Pearl millet, Pennisetum glacum treated with Mycorrhiza, Rhizobium, and Trichoderma microbes, could grow in highly contaminated mercury soil. Microbe-mediated tolerance of this plant and the mechanism involved was studied after growing pearl millet in 100 ppm of mercury-contaminated soil for 120 days. The different parameters analyzed were associated with photosynthesis and the stability of the cell membrane. Mercury contamination led to the inhibition of growth in the leaves and reduced photosynthesis and membrane stability. The defensive mechanism of P. glacum under mercury stress was aided by Mycorrhiza, Rhizobium, and Trichoderma and Hg-related toxicity in the soil was averted. Photosynthetic parameters such as chlorophyll a b, carotenoids, and anthocyanin were quantified. The stability and injury of the cell membrane were measured. The results showed a significant role of microbes in improving the tolerance of P. glacum against metal stress in the soil.. KEYWORDS :Antioxidants, Chlorophyll, Mycorrhiza, Pearl millet, Trichoderma, Rhizobium

The study determined the effect of alcoholic extract of common purslane, Portulaca oleracea, Java grass, and Cyperus rotundus oil in controlling the two-spotted spider mite on okra plants. The results of laboratory experiments showed the efficiency of purslane alcoholic extract was highly toxic to adult mites, but its effect was limited on eggs. In contrast, Cyperus oil was highly effective against mite eggs and adults. Cyperus oil gave the highest mortality of 86.94%, with significant differences from the purslane extract, where 68.61% mortality was observed and differed significantly from the control treatment. An increase in mortality increased with concentration, and the highest mortality of 95.83% was achieved at 5%, compared to the mortality of 59.58% at 1% treatment. The ovicidal activity was significant after the C. rotundus oil treatment compared to the purslane extract application. Cyperus oil reduced egg hatching by 42.50%. However, purslane extract did not affect the hatching significantly (91.70% hatching) and was not significantly different from the control. In general, the hatching rate decreased with increasing concentration of Cyperus oil and was only 40% at the 5% treatment compared to 60 and 96.70% at 1% treatment and controls, respectively.. KEYWORDS :Biological control, Cyperus rotundus, Insecticidal, Ovicidal, Portulaca oleracea, Tetranychus urticae

Due to concerns about the adverse effects of synthetic pesticides on the environment and human health, there is a growing preference for environmentally friendly and safe pesticides. However, hard evidence to verify their low-risk characteristics is scarce. This work attempted to compare the effects of a chemical pesticide (alpha-cypermethrin) and a biopesticide (emamectin benzoate) on the growth of indigenous nitrogen-fixing bacteria. These bacterial strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of bean plant samples obtained from farmers? fields where these two pesticides were sprayed on bean crops. The results revealed that at the field-recommended concentration of both pesticides, the growth of the isolates in both nutrient-rich and nitrogen-free media remained largely unaffected. However, the bacteria?s absolute growth inhibition was recorded as the pesticide concentration increased. When the Tryptic Soy Broth medium was supplemented with a pesticide concentration 10 times higher than the recommended dose, up to 85.7% of the isolated strains were completely inhibited in growth when exposed to alpha-cypermethrin. In contrast, only 17.9% of bacterial strains were completely inhibited when exposed to emamectin benzoate. In a nitrogen-free medium, the proportion of inhibited bacteria was absolute when the medium was supplemented with alpha-cypermethrin and emamectin benzoate at a dosage 10 times higher than the recommended concentration, which reached 92.9% and 28.6%, respectively. The strains that exhibited higher tolerance to both pesticides were identified as Niallia nealsonii ND15 and Rhizobium subbaraonis ND27. Our findings emphasize the importance of minimizing pesticide accumulation in the soil to protect the viability of soil-beneficial bacteria and ensure soil quality for safe and sustainable crop production.. KEYWORDS :Alpha-cypermethrin, Emamectin benzoate, N-fixing bacteria, Pesticides tolerance, Toxicity assessment

The objective of the research was to investigate the impact of Trichoderma harzianum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, and Rhizobium, separately and together, on inducing systemic resistance in chickpea plants when exposed to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp ciceris. Various parameters such as wilt incidence, plant growth promotion, yield, peroxidase activity, polyphenol oxidase activity, and total phenol content were assessed after treating chickpea seeds (GNG-469) with these bioagents. The findings from in vitro experiments indicated that the treatment T14, which involved the combination of 1% T. harzianum, 2% P. fluorescens, and 2% Biochar, was the most potent combination of bioagents. Compared to the untreated control, this treatment considerably reduced wilt incidence and enhanced root length, shoot length, and overall yield. Furthermore, treatment T14 increased peroxidase activity by 1.4%, polyphenol oxidase activity by 1.6%, and total phenol content by 2.3% in chickpea plants during Fusarium wilt disease. These findings have crucial implications for creating innovative formulations utilizing fungal and bacterial bioagents to effectively control wilt disease in chickpea plants. Rhizobium exhibited the lowest growth inhibition (23.13%), and T. harzianum showed the highest growth inhibition (66.38%) in vitro compared to control. New generation fungicide such as Amistar top T5 (18%), the positive control, was highly effective against this soil-borne pathogen; however, chemical pesticides with hazardous implications must be replaced by ecofriendly biocontrol agents.. KEYWORDS :Systemic resistance, Chickpea wilt, Fusarium oxysporum ciceris, Biochar, Fungicides, Bioagents

This review addresses the persistence, breakdown, and microbial transformation of xenobiotics. The prevalence of xenobiotics in our environment has emerged as a critical concern, given their inherent resistance to degradation. These compounds can endure for extensive periods, often spanning decades. Approaches encompassing physicochemical and biological facets have been deployed to dismantle xenobiotics, allowing for their safe disposal. The influx of synthetic chemicals from human activities has elevated their levels significantly beyond natural thresholds in the ecosystem. Remarkably, microorganisms in the environment possess the capacity to biodegrade natural compounds, yet their efficacy varies when it comes to xenobiotics. Multiple factors, such as concentration, pH, temperature, water availability, nutrient availability, and the presence of alternative organic compounds, shape the degradation kinetics of xenobiotics. These intriguing compounds are amenable to unique microbial processing due to the diverse array of enzymes at the microbes? disposal. This symbiotic interaction often leads to nutrient and energy exchange between the exogenous compound and the microbial host. Xenobiotics can undergo metabolic transformations with structurally analogous substrates. Microbes exhibit the ability to conjugate xenobiotics with standard cellular metabolites. A range of microorganisms, including Cellulosimicrobium, Microbacterium, Candida, Sphingobium, Micrococcus, Methanospirillum, Alcaligenes, Aeromonas, Flavobacterium, Rhodococcus, Streptomyces, and fungal genera, such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Trichoderma, Rhodotorula, and Aureobasidium, have been extensively studied for their xenobiotic degradation potential in various environmental niches, encompassing soil, and water environments.. KEYWORDS :Bacteria, Biotransformation, Degradation, Fungi, Microorganisms, Toxicity, Xenobiotics

Farmers in India have benefited considerably from the combination of satellite-enabled services and data obtained on the ground. The India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences, provides weather forecasting, agro-advisory services, agromet services, soil moisture monitoring, and agricultural extension initiatives to encourage agricultural operations in India. Indian Space Research Organization?s (ISRO) also partners with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on several satellite data and geographic information systems-based agricultural applications. ISRO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, has developed applications including horticultural crop inventory and site suitability for expansion in unutilized places; crop assessment using medium- and high-resolution satellite data; field information gathering with field photos using a smartphone application; and crop cutting experiments based on satellite-derived crop vigor information. ISRO has provided technology for FASAL and the National Agricultural Drought Assessment and Surveillance System to the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmer Welfare. ISRO has also incorporated the Central Water Commission?s monitoring of irrigation systems. Overall, satellite-enabled services have transformed agricultural operations in India by providing farmers with precise and timely data that enable them to make educated decisions about their crops, resulting in increased crop yields and financial returns.. KEYWORDS :Agriculture, Farming, Satellite technology, Meteorology, Space organization

Isolation of rhizobacteria from the rhizosphere of medicinal plants for screening antimicrobial compounds has paved an alternate way for a sustainable approach to agriculture. In our investigation, 109 isolates were obtained from the rhizosphere of Gloriosa superba L., commonly known as glory lily and screened for their antagonism against 6 test fungal pathogens. Three isolates showed promising antibiosis and were further screened for bioactive metabolite production. The present study was limited to the evaluation of antimicrobial properties of one of the isolates Pseudomonas aeruginosa JT25 and optimization of biomass production and antimetabolite yield based on different cultural parameters such as pH, temperature, incubation period along with the effect of various carbon and nitrogen sources. JT 25 showed maximum biomass production at a pH of 7. In contrast, bioactive metabolite production was maximum at a pH of 8.5 on the 5th day of incubation at 35?C, using glycerol and peptone as C and N sources, respectively. The antimicrobial compound was extracted with chloroform and purified with column chromatography and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). Using chloroform, dichloromethane, and methanol in the ratio of 8:1:1, two active compounds were isolated through TLC with Rf values 0.73 (blue) and 0.90 (yellow), respectively. The blue pigment?s minimum inhibition concentration was recorded as 0.5 mg/mL against Rhizoctonia oryzae sativa and highest against Alternaria solani. The yellow pigment did not show significant antibiosis.. KEYWORDS :Antimicrobial, Fungal pathogens, Gloriosa superba, Medicinal plants, Pseudomonas, Rhizobacteria