Home / Current Article

Traditional foods are progressively being reconsidered within the context of gut health. This is because many of them naturally combine dietary fibre, polyphenols, bioactive compounds, resistant starch and growth of beneficial microorganisms in fermented foods. These components create a complex relationship between food, microbial metabolism and host physiology. As poor diet is the major factor for contributing to diseases, understanding multidirectional interrelationship between food and the gut microbiota is essential for public health viewpoint. This article explores how traditional foods influence the gut microbiome reminding us that healthier health may begin with healthier gut.

Efficient utilization of fibrous agricultural residues is essential for sustainable livestock production, particularly in smallholder production systems where high-quality feeds are limited or expensive. Crop residues generally have low nutritive value because of their low protein and energy concentrations, poor digestibility and lignification of plant cell walls. Various approaches, including physical, chemical and biological treatments, strategic supplementation, complete feed blocks and ration balancing, can improve their feeding value and nutrient utilization. Rumen-modifying strategies such as ionophores, organic acids, exogenous fibrolytic enzymes, direct-fed microbials and plant bioactive compounds have also been investigated for improving rumen function and reducing enteric methane production. This article reviews important nutritional and rumen-based approaches for improving fibrous-feed utilization while reducing methane emission intensity. An integrated approach combining feed treatment, strategic supplementation, ration balancing and appropriate rumen-modifying strategies can support sustainable livestock production.

Bamboo is one of nature?s most versatile and rapidly renewable resources, with immense potential to contribute to ecological security, rural livelihoods and sustainable development. Often referred to as ?green gold? and ?poor man?s timber,? bamboo has traditionally been used for housing, handicrafts, agricultural implements, fencing, furniture, food and numerous household products. Its importance, however, extends far beyond traditional uses. As a fast-growing member of the grass family, bamboo can provide renewable biomass within a relatively short period while its extensive rhizome and root system helps bind soil, reduce erosion and support soil and water conservation. Bamboo-based agroforestry systems offer opportunities for income diversification, food security, employment generation and restoration of degraded lands. Bamboo also contributes to climate-change mitigation through carbon storage and can provide renewable alternatives to conventional timber and other materials. In India, the rich diversity of bamboo and the traditional knowledge associated with its utilisation provide a strong foundation for developing a modern bamboo-based bioeconomy. World Bamboo Day provides an opportunity to recognise bamboo not simply as a traditional forest product, but as a resource linking agriculture, forestry, livelihoods, ecological restoration, climate resilience and innovation. The future of bamboo lies in combining traditional wisdom with scientific research, sustainable management, modern processing and value addition.

Agricultural labour is a critical input in Indian farming, particularly for labour-intensive crops such as paddy, cotton, sugarcane, tobacco, vegetables, and horticultural crops. In recent years, farmers have faced increasing difficulties in securing adequate labour at the required time and affordable wages. Rural-to-urban migration, expanding non-farm employment, rising wages, seasonal labour demand, physically demanding farm operations, and changing preferences among rural youth have contributed to this challenge. Labour shortages increase cultivation costs and can delay farm operations, affecting productivity, crop quality, and profitability. This article examines the causes and consequences of agricultural labour shortages and discusses strategies to reduce dependence on manual labour. Agricultural mechanization, Custom Hiring Centres, FPO-based machinery banks, small-scale machinery, skill development, agricultural service entrepreneurship, crop diversification, drones, and mechanized harvesting are important interventions. Improving labour productivity through appropriate technology, institutional support, and human-capital development can enhance farm efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen farmers? profitability.

Computational eco-dynamics has emerged as a useful umbrella for integrating hydrochemistry, microbial ecology, source-tracing, and predictive analytics into a single environmental decision framework. In the Indian context, this convergence matters because major river basins and connected aquifers are shaped by dense human settlement, agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, monsoon variability, and rapidly changing land use, all of which create strongly coupled surface-subsurface pollution regimes that cannot be understood through single-discipline methods alone. A growing body of literature now shows that machine learning can improve microbial classification from metagenomic data, identify high-information environmental predictors, and strengthen water-quality assessment and source apportionment when combined with geospatial and hydro chemical evidence. At the same time, microbial profiling studies from the Ganga-Yamuna system demonstrate that polluted stretches contain distinct taxonomic and functional signatures, including taxa and protein domains associated with biodegradation, metal transport, and xenobiotic transformation.

Plant diseases pose a direct threat to the food security of any nation. Numerous plant pathogens are responsible for substantial yield losses in major food crops. Pathogens belonging to diverse groups possess specialized mechanisms of infection and can affect multiple crops under favourable conditions. In severe cases, pathogen infection can result in crop losses of up to 100%. Fungal pathogens are particularly notorious for causing destructive diseases. Several bacterial pathogens are also well known for causing serious infections in plants. Historically, major plant disease outbreaks have contributed to famines, causing widespread crop failure and severe disruption to human populations. Thus, plant diseases remain a major challenge to crop production, food security, and agricultural sustainability.

Aquaculture is expanding rapidly, but infectious diseases continue to threaten production, profitability, and animal welfare. At the same time, CRISPR technology is evolving beyond its original role as a programmable DNA-cutting system. Base editing and prime editing enable increasingly precise genetic modification. Meanwhile, Cas12- and Cas13-based systems offer new possibilities for pathogen detection and RNA targeting. This broader technological landscape is sometimes described as ?CRISPR 3.0?. However, the term is conceptual rather than a formally standardized scientific classification. For aquatic animal health, its importance may lie not only in genome editing, but also in rapid pathogen diagnosis, functional investigation of host-pathogen interactions, precision breeding and future pathogen-targeted interventions. CRISPR-based assays have already been demonstrated for important shrimp pathogens, and recent work has extended multiplex detection of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and Ecytonucleospora hepatopenaei (EHP) to rapid, fieldoriented formats. Researchers are also investigating genome editing for disease-related traits in fish, while more advanced approaches such as prime editing and RNA targeting are emerging. However, most applications beyond diagnostics remain experimental and face challenges involving delivery, editing efficiency, ecological safety, animal welfare and regulation. CRISPR is therefore unlikely to replace conventional biosecurity and disease management practices. Instead, its greatest potential may be as one component of an integrated precision-health framework for aquaculture.

This article examines the structural and socio-economic transformation of fish vendors at the Bhandewadi, Mangalwari and Mayo Fish Market hubs in Nagpur. By analyzing the shift from the survival tactics of the COVID-19 era to the formalized infrastructure projects of 2026 and examining vendor income, product loss rates, hygiene practices, and digital adoption over six years, the study highlights how urban planning and national schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) are reshaping the informal food economy. Ultimately, it shows how smart city planning and modern cold-chain facilities have helped stabilize incomes and improve quality.

Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) have traditionally been incorporated into livestock diets to improve growth and feed utilization, through their effects on the microbial population of the gastrointestinal tract. However, their prolonged and routine use has contributed to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance. Consequently, current efforts are focused not only towards finding suitable substitutes for AGPs but also towards minimizing the dependence on antibiotics in animal production. Plant-based products have received considerable attention as potential alternatives. Phytogenic feed additives (PFAs) include herbs, spices, essential oils and various plant extracts containing biologically active compounds. Research conducted in different animal species indicates that these substances may exhibit antimicrobial, antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and may also influence feed palatability, intestinal health and gut development. But the precise biological mechanisms responsible for many of these effects are not yet completely understood.

Regenerative agriculture has emerged as a promising approach for addressing the interconnected challenges of soil degradation, climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and declining resource-use efficiency in agricultural systems. This review examines the concept, importance and core principles of regenerative agriculture, with particular emphasis on its relevance to sustainable Indian agriculture. The approach extends beyond conventional sustainability by focusing on the restoration of soil health, ecological functions and resilience through practices such as minimizing soil disturbance, diversifying crops, maintaining continuous soil cover and living roots, and integrating livestock. These practices contribute to improved soil fertility, nutrient cycling, water management, biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration, while reducing dependence on external inputs and enhancing farm resilience. The review also highlights emerging policy support in India through initiatives such as the National Mission on Natural Farming, PRAGATI and the BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence on Agro-Ecology and Regenerative Agriculture. Case examples from Karnataka and the Chandigarh-Panchkula region demonstrate the practical potential of regenerative and permaculture-based approaches for resource restoration and livelihood sustainability. Overall, regenerative agriculture offers a holistic pathway towards productive, climate-resilient and ecologically sustainable farming systems in India.

Vitamins are indispensable micronutrients in dairy nutrition, influencing productivity, reproduction, and animal health. Despite their minute quantitative requirement, vitamins play critical roles as cofactors, antioxidants, and regulators of metabolic processes. In practical dairy rations, however, the efficiency of vitamin supplementation is influenced by rumen microbial activity, dietary composition, feed preservation, and management factors. This review critically examines the physiological importance of vitamins in dairy cows, evaluates the potentials of supplementation strategies for optimizing productivity and health, and identifies constraints limiting their efficacy under field conditions. An understanding of these dynamics enables evidence-based formulation of vitamin-inclusive rations that support sustainable dairy production systems.

Molecular docking is a computational method widely used to identify potential drug candidates through virtual screening. It predicts the most favourable binding position between a small molecule or ligand and receptor and the scoring functions help to identify the most promising molecule. Some common tools for molecular docking are AutoDock, AutoDock Vina, GOLD, MP-Dock, Cluspro, HADDOCK etc. It involves three basic steps; protein/receptor preparation, ligand preparation, and protein-ligand docking. The docked complex can then be visualized with tools such as PyMOL or UCSF chimera while 2D interaction and the hydrogen bond length can be obtained using programs like LigPlot or DimPlot. Therefore, in silico screening through docking prior to experimental validation can save time and resources.