Agroterrorism in Indian Context

In the context of change in global scenario of terrorism and economic competition, the risk of deliberate attack on agriculture is increasing. In a country, like India, whose economy is largely dependent on agriculture produce and exports, any such malicious attack can grossly destabilise the socio-economic structure. Additionally, an attack on major food crops can lead to potential threat to food security, subsequently, leading to destabilised law and order situation of a state. It is therefore very important to understand the risks and threats of agroterrorism for a given country in order to be prepared for any such circumstance. In this review we discuss different aspects of agroterrorism, its history, possibilities of such incidences in Indian scenario and mitigation strategies, which can be achieved through regular surveillance of pathogens in vulnerable crop ecosystems. We also describe a recent episode of outbreak of cotton leaf curl disease in the Northwest Indian cotton growing region and discuss it from the perspective of a possible threat on one of the most important economic crops of our country

Catalysed-microwave based Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomass of Camelina Sativa L. for Bio-Fuel Production

Lignocellulosic biomasses are promising alternative resource for bio-fuel production. But due to the recalcitrant nature of lignin and hemicellulose, necessitates an efficient pre-treatment process to improve the yield of reducing sugars and maximising the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency. Catalysed-microwave pre-treatment may be a good alternative as compared to other methods since it can reduce the time and improve the enzymatic activity during hydrolysis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the catalysed-microwave based pre-treatment of lignocellulosic biomass of Camelina sativa straw (CSS) to overcome the recalcitrant nature of cellulosic biomass. The microwave-alkaline (2 % NaOH) pre-treatment of CSS at 250 W for 10 min yields maximum (~422 mg/g) total soluble sugars (TSS) production during hydrolysis. Likewise, the maximum glucose content (~294 mg/g) was measured in 2 % alkaline-microwave pre-treatment for 10 min at RT. However, slight increase in lignin degradation was observed with the increase in alkaline hydroxide concentration and microwave irradiation exposure time. The maximum degradation in lignin content (~83 %) was measured in 3 % alkaline-microwave pre-treatment for 20 min at RT. Our results suggest that the microwave-alkaline pre-treatment approach may be employed for comprehensive utilisation of CSS biomass of Camelina sativa L. cv. Calena (EC643910) for bio-fuel production

Evaluation of Antibacterial Potential of Daldinia concentrica from North Eastern Region of India

Morphological, bio-chemical and antibacterial potential of an ascomycetous fungus, Daldinia concentrica, was evaluated. It was collected from dead, decaying log of Mimusops elengi tree and isolated by plating in potato dextrose medium. Macroscopic and microscopic features of the stromata were studied. The crude methanol extract of the stromata (30 mg/ml)  exhibited significant antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (MTCC-40), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MTCC-7093), Klebsiella pneumoniae (MTCC-661), Enterobacter aerogenes (MTCC-111) and Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (MTCC-7443), Bacillus subtilis (MTCC-121). Bacillus subtilis was the most sensitive organism to the methanol extract of this fungus with 41.33 mm zone of inhibition. Gas Chromatographic–Mass Spectral Analysis of stromatal methanol extract revealed the presence of 19 compounds. The present investigation indicated the potential antibacterial activity of native D. concentrica, which could be useful for pharmaceutical application

Antibacterial Performance Evaluation of Silver Coated River Sand for Water Decontamination Application

The presence of microbes in drinking water is a serious health hazard demanding immediate attention. Silver is known for centuries for its highly effective antimicrobial properties against a variety of microorganisms. Sand is a natural filter media that is widely used in water purification systems for the removal of dirt and suspended matter from water. Hence the development of additional antimicrobial features in commonly used filter material i.e. sand by coating with silver is an alternative technology for providing a safe drinking-water free from microbes. The present study was performed to develop a cost-effective material with antimicrobial properties by coating locally available river sand with silver. The coated material was subsequently used for its antimicrobial performance by using standard methods. To perform the tests E.coli was isolated from wastewater by using standard microbiological protocols. Thereafter, a biochemical test and antibiotic sensitivity assay were performed. Synthesised silver-coated sand was tested for its antibacterial activity against E.coli through the agar well diffusion method. The results showed a zone of clearance ≥40 mm with 700 mg of synthesised sample. To further determine the efficacy of developed material against E.coli load in artificially contaminated water, experiments were conducted by passing contaminated water through the material stuffed inside a hollow tube filter. A colony count reduction of 86.67 per cent was observed on passing 1000 ml of 3x103 CFU/ml contaminated water through the filter. The present study suggests that additional functionality of microbial reduction can be introduced in the sand through the silver coating. The developed material can be effectively used for the removal of fecal coliforms (E.coli) present in water bodies at an effective cost in addition to the removal of traditional impurities like dirt and suspended materials

Occurrence of Toxigenic Microcystis spp in Major Water Bodies of North East India

Toxigenic cyanobacterial blooms in the water bodies represent a major ecological problem around the world. Some species produces a diverse range of toxins that have hepatotoxic, neurotoxic, cytotoxic and dermatoxic activity and hence have deleterious effect on humans, animals and fishes leading to death as well. Cultural eutrophication of water bodies leads to increased incidence of these harmful cyanobacterial blooms worldwide. North-East India being a biodiversity hotspot harbor many species of cyanobacteria. Few reports suggested presence of few toxigenic cyanobacteria in the water bodies of Assam, but no systematic studies have been undertaken to evaluate their toxicity. This work is being conducted to gather information on major toxigenic cyanobacteria, with special emphasis to microcystin (a cyclic heptapeptides with high acute and chronic toxicities to humans and animals) producing strains. Water samples have been collected from few water bodies of North-East and enriched in specific media. The toxin Microcystin was detected using specific ELISA kit and positive results have been obtained. Further, 16s rDNA sequencing was employed for molecular identification of the strains

A Review on the Degradation of Ionic and Non Ionic Surfactants in Water

The ability to respond to changing consumer and industrial wastes is critical for water treatment. Surfactants are of importance because of their increasing prevalence in home and industrial settings, as well as the challenges they provide to standard treatment. Surface active agents (SAAs) are chemical compounds that are discharged into the environment. They may have a deleterious impact on ecosystem biotic components. They also produce an increase in the aqueous phase solubility of organic contaminants. The destiny of SAAs in the environment is currently uncertain. Recognizing this issue will help to safeguard live species and maintain the quality and balance of a diverse ecosystem.This critical evaluation considers studies from several technical disciplines to offer an up-to-date summary of the environmental effects of surfactants. A variety of technologies are discussed, as well as their drawbacks and potential solutions

The Hidden Microplastic A New Insight into Degradation of Plastic in Marine Environment

Plastic is usually used in essential areas like packaging, industries electronic, construction, building, healthcare, transport, etc. gradually pollution is increasing in the world. Plastic makes a high level of pollution that is affecting both the life on earth and the marine organisms. Around the world, many scientists and environmentalists have been developing various technologies to deal with the constant increase of this threat to the environment. Various bio-based solutions are to be kept in the account to mitigate the foreseen problem of micro-plastic pollution. The indigenous microbes (exposed to plastic) form the dense bio-film around the plastic and degrade it with the help of active catalytic enzymes. Therefore, in this review, the authors have discussed the source, the harmful impact of micro-plastic, biodegradation of plastic, and future eco-friendly approaches which might help in the removal of plastic from the marine environment

Improvement in Germination through Seed Pre-treatment in Ghingaru (Pyracantha crenulata (D. DON) M. ROEMER): An Important Wild Edible Ethno-medicinal Plant

484-486Ghingaru (Pyracantha crenulata (D. DON) M. ROEMER) is an important thorny Himalayan wild edible shrub. Fruits of the plant are rich source of anti-oxidants and used in preparation of cardio-tonic. However, scant scientific information is available on it mass propagation through seeds. The present study reports effect of chemical seed pre-treatments with sodium chloride, potassium nitrate, thio-urea along with hydro-priming on seed germination in ghingaru. Results revealed significant (P ≤ 0.05) improvement in germination of the stored ghingaru seeds through pre-treatment with potassium nitrate (300 or 400 mM) than the control and other treatments. The findings may be useful in mass propagation of the important plant as a source of nutrient rich food, medicines and other uses

Synthesis of 2, 5 Dimethyl Furan from Renewable Lignocellulosic Biomass

Renewable biomass resources could reduce the dependency on the fossil fuels by conversion of its lignocellulose into bio-fuels and other valuable chemicals. Depolymerisation of lignocellulose, hydrolysis of cellulose to monomer glucose and its subsequent dehydration results 5-hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF). HMF is an important platform chemical for fuels and various other applications. The hydrogenation of HMF results 2, 5-dimethylfuran (DMF), which may be a biofuel with 40 per cent greater energy density than that of ethanol. The homogeneous catalytic method is preferred for lignocellulosic biomass conversion to cellulose, its hydrolysis and further dehydration to HMF. The Cu-Ru/C and related catalysts are preferred for hydrogenation of HMD to 2, 5-dimethylfuran. This review is an attempt to summarise the current research and developments in the field of lignocellulose derived HMF and further conversion to DMF as a potential biofuel

Biofuels for Defence Use: Past, Present And Future

Defence sector desires to attain energy self-sufficiency and security. In recent years, emergence of biofuel as an alternative source has raised the hopes of Defence. Ethanol and bio-diesel are currently being used as blends in different parts of the world. While, bio-diesel is mostly being blended in 2-20% in different parts of the world, ethanol blending has reached upto 85%. Owing to the sustainability reasons, the choice of feedstock for ethanol production is gradually changing from corn to lignocelluloses biomass. Jatropha curcas, is still the choice feedstockfor bio-diesel in most third world countries. This institute has put in rigrous efforts to identify high yielding varieties of Jatropha, improving its yield, standardizing trans-esterification to obtain high quality bio-diesel and its trials and testing in various vehicles and equipment. Second generation biofuels using biomass such as farm and forest wastes as feedstocks are promising in terms of their overall sustainability and volume produced. They can be used as drop in fuels. However, time is required to utilize their potential fully. Algae, the third generation biofuel feedstock still needs extensive R&D to make it economically sustainable. Whatever, the technology used, defence forces will accept any biofuel, which should be available constantly and priced below the existing petroleum fuels. The scope of producing by-products and finding a lucarative market for these products can ensure that prices ofbiofuels remain lower than the petroleum fuel