Sustainable seedling pots: Development and characterisation of banana waste and natural fibre-reinforced composites for horticultural applications.

Plastic pots used in horticultural nurseries generate substantial waste, causing environmental pollution. This study aimed to develop biodegradable composites from banana pseudo-stem reinforced with agricultural residues like pineapple leaves, taro and water hyacinth as eco-friendly substitutes. The aim of this study is to develop optimised banana biocomposite formulations with suitable reinforcements that balance mechanical durability, biodegradation, and seedling growth promotion properties to serve as viable eco-friendly alternatives to plastic seedling pots.

Effect of chitosan-based bio coating on mechanical, structural and physical characteristics of microfiber based paper packaging: An alternative to wood pulp/plastic packaging.

Limnocharis flava is a noxious aquatic weed that poses a threat to paddy cultivation. The high cellulose and low lignin contents in this plant make it a potential raw material for papermaking. Against this backdrop, this study was taken up to develop Limnocharis flava (LF) based sheets containing natural fibres from Banana (B), Pineapple (P), and Rice Straw (RS) as reinforcing agents.

Multi-functional bioactive secondary metabolites derived from endophytic fungi of marine algal origin.

Endophytic fungi from marine macroalgae are endowed with various pharmacologically active metabolites. This study mined, identified and screened endophytic fungi (EF) isolated from marine algae from the west coast of South India for screening anticancer, antioxidant and antimicrobial secondary metabolite producers. Five EF isolated from sampled marine algae were identified using morphology and ITS based identification as and After culturing 20 days on PDA medium, the ethyl acetate extracts of showed potent antimicrobial activity against with an IC value of 458.

To exclude or to accumulate? Revealing the role of the sodium HKT1;5 transporter in plant adaptive responses to varying soil salinity.

Arid/semi-arid and coastal agricultural areas of the world are especially vulnerable to climate change-driven soil salinity. Salinity tolerance in plants is a complex trait, with salinity negatively affecting crop yield. Plants adopt a range of mechanisms to combat salinity, with many transporter genes being implicated in Na-partitioning processes.