Black pepper, the "King of Spices", is a globally acclaimed spice, renowned for its distinctive flavour and aroma. To meet the increasing demand for high-quality planting materials, various in vitro propagation techniques have been developed. Despite these efforts, persistent contamination either with fungi or bacteria occurs during the culture process, necessitating a comprehensive investigation into the underlying causes and possible origin of microbial contaminants.

In the present investigation, explants (shoot tips) derived from the black pepper variety IISR Thevam were subjected to various sterilization protocols to minimize contamination and tissue browning. The protocols assessed included combinations of 70% alcohol for 30 seconds to 1 minute, 0.1% mercuric chloridefor 2 to 10 minutes, carbendazim at 0.2% and 0.4% for 30 minutes, propiconazole at 0.1% and 0.2% for 30 minutes, and sodium hypochlorite at 0.1% for 2 minutes. The percentage of contamination before subculturing (14 days after inoculation) was 81%, while after subculturing, the contamination reached 100%. The increased concentration and treatment time led to higher browning rates, while reduced treatment time and concentrations resulted in higher contamination rates. Despite efforts to achieve surface sterilization, fungal growth was observed in treatments with fungicides involving carbendazimand propiconazole at tested concentrations. However, the final rinse samples showed no microbial growth, indicating the effectiveness of surface sterilization and the possible role of endophytic microbial contaminants. Subsequently, the fungal contaminants were collected from the contaminated culture tubes and cultured on potato dextrose agar medium; morphological characteristics were documented and subjected to molecular analysis. The morpho-molecular analyses identified the fungal contaminants as Colletotrichum fructicola, Fusarium proliferatum, and Fusarium equiseti. The present study highlights the persistence of endophytic contaminants in black pepper micropropagation and emphasizes the need to evolve effective sterilization protocols in tissue culture protocols to ensure successful in vitro propagation.

Data on combining ability are important for determining crossing pairs when obtaining hybrid genotypes. Total combining ability (GCP) shows how effectively parental lines transmit their traits to offspring on average across all combinations. Specific combining ability (SCA) evaluates the efficiency of specific pairs of crosses. Higher SCA values indicate dominant gene effects, whereas high GCA values indicate a significant role of additive gene effects, which is consistent with the literature.

In this study, 5 maternal lines and 4 parental lines (testers) were used to obtain 16 hybrid combinations for the purpose of GCA and SCA analysis for the main selection traits, using diallel analysis by the Griffing method.

The results. During the analysis of the GCA variant, a high reliable difference indicates the differentiation of the parental forms of the hybrids in terms of combining ability. It has been established that in the genetic determination of traits, a significant role belongs to genes of additive action, as well as to non-additive effects of genes. The evaluation of the combining ability of the selection lines in the tester crossings made it possible to identify four parental forms with the largest GCA: maternal – Ivol, SD 96-16, parental – Fen, Toma-18. Four hybrid combinations: F1 (♀ RD 96 2-95 х ♂ Fen), F1 (♀ BD 96-18 х ♂ Fen), F1 (♀ Ivol D 96 х ♂ Toma-18) and F1 (♀ Mag-62 х ♂ Toma-18) showed high SCA.

The results of the study indicate the need for two-step selection – to carry out selection and hybridization between parental forms with high and medium effects of GCA and to carry out further selection work with F₁ hybrid combinations with high SCA. The information obtained in this study was used for heterosis selection of cucumber.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning into plant breeding, known as the Breeding 5.0 paradigm, represents a significant leap forward in agricultural innovation. This systematic review explores how AI-driven approaches enhance precision, efficiency, and scalability in plant breeding by combining AI algorithms with big data analytics, high-throughput phenotyping, genomic selection, and environmental modeling. These advancements reduce time and costs, identify genetic traits, optimize breeding strategies, and predict plant performance. AI techniques such as image analysis and reinforcement learning accelerate breeding cycles and facilitate the development of resilient genes and climate-adaptive crops. Empirical evidence demonstrates substantial improvements, including up to a 25% increase in yield and a 30% improvement in disease resistance, for crops like wheat and rice​. Breeding 5.0 also enhances accessibility for a broader range of farmers, bolstering food security and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. However, challenges persist, particularly in data integration and accessibility. This review examines the core components of Breeding 5.0, including the role of AI in high-throughput phenotyping, smart breeding platforms, and deep learning for genomic prediction. It also addresses ethical considerations and potential challenges associated with the use of AI in plant breeding. Synergy between AI and plant breeding is paving the way for a new era of agricultural innovation, aiming to improve sustainable crop production and address global food security challenges.

INTRODUCTION

In ancient time silver played an important role of novel metal ion ,to fight against many infections.Now silver is used as a AgNPs for targeting many biomedical,physio-chemical reaction to fulfill research goal .But there are many drawbacks also reported in AgNPs reaction like allergy and environmental risk , so avoiding these all side-effect plant based AgNPs are synthesized.In our research ,we have used silver nano-particle of Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus emblica ) and Malabar nut(Adhatoda vasica )Leaf Extract and their comparative study on microbes.

METHODS

Leaves were first collected, then crushed into a powder. Next, we made a water-based extract solution by heating the mixture to 80 degrees Celsius for three to four hours using a magnetic stirrer. Leaf extract was combined with 1M silver nitrate solution, which was made by dissolving 1.7 grams of silver nitrate in 100 milliliters of water. Finally, the mixture of amla and adusa silver nitrate was centrifuged at 12000 rpm for 30 minutes, discarding the supernatant and collecting the dark pellet to form AgNPs of leaf extract. Finally, the leaf extract was collected in the form of a powder and dried for two to three days in a dark place.Using the disc diffusion and well diffusion methods, we investigated the effects of these AgNPs powders at varying concentrations against bacteria that cause disease, such as E. coli, S. aureus, Mucor, and Aspergillus strains.Additionally, we utilized the commercial antibiotic streptomycin to complete comparative study.

RESULT

AgNPs of Phyllanthus emblica and Adhatoda vasica leaf extracts comparative study on microbes explored positive results as compared to commercial antibiotic streptomycin to kill microbes ,that un clearly shown by zone of inhibition formation in petridish

CONCLUSIONS

Secondary metabolites in plant leaves makes plant based drug system and AgNPs molecules more effective and eco-friendly as compare to chemical based AgNPS.

Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) is a popular spice crop that has great commercial value. In vitro regeneration of a local variety of cardamom using shoot tips as explants is presented here. MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of sucrose (3% and 6%), cytokinin (1.0 mg/L, 1.5 mg/L, 2.0 mg/L, 2.5 mg/L) and BAP (6-Benzylaminopurine) was used for regeneration purposes. The ANOVA showed significant differences among all the treatments. The highest number of shoots was shown in treatments 1.5 mg/L BAP (3.10±0.74a) and 2.0 mg/L BAP (2.90±0.74a) supplemented with 6% sucrose, whereas the lowest was in 1.5 mg/L BAP (1.60±0.70b) and 2.0 mg/L BAP (1.50±0.71b) with 3% sucrose. The best shoot length was observed in treatments with 1.5 mg/L (5.50±0.53a) and 2.0 mg/L (5.30±0.48ab) BAP with 6% sucrose. In the case of root formation, the best treatments were those with 1.0 mg/L BAP with 3% sucrose (4.10±0.88a), 1.5mg/L BAP with 6% sucrose (3.90±0.86a) and 2.0 mg/L BAP with 6% sucrose (4.00±0.82a), while the longer roots were observed in the treatments with 2.5 mg/L (11.60±1.26a), 1.5 mg/L (8.80±0.79b) and 2.0 mg/L (7.20±0.79c) BAP mediated with 6% sucrose. The leaf number was highest in treatments with 2.5 mg/L (2.90±0.74c), 1.5 mg/L (5.30±0.82ab), and 2.0 mg/L (5.90±0.74a) BAP with 6% sucrose whereas the lowest was in treatments with 2.0 mg/L BAP with 3% sucrose (4.10±0.74c) and 1.5 mg/L BAP with 3% sucrose (4.20±0.92c). Considering the parameters recorded, treatments 1.5 mg/L and 2.0 mg/L BAP supplemented with 6% sucrose should be employed for the development of elite planting material. After successful hardening and acclimatization, the platelets were transferred to a field with a survival rate of 90%. The medium composition observed in the present study could be used for developing superior-quality plants of small cardamom through in vitro regeneration.

Current global climate change and its challenges have led to a search for green approaches to ensuring sustainable agriculture. Microbe-based fertilizers have been reported as potent eco-friendly alternatives to chemical fertilizers owing to their plant growth-promoting potential. This research identified an often scientifically reported pathogen as a rhizobacterium with plant growth-promoting potential. The rhizobacterium was isolated from the rhizosphere of Leersia oryzoides (L.) Sw. growing in waterlogged soil and screened for plant growth-promoting traits: indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production and phosphate solubilization. It was further tested for plant growth-promoting activity via a maize seed germination bioassay for five days. The rhizobacterium was identified phenotypically and via biochemical tests. The rhizobacterium was negative for IAA production and phosphate solubilization. After five days of incubation during the seed germination bioassay, the radicle and hypocotyl length of the maize seeds inoculated with the rhizobacterium (RS PUR) were 6.6 cm and 0.7 cm, respectively, while those of the control (maize seeds + sterile distilled water only) were 5.7 cm and 0.3 cm, respectively. Student’s t-test statistical analysis showed P<0.05, indicating that there was a significant difference between the rhizobacterium-treated seeds and the control. The rhizobacterium was tentatively identified as Chromobacterium violaceum. This research thus shows the significance of bioprospecting studies and the plant growth potential of this unidentified strain of Chromobacterium violaceum beyond it being a pathogenic strain. Screening for more plant growth-promoting traits and the strain-level identification (16s rDNA sequencing) of this rhizobacterium are therefore recommended.

An investigation was conducted using protein hydrolysates (PHs), obtained from the enzymatic breakdown of animal and plant wastes, which contain active compounds showcasing biostimulant effects that can help in increasing growth, yield and quality. The study location of the field experiment was the Agricultural Research Farm, Banaras Hindu University, during the kharif season, n 2021—22. The treatments consisted of 0.5, 0.625, 0.75, 1 and 1.5 L/ha PH applied at 15 and 50 days after transplanting (DAT), along with an untreated control. Various treatments significantly influenced the growth parameters, including plant height, no. of tillers, and dry matter accumulation, and the yield parameters, including the number of panicles, the panicle length and weight, the number of filled grains per panicle, fertility percentage, and grain and straw yield. PH at 1.5 L/ha yielded the highest values, followed by PH at 0.875 L/ha, when compared to the untreated control, and the percentage increase in yield over untreated control increased linearly with a range of4.1% to 15%. Similarly, the protein hydrolysates at 1.5 L/ha showed higher nutrient content and a higher uptake of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in the grains. The analysis of the provided results indicates that the most successful method for enhancing rice yield and quality in Varanasi's India agroclimatic conditions was to incorporate protein hydrolysates at a rate of 1.5 L/ha at 15 and 50 DAT.

Tomato is a significant vegetable crop in India, but it faces substantial losses due to diseases like damping-off (caused by Pythium aphanidermatum) and wilt (caused by Fusarium sp.). To address these issues, a study was conducted to isolate Bacillus sp. from rhizosphere soil to manage the pathogens of P. aphanidermatum and Fusarium sp. Virulent isolates of P. aphanidermatum and Fusarium sp. were isolated from infected tomato plants and were identified morphologically and molecularly as P. aphanidermatum and Fusarium oxysporum. A total of 12 Bacillus sp. were isolated from the rhizosphere soil of tomato field. In vitro, a screening of the Bacillus isolates against the damping-off and wilt pathogens revealed that strains BS1, BS2, and BS5 were effective against P. aphanidermatum, while BS1, BS4, BS7, BS9, and BS11 were effective against F. oxysporum. Notably, strain BS1 was effective against both P. aphanidermatum and F. oxysporum. Volatile GC-MS analysis of the crude extract from Bacillus sp. BS1 revealed the presence of several antimicrobial compounds, including hexanone, benzoic acid, methyl butanol, furan, proline, xylene, dodecane, benserazide, pentanoic acid, and cartap, all with significant area percentages. The result of the volatile analysis showed that benzoic acid was predominantly expressed at high peak values with a higher area percentage (79.2 %), which was found to suppress the pathogenic growth in vitro. A glasshouse trial assessing the efficacy of Bacillus sp. (BS1) demonstrated that treating tomato seeds with 5 g/kg as a basal application and applying 2.0 kg/ha to the soil as a top dressing on days 25 and 35 after sowing resulted in substantial reductions in damping-off (1.29%) and wilt (5.26%) pathogen incidences. Furthermore, the bipartite interaction of plant-defense-related enzymes such as peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, phenylalanine ammonia lyase, and total phenol content potentially expressed higher activities. This study concluded that Bacillus sp. from the tomato rhizosphere soil exhibits significant potential to inhibit soil-borne plant pathogens.

Santolina chamaecyparissus L. (cotton-lavender; family Asteraceae), traditionally valued in medicine and cosmetics for its bioactive compounds, was evaluated for its phytochemical profile and antifungal properties against two emerging plant pathogens. Flower extracts were prepared using methanol/water (1:17 v/v) with ultrasonication and characterized through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The extract's antifungal efficacy against Neocosmospora falciformis and N. keratoplastica was assessed through both in vitro assays and in planta experiments on zucchini (cv. Diamant F1) and tomato (cv. Optima F1) using root-dipping treatments. GC-MS analysis revealed a diverse sesquiterpenoid profile, with nuciferol (17.7%), 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole (10.3%), and 8-cedren-13-ol (5.9%) as major components, alongside aromadendrane derivatives including spathulenol, viridiflorol, and ledol. The extract exhibited potent antifungal activity with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 1500 and 1000 μg/mL against N. falciformis and N. keratoplastica, respectively. In greenhouse trials, treatment with 3000 μg/mL extract (2×MIC) effectively suppressed N. falciformis-induced wilt and root rot in both crops without phytotoxic effects. These results indicate an antimicrobial activity comparable to that of fosetyl-Al and higher than that of azoxystrobin conventional fungicides, and demonstrate the potential of S. chamaecyparissus flower extract as a sustainable, biorational alternative for managing Neocosmospora species and related pathogens in agricultural disease control.

Coastal ecosystems are exposed to extreme abiotic conditions, primarily water deficit and salt stress, as well as resource availability, which exacerbates interspecific competition. In this context, soil microbial communities may provide an advantage in coping with abiotic and biotic stresses.

This study investigates the effects of both soil microbiota and plant density on L. creticus performance under salt and water stresses. We applied two saline treatments (100 mM and 200 mM NaCl), and water deficit (complete withholding of irrigation), to plants grown either individually or in groups of three, in coastal dune soil (with the natural soil microbial community) or sterile soil. When the plants started to wilt, we measured the morphometric traits, mycorrhizal structures, and biochemical markers indicative of plant responses to abiotic stress. The latter were photosynthetic pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids), ion content in leaves and roots, osmolytes (proline, total soluble sugars, and glycine betaine), and oxidative stress markers (malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide). We also analysed antioxidant mechanisms, both enzymatic (catalase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase activities) and non-enzymatic (total phenolic compounds and flavonoids).

Plants grown in coastal soils exhibited greater biomass compared to plants grown in sterile soils (leaf dry weights were 0.52 ± 0.07 g vs 0.28 ± 0.02 g, respectively). Plants cultivated in groups showed higher levels of osmolytes than those cultivated individually (e.g., proline concentrations were 12.70 ± 2.73 µmol/g DW vs 1.60 ± 0.41 µmol/g DW, respectively). Salt and water stresses had a negative effect on morphological development (e.g., average leaves produced in 0.2 M NaCl: 34.72 ± 9.98; in water stress: 37.71 ± 12.70; in control plants: 82.39 ± 17.45) and triggered some stress markers (e.g., total soluble sugars, control plants: 18.49 ± 3.16 mg eq. G /g DW; 0.2 M NaCl: 46.90 ± 11.72 mg eq. G /g DW; water stress: 55.35 ± 19.85 mg eq. G /g DW). These findings support the positive effects of local soil microbial communities on plant performance under abiotic stresses and population density conditions.