Publications by authors named "Alison M Laing"

Article Synopsis
  • Fall armyworm (FAW) has severely impacted maize yields and farmers' incomes in India's Eastern Gangetic Plains since 2018, with poor insecticide practices exacerbating the issue.
  • Research indicates that FAW causes the most damage during the early growth stages of maize, and fields with no insecticide use showed higher rates of natural parasitism by beneficial wasps compared to treated fields.
  • The study highlights the potential of endemic parasitoids as a sustainable, cost-effective strategy for controlling FAW, suggesting that integrating natural methods with existing practices can improve management outcomes.
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The use of chemical fertilizers under a rice-wheat cropping system (RWCS) has led to the emergence of micronutrient deficiency and decreased crop productivity. Thus, the experiment was conducted with the aim that the use of organic amendments would sustain productivity and improve the soil nutrient status under RWCS. A three-year experiment was conducted with different organic manures i.

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Manganese (Mn) is an essential micronutrient in plants, and it is necessary for hydrolysis in photosystem II, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and also chloroplast breakdown. Limited Mn availability in light soil resulted in interveinal chlorosis, poor root development, and the development of fewer tillers, particularly staple cereals including wheat, while foliar Mn fertilizers were found efficient in improving crop yield as well as Mn use efficiency. In the above context, a study was conducted in consecutive two wheat growing seasons for screening of the most effective and economical Mn treatment for improving the yield and Mn uptake in wheat and to compare the relative effectiveness of MnCO against the recommended dose of MnSO for wheat.

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Micronutrient malnutrition or hidden hunger remains a major global challenge for human health and wellness. The problem results from soil micro- and macro-nutrient deficiencies combined with imbalanced fertilizer use. Micronutrient-embedded NPK (MNENPK) complex fertilizers have been developed to overcome the macro- and micro-element deficiencies to enhance the yield and nutritive value of key crop products.

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Bacterial blight (BB) is caused by pv. and is one of the most important diseases in rice. It results in significantly reduced productivity throughout all rice-growing regions of the world.

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The trace element selenium (Se) is a crucial element for many living organisms, including soil microorganisms, plants and animals, including humans. Generally, in Nature Se is taken up in the living cells of microorganisms, plants, animals and humans in several inorganic forms such as selenate, selenite, elemental Se and selenide. These forms are converted to organic forms by biological process, mostly as the two selenoamino acids selenocysteine (SeCys) and selenomethionine (SeMet).

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