In the present study, the groundwater quality for suitability in agriculture from Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand, has been evaluated. A total of 50 groundwater samples have been collected and analysed for pH, EC, TH, HCO3−, CO32−, Cl−, SO42−, NO3–, Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+ and K+. To assess the groundwater quality for irrigation purpose, parameters like sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), soluble sodium percentage (SSP), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), magnesium hazards (MHs), permeability index (PI), and chloroalkaline index (CAI) values have been calculated. In USSL diagram, most of the groundwater samples fall in the C2S1 category and were safe for irrigation purpose. Only seven groundwater samples fall in the C3S1 category, indicating medium to high salinity which is safe for irrigation purpose for all types of soils but with limited care of exchangeable sodium. On the basis of RSC, all groundwater samples were observed to be suitable for irrigation purpose. Piper diagram indicated that 50% of the groundwater samples belonged to the Mg2+-Ca2+-HCO3− type and 48% was classified as the Ca2+-Mg2+-Cl− type. Durov diagram suggested possibilities of ion mixing and simple dissolution of ions from polluted soil.

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The present study was undertaken to assess the allelopathic effect of Echinochloa colona L. and Cyperus iria L. in relation to the germination and primary growth of Oryza sativa L. (rice) and Glycine max L. (soyabean). Effects of dichloromethane (DCM) and double distilled water soluble (DDW) fractions of E. colona L. and C. iria L. root and aerial part extracts reduced germination and suppressed early seedling growth of rice and soyabean. With increase in extract concentration from 1 to 100 mg/mL, a gradual decrease in seed germination and seedling length occurred. The highest growth of G. max seedling was recorded in DDW fraction of E. colona aerial part extract at 1 mg/mL concentration with 94% germination and the lowest length was found in DCM fraction of C. iria root extract at 100 mg/mL concentration with 65% germination. In O. sativa, the highest length was noted at 1 mg/mL concentration in DDW fraction of E. colona aerial part extract with 82% germination and the lowest length was found in DCM fraction of C. iria and E. colona root extracts with germination 57% and 62%, respectively, at 100 mg/mL concentration. The results suggested that these weeds had good allelopathic potential which reduces germination and plant growth.

The essential oils of four wild growing Origanum vulgare L. (family Lamiaceae) collected from different locations in Kumaon region (Uttarakhand, India) were analysed by capillary GC and GC/MS. The comparative results of O. vulgare L. collected from four different regions showed differences in the chemical constituents of the essential oils. The oil of O. vulgare L. collected from Dhoulchina and Champawat (chemotype I) shows p-cymene (6.7-9.8%), γ-terpinene (12.4-14.0%), thymol (29.7-35.1%) and carvacrol (12.4-20.9%) as major constituents while the oil from Kilbury and Rushi village (chemotype II) shows linalool (6.7-9.7%), bornyl acetate (12.6-16.8%), β-caryophyllene (10.5-13.8%) and germacrene D (6.3-11.3%) as the major constituents. These features highlight the chemosystematics of this genus.

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Context: Cinnamomum glanduliferum (Wall.) Meissn. (Lauraceae), Feronia elephantum Correa (Rutaceae), Bupleurum hamiltonii Balak (Apiaceae) and Cyclospermum leptophyllum (Pers.) Sprague ex Britton & P. Wilson (Apiaceae) are common species found in Northwest Himalaya and are widely used as folk medicine. The study became more interesting because hitherto there are no reports on the antimicrobial screening of these species with specific chemical composition.Objective: The antimicrobial potential of the essential oils of C. glanduliferum, F. elephantum, B. hamiltonii and C. leptophyllum against some commonly occurring foodborne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria was explored in this study. Materials and methods: Antimicrobial screening studies of essential oils were performed against some Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains using broth-dilution methods. Each essential oil was prepared by serial double dilution method to get final concentrations ranging from 0.85-440.0 mg/ml in a 96 microtiter plate. Results: The in vitro studies revealed that C. glanduliferum oil was very active against Gramnegative bacteria, A. salmonicida (MIC 1.72 mg/ml), E. coli (MIC 3.43 mg/ml), and P. aeruginosa (MIC 3.43 mg/ml) as compared to the standards gentamicin and kanamicin. Oil of C. leptophyllum exhibited better inhibitory activity profile against Gram-positive S. aureus (MIC 3.43 mg/ml) and Gram-negative E. herbicola (MIC 1.72 mg/ml) and P. aeruginosa (MIC 3.43 mg/ml) as compared to the standards. Discussion and conclusion: These results reveal that these essential oils may be used in the treatment of diseases caused by the foodborne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. Their importance as potential medicinal agents is based on the antimicrobial findings.

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