Browsing by Author "Sudhir Kumar"

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Biofertilizers-mediated sustainable plant growth and production under adverse environmental conditions
(Springer International Publishing, 2021) Swetika Porwal; Akhilesh Kumar Singh; Ashok Kumar Yadav; Sudhir Kumar; Paras Porwal
Globally, an unprecedented transformation in climatic conditions has substantially influenced the plants ability to adapt to changing climatic conditions. The alteration in the climatic environments has been caused owing to the combined outcome of increased population, urbanization, and globalization. The chemical-based fertilizers as well as pesticides were used to attain the maximum yield of crops because of limited land resources. However, continuous and over exploitation of these fertilizers, pesticides, and biocides cause detrimental impact on the plant health, productivity and soil texture (due to heavy metal contamination), including natural microbiota of the ecosystem (bacteria, fungi, cyanobacteria, protozoan in rhizosphere), and cause inequity in natural ecosystem. Consequently, there is an instant requirement towards the sustainable methodology for agriculture so as to not only overcome the issue of chemical fertilizers but also accomplish global food security for increasing population. This chapter is an attempt to summarize the various beneficial microbes as biofertilizers/biopesticide together with their role in improving the plant growth and yield under adverse environment. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021.
Biotechnological Interventions in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) for Drought Stress Tolerance: Achievements and Future Prospects
(MDPI, 2022) Ram Krishna; Waquar Akhter Ansari; P.S. Soumia; Akhilesh Yadav; Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal; Sudhir Kumar; Achuit Kumar Singh; Major Singh; Jay Prakash Verma
Tomato production is severely affected by abiotic stresses (drought, flood, heat, and salt) and causes approximately 70% loss in yield depending on severity and duration of the stress. Drought is the most destructive abiotic stress and tomato is very sensitive to the drought stress, as cultivated tomato lack novel gene(s) for drought stress tolerance. Only 20% of agricultural land worldwide is irrigated, and only 14.51% of that is well-irrigated, while the rest is rain fed. This scenario makes drought very frequent, which restricts the genetically predetermined yield. Primarily, drought disturbs tomato plant physiology by altering plant–water relation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Many wild tomato species have drought tolerance gene(s); however, their exploitation is very difficult because of high genetic distance and pre- and post-transcriptional barriers for embryo development. To overcome these issues, biotechnological methods, including transgenic technology and CRISPR-Cas, are used to enhance drought tolerance in tomato. Transgenic technology permitted the exploitation of non-host gene/s. On the other hand, CRISPR-Cas9 technology facilitated the editing of host tomato gene(s) for drought stress tolerance. The present review provides updated information on biotechnological intervention in tomato for drought stress management and sustainable agriculture. © 2022 by the authors.
Decoding the role of hypothetical protein All3255 of Anabaena PCC7120 in heavy metal stress management in Escherichia coli
(Springer Verlag, 2018) Prashant Kumar Singh; Mengmeng Tang; Sudhir Kumar; Alok Kumar Shrivastava
Cadmium is a non-essential toxic heavy metal for organisms, including plants and cyanobacteria. Cadmium resistance transporters involved in resistance of cells against various toxicants such as drugs and effluxes cytotoxic compounds from cells. However, cadmium resistance-associated protein (CadD) has never been reported from a diazotrophic cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. To test whether the hypothetical protein All3255 of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 a homolog of cadmium resistance-associated protein (CadD) involved in cadmium or heavy metal resistance or not, cloning and heterologous expression analysis of all3255 performed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). Our results revealed that the strain transformed with pGEX-5X-2 + all3255 showed resistant towards not only to cadmium but also other heavy metals such as nickel, copper, zinc, lead and cobalt in addition to arsenic than those of transformed with empty vector (pGEX-5X-2). Furthermore, the results of metal accumulation analysis of these cells unveil a lower accumulation of tested heavy metals in all3255-overexpressing E. coli cells than those transformed with empty vector. This study strongly supports the role of All3255 of Anabaena sp. PCC7120 as a CadD efflux pump of heavy metals in E.coli. © 2017, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
Exploitation of heterosis and combining ability for yield and its contributing traits in crosses of two-row and six-row barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) under rainfed environment
(Society for Plant Research, 2014) S.S. Bornare; L.C. Prasad; J.P. Lal; A.H. Madakemohekar; R. Prasad; Jaswant Singh; Sudhir Kumar
Combining ability for grain yield and its components in barley was studied in a set of four females (Testers 6 rowed), six males (lines 2 rowed) and their resultant F1’s with standard check k-603. Twenty two crosses, excluding BCU -4925 x K-603 and BCU-4922 x Karan-16, showed significant positive economic heterosis for grain yield per plant. Analysis for variance for combining ability analysis revealed that the variance due to General Combining Ability (GCA) and Specific Combing Ability (SCA) were highly significant for most of the traits studied. The estimated value of σ2A was higher than its σ2D for plant height and thousand seed weight which indicated the predominance of additive gene action as the ratio of σ2A/σ2D was more than unity, while rest of the traits showed preponderance of non-additive gene action. The value of average degree of dominance for plant height and thousand seed weight indicated partial dominance while rest of the traits viz., chlorophyll content, spike length, awn length, number of effective tillers, number of grains per spike, harvest index and grain yield per plant showed over-dominance. Two male parents (BCU-4925 and BCU-4927) and one male parent (Lakhan) had significant and positive effect for grain yield per plant. Five crosses were found to be good specific combiners for grain yield with maximum SCA effect in cross BCU-4922 x Lakhan. © 2014, Society for Plant Research. All rights reserved.
Groundwater quality issues and challenges for drinking and irrigation uses in central ganga basin dominated with rice-wheat cropping system
(MDPI, 2021) Sumant Kumar; Manish Kumar; Veerendra Kumar Chandola; Vinod Kumar; Ravi K. Saini; Neeraj Pant; Nikul Kumari; Ankur Srivastava; Surjeet Singh; Rajesh Singh; Gopal Krishan; Shashi Poonam Induwar; Sudhir Kumar; Brijesh Kumar Yadav; Nityanand Singh Maurya; Anju Chaudhary
Increased population and increasing demands for food in the Indo-Gangetic plain are likely to exert pressure on fresh water due to rise in demand for drinking and irrigation water. The study focuses on Bhojpur district, Bihar located in the central Ganga basin, to assess the groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purpose and discuss the issues and challenges. Groundwater is mostly utilized in the study area for drinking and irrigation purposes (major crops sown in the area are rice and wheat). There were around 45 groundwater samples collected across the study region in the pre-monsoon season (year 2019). The chemical analytical results show that Ca2+, Mg2+ and HCO3− ions are present in abundance in groundwater and governing the groundwater chemistry. Further analysis shows that 66%, 69% and 84% of the samples exceeded the acceptable limit of arsenic (As), Fe and Mn respectively and other trace metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd) are within the permissible limit of drinking water as prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standard for drinking water. Generally, high as concentration has been found in the aquifer (depth ranges from 20 to 40 m below ground surface) located in proximity of river Ganga. For assessing the irrigation water quality, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values, residual sodium carbonate (RSC), Na%, permeability index (PI) and calcium alteration index (CAI) were calculated and found that almost all the samples are found to be in good to excellent category for irrigation purposes. The groundwater facie has been classified into Ca-Mg-HCO3 type. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Identifying moisture transport pathways for north-west India
(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2023) Suneel Kumar Joshi; Sudhir Kumar; Rajiv Sinha; Shive Prakash Rai; Suhas Khobragade; M. Someshwar Rao
The isotopic composition (δ18O and δ2H) of precipitation is widely used as a moisture source tracer. In north-west India, the δ18O, δ2H and D-excess values of precipitation correlate mainly with air temperature; however, the moisture sources of water vapour are unclear. Therefore, we collected daily precipitation isotope data (n = 425) from 13 rain gauge stations in northwest India in 2013. We established a regional meteoric water line (MWL) for northwest India and local MWLs for all 13 rain gauge stations separately. We observed an altitudinal gradient of about 0.11‰/100 m in slope and about 1.22‰/100 m in intercept from the western to the northeast part of the study area. The isotopic composition of precipitation shows spatial and temporal variability across the study area. We found higher Deuterium excess values during winter (December–February) and lower during the monsoon season (July–September), which may be associated with the different moisture sources, namely, the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Westerly disturbances. Our results suggest local moisture recycling may also occur during the study period. The present study can enhance the knowledge of the isotopic evolution of precipitation and moisture sources in northwest India. © 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Impact of geology and anthropogenic activities over the water quality with emphasis on fluoride in water scarce Lalitpur district of Bundelkhand region, India
(Elsevier Ltd, 2021) Neeraj Pant; Shive Prakash Rai; Rajesh Singh; Sudhir Kumar; Ravi K. Saini; P. Purushothaman; P. Nijesh; Yadhvir Singh Rawat; Megha Sharma; Kamaleshwar Pratap
The Bundelkhand region of India is suffering from acute water scarcity, raising concern over the potability in the region. Therefore, to develop a baseline data set of groundwater quality, sampling was carried out from the 110 existing shallow hand pumps and tube wells covering the Lalitpur district. Groundwater samples were investigated for hydro-geochemical and isotopic signatures (δ18O and δ2H) to understand the driving factors leading to water quality and its contamination in the region. The results of Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed four different clusters according to their water quality. Cluster 1 and 2 water samples have a good quality of water and these samples fall in the vicinity of major or minor drainage networks of the area. Whereas, clusters 3 and 4 are of deteriorated water quality and located far-off from the drainage networks in the study area. The findings from chemical analysis and chemometric method suggest that the groundwater composition is mainly influenced by rock weathering and anthropogenic activities. Fluoride exposure dosage for the infant and children is twice that of adults in the study area, indicating a stronger impact of fluoride concentration in infants and children. The stable isotopic analysis shows that origin of groundwater is local precipitation, with evaporative enrichment in groundwater. The groundwater of cluster 3 and 4 shows evaporative nature along with high EC and Cl concentration. The variation of concentration of ions in the study area prevails along the groundwater flow direction and surface drainage reveals the control of hydrogeological attributes in the groundwater. © 2021
Impact of Plant Growth-Promoting Microorganism (PGPM) Consortium on Biochemical Properties and Yields of Tomato Under Drought Stress
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2024) Ram Krishna; Waquar Akhter Ansari; Mohammad Altaf; Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal; Sudhakar Pandey; Achuit Kumar Singh; Sudhir Kumar; Jay Prakash Verma
Drought is the most important abiotic stress that restricts the genetically predetermined yield potential of the crops. In the present study, four tomato varieties: Kashi Vishesh, Kashi Aman, Kashi Abhiman, and Kashi Amrit, were used to study the effect of PGPMs (plant growth-promoting microorganisms). PGPM strains, Bacillus megaterium BHUPSB14, Pseudomonas fluorescens BHUPSB06, Pseudomonas aeruginosa BHUPSB01, Pseudomonas putida BHUPSB0, Paenibacillus polymixa BHUPSB17, and Trichoderma horzianum, were used as the consortium. The control group was irrigated up to 80% of field capacity, while 7-, 14-, and 21-day water-deficit-exposed (DWD) plants’ pot soil moisture was maintained to 40, 25, and 15% of the field capacity, both with and without the PGPM inoculation condition. The physiological parameters, such as electrolyte leakage, relative water content, photosynthetic efficiency, and chlorophyll color index, were significantly improved by PGPM application under progressive drought stress, compared to the control. PGPM application enhanced the proline accumulation and reduced the formation of hydrogen peroxide and lipid peroxidation under drought stress. The plant growth attributes were significantly increased by PGPM application. The Kashi Amrit variety showed the highest fruit yield among the four varieties under all the treatments. The PGPM consortium application also improved the soil physico-biological properties and nutrient availability in the soil. The PGPM consortium used in this study can potentially mitigate drought stress on tomato in drought-prone regions and act as a biofertilizer. The present study will open a new avenue of drought stress management in tomato. © 2024 by the authors.
Lattice Dynamics of Bi1.9Dy0.1Te3 Topological Insulator
(Elsevier B.V., 2022) Labanya Ghosh; Vinod K. Gangwar; Mahima Singh; Satya Vijay Kumar; Srishti Dixit; Abhineet Verma; Durgesh Kumar Sharma; Sudhir Kumar; S. Saha; A.K. Ghosh; Sandip Chatterjee
In this report, we have investigated the Density functional theory (DFT) calculation, temperature-dependent thermoelectric power and Raman spectroscopy of Bi1.9Dy0.1Te3 topological insulator (TI). In this system, discrepancy due to the rare earth ion Dy initiates a Red-shift in Raman active modes in the Bi2Te3 TI. Here, the lattice thermal conductivity (κL) was evaluated in the Umklapp scattering limit using the temperature dependency of the vibrational phonon modes and was used to evaluate the Figure of merit (ZT) of the system. It has been demonstrated that the estimated Power factor and ZT is very large, confirming the efficiency of Bi1.9Dy0.1Te3 for better thermoelectric and electronic applications. Such immense thermoelectric power value of the corresponding system was further supported by the DFT calculation. © 2022
Nutritional interventions for elderly and considerations for the development of geriatric foods
(Bentham Science Publishers, 2019) Damanpreet Kaur; Prasad Rasane; Jyoti Singh; Sawinder Kaur; Vikas Kumar; Dipendra Kumar Mahato; Anirban Dey; Kajal Dhawan; Sudhir Kumar
The process of aging is characterized by numerous changes in the body which has an overall negative effect on the health and lifestyle of elderly. Nutrition deserves special attention as an individual reaches old age. It plays a vital role in affecting the quality of life, including physical, mental and social health. The physiological decline in food intake is very common among older age and this result in nutritional deficiencies. These increased nutritional deficiencies are the major risk factors for certain chronic diseases and deteriorated age related health. Thus, the adoption of nutritional intervention can be a measure to tackle the current situation of nutritional deficiencies and promote a healthy lifestyle. © 2019 Bentham Science Publishers.
Optimisation of a process for production of pomegranate pulp and flaxseed powder fortified probiotic Greek dahi
(Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2018) Reeta; Sudhir Kumar; Prasad Rasane; Ramadevi Nimmanapalli
Fortified probiotic Greek dahi was formulated with pomegranate pulp (PP) and flaxseed powder (FP). The product variables, viz. PP, FP and incubation time, were optimised based on chemical, sensory and textural attributes. The study revealed that PP significantly affected the acidity and antioxidant content, while FP influenced the sensory and textural properties of the product. The optimum conditions were 15% PP, 2% FP and 12-h incubation time. The developed fortified probiotic Greek dahi is a potential synbiotic food. © 2018 Society of Dairy Technology
Pattern and sensitivity of bacterial flora in trachoma
(1999) Vandana Prasad; J.S. Mathur; R.C. Gupta; Sudhir Kumar
This article reports our study of the pattern of bacterial flora in 206 trachomatous conjunctival sacs and 100 controls. The sensitivity pattern of all organisms isolated from the trachomatous conjunctival sacs showed that most of these organisms are sensitive to newer antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin. Therefore we recommend the use of these effective newer antibiotics rather than conventional topical drugs such as sulfacetamide and tetracycline in treating trachoma.
Physicochemical and bioactive constituents, microbial counts, and color components of spray-dried Syzygium cumini L. pulp powder stored in different packaging materials under two controlled environmental conditions
(Frontiers Media SA, 2023) Vishal Kumar; Chandra Shekhar Singh; Shiva Bakshi; Sudhir Kumar; Satya Prakash Yadav; Zakarya Ali Saleh Al-Zamani; Pankaj Kumar; Upendra Singh; Kamlesh Kumar Meena; Durga Shankar Bunkar; Vinod Kumar Paswan
Currently, the demand for functional food items that impart health benefits has been rising. Blackberry (Syzygium cumini L.) fruit has high anthocyanin content and other functional attributes. However, this seasonal fruit is highly perishable, and a large proportion of it goes unharvested and wasted worldwide. Spray drying of the fruit pulp can impart improved shelf life, ensuring long-term availability for consumers to exploit its health benefits. The storage quality varies according to the type of packaging material and the storage environment. Therefore, in this study, the shelf life span of the spray-dried Syzygium cumini L. pulp powder (SSCPP) was investigated during 6 months of storage under three types of packaging materials (i.e., polystyrene, metalized polyester, and 4-ply laminates) in a low-temperature environmental (LTE) and at ambient environmental conditions. The physicochemical stability of bioactive principles (TPC and TAC), microbial counts, and color components were analyzed at 0, 2, 4, and 6 months of storage. There was a significant gradual loss of dispersibility and solubility with an increase in flowability, bulk density, and wettability during the entire storage period for all three packaging materials. The TSS, pH, TPC, TAC, and microbial counts decreased in the SSCPP both at ambient and LTE conditions during the study. Among all the packaging materials, the 4-ply laminate was found to be the most appropriate and safe for storage of spray-dried SCPP at LTE conditions. Copyright © 2023 Kumar, Singh, Bakshi, Kumar, Yadav, Al-Zamani, Kumar, Singh, Meena, Bunkar and Paswan.
Relationship between incidence of Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee and sugar content present in the shoots and fruits of different brinjal varieties
(Malhotra Publishing House, 2017) Kantipudi Rajesh Kumar; D. Rakshith Roshan; Sudhir Kumar; Vijay Kumar Mishra
In a two year study, amongst the varieties tested results revealed that maximum sugar content was recorded in the shoots of susceptible variety CO-2, while, minimum sugar content was in the resistant variety Arka Keshav. In fruits also highest sugar content was recorded in CO-2 while Arka Keshav recorded lowest sugar content in fruits 2nd year. The shoots and fruits infestation with sugar content present showed significantly positive correlation indicating that increase in sugar content in shoots and fruits will increase shoot and fruit infestation of L. orbonalis. © MPH.
The Health Benefits of Ghee: A Comparative Analysis of Ayurvedic and Modern Scientific Perspectives: A Review
(Agricultural Research Communication Centre, 2025) Vishal Kumar; Akanksha; Saurabh Singh; Ashok Kumar Yadav; Sudhir Kumar; Aman Rathaur
The scientific perspective on dairy fats, including ghee, is evolving. In the past, dairy fats were thought to have adverse health effects, but recent research is revealing their functional benefits and the positive aspects of their fatty acids. This shift in scientific understanding has sparked interest in ghee, a clarified butter derived from milk, which holds cultural significance in India and plays a prominent role in Ayurvedic medicine. While modern scientific studies on ghee’s benefits are limited, Ayurvedic literature extensively documents its therapeutic potential, categorizing different types of ghee based on factors like milk source, manufacturing methodand maturation. To explore ghee’s therapeutic potential further, researchers conducted a review comparing Ayurvedic literature to modern scientific studies. These mentions were grouped into various health benefit clusters. While recent research emphasized cardiovascular health and skin benefits, Ayurveda, an ancient medical system, has emphasized cognitive benefits, gastrointestinal healthand overall nourishment. These aspects are gaining significance as the world’s population ages and chronic diseases become more common. As scientists work to address these health issues, they can look to the detailed descriptions in Ayurvedic texts. These texts provide information about the animal sources of ghee, how it is processedand how it is aged, as well as its associated health benefits. This knowledge could offer valuable insights for guiding future research efforts. Exploring ghee’s traditional usage and formulations could lead to new scientific discoveries and potentially innovative approaches to addressing modern health challenges. © 2025 Agricultural Research Communication Centre. All rights reserved.
Tracing the isotopic signatures of cryospheric water and establishing the altitude effect in Central Himalayas: A tool for cryospheric water partitioning
(Elsevier B.V., 2021) Neeraj Pant; Prabhat Semwal; Suhas Damodar Khobragade; Shive Prakash Rai; Sudhir Kumar; Rajendra Kumar Dubey; Jacob Noble; Suneel Kumar Joshi; Yadhvir Singh Rawat; Harish Chandra Nainwal; Sunil Shah; Aditya Mishra; Rajeev Saran Ahluwalia
This study focuses on the isotopic characterization of cryospheric water and quantification of different components contributing to Alaknanda River (major tributary of the Ganges River system) at its place of origin near snout of the Satopanth Glacier. A detailed understanding of various sources/flow components contributing to the river is useful for water resource management under changing climate scenario and helpful in risk assessment due to natural hazards in the headwater catchments, Extensive fieldwork was conducted, and water samples were collected from the river, snow, glacial ice, rain, lakes, and supraglacial channels of Satopanth Glacier Basin during the ablation period of 2017 and analysed for δ18O, δ2H, and 3H along with electrical conductivity. The results helped to establish the spatio-temporal and altitudinal variability in isotopic signatures of rain, snow, and ice in Satopanth Glacier Basin. The altitudinal effect in δ18O of pre-monsoon and monsoon rainfall is −0.13‰ and −0.41‰ per 100 m rise in elevation, respectively. Snow samples show depleting isotopic trend with an altitude effect of −0.43‰ in δ18O per 100 m rise in altitude. However, snowpack samples show an enrichment with time indicating post-depositional isotopic fractionation. The contrasting isotopic gradient in debris covered and non-debris covered ice are −0.9‰ and +3.4‰ per 100 m rise in elevation, respectively. These results divulge the spatial as well as temporal variation in cryospheric waters and these variations are used to derive the isotopic signatures of snow melt, glacier melt, and rain water. The results of hydrograph separation show that the snow melt, ice melt and rain water contribute about 33%, 49% and 18% respectively, to the discharge of Alaknanda River during the ablation period. Tracer based hydrograph separation indicates that the snow melt contribution dominates in river discharge during the initial ablation period. River discharge is a mixture of snow melt, glacier melt and rain water during July and August, while there is a dominance of glacier melt during end of the ablation period. The results of the present study highlight the importance of accounting the spatial and temporal variability in tracer signatures of cryospheric water for quantifying the contributions of snow and ice melt in a river originating from glacerised area. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.