses of its larval parasitoid, Habrobracon hebetor (Say). Volatiles were collected from six rice genotypes (three resistant and three susceptible), each with three biological replicates. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) identified 37 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in uninfested (U) and C. medinalis-I. plants across all genotypes. Uninfested plants served as the baseline for comparing infestation-related changes in volatile profiles. The antennal perception of female H. hebetor in response to VOCs from C. medinalis-I. rice plants was assessed using gas chromatography–electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD). Ten common VOCs consistently elicited antennal depolarisation across both resistant and susceptible genotypes. These compounds were subsequently evaluated for behavioural responses in female H. hebetor using a Y-tube olfactometer. β-ocimene, β-caryophyllene, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene, (R)-limonene, methyl jasmonate and methyl salicylate elicited positive orientation while xylene elicited significant avoidance in female H. hebetor. These findings demonstrate that individual HIPVs from C. medinalis-I. rice genotypes produce distinct behavioural effects on H. hebetor under controlled conditions. The study offers valuable insights into the identification of potential host-location cues for H. hebetor, which may contribute to the sustainable management of C. medinalis, warranting further validation in ecologically relevant volatile blends and field trials.
