Archives of Current Research International

Zero-Trust Architecture for Smart Hospitals: A Virtual Blueprint for Cyber-resilient Healthcare Infrastructure

2025-10-13T12:09:12+00:00

The rapid digital transformation of healthcare through smart hospitals driven by AI, IoMT, cloud computing, and telemedicine has heightened cyber vulnerabilities, with 276 million records breached globally in 2024. This study developed a Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) blueprint to strengthen cybersecurity in smart hospitals, addressing the challenges of diverse device ecosystems and regulatory compliance. Drawing on a comprehensive literature review, the research established ZTA’s theoretical foundation, emphasizing continuous verification rather than traditional perimeter defenses. The study is broadly applicable and applied a Design Science Research approach and mixed-methods analysis, combining risk models, maturity assessments, and machine learning for IoMT threat detection. Results showed significant improvements: a two-thirds reduction in cyber risks, over 95% accuracy in detecting IoMT threats, strong compliance with HIPAA requirements, and a threefold return on investment. The blueprint proved scalable across different hospital types, though limitations include reliance on simulated datasets. Recommendations highlight the need for tailored IoMT datasets, integration of explainable AI, real-world deployment, standardized metrics through collaboration, and adaptive algorithms for evolving threats. Overall, this research provides a practical and evidence-based framework to enhance the resilience of smart hospitals, safeguard patient safety and ensure operational continuity.

From Financial Inclusion to Social Transformation: NGOs, SHGs and FPOs in Women Empowerment

2025-10-06T09:39:16+00:00

Women's empowerment is a key driver of inclusive and sustainable development, particularly in rural India, where women continue to face systemic barriers in access to education, healthcare, financial services, and decision-making opportunities. Although women have made notable progress in education, employment, and political participation, many continue to face structural barriers in accessing economic resources, healthcare, and decision-making opportunities. This review paper explores the critical role played by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and Farmer-Producer Organisations (FPOs) in advancing women's empowerment across the country. NGOs have contributed significantly by advocating for women’s rights, facilitating skill development, and improving access to public welfare programs. SHGs, supported by government initiatives like the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), have emerged as a robust model for financial inclusion, collective action, and social capital formation among rural women. FPOs, particularly women-led or gender-inclusive ones, have further enabled women farmers to access markets, enhance incomes, and strengthen their role in the agricultural value chain. The paper synthesises findings from previous research, government reports, and case studies to highlight the achievements, challenges, and future potential of these institutional mechanisms. It concludes that a synergistic approach involving NGOs, SHGs, and FPOs is essential for scaling women's empowerment and recommends policy support, capacity building, and inclusive governance to strengthen these grassroots platforms. Policymakers, donors, private players, and communities must work collaboratively to create gender-responsive, scalable, and resilient rural institutions that place women at the centre of India’s development journey.

Interaction Effect of Crop Rotation and Diversification on Soil Health and Productivity: A Review

2025-10-07T13:22:42+00:00

Crop diversification and crop rotation are pillar practices of sustainable farming, counteracting the ecological and productivity problems of monocultures. Rotation brings in temporal diversity through disruption of pest and disease cycles, organic matter turnover, and nutrient dynamics, while diversification using intercropping, relay cropping, cover cropping, or agroforestry adds spatial and functional diversity, use efficiency of resources, and stability. When combined, these measures produce synergistic advantages that are greater than the sum of their separate impacts. Functional complementarity within crops increases nutrient and water uptake, diverse organic inputs accumulate soil organic carbon and stabilize soil aggregates, and greater habitat heterogeneity promotes favorable microbial communities and natural pest control. Experimental results reveal diversified rotations to enhance soil physical, chemical, and biological attributes, reinforce microbial processes, and promote yield stability under climatic stress. Even with these benefits, adoption is still limited by socioeconomic factors, labor needs, and a lack of region-specific evidence. Gaps in the research involve long-term, multi-site trials, mechanistic experiments connecting crop traits to microbial processes, and economic evaluation of trade-offs. Practitioner advice stresses beginning with small-scale adoption, focusing on legumes and cover crops, tracking soil health indicators, and combining with conservation agriculture practices. In general, the interactive use of diversification and crop rotation is central to constructing robust agroecosystems that ensure productivity, minimize input reliance, and support climate change adaptation and international sustainability efforts.

Benefits of Palatal Expander in Class III Patients: A Literature Review

2025-10-09T09:56:20+00:00

Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is widely recognized in the literature as a fundamental component of the orthopedic management of Class III malocclusion. Its primary objective is to facilitate maxillary protraction and establish a more favorable skeletal relationship between the maxilla and mandible. Various types of palatal expanders are available, and these devices can be effectively combined with other treatment modalities. This study aimed to conduct a literature review on the benefits of using palatal expanders in Class III patients, with a particular focus on comparing the most commonly adopted techniques. A structured literature search was performed in the PubMed and Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases using the descriptors “Palatal Expansion Technique,” “Class III,” and “Orthodontics,” combined with the Boolean operator “AND.” Only articles published in English were included. The reviewed studies indicate that palatal expansion remains a valuable therapeutic approach for Class III malocclusion, with its effectiveness enhanced when combined with complementary techniques such as facemasks or skeletal anchorage (e.g., mini-implants), particularly during early growth phases. Consistent improvements in skeletal structure and occlusion were reported. Palatal expansion corrects maxillary constriction and improves the maxillo-mandibular relationship. Additionally, it provides functional benefits for respiration, phonation, and mastication, as well as significant aesthetic and psychological advantages.

Evaluating Non-Contact Infrared Thermometry as an Alternative to Rectal Temperature Measurement in Cattle and Goats

2025-10-04T10:24:08+00:00

This study investigates the correlation between rectal and eye temperatures in cattle and goats, aiming to validate non-contact infrared thermometry as a practical alternative for assessing core body temperature. Experiment 1. Conducted on eleven (n=11) healthy lactating cows; Experiment 2. Conducted on eleven (n=11) healthy goats post-grazing; Experiment 3. Conducted on ten (n=10) healthy goats before and after grazing. Results indicated that eye temperatures were consistently lower than rectal temperatures, with significant positive correlations observed in certain conditions, such as post-grazing in goats. While eye temperature measurements did not consistently match rectal temperatures under normal conditions, they showed potential for detecting thermal responses following heat stress. This suggests that non-contact eye temperature measurement could serve as a supplementary tool for monitoring animal health in specific contexts.

Knowledge of the Members of Agnigarh Producer Company Limited towards Improved Litchi Cultivation Practices in Sonitpur District of Assam, India

2025-10-06T09:31:56+00:00

Farmer Producer Company is a company formed by a group of farmers who are producers come together to form a company. The present investigation was conducted out with the objective to access Knowledge of the members of Agnigarh Producer Company Limited towards improved litchi cultivation practices in the Sonitpur district of Assam, India. Agnigarh Producer Company Limited was selected purposively, as the Farmer Producer Company dealing with commercial litchi production was operating in this district. A sample of 80 respondents was chosen from 13 selected villages in Sonitpur district using a proportionate random sampling method. The primary data for the study were collected by the personal interview. To assess the Knowledge level of the FPC members, the Managerial Ability Scale created by Jadav (2005) was used. The primary data for the study were collected during the month of February, 2023 to June, 2023.Findings revealed that majority of the respondents (43.75%) belonged to middle aged category. Majority of the respondents (41.25%) had formal education up to higher secondary/PU level and there were not any respondents from illiterate, can read only category in the study area. Most of the respondents (41.25%) belonged to small farmer in land holding category. Majority of the respondents (50.00%) were having area from 0.10 to 1.5 ha under litchi orchard with medium annual net farm income ranging from Rs. 94278.31 to Rs. 156528.93. Majority of the respondents (60.00%) had medium level of litchi yield, medium level of farm mechanization (70.00%) and medium level of irrigated area under litchi cultivation (77.50%). Majority of them (80.00%) had medium level of farm wage payment related to litchi cultivation. Most of the respondents (53.75%) had 9-19 years of experience in litchi cultivation. Majority of the respondents (55.00%) were belonged from having membership in one organization. Majority of them had medium level of achievement motivation (68.75%), medium level of orientation towards the competition (67.50%), medium level of attitude towards modern agriculture (63.75), medium level of risk orientation (67.50%) and high level of exposure to training on litchi cultivation (50.00%). Findings revealed that majority of the respondents (50.00%) had medium level of knowledge on improved litchi cultivation practices followed by 27.50 per cent of the respondents had low level of knowledge on improved litchi cultivation practices and 22.50 per cent of the respondents had high level of knowledge on improved litchi cultivation practices. The mean knowledge score (49.78) indicated that on an average the respondents had low level of knowledge on improved litchi cultivation practices with standard deviation of 29.14. The value of co-efficient of variation (58.55) indicated that the respondents were relatively heterogeneous with respect to their knowledge on improved litchi cultivation practices.

The Role of Blockchain in Green Marketing: Evidence from Agriculture and Consumer Perceptions in India

2025-10-06T12:27:25+00:00

Modern agriculture is a dynamic and innovative sector that integrates advanced technologies and sustainable farming practices to enhance productivity while minimizing the use of natural resources. To meet the growing global demand for food, biofuels, and fibers, agriculture is increasingly adopting digital solutions. However, India’s agricultural sector still lags behind Western nations in adopting such cutting-edge tools. In this context, green marketing has emerged as a strategy to promote eco-friendly practices—such as precision pest and weed control, use of micro-granular fertilizers, and reforestation initiatives. While green marketing has gained traction in parts of Asia, its integration with emerging technologies remains limited globally. This study explores how block chain technology can strengthen green marketing in agriculture by ensuring supply chain transparency, enhancing consumer trust, and promoting sustainability. A mixed-method approach was adopted, combining secondary data analysis and stakeholder interviews to assess current adoption levels and identify barriers. Findings indicate that block chain-enabled traceability systems can authenticate eco-friendly practices, provide verifiable data on resource use, and support government incentive schemes. The study concludes that integrating block chain with green marketing can accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture, especially in developing economies like India.

Customer Perceptions and Trust in E-commerce Transactions: Evidence from Cameroon

2025-10-09T08:25:15+00:00

Background: In Cameroon, the announcement of the emergence vision of the country by 2035 seems to have been a booster for e-commerce as more and more people are engaging in the use of the internet. Further, in 2017, the e-commerce retail business global revenue generated stood at $2.3 trillion, with 59% of this revenue generated from the online retail business in the Asia-Pacific region, while the Middle East and Africa accounted for just 1% of the revenue.

Purpose: Despite the growth of Electronic commerce over the past decades, a significant concern for the successful proliferation of e-commerce is the issue of consumers’ trust in Internet vendors. This study examines the customer perception factors on customer purchase decisions relative to e-commerce platforms, focusing on the trust factor.

Methodology: The study was carried out in three key regions in Cameroon, namely Bamenda, Douala, and Yaoundé. The study adopted a survey research approach. Primary data was collected with the use of questionnaires administered to 234 participants. Ordinary least squares (OLS) and Ordered Probit linear regression analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses of the study. Since the condition for OLS to be used is that the data variables should be continuous, we used the Multiple Correspondence Analysis (MCA) to compute indices for the data collected, and it was converted into continuous variables.

Findings: The findings show that the way customers assess the security, the risk involved in purchasing online and the privacy or confidentiality policy of the e-commerce platforms significantly influence their purchase habits. Customers turn to purchase less regularly if they have negative perceptions of the platforms. The coefficient of the perceived privacy policy is also negative (-0.128), which indicates that perceived privacy policy relates negatively to customer probability of increasing purchase decisions. Further, results revealed that there is a significant partial mediation effect of customer trust as it diminishes the negative effect of customers and potential customers' perceived security and perceived risk on customer purchase decisions. In effect, customer perception influences customer trust positively or negatively and depending on the effect of perceptions on customer trust, customers are likely to modify their purchase decisions. The researchers found that out of the factors studied, perceived security, perceived privacy, and perceived risk have a negative but significant effect on the purchase decisions of e-commerce customers when controlling for the mediator. The study recommends that despite the aforementioned factors which play a great part in determining how and why consumers buy on their platforms, they should not overlook the infrastructure (internet, logistics, shipping) which hosts those platforms and how these products get to their customers.

Originality/Value: This study contributes to the body of knowledge on e-commerce and is of great value given the growing nature of digital transactions across the world.

Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed that security, privacy, website quality, perceived risk, and guarantees presented significant predictors of trust and purchase decisions. These variables have a significant positive effect on purchase decisions. Likewise, the results demonstrated that perceived security, perceived risk, and perceived privacy are the most powerful predictors of purchase decisions mediated by trust. This further implies that retailers should create websites that model simplicity yet incorporate strong security mechanisms and slick designs that would engender consumer trust and, by extension, promote confidence in online transactions.

Application of Agricultural Market Intelligence among Small Scale Farmers in Nagaon District of Assam, India

2025-10-10T12:21:05+00:00

Agricultural Market intelligence means market news and market information. For successful business or to develop agripreneurship farmers should make right decision about his business such as what and where and whom to sell and market intelligence provides all that information. Farmers are no longer just producers, they are becoming agripreneurs who must manage their farms like businesses. For this, they need to make critical decisions such as what to produce, where to sell, when to sell, and to whom to sell. Agricultural market intelligence provides the data and insights necessary to make these decisions effectively. For example, knowing which crops are in high demand in a particular season helps farmers choose the right crops to cultivate, thereby reducing the risk of losses due to oversupply or low market prices.The present study is conducted in Nagaon district of Assam with the help of purposive multistage random sampling method by covering 100 sample farmers where 50nos. of users and 50 nos of nonuser of market intelligence along 30 numbers of wholesaler from Nagaon district with the help of Combined questionnaire and interview approach.Among users of market intelligence unavailable of technological accessibility problems rank 1^st followed by Non availability of MI for all crops and not accessible to MI in needy times rank 2^nd and 3^rd problem respectively. It is seen that age, education, access to credit, access to extension functionaries and knowledge level had positive significance influence on market intelligence adoption. Again, size of family, size of farm and annual income has not correlated with market intelligence adoption. It is evident that age has shown negative corelation with market intelligence adoption meant that younger generation is likely to use market intelligence for their decision making in agricultural activities.

Profile of Patients Diagnosed with Measles and Associated Vaccination Trends in Pará, Brazil (2016–2021)

2025-10-11T07:46:37+00:00

Aims: This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological profile of patients diagnosed with measles in the state of Pará, Brazil, from 2016 to 2021, focusing on vaccination coverage and temporal trends in disease incidence.

Study Design: Observational, descriptive, ecological, and temporal study based on secondary data.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the state of Pará, located in the Brazilian Amazon region, using data from 2016 to 2021.

Methodology: Data were obtained from the Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN) and the National Immunization Program Information System (SI-PNI), accessed through the DataSUS TabNet platform. Variables included year of notification, age group (0–14 years), disease classification, outcome, and vaccination status.

Results: A total of 1,879 measles cases were confirmed in Pará between 2016 and 2021, with the highest number in 2020 (1,572 cases). The Metropolitan I region recorded the largest share of cases, while deaths represented only 0.47% of outcomes. Vaccination coverage declined after 2019, coinciding with a rise in measles incidence.

Conclusion: The study highlights the association between reduced vaccination coverage and measles resurgence, emphasizing the need for sustained immunization efforts, public education, and continuous epidemiological surveillance to prevent the reemergence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Assessment of Adoption Level of Health Practices by Livestock Farmers in the Flood-Prone Areas of Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, India

2025-10-11T12:09:35+00:00

A study was conducted to assess the occurrence of flood and its impact on livestock and poultry in 20 flood prone villages in ten blocks of Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu with aim to develop livestock information system and mitigation strategies during flood disaster. Datafrom 600 farmers, geographical data, rainfall, incidences of flood and its impact during the period from 2018 to 2021 were collected. The flood hazard map was prepared and falls on latitude ranges between 11˚ 30’N and 11˚ 75’N, longitude ranges between 79˚ 40’E and 79˚ 74’E and altitude ranges between 6 and 69.5 m MSL. Flood disasters pose significant challenges to livestock farming, particularly in low-lying and flood-prone regions. In the present study the adoption of disaster mitigation strategies by livestock and poultry farmers in the flood-prone Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India were assessed, using a three-stage random sampling design Such as Block level, Village level and farmer level. Data were collected from 600 livestock-rearing households across 20 villages scattered in 10 flood prone blocks of Cuddalore Dt. through structured interviews schedule. The study focused on short-term and long-term management practices across three key domains: water, breeding and health management. The results revealed, low adoption rates of safe water practices such as boiling (10.0%), use of water sanitizer (10.83%) and filtration (12.33%), while the majority (66.84%) relied on untreated surface water sources during floods. Breeding was postponed by 65.33% of respondents, and among those continuing, 89.42% preferred artificial insemination over natural service. Health management practices were inadequately followed, with only 13.16% availing immediate veterinary care and 28.0% adhering to regular vaccination schedules. The Chi-square analysis confirmed significant differences (P<0.01) in adoption levels across all practices. Barriers to adoption included lack of awareness, limited access to veterinary services, poor infrastructure and economic constraints. This study highlights the urgent need for improved veterinary outreach, farmer training, mobile breeding services and community-based water resource management. Strengthening institutional support systems can enhance disaster resilience in vulnerable livestock farming communities.

AI-Driven Adversarial Defense Framework with Generative Adversarial Network for Secure Healthcare IoT Ecosystems

2025-10-13T07:27:45+00:00

This study developed and assessed an AI-driven adversarial defense framework using Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) to secure healthcare IoT ecosystems against rising cybersecurity threats in medical settings. The research drew on datasets (CICIoMT2024, WUSTL-EHMS-2020, BoT-IoT, and Kaggle) and peer-reviewed studies to achieve three objectives: building a detailed threat model, designing a GAN-based defense optimized for healthcare IoT, and rigorously testing its effectiveness. The threat model revealed 127 vulnerability vectors, with adversarial attacks (32%) most prevalent, and a mean risk score of 7.82, highest for critical care devices (9.34). The GAN framework, featuring a multi-layer generator–discriminator pair and 128-dimensional encoder, achieved a mean accuracy of 95.8% against major adversarial attacks (FGSM 97.1%, PGD 94.8%, C&W 95.9%, UAP 96.4%), outperforming traditional defenses by 39.4%. With an MTTD of 82 ms, the system enables real-time deployment, allowing healthcare providers to integrate it directly into hospital IoT networks for proactive protection. Limitations include reliance on secondary data and high computational cost. Recommendations include hybrid datasets, explainable AI integration, real-world pilots, standardized metrics, and federated learning to enhance scalability and adaptability.

Perceptions and Factors Associated with Adherence to Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women in a Brazilian Municipality

2025-10-13T13:06:12+00:00

Background: Cervical Cancer (CC) is among the diseases with the greatest impact on female mortality worldwide. In Brazil, estimates from the National Cancer Institute for the 2020–2022 triennium indicate approximately 16,590 new cases, corresponding to an estimated risk of 15.43 cases per 100,000 women per year during this period.

Objective: To analyse factors associated with knowledge and adherence to cervical cancer screening (PCCU) among women living in the municipality of Ananindeua – PA in the Brazilian Municipality.

Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted with 100 women interviewed in a public setting. A structured questionnaire was applied through direct interviews, covering sociodemographic variables and questions related to knowledge and practice of the PCCU. Data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, with a significance level of 5%.

Results: Most participants were between 18 and 29 years old, single, had children, and predominantly used public health services. Educational level showed a significant association with knowledge about the PCCU (p=0.004). Although 91% had undergone the test at least once, only 63% did so regularly. Barriers such as discomfort during the procedure and the influence of the professional’s gender were reported.

Conclusion: Although most women demonstrated knowledge and had already undergone the test, regular adherence remains limited, particularly among groups with lower educational levels. Continuous educational initiatives and strategies to humanise care may expand screening coverage and contribute to reducing the incidence of cervical cancer in the region.

Self-Help Groups as Catalysts for Financial Inclusion: A Multidimensional Study from Rural Andhra Pradesh, India

2025-10-14T10:29:02+00:00

The primary objective of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission’s (DAY–NRLM) is to mobilize rural poor households into Self-Help Groups (SHGs). This study was conducted to find the role of SHGs in financial inclusion of members. The present study was purposively conducted in Andhra Pradesh, covering four districts through proportionate random sampling. A total of 120 respondents were randomly chosen, with 15 SHG members and 15 non-SHG members from each district. Both exploratory and descriptive research designs were employed. A financial inclusion index (FII) was developed for the study using eight dimensions and fourteen indicators. Weights were assigned based on expert judgments inputs. The results revealed that the mean FII was higher for SHG members (0.742) compared to non-members (0.375). A significant difference was observed between the two groups, with a magnitude of 17.921. While SHG members generally exhibited medium to high levels of financial inclusion, non-members were largely concentrated in the low to medium range. This study finds that variables like proximity to financial services affects the financial inclusion along with credit facilities, annual income, risk orientation are associated with financial inclusion. It recommends to link left out SHGs to financial institutions to improve their effectiveness.

Effect of Macro and Micronutrients on Tomato (cv. Heemshikhar) Performance under Protected Cultivation

2025-10-14T12:52:02+00:00

The investigation entitled “Effect of macro and micronutrients on tomato cv. Heemshikhar perfrormance under protected conditions” was conducted at Polyhouse, School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, RIMT University, Mandi Gobindgarh, Punjab, during rabi 2023-24. The experiment consists of seven treatments viz. T₁ Control, T₂ (NPK 0.5 g + Zinc 50 ppm + Boron 50 ppm /plant), T₃ (NPK 0.5 g + Zinc 100 ppm + Boron 100 ppm /plant),T₄ (NPK 1 g + Zinc 50 ppm + Boron 50 ppm / plant), T₅(NPK 1 g + Zinc 100 ppm + Boron 100 ppm /plant), T₆ (NPK 1.5 g + Zinc 50 ppm + Boron 50 ppm /plant) and T₇(NPK 1.5 g + Zinc 100 ppm + Boron 100 ppm /plant).The observations were recorded on growth, flowering, yield and quality traits.Results revealed that growth characters viz., plant height (216.22 cm), number of leaves per plant (31.47), minimum days to 50 per cent flowering (40.58 days) and number of flowers per plant (55.85) was found maximum in Treatment T₇. For the traits number of fruits per cluster (8.22), number of fruits per plant (42.36), fruit length (4.42cm), fruit diameter (5.40cm) and average fruit weight (67.38 g) also recorded maximum values with the treatment T₇. Yield characters viz., fruit yield per plant (2.41 kg), fruit yield per plot, (24.10 kg) and per hectare (296.43 q ha^-1) recorded under the influence of (NPK 1.5 g + Zinc 100 ppm + Boron 100 ppm /plant). Fruit quality characters viz., TSS (4.57°Brix), pH (4.15), fruit firmness (4.13 kg/cm²) and dry matter content (5.71%) was also found superior under treatment T₇.

Behavioural and Socio-Economic Determinants of Consumer Expenditure on Organic Millets: Evidence from Hyderabad, India

2025-10-14T13:56:16+00:00

The study investigated the behavioural and socio-economic variables influencing consumer expenditure on organic millets in Hyderabad, India. As the demand for organic foods has grown, understanding the drivers of consumer behaviour has become vital for promoting sustainable consumption. Primary data from 120 organic millet consumers were collected from various retail outlets, through personal interview, and was analysed using Likert scale analysis, Chi-square test, and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression. The analysis was done using Python in Jupyter Notebook. The Likert scale results indicated that consumers are aware of the health and nutritional benefits of organic millets, while moderate agreement was observed regarding availability and price concerns. The Chi-square test revealed that consumer preference varied significantly between certified and non-certified products, highlighting the importance of official certification in influencing purchasing decisions. The OLS regression further showed that availability (β = 239.75***), education (β = 29.61***), and monthly household income (β = 43.47**) had a significant positive effect on organic millet consumption expenditure, whereas certification preference (β = −71.18**) had a negative effect, suggesting that those who prefer certified millets may spend less, possibly due to limited availability or higher prices. The findings underscored the need to improve product availability, enhance consumer awareness, and strengthen certification trust to broaden the consumer base for organic millets in urban India.

Review of GPS-Based Monitoring Systems for Agricultural Custom Hiring Centres

2025-10-13T13:37:46+00:00

Efficient utilization of agricultural machinery is essential for enhancing farm productivity, especially in countries like India, where most farmers are small and marginal. Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) provide access to costly machinery but often face challenges such as improper scheduling, underutilization, delays, and lack of real-time operational data. Integrating Global Positioning System (GPS)-based monitoring offers a promising solution to these issues. This study examines the application of GPS-enabled technologies to improve the operational efficiency of CHCs. GPS systems allow real-time tracking of machinery location, operational duration, travel paths, and idle times, providing accurate insights into usage patterns. Such data-driven monitoring supports optimal resource allocation, minimizes downtime, reduces fuel consumption, and enhances accountability by preventing misuse and ensuring transparency. Integration of GPS technology also facilitates better scheduling, timely service delivery, preventive maintenance, and cost reduction, ultimately maximizing machine utilization and economic viability. By enabling data-driven decision-making, GPS-based monitoring strengthens the sustainability and reliability of CHCs, transforming them into transparent, farmer-friendly service hubs and supporting national goals of increased mechanization and food security.

An Automatic Family Drip System (FDS) to Boost Urban Vegetable Production

2025-10-04T09:26:00+00:00

Farm fresh vegetable production is gaining much importance in urban areas. This is a turning point for agriculture in urban and peri-urban areas, to introduce new technology like Drip Irrigation System (DIS). Nowadays, urban people take due care by cultivating vegetables on their roof–top, because of high pesticide residues in market produce. But, urban farming initiatives lack supervision and guidance in whole cultivation practices especially in irrigation. Here comes the role of low-cost drip irrigation system to solve acute water shortage and labor problem.

Keeping in view of the above few facts, a field experiment was conducted on automatic drip irrigation for grow bag cultivation to evaluate yield, water-use- efficiency and economic feasibility of a commonly used vegetable, okra. Comparison was done with the manual hose irrigation for grow bags.

A comparative study was conducted to evaluate the performance of time-based automatic drip irrigation system and manual hose irrigation in okra. Irrigation time optimized at 15minutes provided 250 ml of water per plant. Based on the growth stage, crop water requirement of vegetables was estimated to be 0.6 to 2 litre/day. To meet this crop water requirement, irrigation was done at four time intervals viz., morning twice and evening twice in such a manner one litre water was irrigated per grow bag. Thus, drip irrigation conserved 50% water compared to manual hose irrigation. It was found that drip irrigation gave 37.70% higher yield than that obtained with the manual drip irrigation system. Automatic DIS increased irrigation efficiency up to 95% than that of conventional method of irrigation. BCR using automated DIS was observed to be 1.45.

Time based Automatic Family Drip System (FDS) is observed to be user-friendly, economical and cost effective as compared to conventional hose irrigation for farming on terraces in cities. Time saving, low energy consumption and low pressure low cost DIS had been widely accepted among urban farmers to promote vegetable cultivation in their own houses.

Effect of Azotobacter and Phosphate Solubilizing Bacteria on Growth and Yield Parameters of Tomato

2025-10-09T07:04:51+00:00

Introduction: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a nutritionally rich vegetable crop of global importance, widely cultivated in tropical and semi-arid regions. In 2022–23, worldwide tomato production reached 20 million metric tonnes from 8.64 million hectares, with Maharashtra contributing 0.67 million metric tonnes from 0.18 million hectares.

Problem: Excessive reliance on chemical fertilizers to overcome nutrient deficiencies leads to soil degradation, reduced microbial diversity and environmental concerns. There is a pressing need for eco-friendly alternatives to sustain productivity while maintaining soil health.

Aim: This study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of beneficial microorganisms, particularly Azotobacter and phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria (PSB), in improving growth, yield, and soil nutrient status of tomato, with reduced chemical fertilizer input.

Methods: A pot-culture experiment was conducted using different treatments of Azotobacter and PSB, alone and in combination, along with varied levels of recommended N and P fertilizers. Growth, yield attributes, and soil nutrient status were recorded and compared.

Results: The combined treatment of seedling inoculation with Azotobacter + PSB along with 75% recommended N & P significantly outperformed other treatments. It recorded the highest number of branches (19.27), plant height (73.73 cm), and root length (22.57 cm). Yield parameters also improved, with minimum days to flower initiation (39.40 days), maximum fruits per plant (13.82), polar diameter (6.13 cm), equatorial diameter (4.99 cm), average fruit weight (73.33 g), fruit yield per plant (1.013 kg), and total yield per hectare (375.32 q). Soil nutrient status after harvest also showed higher available N (282.24 kg/ha) and P (36.47 kg/ha).

Novelty: The study demonstrates that integration of microbial inoculants with reduced fertilizer doses can enhance tomato growth, yield, and soil fertility while lowering chemical input. This highlights the potential of biofertilizers as sustainable tools for nutrient management and eco-friendly tomato cultivation.

Varietal Evaluation of Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) under Mid-Hill Conditions of Thunag Valley, Himachal Pradesh, India

2025-10-09T07:14:43+00:00

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) is one of the most important cut flower crops worldwide, valued for its colour diversity, long vase life, and suitability for commercial floriculture. Its successful cultivation, however, depends on varietal adaptability to specific agro-climatic conditions. Selection of appropriate carnation cultivars for mid-hill conditions is critical for maximizing cut-flower yield and marketability. The present investigation was conducted during 2021–22 in a farmer’s polyhouse at Thunag, Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh to evaluate the performance of eight standard carnation cultivars, namely Happy Golem, Liberty, Kleos, Dover, Gaudina, Baltico, Bizet and Dona. Observations were recorded on vegetative growth, floral traits, and keeping quality. The performance of eight commercial carnation varieties was evaluated under mid-hill conditions to identify superior cultivars for cut flower production. Significant variability was observed among cultivars. ‘Bizet’ exhibited superior vegetative vigour with maximum Plant height (97.36 cm), longest stems (81.47 cm), and highest number of leaves per plant (154.18). Conversely, ‘Kleos’ and ‘Liberty’ produced comparatively shorter plants and stems. In terms of flowering, ‘Bizet’ was the earliest to bloom (148.73 days), while ‘Gaudina’ was the latest (177 days). Flowering duration was longest in ‘Kleos’ (16.17 days) and shortest in ‘Dona’ (12.47 days). For yield attributes, ‘Liberty’ recorded the highest number of flowers per plant (6.72), followed by ‘Happy Golem’ (6.21), while ‘Dover’ produced the least (4.34) number of flowers. Flower diameter was maximum in ‘Dona’ (7.01 cm), followed by ‘Baltico’ (6.53 cm) and minimum (5.93) in Dover. Post-harvest quality, assessed through vase life, varied significantly: ‘Liberty’ exhibited the longest vase life (12.6 days), whereas ‘Bizet’ recorded the shortest (8.18 days). Overall, ‘Bizet’ performed best in terms of vegetative growth and early flowering, ‘Liberty’ was superior in yield and vase life, and ‘Dona’ excelled in flower size. These results suggest that ‘Liberty’ and ‘Dona’ are most suitable for commercial cultivation under mid-hill conditions of Thunag valley, while ‘Bizet’ may be preferred for earliness and vegetative vigour.

Comparison of the Radiopacity of Zinc Oxide-eugenol Cements using Different Radiographic Methods

2025-10-09T09:46:08+00:00

Aims: To evaluate whether there is a difference in the radiopacity of four endodontic sealers, using two imaging techniques.

Study Design: Experimental study, with a quantitative approach.

Place and Duration of Study: Research Laboratory - Dentistry Course at the University of Fortaleza (UNIFOR), between June 2024 and May 2025.

Methodology: Four endodontic sealers (Endofill, Ciment-Fill, Pulp Fill, and Fill Canal) were prepared according to the manufacturer's instructions and inserted into 10 mm diameter x 1 mm high rings, with three samples per group (n = 3), totaling n = 12. After complete setting, the samples were positioned on radiographic occlusal films, next to an aluminum penetrometer and exposed to X-rays (60 kV, 10 mA, 0.3 s, at 30 cm), using a digital sensor and analog method. Radiopacity was analyzed in the Photopea program, converting the radiographic density into millimeters of aluminum.

Results: Digital radiography showed greater sensitivity in detecting radiopacity, with a statistically significant difference compared to the analog technique (P < 0.05). Endofill showed the highest radiopacity in both methods, significantly surpassing Pulp Fill and Fill Canal. Ciment-Fill presented intermediate values, similar to Pulp Fill, with no statistical difference between them (P > 0.05). Fill Canal presented the lowest radiopacity, significantly lower than the others (P < 0.05), which may compromise its clinical visibility.

Conclusion: The materials tested are within the values proposed by the American Dental Association (2000), specification no. 57 and no. 6876 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). In addition to evaluating the radiopacity density, the digital radiographic technique presented superior results to the analog, both revealing positive results.