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Land degradation has emerged as one of the most pressing global environmental challenges, threatening soil fertility, ecosystem services, biodiversity, and agricultural productivity. In India, a significant proportion of land is affected by water and wind erosion, salinization, and nutrient depletion, resulting in declining land productivity and increased vulnerability to climate extremes. The concept of Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), promoted under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, aims to balance land degradation with restoration and sustainable land management practices. Among the various approaches proposed to achieve LDN, agroforestry has gained considerable attention due to its ecological, economic, and social benefits. Agroforestry integrates trees with crops and/or livestock, creating multifunctional land-use systems that enhance soil health, conserve water, reduce erosion and improve biodiversity. Scientific evidence indicates that agroforestry systems significantly increase soil organic carbon, improve soil structure, and enhance water infiltration while simultaneously sequestering atmospheric carbon and mitigating climate change. Tree-based farming systems such as alley cropping, silvopastoral systems, windbreaks, shelterbelts and homegardens have shown promising results in restoring degraded agricultural lands, saline soils, shifting cultivation areas, and reclaimed mining sites. Despite its proven benefits, the adoption of agroforestry faces challenges including policy constraints, land tenure issues, limited technical knowledge and market barriers. This article highlights the role of agroforestry as a holistic and sustainable strategy for achieving Land Degradation Neutrality by restoring degraded lands, strengthening climate resilience, and supporting rural livelihoods. Strengthened policy support, extension services and stakeholder participation are essential to scale up agroforestry interventions for long-term land restoration and sustainable development.

The global fishing industry generates over 20 million tonnes of nutrient-rich waste each year, much of which remains unused despite its high potential in organic farming. Fish waste, rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, minerals, and amino acids, can be converted into effective fertilizers through processes such as emulsion, enzymatic or acid hydrolysis, and composting. These products improve soil fertility, enhance plant growth, and support sustainable crop production while promoting circular resource use. Key challenges including odour, pathogen risks, and nutrient imbalance?can be mitigated through proper processing and regulated application. Fish waste serves as a valuable, eco-friendly substitute for synthetic fertilizers, providing strong potential to enhance sustainable and organic farming.

Gene drives are emerging as a powerful tool in the field of genetic engineering, offering the potential to rapidly alter the genetic makeup of wild insect populations. This technology leverages the principles of CRISPR-Cas9 and other gene-editing techniques to propagate specific genetic traits throughout a population at a rate far exceeding traditional inheritance. The ability to engineer gene drives holds promise for addressing critical challenges such as controlling vector-borne diseases, managing agricultural pests, and conserving endangered species. This paper explores the scientific principles behind gene drives, their potential applications, and the complex balance between their benefits and risks.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a cornerstone of food security in many countries, yet its productivity is increasingly threatened by climate variability, particularly rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, terminal heat stress, and declining soil moisture. These stresses adversely affect wheat establishment, phenology, grain filling, and final yield. Climate-resilient wheat production technology focuses on integrating stress-tolerant varieties with precise agronomic practices such as optimized sowing time, conservation tillage, efficient irrigation, and balanced nutrient management. This article highlights key climate-resilient wheat production technologies that enhance yield stability, improve resource-use efficiency, and reduce climate-induced production risks in wheat-growing regions.

Probit analysis is commonly used in concentration dose response bioassays to study mortality or survival. Bioassay data usually show a curved relationship between dose and response, which is difficult to analyze directly. Probit analysis simplifies this by converting response percentages into probit values and relating them to log-transformed doses, resulting in an almost straight-line relationship. This helps in estimating concentrations or doses that produce specific levels of biological effect with good accuracy. The method also provides information on the rate of increase in mortality, variability in responses and how well the data fit the model. These outputs allow reliable comparison of toxicity among different treatments and populations. Because of its simplicity and reliability, probit analysis remains a standard method for analyzing dose?mortality relationships in toxicological and entomological studies.

Sericulture generates large volumes of valuable by-products, particularly silkworm pupae, litter, reeling effluents and plant waste, collectively termed seri-waste. These by-products possess immense nutritional, medicinal and industrial potential, making sericulture a sustainable, zero-waste enterprise. Silkworm pupae are rich in high-quality proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer and metabolic health benefits. Their oils contain beneficial unsaturated fatty acids, while larvae and excreta support biogas production, organic farming and compost enrichment. With the rising global demand for eco-friendly food and agricultural resources, the efficient utilisation of seri-waste offers a promising avenue for enhancing food security, environmental sustainability and rural livelihoods.

The integration of mechanical innovation and digital sensor systems has transformed agricultural productivity and operational efficiency. This review synthesizes contemporary research focusing on three major domains: performance optimization of agricultural machinery, development of digital tachometers for RPM measurement, and comparative evaluations of sensor technologies. Studies indicate significant improvements in fuel economy, reduced crop damage, and accurate, non-contact RPM detection through sensormicrocontroller integration. The review highlights future directions such as IoT-based sensor networks and enhanced digital monitoring for sustainable agricultural mechanization.

Chrysanthemum, a time-honoured flower, is admired not only for its vibrant beauty as an ornamental plant but also for its therapeutic, edible and industrial applications, particularly in East Asian traditional medicine. Its delicate blooms are rich in health-promoting compounds, extending its relevance from ancient remedies to modern wellness products. In Eastern cultures, the chrysanthemum is also a cherished symbol of wealth, good fortune, longevity, and happiness.

Agricultural stubble burning in rice-wheat growing regions generates 7,300 kg CO? emissions per hectare while severely degrading air quality and soil health. This article examines wheat and rice straw utilization for oyster mushroom (Pleurotus species) cultivation as a sustainable alternative. Evidence demonstrates biological efficiencies of 60-85% when substrates are supplemented with nitrogen-rich materials, generating gross revenues of 120,000-250,000 Indian Rupees per 100 m? annually for smallholder farmers. Spent mushroom substrate application enhances soil health through nutrient recycling and organic matter addition. This integrated approach simultaneously addresses environmental degradation, food security, farmer income, and climate change mitigation across major cereal-producing regions.

Amidst the rapid growth of technology, digital marketing has become a revolutionary tool for improving the marketing efficiency of India's agriculture sector. Traditional marketing which has limited reach and multiple intermediaries, restrict price realization and market access by farmers. The use of smartphones and increased internet access has sped up the adoption of digital platforms, allowing for more direct, transparent, and extensive market connections. By decreasing information asymmetry and increasing efficiency, government programs like e-NAM and Agmarknet, as well as commercial platforms like Marketmirchi and Ninjacart, are changing agricultural trading. Digital marketing has the ability to significantly improve agricultural value chains and empower farmers through improved price discovery, lower transaction costs, and increased market options, despite obstacles including poor digital literacy and inadequate infrastructure.