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The study highlights the importance of integrating organic resources, such as vermicompost and biofertilizers with inorganic fertilizers to sustain coconut yields and manage costs. The experimental trial was conducted from 2016 to 2020 in a 47-year-old East Coast Tall coconut garden at Coconut Research Station in South India. The research evaluated four nutrient management treatments viz., T1 (75% Recommended Dose of Fertilizer (RDF) + 25% N organic), T2 (50% RDF + 50% N organic), T3 (100% N organic) and a control (100% RDF). Intercrops included black pepper (Piper nigrum), banana (Musa acuminata) and cocoa (Theobroma cacao). Organic manure significantly improved soil physical properties, water retention and overall soil health. The T2 treatment achieved the highest yields for coconut, cocoa, banana and black pepper. The added soil health parameters supported to these findings, with T2 showing the highest fungal (15.27 × 103 cfu/g of soil) and bacterial populations (17.25 × 105 cfu/g of soil), along with a significant earthworm population (26/m2), indicating enhanced soil ecosystem health. Additionally, soil moisture content was highest under T3 (100% organic) across various depths, followed by T2, highlighting the critical role of organic matter in improving soil moisture conservation. The economic feasibility analysis, including a net present value (NPV), benefit/cost ratio (B/C ratio) and an internal rate of return (IRR), revealed T2 to be the most economically viable nutrient management strategy. This study highlights the economic benefits of intercropping coconuts using an integrated nutrient management (INM) approach, demonstrating its superiority over traditional monocropping practices.

Murrel namely Channa striatus or haruan contains all essential elements to maintain good health and to recover the lost energy after prolonged illness. The fatty acid composition (% of total fatty acid) indicated the abundant presence of C16:0 fatty acid as 30% and the other major fatty acids were C22:6 (15%), C20:4 (19%), C18:1 (12%) and C18:0 (15%). Haruan contains arachidonic acid (C20:4) as 19.0%, a precursor for prostaglandin and thromboxane biosyntheses. Both fatty and amino acids are important components for wound healing processes. Both the fillet and mucus extracts of haruan were found to exhibit a concentration dependent antinociceptive activity. In vitro antioxidant activity was higher in Channa roe protein hydrolysate than in Labeo roe protein hydrolysate in both DPPH radical scavenging and ferric reducing power. Protein content of roe concentrates (RPC) was found to be 90.2% (Channa) and 82.5% (Lates). Water absorption, oil absorption, foam capacity, stability and emulsifying capacity were found to be higher in Channa RPC than in Lates RPC. Characterization of protein hydrolysates from muscle and myofibrillar samples of haruan showed different kinetic and proteolytic activities. The skin extract of haruan influences the serotonergic receptor system thus they can function as an anti-depressant. Thus, haruan is the best example for food as medicine.

Traditionally, diseases have been managed with synthetic chemicals, but concerns over their environmental and health impacts have led to increased interest in biological control methods as sustainable alternatives. This study explores the potential of the seed-borne endophytes for ecofriendly biological control agent against brown spot Bipolaris oryzae (Breda de Haan) and sheath blight disease (Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn) in rice. The findings revealed that B. subtilis RE-1 effectively reduced the mycelial growth of brown spot and sheath blight pathogen up to 46.27% and 40.37%, respectively under in vitro conditions. Endophytes produced extracellular hydrolytic enzymes viz., amylase, protease, cellulase and lipase that degrade fungal mycelia. Additionally, B. subtilis RE-1 synthesized antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) including Iturin (C, D), Bacilysin, Fengycin D, Mycosubtilin, Bacillomycin (A, D) and hydrolytic enzymes viz., b-glucanase, which collectively demonstrated potent antimicrobial and antifungal activities. The identification of six antimicrobial lipopeptides genes and one hydrolytic enzyme gene in seed-borne endophytes is a novel finding of this study, highlighting its comprehensive disease-fighting potential. Furthermore, B. subtilis enhances seed germination rates to 96% and increases the vigor index to 1574.784, compared to the control seeds with 92% germination and a vigor index of 1393.984. The augmentation of seedling growth can be attributed to the release of IAA, siderophore and ammonia utilization. These findings underscore B. subtilis as a promising endophyte that could enhance rice production sustainably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HKT1 ;5 loci/alleles are important determinants of crop salinity tolerance. HKT1 ;5s encode plasmalemma-localized Na+ transporters, which move xylem Na+ into xylem parenchyma cells, reducing shoot Na+ accumulation. Allelic variation in rice OsHKT1 ;5 sequence in specific landraces (Nona Bokra OsHKT1;5-NB /Nipponbare OsHKT1;5-Ni) correlates with variation in salt tolerance. Oryza coarctata , a halophytic wild rice, grows in fluctuating salinity at the seawater–estuarine interface in Indian and Bangladeshi coastal regions. The distinct transport characteristics of the shoots and roots expressing the O. coarctata OcHKT1;5 transporter are reported vis-à-vis OsHKT1;5-Ni. Yeast sodium extrusion-deficient cells expressing OcHKT1 ;5 are sensitive to increasing Na+ (10–100 mM). Electrophysiological measurements in Xenopus oocytes expressing O. coarctata or rice HKT1;5 transporters indicate that OcHKT1;5, like OsHKT1;5-Ni, is a Na+-selective transporter, but displays 16-fold lower affinity for Na+ and 3.5-fold higher maximal conductance than OsHKT1;5-Ni. For Na+ concentrations >10 mM, OcHKT1;5 conductance is higher than that of OsHKT1;5-Ni, indicating the potential of OcHKT1;5 for increasing domesticated rice salt tolerance. Homology modeling/simulation suggests that four key amino-acid changes in OcHKT1;5 (in loops on the extracellular side; E239K, G207R, G214R, L363V) account for its lower affinity and higher Na+ conductance vis-à-vis OsHKT1;5-Ni. Of these, E239K in OcHKT1;5 confers lower affinity for Na+ transport, as evidenced by Na+ transport assays of reciprocal site-directed mutants for both transporters (OcHKT1;5-K239E, OsHKT1;5-Ni-E270K) in Xenopus oocytes. Both transporters have likely analogous roles in xylem sap desalinization, and differences in xylem sap Na+ concentrations in both species are attributed to differences in Na+ transport affinity/conductance between the transporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]