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Aloe barbadensis ( L.) is a perennial, drought-resisting, xerophytic plant belonging to the family ‘Liliaceae’. The name, Aloe, is derived from the Arabic “alloeh” or Hebrew “halal” meaning bitter shiny substance. The leaves are 40-60 cm long, erect, broad, thick and fleshy succulent, glaucous-green in colour, narrow-lanceolate in shape with long acuminate tip with small thorns on both edges. The central bulk of the leaf contains colourless mucilaginous pulp (Aloe vera gel), made up of large, thin walled mesophyll cells. The plant contains 95 – 96% water and over 75 other constituents which include vitamins, minerals, enzymes, sugars, phenolic compounds, saponins and amino acids (Boudreau and Beland, 2006). Aloe vera is also used as a food substance, possibly for its gelling properties . It has been reported that leaf spot of Aloe vera was incited by Alternaria alternata that can cause economic losses in the cultivation of the Aloe vera. (Rukhsana et al., 2010) A total of 15 fungi, including Alternaria alternata ,Fusarium roseum, Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria dianthi, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Drechslera australiensis, Curvularia senegalensis, Colletotrichum dematium, Nigrospora oryza, and Trichoderma viride were isolated from the leaf samples of Aloe vera collected from different areas (Singh et al., 2014).Surveys have shown that the common disease on the Aloe vera plants was leaf spots which causes harmful effects on the medical value of the plant parts, and other fungi Fusarium solani, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium spp. were recorded (Chavan and Korekar, 2011)

Importance of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) as staple food is well known as nearly 35% of the world population depends on wheat and demand for wheat is expected to grow faster than any other major crop. It provides about 20 percent of the total food calories for the human being. Wheat is grown primarily for the grain which is ground and utilized in the form of flour called atta or whole-meal for the manufacturing various kinds of breads, cakes, cookies, crackers, breakfast, cereals etc. The wheat producing states in India are Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh area under wheat is 9.65 million hectares with total production of 26.87 million tones with productivity of 2786 kg ha-1. Productivity of wheat in Uttar Pradesh is at par with the country but far behind than potential wheat cultivating states i.e Haryana and Punjab. Estimated productivity of Punjab is 4596 kg/ha during 2015-16 which is 1810 kg ha -1 higher than that of Uttar Pradesh for the same period (Anonymous 2016). In recent past, several bioagents including Trichoderma harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens have been found to minimize the effect of moisture stress in several crops; hence it is assumed that these bioagents may be helpful in mitigating certain physiological stress. However the agrochemicals often being used in wheat cultivation also must be tested for their compatibility with these bioagents

A field and laboratory study was conducted by selecting 30 rice genotypes along with two cold tolerant check varieties (CTH-1 and CTH-3) to know the “Effect of Low Temperature on Physiological and Biochemical Parameters in Rice Genotypes”. The laboratory experiment was carried out at Department of Crop physiology, UAS Bangalore and the field experiment was carried out at College of Agriculture V.C. Farm Mandya, during late kharif- 2019. Under laboratory condition seed germination test was done with four temperature regimes viz:, 28°C (control), 10°C, 12°C and 15°C. The results revealed that among the selected rice genotypes, Thanu, Daksha, KRH-4, NLR-3042, BPT x BR -6, GVT-501, GVT-4, Jyoti, Raksha, KMP-149 and IR-64 were found better in germination percentage, seedling length, changes in coleoptile length etc. However, the genotypes Thanu, Daksha, KRH-4, BPT x BR-6, GVT-501, Jyoti, Raksha, KMP-128 and KMP-200 were showed cold tolerance in field condition w.r.t three dates sowing. These genotypes can be used further for crop improvement in breeding programme.

Keywords: cold tolerance, rice genotypes, low temperature, biochemical parameters in rice

The experiment was conducted during 2012-13 and 2013-14 in a baroj of experimental farm of AICRP on Betelvine, Kalyani, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Mohanpur, West Bengal, India. Total eight betelvine cultivars were collected from different locations of India and conserved. Remarkable variations in vegetative growth, morphological features and yield attributes of betelvine were recorded. The betelvine cultivars varied in intermodal length (6.35 cm – 8.49 cm), the leaf length (12.77 cm – 15.56 cm), leaf breadth (8.00 cm – 11.30 cm), petiole length (4.75 cm – 6.80 cm) among the cultivars throughout the year. Internodal length was highest in the month of January (8.00 cm) while July showed minimum (6.87 cm). September possessed maximum (14.79 cm) and May showed minimum (13.69 cm) leaf length. Leaf breadth was maximum in the month of January (9.97 cm) followed by May and September. Lowest petiole length was observed in the month of July (5.71 cm) followed by November and May. Interaction between the cultivars and time was found significant in all the morphological characteristics. Variations were also existed among the cultivars in vine colour, leaf colour, leaf shape, leaf tip and sex of cultivars.

Keywords: Betelvine, Morphological features, Variety, Kapoori, Sanchi.

This study focused on the drying kinetics for shredded ginger through microwave heating followed by hot air drying. Following objectives were pursued: To study the effect of microwave power level & hot air drying temperature on moisture depletion of shredded ginger sample, To determine the drying rate & drying constant at different MW power levels and HAT. The research contributes to the understanding of the drying behavior of shredded ginger and provides valuable insights into the selection of drying methods to preserve its quality and nutritional value. Notably, the results indicated that the effect of microwave power level can be seen as, the initial moisture content of shredded ginger was 473.4 % (db) which reduces to moisture content level of (435.49% db) for 300W, ( 409.38 % db ) for 450W and (384.80% db ) for 600W after pre-heating in microwave. In hot air drying, to attain moisture content value of approximately 50%(db) it takes 9 hours of drying at 60°C whereas approximately same moisture level can be achieved in 6 & 4.5 hours when drying takes place at 70°C & 80°C respectively. This showed that as the air temperature rises, the drying time of shredded ginger reduces. The drying rate increases with increase in power level and hot air temperature. Maximum drying rate for control i.e. 80°C HAT was found to be 3.63 gm of water/gm of dry matter-min and for 600W MWH & 80°C HAT was 4.757 gm of water/gm of dry matter-min. The value of drying constant increases with increasing microwave pre-heating power level and hot air temperature & its value varies from 0.28 to 0.94 min-1.

The present study analyzes the instability in onion cultivation, production, and yield across major states of India from 1985 to 2022 using secondary data sourced from www.indiastat.com and Agricultural Statistics at a Glance. The study employs the Cuddy and Della (1978) instability index, with modifications to account for non-linearity in time series trends. The analysis is conducted over three distinct periods: Period I (1985–2003, traditional technology), Period II (2004–2022, modern technology), and Period III (1985–2022, entire study period). The findings reveal significant variability in onion cultivation, with Maharashtra exhibiting the highest instability in area under onion during the modern technology phase, while Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka displayed relatively lower instability. At the national level, instability in onion area increased from 7.628 in Period I to 11.160 in Period II, reflecting regional fluctuations. Production instability followed diverse patterns, with Maharashtra experiencing a substantial increase in instability, whereas Madhya Pradesh saw improved output stability. Yield instability exhibited mixed trends, with Gujarat showing a decrease while states like Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka recorded an increase. The study highlights that modern technology has influenced instability differently across states, emphasizing the need for region-specific policy interventions to ensure sustainable onion cultivation.

Keywords: Area, Coefficient of Variation, Cuddy Della Valla Index, Onion, Production, Instability, Yield

The present study investigates the resource-use efficiency and returns to scale in cauliflower production across different farm sizes in Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh. A multistage stratified purposive cum random sampling method was employed to select 120 cauliflower growers categorized into marginal, small, and medium farm sizes. Primary data were collected through personal interviews using a pre-tested schedule, while secondary data were obtained from district-level government sources and relevant literature. To evaluate the economic efficiency of key inputs, the Cobb-Douglas production function was applied using least square estimation techniques. The analysis revealed that the coefficients of multiple determination (R²) for marginal, small, and medium farms were 0.863, 0.881, and 0.900 respectively, indicating a high explanatory power of the model. The sum of production elasticities across all input variables suggested decreasing returns to scale in all farm categories. The input variable such as seed, machinery charges, plant protection, and irrigation were found to be significant contributors to yield, with variations across farm sizes. Marginal value productivity (MVP) estimates for all inputs were positive, underscoring the scope for enhancing input use efficiency. These findings provide critical insights into optimizing resource allocation and enhancing productivity in cauliflower cultivation, particularly in resource-constrained regions.

Keywords: cauliflower, cobb-douglass, decreasing returns to scale, resource use efficiency.

Various low-cost agricultural waste products were screened for mass multiplication of T. harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens under normal storage condition and most effective formulated product of T. harzianum and Pseudomonas fluorescens was evaluated in vitro . Among different substrate including some of farm wastes and residues viz. wheat straw, wheat straw + rice husk, rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane pressmud, bajra grains + wheat straw, sorghum grains + rice husk, chick pea flour + wheat straw, rotten cow dung + unrotten cow dung. The sorghum grains + rice husk was best growth substrate for T. harzianum and chickpea flour + wheat straw was best substrate for P. flourescens. 70 per cent moisture was appropriate for the growth and mass multiplication of both the antagonist.

Keywords: Biocontrol agents, Moisture, Substrate.

The present study evaluated the extent of genetic variability, correlation of traits among fifteen promising popular released and prerelease clones along with a standard CoA92081 were tested under rainfed situation at RARS, Anakapalle under rainfed conditions from 2020-21 to 2021-22. Additive gene action for NMC, stalk length, ccs yield and cane yield suggested for improvement through simple selection. Low to moderate GCV, PCV, heritability and GAM for traits like germination percent, brix percent, sucrose percent, purity percent, pol percent cane, fibre percent implies the narrow range of variability and importance of non-additive gene action in inheritance of the characters. Low to moderate estimates of GCV, PCV coupled with moderate heritability and GAM for traits of CCS %, Juice extraction percent, number of green leaves at 120 DAP, LAI at 120 DAP, SCMR at 120 DAP, stalk girth and single cane weight indicative of both additive and non-additive gene action in inheritance of characters. The correlation between Cane yield, NMC, Stalk length, stalk girth, single cane weight, brix, germination percent and CCS yield had positive significant correlation at both genotypic and phenotypic level. The elite clones identified viz., CoA 11321,CoA 16321,CoA 17324,CoC 17337 and 2014A 224 can serve as valuable genetic resources for developing climate resilient sugarcane genotypes through targeted breeding efforts.

Keywords: Genetic Variability, GCV, PCV, Correlation, Rainfed conditions, Sugarcane

A field experiment was conducted at A.P. Rice Research Institute and Regional Agricultural Research Station, Maruteru, West Godavari district during Kharif 2013 and 2014 to test the bio-efficacy of triflumezopyrim 10.6 SC at different dosages against planthoppers viz., Brown planthoppers and White backed planthoppers in rice. The results revealed that all the dosages of triflumezopyrim 10.6 SC tested viz., 5, 15, 25 and 35 g a.i./ha, were significantly superior in reducing the buildup of planthoppers than treated checks i.e. fipronil 5 SC @ 50 g a.i./ha and buprofezin 25 SC @ 200 g a.i./ha and untreated control in both the seasons up to 28 days after the spray. Among all the dosages, triflumezopyrim 10.6 SC @ 35 g a.i./ha (4625 and 5478 kg/ha), triflumezopyrim 10.6 SC @ 25 g a.i./ha (4594 and 4885 kg/ha) recorded significantly superior grain yields during Kharif 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Keywords: Triflumezopyrim, BPH and WBPH, Field efficacy.