Nasim Ali

Synthetic seed production of medicinal plants: a review on influence of explants, encapsulation agent and matrix

The present review illustrates the implementation of synthetic seed technology for mass propagation and short-term storage of several medicinal plants, popularly grown throughout the world. Biotechnology-based research with special reference to in vitro plant cell and tissue culture intervention created a new outlook in terms of mass propagation, germplasm storage and cryoconservation, production of secondary metabolites as well as genetic transformation. Synthetic seed technology involving alginate encapsulation of in vitro or in vivo generated explants proved to be a competent system to deal with multiplication, storage and exchange of seedless medicinal plants having traits of choice that are intricate to propagate via conventional approach. Nevertheless, optimization of production, storage and exchange of synthetic seeds are influenced by several factors. Manipulation of those factors such as explant selection, encapsulating agent and matrix determined the success of synthetic seed technology in medicinal plants. The present review elucidates an outline of past progress, present status and future prospects of synthetic seed technology intervention in medicinal plants with special emphasis on the factors which determine the success of this technology.

Response of Rice under Salinity Stress: A Review Update

Salinity has been a key abiotic constraint devastating crop production worldwide. Attempts in understanding salt tolerance mechanisms has revealed several key enzymes and altered biochemical pathways inferring resistance to crop plants against salt stress. The past decades have witnessed extensive research in development of salt tolerant cultivars via conventional means, improvised by modern era molecular tools and techniques. Rice (Oryza sativa L) is the staple food crop across several countries worldwide. Being a glycophyte by nature, its growth is severely imparted in presence of excess salt. Rice is susceptible to salinity specifically at the early vegetative and later reproductive stages and the response of the crop to excessive salt toxicity at biochemical and molecular level as well as physiological level is well studied and documented. An understanding of the specific response of rice to ion accumulation at the toxic level can aid in identifying the key factors responsible for retarded growth and limited production of rice with the future scope of mitigating the same. The present review summarizes the differential responses of rice, in particular, to salt toxicity enumerating the detailed morphological, physiological, biochemical and molecular changes occurring in the plant. An attempt to explain salinity tolerance and its future scope and implications in screening for salt tolerance has also been elucidated in the present study.

Multifunctional Role of Integrated Farming System in Developing Countries

Agro-ecological practices, including integration within farming systems, have increasingly been acknowledged as key development alternative to safeguard rural people’s basic needs. It also enhances farmers’ socio-ecological capacities to sustain livelihoods. This paper explores the multidimensional nature of agro-ecological practices and takes stock of its multiple outcomes in smallholder systems of developing countries. Literatures suggest that farmers’ foremost concern is to meet their socio-economic, cultural and ecological needs in addition to combating multiple adversities caused by biotic and abiotic stresses. This asks for planned integration among the components in small farms leading to reduced stress and multiple benefits to the farm households.Integration among the components of farming system are often employed as a livelihood strategy in small farms and it plays a pivotal role in meeting the multidimensional needs of the farm family such as food security, risk reduction, income and employment, biodiversity, carbon storage and energy efficiency in farm. Public extension must appreciate IFS as a socio-ecological intervention, instead of a technology, to achieve varied desirable socio-economic-ecological outcomes.