Maize (Zea mays) is a global staple food crop grown worldwide after wheat and rice adapted to several biotic and abiotic stresses. Maize is a tropical crop, but also adapted to temperate conditions. Maydis leaf blight (MLB), also known as Southern corn Leaf Blight (SCLB), is a serious foliar fungal disease may cause up to 40% grain yield loss. The disease is prevalent in almost all maize growing areas including Bihar and is a major limiting factor in increasing yield. Therefore, field studies were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of different fungicides, botanicals, bioagents and their combinations to effectively manage the disease under field conditions for two seasons Kharif 2019 and 2020. Three chemicals (Propiconazole 25% EC, Mancozeb 75% WP and Carbendazim 12% WP + Mancozeb 63% WP), one bioagent i.e. Trichoderma harzianum (10 g kg -1 seed) and two botanicals namely Azadirachtin (10%) and Lantana (10%) were tested alone and in combinations. Results on the application of different botanicals, fungicides, and bio-agent alone and in combinations, revealed that comparatively lower disease incidence (31.62 % and 30.59 %), disease index (31.85 % and 30.37 %) and minimum AUDPC (253.12 mm 2 and 255.76 mm 2 ) with maximum grain yield (54.60 q ha -1 and 52.52 q ha -1 ) and test weight (204.49 g and 206.62 g) was recorded in T5 (Carbendazim +Mancozeb, (SAAF) ST + Propiconazole spray) treated plots during 2019 and 2020, respectively. The identified sources of management can be used further in strengthening the plant protection in maize against the disease.

This chapter adds to the literature by exploring the role of NTMs in shaping India's agri-trade. It further shows how different countries of the world have applied NTMs to restrict India's agri-trade. It was also studied how India has retaliated to her trading partners and used NTMs. The chapter is designed as follows. The next section highlights the methodology adopted for the study, followed by brief description of NTMs in agri-trade in India. Further, analysis and discussion are depicted and lastly the conclusion is presented.

The change in global climate is because of expanding convergence of green-house gases (GHG) in the environment. Climate changes observed on Earth in recent years are mostly the result of various human activities. The global temperature has risen by around 0.8 degrees C over the past hundred years and is expected to ascend by between 0.9 and 3.5 degrees C by 2100. Climate change does not only affect the holistic crop growth but also influence the spread, multiplication, incidence and severity of many phytopathogenic agents. These effects will be seen not only on the other elements of the agroecosystem but also on plants and other organisms. Climate change involving rise in temperature and CO2level in the atmosphere, and other weather events such as drought and flooding, all affects the host plant resistance to pathogens. Climate change has the potential to alter host-pathogen interactions and ultimately pose great impact on development of disease epidemics. However, determining these effects is difficult, so experts from various fields must look beyond their own disciplinary boundaries and put the effects of climate change in a larger context. Various plant disease models have been created to integrate modern climate forecasts at different levels. According to climate change scenario, there is great need to modify the methods of disease management in terms of their geographic and temporal distribu-tion. This review uses appropriate examples to demonstrate the many im-plications that climate change has on plant diseases and their repercussions.

Maydis leaf blight (MLB) caused by Helminthosporium maydis Y. Nisik. & C. Miyake is prevalent in almost all maize growing areas and is a major limiting factor in increasing yield. Knowing about the metabolic pathways that results in accumulation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidative biochemical compounds which constitutes a second line of defense, an in vitro experiment was conducted. Reactive oxygen species produced during stresses is one of the most instant defense reactions to arrest plant pathogen at the site of infection. Oxidative burst results in the production of ROS, mainly H 2 O 2 and superoxide at the invading site. Production of secondary metabolites and induction of ISR and SAR mediate biochemical defenses in plant. In vitro study to observe the effect of different elicitors applied exogenously against H. maydis by investigating the biochemical parameters viz., Total phenols, Proline, Hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and, enzymatic anti-oxidative biochemicals viz., Superoxide dismutase (SOD), Polyphenol oxidase (PPO), Peroxidase (POD) and, Phenylalanine ammoniase (PAL) activity is conducted. The activity of different biochemical parameters was observed on the 0th day (before inoculation), 3rd day, 6th day and 9th day of inoculation with the help of spectrophotometer. Accumulation of H 2 O 2 concentration was recorded maximum (815.61 µmol g −1 FW) at the 9th day after inoculation in 2,6-dichloroisonicotinic acid (INA)-treated plants. INA-treated plants showed highest proline accumulation (43.39 µmol g −1 FW) and phenolics content (560.92 µg g −1 FW) at the 6th and 3rd day after inoculation of the pathogen, respectively. In biochemical studies for elucidation of defence induction, biochemical markers reached maximum on the 3rd day after pathogen inoculation, and INA treatments were found most effective.

Gram-negative phytopathogens severely harm a number of economically significant crop plants. The effectivity of traditional approaches, such as the breeding and introduction of resistant cultivars, is limited by the lack of available sources of genetic resistance. Bacteriocins are small proteinaceous antibiotics produced by bacteria to kill closely related bacteria. Utilization of narrow-spectrum protein antibiotics as biocontrol agents is an effective strategy to shrink losses imposed due to specific bacterial phytopathogens. Several colicin-like bacteriocins have been found to be active against phytopathogenic bacteria. Bacteriocins frequently affect closely related bacterial strains, making them useful as targeted, low-side-effect, narrow-spectrum antibiotics. Even though using bacteriocins to control plant diseases is a promising strategy, minimal information is there regarding the abundance and functions of these chemicals against pathogenic bacteria and their natural enemies. This review is concerned with the efficient control of economically significant plant pathogenic bacteria using these potent and selective antimicrobial agents.

The present investigation on stability analysis in chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora Tzvelev.) was carried out at College of Horticulture, Venkataramannagudem, West Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh during 2017-2018. The stability of flowering parameters showed that days taken for flower bud initiation worked out to be in the range of average stability for the genotypes Red Gold, Reagun Emperor, Star White, Bc-6-11, Mother Theresa and Pusa Aditya genotypes and genotypes like Star White, Mother Theresa, Reagun Emperor and Pusa Aditya had average stability for days taken for 100 per cent flowering. Among the environments open field showed more favourable for earliness of flowering.

Forty genotypes of greengram were studied to ascertain the genetic variability and trait association among some important morpho-physiological traits and agro-meterological indices under heat stress condition. The results indicated that both GCV and PCV estimates were high for photo thermal index, heat use efficiency and seed yield. High heritability coupled with moderate genetic advance as per cent of mean Was recorded for photo-thermal unit and relative temperature depression indicated that involvement of both additive and non-additive type of gene action and possibilities of effective selection for improvement of these traits. Seed yield showed significant and positive association with days to maturity, growing degree days, relative temperature depression and heat use efficiency. Based on variability, association and path analysis; heat use efficiency, maturity, photo thermal index and growing degree days were found most contributing indices/ traits should be considered as selection criteria for discrimination of outstanding greengram genotypes under heat stress condition.

An investigation was carried out with forty greengram genotypes including one check Samrat during summer 2015 to find out suitable selection indices for influencing the performance of genotypes under heat stress. Seed yield showed positive and significant association with days to maturity (DM), growing degree days (GDD), relative temperature depression (RTD) and heat use efficiency (HUE). Stepwise regression analysis showed that maximum contribution was made by HUE followed by photothermal index (PTI) and DM. This indicated that HUE might be utilized as primary key factor, whereas PTI, DM and RTD might be utilized as secondary key factor for improving heat tolerance in greengram. The comparison of different functions revealed that among the single character selection index HUE (index IV) was the key component to construct selection index for terminal heat tolerance in greengram. Beside this DM, PTI, RTD, HUE and seed yield per plant (SYP) (index XV) should be simultaneously selected to achieve maximum gain and improve the heat tolerance in greengram.

An investigation was carried out with forty greengram genotypes including one check Samrat during summer 2015 to find out suitable selection indices for influencing the performance of genotypes under heat stress. Seed yield showed positive and significant association with days to maturity (DM), growing degree days (GDD), relative temperature depression (RTD) and heat use efficiency (HUE). Stepwise regression analysis showed that maximum contribution was made by HUE followed by photothermal index (PTI) and DM. This indicated that HUE might be utilized as primary key factor, whereas PTI, DM and RTD might be utilized as secondary key factor for improving heat tolerance in greengram. The comparison of different functions revealed that among the single character selection index HUE (index IV) was the key component to construct selection index for terminal heat tolerance in greengram. Besidethis DM, PTI, RTD, HUE and seed yield per plant (SYP) (index XV) should be simultaneously selected to achieve maximum gain and improve the heat tolerance in greengram.

The present investigation was planned to assess the principal component for yield, yield contributing traits and quality traits in thirty genotypes of rice suitable for aerobic condition. The genotypes were procured from Directorate of Rice Research, Hyderabad and were evaluated in randomized block design with three replication. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that three components (PC1 to PC3) accounted for about 78.809% of the total variation among traits. Out of total principal components retained PC1, PC2 and PC3 with values of 58.125%, 13.305% and 7.380% respectively contributed more to the total variation. The first principal component had high positive loading for 7 characters out of 18 viz.grain yield per plant (0.278), canopy temperature (0.278), 1000-grain weight (0.271), panicle length (0.270), critical temperature for reproductive stage (0.239), seedling vigour (0.213) and days to 50% flowering per plant (0.201) which contributed more to the diversity. Genotypes in cluster VI showed higher mean performance for most of the yield attributing characters. Therefore, selection of parents from this cluster for these traits would be effective. The result of present study could be exploited in planning and execution of future breeding programme in rice under aerobic condition.