Understanding the plant-pathogen interactions is of utmost importance to design strategies for minimizing the economic deficits caused by pathogens in crops. With an aim to identify genes underlying resistance to downy mildew, a major disease responsible for productivity loss in pearl millet, transcriptome analysis was performed in downy mildew resistant and susceptible genotypes upon infection and control on 454 Roche NGS platform. A total of ~685 Mb data was obtained with 1 575 290 raw reads. The raw reads were pre-processed into high-quality (HQ) reads making to ~82% with an average of 427 bases. The assembly was optimized using four assemblers viz. Newbler, MIRA, CLC and Trinity, out of which MIRA with a total of 14.10 Mb and 90118 transcripts proved to be the best for assembling reads. Differential expression analysis depicted 1396 and 936 and 1000 and 1591 transcripts up and down regulated in resistant inoculated/resistant control and susceptible inoculated/susceptible control respectively with a common of 3644 transcripts. The pathways for secondary metabolism, specifically the phenylpropanoid pathway was up-regulated in resistant genotype. Transcripts up-regulated as a part of defense response included classes of R genes, PR proteins, HR induced proteins and plant hormonal signaling transduction proteins. The transcripts for skp1 protein, purothionin, V type proton ATPase were found to have the highest expression in resistant genotype. Ten transcripts, selected on the basis of their involvement in defense mechanism were validated with qRT-PCR and showed positive co-relation with transcriptome data. Transcriptome analysis evoked potentials of hypersensitive response and systemic acquired resistance as possible mechanism operating in defense mechanism in pearl millet against downy mildew infection.

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are a set of 17 goals with 169 targets. The Agenda 2030 of the United Nations envisages a holistic approach to achieve these goals by focusing on humankind and the planet. In this review, we analyzed the scientific literature and technical reports of international bodies such as the United Nations and Food and Agriculture Organization relating to traditional ethnobotanical knowledge (TEK). The literature on TEK was mapped with the targets of the SDGs to determine the role of traditional knowledge in the realization of selected goals and targets. Our extensive and systematic reviewing of available literatures suggests that, of the 17 goals, at least seven goals are associated with TEK. To achieve these seven goals, a thorough understanding is required to disentangle the intricacies involving TEK, indigenous people holding TEK, and their future role in achieving the SDGs. Our review points towards the role of TEK in achieving goals linked to poverty, health and wellbeing, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life on land, and partnerships. In summary, we argue that achieving the intended outcomes of the SDGs and the targets requires concerted efforts of all relevant stakeholders, including indigenous communities, common citizens, scientists, policy makers, and world leaders.

In the present study, 20 sandalwood (Santalum album L.) genotypes were characterized using RAPD, ISSR and SSR markers. Twenty-five RAPD and twenty-one ISSR primers that generated clear and reproducible banding patterns amplified 225 and 208 bands, respectively, among 20 sandalwood genotypes. Out of 225, 181 (83.13 %) RAPD bands were polymorphic while out of 208, 156 (75.77 %) ISSR bands were polymorphic. The average polymorphism information content (PIC) for RAPD and ISSR was 0.84 and 0.86, respectively. A good correlation (0.96) was observed between the matrices produced by RAPD and ISSR primers. Though, there was high similarity among genotypes (0.79 for RAPD and 0.70 for ISSR), the observed genetic diversity was found good enough for the characterization of sandalwood genotypes. Cross-species transferability SSR markers developed in S. austrocaledonicum and S. insulare were found to be monomorphic. The results of the present investigation would provide valid guidelines for collection, conservation and characterization of sandalwood genetic resources.

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The field experiment was conducted during 2013-16 at Navsari Agricultural University, Paria, Gujarat to study the role of weather parameters on population dynamics of oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis on mango, Mangifera indica L. Fruit flies were recorded throughout the investigation period, wherein maximum catches were observed during April - July which coincided with fruiting and harvesting stages of the crop. Weather parameters viz., minimum temperature, evening relative humidity, rainfall and wind velocity were found to be important predictors of fruit fly catches, while maximum temperature and morning relative humidity failed to establish significant correlation with the catches. The optimized model developed using rainfall and wind velocity predicted fruit fly catches based on R2 value to the tune of 78 per cent. This forewarning model may help mango farmers to take advance decision for minimizing the quantitative and qualitative crop losses caused by fruit flies of the region.