Modern high yielding rice varieties have replaced most of the traditional cultivars in recent past.Mushk Budji, is one such short grained landrace known for its aroma and exquisite quality, however, is highly susceptible to blast disease that has led to considerable decline in its area.Mushk Budjiwas crossed to a triple-gene donor line, DHMAS 70Q 164-1b and followed through marker-assisted foreground and background selection in first and second backcross generations that helped to incorporate blast resistance genesPi54, Pi1andPita. Marker-assisted background selection was carried out using 78 SSR and STS markers that helped to reduce linkage drag around the genesPi54, Pi1andPitato 2.74, 4.60 and 2.03 Mb, respectively. The three-gene lines in BC₂F_2:3were genotyped using 50 K SNP chip and revealed more than 92% genome similarity to the RP. 2-D gel assay detected differentially expressing 171 protein spots among a set of backcross derived lines, of which 38 spots showing match score of 4 helped us to calculate the proteome recovery. MALDI-TOF analysis helped to detect four significant proteins that were linked to quality and disease resistance. The improved lines expressed resistance to blast under artificial and natural field conditions.

The effects of brassinosteroid and N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N′-phenylurea either alone or in combination with benzyladenine on bunch parameters viz. bunch weight, berry weight, berry volume, and number of berries per bunch were evaluated on seedless grape variety ‘Tas-A-Ganesh’ (a clone of ‘Thompson Seedless’). The growth regulator treatments were applied by dipping the bunches at either 7 or 15, or both 7 and 15 days after fruit set. The results showed that two dips, i.e., (7th + 15th) days after fruit set were more effective than single dips. The treatments having a combination of either higher or lower concentration of both BR (0.4 ppm) and CPPU (4 ppm) along with brassinosteroid 20 ppm produced maximum bunch weight (371.13 g), berry weight (4.90 g), berry volume (4.22), and number of berries per bunch (90.88).

Stemphylium blight is the most destructive disease of onion crop and poses a grave threat to the very existence of its cultivation in Kashmir. Thirty six (36) isolates of Stemphylium vesicarium (Wallr.) E. Simmons were collected from different locations and characterized for cultural, morphological and pathogenic variations. Isolates produced velvety, cottony or fullfy colonies of different colours like whitish, light to dark grey, olivaceous with greenish tinge and brownish with filliform, entire and undulate margins. Significant variation in colony diameter and sporulation was observed among isolates. Mean hyphal width ranged from 3.11 to 5.48 µm. Conidiophore length varied from 20.07 to 92.56 µm. Similarly, mean conidiophore breadth varied from 2.84 to 7.58 µm. and were either light brown, light brown to brown, brown and dark brown in colour. Conidial colour of isolates varied from light brown, brown, light brown to brown and dark brown and are ovoid, ovoid to oblong and oblong in shape. Transverse septation varied from 0 to 6 and longitudinal from 0 to 5. Average ascus size of isolates varies from 103.74–204.24 × 23.00–33.11 µm. Average ascospore size varied from 12.08–41.96 × 10.06–17.38 µm among the isolates. Transverse and longitudinal septation varied from 3 to 7 and longitudinal from 0 to 6. Ascospores varied in colour from light brown, to dark brown. In shape the ascospores of different isolates were oblong with rounded base and conical apex, oblong with both ends rounded and ellipsoidal. Isolates exhibited variations in incubation period, number, size and colour of the lesions.

Data on 21 quantitative traits were subjected to genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variation, heritability, genetic advance and clustering using D² analysis with group constellation following Tocher's method. Phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation were high for fruit yield (46.58 and 46.55%), fruit length (47.06 and 42.69%) fruit weight (46.53 and 45.17%), pedicel length (38.47 and 37.82%) and TSS (39.62 and 36.1%) and medium to low for other traits. The estimates of heritability and genetic advance were maximum for fruit yield. High heritability estimates accompanied with greater genetic advance were observed for yield, fruit weight, pedicel length and fruit length indicating that these traits may be considered for selecting promising parents. Test genotypes were grouped into four clusters with maximum number of genotypes (6) in cluster I, 2 genotypes in cluster IV and one genotype each in clusters II and III. Highest inter-cluster distance (153.05) was between cluster II and IV, while highest intra-cluster distance was observed in cluster IV (36.24).

In August 2020 chili (Capsicum annuum L.) showing wilt symptoms were collected from different districts of the Kashmir: Pulwama, Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag. From each district one location was selected for sample collection and a total of 23 chili isolates were isolated. The tissue bit technique was used to isolate fungus from the infected samples on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, purified using the single spore technique, maintained at 25⁰±1℃ and then stored at 4° C (Ferniah et al. 2014) . Initially cultural characteristics appeared as white colonies which gradually turned to pale white colored and attained a growth of 90 mm in 18 days of incubation at 25 ± 1°C. Microscopic observations revealed that mycelium was branched and cylindrical, 3.53-4.98 µm in width. Microconidia were ellipsoidal, hyaline, 0-1 septa werepresent, and 6-7 x 3-4 µm in size. Macroconidia were cylindrical, hyaline, 2-6 septa, measuring 20-60 x 40-45 µm in size. Molecular identification of the pathogens with ITS, TEF, and RPB2 was successfully carried out and the fungi was confirmed as Fusarium flocciferum infecting chili. Amplified PCR products were sequenced and were successfully submitted and accessioned in GenBank with accession number OM189458, OM441199, OR484037 for ITS, TEF, and RPB2 gene. To confirm Koch's postulates pathogenicity test was carried out using rhizosphere inoculation technique (Najar et al. 2011, Parihar et al. 2022). In total 7 replications for sand maize meal medium (potting mixture) was prepared by autoclaving 90 g of sand and 10 g of maize meal in 250 ml of erlenmeyer flask comprising 40 ml of distilled water. The spore suspension at 100 µl per pot was inoculated and was mixed with the sterilized potting mixture in a ratio of (2:1) and up to seven days pathogen was allowed to infect the soil (Davey and Papavizas 1962; Hami et al. 2021). Then chili seeds (cv. Kashmir long-1) were sown in infected potting mixture and grown for three weeks to allow the pathogen to infect the host plants. F. flocciferum took six weeks for appearance of symptoms in the infected potted plants. Control mock inoculation of the potting mixture was carried out using water droplets instead of spore suspension at 100 µl per pot. Seven replications were kept for both inoculated and un-inoculated / control mock pots. The plants developed initial symptoms from light green to yellowish discoloration of leaves followed by the drooping, shriveling, and ultimately leading to death. The collar region of the plant was cut vertically and observed that vascular bundles showed brownish spots and discoloration, indicating wilt as the cause of death. The pathogens were re-isolated and inoculated from all infected plants, then compared with their original pure culture inoculated first, which completely resembled based on morphological, cultural, and pathogenic characteristics. No symptoms were observed on control plants. A phylogenetic analysis was also carried out using ClustalW software that grouped the species identified by different genes into different clades. F. flocciferum has been reported earlier in pea, faba bean and bamboo (Kainthola et al. 2022; Šišić et al. 2020) . In solanaceous crops, this species have been explored as wilt pathogens for the first time from India, indicating diversifying nature of Fusarium flocciferum across various hosts including solanaceous crops.