Browsing by Author "Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil"
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Publication Agri-food systems in India: Concerns and policy recommendations for building resilience in post COVID-19 pandemic times(Elsevier B.V., 2021) Priyadarshini, Priya; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilThe COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the development trajectories of several world economies with India being no exception. The country presently is the second worst affected in terms of total infections despite inducing a nationwide lockdown in the initial stages. In addition to curtailing infection spread, ensuring food security during and post pandemic is a major concern for the country owing to the high percentage of stunting and undernourishment already present and a relatively high proportion of vulnerable workforce with no regular source of income amidst the lockdown. The present article therefore ascertains the impact of the pandemic on the food systems which can potentially affect food security in the country as well as the government introduced reforms and policy measures to tackle them. Following the analysis, we suggest measures like digitally enhancing connectivity of neighbourhood retail or �Kirana� stores in urban and rural areas, distribution of therapeutic foods and immune supplements among the impoverished societal sections through existing government schemes and promotion of �planetary healthy diets� for overcoming food-insecurity while increasing nutrition security and ensuring long term food sector sustainability. � 2021 Elsevier B.V.Publication An empirical analysis of resource efficiency and circularity within the agri-food sector of India(Elsevier Ltd, 2023) Priyadarshini, Priya; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilCircular economy and resource efficiency concepts are gaining increasing recognition within the scientific community as enablers of sustainability at the sectoral scale. Simultaneously, the agri-food sector of India while being crucial towards the country's economy also displays tremendous potential in positively influencing the timely attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). The present study therefore focused on ascertaining the status of circularity and efficiency within the agri-food sector of India at the state level. The first objective determined decoupling between energy consumption and economic growth for the agriculture sector at the state level. The second objective focused on developing a Composite Agri-Food Efficiency Index (CAFEI) comprising of 38 indicators distributed across environmental, social, economic and governance categories. The last objective estimated the temporal trend (2009�10 to 2018�19) of efficiency at the state level within the Food Processing Industries (FPIs) using the technique of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The decoupling analysis indicated that agricultural economy of four major food producing states was intrinsically linked with electricity consumption for agricultural purposes. While Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana were front-runners in terms of overall CAFEI scores, considerable variations were visible when individual categories were considered. Average of DEA scores indicated Goa to be the most efficient state followed by Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim. A first of its kind assessment, the present study provides evidence for designing policy frameworks focused around circularity. Results also highlight the importance of developing datasets and indicators related to agri-residue management, storage and processing infrastructure as well as sustainable consumption. � 2022 Elsevier LtdPublication Animal manures and plant residue-based amendments for sustainable rice-wheat production and soil fertility improvement in eastern Uttar Pradesh, North India(Elsevier B.V., 2022) Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Singh, Ajeet; Chaurasia, Rajan; Pandey, Krishna Kumar; Bundela, Amit Kumar; Singh, Gopal Shankar; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilAgroecological interventions are imperative for boosting agricultural productivity and soil fertility while increasing profitability of subsistence farmers in low-income countries by replacing synthetic fertilizers. With this context, the present study was aimed to evaluate the impact of animal manures (sheep and poultry manure) and plant residue-based organic amendments (rice husk biochar and sugarcane pressmud) on soil quality, nutrient uptake and balance, yield, and sustainability of rice-wheat cropping in alluvial (rainfed) and red lateritic soil (dryland) of middle Gangetic plains (Narayanpur) and Vindhyan region (Rajgarh) of Mirzapur district in eastern UP. The field experiments were conducted for three years at the above two sites and amendments were done at a rate by replacing 30% standard recommended doses of fertilizer (RDF) for rice-wheat cropping system. Field trials were conducted with the 100% RDF as control, and 70% RDF with sheep manure, poultry manure, rice-husk biochar and sugarcane pressmud in a randomized block design. The organic amendments were done during the rice cultivation stage and the residual effect was observed during the subsequent wheat cultivation. Though soil organic carbon (SOC) was found to show significant (p ? 0.05) increase in biochar amended plots, animal manures followed by pressmud showed year wise increase in both SOC and microbial biomass carbon. In rainfed areas, plant growth and yield attributes for both rice and wheat were at par in amendments than control while in dryland, the 100% RDF showed better performance during the first year, after that amended plot showed better performance. All amendments resulted in higher benefit: cost ratio except biochar addition in Narayanpur, whereas in Rajgarh, the poultry manure resulted in significant improvement in benefit: cost ratio from second year onward. Our study advocates that validation of suitable amendment packages based on organic inputs are imperative for improving the yield, soil quality and nutrient balance of rice-wheat cropping system and thereby attaining the UN-SDGs at the village/local level. � 2022 Elsevier B.V.Publication Assessing the impact of global initiatives on current and future land restoration scenarios in India(Academic Press Inc., 2023) Edrisi, Sheikh Adil; Bundela, Amit Kumar; Verma, Vivek; Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilLand degradation across the world has resulted in an unprecedented decline of ecosystem services, affecting the livelihood of 3.2 billion people globally. Sustainable land management is essential to protect our finite land resources from over-exploitation and degradation. Therefore, the present article was aimed to analyze the impacts of various national and international policies on current and future land restoration scenarios in India. A spatially explicit model (CLUMondo) was employed to predict scenarios, i.e., the �business as usual� (BU) and �sustainable restoration� (SR) by 2030. Though the results showed an increasing trend in land degradation, i.e., from 44.28 to 49.74 Mha during the period of 2005�15, a slight decrease was observed in 2019 (49.24 Mha), suggesting a net increase of 11.21% during the 2005�19 period. However, an increase in forest cover by 5.08% under existing policy targets overtook the degradation rate by restoration initiatives. The net decline in degraded land area by 1% with an increased forest cover by 1.83% observed during the 2015�19 periods reflected the positive impact of various national and global policies on existing restoration ventures in India. Our modeled results (weighted AUC = 0.87) also suggested an increase in forest cover by 6.9% and 9.9% under BU and SR scenarios, respectively. Under the BU scenario, degraded land will be restored up to 12.1 Mha; however, 6.27 Mha of these lands will be converted to cropland for food production. Importantly, a decrease in grasslands by 35.1% under the BU scenario warrants the urgency to maintain the integrity of such ecological systems. However, the SR scenario showed an increase in grasslands by 8.9%, with an overall restoration of degraded land up to 18.31 Mha. Moreover, a reduced cropland expansion rate of 1% suggested an effective land management response. While our results may have some uncertainties due to the model limitations, they can still be used for framing suitable land management policies to facilitate sustainable land restoration programs in India. � 2022 Elsevier Inc.Publication Bioenergy crop production potential and carbon mitigation from marginal and degraded lands of India(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Edrisi, Sheikh Adil; Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Chaturvedi, Rajiv Kumar; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilBioenergy production from marginal and degraded lands is getting worldwide attention due to its potential for renewable energy, land restoration, soil carbon sequestration and also for meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, majority of the literature reported the bioenergy production prospect based on a single bioenergy crop production system. Therefore, the present article utilizes a multi-criteria analysis to identify India's potential marginal and degraded lands (Pml) and their suitability for bioenergy crop production based on a polyculture zonation technique (PZT) with the projections for bioenergy and carbon mitigation potentials. Ten multipurpose bioenergy crops have been studied, out of which seven hardwood tree species were further selected based on ecological and climate suitability. Results suggested that India accounted for 45.13 million ha (Mha) of Pml, and it could produce 96.82 Mt y?1 of biomass and 6.16 Mt y?1 of biofuel, considering half utilization of the plantation areas. Such productions represent 2.22 EJ y?1 (equivalent to 618 TW h y?1) of bioenergy potential. Around 64 Mt C y?1 can also be sequestered by these plantations and additionally help in meeting carbon sequestration over 2800 MtCO2 by 2030, corresponding to India's nationally determined contribution. According to the spatial validation results via centroid coinciding approach, 14 randomly generated points out of 24 coincided on the centroids of randomly identified land parcels, which were further validated through the ortho-imagery from Google Earth. Our study results can be used for framing suitable strategies for exploring bioenergy production from similar agroecological conditions and also for attaining India's national and international commitments related to land restoration and renewable energy production. � 2022 Elsevier LtdPublication Double transplantation as a climate resilient and sustainable resource management strategy for rice production in eastern Uttar Pradesh, north India(Academic Press, 2023) Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Chaurasia, Rajan; Pandey, Krishna Kumar; Bundela, Amit Kumar; Singh, Ajeet; Singh, Gopal Shankar; Mall, Rajesh Kumar; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil-Enhancing the productivity of rainfed crops, especially rice, while coping with climate adversities and saving critical natural resources is essential for ensuring the food and nutrition security of a growing population. With this context, the present study was undertaken to validate promising farm innovation and adaptation practices used by small-medium landholding farmers for rice cultivation in eastern Uttar Pradesh (UP), north India, as well as to examine the sustainability of innovative practices for large-scale adoption. For this, a 3-year study comprising extensive field surveys and experiments was undertaken to compare single transplantation (ST) and double transplantation (DT) in rice along with organic addition (farm-yard manure, FYM) on crop growth, yield, climate resilience, soil quality, and overall sustainability i.e., social (women involvements and labour productivity), environmental (water productivity and nutrient use efficiency), and economic (benefit:cost ratio) dimensions of sustainability. Field experiments were conducted in triplicate using two local rice varieties (MotiNP-360 and Sampurna Kaveri) in two agroclimatic zones, namely the middle Gangetic plains and the Vindhyan zone, in the Mirzapur district of eastern Uttar Pradesh. The DT practices of rice with and without farm yard manure (FYM) (replacing at a dose of 25% NPK) were evaluated over conventional methods of rice cultivation (i.e., ST, as control) and analysis was done periodically. The DT practice improved growth (p < 0.05), percent fertile tiller and grain (p < 0.05), and rice yield (15�20% higher than ST), while also improving soil quality, yield indices, water and labour productivity, and the benefit-cost ratio. The DT practice also resulted in early maturity (10�15 days earlier than ST), created more labour days for women, decreased lodging and pest/disease incidence, as well as a subsequent reduction in the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and associated environmental costs. Importantly, the residual effects of FYM application significantly improved (p < 0.05) the grain yield in subsequent years of cropping. Optimizing DT cultivation practices, preferably with FYM input for various agro-climatic regions, is essential for large-scale sustainable rice production under changing climatic conditions. � 2022 Elsevier LtdPublication Formulation of Water Sustainability Index for India as a performance gauge for realizing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6(Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2022) Biswas, Jayanta Kumar; Mondal, Bipradeep; Priyadarshini, Priya; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil; Biswas, Soma; Bhatnagar, AmitAnthropogenic activities targeting economic progress have triggered changes in the Earth system processes causing depletion of resources and degradation of ecosystems. Water is�a critical natural resource which�has been severely impacted through groundwater depletion, surface water contamination and ocean acidification resulting in repercussions on human health and biodiversity losses. Likewise, India, a mega biodiversity nation has been critically affected by degradation and drawdown of water resources with far-reaching consequences on environmental vitality and socio-economic development. In order to prevent extreme water scarcity in the near future, the country needs to promote sustainable utilisation of water resources by adhering to the targets of Goal 6 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). The present work, therefore, has focussed on the development of a Water Sustainability Index (WSI) for India that would help attaining the targets of SDG 6. A total of 12 indicators categorized under biophysical and social development dimensions and synonymous with the targets of SDG 6 have been used for the formulation of WSI and thereby understanding how much water resources are used annually in a sustainable manner. The study also highlights the interrelationship between the diverse social development and health indicators (SDG 3) of Indian community. The research has the potential to provide guidance for efficient use of water resources in India. Acting as a yardstick and guiding star, the sustainability metric will help the nation to monitor whether it is on the right track and navigate its journey towards achieving water sustainability. It also calls for cautious course correction and restructuring of current Indian policy and operational instruments for effective green governance and sustainable water management. � 2021, The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.Publication Greenhouse gases emissions and agronomic productivity as influenced by varying levels of N fertilizer and tank silt in degraded semiarid Alfisol of Southern India(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2023) Reddy, Sharan Bhoopal; Srinivasarao, Cherukumalli; Rao, Palli Chandrasekhar; Lal, Rattan; Rakesh, Suresh; Kundu, Sumanta; Singh, Ram Nagina; Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil; Venkateswara Rao, Kondru; Abrol, Vikas; Somasundaram, JayaramanThe study aimed to assess the effects of combined application of urea nitrogen (N) and tank* silt (TS) on greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions [i.e., carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O)] and agronomic productivity of maize-horsegram system. A factorial [urea (0, 60, 120, and 180 kg N ha?1)]�and tank silt (0 and 30 t ha?1) replicated thrice randomized block design was employed for this investigation. Results of the study showed that maize grain yield was significantly influenced by the sole application of both N fertilizer and TS. When both the N fertilizer and TS were combined, the grain yield was significantly (p < 0.01) improved by 5% (4870 kg ha?1) over the highest yield observed under only N. We have noticed a significant (p < 0.01) residual effect of N and TS on horsegram straw yield during all the years of experimentation. With the increase in N-rate, there was an increasing trend in CO2 emission noticed in all the years including the pooled year data. Compared to CO2 emission, N2O emission was greatly influenced by nutrient management and amendment application. Among the seasons, the post-rainy season (Rabi) had a slightly lower emission trend of CO2, during all the years as compared to the rainy season (Kharif). The observed results marked the marginal increasing trend of cumulative CO2 (cCO2) emissions with regard to increasing doses of urea. Tank silt addition slightly favoured a CO2 emissions. The trend of cumulative N2O (cN2O) emission was greatly influenced by the dose of urea following the order of N180 > N120 > N60 > N0. However, N fertilizer application influenced the cCO2 emissions (r�=�0.83), and significantly increased the cN2O emission (r�=�0.99). Therefore, optimum and timely application of urea combined with TS is recommended as an effective strategy to combat GHG-based emissions (specifically N2O based) in semiarid rainfed regions. � 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Publication Impact of integrated agronomic practices on soil fertility and respiration on the indo-gangetic plain of North India(MDPI AG, 2021) Dubey, Rama Kant; Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Chaurasia, Rajan; Rao, Ch Srinivasa; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilGlobal agricultural production is accountable for the emission of ~30% of greenhouse gases. Therefore, the wide-scale adoptions of low-input, soil-friendly, and resource-conserving agronomic practices are imperative for the 'planet healthy food production' and also for reducing the carbon emissions from agricultural soil. In this context, the present study aimed to analyze the impacts of integrated agronomic interventions i.e., the application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) + reduced tillage (RT), biochar + RT, and AMF + biochar + RT, on spatiotemporal variations in soil-quality and soil-sustainability indicators, including microbial and soil respiration, in the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) of North India. For this, field experiments on the above-mentioned agronomic interventions were employed using three different staple crops (Zea mays, Vigna mungo, and Brassica juncea) growing in three different agro-climatic zones of IGP (Varanasi, Sultanpur, and Gorakhpur) in a randomized block design. Periodic data collection was done to analyze the changes in physiochemical, biological, and biochemical properties of the soil, and statistical analyses were done accordingly. Irrespective of the sites, the experimental results proved that the integrated application of AMF + biochar + RT in V. mungo resulted in the highest soil organic carbon (i.e., 135% increment over the control) and microbial biomass carbon (24%), whereas the same application (i.e., AMF + biochar + RT) in Z. mays had the maximum reduction in microbial (32%) and soil (44%) respiration. On the other hand, enhanced occurrence of glomalin activity (98%) was noted in Z. mays cropping for all the sites. Significant negative correlation between soil respiration and glomalin activity under AMF + biochar + RT (?0.85), AMF + RT (?0.82), and biochar + RT (?0.62) was an indication of glomalin's role in the reduced rate of soil respiration. The research results proved that the combined application of AMF + biochar + RT was the best practice for enhancing soil quality while reducing respiration. Therefore, the development of suitable packages of integrated agronomic practices is essential for agricultural sustainability. Copyright: � 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).Publication Land and water conservation technologies for building carbon positive villages in India(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2022) Srinivasarao, Cherukumalli; Jasti, Venkata Naga Satya Prasad; Kondru, Venkateswara Rao; Bathineni, Vibhajam Sagal Kiran; Mudigiri, Ranjith; Venati, Girija Veni; Priyadarshini, Priya; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil; Chaudhari, Suresh KumarContinuous and unabated land degradation in India is a threat to agricultural sustainability while increasing temperatures, changing rainfall patterns and precipitation intensification are going to further aggravate degradation in future. The timely adoption of integrated land and water conservation technologies minimises erosion and provides significant adaptation and mitigation co-benefits. The objectives of this study were to assess the mitigation potential of soil and water conservation technologies and also the feasibility of making villages carbon positive. The extent of minimisation of soil loss due to soil conservation technologies ranges from 0.10 to 21.65 Mg ha?1�yr?1, while carbon emissions minimised range from 0.73 to 158.77 kg ha?1�yr?1. Emission minimisation from various water management technologies in rice ranges from 73.0 to 507.9 kg CO2 equivalents ha?1�yr?1. Agroforestry practices can sequester 8.64 to 52.77 Mg CO2 ha?1�yr?1 besides enhancing system productivity, arresting soil erosion and carbon loss through erosion. Integration of multiple technologies in a farming system further enhances the adaptation and mitigation benefits. Adoption of conservation technologies resulted in a net carbon balance of 0.05�1.23 CO2 Mg ha?1�yr?1 in 9 villages in India, indicating net positive carbon balance due to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration. Building carbon positive villages is a potential approach for preventing land degradation, while enhancing productivity, mitigating climate change and realising the sustainable development goals. Building capacities of communities and establishing institutions in villages are essential for upscaling and maintaining of soil and water conservation structures and community assets in the village. Furthermore, prioritisation and scaling of location specific land and water conservation technologies hold the key to establish carbon-positive villages. � 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Publication Land use change in rapidly developing economies�a case study on land use intensification and land fallowing in Kochi, Kerala, India(Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH, 2023) Thekkeyil, Akshara; George, Anjaly; Abdurazak, Fathima; Kuriakose, Giby; Nameer, P.O.; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil; Joseph, ShijoThe land use/land cover change is a local driver of environmental change having cascading impacts and implications at the global level, and therefore requires appreciable consideration when perceived from sustainability perspectives. Kerala, the southernmost state of India, has undergone a dramatic transition from a traditional agrarian economy to a modern thriving economy involving the irrational exploitation of natural resources, precisely, land and its components. The present study addresses how land is being changed along an urbanization gradient in the most agglomerative city in the state, Kochi, during the last one and half decades. High-resolution remote sensing data available from the Google Earth Pro pertaining to the four time periods, i.e., 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, representing urban, suburban, and rural areas, were analysed to estimate the changes in land use land cover. A semi-structured interview was conducted at the household level to identify the major drivers of land use change. The results indicated the presence of two major and divergent trends; the first one is the intensification of land use activities at the rate of 1.37% per annum, primarily driven by urbanization and infrastructure developments, and the second one is the fallowing and abandonment of land (at the rate of 0.21% per annum) driven by the increased cost of cultivation. The rates of change are more prominent in the rural areas while the urban grids are nearing saturation occupying nearly two-thirds of the area with urban features at the expense of greenery. Though the progression with respect to urbanization and infrastructure developments is expected, the fallowing and abandonment of land is unanticipated, raising serious questions in the developmental pathways to achieve Sustainable Development Goals in the State of Kerala. � 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.Publication Nature-based solutions in soil restoration for improving agricultural productivity(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2022) Mrunalini, Kancheti; Behera, Biswaranjan; Jayaraman, Somasundaram; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil; Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Swamy, Gutta Narayana; Prasad, Jasti Venkata Naga Satya; Rao, Kondru Venkateswara; Krishnan, Pandian; Pratibha, Gudapaty; Srinivasa Rao, CherukumalliSoil is a living and dynamic body, which is prone to degradation under conventional agricultural practices. Healthy soil is one of the most important pillars of sustainability as it delivers several ecosystem services along with its control on microbial activity, nutrient recycling, and decomposition. Nature-based solutions can play an important role in restoring soil quality for enhanced agricultural productivity and sustainability. This article discusses various nature-based options available for improving soil quality. Indigenous practices such as sheep penning, tank silt application, green manuring, and refuse from croplands and households have the potential to restore and maintain soil fertility. Biofertilizers can add nutrients (N fixers), fixe up to 300 kg N ha through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and facilitate (nutrient solubilizer and mobilizers) nutrient availability in the soil. Biochar, a commonly used product, can increase soil moisture availability by 8%�10% and aids in mitigating climate change through C-sequestration. Biochar may have a climate change mitigation potential of 1.8 Pg CO2-C equivalent per year. When added to the soil, it not only acts as a nutrient source; but also acts as a soil amendment. Biogas slurry, the effluent from biogas reactors, contains various nutrient elements that can enrich soil fertility. The holistic approach in a farming system, through integration of different enterprises, reduces dependence on off-farm resources. Soil management through nature-based options will maintain crop productivity and sustainability in the long run without any adverse effects on the environment. � 2022 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Publication Need of transdisciplinary research for accelerating land restoration during the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2021) Edrisi, Sheikh Adil; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilThe United Nations has declared 2021�2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to gear up the restoration of degraded ecosystems worldwide and thereby facilitating the timely realization of the UN-SDGs and post-2020 biodiversity targets. The UN Decade will also further the targets of the Bonn Challenge and several other ongoing restoration initiatives. While restoration is often viewed as a branch of applied ecology, transdisciplinarity is essential for implementing restoration on the ground successfully. The present article is therefore aimed to propose a transdisciplinary framework consisting of three defined phases -such as (1) the problem identification phase, (2) its analysis, and (3) finally the integration and application of transdisciplinary approaches for effective land restoration. This integrated framework would help in drawing strategic measures by crossing various disciplinary boundaries to accelerate land restoration efforts globally while deriving co-benefits during restoration for maintaining the continuity of the restoration drive. We conclude that the implementation of the proposed framework along with due consideration of the regional and location-specific attributes, management strategies as well as the successful involvement of various stakeholders will lead to a successful restoration Decade. � 2021 Society for Ecological Restoration.Publication Nutritional, Ethnomedicinal, and Agricultural Significance of Neglected and Underutilized Crops from Eastern Uttar Pradesh, North India(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2023) Singh, Ajeet; Bundela, Amit Kumar; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilMeeting food and nutritional security needs for a growing population is a global sustainability challenge due to the heavy reliance on a few cultivated crops for dietary requirements across the world. To ensure local food security, it is imperative to diversify dietary options with locally available, neglected, and underutilized crops (NUCs) with nutritional and biocultural significance. In this context, the present study aims to explore the role of NUCs for nutritional, ethnomedicinal, and agricultural relevance in two districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh, i.e., Mirzapur and Sonebhadra. Extensive field surveys were conducted in the study sites, and a total of 445 local respondents were interviewed based on structured questionnaires for calculating ethnobotanical indices, i.e., relative frequency of citation (RFC), frequency of citation (FC), use report (UR), and cultural importance index (CI) of NUCs. The study identified 116 NUCs belonging to 55 families and 103 genera. All reported NUCs had medicinal value; 55 were edible and used as food; and 41 had agricultural significance. Leaves were the most commonly used plant parts for medicinal purposes, followed by roots and stems, whereas flowers were the least commonly used parts. NUCs were used by the locals for their medicinal properties to treat various ailments, such as skin and eye problems, headaches, and liver problems. They were administered as decoction, paste, vapor inhalation, fruit juice, and poultice. The RFC, FC, UR, and CI values of the NUCs were in the range of 12 to 365, 0.03 to 0.82, 12 to 394, and 0.03 to 0.89, respectively. Fruits were the most commonly consumed part, followed by leaves, tubers, pods, and aerial bulbs, whereas the mode of consumption was stir-fry, soup, vegetables, salad, or in raw form. NUCs were bestowed with essential macro- and micronutrients and were found in the range of Ca (3.79�1147.3), K (2.6�1600.3), Mg (0.8�468.0), Na (0.4�270.8), P (1.15�305), Fe (0.1�327.6), Zn (0.1�84.6), Cu (0.047�33.3), Mn (0.1�62.3) mg/100 g, and vitamins like ascorbic acid (0.04�1561.1), thiamine (0.041�2.4), and ?-Carotene (0.2�93.6) mg/100 g. These NUCs were cultivated in different settings, such as kitchen gardens, backyard gardens, border crops, and sometimes agricultural fields. The current study reveals the rich diversity and varied use of these NUCs with respect to their ethnomedicinal, nutritional, and agricultural relevance. Sustainable utilization with large-scale cultivation of promising NUCs can lead to local food security and the subsequent attainment of the associated UN Sustainable Development Goals. � 2023 by the authors.Publication Optimization of eco-friendly novel amendments for sustainable utilization of Fly ash based on growth performance, hormones, antioxidant, and heavy metal translocation in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plant(Elsevier Ltd, 2021) Upadhyay, Sudhir K.; Ahmad, Mustaqeem; Srivastava, Abhishek K.; Abhilash, Purushothaman Chirakkuzhyil; Sharma, BechanThe present study has focused on the evaluation of the maximum amount of flyash (FA) utilization augmentation in the acidic soil (pH 6.1) with the manure during the growth performance and impact of toxic heavy metals under the pot experiment. The 15 days pre-incubated 40% FA treated combination (T16) significantly (P < 0.05) influenced growth performance of chickpea plant after 60 days. The dry weight as well as the contents of N, P, and K increased from 38.8 to 78.53%, 118 to 86%, 148 to 115%, and 95.8 to 95%, respectively, over control in T15 combination after 30 and 60 days. T15 and T16 both treatments induced a significant rise in IAA and GB from 76 to 75.5% and 50%�45%, respectively, after 60 days. The significant increase in the activities of SOD, APX, CAT, and GR with 47%, 56%, 42%, and 28%, respectively, over control was observed in T16 treated combination after 60 days. The significant (P < 0.05) influence in the antioxidant activities, levels of GB, Proline, TSS, and RS were observed across the treatments and durations. The levels of BCF and TF both were <1 in T16 treated plants for toxic heavy metals (Pb, Mo, Cd, and Al), which indicated a negligible extent of translocation from root to shoot and shoot to edible parts in the plants. The results demonstrated that 40% FA supplementation with manure could induce the growth of chickpea in slightly acidic soil and reduce the translocation of toxic metals in the edible parts of the plant. � 2020Publication Planet friendly agriculture: Farming for people and the planet(Elsevier B.V., 2021) Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Singh, Ajeet; Chaurasia, Rajan; Pandey, Krishna Kumar; Bundela, Amit Kumar; Dubey, Rama Kant; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilAgriculture is central to overall development of humankind and plays a decisive role in the timely realization of several UN-Sustainable Development Goals. Nevertheless, agriculture is the largest nonpoint source of pollution primarily due to rampant use of agrochemicals, and contributes ~34% of the annual greenhouse gases emission globally. Agricultural practices are also one of the major drivers of global biodiversity loss, and exerts a heavy footprint on water amounting to 70% of the world's freshwater withdrawal annually. As per projections of the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, agricultural production has to be doubled by the year 2050 to feed a global population of ~9.7 billion. However, this intensification must be done in an ecological way (not at the cost of planetary resilience) while designing novel strategies to reinforce agriculture's crucial role in achieving Global Goals. Hence, the notion of �planet friendly agriculture� wherein food production has to be achieved within the planetary boundaries is getting global priority as a transitional as well as transformative solution for improving the wellbeing of people while safeguarding life-supporting systems of a heavily polluted, overexploited and resource crunched planet. This graphical review aimed to portray various planet friendly farming practices based on resource conservation and replenishment to strengthen food and nutrition security of the current and future generation while reducing pollution, greenhouse gases emission, biodiversity loss, and water footprint, even under changing climatic conditions. � 2021 The Author(s)Publication Restoring the unrestored: Strategies for restoring global land during the un decade on ecosystem restoration (un-der)(MDPI AG, 2021) Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilRestoring the health of degraded land is critical for overall human development as land is a vital life-supporting system, directly or indirectly influencing the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). However, more than 33% of the global land is degraded and thereby affecting the livelihood of billions of people worldwide. Realizing this fact, the 73rd session of the UN Assembly has formally adopted a resolution to celebrate 2021-2030 as the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (UN-DER), for preventing, halting, and reversing degradation of ecosystems worldwide. While this move is historic and beneficial for both people and the planet, restoration of degraded land at different scales and levels requires a paradigm shift in existing restoration ap-proaches, fueled by the application of applied science to citizen/community-based science, and tap-ping of indigenous and local knowledge to advanced technological breakthroughs. In addition, there is a need of strong political will and positive behavioral changes to strengthen restoration initiatives at the grassroot level and involvement of people from all walks of life (i.e., from politi-cians to peasants and social workers to scientists) are essential for achieving the targets of the UN-DER. Similarly, financing restoration on the ground by the collective contribution of individuals (crowd funding) and institutions (institutional funding) are critical for maintaining the momentum. Private companies can earmark lion-share of their corporate social responsibility fund (CSR fund) exclusively for restoration. The adoption of suitable bioeconomy models is crucial for maintaining the perpetuity of the restoration by exploring co-benefits, and also for ensuring stakeholder involve-ments during and after the restoration. This review underpins various challenges and plausible solutions to avoid, reduce, and reverse global land degradation as envisioned during the UN-DER, while fulfilling the objectives of other ongoing initiatives like the Bonn Challenge and the UN-SDGs. � 2021 by the author. Li-censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.Publication Rethinking of higher education institutions as complex adaptive systems for enabling sustainability governance(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Priyadarshini, Priya; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilEducation in particular Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are considered pivotal in promoting and implementing the targets of the United Nations-Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). However, frameworks, curriculums, pedagogies and governance policies best suited for promoting sustainability through HEIs are still widely debated. The present letter, therefore emphasises on imagining HEIs as Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) instead of rigid units that are capable of adaptation and evolution based on the �feedbacks and demands� of the society to which they cater. The article attempts to define the basic attributes of CAS and how can they prove beneficial in transitioning HEIs towards sustainability by fostering governance and policy changes. � 2022 Elsevier LtdPublication Saline Soil Reclamation Index as an efficient tool for assessing restoration progress of saline land(John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2021) Edrisi, Sheikh Adil; Tripathi, Vishal; Chaturvedi, Rajiv Kumar; Dubey, Dinesh Kumar; Patel, Girish; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilRestoration of degraded land is imperative for addressing climate change, deriving additional benefits such as biomass and biofuel for supporting a biobased economy and also for meeting various targets of the Bonn Challenge and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs). In this context, the present research aimed to evaluate the performance of mixed biomass plantations on the saline land of western India over a period of 4 years. The impact of plantations on soil quality over the study period (2015�2018) was analysed by the Saline Soil Reclamation Index (SSRI), developed through principal component analysis. The study found a strong correlation between plant growth attributes and soil quality (p <.01). Soil porosity, texture, pH balance, electrical conductivity (EC), available potassium (AK) and available nitrogen (AN) levels are found to be the key indicators regulating the plant growth. The EC, AK and AN levels were seen to change significantly during the initial stage (2014) from 25 dS m?1, 10 mg kg?1 and 23 mg kg?1 to 1 dS m?1, 24 mg kg?1 and 39 mg kg?1, respectively, towards the end of the study period (2018). Among the various test plants, six species (Albizia lebbeck, Casuarina equisetifolia, Cordia dichotoma, Pithecellobium dulce, Pongamia pinnata, Terminalia arjuna) were found with high SSRI (>0.50); while the rest displayed moderate SSRI (0.30�0.49), except for Azadirachta indica, which shown low SSRI (<0.30). The trees having high SSRI are most suitable for the reclamation of saline soil and therefore, SSRI can be used as a tool for assessing the progress of saline land restoration. � 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Publication The Dasgupta Review: resetting the stage for a new paradigm(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2022) Priyadarshini, Priya; Dubey, Pradeep Kumar; Singh, Ajeet; Chaurasia, Rajan; Abhilash, Purushothaman ChirakkuzhyilAssessing the impacts of unprecedented biodiversity loss on planetary resilience, The Economics of Biodiversity: the Dasgupta Review (�Dasgupta Review�) asserts that sustainable engagement with nature is crucial for sustaining the livelihoods of present and future generations. It further urges the integration of biodiversity into national accounting and science-based decision-making processes in order to advance the well-being of both people and the planet. Here, we present the salient features of the Dasgupta Review along with several recommendations for strengthening global biodiversity and ecosystem conservation efforts. Although institutional transformations at regional and national scales are essential to facilitate the recognition of economies� dependence on nature, behavioral changes at the level of the individual are also needed to better understand, value, manage, and utilize biodiversity. Formulation of inclusive policies prioritizing biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource consumption is also essential for averting future public health risks associated with ecosystem degradation and species loss. � 2021 The Ecological Society of America.
