Background: Collar rot of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) caused by Aspergillus niger is a significant constraint in groundnut cultivation and responsible for huge economic losses in India including Rajasthan. 
 
Methods: By surveying of eight major groundnut growing districts of Rajasthan, India, one representative Aspergillus niger isolate from each district was established (ANBK-01= Bikaner, ANCH-02= Churu, ANDA-03= Dausa, ANJP-04= Jaipur, ANJL-05= Jalore, ANJD-06= Jodhpur, ANNG-07= Nagaur and ANSK-08= Sikar) for studying variability in the pathogen as well as to know the response of groundnut varieties to the highly virulent isolate. The colony and spore characteristics were observed for cultural and morphological variability. For resistance response to the disease, ten varieties (M-13, RG-633-9, RG-382, Girnar-2, RG-604, RG-578, Gajraj 10, RG-510, RG-632-1 and RG-644) were evaluated in the field for two consecutive years against a highly virulent Aspergillus niger (ANJP-04) isolate.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Our investigations cleared that all the isolates were showed cultural and morphological variability such as shape, colour and size of colony and size of conidia, conidiophores and columella. Isolate (ANJP-04) collected from Khejroli village of Chomu tehsil in Jaipur district showed maximum mycelial growth, conidia diameter, length and diameter of conidiophores and length and diameter of columella, early sporulation and found most virulent as it produced higher disease incidence (54.43%). Ten released varieties of groundnut in the field conditions, revealed that none of the variety was found completely free from the disease whereas RG-644, M-13 and RG-510 were found resistant while RG-604, Girnar-2, Gajraj-10 and RG-632-1 were found moderately resistant and rest were found susceptible to highly susceptible to the disease. Conclusively, it can be finalized that famers may cultivate these resistant varieties in areas where collar rot is a severe constraint. The conclusion of this study can also be utilized to screen varieties/genotypes of groundnut against highly virulent isolate for sustainability of breeding material to the disease effectively.

Variability and Virulence Analysis of Aspergillus niger Isolates Causing Collar Rot of Groundnut

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<div style="text-align:left">Background: Parastromateus niger, is one of the important fish species from economic point of view in Gwadar, Balochistan-Pakistan. This study was carried out to determine the growth and fecundity of Parastromateus niger.</div>

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Methods: Growth of P. niger was determined by applying Le Cren formula while mean fecundity and relative fecundity of this fish was calculated by using equation of Yelden and Avsar.</div>

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Result: Relationship between fish weight and ovary weight was found as 0.384 and 0.898 respectively in 1st and 2nd year of research. Annual mean fecundity of P. niger was calculated as 43165.4 eggs with relative fecundity of 73.7 in 2017-18 and annual mean fecundity in 2018-19 was 39759.5 eggs with 50.2 relative fecundity. Value of R2 in first year of research between fecundity and ovary weight was 0.751, for mean fecundity and relative fecundity was 0.545, in term of fecundity and total length of fish was 0.60 and for fish total weight and fecundity was 0.596. Value of R2 between fecundity and weight of ovary was 0.951, with mean fecundity and relative fecundity as 0.968, between fish fecundity and total length was 0.578 and in case of fecundity and total body weight was found 0.809 in second year of research period.</div>
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Length-weight Relationship and Fecundity of Parastromateus niger from Gwadar Port Balochistan Province, Pakistan

Fishes &nbsp;infected &nbsp;with &nbsp;Adenoscolex oreini appeared anemic &nbsp; and &nbsp;the &nbsp;abdomen viscera &nbsp;appeared &nbsp;red &nbsp;on &nbsp;opening &nbsp;the &nbsp;abdomen &nbsp;and &nbsp;the &nbsp;abdominal &nbsp;fluid &nbsp;was tinged &nbsp;red. &nbsp;On &nbsp;opening &nbsp;the &nbsp;intestine &nbsp;necrotic &nbsp;debris &nbsp;was &nbsp;present &nbsp;on &nbsp;the surface &nbsp;and numerous parasites were pesent. The histopathological alterations observed in the intestine of fish were (severe degenerative and necrotic changes in the intestinal mucosa as well as edema between submucosa and mucosa). In parasitized Schizothorax niger, hyperplasia of intestinal mucous cells and enhanced mucus secretion were also noticed. Cestode bodies were covered with an adherent mucus blanket. The &nbsp;analysis &nbsp;of &nbsp;the &nbsp;seasonal &nbsp;variation &nbsp;on &nbsp;the &nbsp;histological &nbsp;parameters leads &nbsp;to &nbsp;the &nbsp;conclusion &nbsp;that &nbsp;the distribution or the severity of the lesions observed &nbsp;in &nbsp;the &nbsp;these &nbsp;organs &nbsp;were &nbsp;not &nbsp;related &nbsp;to &nbsp;the &nbsp;seasons. Such &nbsp;information &nbsp;confirms &nbsp;that &nbsp;histopathological alterations &nbsp;are &nbsp;good &nbsp;biomarkers &nbsp;for &nbsp;field &nbsp;assessment, &nbsp;in &nbsp;particular &nbsp;in &nbsp;tropical areas &nbsp;that &nbsp;are &nbsp;naturally &nbsp;subject &nbsp;to &nbsp;a &nbsp;multiplicity &nbsp;of &nbsp;environmental &nbsp;variations. &nbsp;It &nbsp;must &nbsp;be &nbsp;emphasized &nbsp;that &nbsp;histopathology &nbsp;is &nbsp;able &nbsp;to &nbsp;evaluate &nbsp;the early &nbsp;effects &nbsp;and &nbsp;the &nbsp;responses &nbsp;to &nbsp;acute &nbsp;exposure &nbsp;to &nbsp;parasitic &nbsp;infections &nbsp;and chemical &nbsp;stressors.&nbsp;

Seasonal histopathological alterations caused by Adenoscolex oreini in Schizothorax niger of Kashmir valley

Background: Aspergillus niger Van Tiegham is a filamentous, ubiquitous and cosmopolitan fungus, commonly known as &ldquo;black mould&rdquo; or black aspergilli. A. niger is responsible for causing diseases in plants, humans and animals. A. niger causes black mould disease during post-harvest stage of garlic bulbs. The potential of RAPD technique for identifying DNA marker related to the intraspecific diversification of the pathogen led us to instigate the genetic diversity within A. niger.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A PCR-based technique, involving the random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD), was used for assessing genomic variability among the ten isolates of A. niger isolated from infected garlic bulbs. RAPD- PCR conditions were optimized for eight primers of series OPA and POC out of 40 total primers.&nbsp; 
 
Result: RAPD results were evaluated by a statistical software Minitab and a phylogenetic tree was prepared. The primer OPA-8, OPA-12, OPC-1, OPC-2, OPA-7 and OPC-18 showed 100 per cent polymorphism, among the A. niger isolates.

Molecular Characterization of Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem Isolates by Using Rapd Markers

Background: Sago pith waste (SPW), a starchy lignocellulosic by-product of sago processing, remains underutilized in animal nutrition due to its low crude protein and high fiber content. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) offers a low-cost bioconversion strategy, yet species-specific and time-dependent effects of fungi on SPW remain poorly characterized. 
 
Methods: This study evaluated the ability of Aspergillus niger, Trichoderma harzianum and their co-culture to improve the proximate composition and aflatoxin safety of SPW through SSF. Fermentation was conducted for 48, 72, 96, 120 and 144 hours. Crude protein, crude fiber, moisture and ash were analyzed across treatments, while total aflatoxins were quantified to validate feed safety. A two-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test assessed treatment, time and interaction effects.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Fungal treatment significantly increased CP (P = 0.0043), with T. harzianum achieving the highest enrichment at 144 h (+12.9% over baseline). CF reduction was significant at 144 h (P = 0.0273), where A. niger yielded the lowest CF (8.07&plusmn;0.43%). Moisture content was strongly time-dependent (P = 0.0002) and ash content varied among treatments (P = 0.0085). Across all fungal treatments and incubation periods, total aflatoxin concentrations remained &lt;6.10 ppb and consistently below the 20-ppb safety threshold, with the lowest value recorded in A. niger at 72 h (0.70&plusmn;0.00 ppb). These results demonstrate that species-specific SSF can improve SPW nutritional quality while maintaining mycotoxin safety.

Time-Dependent Nutritional Enhancement of Sago Pith Waste Fermented with Trichoderma harzianum and Aspergillus niger

Background: Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is one of the most important oilseed crops cultivated in India. However, its productivity is often reduced by several Seed and soil-borne pathogens that adversely affect germination, plant establishment and final yield. Collar rot caused by Aspergillus niger is a serious disease of groundnut, particularly during the early growth stages. To identify effective and eco-friendly management options, on-farm trials were conducted by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Maulasar during Kharif seasons of 2021 and 2022 under farmers&rsquo; field conditions. All treatments resulted in a significantly higher seedling emergence rate (80.80%-96.67%) compared to the control group (70.12%). The maximum seedling emergence (96.67%) was observed with the combination of T. viride soil application and propiconazole seed treatment. Furthermore, among all evaluated fungicides and bioagents, this specific combination recorded the lowest disease incidence (11.81%) and the highest pod yield (24.99 q/ha). This was followed by the standalone propiconazole seed treatment, which exhibited a disease incidence of 15.25% and a pod yield of 21.95 q/ha. 
 
Methods: Different combinations of fungicides and biological control agents were evaluated. Treatments included soil application of Trichoderma viride 2.5 kg/ha, seed treatment with carbendazim 50 WP 2 g/kg seed, propiconazole 25 EC 2 ml/kg seed and T. viride 8 g/kg seed, as well as drenching with propiconazole 25 EC 500 ml/ha at 20 days after sowing. Observations were recorded on seedling emergence, disease incidence, pod yield, economic returns and benefit-cost ratio. 
 
Result: All disease-management treatments performed better than the untreated control. The combination of soil application of T. viride (2.5 kg ha-1) and seed treatment with propiconazole (2 ml kg-1&nbsp;seed) produced the best results, recording the highest seedling emergence (96.67%), lowest collar rot incidence (11.81%) and maximum pod yield (24.99 q ha-1). Seed treatment with propiconazole alone was the next most effective treatment, resulting in lower disease incidence and improved yield compared with other treatments. The study demonstrated that integrating biological and chemical approaches can effectively suppress collar rot and enhance groundnut productivity.

Efficacy of Biorational Approaches in Managing Collar rot Disease of Groundnut Caused by Aspergillus niger

<div style="text-align:justify">Background: Tomato plant holds great biodiversity of actinomycetes. This diversity can be explored for new potential actinomycetes strains.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Two different methods were followed for actinomycetes isolation (Serial dilution and direct streaking method). The direct streaking method was found to be the best method where it gave a higher number of actinomycetes compared to the plant extract method. All the actinomycetes were isolated by ISP2 medium supplemented with nystatin and cycloheximide (at 50 &micro;g/ml). All the endophytic actinomycetes strains were isolated and purified based on the difference in appearances such as colony morphology, growth pattern, aerial hyphae growth, filamentous appearance and pigment production.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The direct streak method, yielded 192 isolates and only 48 isolates by plant extract method. Thus, a total of 240 strains were isolated. Plants from Madurai yielded a maximum of 130 isolates (54%) and a minimum from Tuticorin 20 isolates (8%). The highest viable count of 80.01&plusmn;14.24 (CFU g-1) x 103 were recorded in the agro- fields of Dindugal followed by Madurai, Theni, Tirunelveli and Tuticorin. Out of 240 strains, 49.5% exhibited different aerial hyphae and 36.25% showed different filamentous appearances of growth and 5.8% produced pigments. The endophytic actinomycetes species isolated from tomato plants in different locations possess significant morphologically varied actinobacterial diversity. We can explore further on how these diverse actinomycetes are involved in plant growth promotion and protection against pathogens.</div>

​Diversity of Actinomycetes in Tomato Plants

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Background: Groundnut is an economically important edible oilseed crop. Groundnut suffers from seed, soil and foliar diseases. Among the groundnut diseases, collar rot is one of the economically important diseases. Collar rot is damaged regularly due to its seed and soil-borne nature. This disease is prevalent in almost all groundnut-growing states. Collar rot disease of groundnut is one of the most serious, destructive diseases and yield losses range from 13 to 52% and can be as high as 93.6% in some areas. Being mainly a soil-inhabiting pathogen, many environmental and soil factors are responsible for disease development. 
 
Methods: Field experiment was conducted for four years to find out effective control of collar rot of groundnut. Eight treatments including fungicides/bio agents along with control were laid in randomized block design with three replications. Efficacy of deep summer ploughing with mould board plough+Seed treatment with Tebuconazole followed by PGPR+Soil application of Trichoderma enriched in 250 kg FYM/ha at 35 and 80 DAS along with farmer practices as well as control was tested at ARS, Bikaner in RBD design during kharif season from 2017 to 2020 for management of collar rot diseases of groundnut.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The result of experiment revealed that deep summer ploughing with mould board plough+Soil application of Trichoderma @ 4 kg/ ha enriched in 250 kg FYM/ha+Seed treatment with Tebuconazole 2 DS @ 1.5 g/kg of seed followed by seed treatment with PGPR @ 625 g/ha of seed+Soil application of Trichoderma @ 4 kg/ha enriched in 250 kg FYM/ha at 35 and 80 DAS (T4) gave maximum germination (93.00%), minimum collar rot incidence (6.17%) and highest pod yield (4066.3 kg/ha) followed by deep summer ploughing with mould board plough+Seed treatment with Tebuconazole 2DS 1.5 g/kg seed followed by PGPR @ 625 g/ha of seed+Soil application of Trichoderma @ 4 kg/ ha enriched in 250 kg FYM/ha at 35 and 80 DAS (T1) where germination (89.30%), collar rot (7.04%) and with pod yield (3661.9 kg/ha). All the treatment significantly were superior as compared to control, where minimum germination (82.00), maximum collar rot incidence (15.59 %) and minimum pod yield (2125.1 kg/ha) were recorded. As regard to ICBR, in different treatments, maximum ICBR ratio (1:20.68) was recorded in treatment consisting (T4): Deep summer ploughing with mould board plough+Seed treatment with Tebuconazole 1.5 g/kg seeds+Soil application of Trichoderma @ 4 kg/ha enriched in 250 kg FYM/ha at 35 and 80 DAS followed by treatment (T1).

Management of Collar Rot Disease in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) Caused by Aspergillus niger in Rajasthan Through Bio-control Agents

<div style="text-align:justify">Background: Black mould rot of garlic caused by Aspergillus niger, is the most destructive disease in storage as well as in field conditions. The present investigation was carried out to evaluate bio-efficacy of antagonists and culture filtrates of Trichoderma spp., against black mould rot of garlic.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: For eco-friendly and effective management of black mold rot of garlic, eight antagonist and culture filtrates of&nbsp;six Trichoderma spp. were selected and screened by dual culture and poisoned food technique.&nbsp; 
 
Result: Among all the antagonistic fungus and bacteria, Trichoderma asperellum and its cultural filtrate were found effective.</div>

Bio-efficacy of Antagonists and its Culture Filtrates against Black Mould Rot [Aspergillus niger Van Tieghem] of Garlic (Allium sativum L.)

Animal rotaviruses (RVs) are considered as a potential threat to humans due to possibility of interspecies transmission and exchange of genomic materials. Among several RVs, the group A rotaviruses (RVA) are the major cause of diarrhoea in cattle and buffalo calves worldwide. The present study was carried out to understand epidemiology and types of RVA circulating in Mathura region of northern India. One hundred faecal samples were collected from diarrhoeic cattle (n=94) and buffalo calves (n=6) from organized dairy farms. Viral RNA was extracted from faecal suspension and was transcribed to cDNA using RT-PCR. The cDNA was amplified for VP6, VP7 and VP4 genes and multiplex nested PCR was done for G and P genotyping. Twelve samples were detected positive for RVA by antigen detection ELISA and eleven samples produced expected amplicon for group A specific VP6 gene. On genotyping with G3, G6, G8 and G10 specific primers for VP7 gene and P [1] and P [11] specific primers for VP4 gene, G6 genotype predominated over other genotypes. Dual genotypes were also observed. In P typing only one isolate was found to be positive for P [1] and rest all samples remained untypable. The result of present study indicates G6 as a major G genotype and change in frequencies of distribution of G types in this part of the country.&nbsp;