---

Laboratory experiments were carried out to evaluate the susceptibility of six improved cowpea varieties to seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) attack at a temperature of 29 ± 2 °C and a relative humidity of 65 ± 3%. Fifty grams of each variety were weighed in Kilner jars (250ml) and infested with three females and two males of C. maculatus that were 1-2 days old. Data recorded were the physical characteristics of the cowpea varieties, number of eggs laid, percentage egg survival, number of emerged adults, duration of emergence (DE), mean developmental period (MDP), percentage seed weight loss, percentage seed damage and susceptibility index. The experiment was a completely randomised design with three replications. Results showed that significant differences (p < 0.05) existed in DE and MDP among the cowpea varieties studied. IT90K-76, IT98K-131, IT11D-15-21 and IT07K-299-6 performed significantly better in duration of emergence than IT10K-866-1 and TVx 3236. IT98K-131-1 performed significantly better in median developmental period (26.67 days) than other varieties except for IT90K-76 (22.67 days). Results showed that IT90K-76, IT10K-866-1 and IT98K-131-1 were moderately resistant while IT07K-299-6, IT11D-15-21 and TVx 3236 were susceptible. This study recommends IT90K-76 because it performed appreciably better in these parameters than the other cowpea varieties when infested with C. maculatus in storage. 

---

 Aspergillus flavus is one of the important species of molds that can produce toxins during improper storage of wheat grains. In this study, different amounts of calcium oxide (0, 0.5, and 1%) were mixed with wheat samples containing mold spores. After 20 days, the samples were exposed to gamma radiation (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 KGy). The presence of A. flavus, Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), aflatoxin B₂ (AFB₂), aflatoxin G₁ (AFG₁), and aflatoxin G₂ (AFG₂) was assessed in samples. The results indicated that the effects of calcium oxide, gamma irradiation, and their interactions were significant on A. flavus, AFB₁, and AFB₂ contamination. Furthermore, other toxins like AFG₁ and AFG₂ were not found in the samples. An additional reduction in AFB₁ and AFB₂ was observed when irradiation was accompanied by Cao, and the maximum inhibition of aflatoxin production was achieved at 0.5% CaO. Consequently, based on the standard maximum limit of 10 KGy for cereals, the findings of this research suggest that 0.5% of calcium oxide and 10 KGy of irradiation could be applied in the storage of wheat grains to mitigate A. flavus, AFB₁, and AFB₂.

---

An experiment was carried out to study the effect of Hull-Less Barley (HLB) replaced for dietary corn at the rate of zero, 25, 50, 75, and 100% with two levels of Enzyme Cocktail (EC) supplementation (0 and 0.5 g kg^-1 of diet) on performance of broiler chickens during the finisher period. Four hundred and fifty male broiler chickens aged 24-days were randomly assigned to 50 pens in a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) experiment, in a 5×2 factorial arrangement, with five replicates of 9 birds each. There were no significant differences in Average Daily Gain (ADG), Average Daily Feed Intake (ADFI), and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) of birds fed diets with zero, 25, 50, and 75% HLB replacement for corn, whereas the complete replacement of HLB for corn in diet significantly decreased ADG and ADFI and increased FCR. The GastroIntestinal Tract (GIT) organs relative weights and ileal chyme viscosity were significantly increased, and serum lipid metabolites concentrations significantly decreased by the increase in dietary HLB levels. A significantly shorter and thicker villi and thicker muscular layer in jejunum of chickens were observed when diet HLB level increased. The dietary EC supplementation significantly reduced the adverse effects of high dietary level of HLB on performance and GIT characteristics. It is concluded that HLB is a good alternative for broiler finisher diet, if substituted for up to 75% of corn. In addition, supplementation of EC in the finisher diet can decrease the adverse effects of high level of HLB on performance of broiler chickens.

---

Production of high-quality inoculum in sufficient quantities is crucial for biocontrol programs. Entomopathogenic Fungi (EPF) are highly suitable biocontrol agents due to their adaptability, mode of action, persistence, and wide host range. This study aimed to evaluate the suitability of agro-wastes, including sugarcane bagasse, paddy husk, Post Mushroom Substrate (PMS), and sorghum grains with and without 10% molasses fortification, for mass production of four EPF isolates (Cordyceps fumosorosea: MT997932, Beauveria bassiana: MT997933, Akanthomyces lecanii: MT997935, and Hirsutella thompsonii: MT997936) isolated from two agro-climatic zones in Karnataka, India. The study employed solid-state fermentation. Results showed that sorghum grains fortified with 10% molasses had the highest mycelial growth and spore production of all isolates, followed by PMS with 10% molasses (T₇). Fortification with molasses positively influenced the growth and spore production of EPF. The results indicated that while sorghum grains were the best choice for mass production, PMS fortified with molasses also had great potential as an alternative substrate.