Vermicomposting technology as a dynamic strategy to mitigate environmental crisis: a bibliometric study of last three decades.

Efficient recycling of resources forms the cornerstone of sustainable development. Among multiple options in stock for waste recycling, vermicomposting technology is regarded as a futuristic strategy, being tested in every part of the globe due to easy accessibility. Hence, a bibliometric study was planned to set a sight on global scientific trends encompassing vermicomposting research in last three decades. The data were retrieved from Google Scholar, Scopus and PubMed. Publications from different search engines were filtered out and 2064 unique documents were collected and illustrated in MS Excel and Vos-viewer. Inferences were drawn on significant aspects, such as publication growth trend, journal analysis and co-occurrence of keywords. The study revealed that the number of publications increased from 3 in 1992 to 166 in 2021. The number of citations also increased and peaked at 4314 in 2015. Following this, we clustered keywords using principle component analysis and worked out links between domains of vermicomposting. Vermicomposting conjoined to words substrate manipulation, quality improvement, heavy metal adsorption, and yield parameters. This implies that vermicompost is being explored for many alternate uses in addition to its use as a fertiliser. We concluded that vermicomposting is one of the promising technologies for waste recycling. It modulates plant growth and subdues stress in plants. Additionally, being an efficient adsorbent, it serves bioremediation of contaminated sites. Therefore, the future of this technology lies in synthesising nano-formulations, integrating into biosensor technology, simulating for predicting timelines under different conditions and making efforts to improve their adsorption.

Soil microbial and enzyme activities in different land use systems of the Northwestern Himalayas.

Soil microbial activity (SMA) is vital concerning carbon cycling, and its functioning is recognized as the primary factor in modifying soil carbon storage potential. The composition of the microbial community (MC) is significant in sustaining environmental services because the structure and activity of MC also influence nutrient turnover, distribution, and the breakdown rate of soil organic matter. SMA is an essential predictor of soil quality alterations, and microbiome responsiveness is imperative in addressing the escalating sustainability concerns in the Himalayan ecosystem. This study was conducted to evaluate the response of soil microbial and enzyme activities to land conversions in the Northwestern Himalayas (NWH), India. Soil samples were collected from five land use systems (LUSs), including forest, pasture, apple, saffron, and paddy-oilseed, up to a depth of 90 cm. The results revealed a significant difference (p < 0.05) in terms of dehydrogenase (9.97-11.83 TPF µg g-1 day-1), acid phosphatase (22.40-48.43 µg P-NP g-1 h-1), alkaline phosphatase (43.50-61.35 µg P-NP g-1 h-1), arylsulphatase (36.33-48.12 µg P-NP g-1 h-1), fluorescein diacetate hydrolase (12.18-21.59 µg g-1 h-1), bacterial count (67.67-123.33 CFU × 106 g-1), fungal count (19.33-67.00 CFU × 105 g-1), and actinomycetes count (12.00-42.33 CFU × 104 g-1), with the highest and lowest levels in forest soils and paddy-oilseed soils, respectively. Soil enzyme activities and microbial counts followed a pattern: forest > pasture > apple > saffron > paddy-oilseed at all three depths. Paddy-oilseed soils exhibited up to 35% lower enzyme activities than forest soils, implying that land conversion facilitates the depletion of microbiome diversity from surface soils. Additionally, reductions of 49.80% and 62.91% were observed in enzyme activity and microbial counts, respectively, with soil depth (from 0-30 to 60-90 cm). Moreover, the relationship analysis (principal component analysis and correlation) revealed a high and significant (p = 0.05) association between soil microbial and enzyme activities and physicochemical attributes. These results suggest that land conversions need to be restricted to prevent microbiome depletion, reduce the deterioration of natural resources, and ensure the sustainability of soil health.

Development, characterization and use of rosemary essential oil loaded water-chestnut starch based nanoemulsion coatings for enhancing post-harvest quality of apples var. Golden delicious.

The study aimed at evaluating the influence of water-chestnut starch-based coatings loaded with rosemary essential oil (REO) at concentrations of 0.10%, 0.25% and 0.50% (w/v) on postharvest cold storage stability of apple var. Golden delicious for 120 days. Average droplet diameter of nanoemulsions was in range of 315-450 nm and it increased with increase in the REO concentration. Minimum weight loss was observed in fruits treated with coating material containing 0.50% REO. Samples coated with starch+0.50% REO exhibited highest firmness value of 68.22 ± 1.02 N under controlled atmosphere storage (CAS). Anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, total phenolic content and antioxidant activity were retained in all samples coated with formulated emulsion. Antifungal assay against Pencillium expansum indicated that 0.50% REO had maximum antifungal activity. Increase in REO concentration from 0.10 to 0.50% in starch coating formulations resulted in reduced lesion diameter in coated samples under both the storage conditions. Lesion diameter (LD) was found highest in control (39.40 ± 0.20 mm) under ambient conditions. Coated fruit samples showed a significant (p≤0.05) reduction in LD under both the ambient and CAS conditions however, more pronounced effect was reported under CAS. Fruits coated with edible coatings enriched with different REO concentrations under CAS exhibited significantly (p≤0.05) lower chilling injury index (ST+0.50%REO < ST+0.25%REO<0.10%REO) compared to control.

Comprehensive biochemical approach for understanding the interaction between host "common bean" and pathogen "Colletotrichum lindemuthianum" causing bean anthracnose.

Anthracnose (ANT) caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum is the most devastating seed-borne fungal disease of common bean. In response to fungal infections, it is hypothesized that pathogen-plant interactions typically cause hypersensitive reactions by producing reactive oxygen species, hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation of cell membranes. esent study was conducted by inoculating susceptible bean genotype "SB174" and resistant bean genotype "E10" with pathogen "C. lindemuthianum". Defense-related enzymes (ascorbate peroxidase, peroxidase, lipid peroxidase, and catalase) and C-based compounds (total phenols and flavonoids) were studied using the detached bean leaf method. Comparative defense response was studied in different plant tissues (pod, stem, and seed) in susceptible and resistant bean genotypes under uninoculated and pathogen-inoculated conditions. The host‒pathogen interaction was studied at mock inoculation, 2, 4 and 6 days after inoculation (dai). Comparing the pathogen-inoculated bean leaves to water-treated bean leaves, defense enzymes as well as total phenols and flavonoids exhibited differential expression. In a comparative study, the enzyme activity also displayed differential biochemical responses in pods, stems and seeds in both contrasting genotypes. For example, 5.1-fold (pod), 1.5-fold (stem) and 1.06-fold (seed) increases in ascorbate peroxidase activity were observed in the susceptible genotype at 6 dai compared to mock inoculation. Similarly, catalase activity in pods was upregulated (1.47-fold) in the resistant genotype and downregulated (1.30-fold) in the susceptible genotype at 6 dai. The study revealed that defense-related antioxidative enzymes, phenols and flavonoids are fine-tuned to detoxify important reactive oxygen species (ROS) molecules, induce systemic resistance and are successfully controlled in common bean plants against pathogen invasion.