Stagnating wheat yields and dropping of grain protein content pose a significant challenge to the nation’s food and nutritional security. Hence, optimising resource-use efficiency through synchronised nutrient management and precise spatial arrangements is necessary to provide a balance between productivity and quality. This study evaluates how the synergy of planting geometry, soil nitrogen application and strategic foliar application can enhance nitrogen uptake and improve the end-use quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Indian conditions. The research was designed as a split-split plot experiment with three replications. The primary factor, constituting the main plot treatments, involved three distinct planting patterns: M1 being conventional flat sowing, M2 and M3 being bed sowing with two rows per bed and three rows per bed, respectively. Within these planting patterns, the sub-plot treatments were three different levels of soil-applied nitrogen (N), where compared, i.e. N1(0 kg/ha N), N2 and N3 being 50 and 100 % of the recommended dose of nitrogen. Finally, the sub-sub plot treatments introduced three different timings for a 2 % foliar nitrogen application at the crown root initiation stage (F1), tillering stage (F2) and boot stage (F3). The outcome revealed significant synergistic effects between different planting geometries, soil nitrogen application and strategic foliar application of nitrogen, with M2 yielding the best results among planting geometries, N3 being the best treatment for soil applications and F2 showing the best results among strategic foliar application of nitrogen. These findings highlight the potential of the interactive effect of these factors to mitigate the inherent trade-off between productivity and nutritional quality of the wheat crop.

Momordica dioica Roxb. belonging to the family of Cucurbitaceae, is a vegetable crop native to India and South Asia. It is widely utilised in traditional medicine for managing diabetes, preventing haemorrhoids and treating a range of other health conditions. Despite its therapeutic and nutritional potential, M. dioica remains an underutilised vegetable. In the present study, the root extract of M. dioica has been examined in search of various natural components and identified them using various chemical tests and spectroscopic techniques. Dried and finely grounded roots of M. dioica were used for the extraction using dichloromethane and methanol as solvent. All the prepared crude root extracts were examined for their preliminary phytochemical testing, confirming the presence of terpenoids, saponins, carbohydrates, glycosides and steroids. The crude extracts were also subjected individually to column chromatography and mainly eight compounds were isolated and identified as bis(11,11-dimethyldodecyl) terephthalate (MD-1), butyl pentanoate (MD-2), tricosanoic acid (MD-3), α-spinasterol (MD-4), hexadecanoic acid (MD-5), stigmas-5-en-3β-ol (MD-6), ursolic acid (MD-7) and β-sitosterol-β-D-galactoside (MD-8). This study reports, for the first time, the presence of MD-1 in M. dioica. The identification of various metabolites, including compounds with known therapeutic properties such as, highlights its potential as a promising vegetable for the treatment of several ailments.

Rutaceae family, especially genus Zanthoxylum L., are well-known for its occupancy diverse chemical components with significant pharmacological proficiency. This study aims to evaluate the leaf surface under a microscope, analysis of essential oil ingredients and estimate antibacterial activity of ethanol extracts from the leaves of Zanthoxylum odoratum L. cultivated In Iraq. Fresh leaves of Z. odoratum were collected from the Pharmacy Collage Botanical Garden, in February 2023.Using free-hand sections, the anatomy of the leaf was analysed and stomata and their types were identified. Hydrodistilling in a claviger apparatus was used to extract the essential oil and then the GC/MS system was used to determine its chemical composition. Antibacterial efficacy of ethanol extracts of Z. odoratum leaves was evaluated against two Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the well diffusion method and determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). The leaves have a single layer of epidermis. Lower epidermis was stomatiferous and the stomata are anomocytic. By hydrodistillation, the essential oils of Z. odoratum L. leaves were obtained and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The most plentiful category of compounds found in leaf oils is acyclic and non-cyclic monoterpenes. Additionally, monocyclic and bicyclical sesquiterpene. In general, D-Limonene, Methyl cinnamate, β-Myrcene and Humulene are the main constituents of this species. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of ethanol extracts of leaves were estimated against two Gram negative bacteria. While the extracts at lower concentrations exhibit considerable inhibitory action against E. coli, the extracts at all doses show different degrees of inhibitory activity against all P. aeruginosa bacteria.

Mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) is an important pulse crop in Asia due to its high nutritional value, rapid growth and ability to grow in a variety of environments. Despite its importance, mungbean production remains low due to a tiny genetic base and a lack of suitable parental lines for breeding operations. Using the line × tester mating design, this study investigated the combining ability and gene action for yield-related traits in mungbean. In summer 2021, at the Seed Breeding Farm, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, evaluated forty crossings derived from ten lines and four testers. The tests were conducted using a randomised block design with 3 replications. The analysis of variance revealed significant variations between genotypes for all the traits, indicating a high level of genetic variation. For most features, the variance in specialised combining ability (SCA) exceeded the variance in general combining ability (GCA). This shows that non-additive gene activity has a significant influence. TJM 196, HUM 1, TMB 37, TJM 136, Kanika and Virat were identified as superior general combiners, while crosses TMB 37 × Virat, PDM 11 × Virat, TJM 3 × Kanika, SL 668 × Kanika, TJM 136 × Shikha, TJM 196 × Shikha, TJM 196 × Kanika and HUM 1 × Shikha exhibited high SCA effects for yield and its component traits. The predominance of non-additive gene action suggests that heterosis breeding or hybridisation, followed by selection in segregating generations, has the potential to greatly boost mungbean yields. These findings provide important guidance for the selection of promising parental lines and cross combinations in future mungbean enhancement initiatives.

Pepper veinal mottle virus (PVMV; genus Potyvirus, family Potyviridae) primarily infects pepper but it also occurs in tomato and eggplant. Although several complete genome sequences of PVMV isolates have been found around the world, genomic information concerning the isolates preserved in Taiwan is still scarce. In this study, two isolates – Tom1 (derived from tomato) and EP1 (derived from eggplant), isolated in Taiwan, were examined using near-complete genome sequencing and infection assays. The near-complete genomic sequences of Tom1 and EP1, consisting of 9796 nucleotides, contained a 3073-amino-acid polyprotein, which is cleaved into the 10 general proteins found in potyviruses. A comparison of the genomic sequences of Tom1 and EP1 showed that the two have 94.3 % nucleotide sequence similarity. Phylogenetic analysis, using close to near-complete genomic sequences, placed the isolates of Tom1 and EP1, along with isolates from Taiwan, Japan and Korea, within a relatively conserved group. Gene-wise comparison showed high sequence conservation in the coat protein (CP), while moderate variation was observed in the P1, HC-Pro, CI and VPg regions. The two isolates exhibited isolate-dependent symptom expressions in selected experimental hosts, as observed qualitatively without quantitative assessment. No recombination signals were detected between Tom1 and EP1. This study provides updated genomic reference data for PVMV isolates from Taiwan and documents qualitative host infection outcomes, offering baseline information for future molecular, epidemiological and functional studies of PVMV.

The diffusion of agricultural innovations often falters when dissemination strategies fail to account for the heterogeneity in adopter characteristics. A prevalent, yet flawed, assumption of farmer homogeneity frequently leads to the misattribution of adoption failures to the technology recipients rather than to the design of the diffusion process itself. This study challenges this assumption by segmenting smallholder nutri-cereal growers in Uttarakhand, India, into distinct adopter categories to inform more effective, targeted policy and extension strategies. Utilising the Hurt Innovativeness Scale, data from 247 farmers were subjected to latent class cluster analysis. The analysis delineated five distinct adopter categories: Innovators (7 %), Early Adopters (13.5 %), Early Majority (30.7 %), Late Majority (30.7 %) and Laggards (18 %). A notable finding is that the proportion of Innovators (7 %) substantially exceeds the 2.5 % benchmark established in Rogers' classical diffusion theory. This deviation suggests a nascent but significant shift towards a more innovation-receptive agricultural landscape in the region, likely propelled by the ongoing commercialisation of nutri-cereals. The study concludes that recognising and leveraging this heterogeneity is crucial for accelerating the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. The identified clusters provide a robust framework for tailoring communication and intervention strategies, thereby enhancing the efficacy of innovation diffusion within smallholder farming communities.

The study utilised a line × tester mating design, crossing twelve diverse female lines with 3 male testers to develop 36 F1 hybrids, evaluated along with three check varieties. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three replications across two sowing environments: timely (E1) and late (E2) sown, for the study of 12 quantitative traits under sodicity conditions. Analysis of variance revealed highly significant genetic variability among genotypes for all traits in both environments. Combining ability analysis indicated the predominance of non-additive gene action for all studied traits, as specific combining ability (SCA) variance consistently exceeded general combining ability (GCA) variance, supported by high estimates of dominance variance and low narrow-sense heritability. Among parents, lines MP-1358 (for early maturity), UP-3043 (for plant height and grain yield) and DBW-302 (for spike length) were identified as superior general combiners. Tester LBRIL-102 also exhibited positive GCA effects for multiple yield components. Several crosses, notably PBW-821 × LBRIL-102 and GW-509 × LBRIL-102, demonstrated highly significant positive SCA effects for critical yield traits like grain yield per plant and harvest index. The study concludes that genetic expression, particularly of non-additive gene effects, was amplified under late-sown conditions (E2). The overwhelming predominance of non-additive gene action strongly suggests that heterosis breeding is the most promising strategy for genetic improvement of wheat for cultivation in sodic soils. The identified superior general combiners and specific cross combinations provide valuable genetic resources for developing high-yielding, stress-tolerant wheat hybrids.

The current research is the first conducted to record the native remedial flora utilised by the occupants of southern areas of Pakistan for the curing of dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse). For the contemporary study, an ethnomedicinal exploration of 3 chief rustic locations of southern regions (Thar Desert, Bahawalpur and Cholistan Desert) of Pakistan was conducted during January 2024 to February 2025. All through the current research, 20 curative flora belonging to 16 families were recognised. Lamiaceae was the chief family with 3 species. Likewise, the major life form was herbs (11 species). Similarly, the technique of formulation was decoction (11 species). The greatest value of informant consensus factor (ICF) was about 0.97 which enabled informants to attain orgasm. The maximum consensus index (CI) value was gained for Rosa gallica L. (98.4 %). Correspondingly, the maximum cultural significance index (CSI) was 52.4 for Nigella sativa L. Likewise, the uppermost value of relative frequency of citation for Tribulus terrestris L. was 0.56. The most used medicinal plants in the study area with 100 % FL were Cocos nucifera L., Cousinia stocksii C.Winkl., etc which were used to treat muscular pain along with contractions in the pelvic area, and to relieve aching feelings in non-penetrative sexual activity respectively. The current study recorded that 3 chief distant regions of southern areas of Pakistan have significant diversity of curative plants, for curing of dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse). Therefore, the present research provides a base for further pharmacological and phytochemical investigation for the assessment of their bioactive compounds that might leads to innovative drug discovery.

Increased production of crops utilising high yielding varieties requires larger input of macronutrients which has accelerated micronutrient deficiencies in soils. The soil micronutrient status indicates extent of depletion and future projections for prediction of their requirements, refinement of critical levels and delineation of micronutrient deficient and toxic areas. This study was carried out with the objective of generating soil fertility maps of Rajouri District of Jammu & Kashmir using geographical information system (GIS) approach. Mapping of diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA)-extractable cationic micronutrients and hot water-soluble boron (B) was carried out. Soil samples were collected from various land uses viz: agriculture, horticulture, forest, pasture and waste lands. The spatial visualisation of maps was done using inverse distance weight (IDW). The soil was found to be moderately acidic to moderately alkaline in reaction (pH 4.9 to 9.0) and free from the problem of salinity. The soil organic carbon (OC) content in the district ranged between 1.20 and 25.80 g kg-1. The DTPA-iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) content in soils varied from 1.26 to 58.03 mg kg-1, traces to 58.15 mg kg-1, 0.20 to 4.82 mg kg-1 and traces to 10.69 mg kg-1 respectively under various land use systems whereas hot water soluble B content varied from 0.10 to 5.95 mg kg-1. The content of Fe, Mn and Zn were higher in agricultural soils, whereas Cu and B content were found higher under horticultural soils. Soil micronutrient maps clearly showed areas where lack of micronutrients limited crop growth. Zinc was deficient in >50 % of sites; Fe and Mn were sufficient in >95 % of sites, 5 % sites were having low B content and approximately 35 % sites were having low copper content. The values of micronutrient content, organic carbon and clay content had a positive relationship. The study emphasises the need for targeted nutrient management strategies; especially zinc fertilisation in deficient areas, to support crop productivity. Additionally, managing organic matter and carefully using micronutrient fertilisers can help maintain long-term soil health and avoid future deficiencies.