The agricultural sector plays a pivotal role in driving the economy of many developing countries. Any dent in this economical structure may have a severe impact on a country's population. With rising climate change and increasing pollution, the agricultural sector is experiencing significant damage. Over time this cumulative damage will affect the integrity of food crops and create food security issues around the world. Therefore, an early warning system is needed to detect possible stress on food crops. Here we present a review of the recent developments in nanomaterial-based Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) substrates which could be utilized to monitor agricultural crop responses to natural and anthropogenic stress. Initially, our review delves into diverse and cost-effective strategies for fabricating SERS substrates, emphasizing their intelligent utilization across various agricultural scenarios. In the second phase of our review, we spotlight the specific application of SERS in addressing critical food security issues. By detecting nutrients, hormones, and effector molecules in plants, SERS provides valuable insights into plant health. Furthermore, our exploration extends to the detection of contaminants, chemicals, and foodborne pathogens within plants, showcasing the versatility of SERS in ensuring food safety. The cumulative knowledge derived from these discussions illustrates the transformative potential of SERS in bolstering the agricultural economy. By enhancing precision in nutrient management, monitoring plant health, and enabling rapid detection of harmful substances, SERS emerges as a pivotal tool in promoting sustainable and secure agricultural practices. Its integration into agricultural processes not only augments productivity but also establishes a robust defence against potential threats to crop yield and food quality. As SERS continues to evolve, its role in shaping the future of agriculture becomes increasingly pronounced, promising a paradigm shift in how we approach and address challenges in food production and safety.

The soil and groundwater of the Bhagobangola I block of Murshidabad district, West Bengal, India is severely arsenic-contaminated. A bacterium was isolated from the garden soil of the Mahishasthali village, which could tolerate 36.49 mM arsenic (III), 280.44 mM arsenic (V) and 63 mM chromium (III), which makes it arsenic (III and V) and chromium (III) hyper-tolerant bacterium. The growth pattern of this bacterium does not show much alteration in the presence of 10 mM arsenic (III) and chromium (III), emphasizing its resistance to these heavy metals. Scanning electron microscopic analysis depicted this bacterium to be rod-shaped with a size of ~1.45 µm. 16S rDNA sequencing, followed by subsequent phylogenetic analysis, established the identity of this bacterium as Microbacterium paraoxydans. This bacterium is capable of bioremediation of arsenic and showed 30.8% and 35.2% of bioremediation for 1mM and 22.6%, and 30.5% of bioremediation for 4mM arsenite, over a period of 24 and 48 h, respectively. Microbacterium paraoxydans also exhibits potential plant growth-promoting properties such as nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization, indole-3-acetic acid production and production of siderophores. Therefore, the heavy metal resistance, bioremediation potential and plant growth-promoting potential of the bacterium could be utilized not only for reduction in arsenic toxicity in soil and groundwater but also for plant growth promotion.

Opioid use, particularly morphine, is linked to CNS-related disorders, comorbidities, and premature death. Morphine, a widely abused opioid, poses a significant global health threat and serves as a key metabolite in various opioids. Here, we present a turn-off fluorescent sensor capable of detecting morphine with exceptional sensitivity and speed in various samples. The fluorescent sensor was developed through the dimerization process of 7-methoxy-1-tetralone and subsequent demethylation to produce the final product. Despite morphine possessing inherent fluorophoric properties and emitting light in an approximately similar wavelength as the sensor’s fluorescent blue light, the introduction of the target molecule (morphine) in the presence of the sensor caused a reduction in the sensor’s fluorescence intensity, which is attributable to the formation of the sensor–morphine complex. By utilizing this fluorescence quenching sensor, the chemo-selective detection of morphine becomes highly feasible, encompassing a linear range from 0.008 to 40 ppm with an impressive limit of detection of 8 ppb. Consequently, this molecular probe demonstrates a successful application in determining trace amounts of morphine within urine, yielding satisfactory analytical results. The study also explores the effect of several variables on the sensor’s response and optimizes the detection of morphine in urine using a response surface methodology with a central composite design.

Fluazinam a promising fungicide, is not yet registered in India. Consequently it is important to study the dissipation of its specific formulation in Indian soil and water. This study focuses on the degradation and residue dynamics of Fluazinam (40% SC) in different soil types (alluvial, lateritic, coastal saline and black) and water pH (4.0, 7.0, 9.2). Adsorption kinetic models suggested that the half-life period (days) varies among soils following the order lateritic (Jhargram), 54.07 > alluvial (Mohanpur), 45.10 > coastal saline (Canning), 28.33 > black (Pune) 26.18. These differences are attributed to soil pH and organic carbon (OC) content, where higher pH levels reduce pesticide adsorption, leading to quicker dissipation, while higher organic carbon content provides more binding sites, slowing down the process. The first order kinetics explained the dissipation better compared to second order model across all soil types. The study also found that the half-life of was lowest at pH 9.2, as compared to pH 7.0, and very high stability at pH 4.0. Additionally, the study introduces an interactive R-based tool for analysing dissipation kinetics and half-life of different pesticides offering a valuable resource for researchers and stakeholders.

This study aims to understand the biomechanical effect of pedicle-screw fixation with different implant materials on lumbar spine. FE method is used to develop three-dimensional model of lumbar spine (L1-S). Three level pedicle-screw-rod is attached to the model with two different rods: Stainless Steel (SS) and poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK). The implanted models along with intact models are simulated for different physiological conditions such as axial rotation, lateral bending and flexion-extension under ± 6, 8 and 10 Nm moment with 500 N compressive loads. The spinal biomechanics found sensitive to the elastic modulus of the rod material. In case of pedicle screw fixation with SS, the ROM is very less (1.3° for extension and 2.88° for flexion) as compared to natural model. For PEEK rod, ROM is increased 3 to 4 times for axial rotation, 4 to 7 times for lateral bending and 1.8 to 2 times for flexion-extension. SS rods share more load and generate less stress on vertebrae compared and PEEK rods. For pedicle screw fixation, the foramen height does not vary significantly with variation of load and rod materials. SS rods resist the ROM on the implanted region affecting the kinematics of the spine undesirably. The ROM may be improved to some extent by using lower stiffness rod materials like PEEK. However pedicle screw fixation device prevents reducing inter-vertebral foramen height and foramen area, without affected by material stiffness.