Browsing by Author "Ashrut Singhal"

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Biochar Enhancing Soil Resilience: A Dual Strategy for Mitigating Heavy Metal Contamination and Drought Stress
(AMG Transcend Association, 2024) Sneha Lohar; Poonam Kumari; Anuj Sharma; Vanisha Godara; Varad Nagar; Monika Kumari Prajapati; Ashrut Singhal; Vaibhav Sharma; Rohit Kumar Verma; Mahipal Singh Sankhla
Drought and heavy metals are abiotic stressors that affect soil fertility and plant growth excessively and have significant toxic consequences, threatening agricultural sustainability. Plants ' accumulation of heavy metals in soil uptake leads to disrupting physiochemical and biochemical metabolisms. Biochar has attracted major attention for potential and sustainable soil amendment. Biochar is a complex carbon-rich organic substance whose properties vary depending on the manufacturing process and feedstock. Application of biochar reduces drought stress by increasing the water holding capacity through modification of soil properties, helps in the retention of moisture, absorbs heavy metals, inhibits harmful bacteria, improves soil pH, and also significantly modifies the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) scavenging enzymes and provide an efficient electron transferring mechanism to reduce the toxic effects in plants. The review focuses on the effects of drought and heavy metals on soil fertility and plant growth, biochar counteracting the drought and as a soil improver, and the various direct and indirect interaction mechanisms of biochar with the soil. This article also focuses on the potential role of biochar in ameliorating drought and heavy metal stress. © 2024 by the authors.
Exploring the Adverse Impact of Pesticides in Honey Bees and Their Virulence
(AMG Transcend Association, 2024) Poonam Kumari; Sneha Lohar; Vanisha Godara; Monika Kumari Prajapati; Varad Nagar; Ashrut Singhal; Badal Mavry; Pritam P. Pandit; Anuj Sharma; Abhishek R. Rai; Rohith Krishna; Mahipal Singh Sankhla
Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) significantly enhance seed production, fruit set, and yield through pollination. However, the world is facing a major challenge of honey bee loss due to the excessive use of pesticides facilitated by technological advancements. Pesticides are harmful to pollinators and can cause lethal and sublethal effects through dermal contact, ingestion, or inhalation of contaminated air. Pesticide exposure in agricultural fields has led to honey bee toxicity, which affects their neurophysiological and immune systems and, consequently, their life cycle. This toxicity also leads to contamination of bee products, which can negatively impact human health, affecting the nervous and digestive systems, among others. While there is limited knowledge about the impact of pesticides on wild honey bees, it is crucial to understand this to guide agricultural practices and legislation aimed at safeguarding these important pollinators. It is, therefore, essential to take major steps to control pesticide toxicity in honey bees and prevent further harm. © 2024, AMG Transcend Association. All rights reserved.