Number Of Pods Research Articles

Biofertilizers containing plant growth promoting rhizobacteria enhance nutrient uptake and improve the growth and yield of chickpea plants in an arid environment

Integrated nutrient management is anticipated as an environmentally friendly method toward sustainable agricultural development and optimum crop production with reduced environmental impacts. In the present study, the pastel sulfur (SPA), powdered sulfur (SPO), sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB), free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria (NFB), phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB), and potassium solubilizing bacteria (KSB) were applied. The experimental treatments included (1) SPA, (2) SPO, (3) SOB, (4) SPA + SOB, (5) SPO + SOB, (6) SPA + SOB + NFB + PSB + KSB, (7) SPO + SOB + NFB + PSB + KSB, (8) SOB + NFB + PSB + KSB, (9) NFB + PSB + KSB, and (10) control. The result demonstrated that the application of biofertilizers increased soil bacterial population, photosynthetic pigment content, and grain yield. The highest photosynthetic pigments were observed in NFB + PSB + KSB. The greatest nitrogen fixation nodules and active nodules percentage were recorded in SPA + SOB + NFB + PSB + KSB. The biofertilizers enhanced the grain, plant, and soil N, P, and K contents compared with the control. The maximum number of pods per plant, biological yield, grain yield, and 100-grain weight were obtained from SPO + SOB + NFB + PSB + KSB and SPA + SOB + NFB + PSB + KSB. Overall, biofertilizers could be a key strategy to maintain soil quality toward agricultural sustainability.

Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci for Node Number, Pod Number, and Seed Number in Soybean

Optimizing soybean yield remains a crucial challenge in meeting global food security demands. In this study, we report a comprehensive genetic analysis of yield-related traits in soybeans using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived from crosses between ‘Qihuang 34’ (GH34) and ‘Dongsheng 16′ (DS16). Phenotypic analysis across two years (2023–2024) revealed significant variations between parental lines. Through high-density genetic mapping with 6297 SLAF markers spanning 2945.26 cM across 20 chromosomes, we constructed a genetic map with an average marker distance of 0.47 cM and 99.17% of gaps under 5 cM. QTL analysis identified ten significant loci across both years: in 2023, we detected six QTLs, including a major main stem node number (MSNN) QTL on chromosome 19 (LOD = 22.59, PVE = 24.57%), two seed number (SN) QTLs on chromosomes 14 and 18 (LOD = 2.52–2.85, PVE = 7.35% combined), and one pod number (PN) QTL on chromosome 20 (LOD = 4.68, PVE = 5.85%). The 2024 analysis revealed four major QTLs, notably a cluster on chromosome 19 harboring significant loci for MSNN (LOD = 37.92, PVE = 43.59%), PN (LOD = 18.16, PVE = 23.02%), and SN (LOD = 15.24, PVE = 19.59%). Within the stable chromosome 19 region, we identified seventeen candidate genes involved in crucial developmental processes. Gene expression analysis revealed distinct temporal patterns between parental lines during vegetative and reproductive stages, with GH34 showing dramatically higher expression of key reproductive genes Glyma.19G201300 and Glyma.19G201400 during the R1 stage. Our findings provide new insights into the genetic architecture of soybean stem node development and yield components, offering multiple promising targets for molecular breeding programs aimed at crop improvement.

Evaluation of Kabuli Chickpea Genotypes for Terminal Drought Tolerance in Tropical Growing Environment

Terminal drought is the major constraint for chickpea production, leading to yield losses of up to 90% in tropical environments. Understanding the morphological, phenological, and physiological traits underlying drought tolerance is crucial for developing resilient chickpea genotypes. This study elucidates the drought-tolerant traits of eight kabuli chickpea genotypes under a controlled environment using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) lysimeters. Terminal drought was imposed after the flowering stage, and the response was assessed against non-stress (well-watered) treatment. Drought stress significantly impacted gas-exchange parameters, reducing the stomatal conductance (16–35%), chlorophyll content (10–22%), carbon assimilation rate (21–40%) and internal carbon concentration (7–14%). Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated three groups among these eight genotypes. The drought-tolerant group included two genotypes (AVTCPK#6 and AVTCPK#19) with higher water use efficiency (WUE), deep-rooted plants, longer maturity, and seed yield stability under drought stress. In contrast, the drought-susceptible group included two genotypes (AVTCPK#1 and AVTCPK#12) that were early-maturing and low-yielding with poor assimilation rates. The intermediate group included four genotypes (AVTCPK#3, AVTCPK8, AVTCPK#24, and AVTCPK#25) that exhibited medium maturity and medium yield, conferring intermediate tolerance to terminal drought. A significantly strong positive correlation was observed between seed yield and key physiological traits (stomatal conductance (gsw), leaf chlorophyll content (SPAD) and carbon assimilation rate (Asat)) and morphological traits (plant height, number of pods, and root biomass). Conversely, carbon discrimination (Δ13C) and intrinsic WUE (iWUE) showed a strong negative correlation with seed yield, supporting Δ13C as a surrogate for WUE and drought tolerance and a trait suitable for the selection of kabuli chickpea genotypes for drought resilience.

Effect of Rice Husk Bioactive Compost Charcoal Application on the Agronomic Characteristics of Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) on Alluvial Soil

Peanut production on alluvial soil faced challenges due to low soil fertility. The application of soil amendments such as bioactive compost charcoal (BCC) was necessary to improve alluvial soil fertility. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of rice husk BCC application on the agronomic characteristics of peanut in alluvial soil. The research was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) and analyzed using the F-test and Tukey's test at 5% significance level. The study design included 4 samples and 6 treatment levels: d1 (20 g/polybag), d2 (40 g/polybag), d3 (60 g/polybag), d4 (80 g/polybag), d5 (100 g/polybag), and d6 (120 g/polybag). The observation variables included plant height, number of branches, number of pods, pod wet weight per plant, and pod dry weight per plant. The data analysis results showed that the application of BCC had a significant effect on the agronomic characteristics of the peanut plants. The application of BCC at a dose of 120 g/polybag showed the best results and was recommended for use on alluvial soil with crop yield of of 31.72 g fresh pod or 24.86 g dry pod weight. Keywords: Agronomic characteristics, Alluvial soil, Bioactive compost charcoal, Peanut, Rice husk.

Genetic Variability and Yellow Vein Mosaic Virus (YVMV) Resistance in Mutant Lines of Blackgram (Vigna mungo L. Hepper) under Field Condition

Background: The creation of genetic variability in a gene pool is the prerequisite of a breeding program. To introduce a higher degree of variability and to identify favourable recombinants, a combination of hybridization and mutation methods is employed. Among various diseases infecting and reducing yield of blackgram, yellow mosaic disease caused by Mungbean Yellow Mosaic Virus (MYMV) is the crucial one. Due to non-availability of resistant cultivars, cultivation of blackgram crop land is diverted to other cereal crop cultivation and for MYMV management in urdbean production, breeding with the resistant cultivars is effective which is also ecofriendly Methods: A field experiment was carried out during Kharif 2022 by using 90 F4 M3 laid out in an augmented design at AHRS, Bavikere. Based on seed yield, disease index and incidence, 30 F5 M4 were selected for summer 2023 from the first season and laid out in RCBD design. These lines obtained through the hybridization of PU31 and Rashmi, followed by the treatment of F2 seeds with gamma irradiation (20kr) at IIHR in Bangalore. Results: The research we conducted exhibited significant variations for the majority of traits. For the first season, high PCV, GCV, broad sense heritability and genetic advance as per cent of mean observed for the number of clusters per plant, number of pods per cluster, pod length, number of seeds per pod and seed yield. For the second season, moderate PCV, GCV and high broad sense heritability with genetic advance as per cent mean observed for the number of branches per plant, number of clusters per plant, number of pods per cluster, number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod. Estimated high values of PCV indicates more variability for the trait seed yield per plant in the population and the narrow range between GCV and PCV which implies lesser influence of the environmental effects on the expression of traits. BLM 9, BLM 20, BLM 29, BLM 44, BLM 51 and BLM 58 in the first season and BLM 30 and BLM 51 in the second season showed resistant reaction to YVMV with the least per cent disease index. Hence, these mutant lines can be used for further crop improvement.

Influence of weed management and vermicompost on weed dynamics, yield and nutrient uptake by fenugreek

A field experiment was conducted at Instructional farm, RCA, MPUAT, Udaipur during Rabi 2016-17 and 2017-18 to study the weed dynamics, yield and nutrient uptake in fenugreek. Weed management experiment consists of thirteen different weed management practices assigned to main plot and levels of vermicompost in sub plot. Results of the field experiment revealed that pre-emergence application of oxadiargyl 100 g/ha fb hoeing at 40 DAS recorded the lowest weed density (24.25 /m2) and dry matter of total weeds (158.22 g/m2) over weedy check (245.42 /m2 and 893.44 g/m2) and higher weed control efficiency (82.30 per cent). The same treatment registered higher yield attributes like number of pods (46.68), seeds per pod (17.33), seed weight per pod (9.05 g / plant) and test weight (12.59 g) seed yield (2820 kg/ha) over rest of the weed management treatments. Maximum yield loss 65.0 percent was recorded in weedy check (1055 kg/ha) compared with weed free check (2908 kg/ha). Weed management practices showed significant variation in nutrient uptake by weeds and fenugreek crop at harvest. Interaction effect of Weed management practices and vermicompost application to fenugreek crop showed significant effect on total dry matter accumulation by weeds. Also it showed significantly higher grain yield due to combined effect of Weed management practices and vermicompost application to fenugreek. Based on the pooled results, it was concluded that for maximum seed yield effective weed management and minimum nutrient uptake by weeds and higher uptake by plant through pre emergence application of oxadiargyl 100 g/ha PE fb hoeing at 40 DAS along with application of vermicompost 5 t/ha was found superior in fenugreek grown in irrigated conditions of southern Rajasthan.

Genetic analysis of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) genotypes for yield and oil quality parameters

Genetic variability is a foundation for advancing crop improvement programs. The effectiveness of selection is influenced by the characteristics, scope, and degree of genetic variability found in the material, as well as the extent to which this variability is heritable. This study assessed fifteen traits, including yield and oil quality parameters, in 55 groundnut accessions from diverse origins. The analysis of genetic parameters, including phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV), heritability, genetic advance as a percentage of the mean (GAM), skewness, and kurtosis revealed significant genetic variation for several key traits. Notably, the traits viz., the number of branches(NB)/plant, hundred pod weight, shelling percentage(SP), oil yield/plant, and oleic acid(OA) content exhibited high PCV, GCV, heritability, and GAM. The analysis showed significant genetic variability and a predominance of additive gene effects, suggesting phenotypic selection as an effective approach for groundnut improvement. Association analysis revealed positive genotypic and phenotypic correlations of single plant yield(SPY) with traits like days to first flowering(DFiF), NB per plant, number of pods(NP) per plant, hundred pod weight, oil yield per plant (OYPP), and OA content. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified five principal components with eigenvalues greater than 1, explaining 75.13% of the total variation. A biplot constructed using the first two PCs visually represented the importance of NP/plant, NB/plant, oil yield/plant, and OA content for yield improvement strategies. Cluster analysis efficiently grouped the 55 genotypes into five distinct clusters. The high OA lines "Girnar 4" and "Girnar 5" were clustered together. This information suggests that selecting accessions from clusters with greater genetic distance can be a valuable strategy to maximize genetic variability within breeding programs.

Amino acids, UPLC-MS phenolic metabolites and multivariate approach for elucidating the effect of two growing conditions on growth and yield attributes in okra pods and leaves

Okra is one of the highly nutritious indigenised food crops in Southern Africa. The study intended to evaluate plant growth, yield, amino acids, and untargeted or semi-targeted phenolic metabolites grown concurrently at greenhouse and micro-plot under open-field conditions. Yield and growth attributes: stem diameter, plant height, number of branches per plant, number of pods per plant, pod weight, pod length and pod diameter were higher in the micro-plot under open-field conditions. Sixteen amino acids were quantified and arginine, serine, glycine, aspartate, glutamate, alanine, proline, histidine, threonine, methionine, lysine, tyrosine, leucine, valine, and isoleucine were higher in leaf samples grown in micro-plots under open-field than greenhouse samples. UPLC-MS phenolic metabolites associated with the two growth conditions were quercetin 3-galactoside, succinyl adenosine, quercetin 3-lathyroside, isotan b and icariside F2b which were either highly upregulated or downregulated. Growth conditions can be used to manipulate the accumulation of free amino acids and phenolic metabolites.

Silicon Nano-Fertilizer-Enhanced Soybean Resilience and Yield Under Drought Stress

Drought stress threatens agriculture and food security, significantly impacting soybean yield and physiology. Despite the documented role of nanosilica (n-SiO2) in enhancing crop resilience, its full growth-cycle effects on soybeans under drought stress remain elusive. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of n-SiO2 at a concentration of 100 mg kg−1 in a soil medium for enhancing drought tolerance in soybeans through a full life-cycle assessment in a greenhouse setup. To elucidate the mechanisms of n-SiO2 action, key physiological, biochemical, and yield parameters were systematically measured. The results demonstrated that n-SiO2 significantly increased silicon content in shoots and roots, restored osmotic balance by reducing the Na⁺/K⁺ ratio by 40%, and alleviated proline accumulation by 35% compared to the control, thereby mitigating osmotic stress. Enzyme activities related to nitrogen metabolism, including nitrate reductase (NR) and glutamine synthetase (GS), improved by 25–30% under n-SiO2 treatment compared to the control. Additionally, antioxidant activity, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels, increased by 15%, while oxidative stress markers such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased by 20–25% compared to the control. Furthermore, yield components were significantly enhanced, with pod number and grain weight increasing by 15% and 20%, respectively, under n-SiO2 treatment compared to untreated plants in drought conditions. These findings suggest that n-SiO2 effectively enhances drought resilience in soybeans by reinforcing physiological and metabolic processes critical for growth and yield. This study underscores the potential of n-SiO2 as a sustainable amendment to support soybean productivity in drought-prone environments, contributing to more resilient agricultural systems amidst increasing climate variability. Future research should focus on conducting large-scale field trials to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of n-SiO2 applications under diverse environmental conditions to assess its practical viability in sustainable agriculture.

Growth and yield responses of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) to blended fertilizer under hot submoist tropical conditions in southwestern Ethiopia

AbstractA suitable fertilizer level plays a decisive role in crop production in various environments. A split‐plot experiment was conducted under a hot submoist tropical environment (HSMTE) in southwestern Ethiopia to determine the effect of cultivar (Awash‐2, Goberasha, Nasir, and local) and the nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, and boron (NPSB) blended fertilizer rate (0, 50, 75, 100, 125, and 150 kg ha−1) on the growth, yield components, and yield of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and to optimize the NPSB‐blended fertilizer rate for common bean production in the HSMTE. Both cultivar and NPSB‐blended fertilizer significantly affected most of the response variables, but their interaction affected only days to physiological maturity (DPM) and the leaf area index (LAI). Nasir had a longer plant with a greater number of pods per plant than did Goberasha and local and had a greater harvest index (HI) and grain yield (0.59 and 2828.0 kg ha−1,, respectively) than did the other cultivars (0.51–0.56 and 1747.4–2278.1 kg ha−1, respectively). Nasir also showed the greatest LAI (8.9) with the least DPM (74 days) for the 150 kg ha−1 NPSB‐blended fertilizer treatment. The growth, yield components, and yield were also greater for the 150 kg ha−1 NPSB‐blended fertilizer treatment than for the other treatments. These findings exhibit the importance of cultivar and NPSB‐blended fertilizer in modifying the growth and crop performance of common bean in the HSMTE and a tailored fertilization strategy in enhancing crop productivity in challenging environments.

Impact of Row Spacing on Yield and its Components on Lentil Varieties Under the Agroecological Conditions of Quetta

A field experiment conducted at the Balochistan Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) in Quetta on November 15, 2022, assessed the impact of varying row spacings on the growth and yield of two lentil varieties: Local Panjgur Black and Dasht-21. The study utilized a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications, examining five row spacings: 20 cm, 25 cm, 30 cm, 35 cm, and 40 cm. Results showed that at 60 days, Local Panjgur Black exhibited a higher average leaf count (10.86 leaves per plant) compared to Dasht-21 (8.53 leaves). The widest row spacing of 40 cm resulted in the maximum number of leaves (18.49 leaves), while the narrowest spacing of 20 cm had the fewest (11.33 leaves). Local Panjgur Black had more branches (8.0 branches per plant) than Dasht-21 (6.73 branches). The 40 cm row spacing yielded the highest branch count (8.00 branches), whereas the 20 cm spacing had the lowest (6.16 branches). The tallest plants were observed in Local Panjgur Black (34.00 cm). Increasing row spacing led to taller plants, with the 40 cm spacing producing the tallest plants (38.00 cm) and the 20 cm spacing the shortest (27.33 cm). Local Panjgur Black produced more pods per plant (57.60) than Dasht-21 (38.00). The 40 cm row spacing resulted in the highest number of pods (44.33), while the 20 cm spacing had the fewest (22.8). Local Panjgur Black achieved a higher seed yield (1,411.7 kg/ha) compared to Dasht-21 (1,170.1 kg/ha). The 40 cm row spacing yielded the most seeds (1,616.5 kg/ha), whereas the 20 cm spacing had the lowest yield (1,002.5 kg/ha). In conclusion, adopting wider row spacings, such as 40 cm, can significantly improve the growth and yield of lentil varieties like Local Panjgur Black. This practice offers a viable strategy for enhancing lentil productivity in similar agro-climatic regions.

Effect of Bio fertilizer and Chemical Fertilizer on Vegetative Growth and Yield of Chick pea (Cicer arietinum L.) in Calcareous Soil

This research was conducted in the field of Bakrajo Technical Institute 2024, in the pot experiment, application of bio fertilizer and chemical fertilizer NPK 20:20:20, the randomized complete design CRD used, the studied of (0.5,1 and 1.5 gL-1) of bio fertilizer, chemical fertilizer NPK 20:20:20 and interactions between them. Results indicated that Significant result was obtained with plant height ,number of pods per plant, weight of pods per plant, 1000 weight seeds(g), harvest index, biological yield, dry matter, also, fresh and dry root weights and no significant with branch number and number of seeds per pods, otherwise, most positive correlation between growth parameters and yield, negative correlation between branch number and number of seeds per pod with other characteristics, low concentration bio fertilizer and active interaction between both fertilizers for yield and vegetative growth increased.

Detection and Counting Model of Soybean at the Flowering and Podding Stage in the Field Based on Improved YOLOv5

A phenotype survey on soybean flower and pod drop conducted by agricultural experts revealed issues such as poor real-time performance and strong subjectivity. Based on the YOLOv5 detection model, a microscale detection layer is added and the size of the initial anchor box is improved to enhance feature expression ability. The CBAM attention mechanism is introduced in the backbone network to capture the information of direction and position, which helps the model to locate and recognize more accurately. The test results show that the accuracy rate of the soybean flower and pod recognition model reaches 98.4%, and the recall rate reaches 97.4%. Compared with the original network model, the accuracy rate and recall rate increase by 12.8% and 4.1%, respectively. Compared with manual counting, the average accuracy rate of field flower number is 80.32%, and the average accuracy rate of pod number is 82.17%. The research results show that models can effectively replace manual labor to complete the task of field soybean flower and pod identification and counting, and this application will promote the study of the basic laws of flower and pod fall and provide phenotypic investigation techniques.

Evaluation of Amino Acid Based Biostimulant with Surfactant on Groundnut Growth and Yield

A field trial was conducted during Kharif 2024 at Anurag University, Hyderabad, to evaluate the bioefficacy of an amino acid based biostimulant formulation with surfactant on the growth and yield of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.). The formulation, designed to enhance nutrient absorption and stress tolerance, was applied as a foliar spray in varying concentrations (2 ml/l, 3 ml/l, 4 ml/l, and 5 ml/l) in addition to a control treatment and a recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF). Results demonstrated that the application of the amino acid based biostimulant with surfactant at 3 ml/l (T4) significantly improved key growth parameters such as plant height (27.25 cm), leaf area (6.12 cm2), root length P (21.13 cm), and dry matter accumulation per plant (36.33 g/m2). Yield components, including pod length (33.63 mm), number of pods per plant (35.00), and pod weight (2.40 gm), were also markedly enhanced at this concentration. Treatment T4 was identified as the most effective and economical concentration, offering comparable or superior results to higher dosages, highlighting its potential for cost-effective crop improvement. The study concluded that the amino acid based biostimulant with surfactant formulation, particularly at 3 ml/l, provides a promising solution for enhancing groundnut productivity by improving nutrient uptake and supporting growth.

Co-inoculation of beneficial microorganisms in upland rice cultivated at different phosphorus levels

Beneficial microorganisms can sustainably improve rice production. This study characterized IAA-producing and P-solubilizing bacteria, investigating their impact on upland rice through single or co-inoculation. Four bacterial strains (BRM 063573, BRM 67205, BRM 063574, and BRM 67206) were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. A greenhouse experiment was arranged in a 20x3 factorial design with four replications. The first factor included 18 bacterial combinations and two controls (without fertilization or inoculant, and with fertilization but no inoculant). The second factor tested three phosphorus doses (25%, 50%, and 100% of the recommended P dosage). Growth and productivity parameters were determined. Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the bacteria BRM 063574 was closely related to Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, while BRM 063573 and BRM 67206 were closely related to Bacillus pumilus and BRM 67205 was closely related to Paenibacillus pabuli. Co-inoculation treatments generally outperformed single inoculations, improving performance in number of tillers, plant height, root volume, root weight and shoot weight. Single inoculation and co-inoculation had different effects on number of pods, number of full grain and grain weight, with co-inoculation consistently giving better results. The variability in response to single inoculation suggests an inconsistency in the performance of single inoculants. Co-inoculation, on the other hand, consistently offered advantages, improving the number of pods, number of full grains and grain weight at different phosphate doses. Based on grain production, the co-inoculants BRM 67207+BRM 67206 and BRM 67207+BRM 063574 are most promising for use as rice inoculants, offering consistent benefits for improving yield.

Antagonism of Nitrogen Fertilizer and Rhizobium on Growth, Nodulation and Yield Of Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.) on Acid Soil

Acid soil is widely available in Indonesia and is suboptimal, so yields are low. The research examines the effect of antagonism and nitrogen fertilizer on peanuts' growth, nodulation, and yield in sour planting. This study used a factorial complete randomized block design with two factors. The first factor is the dose of Nitrogen fertilizer with four levels: 0, 50, 100, 150 kg.ha-1. The second factor is the source of rhizobium with three levels: without rhizobium, legin rhizobium dose ten g.kg-1 seed, and rhizobium from peanut plantations. They were repeated three times. Nitrogen 50 kg.ha-1 with the source of used peanut rhizobium showed the highest plant height, 15.73 cm. The combination of 100 kg.ha-1 of nitrogen with a source of used peanut rhizobium showed the highest number of plant leaves, namely 675.33 leaves. A nitrogen dose of 50kg.ha-1 produced the highest effective number of nodules and nodules, namely 363.00 and 19.33 nodules. The optimum nitrogen fertilizer dose is 44 kg.ha-1 for nodule growth. 50 kg.ha-1 nitrogen dose produced the highest number of pods and seed weight, namely 48.67 pods and 407.79 g of seeds. Nitrogen fertilizer at the correct dose can increase peanuts' growth, nodulation, and yield in acid soil. However, a dose that is too high may cause antagonism with the nodulation process and reduced yield.

Effect of Native Trichoderma Strains on Moniliophthora Roreri Infection in Theobroma Cacao L.

Objective: To determine the effect of the application of native Trichoderma strains on the infection caused by Moniliophthora roreri in Theobroma cacao. Theoretical Framework: Cacao has global importance due to its direct relation to chocolate production. Each year, in various countries, cacao cultivation faces issues such as moniliasis (Moniliophthora roreri), which reduces crop yields. Traditional disease control methods are ineffective, necessitating new alternatives, such as the application of Trichoderma spp. Method: The antagonistic capacity of forty native endophyte Trichoderma isolates against M. roreri was evaluated. The ten best-performing strains were sprayed on healthy cacao pods. The number of pods affected by moniliasis, healthy pods, and the internal and external severity of infected pods were assessed. Results and Discussion: 32.5% of the Trichoderma strains inhibited more than 90% of the radial growth of M. roreri. All Trichoderma isolates showed high antagonistic activity. The evaluated isolates increased the number of healthy pods, while six strains reduced moniliasis by up to 35%. The severity of M. roreri was lower in treated pods compared to the untreated control pods. Research Implications: The study results highlight the need for continued evaluation of Trichoderma strains to develop a future tool for reducing M. roreri infections in plantations of small and medium-sized farmers. Originality/Value: Few studies on local endophytic strains of Trichoderma spp. have been conducted in the study area.

Plant growth-promoting bacteria from dung of indigenous and exotic cow breeds and their effect on the growth of pea plant in sustainable agriculture

AimIn the present study, cow dung from indigenous and exotic breeds of cow were explored for its microbial population, plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits, enzyme activity, antagonistic activity, and pot experiment studies to evaluate the effect of bioinoculants under net house conditions.Materials and methodsPhysicochemical properties of cow dung, qualitative and quantitative method of PGP characterization, agar diffusion method for antifungal activity, 16Sr RNA gene sequencing method for identification, and pot experiment studies were performed.ResultsNitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), electrical conductivity (EC), and pH were found maximum in indigenous Himachali Pahari non-lactating cow, whereas highest microbial count was found in Himachali Pahari lactating cow. Fourteen cow dung isolates from different breeds were found positive for all PGP, enzyme, and antifungal activities except hydrogen cyanide (HCN) production and were selected for further studies. Quantitative estimation showed isolate JD3 and JD4 isolated from Jersey non-lactating cow best in phosphate (P) solubilization (127.79 µg ml−1) and siderophore production (98.42%), whereas PL2 isolated from Himachali Pahari lactating cow was found best in IAA production (80.03 µg ml−1). Maximum antifungal activity was found in Jersey lactating and non-lactating cow dung isolates (JL1, JL2, JL4 and JD1), against all tested fungal phytopathogens. Microbacterium thalassium strain PL3 was first time reported from Himachali Pahari lactating cow. Pot experiment studies found that maximum plant height was recorded in Himachali Pahari lactating isolate (PL2) (14.76 cm), germination percent was recorded highest in Jersey lactating cow dung isolates (JL4, JL1) and control (91.77%), minimum days to 1st flowering were found in Jersey isolate (JL4 and JD1) (49.33 days) treatment, and pod number per plant was noted maximum in Himachali Pahari non-lactating (PD5) (3.33). Maximum chemical properties, viz., N (313.60 kg ha−1), P (40.31 kg ha−1), and microbial count (4.7 × 108 cfu g−1) were found in Himachali Pahari lactating cow isolate (PL2) treatment, while K (253.74 kg ha−1) was found to be maximum in Himachali Pahari non-lactating cow isolate (PD3) which was statistically significant than initial values of microbial count, N, P, and K.Impact statementThese potential five strains, i.e., PL2, PD5, JL1, JL4, and JD1, isolated from cow dung of indigenous Himachali Pahari and exotic Jersey breeds irrespective of lactating and non-lactating in individual or in consortium can be potential means to protect, enrich, and flourish the soil microbial community as well as plant and soil health.Graphical

Genetic Mapping of QTLs for Agronomic Traits in Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L.)

Background: Pigeonpea plays a crucial role in providing food and nutritional security to the people across the world. Productivity of pigeonpea has remained very low and stagnant over last five decades because of low genetic potential, poor plant type and longer crop duration of the existing cultivars. There is need to restructure the plant type through genomic tools to enhance the productivity. Therefore, the present study was done to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with key agronomic traits, including plant height, number of primary and secondary branches, number of pods per plant, pod length and number of seed per pod. Methods: A population of 144 F2:3 lines derived from cross between genetically diverse genotypes ICPL84023 and ICP7035 was used to construct a linkage map using SSR markers. Result: All phenotypic traits varied widely and skewness value for plant height, pod length, and seed per pod was less than 1.0 and for number of primary branch, secondary branch and pod per plant it was more than 1.0. Single marker analysis detected 7 SSR markers associated with 5 agronomic traits; CcGM17620 located on LG_Cc8, showed maximum phenotypic variance of 19.33% for plant height. Composite interval mapping identified 2 QTLs, qPH5.1 and qPH8.1 with PVE of 3.57% and 72.52% respectively and one QTL, qPD3.1 for number of pod per plant with PVE of 8.11%. The QTLs identified in this study provide a strong foundation for further validation and fine mapping for utilization in pigeonpea improvement program.

Effect of Inorganic Fertilizer, Vermicompost and Biofertilizer on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Uptake by Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.)

A field experiment was conducted at experimental farm, Department of Agronomy, A field experiment was conducted at experimental farm, Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, Mewar University Gangrar, Chittorgarh (Rajasthan) during Rabi season of 2023-24 to study evaluated the effects of inorganic fertilizer, vermicompost, and biofertilizer on growth, yield, and nutrient uptake of the Mung bean variety 'SML-832'. The result revealed that the maximum plant height (52.96 cm), number of branches per plant (8.62), leaf area index (4.15) and yield parameter such as number of pods per plant (19.22), number of seed per pod (9.45), grain yield (13.25 q/ha), straw yield (29.12 q/ha) with application of T5-100% RDF + Vermicompost 2.5 t/ha + Biofertilizer. The maximum nitrogen content in grain and straw (3.70 and 1.53%), phosphorus (0.66 and 0.43%), potassium content (1.05 and 1.60%) and nitrogen uptake in grain and straw (49.03 and 44.55 kg/ha), phosphorus (8.75 and 12.52 kg/ha) and potassium uptake (13.91 and 46.59 kg/ha) were recorded with T5-100% RDF + Vermicompost 2.5 t/ha + Biofertilizer. It was concluded that the treatment T5-100% RDF + Vermicompost 2.5 t/ha + Biofertilizer found significantly higher growth, yield and nutrient uptake by Mung bean.