The agricultural sector is seriously impacted by climate change, leading to potential risks to food security. In terms of global food production, maize ranks third. As a result, crop production and food security depend critically on assessing the effects of climate change and developing measures to adapt maize. Regarding adaptability, changing planting dates and using different agrochemicals are more effective than other management. Crop models are part of a global decision support system to help farmers maximize yields despite unpredictable weather patterns. To mitigate yield loss and protect the ecosystem, it is essential to use efficient maize-sowing practices in the field. This experiment was carried out to identify the most favorable sowing dates that maximize yield while ensuring the crop’s productivity and the integrity of the surrounding ecosystem remain intact. The main aim of this experiment was to mitigate the different climatic conditions by exogenous application of salicylic acid (SA) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) on pigments and sugar content in maize under different sowing dates. A field experiment was carried out in the School of Agriculture, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India, during the spring season of 2022. The experiment dealt with various maize crops, PMH-10, sourced from the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Punjab. The experiment was conducted in an open-air environment. The experimental setup was laid out in a split-plot design. The results stated that foliar application of salicylic acid and sodium nitroprusside successfully influenced high-temperature tolerance and low temperature at the reproductive phase and initial vegetative stages with other growing climatic conditions of maize in early and late sowings when controlled by increasing the chlorophyll index, carotenoids content, and sugar content of maize.

In this study, the Senegal River, being the main source of water, plays a crucial role in the area’s agricultural development. Irrigation on the M’Pourie plain using water from the Senegal River is carried out without any prior sanitation control. An evaluation of the quality of irrigation water and its impact on soil salinization in different agricultural plots soil salinity is crucial for the effective utilization of traditional irrigation water over extended periods. Comprehensive physico-chemical analyses were conducted across nine locations on the M’Pourie plain in Rosso during the dynamic seasons of 2021-2023. Nevertheless, a relatively small number of studies have employed soil salinity indexing methods to examine the consequences of river irrigation on soil salinity. The analysis and interpretation of the results obtained were based both on classic methods (average and correlations) and more advanced techniques such as principal component analysis (PCA) and the Piper diagram which allow characterization and a spatial typology of water. Analysis of the Piper diagram highlights the distinction between two groups of water, weakly and moderately mineralized, ranging from 52.22 μS.cm-1 in the dry season to 72.22 μS.cm-1 in the rainy season, presenting a sodium-potassium bicarbonate facies The variability of irrigation water supplies, proves to be important in the functioning of an agro-systems. Two modes of operation have become individualized: the dry phase mode, characterized by very strong mineralization of the water linked to a significant load of dissolved elements, and the wet phase mode, whose water quality is poorly mineralized but shows the impact that its irrigation water can represent in the loading of organic and mineral pollution and the need for strict control of these waters upstream before their agricultural use. The results of this study show the absence of risks of soil salinization in relation to the chemical nature of irrigation water and the impact of agriculture on the M’Pourie plain.

In this study, the aridity index (AI) based on gridded climate data was validated for defining aridity and classifying aridity zones in Iraq through comparison with the results obtained by the station-based aridity index. Gauge-based gridded climate data taken from Climatic Research Unit Timeseries (CRU TS) were used to determine the annual value of four aridity indices (Lang, De Martonne, Ernic and UNEP AI) over the period 1998-2011. The results showed that the aridity distribution maps derived using grid-based aridity indices were reasonably close to those found using station-based ones. The four aridity indices properly identified similar aridity (dryness) classifications in both the station-based and grid-based aridity maps. The area percentage of each aridity class predicted by grid-based AIs was also compared with that obtained by the station-based AIs. The results showed that the variances between the area percentages predicted by grid-based AIs and those estimated using station-based AIs are fairly slight. The Lang AI exhibited the least variance (0.4%) while the De Martonne AI had the biggest variance (-4.8%). Despite these minor variances, it is however possible to conclude that the grid-based aridity index classified the aridity zones of Iraq as properly as the station-based aridity index did.

Global warming is one of the primary causes contributing to melting glaciers and shrinking of glaciers moth. Because of the glacier retreat, more lakes increase the risk of flooding in people’s homes and lives. Several studies on the surging glaciers have been conducted by researchers using various techniques, as well as with the aid of multiple models like the Normalized Differential Water Index (NDWI). The Number of glacial lakes is increasing in the Himalayan region due to climate change (rise of the temperature). Some glacial lakes are potentially dangerous so monitoring is very necessary. It is necessary to evaluate such vulnerable lakes. Therefore, current work is carried out to identify such glacial lakes present in the Teesta River Basin (Eastern Himalaya). Spatiotemporal Landsat data for the last four decades at intervals of ten years from 1990 to 2020 has been considered which was cloud-free and spatial resolution of 30 meters. The dataset mentioned above was used for lake identification and delineation. The findings indicate the presence of lakes with respective areas of 275 (18.90 km2), 337 (24.92 km2), 295 (22.96 km2), and 419 (31.44 km2). It has also been observed that the growth rate is increasing with approximate water spread from 1990 to 2000 (+129%), 2000 to 2010 (+106%), and 2010 to 2020 (+136%). The present study aimed to identify such glacial lakes based on their water spreading area, which is an essential step followed in the study of GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) as it will be helpful in the identification of hazardous lakes. In that study, we found that eleven glacial lakes are in the potentially dangerous category situated in the upper Teesta Basin due to the presence of glaciers, which gives a clear reason for the time-to-time assessment of such lakes. By the conducted study it has been observed that the number of glacial lakes has increased, due to which water spread has also increased in the area. It can also be demonstrated that GIS (Geographical Information System), along with remote sensing, is one of the best tools for assessing and monitoring such change detection and differentiation of hazardous glacial lakes in the cryosphere, along with the supporting data.

The main purpose of the study is to identify the thin-bed reservoirs of the Eastern Folded Belt (Sylhet and Bandarban) and characterize them with diligence. A detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis has been carried out. It is based on thin-section petrographic analyses of sandstone samples. These samples are from the reservoir horizons of the Sylhet region and Bandarban region fields. The purpose of this analysis is to characterize the textural and mineralogical properties. Additionally, it aims to evaluate the post-depositional diagenetic changes. The results obtained from the field and laboratory analysis are studied extensively to characterize the thin-bed reservoirs. Samples from the Sylhet area are medium-coarse-grained, fairly sorted, tight packing, submature-mature sublithic characteristics. Contrarily, samples from the Bandarban region are mature-submature sublithic arenites, which are fine-medium-grained, moderately well-sorted, and moderately loosely packed. Despite the similarity of the detrital elements (quartz, feldspar, lithic grains, mica, etc.) in the two areas, silica cementation is more frequent in Sylhet region samples than early carbonate cementation in Bandarban region samples. Comparatively speaking, the sediments in the Sylhet region are more compact than those in the Bandarban region. The most important outcome of this study is that the thin bed of the unconventional reservoir and the conventional reservoir are in close proximity. The Thin-bed reservoir units of the Eastern Folded Belt are found to be medium to fine-grained and well sorted, with frequent alteration of sand-shale with the prevalence of parallel bedded sandstone. Average porosity is 4% to 12%, and pore spaces are interconnected. So, the permeability rate is good enough to flow the hydrocarbon through these pore spaces. Most importantly, the thin bed and tight reservoir (average porosity 4% to 12%, but pore spaces are not interconnected) are not more prominent than 1 meter or 2 meters. Subsequently, though the vertical thickness is not so high, they keep up a momentous tirelessness of horizontal progression. On the contrary, at whatever point it comes to a conventional reservoir, the vertical thickness is higher than that of the unconventional reservoir. But their lateral persistence is not as long as unconventional ones.

Research on the impact of alkali contamination on the swelling behavior of red earth in the Visakhapatnam region has been notably limited. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effects of alkali (NaOH) contamination on the swelling characteristics of the region’s red earth. The red earth of this region was found to be a well-graded sandy soil with 81% sand and 18% fines. X-ray diffraction studies showed that this region’s red earth mainly consists of quartz, kaolinite, and hematite. The soil is inherently non-swelling. However, the free swell tests showed considerable swell under contamination of NaOH solutions of various normalities (0.05, 0.1, 1, 2, and 4N). One-dimensional consolidation tests have shown that the swell increased with the concentration of the NaOH solution and with the duration of the interaction. Red earth exhibited 'an equilibrium swelling' of 5.6, 10, 15, 17, and 20% when contaminated with 0.05, 0.1, 1, 2, and 4N NaOH solutions, respectively. XRD studies revealed that the red earth sample contaminated with even 0.05N NaOH solution and cured for 56 days exhibited the formation of zeolites analcime and natrolite. Silicate minerals like paragonite and ussingite were also formed along with the zeolites. N-A-S-H compounds, hydrosodalites, and zeolites like super hydrated natrolite, zeolite SSZ16, and zeolite ZK-14 were formed at higher normalities of NaOH after a curing period of 56 days, which caused increased swell. The research demonstrated that the formation of zeolites resulting from the alkali contamination led to swelling in the red earth.

In order to ensure water sustainability, alarming levels of water scarcity across the globe is a critical issue warranting urgent address. The present study aims to bring to light the perception of farmers regarding water conservation and management practices from the selected five districts of the Haryana region of India. By analyzing the responses of 125 farmers, collected through a self-administered questionnaire, the impact of socio-demographic factors, current irrigation system, and cost-benefit perception of the farmers was studied on water conservation and management practices. Using ordinal regression analysis, the study revealed that the cost-benefit perception of the farmers, viz. willingness to pay an additional price for canal water and an increase in the availability of water due to canal lining, are the major factors responsible for undertaking conservation and sustainability measures. Further, socio-demographic variables such as age and education also influence water conservation behavior. The study recommends vital policy reforms and initiatives for efficient water use and management to resolve the grave concern of scarcity of usable water. The present study is unique in its suggestion of a comprehensive water conservation and management framework.

The wadis are environments of great ecological and economic importance. They are the seat of several hydraulic developments. The latter disrupts the functioning of the wadi in different ways. They modify their hydrological regime, disrupt the ecological conditions upstream and downstream of the reservoir, reduce the self-purification capacities, and modify the processes of erosion and solid transport. It is in this perspective that we have carried out a study of the impact of hydraulic installations on the quality of the waters of the Mafragh watershed. The hydrographic network of the watershed receives the wastewater discharged by the localities and by the industries located along these rivers. This wastewater contributes to the degradation of the water quality of the wadis. The spatio-temporal variation of the water quality index showed a good quality at the level of the dams, while at the level of the sites, which are located downstream, the quality generally varies between bad and very bad during the study period.

The present work studied the effects of alkali pretreatment on the cellulosic biomass of rice straw. The improvement in the cellulose content and reduction in the lignin and hemicellulose percentage was observed with alkali pretreatment. Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirm the modification in the surface structure of alkali rice straw. Further, the study investigated the potential of different types of seed sludge as inoculum sources for dark fermentative biohydrogen production. In comparison to other sludge samples (beverage industry, food industry, and sewage treatment plant sludge), the mixed culture of sewage treatment plant sludge had the highest cumulative volume of biohydrogen (90.52 mL), as well as the highest hydrogen production yield (0.75 moleH2/mole) with the substrate utilization of 86.72%. The results provide information on the best sludge source for enhancing biohydrogen production in the dark fermentation method.

Biochar (BC) is a well-established physical treatment method. The high-cost BC limits their use as adsorbents in wastewater. Thus, deriving BC from cheap and locally available waste materials is needed to develop a feasible waste removal technology. Nowadays, BC technology makes it possible to envision a new strategy to manage invasive plants by converting them into value-added products like BC. Hence, the present study was designed to evaluate the potential utilization of BC as an efficient filter medium made by invasive aquatic plants, Salvinia spp., and Eichhornia spp. A mass of 50 g of prepared activated and nonactivated BC was incorporated in a sand and gravel filter to treat rubber-manufactured wastewater. Wastewater was passed through the filter, and both raw and treated water samples were analyzed for pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), Ammoniacal-Nitrogen (NH3-N), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Phosphates (TP), Nitrate (NO3-N), turbidity and heavy metals (Zinc, Chromium). The control filter was developed only with sand and gravel, excluding BC. Fourier Transform-Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze BC’s chemical and physical characteristics. A brine shrimp lethality assay was carried out for toxicological evaluation. OH stretching (3,550-3,200 cm−1), C=C aromatic stretching (1400-1660 cm−1), and Phenol-O-H bending (1,300-1,400 cm−1) were recorded in all BC samples that involved the adsorption mechanism. Observed images indicated differences in surface morphology of both activated and nonactivated BC were observed under SEM observation. The study concludes that the filter unit incorporated with activated Eichhornia spp. Gave the best treatment efficiency when compared to filter units incorporated with other activated and nonactivated BC. The toxicity assay revealed 100% mortality in the control setup and raw wastewater but only 60–70% in the nonactivated BC integrated filters. Activated BC-incorporated filters showed no mortalities. Hence, the study’s outcomes suggest a green approach using invasive aquatic plants for sustainable wastewater treatment.