Volume 11, Issue 4, 2023

The roving survey was conducted to document the seasonal incidence of insect pests of mango, guava and sapota in the Thandrampattu block of Tiruvannamalai District. During the survey on mango, it was observed pests like mango leaf hopper (Idioscopus niveoparsus), mango gall midge (Procontarinia pustulate) and mango leaf twisting weevil (Apoderus tranquebaricus). In sapota, leaf webber (Nephopteryx eugraphella), bud worm (Anarsia epotias) were seen. In Guava, tea mosquito bug (Helopeltis antonii) and mealy bug (Ferrisia virgata) were seen. The incidence of mango leaf hopper was seen higher during the 14th Standard Mean Week (SMW) with 48 percent while the minimum during the 28th SMW with 22 percent. The incidence of leaf gall was maximum during the 28th SMW with 44 percent while the minimum was seen during the 14th SMW with 28.0 percent. The incidence of mango leaf twisting weevil was seen high during the 20th SMW at 65 percent while the minimum incidence was recorded during 14th the SMW at 37 percent with 7 numbers. Considering the natural enemies, the incidence of lady bird beetle per tree was found high during the 20th SMW per plant while the minimum was seen during the 22nd SMW with 4 numbers per tree. Leaf gall and leaf twisting weevil incidence were positively correlated with maximum temperature, minimum temperature, relative humidity and wind speed and negatively correlated with rainfall while the hoppers were negatively correlated with minimum temperature, relative humidity and rainfall. In sapota, the incidence of sapota leafwebber damage was seen high during the 14th SMW with 26 percent while the minimum was recorded during 18th SMW at 18 per cent. The incidence of sapota budworm was high during 24th SMW with 42 percent while the minimum was recorded during the 22nd SMW with 8 percent. Incidence of ladybird beetle was found high during the 16th and 28th week with 7 numbers each per plant respectively while the minimum was seen during the 22th week with 4 number per plant. The incidence of spiders was seen high during 26th and 30th MSW with 9 numbers per plant respectively while the minimum was recorded during the 14th and 18th SMW with 4 numbers per plant respectively. In sapota, leaf webber was positively correlated with maximum temperature, minimum temperature, relative humidity and wind speed and negatively correlated with rain fall while the budworm was negatively correlated with minimum temperature, relative humidity and rainfall. In guava, the incidence of tea mosquito bug was high during the 14th MSW at 40 per cent while the minimum was recorded during 16th MSW at 23 percent. The incidence of mealybug was high during 28th MSW with 30 per cent while the minimum was recorded during the 14th and 16th MSW with 14 percent. The mean incidence of lady bird beetle was high during 20th MSW with 9 numbers per plant while the minimum was recorded during the 22nd and 30th SMW with 2 numbers per plant respectively. The mean incidence of spiders was seen higher during 16th SMW with 9 while the minimum was recorded during the 22nd and 26th SMW with 3 per plant. Guava tea mosquito bug was positively correlated only with wind speed and negatively correlated with maximum temperature, minimum temperature, relative humidity and rainfall whereas the mealybug incidence was positively correlated with maximum temperature, minimum temperature and relative humidity and negative correlation with wind speed and rainfall.

In the present study the flowers of chrysanthemum cv. Baggi were subjected to four different pre-drying treatments i.e. P0 – Control (Soaking in Distilled water for 15 minutes); P1 – Soaking in Citric acid (2%) for 15 minutes; P2 – Soaking in Magnesium Chloride (10 %) for 4 hours; P3 – Soaking in Glycerol: water (1:3) for 24 hours and five drying techniques i.e. D0 = Air drying at room temperature without embedding; D1 = Embedded drying in Silica gel in a hot air oven at 50+5 °C; D2 = Embedded drying in Silica gel in a microwave oven; D3 = Embedded drying in Borax in hot air oven 50+5 °C and D4 = Embedded drying in Borax in microwave oven in a factorial completely randomized design. Pre-drying treatment, Glycerol and Water in a 1:3 ratio proved best which resulted in a maximum dry flower weight of 0.83 grams, a minimal moisture loss of 67.45%, a maximum dry flower diameter of 4.24 centimeters, and a minimal reduction in diameter of 0.37 centimeters besides, a minimal drying time of 71.43 hours. In terms of quality parameters, the flowers treated with glycerol and water (1:3) had the highest scores for color (3.82), texture (2.76), shape (3.65), non-shattering of petals (3.87), and overall acceptability (3.64). Silica gel embedded flowers and drying them in a hot air oven resulted in a smaller reduction in diameter (0.20 centimeters) and achieved the highest scores for color (4.39), texture (4.18), shape (4.30), non-shattering of petals (4.20), and overall acceptability (4.54). The combination of the glycerol: water pre-treatment and the silica gel with a hot air oven drying method showed the least reduction in diameter (0.23 centimeters) and the highest scores for color (4.75), texture (4.60), shape (4.60), non-shattering of petals (4.55), and overall acceptability (4.75). Drying the flowers in a microwave oven with either desiccant resulted in the shortest drying time of 0.10 hours. On the other hand, air drying without embedding the flowers produced the lowest dry flower weight (0.46 grams), the highest percentage of moisture loss (82.44%), the smallest dry flower diameter (3.57 centimeters), and the largest reduction in diameter (1.00 centimeters). However, air drying took the longest time at 328.93 hours and resulted in dried flowers that were deemed unacceptable with minimal scores for color (2.70), texture (1.35), shape (1.95), and overall acceptability (2.35).

In many regions of the world, particularly in arid and semi-arid climates, drought is a frequent abiotic stress that significantly affects the productivity of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). As a result, maintaining an adequate yield during drought has taken on importance, especially in light of ongoing environmental changes and an increasing worldwide population. The present study was carried out on three wheat genotypes in the acrylic pipe in the Division of Plant Physiology SKUAST, J. The acrylic pipe experiment was carried out simultaneously in the control and treated conditions. The stress was imposed by holding water irrigation for 10 days at the booting stage. Sampling was taken at the booting stage after the exposure to drought stress. Analysis of Plant height, No. of tillers, Fresh weight of stem, roots, and leaves, Dry weight of stem, roots, and leaves SPAD, Relative leaf water content (%) and Relative stress injury (%)were recorded. The result showed that drought stress induced at the booting stage declined the Plant height, No. of tillers, Fresh weight, Dry weight, SPAD, and Relative leaf water content (%)in stress conditions. It was concluded that the PBW644 variety was tolerant followed by WH1080 and the PBW175 variety was susceptible to drought stress. This study implies that in wheat genotypes, drought stress has a significant impact on morphological and physiological processes that regulate plant growth and yield production. In drought-prone areas, this research has the potential to significantly increase wheat productivity, and in the face of climate change, it can improve food security.

A field experiment was conducted at RARS, Palem during kharif, 2019 to screen the castor germplasm accessions (100 no.) against leafhopper along with susceptible (DPC-9) and resistant checks (M-574). Out of which, 20 entries did not exhibit hopper burn (hopper burn grade 0 on 0-4 scale) and found highly resistant to leafhopper. Leafhopper population among the accessions ranged from 8.8 to 27.2 leafhoppers/3 leaves/plant, whereas the susceptible check, DPC-9 recorded 67.8 leafhoppers/3 leaves/plant with hopper burn grade of 4 on 0-4 scale. Fourteen entries recorded low leafhopper population (17.6 to 38.8 leafhoppers/3 leaves/plant) with hopper burn grade 1 (upto 10% hopper burn). Leafhopper population was highest in RG-111 (70.6 leafhoppers/3 leaves/plant) with hopper burn grade of 4 (76 to 100% hopper burn). The germplasm accessions that were found resistant to leaf-hopper can be utilized in breeding programmes to develop resistant cultivars.

Innovative solutions are required to meet the urgent problem of sustaining the global food supply for a growing population against the backdrop of expanding desertification and drought brought on by climate change. Traditional synthetic fertilizers have been used to increase agricultural soil productivity for a long time, but they have had negative effects on the environment, including seeping into ecosystems and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Optimizing soil water retention, encouraging healthy soil bacteria, and improving fertilizer effectiveness are some of the major issues facing the agricultural sector. In this context, the development of biochar-a nutrient-rich material made from biomass-has drawn attention as a potent tool for soil improvement, with an emphasis on the growing of fruit crops and its advantages. Applications of biochar in agriculture have enormous potential. They increase the nutrient content of the soil, increase its capacity to hold water, reduce the need for synthetic fertilizers, strengthen the soil microbiota, and dramatically increase crop yields. Beyond these benefits, biochar has uses in economic, environmental, and prospective applications in carbon credit systems. The use of biochar, also known as biocarbon, is a potential solution to the complex problems that fruit crop agriculture faces in a world that is struggling with water scarcity and desertification brought on by climate change. By realizing its potential, we can advance sustainable agriculture, lessen our negative environmental effects, and improve future food security while supporting international efforts to address climate change. There are obstacles in the way of biochar’s potential for global food sustainability because of its varying qualities, dependence on feedstock, and lack of knowledge about its long-term consequences, resulting in the need for more study.

The consumer acceptability of wines depends upon theira specific aroma and sensory characteristics which depend largely on metabolites contributed by grapes as well as fermenting yeast. Such metabolites can be encouraged in wines through fermentation management which is one of the key steps in wine quality control by supplementation of UFAs, microoxygenation etc. and quantifying the wine quality through metabolomics. Hence, enologists as well as wine industries have been increasingly working on the most efficient practices to produce high-quality wine that caters to both the aroma and taste of wine. Studies have been conducted to improve wine quality by mining the quality traits of fermentation yeast (S. cerevisiae). Different strains of yeast produce varying quality and quantity of metabolites like amino acids, nitrogen and unsaturated fatty acids during fermentation which provides wine its distinctive characteristics. In the present study, ethanol production was significantly increased with supplementation of oleic acid. Further, a micro-oxygenation process has been developed that revealedan increased production of various metabolites such as total phenols (24.28%) as well as improvement in colour intensity (4.67%) over three months when an oxygen dosagee of 0.025 LPM is supplied in an incremental manner. Metabolomics is utilized to quantitatively measure the small number of known metabolites in wine thus providing a better understanding of the fine volatile metabolites and the basis for wine flavor profile.

Groundwater was polluted mostly by sea water intrusion in coastal areas and it has an adverse effect on crop growth and productivity. Desalination using natural bioabsorbents may be economical and eco-friendly approach. Hence to utilize the organic amendments a study was undertaken to characterize the chemical constituents of various organic amendments and to find out the suitable amendment for reducing the salinity of groundwater. The results of the laboratory experiment revealed that among all the bio adsorbents, Moringa seed powder (T1) and Amla bark powder (T5) @ 0.5 per cent concentration showed a better reduction of EC in the water samples from 4.57 dS m-1 to 4.12 and 4.06 dS m-1, respectively at 144 hours of incubation. Though the moringa seed powder reduced the salt load of water but caused a foul odour on the fourth day of treatment. The Amla bark powder @ 0.5 per cent concentration were used in water having different concentrations of EC viz., 3.54 (E1), 4.91 (E2), 6.50 (E3), 8.15 (E4), 10.57 (E5) and 13.28 (E6) dS m-1. The EC of the water samples were reduced to 3.46 (E1), 4.67 (E2), 6.21 (E3), 7.69 (E4), 9.18 (E5) and 11.31 (E6) dS m-1. From the study, it is concluded the use of organic amendments also showed better results for the reduction of salt content in the groundwater samples.

The traits viz., fruit nutritional quality, yield, day neutral nature to be improved in strawberry and hence the present study was undertaken to identify the nature of variability present in the promising advanced strawberry genotypes and to detect the association among yield and yield component traits in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). Fourteen advanced genotypes were evaluated to study genetic variation and the relationship between yield and its components using a randomized complete block design during the year 2021. The results showed significant variance among genotypes of all traits. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) for all the characters was slightly higher than the genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), which signified the presence of environmental influence to some degree in the phenotypic expression of characters. The leaf area index had the highest PCV (30.71) and GCV (30.82). The genetic advance was recorded maximum for fruit yield per plant (228.24), whereas genetic advance as a percent of mean was highest for leaf area index (63.05) followed by shelf life of fruits (61.95). The highest heritability (h2, 95.22) was coupled with higher genetic advance (228.24) estimated for fruit yield per plant, which indicated that the character is controlled by additive genes and therefore further improvement could be brought by selection. Being octoploid, the inheritance of traits is complex in strawberry and the identified heritable traits in the study would be helpful for strawberry improvement breeding programs. Fruit yield was significantly and positively associated with most of the characteristics except flowering duration, fruiting duration, and volume of fruit at both genotypic and phenotypic levels; therefore, these are important prerequisites to formulate a successful strawberry improvement program.

Field experiments were conducted at farmer’s fields on the application of green manure Dhaincha (Sesbania rostrata) as preceding crop to rice to improve yields with green manuring and also increase the status of soil physical and chemical properties, soil organic carbon and pH towards neutral. The performance of an entire system is evaluated by front-line demonstration under the control of Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nizamabad (Rudrur) under field conditions at s farmer’s field. Sesbania seeds were sown @ 45-50 kg/ha. 5-6 weeks old green manuring crops were chopped into pieces and incorporated in the fields with a tractor drawn rotovator. With the incorporation of green manure crops, the average rice yield was increased by 8.36%. The demonstration was done on around 8 hectares covering 20 rice-cultivating farmers. During 2019-21 years with conventional practice, three years average no. of panicles per meter square was only 173 whereas it was 182 in the demonstration plot, similarly, the average grain yield was 6467 kg/ha and 7008 kg/ha in farmer’s practice and demonstration plots respectively.
The average net return was only Rs.67,092 per hectare from farmer’s practice, whereas it with the incorporation of green manure crop before rice was Rs.82,310 in demonstration plots respectively. Similarly, the average cost to-benefit ratio was 2.24 in the conventional method and later it was noticed 2.69 in the demo plot. Hence, the farmers growing rice in the wetland ecosystem are advised to take up green manure followed by transplanted rice as a cropping pattern for sustainable yield and economic returns.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a virus-borne infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 viral. Most patients infected with the virus will have mild to severe respiratory sickness and will recover without needing any specific therapy. The fact that wearing face masks inhibits SARS-CoV-2 transmission is quickly becoming widespread among the general public. The study aimed to evaluate the effective usage of facemask and level of comfort among college students during COVID Pandemic. Exploratory research design was used for the study. A sample of 200 students from various colleges of MPUAT, Udaipur were selected using random sampling design.A self-structured questionnaire was developed to collect the data. The results revealed that most of the students have good knowledge level of corona virus and its prevention .Majority of students are familiar with surgical masks and cloth masks and expressed that among all respiratory masks are more efficient in blocking corona virus particles.