<div>Background: Zea mays (L.), commonly known as maize or corn, is a diploid (2n= 2x= 20) grain crop which belongs to the family Poaceae. It is important to protect and prevent unauthorized commercial usage of hybrids at large scale, which can be best done through molecular profiling. The present study was operated with the purpose to obtain specific simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers which can identify maize hybrids from their parental lines.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: For this work, seven maize hybrids viz. HM 5, HM 8, HM 9, HM 10, HM 11, HM 12 and HM 13 along with their ten respective parents were used. A total of 45 SSR primers, well distributed on all the 10 chromosomes of maize were used for polymerase chain reaction amplification. 
 
Result: Molecular study using SSRs resulted in 12 polymorphic and 24 monomorphic markers. Three SSR primers viz. pumc2246, pumc1020 and pumc1040 could clearly distinguish different hybrids and their parents. The study will be useful in detecting unwanted seed mixing with the hybrid seeds.</div>

Molecular Profiling for Identification of Zea mays L. True Hybrids

<div>Background: Understanding the sociological structure of weeds in crop fields is a pre-requisite for effective management. Identification and quantification of weed species found in different crops are possible to provide strategies for weed control. The exploration studies of weeds in agro-ecosystems are meager in Telangana, so that the present study has initiated to explore the weeds and educate the local farmers about the impact of agrestals and it will be of immense helpful to control the loss of crop productivity first of its kind in the region. 
 
Methods: The inventory of agrestals was carried out in 33 districts of Telangana State during 2016-2020 in two growing seasons (kharif, rabi) and it is an overview in agro-ecosystems.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The study focuses on the documentation of weed taxa in agricultural fields and recorded ca. 249 plant taxa pertaining to 150 genera and 47 families. Cyperaceae is the predominant family with 38 plant species followed by Poaceae (33 spp.), Asteraceae (20 spp.), Euphorbiaceae (17 spp.), Amaranthaceae (16 spp.). Echinochloa crus-galli is the dominant taxon in paddy crop with its mimic, where Cyperus rotundus is a serious competitor in many cultivated crops. The present study is very climacteric for farmers, agronomists and plant breeders for cognizance, to know the intensity of weeds impact and management skills.</div>

Inventory of Agrestals in Telangana, India: Their Impact and Management

<div style="text-align:justify">Oat (Avena sativa) belongs to the grass (Poaceae) family. It has been recognized as a healthful and nutritious cereal containing high concentration of soluble fiber compounds such as &beta;-glucan, which are beneficial for digestive system and preventive against colon rectal cancer help to maintain an optimal weight due to high fiber content. It also contains antioxidants, vitamins, phenolic acids sterols and phytic acid which has essential role in our body functioning. The key cholesterol lowering ingredient in oats is soluble fiber. &beta;-glucans, the most important cereal non-starch. &beta;-glucan, is abundant in oat kernels and exhibits a high viscosity at relatively low concentrations. Viscosity is an important rheological property of &beta;-glucan and is associated with beneficial physiologic responses that mediate appetite regulation. Oats were traditionally eaten as porridge with salt or sugar were added recent modern product innovation has created an array of oat products (Oat breads, oat cakes and oats milk etc.). Oats are used as an additive in Cereal breakfast, baked goods, oat milk and oat powder is incorporated in many Dairy products like (low-fat ice creams, yoghurts, cheese and other fermented drinks). It is stated that 3 g/day oat &beta;-glucan reduced the total and LDL cholesterol by five to ten per cent.</div>

Oats as a Functional Food

Background: Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a giant grass, belonging to the Poaceae family, and is considered as a crop of economic importance. It is the second largest agro based industry involving nearly 50.00 million farmers, their dependent and a large mass of agriculture labours. It is also known as noble cane, due to its high sucrose content and is mostly used for manufacturing of jaggery and crystalized sugars. Its consumption is very popular worldwide but there are few studies that focus on post-harvest storage of sugarcane stalks. The objectives of this study was to evaluate the quality of stored sugarcane stalks as well as fresh juice extracted from stored canes. 
 
Methods: During the investigation sugarcane variety Co238 were cleaned and grouped into bundles containing 5 stalks for each replicate (3) and then stored under both ambient (17-22&deg;C temperature and 45-52% RH) and refrigerated temperature (4&plusmn;1&deg;C temperature and 60-65% RH). The parameter studied were weight loss, juice yield, total soluble solids, titratable acidity and pH at every 15 days interval for 120 days.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Study showed that among both the storage, refrigerated condition for storage of sugarcane stalks was found better to retain the maximum juice yield (40.09%) with minimum weight loss (5.15%) and maintain the quality for longer period as compared to ambient storage condition.

Storage Stability of Sugarcane Stalks

Background: Maize (Zea mays L.) belongs to the family poaceae is one of the most important cereal next to rice and wheat in the world. Maize is referred to as the &ldquo;queen of cereals&rdquo; and may be produced all year due to its photothermic-insensitive traits and highest genetic yield among the cereals. Sodium nitroprusside (SNP) is a chemical compound that has multiple implications and positive modulating effects on mitigating different abiotic stresses especially water deficit regimes. SNP enhances the nutrient uptake and anchoring of the plant root system and also mitigates water stress. 
&nbsp; 
Methods: In this context, a field experiment was designed to study the impact of foliar application of SNP on certain morpho-physiological, biochemical and yield parameters of kharif maize grown under rainfed condition. A randomized complete block design (RBD) was employed, with treatments including different concentration of SNP (100, 200, 300 and 400 &micro;M SNP) exogenously applied on maize crop (variety- CP-858) at various critical growth stages. 
&nbsp; 
Result: Significant differences were observed with reference to various morpho-physiological, biochemical and yield traits under control and treated plots. Results indicate significant improvements in these parameters following SNP application in comparison to control which significantly implies its possible role in mitigating water stress under rainfed condition. 
&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Impact of Foliar Application of Sodium Nitroprusside on Certain Morpho-physiological, Biochemical and Yield Parameters of Kharif Maize (Zea mays L.) Grown under Rainfed Condition

Background: The perennial herbaceous pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana: Poaceae) integrates ecological and ornamental functions, serving both environmental rehabilitation and landscape enhancement. Its robust stress tolerance also positions it as a valuable genetic resource for improving resilience in other plant species. The study aimed to analyze characteristics of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in the transcriptome of pampass grass (Cortaderia selloana) to lay a foundation for developing molecular markers for this species. 
 
Methods: Using C. selloana leaves, high-throughput sequencing was performed on the NovaSeq &times; Plus platform. SSR loci were identified from transcriptome data using MISA software, followed by analysis of their distribution and sequence characteristics. 
 
Result: A total of 333.731 reference sequences (unigenes) were obtained, among which 20.684 SSR loci were mined (frequency of occurrence 6.20%, average distribution distance 7.47 kb). SSR repeat motifs were dominated by mononucleotides (7781 SSRs, accounting for 37.62%), trinucleotides (8232 SSRs, 39.80%), and dinucleotides (4064 SSRs, 19.65%). Among 171 repeat motifs, A/T mononucleotide motifs predominated (91.34%), followed by AG/CT dinucleotide motifs (60.58%). SSR repeats were mostly distributed within the 6-15 range, with numbers of all six nucleotide repeat types progressively decreasing as motif repeat count increased. SSR lengths were mostly concentrated in the 12-40 bp range, with SSRs within this length range accounting for 56.90% of all SSR loci. Among these, 3329 SSR loci (16.10%) exhibited higher polymorphism potential (length &gt; 20 bp). SSR loci in C. selloana exhibit high frequency, diverse repeat motifs, high polymorphism potential and considerable potential for research on genetic diversity, molecular identification of cultivars, and development of novel molecular markers in this species.

Analysis of SSR Characterization in Transcriptome for Pampass Grass Cortaderia selloana

<div>Background: Proso millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) was considered a self-pollinated annual crop that belongs to the family Poaceae. It was well adapted to many soil and climatic conditions. The productivity was low due to the use of poor quality seed, little or no use of fertilizers, traditional methods of cultivation, delay in nursery sowing and late transplanting. The Integrated Nutrient Supply System (INSS) approach involves the combined use of chemical fertilizers, organic manures and micronutrient fertilizers, which ensures higher crop productions and also helps to restore and sustain soil fertility. Therefore, the study was focused to manage the timely transplanting together with the suitable nutrient combination. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted to study the &ldquo;Effect of seedlings age and different nutrient combinations on growth and yield of Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) in lateritic soils of Western Ghats&rdquo; during Kharif, 2016. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with four main plots and five subplot treatments. The main plot treatments composed of four ages of seedlings viz. 20, 30, 40 and 50 days. and five subplot treatments of nutrient combinations viz., 100% RDF, 75% RDF + 25% N through FYM, 50% RDF + 50% N through FYM, 25% RDF + 75% N through FYM and 100% N through FYM. Thus, there were twenty treatment combinations, replicated thrice. 
 
Result: Results revealed that the proso millet crop transplanted with 30 days old seedlings recorded significantly higher grain yield and straw yield over all other treatments. In nutrient combinations treatments, 100% RDF through chemical fertilizer recorded significantly higher mean plant height hill-1, number of functional leaves hill-1, number of functional tillers hill-1 and plant dry matter accumulation hill-1 than the other treatments and also produced significantly highest yields and yield attributing characters compared to the rest of the nutrient combinations.</div>

<div>Effect of Seedlings Age and Nutrient Combinations on Growth and Yield of Proso Millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) in Lateritic Soils of Western Ghats</div>

<div>Background: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) an important self-pollinated and hexaploid (2n = 6x = 42) cereal crop belongs to the grass family Gramineae (Poaceae). With the gradual increase in human population, there is a substantial increase in the demands for food requirements. Hence, increasing the wheat production is an important goal to overcome the demand of food. The only alternative is to increase productivity by better crop management techniques and introduction of high yielding varieties. The current study aimed to study the genetic diversity in wheat genotypes for further selection and utilization in breeding programmes and identification of transgressive segregants for genetic improvement in wheat crop.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: In the field investigation during 2017-2019, forty genotypes were evaluated at research farm of Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Kisan P.G. College, Simbhaoli, Hapur (U.P). The observations were recorded on five randomly selected competitive plants from each genotype in each replication and recorded data from each replication was subjected to statistical analysis.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Significant differences were observed for all the characters studied in both environments (early and late). Highest GCV and PCV were recorded for flag leaf area, number of tillers per plant and grain yield in both environments. Plant height, days to 50% heading and grain yield in early sowing and for plant height, gluten content and grain yield exhibited high heritability estimates in late sowing. Biological yield and harvest index showed positive and significant association with grain yield under both environments. Biological yield and harvest index have positive and direct effect on grain yield in both environments. Forty genotypes were grouped into seven clusters in early sowing and six clusters in late sowing. Maximum inter cluster distance was observed between clusters VI and IV in early sowing and between cluster III and II in Late sowing. Genotypes PBW-34 showed wide genetic diversity in both the environments (early and late sowing). Based on the divergence studies it is suggested that maximum heterosis and good recombinants could be obtained in crosses between the genotypes of clusters which showed highest inter cluster distance and these genotypes can be utilized in crop improvement programmes.</div>

<div>Assessment of Genetic Diversity and Character Associations for Yield and Its Traits in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)</div>

<div>Background: Avena sativa L. (common oat) is the most important among the cultivated oat belongs to the Poaceae family and is known as Jai or Javi in Indian subcontinent. It is important winter forage in many parts of the world and is grown as multipurpose crop for grain, pasture, forage or as a rotation crop. 
 
Methods: A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of Zinc Sulphate and Borax on growth, yield components, yield and economics of oats seed production in red and lateritic soil of West Bengal during rabi seasons of 2015-16 and 2016-17 at agricultural farm, Institute of Agriculture, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, West Bengal. The experiment was laid out in Factorial Randomized Block Design having two factors each with four levels (Zinc Sulphate with 0, 15, 20 and 25 kg/ha as well as Borax with 0, 5, 10 and 15 kg/ha). 
 
Result: Pooled data over two years of experiments showed that soil application with Zinc Sulphate and Borax at various levels significantly influenced growth attributes (dry matter accumulation, leaf area index and crop growth rate), yield components (no. of panicles/m2, no. of filled grains/panicle and test weight), yield (seed yield, straw yield and biological yield) and economics of oats seed production. With increasing levels of ZnSO4 application, highest number of panicles/m2 (196.27), seed yield (3.00 t/ha), straw yield (6.94 t/ha) and biological yield (9.85 t/ha) were obtained at 25 kg/ha though these were at par with 20 kg ZnSO4 /ha. Higher number of filled grains/panicle (76.47), test weight (29.93 g), seed yield (2.95 t/ha), straw yield (6.70 t/ha) and biological yield (9.63 t/ha) were found with application of borax @ 10 kg/ha. The highest gross return, net return and return per rupee investment was achieved with application of ZnSO4 @ 20 kg/ha (₹ 1,17,257/ha, ₹ 68,997/ha and 2.65, respectively) which was significantly higher than both of 25 kg ZnSO4/ha (₹ 1,15,051/ha, ₹ 64,489/ha, and 2.52, respectively) and&nbsp; 15 kg ZnSO4/ha &nbsp;(₹ 1,05,198/ha, ₹ 59,240/ha and 2.44, respectively). Similarly, highest gross return, net return and return per rupee investment was obtained with application of borax @ 10 kg/ha (₹ 1,15,537/ha, ₹ 69,070/ha and 2.67, respectively). &nbsp;A significant interaction between Zinc Sulphate and borax was found towards seed yield, biological yield, gross return, net return and return per rupee investment in oats seed production.&nbsp; Use of ZnSO4 at 20 kg/ha and borax at 10 kg/ha conjunctively achieved highest seed yield (3.28 t/ha), biological yield (10.81 t/ha), gross return (₹ 1, 27, 530/ha), net return (₹78,760/ha) and return per rupee investment (₹3.78) in oats seed production.</div>