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India is a treasure trove of biological diversity with its plant genetic resources playing a crucial role in the crop improvement serving as the foundation for the country's sustainable food and nutritional security. India's in vitro genebank (IVG) is part of the National Genebank at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NBPGR). The IVG houses distinctive multi-crop repository that utilizes several tissue culture techniques for short- to medium-term storage in in vitro active genebank (IVAG) and cryoconservation approaches for long-term storage in in vitro base genebank (IVBG). In IVAG, germplasm is conserved under normal and slow growth conditions with a subculture period of 1–36 months depending on the species/genotype and conservation approach. Currently, the IVAG holds 2,038 germplasm accessions (69 genera and 171 species) from six crop groups, viz. (a) tropical fruit crops (449), (b) temperate and minor tropical fruit crops (408), (c) tuber crops (530), (d) bulbous and ornamental crops (187), (e) medicinal and aromatic plants (232), and (f) spices and industrial crops (232). For long-term conservation, in vitro produced explants of various species are cryopreserved at the IVBG in liquid nitrogen. Utilizing various cryoconservation procedures, 347 accessions from several crop groups have been successfully conserved in the IVBG. Over the past four decades, in vitro conservation has been accomplished by the above mentioned cutting-edge techniques. This report highlights the efforts and achievements of the National Genebank in conserving horticultural genetic resources through in vitro and cryoconservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this experimental research, a single‐pass solar air heater comprising a porous curved channel is investigated to reveal the scope of high thermal performance during the winter season. The investigation explores the geometrical parameters for the porous channel maintained by using steel wiremesh layers of wire diameter of 0.45 mm and pitch of 2.35 mm, and the number of layers ranging from 3 to 12, which presents the channel porosity, ϕ$$ \phi $$, from 99% to 96%, respectively. The curved porous channel offers additional fluid mixing, thermal backup, and high heat transfer area, thereby increasing the convective heat transfer to the air and consequently the thermal performance. A series of experiments were carried out under real outdoor conditions to examine the various factors such as variable channel porosity, air flow rate, and the amount of solar energy received. The findings revealed that the curved porous channel with a channel porosity of 96% results in the maximum thermal and thermohydraulic efficiencies of about 85% and 79%, respectively, and the outlet air temperature of 79°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the unavailability of an appropriate scale regarding farmers' attitude toward drip irrigation technology, the need to develop a scale was acknowledged and an attempt was made to construct a Likert's Summated Rating scale. A total of 72 items were collected with the help of literature review and were screened during 2024 based on 14-point criteria suggested by Edward (1957). A total of fifty-nine assertions were chosen, and data were collected through Google form which was sent to seventy-four specialists through email and by visiting to the professors and scientists in the university. A set of statements were eliminated and the remaining ones were chosen for item analysis based on the answers provided by the 30 experts and then it was administered to 30 farmers of Fatehabad district in Haryana. The scale's reliability was tested using the odd-even method, and the reliability coefficient was 0.806. The content validity was used to assess the scale's validity. In the end, the finalized scale had 30 items (18 positive and 12 negative). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]