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Protected cultivation has emerged as transformative approach for enhancing vegetable productivity and produce quality under changing climatic conditions. The present article highlights the role of protected structures in improving yield, quality attributes and resourceuse efficiency of vegetable crops. By modifying key microclimatic factors including temperature, humidity, light intensity and soil moisture, protected environments create favourable growth conditions that significantly enhance physiological performance, crop uniformity and marketable yield compared to open- field cultivation. Protected cultivation contributes to reduced pest and disease incidence, lower pesticide residues and substantial savings in irrigation water and fertilizers. These systems enable successful off- season vegetable production, ensuring year- round availability. However, challenges such as high initial investment, technical skill requirements and climate- specific adaptability remain constraints to large- scale adoption. Overall, protected cultivation presents a viable, climateresilient strategy for sustainable vegetable production, offering significant opportunities for enhancing productivity, quality and profitability.

In recent years, the proliferation of social media platforms has revolutionized the way information is shared and consumed. This transformation has extended to the field of agriculture, where social media is increasingly being utilized as a tool for agricultural extension. Agricultural extension traditionally involves the dissemination of knowledge, practices, and technologies to farmers to improve productivity, sustainability, and livelihoods. Social media offers a dynamic and cost- effective medium for this purpose, especially in regions where traditional extension services face logistical and financial constraints. However, while the opportunities are vast, several challenges must be addressed to maximize its potential.

Dairy farming is a vital component of rural livelihoods in India, contributing significantly to household income and nutritional security. Women play a central role in livestock management, undertaking most day-to-day dairy-related activities. Despite this, their contributions often remain undervalued due to limited access to resources, extension services, markets, and decision-making platforms. Among the key constraints faced by women dairy farmers, access to quality green fodder remains one of the most critical, directly affecting animal health, milk productivity, and farm profitability. This case study of Kalpana Jena, a woman dairy farmer from Banamalipur village in Niali, of Cuttack district in Odisha, illustrated how addressing a single but pivotal constraint i.e. fodder availability, can bring transformative outcomes. Through targeted training and improved access to knowledge on fodder cultivation, she was able to enhance milk yield, reduce dependence on external feed sources, lower production costs, and gain greater control over her dairy enterprise. The case highlights the potential of small-scale, women-focused interventions to improve productivity, reduce drudgery, and foster economic and social empowerment in dairying.

Self-cleaning clothing which is a new and fast emerging technology in the textile sector holds potential of changing the manner in which garments are washed and taken care of. As the ethical issue of environmental sustainability, water consumption, and the overall effect of the fashion industry gain even greater importance, the emergence of self-cleaning fabrics offers an attractive solution. The paper has given an in-depth discussion of the science of self-cleaning clothes, it?s possible uses and limitations, and its future projections concerning the future of clothing production and environmental sustainability.

Embroidery has been a vital aspect of India's textile tradition for centuries, symbolizing the nation's rich cultural diversity and artistic expression. Indian embroidery developed regionally, reflecting the socio-cultural, religious and aesthetic values of various communities. However, industrialization, globalization, and mechanized textile production led to its decline in the early modern era. In recent decades, traditional embroidery has reemerged as a valued craft in the contemporary fashion industry through designer interventions, artisan collaborations and sustainability movements. This article traces the historical evolution of Indian embroidery, examines the challenges brought by modernization and highlights the revival of traditional craftsmanship in modern fashion. The discussion underscores the need to preserve and adapt traditional embroidery techniques as part of India's living heritage.

Dracaena fragrans cv. Victoria is a significant ornamental foliage crop with high economic potential, particularly in the context of rapid urbanization and increasing demand for indoor greenery. Unlike traditional field crops such as rice and maize, which are primarily grown for food security but often generate low income due to price volatility and production risks, ornamental foliage crops are quality-driven and market-oriented (Darras, 2020). Dracaena requires relatively less land and water and is well suited for protected cultivation, resulting in higher returns per unit area (Chen et al., 2005). Yield in ornamental crops is measured by the number and quality of marketable plants rather than grain weight, making them economically advantageous compared to cereals (Relf, 2008). This article highlights the importance, economics of cultivation, yield concept, and comparative profitability of Dracaena fragrans cv. Victoria vis-?-vis rice and maize, emphasizing its role in crop diversification and sustainable horticulture.

Insecticides are essential for enhancing agricultural productivity; however, their persistence in agro ecosystems poses significant environmental and human health risks. Persistence refers to the prolonged presence of insecticidal residues in soil, water, air and biota, commonly expressed through half-life values. Based on persistence, insecticides are classified as non-persistent, moderately persistent and highly persistent, with organochlorine insecticides exhibiting extreme stability, bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Environmental processes such as leaching, volatilization and adsorption redistribute insecticides rather than eliminate them, resulting in long-term ecological contamination. Persistent residues adversely affect soil organisms, aquatic life, wildlife and beneficial insects, while chronic human exposure is linked to neurological disorders, reproductive toxicity and developmental abnormalities. Past incidents, including the Endosulfan tragedy and Bhopal gas disaster, underscore the urgent need for safer pest management strategies and stricter regulatory control.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the major public health problems especially in developing countries where relatively easy availability and higher consumption of medicines have lead to disproportionately higher incidence of inappropriate use of antibiotics and greater levels of resistance compared to developed countries (WHO, 1996). The use of medicines, especially antibiotics, in livestock and dairy animals is essential for disease prevention and treatment. However, excessive or improper use of antibiotics can lead to antibiotic resistance, where bacteria become resistant to drugs, making infections harder to treat. This not only affects animal health but also poses serious risks to humans through residues in milk, meat, and the environment (Smith & Jones, 2019). Organic milk production plays an important role in reducing antibiotic resistance by strictly limiting the use of antibiotics in dairy farming. In organic dairy systems, routine, preventive, and growth-promoting use of antibiotics is prohibited (FAO, 2011; APEDA, 2023).

Regenerative agriculture has re-emerged as a transformative paradigm in response to intensifying climate change, widespread soil degradation, and the ecological limitations of conventional agricultural systems. Approximately one-third of global agricultural land is degraded, while agriculture contributes nearly 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Regenerative agriculture emphasizes ecosystem restoration, soil carbon sequestration, biodiversity enhancement, and farm resilience. This review synthesizes recent scholarly evidence (2022-2025), market assessments, and global case studies to evaluate regenerative agriculture?s environmental, economic, and climate-mitigation potential. Findings indicate that practices such as no-till farming, cover cropping, diversified rotations, livestock integration, compost application, and agroforestry can sequester up to 8.4 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, improve water-use efficiency by 20-30%, and reduce external input dependence by 20?50%. Case studies from the United States, Europe, and India demonstrate scale able transitions with co-benefits including carbon credits, drought resilience, and improved farmer livelihoods. Despite adoption challenges, policy incentives, carbon markets, and technological integration position regenerative agriculture as a critical pathway toward netzero and nature-positive food systems.

Auxin is an important plant hormone that regulates fruit set, growth and development in horticultural crops. It promotes fruit set by preventing flower and young fruit drop after fertilization. Auxin enhances cell division and cell enlargement, leading to improved fruit size and uniform growth. Exogenous application of auxins can induce parthenocarpy and increase yield in several fruit crops. Proper dose and timing of auxin application are essential for achieving better fruit quality and productivity.

Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) have become one of the most significant institutional innovations in Indian agriculture, especially for empowering small and marginal farmers through collective action. While policy support, market linkages, and financial assistance are essential for FPO sustainability, the internal strength of these organisations largely depends on group dynamics. Group dynamics refers to the interactions, relationships, participation, leadership patterns, norms, and collective behaviour of members within a group. In states like Odisha, where agriculture is dominated by smallholders, rainfed farming, and socially diverse communities, effective group dynamics plays a decisive role in determining the success of FPOs. This article discusses the concept of group dynamics in FPOs, its key components, relevance to FPO performance, challenges commonly observed in Indian and Odishan contexts, and practical strategies to strengthen group functioning for long-term sustainability. The article is written in a popular and extension-oriented manner for farmers, students, practitioners, and development professionals.

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) is a severe fish disease caused by the oomycete Aphanomyces invadans, affecting both wild and cultured fish in freshwater and estuarine systems. The infection causes skin ulcers, deep muscle necrosis, and granulomatous lesions, leading to significant economic losses, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. Outbreaks are influenced by seasonal and environmental factors, including low water temperatures, poor water quality, flooding, low dissolved oxygen, and stress. The pathogen's deep tissue invasion reduces the effectiveness of conventional treatments, and its persistence in sediments makes eradication from natural water bodies difficult. Effective management requires integrated strategies, combining strict biosecurity, environmental monitoring, quarantine of new stock, and enhancement of fish immunity through proper nutrition and stress reduction. Innovative monitoring technologies, including AI-based image analysis and real-time tracking of water quality, enhance the timely detection of EUS and support more effective outbreak management.

Tribal regions of Odisha are rich in traditional crops such as millets, pulses, and green leafy vegetables, yet malnutrition remains a serious concern (National Family Health Survey-5). This article is based on a field-based research study conducted in Koraput district of Odisha, a predominantly tribal area. The study explores farmers' awareness, adoption behaviour, and constraints related to nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices. The findings reveal that while tribal farmers produce many nutritious foods, limited nutrition awareness, inadequate extension support, and resource constraints restrict their consumption at the household level. The article highlights how nutrition-sensitive agriculture, through practices such as homestead nutrition gardens, crop diversification, and nutrition education, can improve dietary diversity and family health. It emphasizes the need to integrate nutrition goals into agricultural extension programmes so that farming not only ensures food availability but also leads to better nutrition and healthier tribal communities (Food and Agriculture Organization, 2017).

Soil Acidity as a Constraint: Soil Acidity is a long-standing constraint being faced by agricultural productivity in the context of the province of Odisha, located in the country of India. Recent estimates have found more than half of the agricultural lands in the province to be soil acidic in nature due to high rainfall, intense weathering, as well as continuous leaching of base cations (Government of Odisha, 2025). Soil Acidity can be defined as soils marked by aluminum toxicity, toxicities of metals such as manganese, phosphorus fixation, as well as low microbial populations (Sharma & Gupta, 2006). The present study compiles existing scientific research work on soil Acidity affecting agricultural lands within the province of Odisha.

Sulphur is gradually being identified as the fourth element along with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium in Indian farming. The large application of high analysis fertilizer, reduced application of organic manures, and increase in crop intensification have resulted in the deficiency of sulphur, which is an area of grave concern regarding soil fertility resources covering the whole agro-climatic region of the Indian subcontinent. The primary topics that this paper would cover include the application of sulphur in crops, the extent of sulphur deficiency in Indian soils, the effect on crop productivity, and optimal use.