Yield stagnation, multi-nutrient deficiencies coupled with reduced fertilizer-use efficiency have emerged as major challenges to the food-systems of South Asia. Modern scientific tools to enhance nutrient use efficiencies along with augmented crop yields became utmost necessity to sustain food security of developing world. In this context, a field study was undertaken to understand the influence of numerous nano-fertilizers on wheat productivity, profitability and nutrient-use efficiency. Results revealed that application of 100% NPK coupled with foliar-spray of Nano- N + P + K + Zn increased grain and straw yield by 29.8 % and 13.7 %, respectively over 100% NPK. The crop fetched a net return of ₹ 72141.50 with B:C ratio of 5.51 with 75% NPK + nano-N. As a result, the wheat crop produced when Nano-N + 75% NPK was applied produced a greater yield (grain, straw, and biological), as well as financial gains.

Nanotechnology has emerged as a promising approach to address the challenges of increasing crop productivity and ensuring global food security. This comprehensive review examines the various strategies and results of applying nanotechnology in agriculture to enhance crop productivity. We discuss the use of nanomaterials, such as nanoparticles, nanofertilizers, nanopesticides, and nanosensors, in improving nutrient management, pest control, disease management, and crop monitoring. The review also highlights the potential of nanobiotechnology in crop improvement through targeted gene delivery, genetic engineering, and plant transformation. Furthermore, we explore the application of nanomaterials in seed priming, seed coating, and seed germination enhancement. The environmental and safety aspects of using nanotechnology in agriculture are also discussed, along with the challenges and future prospects. This review provides valuable insights into the current state-of-the-art and future directions of nanotechnology in enhancing crop productivity, promoting sustainable agriculture, and ensuring food security.

It explores the potential of advanced fertilizers in improving maize yield and quality while addressing environmental and socioeconomic concerns. Investigating the innovations in fertilizer technologies and their impact on maize cultivation, identifying research gaps and suggesting policy recommendations. The potential of advanced fertilizers for enhancing maize yield and quality while tackling environmental and socioeconomic issues: Advanced fertilizers, marked by enhanced nutrient use efficiency and targeted nutrient delivery, present valuable prospects for sustainable corn farming. This includes progress in fertilizer technologies, combined management strategies, and the effects of these cutting-edge products on corn yield and quality. Additionally, we explore research gaps, areas requiring further study, and policy suggestions to support the adoption of advanced fertilizers in corn production systems. By seizing these opportunities and addressing the related challenges, the global agricultural community can strive for more sustainable, efficient, and productive corn farming practices that contribute to improved food security and nutrition.

Agricultural Extension (AE) plays a pivotal role in modern farming, as it is integral in imparting knowledge from research institutions to farmers, thereby increasing productivity and sustainability. This role is becoming increasingly crucial as climate change and fluctuating market dynamics demand agile responses and adaptation from the farming community. The effectiveness of AE lies in its ability to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from research labs to farmlands. Through AE, innovations in farming techniques, crop management practices, and technological advancements reach farmers, even in remote and underserved regions. It examines the role of agricultural extension in modern farming in India, highlighting its significance in communicating scientific research to farmers, facilitating skill development, advising on efficient farming methods, and promoting risk management and resilience. As India faces major challenges such as climate change and food security, the role of agricultural extension becomes increasingly pivotal. The advent of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence and virtual reality, offers novel avenues for extension practices. The deployment of these technologies must be inclusive, addressing issues of digital literacy and access among farmers. Despite the clear advantages, extension services are confronted with significant obstacles, including resource constraints, socio-cultural barriers, and policy issues. Addressing these challenges necessitates innovative approaches and comprehensive reforms. Looking to the future, the agricultural extension will remain central in addressing emerging farming challenges and leveraging opportunities for enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability in India.

Locusts are the most dangerous agricultural pests. They are belonging to family Acrididae. Gregarious locusts travel in swarms from one location to another in adult form. The desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forskal), is one of the grasshopper species that cause crop damage and can fly up to 150 km in the direction of the wind. The present state of knowledge on its biological regulation employing microbes and plant extracts is discussed. Metarhizium flavoviride was among the first fungi to be identified in the laboratory and field as a bio-control agent against desert locust. Following extensive investigation, with integrated pest management stratedies using these bio-controls would be a viable option for controlling desert locust infestations. Against the desert locust, IPM (Integrated Pest Management) approaches that emphasize the successful combination of chemical and biological insecticides with prediction and monitoring technology have been encouraged. Recent experimental investigations and researches are mainly focusing on identifying viable answers through financial collaboration between governmental and non-governmental organizations. The authors highlighted the loss in the agricultural sector due to desert locust infestation, as well as its sophisticated control and management solutions, after evaluating publications from numerous journals, magazines, and symposia.

Advances in sustainable agriculture are essential for simultaneously optimizing food production and preserving the environment. This comprehensive review provides an in-depth study of the current state and future possibilities of sustainable farming practices. With the ever-increasing global population, ensuring food security has become a paramount issue. Conventional farming techniques, though effective for mass food production, pose serious threats to environmental sustainability due to excessive resource utilization, pollution, and degradation of biodiversity. Sustainable agriculture promotes practices that are environmentally friendly, economically viable, and socially equitable. This involves the application of advanced technologies, including precision farming, genetically modified crops for higher yield and disease resistance, and integrating renewable energy sources in farming practices. Importantly, the study also emphasizes agroecological practices which include crop rotation, organic farming, and agroforestry that contribute to enhancing soil fertility, reducing synthetic pesticide use, and promoting biodiversity. Additionally, sustainable agriculture supports the use of local resources and traditional knowledge to maintain ecological balance while ensuring food production. This review also highlights the crucial role of policy support and education in promoting sustainable farming. Farmer training and public awareness campaigns can increase understanding and acceptance of sustainable practices, leading to wider adoption. Overall, this review suggests that the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices is not just a choice but a necessity for ensuring food security and environmental conservation in the future.

Climate change, the population explosion and the growing demand for good food and health require better, more reliable and more efficient. The different shape, size, composition and ability to interact with organic compounds make nanomaterials and technology widely used. Nano formulations and their applications in agriculture in the form of agrochemicals for crop protection, toxicity identification by nanobiosensors, genetic manipulation of plants treated by nanodevices, and rapid and efficient diseases of plants. The delivery of genetic material and proteins via nano-arrays has been proven in crop engineering, drug delivery and environmental monitoring. Nanotechnology also benefits the food industry by improving all stages of food production from food processing to production, processing, packaging, safety, extending shelf life, testing for disease and creating smart foods. Therefore, technology can meet the needs of most consumers, including the improvement of food products and their sensations, and can improve product quality, texture soft and nutritious food without affecting its natural properties.

Eco-challenges like greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and nutrient depletion are key threats to the health of rice field ecosystems. Biochars (BCs) - porous, carbon-dense materials with substantial surface areas and an abundance of surface functional groups - are emerging as a viable solution for these issues, offering a way to increase rice production and address environmental concerns. Despite this potential, there is still a need for a comprehensive understanding of BCs' performance characteristics and their environmental interactions with rice paddy soils. The beneficial outcomes of using BCs, including enhanced rice growth and yield, decreased nutrient loss, and reduced GHG emissions. Factors like biomass type, pyrolysis temperature, and modification process significantly influence BCs' performance. The use of BCs can boost rice production while mitigating emissions of CO2, N2O, and CH4. They do this by improving soil properties, encouraging microbial diversity, supplying nutrients, and minimizing nutrient losses. However, the potential ecological hazards related to the use of BCs in rice paddies. These hazards include inconsistent research outcomes and the possibility of secondary pollution. Future research must address these challenges to ensure the sustainable application of BCs.

Integration of advanced robotics in agriculture can exponentially boost productivity, alleviate labor shortages, reduce the environmental footprint, and increase the overall profitability of farming. Agricultural robots, often controlled by sophisticated algorithms and AI, offer precision farming capabilities that can enhance yield and quality, while minimizing waste and harmful impacts on the environment. They carry out numerous tasks such as sowing, watering, harvesting, and pest control, more efficiently than traditional methods. The usage of robotic systems enables 24/7 farming operations, overcoming the challenges posed by traditional human labor like working hours and physical exhaustion. The review also explores how this technology can help cater to the rising global food demand in a sustainable way, making it a promising solution to achieving food security in the face of increasing population pressures and climate change impacts. Despite the significant capital investment required for adopting these technologies, the potential long-term benefits, such as reduced operational costs and enhanced farm outputs, underscore their vital role in the future of farming and food production. Concluding that the integration of robotics in agriculture could bring about a revolution in farming practices, ushering in a future of enhanced productivity and sustainability in the sector.