Highlights of the research findings in this issue are:

• Addition of the antioxidant α-lipoic acid during Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation in Hevea with ScHsp31 gene for biotic/abiotic stress tolerance significantly enhanced the transformation efficiency and transgenic embryos could be regenerated
• Inter-temporal socio-economic analysis of rubber cultivation in Tripura revealed diversification of the sources of income and the changing status of NR cultivation from full-time to part-time activity
• In rubber systems about 70 per cent of the total C is in the finer (<53 µm) fraction, which is recalcitrant in nature indicating higher C sequestration potential
• Overall satisfactory livelihood condition was noticed among the tribal rubber growers in the two major rubber growing districts of Assam. Corrective measures for the problems identified were suggested
• The study brings out some important aspects of rubber grown in North East India with respect to potential timber yield of some popular clones
• Hevea clones in the pipeline promising in terms of vigorous growth, early yield, disease tolerance and secondary attributes were identified from the station trials laid out under Participatory Clone Evaluation
• Calopogonium caeruleum is a suitable intercrop for establishment in rubber plantations of India in the initial and later immaturity phases
• Yield potential of clone viz., proportion of extracted rubber yield to standing biomass and the actual realized yield are important parameters in the selection of parental clones for Hevea recombination breeding
• The paper highlights the importance of natural processes to sustain soil fertility status
• The term structure of the future market price movements and the correlation between spot price and futures price during contango and backwardation in MCX rubber futures were analysed
• A stable free radical as an effective devulcanization aid than existing industrially used devulcanization agents in mechanical devulcanization identified and the role described