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Vermiwash is a liquid extract produced from vermicompost in a medium where earthworms are richly populated. It comprises a massive decomposer bacteria count, mucus, vitamins, different bioavailable minerals, hormones, enzymes, different antimicrobial peptides, etc. This paper aimed to assess how these natural products in vermiwash suppressed the pathogen and pests. Thus, we have reviewed the importance of vermiwash/vermicompost in disease control, the mechanism of disease suppression, the components of vermiwash applied in disease suppression, and pest control to use the scientific facts in agriculture to enhance the productivity of the crops. The bioactive macromolecules from the skin secretion of earthworm, coelomic fluid, and mucus directly able to defend pathogenic soil microbes against the worm and thereby freed the environment from the disease. Earthworms establish symbiotic relations with microbes, produce an essential product that supports the growth of plants, and suppress plant's root disease. It is recomended that earthworm should be inoculated in an agricultural field, or prepare and apply its vermiwash/vermicompost as a spray or as additive bio-fertilizer in the soil to enhance the productivities of the crops.
Carissa, a genus of the Apocynaceae family, consists of evergreen species, such as shrubs as well as small trees that are native to Asia, Africa, and Oceania’s subtropical and tropical regions. Most of the Carissa species are traditionally used to treat various diseases, such as chest pain, headaches, gonorrhoea, rheumatism, syphilis, oedema, rabies, stomach pain, hepatitis, cardiac diseases, and asthma. The pharmacological studies on Carissa species revealed its antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardioprotective, antipyretic, analgesic, wound healing, anticonvulsant, antiarthritic, adaptogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic activities, thus validating its use in indigenous medicine systems. The review article summarised the comprehensive literature available, including morphology, indigenous uses, bioactive composition, nutraceutical, and pharmacological activities of Carissa species. A total of 155 research papers were cited in this review article. The Carissa fruits are rich in dietary fibre, lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamin C, and macro- and micro-elements. A total of 121 compounds (35 polyphenols (flavonoids and phenolic acids), 30 lignans, 41 terpenoids, 7 steroids, 2 coumarins, and 6 cardiac glycosides) have been extracted from C. spinarum, C. carandas, and C. macrocarpa. Among all chemical constituents, lupeol, carissol, naringin, carisssone, scopoletin, carissaeduloside A, D, J, carandinol, sarhamnoloside, carissanol, olivil, carinol, 3β-hydroxyolean-11-en-28,13β-oilde, ursolic acid, and carissone are the key bioactive constituents responsible for pharmacological activities of genus Carissa. The gathered ethnopharmacological information in the review will help to understand the therapeutic relevance of Carissa as well as paving a way for further exploration in the discovery of novel plant-based drugs.
In recent years, soil pollution by massive accumulation of heavy metals (HMs), microplastics, and refractory hydrocarbon chemicals has become an emerging and global concern, drawing worldwide attention. These pollutants influence soil diversity by hindering the reproduction, abundance, thereby affecting aboveground productivity. The scientific community has recently emphasized the contribution of earthworms to heavy metal accumulation, microplastic degradation, and the decomposition of organic matter in the soil, which helps maintain the soil structure. This review paper aimed to compile scientific facts on how earthworms cope with the effect of HMs, microplastics, and plant polyphenols so that vermiremediation could be widely applied for well-being of the soil ecosystem by environmentalists. Earthworms have special surface-active metabolites in their guts called drilodefensins that help them defend themselves against the oxidative action of plant polyphenols. They also combat the effects of toxic microplastics, and other oxidative compounds by elevating the antioxidant activities of their enzymes and converting them into harmless compounds or useful nutrients. Moreover, earthworms also act as biofilters, bioindicators, bioaccumulators, and transformers of oxidative polyphenols, microplastics, toxic HMs, and other pollutant hydrocarbons. Microorganisms (fungi and bacteria) in earthworms' gut of also assist in the fixation, accumulation, and transformation of these toxicants to prevent their effects. As a potential organism for application in ecotoxicology, it is recommended to propagate earthworms in agricultural fields; isolate, and culture enormously in industry, and inoculate earthworms in the polluted soil, thereby abate toxicity and minimizing the health effect caused by these pollutants as well enhance the productivity of crops.
The kiwifruit [Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang & A.R. Ferguson] has attained significant importance for commercial cultivation in the mid-Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent during the last three decades. The fruit quality matching international standards has remained a concern. Keeping in mind the bio-stimulatory effects of seaweed extract, a marine bioactive component in horticultural crops, the current study conducted to elucidate the impact of seaweed extract on kiwifruit growth, yield, and quality was conducted in the Department of Fruit Science’s kiwifruit block at Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Himachal Pradesh, India. For the studies, nine-year-old Allison kiwi vines of uniform size and vigor were planted at a spacing of 4 m × 6 m. With 11 treatments, the experiment was set up in a randomized block design viz, T1: Spray treatment of 1000 ppm (seaweed extract) SWE at fruit set (FS); T2:Spray treatment of 2000 ppm SWE at FS; T3: Spray treatment of 3000 ppm SWE at FS; T4: Spray treatment of 1000 ppm SWE at FS and 10 days after Fruit set (FS); T5: Spray treatment of 2000 ppm SWE at FS and 10 days after FS (DAFS); T6: Spray treatment of 3000 ppm SWE at FS and 10 days after FS; T7: Fruit dip treatment of 1000 ppm SWE at 10 days after FS; T8: Fruit dip treatment @ 2000 ppm SWE at 10 days after FS; T9: Fruit dip treatment @3000 ppm SWE at 10 days after fruit set; T10: Fruit dip treatment @ 5 ppm CPPU at 10 days after fruit set; T11: Control. The current study compared several seaweed extract treatments, which were applied at various times and concentrations, to N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N-phenyl-urea (CPPU-5ppm) and untreated control. Seaweed extract (SWE) dip at 3000 ppm 10 days after the fruit set produced significant growth in fruit length and diameter in growing kiwifruit, which was non-significant with CPPU treatment and superior to control. The shape index, fruit weight, and total fruit yield were also found to be the highest with the same treatment. Fruit quality parameters, namely fruit soluble solids contents (SSC) and total sugars, were recorded at a maximum with the SWE Spray dose of 3000 ppm at FS and 10 DAFS. The SSC: Acid ratio and reducing sugars were recorded as the highest with an application of SWE dip at 3000 ppm 10 DAFS. The application of SWE dip at 2000 ppm 10 DAFS) was found to advance the harvesting maturity by 6 days and also exhibited the lowest physiological loss in weight (% PLW) with the highest ascorbic acid content. After 15 days of storage at ambient room temperature (25 ± 2 °C), the application of SWE dip at 3000 ppm 10 DAFS recorded the highest SSC acid ratio and the lowest titratable acidity. Thus, the application of seaweed extract dip at 3000 ppm 10 days after the fruit set can be recommended to the farmers as an appropriate alternative to the chemical treatment.
The tree Rhododendron arboreum belongs to the Ericaceae family, which harbours the entire Himalayan range. In this study, flowers and leaves of R. arboreum were selected from the Mussoorie area in the district of Dehradun (Uttarakhand). Plant extracts were obtained by using hexane, distilled water, acetone, 80% methanol and ethyl acetate solvents in an orbital shaker. The activity of the extracts against Bacillus cereus, Shigella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli was investigated using an agar well diffusion procedure, and the synergistic interaction of the extracts with conventional antibiotics, including norfloxacin and ciprofloxacin, was examined. Phytochemicals of R. arboreum were obtained from PubChem, and a target protein was rebuilt using the RCSB protein data bank. The docking approach was carried out via AutoDock vina software with penicillin binding protein (3VSL) to validate the microbe interactions and bioactive molecules, whereas Molinspiration and Swiss ADME servers were used to determine the Lipinski rule of 5 and perform drug-likeness analysis, respectively. Protox II and AdmetSAR tools were used to screen phytoconstituent toxicity. Flower and leaf extracts exhibited the highest yields (3.06 ± 0.9% and 2.53 ± 1.01%, respectively) in methanol. Phenolics, alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, steroids, amino acids, cardiac glycosides, tannin, protein, and saponin were qualitatively found. Synergistic activity against B. cereus and E. coli was observed for aqueous leaf extracts, while methanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts of flowers and leaves exhibited synergism against Shigella and S. aureus. Ethyl acetate extracts of flowers and leaves are the best synergistic enhancer. According to in silico data obtained from an in silico study, the best phytocompounds and prospective antibacterial agents are epifriedelanol and campanulin.
Synthetic chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, are abundantly used in agriculture to enhance soil fertility and prevent the occurrence of diseases, respectively. Many studies have reported a negative influence of these chemicals on the soil environment. Natural sources from earthworms and their products, as a result of vermicomposting, may be considered better alternatives. The aim of this review was to reveal the source of antifungal efficiency of vermicompost and its derivatives, such as vermiwash, coelomic fluid, skin secretion of earthworms, and metabolites from decomposer bacteria in vermicompost, in order to highlight their application in agriculture. The synergistic activity of bioactive compounds present in coelomic fluid, mucus, skin secretion, and metabolites from associated bacteria (decomposer) assisted crop plants for effective action against various soil pathogenic fungi, such as Rhizoctoniasolani, Alternaria solani, Aspergillus niger, A.flavus, Fusariumoxysporum, and F. graminearum. Thus, these bioactive metabolites can be recommended to suppress plant fungal diseases. Vermicompost and its derivatives should be considered for use in agricultural fields to control harmful soil fungi and increase crop productivity.
In recent decades, organic kiwifruit farming has come up as a feasible method for high-quality kiwi production without using chemical fertilizers. The primary objective of this research was to investigate how the sole application of organic and the combined application of organic manures affected the growth, yields, and quality of Allison kiwifruit, as well as the soil’s physicochemical characteristics. The field trial was conducted on cv. Allison to determine the efficacy of organic manures (OM) on growth, nutrient absorption, production and soil health. The experiment involved eight treatments, viz.: T1: 100% Dairy manure (DM); T2: 100% Vermicompost (VC); T3: 100% chicken manure (CM); T4: 50% DM + 50% CM; T5: 50% DM + 50% VC; T6: 50% CM + 50% VC; T7: DM + CM + VC in equal proportions; and T8: Recommended nutrients inorganic NPK + 40 kg DM. A randomized complete block design comprising three replicas was used in this investigation. The use of inorganic fertilizers (NPK) in combination with DM enhanced Spad Values Chlorophyll, fruit production, leaf number, leaf area, and stem diameter while also improving the soil’s chemical characteristics. The flower initiation was recorded with DM and Vermicompost (50:50). Furthermore, when compared to inorganic fertilizer treatment, OM treatment significantly improved fruit quality by improving fruit chemical composition in terms of soluble solids contents and leaf nutrient status, as well as improving soil’s physical properties with DM and Vermicompost (50:50). The study’s outcome revealed that OM had a significant impact on flowering time, fruit SSC, leaf nutritional status, and soil physical characteristics. In comparison to organic treatments, recommended fertilizer dosages (NPK + DM) improved plant growth, fruit yield, and soil chemical characteristics.
The population status and biomass of earthworms were studied in three different land use systems of pasture (Pa), silvopasture (SP), and mixed evergreen forest (MEF) from 2019–2020 in the Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, India. The aim of this study was to assess the population status of earthworms and investigate how different land use systems influence their abundance, diversity, and biomass. Earthworms and soil were sampled using the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility (TSBF) method in all seasons (winter, spring, summer, monsoon, and autumn). The physicochemical properties of the soil were analyzed to evaluate their effects on the diversity, biomass, and density of animals. The diversity status parameters, such as the Shannon diversity index (H′), Margalef richness index (R), evenness (J′), and dominance index (D), were computed. A total of seven earthworm species, belonging to four families, namely, Amynthas corticis, Aporrectodea rosea, Drawida japonica, Eisenia fetida, Metaphire birmanica, Metaphire houlleti, and Lennogaster pusillus, were identified from all three land use systems. The lowest Shannon diversity index (H′), Margalef index (R), and evenness (J′) index values were registered in MEF (H′ = 0.661, R = 0.762, J′ = 0.369) compared to those in Pa (H′ = 1.25, R = 1.165, J′ = 0.696) and SP (H′ = 0.99, R = 0.883, J′ = 0.552), implying that MEF is the least diversified land system. In contrast, the highest dominance index (D) value was registered in MEF (Pa = 0.39, SP = 0.53, MEF = 0.67), which again showed that MEF is the least diversified land system. The highest values of abundance and biomass were recorded in MEF (754.15 individuals m−2 and 156.02 g m−2), followed by SP (306.13 individuals m−2 and 124.84 g m−2) and Pa (77.87 individuals m−2 and 31.82 g m−2). Both the density and biomass of earthworms increased from Pa to MEF (Pa < SP < MEF). This study is novel because it revealed that the diversity and productivity (biomass and abundance) values of earthworms were negatively correlated (as diversity increased, productivity decreased; as diversity decreased, productivity increased). The total values of abundance and biomass of earthworms in the three land use systems indicated perfect synchrony between aboveground and belowground habitats, whereas the diversity values revealed that MEF was dominated by one or two species and the least diversified. Therefore, for sustainable belowground productivity, aboveground conservation is recommended, and vice versa, regardless of diversity.
Although bio-based nanocomposite materials have various packaging options, the future is still evolving. At this point, multifunctional intelligent packaging will replace simple traditional packaging. As the use of synthetic plastics decreases, so does the demand for biodegradable packaging materials. Because of its potential to alleviate environmental issues associated with conventional packaging materials, biodegradable nanocoating for food packaging has seen a significant increase in interest in recent years. This innovative technology offers several perspectives and benefits, including improved food safety, extended shelf life, reduced waste, and enhanced sustainability. The objectives of this chapter are to highlight the latest advancements and research in the field of biodegradable nanocoating and its potential to revolutionize the food packaging industry as well as the advanced development teams about the benefits and potential applications of biodegradable nanocoating in food packaging.
Nowadays, with the rapid increase in the global population, food consumption has also increased and in order to meet these demands, farmers are using a number of synthetic chemical fertilizers and pesticides to enhance the productivity of their crops. Synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and weedicides include carbamates, organophosphates, organochlorines, pyrethroids, hexaconazole, benomyl, propiconazole, etc. However, the indiscriminate and excessive use of all these chemicals has led to unprecedented problems for the normal functioning of the ecosystem. These problems include faster evolution of resistant forms of pests, harm to their natural predators, harm to non-target organisms, contamination of the soil health, and alterations in the global food web associated with the soil ecosystem, and ultimately causing human health complications as well. Keeping in mind the long-term hazardous effects of such synthetic chemical fertilizers or pesticides on the environment, the urgent need is to shift from chemical farming to organic farming. Organic fertilizers, such as vermicompost, vermiwash, etc. are currently attracting the interest of the scientific and agricultural community as they offer sustainable agriculture and a healthy ecosystem. Vermiwash is an organic drainage that can be obtained as a byproduct from vermicompost set-ups. The water that percolates down the vermiculture, resulting in the washing of the earthworms (live or dead), soil microorganisms, and decomposed organic matter, collects a variety of dissolved nutrients as well as essential amino acids with it and, hence, can be a potential source for plants nutrients for enhanced yield in organic farming. Vermiwash may be used as an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides for enhanced crop yield. This chapter summarizes the role of vermiwash as a sustainable tool for enhanced crop production without deteriorating the quality of soil and ecosystem.
The present investigation was carried out to study the differential responses to assimilated nutrient management in the cabbage–capsicum–radish cropping system to develop an integrated plant nutrient supply. The experimental trial was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates and included assimilations of 15 various combinations: T1—recommended dose of fertilizers (RDFs) + farmyard manure (FYM) (Control); T2—nitrogen and phosphorus (NP) + vermicompost (VC) (75% + 2.5 t/ha); T3—NP + VC (50% + 2.5 t/ha); T4—NP + enriched compost (EC) (75% + 2.5 t/ha); T5—NP + EC (50% + 2.5 t/ha); T6—NP + plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) (75% + 5 kg/ha); T7—NP + PGPR (50% + 5 kg/ha); T8—NP + VC + PGPR (75% + 2.5 t/ha + 5 kg/ha); T9—NP + VC + PGPR (50% + 2.5 t/ha + 5 kg/ha); T10—NP + EC + PGPR (50% + 2.5 t/ha + 5 kg/ha); T11—NP + EC + PGPR (50% + 2.5 t/ha + 5 kg/ha); T12—NP + VC and EC (75% + 2.5 t/ha and 2.5 t/ha); T13—NP + VC and EC (50% + 2.5 t/ha and 2.5 t/ha); T14—NP + VC and EC + PGPR (75% + 2.5 t/ha and 2.5 t/ha + 5 kg/ha); T15—NP + VC and EC + PGPR (50% + 2.5 t/ha and 2.5 t/ha + 5 kg/ha) for two consecutive years. Seedlings of the cabbage cultivar were transplanted with a spacing of 45 × 30 cm, whereas the capsicum seedlings were transplanted with a spacing of 60 × 45 cm. The radish cultivar was sown directly in the field with a spacing of 30 × 7.5 cm. The yield and growth attributes of all three crops were notably impacted by the INM modules. The utilization of a combination of 75% of the recommended quantity of NP + VC and EC, along with PGPR, at a rate of 2.5 t/ha, during cabbage cultivation, led to a noteworthy rise in plant height, equatorial diameter, gross head weight, net head weight, and ultimately, the maximum head yield, as per the statistical analysis. In the case of capsicum, the treatment (T14) module demonstrated superior performance in terms of the major yielding components, namely, fruit size, fruit weight, and number of fruits per plant, resulting in the highest yield compared to the other modules, including RDFs. The cabbage exhibited high protein content and inorganic modules in terms of quality traits, whereas ascorbic acid and total soluble solids (TSSs) levels were high due to strong organic support across all three crops. Thus, it can be inferred that the integrated combination of 75% NP, VC, and EC at 2.5 t/ha, and PGPR, along with the basic application of the full recommended potash and farmyard manure (FYM), led to a reduction of 25% in fertilizers (NP), improved growth and yield, and higher annual net returns. Thus, this incorporation can be suggested as an economically efficient strategy for consistently attaining increased productivity with enhanced excellence.
The time used for fermentation should be limited by bakers, because if fermentation takes long time, the major nutrients in food, especially cereals can be reduced. The aim of this study is to assess the amount of carbohydrate nutrients transformed by yeast cells (Sacharomyces cerevisiae) through the fermentation of maize flour dough. Lane-Eynon and iodine-thiosulfate titration methods were used to quantify the concentration of both simple sugar and starch in the samples. Twelve samples were used for the analysis; 3 were used before the fermentation and another 3 were used after the fermentation at 17, 20 and 23 h. The amounts of starch consumed by yeast cells from the samples after fermentation time (17, 20 and 23 h) were 23.97, 49.13 and 68.45%, respectively. No simple sugar was detected after 17 h of fermentation of the samples. The results revealed that a significant amount of starch was transformed. Therefore, fermentation time should not be extended to prevent loss. Key words: Maize flour, fermentation, reducing sugar, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, starch, titration.
Sustainable land management targets climate change by mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, bolstering resilience against climate-related disasters and advocating sustainable practices. India has significantly contributed to shaping the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030, in which agroforestry has emerged as a critical component. The tree-based intercropping practices implemented in agroforestry reduce competitive associations between woody and non-woody components, at the same time obtaining advantage of interactions that are beneficial. The present investigation was accomplished during the year 2019–20. The research trial was structured using a split-plot design to explore the possibilities of successfully cultivating Phaseolus vulgaris as an intercrop under Morus alba. The study incorporated 4 different levels of tree lopping (T0: 0%; T1: 25%; T2: 50%; T3: 75%) and 5 dosages of manure (S0: No manure; S1; FYM, S2: Jeevamrutha 5%; S3: Jeevamrutha 10%; S4: RDF+FYM). The results revealed that maximum values for above and below-ground growth parameters were recorded in treatment T3 (75% lopping intensity) and treatment S4 (RDF + FYM). The treatments S1 (FYM) and S4 also significantly influenced soil parameters. Based on this investigation, it was inference that the integration of Phaseolus vulgaris with Morus alba provides the best possibility for diversity and enhanced profitability compared to a single species, if lopping is performed scientifically and a combination of manures are applied appropriately, besides offering numerous additional environmental gains.
Objective: The paper aimed to immobilize amylase producing bacterial strain on a suitable matrix and characterization of its physicochemical properties so that much amount of amylase could be produced to be applied in different industries.
 Methods: Bacterial colonies were sub-cultured from samples collected from soil in freshly prepared dishes containing starch agar by dot method using sterile inoculating needles from which five different bacteria belonged to genus Bacillus were isolated and assigned as A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5.
 Results: It was found that A1 displayed the highest enzyme activity of 17.89 IU/ml with enzyme assay of 0.83 mg/ml and the bacterium was identified to be Bacillus subtilis. A5 displayed 10.13 IU/ml with protein contents of 0.11 mg/ml indicated that A1 possess the highest enzyme activities which were categorized under Bacillus and protein contents and A5 showed less amount of enzyme activities and protein contents as compared to other.
 Conclusion: The bacteria which were produced much amount of enzyme activities identified as Bacillus subtilis and recommended and have been recommended to be cultured for the production of amylase enzyme.
The mitogenic activity in earthworms should be accompanied by antioxidative and antimicrobial activities during the healing or regeneration of their amputated part.These activities are achieved by bioactive macromolecules in their tissue and coelomic fluid.The antioxidative activity applied to prevent the cellular function from oxidative damage and assist cell multiplication.The antimicrobial activity prevents the wounded area from bacterial infection and enhances cell division.This review aims to promote cheap natural products of earthworms to be used widely in human medicine.Thus, we reviewed how to extract coelomic fluid, preparation of tissue homogenate (G-90) and application of mitogenic, antioxidative, antimicrobial activities on experimental animal rats, mice and rabbits.These products were efficient for hasty wound healing, the proliferation of damaged bone, boosting of immune cells and nerve cell regeneration without carcinogenic and mutagenic characteristics.Therefore, the biotechnological application of tissue homogenates and coelomic fluid should get due attention. INTRODUCTION:Earthworms are metamerically segmented organisms that belong to class Oligochaeta of phylum Annelida.The coelomic cavity of an earthworm is filled with coelomic fluid that oozes out through dorsal pore as a mechanism of defense in response to the body stress.Coelomic fluid from earthworms has been reported to possess several biological properties, like cytolytic, proteolytic, antimicrobial, hemolytic, haemagglutinin, tumorlytic, antiinflammatory, antioxidant, bacteriostatic, mitogenic and anticancer activities 1, 2 .
