A two-year survey study was conducted in three states of Northern India, namely Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Haryana, during the year 2021 and 2022. Information on various parameters and practices related to the rearing of hive bees (Apis mellifera L. and Apis cerana indica) was gathered through questionnaires from randomly selected beekeepers in specific locations of these states. The compiled data covered brood diseases, beekeepers’ awareness levels, management practices adopted for maintaining bee colonies, honey storage practices, and the migratory routes followed by beekeepers. General information on name, address of beekeepers, species and number of colonies were also recorded. The survey revealed that ectoparasitic mites, European foulbrood, sacbrood, Nosema diseases, and instances of wasp, bird, and bear attacks were present in the beekeepers’ apiaries. Commonly adopted management practices included sulphur dusting, formic acid fumigation for diseases, and hand killing for wasps. The findings provide valuable insights into the prevalent conditions and management strategies employed by beekeepers of these three states.

Plant-parasitic nematodes, particularly root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), cause substantial yield losses worldwide and represent one of the most destructive groups of soil-borne pathogens. The extensive reliance on synthetic nematicides during the past decades has resulted in severe environmental contamination, human health concerns, regulatory restrictions and the emergence of resistant nematode populations, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives. In this context, rhizosphere-associated bacteria and their bioactive metabolites have emerged as promising biological control agents against root-knot nematodes. This review integrates existing knowledge on rhizosphere ecology under nematode stress and elucidates the diverse groups of nematicidal compounds produced by rhizobacteria, with particular emphasis on plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR). These compounds encompass hydrolytic enzymes (chitinases, proteases and lipases), non-volatile secondary metabolites (lipopeptides, phenazines, polyketides and organic acids), volatile organic compounds (VOC) and small-molecule elicitors that activate induced systemic resistance (ISR) in host plants. Collectively, these metabolites disrupt nematode physiology by targeting cuticular integrity, neurosensory signalling, energy metabolism, and reproduction, while simultaneously enhancing plant defence responses. The review further uniquely integrates metabolite-mediated mechanisms with their underlying biosynthetic gene clusters and regulatory pathways, providing a gene-to-function perspective of rhizobacterial nematicidal activity. In addition, it discusses the current status of bacteria-based nematicides, biosafety considerations, and challenges associated with large-scale application. Although significant progress has been achieved, limitations related to field consistency, metabolite persistence, and microbiome-dependent variability remain major constraints. Overall, rhizobacterial metabolites represent a promising sustainable and multi-mechanistic strategy for integrated nematode management.

During 2023 and 2024, surveys across plum orchards in Himachal Pradesh, India, revealed a high disease incidence of 80

The effectiveness of four nematicidal plant growth-promoting rhizobacterial (PGPR) strains against Meloidogyne incognita in eggplant was evaluated under pot and field conditions. Molecular identification through 16S rRNA ribotyping confirmed the isolates as Bacillus thuringiensis MB1 (PV362692), Bacillus cereus MB2 (PV362767), Bacillus subtilis MB3 (PV362770), and Exiguobacterium sp. MB4 (PV362795). Among the treatments, the PGPR consortium showed the highest efficacy in suppressing nematode infestation, with substantial reductions in gall formation, egg masses, and second-stage juvenile (J2) population compared with the untreated control. It also significantly improved plant growth by enhancing plant height, root and shoot length, biomass accumulation, chlorophyll content, and overall plant vigor. These improvements resulted in better yield performance, with the highest projected fruit yield recorded under consortium treatment. In addition, post-harvest soil analysis revealed improved availability of essential nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, along with increased populations of beneficial rhizosphere microbes. The findings indicate that the PGPR consortium can serve as a sustainable alternative to chemical nematicides by effectively managing root-knot nematodes while improving crop productivity and soil health in eggplant cultivation.

Peaches and Plums are one of the most important stone fruit crops in the world and equally consequential in India. Surveys were carried out in peach and plum orchards during the years 2022 and 2023. Infected orchards of peach and plum trees showed an incidence of shot holes, cankers, and gummosis ranging from 51.25% to 88.95%. Typical symptoms included small yellow spots on the leaves that eventually turned purplish-brown and necrotic, leading to shot holes, as well as cankers and gummy exudates on the twigs. The associated bacterium was isolated that produced yellow, flat colonies with smooth margins on nutrient agar. Morphological and biochemical tests confirmed that the bacterium was Gram-negative and belonged to the Enterobacteriaceae family. After the screening of bacterial isolates by standard cultural and biochemical tests, the isolates were molecularly characterized by PCR amplification and sequencing of partial 16S rRNA, gyrB, and leuS. Pathogenicity tests by twig method and in vivo bacterial injection method, produced similar symptoms as observed in the field. Based on morphological, biochemical, molecular and pathogenicity studies the causal organism was identified as Pantoea agglomerans. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of P. agglomerans causing shot hole, canker, and gummosis on stone fruits in India. These findings will help in formulating effective management strategies against new emerging pathogens of stone fruits.

This study investigates the effects of various solvents on the phytochemical composition, in-vitro antimicrobial activity, and volatile constituents of Boehmeria rugulosa Wedd. wood extract. Phytochemical screening revealed significant variations in the concentration of bioactive compounds depending on the extraction solvent. Methanolic, ethanolic, and aqueous extracts exhibited distinct profiles of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, and tannins, with notable differences in their respective bioactive contents. Among the tested solvents, 70% aqueous ethanol yielded the highest extract recovery, containing total phenols (229.3 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoids (67.13 mg QE/g). Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) identified 14 volatile compounds, including terpenoids, aldehydes, ketones, and phenolic derivatives, with clear solvent-dependent variations. In-vitro antimicrobial assays indicated that the ethanolic extract exhibited the strongest antibacterial activity, while the aqueous extract showed moderate antifungal activity. The 70% aqueous ethanol extract demonstrated significant antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12,600 (18.45 mm), Bacillus cereus ATCC 6633 (15.88 mm), and Escherichia coli ATCC 1041 (12.35 mm). These findings highlight the critical role of solvent polarity in optimizing the extraction of bioactive and antimicrobial compounds from B. rugulosa wood, with implications for the development of plant-based therapeutic agents and natural preservative systems.

This study aimed to investigate the biochemical response of chemical inducers for disease resistance in garlic (Allium sativum L.) in Himachal Pradesh. Garlic is the second most grown crop in India, which is known for their high nutritional and medicinal properties. The disease has the potential to cause massive losses in the garlic crop, reducing farmers economic profitability; therefore, management may be required. Biochemical evaluations revealed considerable increase in the phenolic activities of the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), peroxidase (PO) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) upon treatment with various disease resistance inducers especially ss-aminobutyric acid (BABA), acibenzolar-S-methyl (ASM) and salicylic acid (SA), which were significantly correlated with the basal rot tolerance in the susceptible garlic cultivar.

Basal rot, white rot and blue mould rot were identified as the major soil-borne diseases affecting garlic fields in Solan, Sirmour and Kullu districts of Himachal Pradesh during the 2019-21 cropping seasons. Diseased samples were collected from the fields and analyzed at the Plant Pathology Laboratory of the university. Data were calculated based on disease incidence. The results of the study revealed that among all the districts namely, Solan, Sirmour and Kullu, the maximum disease incidence was recorded at Lanacheta village of Sirmour district (29.96 %) and minimum was observed in Nauni village of Solan district (2.11 %). Moreover, the highest overall disease incidence (14.71 %) was recorded in 2019 and the lowest (3.38 %) in 2020. Among the three soil-borne diseases, basal rot exhibited the highest incidence, followed by white rot and blue mould rot. Furthermore, it was observed that Sirmour district was significantly more affected by these diseases, in terms of incidence, than the other two districts. These soil-borne diseases pose a serious threat to garlic production and farmer income, underscoring the need for effective management strategies.

Various natural phenomena (such as solar fluctuations, oceanic patterns, volcanic eruptions, and tectonic movements) alongside human activities (including deforestation, CO and CO2 emissions, and desertification) contribute to ongoing climate change and subsequent global warming. However, human actions significantly exacerbate global warming, amplifying its adverse impacts worldwide. With rising temperatures, water evaporation from water bodies and soils intensifies, leading to heightened water scarcity, particularly in drought-prone regions. This scarcity compounds rainfall deficits, posing significant challenges. Precipitation, essential for the biosphere's hydrological cycle, replenishes much of the world's freshwater. It occurs when condensed water vapor in the atmosphere falls back to Earth as rain, drizzle, sleet, graupel, hail, or snow due to gravity. Literature highlights the indispensable role of microbial populations in this process, termed bio-precipitation. This phenomenon begins with microbial colonization on plant surfaces, with colonies subsequently dispersed into the atmosphere by winds, triggering ice crystal formation. Through their ice nucleating property, these microbes facilitate the growth of larger ice crystals, which eventually melt and precipitate as rain or snow. This mechanism aids in nutrient transfer from clouds to soil or vegetation. Pseudomonas syringae stands out as the most notable microorganism exhibiting this ice-nucleation property, serving as the primary source of ice nucleators driving bio-precipitation. Despite limited literature on "rain and snow-causing microorganisms," this review comprehensively explores the conceptual background of bio-precipitation, the involved bioprocesses, and the critical role of bacteria like P. syringae, offering insights into future research directions and patent innovations.

The Meloidogyne spp., commonly known as root-knot nematodes (RKN), are obligate sedentary endoparasites considered among the most damaging plant-parasitic nematodes globally. They harm crops by using parasitic proteins to alter host cell physiology, which promotes parasitism and reduces crop yield. Traditional RKN management, primarily through chemical control, negatively impacts the nutritional value, soil texture, and vegetable production, and poses risks to human health and the environment. An emerging eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative is the use of plant growth-promoting microbes (PGPM)-mediated biological approaches. The PGPM enhances plant growth directly by solubilizing phosphorus and iron, fixing nitrogen, producing phytohormones, siderophores, and ammonia, or indirectly through competition, antibiosis, hydrogen cyanide, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate (ACC) deaminase enzyme, and exopolysaccharides (EPS) production. This review explores various RKN management strategies, emphasizing green biological approaches, their benefits and drawbacks, current commercial status and usage, and the underlying genes, challenges, and limitations associated with these methods.

Background: Fermentation is an ancient bioprocess that has gained renewed attention for its ability to enhance the nutritional, functional, and sensory properties of cereals and millets. By transforming macronutrients and unlocking bioactive compounds, it provides a sustainable approach to developing functional foods with health-promoting potential. Scope and approach: This review critically examines the biochemical and microbiological mechanisms through which fermentation improves the bioactive profile of cereal-based foods. Key processes discussed include enzymatic hydrolysis, microbial biotransformation of phenolics, proteolytic release of bioactive peptides, and degradation of anti-nutritional factors. The roles of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), yeasts, and filamentous fungi are highlighted, along with comparisons between submerged fermentation (SmF) and solid-state fermentation (SSF). Key findings and conclusions: Fermentation enhances bioavailability of phenolics, enriches vitamins and bioactive peptides, and reduces phytates, tannins, and oxalates, thereby improving both nutrition and digestibility. SSF demonstrates superior potential for sustained enzymatic activity and phenolic enrichment, while SmF favors soluble nutrient enhancement. Strain-specific microbes such as Lactobacillus plantarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Penicillium citrinum drive targeted nutritional improvements, and fermented cereals serve as effective carriers for probiotic delivery in non-dairy applications. Emerging hybrid technologies including pulsed electric field, ultrasound, and magnetic field-assisted fermentation technologies further improve bioactive recovery and sustainability. Nevertheless, challenges remain in process standardization, bioactive stability, and clinical validation. Future directions include the application of multi-omics tools, microbial engineering, and advanced delivery systems to unlock the full translational potential of cereal fermentation in functional food innovation.

The study was conducted from March to September, 2021–2022 in the Solan and Sirmour districts of Himachal Pradeshwith an aim to assess the influence of soil physicochemical characteristics and microbial communities on the incidence of major tomato diseases in high-production areas of Himachal Pradesh. Soil samples were collected from tomato-growing fields across multiple locations and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, and nutrient content. Standard protocols were followed for physicochemical analyses, and microbial populations were quantified using serial dilution and plating methods. Damping-off incidence ranged from 21.33% to 51.00%, while wilt incidence varied between 18.00% to 37.00%. This reflected a high disease pressure influenced by local soil and environmental conditions. Microbial analysis revealed spatial variation. Panwa recorded the highest fungal count (75×10³ cfu g-1 soil), while Kandaghat recorded the highest bacterial count (98×10⁶ cfu g-1 soil), highlighting heterogeneity in microbial distribution. Soil pH varied across sites, with slightly alkaline in Palashala and Kurgal. A strong positive correlations were observed between soil pH and microbial counts. Moderate positive correlations were found between, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content with microbial populations. These findings demonstrated that variations in soil physicochemical properties directly influenced microbial dynamics and disease incidences. The results highlighted that soil conditions significantly impact microbial dynamics and disease incidence, emphasizing the need of effective soil health management for sustainable tomato cultivation.

Basal rot is a soil borne disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cepae. It is known to affect garlic production throughout the world. Various strategies such as crop rotation and raising of resistant varieties have been tried to limit the damage caused due to this fungus. Biocontrol is another effective option that can be used to control the spread of disease. Biocontrol process is generally harmless to humans, a non-polluting, biodegradable and selective mode of action. Moreover, pathogens cannot develop resistance easily, no harm is caused to other beneficial microorganisms, improve soil health and help in achieving agricultural sustainability. Efficacy of fungal and bacterial bioagents were checked against the basal rot of garlic. The potential of six species of fungal species viz. Trichoderma harzianum, Trichoderma viridae, Trichoderma virens, Trichoderma hamatum, bacterial species viz. Pseudomonas fluorescens and Bacillus subtilis were evaluated against F. oxysporum under in vitro conditions. Dual culture and streak plate method was used evaluation of fungal and bacterial antagonists. Among the fungal antagonists maximum inhibition of mycelial growth was noted in Trichoderma viridae (74 %), Pseudomonas fluorescens proved to be the most effective bacteria in reducing (30 %) the mycelial growth.

This study evaluated the antibacterial efficacy of Arnebia euchroma (Ratanjot): a critically endangered medicinal plant from the Trans-Himalayan region, root extracts prepared using methanol, ethanol, and distilled water against human pathogens, including Enterobacter aerogenes, Proteus sp., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Shigella sp., Escherichia coli ATCC 10418, and Salmonella typhi NCTC 786. The antibacterial activity was assessed using the agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration assays. Results revealed that the distilled water extract exhibited the most potent antibacterial activity, showing significant inhibition zones and low MIC values against all tested pathogens, with notable effectiveness against Shigella sp. (32mm ZOI, 78µg/mL MIC). The study also identified key bioactive pigments, viz., β, β-dimethylacrylshikonin, Deoxy-shikonin, and shikonin through Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography, which contribute to the antibacterial properties. To conclude, A. euchroma exhibited significant in vitro antibacterial potency, validating its traditional use and emphasizing the need for further pharmacological and biotechnological evaluation.

The present study was conducted to examine the comprehensive melissopalynological, physicochemical, and mineral prospectus of Apis mellifera L. unifloral honeys obtained from different agro-climatic zones of Himachal Pradesh, India. The melissopalynological studies were used to identify the floral origin of the collected honey samples, which were further subjected to various quality parameter analysis by using standard procedures and protocols. Out of all honey samples, ten honeys were identified as unifloral honeys with predominant pollen grains of Justicia sp., Dalbergia sp., Eucalyptus sp., Syzygium sp., Sapindus sp., Callistemon sp., Robinia sp., Aesculus sp., Plectranthus sp., and Thymus sp. Among all the honeys, Robinia honey exhibited the lowest pH (4.09), moisture content (14.60

This study presents a comprehensive pollen spectra analysis of Apis mellifera L. honey samples collected from different agro-climatic zones of Himachal Pradesh, India. The collected samples were investigated for their floral diversity through melissopalynological studies. Results revealed the presence of 184 pollen morphotypes from 36 honey samples. The predominant pollen family across all zones was Fabaceae. Out of 36 samples, 10 were observed as unifloral with predominant pollen types of Justicia adhatoda, Dalbergia sissoo, Eucalyptus hybrida, Syzygium cumini, Sapindus mukorossi, Melaleuca citrina, Robinia pseudoacacia, Aesculus indica, Plectranthus rugosus, and Thymus linearis, while the remaining 26 were found to be multifloral in origin. The honeys were also observed to be unadulterated, as they contained a sufficient amount of pollen types. Pollen content varied from extremely poor (13,000 pollens per 10 g of honey) to very rich (545,000). The hierarchical clustering and heatmap depicted a two-dimensional clustering of honey samples and pollen types. The honey samples were grouped into four clusters, with the majority of samples (20) in the first cluster, followed by the second (13), third (1), and the fourth cluster (2). Similarly, the pollen types were also grouped into four clusters, with 6, 10, 102, and 4 pollen types in the first, second, third, and fourth cluster, respectively. These findings suggest that the studied area harbours rich floral diversity that significantly contributes to enhancing honey production, besides facilitating the production of unique unifloral honeys that can be attributed as geographical indications (GI) specific to the region.

Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. is a multipurpose, actinorhizal, wild deciduous shrub widely distributed in the Himalayan region. It develops root nodules as a result of symbiotic association with actinomycetes present in the soil, facilitating atmospheric nitrogen-fixation. The present investigation was therefore, focused on testing the efficacy of N2-fixing non-Frankia actinomycete isolated from the root nodules of E. umbellata on its growth performance and nodulation. The isolated N2-fixing actinomycetes, EUNA, was identified and characterized through a comprehensive analysis of its morphological, biochemical and molecular characteristics (16S rRNA ribotyping) as Nocardia vinacea and was assigned with accession number (GenBank, USA) as MZ425448. The efficacy assessment of N. vinacea EUNA on the growth performance of E. umbellata Thunb. vis-& agrave;-vis IBA and control revealed 58.74 % more nodulation, besides augmenting the plant growth parameters such as plant height, collar diameter, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot biomass, root biomass by 177.55, 122.7, 12.49, 206.87, 131.25,227.27 %, respectively. The nitrogen levels in both leaves and soil exhibited significant enhancements of 43.86 and 107.14%, respectively, in comparison to the IBA treatment and the control. Further, all the growth performance factors weighed via PCA, connoted their contribution among two principal components i.e., PC1, (primarily weighed by plant height, leaf length, leaf area, primary roots per plant, shoot biomass, nodule count and soil nitrogen) and PC2 (contributed by collar diameter, shoot root length, root biomass, leaf nitrogen), which accounted for 96.66 and 3.34% of variance, respectively. Therefore, usage of N. vinacea-based formulation for the growth of E. umbellata confers a promising alternative for promoting a sustainable approach towards ecosystem management besides reducing reliance on conventional fertilizers.