<div style="text-align:justify">Modern intensive monocropping system is becoming unproductive, pest ridden, loss incurring, and resource depleting and hence turning out to be untenable. Lack of discrimination in input use by farm managers and overall poor management are accelerating degradation and desertification processes, and loss of biodiversity particularly add in endangered regions. &nbsp;While, properly designed diverse and strategically located tree/seasonal crop based land use systems can contribute to ecologic services by mitigation land degradation, climate change and desertification, while conserving natural resources and biodiversity. Besides providing, diverse goods and services, on-farm diversity can be considered as an adoptive strategy in areas climatically and biologically vulnerable. Being a potential C sink, tree based land use systems can also mitigate negative impacts of CO2 emission. As green belt/bank these have an important role in maintaining air, water and soil quality in mining and industrial areas. The so-called cellulosic feedstocks can be grown on marginal land, enhance soil fertility by promoting the growth of various soil organisms, and provide a climate- friendly source of energy. There are plenty of underexploited but potential plant species which can find niche in the existing agroecosystems with substantial addition to total production while contributing sufficiently to ecological services. These needs to be identified and useful models are developed for specific situations.</div>

On-farm crop diversity for sustainability and resilience in farming - A review

Cowpea is a major legume crop native to Africa and it provides food for man as well as livestock. Even though it is widely cultivated in Africa, a second domestication was probably occurred in Asia. Cowpea can thrive in a range of soil types, pH and temperatures. Besides, changing lifestyle and climate variability have brought in enough scope for its cultivation. Variability studies in cowpea are highly significant in order to identify superior genotypes for the further improvement of the crop. The genetic diversity analysis will help in the identification of potentially distinct genotypes with contrasting traits which can be used to operate effective selection of genetically diverse genotypes for yield improvement as well as nutritional enrichment and climate resilience. Hence, the present review is focused on the studies carried out in different parts of the world to characterize the genetic diversity in cowpea germplasm. This work was done at the Department of Botany, University of Calicut, Kerala. The study reviewed and systematically evaluated the various practices implied to assess the genetic diversity in cowpea. Literature search was done during March, 2023- July, 2024. About 150 Research papers were screened from various data bases like Google scholar, ResearchGate and a total of 79 research papers were used to write this review article. Present review article reveals the significance of cowpea as a food&nbsp; and fodder crop and the characterization of cowpea genotypes as an important genetic resource for developing climate resilient crops. The review also shed light on origin and distribution of cowpea, cowpea breeding, tools for genetic variability assessment among cowpea genotypes, new and improved molecular markers that are utilized in research and future aspects of cowpea improvement for maintaining sustainable nutrition to society.

Genetic Diversity of Cowpea: Implications for Crop Improvement&nbsp; and Food Security: A Review

Background: Lablab (Lablab purpureus) is a potential vegetable crop cultivated throughout India. It is a tropical and subtropical vegetable adaptive to different climatic conditions and grown in all seasons. Thrips are one of the important pests of lablab as they affect all stages of the crop and transmit plant viruses. The current study aimed at identifying the thrips diversity present in lablab as a base for monitoring and management purposes.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: An exploratory survey was conducted to identify the diversity of thrips on lablab in its growing areas of Coimbatore. Furthermore, continuous monitoring of the lablab crops in TNAU orchard, Coimbatore, was done to explore all the life stages of thrips species and their diversity. Morphological and molecular characterization of the collected species was done using taxonomic keys and mtCOI DNA sequencing approach.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Thrips palmi and Thrips tabaci were observed during the crop&rsquo;s early stages before blossoming. Frankliniella schultzei is a polyphagous pest species that has been found infesting all phases of crop development, from early leaf through pod formation. During and after blooming, the four species Megalurothrips usitatus, Thrips parvispinus, Chaetanaphothrips orchidii and Haplothrips gowdeyi began to infest. Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were determined to be -1.739 and -0.1979. According to Shannon index, C. orchidii and T. parvispinus were the first and second predominant species after flowering. Taxonomic investigations of the collected species were done and substantiated with molecular identification of those analyzed species. A phylogenetic tree of the analyzed sequences was constructed to denote species divergence based on their specific sequences.&nbsp;

Identifying Diversity of Thrips on Lablab (Lablab purpureus): A Potential Vegetable Crop

Background: An exploratory survey programme was carried out to know the diversity and community structures of predatory and phytophagous mite fauna associated with pulses crops in West Bengal aiming for the development of a better and ecologically sound mite pest management strategy. 
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Methods: Mite samples were collected from different agro-climatic zones of West Bengal and the specimens were brought to the AINP on Agricultural Acarology Laboratory, BCKV, Mohanpur for mounting on glass slides by using modified Berlese&rsquo;s medium. The slides were then kept on slide wormer at 35-40oC for 5-7 days to process and then mites were examined with a phase contrast microscope. 
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Result: Altogether 13 species of Phytoseiid mites namely Amblyseius largoensis, Amblyseius herbicolus, Amblyseius bengalensis, Amblyseius parbatabasii, Amblyseius dahlia, Euseius alstoniae, Euseius ovalis, Paraphytoseius orientalis, Typhlodromips syzygii, Scapulaseius asiaticus, Scapulaseius moraesi, Phytoseius kapuri and Neoseiulus pranadae were recorded. Among them Neoseiulus pranadae was found as a predominant species associated with pulse crops, constituting 35.36% of the total Phytoseiid mite population followed by Amblyseius largoensis and Typhlodromips syzygii accounting 23.04 and 10.87 % of total phytosiid mite population, respectively. Phytoseiid family has been recognized as a beneficial group of mites that could be utilized for controlling harmful phytophagous mites as well as soft-bodied insect pests. Other predatory mites under the families Bdellidae, Ascidae, Stigmaeidae, Cunaxidae and Cheyletida were also recorded during the period of investigation. Tetranychus urticae, Eutetranychus orientalis, Schizotetranychus baltazari and Schizotetranychus cajani were identified as destructive phytophagous mite pests associated with pulse crops in West Bengal.

Diversity and Community Structure of Mite Fauna Associated with Pulse Crops in West Bengal

<div>Background: Freshwater in sufficient quantity and adequate quality is a prerequisite for human societies and natural ecosystems. To adequately feed 9.3 billion people in 2050, consumptive water use (i.e. transpired water) by all food and fodder crops needs to increase from its present estimated level of 7000 km3/year to 12,586 km3/year. However, fresh water resources are increasingly getting scarce because of increased competition among a multitude of users. Getting agriculture to perform with progressively smaller allocation of renewable water resources will remain a challenge on global scale. To meet the challenge there is an urgent need to improve the crop water productivity to ensure the sustainability of agriculture. 
 
Methods: An experiment was carried out at village Menawali, Hanumangarh, Rajasthan during both kharif and rabi seasons to assess productivity, economics, N-uptake and water use of different crops. An area of 187 ha comprising 25 farmers irrigated by common irrigation channels were selected to collect the information. The information required i.e. soil, crop management, growth, phonological, yields, water balance, N-uptake and water use efficiency of each crops were collected from 15 farmers. Bt-cotton and clusterbean of kharif and wheat and Indian mustard in rabi were prominent crops, cotton-wheat, cotton-mustard, clusterbean-wheat and clusterbean-mustard were major cropping sequences of the study region. 
 
Result: In kharif season, Bt-cotton gave higher economic yields than clusterbean and amongst rabi season crops, economic yields of wheat and mustard were 4255, 1778 kg/ha, respectively. The economic yield of cropping sequences varied from 3741-6514 kg/ha and were higher for cotton-wheat (6218 kg/ha), intermediate for clusterbean-wheat (5785 kg/ha) and lower for cotton-mustard (3741 kg/ha) and clusterbean-mustard (3308 kg/ha). The cotton-wheat (₹1181.2 mm) sequence had highest water use. Clusterbean-wheat cropping system recorded highest water productivity (16.5 kg/ha mm) followed by clusterbean-mustard (14.9 kg/ha mm). The clusterbean-mustard (₹456/ha mm) cropping sequence was most profitable and fetched highest net return followed by clusterbean-wheat (₹383/ha mm).</div>

Assessing Crop and Water Productivity Performance of Different Crops and Cropping Systems

Background: Genebanks serve as repositories for superior genes found within germplasm diversity. They play a crucial role as a source of desirable genes for crop improvement. The assessment and characterization of germplasm accessions remain essential, providing insights into identifying superior germplasm or potential donor for future breeding activities. 
 
Methods: In the present study, 258 germplasm accessions of pigeonpea and three checks (PT 0012, BSMR 736 and Asha) were used and same evaluated in augmented block design during the kharif season 2022 at Zonal Agricultural Research Station (ZARS) Kalaburagi. Genetic diversity, principal component analysis and correlation studies have been done using R software version 2023.12.1. 
 
Result: The 261 accessions were grouped into 7 clusters, with cluster three containing the largest number of accessions (87), followed by cluster four with 61 accessions. Clusters 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 contained 54, 27, 5, 21 and 5 accessions respectively, indicating greater genetic diversity for the traits under study. Correlation analysis revealed associations between seed yield and other important traits. Principal component analysis demonstrated the relationships between various traits and their impact on variability. A concise summary of the data was provided by the first three principal components, which collectively explained 64.30% of the variation. Based on the current study, genotypes IC73883, IC73961, IC73952, IC73975 and EC843239 were found to be superior with respect to seed yield and other related traits.

Unlocking Morphological and Genetic Diversity in Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.)] Accessions for Crop Improvement

<div>Marigold (Tagetes spp.) is one of the most popular flower crop commercially exploited for multipurpose use. Apart from great demand of marigold flowers, the plants use in phytoremediation and allelopathic effect has been greatly exploited. Marigolds can be used against plant parasitic nematodes as a cover crop in rotation, as an intercrop, or as a crop residue amendment. Successful use of marigold as trap crop is well on record whereas its use as potential natural herbicide needs to be explored. Essential oils obtained from marigold possess antibacterial and antifungal properties and are widely used in perfumery industries, as insect repellent and as flavor component. Its extracts can be explored as alternative natural insecticides towards the stored products. Use of marigold for its medicinal value for curing various diseases has been well documented. Carotenoids extracted from flowers are being used commercially in pharmaceuticals. Marigold extract also finds application in coloring foods and various dairy products. Marigold petals are used as additives for poultry feed, as they provide bright colors in egg yolks, skin and fatty tissues and also as emulsifying gum. Silver and gold nanoparticles have been synthesized from marigold for antimicrobial activity. This review paper discusses the research undertaken for various uses of marigold plant worldwide.</div>

​​Marigold (Tagetes spp.): A Diverse Crop with Multipurpose Value for Health and Environment: A Review

Background: Understanding genetic variability parameters, correlation analysis and employing multivariate techniques such as principal component analysis and diversity analysis are crucial for designing effective breeding programs and conserving germplasm in pigeonpea. Morphological studies, when combined with multivariate analysis, offer valuable insights into genetic diversity, aiding in the selection of diverse parental lines and identifying promising segregants in hybridization programs. 
 
Methods: The study utilized 155 diverse genotypes of pigeon pea, planted in a randomized complete block design with three replications during the kharif seasons of 2022-23 and 2023-24. Character association analysis, multivariate analysis like PCA and diversity assessment were utilized. 
 
Result: Principal component analysis was employed to assess variability, where the first two principal components explained 35.63% of the total variability, with traits such as DFF, DM, NSB and NPP contributing significantly to variance. Morphological genetic diversity was assessed using Mahalanobis D2 statistics and hierarchical clustering. Morphological diversity assessment grouped the 155 pigeon pea genotypes into 9 clusters, with cluster I being the largest (88 genotypes). Hierarchical clustering identified 6 distinct clusters, with cluster-I housing the highest number of genotypes (43). Interestingly, the study revealed non-consistent connections between morphological diversity assessments and the geographical origin of genotypes. Based on genetic D2 values, genotypes in clusters VI and VII, followed by clusters VI and VIII, were found to be the most genetically distant, suggesting their potential use in hybridization programs to create diverse progenies. Selecting desirable genotypes from different clusters based on their performance could lead to the development of superior recombinants through hybridization.

Assessment of Crop Genetic Diversity Utilizing Multivariate Analysis in Pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] Genotypes

Background: Broad bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important protein rich underutilized vegetable crop cultivated for its tender green pods and dry seeds. The present study was carried out to assess the genetic divergence among the broad bean genotypes collected for developing high-yielding cultivars. 
 
Methods: The experimental material consisted of 20 broad bean genotypes, raised in randomized block design with three replications at Horticultural Research Station, Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India during Kharif 2023. Data concerning 12 quantitative traits and 7 qualitative traits underwent examination using Mahalanobis D2 statistic, principal component analysis and stepwise multiple regression analysis. 
 
Result: The cluster analysis categorized the genotypes into nine clusters, with the highest number of genotypes in Cluster II (4) and the lowest in Clusters VII, VIII and IX (1 each). Cluster IV displayed the highest intra-cluster distance (D2=3358.2), signifying substantial variation among the genotypes within this cluster. The largest inter-cluster distance (D2=316.9) was observed between Clusters I and VII, indicating significant divergence from other clusters, suggesting that genotypes within these clusters could be valuable as diverse parents for hybridization and selection. The PCA combined with stepwise multiple regression analysis highlighted the primary variations and traits influencing pod yield.&nbsp;

Diversity Analysis for Phenotypic and Qualitative Traits of Broad Bean (Vicia faba L.): an Underutilized Vegetable Crop of India by Multivariate Analysis

<div>Deleterious effects of climatic changes and diverse environmental conditions, possess a major threat to agriculture in terms of growth and yield. So, to meet these challenges, there is a need to develop new crop varieties containing traits resistant against abiotic and biotic stresses and enhanced input use efficiency. Compared with domesticated cultivars, crop wild relatives maintains much higher level of genetic diversity. The high nutrient and bioactive content of many wild edible plants make them valued contributors for balanced diet and play significant role in human nutrition. In this review article, we discussed the importance of crop wild relative in crop improvement programs by giving examples of wild relatives that have been used to enhance abiotic and biotic stress tolerance and yield in various crop species. The advancement in DNA sequence technology enables plant breeders to produce high quality food. Further, combination of re-sequencing and de novo sequencing are efficiently used to explore genomic variation in crop wild relatives and moreover the genome analysis study results in detection of beneficial alleles in wild relatives which has been lost in cultivated species. Thus, conservation of genetic pool of crop wild relatives is essential to maintain sustainability of agriculture and food production.</div>