Volume-12, Issue-9, September 2026

Abstract

Current estimates state that the global leather industry produces 600 million m³ of effluent annually. Since tannery effluents are toxic with high salinity, and contain several recalcitrant organics, they cannot be broken down by conventional biological treatment methods. Biological treatment options are more sustainable, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly, as they rely on microorganisms. Recently, fungi have garnered attention from the research community for their potential use in the remediation of wastes and wastewaters. A number of filamentous fungi are found naturally in wastewater treatment systems as spores or vegetative cells which metabolize organic substances, e.g., Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trametes versicolor, etc., which produce key enzymes like lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP), and laccase. These enzymes break down persistent organic pollutants, including polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), dyes, and pesticides. Other fungi like Aspergillus spp., Irpex lacteus, and Fusarium spp. bioaccumulate heavy metals and degrade complex organic compounds. Tannins represent one of the least biodegradable substances in tannery wastewaters, with high recalcitrant compounds. Further, several biophysical, enzymatic, cellular, and metabolic advantages of fungi have advantages in tannery effluent treatment. The current review with an introduction on tannery treatment delves into the fungal bioremediation in detail. The recent developments in this area are also covered to update the readers on the developments in genomics and proteomics. Additional methods, viz., enzymatic treatment, strain improvement, scale-up biological processes, and microalgae applications, can enhance the quality and efficacy of the treatment.

Keywords: Chemical oxygen demand (COD), tannery wastewater effluent (TWE), white-rot fungi (WRF), Reverse osmosis, Tannase.

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Abstract

Sugar cane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a key crop for the economy of Côte d'Ivoire. However, domestic production remains insufficient to meet domestic demand, resulting in a sugar deficit for the country. This low productivity is largely due to fungal diseases, which cause considerable economic losses. Whilst several control methods have been used, some pose risks to human health. It is against this backdrop that this study was conducted, the objective of which was to evaluate the in vitro effect of Pseudomonas fluorescens strains against Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium subglutinans and Schizophyllum commune, which cause diseases in sugarcane in Côte d'Ivoire. To this end, 150 soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere of healthy and diseased sugarcane plants for the isolation and phenotypic and molecular identification of Pseudomonas fluorescens strains. In vitro antifungal tests were then carried out. The results showed that strains of Pseudomonas fluorescens were isolated and identified from the rhizosphere of both healthy and diseased sugarcane plants. In vitro tests showed that 95 per cent of the bacterial strains inhibited the mycelial growth of the three fungal pathogens, with inhibition rates ranging from 40.16 ± 6.9 per cent to 80.65 ± 6.5 per cent. These results suggest that Pseudomonas fluorescens, when tested under field conditions, could be used effectively as a biocontrol agent against fungal diseases in sugarcane crops in Côte d'Ivoire.

Keywords: Sugar cane, Pathogenic fungus, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Côte d'Ivoire.

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Abstract

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is the seventh most important crop in terms of area in Nepal, with the capability of providing abundant minerals and vitamins. The productivity of this crop is less than half the world's average productivity, which is associated with imbalance in male-to-female flower ratio. To address this issue, a field experiment was carried out at the farmers' field of Godawari municipality, Fakalpur, Kailali, Nepal during the summer season of 2023/24 to evaluate the effect of different generation cutting on growth, sex expression, and yield of cucumber cv. Malini. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Block Design (RCBD) with three treatments viz; T1 (No cutting: Control), T2 (First generation cutting: 2G), T3 (Second generation cutting: 3G), and six replications. Each plot consisted of 2 rows and each row consisting of 5 plants with spacing 100 cm × 100 cm. Each replication size was 40 m² so total field size for research was 240 m² consisting of 18 plots each of size 5 m × 2 m. The results indicated that treatment T3 (Second generation cutting: 3G) had a significant effect on phenological parameters, mainly male and female flowers of primary and secondary branches, female flowers on tertiary branches, and male-to-female flower ratio of primary, secondary and tertiary branches. Similarly, yield parameters, mainly number of fruits per plant (6.05) and yield per hectare (21.48 mt/ha) were found to be significantly superior under treatment T3 (Second generation cutting: 3G). Among the different generation cuttings, treatment T3 (Second generation cutting: 3G) was found to be significant over control. It can be concluded that the second generation cutting (3G) can be judiciously used for increasing the sex expression and yield attributes of cucumber.

Keywords: 3G cuttings, Male flower, Female flower, Sex ratio.

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Abstract

The present study was conducted to assess genotypic variability in growth, biomass allocation, photosynthetic pigments and leaf gas-exchange characteristics of twelve tomato genotypes under pot culture conditions in the temperate climate of Kashmir. The experiment was conducted during 2018 and 2019 at Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir, Shalimar, using a completely randomized design with four replications. Significant differences were observed among genotypes for plant height, shoot and root dry weight, shoot/root ratio, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate and stomatal conductance. Among the genotypes, 2016/Todvar-9 exhibited the highest plant height (82.13 cm), root dry weight (3.03 g plant⁻¹), chlorophyll a (1.28 mg g⁻¹ FW), chlorophyll b (1.04 mg g⁻¹ FW), total chlorophyll (2.32 mg g⁻¹ FW) and carotenoids (0.32 mg g⁻¹ FW). It also recorded the highest net photosynthetic rate (18.57 µmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹), transpiration rate (2.08 mmol H₂O m⁻² s⁻¹) and stomatal conductance (237.10 µmol H₂O m⁻² s⁻¹). Genotypes 2016/Todvar-7 and 2016/Todvar-10 also exhibited relatively higher physiological activity, whereas 2016/Todvar-2 and 2016/Todvar-3 generally recorded lower values. The results demonstrate substantial genotypic variability in physiological and photosynthetic attributes, with 2016/Todvar-9 showing superior overall physiological performance under the experimental conditions. This genotype warrants further evaluation for yield and adaptation under temperate conditions of Kashmir and for potential use in tomato improvement programmes.

Keywords: Tomato; Genotypic variability; Photosynthesis; Chlorophyll; Gas exchange; Temperate Kashmir.

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Abstract

The present study was undertaken to develop paneer thokku using oil-, vinegar- and lemon juice-based formulations and to evaluate their physicochemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics. Three formulations were evaluated: oil-based paneer thokku (C), vinegar-based paneer thokku (T1) and lemon juice-based paneer thokku (T2). Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed among the formulations for physicochemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics. Vinegar-based paneer thokku (T1) recorded the lowest pH (4.42), highest titratable acidity (0.89%) and lowest total plate count (1.21 log₁₀ cfu/g), whereas oil-based paneer thokku (C) recorded the highest product yield (120.85%). T1 also exhibited the lowest moisture content (45.82%). Coliforms and yeasts and moulds were not detected in any of the formulations. Lemon juice-based paneer thokku (T2) recorded the highest sensory scores for appearance and colour (8.08), flavour (8.56), juiciness (8.02), texture (8.06), saltiness (8.01) and overall acceptability (8.12). Among the formulations evaluated, lemon juice-based paneer thokku (T2) was the most preferred based on overall sensory acceptability and showed potential for further product development.

Keywords: Paneer, paneer thokku, acidulants, vinegar, lemon juice, value addition, sensory quality, microbial quality.

References

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idairyj.2024.106038

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Abstract

Studies on propagation and conservation of an endangered medicinal herb - Picrorhiza kurrooa reveals that the seed germination did not occur in darker conditions and seem to be photoblastic. Among various treatments the species showed 93.33±2.88% germination when the seeds were germinated in a medium of 0.125mM GA₃ with mean germination time (MGT) of 8.0±0.866 days as against the MGT 18.66±0.57 days of controlled seeds (seeds without any treatment). In field conditions however, the seeds germinate only when placed on the upper layer of soil covered with a thin film of water exposed to light. Although the plants grew nicely on various soils, maximum plant survival and vigorous growth was obtained in loamy and sandy loam textured soils. The plants responded to various nutrient treatments and in loamy textured the maximum dry biomass was shown by the plants treated with nitrogen (500mg/kg soil) produced 9.50±2.50gm dry biomass and the plants treated with NPK (500mg/kg soil) produced 9.16±4.481gm dry biomass as against the control of 4.83±0.473gm in loam textured soils. In sandy loam (1:2) textured soils the plants treated with nitrogen and NPK (500mg/kg soil) produced the dry biomass of 13.66±0.581 and 10.16±0.763gm respectively as against the control of 5.06±1.401gm per individual. The experimental manipulations also reveal that the species has a potential to propagate through underground stem cuttings in sandy loam soils. The cuttings treated with IAA, IBA and GA₃ showed 93.33, 80.0 and 95.0% survival in top segments while as 60.0, 55.0 and 68.0% survival in basal segments respectively as against the control of 75.0% in top and 42.10% in basal segments.

Keywords: Picrorhiza kurrooa, endangered medicinal plant, propagation, growth regulators, NPK treatments, seed germination, ex situ conservation.

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Abstract

The study attempts to analyze sources and distribution of rural households' income from farm and non-farm activities and examines the extent of income inequalities across farm sizes. The study is based on primary data collected from 200 farm households of Nagaland through a multi-stage simple random sampling technique. The results indicate that nearly half of the income is from non-farm sources (48.57 percent). Contrary to the popular belief that farming is the principal source of income for rural farm households, the study shows that households derive nearly half of their income from non-farm sources. Another significant finding from the analysis is that across farm size, farm size and farm income show a positive relationship, whereas farm size and non-farm income show an inverse relationship. The non-farm income is most unequally distributed among sources of income, followed by other farm income. The estimation of Gini ratio also reveals that income inequality is higher among marginal and small farmers.

Keywords: Farm income, Non-farm income, Participation, Gini coefficient.

References

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Abstract

Horticulture-voltaic systems - the co-location of photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation with horticultural crop production on the same land - are emerging as a central strategy for climate-resilient horticulture. This in-depth review examines the technology, engineering, intercultural operations and empirical evidence for horticulture-voltaics applied to fruit, vegetable and flower crops. We cover solar panel technologies, system architectures, the full design-component and engineering stack (mounting heights of 2.5-5 m, panel spacing and tilt, deep-buried armoured cables, structural safety under ASCE-7-16 wind loads, smart irrigation integration), the electrical architecture (module/string voltage, inverter, battery, transformer, grid connection), and intercultural operations adapted for sub-array horticulture. Empirical evidence shows that shade relieves heat and drought stress, with grape +277% (Mediterranean, LER 3.54), tomato and chiltepin doubled or tripled (Arizona), and partial shade increasing floral abundance in flowers. Shading must stay below ~30% for fruit crops and 20-40% for most vegetables and flower crops. With continued research and engineering, horticulture-voltaics can deliver climate-adaptive, resource-efficient and energy-positive horticultural systems.

Keywords: agrivoltaics; horticulture-voltaic; climate-resilient horticulture; photovoltaic; solar energy; fruit crops; vegetable crops; flower crops; shading; ground coverage ratio; wind load; intercultural operations.

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