Globally, between one quarter and one-third of total grains produced each year are lost during storage mainly through infestation of insect pests. Among the available control options such as chemical and physical techniques, fumigation with aluminum phosphide (AlP) is so far considered the best control strategy against storage insect pests. However, these insect pests are now developing resistance against AIP due to its indiscriminate use due to non-availability of any effective alternative control option. Resistance to AIP among storage insect pests is increasing, and its inhalation has shown adverse effects on animals and human beings. Nanotechnology has opened up a wide range of opportunities in various fields such as agriculture (pesticides, fertilizers, etc.), pharmaceuticals, and electronics. One of the applications of nanotechnology is the usage of nanomaterial-based insecticide formulations for mitigating field and storage insect pests. Several formulations, namely, nanoemulsions, nanosuspensions, controlled release formulations, and solid-based nanopesticides, have been developed with different modes of action and application. The major advantage is their small size which helps in proper spreading on the pest surface, and thus, better action than conventional pesticides is achieved. Besides their minute size, these have no or reduced harmful effects on non-target species. Nanopesticides can therefore provide green and efficient alternatives for the management of insect pests of field and storage. However, an outcry against the utilization of nano-based pesticides is also revealed. It is considered by some that nano-insecticides may also have hazardous effects on humans as well as on the environment. Due to limited available data, nanopesticides have become a double-edged weapon. Therefore, nanomaterials need to be evaluated extensively for their large-scale adoption. In this article, we reviewed the nanoformulations that are developed and have proved effective against the insect pests under postharvest storage of grains.

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Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) having adverse effects on both crop yields and quality, is one of the major constraints of wheat production in areas with high rainfall. In the north-eastern parts of India and also many areas of the world receiving rainfall during the late maturity stages of the crop affects both grain yields and quality. PHS trait is polygenic trait and affected by number of environmental factors. The available diversity in germplasm for the trait is very limited and for improving tolerance to PHS newer sources needs to be identified. The primary cause of pre-harvest sprouting is the breakdown or lacking of seed dormancy under humid and wet conditions along with the degradation of starch in the germinated seeds due to enhanced alpha amylase activity. This review describes the factors affecting the pre-harvest sprouting tolerance, genes associated with it, physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanism involved, screening technique and breeding approaches to develop PHS s tolerant wheat genotypes.

Aim: Methodology:Results: Interpretation:Pigmented (desi) and non pigmented (kabuli) cultivars of chickpea are known to differ in seed vigour. Therefore, the main objective of the study was to understand the mechanisms for such vigour differences and to identify the important seed coat and seed related vigour traits that makes the coloured desi seeds more vigorous then unpigmented kabuli seeds.Twenty two chickpea genotypes differing in seed coat colour were included in the experiment. Field emergence and electrical conductivity of seed leachate was used as vigour indicator. Hundred-seed weight, proportion of seed coat, laboratory germination, electrical conductivity, water imbibition pattern, tannin, lignin and total phenol content, presence or absence of air space between seed coat and cotyledon and status of hilum-micropylar region were studied to understand the mechanism for vigour differences between pigmented desi and unpigmented kabuli genotypes.Despite a high laboratory germination (>89%) of all cultivars, unpigmented kabuli genotypes recorded low (39-69%) FE then pigmented desi genotypes (64-87%). Rapid rate of water imbibition (111.86-145.09%), lower proportion of seed coat (4.76-6.78%), greater electrical conductivity of seed leachate (49-172 -1 µS cm g ), low content of lignin (0.74-2.41), tannin (0.18-1.09 µg mg ) and total phenol (1.66-5.58 µg mg ) was associated with low field emergence in unpigmented kabuli types. Besides, air space between seed coat and cotyledon, open hilum-micropylar region, less polyphenolic content and low proportion of seed coat potentially describe the rapid water uptake by unpigmented kabuli genotypes making them vulnerable to imbibitional damage.Rather than laboratory germination, electrical conductivity may be used as an indicator for determining field emergence in chickpea. Screening/ developing unpigmented kabuli genotypes with seeds having lower rate of water imbibition could be a promising way to enable seed vigour improvement in chickpea.

Undernourishment of nutrients, also known as hidden hunger, affects over 2 billion populace globally. Even though stunting among children below five years of age has decreased in India in the last ten years, India is home to roughly thirty percent of the world’s population of stunted pre-schoolers. A significant improvement has been witnessed in the targeted development and deployment of biofortified crops; approximately 20 million farm households from developing counties benefit from cultivating and consuming biofortified crops. There is ample scope for including biofortified varieties in the seed chain, ensuring nutritional security. Wheat is a dietary staple in India, typically consumed as wholemeal flour in the form of flatbreads such as chapatti and roti. Wheat contributes to nearly one fifth of global energy requirements and can also provide better amounts of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn). As a result, biofortified wheat can serve as a medium for delivery of essential micronutrients such as Fe and Zn to end users. This review discusses wheat biofortification components such as Fe and Zn dynamics, its uptake and movement in plants, the genetics of their buildup, and the inclusion of biofortified wheat varieties in the seed multiplication chain concerning India.