bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary renal mucinous adenocarcinoma masquerading as a giant renal cyst: a case report
Authors: Zeng Hong , Zhang Mengni , Xie Yandong , Wang Minghao , Dai Jindong , Zhu Xudong , Zeng Yuhao , Xu Nanwei , Huang Peng , Zhao Jinge , Sun Guangxi , Zeng Hao , Shen Pengfei
Published: May 2023

Mucinous adenocarcinoma of the kidney is rarely reported in the literature. We present a previously unreported mucinous adenocarcinoma arising from the renal parenchyma. A 55-year-old male patient with no complaints showed a large cystic hypodense lesion in the upper left kidney on contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scan. A left renal cyst was initially considered, and a partial nephrectomy (PN) was performed. During the operation, a large amount of jelly-like mucus and bean-curd-like necrotic tissue was found in the focus. The pathological diagnosis was mucinous adenocarcinoma, and further systemic examination revealed no clinical evidence of primary disease elsewhere. Then the patient underwent left radical nephrectomy (RN), and the cystic lesion was found in the renal parenchyma, while neither the collecting system nor the ureters were involved. Postoperative sequential chemotherapy and radiotherapy were administered, and no signs of disease recurrence were observed over 30 months of follow-up. Based on a literature review, we summarize the lesion with rarity and the associated dilemma in preoperative diagnosis and treatment. Given the high degree of malignancy, a careful history analysis accompanied by dynamic observation of imaging and tumor markers is recommended for the diagnosis of the disease. Comprehensive treatment based on surgery may improve its clinical outcomes.
Soil bacterial communities associated with marbled fruit in Citrus reticulata Blanco ‘Orah’
Authors: Huang Qichun , Wang Nina , Liu Jimin , Liao Huihong , Zeng Zhikang , Hu Chengxiao , Wei Chizhang , Tan Songyue , Liu Fuping , Li Guoguo , Huang Hongming , Chen Dongkui , Wei Shaolong , Qin Zelin
Published: May 2023

Citrus reticulataBlanco ‘Orah’ is grown throughout southern China and provides enormous economic value. However, the agricultural industry has suffered substantial losses during recent years due to marbled fruit disease. The present study focuses on the soil bacterial communities associated with marbled fruit in ‘Orah’. The agronomic traits and microbiomes of plants with normal and marbled fruit from three different orchards were compared. No significant differences were found in agronomic traits between the groups, except for higher fruit yields and higher quality of fruits in normal fruit group. Additionally, a total of 2,106,050 16S rRNA gene sequences were generatedviathe NovoSeq 6000. The alpha diversity index (including the Shannon and Simpson indices), Bray–Curtis similarity, and principal component analyses indicated no significant differences in microbiome diversity between normal and marbled fruit groups. For the healthy ‘Orah’, the most abundant associated phyla were Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria. In comparison, Burkholderiaceae and Acidobacteria were the most abundant taxa with the marbled fruit group. In addition, the family Xanthomonadaceae and the genusCandidatus Nitrosotaleawere prevalent with this group. Analysis using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways showed that several pathways related to metabolism significantly differed between the groups. Thus, the present study provides valuable information regarding soil bacterial communities associated with marbled fruit in ‘Orah’.
Development of new mutant alleles and markers for KTI1 and KTI3 via CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis to reduce trypsin inhibitor content and activity in soybean seeds
Authors: Wang Zhibo , Shea Zachary , Rosso Luciana , Shang Chao , Li Jianyong , Bewick Patrick , Li Qi , Zhao Bingyu , Zhang Bo
Published: May 2023

The digestibility of soybean meal can be severely impacted by trypsin inhibitor (TI), one of the most abundant anti-nutritional factors present in soybean seeds. TI can restrain the function of trypsin, a critical enzyme that breaks down proteins in the digestive tract. Soybean accessions with low TI content have been identified. However, it is challenging to breed the low TI trait into elite cultivars due to a lack of molecular markers associated with low TI traits. We identified Kunitz trypsin inhibitor 1 (KTI1, Gm01g095000) and KTI3 (Gm08g341500) as two seed-specific TI genes. Mutant kti1 and kti3 alleles carrying small deletions or insertions within the gene open reading frames were created in the soybean cultivar Glycine max cv. Williams 82 (WM82) using the CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing approach. The KTI content and TI activity both remarkably reduced in kti1/3 mutants compared to the WM82 seeds. There was no significant difference in terms of plant growth or maturity days of kti1/3 transgenic and WM82 plants in greenhouse condition. We further identified a T1 line, #5-26, that carried double homozygous kti1/3 mutant alleles, but not the Cas9 transgene. Based on the sequences of kti1/3 mutant alleles in #5-26, we developed markers to co-select for these mutant alleles by using a gel-electrophoresis-free method. The kti1/3 mutant soybean line and associated selection markers will assist in accelerating the introduction of low TI trait into elite soybean cultivars in the future.
Untargeted GC-MS and FT-NIR study of the effect of 14 processing methods on the volatile components of Polygonatum kingianum
Authors: Xu Yulin , Yang Meiquan , Yang Tianmei , Yang Weize , Wang Yuanzhong , Zhang Jinyu
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Polygonatum kingianum is a traditional medicinal plant, and processing has significantly impacts its quality.

Methods

Therefore, untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform-near-infrared spectroscopy (FT-NIR) were used to analyze the 14 processing methods commonly used in the Chinese market.It is dedicated to analyzing the causes of major volatile metabolite changes and identifying signature volatile components for each processing method.

Results

The untargeted GC-MS technique identified a total of 333 metabolites. The relative content accounted for sugars (43%), acids (20%), amino acids (18%), nucleotides (6%), and esters (3%). The multiple steaming and roasting samples contained more sugars, nucleotides, esters and flavonoids but fewer amino acids. The sugars are predominantly monosaccharides or small molecular sugars, mainly due to polysaccharides depolymerization. The heat treatment reduces the amino acid content significantly, and the multiple steaming and roasting methods are not conducive to accumulating amino acids. The multiple steaming and roasting samples showed significant differences, as seen from principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) based on GC-MS and FT-NIR. The partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) based on FT-NIR can achieve 96.43% identification rate for the processed samples.

Discussion

This study can provide some references and options for consumers, producers, and researchers.
Computational model of pesticide deposition distribution on canopies for air-assisted spraying
Authors: Dou Hanjie , Li Qi , Zhai Changyuan , Yang Shuo , Zhao Chunjiang , Gao Yuanyuan , He Yakai
Published: May 2023

The deposited pesticide distribution in fruit tree canopies is crucial for evaluating the efficacy of air-assisted spraying in orchards. Most studies have determined the impact of pesticide application on pesticide deposition on canopies without a quantitative computational model. In this study, an air-assisted orchard sprayer with airflow control was used to perform spraying experiments on artificial and peach trees. In the spraying experiment on an artificial tree, a canopy with leaf areas ranging from 2.54~5.08 m2 was found to require an effective air speed of 18.12~37.05 m/s. The canopy leaf area, air speed at the sprayer fan outlet and spray distance were used as test factors in a three-factor five-level quadratic general rotational orthogonal test to develop a computational model for pesticide deposition at the inner, outer and middle regions of a fruit tree canopy with R2 values of 0.9042, 0.8575 and 0.8199, respectively. A significance analysis was used to rank the influencing factors for the deposited pesticide distribution in decreasing order of significance as follows: the spray distance, leaf area and air speed for the inner region of the canopy, followed by the spray distance, air speed and leaf area for the middle and outer regions of the canopy. The results of the verification test conducted in a peach orchard showed that the computational errors of the pesticide deposition model for the inner, middle and outer regions of the canopy were 32.62%, 22.38% and 23.26%, respectively. The results provide support for evaluating the efficacy of an air-assisted orchard sprayer and optimizing the sprayer parameters.
Dissimilar gene repertoires of Dickeya solani involved in the colonization of lesions and roots of Solanum tuberosum
Authors: Robic Kévin , Munier Euphrasie , Effantin Géraldine , Lachat Joy , Naquin Delphine , Gueguen Erwan , Faure Denis
Published: May 2023

Dickeya and Pectobacterium species are necrotrophic pathogens that macerate stems (blackleg disease) and tubers (soft rot disease) of Solanum tuberosum. They proliferate by exploiting plant cell remains. They also colonize roots, even if no symptoms are observed. The genes involved in pre-symptomatic root colonization are poorly understood. Here, transposon-sequencing (Tn-seq) analysis of Dickeya solani living in macerated tissues revealed 126 genes important for competitive colonization of tuber lesions and 207 for stem lesions, including 96 genes common to both conditions. Common genes included acr genes involved in the detoxification of plant defense phytoalexins and kduD, kduI, eda (=kdgA), gudD, garK, garL, and garR genes involved in the assimilation of pectin and galactarate. In root colonization, Tn-seq highlighted 83 genes, all different from those in stem and tuber lesion conditions. They encode the exploitation of organic and mineral nutrients (dpp, ddp, dctA, and pst) including glucuronate (kdgK and yeiQ) and synthesis of metabolites: cellulose (celY and bcs), aryl polyene (ape), and oocydin (ooc). We constructed in-frame deletion mutants of bcsA, ddpA, apeH, and pstA genes. All mutants were virulent in stem infection assays, but they were impaired in the competitive colonization of roots. In addition, the ΔpstA mutant was impaired in its capacity to colonize progeny tubers. Overall, this work distinguished two metabolic networks supporting either an oligotrophic lifestyle on roots or a copiotrophic lifestyle in lesions. This work revealed novel traits and pathways important for understanding how the D. solani pathogen efficiently survives on roots, persists in the environment, and colonizes progeny tubers.
The critical role of biochar to mitigate the adverse impacts of drought and salinity stress in plants
Authors: Wu Yanfang , Wang Xiaodong , Zhang Long , Zheng Yongjie , Liu Xinliang , Zhang Yueting
Published: May 2023

Drought stress (DS) is a potential abiotic stress that is substantially reducing crop productivity across the globe. Likewise, salinity stress (SS) is another serious abiotic stress that is also a major threat to global crop productivity. The rapid climate change increased the intensity of both stresses which pose a serious threat to global food security; therefore, it is urgently needed to tackle both stresses to ensure better crop production. Globally, different measures are being used to improve crop productivity under stress conditions. Among these measures, biochar (BC) has been widely used to improve soil health and promote crop yield under stress conditions. The application of BC improves soil organic matter, soil structure, soil aggregate stability, water and nutrient holding capacity, and the activity of both beneficial microbes and fungi, which leads to an appreciable increase in tolerance to both damaging and abiotic stresses. BC biochar protects membrane stability, improves water uptake, maintains nutrient homeostasis, and reduces reactive oxygen species production (ROS) through enhanced antioxidant activities, thereby substantially improving tolerance to both stresses. Moreover, BC-mediated improvements in soil properties also substantially improve photosynthetic activity, chlorophyll synthesis, gene expression, the activity of stress-responsive proteins, and maintain the osmolytes and hormonal balance, which in turn improve tolerance against osmotic and ionic stresses. In conclusion, BC could be a promising amendment to bring tolerance against both drought and salinity stresses. Therefore, in the present review, we have discussed various mechanisms through which BC improves drought and salt tolerance. This review will help readers to learn more about the role of biochar in causing drought and salinity stress in plants, and it will also provide new suggestions on how this current knowledge about biochar can be used to develop drought and salinity tolerance.
The evolution of the hypotetraploid Catolobus pendulus genome – the poorly known sister species of Capsella
Authors: Farhat Perla , Mandáková Terezie , Divíšek Jan , Kudoh Hiroshi , German Dmitry A. , Lysak Martin A.
Published: May 2023

The establishment of Arabidopsis as the most important plant model has also brought other crucifer species into the spotlight of comparative research. While the genus Capsella has become a prominent crucifer model system, its closest relative has been overlooked. The unispecific genus Catolobus is native to temperate Eurasian woodlands, from eastern Europe to the Russian Far East. Here, we analyzed chromosome number, genome structure, intraspecific genetic variation, and habitat suitability of Catolobus pendulus throughout its range. Unexpectedly, all analyzed populations were hypotetraploid (2n = 30, ~330 Mb). Comparative cytogenomic analysis revealed that the Catolobus genome arose by a whole-genome duplication in a diploid genome resembling Ancestral Crucifer Karyotype (ACK, n = 8). In contrast to the much younger Capsella allotetraploid genomes, the presumably autotetraploid Catolobus genome (2n = 32) arose early after the Catolobus/Capsella divergence. Since its origin, the tetraploid Catolobus genome has undergone chromosomal rediploidization, including a reduction in chromosome number from 2n = 32 to 2n = 30. Diploidization occurred through end-to-end chromosome fusion and other chromosomal rearrangements affecting a total of six of 16 ancestral chromosomes. The hypotetraploid Catolobus cytotype expanded toward its present range, accompanied by some longitudinal genetic differentiation. The sister relationship between Catolobus and Capsella allows comparative studies of tetraploid genomes of contrasting ages and different degrees of genome diploidization.
Genome-wide association study presents insights into the genetic architecture of drought tolerance in maize seedlings under field water-deficit conditions
Authors: Chen Shan , Dang Dongdong , Liu Yubo , Ji Shuwen , Zheng Hongjian , Zhao Chenghao , Dong Xiaomei , Li Cong , Guan Yuan , Zhang Ao , Ruan Yanye
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Drought stress is one of the most serious abiotic stresses leading to crop yield reduction. Due to the wide range of planting areas, the production of maize is particularly affected by global drought stress. The cultivation of drought-resistant maize varieties can achieve relatively high, stable yield in arid and semi-arid zones and in the erratic rainfall or occasional drought areas. Therefore, to a great degree, the adverse impact of drought on maize yield can be mitigated by developing drought-resistant or -tolerant varieties. However, the efficacy of traditional breeding solely relying on phenotypic selection is not adequate for the need of maize drought-resistant varieties. Revealing the genetic basis enables to guide the genetic improvement of maize drought tolerance.

Methods

We utilized a maize association panel of 379 inbred lines with tropical, subtropical and temperate backgrounds to analyze the genetic structure of maize drought tolerance at seedling stage. We obtained the high quality 7837 SNPs from DArT's and 91,003 SNPs from GBS, and a resultant combination of 97,862 SNPs of GBS with DArT's. The maize population presented the lower her-itabilities of the seedling emergence rate (ER), seedling plant height (SPH) and grain yield (GY) under field drought conditions.

Results

GWAS analysis by MLM and BLINK models with the phenotypic data and 97862 SNPs revealed 15 variants that were significantly independent related to drought-resistant traits at the seedling stage above the threshold of P < 1.02 × 10-5. We found 15 candidate genes for drought resistance at the seedling stage that may involve in (1) metabolism (Zm00001d012176, Zm00001d012101, Zm00001d009488); (2) programmed cell death (Zm00001d053952); (3) transcriptional regulation (Zm00001d037771, Zm00001d053859, Zm00001d031861, Zm00001d038930, Zm00001d049400, Zm00001d045128 and Zm00001d043036); (4) autophagy (Zm00001d028417); and (5) cell growth and development (Zm00001d017495). The most of them in B73 maize line were shown to change the expression pattern in response to drought stress. These results provide useful information for understanding the genetic basis of drought stress tolerance of maize at seedling stage.
Genome-wide alternative polyadenylation dynamics underlying plant growth retardant-induced dwarfing of pomegranate
Authors: Xia Xinhui , Fan Minhong , Liu Yuqi , Chang Xinyue , Wang Jingting , Qian Jingjing , Yang Yuchen
Published: May 2023

Dwarfed stature is a desired agronomic trait for pomegranate (Punica granatum L.), with its advantages such as lower cost and increased yield. A comprehensive understanding of regulatory mechanisms underlying the growth repression would provide a genetic foundation to molecular-assisted dwarfing cultivation of pomegranate. Our previous study induced dwarfed pomegranate seedlings via exogenous application of plant growth retardants (PGRs) and highlighted the important roles of differential expression of plant growth-related genes in eliciting the dwarfed phenotype of pomegranate. Alternative polyadenylation (APA) is an important post-transcriptional mechanism and has been demonstrated to act as a key regulator in plant growth and development. However, no attention has been paid to the role of APA in PGR-induced dwarfing in pomegranate. In this study, we characterized and compared APA-mediated regulation events underlying PGR-induced treatments and normal growth condition. Genome-wide alterations in the usage of poly(A) sites were elicited by PGR treatments, and these changes were involved in modulating the growth and development of pomegranate seedlings. Importantly, ample specificities were observed in APA dynamics among the different PGR treatments, which mirrors their distinct nature. Despite the asynchrony between APA events and differential gene expression, APA was found to regulate transcriptome via influencing microRNA (miRNA)-mediated mRNA cleavage or translation inhibition. A global preference for lengthening of 3’ untranslated regions (3’ UTRs) was observed under PGR treatments, which was likely to host more miRNA target sites in 3’ UTRs and thus suppress the expression of the corresponding genes, especially those associated with developmental growth, lateral root branching, and maintenance of shoot apical meristem. Together, these results highlighted the key role of APA-mediated regulations in fine-tuning the PGR-induced dwarfed stature of pomegranate, which provides new insights into the genetic basis underlying the growth and development of pomegranate.
Social Sustainability of Digital Transformation: Empirical Evidence from EU-27 Countries
Authors: Nosratabadi Saeed , Atobishi Thabit , Hegedűs Szilárd
Published: May 2023

In the EU-27 countries, the importance of social sustainability of digital transformation (SOSDIT) is heightened by the need to balance economic growth with social cohesion. By prioritizing SOSDIT, the EU can ensure that its citizens are not left behind in the digital transformation process and that technology serves the needs of all Europeans. Therefore, the current study aimed firstly to evaluate the SOSDIT of EU-27 countries and then to model its importance in reaching sustainable development goals (SDGs). The current study, using structural equation modeling, provided quantitative empirical evidence that digital transformation in Finland, the Netherlands, and Denmark are respectively most socially sustainable. It is also found that SOSDIT leads the countries to have a higher performance in reaching SDGs. Finally, the study provided evidence implying the inverse relationship between the Gini coefficient and reaching SDGs. In other words, the higher the Gini coefficient of a country, the lower its performance in reaching SDGs. The findings of this study contribute to the literature of sustainability and digitalization. It also provides empirical evidence regarding the SOSDIT level of EU-27 countries that can be a foundation for the development of policies to improve the sustainability of digital transformation. According to the findings, this study provides practical recommendations for countries to ensure that their digital transformation is sustainable and has a positive impact on society.
An Approach Based on Web Scraping and Denoising Encoders to Curate Food Security Datasets
Authors: Santos Fabián , Acosta Nicole
Published: May 2023

Ensuring food security requires the publication of data in a timely manner, but often this information is not properly documented and evaluated. Therefore, the combination of databases from multiple sources is a common practice to curate the data and corroborate the results; however, this also results in incomplete cases. These tasks are often labor-intensive since they require a case-wise review to obtain the requested and completed information. To address these problems, an approach based on Selenium web-scraping software and the multiple imputation denoising autoencoders (MIDAS) algorithm is presented for a case study in Ecuador. The objective was to produce a multidimensional database, free of data gaps, with 72 species of food crops based on the data from 3 different open data web databases. This methodology resulted in an analysis-ready dataset with 43 parameters describing plant traits, nutritional composition, and planted areas of food crops, whose imputed data obtained an R-square of 0.84 for a control numerical parameter selected for validation. This enriched dataset was later clustered with K-means to report unprecedented insights into food crops cultivated in Ecuador. The methodology is useful for users who need to collect and curate data from different sources in a semi-automatic fashion.
Facial Region Analysis for Individual Identification of Cows and Feeding Time Estimation
Authors: Kawagoe Yusei , Kobayashi Ikuo , Zin Thi Thi
Published: May 2023

With the increasing number of cows per farmer in Japan, an automatic cow monitoring system is being introduced. One important aspect of such a system is the ability to identify individual cows and estimate their feeding time. In this study, we propose a method for achieving this goal through facial region analysis. We used a YOLO detector to extract the cow head region from video images captured during feeding with the head region cropped as a face region image. The face region image was used for cow identification and transfer learning was employed for identification. In the context of cow identification, transfer learning can be used to train a pre-existing deep neural network to recognize individual cows based on their unique physical characteristics, such as their head shape, markings, or ear tags. To estimate the time of feeding, we divided the feeding area into vertical strips for each cow and established a horizontal line just above the feeding materials to determine whether a cow was feeding or not by using Hough transform techniques. We tested our method using real-life data from a large farm, and the experimental results showed promise in achieving our objectives. This approach has the potential to diagnose diseases and movement disorders in cows and could provide valuable insights for farmers.
Hyperspectral Estimation of Nitrogen Content in Wheat Based on Fractional Difference and Continuous Wavelet Transform
Authors: Li Changchun , Li Xinyan , Meng Xiaopeng , Xiao Zhen , Wu Xifang , Wang Xin , Ren Lipeng , Li Yafeng , Zhao Chenyi , Yang Chen
Published: May 2023

Nitrogen content is a crucial index for crop growth diagnosis and the exact estimation of nitrogen content is of great significance for grasping crop growth status in real-time. This paper takes winter wheat as the study object and the precision agriculture demonstration area of the Jiaozuo Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences in Henan Province as the research area. The hyperspectral reflectance data of the wheat canopy in different growth periods are obtained with the ASD ground object hyperspectral instrument, and the original canopy spectral data are preprocessed by fractional differential and continuous wavelet transform; then, the vegetation indices are established, correlation analysis with nitrogen content is conducted, and the fractional differential spectra are selected; finally, based on the wavelet energy coefficient and the vegetation indices with strong correlations, the methods of support vector machine (SVM), ridge regression, stepwise regression, Gaussian process regression (GPR), and the BP neural network are used to construct the estimation model for nitrogen content in wheat at different growth stages. By adopting the R2 and root mean square error (RMSE) indices, the best nitrogen content estimation model at every growth stage is selected. The overall analysis of the nitrogen content estimation effect indicated that for the four growth periods, the maximum modeling and validation R2 of the nitrogen content estimation models of the SVM, ridge regression, stepwise regression, GPR, and BP neural network models reached 0.95 and 0.93, the average reached 0.76 and 0.71, and the overall estimation effect was good. The average values of the modeling and validation R2 of the nitrogen content estimation model at the flag picking stage were 0.85 and 0.81, respectively, which were 37.10% and 44.64%, 1.19% and 3.85%, and 14.86% and 17.39% higher than those at the jointing stage, flowering stage, and filling stage, respectively. Therefore, the model of the flag picking stage has higher estimation accuracy and a better estimation effect on the nitrogen content. For the different growth stages, the optimal estimation models of nitrogen content were different. Among them, continuous wavelet transform combined with the BP neural network model can be the most effective method for estimating the N content in wheat at the flagging stage. The paper provides an effective method for estimating the nitrogen content in wheat and a new idea for crop growth monitoring.
Biochemical and Physiological Responses of Cucumis sativus L. to Application of Potential Bioinsecticides—Aqueous Carum carvi L. Seed Distillation By-Product Based Extracts
Authors: Mežaka Ieva , Kronberga Arta , Berga Marta , Kaļāne Laura , Pastare Laura , Skudriņš Gundars , Nakurte Ilva
Published: May 2023

The extensive application of synthetic insecticides and herbicides over the past 50 years has led to a number of problems, including negative effects on non-target organisms and the evolution of pesticide-resistant pests. As an alternative means of pest control, plant-based biopesticides have emerged. While developing a new bioinsecticide, allelopathy on both target pests and target crops must be evaluated. We evaluated volatile organic compounds (VOCs), total phenolic content (TPC), total sugars and antiradical activity (ARA), as well as 18 photosynthetic apparatus characterizing functional parameters as stress signaling response to aqueous caraway seed distillation by-product-based extracts. VOCs were detected by headspace gas chromatography mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS). The caraway extract application decreased “green leaf volatile” C4, C5 and C6 alcohol content in the cucumber leaves. Total phenolic content (TPC), total sugars and antiradical activity (ARA) using high-throughput 96-well plate spectrophotometric methods were tested in dried leaves. No significant changes in these parameters were detected in cucumber leaves after the application of extracts. The caraway extract application did not cause changes in the functioning of the photosynthesis apparatus. Aqueous caraway seed distillation by-product-based extracts can be considered non-phytotoxic to cucumber plants; however, they modify the VOC emissions even ten days after treatment.
Application of Deep Learning in Image Recognition of Citrus Pests
Authors: Jia Xinyu , Jiang Xueqin , Li Zhiyong , Mu Jiong , Wang Yuchao , Niu Yupeng
Published: May 2023

The occurrence of pests at high frequencies has been identified as a major cause of reduced citrus yields, and early detection and prevention are of great significance to pest control. At present, studies related to citrus pest identification using deep learning suffer from unbalanced sample sizes between data set classes, which may cause slow convergence of network models and low identification accuracy. To address the above problems, this study built a dataset including 5182 pest images in 14 categories. Firstly, we expanded the dataset to 21,000 images by using the Attentive Recurrent Generative Adversarial Network (AR-GAN) data augmentation technique, then we built Visual Geometry Group Network (VGG), Residual Neural Network (ResNet) and MobileNet citrus pest recognition models by using transfer learning, and finally, we introduced an appropriate attention mechanism according to the model characteristics to enhance the ability of the three models to operate effectively in complex, real environments with greater emphasis placed on incorporating the deep features of the pests themselves. The results showed that the average recognition accuracy of the three models reached 93.65%, the average precision reached 93.82%, the average recall reached 93.65%, and the average F1-score reached 93.62%. The integrated application of data augmentation, transfer learning and attention mechanisms in the research can significantly enhance the model’s ability to classify citrus pests while saving training cost and time, which can be a reference for researchers in the industry or other fields.
Heterosis Studies for Root-Yield-Attributing Characters and Total Alkaloid Content over Different Environments in Withania somnifera L.
Authors: Ahmed Iqbal , Dubey Rajendra , Jain Devendra , El-Sheikh Mohamed , Kaushik Prashant
Published: May 2023

Ashwagandha is an important, medicinal, less exploited crop and most of its cultivated varieties are local cultivars. Information related to ashwagandha’s genetic diversity is very limited. Hybrid vigor exploitation may be useful in breaking its yield barrier at a commercial scale. A total of 45 F1 crosses were produced during Kharif 2017-18 by using a line x tester matting design, which included three testers along with 15 lines. A total of 65 genotypes were grown in an RBD design, with three replications in three different environments during Kharif 2018-19, and observations were recorded for 11 different yield-attributing traits that were responsible for the estimation of the magnitude of the heterosis. An analysis of variance showed that a valuable amount of diversity existed in the breeding material. Based on the study, three promising crosses viz., UWS-305 × UWS-10, UWS-305 × RVA-100, and UWS-301 × RVA-100 were identified as superior heterotic materials for the root yield at harvest, whereas for the total alkaloid content, three excellent hybrids viz., UWS-309 × RVA-100, UWS-305 × RVA-100, and UWS-314 × RVA-100 were reported. Out of the above crosses, the cross-combination of UWS-305 × RVA-100 showed a significantly positive and useful heterosis on a pooled basis. Hence, the above crosses may be gainfully utilized in breeding programs for ashwagandha.
Interactive Effects of Salinity Stress and Irrigation Intervals on Plant Growth, Nutritional Value, and Phytochemical Content in Mesembryanthemum crystallinum L.
Authors: Mndi Okuhle , Sogoni Avela , Jimoh Muhali Olaide , Wilmot Carolyn Margaret , Rautenbach Fanie , Laubscher Charles Petrus
Published: May 2023

Halophytes such as ice plants are concurrently subjected to salt and drought stresses in their natural habitats, but our knowledge about the effects of combined stress on plants is limited. In this study, the individual and combined effects of salinity and irrigation intervals on the plant growth, mineral content, and proximate and phytochemical composition of M. crystallinum were evaluated. Treatments consisted of four irrigation treatments ((1) 100 mL once a day; (2) 100 mL once every 2 days; (3) 100 mL once every 4 days; (4) 100 mL once every 8 days) with four salt concentrations (0, 200, 400, and 800 ppm) applied in each treatment. Salt concentrations were set up by adding increasing concentrations of NaCl to the nutrient solution, while the control treatment was irrigated daily without NaCl. The results revealed a significant increase in the leaf number and fresh and dry weights of plants irrigated with 800 ppm salinity every four days. However, the highest chlorophyll content was consistently recorded in the control treatment (0 ppm, 4-day irrigation interval), although no significant variability in chlorophyll content was observed at week 6. The highest yields of N, Mg, and Cu were consistently recorded in plants without saline treatment, while P, K, Ca, Na, Zn, and Fe were consistently recorded in plants subjected to a combination of salinity and irrigation intervals. The combination of salinity and irrigation intervals was significant for Fe and Ca, whereas, for other elements, no significant differences occurred. The salt concentration did not influence the high yields of acid detergent fibre (ADF), crude fat, protein, or neutral detergent fibre (NDF), as they were recorded in high amounts in plants subjected to irrigation intervals only, whereas a combination of salinity and irrigation intervals resulted in the highest ash and moisture contents. Invariably, the 8-day irrigation interval without salinity optimized the yields of assayed polyphenols, flavonols, Ferric Reducing/Antioxidant Power (FRAP), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), suggesting that salt stress does not influence the quantities of phytochemicals and antioxidants of M. crystallinum. These findings suggest that M. crystallinum can minimize the impact of salt stress on the accumulated minerals, phytochemicals, and proximate and antioxidant substances. Therefore, it is a suitable vegetable for regions affected by both salinity and water stress, as it can provide additional minerals, phytochemicals, antioxidants, and proximate nutrients when cultivated in saline soils.
Appropriate Nitrogen Form and Application Rate Can Improve Yield and Quality of Autumn Tea with Drip Irrigation
Authors: Huang Zejun , Wang Fengxin , Li Bin , Pang Yonglei , Du Zhiyong
Published: May 2023

Applying nitrogen fertilization is an important way to improve the yield and quality of autumn tea (Camellia sinensis L.), but the effects of nitrogen application rate and nitrogen form still remain unclear. Field experiments were conducted in a drip-irrigated tea garden in Rizhao City, China in 2020 and 2021. The effects of nitrogen application levels (N: 0 kg·hm−2, CK; N: 45 kg·hm−2, U1; 75 kg·hm−2, U2; and 105 kg·hm−2, U3) and nitrogen application forms (ammonium bicarbonate, AB; ammonium bicarbonate + urea, UAB; and urea, U) on soil moisture, as well as nitrogen spatiotemporal change, and autumn tea yield and quality, were studied. Results showed that applying ammonium bicarbonate or urea through a drip irrigation system can significantly increase the tea plant evapotranspiration and the autumn tea yield and quality (including free amino acids and tea polyphenols). With the same nitrogen application, the urea fertilization treatment had the higher ammonium nitrogen content within the 0–60 cm soil layer. The application form of nitrogen fertilizer had a significant impact on the yield of autumn tea, and the yield increasing ability was U > UAB > AB. The partial factor productivity of applied nitrogen under the AB treatment was the lowest. The yield-increasing effect of nitrogen fertilizer can be observed only 16–18 days after topdressing through the drip irrigation system. In 2020 and 2021, the yield of autumn tea under the U3 treatment increased by 40.6% and 23.0%, respectively, compared with the CK treatment. In conclusion, the topdressing with urea 105 kg·hm−2 with drip irrigation for tea plants in autumn is recommended. This recommendation will provide a theoretical basis for efficient irrigation and yield increase in tea gardens.
Characterization of flo4-6, a Novel cyOsPPDKB Allele Conferring Floury Endosperm Characteristics Suitable for Dry-Milled Rice Flour Production
Authors: Ha Su-Kyung , Lee Hyun-Sook , Lee Seung Young , Lee Chang-Min , Mo Youngjun , Jeung Ji-Ung
Published: May 2023

Rice cultivars with floury endosperm provide a useful raw material for producing dry-milled rice flour, helping to enhance the processed rice food industry. To expand the genetic resources for breeding floury endosperm rice cultivars, we developed Samkwang(SA)-flo3 (SK-flo3), a floury endosperm mutant line derived from the chemical mutagenesis of Samkwang, an elite Korean japonica rice cultivar. Compared with Samkwang, SK-flo3 showed significantly lower grain hardness, which is suitable for producing dry-milled flour without the soaking and drying processes required in regular wet rice milling. The dry-milled flour of SK-flo3 exhibited excellent physicochemical properties with less damaged starch and finer flour particles relative to Samkwang. Genetic analyses revealed a G-to-A point mutation in exon 7 of cyOsPPDKB, substituting glycine with aspartic acid as a causative mutation for the floury endosperm of SK-flo3. We named this allele flo4-6 and developed a molecular marker to efficiently transfer it to commercial rice cultivars. Our results provide useful genetic resources and information for developing specialty rice cultivars for high-quality rice flour production with reduced milling costs.
Relationships between Rhizosphere Environments and Growth of 10-Year-Old Wild-Simulated Ginseng
Authors: Yun Yeong-Bae , Kim Kiyoon , Huh Jeong-Hoon , Um Yurry
Published: May 2023

Wild-simulated ginseng (WSG, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) must be cultivated in mountainous forests without installation of artificial facilities or treatment of chemicals. Because cultivation of these medicinal plants requires a long-term period, soil properties and rhizobacteria are known as major factors affecting their growth. This study was aimed to investigate correlations of soil bacterial community with soil chemical properties and growth of 10-year-old WSG. Most of the growth characteristics of WSG were higher in southern region than in northern regions, while leaflet length and leaflet width of WSG were higher in northern regions. In all WSG cultivation sites, the most dominant phyla were Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria in the bacterial community. In Principal component analysis (PCA), soil bacterial community was affected by exchangeable cations (calcium, magnesium), soil pH, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and organic matter. Soil pH was the most effective factor in this study because all studied sites were acidic soils. In spearman’s coefficient analysis, 9 of 13 growth characteristics of WSG showed significantly positive correlation with the relative abundance of Actinobacteria, while rhizome length and number of rootlets showed significant negative correlations with population of Acidobacteria. Therefore, growth characteristics of WSG in different cultivation sites can be affected by various soil environmental factors. These results can help foresters find suitable cultivation sites for WSG.
Biodiversity of Rhizoctonia solani in Phaseolus vulgaris Seeds in East Delta of Egypt
Authors: Ghoneem Khalid M. , El-Wakil Deiaa A. , Ahmed Mohamed I. M. , Kamel Hisham M. , Rashad Ehsan M. , Al-Askar Abdulaziz A. , Elsherbiny Elsherbiny A. , Ibrahim Amira A.
Published: May 2023

Seventy-eight common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) seed samples were collected from twenty-one field locations across six governorates (Ismailia, Sharkia, Port Said, South Sinai, North Sinai, and Suez) in the East Delta region of Egypt between 2021 and 2022. Thirty-five Rhizoctonia solani Kühn were isolated. Sharkia had the highest percentage of R. solani isolates (RS) from the collected samples (59%), followed by Ismailia, South Sinai, Suez, North Sinai, and Port Said (49.7%, 36.7%, 33%, 29.2%, and 27.8%, respectively). Pathogenicity tests proved that the seven highest-virulence strains of R. solani had a pre-emergence damping off ranging from 17% to 30% and a post-emergence damping off ranging from 11% to 20%. The seven most pathogenic isolates were identified using the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) with code numbers as follows: R. solani RSA1, R. solani RIT2, R. solani RIF3, R. solani RSoR4, R. solani RNB5, R. solani RSzA6, and R. solani RPS11. Principle component analysis (PCA), which depends on the pathogenicity result and soil variables, revealed that soil texture and soil water holding capacity (MWHC) were the most effective factors in grouping and clustering the studied R. solani isolates from the different locations into two groups. From this study, it can be established that the biodiversity of R. solani in the East Delta area of Egypt depends on changes in the environmental conditions and soil variables. The soil type and pH variables have the greatest impact on R. solani diversity, followed by the humidity-holding ability and soil porosity.
The Ammonium/Nitrate Ratio Affects the Growth and Shikonin Accumulation in Arnebia euchroma
Authors: Shi Linyuan , Liang Jiuwen , Wang Ruishan , Wan Xiufu , Yan Binbin , Zhang Yan , Chen Meilan , Liu Changzheng , Li Qi , Wang Sheng , Guo Lanping
Published: May 2023

Nitrogen (N) strongly affects plant growth and metabolism. Although ammonium toxicity has been reported, the effects of nitrogen on shikonin biosynthesis remain obscure. In this study, we tested four different concentrations of NH4+ on Arnebia euchroma hairy roots (AEHR) to clarify the influence of NH4+ on the growth of AEHR and on shikonin accumulation in them and the possible mechanisms. The results showed that compared with the 0% NH4+ treatment (only nitrate as a nitrogen source), the 10% NH4+ treatment increased the fresh weight and the dry weight of AEHR and promoted the synthesis of shikonins. In contrast, the 20% NH4+ treatment started to show inhibition effects on the growth of and shikonin accumulation in AEHR, and the 30% NH4+ treatment exhibited the strongest inhibition effects. With an increased percentage of NH4+, the AEHR became shorter and thicker, with more branches. To further elucidate the mechanisms, we analyzed the time course of nitrogen assimilation, the gene expression level of key enzymes involved in shikonin biosynthesis pathway, and the content of various endogenous hormones in the presence of toxic NH4+ concentrations. The results indicated that auxin and cytokinin might regulate the growth and architecture of AEHR under NH4+ toxicity and revealed that the jasmonate level was reduced along with the inhibition of shikonin biosynthesis. This first comprehensive investigation of the effects of the ammonium/nitrate ratio on shikonin biosynthesis not only provides valuable data for optimizing the in vitro culture of A. euchroma and its shikonin production, but also suggests potential fertilizing strategies for its cultivation.
Effects of Winter Cereals (Triticum aestivum L., Hordeum vulgare L., Triticosecale Wittmack) and Winter Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Intercropping on Weed Cover in South-Eastern and Central Hungary
Authors: Rácz Attila , Vályi-Nagy Marianna , Tar Melinda , Irmes Katalin , Szentpéteri Lajos , Ujj Apolka , Veresné Valentinyi Klára , Ladányi Márta , Kristó István
Published: May 2023

Growing two or more crops together in the same area at the same time, called intercropping, is a well-known agroecological method of weed suppression. Cereal-legume intercropping systems are of great importance in increasing biodiversity in arable lands. In cereal-legume mixtures, cereals provide physical support to legumes and enhance weed suppression. Cereals have a stronger weed suppression ability than peas. The aim of our research was to determine the weed composition and weed cover of pure winter wheat, pure barley, pure triticale and pure winter pea, as well as associated wheat-pea, barley-pea, and triticale-pea crops in two locations (Szeged and Fülöpszállás) and in two growing seasons (2020/2021 and 2021/2022). In Fülöpszállás, the average weed cover was significantly higher than in Szeged. When comparing the years and crop production methods, significant differences were observed in weed cover in the pure legume plots. More weed species appeared in Szeged and Fülöpszállás in the second year than in the first year. Cereal-pea intercropping reduces the need for herbicides; we can achieve more sustainable and effective weed management without herbicide treatment.