<div style="text-align: justify;">TSV isolates (GNAP7. SFAP17 and CUKA13) maintained on cowpea were cross inoculated on five popularly grown varieties and hybrids of groundnut (JL-24, K-6, Prasuna, K-9, Kadiri harithandra), sunflower (KBSH-44, DRSH-1, NDSH-1012, Mordent, Sunbred-275) and cucumber (Long green, Poorna, Ageti, Sheetal, Uday). Incubation period required for the initiation of local and systemic symptoms varied among different hosts and cultivars. Local symptoms of veinal necrosis, leaf yellowing and wilting, petiole necrosis, chlorotic spot, tip necrosis and systemic symptoms of mosaic, wilting, necrotic streaks on stem, bud necrosis, axillary shoot proliferation were observed in different hosts and Culivars. Out of 23 plant species tested against TSV by sap inoculation, 15 plant species were susceptible to TSV, which includes Beta vulgaris, Abelmoschus esculentus, Cicer arietinum, Solanum melongena, Ricinus communis, Chrysanthemum indicum, Phaseolus vulgaris, Gerbera jamesonii, Macrotyloma uniflorum, Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata, Tagetus erecta, Allium cepa, Phaseolus coccineus, Solanum lycopersicum, Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis.&nbsp;</div>

Biological characterization and host range of Tobacco Streak Virus (TSV)

Background: The prickly pear is well adapted to arid and semi-arid areas. It occupies an important part in the human diet and it is also used as fodder for livestock. It is an interesting plant due to the environmental conditions in which it grows and its resistance to extreme climatic conditions. The objectives of our study were to determine the biological effects of oil extracted from prickly pear seeds (Opuntia ficus-indica L. Mill.). 
 
Methods: The organoleptic characteristics and the physicochemical parameters of this oil were done. The antibacterial and antifungal effects of the oil were tested in vitro against certain numbers of pathogenic bacteria and fungi by the aromatogram method. The antioxydante activity and the GC-MS analysis were proceeded also in this study.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results show that the bacterial strains Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterococcus faecalis are the most sensitive to the acid oil of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. with an inhibition diameter varying between 23 mm and 25 mm, respectively. On the other hand, prickly pear seed oil exhibits an antifungal effect mainly against Candida albicans (25 mm). The oil extracted was strongest active (IC50 = 0.55 mg/ml). This indicates that our oil exhibited high reducing activity. 18 components were found in prickly pear seeds oil after analysis by GC-MS, which are presented mainly by phthalic acid (45.04%), monounsaturated fatty acid (18.56%), polyunsaturated fatty acid (16.69%) and other components (19.71%). The oil of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. seeds showed good biological activity grace to its richness in components.

Physicochemical and Biological Characterization of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Seed Oil Collected from The Bordj Bou Arreridj Region, Algerian Highlands

<div>Background: White mold disease caused by S. sclerotiorum is a serious peril to the cultivation of french bean in India. The disease primarily spreads by spores and normally in forms of sclerotia, which can remain viable in soil for several years and under appropriate environmental conditions, germinate to form mycelium, leading to infectious hyphae or producing apothecia. 
 
Methods: In the present study, antagonistic activity of locally isolated bio-inoculants including four fungi and three bacteria were evaluated against white mold disease of french bean. In vitro efficacy of bio-inoculants was tested by dual culture method against&nbsp;S. sclerotiorum.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The molecular characterization of isolated pathogen was performed using ITS sequencing. The sequence length of the pathogen was 516 bp and approximately identical to publicly available S. sclerotiorum sequences on NCBI data base.&nbsp;In vitro study showed that,&nbsp;P. fluorescens isolate Pf008 was best causing 95.55 per cent mycelium growth reduction. In field experiment, the bio-inoculants were tested by various inoculation methods. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infested soil treated with bio-inoculants as seed treatment and soil application. Results revealed that, seed treatment with formulation of T. harzianum isolate TS004 was best and enhance the growth promotion and increase the grain yield i.e. 13.93 q/ha and 12.10 q/ha during the year 2018-19 and 2019-20 respectively. Soil application with formulation of T. viride isolate TS006 was the utmost effective in reducing disease incidence by 83.91% during the year 2018-19 and seed treatment with formulation of T. viride isolate TS006 reducing disease incidence by 74.83% in the year 2019-20.</div>

Molecular Characterization of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Sacc. Initiating White Mold Disease in French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and its Biological Management

The biological method of weed control is an effective option. Before implementing bio-agents, there is a need for a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in interactions by multiple agents against weeds. This covers knowledge of how plants integrate and prioritize their responses to multiple attackers. Across the globe, terrestrial ecosystems are known to be characterized by a huge diversity of species and a corresponding diversity of interactions between these species. These include species of different trophic levels of habitats on the same food chain. Plants undoubtedly play significant role as intermediaries in interactions between the insect and microbial populations with which they are involved. Plant interactions brought forth by one species can have cascading impacts on other species, influencing their abundances and the composition of communities. Several research efforts are underway to develop highly effective biological control agents to reliably control a problematic broad spectrum of weeds. Sustainable and ecosystem-compatible weed management for controlling weeds by biological means, such as insects, bio-agents, myco-herbicides and harmful Rhizobacteria. Their interaction with cultural practices and allelochemicals are some biological components of sustainable agriculture. Hence, biological agents enhance efficiency and restrict the detrimental effect of weeds compared to weeds being left alone. The challenge is to identify appropriate microbe/bioagents, which reduce weed growth. Logically, biological weed management is the only way to control weeds in eco-friendly weed management.

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Pioneering Innovations in Biological Weed Control: A Comprehensive Review

<div>Background: Molecular identification of a wide range of organisms capable of carrying out biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) are diverse in nature and significantly improves plant growth. Biological N2 fixation reflects the activity of a phylogenetically diverse list of microorganisms. Molecular characterization provides efficient means to identify organisms with the potential of N2 fixation. Applying these techniques in an array of environments has considerably broadened our understanding of the suite of organisms that can carry out BNF. 
 
Methods: Thirty-four strains of free living N2 fixing bacterial strains were isolated from diverse plants cultivated in North Gujarat, including wheat, cotton, castor and pearl millet, using a nitrogen-free selective medium. Acetylene reduction assay was used to check the ability of all bacteria to fix nitrogen. Hybridization with nifH probe derived from Azotobacter vinelandii with isolated free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria showed a positive result. The selected strains were characterized by molecular analysis like; ARDRA and 16S rDNA sequencing.&nbsp; 
 
Result:&nbsp;Based on molecular characterization 17 strains to known groups of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, including organisms from the genus Azotobacter, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Arthrobacter, Bacillus, Variovorax, Nocardiodies, Rhodococcus, Mycobacterium, Planococcus, Microbacterium have been identified. One of the strains was identified as unknown bacteria. The potential strains were identified by 16srDNA analysis and also corroborated by morphological and biochemical characterization.</div>

Molecular Characterization of Free Living N2 Fixing Bacteria Isolated from Agricultural Soils of North Gujarat, India

<div style="text-align: justify;">The pure of an individual is relative to the hybrid. No two identical organisms are found on the earth at the level of nucleotide sequence. After two parents mating, the variations of their offspring will occur in the nucleotide sequence compared to their parents, which are called biological heterozygous effect. However, the molecular bases for this phenomenon remain elusive. In our view, biological heterozygous effects at least follow the below rules: Firstly, the contribution of the outcome of traits passed from parents to offspring is not equal. Secondly, progeny variation across the heterozygous individuals is lineage-specific dependent and some difference is found among the individuals within a family. Thirdly, biological variation is absolute, random, non-directional, and is fixed and forms a new species while other variation is getting into the blind branch of the species under some circumstances. In summary, Heterozygous effect is the key reason for the formation of biodiversity on the earth.</div>

Some novel rules of the biological heterozygous effects &nbsp;

Background: Wheat is the prime and staple food in the world as well as India and it is grown in peninsular zone of India. The production of wheat was suffered due to biotic and abiotic factors in the country. Therefore, the present study was focused on assessing the genetic variability and morphological characterization among the cultivar under south eastern plain of Rajasthan. 
 
Methods: Thirty-two cultivars of wheat were evaluated in RBD with four replications during rabi season 2022-23 at AICRP on Seed (Crops), Agriculture University, Kota, Rajasthan.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Significant differences were observed among the cultivars for all traits studied. A wide range of variation was noted for most of these traits. The phenotypic variance for most traits closely matched the corresponding genotypic variance, indicating minimal environmental influence on their expression. High broad-sense heritability (%) combined with substantial genetic advance as a percentage of the mean was observed for traits such as biological yield per plant (g), number of grains per spike, harvest index (%) and grain yield per plant (g), suggesting these traits would respond well to selection. Grain yield per plant (g) showed a significant positive correlation at both phenotypic and genotypic levels with biological yield per plant (g) (0.744; 0.709), test weight (g) (0.436; 0.402) and days to maturity (0.249; 0.230). Biological yield per plant (g) had the strongest direct positive effect on grain yield per plant (g) at both levels (1.478; 1.282), followed by harvest index (%) (0.880; 0.904). These traits are recommended as key selection criteria for improving yield and ensuring stable performance in wheat cultivars.

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Assessment of Genetic Variability and Morphological Characterization of Wheat Cultivar under South Eastern Plain of Rajasthan

<div>Background: Kachchhi-Sindhi horses are famous for their &lsquo;Rewal chal&rsquo; (a unique style of running). These horses dominantly exist in the western-northern border of India adjoining Pakistan. The breeding tract of these horses is Surat, Navsari, Kachchh district of Gujarat and Jaisalmer-Barmer districts of Rajasthan in India. Most familiar colors in the Kachchhi-Sindhi horses are bay and chestnut. Roman nose, ears curved at tips but not touching each other, short back, short pastern length, broader hoof for better grip and docile temperament are major characteristics of these horses. 
 
Methods: The present study is an effort to phenotypically characterize Kachchhi-Sindhi horse breed based on their different biometric indices for selection and conservation of stallions and mares for breeding purposes by private breeders. Fourteen biometric indices were recorded for phenotypic characterization of each breed viz., height at wither (HW), body length (BL), heart girth (HG), neck length (NL), face length (FL), face width (FW), pole, ear length (EL), ear width (EW), foreleg length (FLL), canon, pastern, hoof length (HoL) and hoof width (HoW). On average, these horses stand 148 cm height, have a body length of ~140 cm, a heart girth of ~165 cm, an ear length of ~15 cm and a face length of ~61 cm. 
 
Result: Horse keepers sustain horses in intensive as well as an extensive system of rearing. It has also been ascertained from various sources that horse number is declining rapidly, however, breed population statistics are not available. There is, therefore, an urgent need to conserve this breed. Proper managemental practices and conservation efforts will pave the way for the multiplication of this valuable equine genetic resource of India.</div>

<div>Phenotypic Characterization of Kachchhi-Sindhi Horses of India</div>

<div>Agriculture is the most important economic activity around the world with its contributions reflected by its share in the gross domestic product of countries. It ensures food security, provides raw materials for many industries and employment opportunities. Today, pest and diseases are among the main challenges plaguing the agricultural sector. More specifically, phytophagous mites are devastating many economically important crops worldwide. Tetranychus urticae Koch (Two-spotted spider mites), Raoiella indica Hirst, (red palm mites), Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks (broad mites) and Panonychus ulmi Koch (European red mites) are widely known for their extensive damage to crops. To control these mites, farmers have incorporated the use of pesticides into their farming systems. However, chemical control comes with many problems such as insect resistance, detrimental environmental effects and various human health implications. As such biological control is an environmentally friendly alternative that uses bio-control agents such as predators, pathogens and parasitoids to control pests. In this review, it was found that predators and pathogens were the most widely used biocontrol agents, specifically, the Amblyseius spp. Berlese were most effective and widely documented. The available literature also suggests that for successful control of agricultural mites via biological control, there needs to be a clear understanding of the behaviors of these mites and the bio-control agents used. 
&nbsp;</div>

Biological Control Methods for Agricultural Mites: A Review

<div style="text-align:justify">Background: Chicken represents a valuable genetic resource and protein source, it remains a potential threat to human health as they serve as a reservoir for diseases and food borne pathogens. Diversification of the poultry production is one of the viable options to enhance the food production with less susceptibility to the threats from the emerging diseases and changing climatic conditions. Ducks are promising species suitable for the diversification and will be complimentary with an adaption potential from small to commercial farming. Majority of ducks in the country are desi type with a meagre proportion of improved duck strains.&nbsp; genetic characterization by developing duck specific microsatellite markers and designing suitable improvement program are required to be undertaken at the earliest. The microsatellite markers are extensively used for assessing genetic structure, diversity, and relationships. Information about genetic diversity of indigenous duck breeds is important to design effective improvement and conservation strategies. Therefore, the current studies aim at genetic characterization and evaluation of growth, production and reproduction traits of the crosses of local duck population besides undertaking a suitable duck improvement program. 
 
Methods:&nbsp;Spectrophotometric evaluation of DNA extraction,&nbsp; Electrophoretic evaluation of DNA extraction , microsatellite primers- Presently, a panel of 10 informative duck microsatellite markers were identified from database as reported by <a href="#alyethodi_2010">Alyethodi and Kumar (2010)</a> and <a href="#huang_2006">Huang et al., (2006)</a> and used for the studies, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) , Documentation of PCR products by Agarose Gel Electrophoresis, Metaphor agarose gel electrophoresis(MAGE)of microsatellites alleles, Determination of molecular size of microsatellite alleles and genotypes, Statistical analysis of population genetics data, Data on genotype of all experimental birds at ten microsatellites were compiled and analyzed using POPGENE&reg; 3.1 software (<a href="#yeh_1999">Yeh et al., 1999</a>) for their population genetics parameters. 
 
Results: The study was conducted at College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara, Guwahati, Assam, India.&nbsp; In this study, the genomic DNA was isolated and characterized microsatellite loci in crossbred&nbsp; duck (Pati x White Pekin). Ten&nbsp; microsatellites were used to detect polymorphisms in 50 cross bred ducks. A total of 28 nos of alleles were observed and all loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles ranged from 2 to 5 with an average of 2.6 &plusmn;0.08 per microsatellite locus. The observed and expected heterozygosity of these polymorphic makers ranged from 0.00 to 0.42 &nbsp;with an average number of 0.047 &nbsp;and 0.41 to 0.82 with an average number of 0.57, respectively. &nbsp;The Polymorphic markers consist of observed heterozygosities of loci were less than 0.50. The polymorphism information content (PIC) of 10 loci ranged from 0.32 to 0.78 with an average of 0.477. Microsatellite markers will be useful tool for constructing the genetic linkage map of the duck as well as comparative mapping with the chicken.&nbsp; &nbsp;</div>

Biological characterization and host range of Tobacco Streak Virus (TSV)

Physicochemical and Biological Characterization of Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. Seed Oil Collected from The Bordj Bou Arreridj Region, Algerian Highlands

Molecular Characterization of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Sacc. Initiating White Mold Disease in French Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and its Biological Management

Pioneering Innovations in Biological Weed Control: A Comprehensive Review

Molecular Characterization of Free Living N₂ Fixing Bacteria Isolated from Agricultural Soils of North Gujarat, India

Some novel rules of the biological heterozygous effects

Assessment of Genetic Variability and Morphological Characterization of Wheat Cultivar under South Eastern Plain of Rajasthan

Phenotypic Characterization of Kachchhi-Sindhi Horses of India

Biological Control Methods for Agricultural Mites: A Review

Characterization of Microsatellite Markers in Crossbred Ducks