EDITORIAL

Addressing the challenges of feeding the increasing world population is the primary concern mankind faces. In the era of abrupt changes in climate and increasing environmental pollution, it has been difficult to sustain the production of safe and secure food crops. Therefore, the plant science community's intent demands a significant thrust to secure the future of the upcoming generation by devising strategies for improving plant growth and productivity. In this context, the journal strives to publish relevant works of high scientific merit and advances the knowledge of the growing scientific community.

The NBU Journal of Plant Sciences (NBUJPS) is an international peer-reviewed journal published by the Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, since 2007. It gives the platform for publishing top-notch research on various topics in plant science, animal-plant interactions, microbiology, food safety and security, plant disease management, plant breeding, environment and ecology, and many more.

The journal's editorial board publishes high-calibre articles in print and online (https://njps.nbu.ac.in/) in one volume each year. The NBUJPS has officially registered for membership in CrossRef. All the articles are assigned unique DOI numbers and include other CrossRef services like similarity checking and reference linking. It gives me extreme pleasure to inform you that the NBUJPS publishes all the articles free of charge. All the articles are published following the open-access policy and are completely free to read and download.

We are delighted to inform you that volume 15 has been published, including reviews and research papers. This volume includes articles on the effect of air pollution on plant growth, stress responses of plants, including local rice cultivars, effective use of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and plant extracts in disease management, cultivation and utilization of exotic pumpkin and underutilized fruits for food security, exploration of the lichens of Himalaya, and so on. These articles were contributed by numerous senior professors, scientists, and junior researchers from various institutions. The articles in this issue cover a broad spectrum of recent advancements in both basic and applied fields of plant science research, and they are all very important. This volume will significantly benefit all scientists and researchers working in various plant science sectors regarding contemporary breakthroughs and need-based research.

Prof. (Dr.) Monoranjan Chowdhury
Head (Ex-Officio)
Department of Botany

ARTICLES