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Present communication reports laboratory and pot experiments conducted to study the influence of water and osmotic stress on nitrogen uptake and metabolism in two wheat (Triticum aestivum L) cultivars with and without potassium supplementation. Polyethylene glycol 6000-induced osmotic stress/restricted irrigation caused a considerable decline in the activity of nitrate reductase, glutamate synthase, alanine and aspartate aminotransferases, and glutamate dehydrogenase. Potassium considerably improved nitrogen metabolism under normal water supply conditions and also resulted in amelioration of the negative impact of water and osmotic stresses indicating that potassium supplementation can be used as a potential tool for enhancing the nitrogen use efficiency in wheat for exploiting its genetic potential.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) have mutualistic relationships with more than 80% of terrestrial plant species. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal symbiosis have remarkable role in sustainable growth and development of plants as they help the land plants to acclimatize the biotic and abiotic conditions for their better survival, growth and development. In the present study surface sterilized tubers and seeds of potato were sown in earthen pots filled with sterile soil. Half the pots were inoculated with sterilized 30 AMF spores of the Glomus intraradices and G. mosseae and 10 g of maize root inoculated with the species of G. intraradices and G. mosseae. Another half represented controls with no AMF inoculation. Inoculation was done twice 3 days before sowing the tubers and seeds and on the onset of germination. Potted plants were regularly watered. After seedling emergence, the inoculated plants along with their controls were sampled at 20, 40, 60 and 80 days of growth. The observed data seems to predict that there is a net increase in the above and below ground growth of the plant with each 20 days interval after seedling emergence. The present study seems interesting since it pertains the work on modified stem vis a vis mycorrhizal relationship of a modified stem than normal root. The Chlorophyll content besides morphological growth parameters and fresh and dry weight content of both cultivars of potato plant are shown to present in higher level in the mycorrhiza infected as compared to the non-inoculated ones.

Importance of medicinal plants to health care has been great and herbal preparations are being produced at industrial scale particularly in developing countries. The plant products obtained have a long history of use in therapeutics, aromatherapy and food depending on the chemical constituents and their bioactivity. In the recent past, marigolds have received a great attention in scientific research, because of their multiple use and also the information available about their phytochemistry and bioactivity. Tagetes species commonly known as marigold is native to Mexico, being used for medicinal and ornamental purposes. The plant is useful due to its unique phytoconstituents for a range of diseases and disorders and is reportedly effective against piles, kidney troubles, muscular pain, ulcers and wound healing and the flowers are helpful in fever, stomach and liver complaints and also in eye diseases. In India, marigold is also extensively used on religious and social occasions such as in the beautification of mandaps and pooja places; offerings at temples; marriage decorations and landscape planning due to variable size and colour of its flower. Present review is an effort to bring together the different strategies developed for the growth and cultivation of marigold, its ecophysiological and remediation relevance under a variety of environmental conditions and possible allelopathic potential. It includes reports on pharmacological aspects like antibacterial, antifungal, larvicidal, hepatoprotective, insecticidal, mosquitocidal, nematicidal, wound healing, antioxidant, anticancer and antidiabetic properties/activity of Tagetes.

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