Intensified seed spices-based cropping systems for higher productivity, resource-use efficiency, soil fertility and profitability in arid and semi-arid regions of India.

Coriander, fenugreek, nigella etc. are collectively known as seed spices. They are "High value and low volume crops" and considered cash crops for the growers of arid and semi-arid regions of India. Coriander, fenugreek and nigella are grown during the rabi season and take hardly 130-140 days to attain full maturity. In this context, farmers are not able to develop income from available arable land round the year, even though they have sufficient resources as well as manpower. Therefore, coriander, fenugreek and nigella-based cropping systems, four of each (total 12) were evaluated during 3 consecutive years (2019-20 to 2021-22) for their productivity, resource-use efficiency, economics and soil fertility. The results showed that among the seed spices-based cropping systems, maximum system productivity (5193 kg ha-1), production efficiency (18.81 kg ha-1 day-1), water-use efficiency (2.31 kg ha-1 mm-1), economic efficiency (11.85 US $ ha-1 day-1), net return (3270 US $ ha-1), benefit:cost ratio (3.27) and available N (165.6 kg ha-1) were observed under nigella-green coriander-mungbean cropping system. Hence, seed spices growers are recommended to adopt nigella-green coriander-mungbean cropping system in order to realize better productivity, resource-use efficiency, soil fertility and profitability.

Molecular understandings on 'the never thirsty' and apomictic Cenchrus grass.

The genus Cenchrus comprises around 25 species of 'bristle clade' grasses. Cenchrus ciliaris (buffel grass) is a hardy, perennial range grass that survives in poor sandy soils and limiting soil moisture conditions and, due to the very same reasons, this grass is one of the most prevalent fodder grasses of the arid and semi-arid regions. Most of the germplasms of Cenchrus produce seeds asexually through the process of apomeiosis. Therefore, the lack of sufficient sexual lines has hindered the crop improvement efforts in Cenchrus being confined to simple selection methods. Many attempts have been initiated in buffel grass to investigate the various molecular aspects such as genomic signatures of different species and genotypes, molecular basis of abiotic stress tolerance and reproductive performance. Even though it is an important fodder crop, molecular investigations in Cenchrus lack focus and the molecular information available on this grass is scanty. Cenchrus is a very good gene source for abiotic stress tolerance and apomixis studies. Biotechnological interventions in Cenchrus can help in crop improvement in Cenchrus as well as other crops through transgenic technology or marker assisted selection. To date no consolidated review on biotechnological interventions in Cenchrus grass has been published. Therefore we provide a thorough and in depth review on molecular research in Cenchrus focusing on molecular signatures of evolution, tolerance to abiotic stress and apomictic reproductive mechanism.

Synthesis and spectral studies of metal complexes of a Schiff base derived from (2-amino-5-chlorophenyl)phenyl methanone.

Some new complexes of Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), and Fe(III) with the Schiff base 5-chloro-2-(furan-2-yl methylamino)phenyl)phenyl methanone has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic data including FT-IR, (1)H NMR, Electronic, ESI mass, Mössbauer & ESR. It has been found that the Schiff base behaves as a neutral bidentate N, O donor which chelates with the metal ions in 1:2 stoichiometry. Magnetic moment and electrolytic conductance data confirms this. The Schiff base and selected complexes were screened for antimicrobial activity. The complexes and the Schiff base were subjected to antioxidant study. The antitumor activity of Co(II) complex was tested by MTT assay. The result indicates the viability of the complex against tested cell lines.

Surveillance of bacteriological quality of natural water resources in rural areas around Kasauli Town, Distt. Solan, Himachal Pradesh.

A study was conducted to find out the bacteriological quality of water during the monsoon season in local areas around Kasauli Town, and to evaluate the management of water resources in rural areas. The water samples were collected from bowries and hand pumps. As there is no municipal water supply in majority of these areas, the local residents depends mainly on these natural resources without any treatment of water. All the 14 surface water samples collected from bowries were found bacteriologically polluted with total coliform count ranging from 35-1800+. The main contaminants isolated were atypical thermotolerant E. coli, Pseudomonas fluorescence, Enterobacter cloacae, Aeromonas liquifaciens, Citrobacter freundii and Pseudomonas pseudomaleii. Among seven hand pump samples, two were found to have Coliform count 80 and 250 respectively. These two water samples were found contaminated with Citrobacter freundii and E. coli &Aeromonas liquefaciens respectively. These bacteriological contaminations appear to be both from vegetative & human or animal excreta sources. The study therefore suggested that the water from these natural resources requires treatment either by boiling or chlorination before human consumption to avoid any outbreak.