The study utilized high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) techniques, including red-blue-green (RGB), infra-red (IR), near infra-red (NIR) imagings, and chlorophyll fluorescence, along with biochemical indices to evaluate the drought tolerance and recovery potential (after two weeks of rewatering) of novel citrus rootstock genotypes. The RGB imaging quantified geometric traits such as projected shoot area, convex hull area, object extent Y, compactness and eccentricity, revealing reductions in plant canopy size, height, and density under drought stress. IR imaging highlighted the plant canopy temperatures, while NIR imaging detected reduced water content, which provided an early indication of drought stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence analysis identified genotype-specific changes in photosynthetic activity, with a significant decline observed in drought-sensitive genotypes such as SCSH 17 − 12 and Cleopatra mandarin. Rewatering enabled partial recovery in several genotypes, with X639 demonstrating the highest drought tolerance and recovery, followed by the hybrid CRH 21 − 13, which emerged as a promising rootstock for water-limited conditions. The biochemical analysis of the tested rootstocks under normal and drought stress conditions also proved that the hybrid CRH 21 − 13 can be utilized in the drought-prone areas for citrus cultivation. The integration of advanced imaging technologies showed strong correlations between image-based traits and physiological drought responses, highlighting their utility for non-destructive screening of plants under drought stress and genetic evaluation.

Low phosphorus (P) use efficiency of rice, in spite of sufficient P present in soil (mainly as insoluble complex), and excessive use of phosphatic fertilizers by farmers may cause several issues including higher cost of cultivation and environmental pollution. Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA is one of the strategies for transcriptome/proteome diversity that help plants to optimize acquisition and mobilization of P. Comparative analysis of rice [Pusa-44 and its Near-Isogenic Line (NIL)-23] grown hydroponically under contrasting conditions (16 ppm and 0 ppm) until vegetative stage deciphered stress-induced alternative splicing regulated through Pup1 QTL. The modulation in alternative splicing in root and shoot of rice under stress can be attributed to the regulatory function of Pup1. In addition to a considerable increase in the number of genes showing up-regulated expression, ∼20 genes demonstrated differential expression as well as alternative splicing (with a decrease in root but increase in shoot) in NIL-23under stress. Increase in alternative splicing of transcripts for ‘iron-regulated bHLH transcription factor’, ‘regulation of P homeostasis’ in roots while ‘serine hydroxymethyltransferase’ and ‘iron-regulated bHLH transcription factor’ in shoot, particularly those associated with P homeostasis/P-starvation stress-responsive signaling pathway, were recorded in the case of NIL-23 under stress. Genes/transcripts, particularly those associated with biological process in roots, showing reversed (increased vs. decreased) level of splicing in NIL-23 (compared to that in its parent) on P-starvation confirmed regulatory role of the QTL. Better understanding of splicing event/gene/transcript and its regulation might provide novel strategies to modulate gene expression for nutrient homeostasis and enhancing stress resilience in crop plants.

Black garlic (BG), a functional food with enhanced antioxidant and therapeutic properties, is produced through the controlled aging of fresh garlic under specific thermal and humidity conditions. This study, aimed to evaluate biochemical and antioxidant changes during BG formation in twenty-nine Indian garlic genotypes at 60-80 degrees C and 80 % relative humidity for up to 60 days,and their biochemical traits were evaluated at 20-day intervals. Key parameters analysed included total phenolic content (mg GAE/100 g FW), total flavonoid content (mg QE/100 g FW), antioxidant capacity - FRAP (ferric reducing antioxidant power), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazl) assays (mu mol Trolox/g FW)], allicin content (mg/100 g), and pyruvic acid levels (mu mol/mL). Significant genotypic variability was observed across all traits. Total phenolics and antioxidant activity peaked at day 40 of aging, indicating the optimal point for health-promoting compound accumulation. Flavonoid content continued to increase until day 60, while allicin showed an initial increase followed by a marked decline. Pyruvic acid levels decreased steadily throughout the aging period. Certain genotypes consistently exhibited superior functional properties, suggesting their suitability for commercial BG production. These promising lines also hold potential for use in breeding programs aimed at improving the nutraceutical quality of garlic. The findings offer valuable insights into genotype-specific responses during BG processing and the selection of elite lines for value-added applications.

Insect’s harbour diverse microorganisms in their guts, which play crucial roles in nutrition, development, and pathogen defence. By studying these symbiotic relationships, we can develop innovative solutions for improving crop production, pest management, and overall ecosystem health. This review provides insights into the functional roles of insect-associated microbes, including nutrient digestion, detoxification, and modulation of immune responses. Additionally, it highlights the potential for pioneering biocontrol strategies that use insect gut microbiota to suppress plant pathogens and pests. Despite these promising opportunities, challenges such as variability in microbial communities across different insect species, diets, and environments complicate our understanding. Furthermore, scaling up practical implementations and addressing regulatory concerns pose significant hurdles. To fully harness the benefits of insect gut microbiota, interdisciplinary collaborations, advanced genomic tools, and precision agriculture techniques are essential. By integrating metagenomics, genetic engineering, and targeted microbial manipulation, we can deepen our understanding and optimize insect-microbe-plant interactions. This manuscript provides novel perspectives in exploiting insect gut microbiota, offering eco-friendly strategies for crop protection and production. The application of insect gut microbiota in agriculture offers a novel and sustainable approach.

Drought stress, the most prevalent abiotic stress, has a significant effect on citrus production worldwide. The differential mechanisms to overcome the drought stress has been reported in citrus rootstock genotypes. This study evaluated nine citrus rootstock genotypes, including indigenous rough lemon variants, for drought tolerance. The genotypes were subjected to well-watered, drought stress, and re-watering conditions to assess morphological, physiological, and biochemical responses. High-throughput imaging techniques were employed to non-destructively assess chlorophyll fluorescence, digital leaf area, and plant tissue water content during drought stress. For rapid and accurate screening of rootstocks, phenomics and physio-biochemical tools were used to know morpho-physiological responses to drought. Citrus rootstock genotype X639 demonstrated superior performance under drought stress conditions. It maintained the highest growth in terms of relative shoot increment (8.09

With increasing global population and limited expansion of cultivated land, it is necessary to identify innovative solutions for enhancement of agricultural productivity and meet growing food demand. Despite significant advancements in crop protection methods, substantial annual crop losses persist particularly due to pests. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative tool to reform crop protection strategies. With the support of machine learning and deep learning algorithms, AI enables precise pest detection, risk assessment, monitoring, and forecasting thereby minimizing crop losses and maximizing yields. Further, AI integrates expert system and decision support system with crop management aspects for precise and timely decisions for farmers to enhance the crop productivity. In this review article, attempts are taken to explore the applications, implications, and future prospects of AI in field of pest management, emphasizing its pivotal role in agriculture and thus ensuring food security among evolving challenges.

The filamentous cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis is well known for its unique blend of nutraceuticals and bio-pigments that can be used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. In this study, nutritional and environmental parameters for Spirulina platensis were optimized using Response Surface Methodology (RSM), to enhance biomass accumulation and carotenoid production. Six variables viz. nitrate, phosphate, NaCl concentration, light intensity, light duration, and temperature were systematically varied to determine conditions maximizing growth and pigment yield. The optimal growth conditions for the cyanobacterium included culture media (Zarrouk’s medium) with 2.57 g L−1 nitrate, 1.22 g L−1 phosphate, and 2.37 g L−1 NaCl followed by incubation at a light intensity of 2295.45 Lux for 17.73 h at a temperature of 26.81 °C, leading to 62.5

Tomato is a globally vital crop and model system for fleshy fruit development, with profound agricultural and economic significance. Omics-based tomato research has revolutionized understanding of fruit quality traits, disease resistance mechanisms, and stress tolerance pathways reflecting insights for breeding innovations to address food security challenges. This bibliometric analysis on tomato omics delivered crucial insights into the evolution and impact of tomato omics research over two decades. Examining 1,702 Scopus-indexed publications, we have shown a remarkable acceleration in research output after 2017, signifying the field’s growing significance. Our findings revealed that Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology dominated the landscape with 1,054 publications, establishing the molecular foundation for tomato research. It identified key global research hubs, with the United States (450 publications) leading, followed by China (310) and Italy (171), while mapping eight distinct International collaboration networks that drive innovation. Through citation analysis, we have pinpointed transformative contributions in microRNA research and genome sequencing, with the field’s most influential paper garnering 2,570 citations. Co-authorship network visualization exposed 25 research clusters among 8,103 authors, highlighting prolific contributors including Fernie A.R. (39 publications) and Lucini L. (26). The keyword co-occurrence mapping revealed critical research priorities centered on stress responses, fruit quality, and plant immunity, with “Frontiers in Plant Science” emerging as the field’s premier publication venue (92 articles). Our analysis provided a roadmap of tomato omics research progression, offering strategic value for prioritization, collaboration development, and funding allocation to address pressing challenges in global food security and crop improvement. ### Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest.

In the present study, variation in phytochemical properties was estimated in 16 newly developed interspecific citrus hybrids (Citrus maxima [Burm. f.] Osbeck × C. sinensis [L.] Osbeck) and parental genotypes. Results showed that the interspecific hybridization of pummelo with sweet orange significantly improved the fruit quality traits. Ascorbic acid, total phenol, total flavonoids, total carotenoid, and lycopene content in the fruit juice of studied genotypes varied from 37.8 to 72.02 mg/100 mL, 19.63–112.59 GAE mg/100 mL, 1.09–2.39 QE mg/100 mL, 34.6–519.81 μg/100 mL, and 17.59–395.71 μg/100 mL, respectively. Among the new hybrids, the highest antioxidant value (DPPH assay) was recorded as 2.53 TE μmol/mL as against the 2.22 TE μmol/mL in sweet orange cv. Mosambi. The citrus hybrid genotypes SCSH-9-2/12, SCSH-9-10/12, SCSH-11-9/13, SCSH-11-15/12, and SCSH-17-19/13 proved superior for studied phytochemicals. Pearson’s correlation and principal component analyses revealed the association among the traits and key components underlying the genetic variations. The bitterness properties were studied by quantifying naringin and limonin content in the fresh and stored juice (24 h storage at 4 °C) in addition to the sensory evaluation. The new hybrid SCSH-9-2/12, SCSH-9-10/12, and SCSH-11-9/13 have very low limonin content (<1.0 mg/L) with the least delayed bitterness properties, thus proving their potential for juice processing and storage.

The present study was carried out during 2021 and 2022 at ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi to evaluate the diversity among 83 onion (Allium cepa L.) genotypes utilizing morphological, biochemical, and mineral profiling. Substantial genetic variances were observed across all the investigated traits. Traits such as bulb phenol content, bulb pyruvic acid content, neck thickness, average bulb weight, iron, zinc, and sulphur recorded high genotypic coefficient of variance (GCV) and phenotypic coefficient of variance (PCV) values, whereas plant height, total soluble solids, marketable yield, dry matter, and calcium had moderate GCV as well as PCV values. High heritability was observed for all traits except for iron content, which ranged from 98.32% (bulb phenol content) to 37.93% (Iron). Principle Component Analysis (PCA) extracted 5 principal components (PC1–PC5), accounting for a cumulative variance of 59.88%. The primary contributors to PC1 were average bulb weight, marketable yield, and equatorial diameter, while PC2 was primarily influenced by iron content, bulb pyruvic acid content, and neck thickness. On the basis of Euclidean distance and Ward’s D2 analysis, all the genotypes were grouped into three clusters. Cluster 1 showed the highest values for dry matter, iron and zinc content. Cluster 2 consisted of genotypes with higher values for plant height, polar diameter, average bulb weight, calcium, potassium, and sulphur content, whereas it showed lower values for neck thickness. Cluster 3 exhibited higher values for equatorial diameter, total soluble solids and marketable yield. Greater genetic diversity offers breeders enhanced opportunities to identify promising genotypes for selection or utilization as parents in hybrid breeding programmes.

BACKGROUND:Bemisia tabaci, a significant agricultural pest in Asia, contains distinct genetic groups, Asia-1 and Asia II-1. Understanding its reproductive biology, particularly the role of ejaculatory bulb proteins (EBPs) in mating, is crucial. However, EBPs in B. tabaci were not well characterised until this study. METHODS AND RESULTS:The EBPs have been characterised in the Asia-1 and Asia II-1 genetic groups of the whitefly B. tabaci, prevalent in Asia. The transcriptomic analysis yielded over 40,000,000 and 30,000,000 annotated transcripts, respectively, from Asia II-1 and Asia-1. Differential gene expression revealed the presence of 270 upregulated and 198 downregulated genes, with significant differences between these two genetic groups. Orphan genes (1992 numbers) were identified in both genetic groups. We report, for the first time, full-length sequences of EBP genes from B. tabaci. The 10 EBPs each deduced in B. tabaci Asia-1 and Asia II-1 are structurally akin to chemosensory proteins having four conserved cysteine residues. Additionally, we did domain analysis, protein structure prediction, mapping of these EBPs in the chromosomes of B. tabaci, and phylogenetic analysis to track their evolutionary lineage. We have specifically demonstrated the transfer of EBPs from males to females during mating using qPCR and further validated the transfer of EBPs through RNAi. Specifically, we targeted the highly expressed EBPs (EBP-3, 7, and 8 in BtAsia1; EBP-8, 9, and 10 in BtAsia II-1) through feeding bioassays of dsRNAs. Tracking by qPCR revealed that the females, when mated with dsRNA-treated males, did not show expression of the specific EBP, suggesting that the silencing of these genes in males hinders the transfer of EBP to females during mating. CONCLUSION:Our findings provide novel insights into the genomic contours of EBPs in B. tabaci and underscore the potential of RNAi-based strategies for pest management by disrupting the reproductive processes.

The cultural, morphological, and molecular variations among 22 isolates of Stemphylium vesicarium (Wallr.) E. Simmons, collected from different locations, was carried out. Significant variations were observed among the Stemphylium isolates regarding colony diameter, mean radial growth rate and sporulation on PDA media. The colonies of S. vesicarium isolates exhibited diverse mycelial growth characteristics, including velvety, cottony, or fluffy textures and a range of colours from whitish to dark grey, olivaceous with a greenish tinge or brownish. The margins of the colonies were observed to be filiform, displaying a filamentous appearance, with entire and undulate shapes and a whitish colouration. The conidiophores of Stemphylium isolates displayed a wide range of dimensions, with average length ranging from 36.81 μm to 66.44 μm and average breadth from 3.05 μm to 6.96 μm. Similarly, the conidia exhibited variations in size, colour, shape, average length (23.31 μm-43.18 μm) and average breadth (12.84 μm-23.13 μm). The conidia were mainly light brown or brown and displayed ovoid, oblong, or ovoid-to-oblong shapes. The number and presence of transverse and longitudinal septa also varied among the isolates. Fifteen RAPD primers generated 192 banding patterns. SV4, OPL5, and SV5 were identified as the most polymorphic primers, while OPA3, OPF10, OPN7, OPS7, and OPS10 produced the fewest polymorphic bands. The average polymorphic information content (PIC) value was 0.37, with OPA5 and OPC8 showing the highest PIC values. Cluster analysis based on genetic similarity revealed five distinct clusters, but no clear correlation between isolates and their collection sites was observed. In the phylogenetic analysis, based on Internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and Glycerol-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase 1(gpd1) gene sequences, 20 isolates obtained from diseased onion leaves formed a distinct cluster and exhibited sequence similarity with ex-type sequence of Stemphylium vesicarium. Additionally, two isolates from diseased garlic samples showed similarity with ex-type sequence of Stemphylium eturmiunum. This is the first-time report of S. eturmiunum on Indian garlic under field conditions.

This study focused on the response of citrus rootstocks under 28 days long induced drought stress followed by rewatering for 14 days. In the present investigation, nine rootstocks including four own developed rootstocks (CRH 21-9, CRH 21-13, SCSH 9-19 and SCSH 17-12), Kinkoji, Cleopatra mandarin, Shun Chu Sha, US-812 and X639 were studied. Visual screening of genotypes exhibited significant variations in respect of drought injury and wilting scores, being most sense in SCSH 17-12 and Cleopatra mandarin, while X639, CRH 21-13 and US-812 remained largely unaffected. Leaf traits exhibited substantial variability among genotypes, with X639 showing higher leaf counts and lower expressions of yellow, rolled, and scorched leaves. Drought stress adversely affected growth traits, inhibiting shoot length increment, and causing reductions in stem diameter and leaf area, and particularly impacted most the SCSH 17-12, SCSH 9-19, and Cleopatra mandarin. Physiological assessments revealed pronounced reductions in relative water content, membrane stability index and highest canopy temperature under drought stress in SCSH 17-12. Moreover, chlorophyll fractions, carotenoid content and leaf gas exchange parameters tended to decrease in susceptible genotypes (SCSH 17-12, SCSH 9-19, and Cleopatra mandarin) than tolerant genotypes (X639 and CRH 21-13). Also, most of the stomatal parameters decreased in SCSH 17-12 showing significant reductions in density, conductance index, and stomata area, while Cleopatra exhibited pronounced decrease in pore area and increased number of closed stomata, however, limited reduction was noticed in tolerant genotypes like X639 and CRH 21-13. Subsequently, rewatering efforts demonstrated a positive trend towards recovery across all genotypes. Overall, the study sought to the significance of drought-resilient genotypes to secure food production in the context of water scarcity.

Owing to their ability to colonize plant tissues and metabolize a wide range of organic and inorganic toxic pollutants, endophytic fungi are a promising tool for environmental bioremediation. They reside within the living tissues of plants and have emerged as a promising group of organisms for mycoremediation, which involves using fungi to degrade and/or detoxify environmental pollutants, including organic and inorganic compounds and heavy metals. In the current years, the identification of endophytic fungi with mycoremediation potential has emerged as an area of focus. Researchers are exploring various plant species to isolate and identify endophytic fungi with the potential to degrade environmental pollutants. The use of molecular techniques and high-throughput screening methods has accelerated the identification of such fungi. Understanding the mechanisms by which endophytic fungi detoxify or degrade environmental pollutants is crucial for developing effective mycoremediation strategies. Overall, the field of endophytic fungi and their potential as mycoremediators is rapidly evolving, and there is significant potential for these organisms to play a critical role in developing sustainable environmental remediation strategies. In this chapter, attempts are being taken to explore the genetic and biochemical pathways involved in phytoremediation processes besides the potentials of endophytic fungi.

Among the various loose flower crops, marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) holds a prominent place among commercial crops. Its vibrant blooms are in high demand, but flowers are perishable, rendering them susceptible to significant post-harvest losses. Efforts to mitigate these losses will enhance the overall flower production, distribution to maximize its economic potential and to sustain valuable contribution for the industry. So, the present experiment on storage of marigold flowers was conducted during 2021 and 2022 at the ICAR- Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi with an objective to improve the shelf life of flowers by using different packaging materials. The results revealed that in marigold var. Pusa Basanti Gainda, maximum shelf life, high carotenoid content, minimum ion leakage, physiological loss in weight and enzyme activity were achieved in flowers packed in shrink-wrap and stored under low-temperature (6±20C) conditions.

Gynogenesis plays a crucial role in creating homozygous lines and accelerates the breeding process. This technique has been the subject of investigation in onion for several decades. But achieving desired efficiency levels, an effective diploidization protocol and a high survival rate of doubled haploids is still a limiting factor. Further, research on short-day onions, which occupy a major share in production, is still inadequate compared to long-day onions. This study investigated the gynogenic response of ten short-day onion genotypes, using whole flower buds, cultured on MS and B5 medium supplemented with different growth regulators and stress treatments. ‘Bhima Safed’ (9.52

The characteristics and qualities of seeds (kernels) of wheat cultivars vary, in their size, shape and texture, genetic and biochemicals properties. Visual evaluations of color, size, shape and texture which are commonly used to identify cultivars of the crop seeds, are highly subjective and time-consuming. Although cultivar identification based on molecular biological properties of the seeds provide an edge over the traditional approaches, they are expensive and time-consuming. In recent years, computer vision technology is widely used for automation in agriculture. It makes a machine to see, hence instead of the human eye, this technology uses a camera and computer, to track, identify and measure the targets through image processing. The present study explores the possibilities of identifying cultivars of wheat seeds from their seed images using deep learning and computer vision techniques. Convolutional neural networks (CNN), were used in this study to categorize wheat seed images from ten different cultivars using deep learning technique. Five state of art CNN architectures, particularly VGG16, VGG19, ResNet50, ResNet101, and InceptionResNetV2, were compared based on nine thousand images captured from seeds of 10 wheat cultivars (HS 490, HD 2967, HI 1500, HB 208, C 306, CPAN 3004, DPW 621-50, HS 1097-17, HD 2864, AKAW 3722) in controlled illuminated chamber. Among the different CNN model tested in this study, InceptionResNetV2 was observed to be the best. Further, an augmented dataset created from the original seed image dataset were used to train and improve the model developed with the InceptionResNetV2. Further, the accuracy of the model to identify the wheat cultivars from their seed images was improved through hyperparameter optimization. The performance of the model in terms of its accuracy was enhanced from 68.3