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Wastewater is considered a good reservoir of mineral elements that can be used for agriculture, aquaculture, and some other activities after adopting suitable measures. The gap between supply and demand for water is increasing exponentially because of the abrupt boost to the world’s population. This poses a threat to human life as it has reached alarming levels in some parts of the globe. Normally, wastewater consists of liquid waste produced by commercial or industrial sources for daily use, consumption, and production. It is time to refocus our attention on a kind of circulating water system by reusing municipal wastewater for agricultural purposes, particularly irrigation. The recycled or treated water would be used as an alternative to fresh water. In the current study, the impact of various organic amendments was studied to mitigate the toxic effects of pollutants present in wastewater by cultivating maize as a test crop. The present study comprised five treatments replicated four times with a randomized complete block design under field conditions. In this experiment, the treatments included T1 (treatment 1) = control (wastewater-polluted soil without the application of any amendment), T2 = farmyard manure (FYM) at 2.5 tons ha-1 (hectare-1), T3 = FYM at 5.0 tons ha-1, T4 = compost at 2.5 tons ha-1, and T5 = compost at 5.0 tons ha-1. The application of FYM at 5.0 tons ha-1 (T3) was recorded as being the most effective as the maximum improvement was observed in soil characteristics such as pH, electrical conductivity (EC), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and organic matter, and for T3, these were 7.33, 2.22 dS m-1, 8.16, and 0.94%, respectively. T3 remained most superior in reducing the concentration of heavy metals in the soil; for example, lead, cadmium, nickel, and arsenic for T3 were 8.64, 1.34, 10.44, and 2.25 mg kg-1 (milligrams per kg), respectively. Maximum fresh biomass (fodder yield) of 9.98 tons ha-1 was harvested when FYM was applied at 5.0 tons ha-1 to the soil compared to 6.2 tons ha-1 in the control plot. The highest contents of nitrogen (1.20%), phosphorus (0.41%), and potassium (3.97%) were observed in maize plants for T3. In maize plants (T3), the concentration of lead, cadmium, nickel, and arsenic was reduced to levels of 1.92, 0.23, 2.28, and 1.25 mg kg-1, respectively. Therefore, it can be concluded from the findings of the experiment that the application of FYM significantly reduced heavy metal concentrations and improved soil health, along with maize crop growth and productivity.

This study aims to identify key abiotic-stress-responsive genes in Oryza sativa and investigate their expression profiles, protein–protein interactions, and co-expression patterns to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying stress response in rice. The ultimate goal is to employ these findings in the development of gene-based molecular markers to breed rice cultivars with enhanced resistance to challenging environmental conditions. A total of 14 abiotic-stress-responsive genes in O. sativa were identified through literature mining. These genes were analyzed for their chromosomal distribution, transcript length, CDS length, and translated amino acid length. Pairwise similarity matrix, phylogenetic analysis, and protein–protein interaction networks were employed to understand the evolutionary relationships and functional interactions among these genes. Expression profiles of six key genes (AOX1a, AOX1b, ALDH2a, ALDH2b, OsNAC6, OsDHN1) were investigated using the electronic fluorescent pictogram (eFP) program. KEGG pathway analysis and co-expression studies were also conducted to further understand the roles of these genes in abiotic stress response pathways. The 14 abiotic-stress-responsive genes were distributed across different chromosomes of O. sativa, suggesting the presence of interconnected cascades regulating abiotic-stress-response. Phylogenetic analysis revealed four clusters of genes, indicating their potential shared ancestry. Protein-protein interaction analysis identified three prominent clusters of interactions, with the strongest interactions occurring among Aldh2a, Aldh2b, OS07T0188800-01, and OsJ_04113 in one cluster, and between AOX1a and AOX1b in another cluster. Expression profiles of the six key genes varied across different stages of the rice life cycle. KEGG pathway analysis showed that ALDH2a and ALDH2b participated in almost all pathways except propanoate metabolism.The study demonstrated that the six key genes play significant regulatory roles in abiotic stress responses in O. sativa. The expression profiles, phylogenetic analysis, protein–protein interactions, and gene co-expression studies revealed interconnected cascades and cross-talk in response mechanisms of these genes. These findings can be employed to develop gene-based molecular markers for breeding rice cultivars with enhanced resistance to abiotic stresses, and contribute to the successful application of computational biology in plant breeding towards sustainable development goal.

Aegilops tauschii (Coss.) is a highly deleterious, rapidly proliferating weed within the wheat, and its DD genome composition exhibits adaptability toward diverse abiotic stresses and demonstrates heightened efficacy in nutrient utilization. Current study investigated different variegated impacts of distinct nitrogen concentrations with varied plant densities, scrutinizing the behavior of Ae. tauschii under various salinity and drought stress levels through multiple physiological, biochemical, and molecular pathways. Different physiological parameters attaining high growth with different plant density and different nitrogen availability levels increased Ae. tauschii dominancy. Conversely, under the duress of salinity and drought, Ae. tauschii showcased an enhanced performance through a comprehensive array of physiological and biochemical parameters, including catalase, peroxidase, malondialdehyde, and proline content. Notably, salinity-associated traits such as sodium, potassium, and the sodium–potassium ratio exhibited significant variations and demonstrated remarkable tolerance capabilities. In the domain of molecular pathways, the HKT and DREB genes have displayed a remarkable upregulation, showcasing a comparatively elevated expression profile in reaction to different levels of salinity and drought-induced stress. Without a doubt, this information will make a substantial contribution to the understanding of the fundamental behavioral tendencies and the efficiency of nutrient utilization in Ae. tauschii. Moreover, it will offer innovative viewpoints for integrated management, thereby enabling the enhancement of strategies for adept control and alleviation.

IntroductionHumanity is suffering from huge and severe difficulties, including changes in climate, soil degradation, scarcity of water and the security of food and medicines, among others. The aquaponics system acts as a closed loop consisting of aquaculture elements and hydroponics, which may contribute to addressing these problems. The aquaponics method is quickly expanding as the requirement to increase the production of sustainable herbal products, including medicinal compounds and foods, in freshwater systems and replenish phosphorous reserves shrinks.MethodsThe current work is designed to increase the production of the antioxidants withaferin A and withanolide A in two varieties (Jawahar-20 and Poshita) of W. somnifera using the aquaponics technique. Total 100 seedlings (one month old) grown in soil initially were taken to be grown in aquaponics for a time period of 6 months.And 100 seedlings were placed in pots containing soil as control for study after six months.ResultsIt was observed that the higher content of withaferin A was analyzed in the root and stem samples of Jawahar-20 and Poshita from the six-month-old plant of W. somnifera. The maximum content of withanolide A was examined in the root samples of the six month-old plants of Poshita (1.879 mg/g) and Jawahar-20 (1.221 mg/g). While the 6 month old Poshita seedling grown in soil recorded less withaferin A (0.115 ± 0.009b) and withanolide A (0.138 ± 0.008d).DiscussionIt is concluded that Poshita was found to be more promising for the enhanced production of withaferin A and withanolide A in the aquaponics system. Moreover, the root was observed as the best source for the production of withaferin A and withanolide A and the best age of the plant is 2 years for the production compounds in medicinal plants with futuristic perspective to hill agriculture integrated farming. compounds. Thus aquaponics can be an effective approach with enhanced yield of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants with futuristic perspective to hill agriculture and integrated farming.

Chelating agents may decrease the extent of Ni phytoextraction by reducing plant growth and soil health due to Ni toxicity during enhanced phytoextraction. Contrarily, inducing acidity in the rhizosphere of Ni-accumulating plants with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) having rhizosphere acidification ability can enhance Ni phytoextraction by increasing Ni bioavailability in the soil, plant growth, and plant stress tolerance. We investigated the efficacy of a PGPR species with rhizosphere acidification potential, named Bacillus sp. ZV6 (ARB), in enhancing Ni phytoextraction by white willow (Salix alba) from a Ni-affected soil. The plants were grown for 120 days in soil with zero, threshold, and moderate Ni pollution levels (0, 50, and 100 mg Ni kg−1 soil, respectively) with and without ARB inoculation. After harvest, the effects of the treatments on rhizosphere acidification and associated Ni bioavailability in this zone, Ni distribution in plants, and Ni removal from the soil were investigated. Moreover, enzyme activity, count of bacteria, biomass of microbes, and organic C in the soil, together with indices of plant growth and antioxidant defense, were evaluated. The ARB inoculation significantly improved the plant parameters and soil health and reduced plant oxidative stress at each Ni level compared to the treatments lacking ARB. Besides lowering the soil pH and increasing Ni bioavailability in the rhizosphere with respect to the bulk zone, ARB inoculation exerted additional effects. Surprisingly, the Ni 100 + ARB treatment induced the highest decrease in soil pH (0.32 unit) and an increase in DPTA-extractable Ni (0.45 mg kg−1 soil) between that measured in the bulk zones and that obtained in the rhizosphere zone. Ni distribution in plant parts and Ni removal (% of total Ni) from the soil were also significantly improved with ARB inoculation, compared to the Ni treatments without ARB. The extent of Ni removal was similar for the Ni 50 + ARB (0.27%) and Ni 100 + ARB (0.25%) treatments. Concluding, ARB-inoculated Salix alba can remove similar amounts of Ni from the soil, irrespective of the Ni pollution level.

IntroductionDrought is the largest abiotic factor impacting agriculture. Plants are challenged by both natural and artificial stressors because they are immobile. To produce drought-resistant plants, we need to know how plants react to drought. A largescale proteome study of leaf and root tissue found drought-responsive proteins. Tomato as a vegetable is grown worldwide. Agricultural biotechnology focuses on creating drought-resistant cultivars. This is important because tomato drought is so widespread. Breeders have worked to improve tomato quality, production, and stress resistance. Conventional breeding approaches have only increased drought tolerance because of drought’s complexity. Many studies have examined how tomatoes handle drought. With genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and modern sequencing technologies, it’s easier to find drought-responsive genes.MethodBiotechnology and in silico studies has helped demonstrate the function of drought-sensitive genes and generate drought-resistant plant types. The latest tomato genome editing technology is another. WRKY genes are plant transcription factors. They help plants grow and respond to both natural and artificial stimuli. To make plants that can handle stress, we need to know how WRKY-proteins, which are transcription factors, work with other proteins and ligands in plant cells by molecular docking and modeling study.ResultAbscisic acid, a plant hormone generated in stressed roots, was used here to make plants drought-resistant. Abscisic acid binds WRKY with binding affinity -7.4kcal/mol and inhibitory concentration (Ki) 0.12 microM.DiscussionThis study aims to modulate the transcription factor so plants can handle drought and stress better. Therefore, polyphenols found to make Solanum lycopersicum more drought-tolerant.

The Crop Research Centre of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology in Meerut (U.P.), India, conducted field experiments in a randomised block design, comprising three replicates, one late sown variety (DBW-90), and eight treatments, viz.: T1 was a conventional flood irrigation (CFI); T2, furrow irrigated with gated-pipe raised beds (FIGPRB); T3, all furrow irrigation (AFI); T4, alternate furrow irrigation (Alt. FI); T5, wide bed furrow irrigation (WBFI); T6, skip furrow irrigated (SFI); T7, Sprinkler irrigation (SI); and T8, Zero-till flat-irrigated using gated pipe/controlled-flood irrigation (ZTFIGP). These field experiments were conducted during the Rabi seasons of 2017–2018 and 2018–2019. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the yield, water productivity, and soil health under different tillage crop establishment methods. Test weight, spike length, and productive tillers were all considerably enhanced in treatment T5, with the treatment’s statistical significance being similar to that of treatments T8 and T2. Treatment T5 considerably outperformed the other treatments in terms of grain yield, straw yield, biological yield (44.32, 61.88, and 106.19 q ha−1, respectively), as well as harvest index (41.73). Thirty to sixty centimetres of soil were mined for the most water, followed by fifteen to thirty centimetres, zero to fifteen centimetres, and sixty to ninety centimetres. Both water-use efficiency (2.86 q ha−1 cm) and water productivity (1.91 kg cm−3) were highest under T7 (Sprinkler irrigation). The maximum total NPK (113.69; 27.45; 127.33 kg ha−1) was found in crops grown with wide bed furrow irrigation. The data also showed that treatment T6 (skip furrow irrigated) had the highest levels of accessible NPK in soil, followed closely by treatment T4 (alternate furrow irrigated). Treatment T8 (zero-till flat-irrigated using gated-pipe/controlled flood irrigation) had the highest bacterial, fungal, and actinomycete populations, followed by T5 (wide bed furrow irrigated) and T2 (furrow irrigated with gated-pipe/elevated bed). Our research showed that there may be more options for maintaining wheat crop water productivity and soil health under different agroecological conditions, including crop productivity, conservation tillage-based establishing methods, and irrigation regimes.