This study examines inefficiencies in the Himalayan Kiwi supply chain, highlighting challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, substandard packaging, and limited adoption of advanced farming practices. The WINGS (Weighted Influence Non-linear Gauge System) approach is used in the study to rank and analyzes barriers to supply chain efficiency and resilience. WINGS enables a thorough review of interconnected elements, providing significant insights into the most critical issues affecting supply chain effectiveness. The report discusses several logistical issues, including insufficient infrastructure, inefficiencies in the packing process, and farmers' lack of cutting-edge farming methods. The study indicates that addressing these restrictions through targeted interventions can improve logistical performance, reduce post-harvest losses, and increase farmer profitability. The WINGS technique offers a robust foundation for lawmakers, infrastructure developers, and logistics specialists to prioritize concerns and make decisions. This study will help in incorporating farmer feedback, doing regional comparative studies, and utilizing emerging technology to improve Agri-logistics systems.

Crop production, human nutrition, and food security all rely on seeds; thus, seed quality and storability are important factors in seed performance. The vigor of seeds determines their capacity to germinate and establish seedlings quickly, evenly, and robustly under a variety of climatic conditions. The present study evaluated seed quality after field application of organic manures, bio-fertilizers, and chemical fertilizers in 18 treatment combinations along with a control (2016-2020). The freshly harvested coriander seeds (cv. Hisar Bhoomit) were stored for 18 months in plastic containers at room temperature, and various seed quality parameters were evaluated at six-month intervals. As the storage period increased, significant reductions in seed quality parameters were observed. The combined application of inorganic fertilizers, organic manures, and bio-fertilizers significantly improved the seed quality parameters during storage, compared to inorganic fertilizers, organic manures, and bio-fertilizers applied alone. Seed treatment with Azotobacter, PSB, and the application of vermicompost (equivalent to 100% RDN) during coriander seed production resulted in significantly higher standard germination (66.33%), seedling length (17.89 cm), seedling dry weight (2.52 mg), vigor index-I (1186), vigor index-II (166.69), and germination after accelerated aging (26.67%) after 18 months of ambient storage of seed. The study highlighted that the use of vermicompost for fulfilling the recommended nitrogen dose worked best when used in combination with bio-fertilizer (Azotobacter and PSB) for maximizing the storage capacity of coriander seed in comparison to the other treatments.

The ability of cyanobacteria to utilize CO2, even under elevated levels, and effectuate beneficial changes in soil and plant biochemical machinery was investigated. Their interactions were evaluated with two selected rice varieties Pusa Basmati 1718 and Pusa Basmati 1509 (PB1718 and PB1509), grown under ambient and elevated CO2 environments. Inoculation with the cyanobacterium Anabaena torulosa (BF1 + 66

Introduction: Leaching losses of applied N are an indirect source of nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, a major greenhouse gas emitted from fertilized soils. Mineral nitrogen (N) leaching research has largely concentrated on nitrate (NO3-), while ammonium (NH4+) leaching remains understudied. The cultivation conditions for rice and wheat are distinctly different, impacting the leaching losses of both NH4+ and NO3-. Methods: This study investigated the influence of different N treatments, i.e., no-N control, neem coated urea (NCU-N 100%; 120 kgN ha(-1)), 60 kgN ha(-1) Neem coated urea +30 kgN ha(-1) compost (75% N); 90 kgN ha(-1) Neem coated urea +30 kgN ha(-1) compost (100% N) and 120 kgN ha(-1) Neem coated urea +30 kgN ha(-1) compost (125% N) in comparison with prilled urea (PU, 120 kgN ha(-1)). Compost was applied @ 2.6 tonnes ha(-1) to all integrated treatments to provide 30 kgN ha(-1). Results and discussion: The peak concentration of soil NH4+ and NO3- was delayed by two-three days in NCU and integrated NCU + compost compared to PU in both rice and wheat, due to the slow-release effect of neem oil coating in NCU. In rice, the percolation rate of water was almost half than in wheat soil. The mineral N leaching loss in rice ranged from 0.4 to 4.6 kg NH4+-N ha(-1) and 0.46-5.12 kg NO3-N ha(-1) during the 2 years. In an annual rice-wheat cycle, the total N leaching loss was 6.2%-7.0% of the applied N fertilizer. The total mineral N loss was higher in PU than NCU by 7.8% and 10% in rice and wheat, respectively. Substitution of 25% of mineral N with compost decreased the total N leaching by 14.8% and 10.3% in rice and wheat, respectively, compared to NCU (100%). The crop N uptake increased significantly (p < 0.05) with NCU and integrated NCU + compost (100%) over PU. Application of 125%-N significantly increased the total mineral N leaching. The total mineral-N leaching loss was 15.9% higher in rice than wheat across the different treatments. The integrated N application, combining 75% NCU and 25% compost, can reduce mineral-N leaching, improve nitrogen uptake and maintain economic yields in rice-wheat cropping system.

Ammonium fertilizers lose significant amounts of nitrogen, primarily through ammonia (NH₃) volatilization and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, which results in low nitrogen use efficiency. Liquid Nano Urea (LNU) is considered more efficient than traditional soil-applied urea, potentially reducing synthetic N fertilizer use. A two years study growing wheat crop was conducted to evaluate the integrated application of neem coated urea (NCU) and LNU, NCU (100

Sensitivity to tropospheric ozone is highly variable in cultivars of different plant species. Wheat, an important cereal crop, has been found to be sensitive to elevated ozone levels leading to differences in grain yields. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of elevated tropospheric ozone on growth, yield and nutritional quality of two species of wheat, Triticum aestivum (PBW 343) and Triticum durum (HD 2936), which are tropical wheat cultivars commonly grown in northern India. Experiments were conducted growing winter wheat (rabi season) under elevated tropospheric ozone in northern India for two years in open-top chambers (OTCs) under charcoal-filtered air (CF), non-filtered air (NF), open air (OA) and elevated ozone (EO) concentration (NF + 25-35 ppb O3). There were different species responses to EO, with the modern aestivum wheat cultivar being more sensitive than durum wheat. The declines in all growth and yield parameters were greater in T. aestivum than T. durum in both the years. On average there was a 7% greater reduction in the photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance in T. aestivum as compared to T. durum under EO at the flowering stage, and a 6% more reduction in leaf chlorophyll was observed on T. aestivum as compared to T. durum. Exposure to elevated O3 caused a decrease in the number of leaves and leaf area index, rubisco enzyme activity and chlorophyll in both the species. More reductions in grain yield were observed in T. aestivum (15 and 19%) as compared to T. durum (9 and 13%) under EO in the two years, respectively. Filtration of air significantly increased all growth and yield parameters in both species of wheat.

Metals constitute vital elements for plant metabolism and survival, acting as essential co-factors in cellular processes which are indispensable for plant growth and survival. Excess or deficient provision of metal/metalloids puts plant's life and survival at risk, thus considered a potent stress for plants. Chloroplasts as an organelle with a high metal demand form a pivotal site within the metal homeostasis network. Therefore, the metal-mediated electron transport chain (ETC) in chloroplasts is a primary target site of metal/metalloid-induced stresses. Both excess and deficient availability of metal/metalloids threatens plant's photosynthesis in several ways. Energy demands from the photosynthetic carbon reactions should be in balance with energy output of ETC. Malfunctioning of ETC components as a result of metal/metalloid stress initiates photoinhiition. A feedback inhibition from carbon fixation process also impedes the ETC. Metal stress impairs antioxidant enzyme activity, pigment biosynthesis, and stomatal function. However, genetic manipulations, nutrient management, keeping photostasis, and application of phytohormones are among strategies for coping with metal stress. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms of metal/metalloid stress, as well as the exploration of potential strategies to mitigate its impact on plants are imperative. This review offers a mechanistic insight into the disruption of photosynthesis regulation by metal/metalloids and highlights adaptive approaches to ameliorate their effects on plants. Focus was made on photostasis, nutrient interactions, phytohormones, and genetic interventions for mitigating metal/metalloid stresses.

The use of inhibitors retain nitrogen as ammonium in soil, giving plants ample time for its uptake. This can reduce nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, but extended retention may increase ammonia (NH3) volatilization. This study assessed the efficacy of coated urea fertilizers in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and NH3 volatilization in rice fields. A field experiment with Pusa 44 rice in the kharif seasons of 2019 and 2020 compared unfertilized control (No N), prilled urea (PU), nitrification inhibitors (NIs): neem oil-coated urea (NCU), karanj oil-coated urea, and dual inhibitor (DI: Limus + NCU). The coated urea fertilizers were analysed with scanning electron microscopy, fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Compared to PU, DI reduced N2O emissions by 23.7%, methane by 11.9%, and NH3 by 29.8%. DI also reduced NH3 emissions by 36–39% compared to other NIs. Overall, DI can lower the global warming potential of rice cultivation in trans Indo-Gangetic plains region by 17.1% for both direct and indirect emissions, suggesting its significant potential to reduce India's contribution to total agricultural GHG emissions.

Introduction Climate change significantly impacts food production by influencing crop growth and soil processes. Rising atmospheric CO2 levels and temperatures may affect reactive nitrogen losses from cultivated soils. This study aimed to quantify the effects of nitrification and urease inhibitors on reactive nitrogen losses from wheat soils in the context of elevated CO2 and temperature interactions.Methods An experiment was conducted in open top chambers for two consecutive years to quantify the effect of nitrification and urease inhibitors on ammonia (NH3), and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in wheat under elevated carbon dioxide (EC), elevated temperature (ET) and their interaction (ECT). The carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration ranged from 552 to 568 ppm in the EC treatment, while the average temperature was 2.1-2.5 degrees C higher in ET treatment than ambient (AMB).Results and discussion The N2O-N emission increased under ECT than ambient. Use of neem oil coated urea (NOCU) reduced the N2O-N emission by 10.3%, whereas, Limus coated urea reduced N2O-N emission by 14% as compared to prilled urea treatment under ECT. NH3-N emission from wheat soil also increased under ECT treatment as compared to AMB. Application of N through Limus, reduced NH3-N emission from wheat by 35.7-36.8% when compared with NH3-N emission from prilled urea ECT condition. Elevated temperature reduced grain weight by 7.6%. The grain N content reduced by 10.9% with prilled urea under ECT. The application of NOCU and Limus increased grain N by 6 and 9%, respectively, as compared to urea under ECT interaction. The application of nitrification and urease inhibitors may reduce reactive nitrogen losses and enhance nitrogen use efficiency under future climatic conditions.

Sustainable agriculture is an important component in the scheme of integrated management of environment in urban and rural areas. One may argue that most of the agricultural activities are confined to the rural areas, so how do the urban areas come in its purview. In addition, both the areas are subsumed in, and form a continuum in the natural environment. These aspects have to be kept in mind for devising strategies for effective management of environment. This research paper analyses the evolution of different models of agriculture, highlighting the fact that its sustainability hinges on the balance between socio-economic realities and a healthy environment. It looks at sustainable agriculture from socio-economic and cultural perspectives.

In this work, the path from the cultivation of Arthrospira platensis at an increased concentration of CO2 to the production of bio-oil by hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of the grown biomass is realized. The cultivation was carried out in a 90 L photobioreactor at an initial CO2 concentration of 8 vol.% for 15 days. During the cultivation stage, the optical density for microalgae suspension, pH and chemical composition of nutrient medium were monitored. The grown biomass was separated from the nutrient medium with a 100 µm mesh and then subjected to HTL at 330 °C for 1 h. The biomass growth rate was 82 ± 4.1 mg × L−1day−1 and the pH was in the range from 9.08 ± 0.22 to 8.9 ± 0.24. Biochemical and CHNS analyses were applied for the obtained biomass. The contents of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids in the grown biomass were 38.7 ± 0.4 wt.%, 37.4 ± 0.5 wt.% and 3.8 ± 0.4 wt.%, respectively. Bio-oil yield after the HTL procedure was 13.8 wt.%. The bio-oil composition and properties were determined by GH-MS, TLC-PID and ICP-MS techniques. ICP-MS revealed the contents of 51 metals in bio-oil.

The present investigation has been conducted to study the leaching behaviour of chromium species in immobilised hazardous waste containing Basic Chrome Sulphate (BCS) dumped at Khanchandpur-Rania, Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The pH of sludge was found to be basic in nature. The concentration of total and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) based Cr was observed at 26,208 and 215, 36,102 and 370, and 42,812 and 516 mg kg- 1 in the pre-monsoon and 26,194 and 200, 36,237 and 340, and 42,570 and 471 mg kg- 1 in the post-monsoon at 0-15, 15-75 and 75-150 cm depth, respectively. The concentration of total and TCLP based Cr6 + was found at 9652 and 107, 243,384 and 151 and 24,936 and 237 mg kg- 1 in the pre-monsoon and 9724 and 102, 24,400 and 144, and 24,830 and 228 mg kg- 1 in the post-monsoon at 0-15, 15-75, 75-150 cm depth, respectively. Results indicated that the concentration of total and TCLP-based Cr and Cr 6 + increased with depth. A similar trend was also observed in total and TCLP-based Cr 3 +, total Fe, total Mn and TDS contents, which strongly justified the leaching characteristic of salts increasing with the increasing depth level of the dumpsite.

Graphene is a highly versatile two-dimensional carbon-based material employed in several research areas having progressive characteristics comprising properties like high surface area, transport, thermal, optical, elasticity, strength etc. Graphene-based composite materials are considered to be potentially smart candidates for various biomedical application areas and are frequently used in medical applications and apply in electronics, implants, devices, and other biomedical-related applications. Compared to graphene, its derivatives, graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide, easily exfoliated from chemically oxidized graphite, are favourable materials for biomedical applications due to their outstanding surface functionalizability, aqueous processability, amphiphilicity, fluorescence quenching, etc. In this proposed review article, we have selectively assessed the latest research to apply graphene and its derivatives with polymer/nanoparticles in biomedical applications like drug/ gene delivery, tissue engineering, bioimaging, biosensing, and magnetic resonance imaging. The exposure of graphene materials in biotechnological/biomedical applications has also led to a summary of their effects on human health and the environment. This review article is expected to provide helpful existing knowledge and inspire new ideas to enhance secure and effective biotechnological/biomedical devices based on graphene materials.

The present investigation aimed to develop jamun pulp, jamun seed, mango kernel, and flax seed powder fortified low-fat functional cookies. A total of five formulations, including control (C, T1, T2, T3 and T4) were prepared with varying amounts of jamun pulp, jamun seed, and mango kernel powder. The overall acceptability score was maximum for T1 and minimum for C cookies. Total flavonoid content was maximum for T4 (668.3 ± 4.8 mgQE/100 g) and least for T1 (483.6 ± 5.6 mgQE/100 g), while the total phenolic content was highest for T4 and T3 (925.3 ± 8.8 mgGAE/100 g and 836.83 ± 3.47 mgGAE/100 g, respectively) and least for control cookies. Protein content (%) was highest for C and T1 (17.5 ± 0.06 and 16.36 ± 0.056, respectively), while it was the least for T4 (11.37 ± 0.032). Based on the proximate, sensory, and functional properties, it was concluded that fortified cookies T1 were found to be the best among all the developed cookies.

Microplastics (MP) have become the major (or most important contributor) to the pollution of the environment in the recent decades. Millions of tonnes of plastic litter are transported into the marine environment annually, and these quantities are expected to increase continuously in the coming years. Monitoring of MPs in beach sand and sediment provides the information on extent of MPs pollution in the ocean, and also indicates consumption pattern of plastic at local, regional and global scale. This comprehensive review focuses on beach sand and sediment sampling, along with processes and methods for identification and quantification of MPs in these environmental media. Major analytical techniques for characterisation of MPs such as Fluorescence Microscopy, Fourier Transform IR spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Chromatographic techniques (GC-MS/ HPLC), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) have been discussed in depth with respect to the analysis of beach sand and sediment samples. This review also provides a snapshot of environmental distribution of MPs in beach sand and sediments with respect to recent studies across the globe since 2017 and the challenges and future directives in the research area of MPs.

Agriculture-related goods are a necessity for any nation. When plants become ill, the nation's agricultural output and economic potential are affected. Early treatment identification is crucial in agribusiness for productive crop production. After recognizing the signs of leaf diseases, automatic techniques for categorizing plant diseases can aid in acting. The ability to recognize plant diseases in the agricultural industry is essential since they compromise the plant's health and robustness, two factors that are critical to agricultural output. These issues are typical in plants, and the cultivation might be substantially hampered if suitable preventative measures are not implemented. In the actual world, illness detection now involves professional judgement and physical examination, which is time-consuming and expensive. We are introducing computerized plant disease detection and classification based on artificial intelligence for rapid and straightforward disease detection and classification. The primary goal of our method is to boost agricultural crop yield. This method involves several processes: picture gathering, image pre-processing, feature extraction, and identification.