Recent outbreak of geogenic arsenic (As) contamination in the Gangetic Delta basin of Bihar drew due attention of researchers as prolonged consumption of As-contaminated drinking water and food leads to arsenicosis, with the symptoms of pigmentation and keratosis in human. Although some information on As content in rice grain grown on contaminated soil is available specific to some areas of Bihar, practically no such information is available on wheat and maize crops. The present field experiment was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of organic amendments in reducing the availability of As in contaminated soils, followed by its uptake by wheat and maize. Accumulation of total As in wheat and maize grains varied from 0.02 to 0.11 mg kg⁻¹ and from 0.23 to 0.29 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, whereas available As in post-harvest soil varied from 1.07 to 1.33 mg kg⁻¹ for wheat and from 1.10 to 1.24 mg kg⁻¹ for maize. The organic amendments reduced the As accumulation in wheat grain to the extent of 84% (sugarcane bagasse (SB)), 50% (rice straw) and 40% (paddy husk (PH)) compared with control. Similarly, As content in maize grain was the lowest in SB-treated soil followed by rice straw and PH. Solubility-free ion activity model, based on pH, organic carbon and Olsen extractable As, was effective in predicting the As uptake by wheat and maize grains to the extent of 75% and 87%, respectively. Impact of organics in reducing health hazard for intake of As through consumption of wheat and maize grains grown on contaminated soil was also reflected in the values of the corresponding hazard quotient (HQ).

Lantana camara is weed with a wide range of chemical constituents, including primary and secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and terpenoids. These compounds contribute to its medicinal and pesticidal potential. The essential oils and different solvent fractions derived from L. camara exhibit notable variations in their respective chemical compositions across various plant parts, spatial distributions, and interspecific comparisons. The principal components, notably lantadene A, lantadene B, lantadene C, lantadene D, β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, and several others, constitute a significant portion of the essential oil derived from the leaves and flowers. Researchers have discovered that L. camara oil exhibits potent insecticidal activity against a range of pests, with variations in potency observed across different seasons due to changes in chemical composition. In addition to the essential oils, solvent extracts of L. camara, primarily methanolic extracts of the leaves of this species, demonstrate considerable potential as fumigant and contact toxins for stored grain pests. However, these have been comparatively less characterized with respect to their insecticidal properties, particularly in comparison to the essential oils. Molecular docking studies have demonstrated that phytochemical compounds present in the plants interfere with the activity of several enzymes that are responsible for the growth and survival of insects. For example, compounds such as β-caryophyllene and linalool exhibited a high binding affinity to AChE, thereby enhancing its neurotoxic effects. In conclusion, this review identifies L. camara as a natural insecticide with a complex set of modes of action attributed to its rich phytochemical profile. The integration of traditional knowledge with modern molecular techniques might expose avenues for the sustainable management of pests and control, ultimately making L. camara a key resource for such applications. Further studies are necessary to characterize such bioactive compounds and their uses in controlling pests in agricultural operations.