The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita is a major pest that inflicts severe agricultural damage globally,
necessitating sustainable control strategies to mitigate crop losses. This study investigates the nematicidal potential
of Achyranthes aspera leaf extract against M. incognita, specifically targeting second-stage juveniles (J2)
and egg masses. A series of bioassays revealed that exposure to 1000 ppm of A. aspera extract resulted in maximal
J2s mortality and inhibition of egg hatching, while 250 ppm demonstrated the lowest impact. In a pot experiment
with mung bean (Vigna radiata), A. aspera treatments significantly reduced nematode infestation, which
correlated with improved plant growth and photosynthetic performance. Phytochemical analysis identified
fifteen major compounds in the leaf extract, with phytol (36.31 %), neophytadiene (7.98 %), and heptadecanoic
acid (2.83 %) as the most prominent. In-silico molecular docking studies further supported the nematicidal action
of these compounds, demonstrating strong interactions with key nematode proteins, including acetylcholinesterase,
cytochrome c oxidase subunit one, and heat shock protein 90. The results suggest that A. aspera leaf
extract could serve as an effective, eco-friendly bionematicide, presenting a feasible solution for managing
M. incognita in agriculture, especially for small-scale farmers. This work highlights A. aspera’s potential as a
sustainable tool for root-knot nematode management, offering benefits for crop health and yield.

Chromium (Cr) is an extremely toxic metal for all living organisms and its concentration in the environment is constantly
increasing due to human activities. Plants quickly absorb Cr. Subsequently, it enters the human food chain and poses serious health
risks. Chromium toxicity causes a significant reduction in plant growth by inducing oxidative damage and disturbing protein synthesis,
enzyme activity, and nutrient uptake. Plants use diverse mechanisms to mitigate Cr toxicity; however, they are inadequate in the face of
higher concentrations of Cr. Thus, it is essential to decrease Cr toxicity and increase the ability of plants to tolerate Cr stress. Nanoparticles
(NPs) mitigate the toxicity of Cr by reducing its uptake and accumulation and improving antioxidant activities, nutrient homeostasis,
photosynthetic efficiency, osmolyte synthesis, and hormonal balance. The complex interactions between NPs and microbes, signaling
molecules, and hormones also significantly counter Cr toxicity. The present review discusses the various mechanisms of NPs for
mitigating Cr toxicity. This review also addresses various research gaps to encourage the better utilization of NPs to mitigate Cr toxicity
and improve crop growth and yield. This review offers new insights into the role of NPs in mitigating Cr toxicity.

Heavy metal pollution is one of the most devastating abiotic factors, significantly damaging
crops and human health. One of the serious problems it causes is a rise in cadmium (Cd) toxicity. Cd
is a highly toxic metal with a negative biological role, and it enters plants via the soil–plant system.
Cd stress induces a series of disorders in plants’ morphological, physiological, and biochemical
processes and initiates the inhibition of seed germination, ultimately resulting in reduced growth.
Fiber crops such as kenaf, jute, hemp, cotton, and flax have high industrial importance and often face
the issue of Cd toxicity. Various techniques have been introduced to counter the rising threats of Cd
toxicity, including reducing Cd content in the soil, mitigating the effects of Cd stress, and genetic
improvements in plant tolerance against this stress. For decades, plant breeders have been trying to
develop Cd-tolerant fiber crops through the identification and transformation of novel genes. Still, the
complex mechanism of Cd tolerance has hindered the progress of genetic breeding. These crops are
ideal candidates for the phytoremediation of heavy metals in contaminated soils. Hence, increased
Cd uptake, accumulation, and translocation in below-ground parts (roots) and above-ground parts
(shoots, leaves, and stems) can help clean agricultural lands for safe use for food crops. Earlier studies
indicated that reducing Cd uptake, detoxification, reducing the effects of Cd stress, and developing
plant tolerance to these stresses through the identification of novel genes are fruitful approaches. This
review aims to highlight the role of some conventional and molecular techniques in reducing the
threats of Cd stress in some key fiber crops. Molecular techniques mainly involve QTL mapping
and GWAS. However, more focus has been given to the use of transcriptome and TFs analysis to
explore the potential genomic regions involved in Cd tolerance in these crops. This review will serve
as a source of valuable genetic information on key fiber crops, allowing for further in-depth analyses
of Cd tolerance to identify the critical genes for molecular breeding, like genetic engineering and
CRISPR/Cas9.

Microcystin (MC) toxin produced by cyanobacteria has become a significant concern for societies worldwide. The
risk of MC in drinking water has been assessed to human health. Nonetheless, its risk to animal health has not
been thoroughly evaluated. This study investigated MCs in irrigation water and alfalfa plant from nearby
farmlands. Both irrigation water and alfalfa shoots contained greater MC concentrations (1.8–17.4 μg L? 1 and
0.053–0.128 μg g? 1) during summer than winter (2.4 μg L? 1 and 0.017 μg g? 1). These MC concentrations showed
a correlation with the predominance of cyanobacteria in the sites, triggering the potential risk of these microorganisms
in irrigation waters. Accordingly, there would be a high risk (risk quotient, RQ > 1) during summer
and a moderate risk (0.1<RQ < 1) during winter for cattle and sheep that drink polluted irrigation water or eat
contaminated alfalfa plants. Therefore, the study suggests that cyanotoxins in forage plants and irrigation water
sources should be regularly monitored to protect animals from consuming contaminated food and water.

Salinity is a serious abiotic stress that limits crop production and food security. Micronutrient
application has shown promising results in mitigating the toxic impacts of salinity. This study
assessed the impacts of zinc seed priming (ZSP) on the germination, growth, physiological and
biochemical functioning of sorghum cultivars. The study comprised sorghum cultivars (JS-2002 and
JS-263), salinity stress (control (0 mM) and 120 mM)), and control and ZSP (4 mM). Salinity stress
reduced germination and seedling growth by increasing electrolyte leakage (EL: 60.65%), hydrogen
peroxide (H2O2: 109.50%), malondialdehyde (MDA; 115.30%), sodium (Na), and chloride (Cl) accumulation
and decreasing chlorophyll synthesis, relative water contents (RWC), total soluble proteins
(TSPs), and potassium (K) uptake and accumulation. Nonetheless, ZSP mitigated the deleterious
impacts of salinity and led to faster germination and better seedling growth. Zinc seed priming
improved the chlorophyll synthesis, leaf water contents, antioxidant activities (ascorbate peroxide:
APX, catalase: CAT, peroxidase: POD, superoxide dismutase: SOD), TSPs, proline, K uptake and
accumulation, and reduced EL, MDA, and H2O2 production, as well as the accumulation of toxic
ions (Na and Cl), thereby promoting better germination and growth. Thus, these findings suggested
that ZSP can mitigate the toxicity of salinity by favoring nutrient homeostasis, antioxidant activities,
chlorophyll synthesis, osmolyte accumulation, and maintaining leaf water status

Anatoxin-a (ATX-a) is a neurotoxin produced by some species of cyanobacteria. Due to its water solubility and stability
in natural water, it could pose health risks to human, animals, and plants. Conventional water treatment techniques are not
only insufficient for the removal of ATX-a, but they also result in cell lysis and toxin release. The elimination of this toxin
through biodegradation may be a promising strategy. This study examines for the first time the biodegradation of ATX-a
to a non-toxic metabolite (Epoxy-ATX-a) by a strain of Bacillus that has a history of dealing with toxic cyanobacteria
in a eutrophic lake. The Bacillus strain AMRI-03 thrived without lag phase in a lake water containing ATX-a. The strain
displayed fast degradation of ATX-a, depending on initial toxin concentration. At the highest initial concentrations (50 &
100 μg L− 1), total ATX-a degradation took place in 4 days, but it took 6 & 7 days at lower concentrations (20, 10, and
1 μg L− 1, respectively). The ATX-a biodegradation rate was also influenced by the initial toxin concentration, reaching its
maximum value (12.5 μg L− 1 day− 1) at the highest initial toxin concentrations (50 & 100 μg L− 1). Temperature and pH
also had an impact on the rate of ATX-a biodegradation, with the highest rates occurring at 25 and 30 ºC and pH 7 and
8. This nontoxic bacterial strain could be immobilized within a biofilm on sand filters and/or sludge for the degradation
and removal of ATX-a and other cyanotoxins during water treatment processes, following the establishment of mesocosm
experiments to assess the potential effects of this bacterium on water quality

Soil salinization has increased over recent years and is negatively affecting crop productivity. Nutrient application is an effective strategy to improve abiotic stress tolerance in crops. The application of coated fertilizers has emerged as an excellent approach to mitigate the adverse impacts of soil salinity. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the effects of zinc and sulfur coated urea on the performance of wheat growing under saline conditions. The study comprised of diverse salinity stress levels; 0, 6 and 12 dS m−1, cross combined with normal urea (NU), zinc coated urea (ZCU) and sulfur coated urea (SCU). Salinity stress reduced wheat yield by impairing leaf water status, reducing photosynthetic pigments, osmolytes accumulation, potassium (K) and nitrogen (N) uptake while increasing sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) uptake and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), malondialdehyde (MDA) and electrolyte leakage (EL) accumulation. The application of ZCU increased the wheat yield by enhancing photosynthetic pigments, leaf water status, antioxidant activities, osmolytes accumulation, and reducing H2O2, MDA and EL accumulation. Furthermore, the significant increase in growth and yield of wheat with ZCU and SCU was also linked with improved K and N uptake, higher nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and reduced Na and Cl concentration. Thus, the application of ZCU could be an effective approach to improve wheat productivity under saline conditions.

Microcystin (MC), a hepatotoxin that is harmful to human health, has frequently increased in freshwaters
worldwide due to the increase in toxic cyanobacterial blooms. Despite many studies reported the human
exposure to MC through drinking water, the potential transfer of this toxin to human via consumption of vegetables
grown on farmlands that are naturally irrigated with contaminated water has not been largely investigated.
Therefore, this study investigates the presence of MC in irrigation water and its potential accumulation in
commonly consumed vegetables from Egyptian farmlands. The results of toxin analysis revealed that all irrigation
water sites contained high MC concentrations (1.3–93.7 μg L? 1) along the study period, in association
with the abundance of dominant cyanobacteria in these sites. Meanwhile, MCs were detected in most vegetable
plants surveyed, with highest levels in potato tubers (1100 μg kg? 1 fresh weight, FW) followed by spinach (180
μg kg? 1 FW), onion (170 μg g? 1 FW), Swiss chard (160 μg kg? 1 FW) and fava bean (46 μg kg? 1 FW). These MC
concentrations in vegetables led to estimated daily intake (EDI) values (0.08–1.13 μg kg bw? 1 d? 1 for adults and
0.11–1.5 μg kg bw? 1 d? 1 for children), through food consumption, exceeding the WHO recommended TDI (0.04
μg kg bw? 1 d? 1) for this toxin. As eutrophic water is widely used for irrigation in many parts of the world, our
study suggests that cyanotoxins in irrigation waters and agricultural plants should be regularly monitored to
safeguard the general public from inadvertent exposure to harmful toxins via food consumption.

The biological synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) from plant extracts has emerged as a novel
method for producing NPs with great scalability and biocompatibility. The present study is focused on biofabricated
zinc oxide nanomaterial characterization and investigation of its photocatalytic and antifungal
activities. ZnO NPs were biosynthesized using the leaf extract of Polyalthia longifolia without using
harmful reducing or capping chemicals, which demonstrated fungicidal activity against Fusarium
oxysporum f. sp. ciceris. The results showed that the inhibition of the radial growth of F. oxysporum f. sp.
ciceris was enhanced as the concentration increased from 100 ppm to 300 ppm. The effectiveness of
the photocatalytic activity of biosynthesized ZnO NPs was analyzed using MB dye degradation in
aqueous medium under ultraviolet (UV) radiation and natural sunlight. After four consecutive cycles, the
photocatalytic degradation of MB was stable and was 84%, 83%, 83%, and 83%, respectively, during
natural sunlight exposure. Under the UV sources, degradation reached 92%, 89%, 88%, and 87%,
respectively, in 90 minutes. This study suggests that the ZnO NPs obtained from plant extract have
outstanding photocatalytic and antifungal activities against F. oxysporum f. sp. ciceris and have the
potential for application as a natural pest control agent to reduce pathogenesis.

Seismic activity is typically mild to moderate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). However, because of its close proximity to seismically active areas like the Zagros-Biltis Fold Thrust Belt (ZBFTB) and the Makran Subduction Zone, its susceptibility to the effects of seismic events is increased. There have been sporadic reports of ground motion felt in different parts of the UAE over the past 20 years. To assess the seismic hazard in the countries of the southern Arabian Gulf, which include the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar, a probabilistic analysis was conducted. Peak ground acceleration (PGA) and spectral acceleration (SA) values were the focus of the evaluation, which also considered the 10% and 5% chances of exceeding these values over a 50-year exposure period. This evaluation was carried out for National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) site classes B/C and C. Magnitudes were harmonized and updates made to the region's earthquake and focal mechanism catalogs to improve the assessment's accuracy. Additionally, completeness checks and seismicity declustering were performed. The boundaries of the seismic sources that were considered were established using data on crustal thickness, active faults, and geological and tectonic features. In response to this inquiry, the UAE's unique seismic source model was created. Twelve area seismic sources make up this model; they are distributed throughout the ZBFTB and Makran areas and consist of two intermediate-depth zones (deeper than 35 km) and ten shallow-depth zones (deeper than 35 km). The seismic hazard in the UAE is attributed to the prospective seismic zones that fall under these categories. Each identified seismic source has its own unique set of seismicity recurrence parameters, such as the maximum expected magnitude, the annual rate of earthquakes exceeding Mw 4.0, and the b-value, determined individually. Considering the prevalent stress regime for each source, two region-specific ground-motion prediction equations (GMPEs) were chosen and implemented. In Ras Al-Khaimah, in particular, the study's mean PGA and SA at 0.2 s values were found to be 0.12 g and 0.29 g, respectively, for a 475-year return period and under B/C NEHRP site conditions. These results indicate that the northeastern portion of the study area has the highest levels of hazard. This thorough analysis provides essential information about the seismic hazard profile of the UAE and its surroundings, enabling better preparedness and risk-reduction strategies.