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Mud crab belongs to the genus Scylla is an economically valuable and preferred species for costal aquaculture in Asian countries, including India. In recent years, there has been a tremendous expansion of Scylla farming, which has led to increasing research on its habit and habitats. However, there has been no study undertaken to understand the role of the bacterial population associated with the different organs of the mud crab, Scylla olivacea. In total, 43 isolates were recovered from four selected parts of the crab (carapace, n = 18; abdomen n = 11; leg, n = 8; and hand, n = 6), and the 16S rRNA gene was used to identify the bacterial isolates. The antimicrobial potential along with the detection of modular polyketide synthase (PKSI), cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene clusters were investigated to show a relationship among the biosynthetic genes with their useful aspects. Additionally, the potential three strains (BPS_CRB12, BPS_CRB14 and BPS_CRB41), which showed significant antimicrobial activities, also showed the presence of twenty volatile compounds (VOCs) using GC–MS analysis. We conclude that the strain Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus BPS_CRB41 could be source for the production of bioactive compounds. Keywords: Scylla olivacea, 16S rRNA gene, Modular polyketide synthase (PKSI), Cytochrome P450 hydroxylase(CYP), Non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS)

Plant growth-promoting endophytic bacteria can stimulate the growth, nutrient acquisition, symbiotic performance and stress tolerance of chickpea plants under saline soil conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the stress-adaptive mechanisms of chickpea plants mediated by Bacillus subtilis (BERA 71) under saline conditions. Inoculation with BERA 71 enhanced plant biomass and the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments and reduced the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation in plants under conditions of stress. Furthermore, the activities of ROS-scavenging antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, catalase and glutathione reductase), the levels of non-enzymatic antioxidants (ascorbic acid and glutathione) and the total phenol content were increased in stressed plants during bacterial association. The bacteria decreased sodium accumulation and enhanced the nitrogen, potassium, calcium and magnesium content in the plants. The suppression of ROS generation and of lipid peroxidation and the accumulation of proline in BERA-71-inoculated plants enhanced the membrane stability under salinity stress and non-stress conditions.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the role of silicon (Si, 2 mM potassium silicate - K2SiO3) in ameliorating the salinity (200 mM NaCl) triggered growth retardation, photosynthetic inhibition and the oxidative damage in Talh trees (Acacia gerrardii Benth). Salinity stress reduced length and dry biomass accumulation of root and shoot which were significantly improved by Si supplementation. Application of Si enhanced the synthesis of photosynthetic pigments including chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophylls and carotenoids resulting in greater photosynthetic activity measured in terms of net CO2 assimilation. Stomatal conductance and transpiration rate were declined due to NaCl treatment and supplementation of Si ameliorated the negative impact of NaCl on these attributes and was significantly improved when applied to normal grown plants. Further, lipid peroxidation was more in NaCl stressed plants without Si as compared to those supplemented with Si. Si protected Talh trees from NaCl induced oxidative damage by improving the activity of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, APX and GR) and the content of ascorbic acid. Accumulation of compatible osmolytes including proline and glycine betaine was increased due to Si supplementation leading to improved growth under saline conditions in addition Si supplementation mitigated the deleterious effects of NaCl on flavonoid content. More importantly Si supplementation prevented excess uptake of Na and also protected the ill effects of excess Na on the uptake and accumulation of K and Ca resulting in significant decline in Na/K ratio. In conclusion, Si mitigates the negative effects of NaCl in A. gerrardii by modifying nutrient uptake, osmolytes accumulation and up-regulating antioxidant system. Keywords: Acacia gerrardii Benth, Osmolytes, Photosynthesis, Antioxidants, NaCl stress, Nutrient uptake, Silicon

Jammu and Kashmir is a mainstream tourist destination in view of its vast tourism potential. The state of Jammu and Kashmir has three distinct regions, viz. Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh and all three have immense potential for tourism from both domestic as well as international tourists. Kashmir region is known for unique scenic attractions popularly known as “Paradise on Earth”. Kashmir is one of the most beautiful regions of the world. The natural beauty of the Valley of Kashmir has many tourist attractions ranging from picturesque mountains, lush green meadows, famous mountain peaks, deep gorges, waterfalls, important high altitude lakes, fascinating forest flowers, wildlife, glaciers and centres of pilgrimage. Kashmir is home to a rich cultural heritage, besides a panoramic landscape that attracts tourists. Tourism is one of the major industries of the state especially in the Valley of Kashmir. Tourism is considered to be economic bonanza for J & K state because industrial development is very limited to hilly terrains. The complex nature of the industry and the multiple stakeholders that are involved in producing satisfying tourism experiences and products complicate the situation for destinations in achieving destination performance. The success of destination performance relies on the efforts of all the stakeholders that contribute in creating the total experience. The empirical research method was used for this study to examine tourism industry stakeholder’s perspectives on expectation and perception. A self administered questionnaire was developed for getting comprehensive information about expectation and perception of various prime stakeholders tourism industry in the study area. A total number of 312 establishments belonging to different stakeholders were surveyed at different places in the valley of Kashmir. The findings reveal a number of challenges in tourism industry of Valley of Kashmir in achieving desired results. These findings are brought into perspective of importance- performance analysis. Some pragmatic suggestions are provided based on main research findings of this study which may help to the revival of tourism in Valley of Kashmir.

Tourism entrepreneurship has been known as the finest perspective to accredit the socio-economic progress of tourism destinations in various countries. Kashmir Valley is in its growth phase of tourism development and tourism entrepreneurship of different stakeholders is still under studied in the study area. By looking at diverse business activities that could be spawned by the development, their connection in business would contribute to a better economic return. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perception of tourism entrepreneurship of different stakeholders in Valley of Kashmir. Based on self-administered questionnaire conducted on 312 prime stakeholders of tourism industry of Kashmir Valley in Jammu and Kashmir, the finding indicates that there is a significance difference between expectation and perception of different stakeholders regarding tourism entrepreneurship. Some of the stakeholders are previously involved in entrepreneurship activities; however their business survivability should be an apprehension as they countenance inadequate financial sources and support. The findings of the paper provide suitable conclusion on the needs to put into action various entrepreneurship related issues in Kashmir Valley. Valley of Kashmir possess exhilarative geographic and topographic features which espouse to magnetize all kinds of visitors in every season, such as pilgrimage, cultural, adventure, sport, educational and research, wonder lust and heritage tourism. Kashmir region is known for unique scenic attractions popularly known as “Paradise on Earth”. Having declared as one of the most beautiful regions of the world, this paper reveals the groundwork result on the need for a deeper assessment on stakeholders’ perception of tourism entrepreneurship in Valley of Kashmir.

Fusarium graminearum is a leading plant pathogen that causes Fusarium head blight, stalk rot, and Gibberella ear rot diseases in cereals and posing the immense threat to the microbiological safety of the food. Herein, we report the green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles from Syzygium aromaticum (SaZnO NPs) flower bud extract by combustion method and investigated their application for controlling of growth and mycotoxins of F. graminearum. Formation of SaZnO NPs was confirmed by spectroscopic methods. The electron microscopic (SEM and TEM) analysis revealed the formation of triangular and hexagonal shaped SaZnO NPs with size range 30–40 nm. The synthesized SaZnO NPs reduced the growth and production of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone of F. graminearum in broth culture. Further analysis revealed that treatment of mycelia with SaZnO NPs resulted in the accumulation of ROS in the dose-dependent manner. Also, SaZnO NPs treatment enhanced lipid peroxidation, depleted ergosterol content, and caused detrimental damage to the membrane integrity of fungi. Moreover, SEM observations revealed that the presence of diverged micro-morphology (wrinkled, rough and shrank surface) in the macroconidia treated with SaZnO NPs. Taken together, SaZnO NPs may find a potential application in agriculture and food industries due to their potent antifungal activity.

Mud crab belongs to the genus Scylla is an economically valuable and preferred species for costal aquaculture in Asian countries, including India. In recent years, there has been a tremendous expansion of Scylla farming, which has led to increasing research on its habit and habitats. However, there has been no study undertaken to understand the role of the bacterial population associated with the different organs of the mud crab, Scylla olivacea. In total, 43 isolates were recovered from four selected parts of the crab (carapace, n = 18; abdomen n = 11; leg, n = 8; and hand, n = 6), and the 16S rRNA gene was used to identify the bacterial isolates. The antimicrobial potential along with the detection of modular polyketide synthase (PKSI), cytochrome P450 hydroxylase (CYP) and non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene clusters were investigated to show a relationship among the biosynthetic genes with their useful aspects. Additionally, the potential three strains (BPS_CRB12, BPS_CRB14 and BPS_CRB41), which showed significant antimicrobial activities, also showed the presence of twenty volatile compounds (VOCs) using GC–MS analysis. We conclude that the strain Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus BPS_CRB41 could be source for the production of bioactive compounds.

Kashmir in general and district Anantnag in particular espies a sui-generic pulpit in whole India. Because of the axiomatic truth the region (Anantnag) has been a source of attraction for expeditionists, writers, bards, saints and scholars. Valley of Kashmir instead of its natural treasure is vastly embedded with the scintillated and sheering aforementioned heritage monumental sites that succor to cater the tourists from all nooks and corners of the globe. Heritage destinations are espying master attention to one of the growing niche market segments in the travel industry today. Over the years the popularity of heritage tourism has grown with travelers and with those developing new tourism attractions. Consequently, the present research paper has been devoted to highlight the quintessence and uniqueness of monumental heritage of the study area – Bijbehara (Anantnag). This research paper is mainly based on the secondary data to draw attention towards this potential tourist area. The heritage presentation must acquire a major thematic emphasis in the present position and future prospects of tourism in Bijbehara-(Anantnag) as well as whole state of Jammu and Kashmir. Henceforth, the suggestions provided are programme and strategic oriented with special reference to the study area Jammu and Kashmir.

The aim of this study was to evaluate cadmium stress induced changes in the growth, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity of Bassia indica associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and their amelioration by calcium application. Cadmium stress can cause alterations in the physiological and biochemical processes in plants. A calcium application combined with an AMF treatment resulted in the reduction of lipid peroxidation and the production of hydrogen peroxide, thereby mediating the mitigation of cadmium induced oxidative stress. The activity of antioxidant enzymes increased with cadmium application, whereas AMF inoculation combined with a calcium application further enhanced their activity. An increase in the content of non-enzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbate, reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) in AMF-inoculated and calcium-treated plants further suggests their role in strengthening the antioxidant defense system that results in maintained growth. The application of calcium combined with the AMF treatment caused a significant reduction in lipid peroxidation and in the production of hydrogen peroxide, thereby mediating the mitigation of the cadmium induced oxidative stress. Increased proline accumulation was clearly evident in stressed plants, and the calcium application as well as the AMF inoculation further induced proline synthesis, thereby providing efficient protection against cadmium stress by increasing the maintenance of the systemic resistance criteria.

The aim of this study was to evaluate cadmium stress induced changes in the growth, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant activity of Bassia indica associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and their amelioration by calcium application. Cadmium stress can cause alterations in the physiological and biochemical processes in plants. A calcium application combined with an AMF treatment resulted in the reduction of lipid peroxidation and the production of hydrogen peroxide, thereby mediating the mitigation of cadmium induced oxidative stress. The activity of antioxidant enzymes increased with cadmium application, whereas AMF inoculation combined with a calcium application further enhanced their activity. An increase in the content of non-enzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbate, reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) in AMF-inoculated and calcium-treated plants further suggests their role in strengthening the antioxidant defense system that results in maintained growth. The application of calcium combined with the AMF treatment caused a significant reduction in lipid peroxidation and in the production of hydrogen peroxide, thereby mediating the mitigation of the cadmium induced oxidative stress. Increased proline accumulation was clearly evident in stressed plants, and the calcium application as well as the AMF inoculation further induced proline synthesis, thereby providing efficient protection against cadmium stress by increasing the maintenance of the systemic resistance criteria. Keywords: Bassia indica, Cadmium, Calcium, AMF, Acquired systemic resistance