This review highlights the potential of vermicompost and its derived products as sustainable and eco-friendly solutions for enhancing production and pest management in grain crops. It assesses their impact comprehensively on crops such as maize, wheat, barley, rice, and pearl millet. Vermicompost improves soil quality, increases nutrient availability, boosts crop productivity, and enhances pest and disease tolerance. It acts as an organic fertilizer, enriching the soil with essential nutrients, humic acids, growth-regulating hormones, and enzymes, improving plant nutrition, photosynthesis, and overall crop quality. Furthermore, vermicompost shows promise in mitigating soil degradation and sequestering organic carbon while demonstrating the potential for pest management, including effectiveness against pests like fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda). This review emphasizes the importance of integrated nutrient management and proper application strategies to maximize the benefits of vermicompost in grain crops. Factors such as the form and timing of application, efficacy against specific pests, and economic viability for different farming scales are discussed. Understanding these factors is crucial for successfully implementing and adopting vermicompost-based pest management strategies in grain crops. This review also explores the potential of vermicomposting as an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution to remediate organic contaminants, emerging contaminants, personal-care and pharmaceutical products, and microplastics. The review further identifies knowledge gaps and highlights the need for future studies to effectively utilize vermicompost and its derived products in cereal production for sustainable agriculture, contributing to global food security.

Structural and ultrastructural changes caused by bioaccumulation of As and Cr in brake fern (Pteris vittata), a known arsenic hyperaccumulator, were investigated. Potted plants of brake fern were exposed to metal treatments of As and Cr for three weeks. Leaf, stem and root samples were collected periodically and fixed for LM (Light Microscopy), SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) and TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) to evaluate anatomical changes. The fresh weights, dry weights, RWC (Relative Water Content) and plant heights were obtained before the brake fern plants were harvested for metal accumulation analysis. The As accumulated mainly in the shoots while Cr accumulated mainly in the roots of the metal-treated plants. Significant changes in the ferns physical characters, including fresh weight, dry weight, RWC, and plant height were observed for only Cr-treated plants but not for As-treated plants. Microscopic studies reveal the Cr accumulation resulted in dehydration and collapse of internal structure of leaves and cellular breakdown of roots. The As-treated plants showed no significant structural changes in leaves, stems and roots compared to control plants. Clotted depositions were observed in roots and stems of plant groups treated with highest concentration of Cr and As when compared to control (T0) group. Our study indicates that Cr has a profound impact on physiology and structure of fern plants. The accumulation of Cr resulted in decrease in growth rate, total biomass and RWC. We believe that brake fern plants can uptake, translocate and sequester As because it caused no significant structural changes in leaves, stems and roots of the plants.

The global spread of Fall Armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda) has posed significant challenges to crop productivity and food security, with current pest management relying heavily on synthetic pesticides. This study explores the green synthesis of neem extract and neem oil-based Azadirachtin nanopesticides using cellulose acetate (CA) as a carrier polymer, focusing on their efficacy against FAW. The objective was to assess whether CA-NEP (neem extract nanopesticides) and CA-NOL (neem oil nanopesticide) formulations were effective at FAW control with minimal ecological impact. The nanopesticides were synthesized by electrospinning at concentrations of 5 %, 10 %, 20 %, 33 %, and 50 % (w/w) and characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Azadirachtin content was quantified using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy. CA-NEP and CA-NOL followed first-order, and Korsmeyer-Peppas release kinetics, respectively. Feeding bioassays showed high FAW mortality rates, with 20 %-50 % CA-NEP achieving greater than 40 % mortality in less than 3 days and 50 % CA-NEP reaching 100 % mortality by day five. The mortality rates of FAW due to feeding on CA-NOL-treated corn leaves reached 40 % after 4 and 6 days, respectively, for 50 % and 33 % CA-NOL. Placing nanopesticide fibers next to corn seeds during planting significantly reduced FAW leaf damage. The lethal dose 50 (LD50) analyses showed that 13 % CA-NEP is the optimal concentration for FAW control. Environmental safety assessments on earthworms showed no acute or chronic toxicity, indicating that the nanopesticides suit ecologically sensitive areas. Therefore, these nanopesticide formulations provide a promising, eco-friendly alternative for sustainable FAW control and management with enhanced efficacy and safety.

Dragon fruit (Hylocereus spp.), an increasingly popular tropical fruit, has attracted global interest because of its distinct appearance, nutritional value, and health advantages. As cultivation has spread from its native Central and South American regions to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, there is an increasing demand for sustainable production approaches to address environmental, economic, and social issues. This study provides current knowledge on three different types of dragon fruits—H. megalanthus, H. undatus, and H. costaricencis—and their biology, agronomic requirements, and worldwide production trends, highlighting the critical need for management solutions. Conventional practices, which frequently rely on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, are compared with new sustainable approaches such as organic amendments, high tunnel systems, and agroforestry. This review examines regional challenges like climate variability, pest and disease issues, and pollination limits and explores innovative solutions to boost production and resilience. Socioeconomic factors, including market trends, farmer education, and policy frameworks, are recognized as key influences on the adoption of sustainable practices. This article highlights important research gaps, including the need for genetic improvement, digital agriculture tools, and strong certification mechanisms. This review integrates diverse views and provides actionable ideas for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to increase productivity, environmental stewardship, and long-term sustainability in dragon fruit agriculture.