Convention for Biological Diversity (IUCN, 1992) visualize ‘biological invasion of alien species as the second worst threat after habitat destruction’. The present author studied Stewart’s Handbook (1869) on Punjab plants. The study is aimed at evaluating diversity of alien plant species and their implications on human life in different compartments. This attempt divulged 167 total plant species belonging 138 genera and 38 families. Of these, 110 species were exclusively found under cultivation in the erstwhile Punjab Province, whereas 52 species appeared naturalized and established in the region. Few species are both cultivated and wild in the region. They belong to different regions of the Old and New Worlds. Maximum number of aliens hail from various parts of Europe (45), America (41), Asia (Excl. India) (34) and Africa (33). The Mediterranean region (17) also contributed well. The figures in parenthesis denote number of alien species. Many others countries and geographical regions are represented by few species only. The results obtained are interpreted for their role in economy and bio-culture of the erstwhile Punjab Province which continue in the present Indian landmass.

Root-knot nematode (RKN) is a soil-dwelling microscopic roundworm microorganism. Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are the most common major pathogens of many crops throughout the world, impacting both the quantity and quality of marketable yields. Root-knot nematode which comes from Meloidogyne species is an obligate, parasitic nematode which can be found in varieties of plants, considered as a host to that particular nematode. Their potential host range encompasses more than 2,000 plant species. The presence of root knot nematode in the crops becomes one of the major problems nowadays because they cause great agriculture loss. Among the many genera of nematodes having some economic impact, Meloidogyne spp. are responsible for a large part of the annual 100 billion dollar losses attributed to nematode damage. This chapter discussed on management of root knot nematode, the symptoms of root knot nematode in different kind of crops.

Insecta is the largest class of phylum arthropods and members of this class are characterized by the presence of three pairs of legs; hence, called Hexapods, Besides, these tracheae organisms have usually one or two pairs of wings. Insects always have been associated with mankind in one way or the other as some of them are beneficial other are pests of crops and house hold articles. Chrysocoris stolli Wolf (Heteroptera- Pentatomidae-Scutellerinae): Chrysocoris stolli is a polyphagous phytosuccivorous bug found infesting many foods plants as mentioned in introduction chapter. To know the food preference experiments were conducted in laboratory. For this purpose, adults as well as nymphs were exposed to different parts of each host plants kept in wooden wire gauge cage. This experiment is showed that adults and nymphs fed only on the leaves, seed and inflorescence of food plants. Among a large number of food plants, ten plants were selected to know the preferential feeding of the bug population. The selected plants were Litchi chinensis, Croton bonplandianus, Adhotoda vessica, Croton sparisiflorum, Pannisetium typhoides (Bajra), Brassica compestries, Mangifera indica, Parthenium, Zizyphus mauritiana (Indian jujube), Cassia occidentalies. Then 25 adults and 25 nymphs of C.stolli were released in the cage having food plant parts after two, four and six hours. Then, the number of bugs was counted on each host plant part and noted.

Every year, 20%–40% of harvests are lost because of plant nuisances and pathogens. Existing plant sickness the executives depends prevalently on poisonous pesticides that are possibly unsafe to people and nature. Nanotechnology can offer points of interest to pesticides, such as decreasing poisonousness, improving the timeframe of realistic usability, and expanding the solvency of ineffectively water-dissolvable pesticides, all of which could have positive ecological effects. This survey investigates the two headings wherein nanoparticles can be used for plant malady the executives: either as nanoparticles alone, going about as protectants; or as nanocarriers for bug sprays, fungicides, herbicides, and RNA-impedance particles. Regardless of the few potential favorable circumstances related with the utilization of nanoparticles, very few nanoparticle-based items have been marketed for agrarian application. The shortage of business applications could be clarified by a few variables, for example, a deficient number of field preliminaries and underutilization of vermin crop have frameworks. In different ventures, nanotechnology has advanced quickly, and the best way to stay aware of this headway for horticultural applications is by understanding the key inquiries of the exploration and tending to the logical holes to give an objective and encourage the improvement of business nanoproducts.

Postharvest loss can be defined as the degradation in both quantity and quality of a food production from harvest to consumption. Loss of quality includes those that affect the nutritional value, the composition, acceptability and the edibility of the product. In developing countries qualitative and quantitative losses are generally occurs. The post harvest losses occurs on the different stages viz. harvesting, handling, brushing, drying, storage, primary processing, mixing, peeling etc. Potato is the very popular and nutritive tuber crop. During storage mechanical damage is the main properties. Mechanical damage to the potato tubers may occurs during transportation and harvesting. Mechanical damage to the potato tubers may occurs in the form of skin abrasion and bruises or dipper damage. Respiration, sprouting, water loss, relative humidity, chemical composition and the development of storage diseases are all influenced by temperature. At the time of harvesting 12.0 storage 0.8%, handling 8.8%, sorting 15.6%, processing 2% and super marketing 25% losses of potato. At the production level, farmer practices engender heavy losses. Land preparation and soil management are poorly conducted, and pests and diseases are ineffectively controlled, leading to low yields. The financial assessment of potato damage and loss along the value chain exposes the economic impact of this low performance in potato production. Per season, 19 per cent of produce is damaged or lost. Extrapolating these losses to the national production level. Temperature is the single most important factor in the keeping quality of stored potatoes.

Okra Abelmoschus esculentus (L), a Malvaceous vegetable which is cultivated throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of the world and India and different states of India too. Many of the pests occurring on cotton are found to ravage okra crop Okra shoot and fruit borer, Earias vittella (Fabricius) have emerged as a major pest of okra from last decades. Fruit infestation started at the beginning of fruiting, increased progressively up to harvesting and reached a peak. Further, it was noticed that the population of Earias spp. increased slowly up to mid-September and rapidly thereafter. Minimum temperature and relative humidity had a significant negative correlation with shoot borer infestation.

The present investigation entitled “Mass production of entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana (Metsch.) on liquid and solid media” was carried out at Bio Control Laboratory, Department of Entomology, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Meerut during 2018-19. In all there were eight treatments including control replicated thrice in a randomized block design. The results obtained in the study are summarized. The substrate for cost effective of Beauveria bassiana spore/ ml (1x106) cost incurred for the production of spores T10 Savoured dextrose broth (SDB) was the best low cost substrate and high production showed in the table 1 (Rs 5.55 and 150. 25 spore/ml), T11 potato dextrose broth (PDB) (Rs 7.10 and 129.10 spore/ml), and solid substrate T8 cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) + Molasses + 1% YE + 1.0 g Dextrose (Rs 6.25 and 102.55 spore/ml) and T7 black gram (Vigna mungo) + Molasses + 1% YE + 1.0 g Dextrose (Rs 6.10 and 83.35 spore/ml).

This study was conducted in Elkhwei, Elnhud localities in west Kordofan state, and Omdurman locality in Khartoum state with the aim of studying socioeconomic factors of age, marital status affecting the value chain actors of sheep in Sudan. The study targeted 300 respondents` sample size stratified randomly as producers, wholesalers, retailers, and processers to collect field data using questionnaires, group discussions, and interviews. The acquired data were analyzed to determine how socioeconomic factors affect the value change actors involved in sheep breeding and marketing. For the targeted socioeconomic factors of age, marital status, and education it was found that the majority of the producers and retailers tend to be younger as breeding and transporting sheep to markets requires toughness and agility of youth. The analysis showed value chain actors in case of marital status the majority of retailers are single and that can be attributed to their low income compared to other actors. On the other hand, the majority of producers, exporters, and processors are married. Also, it was found that most of the producers were less educated compared to the other actors. Graduates were dominant among retailers and wholesalers, but none of the processors attained graduate level.

Marigold is one of the important commercial crops among floriculture supplementing the regular income to small and marginal farmers of the Samba district of JandK Union Territory. Jammu being a city of temples consumption of flowers is more, but as compared to consumption production is very less. However, the major constraints of marigold cultivation are low productivity due to the lack of good quality seed, non adoption of recommended package of practices and lack of awareness regarding the economics of the crop as compared to cereals. To solve this problem, front line demonstration were conducted at the farming situation of Samba district with the participation of farmers after the baseline survey. The cultivation practices in this FLD (use of improved variety, proper nursery techniques and balance dose of fertilizers, important inter-culture operations and plant protection measures) increased the yield by 53.78 percent on an average over the farmer practice. The highest extension gaps were 72.75q/ ha while the technology index, which is inversely correlated to the feasibility of the improved technology in the farmer’s field was24.3 percent. The adoption of improved technology under FLDs resulted in higher gross returns (Rs 728000/ha), net return (Rs 643517/ha) and benefit: cost ratio (1:7.61) as compared to farmer practice.

Front Line Demonstrations (FLDs) on maize was conducted in five villages namely; Pipra in Jhansi District of Uttar Pradesh, Punchampura, Kunwarpura and Daryan Kala in Tikamgarh District and Sanora in Datia District of Madhya Pradesh. Total 40 farmers were selected on the basis of their socio-economic conditions. The main objective of the FLDs to improve the socio-economic condition of the Bundelkhand farmers, increasing the maize cultivated area during kharif season in Bundelkhand region and also utilization of the kharif fellow land for cultivation of maize crop. The results revealed that farmers were benefitted from the FLDs practice in comparison to their own traditional practices. The average yield production of maize from farmers practices and from FLDs practices was 12 quintals per hectare and 40 quintals per hectare, respectively. The cost: benefit ratios from farmers and FLDs practices was 1.2 and 3.6, respectively.