There are thirteen species of Aquilaria producing agarwood, a product of plant and microbe interaction. The process of natural formation of agarwood is slow and only 10 percent of the trees in wild get infected forming agarwood. Since commercial cultivation of agarwood has begun, there is a need for a supporting programme of artificial induction to make the programme viable. The paper reviews the methods of biological induction in Aquilaria sp., the role of endophytes especially species of Fusarium and the availability of inocula for inducing agarwood formation.

Gum ghatti (GG) is a natural polysaccharide produced from ghatti tree (Anogeissus latifolia). Chemically, the gum is composed of several mono-sugars and uronic acids in the form of calcium and magnesium salts. GG contains soluble and insoluble fractions, which form a thick colloidal solution in water. GG is non-toxic, bio-degradable, and biocompatible to the human digestive system. It finds applications as an emulsifier, stabilizer, binder, thickener, moisture retainer, film-forming agent and a raw material for hydrogel synthesis. The gradual change in the human mindset has increased demand for natural gums like GG to overcome the adverse effects of synthetic additives. As ghatti trees are found in the forest or non-agricultural lands, its gum collection and sales provide an alternate source of sustainable livelihood to the economically backward and resource-constrained population inhabiting forest and sub-forest areas. This review is a unique article covering the literature on production aspects like tree description, importance, GG tapping, production, processing, and marketing. The review of such an important natural product will be useful for researchers, stakeholders, policymakers, and others working in natural resins and gums sector.

The polyester resin has been synthesized using maleic anhydride, phthalic anhydride and propylene glycol. Synthesized resin, styrene and jute fibre along with a catalyst were used for the composite preparation. The mechanical and thermal properties of composites were evaluated. The obtained composites were characterized by TGA (Thermal Gravimetric Analysis) and DTA (Differential Thermal Analysis).

A seed germination trial was conducted to study the germination behaviour of Rubus ellipticus seeds collected from different sources in Himachal Pradesh. Significant differences were observed in the germination per cent of seeds collected from different sources. The maximum germination of 84.00% was recorded in seeds collected from the Darlaghat source whereas the minimum germination of 59.00% was recorded in seeds collected from Bharan in Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. The seeds collected from Shoghi recorded the highest moisture content of 6.46% whereas the minimum moisture content of 5.39% was recorded from seeds collected from Joharji in the Solan district. The maximum seed weight of 0.07 g (100 seeds) was recorded in seeds collected from Joharji, whereas, the minimum seed weight of 0.05 g was recorded in seeds collected from Beolia in the Shimla district of Himachal Pradesh. It is recommended on the basis of the present investigation that seeds of R. ellipticus be collected from the Darlaghat seed source in Solan district for the raising of seedlings in the nursery owing to better germination.

The present communication records the occurrence of Euryops chrysanthemoides in wild areas of Tamil Nadu. The identity of the species with detailed description and colour photo plate of the species is provided here.

The present study investigates ancient water harvesting techniques of western Rajasthan and reports potable water quality by using the Water Quality Index (WQI). These small rain-fed ponds are still a significant water resource for the village community and quench the thirst for 6 to 10 months. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the water quality and its suitability for drinking, development of forest and irrigation purpose. There were four sampling sites that were analyzed seasonally for physico-chemical parameters including, pH, TDS, Fluoride, Nitrate, Chloride, Total Alkalinity, Total Hardness, Calcium and Magnesium over a period of one year from July, 2020 to June, 2021 in Nagaur district, Rajasthan. In the results, WQI indicated very poor and unsuitable drinking water quality in all seasons in the first sampling site located in the city due to poor management. Whereas, all the village sampling sites had excellent water quality index in terms of drinking in all seasons excluding one sampling site, which was showing poor water quality in summer. Calculations for WQI show that fluoride is the most influencing parameter in the study. The findings significantly enhance the understanding of the importance of these small water ponds and provide a base for making sustainable water strategies in present study areas.

The paper deals with 34 species of plants used for curing ulcers by the tribes of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh.

The paper enumerates 59 species of orchids collected from the Yellapur taluk, Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state.

The paper highlights the medicinal use of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. ex Nees in curing malarial fever. The information is based on the detailed oral interviews held with Vaidhyas, Hakims and elderly village people from Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh (India), having knowledge of medicinal uses of plants.