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Defence colony in eusocial insect is a costly but vital characteristic, whose evolution is modified by kin-selection forces resulting in self-sacrificing behaviour. Social aphids which cause gall reveal an amazing altruism as there are sterile soldiers which take care of defense, cleaning and even repair gall. Natural enemies still occur, but galls have nutritive, protective, and microclimatic perquisites as they are constituted by the secretion of insects and by such plant hormones as auxin and cytokinin. There is division of labour, the younger soldiers take the task of clearing waste and the older soldier?s man vulnerable openings. Soldiers in certain species give themselves up by spilling body fluids in order to plug the breakages in the gall. These behaviours point to the adaptation value of gall induction and extreme altruism.

Lernaea which is known as anchor worm exists as an ectoparasite that infects both ornamental and farmed freshwater fish species. The females attach themselves to skin and fins and gills to suck blood and tissue which leads to skin discomfort open wounds, stress, diminished growth and secondary infections. The organism produces free-swimming larvae which find hosts while its stationary females generate eggs during the entire time which results in fast population growth. The infestations appear as thread-like formations which makes them easy to identify. Management practices need to combine chemical applications with physical removal methods and water quality enhancement and fish welfare improvement.

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans Houtt.), belonging to the family Myristicaceae, is an important tropical tree spice valued for its aromatic seed (nutmeg) and aril (mace). In India, it is mainly cultivated in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Harvesting peaks from June to August when fruits naturally split open. Post-harvest processing involves removal of the pericarp, separation of mace, drying, grading, and packaging. Proper drying using sun, hot air, or solar tunnel dryers prevents fungal contamination and aflatoxin development. Mace is often blanched and hotair dried to retain color and quality. Value-added products such as nutmeg oil, mace oil, oleoresin, and nutmeg butter are produced through steam or hydro-distillation. The aromatic compounds, particularly myristicin and elemicin, determine its flavor and medicinal properties. Improved drying and extraction techniques enhance the quality and export potential of nutmeg and mace.

Every harvest season, fields across the world brim with leftovers, straw, husks, peels, and stems. These materials are often seen as ?waste,? they hold immense potential. In India alone, farmers generate over 600 million tonnes of agricultural residues every year, much of which is either left to rot or burned in the open, causing severe air pollution. But what if this waste could become wealth? Enter the world of agricultural waste valorization- a key part of the circular economy movement that turns waste into valuable resources. Valorization means transforming agricultural by-products into useful, value-added materials such as biofuels, fertilizers, bioplastics, and animal feed. It?s a scientific yet practical approach that ensures nothing in farming goes to waste, closing the loop between production and reuse. In simple terms, valorization gives a second life to farm residues, turning them from pollutants into products.

Reservoir fisheries provide critical food security and livelihood opportunities worldwide. Effective management requires extension strategies bridging scientific knowledge and practical implementation through participatory methods, capacity building, and communitybased frameworks. Integration of traditional ecological knowledge with modern practices, coupled with effective communication and institutional support, forms the foundation of successful programs addressing climate change, habitat degradation, and socio-economic constraints.

The rapid penetration of smartphones and affordable internet in rural India has created new opportunities for disseminating agricultural knowledge directly to farming communities. Mobile applications have increasingly been recognized as practical tools for bridging the technical gap in fodder production, which underpins livestock productivity. This article examines the contribution of mobile apps to crop and fodder management, with emphasis on their roles in varietal choice, sowing practices, pest and disease monitoring, ration balancing, and access to market information. At the same time, persistent challenges must be addressed. Strengthening localization, enhancing offline and voice?based features, integrating artificial intelligence, and fostering stronger research and extension linkages will be key to maximizing their effectiveness. Overall, mobile applications represent a promising, scientifically validated pathway for reducing fodder deficits, enhancing livestock productivity, and contributing to sustainable, climate?resilient agriculture in India.

Soil is living, with a rich ecosystem of microbes, insects and fungi that can help grow food. Many of these web-building microorganisms are beneficial but what makes soilborne fungal pathogens such a significant agricultural problem is that they infect plants, leading to plant diseases including rotting and wilting as well damping-off. These fungi debilitate the roots of plants and diminish their vitality by having spores, waiting to initiate under appropriate conditions. These pathogens not only cause losses of crops and quality produce but also create health hazards for farmers by producing allergens and mycotoxins. The soil borne fungi have an ability to survive in the soil and make difficult challenge to manage them vital for sustainable agriculture and food security.

Ants, known for their complex social organization and ecological dominance, interact with a wide range of organisms, including parasitic fungi such as Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. This paper explores how this fungus infects and manipulates its ant hosts. After infection, the fungus invades the ant?s body and nervous system, compelling it to exhibit abnormal behaviour, leaving the colony, climbing vegetation, and performing the fatal ?death grip?. This behaviour benefits the fungus by providing an ideal environment for spore dispersal. The discussion highlights the role of host specificity, genetic interactions, and the broader ecological impact of such parasitic relationships in regulating ant populations and maintaining ecosystem equilibrium.

Insects are increasingly recognized as a promising source of nutrition for humans and animals. Not only do they offer high?quality protein, essential amino acids, unsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals, but they can also be reared with far lower environmental footprint than conventional livestock. Many insect species (e.g. black soldier fly, crickets, mealworms) are being studied and used both for human food (entomophagy) and as feed ingredients for livestock, fish, poultry and pets. Key drivers include rising global protein demand, food waste, land use constraints, and climate change. However, challenges remain: consumer acceptance, regulations, food safety, cost of production, and scaling up insect farming. With supportive policy, improved processing, and continued research, insects could be an important component of sustainable food systems.

In the face of escalating environmental pressures that jeopardize global crop yields, enhancing crop stress tolerance becomes a paramount endeavour for restoring sufficient food production. Recently, biofilm-forming PGPR has emerged as a promising candidates for agricultural application. These biofilms are evidence of microorganism colonization on plant roots. Biofilm-mediated plant resilience represents a promising, eco-friendly approach to combat the growing challenges of abiotic stresses in agriculture. By producing extracellular polymeric substances, phytohormones, osmolytes and stress-modulating enzymes, biofilmforming plant growth-promoting microbes enhance root colonization, improve soil water and nutrient availability and buffer plants against drought, salinity, temperature extremes and heavy metal toxicity.