<div>Background: Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) palm is an important cash crop in India and third-largest producer of coconut in the world. In general, the skilled workers climb to harvest the coconuts from the tree without any safety device. The coconut trees are very tall and injuries associated with coconut tree climbing, particularly falling from coconut trees is common in coconut plantations. In order to rectify the problem, an appropriate cutting system needs to be developed. Hence the characterizing physical and mechanical properties viz., peduncle thickness, width, shape, size, moisture content, density and also the cutting blade characteristics, were studied. 
 
Methods: The observed characteristics were used for the effective design of the cutting module. The cutting blades were selected for the investigation viz, circular saw blade and saw tooth blade. The parameters selected for the investigation are cutting speed (S) at three levels (500, 700 and 900 rpm), the inclination angle of the blade (Ɵ) five levels (30, 45, 60, 75 and 90&deg;), type of the blades (B) (regular tooth and ripped tooth pitch) and thickness of peduncle (T) three levels (30, 40 and 50 mm). Similarly for chain saw, the velocity of cutting speed (S) at three levels (500, 700 and 900 rpm), the inclination angle of blade (Ɵ) at three levels (45, 60 and 90&deg;) and thickness of peduncle (T) three levels (30, 40 and 50 mm) were selected for the experiments. 
 
Result: The optimization of the selected levels of variables was done to achieve best performance to select the cutting speed, cutting angle and type of blade. The results showed that circular saw blades with irregular tooth pitch have higher cutting efficiency than circular saw blades with regular tooth pitch. It was found that cutting time increases linearly with decreasing cutting speed. It was observed that chainsaw gives better cut quality with minimum cutting time than saw blades.</div>

​​Selection of a Cutting Mechanism and Optimization of Parameters for Coconut Harvesting Drone

<div>Background: Wheat is the major cereal crop occupying an eminent place in economy of our country. About 10-15% wheat is lost annually due to ravages of stored grains pests during storage. The principal stored grain pest of wheat is red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) which is a cosmopolitan and most serious pest.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The present investigation was carried out in the Entomology Laboratory during 2020-2021, College of Agriculture, Central Agricultural University, Imphal to investigate eco-friendly management of rust red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum on wheat grains by using different inert materials viz., paddy straw, paddy husk ash, cow dung ash, coal ash, sand dust, saw dust, boric acid and one untreated control with the dose of 1.5 gm/100 gm of wheat grains.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results showed that the boric acid exhibited 100 per cent adult mortality of T. castaneum within 5 days after treatment. Afterwards the next best treatment was cow dung ash, coal ash shows the very effective in treatment in the adult emergence and grain weight loss. Whereas, saw dust shows the least effective treatment in the controlling adult emergence.&nbsp;</div>

Eco-friendly Approach for the Management of Rust Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) on Wheat Grains

<div>Background: Pea is a nitrogen-fixing legume. The interest in pea as soil-building crops is increasing day by day as the chemical fertilizers are becoming less available and more expensive. The use of fertilizers is also increasing leading to environmental pollution. The adverse effect of plastic mulch in agriculture is related to handling the plastic wastes and the associated environmental impact. The current study was aimed to search for organic alternatives to fertilizer and plastic mulch in order to overcome the defeatist effects on the environment. 
 
Methods: The present investigation entitled &ldquo;Effect of biofertilizer and mulch on growth, yield, quality and economics of pea (Pisum sativum L.)&rdquo; was conducted during Rabi season 2017-18 at the Experimental farm, Department of Agriculture, Mata Gujri College, Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, India. The experiment was laid out in factorial randomized block design (FRBD) with three replications. The treatments consisted of four mulches, M0-No mulch, M1-Paddy straw@5t/ha, M2-Maize stubbles@4t/ha, M3-Sawdust@10t/ha and four Rhizobium doses, B0-No Rhizobium, B1-Rhizobium@20g/kg of seeds, B2-Rhizobium@25g/kg of seeds, B3-Rhizobium@30g/kg of seeds and their combinations.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Conclusion: In the individual outcome of Rhizobium and mulch best results were obtained with the application of Rhizobium@30g/kg of seeds and saw dust@10t/ha. In interaction, Rhizobium@30g/kg of seeds and saw dust@10t/ha performed better as compared to other interaction treatments.</div>

<div>Effect of Biofertilizer and Mulch on Growth, Yield, Quality and Economics of Pea (Pisum sativum L.)</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Mulches are known to conserve soil moisture, provide organic matter, protect soil and improve the soil as a growing environment. A field experiment was conducted to assess the effect of various mulch materials viz. dry oil palm bunch, saw dust and dry elephant grass at 25, 50 and 25 tons ha-1, respectively along with black plastic mulch on some soil physical and chemical properties and the performance of castor bean plant (Ricinus communis). All the mulches were applied to a mulch thickness of 5cm &nbsp;in this study. Results showed that pH values, organic carbon content and total nitrogen were all significantly improved by mulching. Bulk density values were reduced to 1.10 - 1.18gcm-3 across all treatments, when compared to the control at 1.33gcm-3. At 6 WAP, plastic mulching increased number of leaves from 16 to 40 leaves per plant and capsule weight from 63.1 to 161.3g/plant; when compared with the control.</div>

Effect of mulch materials on soil physico-chemical properties and the performance of castor bean plant (Ricinus communis) in rivers state, Nigeria &nbsp;

<div>Background: Many plants are used to cure snakebites in Indian traditional medicine and some of them have been examined for their ability to neutralize snake venom. The main aim of the present study is the screening of phytochemicals, in vitro assessment of venom toxicity and neutralization assays and its antimicrobial assay. 
 
Methods: The phytochemical screening and thin-layer chromatography was used to determine and separate the chemical constituents present in the Calotropis gigantea. The direct hemolysis using sheep RBCs was studied for Echis carinatus venoms. The proteolytic, neutralizing and antimicrobial activity of the extract was also studied.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The phytochemical investigation of root extract of Calotropis gigantean and the TLC was performed. The Protein concentration of the lyophilized snake venoms was found to be 0.692 mg/ml. Echis carinatus venoms showed 89% hemolysis. Echis carinatus venom produced a reduced zone of hydrolysis with the extract. The absence of clot formation showed the neutralizing ability of plant extracts in gelatin liquefaction assay. Thus the scientific confirmation of neutralization potential of Calotropis gigantea plant extract against Saw scaled viper (Echis carinatus) venom was performed.</div>

Bioactive Potential of Aqueous Extract of Calotropis gigantea against Echis carinatus Venom

<div>Background: Chickpea is poor competitor to weeds because of slow growth rate and limited leaf development at early stage of crop growth and establishment especially in autumn season. Weed population and biomass in autumn chickpea are seven and two and half times higher than spring season of chickpea respectively. Mulching has a crucial role in weed suppression and moisture conservation in rain-fed condition where the trial was laid out.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted during 2019-20 to study the effect of different weed control methods and mulching on growth and yield of chickpea at Brahmanand Post Graduate College, Rath district Hamirpur Uttar Pradesh. Dry biomass at full growth stage was found maximum (18.14 g plant-1) in combination with alachlor pre-emergence application @1.0 litre ha-1 and saw dust @ 5.0 tonne per hectare.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Plant height and tertiary branches were counted maximum with the same method of weed control and mulching. Highest seed (49.32 q ha-1) was also calculated with the application of alachlor weedicide which was found superior over pendimethaline and mechanical weed control. Sawdust mulching application also produced maximum seed yield (48.73 q ha-1) followed by straw and grass mulching.</div>

Studies on the Effect of Weed Control Methods and Mulches on Growth and Yield of Late Variety of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Background: The multifaceted importance of pulses in India&rsquo;s agricultural landscape is explored along with its implications particularly the surge in pulse exports to regions such as the Middle East, Southeast Asia and Africa. By highlighting India&rsquo;s pivotal role as a global pulse producer and exporter, shedding light on its impact on foreign exchange earnings, employment generation, comprehensive analysis and overall economic growth is attempted. Two key objectives, relating to pulse production, import and export trends, the direction of pulse trade from India to major importing countries, through Markov Chain Analysis, market dynamics are uncovered.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The data on pulses production and export in terms of quantity and value in India were collected from secondary sources. 
 
Result: Pulse production remained relatively stable with moderate variability, exports experienced significant fluctuations, particularly in pulse quantities and values. Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) analysis confirms consistent production growth, with pulses showing positive CAGR figures. Impact of interaction between area and yield was significant as compared to area and yield independently.&nbsp; Pulse exports saw steady growth in both quantity and value. Further, The Markov chain analysis underscored Pakistan&rsquo;s stability as a primary export destination, while Bangladesh, the UAE and others exhibited varying degrees of export retention probabilities. Overall, the data reflects a stable domestic production environment and an increasingly dynamic international pulse export market for India.

Comprehensive Analysis of Production and Import Dependency of Pulses in India

The estimated chicken population of Ethiopia is about 57 million, of which 78.8% are indigenous characterized by low egg production, late maturing and long brooding behavior but celebrated for their hardiness, exceptional scavenging abilities and robust natural immunity against common diseases. The objective of this paper was to review the genetic diversity and improvement interventions of indigenous chicken populations. The review process was started by collecting research articles that were done on genetic diversity and chicken genetic improvement strategies by searching tools such as Google Scholar, PubMed and Web of Science with search terms genetic diversity,&nbsp; genetic characterization and chicken genetic improvement. Lastly, we organized ideas and the write-up was done. Indigenous chicken shows high genetic diversity within the population. The indigenous chickens have high number of alleles (6.25), an effective number of alleles (4.85), observed (55%) and expected (57%) heterozygosity and 90% within-population variation which is considerable variation as unselected African native chickens. Higher heterozygosity levels and considerable genetic variation warranted a further use of ecotypes in improvement through selective breeding. Genetic marker studies showed positive selection signatures of improved from unimproved local chickens. Selective breeding done on Horro chicken breed in Ethiopia saw a remarkable 107.7% and 176.4% improvement in body weight egg number. Uncontrolled dissemination and indiscriminate crossbreeding resulted in the erosion of adaptive local genetic resources. Therefore, improving and conserving indigenous chicken with selective breeding combined with molecular techniques and further studies on the genetic control of productivity traits are very crucial. 
&nbsp;

Genetic Diversity of Ethiopian Indigenous Chickens a Base for Sustainable Genetic Improvement: A Review

<div style="text-align: justify;">Biology of pulse beetle (Callosobruchus maculatus F.) was studied on pigeonpea grains during 2014-15 in laboratory conditions. The adult beetle was oval in shape and reddish-brown in colour, with dark stripes on each side of dorsal abdomen with average fecundity of 74.8&plusmn;1.8 eggs per female. The average incubation period was 4.2&plusmn;0.2 days with hatching 98.2&plusmn;0.3 percent. Average larval-pupal period, oviposition, post-oviposition period, total life period and adult life span were 21.3&plusmn;0.3, 8.2&plusmn;0.5, 2.8&plusmn;0.5, 33.3 &plusmn;2.4 and 12.0&plusmn;2.1 days, respectively. The effect of nine botanicals viz., neem oil, mustard oil, groundnut oil, turmeric powder and their mixture and surface protectants viz., neem seed kernel powder, saw dust, sand, dung cake ash and wheat husk were used on pigeonpea seed against Callosobruchus maculatus. The highest mortality (84-100%) was observed by neem oil @ 10ml/kg and lowest (3.33%) by turmeric powder @ 3.5g/kg seeds, after 135 days of storage. Neem oil @ 10ml/kg was completely inhibited the oviposition, adult emergence and seed damage. All the oils and inert materials prevented egg laying, reduced population build up of beetles and minimized the seed damage as compare to control. &nbsp;</div>

Biology of pulse beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) and its response to botanicals in stored pigeonpea, Cajanus cajan (L.) grains

<div>Background: The main challenge confronting both rainfed and irrigated agriculture is to improve water use efficiency (WUE) and sustainable water use for agriculture. A field experiment was conducted during early summer season of 2020 to study the effect of drip irrigation combined with organic mulching on soil moisture, growth, yield of tomato grown on alfisols at the college farm of College of Agricultural Engineering, Madakasira, Ananthapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The experiment was laid out in completely randomized block design (CRBD) with seven treatments comprising of various organic mulches. The treatments were T1 - Sawdust + Irrigation based on daily crop water requirement, T2 - Ragi straw + Irrigation based on daily crop water requirement, T3 - Groundnut shells + Irrigation based on daily crop water requirement, T4 - Groundnut shells + Irrigation once in every two days, T5 - Saw dust + Irrigation once in every two days, T6 - Ragi straw + Irrigation once in every two days and T7 - Control (without mulch) + Irrigation based on daily crop water requirement. All the treatments were replicated thrice. The plot size of each treatment was 4m &times; 2.5m.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results revealed that throughout the crop growth period, T3 - Groundnut shells + Irrigation based on daily water requirement maintained soil higher moisture content to an extent of 132-146% as compared to control T7 (Control + Daily water requirement). The fruit yield obtained with T3 - Groundnut shells + Irrigation based on daily water requirement was significantly higher (8.8 t/ha) as compared to control T7 (Control + Daily water requirement) (7.6 t/ha). The highest water use efficiency (39.6 kg/ha/mm) was noted with T4 - Groundnut shells + Irrigation once in every two days), whereas T7 (Control + Daily water requirement) registered minimum WUE (16.3 kg/ha/mm). Weed dry matter and weed index was found to be higher (50% to 100%) in T7 (Control + Daily water requirement) throughout the crop growth period as compared to all the treatments applied with organic mulches. Our results indicated that T3 - (Groundnut shells + Irrigation based on daily crop water requirement) resulted in the highest plant height, number of fruits per plant and high water use efficiency as compared to without mulching. Further, under irrigation water constraints, groundnut shells mulch and drip irrigation once in two days was found to be effective in attaining higher WUE.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div>