Soil and crop management practices affect soil processes, agro-ecosystem functioning and sustainability of agricultural production systems. Organic farming production system is being promoted as a low cost environment friendly production system for, improved human and soil health, better environment, and increased agricultural sustainability. The reviewed literature is in consensus that organic farming, undoubtedly, improves soil quality due to application of organic manures and composts, and adoption of legume-based diversified cropping systems. Conversely, there is also consensus on lower productivity of crops (5–58%) under organic farming than the conventional system though exceptions are there. Despite the lower crop productivity, it may become more profitable if price premiums are available on organic produce. Its role in improving nutritional quality of produce though is debatable; but owing to absence of synthetic inputs organic produce is generally considered to be safer and healthy. The organic farming practices are expected to improve the soil quality over imbalanced and discriminate use of agro-chemical inputs. In sole productivity terms, organic farming may not be a viable farming system but in terms of overall ecosystem services, the system definitely has an edge over the conventional system.

Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers were used to assess the genetic purity and earliness in F1 and F2 population of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) respectively. Experiment was carried out at the Experimental Research Farm of the Department of Vegetable Science, Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, Himachal Pradesh (HP) during the years 2015 and 2016. Experimental material used in the study comprised of Khira-75, a commercial variety grown in low and mid hills of the state (Himachal Pradesh) which is late in flowering and genotype PI-618860, an inbred line collected from North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, USA which is early in flowering and tolerates various biotic stresses. For assessment of genetic purity and earliness the parents Khira-75 and PI-618860 were crossed and F1 and F2 population were raised. Genetic purity studies revealed that one marker CSN 160 was observed to be segregating in the parents as well as the population. Further, scoring of earliness in F2 population revealed promising results using 2 co-dominant SSR00262 and SSR17922 markers, which segregated in the parents and population in correlation with the observed phenotypes.

Combining ability and gene action were studied in diallel design (without reciprocal) using six genotypesnamely Khira-75, UHF-CUC-1, UHF-CUC-2, UHF-CUC-3, Poinsette and PI-618860. Its information is importantfor making breeding plans, general combining ability (GCA) studies revealed that P1-618860, UHF-CUC-1,UHF-CUC-2 and Khira-75 were observed to be good combiners for a number of traits, including yield per plotand per hectare. However, the estimates of specific combining ability (SCA) showed the highest desirableSCA effects in crosses Khira-75 × PI-618860, UHF-CUC-1 × PI-618860 and UHF-CUC-3 × PI-618860 for earliness and other desirable traits including yield per plot and per hectare. Predictability ratio and average degree ofdominance was observed to be less than 1 for most of the horticultural and yield contributing traits indicatingthe importance of non-additive components of variance for improvements of these traits. The results indicatedthe importance of heterosis breeding for effective utilization of non-additive genetic variance in cucumber.

Aims: The study aims to evaluate the effects of organic and natural farming nutrient management practices and paddy straw mulching on the growth, yield, soil fertility, and productivity potential of radish under field conditions. Study Design: A field experiment was conducted using a split-plot design with three replications, comprising five main-plot nutrient management treatments and two sub-plot mulching treatments, over three consecutive growing seasons. Place and Duration of Study: Research Farm, School of Organic and Natural Farming, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, India, during three consecutive growing seasons from 2019 to 2021. Methodology: Radish was evaluated under five nutrient-management treatments, including combined organic and natural farming, natural farming alone, and an unfertilised control, with two mulching treatments. Paddy straw mulch was applied at 8 tonnes per hectare in the relevant mulched treatment. Agronomic observations, including leaf length, number of leaves per plant, root length, root girth, root weight, and root yield were recorded. Soil organic carbon and nutrient availability were also assessed to determine changes in soil fertility. The experiment was replicated three times and data were compared among nutrient management and mulching treatments. Results: The combined organic + natural farming treatment (T₁) recorded the highest mean values for leaf length (37.7 cm), number of leaves per plant (14.8), root length (28.1 cm), root girth (10.9 cm), root weight (216.4 g), and root yield (565.0 q ha⁻¹), outperforming natural farming alone (T₄) and the unfertilised control (T₅). Paddy straw mulch (S₂) at 8 tonnes per hectare significantly improved crop performance, recording mean leaf length of 32.9 cm, 13.6 leaves plant⁻¹, root length of 24.7 cm, root girth of 8.2 cm, root weight of 204.5 g, and root yield of 537.6 q ha⁻¹ compared with non-mulched plots. The combined organic and natural farming practices also improved soil organic carbon and the availability of essential nutrients. Conclusion: Combining organic and natural farming practices, particularly when combined with paddy straw mulch at 8 tonnes per hectare, improved radish growth, root development, yield, and soil fertility. The findings indicated that this integrated approach has strong potential for sustainable and productive radish cultivation under organic and natural farming systems.