Bundelkhand University

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of organic residue mulching (ORM) and natural farming inputs (NF) on growth and yield performance soil fertility status of chickpea during 2023-24 and 2024-25. The experiment was randomized twelve treatments including different organic leaf mulches, pulse straw, sugarcane residues, farmyard manure (FYM), adequate control, and no mulching organized by randomized block design. The results revealed that ORM addition significantly improved crop growth parameters including plant population, plant height, number of branches per plant and flowering compared to adequate control. Among treatments T12 was recorded higher plant height i.e. 8.30, 19.98, 28.72 and 39.51 cm at 15, 45, 60 and 75 DAS, respectively, during 2023-24 and further increased to 8.56, 21.05, 30.01 and 40.46 cm during 2024-25, with maximum height at harvest (49.51 and 50.12 cm) respectively. Consequently, maximum grain yield was obtained under T12 recorded the highest grain yield approximately 21% more than the control (1645 and 1665 kg ha⁻¹ during 2023-24 and 2024-25, respectively), followed by T9, T8, and T3. However, the lowest yield was recorded under no mulching treatment (T11). Results also revealed that the ORM enhanced soil organic carbon concentration over control treatment. Our finding indicating the available nutrients increased with addition of organic mulch and NF inputs. The higher performance of chickpea yield was mainly attributed due to retention of soil moisture, moderated soil temperature variation, enhanced microbial activity and improved nutrient availability. Overall, the study demonstrates that integration of ORM with NF inputs is an effective and sustainable approach for improving chickpea productivity and enhancing soil health for long-term agricultural sustainability.

Agricultural biotechnology has emerged as a critical frontier in addressing the multifaceted challenges of 21st-century food systems, driven by a growing global population and the intensifying impacts of climate change. This review explores the transformative potential of modern biological tools, including genetic engineering, CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing, and multi-omics integration, in enhancing crop resilience and productivity. By synthesizing current research, the paper highlights how these technologies mitigate both biotic stresses, such as viral and fungal pathogens, and abiotic stresses, including drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures. Beyond yield enhancement, biotechnology plays a pivotal role in nutritional biofortification and environmental stewardship, notably through the reduction of synthetic pesticide reliance and the sequestration of carbon emissions. The analysis further discusses the transition toward a circular bio-economy, utilizing agricultural residues for bio-refining and biodegradable packaging. However, the global adoption of these innovations remains uneven, hindered by stringent regulatory frameworks, public safety concerns, and policy lags in developing regions.1 To realize the goal of a sustainable "Evergreen Revolution," the review emphasizes the necessity of harmonized biosafety guidelines and the integration of artificial intelligence with molecular breeding. Ultimately, biotechnology stands as an indispensable pillar for ensuring global food security, offering precise solutions to maintain ecological balance while meeting the demands of a projected population of nine billion by 2030.

DNA extraction is a very tedious process for different plant species because of the presence of secondary metabolites and huge amounts of phenol that create the difficulty of DNA isolation. In molecular biology, DNA isolation is a very crucial step and has applications viz. gene amplification, DNA restriction digestion, and gene cloning. A simple, cost-effective, and efficient method is required for the isolation of genomic DNA of Bajra. The present work uses relatively rapid, simple, cost-effective, time-saving methods for DNA isolation from both old and young leaves of Bajra genotypes without using liquid nitrogen in the extraction buffer. Using this method, a high quality and quantity of genomic DNA were obtained from 1.0 g of both old and young leaves. The total genomic DNA was extracted and amplified by employing SSR markers, which produced reproducible results. This protocol resolves the basic problems of DNA degradation, RNA contamination, and low DNA yield due to binding and/or co-precipitation with starches and complex polysaccharides.

Abstract The persistent demand for high‐performance, lightweight, and multifunctional materials has positioned carbon fibre‐reinforced polymer composites (CFRPCs) at the forefront of innovation across critical sectors, including aerospace, defence, civil engineering, and energy. This review provides a critical examination of how various micro‐ and nanostructured carbonaceous fillers—specifically, carbon nanofibres, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene, graphite flakes, nano‐diamonds, and human hair‐derived porous carbon—are fundamentally altering the mechanical, viscoelastic, and electrical characteristics of CFRPCs. The present study reveals that these fillers, which span one‐dimensional (1D), two‐dimensional (2D), and three‐dimensional (3D) architectures, allow for highly tailored reinforcement and establish electrical percolation thresholds at remarkably low loadings. Notably, CNT‐reinforced composites have demonstrated substantial gains, achieving flexural strengths up to 580 MPa. Furthermore, this study explores the significant synergistic effects in hybrid filler systems, which consistently yield superior stiffness, damping capacity, and conductivity compared to their single‐filler counterparts, applications, challenges, and future directions. The paper also provides a comparative analysis of advanced fabrication techniques such as vacuum‐assisted resin transfer moulding, compression moulding, and 3D printing, highlighting their direct influence on scalability, fibre wet‐out quality, and overall structural integrity. Despite these clear advances, persistent challenges remain in achieving uniform filler dispersion, cost‐effective processing, and material recyclability.

This study introduces a novel approach by integrating the Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) technique of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) with Geographic Information System (GIS) to develop a Geospatial Groundwater Quality Index (GWQI) for the semi-arid Lalitpur district. To carry out the GWQI assessment, seven hydrogeological parameters, such as geology, geomorphology, lineament density, drainage density, slope, rainfall and Land use Land cover (LULC) thematic layers, were used in generating GWPZ. These layers were integrated with physiochemical parameters that include pH, TDS, Ca2+ , Mg2+ , Cl- , HCO3- , CO32-, SO42-, F- , and NO3- to generate GWQI. The weights are assigned based on their relative influence on groundwater quality. A Weighted Arithmetically Water Quality Index (WAWQI) map is prepared using physicochemical parameters alone and compared with the GWQI. The WAWQI categorises the study area into Very Poor (1.22%), Poor (11.54%), Moderate (32.41%), Good (43.40%), and Very Good (11.41%) classes. In contrast, the GWQI classified water quality into five categories and the percentage area was found to be Very Good (7 samples, 5.01%), Good (58 samples, 38.39%), Moderate (57 samples, 38.55%), Poor (25 samples, 17.12%), and Unsuitable (3 samples, 0.91%). A sympathetic relationship between the physiochemical parameters and hydrogeological parameters was observed. GWQI integrated method provide more valuable and informative results than WAWQI in the Lalitpur district.

Teacher deficiency in primary schools is experienced not only as a statistical indicator (PTR) but as a lived organisational condition that shapes classroom processes, stakeholder expectations and local problem-solving.This mixed-methods paper integrates school-level quantitative results (N = 120 schools) with stakeholder perceptions and thematic narratives (N = 550 stakeholders; 180 teachers) to explain how teacher deficiency is understood by headteachers, teachers, parents and School Management Committee (SMC) members, and to examine whether stakeholdergenerated policy priorities converge with those implied by statistical evidence.Quantitatively, stakeholder groups differ significantly in mean problem-severity scores (F(3,546) = 13.63,p < .001; 0.07), with head-teachers and teachers reporting higher severity than parents and SMC members.Qualitative analysis further indicates that stakeholders treat teacher deficiency as a chronic structural problem, describe organisational fragility and timetable instability, and emphasise a gap between recorded syllabus completion and substantive learning ('tick-mark completion').Stakeholders consistently report that high PTR undermines classroom climate, reduces individual attention and weakens pupil engagement.Despite group differences in perceived severity, policy recommendations show strong convergence across stakeholders: filling vacancies, rationalising deployment, reducing non-teaching duties, strengthening remedial programmes and enabling constructive community involvement.The convergence between stakeholder priorities and quantitative inference strengthens the policy relevance of the findings and supports a district-level action agenda for teacher-deficient contexts.

Objectives: Nelumbo nucifera (Gaertn) (Sacred Lotus) is a medicinally important plant conventionally used for the treatment of inflammatory and oxidative stress-related disorders. The present study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical profile, antioxidant potential, and protective effects of methanolic and aqueous extracts of N. nucifera against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced toxicity. Methods: Extractive values of methanolic and aqueous extracts were determined, followed by preliminary phytochemical screening and quantification of total phenolic and flavonoid contents. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay. Cytotoxicity and growth curve studies were performed using wild-type and Δtrx2 yeast strains to assess biocompatibility and stress response. In vivo nephroprotective effect was evaluated in CP-induced nephrotoxicity models by measuring serum creatinine, urea, uric acid, protein, globulin, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, glutathione, catalase, and malondialdehyde levels, along with pro-inflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 beta. Results: The aqueous extract yielded higher extractive value (13.0% w/w), whereas the methanolic extract exhibited higher phenolic (1.50 mg/100 mg) and flavonoid (2.33 mg/100 mg) content. DPPH assay revealed potent free-radical scavenging activity for methanolic extract (IC50=42.32 μg/mL), closer to ascorbic acid. Yeast cytotoxicity studies confirmed the safety of the extracts and demonstrated their membrane-protective effects. In vivo studies showed that both extracts significantly (p&lt;0.05–p&lt;0.001) attenuated CP-induced alterations in renal and oxidative stress biomarkers, with methanolic extract (200 mg/kg) showing maximal protective effects. Conclusion: N. nucifera extracts, particularly the methanolic fraction, possess strong antioxidant, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, and anti-inflammatory activities. These findings support its potential therapeutic application in managing CP-induced nephrotoxity and oxidative stress-related disorders.