Glutathione (GSH) is an abundant tripeptide that can enhance plant tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress. Its main role is to counter free radicals and detoxify reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in cells under unfavorable conditions. Moreover, along with other second messengers (such as ROS, calcium, nitric oxide, cyclic nucleotides, etc.), GSH also acts as a cellular signal involved in stress signal pathways in plants, directly or along with the glutaredoxin and thioredoxin systems. While associated biochemical activities and roles in cellular stress response have been widely presented, the relationship between phytohormones and GSH has received comparatively less attention. This review, after presenting glutathione as part of plants’ feedback to main abiotic stress factors, focuses on the interaction between GSH and phytohormones, and their roles in the modulation of the acclimatation and tolerance to abiotic stress in crops plants.

The rice–wheat cropping system (RWCS) has substantially contributed in making India self-sufficient in food grain production; however, rice residue management is of great concern, threatening the sustainability of this system. Rice residue is invariably disposed of by farmers through open burning. In addition to environmental pollution, residue burning of rice also leads to loss of soil nutrients. One of the alternatives to overcome these problems and sustain the RWCS is managing the rice residues in the field itself. Rice residue retention has variable effects on agricultural pests (namely, weeds, insect pests, diseases, and rodents) in the RWCS. High weed infestation in the RWCS results in high consumption of herbicides, which leads to several ecological problems and evolution of herbicide resistance. The shift from intensive tillage to conservation tillage causes major changes in weed dynamics and herbicide efficacy. Incorporation of rice residue reduces weed density and helps in improving soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Rice residue retention on the surface or mulching reduces weed density and the biomass of both grass and broadleaf weeds in wheat crop as compared to its removal. Long-term field studies involving the use of rice residue as a component of integrated weed management strategies are needed to be done in the RWCS.

In agriculture, energy is an essential input required to enhance crop productivity as well as to ensure food and nutritional security. Any cropping system is considered to be ideal, if it provides more energy output per unit input of energy. Farming and cultivation of crop plants is in a constant process of conversion of energy through the biological process of plant photosynthesis which includes conversion of solar energy into food, feed, fibre and so on. Due to low input requirements of pulses than cereals, pulses are considered as low energy input crops but being indeterminate has certain physiological disorders. The present experiment emphasised on investigating the proper and efficient use of energy for the mungbean production. The energy flow of sixteen different treatments comprising of control (with and without water spray), mepiquat chloride (MC) 200 and 300 ppm applied at 30 DAS, single or double application of 0.5% ZnSO₄ applied at 35 DAS or 35 and 45 DAS, single or double application of 0.2% borax applied at 35 DAS or 35 and 45 DAS and combination of MC + ZnSO₄ and MC + borax, was carried out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. Maximum output of energy, its use efficiency, and productivity were obtained with MC300 or 200 ppm + 0.5% ZnSO₄ at 35 and 45 DAS followed by ZnSO₄ @ 0.5% at 35 and 45 DAS. Thus, it can be concluded that under excessive vegetative growth conditions, MC 300 ppm + double application of 0.5% ZnSO₄ at 35 and 45 DAS can be recommended, otherwise, sole application of ZnSO₄ @ 0.5% applied twice at 35 and 45 DAS, also proved to be energy productive and efficient.