Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) is a valuable medicinal and aromatic herb cultivated globally for its essential oil, prized for its therapeutic and flavouring properties. The productivity and essential oil quality of peppermint is strongly influenced by the intervention of biotic and abiotic elicitors, which eventually induces plant growth dynamics, redox homeostasis, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. This study evaluates the effect of five plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPRs): Bacillus tequilensis (T1), Bacillus subtilis (T2), Bacterium strain (T3), Bacillus thuringiensis (T4), and Bacillus cereus (T5), to access the modulation efficiency of these plant probionts over morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters of peppermint variety CIM-Suras. The surface sterilized, uniform sized suckers of a menthol-rich peppermint variety CIM-Suras were inoculated with five aforementioned Bacillus spp., endowed with phosphate solubilization, ammonia production, siderophore production, and Indole Acetic Acid production efficiencies, in triplicate. The results of the study revealed that T2 (Bacillus subtilis) has significantly enhanced the photosynthetic process, contents of chlorophyll (64.71%), accumulation of proline (43.17%), SOD (24.89%), and catalase (56.33%), over the control, followed by T1 (Bacillus tequilensis), and T4 (Bacillus thuringiensis). Treatment with Bacillus subtilis (T2) showing maximum improvement in studied morphological, physiological and biochemical parameters in peppermint suggests the potential of the isolate to abate the oxidative damage of the cells during altering environmental conditions. These findings underscore the efficiency of peppermint-native Bacillus-based PGPRs, especially B. subtilis, for improving crop growth, stress resilience, and essential oil yield in a menthol-rich cultivar. This approach offers a sustainable alternative to synthetic fertilizers to improve peppermint productivity.

This study evaluates the effectiveness of Agromet Advisory Bulletins (AABs) issued under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa project in enhancing agricultural resilience and profitability across 17 districts of South Bihar. Based on feedback from 1,850 farmers, the adoption of AABs led to yield increases of 5%–29% across major crops and reductions in cultivation costs by 3%–23%, resulting in substantial gains in net income and benefit–cost ratios. The findings demonstrate that timely, weather-based advisories significantly improve resource use efficiency and strengthen the economic sustainability of farming systems. Overall, the study establishes AABs as a critical tool for advancing climate-smart agriculture and ensuring food and livelihood security in climate-vulnerable regions.

Cannabis sativa L., a dioecious diploid plant, has gained global attention for its multifaceted applications in medicine, fiber production, and oil extraction. This study explores the intricate transcriptomic landscape and cannabinoid biosynthesis of two distinct Indian cannabis landrace accessions: CIM-CS-39, an elite strain with a genetic potential for high tetrahydrocannabinol (THC > 20%), and CIM-CS-64, recognized for its elevated cannabidiol potential (CBD > 10%). Employing a de novo RNA-Seq assembly framework across six tissue-specific libraries, significant genetic variants and expression patterns associated with chemotypic divergence were unveiled. At the specific short-day harvest stage (Day 72), quantitative HPLC analysis confirmed distinct profiles, revealing a high accumulation of total THC (9.67% w/w) in CIM-CS-39 and total CBD (4.44% w/w) in CIM-CS-64, with negligible cross-contamination (< 0.3% THC in the high-CBD line). Differential gene expression (DEG) analysis identified over 5,000 significantly altered transcripts between the accessions. Notably, core structural genes in the cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway, including tetrahydrocannabinolic acid synthase (THCAS) and cannabidiolic acid synthase (CBDAS), exhibited highly polarized expression profiles that tightly synchronized with their respective chemotypic accumulation matrices. These results validate the genomic integrity of localized landraces and provide critical molecular blueprints and specific synthase targets for marker-assisted breeding and biotechnological strategies aimed at optimizing therapeutic cannabis strains.

Agriculture is a vital pillar of global food security and economic stability, with India leading in millet and ranking high in cotton and rapeseed-mustard production, yet facing challenges in semi-arid regions like Alwar, Rajasthan, due to erratic rainfall and water scarcity. This study assesses the integration of aromatic crops Ocimum, lemongrass, and vetiver as sustainable alternatives to traditional crops (pearl millet, mustard, and cotton) in Alwar over 2021–22 and 2022–23. Conducted at Dhuni Nath ki Rondo using a randomized block design with 18 treatments varying planting material age, varieties, and spacing, the experiment compared yields and economic viability with local farmer data. Analysis of variance confirmed significant differences in herbage yield, oil content, oil yield, and economic traits across both years. Ocimum achieved herbage yields of up to 179.0 q/ha and net returns of ₹66,386.75/ha (B: C 3.09); lemongrass reached 20.13 tonne/ha and ₹140,856/ha (B: C 3.35); and vetiver recorded 20.70 q/ha and ₹240,625.79/ha (B: C 2.83). Volatile compounds (e.g., linalool 13.85% in Ocimum, citral 20.71% in lemongrass, khusimol 18.00% in vetiver) improved, enhancing market value and aligning with India’s lemongrass and vetiver oil markets. These crops require less water, making them suitable for regions with scarce water and limited rainfall, and outperforming traditional crops (e.g., mustard at ₹60,210/ha). Further research is needed to optimize treatments and fill regional data gaps.

Rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) is the backbone of food security in Southeast Asia, particularly in India. However, continuous intensive cultivation has led to sustainability concerns including yield stagnation, poor resource use efficiency, soil organic carbon (SOC) depletion, multi-nutrient deficiencies, pest resurgence, and declining profit margins. Intensification of leguminous crop in the existing RWCS could be a possible solution. Thus a research trial with fifteen different rice-wheat cropping sequences was carried out at Bihar Agricultural University, Sabour, Bihar, India to investigate the impact of crop intensification on rice performances. The effect of green gram inclusion in the RWCS was more pronounced during the second year of experimentation. In this study, there was two conservation agriculture systems i.e. partial and full based on tillage intensity and crop establishment methods. The partial conservation agriculture system i.e. Vattar direct seeded rice (DSR) in which seeds are directly sown in a moist (vattar) soil condition after pre-sowing irrigation and light tillage, followed by zero tillage (ZT) wheat and ZT green gram recorded significantly higher yield attributes which led to enhancement in rice grain and straw yield by 36.8 % and 31.3 % respectively over the existing conventional RWCS in the year 2022. In addition to above, full conservation system of agriculture i.e. ZT DSR where dry seeds are directly drilled into unpuddled soil without any tillage followed by ZT wheat and ZT green gram, representing complete elimination of tillage operations throughout the cropping sequence also showed significantly superior to existing RWCS and observed highest net return (INR 82863 ha- 1), B:C ratio (2.46), net energy (145351 MJ ha- 1), energy use efficiency (14.5 %) and energy productivity (0.45 kg MJ-1) but statistically parallel result with partial conservation system after first year of experimentation. This study demonstrates that the full conservation agriculture-based system (ZT DSR-ZT wheat-ZT green gram) were found the most suitable climate resilient cropping system to intensify RWCS in the middle Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) for overall better performance of rice.

A rapid, cost-effective, and eco-friendly method was investigated to enhance the germination potential of lemon basil (Ocimum africanum Lour.) seeds using radiofrequency (RF) cold plasma treatment, addressing poor germination due to seed dormancy in the CIM-Jyoti variety. Lemon basil seeds (variety CIM-Jyoti) were treated with RF cold plasma using Oxygen (O2), Argon (Ar), and Ar + O2 gas combinations, varying RF power (W1: 60 W, W2: 150 W, W3: 240 W), process pressure (P1: 0.2 mbar, P2: 0.4 mbar, P3: 0.6 mbar), and treatment time (T1: 5 min, T2: 10 min, T3: 15 min). Germination percentage, seedling vigor indices (SVI-I and SVI-II), and water absorption efficiency were evaluated, with seed surface morphology analyzed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The Ar + O2 gas combination at P2W3T2 treatment resulted the highest percent improvements in germination, SVI-I, and SVI-II by 24.5

Uraria picta (Jacq.) Desv. ex DC. (Family: Papilionaceae) known as Prishniparni, traditionally used for therapeutic purposes as one of the ingredients of Dashmula over the past few decades to treat a variety of health conditions, including respiratory infections, cardiovascular disorders, fever, parasitic worm infestations and microbial infections. Despite the reliance on therapeutic checkpoints underscoring its ethnopharmacological significance, comprehensive studies on the phytochemical composition and safety profile of the plant remain limited. The present study seeks to provide some insights into this context by assessing the toxicological profile and the phytochemical characteristics of U. picta prepared using Soxhlet and percolation methods with H2O and methanolic solvents. Phytochemical screening established the presence of flavonoids in all of these extracts, with alkaloids, amino acids, and anthraquinones prevalent only in Soxhlet-derived extracts. Of these, UP/Soxhlet/H₂O extract showed outstanding blood compatibility in hemolytic tests and retained cell viability greater than 80% in MDBK cell lines, reflecting minimal cytotoxicity. Acute oral toxicity study in BALB/c female mice, conducted according to OECD guidelines at 5000 mg/kg dose, did not show any signs of mortality or body weight, organ histology, hematological values, nitric oxide content, or adverse effects on tissue histology. Results suggested that the U. picta possesses considerable therapeutic potential with a high safety margin, endorsing its traditional use and supporting its future application as a safe oral remedy for treating infectious and inflammatory conditions as well as for development of the non-toxic natural product for use in formulations of herbal drugs.

The global market for Cannabis sativa L. has received much attention in recent years. This study aimed to analyse the volatile terpenes, phytocannabinoids, fatty acids, and pro-inflammatory cytokines inhibitory potential of a newly developed C. sativa genotype CIM-CS-64. The essential oil (CEO) and phytocannabinoids were sequentially extracted by hydro-distillation of flowering biomass and solvent extraction of spent distillation wastes and analysed using chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques. In total, 94 terpenes, eight cannabinoids, and ten fatty acids were characterised. CEO contained limonene (10 f 6 %), (1-caryophyllene (15 f 4 %), (E)-(1-farnesene (10 f 2 %), cannabidiol (13 f 5 %), and cannabidivarin (5.5 f 2.7 %) as main constituents. The spent distillation waste extract was rich in cannabidiol (14 f 0.2 %) and cannabinol (4.4 f 0.1 %). The seeds gave 29 f 2 % of fatty oil, which was predominantly composed of polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid: 50 f 4 %, alpha-linolenic acid: 12 f 0.5 %). CEO observed significant inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-alpha, IL-6 and IL1(1) in LPS-activated alveolar macrophages (MH-S) in a dose-dependent manner without any cytotoxicity.

Heavy metals pose a significant threat to environmental and public health due to primarily from agricultural runoff and sugar industry effluents. The physicochemical parameters such as pH, total hardness, total deposit solids, turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of water is determined. The water samples are analyzed that various metal ions presented durring analysis. In this study, we found that various metal ion such as iron (Fe), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr), exceeding permissible limits from collected samples. It is task for scientific community to removal of heavy metals from water samples. We observed that the iron metal ions levels are very high than other metal ions in this region. Therefore, we have used nonionic surfactants and polymer, particularly Triton X-100 (TX-100), Triton X-114 (TX-100), Polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG-200), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG-400) for the removal of heavy metals from contaminated water samples from different regions by cloud point extraction techniques. The efficiency of surfactants viz. TX-100, TX-114, PEG-200, PEG 400 are influenced by factors such as pH, surfactant concentration. These method operate through micellar solubilization, enhanced adsorption and chelation, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution for heavy metal removal in water.

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, commonly known as ashwagandha, belongs to the family Solanaceae is a significant medicinal plant in Ayurveda, valued for its high-quality roots and usage to treat an extensive physiological disorder. To enhance sustainable production and genetic gains, mutagenic treatment was applied to generate genetic variation. This study focused on investigating probit, genetic parameters, correlation associations, and path analysis in an M1 population of two cultivars, NMITLI-118 (NM-118) and CIM-Pushti (CIM-P), exposed to Ethyl Methane Sulphonate (EMS). A total of fifteen morphological traits and seven biochemical markers were assessed across five different EMS doses: 02

This study, conducted at CSIR-CIMAP Research Centre Purara, Bageshwar, Uttarakhand, India, assessed genetic diversity among 30 fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) genotypes during 2021-22 and 2022-23. High genotypic (GCV) and phenotypic (PCV) coefficients of variation were observed for dry herb weight per hectare (47.04 % and 47.43 %, respectively) and plant height. Heritability ranged from 0.851 (root length) to 0.998 (number of leaves), with significant genetic advance. Mahalanobis D2 analysis grouped genotypes into five clusters, while PCA highlighted genetic diversity. Path analysis showed minimal residual effects (0.26079), confirming trait reliability. The MGIDI index identified genotypes UK-17, UK-18, UK-22, and UK-23 as superior, providing robust fenugreek genotypes for further exploitation in breeding high-yielding, resilient varieties adapted to the west-central Himalayas, with substantial potential to enhance crop improvement and sustainable agriculture.

Mentha piperita L. commonly known as peppermint, is valued for its essential oil, which is rich in menthol and has various applications. However, challenges such as low oil yield and poor oil quality have limited the potential of peppermint cultivation. This study aimed to develop a noble mutant of Mentha piperita that complements US-type peppermint oil, characterized by higher oil yield and improved oil quality, specifically targeting a menthol content of 36–46

Uraria picta is a medicinally important leguminous plant widely recognized in Ayurveda for its therapeutic properties, particularly in tissue regeneration, wound healing, and anti-inflammatory applications. In order to identify better genotypes to facilitate breeding and realize its planned cultivation, a systematic study was conducted to investigate the changes in adaptation responsiveness of its 24 diverse genotypes of over 4 years. The regression coefficient (bi) and s2di values were non-significant for numerous genotypes. One of the 24 genotypes studied, UP-50, was shown to be an appropriate and stable genotype for all variables except rhoifolin ( x̅ , bi, and s2di). The genotypes UP-50, UP-49, and UP-47 were shown to be suitable for use in U. picta breeding programs to produce more steady lines with improved performance.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:Pain and inflammation are among the many conditions for which Cannabis sativa L. has historically been used. However, little research has been done on the potential therapeutic benefits of employing green extraction techniques to generate an extract from C. sativa that is high in cannabidiol for the treatment of severe pain and inflammation. AIM OF THE STUDY:This study investigates the potential chemico-pharmacological profile of a supercritical CO2 extract of Cannabis sativa genotype CIM-CS-64 (CSFE) for managing inflammation and pain responses using an experimental pharmacology approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS:A combination of complementary analytical techniques (GC-FID, GC-MS, HPLC, HRMS, NMR) was used to examine the chemical composition of the CSFE to ensure comprehensive chemical coverage. The experiments were conducted on small laboratory animals to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of CSFE in mitigating inflammation and pain responses. RESULTS:Altogether, sixty-two compounds with cannabidiol, β-caryophyllene, cannabidivarin, cannabichromene, (E)-phytol, and α-bisabolol as major constituents were annotated in CSFE by GC-FID and GC-MS techniques. The HPLC analysis revealed the presence of CBD (9.75 ± 0.85 %), CBDA (2.76 ± 0.69 %) and Δ9-THC (4.40 ± 0.16 %) as major cannabinoids in the CSFE. In LPS-stimulated macrophages, the CSFE markedly reduced the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) at concentrations of 3, 10, and 30 μg/ml without causing any cytotoxicity. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in inflammation and considerable improvement in pain-relieving potential in a dose-dependent manner. CONCLUSIONS:The present research revealed that CSFE possesses promising analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties in small laboratory animals.

Cannabis sativa L. is an important medicinal plant with high commercial value. In recent years, the research interest in cannabidiol (CBD) and terpene-rich cannabis has been rapidly expanding due to their high therapeutic potential. The present study aims to explore the phytocannabinoids and terpenes diversity in C. sativa collected from different parts of northern India. Our findings revealed that the cannabinoids and terpenes synthesize together in capitate stalked and capitate sessile glandular trichomes, whereas bulbous glands synthesize only terpenes. The North Indian C. sativa is mainly dominated by tetrahydrocannabinol. The CBD-rich plant diversity is nominal (1.11%) in studied north Indian C. sativa. The essential oil profiling reveals (E)-caryophyllene (10.30%-36.80%) as the major constituent, followed by α-humulene (0.50%-15.29%) and α-bisabolol (0.00%-16.40%) in the North Indian population. The cannabinoids and terpenes content showed significant diversity among and within the five studied populations. The correlation analysis between cannabinoids and terpenes indicates that α-pinene, β-pinene and limonene positively correlated with CBD content. Similarly, α- and β-selinene correlate positively with tetrahydrocannabinolic acid content. This study could help to identify the key cultivars from India and establish a consistent chemotype for future breeding programs.

Peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) is a valuable medicinal and aromatic herb cultivated globally for its essential oil, prized for therapeutic and flavoring properties. Despite increasing global demand projected to rise from USD 230.3 million in 2024 to USD 444.6 million by 2034, its cultivation remains limited due to comparatively lower herb and oil yields than menthol mint (Mentha arvensis L.). To address this, the present study evaluated the plant growth-promoting potential of rhizobacteria isolated from the menthofuran-rich peppermint variety CIM-Patra, endowed with phosphate solubilization, ammonia production, siderophore production, and Indole acetic acid production efficiencies. The surface sterilized, uniform sized suckers of a menthol-rich peppermint variety CIM-Suras were inoculated with five isolated PGPRs as Bacillus tequilensis (T1), Bacillus subtilis (T2), Bacterium strain BS0393 (T3), Bacillus thuringiensis (T4), and Bacillus cereus (T5), in triplicate manner. The results of the study revealed that T2 (Bacillus subtilis) showed maximum improvement in almost all the studied morphological, physiological, and biochemical parameters, followed by T1 (Bacillus tequilensis), and T4 (Bacillus thuringiensis). The application T2 with the suckers of CIM-Suras depicted to significantly improve the photosynthetic process, contents of chlorophyll (64.71%), accumulation of proline (43.17%), SOD (24.89%), and catalase (56.33%), over the control, in peppermint suggests the potential of the isolate to abdate the oxidative damage of the cells during altering environmental conditions. These findings underscore the significance of the administration of Bacillus spp. based PGPRs as a sustainable approach to escalate the peppermint cultivation through a climate-conscious solution.