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A study was undertaken in order to investigate the effects of SO2 (25, 50, and 75 ppb) exposure for five hours on alternate days for three months on the susceptibility of five cucurbits to the infection of Meloidogyne incognita, causing root-knot disease. Four-week-old cucurbit plants were inoculated with 2000 J2 of M. incognita. SO2 levels of 50 and 75 ppb caused noticeable injury to foliage and reduced the plant growth parameters and biomass production of cucurbits (p ≤ 0.05). Nematode-inoculated plants caused characteristic oval, fleshy and large galls. The galls were formed closely, and as a result they coalesced, giving bead-like impressions especially in pumpkin and sponge gourds. Disease severity became aggravated on plants exposed to SO2 at 50 or 75 ppb concentrations. The nematode and SO2 interaction varied with the levels of SO2 and the response of the plant to M. incognita. SO2 at 50 or 75 ppb concentrations stimulated the pathogenesis of M. incognita on cucurbit species. The combined effect of 75 ppb SO2 and M. incognita suppressed plant length by 34% against the sum of decreases observed by M. incognita and SO2 individually (14–18%). At 50 ppb SO2, the fecundity of M. incognita was decreased and combined effect of SO2 and M. incognita was more than the sum of their singular effects. The study has proven that root-knot disease might become aggravated in the regions contaminated with elevated levels of SO2.

The data on how lifestyle factors of school-going children affect their oral health are not sufficient; therefore, there is a need to analyze the adverse effects of poor lifestyle habits and the role of mothers’ education on oral health. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors with the oral health status of school-going children through a structured questionnaire and oral examination. Ninety-five (26.5%) children were from class 1. One hundred eighty-seven (52.1%) mothers were educated while 172 (47.9%) were uneducated. Two hundred seventy-six (76.9%) children had never visited the dentist. The results indicate that dental health behavior is associated with lifestyle factors as well as socio-demographic variables. Parent education and awareness regarding oral health plays a major role in determining the oral health of children.

Food security will be a substantial issue in the near future due to the expeditiously growing global population. The current trend in the agriculture industry entails the extravagant use of synthesized pesticides and fertilizers, making sustainability a difficult challenge. Land degradation, lower production, and vulnerability to both abiotic and biotic stresses are problems caused by the usage of these pesticides and fertilizers. The major goal of sustainable agriculture is to ameliorate productivity and reduce pests and disease prevalence to such a degree that prevents large-scale damage to crops. Agriculture is a composite interrelation among plants, microbes, and soil. Plant microbes play a major role in growth promotion and improve soil fertility as well. Bacillus spp. produces an extensive range of bio-chemicals that assist in plant disease control, promote plant development, and make them suitable for agricultural uses. Bacillus spp. support plant growth by N fixation, P and K solubilization, and phytohormone synthesis, in addition to being the most propitious biocontrol agent. Moreover, Bacilli excrete extracellular metabolites, including antibiotics, lytic enzymes, and siderophores, and demonstrate antagonistic activity against phytopathogens. Bacillus spp. boosts plant resistance toward pathogens by inducing systemic resistance (ISR). The most effective microbial insecticide against insects and pests in agriculture is Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). Additionally, the incorporation of toxin genes in genetically modified crops increases resistance to insects and pests. There is a constant increase in the identified Bacillus species as potential biocontrol agents. Moreover, they have been involved in the biosynthesis of metallic nanoparticles. The main objective of this review article is to display the uses and application of Bacillus specie as a promising biopesticide in sustainable agriculture. Bacillus spp. strains that are antagonistic and promote plant yield attributes could be valuable in developing novel formulations to lead the way toward sustainable agriculture.