A review on nanomaterial-based SERS substrates for sustainable agriculture.

The agricultural sector plays a pivotal role in driving the economy of many developing countries. Any dent in this economical structure may have a severe impact on a country's population. With rising climate change and increasing pollution, the agricultural sector is experiencing significant damage. Over time this cumulative damage will affect the integrity of food crops and create food security issues around the world. Therefore, an early warning system is needed to detect possible stress on food crops. Here we present a review of the recent developments in nanomaterial-based Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrates which could be utilized to monitor agricultural crop responses to natural and anthropogenic stress. Initially, our review delves into diverse and cost-effective strategies for fabricating SERS substrates, emphasizing their intelligent utilization across various agricultural scenarios. In the second phase of our review, we spotlight the specific application of SERS in addressing critical food security issues. By detecting nutrients, hormones, and effector molecules in plants, SERS provides valuable insights into plant health. Furthermore, our exploration extends to the detection of contaminants, chemicals, and foodborne pathogens within plants, showcasing the versatility of SERS in ensuring food safety. The cumulative knowledge derived from these discussions illustrates the transformative potential of SERS in bolstering the agricultural economy. By enhancing precision in nutrient management, monitoring plant health, and enabling rapid detection of harmful substances, SERS emerges as a pivotal tool in promoting sustainable and secure agricultural practices. Its integration into agricultural processes not only augments productivity but also establishes a robust defence against potential threats to crop yield and food quality. As SERS continues to evolve, its role in shaping the future of agriculture becomes increasingly pronounced, promising a paradigm shift in how we approach and address challenges in food production and safety.

Differentiating Wild and Apiary Honey by Elemental Profiling: a Case Study from Mangroves of Indian Sundarban.

Honey is a natural substance produced by honeybees from the nectar or secretion of flowering plants. Along with the botanical and geographical origin, several environmental factors also play a major role in determining the characteristics of honey. The aim of this study is to determine and compare the elemental concentration of various macro and trace elements in apiary and wild honeys collected from different parts of Indian Sundarbans. The elemental analysis was performed in inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy preceded by microwave digestion method. The concentrations of 19 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn) were investigated from thirteen locations of Indian Sundarbans. This comparative study shows in wild honey samples, the concentration of K was highest followed by Ca, Mg and Na and Zn was lowest among all. In contrast, in apiary honey samples, Ca had maximum concentration followed by K, Mg and Na and Ag had minimum among all. The elemental concentration in honey from apiary was either equal or higher than their wild counterpart. The results of the factor analysis of PCA algorithm for wild and apiary honey samples were highly variable which implies that the elements are not coming from the same origin. The concentration of element was found to be highly variable across sites and across sources of honey samples.

Assessment of role of rhizosphere process in bioaccumulation of heavy metals in fine nutritive roots of riparian mangrove species in river Hooghly: Implications to global anthropogenic environmental changes.

Biota of coastal estuarine habitats of tropics and subtropics are extremely vulnerable. In the study, we have investigated the role of rhizosphere process in bio-accumulation of heavy metals in fine nutritive roots of riparian mangroves at eleven sampling locations of river Hooghly. The rhizospheric sediment of river Hooghly was accumulating HMs due to the presence of organic content and anthropogenic inputs. The mean EF (2.03-8.3), Igeo (-2.27-0.71), and CF (0.62-2.53) values signifies the enrichment of HMs in sediment fine fraction (<62.5 µm) whereas, the mean PLI (0.83 to 1.18) indicates gradual environmental degradation of river Hooghly. Low BCF observed in the river Hooghly might be due to barrier to hypodermal structures and/or any prevailing mechanism of saturation of HMs. However, BCF > 1 for Al, Cu, Cr, Mn, and Zn, signifies the phyto-remediation potential of riparian mangroves to mitigate amplified global anthropogenic environmental changes.

Different soil salinity imparts clear alteration in rhizospheric bacterial community dynamics in rice and peanut.

The rhizospheric microbiome is capable of changing the physio-chemical properties of its own micro-environment and found to be indispensable in the overall health of the hostplant. The interplay between the rhizospheric environment and the microbiota residing therein tune the physiology of the associated plant. In this study, we have determined how the soil properties and the host-plant remains as an important parameter for microbial community dynamics in the rhizosphere of rice and peanut. In addition to check the physio-chemical parameters of the rhizospheric soil, we have also prepared the metagenomic DNA from each rhizospheric soil followed by high-throughput sequencing and sequence analysis to predict the OTUs that represents the community structure. The alpha-diversity of the bacterial community in the RRN sample was highest, while the lowest was in PRS sample. Actinobacteria is the most predominant phylum in PRN, PRS and RRN, whereas Acidobacteria in RRS. We found a clear shift in bacterial community over the rice and peanut rhizosphere and also over these host-rhizospheres from normal and high saline region. The rhizospheric bacterial community composition found to be affected by the close-by environmental factors. Thus, the rhizospheric bacterial community structure is related to both the adjoining soil characters and the type of the hosts.

Chemometric study on the biochemical marker of the manglicolous fungi to illustrate its potentiality as a bio indicator for heavy metal pollution in Indian Sundarbans.

The study represents in vitro chemometric approach for assessing the heavy metal pollution in Indian Sundarbans. Physio-chemical and elemental characterisation of the sediment samples of Indian Sundarbans had shown high enrichments of toxic metal ions. It was characterised by elevated enrichment factors (2.16-10.12), geo-accumulation indices (0.03 -1.21), contamination factors (0.7-3.43) and pollution load indices (1.0-1.25) which showed progressive sediment quality deterioration and ecotoxicological risk due to metal ions contamination. The physio-chemical parameters of the sediments were replicated and computational chemometric modeling was utilized to assess fungal metabolic growth. All the fungi isolates had shown maximum metabolic activity in high temperature, alkaline pH, and high salinity. Further, the fungal metabolic activity was assessed in different gradient of heavy metal concentration. The significant deterioration of biochemical marker with increasing concentration of heavy metal indicates the status of the microbial health due to toxic metal pollution in the mangrove habitat.

Understanding potentially toxic metal (PTM) induced biotic response in two riparian mangrove species Sonneratia caseolaris and Avicennia officinalis along river Hooghly, India: Implications for sustainable sediment quality management.

Elevated human-induced activities have prompted significant uncontrolled release of potentially toxic metals (PTM) to the undisturbed ecosystem throughout the globe. Riparian mangrove vegetations act as a natural purifier of wastewaters and assist in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. We have investigated the elevated PTM-induced stress and biotic response of two riparian mangrove species e.g. Sonneratia caseolaris and Avicennia officinalis by river Hooghly. The increased PTM concentrations were observed throughout the river bank; with the maximum pollution load at Chemaguri (S9). Except Co, Cr and Pb, higher enrichment factor (1.97-8.89) and contamination factor (0.64-2.88) values were observed for Cd, Cu, Fe, Zn. Mn, and Ni. Geo-accumulation index (-2.2 - 0.92) values indicates natural geogenic accumulation of Cu in the riparian mangrove sediment. Thus, sediment quality indices suggest except Cu, enrichment of all studied PTMs was sourced from anthropogenic activities. The sediment of the region when compared with consensus-based sediment quality guidelines shows considerable ecotoxicological risks and threat towards human health considering Ni accumulation. The highest potential ecological risk index value was observed in Chemaguri (S9). The biotic response of riparian mangroves was characterized by reduced photosyhthetic pigments (Chlorophyll a and Chlorophyll b) and increased activity of antioxidative stress enzymes (POD, CAT and SOD). Significant statistical relationship between antioxidative enzyme activity, photosynthetic pigments and bioaccumulated PTMs reflects active functioning of detoxification mechanism in the riparian mangrove species.

A preliminary study on upstream migration of mangroves in response to changing environment along River Hooghly, India.

Environmental changes and anthropogenic activities can be linked to altered distribution and abundance of species. However, the ecological impacts of change in the microenvironment have not been well documented. Herein, we have identified the distribution of mangroves and associated species and characterized surface sediment and water samples along the banks of River Hooghly. The application of Combined Mangrove Recognition Index (CMRI) and its validation with the available ground data on satellite image of 2015 indicates that some mangrove species have reclaimed the upper course of the river, which was earlier absent before 1995. This study is the first report on the upstream migration of mangrove species such as Sonneratia caseolaris, Sonneratia apetala, Derris trifoliata, Hibiscus tiliaceus, and Thespesia populnea in River Hooghly. The changes in pollution load, varied sedimentation pattern, high chemical oxygen demand, mean sea-level rise, and anthropogenic activity might have played a significant role in the upstream migration of mangroves.

Elemental geochemistry in acid sulphate soils - A case study from reclaimed islands of Indian Sundarban.

Sundarban along with its networks of rivers, creeks and magnificent mangroves form a unique ecosystem. Acid sulphate soils have developed in this ecosystem under anoxic reducing conditions. In the present study, we have investigated the distribution of acid sulphate soils along with its elemental characterization and possible sources in four reclaimed islands of Indian Sundarban like Maushuni (I1), Canning (I2), Bally (I3) and Kumirmari (I4). Elements show moderate to strong correlation with each other (P < 0.01; P < 0.05). Except Si, Ca and Pb, a higher enrichment factor was observed for K, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn. Geo-accumulation index values of all sampling locations reveal that Cr, Fe, Cu and Zn are in Igeo class 1. The pollution load index value of the reclaimed islands of Indian Sundarban varies between 1.31 and 1.48. The observation of this study could help to strategize policies to mitigate and manage acid sulphate soils in Indian Sundarban.