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Natural and/or human-caused salinization of soils has become a growing problem in the world, and salinization endangers agro-ecosystems by causing salt stress in most cultivated plants, which has a direct effect on food quality and quantity. Several techniques, as well as numerous strategies, have been developed in recent years to help plants cope with the negative consequences of salt stress and mitigate the impacts of salt stress on agricultural plants. Some of them are not environmentally friendly. In this regard, it is crucial to develop long-term solutions that boost saline soil productivity while also protecting the ecosystem. Organic amendments, such as vermicompost (VC), vermiwash (VW), biochar (BC), bio-fertilizer (BF), and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are gaining attention in research. The organic amendment reduces salt stress and improves crops growth, development and yield. The literature shows that organic amendment enhances salinity tolerance and improves the growth and yield of plants by modifying ionic homeostasis, photosynthetic apparatus, antioxidant machineries, and reducing oxidative damages. However, the positive regulatory role of organic amendments in plants and their stress mitigation mechanisms is not reviewed adequately. Therefore, the present review discusses the recent reports of organic amendments in plants under salt stress and how stress is mitigated by organic amendments. The current assessment also analyzes the limitations of applying organic amendments and their future potential.

Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum), is an important nutrition rich vegetable crops generally displays sensitivity to different levels of salinity. In this work, twenty-one tomato accessions were hydroponically tested under controlled environmental condition for salt tolerance using 0, 8 and 12 dS/m salinity at seedling stage. All the plants were died after 6 days at 12 dS/m and data were collected for plants grown in control and 8 dS/m salinity condition. A significant difference was observed for genotypes, treatment and treatment-genotype interaction for both morphological and biochemical traits studied. Genotype T8 and BINA tomato 10 were performed relatively well under stress condition in terms of root/shoot length and weight, chlorophyll content, % live leaves and leaf area. TC0130-41-52-3-56-0-0 and Joint hybrid were considered as more vulnerable accessions. Average leaf injury score was also low in T8 and BINA tomato 10. Biochemical analyses using the selected genotypes shows, the tolerant accession has lower Na+ content and also low Na+/K+ ratio, higher ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and catalase (CAT) activity, high content of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), osmoprotectant; proline and ascorbic acid (AsA) compared to sensitive genotypes upon exposure to salinity stress, which might play a vital role in cellular protection during stress. Correlation study revealed the significant positive relationships among the studied biochemical traits and in principal component analysis, all the studied traits were subjected to one major component covering about 74.2% of total distinction. The results provide sources of potential genetic resources which can be further investigated to develop morphological and biochemical markers.

Heavy metal toxicity is one of the most devastating abiotic stresses. Heavy metals cause serious damage to plant growth and productivity, which is a major problem for sustainable agriculture. It adversely affects plant molecular physiology and biochemistry by generating osmotic stress, ionic imbalance, oxidative stress, membrane disorganization, cellular toxicity, and metabolic homeostasis. To improve and stimulate plant tolerance to heavy metal stress, the application of biostimulants can be an effective approach without threatening the ecosystem. Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine), a biostimulator, plant growth regulator, and antioxidant, promotes plant tolerance to heavy metal stress by improving redox and nutrient homeostasis, osmotic balance, and primary and secondary metabolism. It is important to perceive the complete and detailed regulatory mechanisms of exogenous and endogenous melatonin-mediated heavy metal-toxicity mitigation in plants to identify potential research gaps that should be addressed in the future. This review provides a novel insight to understand the multifunctional role of melatonin in reducing heavy metal stress and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

In this recent era, several approaches have been developed to alleviate the adverse effects of salinity stress in different plants. However, some of them are not eco-friendly. In this context, evolving sustainable approaches which enhance the productivity of saline soil without harming the environment are necessary. Many recent studies showed that plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are known to confer salinity tolerance to plants. Salt-stressed plants inoculated with PGPR enhance the growth and productivity of crops by reducing oxidative damage, maintaining ionic homeostasis, enhancing antioxidant machinery, and regulating gene expressions. The PGPR also regulates the photosynthetic attributes such as net photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll, and carotenoid contents and enhances the salinity tolerance to plants. Moreover, PGPR has a great role in the enhancement of phytohormones and secondary metabolites synthesis in plants under salt stress. This review summarizes the current reports of the application of PGPR in plants under salt stress and discusses the PGPR-mediated mechanisms in plants of salt tolerance. This review also discusses the potential role of PGPR in cross-talk with phytohormones and secondary metabolites to alleviate salt stress and highlights the research gaps where further research is needed.

Country bean (Lablab purpureus L.), a popular vegetable in Bangladesh, is severely affected by insect pests and diseases. Farmers’ perceptions of insect pests, diseases, and their management are critical constraints to the establishment of an effective and sustainable pest management approach for this crop. A comprehensive survey was conducted with 300 country bean farmers from six districts of Bangladesh to assess farmers’ perceptions and knowledge of the insect pests and diseases of country bean, and their management practices. The survey results show that country bean farmers have been facing varying pest problems for more than ten years. They could identify eight pests and only one beneficial insect species in their fields, including thrips and jute weevil, as new pests. Among the pests, aphids and pod borers were common in all surveyed areas. More than 80% of farmers said their bean plants were severely affected by bean yellow mosaic virus and white mold diseases. Farmers also mentioned that insect pests and diseases together caused 30–40% yield losses of this crop. About 76% of the farmers solely depended on different chemical pesticides for the production of country bean. Growers frequently used insecticides from the organophosphorus and neonicotinoid groups, and fungicides from the triazole group, to manage pests associated with this crop. Farmers start applying pesticides from the seedling stages, at three-day intervals, maintaining only two- to four-day pre-harvest intervals (PHI). Our findings provide insight into the importance of developing sustainable pest management approaches for country bean production in Bangladesh.

Plant stress refers to external factors that negatively impact plant growth and development, which can lead to significant agricultural yield losses. These stressors impede regular plant activity by interfering with cellular functions. By triggering metabolic and biochemical pathways to combat abiotic stressors, studies have demonstrated the critical function phytohormones (PHs) play in plant growth. Through the regulation of photosynthesis, antioxidant enzyme activity, oxidative damage management, and gene expression, PHs strengthen plant defences and increase tolerance to stress. Despite numerous studies underscoring the role of PHs in managing abiotic stress, there remains a gap in systematically understanding their regulatory functions in promoting crop growth under stress conditions. This paper investigates the potential of exogenous PH applications in abiotic stress responses, examining how they can be optimized to mitigate stress impacts. Additionally, we explore the intricate mechanisms through which PHs modulate stress tolerance, providing valuable insights for improving crop resilience in challenging environmental conditions.

This study assessed the real-world effectiveness and safety of imeglimin among Bangladeshi patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This prospective, multi-center observational study was conducted across 15 specialized diabetes care centers in Bangladesh from January 2024 to December 2024. Adults with uncontrolled T2DM (HbA1c >7%) prescribed imeglimin (500-2000 mg daily) either as monotherapy or combination therapy were enrolled. A total of 898 subjects were assessed at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Primary outcomes were changes in HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG). Secondary outcomes included body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, lipids, and safety parameters. The mean age was 46.2 ± 13.1 (SD) years, with 67% being female. Baseline HbA1c decreased from 9.2±1.4% to 7.1±1.0% at 6 months (mean change: -2.1%, p<0.001). FPG reduced from 9.37±2.53 to 7.28±4.63 mmol/L (p<0.001) and PPPG from 14.36±3.29 to 8.95±1.76 mmol/L (p<0.001). BMI decreased from 28.1±4.2 to 25.6±3.6 kg/m (p<0.001). Significant improvements occurred in blood pressure, lipids, and renal parameters. Adverse events were mild; 3.6% reported ≥1 event (gastrointestinal 2.4%, dehydration 1.3%). No serious adverse events occurred. Imeglimin demonstrated substantial glycemic improvements and favorable safety in real-world Bangladeshi patients with poor glycemic control.