The present investigations entitled "Mean performance of parents and hybrid for fruit yield and yield contributing traits in bottle gourd (Lagenaria siceraria (Mol.) Standl.)" were conducted during the zaid seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24 at the Main Experiment Station (MES) of the Department of Vegetable Science, A.N.D. University of Agriculture and Technology, Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P.), India. Evaluation was done for different yield and quality traits. The parent NDBG-65-2-1 (5.70 kg) exhibited highest fruit yield per plant followed by Narendra Rashmi (5.59 kg), Kashi Ganga (5.25 kg), NDBG-0-1-1 (4.93 kg) and Pant Lauki-3 (4.72 kg). Among the hybrids, the highest fruit yield per plant exhibited by Narendra Rashmi×Narendra Prabha (6.78 kg) followed by Narendra Rashmi×NDBG-18 (6.56 kg), Pant Lauki-3×Narendra Prabha (6.42), Narendra Rashmi×Narendra Kamna (6.10 kg), Solan Selection-2×NDBG-18 (5.90 kg) in descending order.The above mentioned genotypes may be used as donor parents in hybridization programme for developing high yielding varieties of bottle gourd.

Soil salinization poses a significant threat to global agriculture, affecting approximately 6.73m Ha land area in India. Salinity stress impacts plant growth and soil health negatively, leading to reduced crop yields and soil degradation. This review examines the sources and effects of soil salinity, highlighting the intricate interplay between salinity and soil nutrients and its remediation. Traditional methods for soil remediation often have detrimental long-term effects, prompting the exploration of alternative strategies such as the use of halo-tolerant plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. HT-PGPR offer a promising solution for sustainable agriculture by enhancing soil fertility and plant resilience to salinity stress through various mechanisms. Furthermore, this review identifies research gaps in understanding the metabolic pathways and strain selection of HT-PGPR, as well as their interactions with soil microbiota. Future research directions include field-scale experiments to validate the effectiveness and economic viability of HT-PGPR inoculation for large-scale application in saline soils. Overall, leveraging the potential of HT-PGPR represents a critical step towards mitigating the global challenge of soil salinity and ensuring food security in the face of climate change.

Background & objectives Studies suggest hypothyroidism is responsible for female infertility. This review aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of hypothyroidism in Indian infertile women so that hypothyroidism screening can be initiated, and policies are designed for prevalence reduction. Methods Electronic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar and Cochrane library were searched to obtain the relevant articles. Studies that reported the proportion of hypothyroidism in Indian infertile women were selected. Systematic procedures for study selection and data extraction were followed. Each study was evaluated for quality using the Joanna Briggs institute (JBI) critical appraisal checklist. To pool the effect sizes, a random effects model was utilized. Funnel plot and Egger’s test were used to assess publication bias. To quantify heterogeneity among studies, I2 statistics were utilized. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were used to further investigate the heterogeneity of pooled estimates. The sensitivity analysis done whereby each study was excluded in order to examine the influence of that study in the pooled estimate. A P-value of 0.05 or less was considered statistically significant. Results Out of 198 articles, a total of 20 studies involving 2396 cases met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of hypothyroidism in women with infertility was 28 per cent [95% confidence interval (CI): 20% to 36%] which was highest in Telangana at 62 per cent (n=1; 95% CI 48% to 74%) and lowest in Karnataka at 14 per cent (n=2; 95% CI: 10% to 18%). Interpretation & conclusions Infertile women have high proportion of hypothyroidism, suggesting that screening programmes during diagnostic workup for infertility may provide optimal care. The result of this meta-analysis will help design guidelines and earmark highest prevalence regions to initiate preventive and diagnostic measures for prevalence reduction in future.

With increasing cost and use of energy in agriculture, the traditional practice of mono-cropping of rice in upland is neither sustainable nor eco-friendly. It is necessary to identify crop diversification options with high energy efficiency, productivity, and low global warming potential (GWP). In this experiment, an inclusive system analysis was accomplished for 3 years (2016–2019) of five mono-cropping production (MCP) systems namely rice (R), finger millet (FM), black gram (BG), horse gram (HG), pigeon pea (PP), and four intercropped systems viz. R+BG, R+HG, FM+ BG, and FM + HG. The key objective was to evaluate the flow of energy, carbon balance, and GWP of these varied production systems. Puddled rice was recorded as an energy-exhaustive crop (27,803 MJ ha−1), while horse gram was noted to have the lowest energy use (26,537 MJ ha−1). The total energy output from pigeon pea (130,312 MJ ha−1) and diversified intercropped systems (142,135 MJ ha−1) was 65.3% and 80.3% higher than mono-cultured systems, respectively. Rice and rice-based intercropping production systems showed higher carbon footprints (1,264–1,392 kg CO2 eq. ha−1). Results showed that R+BG and R+HG were the most energy-efficient production systems, having higher energy ratio (5.8 and 6.0), higher carbon efficiency (7.41 and 8.24), and carbon sustainability index (6.41 and 7.24) as against 3.30, 3.61, and 2.61 observed under sole cropping production systems. On average, rice and rice-based production systems had 7.4 times higher GWP than other production systems. In productivity terms, pigeon pea and FM+HG had higher rice equivalent yields of 8.81 and 5.79 t ha−1 and benefit-cost ratios of 2.29 and 1.87, respectively. Thus, the present study suggests that pigeon pea and finger millet-based intercropping systems were the most appropriate crop diversification options for the rainfed upland agro-ecosystem of the eastern region of India.

Soil and water resource management is a serious concern in respect of climate variability to increase soil moisture and fulfil the need of living population and flora and fauna. In the context of basin, prioritization of sub-watershed has gained significance in the natural resource management. The study prioritized the sub-watershed of the Sakri basin using a multivariate geomorphometric approach. The basin resulted in the formation of 11 sub-watersheds. Measurement of basic and derived morphometric parameter was considered, and 17 parameters have been taken for ranking and priority of sub-watershed. The morphometric analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) approaches were employed for ranking and prioritization of sub-watershed, based on high correlated parameters. Based on the results of morphometric analysis and PCA, sub-watersheds were categorized in high, medium and low priority. Among a total of 11 sub-watersheds, sub-watershed (SW) 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9 falling under high priority, which accounting to 46.82

Micronutrient deficiencies in staple food crops pose a significant global health concern, especially in regions prone to drought. Agronomic biofortification offers a promising solution by enhancing the content of essential micronutrients. This study aims to identify efficient rice varieties for iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) biofortification through foliar applications. A field experiment was carried out during kharif season in 2019 and 2020 with four drought-tolerant rice varieties (Swarna Shreya, Swarna Shakti Dhan, Sahbhagi Dhan, and DRR Dhan 42) were assessed under four foliar applications of Fe and Zn (control, 1% of Fe, 1% of Zn and combined 1% of Fe + 1% of Zn) at Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Research Complex for Eastern Region (ICAR-RCER), Patna. The highest grain yield of 5.65 t/ha was attained with the main plot treatment, Swarna Shreya variety, and in the subplot treatment, Fe + Zn foliar application resulted in a yield of 5.50 t/ha. The combined foliar application of Fe + Zn demonstrates the highest chlorophyll content and starch synthesis. Foliar application of combined Fe and Zn increased paddy grain Fe and Zn concentration by up to 30 and 16%, respectively, compared to the control. This finding is important for addressing micronutrient deficiencies in regions where rice is a dietary staple. Thus, Swarna Shreya, in combination with iron and zinc foliar application is a promising option for enhancing yield and fortifying grains in rainfed areas of eastern India.

Growing health awareness has stimulated a focus on natural immune enhancement. Lablab beans {Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet}, abundant in bioactive compounds, were investigated for protein, mineral, and vitamin profiles. This research specifically conducted a comparative analysis between two distinct botanical forms: Lablab purpureus var. typicus L. and L. purpureus var. lignosus L, focusing on their nutritional profiles. Among L. purpureus var. typicus L. genotypes, RCPD-6 exhibited the highest protein content (25.46 f 0.29 g/100 g) followed by RCPD-1 (23.74 f 0.26 g/100 g). In contrast, L. purpureus var. lignosus L., L. purpureus var. lignosus L. particularly genotype RCPD-22, had lower protein content (19 f 0.15 g/100 g). Significant variations in Fe content were observed within L. purpureus var. typicus L., ranging from 5.97 f 0.01 to 10.5 f 0.02 mg/100 g, with RCPD-2 reported the highest. Zn content ranged from 1.7 f 0.01 to 3.65 f 0.02 mg/100 gin both forms. The calcium content in L. purpureus var. typicus L. genotypes are found to be high, ranging from 372.72 f 0.02 mg/100 g to 458.75 f 0.03 mg/100 g, suggesting that var. typicus holds promise as a significant dietary source of Ca. P content exhibited variability, ranging from 317.12 f 0.01 to 460.07 f 0.06 mg/100 g. L. purpureus var. typicus L. shows correlated levels of protein/Zn, vitamins A/C, and antioxidant activities (DPPH/ ABTS) suggesting targeted breeding for co-improved health benefits. It is noteworthy that L. purpureus var. typicus L., whose pods are consumed as vegetables, exhibits higher nutritional content in terms of protein, iron, calcium, and vitamin A. This clearly suggests that L. purpureus var. typicus L. surpasses L. purpureus var. lignosus L. in nutritional value. To strengthen findings, chemometric techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) were employed for differentiation between the two botanical forms. These methods highlight the disparities in their nutritional profiles and functional characteristics. PCA analysis demonstrated that the first three components encapsulated 80.67 % of the overall variability. Meanwhile, AHC grouped cultivars into two major clusters which can be divided into two subgroups based on the evaluated parameters. The data obtained provide a significant contribution to the scientific evaluation of the two botanical forms of lablab bean, particularly in terms of their nutritional profiles and functional attributes. (c) 2024 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

ABSTRACTIn the eastern Indo‐Gangetic plains, chickpea is grown postrice cultivation mostly under rainfed condition with residual soil moisture which adversely affects branching as well as pod and seed development, ultimately resulting in substantial yield losses. The current study analysed the moisture stress response of 12 chickpea genotypes with control for different morpho‐physiological traits in two sets of field experiments carried out during the year 2017–18 and 2018–19. The current study observed varying response of chickpea genotypes under moisture stress condition with average yield reduction from 11.79% to 24.77%. Mean yield of genotypes under stress condition showed a strong positive association with yield index (1.00**) and stress tolerance index (0.915**). The biplot principal component analysis revealed maximum potential of three chickpea genotypes (DBGC 1, Pusa 256 and DBGC 2) for grain yield and biological yield under moisture stress condition. The correlation analysis showed a significant association of yield with physiological parameters such as photosynthetic rate (0.363**), stomatal conductance (0.364**) and transpiration rate (0.292*). The three higher yielding genotypes relatively maintained biological yield, yield plant−1, 100 seed weight and photosynthesis rate and showed reduced rates of stomatal conductance and transpiration under moisture stress condition. The study found variable genotypic response to moisture stress and showed that yield index as well as stress tolerance index was more effective to identify superior genotypes for moisture stress condition. The superior genotypes identified in the present study may be considered for rainfed areas of eastern Indo‐Gangetic plains and can be used in future chickpea breeding programs for drought tolerance.

The world's escalating energy needs are mostly met by non-renewable fossil fuels due to the fast-growing population and accelerating industrialization. Fuel reserves are running out more quickly, and their overuse has caused significant environmental problems that make moving to renewable energy sources necessary. However, owing to its biodegradability, renewability, and ecologically friendly characteristics, biodiesel has attracted significant interest as a feasible and flexible fuel replacement to the used non-renewable fuels. Transesterification is the manufacturing method that is most frequently used to produce biodiesel from a variety of sources (Akram et al., 2022) . Around 9 billion people are projected to live on the earth by 2050 (Neupane et al., 2022) . Natural energy sources are being depleted as a result of rising worldwide prices and increased energy consumption (Maheshwari et al., 2022; Mehmood et al., 2017; Singh et al., 2022) . The combustion of fossil fuels has a number of negative effects on the environment, including a rise in the emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG), mainly CO2 (Alengebawy et al., 2022; Edrisi & Abhilash, 2016) . Global primary energy consumption has sharply expanded as a result of rapid industrialization and rising living standards (BP et al., 2022; Mehmood et al., 2017) . To maintain a reasonable quality of life, developing nations like South

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Sterilization of orthopedic implants is crucial to prevent infections and ensure patient safety. Various methods, including autoclave (moist heat), ethylene oxide (ETO), and gamma sterilization, are employed. These methods must be carefully selected to maintain the integrity and functionality of implants. This review paper discuss the overview of different sterilization process methods, risk associated owing to improper use of sterilization, importance of testing, validation, principle, merits, demerits, precaution during use, in depth for medical devices application so that to ensure the safety of patient & standard requirement.

In eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains (EIGP), conventional rice (Oryza sativa L.)-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) system has led to a decline in total factor productivity, input-use efficiency, and profitability. A three-year (2020–2022) field experiment was conducted at the farmers’ fields in Merha village of Katoriya, Banka, Bihar on a sandy clay loam soil to evaluate the impact of crop establishment and nutrient management on production sustainability in rice-wheat cropping system. Experiments were conducted in a split-plot design and replicated thrice. The main-plot treatment had crop establishment methods, viz. (i) Broadcasting: paddy seed broadcasted manually; (ii) Dry seeding: seed drilled on moist soil; (iii) Drum-seeding: dry-seed planted using drum seeder on moist soil and; (iv) Wet-seeding: sprouted seeds broadcasted on puddle soil with variety Sabour Ardhjal in rainy (kharif) season and 4-wheat crop establishment method, viz. (i) Broadcasting in CT; (ii) Furrow irrigated raised-bed method; (iii) ZT-drill and; (iv) Seed-cum-ferti-drill machine for wheat variety HD 2967 in winter (rabi) season. The sub-plots were allotted four nutrient management treatments, viz. (i) Farmers’ practice (130:40:10 kg NPK/ha); (ii) 100% RDF (120: 60:40 kg NPK/ha); (iii) Soil- test-based nutrient management (100% chemical fertilizer-125:75:40 kg NPK/ha) and; (iv) Soil-test based nutrient management (75% chemical fertilizer-94:56:30 kg NPK/ha+25% FYM-6.2 t/ha) in wheat, and (i) Farmers practice (140:30:10 kg NPK/ha); (ii) 100% RDF (120:60:40 kg NPK/ha); (iii) Soil-test based nutrient management (100% chemical fertilizer-150:75:40 kg NPK/ha); (iv) Soil-test based nutrient management (75% chemical fertilizer-115:56:30 kg NPK/ha+25% FYM-7 t/ha) in wheat. Our results revealed that overall system productivity and profitability were higher by 44 and 155.5% in wet seeding paddy-ZT drill wheat system in comparison to broadcasting methods of rice and wheat. System productivity was significantly higher by 28.8% in soil-test based nutrient management production system as compared to the farmers' practices. Thus, to achieve better system productivity and profitability, crops may be grown with wet seeding paddy-ZT drill wheat with soil-test based nutrient management practices under eastern Indo-Gangetic Plains of eastern India.

An experiment was conducted during the winter (rabi) season of 2017–18 and 2018–19 at the ICAR–Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar to identify the most suitable linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) cultivars/ lines in rice (Oryza sativa L.)–fallow system. Amongst the linseed cultivars, ‘Uma’ (1.28 t/ha) was noted at par with ‘RLC 143’ (1.21 t/ha) and showed significantly highest seed yield compared with the other tested cultivars. With respect to the economic feasibility, linseed cv. ‘Uma’ linseed being at par with ‘RLC 143’ and showed significantly highest gross returns (`51.3×103 /ha), net returns (`31.0 × 103 /ha), benefit: cost ratio (2.5) and economic efficiency (`240/ha/day) compared with rest of the cultivars. Thus, linseed cv. ‘Uma’ and ‘RLC 143’ exhibited a promising option to augment the productivity as well as profitability of rice–fallows areas of eastern India.

The introduction of renewable energy to mitigate climate change and the need for sufficient land to increase food production are mutually exclusive. Agrivoltaic systems (AVS) integrate the production of agricultural crops and electric power on the same piece of land but the main issue is the reduced availability of light to crops below the AVS, which restricts optimum crop growth and yield. This study examines the radiation and shade distribution over the crop surface among three densities of photovoltaic (PV) panels {Partial density (PD), Half density (HD) and Full density (FD)} under the AVS. Wheat variety GW 496 was chosen to grow under the AVS with line sowing and drip irrigation. Among three densities of photovoltaic (PV) panels, the proportion of shaded area over the crop surface was found highest in full density plot and lowest in partial density plot. The shaded area under AVS varied from 24.1% to 75.4% of the total area. The shaded area under different density plots, adversely affects the availability of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) over the crop surface. The reduction of PAR under the AVS was more affected by panel density. Maximum reduction in PAR under AVS was observed in FD plot and minimum in the PD plot. A sharp increase in the PAR level was observed from shading to open sun conditions. The lowest value of PAR level (56 & mu;mol m  2 s1) was recorded in just below the panel's array. The consistent overestimation of PAR was observed during the crop growing period in all the PVPs density plots. The result revealed that the grid points under shade conditions showed a better association between observed and simu-lated incident PAR than unshaded grid points. Furthermore, the simulation results revealed that the model modeled PAR better in PD plot. The study also found that wheat grown under no shade yielded 4.51 t/ha over reduced light either in PD (3.06 t/ha), HD (2.77 t/ha), and FD plots (2.62 t/ha). Shading treatments showed that the crop yield decreased with an increase in shading intensity.

In the current scenario, consumers’ approach and decision to go for green products is a result of the environmental challenges faced by society at large. The benefits of using green products are well known in society. Green products are user-friendly and contribute towards sustainable consumption. This paper investigates the effect of varied aspects of sustainable consumption on the consumption of green products. The empirical evidence focused on product quality, perceived value and trust as significant factors. A survey of 350 Indian consumers using green products was used to perform a descriptive quantitative study. The proposed hypotheses were tested using regression analysis. Findings revealed that product quality, perceived value and trust all had an impact on green product consumption. The study has found that consumers prefer green products because of their attribute of maintaining the natural environment. Therefore, based on the associated quality of green products, the relative value obtained and developed trust, an increase in green-concept-based product consumption can be achieved. This study recommends that future research should focus on further micro-level aspects that constitute these important factors, namely product quality and perceived value, and trust all having a vital effect on green product consumption.

Weed competitive ability of six rice cultivars including three hybrids [Arize 6129 (short duration); Arize 6444 (medium duration), Arize Dhani (long duration)] and three varieties [Swarna Shreya (short duration); Rajendra Sweta (medium duration); MTU 7029 (long duration)] was evaluated under three weed pressures i.e. low weed pressure [pre-emergence application (PE) of pretilachlor 0.60 kg/ha at 2 days after transplanting (DAT) followed by (fb) post-emergence application (PoE) of bispyribac-sodium 30 g/ha at 20 DAT fb 1 hand weeding (HW) at 35 DAT; medium weed pressure (pretilachlor PE at 2 DAT fb bispyribac-sodium PoE at 20 DAT) and high weed pressure (weedy check)]. Experiment was conducted during rainy seasons of 2018 and 2019 at the ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region Patna, Bihar. The major weeds recorded with transplanted rice were Brachariaria ramosa, Trianthema portulacastrum, Cyperus rotundus, Echinochloa colona, Caesulia axillaris and Physalis minima. Rice hybrids, viz. Arize 6444 and Arize Dhani, and rice variety Swarna Shreya recorded significantly lower weed biomass compared to other varieties. Weeds reduced rice grain yield by 31.37%. Long-duration and short statured rice variety MTU 7029 was more susceptible to weed competition compared to other varieties and hybrids. Early duration hybrid Arize 6129 recorded low weed pressure, maximum rice grain yield (6.57 t/ha) and economic returns.

A field experiment was carried out at Research Farm Kakli, Eternal University, Baru Sahib (H.P.) during Rabi season of 2021-22 to study the “Growth Attributes and their Interaction in Toria (Brassica campestris) as Influenced by Various Levels of Phosphorus and Sulphur in Mid Hill Zone of Himachal Pradesh.” The trial comprised of two factors (phosphorus and sulphur) which prepared twelve treatment combinations and positioned out in factorial randomized block design (FRBD) and replicated thrice to attain the unvarying and unbiased results. The texture of soil was sandy loam with pH 7.12.The twelve treatment combinations comprising four phosphorus levels (15-30-45-60 kg P2O5 /ha) and three levels of sulphur (20-30-40 kg S /ha). It was ascertained that significantly higher plant height, number of leaves /plant, number of branches /plant and dry weight /plant, were reported under treatment P4 i.e. 60 kg P2O5 /ha. Amongst the several levels of sulphur, significantly higher growth attributes i.e. plant height, number of leaves /plant, number of branches /plant and dry weight /plant were reported under treatment S3 i.e. 40 kg S /ha.

Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is a globally used expensive spice. There are a few countries like Iran, Greece, Morocco, Spain, Italy, Turkey, France, Switzerland, Pakistan, China, Japan and Australia where this spice is cultivated and exported to other countries. India contributes 5% of the world's total production of which 90% is supplied only from its Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) regions. In India, the production of saffron from J&K is 3.83 tonnes whereas its annual demand is approximately 100 tonnes. In this country, there are geographical regions that have similar environmental and ecological conditions to J&K and possess the possibility of introducing this crop. Identification of such regions can be made using Ecological Niche Modelling (ENM). Therefore, 'MaxEnt' ENM was carried out using 103 environmental variables, 20 presence data and topographic parameters (elevation, slope and aspect) to find suitable regions for saffron production in unconventional areas of India. The achieved area under the curve for the model was 0.99. The precipitation and temperature were the main environmental variable influencing its cultivation. The saffron was sowed in these new modelled locations in India representing its various states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Manipur and Tamil Nadu. The quality, as well as yield of saffron produced in some of these regions, were evaluated and found at par with the saffron grown traditionally in India. Based on the promising results obtained in this work, we are expanding saffron cultivation to more modelled areas in India to meet our national demand.