A study was conducted with clonal and seedling-derived trees of Pongamia pinnata in the field conditions at the ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi, India, with an objective to unravel the mechanistic insights for drought stress tolerance in clonal and seedling trees of Pongamia pinnata through comparative physio-biochemical determinants. Photosynthetic CO2 assimilation (PNmax) and its associated parameters, along with chlorophyll fluorescence traits were analysed. Leaf water potential (LWP) was measured with the PSΨPRO water potential system. Findings of the study showed that clonal plants performed better than seedling plants during dry heat summer (DHS) by maintaining higher PNmax and its associated traits and PNmax was supported by a higher LWP. Additionally, elevated peroxidase (POD) activity and diminished malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in clonal plants as compared to seedling plants during DHS were validated by photosynthetic and chlorophyll fluorescence traits, thereby affirming their superior performance. In addition, clonal plants also recorded higher plant height, diameter at breast height (DBH) and 100-seed weight, signifying their higher resilience during DHS. Principal component analysis (PCA) unveiled that LWP, PNmax and Gs were major contributors to total variance. The study inferred that clonal plants of Pongamia pinnata maintained relatively higher physiological functioning during DHS.

Chironji (Buchanania lanzan Spreng.) is an underutilized nut-bearing tree with amazing nutritional, medicinal, and industrial potential. However, scientific information on the biochemical and functional attributes across diverse germplasm remains limited and largely unexplored. Antioxidant assays revealed significant solvent- and genotype-dependent variation, with ethanol-water and dichloromethane extracts showing higher radical scavenging activity. In vitro alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition assays demonstrated strong antidiabetic potential, particularly in BL1, highlighting its nutraceutical relevance. Similarly, high protein (36.12-42.09%), crude fat (36.26-39.95%), and carbohydrates (11.33-12.82%), alongside considerable Vit C (4.73-5.67 mg/100 g) and dietary fiber content, were estimated through proximate analysis. Mineral profiling highlighted the rich concentrations of P (506-583 mg/100), Mg (197-275 mg/100), Fe (4.98-8.25 mg/100), Ca (22.0-44.0 mg/100), and Zn (2.93-3.58 mg/100), with significant inter-accession variability. Seed oil analysis further demonstrated that extraction through solvent markedly influenced oil yield (5.10-36.98%), viscosity, saponification value, and free fatty acid content, while accession-wise differences were minimal. Oils were odourless, light to golden yellow, and exhibited favorable physicochemical attributes comparable to commercial edible oils. Overall, these findings firmly establish chironji as a nutrient-rich resource with promising applications in functional foods, herbal formulations, pharmaceuticals, cosmetic applications and agroforestry-based livelihood enhancement.

Understanding the link between tree root architecture and organic carbon dynamics is critical for enhancing carbon sequestration in semi-arid regions. This study, conducted from 2017 to 2019 in central India, evaluated the root structure and carbon sequestration potential of three tree species: Neolamarckia cadamba (Kadam), Leucaena leucocephala (Subabul), and Melia dubia (Malabar neem). The species exhibited distinct root architectures: Subabul had a symmetric, sparse root system; Kadam had moderately dense roots; and Malabar neem developed a compact and massive root system. The highest root density was recorded in the 0–30 cm topsoil layer near the collar region. Primary roots initially grew vertically (0.15–0.30 m), then extended horizontally, with Malabar neem showing the widest lateral spread (up to 4.4 m). Secondary roots displayed greater angular spread than tertiary and quaternary roots. Lateral root pruning, recommended after the first two years, could enhance resource use efficiency and improve understory crop performance in agroforestry systems. Malabar neem demonstrated significantly higher carbon sequestration potential, storing 25.64 Mg C ha-¹ at three years—2.96 to 3.86 times greater than Subabul (8.62 Mg C ha-¹) and Kadam (6.62 Mg C ha-¹). Annual sequestration rates ranged from 2.20 to 2.87 Mg C ha-¹ yr-¹. Aboveground biomass contributed 80.4–84.3% of total carbon stocks, with belowground biomass contributing 15.7–19.6%. At a planting density of 500 trees ha-¹, Malabar neem achieved the highest CO2-equivalent sequestration (94.09 Mg CO2e ha-¹). These findings highlight Malabar neem-based agroforestry as a viable strategy for restoring degraded lands while improving carbon storage and climate resilience in semi-arid ecosystems.

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of weed status within the home garden agroforestry system at ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute (CAFRI), Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. The study was conducted to investigate the diversity and distribution of weeds in the agroforestry system during 2022-2023. A total of 21 weed species belonging to 14 families and 17 genera were identified, with notable representation from families such as Amaranthaceae and Poaceae. The findings highlight the seasonal fluctuations in weed species composition and abundance, shedding light on the dynamic nature of weed communities in the agroforestry context. The research findings contribute to the understanding of weed ecology in agroforestry settings, offering valuable information on sustainable agricultural practices and ecosystem management.

Melia dubia Cav. is a multipurpose tree species primarily used in the wood-based industries. Also, due to ease of propagation and wide adaptability, this species is highly suitable for agroforestry. Considering its economic and ecological values, its de novo whole-genome sequencing and annotation are necessary for the development of genomic tools in tree breeding. A draft genome of 246.5 Mb was assembled at 35.34 × coverage and annotated with 37,014 non-redundant, protein-coding genes. A total of 111,256 genomic variants were identified, of which 95,389 were SNPs. Also, the genome consists of 2597 protein families. Moreover, 4.8 Mb (2.33

Spiritual values attached to plants maintain socio-cultural and ecological values that play a pivotal role in human well-being. This paper documents the trees associated with Jainism in context of their conservation for sustainable supply of their socio-cultural and environmental benefits. There are twenty-four tīrthaṅkara who made penance under different trees attained salvation. These holy trees are known as kevalin vṛkṣa. The conservation of these sacred trees is gaining an increasing attention in the twenty-first century. Arguments for conservation of kevlin trees can be supported through different arguments like narrowly utilitarian, broadly utilitarian, and ethical. The narrowly utilitarian arguments for conserving tree species are based on their instrumental and economic benefits from trees such as food, firewood, timber, fiber, industrial products (tannins, dyes, and resins) and products of medicinal importance. The broadly utilitarian argument focuses on the role of trees in providing many ecosystem services like ornamental, habitat provision, and air pollution control. Ethical argument relates to what we owe to plants with which we share this planet. These arguments advocate conservation of trees based on their intrinsic value. The ancient practices of the different communities have been integral to conservation of natural resources including trees and thereby contributed to sustainable development. Establishment of tīrthaṅkara vatika (garden) is an important strategy to conserve these sacred trees of Jainism and thus promoting a spiritual framework for biological conservation and sustainable utilization. Therefore, a holistic understanding of the sacred trees of Jainism is essential for assessing their socio-cultural and ecological role and formulating strategies for conservation.

Trees have been the most important source of quality fodder for the livestock since ages. Today's scenario of fodder deficiency in the country like India has created a high demand for tree-based fodder to strengthen the livestock health and sustain the production of quality milk. Trees being multipurpose and important in the context of various ecological services also provide high quantity of fodders enriched with the high proteins, minerals, and various useful pharmaceutical compounds for livestock and ruminant. Though trees are an important resource, breeding for its genetic improvement is at a very nascent stage owing to long breeding cycle, open pollination, and high heterozygosity. Germplasm collection, their progeny testing or provenance trials, and diversity analysis for identification of superior types were the common objectives of breeding. However, in recent years, the development of genetic and genomic resources has opened a new niche for quicker genetic gain and performing the trait-specific genetic improvement in the fodder trees. These traits have involved the fodder quantity and quality as well as tolerance against biotic and abiotic stresses. This chapter focuses on the 15 major tree fodder species and the status of breeding research progress to supplement the fodder requirement in the current context of climate change.

Agro-biodiversity is a prerequisite for the sustainability of any agroecosystem. Loss of agro-biodiversity is a serious global threat today. Numerous rare and endangered plants grown naturally may also contribute a lot in sustaining the farm ecosystem. Understanding the nature of existing genetic diversity in landraces, wild species, and agroecosystems is the foremost important requirement of restoration and conservation of important, rare, and endangered crop species under ongoing anthropogenic changes. Recent advances in molecular tools and techniques have enabled researchers to identify and understand the nature and composition of agro-biodiversity at the molecular level. Marker-assisted selection (MAS) has elevated the precision of identifying actual conservation units and phylogenetic relationships and, thus, aided in formulating different restoration and conservation strategies. Integration of analytical tools such as population genomics, phylogenomics, metagenomics, etc. addresses conservation concerns, whereas whole-genome sequencing has opened a new dimension for elucidating the genome architecture and its interaction with other species. Organelle genomes have allowed us to excavate a more detailed evolutionary history of any species of our interest. Overall, molecular technologies have unlocked the avenues of research focusing on genetic rescue and restoration and thus saving the agro-biodiversity from extinction.

Abstract Trees hold the lifeline of the earth’s biodiversity and serve as a commercial entity delivering broad applications to human-kind. In addition to being used as wood and timber, trees are a source of secondary metabolites, medicinal compounds, and other derivatives with high commercial value. Thus, the scope for improvement of these traits and quality traits (insect/pest resistance, wood quality, etc.) has always been demanding; however, limited progress has been made compared to other crop species. Trait improvement has always been challenging in trees owing to several practical difficulties, but genomics has enabled the precise identification of genetic determinants of these traits and provided tools and approaches to tweak them for enhancing the traits of interest. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has expedited genomics and transcriptomics research by facilitating the sequencing of genomes and transcriptomes, identifying genes, profiling the regulation of their expression, and constructing gene regulatory networks. Also, NGS has enabled the development of large-scale genome-wide molecular markers for high-throughput genotyping applications, which are useful in breeding for desirable traits. As it allows improved understanding of the gene function and its network at different developmental stages of trees with reference to an environmental stimulus can further help the breeder to enhance the knowledge on spanning genotype and phenotype. Thus, the potential of genomics in expediting trait improvement has been well realized; however, its application in tree species, particularly in commercially important ones including Tectona grandis, Azadirachta indica, Casuarina spp., and Salix spp, requires further research. Given this, the present review enumerates the progress made in genomics research on these four species and provides the roadmap for their trait improvement toward enhancing productivity and ecosystem services.

A severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) led novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)outbreak spread through China has become the biggest global public health challenge today. The virus upon sev-eral mutations has led to the resurgence of more infectious and lethal variants infecting over 298 million peoplewith more than 5.46 million deaths worldwide by the end of December, 2021. Though vaccines are available, var-ious preventive measures particularly a high body immunity is still extremely important which determines thelikelihood of disease severity and subsequent recovery in the current and future pandemics. This review acknowl-edges the potentiality of miraculousMoringa oleiferaLam. against recently evolved novel coronavirus and accom-panying health complications. Moringa a well-proven super-food, densely packed with an abundant quantity of92 minerals, several vitamins, 46 antioxidants, and numerous bioactive compounds, thus own a massive thera-peutic potential for healing all levels of nutritional deficiencies and poor immunities and cure above 300 diseases.Moringa acts as anti-asthmatic, anti-cancerous, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, hepatic, renal andcardio-protective, and anti-viral in nature. Thus it may reduce the severity of COVID-19 infections and associatedserious medical emergencies. In addition, self-isolation at home or the workplace has put people at increased riskof physical and mental sicknesses, which could be simply addressed by integrating this wonderful plant intoeveryday diet. Furthermore, the immune-modulatory properties and viral inhibiting nature of moringa contributeto reduced risk of COVID-19 infection and quicker recovery from its symptoms. As per the existing pieces of literature, it is a great time to harness the esteemed moringa for safeguarding people from the terrible ongoingCOVID-19 situation and other future pandemics

In the efforts to protect the natural forests, the policies and regulations in India have discouraged the usage of wood or timber, especially in the construction sector. Despite all, wood usage in India is high, and the country is a net importer of wood. A glance at the wood production scenario revealed that Trees Outside Forests (TOFs) is a major source (93

Tree species are characterized by their perennial growth habit, woody morphology, long juvenile period phase, mostly outcrossing behaviour, highly heterozygosity genetic makeup, and relatively high genetic diversity. The economically important trees have been an integral part of the human life system due to their provision of timber, fruit, fodder, and medicinal and/or health benefits. Despite its widespread application in agriculture, industrial and medicinal values, the molecular aspects of key economic traits of many tree species remain largely unexplored. Over the past two decades, research on forest tree genomics has generally lagged behind that of other agronomic crops. Genomic research on trees is motivated by the need to support genetic improvement programmes mostly for food trees and timber, and develop diagnostic tools to assist in recommendation for optimum conservation, restoration and management of natural populations. Research on long-lived woody perennials is extending our molecular knowledge and understanding of complex life histories and adaptations to the environment, enriching a field that has traditionally drawn its biological inference from a few short-lived herbaceous species. These concerns have fostered research aimed at deciphering the genomic basis of complex traits that are related to the adaptive value of trees. This review summarizes the highlights of tree genomics and offers some priorities for accelerating progress in the next decade.