bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal under Different Temperatures in Oenanthe javanica Cultivars
Authors: Sun Linhe , Wang Wei , Liu Fengjun , Liu Jixiang , Du Fengfeng , Liu Xiaojing , Chang Yajun , Yao Dongrui
Published: October 2022

Plant selection plays a critical role in phytoremediation. However, previous research has focused on comparing different plant species but has ignored different cultivars. Here, a laboratory experiment was performed to analyze the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) removal performance of different cultivars of Oenanthe javanica, which are widely employed for phytoremediation in China. Seven cultivars were planted on simulated livestock wastewater with high N and P content prepared with compounds for 22 days in two artificial climate chambers with different temperatures. N and P contents were monitored to estimate the nutrient removal performance of the cultivars. ‘Suzhou Yuanye’ had the highest N removal ability at room temperature (45.33 ± 1.92%) and under cold stress (39.63 ± 2.15%) in 22 days, and it could also remove P effectively (99.32 ± 0.33% at room temperature and 77.50 ± 0.08% under cold stress). ‘Yixing Yuanye’ performed the best in P removal (97.90 ± 2.89% at room temperature and 99.57 ± 0.61% under cold stress). ‘Liyang Baiqin’ performed well in N removal only at room temperature (44.30 ± 1.03%). ‘Suqian Jianye’ had low removal efficiencies for both N and P. From the biomass and N content, we could conclude that the high N removal efficiency of ‘Suzhou Yuanye’ is due to high N assimilation of the plant. However, ‘Yixing Yuanye’ did not show higher P assimilation ability than other cultivars. Taken together, the selection of cultivars is important for phytoremediation projects using O. javanica, and ‘Suzhou Yuanye’ is much more suitable for phytoremediation than other cultivars.
Effects of Dietary Clostridium butyricum on Carcass Traits, Antioxidant Capacity, Meat Quality, and Fatty Acid Composition of Broilers
Authors: Yang Tiantian , Du Mengsi , Wang Xiaobing , Wang Junyong , Li Jinzhuan , Jiang Xiaohan , Zhang Rijun , Si Dayong
Published: October 2022

The demand for identifying substitutes for antioxidant feed additives in broiler production is increasing. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of Clostridium butyricum (C. butyricum) on carcass traits, antioxidant capacity, meat quality, and fatty acid composition of broiler chickens. A total of 330 one-day-old mixed-sex commercial Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into five groups with six replicates per group and eleven broilers per replicate and reared for 39 days. The control (CON) group was fed a basal diet, the AM group was fed a basal diet containing 150 mg aureomycin/kg feed, and the CBL, CBM, and CBH groups were fed a basal diet containing 2 × 108, 4 × 108, and 8 × 108 colony-forming units (CFU) C. butyricum/kg feed. On day 21, compared to the AM group, serum total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) level was enhanced in the CBH group and serum total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) concentrations were increased in the CBM and CBH groups (p < 0.05). Dietary C. butyricum resulted in the liver T-AOC, T-SOD, and catalase (CAT) of broilers linearly increased at day 21 (p < 0.05). On day 39, supplementation with C. butyricum in broiler diets linearly increased concentrations of T-SOD (p < 0.05), CAT (p < 0.001), but linearly reduced MDA (malondialdehyde) contents (p < 0.001) in the liver. For the breast muscle, the redness for meat color increased in a linear manner and the shearing force decreased in a quadratic manner in response to C. butyricum inclusion (p < 0.05). The pH45min, pH24h, and the shearing force changed in a quadratic pattern (p < 0.05). The contents of total MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acid) and total PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) were altered and quadratically responded to the doses of C. butyricum (p < 0.05). For the thigh muscle, the inclusion of C. butyricum in broiler diets showed the negative linear effects on the cooking loss and shearing force (p < 0.001). The total MUFA contents were changed linearly and quadratically (p < 0.001; p < 0.05), and the contents of total PUFA and the ratio of PUFA to SFA were quadratically responded to the doses of C. butyricum (p < 0.05). In brief, dietary C. butyricum could beneficially enhance liver antioxidant capacity, and improve meat quality and fatty acid composition in broilers.
Parameter Optimization and Testing of a Self-Propelled Combine Cabbage Harvester
Authors: Zhang Jianfei , Cao Guangqiao , Jin Yue , Tong Wenyu , Zhao Ying , Song Zhiyu
Published: October 2022

On account of a lack of suitable and specialized harvesting equipment for cabbage species and planting modes in China, in this study, a type of 4GCSD-1200 type cabbage harvester was designed to further optimize the working performance of the cabbage harvester. First, the structure and working principles of the harvester were introduced, and the cabbage harvesting process was analyzed. Based on the test method and theoretical analysis, a single-factor test was carried out on the main working parameters of the sample machine, the advancing speed, rotating speed of the pulling roller, rotating speed of the conveyor belt, and the cutter-head were taken as independent variables, and the qualifying rate of cabbage harvesting was taken as the response value. According to the Box–Behnken test design principles, a four-factor three-level response surface analysis was adopted to establish a mathematical model between all test factors and the qualifying rate of cabbage harvesting, then all test factors and their interaction effects were analyzed. The test results showed that the optimal working parameters of the harvester were: the advancing speed was 1.1 km/h, the rotating speed of the pulling roller was 90 r/min, the rotating speed of the conveyor belt was 205 r/min, and the rotating speed of the cutter-head was 395 r/min. The verification test results showed that the qualifying rate of cabbage harvesting was 96.3%, showing a good harvesting effect, with uniformly cut notches and a low damage rate. The test indicates that by optimizing the working parameters, the damage during the mechanized harvesting of cabbage can be reduced and the qualifying rate of harvesting can be improved; the working effect could, therefore, satisfy the requirements of market harvesting.
Nutritional Characteristics and Digestibility of Woody and Herbaceous Native Plants from Tropical Flooded Savannas Ecosystems
Authors: Vélez-Terranova Mauricio , Salamanca-Carreño Arcesio , Bejarano-Sánchez Andrés Mauricio , González-Castro Daniela Alexandra , Higuera-Pedraza Rubén Darío , Giraldo Luis Alfonso
Published: October 2022

Native plants constitute an enormous source of nutrients for grazing animals, although their use has been limited due to the lack of knowledge about its properties. The aim of this research was to evaluate the nutritional characteristics of native plants from flooded savannas ecosystem. Seven transects (290 km) were carried out through the montane forests, gallery forests and open savannah ecosystems. A total of 42 plant species were collected (22 arboreal, 13 shrubs, 5 climbing and 2 herb plants) and their nutritional composition and digestibility were evaluated. Data analysis included univariate and multivariate methods. Nutritional composition and digestibility varied among the groups of arboreal, shrub, climbing and herb species. At an individual level plants such as G. americana, C. cf minor-grandiflora and M. nobilis, A.Jahnii, P. hispidium, I. carnea, S. reticulate, H. furcellatus, and C. erosa stood out by their protein, ash, and digestibility. At a group level, a mixed of 19 plants presented the highest digestibility, and the lowest fiber fraction constituted a promising forage alternative. Data variability was explained in the 47% by protein, ash, digestibility, and the different fiber fractions variables. Further studies related with the animal acceptability, performance and the presence of secondary metabolites are needed before being fully recommended.
Wine Tourism—A Sustainable Management Tool for Rural Development and Vineyards: Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Consumer Profile from Romania and Moldova
Authors: Oltean Flavia Dana , Gabor Manuela Rozalia
Published: October 2022

In recent years, tourism products and services have been oriented to offer more experiences than those of classical leisure activities for tourists. More, the COVID-19 pandemic drew a new trend in travel: the tourists are now oriented to internal offers rather than the external ones, to rural regions instead of urban ones. Romania and Moldova are two well-known international countries that are both producers and exporters of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) wine. The aim of the paper is to analyze (qualitative and quantitative) the motivation of tourists from Romania and Moldova for wine tourism, to model the motivation according to the socio-demographic characteristics of tourists and the specific elements for travel (accommodation, frequencies of visit, average stay). For quantitative analysis, an online questionnaire by convenience sampling was used to collect the data, and statistical methods were used for analysis. Even if these countries have cultural similarities, our results indicate statistically significant different motivations and different profiles of wine tourists. By using a co-occurrence link between the terms from WoS and Scopus scientific articles with VOSviewer software, our results indicate a link between wine tourism, rural and festivals tourism, and cultural heritage. Our research fills a gap in the literature, being the first comparative research on wine tourism in Romania and Moldova.
Impact of Off-Farm Employment on Farmland Transfer: Insight on the Mediating Role of Agricultural Production Service Outsourcing
Authors: Xu Caihua , Wang Qian , Fahad Shah , Kagatsume Masaru , Yu Jin
Published: October 2022

Understanding the effects of the off-farm employment of rural laborers on agricultural land use is essential to promote farmland transfer and enhance rural development in China. This study aims to investigate the direct impact of off-farm employment on farmland transfer and the mediating role of agricultural production services outsourcing (APSO) by using the Probit and Tobit model approaches. This study uses field survey data of 960 rural households in 12 counties of the four main grain producing provinces of China. Findings of this study show that off-farm employment has a significant positive effect on the transfer of land out from households and a significant negative effect on the transfer of land into households. Furthermore, APSO has a significant mediating effect on the influence of off-farm employment on farmland transfer behavior. Specifically, APSO can reduce the positive impact of off-farm employment on agricultural land transfer and weaken the negative impact of off-farm employment on agricultural land transfer-in. The findings of our study also show that the mediating effect of different outsourcing of production links services on the impact of off-farm employment on agricultural land transfer is heterogeneous. Based on the findings of the study, it is contended that the APSO can reshape the supply and demand structure of rural land rental markets and policymakers should focus on the role of ASPO in shaping policies to promote land transfer.
The Impact of Different Planting Systems on the Bacterial Diversity of Rice Cultivated in Saline Soil Based on 16S rRNA Gene-Based Metagenomic Insights
Authors: Davidson Rokins Pugazhenthi , Gopal Nellaiappan Olaganathan , Anandham Rangasamy , Saraswathi Ramasamy
Published: October 2022

Soil salinity is considered to be a major impediment to the production of rice among other abiotic stresses. In this study, 16S rRNA Illumina amplicon sequencing was performed to characterise the halophilic communities entrapped in rice rhizosphere soil cultivated in different planting systems (conventional, aerobic and System of Rice Intensification (SRI)) under saline conditions. The physicochemical properties and urease, soil dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase and arylsulphatase activity of soil samples were evaluated to understand their influence on the bacterial communities of the soil. Electrical conductivity (EC) of soil was lower in SRI soil samples, while the available major soil nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium) content and soil enzyme activities such as dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, urease and arylsulphatase were higher. A total of 2,516,700 reads were generated by amplicon sequencing of the hypervariable V3–V4 regions of bacterial 16S rRNA gene and were clustered into 273,447 OTU operational taxonomic units. The total number of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) was higher in the conventional soil samples compared to the SRI and aerobic soil samples. Metagenomic analysis revealed that Proteobacteria was the most dominant phyla in all the planting systems followed by Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Chloroflexi. The alpha diversity index was higher in conventional soil samples compared to other samples and more species diversity was found in SRI soil samples. KEGG analysis revealed that bacterial communities in different soil samples showed varied functional properties. The bacterial diversity of saline soil in this study can be utilised to identify microbial communities with biotechnological potential that can be employed for plant growth promotion in saline environments.
Effects of Different Sources of Iron on Growth Performance, Immunity, and Intestinal Barrier Functions in Weaned Pigs
Authors: Sun Limei , Yu Bing , Luo Yuheng , Zheng Ping , Huang Zhiqing , Yu Jie , Mao Xiangbing , Yan Hui , Wang Shaohui , He Jun
Published: October 2022

To explore the effect of different sources of iron on growth performance and intestinal health, 24 weaned pigs were randomly allocated to three groups and fed with a basal diet (BD) or BD containing 100 mg/kg ferrous sulfate (FS) or ferrous glycine (FG). The trial lasted for 21 d, and blood and tissue were collected for analysis. Results showed that FG significantly decreased the feed-to-gain ratio and increased the iron content in the liver and tibia (p < 0.05). Both FS and FG elevated bladder and fecal iron content and significantly elevated the contents of red blood cells, hemoglobin (HGB), and ferritin in the blood (p < 0.05). FG supplementation increased the serum concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig) G and IgM, but decreased the concentrations of D-lactate and endotoxin (p < 0.05). Interestingly, FG significantly increased the villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (V/C) in the duodenum and ileum (p < 0.05). FG supplementation also increased the abundance of tight-junction protein ZO-1 but significantly decreased the rate of apoptosis in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Moreover, the activities of jejunal sucrase, maltase, and catalase (CAT) in the FG group were higher than that in other groups (p < 0.05). Importantly, FG not only elevated the expression levels of cationic amino acid transporter-1 (CAT1) in the duodenal and jejunum but also elevated the expression levels of glucose transporter-2 (GLUT2) and sodium/glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT1) in the ileum (p < 0.05). These results indicated that appropriate iron supplementation is beneficial to piglet intestinal health by enhancing immunity and improving antioxidant capacity, and FG may serve as an efficient substitute for conventionally used iron sources.
Tropical Plant Phytonutrient Improves the Use of Insect Protein for Ruminant Feed
Authors: Khonkhaeng Benjamad , Wanapat Metha , Wongtangtintharn Sawitree , Phesatcha Kampanat , Supapong Chanadol , Suntara Chanon , Yuangklang Chalermpon , Vasupen Kraisit , Khotsakdee Jiravan , Chanjula Pin , Gunun Pongsatorn , Gunun Nirawan , Cherdthong Anusorn
Published: October 2022

This work aimed to examine the effects of binding proteins from Gryllus bimaculatus with Sesbania grandiflora phytonutrient on gas dynamics, in vitro digestibility, and ruminal fermentation characteristics. For rumen fluid sources, two dairy bulls with permanent cannulas were used as donors. G. bimaculatus and S. grandiflora powder were combined in the following ratios: 100:0, 99:1, 98:2, 97:3, 96:4, 95:5, 94:6, and 93:7. As 7% of S. grandiflora and 3% of G. bimaculatus were combined, the rumen undegradable protein increased by 45.8% when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). All gas kinetics were not substantially different across treatments, except for cumulative gas output during 96 h of incubation (p < 0.05). Comparing the G. bimaculatus powder to S. grandiflora at a ratio of 95:5 to 93:7 revealed an increase in cumulative gas production (p < 0.05), compared to the other groups. Reduction of G. bimaculatus resulted in a linear increase of in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) at 24 h after incubation. The lowest level of G. bimaculatus—93% with 7% S. grandiflora—showed the greatest IVDMD and IVOMD (p < 0.05) when compared with the control group. Ruminal pH in all treatments remained constant after 4 and 8 h of in vitro incubation (p > 0.05). However, as the quantity of S. grandiflora in the sample increased, the concentration of ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) linearly decreased (p < 0.05). Compared to the control group, the NH3-N concentration at 4 h of incubation was decreased by 47% when 7% S. grandiflora and 93% G. bimaculatus were mixed. The alteration in the G. bimaculatus to S. grandiflora ratio did not affect the levels of acetic acid or butyric acid. However, when 93% of G. bimaculatus was combined with 7% of S. grandiflora at hour 4 of incubation, propionic acid concentration was moderately increased (p < 0.01) by 6.58 mmol/L. In conclusion, combining 93% G. bimaculatus with 7% S. grandiflora powder enhanced protein utilization, in vitro digestibility, propionate concentration, and cumulative gas production.
Sichuan Pepper Recognition in Complex Environments: A Comparison Study of Traditional Segmentation versus Deep Learning Methods
Authors: Lu Jinzhu , Xiang Juncheng , Liu Ting , Gao Zongmei , Liao Min
Published: October 2022

At present, picking Sichuan pepper is mainly undertaken by people, which is inefficient and presents the possibility of workers getting hurt. It is necessary to develop an intelligent robot for picking Sichuan peppers in which the key technology is accurate segmentation by means of mechanical vision. In this study, we first took images of Sichuan peppers (Hanyuan variety) in an orchard under various conditions of light intensity, cluster numbers, and image occlusion by other elements such as leaves. Under these various image conditions, we compared the ability of different technologies to segment the images, examining both traditional image segmentation methods (RGB color space, HSV color space, k-means clustering algorithm) and deep learning algorithms (U-Net convolutional network, Pyramid Scene Parsing Network, DeeplabV3+ convolutional network). After the images had been segmented, we compared the effectiveness of each algorithm at identifying Sichuan peppers in the various types of image, using the Intersection Over Union(IOU) and Mean Pixel Accuracy(MPA) indexes to measure success. The results showed that the U-Net algorithm was the most effective in the case of single front-lit clusters light without occlusion, with an IOU of 87.23% and an MPA of 95.95%. In multiple front-lit clusters without occlusion, its IOU was 76.52% and its MPA was 94.33%. Based on these results, we propose applicable segmentation methods for an intelligent Sichuan pepper-picking robot which can identify the fruit in images from various growing environments. The research showed good accuracy for the recognition and segmentation of Sichuan peppers, which suggests that this method can provide technical support for the visual recognition of a pepper-picking robot in the field.
KNO3, Nano-Zn, and Fe Foliar Application Influence the Growth and Physiological Responses of Aloe vera under Salinity
Authors: Ebrahimzadeh Asghar , Ghorbanzadeh Soraya , Vojodi Mehrabani Lamia , Sabella Erika , De Bellis Luigi , Hassanpouraghdam Mohammad Bagher
Published: October 2022

Aloe vera L. is a perennial drought-tolerant plant that is commonly used in the pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. To evaluate the effects of the foliar application of KNO3, nano-Zn, and Fe (0 and 2 mgL−1) on Aloe vera plants under NaCl salinity stress (0, 50, 100 mM), a factorial experiment was conducted based on a completely randomized design. The results revealed that foliar applications influenced the root dry weight. The chlorophyll b content was affected by the salinity plus the foliar application. The total soluble solids content, chlorophyll a, phenolics, and flavonoids of the leaves, the gel content, catalase and superoxide dismutase activity, malondialdehyde, proline, and mineral nutrients content were impacted by the treatments as well. The highest values for the gel content (0.37 g per leaf) and plant dry weight (13.1 g per pot) were recorded at 0 mM NaCl + KNO3 + nano-Fe. The top K/Na ratio (35.2), and the largest K (69 g kg−1), P (6.6 g kg−1), Ca (31 g kg−1), and Mg (2.5 g kg−1) contents were recorded after the 0 mM NaCl + KNO3 treatment. The highest Fe content (383 g kg−1) was observed with 0 mM NaCl + nano-Fe treatment, and the maximum Zn content (37.6 mg kg−1) was measured after the 0 mM NaCl + nano Zn treatment. One hundred mM NaCl increased the malondialdehyde and Na contents. The largest amount of catalase activity was measured after the 50 mM NaCl + KNO3 + nano-Zn treatment. Salinity stress had adverse effects on the growth and physiological responses of Aloe vera. However, the foliar application of KNO3, nano-Zn and Fe mitigated the damaging effects of salinity. The results from more detailed studies would be advisable for pioneer farmers and the agricultural sector.
Regulation of Polyethylene Nano-Packaging on Postharvest Stipe Elongation of Flammulina velutipes
Authors: Zhao Yuxuan , Yun Jianmin , Guo Gengxin , Li Wenhui , Wang Biao , Zhao Fengyun , Bi Yang
Published: October 2022

Stipe elongation is one of the main characteristics of the postharvest quality deterioration of Flammulina velutipes fruiting bodies. In order to reduce the postharvest stipe elongation of F. velutipes and prolong its shelf life, in this study, using polyethylene (PE) packaging and unpackaged treatments as controls, the effects of a polyethylene nano-packaging on postharvest stipe elongation of F. velutipes were investigated and its regulatory mechanisms were explored from the physiological and biochemical aspects. The results showed that the CO2 content in polyethylene nano-packaging boxes was higher than in control boxes, and the O2 content was lower than in the control group, indicating that nano-packaging could reduce F. velutipes respiration during low-temperature storage. The stipe elongation rate, chitinase activity, and β-1,3-glucanase activities of F. velutipes were lower in the nano-packaging group than in PE-packaged and unpackaged control groups, and the nano-packaging inhibited the increase in chitin and β-glucan, the main components of the cell wall. The levels of auxin (IAA), abscisic acid (ABA), gibberellin (GA), and cytokinin (CTK) were also lower in the nano-packaged group than in controls at most timepoints. After 18 d of storage, polyethylene nano-packaging inhibited the stipe elongation of fruiting bodies, and maintained mushroom quality, with stipe elongation of only 34.7% and 76.7% of PE-packaged and unpackaged control groups, respectively. The results showed that nano-packaging could effectively inhibit the harvest stipe elongation and prolong the shelf quality of F. velutipes.
An Improved Lightweight Network for Real-Time Detection of Apple Leaf Diseases in Natural Scenes
Authors: Liu Sha , Qiao Yongliang , Li Jiawei , Zhang Haotian , Zhang Mingke , Wang Meili
Published: October 2022

Achieving rapid and accurate detection of apple leaf diseases in the natural environment is essential for the growth of apple plants and the development of the apple industry. In recent years, deep learning has been widely studied and applied to apple leaf disease detection. However, existing networks have too many parameters to be easily deployed or lack research on leaf diseases in complex backgrounds to effectively use in real agricultural environments. This study proposes a novel deep learning network, YOLOX-ASSANano, which is an improved lightweight real-time model for apple leaf disease detection based on YOLOX-Nano. We improved the YOLOX-Nano backbone using a designed asymmetric ShuffleBlock, a CSP-SA module, and blueprint-separable convolution (BSConv), which significantly enhance feature-extraction capability and boost detection performance. In addition, we construct a multi-scene apple leaf disease dataset (MSALDD) for experiments. The experimental results show that the YOLOX-ASSANano model with only 0.83 MB parameters achieves 91.08% mAP on MSALDD and 58.85% mAP on the public dataset PlantDoc with a speed of 122 FPS. This study indicates that the YOLOX-ASSANano provides a feasible solution for the real-time diagnosis of apple leaf diseases in natural scenes, and could be helpful for the detection of other plant diseases.
Maize Breeding: From Domestication to Genomic Tools
Authors: Muntean Leon , Ona Andreea , Berindean Ioana , Racz Ionuț , Muntean Sorin
Published: October 2022

Maize will continue to expand and diversify as an industrial resource and a feed and fuel crop in the near future. The United Nations estimate that in 2050 the global population will reach 9.7 billion people. In this context, food security is increasingly being discussed. Additionally, another threat to food security is global warming. It is predicted that both the quantity and the quality of crops will be seriously affected by climate change in the near future. Scientists and breeders need to speed up the process of creating new maize cultivars that are resistant to climate stress without diminishing yield or quality. The present paper provides a brief overview of some of the most important genomics tools that can be used to develop high-performance and well-adapted hybrids of maize and also emphasizes the contribution of bioinformatics to an advanced maize breeding. Genomics tools are essential for a precise, fast, and efficient breeding of crops especially in the context of climate challenges. Maize breeders are able now to develop new cultivars with better traits more easily as a result of the new genomic approaches, either by aiding the selection process or by increasing the available diversity through precision breeding procedures. Furthermore, the use of genomic tools may in the future represent a way to accelerate the processes of de novo domestication of the species.
Effect of Silicon Nanoparticles on Tomato Plants Exposed to Two Forms of Inorganic Arsenic
Authors: González-Moscoso Magín , Martínez-Villegas Nadia , Cadenas-Pliego Gregorio , Juárez-Maldonado Antonio
Published: October 2022

In the environment arsenic (As) can be found mainly as arsenite (AsIII) and arsenate (AsV), which are highly toxic and threaten food security. Currently, there is great attention on the effects of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) on plant development, and their ability to restrict As uptake. The results show that the two forms of As negatively impacted aerial dry biomass and fruit yield. Silicon content is lower in roots than in leaves. It is observed that AsIII is the form that accumulates the most in the root; in addition, the SiO2 NPs reduce the translocation of AsV. The data show that AsIII induced a negative effect on the uptake of Ca, P, Mg, and Cu, while SiO2 NPs enhances the accumulation of Fe and Zn when exposed to AsIII. The two forms of As do not impact chlorophyll content but increases when interacting with SiO2 NPs. Antioxidant enzymes APX, CAT, and SOD are higher in roots than in leaves. Phenols, flavonoids, and glutathione increased when SiO2 NPs interacted with AsIII in roots. H2O2 increases in roots and leaves by exposure to AsV and AsIII, and its interactions with SiO2 NPs, while in the fruit, H2O2 production decreases. As for the total antioxidant capacity ABTS is observed to increase by AsIII + SiO2 NPs only in roots. The bioactive compounds of the tomato fruits are modified by the treatments and the addition of SiO2 NPs alone increase in lycopene content. Therefore, our results reveal the negative impacts of AsIII, and that SiO2 NPs can at least partially mitigate As toxicity and reduce AsV translocation in tomatoes.
Importance of Selection of Cultivars in Wheat–Pea Intercropping Systems for High Productivity
Authors: Pankou Chrysanthi , Lithourgidis Anastasios , Menexes George , Dordas Christos
Published: October 2022

Intercropping is the cultivation of two or more crop species in the same space for a considerable proportion of the growth period. Farmers use cultivars that were bred under monoculture and there are no cultivars that have been evaluated under intercropping systems. The objective of the present study was to evaluate different cultivars of pea and wheat on intercropping systems. The experiment was conducted for two successive growing seasons (2018–2019 and 2019–2020) at the University Farm of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, using two cultivars of field pea and six cultivars of bread wheat, and all their mixture combinations. The growing seasons, the intercropping treatments, and the cultivars affected the grain yield, the yield components, and the land equivalent ratio (LER) and actual yield loss (AYL) values. The different cultivars showed different responses under the intercropping treatments, indicating that there are cultivars that show higher grain yield in mixtures. Based on the mean grain yield for both growing seasons, the mixture ‘Isard’–‘Mavragani’ showed higher grain yield by 86.5% and 55.7% compared with the mean grain yield of all other mixtures and monocultures, respectively. The total LER value of ‘Isard’–‘Mavragani’ was high in both years: 1.954 and 1.693 in 2018–2019 and 2019–2020, respectively. This multicriteria evaluation of winter wheat and field pea varieties exhibited the need for the selection of appropriate cultivars for intercropping systems that were previously assessed under intercropping conditions before their exploitation from the farmers.
Sole and Combined Application of Phosphorus and Glucose and Its Influence on Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Microbial Biomass in Paddy Soils
Authors: Shah Asad , Huang Jing , Khan Muhammad , Han Tianfu , Ali Sehrish , Daba Nano , Du Jiangxue , Li Dongchu , Zhang Lu , Fahad Shah , Liu Shujun , Liu Lisheng , Gao Jusheng , Xu Yongmei , He Zhongqun , Zhang Huimin
Published: October 2022

Soil microbial activities are consistently restricted not only by phosphorus availability but also by microbial carbon requirements. Therefore, an incubation experiment was conducted with three soils (QY1, QY2 and QY3) selected on the basis of phosphorus limitation. Results revealed that high N2O emissions, 17.44 µg kg−1, were measured in phosphorus-deficient soil with addition of glucose. In phosphorus-adequate soils, the peaks of N2O emission values in the glucose addition treatment were 20.8 µg kg−1 and 24.7 µg kg−1, which were higher than without glucose-added treatments. CH4 emissions were higher with glucose addition, at 1.9 µg kg−1 in phosphorus-deficient soil and 1.52 µg kg−1 and 2.6 µg kg−1 in two phosphorus-adequate soils. Phosphorus added to deficient and adequate soil significantly increased the cumulative CH4 and N2O emissions compared to the solely glucose added soil and the combination of glucose with phosphorus. Glucose addition significantly increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC) but decreased microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP), especially in the phosphorus-adequate soil. For MBC, the highest value obtained was 175.8 mg kg−1, which was determined under glucose addition in phosphorus-adequate soil. The soil pH increased with glucose addition but decreased with phosphorus addition in phosphorus-deficient soil. The soil organic carbon (SOC) content was significantly affected by glucose addition in the phosphorus-deficient soil. Available phosphorus (AP) was highly influenced by phosphorus addition but did not appear to be affected by glucose addition. From the current study, we concluded that sole phosphorus and glucose addition increase CH4 andN2O emissions in phosphorus-deficient and also in phosphorus-adequate paddy soils. Further study will be conducted on sole and interactive effects of glucose and phosphorous on soil with plants and without plants.
A Weed Population Dynamics Model for Integrated Weed-Management Decision-Making Support: Euphorbia davidii Subils in Soybean Crops as a Simulation Study
Authors: Molinari Franco A. , Blanco Aníbal M. , Fré Federico R. Núñez , Juan Víctor F. , Chantre Guillermo R.
Published: October 2022

A crop–weed simulation model is presented to compare and evaluate integrated weed-management (IWM) strategies. Specifically, the model was parameterized for soybean crops in competition with Euphorbia davidii Subils. We used both weed and crop demographic data surveyed in agronomic fields of the central zone of the Buenos Aires province, Argentina, throughout two crop cycles (2011/2012 and 2013/2014). The proposed model underwent a calibration process and subsequent validation with a 70/30% data split, (N = 37). Two annual-based and one multiannual-based case studies were simulated to demonstrate the performance of the model. Different IWM strategies were compared under both operational and tactical planning horizons through the evaluation of different model outcomes (i.e., crop yield, interspecific competition, economic return, and environmental impact). Our results suggest that the inclusion of cultural management practices could reduce both weed interspecific competition by 46 to 97%, and weed seed production by 40 to 89 %. An increment in both expected crop yield, by 6 to 20%, and annual gross margin, by 44 to 199 USD.ha−1, were obtained in silico for similar levels of environmental impact.
Effect of Aphid Foraging on the Intensity of Photosynthesis and Transpiration of Selected Crop Plants in Its Early Stages of Growing
Authors: Nietupski Mariusz , Ludwiczak Emilia , Olszewski Jacek , Gabryś Beata , Kordan Bożena
Published: October 2022

Plant stress caused by aphid foraging can cause a number of disturbances in its vital functions. The degree of disturbance depends on the duration of the stress factor and its intensity. The aim of this study has been to evaluate the impact of aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris, Rhopalosiphum padi L., Myzus persicae Sulzer) foraging on plants and the intensity of photosynthesis and transpiration in several crops (Pisum sativum L., Triticum aestivum L., Brassica napus L.). The laboratory experiment conducted for this purpose revealed that aphids feeding on plants affect the course of photosynthesis and transpiration in crops. Statistically significant correlations were determined between the efficiency of these processes and the number of aphids as well as the duration of their foraging. The average values of the intensity of photosynthesis and transpiration in the test crops were found to increase with the increasing number of aphids in a short feeding period (day 5). A longer foraging time (10, 15 days) coincided with a decrease in the intensity of photosynthesis and transpiration. A detailed analysis of the three species of crops demonstrated that the effect of the biotic stressors on the course of the analysed processes could vary, depending on the host plant.
Local Agricultural Management Filters Morphological Traits of the South American Palm Weevil (Rhynchophorus palmarum L.; Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Ornamental Palm Plantations
Authors: Ponce-Méndez Moises , García-Martínez Miguel A. , Serna-Lagunes Ricardo , Lasa-Covarrubias Rodrigo , Presa-Parra Ehdibaldo , Murguía-González Joaquin , Llarena-Hernández Carlos
Published: October 2022

Insect pests show phenotypic plasticity as a function of resource availability and limiting conditions. Although Rhynchophorus palmarum displays high variation in certain morphological traits, it is still not clear how and which of these are being filtered along agricultural management gradients in palm plantations. This study assesses the influence of biophysical structure of ornamental palm plantations and agrochemical use on morphological traits of adults in 15 permanent plots of ornamental palm plantations in Veracruz, Mexico. A total of 4972 adults were and their body length, pronotum width, rostrum length, and mesothorax depth were measured. Body length and mesothorax depth of adults of both sexes were greater in plantations with a high diversity of palm species and frequency of fertilizer use. Rostrum length of females increased as a function of palm density, and pronotum width of both sexes was positively related with the use of insecticides. Local characteristics of agricultural management of palm plantations might filter integrated, adaptative, and environment-specific phenotypes. This is the first ecological study of the south American palm weevil that provides new insights on the current intensive management of ornamental palm plantations that far from controlling, benefits current geographic expansion, demographic outbreak, and economic impact of this pest.
Determining Irrigation Volumes for Enhancing Profit and N Uptake Efficiency of Potato Using WASH_2D Model
Authors: Liang Shuoshuo , Abd El Baki Hassan M. , An Ping , Fujimaki Haruyuki
Published: October 2022

Soaring food prices and the intensified scarcity of water resources put a new emphasis on efficient use of water in irrigation. Numerical models for water flow and crop growth can be used to predict crop water stress and make decisions on irrigation management. To this end, a new irrigation scheme was presented to determine the optimum irrigation depths using WASH_2D, a numerical model of water flow and solute transport in soils and crop growth. By using freely available quantitative weather forecasts and volumetric water price as input data to predict soil water flow and give the recommendation of irrigation depths which maximizes net income during each irrigation interval. Field experiments using potato were conducted for two-seasons in a sandy soil in Japan under three irrigation methods, i.e., using the simulation model named treatment “S” (to distinguish, named S1 in first season and S2 in second season), automatic irrigation method using soil moisture sensors named treatment “A”, and refilling irrigation management supplying 100% consumed water named treatment “R”. To compare S with other two treatments, S1 and A was conducted in the first season, then S2 and R was conducted in the second season. Results showed that S1 improved potato yield by 19%, and reduced water by 28%, resulting in an increased net income by 19% compared with A in the first season. There was no significant difference when compared with R in the second season, which was mainly due to the frequent rainfall during second growing season. In addition, S improved the nitrogen uptake efficiency (NUPE) by 39% and 11% compared with A and R, respectively. The simulated values of water content were in fair agreement with those measured in the root zone. In short, simulated irrigation method was effective in improving yield, saving water and increasing NUPE of potato compared with automatic and refilling irrigation methods in sandy field.
Improving Broad Spectrum Blast Resistance by Introduction of the Pita2 Gene: Encoding the NB-ARC Domain of Blast-Resistant Proteins into Upland Rice Breeding Programs
Authors: Herawati Reny , Herlinda Siti , Ganefianti Dwi Wahyuni , Bustamam Hendri , Sipriyadi
Published: October 2022

Blast disease is generally more important in upland rather than lowland rice cultivation, representing one of the biotic obstacles in the development of upland rice. The objective of this study was to detect broad-spectrum blast resistance gene Pita2 encoding the NB-ARC (nucleotide-binding adaptor common in APAF-1, R proteins, and CED-4) domain of blast-resistant proteins in new upland rice lines from the breeding program for landrace rice varieties, with the goal of providing a novel source of blast-resistant germplasm for application in future upland rice breeding programs. In this study, we screened 19 inbred lines of landrace rice varieties challenged using local virulent isolates in greenhouse conditions and performed field evaluations to confirm blast resistance. Molecular analysis was conducted using six specific primers to detect broad-spectrum blast resistance, and sequence analysis was performed to detect the NB-ARC domain of blast-resistant proteins in the lines. Consistent results were observed between greenhouse screening and field evaluations, although there was variance in the level of resistance. The PCR assay showed that there were eight positive lines (G7, G8, G9, G11, G13, G14, G15, and G18) containing the Pita2 gene. Conserved domain analysis revealed that eight blast-resistant rice lines encode NB-ARC at sequence lengths ranging between 300 and 870 (450 bp). Using these sequences in BLASTX searching revealed 15 gene homologs of the eight rice lines, which were detected as Pita2 genes, with a similarity level of 81–99%. Further comprehensive studies should be performed to confirm the performance and resistance of candidate lines in field trials in various blast-endemic areas before being released as new upland rice varieties able to overcome the problem of blast disease in the field. In addition, the lines can also be used as a novel genetic resource in the blast-resistant upland rice breeding program on various rice cultivars.
He–Ne Laser Priming Enhances Drought Tolerance in Wheat through Differential Modification of Photosynthetic Pigments and Antioxidative Enzymes
Authors: Aslam Hamza , Ahmad Muhammad Sajid Aqeel , Alvi Ambreen Khadija , Rani Wasifa , Athar Habib-ur-Rehman , Al-Ashkar Ibrahim , Almutairi Khalid F. , Ullah Najeeb , Ayman El-Sabagh
Published: October 2022

Water stress seriously impacts agro-systems worldwide, severely affecting plant growth and crop productivity. Radio-priming agents such as lasers can induce stress tolerance in plants due to their physiological roles in growth and development. The potential protective role of He–Ne laser pretreatment (i.e., one, two and five min at 630 nm) was evaluated in germination and growth of two wheat varieties, FSD-2008 and Anaj-2017, under water-stressed (50% field capacity) environments. Drought and laser priming significantly affected the growth (shoot and shoot fresh and dry weight and lengths), grain yield (number of total and fertile tillers and 100-grain weight), biochemical attributes (total soluble proteins and total free amino acids), and ionic concentration of both tested wheat varieties. In this study, the 2 min laser priming treatments were most effective for protecting wheat plants from drought stress. While the prolonged treatment duration significantly inhibited growth. We conclude that laser pretreatment assisted wheat plants in sustaining biomass assimilation, growth and yield formation by protecting their pigments and key metabolites from drought-induced oxidative injury. This study suggested that 2 min of laser priming had a much better result than other time duration, i.e., 1 and 5 min of laser priming.
Assessment of Spray Drift with Various Adjuvants in a Wind Tunnel
Authors: İtmeç Medet , Bayat Ali , Bolat Ali , Toraman Muhammed Cemal , Soysal Alper
Published: October 2022

When pesticides are sprayed, a significant portion of the droplets drifts away from the target. Using an adjuvant in spray liquid is an easy option for reducing droplet drift because there is no need to make any changes to the sprayer. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of seven commercially available adjuvants (Surfeco plus, Starguar, Kantor, Sterling, Control, Control WM, and Control DUO) with varying active ingredients on droplet size, surface tension, and viscosity. Since these properties affect droplet formation, these adjuvants were evaluated in terms of their drift-reducing performance in a wind tunnel at various wind speeds (2.0, 3.5, and 5.0 m/s) and spray pressures (3, 4, and 5 bars). The ground and airborne components of drift were evaluated. With the use of a patternator, the potential for the ground drift of adjuvants was measured; for airborne drift, polyethylene lines that were stretched along the cross-section area of the wind tunnel at various heights were employed. The number of deposits of a tracer dye–adjuvant mixture that was sprayed on the polyethylene lines was measured via fluorometric methods for determining the airborne drift potential. The test results showed that the adjuvant Control Duo containing a polymer blend, which had the highest dynamic viscosity (4.27 mPa.s), increased the Dv0.5 droplet diameter up to 192 μm at 3 bar with nozzle XR11002. This adjuvant reduced the ground drift potential (Dc) by 60.53% compared to tap water. The maximum airborne drift potential reduction percentage (DPRP) was obtained as 85.76% with Surfeco plus containing organic silicone at a pressure of 3 bar and a wind velocity of 5 m/s. When considering the airborne drift-reduction potential of the adjuvants used, it was found that the adjuvants Control WM, Control, Starguar, and Surfeco plus significantly reduced the airborne droplet drift compared to spraying tap water.
Heterologous Overexpression of ZmHDZIV13 Enhanced Drought and Salt Tolerance in Arabidopsis and Tobacco
Authors: Wang Fang , Yan Huiping , Fang Peng , Ji Xiangzhuo , Peng Yunling
Published: October 2022

The homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-Zip) IV transcription factor is indispensable in the response of plants to abiotic stress. Systematic studies have been carried out in Arabidopsis, rice and other species from which a series of stress resistance-related genes have been isolated. However, the function of the HD-Zip IV protein in maize is not clear. In this study, we cloned the HD-Zip IV gene ZmHDZIV13 and identified its function in the stress response. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that ZmHDZIV13 and AtHDG11 had high homology and might have similar functions. The heterologous overexpression of ZmHDZIV13 in Arabidopsis resulted in sensitivity to abscisic acid (ABA), salt tolerance during germination and drought tolerance in seedlings. Under drought stress, the transgenic Arabidopsis showed stronger drought resistance than the wild-type (control). The malondialdehyde content of ZmHDZIV13 transgenic plants was lower than that of the control, and the relative water content and proline content were significantly higher than those of the control. After the drought was relieved, the expression levels of stress-related genes were up-regulated in transgenic Arabidopsis. These results show that ZmHDZIV13, as a stress-responsive transcription factor, plays a role in the positive regulation of abiotic stress tolerance and can regulate an ABA-dependent signaling pathway to regulate drought response in plants.