Allah Ditta

Zinc (Zn) is critical for the activity of many enzymes including involved photosynthetic CO2 fixation and indirectly involved in the production of growth hormones and internode elongation in crop plants. In this regard, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the comparative effectiveness of the Zn blended, Zn coated and bio-activated Zn coated urea on the growth, physiological, yield, and quality of wheat. Three types of urea were prepared including bio-activated Zn coated, Zn coated and Zn blended urea. The bio-activated Zn coated urea was prepared by inoculating the powdered organic material with Zn solubilizing bacterium (Bacillus sp. AZ6) and then this material was mixed with ZnO. This bioactive Zn was coated on urea at the rate to formulate 1.5% bio-activated Zn coated urea. Moreover, Zn blended urea was prepared by mixing powder ZnO with urea while Zn coated urea with 1.5% Zn was prepared by mixing ZnO and urea under proper moisture conditions to ensure proper coating...

The present work reports the assessment of the effectiveness of a foliar-spray of salicylic acid (SA) on growth attributes, biochemical characteristics, antioxidant activities and osmolytes accumulation in wheat grown under control (100% field capacity) and water stressed (60% field capacity) conditions. The total available water (TAW), calculated for a rooting depth of 1.65 m was 8.45 inches and readily available water (RAW), considering a depletion factor of 0.55, was 4.65 inches. The water contents corresponding to 100 and 60% field capacity were 5.70 and 1.66 inches, respectively. For this purpose, seeds of two wheat cultivars (Fsd-2008 and S-24) were grown in pots subjected to water stress. Water stress at 60% field capacity markedly reduced the growth attributes, photosynthetic pigments, total soluble proteins (TSP) and total phenolic contents (TPC) compared with control. However, cv. Fsd-2008 was recorded as strongly drought-tolerant and performed better compared to cv. S-24,...

Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly approach that can be used for the remediation of metals in polluted soil. This study used a hedge plant–calico (Alternanthera bettzickiana (Regel) G. Nicholson) to determine the role of citric acid in lead (Pb) phytoremediation by exposing it to different concentrations of Pb (0, 200, 500, and 1000 mg kg−1) as well as in a combination with citric acid concentration (0, 250, 500 µM). The analysis of variance was applied on results for significant effects of the independent variables on the dependent variables using SPSS (ver10). According to the results, maximum Pb concentration was measured in the upper parts of the plant. An increase in dry weight biomass, plant growth parameters, and photosynthetic contents was observed with the increase of Pb application (200 mg kg−1) in soil while a reduced growth was experienced at higher Pb concentration (1000 mg kg−1). The antioxidant enzymatic activities like superoxide dismut...

Balanced use of micronutrients in soils is essential for optimized nutrient use efficiency, environmental conservation and long-term sustainability of agro-ecological systems. As a result, maintaining correct micronutrient levels in the soil is essential not only to meet plant needs and maintain agricultural productivity but also to avoid nutrient build-up. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of micronutrient application on the yield and sucrose content expressed as the polarization of sugar cane juice (POL%) under field conditions. There were seven treatments, viz. T0 = No micronutrient application (control); T1 = ZnSO4 at the rate of 30 kg ha−1; T2 = CuSO4 at the rate of 10 kg ha−1; T3 = FeSO4 at the rate of 30 kg ha−1; T4 = borax at the rate of 2 kg ha−1; T5 = half dose of ZnSO4, CuSO4, FeSO4 and borax at the rate of 15, 5, 15 and 1 kg ha−1 and T6 = full dose of ZnSO4, CuSO4, FeSO4 and borax at the rate of 30, 10, 30 and 2 kg ha−1, arranged in randomized complete bl...

Leafy vegetables usually absorb and retain heavy metals more readily than most of the other crop plants, and thus contribute ≥70% of the total cadmium (Cd) intake of humans. Caffeine mediates plant growth and has proved to be beneficial against pathogens and insects. Therefore, it was hypothesized that foliar applications of caffeine could alter metabolism and reduce Cd toxicity in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). Seven-day old spinach seedlings were provided with Cd (0, 50, and 100 µM) stress. Caffeine (0, 5, or 10 mM) foliar spray was given twice at after 20 days of seeds germination with an interval of one week. In results, Cd stress reduced photosynthetic pigments biosynthesis, increased oxidative stress, imbalanced nutrient retention, and inhibited plant growth. On the other hand, the caffeine-treated spinach plants showed better growth owing to the enhanced biosynthesis of chlorophylls, better oxidative defense systems, and lower accumulation and transport of Cd within the plan...

The present investigation was conducted to understand the role of enriched biochar on soil nitrogen and carbon dynamics, leaching losses of nutrients, and growth attributes of wheat. Buffalo slurry (BS) was used to enrich the biochar for 24 h and 2% biochar (SB) or enriched biochar (SEB) was used. Enrichment of biochar with BS as SEB improved the C and N contents of biochar by 33–310% and 41–286% respectively. The application of biochar (SB) and enriched biochar (SEB) reduced the net nitrification by 81% and 94%, ammonification by 48% and 74%, and carbon dioxide by 50% and 92% respectively as compared to control. The leaching losses minerals i.e., C (by 30%), N (by 125%), P (by 50%), K (by 82%), Na (by 9%), Ca (by 24%), and Mg (by 12%) was decreased in SEB treatments compared to control. The soil enzyme activities, microbial biomass (MBC and MBN), wheat agronomy, soil bulk density and soil pore density, mineral uptake from the soil, and mineral contents in the plant body were improv...

Land snails are crucial consumers in the terrestrial environment and beneficial significant bioindicators to evaluate the chemical impact in the ecosystem, especially on urban lands. The present study aimed to investigate the concentration of heavy metals such as As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in urban soil and study whether Eobania vermiculata acts as a bioindicator for heavy metal contamination in an urban area. Thirty soil and snail samples in triplicate from each sampling site were taken from the urban areas of Suliamani. After a microwave-assisted digestion procedure, every sample was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Results showed that the concentration of chromium (Cr) in each snail sample was significantly high. The maximum Cr concentration (15.87 mg kg−1) was recorded in the snail sample collected from Ali Kamal Park, which was adjacent to a very crowded traffic road. The As concentration in snail samples ranged from 0.08 to 1.004 mg kg−1, and i...

Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is one of the vulnerable species classified by IUCN Red list due hunting for its body parts and habitat fragmentation. The forest zone of Kumrat, is one of the important habitat for black bear. The primary objective of the study conducted was to determine the conservation status of Asian black bear in Kumrat valley. Pre-planned questionnaire and interviews were conducted for data collection. The results showed that black bears used to cause damage to the local property, crops and livestock and as a result, the community was hunting it ruthlessly. Illegal hunting and habitat loss in the form of deforestation, visit to forest areas for recreation and grazing of livestock were among the main anthropogenic activities causing threats to black bear. These activities resulted in gradual decline in their number and had brought it at the verge of extinction in the study area. To conserve this rare species, awareness among the people regarding its conserv...

Broad-leaved subtropical forests are the most productive, diversified, and complex ecosystems on the planet. Unfortunately, they are currently under severe threat from anthropogenic activities, such as. deforestation, housing settlements, and agricultural expansion. In response to these severe effects, the present study was conducted to explore the current conservation status and population structure of a wide range of bird species inhabiting different subtropical broad-leaved urban forests of Pakistan. In total, 2879 individuals comprising 53 species and 28 families were detected between December 2017 and November 2018 as revealed through the distance sampling line transect method. The habitat selection among bird species varied according to vegetation structure and composition, food resources, adjoining habitats, and human settlements. According to IUCN Red List data, one species was deemed vulnerable out of 53 bird species, while the remaining 52 species were ranked as ofleast co...

Zinc (Zn) is critical for the activity of many enzymes including involved photosynthetic CO2 fixation and indirectly involved in the production of growth hormones and internode elongation in crop plants. In this regard, a field experiment was conducted to investigate the comparative effectiveness of the Zn blended, Zn coated and bio-activated Zn coated urea on the growth, physiological, yield, and quality of wheat. Three types of urea were prepared including bio-activated Zn coated, Zn coated and Zn blended urea. The bio-activated Zn coated urea was prepared by inoculating the powdered organic material with Zn solubilizing bacterium (Bacillus sp. AZ6) and then this material was mixed with ZnO. This bioactive Zn was coated on urea at the rate to formulate 1.5% bio-activated Zn coated urea. Moreover, Zn blended urea was prepared by mixing powder ZnO with urea while Zn coated urea with 1.5% Zn was prepared by mixing ZnO and urea under proper moisture conditions to ensure proper coating...

Fungi are vital to numerous industrial and household processes, especially producing cheeses, beer, wine, and bread, and they are accountable for breaking down organic matter. The remarkable medicinal and nutritional values of the mushrooms have increased their consumption. Agaricus bisporus belongs to the Agaricaceae family, and it is a top-ranked cultivated mushroom that is well known for its edibility. A. bisporus is rich in nutrients such as carbohydrates, amino acids, fats, and minerals and has potential anticancer, antioxidant, anti-obesity, and anti-inflammation properties. The bioactive compounds extracted from this mushroom can be used for the treatment of several common human diseases including cancer, bacterial and fungal infections, diabetes, heart disorder, and skin problems. A. bisporus has opened new horizons for the world to explore mushrooms as far as their culinary and medicinal values are concerned. In recent years, tyrosinase and ergothioneine have been extracted...

Depending on the geochemical forms, heavy metal (HM) accumulation is one of the most serious environmental problems in the world and poses negative impacts on soil, plants, animals, and humans. Although the use of biochar to remediate contaminated soils is well known, the huge quantities of waste used and its recycling technique to sustain soil in addition to its use conditions are determinant factors for its characteristics and uses. A pot experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design to evaluate metal forms and their availability under the application of garden waste biochar (GB) pyrolyzed at different temperatures, and a sequential extraction procedure was designed to fractionate Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu of the contaminated soil. The results show that the TCLP-extractable Pb, Cd, Zn, and Cu were significantly decreased depending on the biochar addition rate, pyrolysis temperature, and tested metal. The acid extractable fraction was significantly decreased by 51.54, 2...

Lack of proper infrastructure and the poor economic conditions of rural communities make them dependent on herbal medicines. Thus, there is a need to obtain and conserve the historic and traditional knowledge about the medicinal importance of different plants found in different areas of the world. In this regard, a field study was conducted to document the medicinal importance of local plants commonly used by the inhabitants of very old historic villages in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. In total, 58 plant species were explored, which belonged to 28 taxonomic families, as informed by 200 experienced respondents in the study area. The vernacular name, voucher number, plant parts used, and medicinal values were also documented for each species. Among the documented species, Poaceae remained the most predominant family, followed by Solanaceae and Asteraceae. The local communities were dependent on medicinal plants for daily curing of several ailments, including asthma, common cold, sore th...

The present work reports the assessment of the effectiveness of a foliar-spray of salicylic acid (SA) on growth attributes, biochemical characteristics, antioxidant activities and osmolytes accumulation in wheat grown under control (100% field capacity) and water stressed (60% field capacity) conditions. The total available water (TAW), calculated for a rooting depth of 1.65 m was 8.45 inches and readily available water (RAW), considering a depletion factor of 0.55, was 4.65 inches. The water contents corresponding to 100 and 60% field capacity were 5.70 and 1.66 inches, respectively. For this purpose, seeds of two wheat cultivars (Fsd-2008 and S-24) were grown in pots subjected to water stress. Water stress at 60% field capacity markedly reduced the growth attributes, photosynthetic pigments, total soluble proteins (TSP) and total phenolic contents (TPC) compared with control. However, cv. Fsd-2008 was recorded as strongly drought-tolerant and performed better compared to cv. S-24,...

Potentially toxic element (PTE) pollution is a major abiotic stress, which reduces plant growth and affects food quality by entering the food chain, and ultimately poses hazards to human health. Currently, the use of slag in PTE-contaminated soils has been reported to reduce PTEs and toxicity in plants. This review highlights the role of slag used as a fertilizer for better crop production and sustainable agricultural development. The application of slag increased the growth, yield, and quality of crops under PTE toxicity. The mechanisms followed by slag are the immobilization of PTEs in the soil, enhancement of soil pH, changes in the redox state of PTEs, and positive changes in soil physicochemical and biological properties under PTE toxicity. Nevertheless, these processes are influenced by the plant species, growth conditions, imposition length of stress, and type of slag used. The current review provides an insight into improving plant tolerance to PTE toxicity by slag-based fer...

Nickel (Ni) bioavailable fraction in the soil is of utmost importance because of its involvement in plant growth and environmental feedbacks. High concentrations of Ni in the soil environment, especially in the root zone, may retard plant growth that ultimately results in reduced plant biomass and yield. However, endophytic microorganisms have great potential to reduce the toxicity of Ni, especially when applied together with zeolite. The present research work was conducted to evaluate the potential effects of an endophytic bacterium Caulobacter sp. MN13 in combination with zeolite on the physiology, growth, quality, and yield of sesame plant under normal and Ni stressed soil conditions through possible reduction of Ni uptake. Surface sterilized sesame seeds were sown in pots filled with artificially Ni contaminated soil amended with zeolite. Results revealed that plant agronomic attributes such as shoot root dry weight, total number of pods, and 1000-grains weight were increased by...

Zinc (Zn) is an essential element for humans, animals and plants, however, its deficiency has been widely reported around the world especially in flooded rice. Adequate amount of Zn is considered essential for optimum growth and development of rice. We hypothesised that management practices like Zn-mineral fertiliser, -compost, and -solubilising bacteria would improve Zn availability and uptake in flooded rice. A series of studies were conducted to find out the comparative efficacy of Zn-enriched composts (Zn-ECs) with Zn solubilising bacteria (ZnSB) vs. ZnSO4 for improved growth, yield and Zn accumulation in rice. There were six treatments viz. control, ZnSB, ZnO (80% Zn), ZnSO4 (33% Zn), Zn-EC80:20 and Zn-EC60:40. In all the treatments, Zn was applied at the rate of 5 kg ha–1 except the control. The treatment Zn-EC60:40 resulted in the maximum Zn release in soil as compared to ZnSO4 and all other treatments during incubation study. The treatment Zn-EC60:40 significantly improved r...

Bio-activated organic fertilizers (BOZ) were produced by enriching the zinc oxide (ZnO)-orange peel waste composite with Zn solubilizing bacteria (ZSB: Bacillus sp. AZ6) in various formulations (BOZ1 (9:1), BOZ2 (8:2), BOZ3 (7:3) and BOZ4 (6:4)). The produced BOZs, along with ZnO, ZnSO4, ZSB were applied to maize crop (Zea mays L.) under field conditions in two different cropping season and the growth, yield, physiology, plant Zn contents and quality of maize were investigated. Results revealed significant variation in the aforementioned parameters with the applied amendments. The BOZ4 performed outclass by exhibiting the highest plant growth, yield, physiology, Zn contents, and quality. On average, an increase of 53%, 49%, 19%, 22%, 10%, 4%, and 30% in plant height was noticed with BOZ4 application over control, ZnO, ZnSO4, BOZ1, BOZ2, BOZ3, and ZSB, respectively. BOZ4 enhanced the dry shoot-biomass 46% than control. Likewise, the photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal c...

Soil salinity and sodicity are among the main problems for optimum crop production in areas where rainfall is not enough for leaching of salts out of the rooting zone. Application of organic and Ca-based amendments have the potential to increase crop yield and productivity under saline–alkaline soil environments. Based on this hypothesis, the present study was conducted to evaluate the potential of compost, Ca-based fertilizer industry waste (Ca-FW), and Ca-fortified compost (Ca-FC) to increase growth and yield of maize under saline–sodic soil conditions. Saline–sodic soil conditions with electrical conductivity (EC) levels (1.6, 5, and 10 dS m−1) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) = 15, were developed by spiking soil with a solution containing NaCl, Na2SO4, MgSO4, and CaCl2. Results showed that soil salinity and sodicity significantly reduced plant growth, yield, physiological, and nutrient uptake parameters. However, the application of Ca-FC caused a remarkable increase in the stud...

A variety of remediation approaches have been applied to the heavy metals-contaminated soils, however, the immobilization of metals in co-contaminated soils still not cleared. Therefore, an incubation study was conducted to evaluate the instantaneous effects of different concentrations of biochar (BC), slag (SL) and Fe-Mn ore (FMO) on immobilization of Pb and Cd through the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) by following the the European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR), CaCl2 and NH4NO3. The sequential extraction of BCR showed decrease in acid soluble fractions, while the residual proportions of Pb and Cd were enhanced with increasing concentrations of SL and BC. Addition of BC significantly lowered the extractable fractions of both metals by TCLP, NH4NO3 and CaCl2 as compared to SL and FMO. Among all amendments, BC incorporation into co-contaminated soil offered promising results for Pb and Cd immobilization. Overall, all amendments showed positive and long-term ...

Soil co-contamination with lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) is a tenacious risk to crop production globally. The current experiment observed the roles of amendments [biochar (BC), slag (SL), and ferrous manganese ore (FMO)] for enhancing Pb and Cd tolerance in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Our results revealed that application of amendments significantly enhanced the nutrient level of sesame seedlings developed under extreme Pb and Cd conditions. The higher Pb and Cd-tolerance in sesame encouraged by amendments might be credited to its capability to restrict Pb and Cd uptake and decreased oxidative damage induced by Pb and Cd that is also demonstrated by lesser production of hydrogen peroxide (HO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reduced electrolyte leakage (EL) in plant biomass. The added amendments relieved Pb and Cd toxicity and improved photosynthetic pigments, soluble protein, and proline content. Not only this amendments also decreased the antioxidant bulk, such as superoxide dismutase (S...

Salinity is a devastating problem of arid and semi-arid climatic regions with uneven salt accumulation which hinders growth and development of crops. The deleterious effects of salinity mainly depend on level and source of salinity. We hypothesized that types of sodium salt (NaCl and Na2SO4) might cause variable toxicity in maize (Zea mays L.) plants. The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of different types of sodium salt (NaCl and Na2SO4), each at EC 5 and 10 dS m-1 on growth, physiology and nutrient contents of maize plant grown in earthen pots under wire house conditions. Results revealed toxic effects of salt stress on seed germination, root and shoot growth and biomass. Maize physiology in terms of sub-stomatal CO2 index, chlorophyll and relative water contents, photosynthetic and tran-spiration rate also reduced under salt stress. Among the types of salt and levels of salinity, NaCl applied at the rate of 10 dS m-1 caused the highest reduction in seed germination, growth and physiology due to high accumulation of Na and Cl ions whereas low in K ion in maize plant tissues. Based on the findings, we do conclude that NaCl applied at the rate of 10 dS m-1 has more negative impact on maize growth and nutrient acquisition than Na2SO4 at same level of salinity.

Purpose Antibiotics are growing environmental contaminants leading to public health concern. Antibiotics are commonly used as growth promoters and therapeutic agents in poultry feed that are not completely metabolized in the body tissues of chicken, get deposited in meat as parent compounds, and ultimately excreted via poultry droppings into the environment. These antibiotics in the soil result into the creation of antibiotic resistance in bacteria via activation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). The development of ARGs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria (ARB) lead to huge physical and economic losses, as these bacteria cannot be treated with commonly used antibiotics. Moreover, these antibiotics after entering into food chains seriously affect the human immune system, growth, and metabolism of the body. Therefore, to reduce the future health risks of antibiotics, there is a dire need to understand the fate of poultry antibiotics and spread of ARGs in the soil environment. Materials and methods In this manuscript, we reviewed the existing literature about the antibiotics used in the poultry sector, soil contamination through application of poultry manures, and development of ARB in environment. An attempt has been done to present a better understanding of emerging contaminants (ARGs, ARB) in the soil environment and their associated human health effects. Results and discussion In this paper, we summarized the use of antibiotics in the poultry sector, persistence of antibiotics in animal body, and their release into environment. Transfer mechanism of antibiotics and their metabolites to the human body and their fatal effects have been investigated. Developments of ARB and ARGs in the soil due to excessive use of veterinary antibiotics have been highlighted. Conclusions Poultry antibiotics are causing human health risks by development of ARGs and ARB. Such antibiotic resistance cannot be treated with common antibiotics. Therefore, effective measures are needed to control this emerging problem by improving the efficiency of antibiotics, reducing the spread of resistance genes, and proper monitoring of antibiotics in poultry feed and manure. Manure composting and biochar application are the possible ways to reduce the risk and spread of ARGs in environment due to manure application in agriculture field. The pathways that allow antibiotic, ARGs, and ARB to move through the environment are not fully understood and there is a need for further research to make clear the reservoirs and routes of antibiotic-related contaminants in the ecosystem.

Phosphorus availability from rock phosphate (RP) can be increased via composting with organic fertilizer and phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs) in the soil. Incubation and pot experiments were conducted to investigate the comparative efficacy of RP-enriched organic fertilizer with PSMs vs. diammonium phosphate (DAP) as a control to enhance the production of legumes. In incubation studies, RP-enriched organic fertilizer with PSM2 significantly increased soil aggregate stability (37%) and P-release (2.35 folds) as compared to control, whereas, in pot study, the number and dry weight of nodules plant−1, shoot length, number of pods plant−1, and grain yield of chickpea increased by 23%, 13%, 17%, 15%, and 15% with RP-enriched organic fertilizer + PSM2 compared to control. Similarly, nitrogen and phosphorus contents in straw (11 and 42% respectively) and grains (11 and 13% respectively) and protein contents (16%) of chickpea were also increased. A similar trend was observed regarding the growth and yield parameters of lentil. The use of RP-enriched organic fertilizer with PSM could produce results similar to that of DAP for the optimum production of legumes.

Zinc (Zn) is an essential element for humans, animals and plants, however, its deficiency has been widely reported around the world especially in flooded rice. Adequate amount of Zn is
considered essential for optimum growth and development of rice. We hypothesised that management practices like Zn-mineral fer-
tiliser, -compost, and -solubilising bacteria would improve Zn availability and uptake in flooded rice. A series of studies were conducted to find out the comparative efficacy of Zn-enriched composts (Zn-ECs) with Zn solubilising bacteria (ZnSB) vs.
ZnSO4 for improved growth, yield and Zn accumulation in rice. There were six treatments viz. control, ZnSB, ZnO (80% Zn), ZnSO4 (33% Zn), Zn-EC80:20 and Zn-EC60:40. In all the treatments,
Zn was applied at the rate of 5 kg ha–1 except the control. The treatment Zn-EC60:40 resulted in the maximum Zn release in soil as compared to ZnSO4 and all other treatments during incubation
study. The treatment Zn-EC60:40 significantly improved root dry weight, grain yield and 100-grain weight of rice by 15, 22 and 28%, respectively as compared to ZnSO4. The same treatment resulted in the maximum increase in photosynthetic rate (11%), transpiration rate (21%), stomatal conductance (17%), chlorophyll
contents (8%) and carbonic anhydrase activity (10%) while a decrease of 27% in electrolyte leakage was observed in comparison with ZnSO4 application. Moreover, the maximum increase in grain quality parameters and Zn bioaccumulation was observed with the application of Zn-EC60:40 in comparison with ZnSO4 application and all other treatments. We conclude that Zn-EC60:40
are not only an effective strategy to improve growth, physiology and yield parameters of rice, but also to improve the grain quality and Zn-bioaccumulation in rice compared to ZnSO

Population growth is the ultimate cause of poverty and environmental degradation like air, water and soil pollution. Deforestation , a major factor responsible for environmental degradation is caused due to the use of deforested land for residential requirements of a growing population and also as fuel wood and fodder for cattle. Also, unplanned use of fertile soils/land for this purpose causes a severe loss in the agricultural land, resulting in the decreased area of agricultural crop production and ultimately may lead to a situation to starvation of food. This situation is adverse for developing countries like Pakistan, where agriculture is the backbone of the economy and serves as a source of livelihood for about 75% of the population. According to Thomas Malthus, population increases exponentially while food resources either remain stable or slightly increased, with the prediction that this situation would ultimately lead to starvation. While going deep into the subject matter, it has been found that there is a dire need to sustain agricultural land for safe delivery of food for the growing population of the world. Before we can suggest some remedies to cope this situation, we need to find out the reasons behind this decrease in the agricultural land in detail. The following paragraphs present the reasons in details. Abstract Keywords: Land Degradation; Sustainable Agriculture; Safe Food; Conservation Tillage; Bio-Organo-Phos Environmental degradation is a serious threat to the existence of humanity on earth. Anthropogenic activities severely deteriorate our environment through deforestation, unplanned urban area development, pesticide usage, tillage operations, intensive farming, etc. In order to cope these problems, certain strategies should be devised in order to ensure sustainability of agricultural production of safe and healthy food for an ever-increasing population of the world. This paper focuses on the causes of land degradation and recommends perspective solutions for the sustainability of agricultural land.

Soil co-contamination with lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) is a tenacious risk to crop production globally. The current experiment observed the roles of amendments [biochar (BC), slag (SL), and ferrous manganese ore (FMO)] for enhancing Pb and Cd tolerance in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.). Our results revealed that application of amendments significantly enhanced the nutrient level of sesame seedlings developed under extreme Pb and Cd conditions. The higher Pb and Cd-tolerance in sesame encouraged by amendments might be credited to its capability to restrict Pb and Cd uptake and decreased oxidative damage induced by Pb and Cd that is also demonstrated by lesser production of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2), malondialdehyde (MDA), and reduced elec-trolyte leakage (EL) in plant biomass. The added amendments relieved Pb and Cd toxicity and improved pho-tosynthetic pigments, soluble protein, and proline content. Not only this amendments also decreased the anti-oxidant bulk, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) in sesame plants compared to control when exposed to Pb and Cd. Moreover, the added amendments = down-regulated the genes expression which regulate the SOD, POD, and CAT activity in sesame under Pb and Cd-stress. Furthermore, supplementation of amendments to the soil, reduced the bio accessibility (SBET), leachability (TCLP), and mobility (CaCl 2) of Pb and Cd. Collectively, our findings conclude that the application of amendments enhanced sesame tolerance to Pb and Cd stress by restricting Pb and Cd accumulation, maintained photosynthetic presentation and dropped oxidative loss through enhanced antioxidant system, thus signifying amendments as an operational stress regulators in modifying Pb and Cd-toxicity that is highly important economically in all crops including sesame.

Under arid and semiarid climate conditions, application of muriate of potash (KCl) results in salinity problem due to its higher chloride (Cl-) contents. In order to combat this problem, KCl was blended with different sources of compost (fruits and vegetables, poultry, press mud and cow dung) in order to get a dilution effect of composts. A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the comparative efficacy of KCl blended composts and KCl or K 2 SO 4 alone on growth, physiology and K nutrition of maize. Different composts applied @ 500 kg ha-1 were blended with KCl in such a way that each combination received the same amount of K as in case of recommended KCl and K 2 SO 4 alone. Muriate of potash blended poultry compost significantly improved various growth parameters like plant height (19%), root length (60%), root (100%) and shoot fresh weight (64%), root (88%) and shoot dry weight (81%) and chlorophyll contents (29%) compared to KCl alone. However, the maximum physiological parameters were observed with KCl blended press mud compost. Similarly, KCl blended poultry compost significantly increased K concentration and uptake in shoot (26 and 122%) and root (39 and 133%) compared to KCl alone. Post-harvest soil analysis showed an increase of about 2 folds in K contents in KCl blended poultry compost compared to KCl alone. Based on the above results, KCl blended composts proved better in improving various growth, physiological and K nutrition of maize compared to the application of KCl and K 2 SO 4 alone.

A variety of remediation approaches have been applied to the heavy metals-contaminated soils, however, the immobilization of metals in co-contaminated soils still not cleared. Therefore, an incubation study was conducted to evaluate the instantaneous effects of different concentrations of biochar (BC), slag (SL) and Fe–Mn ore (FMO) on immobilization of Pb and Cd through the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) by following the the European Community Bureau of Reference (BCR), CaCl 2 and NH 4 NO 3. The sequential extraction of BCR showed decrease in acid soluble fractions, while the residual proportions of Pb and Cd were enhanced with increasing concentrations of SL and BC. Addition of BC significantly lowered the extractable fractions of both metals by TCLP, NH 4 NO 3 and CaCl 2 as compared to SL and FMO. Among all amendments, BC incorporation into co-contaminated soil offered promising results for Pb and Cd immobilization. Overall, all amendments showed positive and long-term impact on the reclamation of co-contaminated soil with heavy metals and could deserve advance monitoring studies on a field scale. Keywords Heavy metals · Immobilization · Bio-accessibility · Slag · Biochar · FMO

Sustainable agriculture is essential for a positive relationship between supply and demand of food for the growing world population. This relationship was found to be affected by many environmental factors, including biotic and abiotic. From the point of view of crop nutrition, sustainability in the supply of essential nutrients particularly phosphorus is vital. Due to the energy crisis, the fluctuation in the prices of chemical fertilizers, environmental concerns, and cessation in the supply of high quality rock phosphate (RP) are hindering the use of chemical phosphatic fertilizers for sustainable crop production. Therefore, there is great need for a sustainable solution to this problem. It could be solved by employing a strategy to use native low quality RP. It is only possible by composting of organic material in the presence of RP and phosphate solubilizing microorganisms. During composting, most of organic P is mineralized. Due to release of organic acids, P availability to crop plants increases. In this chapter, the importance of economical and sustainable sources of P and comparative efficacy of the use of organic fertilizer containing RP for legumes is critically reviewed.

The ability of micro-algae to grow on wastewater for biofuel production has been extensively studied as the wastewater from different industries could serve as a nutrient source for its growth. However, there is scanty information regarding the utilization of textile effluent wastewater as a nutrient source for algal biomass production. So, a laboratory study was conducted to elucidate the potential of textile effluent wastewater as an economical nutrient medium for improved algal biomass production and to compare it with conventionally used modified marine algae medium. Four algal strains belonging to family Volvocaceae (well surface, well depth, fresh water and well side) in five growth media using different dilutions of textile waste water (5, 10, 15 and 20%; v/v) and modified MA medium as control were investigated in triplicate. Algal biomass was harvested after each 24 hours i.e. 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 and 144 hours. The results showed that algal biomass was increased with increasing dilution percentage of textile wastewater up to 15%, while a further increase in the dilution percentage (20%) resulted in reduced biomass in most of algal strains. The maximum increase in algal biomass production of well surface (177%) was noted after 144 h incubation followed by well side (55%) and fresh water (7%) strains compared to control. Well depth strain produced maximum biomass in modified MA medium and showed decreased growth under different dilutions of textile wastewater. In conclusion, the dilution percentage of 15% textile effluent wastewater could be used for maximum algal biomass production.

Nanotechnology opens a large scope of novel applications in the fields of plant nutrition needed to meet the future demands of growing population because nanoparticles (NPs) have unique physicochemical properties, i.e., high surface area, high reactivity, tunable pore size, and particle morphology. Management of optimum nutrients for sustainable crop production is priority based area of research in agriculture. In this regard, nano-nutrition has proved to be the most interesting area of research and concerns with the provision of nano-sized nutrients for the sustainable crop production. Using this technology, we can increase the efficiency of micro- as well as macro-nutrients of the plants. In literature, various NPs and nanomaterials (NMs) have been successfully used for better nutrition of crop plants compared to the conventional fertilizers. This review summarizes these NPs and NMs into macro-, micro-, nano-carrier based fertilizers and plant growth enhancing NPs with unclear mechanisms, describing their role in improving growth and yield of crops, concentration/rate of application, particle size, mechanism of action if known, toxic effects if any and research gaps in the present research. Moreover, future research directions for achieving sustainable agriculture are also discussed in the appropriate section and at the end in concluding remarks section.

Optimum impregnation ratio of rock phosphate (RP) and compost in RP-enriched organic fertilizer, its time and rate of
application to the crop plants affect the availability of nutrients through the process of mineralization and immobilization. A series of pot and field experiments were conducted to investigate the comparative efficacy of RP-enriched organic fertilizer vs. mineral phosphatic fertilizer on growth, yield and nodulation of lentil. Optimum impregnation ratio of RP and compost and the
time of application to improve growth, nodulation and yield of lentil were investigated under wire house conditions. The
impregnation ratio of 50:50 RP and compost and time of application of seven days before sowing resulted in the maximum nodulation, growth and yield parameters compared to the other impregnation ratios and the times of application. Optimized impregnation ratio and time of application were further investigated for optimum rate of application under field conditions to enhance nodulation, growth and yield of lentil in comparison with recommended mineral phosphatic fertilizer. The application of RP-enriched organic fertilizer @ 1000 kg ha-1 showed an increase of 35.5, 27 and 6% in number of nodules, fresh weight of nodules, and grain yield compared to chemical phosphatic fertilizer, respectively. Similarly, significant increase in P contents
of straw and grain was also observed with the application of RP-enriched organic fertilizer @ 1000 kg ha-1 compared to
chemical phosphatic fertilizer. However, the effect of the application of 800 and 1000 kg ha-1 was statistically non-significant for most of the parameters studied. The results suggested that RP-enriched organic fertilizer with optimum impregnation ratio of RP and compost, time of application and rate of application had a pronounced effect on nodulation, growth and yield of lentil as compared to recommended chemical phosphatic fertilizer.

For the ever-increasing population of the world, an increasing demand for more and more food is required. To cope with this alarming situation, there is a dire need for sustainable agricultural production. In agriculture, management of optimum plant nutrients for sustainable crop production is the priority-based area of research.
In this regard, much advancement in the area of plant nutrition has come forward and nano-nutrition is one the most interesting areas of research for sustainable agriculture
production. Nanotechnology has revolutionized the world with tremendous advancements in many fields of science like engineering, biotechnology, analytical chemistry, and agriculture. Nano-nutrition is the application of nanotechnology for the provision of nano-sized nutrients for the crop production. Two sources of nanoparticles (NPs)
have been used; biotic and abiotic. The abiotic form of nutrients or NPs is prepared from inorganic sources like salts but it is not safe because many of these are nonbiodegradable. While the biotic ones are prepared from organic sources which are definitely the biodegradable and environment friendly. So, a few studies/attempts have
been made in the field of nano-nutrition and a lot more are expected in the near future because this field of plant nutrition is sustainable and efficient one. Using nano-nutrition we can increase the efficiency of micro- as well as macronutrients of the plants. In this chapter, the focus has been made on the importance of nano-nutrition in the sustainable agricultural production and its future scenario so that it could be possible to apply this knowledge on a large scale without any concern regarding environment.

Major abiotic stress that limits plant growth and agriculture productivity is the soil salinity. In order to minimize the detrimental effects of salinity, highly complex salt-responsive signaling and metabolic processes at the cellular, organ, and whole-plant levels have been evolved in the plants. Currently, it has become the need of the hour to understand the molecular basis of salt stress signaling and tolerance mechanisms in cereals for engineering and/or screening for more tolerance to salt stress. Valuable information will be provided through investigation of the physiological and molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance for effective engineering strategies. Current advancement in proteomics has helped us in studying the sophisticated molecular networks in plants. Reports of proteomics studies about plant salt response and tolerance mechanisms, especially that of cereals, have revealed the mechanisms that include changes in photosynthesis, scavenging system of reactive oxygen species (ROS), ion homeostasis, osmotic homeostasis, membrane transport, signaling transduction, transcription, protein synthesis/turnover, cytoskeleton dynamics, and cross talks with other stresses.