The impact of dumping plastic waste is realized in different ecosystems of the planet. Several methods have been adopted to dispose of these wastes for energy recovery. This study, for the first time, proposed the Box–Behnken design technique to optimize the pyrolysis process parameters for fuel oil production from waste polypropylene (PP) grocery bags using a semibatch-type pyrolytic reactor. The semibatch-type pyrolytic reactor was developed and employed to produce fuel oil from waste PP grocery bags. The effect of different process parameters on fuel oil production was comprehensively analyzed using the response surface methodology (RSM) with the conjunction of the Box–Behnken design (BBD). The BBD facilitates the prediction of the response variables with respect to changes in the input variables by developing a response model. The BBD was used to optimize the process parameters, such as the reaction temperature (400–550 °C), nitrogen flow rate (5–20 mL min⁻¹), and substrate feed rate (0.25–1.5 kg h⁻¹), and their effect on the responses were observed. The optimum response yields of the fuel oil (89.34 %), solid residue (2.74%), and gas yield (7.92%) were obtained with an optimized temperature (481 °C), a nitrogen flow rate (13 mL min⁻¹), and a feed rate (0.61 kg h⁻¹). The quadratic model obtained for the fuel oil response denotes the greater R² value (0.99). The specific gravity and calorific value of the fuel oil were found to be 0.787 and 45.42 MJ kg⁻¹, respectively. The fuel oil had higher research octane number (RON) (100.0 min) and motor octane number (MON) (85.1 min) values. These characteristics of the fuel oil were matched with conventional petroleum fuels. Further, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) were used to analyze the fuel oil, and the results revealed that the fuel oil was enriched with different hydrocarbons, namely, alkane (paraffins) and alkene (olefins), in the carbon range of C₄–C₂₀. These results, and also the fractional distillation of the fuel oil, show the presence of petroleum-range hydrocarbons in the waste PP fuel oil.

Background: Bacterial endophytes live inside the plant tissues and are known to play a crucial role in the functioning of host plants by influencing their physiology and development. Moreover, this group of bacteria could produce secondary metabolites to suppress plant pathogens and also produce compounds to promote plant growth. Methods: In this present study, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was isolated from Oryzae officinalis and screened for antifungal activity against rice sheath blight pathogen, Rhizoctonia solani by dual culture assay. The secondary metabolites produced during the interaction of B. amyloliquefaciens with R. solani were characterized with pathogen-inoculated control and antagonist inoculated control through Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrophotometry (GC-MS). Result: The isolated Bacillus amyloliqufaciens displayed antagonistic activity against Rhizoctonia solani which showed a 63% inhibiton in the mycelial growth of R. solani over control. Analysis of secondary metabolites from the zone of inhibition, confirmed the presence of unique biomolecules including -Propanamine, N,N,2-trimethyl, 1(2H)-Naphthalenone, 3,4-dihydro-6,7-dimethyl, Diethyl Phthalate, Dichloroacetic acid tridecyl ester, Hexadecen-1-ol trans-9, Glycine N-(N-glycyl-L-leucyl) and 2,6,10-Dodecatrien-1-ol, 3,7,11-trimethyl of antifungal and antimicrobial nature.

Genotype-environment interaction (GEI) plays a critical role in genotype adaptation, making it essential for selecting stable, widely adapted genotypes for cultivation. GEI estimation enables the identification of genotypes that perform consistently across diverse conditions. Models and stability indices derived from fixed-effect and/or mixed-effect models are frequently utilized for analyzing GEI and selecting genotypes. In this study, thirty hybrids developed through a diallele fashion, along with two checks, were grown across three environments during kharif 2023. Analysis of variance revealed significant contributions from the environment and GEI, alongside genotypic effects for eight traits studied, covering flowering, plant architecture and yield. Plot yield (t/ha) was subjected to additive main effects and multiplicative interaction effects (AMMI) analysis to study the stability and genotype interactions with the environment. The first two principal components (PCs) of AMMI analysis explained 69.1% and 30.9% of the total variation, respectively, identifying stable hybrids such as MH-TN-15 and MH-TN-30. The Genotype-genotype×environment (GGE) biplot further highlighted the adaptability and stability of all the genotypes, with the first two PCs explaining 86.11% of the G+GE variation. A multi-trait stability index (MTSI) was employed to select stable and high-performing genotypes across multiple traits. A comprehensive analysis of all the genotypes through various indices showed that hybrids MH-TN-15 and MH-TN-30 were consistently selected as stable and high-yielding genotypes across all indices, demonstrating higher yields than check hybrids and being identified for cultivation. These methods underscore the importance of combining yield and stability metrics for effective genotype selection in varied environments.

Thrips, particularly Scirtothrips dorsalis (Hood) (Thripidae: Thysanoptera), are major sucking pests of chilli, with their populations varying throughout crop growth period depending on seasonal conditions. Field experiments were carried out during the rabi and kharif seasons of 2024 in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu to study the population dynamics of susceptible and resistant chilli plants about weather parameters. In the rabi season, thrips infestation began in the second week of January and continued till March 2024. The peak population was recorded during the flowering stage in the 6th Standard Meteorological Week (SMW), with 4.73 thrips per three leaves in the susceptible entry IC-537583 and 2.73 thrips in the resistant IC-344364 at 75 days after transplanting (DAT). The associated weather conditions included 32 °C maximum temperature, 22 °C minimum temperature, 84 % maximum relative humidity, 41 % minimum relative humidity, 5.0 km/h wind speed, no rainfall and 4.07 sunshine hours. The thrips population declined at crop maturity, with 3.53 thrips in IC-537583 and 1.87 thrips in IC-344364. During the kharif season, initial thrips populations were recorded at the 28th SMW, peaking at the 32nd SMW, with lower populations of 3.73 thrips in IC-537583 and 1.33 thrips in IC-344364, primarily due to heavy rainfall from July to September. Correlation analysis showed that thrips incidence was positively correlated with maximum temperature, sunshine hours and wind speed in the first season. In contrast, minimum temperature, rainfall and relative humidity (both maximum and minimum) had a negative correlation. In the second season, maximum and minimum temperatures, maximum relative humidity and sunshine hours positively influenced the thrips population, whereas minimum relative humidity and rainfall had a negative impact. Multiple regression analysis accounted for 73 % and 64 % variation in thrips population during rabi and 64 % and 48 % during kharif.

Grain storage leads to significant losses due to insect pests, degrades grain quality and increases the risk of mould infestations. The cigarette beetle (Lasioderma serricorne) and the rice moth (Corcyra cephalonica) are cosmopolitan pests that attack various dried plant products, including grains like rice, sorghum, maize and cotton seed. In organic grain storage, synthetic pesticides are prohibited due to their toxicity. As an alternative, essential oils from aromatic plants have shown promise. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.) oil, particularly, has demonstrated insecticidal properties against stored insect pests. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of cinnamon oil against L. serricorne and C. cephalonica adults. Cinnamon oil was extracted from cinnamon bark and analyzed using GC–MS, identifying (E)- Cinnamaldehyde (51.16 %), acetic acid and cinnamyl ester (9.67 %) as the primary compounds. The contact toxicity of the cinnamon oil was tested against adult L. serricorne and C. cephalonica at concentrations ranging from 80 to 400 µL/cm². The results showed that higher oil concentrations and longer exposure durations significantly increased toxicity. The LC50 values for L. serricorne were 260.65, 149.15 and 98.67 µL/cm² after 24, 48 and 72 hrs, respectively. For C. cephalonica, the LC50 values were 285.60, 160.08 and 109.33 µL/cm² at the same time intervals. The LT50 values at 400 µL/cm² were 20.34 hrs for L. serricorne and 21.43 hrs for C. cephalonica. Cinnamon oil proved highly effective, suggesting its potential as a botanical insecticide for managing these pests with minimal environmental impact.