Abiotic stresses hamper plant growth and productivity. Climate change and agricultural malpractices like excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides have aggravated the effects of abiotic stresses on crop productivity and degraded the ecosystem. There is an urgent need for environment-friendly management techniques such as the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) for enhancing crop productivity. AMF are commonly known as bio-fertilizers. Moreover, it is widely believed that the inoculation of AMF provides tolerance to host plants against various stressful situations like heat, salinity, drought, metals, and extreme temperatures. AMF may both assist host plants in the up-regulation of tolerance mechanisms and prevent the down-regulation of key metabolic pathways. AMF, being natural root symbionts, provide essential plant inorganic nutrients to host plants, thereby improving growth and yield under unstressed and stressed regimes. The role of AMF as a bio-fertilizer can potentially strengthen plants’ adaptability to changing environment. Thus, further research focusing on the AMF-mediated promotion of crop quality and productivity is needed. The present review provides a comprehensive up-to-date knowledge on AMF and their influence on host plants at various growth stages, their advantages and applications, and consequently the importance of the relationships of different plant nutrients with AMF.

Dynamic wetting failure was observed in the simple dip coating flow with a series of substrates, which had a rough side and a comparatively smoother side. When we compared the air entrainment speeds on both sides, we found a switch in behaviour at a critical viscosity. At viscosity lower than a critical value, the rough side entrained air at lower speeds than the smooth side. Above the critical viscosity the reverse was observed, the smooth side entraining air at lower speed than the rough side. Only substrates with significant roughness showed this behaviour. Below a critical roughness, the rough side always entrained air at lower speeds than the smooth side. These results have both fundamental and practical merits. They support the hydrodynamic theory of dynamic wetting failure and imply that one can coat viscous fluids at higher speeds than normal by roughening substrates. A mechanism and a model are presented to explain dynamic wetting failure on rough surfaces.

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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to examine the asymmetric impact of service failure severity and agreeableness on consumer switchover intention with the mediating role of consumer forgiveness in the aftermath of service failure. Design/methodology/approach -In total, 364 university students were given a hypothetical service failure situation and their response was collected through a standardized questionnaire. Multiple regression and Preacher and Hayes (2004) mediation analysis tests were conducted to analyze data. Findings -The findings reveal that service failure severity has a direct positive impact on switchover intention and it also has an indirect impact on switchover intention through consumer forgiveness which it tends to weaken. On the other side, agreeableness has a direct negative impact on switchover intention, and it inhibits switchover intention indirectly too by stimulating forgiveness. Research limitations/implications -A cross-sectional study involving convenience sampling has been conducted through self-report measures. Generalization of the research findings shall therefore be done with caution. Practical implications -Severity of failure hampers forgiveness and therefore service managers should check factors that may challenge the tolerance level of consumers. While gauging satisfaction in post failure scenario, it is equally important to gauge consumer forgiveness. Originality/value -This study is among the initial endeavors to explore forgiveness in service failures context. Also it is the first validation of a direct positive relationship between agreeableness and forgiveness in a South Asian country.

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