Kinnow mandarin production in arid regions is constrained by water-deficit and micronutrient imbalances, particularly iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). This study evaluated the effects of Fe and Zn deficiency (Fe- and Zn-) and toxicity (Fe + and Zn+) under water-deficit conditions. Eight treatments, including individual and combined Fe/Zn deficiencies and toxicities along with control were assessed under pot conditions. Results revealed that water-deficit combined with Fe and Zn deficiency significantly reduced plant growth, biomass, leaf area, relative water content and chlorophyll concentrations. These effects were more severe under combined deficiencies compared to their individual deficiencies. In contrast, Fe and Zn toxicity enhanced vegetative traits such as leaf area and sprout length but induced abnormal morphogenesis, such as enlarged thorns and water sprouts. Root traits also showed sensitivity to nutrient treatments. Root length and root-shoot ratio increased under Zn toxicity, while specific root length was more severely affected by micronutrients deficiency. Leaf analysis exhibited treatment specific variations, indicating disrupted uptake. Nitrogen and potassium decreased under Fe-Zn deficiency, while phosphorus increased under Zn deficiency but decreased under Zn toxicity. The findings of the study revealed that Fe and Zn status influenced plant performance and nutrient balance under water-deficit conditions, highlighting the importance of balanced micronutrients management in citrus cultivation.

This study investigated the effects of grafting cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Saba hybrid) onto a commercial Cobalt rootstock (Cucurbita maxima × Cucurbita moschata) and a local pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) landrace from Zanjan province (named Zanjan) on plant growth, yield, and postharvest fruit quality. The study was conducted in a greenhouse using a completely randomized design with four replications. Various quantitative and qualitative indices were measured in grafted and non-grafted plants and subsequently, the data were analyzed using ANOVA followed by Tukey's HSD test (p ≤ 0.05). Relative to non-grafted plants, grafting response varied with respect to the rootstocks. Grafting onto Cobalt rootstock significantly increased chlorophyll content (from 1.22 to 1.69 mg g-1 FW; + 39.0%), plant height (from 392.3 to 429.0 cm; + 9.4%), fruit number (from 35.5 to 54.8 fruits per plant; + 54.4%) and total yield (from 2.46 to 3.89 kg per plant; +57.9%), while reducing postharvest weight loss (17.6%) and firmness decline (39.2%). However total soluble solids measured at post-storage did not followe same trends and were highest in the local Zanjan rootstock-grafted plants, indicating variable postharvest responses with respect to the rootstocks. Although the Zanjan rootstock showed a significant increase in root volume (20.6%), it was not superior to the commercial rootstock for most yield-related traits. In contrast, leaf size and sensory quality were reduced in both rootstock-grafted plants; however, the flavor of the fruits remained within an acceptable range for consumers. Overall, the Cobalt rootstock-grafted plants demonstrated a more favorable balance between yield improvement and postharvest performance, therefore, cucumber grafting onto commercial rootstocks (i.e., Cobalt) can be considered a useful strategy to enhance the yield and postharvest quality of greenhouse cucumbers.

A total of 710 accessions were evaluated in the form of global durum wheat panel from International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) was evaluated for 15 yield contributing traits and subjected to study the variability parameters (Phenotypic and Genotypic coefficient of variation, Heritability and Genetic advance) and traits association. Traits such as plant height, peduncle length, grain number per spike, grain number per spikelet, grain weight per spike, 1000 grain weight, and grain yield showed high phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation, along with high heritability and genetic advance as percent of mean indicating the predominance of additive gene action, and making them suitable for target selection. A core set (CS) comprised 35 accessions (14 cultivars, 19 landraces and 2 Evolutionary Pre-breeding Population (EPO) lines) which represent maximum diversity with minimum redundancy was created using the program ‘PowerCore’. These 19 landraces have diverse geographical origin such as France (2), North Africa (2), Central Asia (3), Central Europe (1), Spain (1), Portugal (1), the Horn of Africa (1), ICARDA (1), and South Asia (7). The validation of CS was confirmed by Chi-square (χ²) test, Shannon-Weiner diversity index, principal component and correlation coefficient analysis, indicating that a substantial proportion of variability was captured in the CS, represents a valid subset of the ES and valuable genetic resource for durum wheat researchers. It can facilitate the discovery of novel traits associated with high productivity, and these accessions may be used as donors in future durum wheat improvement programs.

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of genotype (G), environment (E), their interaction (GEI) in order to identify of high yielding and stable wheat genotypes using Additive Main effect and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI) and genotype-genotype by environment (GGE) biplot analysis. The experiment was conducted across 13 locations during 2019–20 with a set of 50 advance bread wheat genotypes. The AMMI analysis of variance revealed that the grain yield is significantly (p < 0.001) affected by environment (E), genotype-environment interaction (GE) and genotype (G), which explained 76.8

Fodder beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) is an emerging forage crop in arid regions, which requires precision input management to secure high yield. This study investigated the morpho-physiological and biochemical reprogramming of fodder beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) under four drip irrigation levels (125%, 100%, 75%, and 50% IW/CPE) and two nitrogen doses (100% and 75% of 150 kg ha − 1 ) over 4 and 5 split fertigation schedules in the Thar Desert, India. Results revealed that severe water stress (50% IW/CPE) forced resource allocation trade-off and reduced leaf and root fresh weights by 27.5% and 29.1%, respectively. To mitigate oxidative and osmotic damage, the crop strategically boosted leaf antioxidant enzymes (catalase and peroxidase) while shifting its defense to the roots through the accumulation of osmolytes (proline, soluble sugars) and protective secondary metabolites (phenols, tannins). Reducing the N fertilizer dose by 25% reduced leaf and root biomass, as well as leaf chlorophyll, but PCA analysis revealed its neutral effect on drought-survival mechanisms. Multivariate principal component analysis showed that shifting to 5 splits subtly optimized canopy light-harvesting pigment configurations. These findings conclude that water management dictates primary survival in arid zones, while nitrogen splitting acts as a secondary, independent modifier of baseline pigment efficiency.

Grafting and foliar calcium application are common practices for improving vegetable crops, but their interactions in soil and soilless cultivation systems are not well understood. To address these knowledge gaps for sustainable greenhouse cucumber production, this study investigated the effects of calcium foliar application (control, 200 mg/L as nano-CaCO3 or CaCl2) and grafting (no grafting, grafting on Ganate rootstock or Routpower rootstock) on the growth and yield of greenhouse cucumber cv. Saba in soil and soilless systems. It should be noted that the two cultivation systems differed in several management factors (pot size, substrate, irrigation frequency, and fertilization method), and this study compares complete production packages rather than isolating individual factors. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a factorial design with four replications. The results showed that the cultivation system was the dominant factor. Soilless cultivation significantly increased shoot fresh weight (307–344 g), plant height (265–326 cm), number of fruits (36–54 per plant), and fruit yield (2.7–4.5 kg per plant) compared to soil cultivation (shoot fresh weight: 177–216 g; yield: 0.4–1.0 kg per plant). Conversely, plants grown in soil had higher leaf dry weight percentage, root dry weight percentage, chlorophyll, and carotenoids. The effects of grafting were system dependent, with non-grafted plants performing as well or better in soilless culture, while grafted plants (especially Saba/Routpower combination) showed some soil-based advantages, including greater root length. Foliar calcium did not significantly improve most parameters, indicating that standard nutrient management provided sufficient calcium or that the 200 mg/L concentration was insufficient. Under the conditions tested, ungrafted plants grown without foliar calcium supplementation in soilless culture achieved yields comparable to more complex treatments, suggesting a simpler and more cost-effective production strategy.

Proper pollination and bunch management are vital to improving date palm productivity and fruit quality. The present study was conducted on 6‑year-old tissue culture derived date palm cv. ‘ADP-1’ in hot-arid Indian conditions. The objective was to achieve higher yield and superior fruit quality by standardizing the right time for pollination, optimum crop load and bunch cover. Our findings revealed that pollination had no discernible negative effects on yield or yield attributing traits including fruit weight and pulp weight until 36 h following spathe splitting. However, it was found that the best time to pollinate was between 12–36 h following spathe splitting. The best combination for achieving a high marketable yield of better-quality fruits (total soluble solids, sugar, etc.) was 12 bunches per tree plus 25

The hybrid development of pumpkins, utilizing local genetic material, has recently garnered attention in India. This study aimed to evaluate the combining ability, heterosis, and per se performance of pumpkin hybrids for yield-related and biochemical traits. In the present investigation, eight parental lines of pumpkins were hybridized using a half-diallel mating design, resulting in 28 F1 hybrids (reciprocals not included). The produced F1 hybrids, parental lines, and a commercial check were assessed in a randomized complete block design with three replications during the summers of 2023 and 2024. The results obtained in the study show that the best performers with the most desirable characteristics were P-7 for total soluble solid, dry matter content, and average fruit weight; P-3 for total carotenoids, number of seeds per fruit, and antioxidant activity; P-2 for yield per plant and flesh thickness; and P-8 for number of fruits per plant. The parent P-5 for fruit number, average fruit weight, and yield per plant; P-2 for flesh thickness and antioxidant activity; P-7 for TSS and dry matter content; P-1 for fruit number; and P-3 for total carotenoids were noted as the best general combiners in terms of the effects of the parental lines on general combining ability. Conversely, the crosses P-2 × P-5 for yield per plant and flesh thickness and P-1 × P-2 for DPPH activity were found to outperform better-parent heterosis and standard heterosis in terms of heterosis and the specific combining ability magnitude of the F1 hybrids. Thus, the findings of this study reveal that these hybrids possess strong potential for commercial cultivation, contributing to the development of high-yielding and nutritionally superior pumpkin hybrids after being tested in various seasons and locations.

Understanding the abiotic stress tolerance of tomatoes is crucial for ensuring sustainable yields. In this study, two distinct genotypes, 'EC-317-6-1' (drought-tolerant) and 'Kashi Amrit' (susceptible), identified based on physicochemical criteria in a prior study, were selected to characterize the genetic polymorphism in response to drought stress. Specifically, the study focused on two abiotic stress-responsive genes, Cu/Zn-SOD and DREB3, by conducting partial cloning and expression analysis. The cDNA fragments of Cu/Zn-SOD and DREB3 genes were found to encode proteins of 152 and 264 amino acids, respectively, with sequences belonging to plant SOD and AP2/ERF, respectively. Bioinformatics analysis revealed significant sequence similarity among the cloned genes of tomato genotypes and related crop plants, suggesting conservation in the evolutionary process. The amino acid sequences exhibited significant homology with known proteins, suggesting similar biological activities in crop plants. Expression analysis demonstrated polymorphism in Cu/Zn-SOD and DREB3 gene expression between the drought-tolerant and susceptible genotypes. Notably, these genes exhibited significant upregulation in the drought-tolerant genotype (EC-317-6-1) compared to the susceptible one (Kashi Amrit). This up-regulation substantiates the potential of the EC-317-6-1 genotype for drought stress tolerance, emphasizing its suitability for integration into varietal development programs aimed at enhancing drought tolerance in tomatoes.

The aim of the present investigation was to develop a suitable planting system with optimum density and canopy configuration as well as the appropriate pruning time to maximize fig production under Indian hot-arid conditions. The popular fig cultivar ‘Diana’, raised through tissue culture, was planted in three different systems, i.e., normal planting at 5 × 5 m (400 plants/ha), high density planting (HDP) at 4 × 3.5 m (715 plants/ha) and double hedge-row system at 2.5 × 2.5 × 5.0 m (1072 plants/ha). Subsequently, plants were trained with a multi-stem system having 4, 6 and 8 primary branches per tree. These trees were pruned leaving 4–5 basal nodes at monthly intervals from May to September. Tree growth parameters were recorded in the optimum range in HDP with 6‑stem training, whereas it was found lowest under the hedge-row system trained with maximum stems per tree. Number of fruits and fruit weight decreased with the increase in the number of stems per plant in all three systems of planting. Due to the accommodation of greater number of total trees per unit area under HDP and the hedge-row system, the total yield was higher as compared to normal planting; however, comparing the two intensive systems of planting, despite having a much higher number of trees (1072 plants/hectare) in the hedge-row, the total yield was less than that of HDP. With regards to biochemical quality, both normal planting and HDP with 6‑stem training stand apart from the hedge-row system due to effective light interception and canopy temperature. It is clear from the present study that either too early pruning (in May) or too late pruning (in September) exerts negative effects on yield and quality traits of fig fruits. Further, pruning in the months of July or June produced the highest number of fruits with larger fruits, eventually leading to higher total yield. In conclusion, HDP at 4 × 3.5 m (715 plants per hectare) while retaining 4–6 stems along with annual pruning of the previous season’s shoots to the basal 4–6 nodes during July is optimum for total fruit yield with quality fruits under hot arid conditions.

Uniform-size, six-month old seedlings of seven mango (Mangiferaindica L.) rootstocks, namely Moovandan, Bappakai, Nekkare, Kurukkan, Olour, Terpentine, and Chandrakaran, were treated with tap water containing 0, 50, 100, and 150 mM NaCl at four days interval for 40 days. NaCl stress caused a reduction in K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, and Fe2+ concentrations in all rootstocks; however, it increased the accumulation of Mn2+ and Cu2+ in tissues. Based on the nutrient status up and down in rootstocks, it could be said that salinity tolerance is found in the following order: Olour>Terpentine>Kurukkan>Nekkare>Bappakai>Moovandan>Chandrakaran.

Himalayan forest ecosystems provide a wide range of ecological services, including climate regulation, water purification, biodiversity conservation and the production of forest goods. These ecosystems are critical for maintaining ecological balance and human well-being. Sustaining these functions requires healthy floristic composition, high biological productivity and balanced nutrient cycling. This study evaluates the vegetation structure, biomass, carbon stock and soil nutrient status of moist temperate Cedrus deodara forests across three altitudinal gradients (1600–1900 m, 1900–2200 m and >2200 m) and three forest ranges (Bhajji, Mashobra and Koti) within the Shimla Forest Division. A total of 38 plant species were recorded, including 7 tree species, 11 shrubs and 20 herbaceous species. Key ecological parameters such as density, basal area, Importance Value Index (IVI) and diversity indices were assessed. Tree density ranged from 553.33 to 786.67 individuals ha−1 and basal area varied from 52.52 to 121.05 m² ha−1. Tree and shrub densities declined with increasing altitude, while herb density exhibited no consistent trend. Species richness and Shannon diversity index also declined with elevation. Biomass and carbon stock of Cedrus deodara followed a hump-shaped pattern, peaking at mid-altitudes, with total biomass ranging from 458.06 to 835.93 t ha−1 and carbon stock from 219.28 to 382.48 t ha−1. Soil pH and available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were highest at lower elevations, while soil organic carbon was greatest at higher altitudes.

Tomato is a highly sensitive crop to moisture stress, and grown widely under varying conditions of moisture deficit. To identify the stable genotypes and characterize their responses to moisture stress, thirty-two diverse genotypes were evaluated at three imposed moisture regimes i.e., sub-optimal irrigation at 75±5% of the field capacity (FC; L1), irrigation at 50±5% of the FC (L2), and irrigation at 25±5% of the FC (L3) inside a passively ventilated plastic greenhouse. A wide range of variability was observed for 23 analyzed physio-chemical traits under study. All the analysed traits (except root-shoot ratio, chlorophyll index, total biomass, sugar content, and acidity) have shown higher heritability and moderate to high genetic advance, indicating that these traits are governed by additive gene action and responsive to selection under water stress conditions. All the growth and yield parameters were shown to decrease significantly with the increase of intensity of moistures stress. Likewise, physiological parameters, namely chlorophyll and the relative water content tended to decrease, while the rate of water loss and proline content tended to increase following an increase in stress level. Fruit quality traits like total sugar, vitamin-C, and lycopene contents were tended to improve with the increase of designated moisture stress. The additive main effects and multiplicative interaction (AMMI) analysis of variance revealed the significant effects of moisture stress, genotype, and genotype × environment interaction for yield and yield-related traits. Based on multi-trait stability index (MTSI) analysis, MT-11, VL Tomato-4 and Megha Tomato-3 were considered most stable and promising genotypes for promotion for commercial production under the moisture stress conditions.

Chilgoza pine (Pinus gerardiana L.) is an underutilized nut crop native to the high-altitude regions of South Asia, particularly the western Himalayas. This comprehensive review aims to provide an in-depth understanding of Chilgoza pine's ecology, cultivation practices, and economic potential. The review synthesizes current knowledge on the tree’s ecological requirements, including its adaptation to arid and mountainous environments. It examines cultivation techniques, challenges faced in agronomic practices, and recent advancements in improving yield and quality. Additionally, the economic potential of Chilgoza pine is explored, highlighting its role in local economies, market trends, and opportunities for commercialization. This review underscores the significance of Chilgoza pine in sustainable agriculture and its potential as a high-value nut crop.

A field experiment was carried out at the Agronomy Research Farm of Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology in Kumarganj, Faizabad (U.P.) over the rabi seasons of 2012-13 and 2013-14. The primary objective was to determine the most suitable wheat variety in conjunction with specific moisture regimes and nutrient supply systems. The experiment comprised 18 treatment combinations involving three wheat varieties (NW-2036, PBW-373, and HUW-234), two moisture regimes (irrigation at 0.8 and 1.0 IW/CPE ratio), and three nutrient supply systems (100% RDF through chemical fertilizers, 50% RDN + 50% N through FYM, and 50% RDN + 50% N through neem cake). The Split Plot Design (SPD) with three replications was employed on silt loam soil characterized by low organic carbon, medium phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, and available nitrogen, and high pH. The recorded rainfall during the crop seasons of 2012-13 and 2013-14 was 85.6 mm and 56.2 mm, respectively. The crop was sown on December 20 and 21 in the first and second years, respectively, with a seed rate of 125 kg/ha and row spacing of 20.0 cm. Harvesting took place on May 4 and 5 in 2013 and 2014, respectively. In conclusion, the treatment combination of wheat variety PBW-373, moisture regime 1.0 IW/CPE, and nutrient level of 150:60:40 NPK kg ha-1 (RDF100%) demonstrated significant superiority in terms of grain yield, straw yield, and economic returns compared to other treatment combinations in both years.

Plants can adapt to the incidence of any environmental stresses by switching their different metabolic pathways. Stress environment alters the ongoing metabolic pathway of the plants, thereby reducing the yielding ability of crop plants. In general, there are two main categories of stress: biotic stress (e.g., bacteria, fungi, insects, or viruses) (Singh et al., 2020) and abiotic stress (e.g., drought, salt, heat, cold, lodging, and exposure to heavy metals) (Singh et al., 2022a). Studying both stresses is highly relevant to applied goals such as increasing cereal crop productivity. Metabolomics has become a promising tool to understand the regulation of metabolic networks and the functions of different genes in cereals (Tyagi et al., 2023). In the genomics era, it involves studying plant reactions in a fast and consistent manner to obtain a metabolic fingerprinting, that can provide insights into the plant condition to understand the different functional pathways. Advancements in scientific knowledge, online databases, and analytical techniques have made metabolomics an increasingly viable approach. By using this technique, researchers have been able to identify important markers for both biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, and study the metabolic patterns in plants grown under stress. Such investigations have been crucial in unraveling the molecular pathways involved in stress responses (Anzano et al., 2021; Bisht et al., 2021).

Experiments were conducted to quantify the effects of individual heat, drought and combined heat and drought stress on wheat yield and its component traits as well as to identify suitable traits and stress selection indices for selecting tolerant genotypes. A total of 91 wheat genotypes were evaluated for tolerance to both stresses for two consecutive years. Significant differences were observed among genotypes for all traits under all environments, suggesting wide genetic variability. The most affected traits were grain yield and biological yield under individual heat and drought as well as under combined stress. Grain filling duration (GFD) and grain filling rate were the key contributors towards tolerance. Selection indices viz. stress tolerance index, mean relative performance and yield stability index were positively and significantly correlated with grain yield, days to maturity, grain filling duration, grain filling rate, and other key yield contributing traits under normal and stress environments. Genotype DBW187 was identified to be tolerant to both heat and drought stresses, genotype WH730 was tolerant under combined heat and drought stress, DBW273 and DBW173 under individual heat and PBW780 and PBW765 under individual drought stress based on combined ranking of indices. These genotypes could be used to develop genotypes tolerant to heat and drought stress, and to promote high grain yield.

Salinity stress arises from the accumulation of elevated salt levels in the soil, leading to the hindrance of plant growth and eventual crop loss. Compounds that induce stress tolerance exhibit a remarkable capacity to enhance growth and mitigate the impacts of salinity stress, all while maintaining a positive environmental impact by regulating plant activities. to investigate how varying levels of salinity in the irrigation water impact the morphological characteristics and yield of tomato plants. The experiment employed a complete randomized design with one plant per pot and three replicates per treatment, spanning from October 2021 to April 2022 and October 2022 to April 2023 at SVPUAT, Meerut. The objective was to investigate the impact of four NaCl levels (0, 50, 100, and 150 mM) on the Morphological traits of ten tomato cultivars (Arka Rakshak, Punjab Ratta, H-88-78-5, VRT-16-1, Pusa Ruby, Pant T-3, Arka Samrat, Kashi Aman, Kashi Anupam, Pusa Rohini) during the mature stage. Various genotypes displayed distinct reactions concerning plant growth, with a focus on factors such as plant height, the quantity of branches per plant, the number of flower trusses per plant, and the number of flowers per truss being examined. Parameters such as average fruit weight, fruit diameter, fruit length, and TSS were also measured. The findings revealed that increasing NaCl salinity adversely affected the morphological properties of all examined tomato plants compared to the control group (tap water). Salinity was found to decrease morpho and yield related parameters, except for TSS in tomato fruit. Nevertheless, there was a variation in the response to salt stress among the studied varieties. "Pusa Ruby" and "Pusa Rohini" demonstrated greater performance and stability under salinity stress, followed by Arka Rakshak and Kashi Aman, while Punjab Ratta, followed by Pant T-3, inferior performance under salinity. Water salinity significantly impacts the growth and production of crops, and the insights from this study can aid in the selection of better varieties in saline-affected areas. However, it is essential to further evaluate the potential of these genotypes under saline conditions and assess the variability in various biochemical parameters.

The experiment was conducted at the Instructional Farm (SIF) of Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh in the Rabi season of 2023-24. A Randomized Block Design was used for statistical analysis, with 10 treatments and 3 replications. The primary objectives of this study involved assessing the crop growth and yield attributes, in mustard crops subjected to different treatments. These treatments consisted of various chemical fertilizers, bio fertilizers, and nano fertilizers used in different combinations. Results revealed that, the effect of treatment T10 [Nano DAP @ 40ppm + RD of N&K (120:60) + Azotobacter @2 kg ha-1 + PSB @4 kg ha-1] was found to be best in terms of growth and yield attributes of crop, whereas minimum growth and yield attributes of crop was found under the effect of treatment T5 [Nano urea @ 60ppm + RD of P&K (60:60)].