Kid mortality is one of the major constraints affecting productivity and profitability of goat farming systems worldwide. Losses due to kid mortality significantly reduce net and gross returns, threatening the economic sustainability of both smallholder and commercial goat enterprises. Mortality rates are influenced by multiple factors including season, birth weight, age, parity of the dam, nutritional status,
management practices, and disease incidence. The present review critically evaluates the major predisposing factors, causes, and management-related determinants of kid mortality in goats. Emphasis is placed on prenatal care of does, periparturient management, neonatal care, colostrum feeding, housing, nutrition, vaccination, and control of major diseases. Evidence-based management strategies to reduce
kid mortality are discussed, highlighting the importance of integrated health, nutrition, housing, and welfare-oriented interventions for improving survival and overall farm profitability .

This review critically examines the current applications of advanced packaging technologies in the Indian food industry and identifies existing gaps that hinder their widespread adoption. The analysis focused on applications, technological innovations, adoption barriers, and policy implications. Significant advancements have been made in active, intelligent, biodegradable, and modified atmosphere
packaging. However, cost constraints, infrastructural limitations, regulatory challenges, and fragmented supply chains impede large-scale adoption in India. Bridging these gaps could improve food safety, extend shelf-life, reduce food loss and waste, and enhance the global competitiveness of Indian food products. This paper consolidates fragmented studies on advanced food packaging in India and provides a
comprehensive analysis of technological adoption and the barriers impeding its diffusion.

Tomato is one of the most volatile horticultural commodities in India, frequently exposing farmers and consumers to extreme price fluctuations. This study examines the efficiency and structural characteristics of tomato markets in Punjab using Acharya\’s Marketing Efficiency Index and Gini Coefficient analysis.
Primary data were collected from farmers and market intermediaries across four major tomato markets Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Amritsar, and Patiala selected on the basis of tomato arrivals during 2022. The analysis of the predominant farmer-wholesaler-retailer marketing channel revealed low levels of market efficiency, with efficiency indices ranging from 0.54 to 0.61 across the selected markets during 2022-23. The findings indicate that a substantial share of consumer expenditure is absorbed by intermediaries, resulting in farmers receiving only 31-34 percent of the final consumer price. Seasonal analysis further revealed pronounced price volatility, with prices reaching their peak during January-June and declining
sharply during July-December. An inverse relationship between market arrivals and prices during 2018-2022 highlights the persistent challenge of oversupply-induced price crashes faced by tomato growers. The estimated Gini coefficient of 0.76 points to a highly concentrated market structure, suggesting the dominance of a limited number of market players and weak bargaining power among farmers. The study also observed that supply disruptions arising from adverse climatic conditions tend to strengthen the market influence of wholesalers, exacerbating vulnerabilities for both producers and consumers. These findings underscore the need for strategic interventions to improve market efficiency, reduce intermediary dominance, and stabilize producer prices. Strengthening market infrastructure, expanding processing and value-addition facilities, promoting farmer aggregation, and fostering public–private partnerships can play a crucial role in creating a more equitable and resilient tomato value chain in Punjab.

Two unorganized goat farms from the dry sub-humid zone of Sirsa, Haryana were surveyed to determine the efficacy of fenbendazole, closantel, and ivermectin against gastrointestinal nematodes using the faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT). A total of 120 goats, 60 each from Bhawdin (BV) and Rattakhera (RV) villages, with a minimum of 150 eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces, were selected. Animals were divided into four groups of 15 goats each per farm. Groups B1 and R1 were treated with fenbendazole @ 10 mg/kg b.wt. orally, groups B2 and R2 with closantel @ 20 mg/kg b.wt. orally, groups B3 and R3 with ivermectin @ 0.4 mg/kg b.wt., subcutaneous, while groups B4 and R4 served as untreated controls. Faecal samples were collected on day 0 and day 14 post-treatment, and egg counts were
determined using the Modified McMaster technique. Percent reduction in faecal egg counts in BV was 62.02, 88.03, and 75.50 for fenbendazole, closantel, and ivermectin, respectively, while in RV it was 55.21, 84.84, and 87.07. Post-treatment coproculture revealed predominance of Haemonchus contortus larvae in both farms. The findings confirm the presence of multiple anthelmintic resistance, with
fenbendazole showing moderate resistance and closantel and ivermectin exhibiting reduced efficacy. This highlights the urgent need for regular monitoring, strategic drug rotation, and judicious use of anthelmintics to sustain effective parasite control in goat farms of Sirsa, Haryana

The study was carried out during the year 2024–2025 at the Main Experiment Station, Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture Sciences, Shree Khushal Das University, Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. In order to assess the individual and combined impacts of bio-inoculants (Azotobacter) and Gibberellic
acid (GA?) on flowering characteristics of African marigold, the experiment was set up in a Factorial Randomized Block Design with 12 treatment combinations and three replications. The use of Azotobacter through soil treatment greatly improved early blossoming and overall flower quality. The earliest bud initiation, first flowering, 50% blooming, maximum flowering duration, flower stalk length,
flower quantity, and fresh and dried flower weight were all noted in this treatment. By encouraging early bud formation, boosting cell division and elongation and increasing dry matter accumulation, foliar treatment of GA? at 200 ppm (G?) at 30 DAT observed to be the most beneficial among the GA? levels in improving flowering metrics. The combination A?G? (Azotobacter soil treatment + GA? 200 ppm) consistently produced the most favorable trends for all flowering attributes, including flower diameter and overall floral yield, even though both bio-inoculants and GA? individually showed significant improvements and their interaction effect was statistically non-significant. While GA? administration successfully shortened the juvenile phase and accelerated the transition to reproductive development. In
order to achieve superior blooming, greater quality, and higher output in African marigold, a combination of soil-applied Azotobacter (4 L/ha) and foliar GA? spray (200 ppm at 30 DAT) were found to be the most effective treatment.

On-Farm Trials (OFTs) were carried out by Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Sikar-II (SKNAU, Jobner) during the rabi seasons of 2023–24 and 2024–25 on 20 farmers\’ fields to assess the impact of improved nutrient management practices on growth, yield and economics of rabi onion under field conditions. The treatments included farmers\’ practice, recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF: 100:50:50 kg N: P O : K2 O5  /ha) and RDF supplemented with two foliar sprays of NPK (13:00:45) @ 5 g/l. The results clearly indicated that RDF combined with foliar application of NPK significantly enhanced growth attributes such as plant height, neck thickness and bulb diameter, resulting in the highest bulb yield (420.23 q/ha), which was 25.78 per cent higher than farmers\’ practice (334.11q/ha). The improved nutrient
management practice also recorded higher gross returns (?336,184/ha), net returns (?233,484 ha?¹) and benefit–cost ratio (3.27) compared to RDF alone and farmers\’ practice. An extension gap of 86.12 q/ha highlighted the considerable scope for yield enhancement through adoption of the demonstrated technology. The study concluded that integration of foliar application of NPK (13:00:45) with RDF was an effective, economically viable and farmer-friendly nutrient management strategy for enhancing productivity and profitability of rabi onion under the semi-arid conditions of Rajasthan.