Management Practices to Mitigate Aflatoxin Contamination in Maize: A Review

Problem Statement: Aflatoxin contamination in maize, predominantly caused by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, poses a severe threat to global food security, public health, and trade. Chronic exposure contributes to liver cancer, immune suppression, and child growth impairment, while acute intoxication can be fatal. Despite decades of research, effective large-scale control remains a persistent challenge in many maize-producing regions. Aim: This review examines the causes, health implications, and management strategies for aflatoxin contamination in maize, with emphasis on integrated approaches for safe and sustainable mitigation. Methodology: Literature was systematically analyzed to evaluate the epidemiology of aflatoxin contamination, pre- and post-harvest risk factors, and the effectiveness of biological, cultural, chemical, agronomic, and genetic control measures. Recent innovations, including molecular breeding, microbial biocontrol, and improved storage technologies, were also critically assessed. Results: Evidence indicates that aflatoxin contamination is influenced by environmental stress, poor agronomic practices, and inadequate post-harvest handling. Chronic exposure poses severe health risks, while contamination significantly undermines grain quality, farmer income, and trade competitiveness. Integrated management strategies—particularly the use of resistant maize varieties, atoxigenic Aspergillus strains, good agricultural practices, hermetic storage, and targeted chemical interventions—have demonstrated up to 70–90% reduction in aflatoxin levels. However, adoption remains limited due to socioeconomic barriers, variable field conditions, and lack of farmer awareness. Conclusion: Aflatoxin contamination of maize is a global food security and public health challenge that requires a holistic farm-to-market approach. Sustainable solutions depend on integrating scientific innovation with farmer education, stakeholder collaboration, and policy support. Widespread implementation of integrated management strategies can enhance food safety, protect human health, and improve the marketability of maize in both domestic and international markets

From Fields to Markets: The Rise of Strawberry Farming in Abohar, Punjab, India

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch) has emerged as a commercially significant fruit crop in both temperate and subtropical regions of India due to its high market demand, nutritional value, and excellent export potential. Its adaptability to diverse agro-climatic conditions, coupled with its rapid growth and relatively short cropping cycle, makes it an ideal candidate for commercial cultivation. The fruit is highly valued not only for fresh consumption but also for its application in a variety of value-added products such as milkshakes, juices, ice creams, jams, and conserves. Harvest maturity is typically determined when approximately 98% of the fruit is edible, ensuring optimal flavor and marketability. As a high-value cash crop, strawberry cultivation offers promising returns, especially for small-scale and part-time farmers seeking profitable alternatives to traditional crops. Recent trends have shown increased adoption of innovative cultivation practices, such as protected farming and the use of low tunnels, enabling multiple cropping cycles and better control over environmental variables. These methods contribute to improved yield and fruit quality, while also extending the growing season. Furthermore, the use of micropropagation techniques presents a viable solution for the large-scale production of disease-free planting materials, including virus-free and day-neutral cultivars. This biotechnological approach enhances uniformity, ensures genetic fidelity, and accelerates the availability of high-quality planting stock, which is essential for sustainable commercial production. The primary aim of this study is to explore and evaluate the cultivation strategies, propagation methods, irrigation practices, harvest, and post-harvest handling along with the challenges arises during the cultivation of strawberries. This piece of study paves a way for enhancing the productivity, quality, and profitability of strawberry cultivation along with the broader goal of promoting strawberry as a viable high-income crop across diverse Indian agro-climatic zones

Effect of Different Weed Management Practices on Growth, Yield and Quality of Black Gram (Vigna mungo L.) under Irrigated Condition

A field experiment was conducted during zaid season of 2023 at Shradhey Bhagwati Singh Agriculture Research Farm (Hajipur), Chandra Bhanu Gupt Krashi Snatakotter Mahavidyalaya, B.K.T, Lucknow (UP) to assess the weed management effect on weeds, crop growth, yield attributes, yield studies, nutrients uptake and economics of black gram. The result of the investigation revealed that two hand weeding at 20 and 40 DAS was found superior in controlling weeds, increasing black gram yield and nutrient uptake and recorded maximum benefit: cost ratio. Among the herbicidal treatments, application of pendimethalin 30 EC @800 g/ha (PE) + one hand weeding at 30 DAS were recorded the lowest weed density, weed dry weight and highest weed control efficiency, growth parameters, yield attributes, yield, quality parameters, net return and B:C ratio in black gram crop

Incidence of Fruit Flies [Bactrocera spp. (Tephritidae: Diptera)] on Economically Important Guava Fruit in Western Uttar Pradesh, India

Fruit flies (Bactrocera spp.) pose a significant threat to guava production, leading to substantial yield losses. This study assesses fruit fly infestation in guava orchards across selected localities in Aligarh and Hathras districts. Data recorded from May to August 2018 indicate that fruit losses in Aligarh ranged from 18.40% to 42.66% by weight and 17.45% to 44.33% by number, with peak infestation (41.57% by weight and 43.03% by number) observed in July. Similarly, in Hathras, fruit losses varied between 20.60% to 45.20% by weight and 22.30% to 48.00% by number, with the highest infestation (43.7% by weight and 44.14% by number) also recorded in July. The lowest losses were noted in May for both districts. The overall average fruit fly infestation was 31.81% in Aligarh and 34.2% in Hathras on a weight basis. These findings align with previous studies, emphasizing the economic impact of fruit fly infestations

Evaluation of Organic Amendments and Biofertilizers in Combination with Varying Mineral Fertilizer Levels on Soil Fertility and LUPIN (Lupinus albus L.) Productivity in Sandy Soil

Integrating organic amendments and biofertilizers with mineral fertilizers sustainably improves sandy soil fertility and crop productivity This study evaluated the effects of organic amendments and biofertilizers, applied alone or combined with varying rates of mineral nitrogen, on soil fertility and the productivity of lupin (Lupinus albus L.) cultivated in sandy soil. Two field experiments were conducted at the Ismailia Agricultural Research Station (30°35′41.901″N, 32°16′45.843″E) during the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 winter seasons using a split-plot design with three replications. The main plots were assigned to control and two organic amendment treatments (biochar and compost) in addition to biofertilization with R. leguminosarum, whereas the sub-plots included four levels of mineral nitrogen fertilizer (0, 20, 30, and 40 kg N fed⁻¹). Statistical analyses were performed to validate the results and ensure their reliability. Results showed that the combined application of compost or biochar with mineral nitrogen significantly increased soil nutrient availability. Compost with 40 kg N fed⁻¹ enhanced available soil nitrogen and phosphorus by 32.49% and 22.66%, respectively, compared with compost alone. Similarly, biofertilizer with 30 kg N fed⁻¹ increased soil available nitrogen and phosphorus by 24.0% and 20.20%, respectively, compared with biofertilizer alone. These improvements in soil chemical properties were reflected in plant performance. Biofertilizer combined with 30 kg N fed⁻¹ resulted in the highest values of plant height (120.77 cm), branches per plant (12.6), pods per plant (58.7) and seed yield (1.44 t fed⁻¹), representing increase of 25.64% in plant height and 68.95% in the number of branches compared with mineral N alone. Seed nutrient concentrations were also increased under integrated treatments; biofertilizer with 30 kg N fed⁻¹ increased seed Fe and Zn concentrations by 26.55% and 46.57%, respectively, compared with biofertilizers alone. Overall, combining organic amendments and biofertilizer with moderate mineral nitrogen rates improves soil fertility, lupin growth and seed nutrients, offering a sustainable strategy for sandy soils

Occurrence and Intensity of Major Diseases of Blackgram (Vigna mungo L.) in SPSR Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Roving survey was conducted during rabi 2022-23 to know the severity of diseases in blackgram growing mandals namely., A.S Peta, Kondapuram, Kaligiri, Vinjamuru, Podalakur and Kandukuru and covers 33 villages. The highest Mungbean Yellow Mosaic Virus (MYMV) per cent disease index of 36.4% was recorded in Bommaraju cheruvu village of kaligiri mandal. Necrosis Disease or leaf curl disease in blackgram crop is becoming key viral disease next to MYMV. However, the highest incidence of 19.76 % was recorded in Nekunnampeta village of Kondapuram mandal. Whereas lowest leaf venial necrosis incidence of 2.5 % was observed in Amancherla village of podalakur mandal. The severity of Alternaria leaf spot ranged from 2.3-37.4 Per cent Disease Index. Of all the mandals surveyed, the highest mean incidence (21.8%) was recorded in Kaligiri mandal followed by 18.3% in Vinjamuru mandal. In the surveyed villages average per cent disease severity ranged from 4.2 to 43.7%. The highest (43.7%) disease incidence was observed on variety PU-31 in Magadevapuram village of Kandukur mandal. Of all the surveyed mandals, highest disease incidence was recorded in kandukur mandal with 18.4 % and lowest with 0.0 per cent disease incidence was observed in Vinjamuru mandal. The severity of Bacterial leaf spot ranged from 3.8 to 43.2 Per cent Disease Index observed on TBG 104 variety. Overall, our survey study provides information on the status of disease severity with cultivars adopted by farmers, which are helpful in development of resistant varieties and suitable management practices

Influence of Sowing Windows on Growth and Yield of Fodder Oat Varieties in Southern Agro-climatic Zone of Andhra Pradesh, India

The present experiment was carried out at dryland farm of Sri Venkateswra Agricultural College, Tirupati, ANGRAU-India during rabi, 2024-25 on sandy loam soils. The experiment laid out in the randomized block design with factorial concept and replicated thrice. The results of the experiment showed that the variety RO-11-1 sown during November II FN exhibited superior performance in terms of all growth parameters such as plant height, leaf to stem ratio, leaf area index and dry matter production. Furthermore, this treatment produced significantly higher green and dry fodder yields (18104 kg ha-1 and 4735 kg ha-1 respectively) compared to all other treatments

Integration of Sprinkler Technology and Precision Irrigation for Enhanced Resource Management in Crop Production: A Review

The non-judicious allocation of water resources at the farm level, predominantly through traditional irrigation methods, presents a critical challenge to global sustainability, particularly given that the agricultural sector consumes in excess of 70% of available freshwater. Enhancing application efficiency through the deployment of advanced pressurized techniques, specifically sprinkler irrigation, is an essential strategy for mitigation. This review systematically assesses the evolution of sprinkler technology and its critical convergence with precision irrigation (PI) methodologies. A modified literature exploration, based on PRISMA 2020 guidelines, was used wherein only primary field studies published after 2005 were included and review articles and simulation-only studies were excluded. Citation chaining was additionally used to identify key irrigation engineering papers. Findings confirm that traditional sprinkler systems achieve a remarkable 39% reduction in water consumption and elevate water productivity by over 14.1% when contrasted with surface gravity systems. Furthermore, the technological apex is reached when sprinkler application is coupled with PI automation and sensor integration. Such systems realize an additional 20−30% water saving and contribute to significant crop yield increases, ranging from 20% to 27.5%. Critical technological domains analyzed include the optimization of mechanical systems (Center Pivot and Linear Mover), the innovation in low-pressure hydraulic nozzles, and the development of responsive control systems, such as Model Predictive Control (MPC). The study underscores that future research must prioritize developing easily adoptable, cost-effective advanced control algorithms and refine nozzle hydraulics to reliably minimize wind drift and evaporation losses, which often compromise application efficiency

Tokenization of Agricultural Assets: Strengthening Blockchain Security in Agri-finance and Investment Models Against Fraud and Cyber Risks

Blockchain-based tokenization is transforming agricultural finance by enhancing efficiency, transparency, and security. This study focuses on small farmers and agribusinesses, evaluating the role of blockchain in mitigating fraud and cyber risks while improving financial accessibility. Using datasets from the World Bank Global Findex (measuring financial inclusion in agriculture), Ethereum blockchain transaction records (analyzing tokenized asset security and fraud detection), and FAO Agristats (assessing financial efficiency in agricultural markets), the study provides an empirical assessment of tokenization\u27s impact. Methodologically, logistic regression is employed to predict fraud risk based on financial accessibility and regulatory strength, while anomaly detection using Z-scores identifies irregular blockchain transactions. Additionally, a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) regression model evaluates financial efficiency improvements, measuring the impact of tokenization on loan disbursement times, transaction costs, and transparency. The findings indicate that tokenization reduces loan disbursement times by 31.3%, lowers transaction costs by 37.3%, and increases financial transparency by 40%. Fraud occurrences were 15% lower in blockchain-enabled transactions, with a weak correlation (r = -0.064) between digital finance adoption and fraud rates, suggesting that governance weaknesses rather than digitalization alone influence fraud risks. The study recommends advanced smart contract security, decentralized identity verification, regulatory oversight, and oracle network integration to enhance blockchain security in agricultural finance. These insights underscore the importance of multi-layered cybersecurity strategies in securing tokenized agricultural investments, benefiting farmers, agribusinesses, and financial institutions while fostering a more transparent and efficient agri-finance ecosystem

A Review of Autonomous Navigation Technology for Orchard Robots Based on Visual SLAM

As the global population grows and urbanization accelerates, agricultural production faces challenges such as labor shortages, limited resources, and an aging population. The application of agricultural automation and intelligent technology has become an important means to improve production efficiency and reduce labor dependence. As an important area of agricultural production, the demand for labor is particularly significant. In recent years, the rapid development of real-time localization and mapping (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology has provided technical support for autonomous navigation of agricultural robots. In this paper, the research background, research status, technical principles and development, application case analysis, challenges and future prospects of autonomous navigation technology for orchard robots based on visual SLAM at home and abroad are reviewed. Based on the analysis of relevant literature, this paper summarizes the application status of visual SLAM technology in orchard robot navigation and delves into its future development direction. Moreover, a well-defined and comprehensive conclusion is presented at the end to encapsulate the key insights and implications of the research