Editor’s Exordium
Giant strides to reach the memorable ISSUE

“nanos gigantum humeris insidentes” (“Standing on the Shoulders of Giants” ) (Tribe of Gypsies album)

“What Descartes did was a good step. You have added much several ways, and especially in taking the
colours of thin plates into philosophical consideration. If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders
of Giants (Sir Isaac Newton, 1675).”

This current ISSUE is the 25th ISSUE. This marks the silver jubilee celebrations in terms of the
remarkable sojourn undertaken by The JOURNAL. Much about it in the closing remarks!

In these current tumultuous days of resource crunch, maintaining and enhancing fruit crop
productivity while managing the resources sustainably calls for innovative and out-of-box technological
considerations. Ganeshmurthy et al. have, therefore, exhaustively reviewed various such considerations.
In this line, Laishram and Ghosh have studied nutrient management in jackfruit under rainfed
conditions. Thangamani et al. have screened wild and cultivated cucurbits against infestations by root
knot nematodes to identify potential resistance lines for using as rootstocks for grafting. In the related
aspect, Sridhar and Senthil Kumaran have devised a simple light-trap based technique in the
management of the newest Indian pest guest, Tuta absoluta, on tomato. Sathappan has studied chemical
(growth regulator-mediated) and physical brute force (pinching) methods of altering plant habit in
African marigold (Tagetes erecta) for improving growth and flower yield. Naik et al. have similarly
studied effects of pre-harvest foliar spray of growth regulators on pre- and post-harvest parameters in
ornamental sunflower. They have also evaluated ornamental sunflower for value addition, while
Kavitha et al. have assessed several chilli varieties for higher productivity.

In the same breath, Ali et al. have continued their studies on feasibility of quality seed potato
production technology advantageous to small and marginal farmers. Shilpa et al. have studied the
influence of bioinoculants and different levels of benzyladenine on the morphophysiological characters
of Dendrobium var. Yellow Splash. Shikhamany et al. have systematically investigated the methods to
increase the efficacy of gibberellic acid sprays towards cluster elongation and berry thinning in Tas-A-
Ganesh variety of grapes under tropical conditions. Going further, Rameshkumar has attempted to
standardize plants and growing media towards the current urban horticultural concept of vertical
garden system. Singh et al. report factors that majorly influence the much needed vegetative propagation
in walnut.

Two papers on molecular methods appear IN THIS ISSUE. Vidya et al. have undertaken genome-
wide analysis of heat responsive microRNAs in banana during the typical acquired thermo tolerance
trait expression while Girija et al. attempted to characterize the ever-discombobulating endophytic
bacteria, specially associated with Phalaenopsis roots, through the use of typical 16S rRNA gene-based
taxonomic profiling. Work by Dinesh et al. focuses on the description of a unique mango accession.

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J. Hortl. Sci.
Vol. 13(1) : i-ii, 2018



There are visible changes in the composition of the JOURNAL Editorial Boards and additions
of newer sections including Success Stories, this time. The JOURNAL will consider publishing
outstanding new varieties and technologies of sister ICAR Institutes and SAUs, in the field of
horticulture. ICAR-IIHR is conducting a National Horticultural Fair, during 23-25 January 2019, under
the auspices of the Society for Promotion of Horticulture, as depicted in the outer back cover page.
The JOURNAL heartily invites its readers to this fair.

In commemorating the publication of this 25th ISSUE, the Editorial Board and the Society for
Promotion of Horticulture, recognize the selfless services rendered by many giants. In continuation of
the opening quotes, we are only dwarfs standing astride on these giants; we see a little more and
farther than our predecessors, not because we have a keener vision or a greater height, but because
we are lifted up and borne aloft on their gigantic structure, in this pursuit of publication excellence!
The cover page of THIS ISSUE is, therefore, dedicated to represent, symbolically, these SILVER JUBILEE
CELEBRATIONS.

Grand merci and ciao in the Fair, 2019!

Vageeshbabu S. Hanur
 Editor in Chief

Journal of Horticultural Sciences

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Vol. 13(1) : i-ii, 2018