Iodine deficiency occurs when iodine levels in the soil are inadequate, resulting in limited crop uptake and, as a result, a population with insufficient iodine intake. Iodine deficiency can be avoided by biofortifying commonly consumed crops with iodine. A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of iodine biofortification on the nutrient uptake of fruits and plants of ‘shivam’ hybrid tomato. Potassium iodate and chitosan were applied in the form of soil, foliar, and chitosan iodate complex with control comprising 16 treatments (T1 to T16) at different stages of plant growth. Iodine accumulation in tomato fruits and plants was achieved by combining foliar and iodine chitosan forms as electrostatic interaction between chitosan and iodate prevents volatilization and gradually increases the bioavailability of iodine from soil to fruits. Biofortification of iodine throughT14- Chitosan-KIO3Complex (CsKIO3) - (SA)-10Kgha-1 + FA-KIO3-0.3% @ 60 and 90 DAT the iodine content in tomato fruit at green (0.95ppm), pink (1.01ppm) and red ripen (0.99ppm) stages of tomato and introducing it in present-day daily diet may help to reduce iodine deficiency disorder. Iodine biofortification also influenced the uptake of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in plants and fruits of tomatoes.

When iodine levels in the soil are inadequate, resulting in limited crop uptake and as a result, a population with insufficient iodine intake. Iodine deficiency can be avoided by biofortifying commonly consumed crops with iodine. Tomato is the best crop for biofortification study as it is having the capacity to store excess iodine in pholoem. The field experiment was carried out in Thondamuthur block of Viraliyur village at Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu in 2021. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of biofortication of iodine in residual tomato growth, yield, quality and iodine content. Potassium iodate and Chitosan were applied in the form of soil, foliar and Chitosan iodate complex at different stages of plant growth. The results revealed that the soil fertilization of potassium iodate alone resulted in lower uptake of residual iodine in fruits because the iodine was susceptible to high volatilization and less phyto-availability. While foliar spray alone increased the residual iodine content in roots and stem. However, residual higher iodine accumulation in the tomato fruits was achieved through the combination of foliar and iodine Chitosan forms. As electrostatic interaction between Chitosan and iodate prevents volatilization and gradually increases the bioavailability of iodine from soil to fruits. Based on the discussion, biofortification of iodine through potassium iodate Chitosan complex paved the way for the improvement of growth, yield, quality and iodine content in fruits. Hence, biofortification of iodine through iodate Chitosan complex increased the iodine content in tomato fruit and introducing it in our daily diet may be helpful to reduce iodine deficiency disorder.

Robotics in agriculture revolutionizes conventional farming and improvises its efficiency, precision, and sustainability. This chapter explores advancements in UAV-based pesticide and herbicide applications, automated pest and weed control, planting to harvesting tactics emphasizing efficacy, spray deposition, and environmental impact compared to traditional methods. On the other hand, smart waste management strategies, including sensor-based monitoring and AI-driven analytics, facilitate the efficient recycling of agricultural waste and prevent environmental degradation. Despite these advancements, challenges persist, including regulatory constraints, high initial costs, and the need for field-specific calibration of robotics for optimized performance. Overall, UAV technology and robotics, coupled with AI and precision agriculture, present a transformative solution for modern agriculture, balancing productivity with environmental stewardship.

An iodine biofortification experiment was conducted by applying potassium iodate fertilizer in soil and foliar form and chitosan complex forms to investigate the growth, yield, quality and uptake of iodine in shivam hybrid of tomato in Palaviduthi soil series of Coimbatore region. Soil fertilization alone resulted in lower uptake of iodine in fruits because the iodine is susceptible to high volatilization and less phytoavailability and also resulted in less yield and poor quality of fruits. When the chitosan and potassium iodate were applied in combination through foliar form, the quality of the fruits was found to be superior (carotene-1.24 mg 100gm^-1 ascorbic acid- 3.56 mg 100gm^-1, titrable acidity-0.96%), with higher fruit yield (94.81 t ha^-1) and uptake of iodine in fruits (0.99ppm). Potassium iodate alone, either in the form of soil or foliar application, increased the quality of fruits, but it did not prevent the loss of various pigments and acids during ripening and also the loss of iodine through volatilization. But chitosan conserved the losses by reducing the respiration rate and oxygen permeability. Further, chitosan formed an electrostatic interaction with potassium iodate, preventing volatilisation and gradually increasing the bioavailability of iodine from soil to fruits. Hence biofortifying iodine in the form of potassium iodate chitosan complex was preferred for enhancing yield, improving quality and increasing the iodine content in fruits.

Soil fertility is commonly evaluated using chemical analysis, a process that is costly and tedious. As a result, it is not feasible for precise fertilizer management tailored to individual sites. Soil fertility evaluation with artificial intelligence (AI) is a promising topic that uses machine learning algorithms such as decision tree, random forest, K nearest neighbor and artificial neural network along with data analytics approaches to analyze soil health and forecast fertility. Computer vision methods, when combined with remote cameras that capture high-quality images of soil samples to extract information on physical and chemical properties that are efficient and do not require physical touch. The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) with computer vision technology brings about a significant transformation in the assessment of soil fertility. This combination improves agricultural sustainability and productivity with accurate, fast, and adaptive solutions. This advanced technology helps farmers and others make educated decisions to improve soil quality, Crop production, and environmental management. This chapter will provide an insight into the research community about the importance of artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies for soil fertility evaluation. The chapter explores additional areas for enhancement of the current investigation and proposes potential avenues for future studies. <!----> <!----> <!----> <!---->

Background: Even though iodine is not an essential micronutrient for the plant, it is very much needed for a person's mental and physical development. Due to the presence of negative charge on iodine it is highly susceptible to leaching. Further iodine is also highly prone to volatilization loss due to biochemical and physiochemical properties of soil leading to iodine deficiency. Agronomic biofortification of iodine is one of the ways to address iodine deficiency globally. Numerous studies have focused on the process by which plants absorb iodine from the soil, but there is still paucity of knowledge on stability of biofortified iodine in fruits. Methods: In our work, we assessed iodine bioavailability (Cooking, soaking and digestion) in tomato fruit from different sources of chitosan and potassium iodate alone and combinations using main and residual crop trials. The field experiment was carried out in Thondamuthur block of Viraliyur village at Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu in 2021. Potassium iodate and chitosan were applied in the form of soil, foliar, and chitosan iodate complex at different stages of plant growth. Results: The results suggested that combination and potassium iodate and chitosan complex has increased the iodine stability in fruits of main crop and also retained the iodine in residual crop. As electrostatic interaction between chitosan and iodate prevents volatilization and gradually stabilizes the bioavailability of iodine in fruits. Our findings offer more details on iodine mobility and behaviour in fruits when it is used alone and combination with chitosan at different rates.