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Abstract Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are significant pests that cause considerable damage to crops, prompting a need for sustainable control methods. This study evaluated the nematicidal potential of fungal culture filtrates and botanicals as eco-friendly alternatives. In vitro tests demonstrated that Lemongrass oil (LG) (0.2%) achieved the highest mortality of nematode juveniles (J2s) at 99.44% within 48 h, while Pochonia chlamydosporia (Pc) (2%) and Purpuricillium lilacinum (Pl) (2%) reduced egg hatching rates to 9.57% and 11.43%, respectively. Neem oil (NM) (0.2%) was the most effective in preventing J2 root penetration (4.42%). In vivo, a combination treatment (T7) of NM (0.2%), Trichoderma harzianum (Tz) (2%), Pl (2%), and LG (0.2%) applied at 10 day intervals significantly reduced the nematode reproduction factor to 0.035, comparable to the chemical control Bayer Velum Prime® (Fluopyram 34.48% W/W SC) (0.031). T5 (NM and Tz) resulted in the highest shoot biomass (236.73 ± 1.38 g), while Bayer Velum Prime® (Fluopyram 34.48% W/W SC) increased root biomass (31.75 ± 1.24 g). Additionally, T7 produced the longest shoots (63.37 ± 0.74 cm) and roots (36.80 ± 0.3 cm), with fewer root galls (55.67 ± 1.53) and egg masses (4 ± 0.01). T7 also minimized the final soil nematode population to 106.33 ± 1.01 per 100 g, closely followed by T8 (94.67 ± 0.89). These results indicate that combining NM, Tz, Pl and LG provide effective nematode control without phytotoxic effects, enhancing plant growth and offering a promising sustainable alternative to chemical nematicides.

Abstract Background The application of beneficial microbes in agriculture is gaining increasing attention as a means to reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers. This approach can potentially mitigate negative impacts on soil, animal, and human health, as well as decrease climate-changing factors. Among these microbes, yeast has been the least explored, particularly within the phyllosphere compartment. This study addresses this knowledge gap by investigating the potential of phyllosphere yeast to improve rice yield while reducing fertilizer dosage. Results From fifty-two rice yeast phyllosphere isolates, we identified three yeast strains—Rhodotorula paludigena Y1, Pseudozyma sp. Y71, and Cryptococcus sp. Y72—that could thrive at 36 °C and possessed significant multifarious plant growth-promoting traits, enhancing rice root and shoot length upon seed inoculation. These three strains demonstrated favorable compatibility, leading to the creation of a yeast consortium. We assessed the combined effect of foliar application of this yeast consortium and individual strains with two distinct recommended doses of chemical fertilizers (RDCFs) (75 and 100%), as well as RDCFs alone (75 and 100%), in rice maintained in pot-culture and field experiments. The pot-culture experiment investigated the leaf microbial community, plant biochemicals, root and shoot length during the stem elongation, flowering, and dough phases, and yield-related parameters at harvest. The field experiment determined the actual yield. Integrated results from both experiments revealed that the yeast consortium with 75% RDCFs was more effective than the yeast consortium with 100% RDCFs, single strain applications with RDCFs (75 and 100%), and RDCFs alone (75 and 100%). Additionally, this treatment improved leaf metabolite levels compared to control rice plants. Conclusions Overall, a 25% reduction in soil chemical fertilizers combined with yeast consortium foliar application improved rice growth, biochemicals, and yield. This study also advances the field of phyllosphere yeast research in agriculture.

Abstract The current reports on phytopathogens multidrug resistance have become a significant issue for plant health and global food security. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have recently gained generous attention as potential alternatives to prevent plant disease resistance because of their potent, multifarious antimicrobial activity. AMPs are low-weight protein molecules. Living organisms secrete a wide range of AMPs, with some synthesised by canonical gene expression, known as ribosomal AMPs, and non-ribosomal AMPs, synthesised by modular enzyme-generating systems. Plants produce an array of AMPs, yet they are still unknown to many infection processes of causal agents. Plant-derived AMPs have a wide range of structures and functions, and they induce an innate immune system in plants. The biologically active AMPs in plants mainly depend on direct and indirect interactions with membrane lipids. Transgenic plants have expressed several AMPs, the basis for the model of new synthetic analogues, to provide support against diseases. These peptides have shown significant ability to manage plant diseases and can provide an eco-friendly alternative to hazardous conventional methods. Here, we have a comprehensive study on AMPs to identify their role in plant pathogen stress suppression activities and their mode of action. This would surely facilitate a bottomless insight into AMPs' mode of action against pathogen infections. An improved understanding of the mechanism will facilitate the development of the next generation of antimicrobial peptides, potentially employing a multitargeted approach.

Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, belongs to order Peronosporales is one of the most destructive phytopathogen causing late blight disease of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). The disease symptoms appear on leaf, petiole, stem, and tubers at any stage of crop growth and may cause severe disease epidemics leading to complete defoliation and extensive yield loss. The field experiments were conducted during 2020–21 and 2021–22 at Chesrimai GP, Charilam block, Sepahijala, Tripura to find out the effective management strategies with fungicides to mitigate the losses caused by the devastating disease. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design (RBD) in 3 replications with 8 treatments having different fungicides in different combinations for determining the best spray schedule against late bight disease. Results revealed that one spraying of Mancozeb 75% @0.25% at 35 days after sowing (DAS), second spraying of Cymoxanil 8% + Mancozeb 64% @0.25% at 42 DAS, and third spraying of Mancozeb 75% @0.25% at 49 DAS and fourth spraying of Cymoxanil 8% + Mancozeb 64% @ 0.25% at 56 DAS recorded the best performing treatment, with the least mean disease severity (10.54 and 7.30%), the least mean disease incidence (15.00 and 12.75%), the least coefficient of disease index (CODEX) value (1.58% and 0.93%), and highest tuber yield (21.27 and 21.68 t/ha) during 2020–21 and 2021–22, respectively. In addition, there were 26.6 and 27.7% increase in yield over control during 2020–21 and 2021–22, respectively and the pooled incremental cost benefit ratio (ICBR) of 1:16.09 was found to be highest among all other treatments. Efficient spray schedule of prophylactic/ preventive spray with contact fungicide followed by spraying with translaminar/systemic + contact fungicide can effectively manage the late blight disease of potato under field conditions.

Termite mound soils are known to possess unique physico-chemical and biochemical properties, making them highly fertile. Considering their rich nutrient content, the objective of the current experiment is to assess the physico-chemical properties and enzyme activities of termite mound based potting media and evaluate theirperformance for further exploration in floriculture. Potting media consisting of termite mound soil (TS) of a subterranean termite, Odontotermes obesus were prepared in 7 different combinations with garden soil (GS), sand (S) and farmyard manure (FYM) and a control (without termite mound soil), i.e., T1 (TS, GS, S, FYM (v:v:v:v /1:2:1:1)), T2 (TS, GS, S, FYM (v:v:v:v / 2:1:1:1)), T3 (TS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 2:1:1)), T4 (TS, GS, FYM (v:v:v / 2:1:1)), T5 (TS, GS, S (v:v:v / 2:1:1)), T6 (TS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 3:1:1)), T7 (TS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 1:1:2)) and control (GS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 2:1:1)). The samples were then analysed in laboratory. Experimental analysis on physico-chemical and biological parameters revealed superiority of T7 (TS, S, FYM (v:v:v / 1:1:2)) in terms of pH (7.15), organic carbon (2.13%), available nitrogen (526.02 kg ha−1), available phosphorus (56.60 kg ha−1), available potassium (708.19 kg ha−1), dehydrogenase activity (18.21 μg TTF g−1 soil day−1), Phosphomonoesterase (PME) activity (46.68 54 μg p-nitrophenol/gsoil/h) and urease activity (3.39 μg NH4-N g−1 soil h−1). Whereas T4 (TS, GS, FYM (v:v:v /2:1:1)) registered superiority in terms of PME activity (50.54 μg p-nitrophenol/gsoil/h), Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) activity (11.01 μgfluorescein/gsoil/h) and Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon (SMBC) (262.25 μg/g). Subsequent to the laboratory analysis, two best potting mixtures (T7 & T4) were selected and their performance was assessed by growing a test crop, Tagetes erecta cv. Inca Orange. Considering the growth parameters, the potting media: T7 was found to be significantly superior in terms of plant spread (39.64 cm), leaf area index (4.07), fresh weight (37.72 g), yield (317.81 g/plant), and diameter (9.38 cm) of flower over T4 & control. The Benefit:Cost (B:C) ratio meaning the ratio of net returns to total cost of cultivation was determined. The B:C ratio of raising marigold flower as potted plant in T7 was 1.10 whereas the B:C ratio of the potting mixture of T7 was 2.52. This shows that T7 potting media is also economically viable choice for commercial purposes.

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) holds significant economic importance in Meghalaya, thriving in its high altitude and cool climate. East Khasi Hills (EKH) district, where cabbage cultivation remains viable throughout the year, contributes 70% of the state's total cabbage production. A severe outbreak of cabbage black rot, caused by Xanthomonas campestris p.v. campestris, has raised concerns in this region. To comprehensively understand the outbreak and assess its economic impact, an extensive disease survey was conducted across 6 districts of Meghalaya, with a particular focus in the EKH during 2021–22 and 2022–23. The survey was on different cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica), cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis), radish (Raphanus sativus L.), mustard (Brassica juncea L.), and knol khol (Brassica oleracea L. var. gongylodes). It was found that on an average, Meghalaya experiences a disease incidence (DI) of a 52.7% and per cent disease index (PDI) of 30.9% for black rot in cabbage. However, in the EKH, highest disease incidence (69.98%) and PDI (43.38%) of black rot was recorded in cabbage, that surpassed knol khol and cauliflower. Highest DI and severity were observed during monsoon season. Further analysis revealed significant correlations (r) between black rot incidence and severity in cabbage with temperature (0.91), humidity (0.87) and rainfall (0.88). Additionally, multiple regression predictive model performed using weather parameters and DI led to the prediction of PDI with accuracy of 95% in EKH.

Abstract Climate change has remarkably intensified the occurrence of floods around the globe. Flooding causes loss of life and property. Flood frequency analysis (FFA) is an important investigation and plays a key role in flood‐related studies. Geographically, the study area is confined in the lower Brahmaputra floodplains, flat slope, and rivers are braided in nature. Because of Heavy rainfall, major rivers in the area carry huge influxes of surged water during the summer period. Hence, disastrous flooding can be seen every year in the study region. The present study aims to model flood frequency using the hydrological data to understand the effects within the area. FFA approaches like Gumbel, Log Pearson type 3 (LP‐3), and Log‐Normal (LN) were used, and comparative analyses were done using water level data for the Manas, Aie, and Brahmaputra Rivers. Moreover, remote sensing and the geographic information system (GIS) environment were used to generate FFA‐based flood predictive inundation map at 5, 10, 50, 100, and 200 years of return periods. Here, Gumbel's distribution has found the best fit for all the rivers among the three. The distribution reveals that at a 200‐year return period, the highest water level would be increased by 1.45, 2.41, and 4 m for the Manas, Aie, and Brahmaputra Rivers, respectively. The study shows that almost 493.54 and 673.72 km2 of areas are expected to be submerged at 5 and 200‐year return periods according to Gumbel's distribution; LP‐3 distribution predicted 493.01 and 555.66 km2, and the log‐normal distribution method predicted 432.51 and 555.74 km2 of flood‐sensitive areas at 5 and 200‐year return periods, respectively. The FFA highlighted spatio‐temporal effects on the expansion of submerged areas. We hope that the findings of the present study will aid in the different flood hazard management strategies for future endeavors.

Abstract Background This study evaluated the shelf life and effectiveness of Metarhizium anisopliae encapsulated in Na (sodium)-alginate matrix. Air-flow-dried and freeze-dried beads containing conidia of M. anisopliae produced in submersion in the liquid broth were fabricated and characterized. Shelf life and efficacy of fabricated beads against three species of the white grubs, namely Holotrichia serrata, Adoretus sp., and Lepidiota mansueta, were evaluated under greenhouse conditions. Results The mean size of the wet beads ranged between 1.4 and 3.2 mm. The mean size of beads that were dried through freeze drying ranged between 0.55 and 2.3 mm. However, the mean size of beads dried through air flow ranged between 0.55 and 2.35 mm. Viability of M. anisopliae was more in freeze-dried beads stored at 8 °C compared to air-flow-dried beads with 20.0 × 107 and 16.00 × 107 CFU/g, respectively, after two weeks of drying. Further, freeze-dried beads supported M. anisopliae conidial viability till 10 months with 2.0 × 107 CFU/g. The LC50 values of the freeze-dried beads with M. anisopliae after 21 days of treatment were 0.35 (2.1 × 108 CFU/g), 0.31 (2.1 × 108 CFU/g), and 0.76 mg (2.1 × 108 CFU/g) against H. serrata, Adoretus sp., and L. mansueta, respectively. Conclusion The results of this study support the use of Na-alginate beads followed by freeze drying to maintain the viability of M. anisopliae. The effectiveness of freeze-dried beads with M. anisopliae against white grubs indicates that these beads can be an alternative option of synthetic insecticides against soil dwelling insect pests. In addition, this study offers a steppingstone for further advancement of sodium alginate encapsulated formulations for soil insect control.

The hemibiotrophic fungus-like oomycete phytopathogen, Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary, causing late blight disease of potato, is one of the most serious foliar diseases of potato. The pathogen spread very rapidly and can infect at any stage of crop growth.The field experiments were carried out during winter (rabi) season of 2020-21 and winter (rabi) season of 2021-22 to find out the correlation between the disease progress and environmental factors and the effective novel fungicides registered under Central Insecticide Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC) against P. infestans. Results revealed that T7: Mandipropamid 23.4% SC @ 0.1% (1.0 ml/L) at 35 & 55 days after sowing (DAS) and Ametoctradin 27% + Dimethomorph 20.27% SC @ 0.1% (1.0 ml/L) at 45 & 65 DAS recorded least average per cent late blight disease incidence (PLBDI) of 13.00 and 9.33, per cent late blight disease severity/index (PLBDS) of 8.81 and 5.96 and maximum tuber yield of 21.58 and 21.86 t/ha with highest benefit cost ratio (BCR) value of 1:1.95 and 1: 1.99 as compared to control during winter (rabi) season of 2020-21 and winter (rabi) season of 2021-22, respectively. T7 exhibited minimum Area under the Disease Progress Curve (AUDPC) value during both the consecutive seasons. The disease is positively correlated with maximum and minimum temperature, morning and evening relative humidity and sunshine hours. Linearity assumption scatter matrix indicates coefficient of determination of 0.916 was calculated using the pooled data.The relative potato tuber yield loss ranged from 7.38 to 19.96% and 7.14 to 19.62% during 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively. Spray schedule with contact fungicide followed by systemic/translaminar + contact fungicide recorded reduced potato late blight disease with highest BCR value under natural epiphytotic condition.

Anton de Bary first coined the genus, Phytophthora, which means “plant destroyer”, viewing its devastating nature on potatoes. Globally plants have faced enormous threat from Phytophthora since its occurrence. In fact, a century ago, Phytophthorapalmivora was first reported on Dendrobium maccarthiae in Sri Lanka. Since then, members of beautiful flowering crops of the family Orchidaceae facing the destructive threat of Phytophthora. Several Phytophthora species have been recorded to infect orchids with economic loss worldwide. To date, orchids are attacked by 12 species of Phytophthora. Five Phytophthora species (P. palmivora, P. nicotianae, P. cactorum, P. multivesiculata, P. meadii) are the major pathogenic Oomycetous Chromista” rather than true fungi frequently occurred on Orchidaceae. Phytophthora palmivora (having ~32 orchid host genera in 15 countries), Phytophthora nicotianae (having ~15 orchid host genera in 16 countries), Phytophthora cactorum (having ~43 orchid host genera in 6 countries), Phytophthora multivesiculata (having 2 orchid host genera in 5 countries) and Phytophthora capsici (having 2 orchid host genera in all Vanilla growing countries) are potential destroyers of Orchidaceae. Most of them are water loving Oomycetes cause disease in moist environments (> 80% RH) at 16–28°C. In artificially constructed orchidaria, anthropogenic factors are mostly contributed to the dissemination Phytophthora diseases in addition to many other factors. Water management, clean cultivation, and agro-chemicals are the major options for effective management of orchid Phytophthora, as the eco-friendly management options like development of resistant hybrids/cultivars, biological disease management, transgenic approaches, RNAi technology remained in the infant stage. In this review, we intended to highlight the insight of Phytophthora diseases associated with the orchid disease with reference to the historical aspect of the diseases, symptoms and signs, the pathogens, taxonomy, geographic distribution, host range within the Orchidaceae, pathogen identification, molecular diagnostics, mating types and races, management options and strategies and future perspectives.

We perform a comparative study of the phase noise induced in the lasers used for Bragg diffraction in a Bose–Einstein condensate-based quantum gravimeter where the Bragg beams are generated using two different configurations. In one of the configurations, the Bragg beams that form the moving optical lattice are generated using two different acousto-optic modulators. In the second configuration, the Bragg beams are generated using a single acousto-optic modulator carrying two phase-locked frequencies. The second configuration shows a suppression of the phase noise by a factor of 4.7 times in the frequency band up to 10 kHz, the primary source of noise, which is the background acoustic noise picked up by optical components and the optical table. We report a short-term sensitivity of 1360μGal/Hz and upon integration over 200 s, achieve a resolution of 99.7 μGal for an interferometric duration of 10 ms.

Despite Northeastern India being “Treasure House of Citrus Genetic Wealth,” genetic erosion of citrus diversity poses severe concern with a corresponding loss in seed microbial diversity. The seed microbiome of citrus species unique to the Purvanchal Himalaya is seldom explored for their use in sustainable orchard management. Isolation and characterization of culturable seed microbiomes of eight citrus species, namely, Citrus reticulata Blanco, C. grandis (L.) Osbeck, C. latipes Tanaka, C. megaloxycarpa Lushaigton, C. jambhiri Lush, C. sinensis (L.) Osbeck, C. macroptera Montr, and C. indica Tanaka collected from NE India were carried out. The isolates were then screened for an array of plant growth–promoting (PGP) traits [indole acetic acid (IAA) production, N2 fixation, phosphate and zinc complex dissolution, siderophores, and Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN) production]. The pure culture isolates of seed microbiomes were capable of dissolving insoluble Ca3(PO4)2 (1.31–4.84 µg Pi ml-1 h-1), Zn3(PO4)2 (2.44–3.16 µg Pi ml-1 h-1), AlPO4 (1.74–3.61 µg Pi ml-1 h-1), and FePO4 (1.54–4.61µg Pi ml-1 h-1), mineralized phytate (12.17–18.00 µg Pi ml-1 h-1) and produced IAA-like substances (4.8–187.29 µg ml-1 h-1). A few isolates of the seed microbiome were also able to fix nitrogen, secrete siderophore-like compounds and HCN, and dissolve ZnSO4 and ZnO. The 16S ribosomal Ribonucleic Acid (rRNA)–based taxonomic findings revealed that Bacillus was the most dominant genus among the isolates across citrus species. Isolates CG2-1, CME6-1, CME6-4, CME6-5, CME6-9, CJ7-1, CMA10-1, CI11-3, and CI11-4 were identified as promising bioinoculants for development of microbial consortium having multifaceted PGP traits for nutritional benefits of nitrogen, phosphorus and zinc, and IAA hormonal benefits to citrus crops for better fitness in acid soils.

We implemented optimization techniques of machine learning (ML) to obtain the mutually exclusive sets of experimental parameters that maximize the number of strontium atoms of different isotopes (88Sr, 86Sr, and 87Sr) in a magneto-optical trap (MOT). Machine learning optimization techniques are significantly faster than conventional manual optimization. While optimizing the parameters, these algorithms efficiently tackle the problem of being confined in one of the local maxima in the parametric space. Thus, ML can be implemented to automate the loading of different isotopes into MOT to perform multiple experiments in a single setup.

Trichoderma spp. (Hypocreales) are used worldwide as a lucrative biocontrol agent. The interactions of Trichoderma spp. with host plants and pathogens at a molecular level are important in understanding the various mechanisms adopted by the fungus to attain a close relationship with their plant host through superior antifungal/antimicrobial activity. When working in synchrony, mycoparasitism, antibiosis, competition, and the induction of a systemic acquired resistance (SAR)-like response are considered key factors in deciding the biocontrol potential of Trichoderma. Sucrose-rich root exudates of the host plant attract Trichoderma. The soluble secretome of Trichoderma plays a significant role in attachment to and penetration and colonization of plant roots, as well as modulating the mycoparasitic and antibiosis activity of Trichoderma. This review aims to gather information on how Trichoderma interacts with host plants and its role as a biocontrol agent of soil-borne phytopathogens, and to give a comprehensive account of the diverse molecular aspects of this interaction.

Nine underutilized wild edible fruits collected from four districts of Tripura, a North-Eastern state of India were studied for the antibacterial properties against five (5) human pathogens, Escherichia coli (Gram–Ve, ATCC-2522), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Gram–Ve, ATCC-27853), Salmonella typhi (Gram –Ve, ATCC-14028), Staphylococcus aureus (Gram +Ve, ATCC-25923) and Klebsiella pneumonia (Gram–Ve, ATCC-700603) by disk diffusion method. Besides, the folk medicinal values and their ethnobotanical importance are also reported. Out of the nine (9) wild edible fruits, C. macroptera and S. dulcis showed the least antibacterial effect against all the bacterial pathogens under the present study. On the other hand, G. gummi-gutta and A. lacucha showed considerable antibacterial effects against all of the bacterial pathogens with the highest zone of inhibition against E. coli, followed by P. aeruginosa. Selective inhibitory effect of some of the wild edible fruits was also observed against the targeted pathogens. This study paves the way for using the underutilized wild fruits of the North-Eastern region of India as a potential source of antipathogenic activity of human pathogens. Further, a detailed study may help in identifying the bioactive compound of industrial importance.

Soil borne pathogens are significant contributor of plant yield loss globally. The constraints in early diagnosis, wide host range, longer persistence in soil makes their management cumbersome and difficult. Therefore, it is crucial to devise innovative and effective management strategy to combat the losses caused by soil borne diseases. The use of chemical pesticides is the mainstay of current plant disease management practices that potentially cause ecological imbalance. Nanotechnology presents a suitable alternative to overcome the challenges associated with diagnosis and management of soil-borne plant pathogens. This review explores the use of nanotechnology for the management of soil-borne diseases using a variety of strategies, such as nanoparticles acting as a protectant, as carriers of actives like pesticides, fertilizers, antimicrobials, and microbes or by promoting plant growth and development. Nanotechnology can also be used for precise and accurate detection of soil-borne pathogens for devising efficient management strategy. The unique physico-chemical properties of nanoparticles allow greater penetration and interaction with biological membrane thereby increasing its efficacy and releasability. However, the nanoscience specifically agricultural nanotechnology is still in its toddler stage and to realize its full potential, extensive field trials, utilization of pest crop host system and toxicological studies are essential to tackle the fundamental queries associated with development of commercial nano-formulations.

Beneficial fungi with antagonistic and entomopathogenic properties have shown promising effect in the biological control of diseases and pests in a variety of commercially significant crops, including tomato, in recent years. Despite the fact that such treatments are environmentally safe, their risk on non-target species in tomato fields remains unknown. Beneficial fungi that have been commercialised for field use have had little effects on the population of arthropod pests and the incidence of diseases in tomato fields due to various reasons. The use of fungal antagonists and entomopathogenic fungi-based products for the management of diseases and pests of tomato crop has been done all over the world. The investigated reports, however, are scattered throughout the research papers, so they need to be compiled and discussed. Therefore, efficiency of antagonistic and entomopathogenic fungi against important pests and pathogens of tomato crop, as well as their practical use as biofungicides and bioinsecticides to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides, are discussed in this review paper. Besides, plant growth promotion activity of beneficial fungi, their appropriateness as an alternative of synthetic pesticides, and future prospects are also discussed.

Biological control of plant pathogens has become increasingly possible with the use of fungi, which have a high reproductive rate (both sexually and asexually) and a short generation time and are very specific to their target. Trichoderma species are found in diverse habitats and experience various interactions with other organisms. They are used as bio-fungicides owing to their plant-protecting abilities, and they produce a large number of secondary metabolites (SMs) accompanied by enrichment in secondary metabolism-associated genes. This article aims to review and discuss the SMs produced by Trichoderma species, including their physiology, mode of action, mass production, and industrial and field applications for the control of plant diseases. We also discuss the evolutionary history, taxonomical gradient, classification, and ecology of Trichoderma species, as well as indirect and direct mechanisms used as plant protectors with gene improvement strategies. Aside from the bioactivity of SMs derived from Trichoderma species, compatibility with fungicides, mass formulation techniques, and industrial applications of Trichoderma species, the review focuses on its advent and progress as a global research pioneer.

Abstract CuAlS2/ZnS Quantum dots (QDs) are known to directly convert aqueous solutions of bicarbonate ions to oxygen and organic molecules such as formate with a remarkable efficiency even under sunlight. In cases, fairly complicated organic reaction products such as acetate and methanol have been observed when reactions are allowed to continue for longer periods of time. Here, we investigate the electron dynamics that occurs within CuAlS2/ZnS QDs and show that it is essentially dominated by ultrafast electron transfer (560 fs for 0.4 excitons per dot) to the surface. The electron dwell time in the conduction band increases exponentially (for example 872 fs for 1.4 excitons per dot) with the excitation fluence. This is reverse of the auger limited response of conventional QDs and is hypothesized to exhibit strong charge separation that lies at the root of the remarkable photocatalytic activity. We further investigate this system through multi‐pump experiments. We find that the system response to prior excitation changes over the period of nanoseconds, consistent with the charge reorganization in the system, well after the initial electron transfer. The results of these experiments are summarized in terms of a coulomb‐well interpretation.

Plant viruses cause enormous losses in agricultural production accounting for about 47% of the total overall crop losses caused by plant pathogens. More than 50% of the emerging plant diseases are reported to be caused by viruses, which are inevitable or unmanageable. Therefore, it is essential to devise novel and effective management strategies to combat the losses caused by the plant virus in economically important crops. Nanotechnology presents a new tendency against the increasing challenges in the diagnosis and management of plant viruses as well as plant health. The application of nanotechnology in plant virology, known as nanophytovirology, includes disease diagnostics, drug delivery, genetic transformation, therapeutants, plant defense induction, and bio-stimulation; however, it is still in the nascent stage. The unique physicochemical properties of particles in the nanoscale allow greater interaction and it may knock out the virus particles. Thus, it opens up a novel arena for the management of plant viral diseases. The main objective of this review is to focus on the mounting collection of tools and techniques involved in the viral disease diagnosis and management and to elucidate their mode of action along with toxicological concerns.

Endophytes are symptomless fungal or bacterial microorganisms found in almost all living plant species reported so far. They are the plant-associated microbes that form symbiotic association with their host plants by colonizing the internal tissues, which has made them valuable for agriculture as a tool in improving crop performance. Many fungal endophytes produce secondary metabolites such as auxin, gibberellin etc that helps in growth and development of the host plant. Some of these compounds are antibiotics having antifungal, antibacterial and insecticidal properties, which strongly inhibit the growth of other microorganisms, including plant pathogens. This article reviews the endophyte isolated from different plants, mode of endophytic infection and benefits derived by the host plant as a result of endophytism.