Background: Biologically active compounds derived from the many of medicinal plants have become an important source for developing natural products to act as an antioxidant, insecticidal, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. So the current work was aimed to determine the bioactive components present in the leaves of Erythrina variegata by using GC-MS analysis to assess the antioxidant, insecticidal, antimicrobial and antifungal properties. Methods: The laboratory experiment was carried out at the Department of Seed Science and Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore during 2019-2020 to ascertain the phytochemical extraction using different solvents, viz., water, ethanol and hexane by GC-MS analysis of the leaves of Erythrina variegata. Result: GC-MS analysis of aqueous, ethanol and hexane leaf extracts revealed the presence of twenty four, twenty six and twenty two components, respectively. Of the twenty four compounds eluted from the aqueous leaf extract, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)-, 2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl)ethyl ester had the highest peak area of 11.98%, while the lowest was 0.33 % for oleic acid,eicosyl ester and 1,2,3-butanetriol. In the ethanol leaf extract diethyl phthalate had the highest peak area of 35.04% and d-streptamine, O-6-amino-6-deoxy-à-D-glucopyranosyl- (1-4)-O- (3-deoxy-4-C-methyl-3- (methylamino) -á-L-arabinopyranosyl- (1-6) -2-deoxy-with the lowest peak area of 0.40%. Whereas, phenol,2,6-bis (1,1-dimethyl ethyl)- and dasycarpidan-1-methanol, acetate (ester) had the the lowest peak area of 0.20% and 9-octadecenoic acid (Z)-, 2,3-dihydroxypropyl ester exhibited the highest peak area of 13.41%, respectively, in the hexane leaf extract. The results of the present study clearly indicated that the leaf extract of Erythrina variegata possesses potent antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, pesticide, insecticide, insect repellent, larvicidal activity, antibiotic, free radical scavenger, peroxidase substrate, reductant, lipid peroxidase inhibitor, plasticizer, surfactant and emulsifying properties.

Background: Organic farming seems to be one of the best options to offer healthier food and environment in the present situation. However, non availability of promising varieties is a major constraint which inevitably makes us to shift towards traditional varieties. Rice being the major crop grown and consumed in Tamil Nadu, an attempt was made to study the yield potential of different traditional varieties of rice under organic cultivation. Methods: The experiment was conducted during rabi season of 2020-2021 at wetland farms of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The experiment was laid out in RBD with twelve varieties replicated thrice under SRI method. The treatments consisted of twelve traditional varieties viz., Athur Kichili samba, Garudan samba, Illuppaipoo samba, Milagu samba, Poonkar, Sorna masuri, Thooya malli samba, Thanga samba, Kuzhiadichan, Kullakar, Anaikomban and Thulasi vasa samba. Result: The investigation revealed that significantly higher plant height, number of productive tillers, panicle weight, panicle length, fertility percentage were observed in Kuzhiadichan and Anaikomban which eventually led to higher grain and straw yield. The aforementioned varieties have also fetched higher net returns of Rs. 96,476 ha-1 and Rs. 73,893 ha-1, respectively indicating their suitability under organic production system.

Background: Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) D.C.), is unique legume which has numerous phytochemical with distinct properties. So, this research work was performed to explore and quantify the bioactive compound from different extracts of winged bean seeds through GC-MS and to assess the bio-efficacy on cowpea seed to protect them against deterioration and bruchid. Methods: The bioactive compounds of winged bean seed extracts (from different solvents, viz., water, ethanol and hexane) were analysed by GC-MS and the bio-efficacy of identified superlative extract on maintaining the quality of cowpea seed var. VBN 3 was done using accelerated ageing method. Result: The GC-MS results showed the attendance of 30 different compounds in different extracts of the winged bean seeds. Of the different compounds eluted from extract, the ethanolic seed extract revealed the existence of distinct phytocompounds such as d-mannitol,1,4-anhydro-(1.59%), diethyl phthalate (27.21%), n-hexadecanoic acid (4.54%), 9,12-octadecadienoic acid (Z,Z)- (9.71%), oleic acid (14.16%), octadecanoic acid (4.89%), 9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid and 2-phenyl-1,3-dioxan-5-yl ester (1.05%) which possess significant antioxidant and insecticidal properties. Among the different concentration of ethanolic extract, cowpea seeds treated with 2.5% of ethanolic seed extract of winged bean showed the highest germination (94%) and vigour index I (4436) compared to other treatments while the control recorded lowest germination (88%) and vigour index (3572) at initial day. As ageing progresses, seed germination percent and vigour index of 2.5% ethanolic extract treated seeds dropped to 63% and 1845 while, it is 42% and 953 in case of untreated seeds. The bio-efficacy study of ethanolic extract against bruchid revealed the LD90 value (2.5%) of winged bean seed extract. This study clearly shows that ethanolic extract of winged bean seeds have many bioactive compounds with distinct properties that maintain the seed quality under storage.

Background: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is crop of economic importance in global and national scale. India is the greatest producer of quality cotton, the third largest exporter and the second largest consumer. Conventional cotton farming creates environmental pressures and negative impact on public health. Organic farming is the sustainability option in cotton production. Cotton is the energy intensive crop, which uses high amount of input energy to produce seed cotton. Hence, energy budgeting is highly essential for better energy utilization and resource conservation and also measuring the input use efficiency of a farm/agronomic practices is vitally important in present day Indian agriculture. Methods: Sensing the economic importance of cotton, ten number of eco-friendly, ecologically safe organic nutrient management (ONM) practices were framed and field experiment was conducted in split plot design with two main plots (M) and five subplots (S) and replicated thrice. The direct and indirect energy used in different ONM practices were computed and energy coefficients were computed from energy equivalents and that has been used as inputs to generate efficiency coefficients by using an input oriented DEA approach. Result: Energy budgeting on field operation basis reported that, the field preparation and irrigation operation uses most of the energy (in non-renewable forms) which needs attention and there is the scope to find alternative energy conservation systems. Results on input use efficiency reported that the ONM practice, double green manuring followed by cotton and application of well decomposed poultry manure and foliar application of fermented fish extract at 5% concentration at 25 and 35 DAS are 100% efficient in terms of technical CRS, technical VRS, scale, allocative and cost efficiencies. This organic nutrient management practice would produce optimum output from the least amount of input and would be ideal for sustainable cotton production.