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Agritourism is a rapidly growing sector that combines agriculture and tourism, offering visitors opportunities to experience rural life, farming activities, and local culture. By giving farmers more money, producing jobs, and encouraging sustainable tourism, it is a successful rural development model in India. Farmers, local communities, and visitors all gain from agritourism, which also protects the environment and cultural heritage. The industry has enormous development potential despite obstacles like bad marketing, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of training. Growing market forecasts show that agritourism can be a key factor in boosting rural economies and encouraging sustainable agricultural growth. Rising market projections indicate that agritourism can play a vital role in strengthening rural economies and promoting sustainable agricultural development. The industry has enormous development potential despite obstacles like bad marketing, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of training. Growing market forecasts show that agritourism can be a key factor in boosting rural economies and encouraging sustainable agricultural growth.

El Ni?o is a naturally occurring climate phenomenon associated with the warm phase of the El Ni?o?Southern Oscillation (ENSO), characterized by abnormal warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. Although it originates far from India, El Ni?o significantly influences the southwest monsoon, often resulting in below-normal rainfall, higher temperatures, prolonged dry spells, and increased frequency of droughts. These climatic anomalies adversely affect agricultural productivity by delaying sowing, reducing crop yields, increasing irrigation demand, intensifying pest and disease incidence, and threatening water resources and food security. The severity of its impacts varies depending on interactions with other climatic systems such as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO). The article highlights climate-smart adaptation strategies, including crop diversification, adoption of drought-tolerant varieties, efficient water management, conservation agriculture, and integrated farming systems to enhance resilience against climate variability. It also emphasizes the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI), remote sensing, satellite observations, and digital advisory platforms in improving seasonal weather forecasting, early warning systems, and location-specific agro-advisories for farmers. Strengthening institutional support through agencies such as IMD, ICAR, and State Agricultural Universities, along with enhancing farmer awareness and access to climate information, is essential for building sustainable, climate-resilient, and productive agricultural systems in India.

Linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) has become an important nutraceutical crop due to its high omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, dietary fibre and other bioactive compounds with great health promoting properties. The breeding work in India has traditionally been directed towards yield improvement and resistance to diseases, and less towards nutraceutical attributes. The article presents the opportunities and challenges for breeding linseed with optimized nutraceutical properties for Indian agro-climatic conditions. It shows the breeding priorities such as higher production of ?-linolenic acid (ALA), lignans, better quality oil, and better nutritional quality, and discusses the application of conventional and molecular breeding techniques. It further highlights the need for advanced phenotyping, genomics, and value chain development to boost genetic gains. Building research, policy support and publicprivate partnerships will be key to creating high-value nutraceutical linseed varieties that will be beneficial to farmers, consumers and the functional food sector.

"Aromatic plants are much more than the source of pleasant fragrances?they are emerging as catalysts for sustainable agriculture, rural entrepreneurship, and women-led economic empowerment." 

The commercial cultivation of high-value essential oil crops has potential to transforms agrarian livelihoods across semi-arid and underutilized Indian landscapes. By integrating these resilient botanicals into traditional agroforestry frameworks, smallholder farmers are unlocking diversified revenue streams while simultaneously enhancing regional biodiversity and soil health. Furthermore, the surging global demand for natural extracts across the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries creates unprecedented export opportunities, positioning India as a burgeoning hub for botanical commerce. This economic upswing is further amplified by targeted government initiatives like the Aroma Mission, which provides farmers with high-quality planting material, distillation unit setups, and technical training to maximize profitability.

Water scarcity is a major challenge to sustainable agriculture, making improved water-use efficiency (WUE) essential for ensuring food security. The "More Crop per Drop" approach aims to maximize crop productivity per unit of water through efficient irrigation and improved agronomic practices. This review highlights key strategies, including precision irrigation, laser land levelling, mulching, conservation agriculture, integrated nutrient management, rainwater harvesting, climate-resilient crop varieties, digital agriculture, and watershed management. It also discusses the challenges limiting adoption, such as high investment costs, limited technical knowledge, and climate variability. The review concludes that integrating innovative technologies with sustainable water management practices can significantly enhance crop water productivity and support climate-resilient agriculture.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are advanced nanomaterials gaining attention in present times owing to their impressive properties and applications. These are synthesized by organic ligands linked to the metal ion by coordinate bond. There are many properties of MOFs i.e., large surface area, high porosity and functional group variability which make them significant to be utilised in wide-range applications. Some of the prominent applications of MOFs include gas storage, environmental remediation, controlled/slow-release carrier for agrochemicals and energy storage. Present article highlights the importance and application of MOFs along with the composition, types, advantages and challenges for future perspectives.

Urban farming has become a major solution for creating sustainable and healthier cities. It includes growing crops and plants in urban cities through methods such as rooftop gardening, vertical farming, hydroponics, community gardening and microgreens cultivation. With increasing urban population, urban farming helps to improve food security by providing fresh food. It also supports reduce food transportation, reusing organic waste and increasing greenspaces in cities. It includes different methods of urban farming along with their benefits and challenges. Urban farming is closely linked with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG2, SDG3, SDG8, SDG11, SDG12, SDG13 and SDG15, it helps to improve food security, promote good health, create employment opportunities, build sustainable cities, encourages responsible consumption, support climate action and protect land and biodiversity. Although urban farming faces limitations such as limited space, and water scarcity, it is emerging as an effective approach for building greener, healthier and sustainable urban environments.

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), popularly known as ragi, is one of the most important climate-resilient cereal crops cultivated in the semi-arid and rainfed regions of India. It serves as a vital source of food, nutrition, fodder, and livelihood for millions of small and marginal farmers. Although finger millet is naturally more drought tolerant than many major cereals, increasing climate variability, delayed monsoons, prolonged dry spells, and rising temperatures are posing serious threats to its productivity. Studies have reported yield losses of up to 61% under severe drought conditions. Therefore, strengthening the drought resilience of finger millet has become essential for ensuring sustainable millet production and nutritional security. This article discusses the importance of drought proofing in finger millet, the major challenges posed by drought, and the scientific and management approaches available to enhance drought tolerance. These include genetic improvement, identification of drought-tolerant varieties, agronomic interventions, soil and water conservation practices, and modern breeding tools. A comprehensive drought-proofing strategy can significantly contribute to climate-resilient agriculture and improve the livelihoods of farming communities in drought-prone regions of India.

Millet roti is emerging as a nutritious and sustainable alternative to wheat roti in Northern India. Rich in dietary fiber, minerals, and bioactive compounds, millets offer several health benefits, including improved glycemic control, digestive health, and dietary diversity. In addition, millets are climate-resilient crops that require fewer resources, supporting sustainable food production. However, challenges related to dough handling and texture limit the widespread acceptance of millet roti. Technological interventions such as composite flour formulations, hydrocolloids, fermentation, germination, and extrusion can enhance product quality and consumer acceptability. Thus, millet roti represents a promising option for promoting healthier diets and more sustainable food systems in Northern India.

The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan under the Khet Bachao Abhiyan was implemented by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Kotwa, Azamgarh-I, to strengthen the dissemination of scientific agricultural technologies through direct farmer?scientist interaction. During the campaign, field outreach activities were conducted in more than 100 villages across all 17 development blocks of Azamgarh district. Farmers received practical guidance on balanced nutrient management, Natural Resource Management (NRM), integrated pest and disease management (IPM), scientific crop production, horticultural practices, post-harvest management and household nutrition. Field visits, crop diagnostics and interactive discussions enabled timely technical support and strengthened the linkage between farmers and KVK scientists. The campaign demonstrated the effectiveness of field-based extension in delivering need-based scientific advisories and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.

"Why human, animal and environment health are connected - and why treating them as one is the work of the century"

The environment, animals, and human health are all part of one story rather than three distinct ones. Ebola, COVID-19, bird flu, and the slow-burning problem of antibiotic resistance are all found where people, animals, and ecosystems converge. One Health is the term for the 20-year-old notion that these seams can only be addressed together, which has been embraced by the world's leading agricultural and health organisations. This feature examines the origins of this concept, why it is important to both veterinarians and the general public, how it appears in everything from the family dog to the world's livestock and wastewater, and why its potential still depends on dismantling disciplinary barriers.

Global agriculture must increase crop production while ensuring the sustainable use of available resources. Improving crop productivity depends not only on the genetic potential of crops but also on the efficient production, translocation and utilization of photoassimilates within the plant. The source?sink relationship plays a vital role in regulating crop growth, yield and quality. The source, mainly mature green leaves, produces carbohydrates through photosynthesis, while the sink includes developing grains, seeds, fruits, roots and tubers that utilize or store these assimilates. Maintaining a proper balance between source capacity and sink demand ensures efficient dry matter partitioning and higher harvestable yield. Agronomic practices such as balanced nutrient management, optimum plant population, efficient irrigation, foliar nutrition, canopy management and the use of plant growth regulators help improve source efficiency and sink strength. In addition, breeding approaches aimed at enhancing photosynthetic efficiency and sink capacity offer new opportunities for sustainable yield improvement. Thus, effective source?sink management enhances resource-use efficiency, improves crop productivity and quality and contributes to long-term food and nutritional security.

Agriculture stands at the crossroads of two urgent global challenges: feeding a rapidly growing world population while simultaneously confronting the mounting pressures of climate change. Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) has emerged as a strategic framework that seeks to enhance agricultural productivity and household incomes, strengthen climate resilience, and reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions where feasible. Without transformative adaptation strategies, climate change is projected to reduce global crop yields and increase food insecurity, while rising GHG emissions further exacerbate the crisis. This article explores the core structures, practices, and technologies underpinning CSA, including precision agriculture, regenerative farming, soil and water conservation, agroforestry, and digital tools, which together form an integrated pathway toward sustainable food production in an era of unprecedented environmental change.

Agriculture is facing significant challenges such as rising food demand, food safety concerns, environmental sustainability issues and climate change, all of which are severely affecting global food security. Currently, over 815 million people are chronically hungry, with nearly 64% of them living in Asia (Friha et al. 2021; Pathak et al. 2020). In traditional farming systems, the late detection of crop stress, diseases and nutrient deficiencies often leads to reduced yield, lower crop quality and inefficient use of resources such as water, fertilizers and pesticides. Therefore, the adoption of modern technologies like drones and machine learning has become essential to improve risk assessment, disaster response and transparent evidence-based decision-making to support vulnerable farmers and enhance food security (Debangshi 2021). In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained increasing popularity due to their flexibility, ease of operation and ability to capture high spatial resolution data, enabling rapid and non-destructive extraction of crop phenotypic information (Deng et al. 2018). Equipped with RGB, multispectral and thermal sensors, drones generate large volumes of high-resolution data across different crop growth stages and field conditions. These data can be efficiently analyzed using machine learning algorithms such as Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). This integration enables early detection of crop stress and diseases, accurate yield prediction, improved irrigation scheduling and precise input management. Overall, it enhances productivity, resource-use efficiency and supports sustainable agriculture.

The production of disease-free fish is fundamental to ensuring the quality, safety, and value addition of seafood products. Fish health directly influences muscle quality, processing efficiency, shelf life, and consumer acceptance, making it an essential component of modern aquaculture and seafood processing. Infectious diseases and physiological stress can cause tissue damage, microbial contamination, biochemical deterioration, and quality defects that reduce the suitability of fish for processing into high-value products such as fillets, surimi, smoked fish, canned products, and ready-to-cook items. Furthermore, poor fish health contributes to increased post-harvest losses, economic losses, and food safety concerns throughout the seafood supply chain. Effective biosecurity measures, disease surveillance, hygienic harvesting, and Good Aquaculture Practices (GAP) help maintain fish quality before processing, while Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, proper sanitation, cold-chain management, and advanced preservation technologies ensure product safety and quality during processing. Integrating fish pathology with fish processing technology provides a comprehensive farm-to-fork approach that enhances seafood quality, minimizes losses, supports sustainable aquaculture, and improves the production of safe and value-added fish products. Promoting disease-free fish production therefore benefits farmers, processors, consumers, and the seafood industry by improving profitability, food safety, and long-term sustainability.

All mutations are not harmful or all are useful but some can transform the future of agriculture. In the past mutations are considered to be harmful and it leads to genetic disorders in human beings, but in plant breeding mutations have played a remarkable role in the development of diverse cum superior crop varieties. This article includes about what is mutation, how mutations are created, merits and demerits and its application in crop improvement.

Biotic and abiotic stresses drive major global crop losses, a problem intensified by climate change. Classical breeding and genetic engineering, are useful but they are slow, limited in genetic diversity, and often face regulatory challenges. CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing offers a precise, affordable alternative, using a guide RNA and Cas9 enzyme to introduce targeted DNA changes without foreign gene insertion. India has emerged as a leader among developing nations, with public institutions developing transgene-free, genome-edited rice, wheat, and mustard varieties, while millets stand out as a promising next frontier for climate-resilient nutrition. Despite challenges?limited genomic resources, regulatory ambiguity, and smallholder access?supportive policies such as India's 2022 genome-editing guidelines are accelerating adoption. With continued investment and clear regulation, CRISPR-Cas9 can help build a more resilient, food-secure agricultural future.

Plants cannot flee from stress, they must endure it, adapt to it, and remember it. Dahlia variabilis, a geophyte with underground tuberous storage roots, offers a compelling model for understanding how climate-induced stress experiences are encoded in the plant body and carried into the next growing season. This article examines the molecular mechanisms by which heat, drought, and cold stresses imprint epigenetic marks, principally DNA methylation, histone modifications, and small RNA-mediated pathways onto dahlia tuber chromatin during the growing season. These marks persist through winter dormancy and influence gene expression upon resprouting the following spring, producing a primed, faster, and more robust response to the same stressors. Drawing on evidence from model species and geophytic analogues, we propose that epigenetic stress memory is functionally adaptive in dahlias ? a biological insurance policy written in chemistry rather than DNA sequence.

Soil compaction is a major constraint to sustainable agricultural production, adversely affecting soil physical properties, root growth, nutrient uptake, and crop productivity. It results from heavy machinery, livestock traffic, intensive tillage, repeated cultivation, and inherent soil characteristics, leading to increased bulk density and reduced pore space. Compacted soils restrict root penetration, limit oxygen availability, impair water infiltration and drainage, reduce nutrient accessibility, and increase the risk of soil erosion, ultimately affecting plant growth and yield. Effective management of soil compaction involves regular soil monitoring, conservation tillage, cover cropping, mechanical loosening through subsoiling or aeration, incorporation of organic amendments, and controlled traffic farming. Adopting these integrated management practices improves soil structure, enhances root development, and supports sustainable crop production while preserving long-term soil health.