<div>Food security is one of the major concerns for all developing countries of the world. Even though we had attained the highest food production with the use of new technologies, we may not able to feed the burgeoning population adequately in coming years due to stagnant crop productivity. Natural source of nutrients like organic manures and external source of nutrients, viz. fertilizers, are considered as the two eyes in plant nutrient management. Nutrient use efficiency of fertilizer is very low due to numerous pathways of losses such as leaching, denitrification, microbial immobilization, fixation and runoff. It has been estimated that around 40-70% of nitrogen, 80-90% of phosphorus, 50-70% of potassium and more than 95% of micronutrient content of applied fertilizers are lost in to the environment and results in pollution (Kanjana, 2017).&nbsp; 
 
Smart fertilizers like slow and controlled release fertilizers, nanofertilizers and bioformulation fertilizers are the new technologies to enhance the nutrient use efficiency their by improving crop yield in sustainable manner. The use of slow and controlled release fertilizers increase nutrient use efficiency, minimize the risks like leaf burning, water contamination and eutrophication. Nano-fertilizers are the nano-particles-based fertilizers, where supply of the nutrients is made precisely for maximum plant growth, have higher use efficiency, exploiting plant unavailable nutrients in the rhizosphere and can be delivered on real time basis into the rhizosphere or by foliar spray (Priyanka Solangi et al., 2015). The small size, high specific surface area and reactivity of nano fertilizers increase the solubility, diffusion and availability of nutrients to plants and enhance crop productivity. Bioformulation is microbial preparations containing specific beneficial microorganisms which are capable of fixing or solubilizing or mobilizing plant nutrients for promoting plant growth and crop yield. Smart fertilizers are the better option for the farmers to increase their crop yield with low input cost in sustainable way without degrading natural environment.</div>

<div>Smart Fertilizer Strategy for Better Crop Production</div>

<div>Background: Symbiotic associations between legumes and Rhizobia are ancient and fundamental. However, the plant growth-promoting endophytes other than Rhizobia are not yet fully explored for pulses productivity. The present study was aimed to isolate efficient endophytic bacteria from pulses, assess their diversity, screen their plant growth-promoting activities and to test their potential as bio inoculants for pulses. 
 
Methods: We have isolated several endophytic bacteria from pulse crops more specifically from blackgram (Vigna mungo) and greengram (Vigna radiata). After careful screening, 15 promising endophytic isolates were selected for this study. The identification of endophytic bacterial isolates was performed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The isolates were tested for their potential for the plant growth-promoting traits such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid production, siderophore secretion and antifungal activity. Pot culture experiments were conducted with the screened potential endophytic cultures. 
 
Result: The 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed that species of Enterobacter, Bacillus, Pantoea, Pseudomonas, Acromobacter, Ocrobacterium were found as endophytes in blackgram and greengram. The in vitro screening identified Bacillus pumilus (BG-E6), Pseudomonas fluorescens (BG-E5) and Bacillus licheniformis (BG-E3) from blackgram and Pseudomonas chlororaphis (GG-E2) and Bacillus thuringiensis (GG-E7) from greengram as potential plant growth-promoting endophytes. These strains showed antagonism against plant pathogenic fungi. Upon inoculation of these endophytic PGPR strains, the blackgram and greengram growth and yield got increased. Among the strains, BG-E6 recorded 14.7% increased yield in blackgram and GG-E2 accounted for a 19.5% yield increase in greengram compared to respective uninoculated control. The experimental results showed that there was a host specificity found among the endophytic bacterial cultures with pulses. The cross inoculation of endophytic strains did not perform well to enhance the growth and yield of their alternate hosts.&nbsp;</div>

<div>Assessing the Plant Growth-promoting Traits and Host Specificity of Endophytic Bacteria of Pulse Crops</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Exploring ecosystem services for environment sustainability is the trending area of research in the field of natural resource management (NRM). Water is an important entity of agro-ecosystem, dryland agriculture greatly suffers due to want of moisture. Bi-cropping is one practice where different crops are grown in proximity to realize various benefits under uncertainties of dryland agriculture. Literacy among multifarious benefits of bi-cropping over monoculture is fairly rich among the researchers as well as growers. However, bio-irrigation is one such co-benefits which address about drought alleviating strategies under bi-cropping practice. In this technique, deep rooted plants suck up water from deep moist sub-soil and deposit part of that sucked water in the upper dry soil layers due to water potential gradient, during this hydraulic lift and redistribution shallow rooted neighboring crops in close proximity gets due benefits of this lifted water in alleviating drought. This is high time to device cropping systems of water limited environment to unlock the potentiality of dryland production units. Based on the published studies Piliostigma reticulatum, Guiera senegalensis, Panicum maximum, Festuca arundinacea and Cajanus cajan were identified as potential bio-irrigator arid agro-ecosystem.</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">Bio-irrigation: A Drought Alleviation Strategy through Induced Hydro-parasitization under Bi-cropping Practices of Rainfed Agro-ecosystem: A Review</div>

<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: Monocropping of rice, widely practiced in many regions of India, has resulted in declining yield and soil health degradation due to continuous nutrient depletion, disrupted nutrient cycling and adverse changes in soil physicochemical properties. This unsustainable practice also reduces biodiversity and increases the vulnerability of food production systems to biotic and abiotic stresses. In view of these constraints, crop diversification through the inclusion of legumes and the adoption of sustainable production strategies are essential. 
 
Methods: The experiment was laid out in a Split-Plot Design (SPD) with three replications. Main plots included sole rice and rice + dhaincha, while sub-plots had six nutrient management treatments combining inorganic fertilizers, Enriched Farm Yard Manure (EFYM), vermicompost, AM fungi and foliar nutrients. 
 
Result: The results revealed that incorporation of daincha (M2) along with half dose of recommended nitrogen from inorganic fertilizer + quarter dose of recommended nitrogen from enriched farmyard manure + quarter dose of recommended nitrogen from vermicompost + AM fungi and foliar nutrients of 0.5% urea, 1% FeSO4&nbsp;and 0.5% ZnSO4&nbsp;(S6) increased the system productivity by 42.5%, system profitability by 49.0%compared to application of inorganic fertilizer alone. This integrated approach enhances yield, boosts productivity and profitability and ensures environmental sustainability in aerobic rice-blackgram cropping system. The aerobic rice-blackgram cropping system offers a sustainable alternative to traditional rice cultivation, addressing issues like climate resilience and declining soil fertility. 
&nbsp;

Decoding Resource Efficient Strategies to Enhance Ecosystem Services in Aerobic Rice-blackgram Cropping System

Background: Climate change is a major issue across the globe. The erratic weather conditions fluctuate to create uncertain and stressful abiotic conditions. With escalating abiotic stress analogous to the decline in freshwater accessibility and soil properties, global food security is at stake. 
 
Methods: The experiment was implemented in the spring seasons of 2022 and 2023 to assess the impact of different levels of hydrogel and crop geometric strategies on the growth and yield attributes of spring maize. The field trial was executed in split-plot design with three levels of hydrogel i.e., 0 (@ 0 kg/ha), 50% (@ 1.5 kg/ha) and 100% (@ 3 kg/ha); four crop geometric strategies i.e., normal spacing (70 x 25 cm); paired-row spacing (55-85 x 25 cm); normal spacing with seed capsule (70 x 25 cm) and paired-row spacing with seed capsule (55-85 x 25 cm). Here we correlate the outcomes with the factors in incapacitating the pessimistic effects of abiotic stress on spring maize. 
 
Result: The results revealed that the attributes were significantly affected by the employment of the combination hydrogel @ 3 kg/ha + paired-row spacing with seed capsule at (55-85 x 25 cm) which was also found effective in overcoming the abiotic stress. There was a significant enhancement of growth attributes as well as grain yield by 28.1% and 29.3%; stover yield by 24.4% and 19.9% compared to control in 2022 and 2023 respectively.&nbsp;

Efficacy of Different Levels of Hydrogel and Crop Geometric Strategies in Overcoming the Pessimistic Effect of Abiotic Stress on Growth and Yield Attributes of Spring Maize (Zea mays L.)

<div>Wide hybridization is an important plant breeding method as it helps in broadening the gene pool of a crop when the desired variation is not sufficient or absent within the same gene pool. Wild genetic resources are the potential source of desirable genes for various characters of crop plants. It plays a significant role in transferring traits of interest like disease and insect resistance, improved quality, earliness, dwarfness, increased yield, abiotic stress tolerance and manipulation in mode of reproduction etc. in crop plants. It has been instrumental in transferring disease resistance from wild species into many vegetable crops. For example, resistance to late blight, leaf roll and potato virus X, yellow vein mosaic virus and powdery mildew in okra, bacterial wilt, tomato leaf curl virus, early and late blight in tomato has been transferred from wild species into cultivated species. Wild species has been used to improve the quality traits of some crops like carotenoid content in carrot and tomato, starch content in potato etc. Sometimes distant hybridization leads to creation of entirely new crop species. Chromosome elimination technique followed by wide hybridization has been successfully used in the production of double haploids in some crops. However there are some lacunae in wide hybridization such as cross incompatibility, hybrid inviability, hybrid sterility and hybrid breakdown. Some special techniques viz. ploidy manipulation, pistil manipulation, growth regulators treatments, bridge crossing, grafting and embryo rescue have to be adopted to make distant hybridization successful in such cases.</div>

<div>Potential, Challenges and Strategies Involved in Gene Introgression from Wild Relatives of Vegetable Crops: &nbsp;A Review</div>

Climate change and global warming are of great concern to agriculture worldwide and are among the most debated and discussed issues in today&rsquo;s civilization. Climate change at the global level is leading to increased habitat loss, geographical shifts and increased extinction rates of biodiversity. The production of some crops like fruits and vegetables is dependent upon pollination by crop pollinators: bee and non-bee pollinators. Animal-based pollination puts up to 30% of global food production and bee-pollinated crops contribute to approximately one-third of the total human dietary supply. Nearly 75 percent of the world&rsquo;s food plants show increased fruit or seed set with insect visitation. The economic value of these services is estimated to be around 153 billion dollars per annum. If there is an increase in the average global temperature by 1.5-2.5&deg;C, then approximately 20-30 percent of the known species will be threatened which may lead to mass extinction. As a result, there is a serious risk of economic losses as well as challenges to human food security. Only 11 of the 20,000-30,000 species of bee are managed by farmers. Pollination by honeybees and wild bees significantly increased yield quantity and quality averaging up to 62%, while exclusion of pollinators caused an average yield gap of 37% in cotton and 59% in sesame. In India, studies carried out by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development revealed that apple productivity has declined as a result of inadequate pollination.

Impact of Climate Change and Global Warming on Crop Pollinators and their Mitigation Strategies: A Review

Background: The rise in unprecedented pressure of producing enough food for an ever-growing human population resulted in the use of considerable amounts of agrochemicals in crop production. To overcome this, inclusion of annual pulse crops such as cluster beans (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) in cropping systems is an alternative technique for enhancing output while minimising environmental impact. Therefore, to assess the influence of different crop production systems on yield, quality and soil fertility attributes of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.)-cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) crop sequence, a long term field experiment was conducted.&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted on fennel (Foeniculum vulgare L.) cluster bean (Cyamopsis tetragonoloba L.) crop sequence under AI-NPOF Project during 2016-17 to 2020-21 at ICAR-National Research Centre on Seed Spices, Ajmer (Rajasthan), India. The experiment was laid out as a factorial design based on randomized complete blocks (RCBD) with three replications. The first factor consisted of six production systems viz., (PS1) - 100% organic, (PS2) - 75% organic + 25% innovative practice (Compost extract, cattle urine), (PS3) - Integrated (50% organic + 50% inorganic), (PS4) - Integrated (75% organic + 25% inorganic), (PS5) -100% inorganic nutrient sources and (PS6) - State recommendation] including fennel (Rabi season) - cluster bean (Kharif season) cropping sequence, whereas the second factor included the environment over the period.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The outcomes of study revealed that production system (PS4) - Integrated (75% organic + 25% inorganic) resulted in the maximum seed yields and yield attributes of cluster bean (1501.87 kg ha-1) and fennel (1970.19 kg ha-1). The study shows that the production system (PS4) had a 17.29 and 30.75% increment of protein as compared to PS5 and PS1 in fennel and cluster beans, respectively. Under production system PS1, the per cent increment of soil organic carbon (~25.2%) and readily available N (~9%), P (~38.5%) and K (~Non-significant) were noted over the years respectively, compared with production system (PS5). A significant positive association was observed between fennel and cluster bean grain yield and soil organic carbon (P&lt;0.01) and the Shannon-Wiener indexes (R2 = 0.75, R2 = 0.69), respectively. The combined assessment of yield, quality, soil organic carbon and soil sustainability shows that rotations based on legume crops performed better and provided a model of sustainable crop intensification. Thus, adding legume to the cropping system and implementing integrated nutrient management (INM) could gradually improve soil quality in agro-ecologies where fennel predominates.

Long-term Experiment on Fennel-cluster Bean Cropping System as Affected by Production Systems: A Strategy for Improving Yield, Quality and Soil Fertility

<div style="text-align:justify">Background: The measure of energy flow in crop production system provides a good indicator of the production of technological aspects of crop production systems in agriculture. Sustainable agricultural management technologies should be studied in terms of increased productivity, profitability, energy saving and efficiency of agricultural inputs usage by using efficiency indices and sustainable indicators.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted at Agriculture Research Station, Janawada, Bidar during kharif and rabi seasons for two consecutive years (2014-15 and 2015-16) to know the energy use for achieving target yield. The experiement was laid out in randomized block design with three replications. The treatments viz., The two genotypes of soybean (JS335 and DSB 21) and chickpea (JG 11 and GBM 2) were tested for target yield of 2.0 t ha-1, 2.5 t ha-1, 3.0 t ha-1, 3.5 t ha-1, farmers practice and RDF were tested in medium black soils in randomized block design with three replications. The soil testing was carried out to determine the quantity of major nutrient for different target yields.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The experimental results revealed that the significantly higher energy efficiency (5.28 MJ ha-1), net energy (1,71,039.00 MJ ha-1), energy productivity (0.40 kg MJ-1), energy intensity (1,71,039.00 MJ ha-1) in physical terms (13.29 MJ kg-1) and economic terms (3.68 MJ Rs.-1), crop profitability (723.53 Rs.ha-1 day-1), system profitability (417.05 Rs.ha-1day-1) and relative economic efficiency (2.75) and soybean equivalent yield (5683 kg ha-1) were noticed in JS 335/JG 11 + target yield 3.0 t ha-1 compared to rest of the treatments. Thus, it could be concluded that various efficiency indices also used as alternative indices for achieving target yield in cropping system.</div>

<div style="text-align:justify">Energy use and Economic Analysis for Achieving Target Yield through Site Specific Nutrient Management in Soybean (Glycine max L.)- Chickpea Cropping System (Cicer arietinum L.)&nbsp;</div>