Biochar and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can promote plant growth, improve soil properties, and maintain microbial activity. The effects of biochar and AMF on plant growth, root morphological traits, physiological properties, and soil enzymatic activities were studied in spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of biochar and AMF on the growth of spinach. Four treatments, a T1 control (soil without biochar), T2 biochar alone, T3 AMF alone, and T4 biochar and AMF together, were arranged in a randomized complete block design with five replications. The biochar alone had a positive effect on the growth of spinach, root morphological traits, physiological properties, and soil enzymatic activities. It significantly increased the plant growth parameters, such as the shoot length, leaf number, leaf length, leaf width, shoot fresh weight, and shoot dry weight. The root morphological traits, plant physiological attributes, and soil enzymatic activities were significantly enhanced with the biochar alone compared with the control. However, the combination of biochar and AMF had a greater impact on the increase in plant growth, root morphological traits, physiological properties, and soil enzymatic activities compared with the other treatments. The results suggested that the combined biochar and AMF led to the highest levels of spinach plant growth, microbial biomass, and soil enzymatic activity.

Water deficit in crops induces a stress that may ultimately result in low production. Identification of response of genotypes towards water deficit stress is very crucial for plant phenotyping. The study was carried out with the objective to identify the response of different rice genotypes to water deficit stress. Ten rice genotypes were grown each under water deficit stress and well watered or non-stress conditions. Thermal images coupled with visible images were recorded to quantify the stress and response of genotypes towards stress, and relative water content (RWC) synchronized with image acquisition was also measured in the lab for rice leaves. Synced with thermal imaging, Canopy reflectance spectra from same genotype fields were also recorded. For quantification of water deficit stress, Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) was computed and its mode values were extracted from processed thermal imageries. It was ascertained from observations that APO and Pusa Sugandha-5 genotypes exhibited the highest resistance to the water deficit stress or drought whereas CR-143, MTU-1010 and Pusa Basmati-1 genotypes ascertained the highest sensitiveness to the drought. The study reveals that there is an effectual relationship (R² = 0.63) between RWC and CWSI. The relationship between canopy reflectance spectra and CWSI was also established through partial least square regression technique. A very efficient relationship (Calibration R²= 0.94 and Cross-Validation R²= 0.71) was ascertained and 10 most optimal wavebands related to water deficit stress were evoked from hyperspectral data resampled at 5nm wavelength gap. The identified ten most optimum wavebands can contribute in the quick detection of water deficit stress in crops. This study positively contributes towards the identification of drought tolerant and drought resistant genotypes of rice and may provide valuable input for the development of drought-tolerant rice genotypes in future.

More than three billion people worldwide suffer from iron deficiency associated anemia and an equal number people suffer from zinc deficiency. These conditions are more prevalent in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In developing countries, children under the age of five with stunted growth and pregnant or lactating women were found to be at high risk of zinc and iron deficiencies. Biofortification, defined as breeding to develop varieties of staple food crops whose grain contains higher levels of micronutrients such as iron and zinc, are one of the most promising, cost-effective and sustainable ways to improve the health in resource-poor households, particularly in rural areas where families consume some part of what they grow. Biofortification through conventional breeding in wheat, particularly for grain zinc and iron, have made significant contributions, transferring important genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) from wild and related species into cultivated wheat. Nonetheless, the quantitative, genetically complex nature of iron and zinc levels in wheat grain limits progress through conventional breeding, making it difficult to attain genetic gain both for yield and grain mineral concentrations. Wheat biofortification can be achieved by enhancing mineral uptake, source-to-sink translocation of minerals and their deposition into grains, and the bioavailability of the minerals. A number of QTLs with major and minor effects for those traits have been detected in wheat; introducing the most effective into breeding lines will increase grain zinc and iron concentrations. New approaches to achieve this include marker assisted selection and genomic selection. Faster breeding approaches need to be combined to simultaneously increase grain mineral content and yield in wheat breeding lines.