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Brinjal (Solanum melongena) is one of the most tropical vegetable crops cultivated worldwide. Rhizosphere microbial dynamics play a crucial role in plant nutrition, providing valuable insights into soil fertility and sustainable agricultural practices. This study aims to identify sustainable nutrient management practices for brinjal, focusing on the rhizosphere microbiome by examining various nutrient management approaches, including integrated nutrient management (INM), inorganic fertilization, and organic fertilization. Root architectural analysis, LC-MS-based metabolite profiling, and shotgun metagenomics were employed to assess the various nutrient management-induced changes in metabolites and the microbial community. The result suggested that superior root features, including volume (16.3 cm3), surface area (399.48 cm2), and total root length (794.89 cm), were achieved under INM. Additionally, it encompassed the highest number and diversity of root metabolites, including both primary and secondary compounds. This can be the reason for INM maintaining a balance between the representation of bacteria (87.4%) and fungi (12.4%), with Actinomycota and Ascomycota being the dominant groups. Further diversity analyses revealed that INM soils supported the highest microbial richness and OTU abundance, while inorganic fertilization favored greater evenness of taxa but lower richness. Organic soils harbored unique, less abundant taxa, reflected in higher Fisher’s alpha values. The beta diversity analysis indicated distinct microbial community structures across different treatments. Therefore, INM is a sustainable solution for brinjal cultivation, since it improves crop performance, soil health, and microbial ecosystem services.

Controlling weed populations in agricultural land is challenging due to various factors, such as soil conditions, crop type, and environmental conditions. Substantial experience is needed to develop a strategy for minimising pressure from weed infestation. For a relatively longer period, weed control was taken care of using herbicides and mechanical and manual weeding. While herbicides simplify weed control, they pose issues like residual effects and the development of herbicide resistance in weeds, necessitating the deployment of alternate smart weed-management technologies. Lately, smart weeding robots and sensor-based site-specific spraying systems have been developed. Sensors as varied as hyperspectral imaging cameras, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), Real Time Kinematics-Global Positioning System (RTK-GPS), optoelectronic, fluorescence sensors, laser and ultrasonic systems can help to improve weed control efficacy when combined with mechanical and spraying robotic systems. Camera-steered mechanical weeding robots and unmanned aerial vehicles are now widely available for weed management. This review focuses on the developments in sensor-based mechanical and chemical weeding, identification of herbicide-resistant weeds, and herbicide effect assessment. This is a comprehensive overview of studies of sensor-based weed-management strategies being adopted worldwide. Furthermore, an outlook towards future sensor-based weed control strategies and necessary improvements are given.

This review examines the role of regenerative farming practices in mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and contributing to climate change mitigation through agroecological approaches. The study analyzes the effectiveness of key practices such as no-till, reduced tillage, crop rotations, and organic fertilizers in lowering emissions of CO2, N2O, and CH4 across various agricultural systems worldwide. Review findings reveal that no-tillage significantly reduced CO2 emissions by up to 47%, while crop rotations decreased N2O emissions by 23–57% in irrigated crops. The global warming potential (GWP) reductions vary with crops and were 10.8% in barley, 13.7% in maize, 22.5% in rice, and 30.1% in soybean. Organic and regenerative practices also enhance soil organic carbon (SOC) by carbon sequestration, leading to overall reductions in GWP. Effective GHG mitigation was observed by combining various organic inputs with reduced tillage adoption in clover and wheat. The impact of these practices varies based on regional conditions and management strategies which have been revealed by the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis, encompassing 566 data points, showed that organic fertilizers reduced N2O and CH4 emissions by 0.81% and 2.34%, respectively, but increased CO2 emissions by 3.83%. Cover crops lowered CO2 emissions by 0.26% while increasing N2O and CH4 by 0.83% and 0.54%. Conservation tillage reduced all three gases. The high heterogeneity observed was attributed to variations in field conditions, soil properties, climate, and experimental duration. Overall, while individual GHG responses varied, the combined effect of regenerative practices showed a favorable reduction in total emissions compared to conventional practices. Optimizing organic amendments and nutrient management is essential to maximize their mitigation potential. Overall, organic and regenerative farming present viable strategies for reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint and promoting sustainable, climate-resilient food production systems.

Tomatoes are in great demand worldwide and consumed due to their nutritional and sensory qualities. Weed infestation poses a great challenge in tomato production, prompting growers to employ two to three herbicides in combinations and sequences for comprehensive control. Consequently, this study was undertaken to investigate the effects of glyphosate, pendimethalin, and metribuzin when applied individually or in sequential combinations in tomato fields. The herbicides significantly reduced the weed density and dry biomass and enhanced the weed control efficiency (WCE) compared to control. A tank mix spray of pendimethalin and metribuzin following glyphosate gave significantly higher WCE (80–91%) and fruit yield (88.47 t/ha). The tomato quality parameters were unaffected by the herbicides. The terminal residues in fruits were found below the safe limit of 0.1 mg/kg for glyphosate and 0.01 mg/kg for pendimethalin and metribuzin. Moreover, there was no evidence of residual carryover toxicity from the applied herbicides, as confirmed by the plant bioassay and instrumental techniques. However, continuous spraying of herbicides repeatedly in succession and in combination necessitates long-term monitoring to assess the potential development of herbicide-resistant weeds, the bio-magnification of residues in soil, their transfer to tomato fruits and the impact on the food chain.

While nutrients are administered through various sources and combinations, herbicides are used for pre-plant and pre-emergence weed control in the tomato fields. Therefore, a study was conducted to understand the effects of nutrient fertilisation through inorganic and organic sources along with farmers practice and the application of three herbicides, namely glyphosate, pendimethalin, and metribuzin, individually or in combinations, on earthworm activity in tomato crops. The herbicides caused a significant reduction in earthworm biomass and escapement to the lower 15 cm depth. Application of pendimethalin and metribuzin to soils inorganically fertilised with major and micronutrients resulted in low survival rates and a high ecological risk quotient. The effect was attenuated when farmyard manure was applied. The study suggests that when 2 to 3 herbicides are applied in succession and combined with inorganic fertilisers as nutrient sources, stringent measures like adding organic nutrient sources, applying the correct herbicide combination, etc., must be followed to reduce their toxicity to earthworms. This helps to protect and sustain earthworm activity and biodiversity in the soil.

Poor seed germination is a major issue in teak (Tectona grandis) propagation. Teak seed dormancy is thought to be the reason for delayed germination. So far, specific dormancy mechanisms have not yet been identified. In order to study the influence of presowing treatments on germination, seedling vigour, and biochemical attributes of fresh teak drupes collected from the seed production area of Top Slip in Tamil Nadu. The collected drupes were subjected to different presowing treatments viz., T1 - control, T2 - soaking and drying for 6 days, T3 – T18 (soaking and drying for 5 days + soaking in different concentrations of thiourea, potassium nitrate,  hydrogen peroxide and calcium oxychloride for 12 hours). Treated drupes were placed for germination in earthen pots and kept in open sunlight. In parallel, true seeds extracted from untreated drupes were also subjected to germination under in vitro conditions as a check. A higher percentage of germination (40%) was recorded in true seeds under in vitro conditions when compared to the treated and untreated drupes under in vivo conditions. Among the treated drupes sown under in vivo conditions, the drupes given soaking + drying for 5 days + soaking in 2% calcium oxychloride (CaOCl2) recorded higher germination (17.16) with better seedling vigour. Analysis of teak true seeds and mesocarp extract in high-performance liquid chromatography showed that gibberellic acid was found only in true seeds, whereas the other compounds, viz., indole-3-acetic acid, indole butyric acid, abscisic acid and coumarin, were not present in the true seed or mesocarp.

Salinity, resulting from various contaminants, is a major concern to global crop cultivation. Soil salinity results in increased osmotic stress, oxidative stress, specific ion toxicity, nutrient deficiency in plants, groundwater contamination, and negative impacts on biogeochemical cycles. Leaching, the prevailing remediation method, is expensive, energy-intensive, demands more fresh water, and also causes nutrient loss which leads to infertile cropland and eutrophication of water bodies. Moreover, in soils co-contaminated with persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and textile dyes, leaching techniques may not be effective. It promotes the adoption of microbial remediation as an effective and eco-friendly method. Common microbes such as Pseudomonas, Trichoderma, and Bacillus often struggle to survive in high-saline conditions due to osmotic stress, ion imbalance, and protein denaturation. Halophiles, capable of withstanding high-saline conditions, exhibit a remarkable ability to utilize a broad spectrum of organic pollutants as carbon sources and restore the polluted environment. Furthermore, halophiles can enhance plant growth under stress conditions and produce vital bio-enzymes. Halophilic microorganisms can contribute to increasing soil microbial diversity, pollutant degradation, stabilizing soil structure, participating in nutrient dynamics, bio-geochemical cycles, enhancing soil fertility, and crop growth. This review provides an in-depth analysis of pollutant degradation, salt-tolerating mechanisms, and plant-soil-microbe interaction and offers a holistic perspective on their potential for soil restoration.

Weeds compete with crops, reducing their productivity, and continuous use of inorganic herbicides disrupts environmental balance. In light of current environmental concerns, organic products have gained popularity, with essential oils emerging as potential natural herbicides. A systematic review of 100 studies from 2000 to 2024 highlights increasing interest in weed control through essential oils, particularly in Europe. Eighteen studies included in meta-analysis revealed that essential oil treatments significantly reduced weed shoot and root length and weight, achieving 45–92% growth control. Key terpenes such as 1,8-Cineole, ρ-Cymene, and α-Pinene were identified as the primary phytotoxic compounds. Modifying formulations through encapsulation and emulsification enhanced the stability, efficacy, and retention time of essential oils. The meta-analysis indicated moderate to high heterogeneity (I2 values of 0.58 and 0.98), attributed to factors like active compounds, weed species, climatic conditions, and assay types. The review concludes that further in-depth studies are necessary to develop sustainable, eco-friendly herbicides from essential oils.

Regenerative agricultural practices, i.e. organic and natural farming, are rooted in India since ancient times. However, the high cost of production, lack of organic pest control measures and premium price of organic produces in chemical agriculture encourage natural farming. In the present study, the quality improvement of calcareous soils under organic (OGF) and natural (NTF) management was compared with integrated conventional (ICF) and non-invasive (NIF) farming practices with cotton-sorghum crops over three consecutive years. A total of 23 soil attributes were analyzed at the end of the third cropping cycle and subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) to select a minimum data set (MDS) and obtain a soil quality index (SQI). The attributes soil organic carbon (SOC), available Fe, pH, bulk density (BD) and alkaline phosphatase (APA) were selected as indicators based on correlations and expert opinions on the lime content of the experimental soil. The SQI was improved in the order of OGF (0.89) > NTF(0.69) > ICF(0.48) > NIF(0.05). The contribution of the indicators to SQI was in the order of available Fe (17–44%) > SOC (21–28%), APA (11–36%) > pH (0–22%), and BD (0–20%) regardless of the farming practices. These indicators contribute equally to soil quality under natural (17–22%) and organic (18–22%) farming. The benefit:cost ratio was calculated to show the advantage of natural farming and was in the order of NTF(1.95–2.29), ICF (1.34–1.47), OGF (1.13–1.20) and NIF (0.84–1.47). In overall, the natural farming significantly sustained the soil quality and cost benefit compared to integrated conventional farming practices.