Fluxametamide, a novel isoxazoline insecticide, is newly registered for the control of various lepidopteran, coleopteran and thysanopteran insect pests on lethal and sublethal levels. In the present study, the toxicity and sublethal effects of fluxametamide on diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (L.), an invasive lepidopteran foliage feeder of cruciferous vegetables, were assessed to explore its bio-ecological impact on pest populations. The toxicity of fluxametamide to the third instar larvae of P. xylostella was 0.18 mg L⁻¹ (LC₅₀) at 72 h bioassay. After treatment with LC₁₀ and LC₃₀ concentrations of fluxametamide, the fourth instar larval duration, the rate of deformed pupa and adults, and the adult pre-oviposition period were significantly increased, whereas the pupation rate and pupal weight were significantly decreased in the F₀ generation. In the F₁ generation, sublethal effects of fluxametamide were indicated by a reduced fecundity, rate of pupation and adult emergence, pupal weight, and adult longevity, however a significant increase in eggs and total larval duration, deformed adults rate, and total longevity and pre-oviposition period was observed in the offspring. The intrinsic rate of increase (r), finite rate of increase (λ) and net reproductive rate (R₀) of sublethal treatments were significantly lower than the control. The relative fitness of F₁ was 0.68 and 0.64 in LC₁₀ and LC₃₀ treatments, respectively. The LC₃₀ fluxametamide treatment exhibited increased glutathione S-transferase activities (elevated 1.433-fold) in P. xylostella. Our results suggest that in addition to its high lethal toxicity, the sublethal concentrations of fluxametamide might suppress the reproduction, development and survival of the P. xylostella population and its progeny, which can help to optimize integrated pest management program.

Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), a fruit-bearing shrub with extensive genetic and geographical diversity, effectively takes its place among several other significant global fruit crops. The global demand for pomegranate is increasing consistently since this fruit has recently been merited with the status of a ‘super fruit’; apart from its other culinary and medicinal (both ethnomedical and modern) uses. Thus, researchers from different parts of the world have been trying to standardise agro-technical, in vitro-biotechnological and molecular-marker-assisted technologies for enhanced production, superior plant protection, post-harvest management, and genetic improvement of pomegranate, grown in various agro-climatic zones. Upon realising this context, the present review was framed after an extensive groundwork, carried out on 250 published scientific articles, reports, bulletins, and web pages extracted from various scientific (CeRA, Google Scholar, JGate, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) and public (Google and Bing) domains, in order to summarise most of the recent advancements in botanical, ethno-medicinal uses, agro-technological advancements, post-harvest management and molecular characterisation of pomegranate. This review further includes surveys on multiple technologies, along with their achievements and demerits that need immediate attention of the pomegranate researchers for sustainable improvement of this fruit crop, with immense medicinal value.

Bombai’ is a popular litchi variety of West Bengal but susceptible to fruit cracking which reduces the market price. Till now numbers of research trial conducted in litchi with different chemicals but reports on impact of application of brassinolide in reduction of fruit cracking maintaining quality attributes are limited. Therefore, an experiment was conducted during January-May of 2019–20 at the Experimental Farm of Horticultural Research station, Mondouri, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidayala, Nadia, West Bengal, India to evaluate the effect of different dose of brassinolide on fruit yield, quality and reduction of cracking in litchi. The experiment was laid out in randomized block design comprising five treatments of brassinolide [T1: Brassinolide (0.5 mg l-1), T2: Brassinolide (1.0 mg l-1), T3: Brassinolide (1.5 mg l-1), T4: Brassinolide (2.0 mg l-1) and T5: Control (water spray)] with four replication/treatment. The solutions were applied two times; first before anthesis and another at 15 days after anthesis. Result revealed that brassinolide increased the number of fruits per panicle and significantly increased individual fruit weight, length, diameter, and yield. Among different treatments, brassinolides at 1 mg l-1 (two-time application i.e., 15 days before and after anthesis) is identified to be superior considering all qualitative aspects i.e., maximum fruit weight (26.40 g), fruit length (5.15 cm) and yield (95.88 kg plant-1). This treatment also exhibited maximum TSS (21.22°Brix), total sugar (14.11%), ascorbic acid (37.42 mg 100 g-1) and anthocyanin (23.13 mg 100 g-1) content with minimum (9.12%) fruit cracking. The control treatments registered minimum values for all parameters.