Anand Agricultural University

Key message Root-knot nematodes threaten tomato cultivation worldwide. This study confirms Mi- 1 gene's role in defence by inducing programmed cell death, lignin accumulation, and cellular remodelling in resistant plants. Abstract Root-knot nematodes, particularly Meloidogyne species, pose a significant economic threat to tomato cultivation globally. Despite the identification of various Mi genes, their mechanisms of action are not fully understood. This study aimed to elucidate the role of the Mi- 1 gene by analysing transcriptomic data from both resistant and susceptible tomato genotypes and by constitutively expressing Mi- 1 in a susceptible cultivar. Transcriptome analysis of leaf and root samples upon RKN infection showed that the Mi- 1 gene was exclusively present in the roots of resistant plants. Further to investigate its function Mi- 1 was constitutively expressed under the CaMV 35S promoter in a susceptible tomato cultivar. Structural analysis confirmed that the Mi- 1 protein primarily localized in the cytoplasm and lacked a transmembrane motif. Following transformation, a comparative gene expression of wild-type and transformed tomato plants with genes obtained from transcriptome, revealing significant up-regulation of cellular, plant defence, and programmed cell death (PCD) related genes in the transgenic lines. Notably, the roots of the transformed plants exhibited thickened root morphology and high lignin accumulation, correlating with the expression of lignin biosynthesis genes. These findings suggested that the Mi- 1 gene is not only involved in PCD but also activates various defence-related and cellular remodelling genes by depositing the lignin in the root cell to combat against nematode attack.

Advancements in tissue culture techniques have enabled the regeneration of a wide array of fruit varieties under in vitro condition. Use of micro-propagation technique is now available for numerous crops at a commercial scale. While this has facilitated clonal propagation and preservation of elite genotypes with superior traits, maintaining high genetic uniformity among regenerated plants remains a challenge due to the chance of induction of somaclonal variation, which results from gene mutations or changes in epigenetic marks. Such genetic variability can undermine the reliability of in vitro cloning and germplasm preservation, making it crucial to ensure the genetic fidelity of in vitro raised plants early in the process. Various strategies have been employed to assess genetic uniformity, including morphological, physiological, biochemical, cellular, and DNA-driven molecular marker methods. Despite its drawbacks, somatic variation also presents an opportunity for breeders to access new genetic diversity relatively quickly and without the need for sophisticated technology, which is especially beneficial for crops that are challenging to breed or possess limited genetic diversity. This paper examines the origins of variation triggered during the tissue culture process and investigates approaches for confirming different genetic fidelity in in vitro raised plantlets and discusses the potential applications of somaclonal variants in fruit crop improvement.

This study explores the antidiabetic and anti‐inflammatory activities of polypeptides from fermented whey protein isolate (WPI) and soy protein isolate (SPI) using Limosilactobacillus fermentum (KGL4) MTCC 25515. Both fermented WPI and SPI demonstrated significant α‐amylase and α‐glucosidase inhibition, with SPI showing higher inhibition rates. Proteolytic activity peaked at 48 h and a 2.5% inoculation rate, with sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and two‐dimensional (2D)‐PAGE revealing changes in protein profiles and peptide distribution. Ultra‐filtered fractions, particularly the 3 kDa permeates, exhibited strong antidiabetic effects. Furthermore, fermented WPI and SPI reduced nitric oxide production and pro‐inflammatory cytokines in RAW 264.7 cells without causing cytotoxicity at 2 mg/mL concentrations. Confocal microscopy showed that fermentation led to the formation of smaller peptide structures, suggesting that KGL4‐fermented WPI and SPI are promising sources of bioactive peptides with potential applications in functional foods and therapeutics.

Khaman is a widely enjoyed traditional protein enriched snack known for its short shelf life, primarily due to its high moisture content. To convert traditional khaman into a ready-to-reconstitute product, moisture was removed by drying it in thin layers at temperatures ranging from 60 to 75 °C, with air flow rates between 4.5 and 18 m3/h. The physical characteristics of the reconstituted tray-dried samples showed variations in thickness (3.48–3.68 cm), density (0.189–0.230 g/cm3), color parameters (L*: 18.08–23.51; a*: 0.94–1.59; b*: 38.34–43.93), and hardness (2.53–3.07 kgf) with respect to 3.6 cm, 0.234 g/cm3, 24.85, 0.72, 37.72 respectively of the fresh khaman. In terms of chemical properties, the pH ranged from 5.85 to 7.23, total soluble solids (TSS) from 3.07 to 4.13°Brix, total sugar content from 9.74 to 11.37%, and protein levels from 18.34 to 21.41% in the reconstituted samples with respect to 7.65, 4.32°Brix, 11.64% and 21.98% respectively of the fresh khaman. For optimal retention of physical, chemical, and sensory attributes, the ideal drying conditions were determined to be a temperature of 70 °C and an air flow rate of 4.5 m3/h. The maximum drying rate, effective diffusivities and activation energy were 3.5 mg water/g dry matter/min, 7.4–10.7 × 10−7 m2/s and 21.12 kJ/mol respectively. The thickness and sensory attributes of freshly prepared khaman and optimized reconstituted khaman were also very close, reflecting their similarity in texture and overall quality. The Midilli model demonstrated a good fit for the drying characteristics, as indicated by statistical parameters including an R2 value of 0.99, χ2 of 0.000098, and RMSE of 0.00806. This study provides a practical approach to extending the shelf life of khaman while preserving its key sensory and nutritional qualities. The findings offer valuable insights for the food industry, enabling the commercialization of ready-to-reconstitute khaman as a convenient, high-protein snack with enhanced storage stability.

Long-term experiments are valuable resources for studying the nutrient dynamics and overall assessment of the impacts of fertilization and provide a unique opportunity to evaluate the influence of different management practices and agro-climatic conditions over a number of years. The present study was carried out in seven different long-term experiments to investigate the impact of integrated nutrient management on yield, Zn uptake by crops under various cropping systems and Zn distribution in the soil. The Zn balance in the soil after several years of cultivation was also estimated. Irrespective of experimental sites, 4 common treatments viz., Control (T1), 100% NPK (T2), 50% NPK + 50%N through FYM (T3) and an uncultivated fallow (T4) were selected for the comparative study. N, P and K were supplied through inorganic fertilizers and farmyard manure was integrated with fertilizers for T3. The treatment with conjunctive application of chemical fertilizers and organic matter (FYM) was observed to maintain a positive Zn balance (25.05 to 183.65 g ha−1 across sites) in soil after years of cultivation and evidently promoted Zn uptake which was 39.41% higher than the 100% NPK treatment across sites and crops. These findings elucidate the need to optimize different nutrient management practices under different climatic scenarios in the soil–plant system for higher yield and uptake of crucial nutrients like Zn, which is a need for sustainable agriculture and human health.

Cluster bean [Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub.] is a key leguminous crop cultivated primarily in arid and semi-arid regions, valued for its wide-ranging industrial applications of a poly-saccharide galactomannan gum extracted from its seeds in the food, agriculture, paper, pharmaceutical, textile and various other industries. The current study was focused to assess the variability in cluster bean germplasm using morpho-biochemical traits followed by rheological properties evaluation in galactomannon gum. Furthermore, 20 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were also deployed to assess the genetic variability in germplasm. The pod yield per plant ranged from 20.70 to 94.38 g with a mean of 44.12 g. The concentrations of essential minerals in seed varied across the samples, with calcium (Ca) averaging 0.29% and ranging from 0.19 to 0.46%. Potassium (K) exhibited relatively stable levels, averaging 0.59% and ranging from 0.53 to 0.66%. Sodium (Na) and magnesium (Mg) showed greater variability, with Na averaging 0.18% (range: 0.14–0.20%) and Mg averaging 0.15% (range: 0.07–0.34%). The galactomannan content ranged from 21.09 to 34.37, with a mean of 27.15. The mannose-to-galactose (MG) ratio varied between 1.84 and 2.89, with an average ratio of 2.44. The viscosity of the gum exhibited a range from 0.020 to 0.063, with a mean value of 0.034. A set of 18 polymorphic SSR produced 47 alleles with a mean of 2.47 allales per SSR. A total 13 SSR loci had complete homozygosity while at one locus all genotypes showed heterozygosity. The mean PIC was 0.24 though maximum polymorphism information content (PIC) was 0.62. The study revealed significant variability in morpho-biochemical traits, mineral content, and galactomannan properties among cluster bean germplasm, highlighting its potential for industrial applications and genetic improvement. Additionally, SSR marker analysis indicated moderate genetic diversity and suggested the need for developing and introducing variability in guar through hybridization, mutation breeding, or advanced biotechnological approaches to enhance its genetic base and breeding potential.

The aim of the study is to explore the biofunctional properties (antioxidative, anti‐diabetic, and anti‐inflammatory) with the release of bioactive peptides from fermented camel milk and Gir cow milk through yeast‐lactic fermentation. Fermented camel milk and Gir cow milk exhibited higher antioxidative, antidiabetic, and anti‐inflammatory activities compared to their unfermented counterparts. At 30°C, the most significant production of peptides had been discovered at 48 h of incubation with 2.5% rate of inoculation of yeast‐lactic culture in the fermented milks of camel and Gir cow. Additionally, both the fermented milks considerably reduced the overproduction of TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐1β, and nitric oxide in RAW 267.4 cells. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed the visualization of protein biomolecules of camel milk and Gir cow milk pre‐ and post‐fermentation, revealing changes in protein network structure. The structural changes that occur during fermentation were examined using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy by assessing changes in functional groups after fermentation. To distinguish between different peptide fractions, reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography was used for comparing water‐soluble extracts of ultra‐filtered fractions. The Peakview tool was implemented to assess the liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC/MS) data. However, fermenting camel and Gir cow milk with yeast and lactic acid bacteria enhances their nutritional and therapeutic values by releasing bioactive compounds, improving antioxidative, antidiabetic, and anti‐inflammatory activities, and this process supports gut health, immunity, and sustainability, offering potential for functional foods and nutraceutical innovations. Practical Application Traditionally, camel and Gir cow milk provide health benefits beyond nutrition for the well‐being of the society since long. Fermented Gir cow and camel milk contain physiologically bioactive peptides. Gir cow and camel milk fermented with Limosilactobacillus fermentum (KGL4) in combination with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (WBS2A) also provide antidiabetic and antioxidative activities. Anti‐inflammatory activity of fermented Gir cow and camel milks was also observed in RAW 264.7 macrophage cell. Antidiabetic and antioxidative peptides were also identified from fermented Gir Cow and camel milks. However, functional fermented dairy products can be developed using these two potent strains in combination for providing better health benefits.

In Gujarat, out of the total reporting area of 18.8 million hectares, 59.2% (11.4 m ha) is covered under cultivation. About 88% of the area of the state is under arid and semi-arid tropics, where the risk and instability in agricultural production and productivity usually remain quite high. Though Gujarat has been performing well since 2000s in agriculture, there are many challenges to overcome to facilitate a sustainable development of agriculture in the state. The state of Gujarat is endowed with a variety of agro-climatic conditions (arid to sub-humid), soils (inceptisols, vertisols and aridisols) and urban, rural and tribal settlements. The inhabitants of different regions of Gujarat practice numerous indigenous technologies for soil and fertility management, water conservation, plant protection, etc. Their scientific basis has been explored in many cases and found to be location specific and cost effective. The newer technologies developed using traditional knowledge blending in scientific approach have shown monetary benefits to farmers through developed varieties and different agro-technologies in various parts of the state. A few benefits of ITK blending are briefed here. The manure made from pseudostems of bananas keeps the soil porous and also increases WHC, which is equivalent to FYM application of about 20 t/ha and Rs 12,500/ in terms of monetary benefit. Adoption of alternate row planting and the use of a natural farming system using NADEP manure, Jivamrut and Amritpani in banana and papaya crops can get higher yield and quality produce with an additional net realization of Rs. 70,000/ha. The use of 1 litre of potash-mobilizing bacteria in potato crops gives higher tuber yield and saving of 25% (55 kg/ha) of K fertilizer. Drip irrigation using stored water in banana cultivation increased fruit yields by about 20%, which is equivalent to monetary benefit of about Rs. 25,000. The indigenous practices of plant protection in the crops protect the environment too and reduce the use of chemical insecticides/pesticides in the range of Rs. 5200 to 7100/ha besides increasing the farmer’s income. Further, by linking the knowledge of traditional systems with scientific technologies, the current methods of agriculture on the management of soil, water, nutrients, water and energy conservation, alternative farming systems, use of improved crop varieties, etc., proved better as adopted by the farmers in Gujarat.

Soybean mosaic disease (SMD) is one of the most serious diseases of Glycine max (L.) Merr. caused by Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) and it is reported to be spread very widely leading to huge economic loss. It is more abundant in warm and low-lying areas of soybean growing regions. The symptoms of SMV include severe mosaic, epinasty, and premature death of entire plants. The studies and investigations on transmission of soybean mosaic virus show that virus infected seed plays important role in disease transmission, but still further investigations are required to understand the role of several factors that may govern the transmission of SMV through seed.

Introduction This study aims to valorise cheese whey waste by converting it into bioactive peptides that have several health benefits, potentially leading to the development of nutraceuticals and functional foods and also used in pharmaceutical industry. Methods The study evaluates the antidiabetic, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties of fermented cheese whey with Limosilactobacillus fermentum (M4), along with the production of antioxidative and antidiabetic peptides. SDS PAGE and 2D PAGE were also performed to identify proteins by molecular weight and isoelectric point, while RP-HPLC distinguished peptide fractions. Peptide sequences from 2D gel spots were identified using RPLC/MS, and RP-HPLC analyzed 3 kDa and 10 kDa permeates. Peakview software characterized the LC/MS results, and FTIR analysis measured structural changes in bioactive peptides. Results The antioxidative and antidiabetic properties in cheese whey fermented with M4 showed a progressive growth over extended incubation periods, higher effects were observed after fermentation for 48 hours. Inhibitory activities in α-glucosidase, α-amylase & lipase were found to be 65.39%, 66.09%, and 56.74% respectively. ABTS assay was performed to measure antioxidant activity (63.39%) and the highest proteolytic activity (7.62 mg/ml) was measured at 2.5% inoculation rate for 48 hours. In SDS-PAGE, protein bands between 10 & 30 kDa were observed, whereas peptide spots within the range of 10 to 70 kDa were also visualized on the 2D PAGE. RP-HPLC was used to distinguish different fractions of a peptide. Peptide sequences from 2D gel spots were identified using RP-HPLC & RPLC/MS. Peakview software was utilized to characterize the LC/MS results. Sequences of peptides generated from α-lactalbumin and β-lactoglobulin were searched in the BIOPEP database to validate the antidiabetic and antioxidative activities of fermented cheese whey peptides. 0.50 mg/mL of fermented cheese whey significantly LPS suppressed the production of proinflammatory cytokines as well as the mediators that govern them including IL-6, IL-1β, NO, and TNF-α in RAW 264.7 cells. FTIR was used to analysis of protein secondary structure and conformational changes. Conclusion This study aims to the production of antidiabetic and antioxidative peptides from dairy waste, and cheese whey.

India is the world’s most populous nation, and its economy is mainly dependent on agriculture. People use potatoes in different forms in their everyday lives, making them one of the stable foods in India. Gujarat is a major producer of potatoes in India, followed by Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and Bihar. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing Gujarati farmers to adopt potato contract farming. Data was collected randomly from potato contract farmers. Gujarat as a whole was examined in the study. A well-structured questionnaire collected primary data from 130 farmers who adopted potato contract farming. Factor analysis was used to identify potato farmers’ adoption of contract farming. The data collected were analysed using SPSS software. Only two factors in this study accounted for a variance of 62.0%. The benefits of contract farming variance were found to be 33.3%, while the awareness of contract farming variance was 28.7%. As a result of the benefits of contract farming and the awareness of contract farming, potato farmers adopted contract farming. The benefits of contract farming include a price guarantee, financial support, assurance of marketability, and risk reduction. Farmer awareness of contract farming includes understanding its advantages and how to resolve problems in contract farming. It is recommended that cooperatives and Farmer Producer Organizations become involved in farming to protect farmers’ rights.

Background This study aims to evaluate the antidiabetic and anti‐inflammatory activities of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (M9) MTCC 25516 during the fermentation of whey and soy protein isolates. It also seeks to characterize protein profiles, identify multifunctional peptides, and assess structural changes using sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS‐PAGE), two‐dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis, Fourier‐transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Results Fermentation with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (M9) significantly enhanced antidiabetic activity, with optimal peptide production at a 25 mL L⁻¹ inoculation rate for 48 h at 37 °C. Proteolytic activity reduced inflammatory markers (IL‐6, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, NO) in RAW 267.4 cells. SDS‐PAGE and 2D gel electrophoresis revealed distinct protein profiles, with 19 and 49 protein spots in whey and soy isolates, respectively. Reverse‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC) identified multifunctional peptides, and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed structural changes post‐fermentation. Confocal microscopy further revealed protein modifications. Conclusion Fermentation of whey and soy protein isolates with Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus (M9) enhances antidiabetic and anti‐inflammatory properties. Optimal conditions (25 mL L⁻¹ inoculation, 48‐h incubation) improved peptide production, with analytical techniques confirming structural and functional changes. These findings suggest fermented protein isolates could be valuable in functional foods with health benefits. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

This study investigates the use of deep learning models, Visual Geometry Group 16-layer network (VGG16), AlexNet and a custom Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), for classifying potato leaf images into categories of Early Blight, Late Blight, and Healthy leaves. The dataset, comprising 3,293 images, combined locally sourced images from Anand Agricultural University (AAU), Gujarat, India, and images from the Plant Village (PV) repository. Various configurations were tested, including batch sizes of 32 and 64 and training epochs of 30 and 60. Results indicate that the custom CNN achieved the highest performance, with an accuracy of 98.8% and a low loss of 0.055, surpassing both VGG16 and AlexNet. Notably, the custom CNN required only 128,387 trainable parameters, significantly fewer than VGG16 (138 million) and AlexNet (58 million), highlighting its efficiency. This efficiency demonstrates the custom CNN’s optimized architecture, enabling high classification performance with lower computational demands.

Pyricularia oryzae is the major pathogen affecting primarily rice and many other graminaceous plants. Cultural, morphological and molecular identification was performed using the internal transcribed spacer (ITS). The pathogen was managed in vitro and in vivo using fungicides. Fungal growth was very slow on potato dextrose agar medium (PDA). Maximum growth and sporulation were observed on rice leaf extract agar (RLEA) at 28–30 °C and high relative humidity with alternating light and dark periods for 8 and 16 h, respectively. The conidia were biseptate, tricelled, pyriform to obclavate, measuring 17–19 μm × 5–7 μm, with a rounded base and a tapered tip. All treatments were found to be significantly superior to the control in reducing fungal mycelial growth under in vitro conditions, ranging between 61.38 and 79.44% at low concentrations and 78.33 to 92.78% at higher concentrations of fungicides. Tebuconazole 50% + trifloxystrobin 25% WG, 100 and 200 ppm recorded the best treatment compared to others in inhibiting mycelial growth by 79.44% and 92.78%, respectively. The minimum percent disease index (12.12%) and percent disease incidence (58.98%) were recorded for tebuconazole 50% + trifloxystrobin 25% WG. The maximum yield of grain (5973.00 kg/ha) and straw (9480.20 kg/ha) was found in the tebuconazole 50% + trifloxystrobin 25% WG.

Potato is grown in many states in India like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat, but its prices are volatile during the post-harvest period. This poses challenges for farmers, consumers and policymakers. Farmers, often needing immediate cash, sell at lower prices, while a lack of timely market intelligence hampers strategic selling and policy decisions, highlighting the need for accurate price forecasting. The selection of the Agra market was done as it has the highest total arrivals of potato among all other markets of India. The weekly price data from January 2003 to December 2023 were utilized for price forecasting, where comparisons were made between traditional statistical models like ARIMA and SARIMA, and neural network models such as ANN and LSTM. It was found that the long short-term memory (LSTM) model outperformed other models, showing the lowest mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 7.99% and the highest accuracy. The out-of-sample forecasts for the Agra market using LSTM showed the lowest MAPE and root mean square error (RMSE) values, with forecasted prices for the months of 2024 ranging from Rs 613 to Rs 1702 per quintal. This accurate forecasting of potato prices plays a crucial role in optimizing supply chain management, supporting informed decisions on procurement, storage, and distribution. It enables farmers to sell strategically, helping to mitigate price volatility

Plant-based superfoods gained attention nowadays due to its health benefits. Recently, consumers are also seeking into the products that not only satisfy their hunger but also it must keep the health in a good condition. One of such important healthy food which has gained consumer attention is the superfoods or power foods. Superfoods are the foods which have some beneficial functional properties. Bioactive ingredients with specific biological properties help in preventing diseases due to their content. Despite this, consumers choose a vegetarian diet due to many reasons. Eating vegetarian is crucial for maintaining health and avoiding the use of hormones found in animal products. As a result, consumers paid more attention on the plant-based foods where it assessing the sustainability of plant-based food choices. This review explores the beauty of superfoods, highlighting bioactive ingredients like vitamins and phytochemicals with specific biological properties and effects on the human body.

Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), a commercially and pharmaceutically important spice crop, belongs to the Apiaceae family. It is predominantly cultivated in Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Morocco, Iran, Greece, Syria, and Turkey. Cumin seeds are utilized in the preparation of food recipes and nonalcoholic drinks and as ingredients of traditional medicine and fragrance material. Mature ripened seeds of cumin have essential oil with several antioxidants and bioactive compounds. Despite its high importance as a key seed spice, cumin production and adaptation suffer from various inherent problems. Poor germination and weaker establishment of seedlings are the foremost problems faced in cumin cultivation. Moreover, genetic variability in existing germplasm collections is very limited which adversely impacts cumin breeding. Resistance against climatic stresses and plant pathogens causing Alternaria blight and Fusarium wilt diseases is not available in existing cumin accessions, and it poses a serious concern among the breeders. Small and slender flowers restrict the opportunities for artificial pollination; consequently, hybrid breeding in cumin is inadequate. Therefore, most of the cultivated cumin varieties existing at present are made through selection-based conventional breeding practices. Some efforts have been made to discover high-value bioactive molecules in cumin and authenticate their pharmacological properties. Limited genomic resources have been developed in cumin species that restrict the use of cutting-edge genomic tools to enhance the pace of conventional breeding programs. In this chapter, we highlight the attempts made to research cumin, focusing on a variety of topics, including seed biochemical components, mutation breeding, divergence analysis, plant regeneration, and molecular and omics studies.

Black cumin or nigella (Nigella sativa L.) is one of the crucial traditional plants and is widely preferred for an array of diseases. However, black cumin is not a widespread plant species, and its distribution is limited to the Middle East and Africa, in general, and very limited knowledge is available for its genetic diversity. Quantification of phenotypic and genotypic diversities is essential to recognize genetic resources with a similar genetic background for conserving, evaluating, and utilizing germplasms before breeding. Seed yield is a quantitative and complex inherited trait that is highly affected by environmental conditions. Improving the seed yield is one of the most important breeding objectives in all crop plants. Instead, direct selection of genotype for seed yield based on highly heritable and genetically linked traits to seed yield may be more efficient. Constructing genetic maps of black cumin facilitates the identification of genes and quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with the target traits, and marker-assisted selection techniques accelerate the breeding process compared to traditional phenotypic selection. By integrating genetics, genomics, and breeding strategies, researchers can accelerate the development of improved black cumin cultivars with enhanced agronomic traits, nutritional quality, and medicinal properties suited for diverse agricultural and pharmaceutical applications.

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) drying, an emerging non‐thermal technology, gains favor for its simple construction, energy efficiency, and superior dried product quality. Operating at ambient temperature, it preserves a product's original characteristics. This study delves into EHD drying's mechanism, electrode selection, and design considerations, emphasizing its impact on vitamins, color, and bioactive compounds in fruits and vegetables. A comparative analysis with traditional and innovative drying methods is included, exploring combined and EHD‐assisted techniques for improved organoleptic and nutritional qualities. While, currently it is limited to lab‐scale, scaling up EHD drying holds promise for ensuring nutritional security, with considerations on various limiting factors and future potential.

This paper examines the dynamics, competitiveness, specialization, and structural changes in India's honey exports from 2003 to 2022 utilizing trade data under HS code 04090000. This paper analyzes Indian honey export under different indices, including the revealed comparative advantage (RCA), revealed symmetric comparative advantage (RSCA), comparative export performance (CEP), trade balance index (TBI), and Grubel–Lloyd index (GLI). A detailed analysis reveals significant export growth, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.72% over the past decade, driven primarily by the US market, which accounted for 80% of India's honey exports in 2022. However, high export instability was noted in the US market, while GCC and SAARC countries exhibited more stable demand. The research also assesses market loyalty using Markov chain analysis, highlighting the US as the most stable export destination. Structural changes in India's honey export markets were identified, with the Gulf countries and Africa emerging as key markets following the European Union's 2010 ban on Indian honey. Despite competitive pressure from major honey‐exporting nations like New Zealand and Argentina, India's strong comparative advantage and specialized export focus position it favorably in the global market. The paper tries to highlight the need for strategic diversification of export markets and expansion of honey production to sustain India's growth in the honey export sector.