---

Powdery mildew (PM) of chilli is one of the major diseases affecting the yield and quality of chilli. Pathogen perpetuates in the infected crop debris and produce airborne conidia for rapid secondary spread. Prophylactic application of fungicides is admissible to keep the disease under threshold. Therefore, an experiment was designed to determine bio-efficacy and phytotoxicity of different doses of a new molecule combination (i.e KK-21: Sulphur 84% + Azoxystrobin 6% SC) along with optimization of its number of sprayings. This molecule was also compared with the most popularly used fungicides against PM of chilli. Additionally, influence of weather variables on the initiation and progression of the disease were also studied and prediction model developed by stepwise regression equation for timely forecasting and managing the disease. Study revealed, depending upon the prevailing weather the disease first appears between 44 to 64 days after transplanting then progress gradually at a rate varied from 0.0012 to 0.0139. Among the fungicides applied, three spraying of KK-21 @ 2500 ml/ha at 15 DI just after initiation of the disease was most effective with lowest disease severity index (5.00) and highest yield 150.24 q ha^-1 and no phytotoxic effect was recorded even at higher dose. Result also showed, maximum temperature and relative humidity had significantly positive and negative correlation with the disease severity and the prediction equation demonstrated that these two factors could explain 78.2 - 87.6% of the variation in disease severity.

---

A field study was undertaken with four farming systems (FS) such as; grasses and fodders, agro-forestry, agriculture (new farming systems) and shifting cultivation (old practice), to investigate the effect of land use on the soil properties, erosion and crop productivity on a loamy acidic Alfisol. Besides crops, the livestock were also kept and their dropping were incorporated in the respective watersheds. Soil sampling was done during first week of May every year from 0-20 cm depth, with auger. A significant increase in soil organic carbon (SOC) up to 0.99%, available P up to 17.2 mg kg^-1, K up to 170 mg kg^-1 of soil, pH up to 6.3, was found after 10 years of study over their initial values of 0.46%, 2.7 kg^-1, 105 kg^-1 of soil and 4.9, respectively, in the new FS. In shifting cultivation, K status increased up to three years of study and then subsequently decreased. Diethylen etriamine penta acetic acid (DTPA) extractable Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu decreased in all the farming systems. Exchangeable Al content decreased from 117 to 37 mg kg^-1 of soil, in new FS. The study showed that about 91.1% to 99.1% rainwater could be retained depending on the vegetation cover in new FS, as against 66.3% in the shifting cultivation. New FS ameliorated the soil by decreasing exchangeable Al and Fe and enhancing soil pH. Soil and nutrient losses were significantly less and crop productivity higher in new FS compared to shifting cultivation.

---

Species of the genus Chalybion Dahlbom, 1843 from India are studied. The species C. gracile Hensen, 1988 is recorded for the first time from India. The reported distributions of C. bengalense Dahlbom, 1845 within various states of India are augmented here. A modified key to the species of Chalybion from India is provided. Diagnosis, figures, and table showing comparison of newly recorded species, i.e., C. gracile with the widely distributed C. bengalense is provided. Diagnostic morphological characters of both C. gracile and C. bengalense are illustrated here.

---

Agriculture has been facing an increasing problem, worldwide, on account of farmers quitting agriculture; and India is no exception to it. In view of this, a study was undertaken to find out the factors predicting future decision(s) of rural farm youth, hailing from Eastern States of India, regarding ‘Whether or not to remain engaged in the agriculture sector’. The data were collected through personal interview with 120 rural farm youth. The results showed that 41.67 per cent of the rural farm youth would leave farming in the future. Binomial Logit Model indicated that the factors like land-holding, entry to farming, attitude towards dairying and crop farming were significant, as far as decision on ‘quitting the farming in the near future’ was concerned. Apart from this, ensuring the ‘Food Security for the Family’ was found to be the main reason for choosing farming as an occupation, as reported by the rural youth engaged in farming. On the other hand, ‘To bring stability in life’ happened to be the prime reason cited by the rural youth that had moved into farming after having tried other occupation(s). Based on the quantitative results, coupled with qualitative information, two distinctive paradigms were developed to reflect ‘How youth becomes a Farmer?’ and ‘How and Why the youth quits Farming?’, with a view to enrich our knowledge on this subject via empirical evidences as obtained from the grassroots level, especially from the Eastern Part of India.