The demonstrations on alternate wetting and drying (AWD) in rice crops were conducted by KVK
Ferozepur, Punjab during Kharif 2019-21 at 25 locations in 5 villages of the district. The selected study
locale was characterized by well-drained sandy loam with medium soil fertility status. The three plots of
0.4 ha size each were selected for the three treatments i.e. continuous submergence (farmer practice), after
2-3 days of percolation (AWD), and after 5-6 days of percolation at each of 25 locations. The rice grain
yields increased by 1.18 percent under AWD compared to the continuous submergence (71.4 q/ha). The
irrigation water productivity (IWP) was higher by 18.36 percent under AWD compared to that in
continuous submergence. Rice crops under AWD required 30 cm smaller amount of irrigation water
during the whole growing season compared to the continuous submergence. The AWD technique holds
great promise as water-saving technology that can help to address water scarcity in the rice growing areas
of the food basket bowl of India. Therefore, the AWD method could enhance yield and save irrigation
water by 18-20 percent in rice crops.

Gluten- free products are indispensable for people with celiac disease because till date the
only treatment is to follow a gluten-free diet.
Besides this, nowadays, people are more interested in following a healthy diet, so they are
looking  for nutritious food. The present investigation was therefore, carried out toformulate
gluten-free cookies and to assess the functional, bioactive, and mineral composition of
germinated brown rice-based cookies during storage. For the development of cookies,
germinated brown rice and oat flour were blended in the ratios of 100:00, 95:5, 90:10,
85:15, 80:20, 75:25 and 70:30 percent, respectively. The prepared cookies were packed in
aluminum laminates and stored under ambient storage conditions. The quality of nutri-bar
was assessed for its functional, bioactive, and mineral constituents at 30-day intervals until
90 days. The highest mean water absorption capacity and oil absorption capacity of 143.21
% and 120.83% have been recorded in T 7 , whereas, the highest bulk density of 0.79g/ml was
observed in T 1 . Treatment T 7 recorded a maximum total phenolic content of 69.76 mg
GAE/100g. Among minerals, the highest iron and magnesium contents have been observed in
treatment T 1 (9.74 & 150.12mg/100g, respectively) however, treatment T 7 recorded maximum
calcium and potassium contents (52.15 & 264.62mg/100g). Based on organoleptic
evaluation, the highest mean overall acceptability score of 7.67 was recorded in T 6 (75:25::
Germinated Brown rice: Oat flour) and was adjudged as superior among all the treatments
of cookies. Thus, nutritious cookies can be developed by incorporating 75 % germinated
brown rice with 20% oats.  Brown rice and oats possess good nutritional properties which
could be utilized for formulation of baked goods.

Drudgery is termed for hard work, monotony, time-consuming, and use of traditional
tools with inappropriate working posture in the field [1]. The drudgery of farmers is a crucial
aspect that has attracted wide attention from researchers. Paddy is cultivated and consumed as
the major food grain crop all over the world. Almost all the practices are performed manually
by the farmers. Many of such activities are drudgery susceptible to varying degrees which
results in the various health hazards and reduced work efficiency of the farmers. The present
study aims to showcase the areas of discomfort while doing the various cultivation practices
in paddy, the causes for the reduced efficiency and production, health hazards that farmers are
facing at the field level, and strategies to overcome them. The study collected various
literature reviews by the experts which pooled together for a better understanding of the
existing situations in which work-related health hazards, body part discomfort, Energy
expenditure, Human Physical Drudgery Index (HPDI), and Extent of postural discomfort
using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA), Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) were
included. However, it is very challenging to the researcher to take the body part
measurements from the respondents in the data collection process. Various improved tools are
available for the paddy cultivation practices should be made aware of by the farmers for
effective and efficient participation in farming which results in reduced drudgery.

The main occupation of Telangana, India, is agriculture. Achieving food security
requires intelligent management to increase land use productivity and production per unit area
because of the expanding population and decreasing amount of agricultural land per capita. In
this sense, assessing the productivity and fertility of the soil is a necessary step toward
sustainable agricultural development. This study assesses maize cultivation across red, black,
and alluvial soils in Telangana's districts, using a random sampling approach to analyze soil
fertility characteristics. A total of 119 soil samples were collected from a depth of 0-15 cm
beneath maize crops grown between 2018 and 2020. These samples exhibited a pH ranging
from slightly acidic to alkaline and contained low levels of organic matter. The available
nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) in the soil varied; in red soil, they were 63-326
kg ha -1 , 20-150 kg ha -1 , and 152-736 kg ha -1 ; in black soil, they were 75-364 kg ha -1 , 40-127 kg
ha -1 , and 113-476 kg ha -1 ; and in alluvial soil, they were 50-320 kg ha -1 , 24-132 kg ha -1 , and 108-
429 kg ha-1, appropriately. The available nutrient ranges in all soils were 50-364 kg ha -1 , 20-150
kg ha -1 , and 108-736 kg ha –1 , respectively.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the active carbon under sodic soil after the
improvement through natural sources of gypsum and bio-compost. This experiment was
carried out at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Sub Regional Station, Pusa
(Samastipur), Bihar during the Kharif session of 2018 and 2019. The experimental site was
laidout in split plot design with four treatments of gypsum and bio-compost application in
main plots and ten rice genotypes sowed into subplots and replicated in thrice times. After the
experiment results observed that the improved soil pH, ESP, and EC significantly. The active
carbon was observed to the significantly higher in more application doses of bio-compost
than gypsum and also observed that some rice genotypes helps in improving active carbon
under-treated with bio-compost and gypsum plots i.e. CSR-36, CSR-27, CR-3884-244-8-5-6-
1-1, and CSR-30.

Seed production of lentil under rainfed condition faces significant challenges that impact seed quality
and yield. Water stress and inconsistent rainfall lead to reduced germination rates and poor seedling
establishment. Nutrient deficiencies in rainfed soils further compromise seed development, resulting
in lower seed yield and vigor. Additionally, plants grown under these conditions are susceptible to
diseases and pests, exacerbating yield losses. To address these challenges, innovative techniques like
seed priming play a crucial role. The present research examined how different pre-sowing seed
treatments influence the seed germination potential of subsequent lentil crops grown under rainfed
conditions. The experiment was conducted at Oilseed Farm, CSAUA&T, Kanpur, during the Rabi
seasons of 2019-20 and 2020-21 with two lentil varieties (K-75 -V 1 and KLB303 – V 2 ) and 14 pre-
sowing seed treatments following the Split Plot Design with three replications. Pre-sowing seed
treatments were done by soaking seeds in different priming solutions for 8 hours at 25±2 0 C. Treated
seeds were sown in the field and harvested at appropriate maturity. The germination potential of
freshly harvested seeds was tested in the laboratory. The result of the experiment revealed that KLB-
303 exhibited improved seed germination attributes as compared to K-75. Seed coating with BioNPK
and drought-alleviating bacteria on hydro-primed seeds excelled in germination behavior. This
treatment resulted in peak seed viability (97.31%), significant first count (77%), and final
germination (96%), along with faster germination speed (32.31), longer seedling length (20.69 cm),
higher seedling dry weight (0.091 g), and robust vigor indices (1987.61 for index-I and 8.93 for
index-II). Nutripriming using ZnSO 4 @ 0.3% + MnSO 4 @ 0.5% also showed encouraging outcomes.

In the present study pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) PBH1625 variety (whole
grain, dehulled grain, and dehulled flour)was subjected to cold plasma exposure at 25kv for 10 mins
and 30kv for 10 mins. Subsequently, the samples were packed in low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
pouches and metalized polypropylene (MPP) stored for 90 days, and shelf life studies were
conducted. The results revealed that cold plasma exposure at 25kv for 10 mins outperformed in
controlling lipase and lipoxygenase activity at 30kv for 10 mins. On storage, MPP packaging
material outperformed LDPE in controlling moisture, acid value, free fatty acids, peroxide value,
water activity, lipase, and lipoxygenase activity in all the samples. The findings collectively indicate
that pearl millet whole grain, dehulled grain, and dehulled flour exposed to cold plasma at 25kv for
10 mins followed by packing in MPP have better shelf life and storability up to 90 days.

Forests are complex ecosystems essential for human well-being and environmental
sustainability, providing timber, fuelwood, fiber, and non-wood products while combating
desertification, safeguarding watersheds, maintaining biodiversity, and sequestering carbon
dioxide. However, these ecosystems face significant threats from insect pests and diseases,
particularly bark beetles (Dendroctonus spp.), which disrupt forest health and functionality.
Bark beetles, part of the Scolytinae subfamily, attack stressed or weakened trees, leading to
economic losses and increased wildfire risks. Climate change exacerbates bark beetle
outbreaks by altering beetle physiology and forest conditions, as evidenced by the 2013
outbreak from Mexico to Alaska. Beetle-infested trees contribute to intense wildfires due to
altered fuel characteristics. Understanding the intricate interactions between bark beetles,
forest health, and wildfire dynamics is crucial for effective forest management. The
complexity of these interactions and the variability in beetle responses to environmental
stressors pose significant challenges. Additionally, gaps remain in comprehending the precise
impact of beetle outbreaks on wildfire behaviors and forest resilience. This review integrates
ecological insights, management practices, and policy frameworks to address these issues,
emphasizing the need for a holistic approach in forest management. Trees deploy physical
and chemical defenses against beetle attacks, including resin production. However,
environmental stressors like drought can weaken these defenses, enabling beetle infestations.
Symbiotic associations with fungi, mites, nematodes, and bacteria enhance beetle survival
and development. This review emphasizes the importance of addressing these interactions
and the challenges posed by climate change to ensure forest resilience and sustainability.

Limited understanding of how varying sulphur levels affect soil chemical properties in S-deicient sandy loam soil speciically found in Amritsar. A pot experiment was conducted on mustard cv. RLC 3 and broccoli cv. Palam Samridhi in a factorial completely randomized design with three replications. Four levels of sulphur were applied to the soil, and plants were harvested 30 and 60 days after germination. The study aimed to investigate the impact of sulphur levels on soil chemical properties. The results showed that the value of soil pH was reduced signiicantly with an increase in the S level. The highest soil pH (8.12) was recorded where no sulphur-1 was applied, whereas the least (7.65) was found in 60 mg S kg soil treatment. There was no signiicant variation in electrical conductivity and soil organic carbon during the study. Soil available sulphur increased linearly with a simultaneous increase in levels -1 -1 of sulphur resulting in a maximum value (12.75 mg kg ) at 60 mg S kg soil treatment, compared to no sulphur application (4.31 mg-1 -1 kg ). Notably, soil properties signiicantly improved with the application of 60 mg S kg soil, particularly under mustard followed by broccoli crop.

The evaluation of meteorological droughts mainly relies on rainfall data to identify patterns in
the climate and water availability, which in turn helps evaluate the risk of drought as well as its
severity . There is a drought when the amount of precipitation is below average. When this event
lasts for a long time, precipitation is unable to satisfy human demands. By using the Standardised
Precipitation Index (SPI), the present study examines the long-term geographical and temporal
variability of rainfall, its trend, and the degree of climatic dryness in the study area using SPI.
Rainfall data from 31 meteorological stations for the years 1960 to 2014 were assessed using
non-parametric techniques such as the Mann-Kendall test, Sen's slope estimator, and the
Standardised Precipitation Index. The maps of the variation in rainfall were produced using
ArcGIS V.xx, The trend analysis of the study reveals both a positive and a negative tendency.
The study also provides information on the total annual rainfall that was recorded over the study
area for the previous 55 years. This rainfall total was regionally distributed between 656.25
ermillimeters and 842.60 millimeters. The severity of the issue and the extreme dryness were
shown by the analysis of taluk-wise precipitation data for meteorological drought. In the Kalyan
Karnataka region, the state of Karnataka's agricultural productivity is highly dependent on
rainfall and the frequency of meteorological droughts.