Enhancing Ecological Integrity and Resilience: The Use of Biocontrol Agents and Botanicals for Sustainable Plant Disease Management in Jhum Systems of Nagaland

Enhancing productivity and ecological resilience of dryland shallots through the integration of Trichoderma harzianum and organic mulch

Agricultural production in dryland ecosystems is constrained by low soil fertility, erratic rainfall, and limited water availability. To address these challenges, the integration of Trichoderma harzianum with organic mulch was investigated as an eco-friendly strategy. The effects of T. harzianum and organic mulch on Rubaru local shallots ( Allium cepa var. Aggregatum) cultivated in Sumenep, Indonesia, were evaluated. A factorial randomized block design with four replications was applied, consisting of two mulch types (bamboo litter and corn plant litter) and four T. har-zianum dosages (0, 10, 20, and 30 g/plant). Significant improvements in plant height, leaf number, shoot formation, bulb number, bulb weight, and total yield were recorded under T. harzianum treatments, with the best response obtained at 30 g/plant. Productivity was further enhanced by bamboo litter mulch, compared to corn plant litter mulch. In addition, increasing doses of T. harzianum were associated with a reduction in downy mildew ( Peronospora ) incidence across observation periods, with the greatest reduction (45.4%) observed at 30 g/plant at 6 weeks after planting. By principal component analysis (PCA), 82.5% of total variation was explained, with growth and yield traits found to be positively correlated and negatively associated with disease incidence. This study confirmed that integrating T. harzianum with organic mulch is an effective, environmentally friendly strategy to enhance productiv - ity, reduce disease incidence, and improve input efficiency in shallot cultivation under dryland conditions.

Medicinal Plant-Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Networks in the Semi-Arid Landscapes of Marathwada: Challenges, Opportunities and Future Research

This review discusses ecological interactions between medicinal plants and AMF, their role in soil health, climate resilience, conservation, and sustainable cultivation, and identifies existing research gaps and highlights future research priorities aimed at integrating AMF-based technologies into biodiversity conservation, medicinal plant cultivation, and ecosystem restoration programs in the region.

Phytophthora in forestry, natural environments, agriculture, and horticulture of the Mediterranean Basin and emerging Phytophthora threats from other regions

Phytophthora is one of the most destructive genera of plant pathogens, comprising more than 260 described species, with numerous cryptic and undescribed taxa that remain undetected. These oomycetes cause severe diseases in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and natural ecosystems resulting in major economic losses, altered forest dynamics and biodiversity decline. The Mediterranean Basin is particularly vulnerable to these pathogens, due to high crop diversity, rich endemic flora, intensive plant trade networks, and climatic conditions that favour pathogen establishment and spread. Most damaging Phytophthora species are exotic, introduced primarily through infected nursery stock, contaminated soil or irrigation and river water. Their impacts are also affected by environmental stresses, climate change, intensive cultivation and interactions and connectivity among agricultural, forest and natural landscapes. New diagnostic tools and global surveys have revealed significant and previously undiscovered diversity and ongoing biosecurity risks for these pathogens. Effective management and mitigation require harmonised surveillance systems, robust early detection tools, production of pathogen-free planting material, improved hygiene and cultivation practices, and breeding for host tolerance. These approaches must be integrated within broad landscape-level strategies, to safeguard biodiversity and enhance ecosystem resilience across the Mediterranean Basin ecosystems.

Indian Journal of Plant Genetic Resources

The role of microbial fertilizers in diversified cropping systems

Ecological Intensification of Watermelon Production through Habitat Manipulation for Sustainable Arthropod Pest Management

Ecological intensification through habitat manipulation has emerged as a sustainable strategy for reducing pesticide dependence while enhancing ecosystem services in agricultural production systems. The present study evaluated the influence of legume-based habitat manipulation on arthropod pest suppression, the conservation of beneficial arthropods, pollinator abundance, fruit yield and economic returns in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.). A field experiment was conducted during the kharif 2021 season at Namakkal, Tamil Nadu, India, using a randomised block design comprising five treatments, including cluster bean- and cowpea-based intercropping systems, with sole watermelon as the control. Habitat manipulation significantly reduced the populations of major insect pests compared with the sole crop. The cluster bean intercropping system (2:1 row ratio) recorded the lowest populations of aphids (6.48 insects per three leaves), thrips (2.35 per flower), whiteflies (3.82 per three leaves), leafhoppers (2.46 per three leaves), spider mites (4.28 per leaf) and fruit fly infestation (6.84%) compared with sole watermelon. The same treatment also supported the highest abundance of natural enemies (12.86 predators per plant) and pollinators (24.42 bee visits per 10 min), resulting in greater arthropod diversity (Shannon index: 2.74). Improved ecosystem services significantly enhanced fruit production, with the highest marketable yield (32.46 t ha⁻¹) and benefit–cost ratio (4.45) recorded under cluster bean intercropping at a 2:1 row ratio. The results demonstrate that habitat diversification through flowering legume companion crops promotes natural pest regulation, conserves beneficial arthropods, enhances pollination services and improves crop productivity and profitability. Habitat manipulation can, therefore, be integrated as an environmentally sound and economically viable component of sustainable integrated pest management programmes for watermelon cultivation in tropical agroecosystems.