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Phosphorus (P) is second largest limiting element for plant growth. The phosphate rock which is used in the manufacture of P fertilizers is nonrenewable resource. We have to address to future shortages for sustainable crop production in India. At global level, India ranks as second largest wheat producing nation and contributing approximately 11.9% to the world wheat production from about 12% of global area (USDA 2010). One of the major constraints in boosting up the wheat production is the unbalanced use of plant nutrients, particularly P and K. Average P uptake of wheat is about 3.8 kg P/t of grains (Timsina and Connor 2001). P recovery by wheat from fertilizers is quite low i.e. 15-20% of the applied P is recovered by wheat while the remaining P is fixed as insoluble P fractions in soils (Rodríguez and Fraga 1999). Only 0.1% of the total P exists in a soluble form available for plant uptake because of its fixation into an unavailable form. Increasing prices of P-fertilizers in developing countries like India and high fixation of P in soil have led to the search for sustainable way of P nutrition of crops. In this regards phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSM) have been seen as the best eco-friendly means for P nutrition of crops.A number of bacteria (Bacillus spp., Pseudomonas spp., Burkholderia spp.) and fungi (Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp.) are known to increase availability of P to plants and benefit plant growth either by mineralization of organic phosphate or by solubilisation of insoluble inorganic phosphates in soils through the production of organic acids (Rodríguez and Fraga 1999, Saber et al. 2009, Saxena et al. 2014 ABSTRACTPhosphorus (P) availability limits crop growth in most of cultivable soils in north-west India. The beneficial rhizosphere microorganisms such as phosphate-solubilising fungi (PSF) were found to increase P availability in soil and improve crop yields. In view of this, field experiments were conducted during 2009-2011 to evaluate the effect of seed inoculation with PSF (Penicillium bilaii) at different rates of fertilizer P on P content in leaves and grain yield of irrigated wheat in India. The soil was low in Olsen P at the Bathinda site and medium at the Ludhiana site. In no-P treatment, PSF significantly increased grain yield by 12.6% over non-inoculated control. The effect of PSF on grain yield was generally more pronounced in a soil with low Olsen-P compared to medium Olsen-P level. Inoculation of PSF along with 50% P fertilizer increased wheat yield equivalent to 100% P with no PSF. Spike density was significantly higher in PSF + 50% P than all the other treatments. There is need to study a long-term effect of Penicillium bilaii on P-fertilizer saving in wheat on soils varying in P availability, pH and P fixation capacity for different wheat-based cropping systems.

A small scale honey dehydrator has been designed, developed, and tested to reduce moisture content of honey below 17 %. Experiments have been conducted for honey dehydration by using drying air at ambient temperature, 30 and 40 °C and water at 35, 40 and 45 °C. In this dehydrator, hot water has been circulated in a water jacket around the honey container to heat honey. The heated honey has been pumped through a sieve to form honey streams through which drying air passes for moisture removal. The honey streams help in increasing the exposed surface area of honey in contact with drying air, thus resulting in faster dehydration of honey. The maximum drying rate per square meter area of honey exposed to drying air was found to be 197.0 g/h-m(2) corresponding to the drying air and water temperature of 40 and 45 °C respectively whereas it was found to be minimum (74.8 g/h-m(2)) corresponding to the drying air at ambient temperature (8-17 °C) and water at 35 °C. The energy cost of honey moisture content reduction from 25.2 to 16.4 % was Rs. 6.20 to Rs. 17.36 (US $ 0.10 to US $ 0.28 (One US $ = 62.00 Indian Rupee on February, 2014) per kilogram of honey.

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