Weak itinerant ferromagnetism and non-Fermi liquid behavior in Ni-(= Cr, Nb) alloys near critical concentration.

We report a comprehensive study on the magnetic, electrical and thermal properties of Ni(= V, Cr, Nb,) alloys around their critical concentration. Analysis of field and temperature dependence magnetization data suggests a weak itinerant ferromagnetic behavior in= 8 and 10 compositions and the ferromagnetic ordering suppresses in the concentration range 10 << 12. Further, the temperature dependence of specific heat shows an unusual low temperature variation with an enhanced Sommerfeld coefficient,, with a signature of non-Fermi-liquid (NFL) behavior close to critical concentration.

Thermal supplementing soil nutrients through biocomposting of night-soil in the northwestern Indian Himalaya.

Agriculture is one of the prime activities of the hill people residing in the northwestern Indian Himalaya. However, poor soil fertility in these areas is a big hurdle to sustainable farming. The effects of washout of topsoil and its nutrients, year after year, due to the abundance of snowfall, avalanches, landslides and erosion further add to the woes of the farmers.

Willow (Salix fragilis Linn.): A multipurpose tree species under pest attack in the cold desert of Lahaul valley, northwestern Himalaya, India.

Salix fragilis is the most common willow species grown extensively under the indigenous agroforestry system in the cold desert of Lahaul valley located in the northwestern Himalayas, India. Presently, this tree is under severe pest attack, and other infections have made its survival in the area questionable. This deciduous multipurpose tree species provides vegetation cover to the barren landscape of Lahaul and is a significant contributor of fuel and fodder to the region.