Seaweed and a biocontrol agent and their effects on the growth and production of Brassica juncea: a sustainable approach.

Chemical fertilizers are crucial for increasing agricultural growth and productivity, but inorganic fertilizers can negatively impact agricultural systems. To address this issue, sustainable techniques like organic farming are being developed, which improve soil quality and nutritional status while preserving human safety. In the Botanical Garden, of Department of Botany at the University of Delhi, India, experiments on Brassica juncea were carried out over a three-year period in six micro plots, each measuring 10 square meters. Vermicompost (V), Sargassum johnstoni (S), NPK (N), Trichoderma viride (T), and Sargassum + Trichoderma viride were five distinct organic combinations that were used to replenish the garden soil (ST). The aim of the study was to assess the effects of organic fertilizers and compare the results with commercially available chemical fertilizers (NPK) on Brassica growth and yield. The study found that soil modified with seaweed fertilizers significantly improved the morphological, reproductive, and biochemical properties of plants. Sargassum + Trichoderma soil amendment led to early flowering and fruiting, better-quality produce, and a low incidence of fungal infection and aphid infestation. This study reveals a new cost-effective method for crop development and production sustainability, benefiting both farmers and environmentalists.

Knowledge and Practices of Intensive Care Unit Nurses Related to Prevention of Ventilator Associated Pneumonia in Selected Intensive Care Units of a Tertiary Care Centre, India.

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP) is a recognized nosocomial infection and a leading cause of high morbidity and mortality. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses are in the best position to put the known evidence-based strategies into practice to prevent VAP. The aim of the present study is to assess the knowledge and practices of ICU nurses related to prevention of VAP in selected ICUs of a tertiary care centre in India (2013-2014) and to find out the association between knowledge and practices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive survey was conducted in the different ICUs of a tertiary care hospital in India. Purposive sampling technique was used and 108 ICU staff nurses were enrolled during the period of data collection. The tool used for data collection was a self-developed valid and reliable knowledge-based questionnaire and an observational checklist. The descriptive (frequency and percentages) and inferential (Chi-square test) statistics was used. RESULTS: Out of the 108 nurses enrolled in the study, 82 (75.93%) had average, 24 (22.22%) had good and only 2 (1.85%) of the ICU nurses had poor knowledge. Assessment of the practices revealed that 68 (94.44%) nurses had average and only 4 (5.55%) nurses had good practice. There was no association between the knowledge and practices of ICU nurses related to prevention of VAP. (χ2 = 0.14, p = 0.710). CONCLUSIONS: Although the nurses were having good to average knowledge scores, their practices were not associated with knowledge scores. There is a need to find out the ways that would help the nurses to adhere to good practices.