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In this study, the effects of vitamin D₃ (Vit. D) and a stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L. (UD)) extract were examined using histopathological and immunohistochemical methods in the stomach tissues of an experimentally created rat model of CD. The CD model was created using trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS). The animals in the study were divided into control, TNBS, TNBS+Vit. D, and TNBS+UD groups. At the end of the experiment, the animals were euthanised and their stomach tissues were evaluated for necrosis, degeneration, apoptosis, and inflammation. Additionally, an immunohistochemical method was applied to determine the somatostatin (SSTR), aquaporin-1 (AQP-1), caspase-3, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) immunoreactivity in the gastric tissues. In the evaluations, degenerative and necrotic changes and mononuclear cell infiltration areas were observed in the TNBS group, but such changes could be improved with Vit. D and UD applications. The results suggest that the combination of the Vit. D and UD extract may have a protective and therapeutic role in mitigating TNBS-induced damage to the gastric tissues, potentially through the regulation of SSTR, AQP-1, caspase-3, and TNF-α expression. This indicates a promising avenue for further research and the exploration of these compounds in the context of gastrointestinal health.

A growing world population means greater pressure on earth’s resources. Currently, 30% of food is wasted, which poses a significant risk to both humans and the environment. One way to offset the growth in food waste (FW) is through the process of microbial bioconversion, whereby FW is transformed into a range of nutrient-dense biofertilisers. This approach not only promotes a highly desirable circular economy, but it can also reduce the use of inorganic fertilisers, which adversely impact the environment through increased greenhouse gases, changes in soil and water characteristics, and loss of biodiversity. The bioconversion of FW to biofertiliser relies on the processes of aerobic (composting) and anaerobic digestion. Recently, alternative decomposition techniques included growing specific beneficial microbes, such as effective microorganisms, to speed up the breakdown process. Microorganisms can act as biostimulants and biodecomposers, possessing nutrient-fixing abilities and providing protection from biotic and abiotic stresses, thus enhancing plant growth and overall health. The potential uses of FW are complex and diverse, but research is actively done to effectively utilise this resource for biofertiliser applications.

While nutrients are administered through various sources and combinations, herbicides are used for pre-plant and pre-emergence weed control in the tomato fields. Therefore, a study was conducted to understand the effects of nutrient fertilisation through inorganic and organic sources along with farmers practice and the application of three herbicides, namely glyphosate, pendimethalin, and metribuzin, individually or in combinations, on earthworm activity in tomato crops. The herbicides caused a significant reduction in earthworm biomass and escapement to the lower 15 cm depth. Application of pendimethalin and metribuzin to soils inorganically fertilised with major and micronutrients resulted in low survival rates and a high ecological risk quotient. The effect was attenuated when farmyard manure was applied. The study suggests that when 2 to 3 herbicides are applied in succession and combined with inorganic fertilisers as nutrient sources, stringent measures like adding organic nutrient sources, applying the correct herbicide combination, etc., must be followed to reduce their toxicity to earthworms. This helps to protect and sustain earthworm activity and biodiversity in the soil.

In an environment where fruit production is increasingly affected by unpredictable weather patterns, it is important to look for ways to minimise the impact of climate change on production. Under Central European conditions, a limiting factor for apricot (P. armeniaca L.) and Asian plum (P. salicina Lindley) growing in certain years is the occurrence of late spring frosts. One measure to eliminate their impact is to delay the actual flowering of the trees. This can be done by breeding or just by applying various plant growth regulators (PGRs). In our experiment, the effect of a total of 6 active substances in 16 different concentrations was evaluated. The results show that the application of Ethrel-based mixtures (concentrations of 0.05 and 0.5%) had the greatest influence, delaying flowering by up to 3-5 days, but also had the most destructive effect on tree health. The application of the commercial product Rhodofix (NAA - 0.3%) and the application of a proprietary mixture based on NAA 1.0% did not have a very significant effect, with a delay in flowering of just 2 to 3 days. One interesting finding was that the application of the above products had a statistically significant effect on the ripening date of apricot fruit, with a difference of up to 4 days.

Boric acid (BA) is commercially acceptable and economically feasible material to enhance the shelf life of pears, oranges and other horticultural plants. Here, we investigated the effect of BA on the shelf life and post-harvest quality of table grapes (cv. ‘Kyoho’). The grapes were immersed in a BA solution with different concentrations [0 (as the control), 10, 30, 50 mM] for 10 min and stored at 25 ± 1 °C for 10 days. Compared to the control, the BA treatments maintained higher berry firmness by inhibiting the activity of polygalacturonase (PG) and cellulase. In addition, the BA-treated grapes maintained higher antioxidant enzyme activities, such as catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), and lower metabolic toxic products, like the superoxide anion (O2-) production rate, malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content than the control. The experimental results showed that the post-harvest application of BA effectively delays the senescence of grapes compared with the control, and the 10 mM BA treatment had the most obvious effect.

In this study, LbCu/ZnSOD, LbFeSOD, and LbMnSOD genes were cloned, the role of strigolactones (SLs), a novel plant hormone that is ubiquitous in plants in modulating plant responses to abiotic stress, on the three superoxide dismutases (SODs) under polyethylene glycol PEG-6000 stress were researched in the petals of cut lily flowers. The results indicated that during the development of the lily bud, the expression levels of LbMnSOD gradually increased and those of LbCu/ZnSOD decreased, while the LbFeSOD expression remained at a very low level. When the cut lily flowers were subjected to 10% PEG-6000 stress, the relative water content (RWC) declined, the malondialdehyde (MDA) content and relative electrical conductivity (REC) dramatically increased in the petals. However, when exogenous SLs were employed, the RWC were improved, while the MDA and REC were reduced. Meanwhile, the SLs significantly increased the activities of the total SOD (T-SOD), Cu/ZnSOD and MnSOD, the expression levels of LbCu/ZnSOD and LbMnSOD, especially LbCu/ZnSOD, were markedly up-regulated in the petals. In conclusion, our research indicates that SOD enzymes, especially Cu/ZnSOD and MnSOD, are involved in the drought stress tolerance; the application of strigolactones can enhance the activities of the two SODs, and may increase the expression of LbCu/ZnSOD and LbMnSOD via a positive feedback mechanism in the cut lily petals.

Drought is an important agricultural problem worldwide, which seriously affects the growth and yield of crops. To explore the effects of different degrees of drought on the soluble sugar content of soybeans, this study measured the soluble sugar content of two soybean cultivars at three growth stages under four levels of drought stress. The results showed that drought stress significantly affected the soluble sugar content, and there were differences among different growth stages and cultivars. At the seedling and flowering stages, the sucrose content of both Heinong44 and Heinong65 showed an unimodal trend and reached the maximum value at moderate drought. The increase rate was the highest in the leaves at the flowering stage, which increased by 36.18% and 25.79% compared with CK, respectively. The fructose and glucose contents were the highest during severe drought, and the fructose content increased the most in the leaves at the seedling stage, which increased by 18.05% and 17.67% compared with CK, respectively. The glucose content increased the most in the petioles at the flowering stage, reaching 40.66% and 35.24%. At the pod-filling stage, the three sugar contents of both Heinong44 and Heinong65 were the lowest at severe drought, and the sucrose and fructose contents decreased the most in the petioles, which decreased by 21.66% and 23.94%, 12.58% and 13.49% compared with CK, respectively. The glucose content decreased the most in the stems, which decreased by 11.72% and 9.66%. In addition, at each growth stage and drought treatment, the ratio of the soluble sugar content of Heinong44 was higher than that of Heinong65.

Centaurea cyanus is an annual weed mostly infesting winter cereals and rape. The aim of the study was to provide insights into the association between the seed germination characteristics and the herbicide sensitivity in C. cyanus in the presence of the genetic background control. Four populations of this species resistant to acetolactate synthase (ALS) inhibitors were tested. A germination study was conducted in a growth cabinet. Plants were sprayed at the 2- to 3-leaf stage with a field dose of florasulam (5 g/ha). There were four herbicide treatments dates, which included plants that germinated up to the seventh day, between eight and 12, 13 and 15, 16 and 20 days of the germination study. The germination dynamics of the four tested populations of C. cyanus resistant to florasulam was diversified. Three of them reached their maximum germination on the fourth day after sowing, however, the germination of the fourth population was spread over time with the highest number of germinated seeds found seven and twelve days after sowing. The germination time of the plants belonging to the resistant C. cyanus populations differentiated their reaction to florasulam. The conducted study indicated that the germination biology of ALS inhibitor-resistant populations of C. cyanus is diverse, which makes it difficult to introduce universal management strategies of this species into agricultural practice. Integration of control methods is recommended, including delaying the crop sowing date.

Rising CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere is a matter of global concern and poses apprehension about how plants will adapt to the changing environment. Various studies have proved that under high CO₂ levels, plant physiology alters and affects plant functioning. However, under elevated CO₂, the stomatal characters and their relation with physiological responses are still not yet clear. To find out these changes in the stomatal parameters at ambient and two elevated CO₂ (550 ppm and 700 ppm) levels, four genotypes of maize (Zea mays L.) viz. DHM-117, Harsha, Varun and M-24 were grown in open-top chambers. In the study, it was observed that the stomatal density increased, stomatal size altered, stomatal conductance (g_s) and transpiration rate (T_r) decreased under elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) while photosynthetic rate (Pn), water use efficiency (WUE), yield and biomass, of which especially the reproductive biomass increased. Under eCO₂, stomatal and physiological changes were genotypic and CO₂ concentration specific. Increased stomatal density at eCO₂ was mainly due to increased abaxial stomatal density. The improved P_n and reduced T_r at 550 ppm improved the WUE in the plants, while this response was not observed at 700 ppm. These results elucidate that this C4 crop responded positively to up to 550 ppm of CO₂ concentrations, and beyond this, the impact was minimal.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of different live weights at slaughter (LWS) of Zwartbles lambs on their daily gain (DG), carcass traits (CT) and chemical and physical characteristics of the quadriceps femoris muscle (QFM). A total of four weight groups of lambs were evaluated: group A, LWS = up to 35 kg; group B, LWS from 35.1 to 40 kg; group C, LWS from 40.1 to 45 kg and group D, LWS from 45.1 to 50 kg. The LWS had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on DG and most CTs, when average DG and most weights of individual CTs increased with increasing LWS. The evaluation of the influence of LWS on the chemical and physical characteristics of QFM primarily shows that this factor had a significant (P < 0.05) effect only on the content of intramuscular fat (IMF) and redness index (RI), when in both cases the values of these traits increased (IMF: from 0.57 to 1.21%; RI: from 8.53 to 9.76) with increasing LWS. In conclusion, it can be stated that most of the monitored traits in all weight groups of Zwartbles lambs were comparable with their levels in specialized meat breeds of sheep.

Land use changes together with riverbed regulations to avoid the annual floods affect the ecosystem of floodplain forests. Later subsequent revitalization measures, transboundary controlled river management, wetland restoration, and integrated planning were realized to reduce the negative effect of groundwater dropping and other environmental problems. This study aimed to follow the dynamic of groundwater level, soil properties and forest vitality as affected by climate change. The continuous dataset (2019–2022) of soil physical and hydrophysical parameters and tree radial growth parameters were obtained. Groundwater level was evaluated by z-score and the means, and standard deviation values were considered. The monthly assessment of soil and climatic conditions showed that the uneven distribution of rainfall and the increase in temperatures have significantly affected the soil hydrological regime and forest growth. Continual monitoring is necessary to prepare projection models, which can help better understand both the soil and tree growth parameters in the changing environment.

With a long tradition of brewing history, Chinese strong-flavour Baijiu (SFB) developed prosperously in the southwest, especially in Luzhou, and has existed for more than 300 years building craftwork and brewing techniques. As a product of the distillation of fermented grains, its production involves many microbial communities. During this time, microbial communities within production have burgeoned and evolved throughout the development history, enhancing unique texture and flavour. Meanwhile, environmental factors are critical constituents in the production, which provide the optimal conditions for processing procedures and various microorganisms, including externally controlled macro-environment and micro-environment of fermentation. By studying the correlation with environmental factors from macro and micro perspectives, we illustrated the bond with environmental symbiotic and holistic patterns of the intrinsic microbial community and fermentation characteristics. This review is essential to study and control the whole ecological conditions of the Baijiu fermentation process, aiming to gain insight into the dynamics of the microorganisms and ensure a traditional fermentation environment for quality control.

Cereal and legume grains are germinated to improve their nutritional and sensory qualities. This study investigated the effect of germination on the physicochemical properties of some grains and legumes grown in Türkiye. At the end of the germination for 48 h and 96 h at 24 ± 1 °C, carbohydrate, protein, lipid, dietary fibre, dry matter, ash, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and colour analyses of the germinated grains were determined. The results indicated that the germination process increased the phenolic content of all samples. The legume seeds' 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity significantly increased with germination. The germination process significantly decreased the total carbohydrate contents of the samples. A statistically significant decrease was found for the protein content of barley and corn, especially by 48 h of germination. The lipid content of cereal grains decreased as germination progressed. It might be recommended to improve the functional properties of cereals and legumes by germination and their use in the food industry.

Sustainable intensification (SI) is a widely discussed concept that aims to increase agricultural production without harming the environment. This study assessed the process of SI that took place in the EU regions from 2004 to 2018 and the impact of structural and weather-related factors. In doing so, a single index based on DEA environmentally adjusted efficiency and kernel regression were applied to data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) Public Database and the Agri4Cast resource portal. The study found an overall positive trend of SI in the EU regions in which land and animal concentration had a significant impact on this process. Sun radiation, as the only significant weather variable, had a decreasing impact on efficiency due to potential droughts. The findings emphasise the need for political support for regions with a low degree of SI and for those particularly affected by climate change.

Rongchang piglets were easily induced to cold stress and diarrhoea in the winter when raised in an open hog house. However, they also gradually recovered under mid-cold stress. Other studies have suggested gut microbiome might be involved in the host energy metabolism to relieve stress. To study how to adapt Rongchang piglets to cold stress by gut microbiome, thirty Rongchang piglets were randomly divided into a mild cold stress group and a control group for 30 consecutive days. The findings revealed that the piglets had low growth performance and a high diarrhoea rate and mortality rate during the first half of the cold treatment, but subsequently stabilised. The level of cortisol (COR) also displayed a similar trend. In the mild cold stress group, the relative abundance of Muribaculaceae significantly increased on day 15, and the predominant bacterial on day 30 was Lactobacillus sp. Our results indicated that the Rongchang piglet’s production performance and health were impaired at the start of the mild cold stress. However, as time passed, the body could progressively adapt to the low temperature, and Lactobacillus sp. participated in this process. This study provides new insight into how to alleviate health damage caused by cold stress.

This study aimed to determine the potential of Wallachian sheep in quantitative and qualitative indicators of milk production under extensive conditions of the Western Beskids mountains. Milk samples were collected from the group of 38 non-dairying sheep selected from the basic 120-head flock. Ewes were monitored during four control days (from 27^th April, the average 42^nd day of lactation to 4^th August, the average 142^nd day of lactation) to cover the whole lactation period. Ewes were investigated for their milk production and for milk quantity parameter. Milk quality indicators included percentage estimation of milk components (fat, protein, casein, lactose, dry matter), somatic cell count (10³ cells/ml), vitamin A and E content (mg/kg), and K, Mg, Ca, Zn, Cu (mg/kg) content. Milk production ranged from 1 017.37 g (early stage of lactation) to 416.87 g (late stage of lactation period). The milk contained high fat (6.06–8.44%) and protein (4.68–5.68%) percentages, low somatic cell count and favourable distribution of minerals and vitamins. In general, results of this study indicate a possibility for low-productive traditional grazing system with extensive sheep breeds not only for cultivating the area but also for the purpose of high nutritional food with beneficial aspect on human health.

Farms are key to agricultural advancement and carbon emission reduction. Understanding the influence of farm size on emissions is vital for eco-friendly farming. Our study used an econometric model with instrumental variable adjustments to examine the effect of farm size on greenhouse gas emissions, revealing an inverted U-shaped relationship. The findings revealed that emissions increased with farm size until a peak and then decreased. We identified an optimal farm size range (0.45 km² to 0.58 km²) for lower emissions, where the farm size maintaining the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per unit area was 0.58 km², while the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per capita occured at a farm size of 0.69 km². Reducing emissions intensity per unit area is easier than reducing GHG emissions per person. Policymakers should prioritise promoting the expansion to moderately sized farms as a means of achieving emission reduction targets rather than solely increasing the number of farms. Overall, these insights offer policymakers novel approaches for ecological farm planning and the transition toward a low-carbon agriculture sector.

How to encourage backers to increase investment and obtain more funds is an important issue for both initiators and platforms in reward-based crowdfunding. Based on the trust theory and the elaboration likelihood model (ELM), this study explores the impact of project information disclosure on the investment intensity of backers in agri-food crowdfunding. The results show that the initiator type, trademark registration, number of certificates, number of reward types, number of project updates, and number of comments had significant positive effects on backers’ investment intensity. Meanwhile, the investment threshold and lottery had a significantly negative impact on backers’ investment intensity. The number of backers played a mediating role in the relationship between independent variables and backers’ investment intensity. Based on the research conclusions, practical implications were proposed for initiators, crowdfunding platforms, and regulators.

Fungal pathogens Plasmopara viticola (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Berl. & De Toni (downy mildew) and Erysiphe necator Schwein. (powdery mildew) represent the biggest threats for grape growers worldwide. Under suitable conditions, these pathogens can spread very quickly through vineyards and cause significant damage. The most ecological way to reduce the possibility of infection in vineyards is growing interspecific genotypes which are able to suppress these pathogens and stop the spread of infection. With this in mind, 9 international and 11 Czech grapevine genotypes were analysed in order to genotype the resistance loci present in them. As a tool a set of SSR markers linked to known loci of resistance to downy and powdery mildew was used. Namely, presence of four loci responsible for resistance to Plasmopara viticola (Rpv3, Rpv4, Rpv7, and Rpv10) and two for Erysiphe necator (Ren3 and Ren9) loci were analysed with respective SSR markers. By this way the degree of resistance gene pyramiding was newly assessed in all analysed cultivars and their perspectives in grapevine breeding are discussed.

The influence of the developmental stage of zygotic embryos and the composition and pH of the Gamborg induction medium B5 on the initiation and development of somatic embryos was investigated. The optimal medium was B5 medium with a pH value of 5.0 and without plant growth regulator, at which the highest frequency of somatic embryogenesis (56.67%) and the highest average number of somatic embryos per explant (3.35) were achieved. Somatic embryos appeared directly on the hypocotyls of the explants, without the callus stage. On zygotic embryos in the early cotyledonary phase, three times higher regeneration was achieved compared to larger embryos in the cotyledonary phase. The induction of somatic embryogenesis did not occur during the growth of explants on the medium containinig 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, nor on zygotic embryos in the late cotyledonary phase. Random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis showed the genetic stability of somatic embryo-derived plants, which makes this newly established protocol suitable for the regeneration and propagation of desirable broccoli genotypes.

Changing political demands requires the search for alternatives to glyphosate, which has often been used in the stale seedbed method. In three field trials between 2020 and 2023, three electrophysical treatments (XPower System, Zasso®) differing in speed, three mechanical treatments (disc harrow, rotary harrow, cultivator) and three chemical treatments (glyphosate, maleic hydrazide, pelargonic acid + maleic hydrazide) were evaluated concerning the efficacy and economic performance in stale seedbed method in Alopecurus myosuroides control. Process costs for each treatment were calculated. Furthermore, the maximum investment costs for the XPower system were calculated to be on the same level as the other treatments. In all treatments, the density of A. myosuroides in autumn was significantly lower than in the control. In general, the fewest plants and heads were found in the chemical treatments. Despite the lower plant density, the electrophysical method did not show a significant difference in the number of heads compared to the untreated control, especially at higher speeds. Calculated process costs ranged between
40 €/ha (glyphosate) and 430 €/ha (pelargonic acid + maleic hydrazide). To be economically comparable with the other treatments, the investment of the XPower should be at maximum between – 219 000 € (glyphosate) and 300 000 € (pelargonic acid + maleic acid), depending on the driving speed. In a holistic view, electrophysical control, as well as pelargonic acid and maleic hydrazide as glyphosate alternatives in the stale seedbed method, are not suitable. A stale seedbed with mechanical control of A. myosuroides is recommended.

Long-term field experiments provide a valuable dataset for predicting changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in different agricultural systems. The RothC-26.3 model was used to simulate changes in SOC in the monoculture of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and the Norfolk crop rotation during 1972–2100. The potential of the Gleyic Fluvisol Clayic to sequester organic carbon was investigated. The studied soil was heavily textured, with medium organic carbon content. Four management scenarios in the monoculture and six management scenarios in the Norfolk crop rotation were evaluated. Three different global climate models (MPI, MRI, CMSS) representing the uncertainty of future climate conditions were used. Results showed that carbon stocks were mainly influenced by plant residue inputs and exogenous organic materials application. The projection showed trends of carbon stocks decreasing in the case of monoculture management. Results also documented that management scenario D with straw incorporation and intercrops represented sustainability and carbon stock increase during all modelled climate scenarios. The SOC stock at the end of the century was approximately 66 t/ha. This represents a moderate sequestration of SOC of approximately 0.09 t/ha/year.

Crop residue management and water saving are the two major issues for the sustainability of the rice-wheat cropping system. Therefore, a two-year field experiment was conducted in a split-plot design to study the combined effect of three rice residues (residue incorporation (RI), residue standing (RS) and residue removal (RR) and two wheat residue incorporation (WI) and residue removal (WR) management in main plots and two irrigation regimes, i.e., flood (F) and surface drip (SD) in subplots on the growth and water productivity of direct seeded rice (DSR). During both years, RI-WI resulted in significantly higher plant height (PH), leaf area index (LAI) and dry matter accumulation (DMA) than in other residue management treatments. Drip irrigation significantly increased PH, LAI, DMA grain yield, straw, and biological yield, along with a 9.6% irrigation water savings over flood irrigation. During both years, grain yield, straw and biological yield of DSR were significantly higher in RI-WI than in RR-WR and RR-WI. RI-WI had significantly greater apparent water productivity (AWP) and actual water productivity (RWP) of DSR. Drip irrigation had significantly higher AWP and RWP during both years than flood irrigation except RWP during 2017. Transpiration efficiency (TE) in rice residue incorporation was significantly higher than in rice residue standing and removal. During both years, the TE of drip irrigation was also significantly higher than flood irrigation. So, incorporating rice and wheat residues along with drip irrigation improves crop growth and water productivity.

The APETALA 2/ethylene response factors (AP2/ERFs) are considered essential in plant disease resistance responses. In this study, a novel eggplant AP2/ERF transcription factor gene, StPti5, was identified and functionally described from wild eggplant (Solanum torvum Sw.). The results of bioinformatics analysis show that StPti5 protein contains a DNA-binding AP2/ERF domain and shares high degree of amino acid similarity with the other known AP2/ERF domain. Subcellular localization assay shows that StPti5 protein was localized in the nucleus. Expression of StPti5 was induced by infection with Verticillium dahliae, ethylene, and methyl jasmonate. Analysis of expression patterns suggests that the function of StPti5 in resistance to Verticillium wilt was most closely linked to ethylene signaling. Overexpression of StPti5 in Arabidopsis thaliana could improve disease resistance to V. dahliae and activate genes linked to the ethylene signaling pathway. Studies on the A. thaliana defence response revealed that the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increased considerably following overexpression of StPti5. In summary, our analysis suggest that StPti5 gene is a functional gene that could improve eggplant's resistance to V. dahliae.

Glyoxal oxidase (GLOX, EC 1.2.3.15) is a class of hydrogen peroxide synthases involved in lignin degradation. Several GLOX genes of biotrophic and necrotrophic phytopathogenic fungi have been confirmed to contribute to fungal growth, development, and pathogenicity. However, the composition, sequence characteristics and functions of genes in the GLOX family of hemi-biotrophic phytopathogenic fungi remain poorly understood. This study identified a GLOX-encoding gene CsGLOX in the hemi-biotrophic phytopathogenic fungus Colletotrichum siamense by bioinformatics analysis and PCR cloning. The encoded protein contains a signal peptide and five cell wall stress-responsive component (WSC) domains at the N terminus, followed by a catalytic structural domain (AA5_1). CsGLOX-deficient mutants were constructed by homologous replacement, which significantly increased the formation of conidia and reduced the pathogenicity and the high-osmotic stress tolerance of the fungus. However, the deletions did not influence fungal filamentous growth. This study proposes that the CsGLOX gene is involved in pathogen conidial formation, pathogenicity, and osmotic stress response, which deepens our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of hemi-biotrophic phytopathogenic fungus C. siamense.

In this paper, empirical relationships between diameter at breast height (DBH), crown diameter (CD), and stem number per hectare (N) were improved in a Paulownia Shan Tong plantation. Various functions of these variables were defined, focusing on growing space (G_s) and stem number per hectare. The linear crown index between CD and DBH seems to be particularly important in predicting stem number per hectare. Based on an analysis of the relationships, a CD-DBH (R² = 0.7254) and a DBH-N graphic model (R² = 0.7302) can be applied widely in plantation forestry. Under suitable site conditions, the investigated Paulownia hybrid can provide a higher increment in DBH than most of poplar hybrids at a certain age. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between the G_s based on CD and DBH. These types of investigations are of fundamental importance in terms of the growing technology of tree plantations.

Deep placement of controlled-release urea is an effective fertiliser management strategy for improving the maize productivity, but it is not clear whether and how controlled-release urea depth affects the stem and root lodging of spring maize. Two consecutive years of field experiments were conducted to elucidate stem and root lodging properties and their relationship between grain yield and lodging behaviours under various controlled-release urea placement depths. Results depicted that compared to broadcast nitrogen treatment (D0), deep controlled-release urea significantly decreased the stem lodging rate by 34.7–80.4%, which contributed to improving the mechanical characteristics of the internode by optimising the internode diameter and dry matter in the third basal internode as well as higher lignin content. In addition, due to a greater and deeper root system (root dry weight, root surface area, root length and root width) as well as larger angle, diameter, and tension of aerial root that significantly decreased root lodging rate (37.0–88.4%). Furthermore, deep placement of controlled-release urea significantly increased the 100-grain weight, grain number and harvested index by constructing a deeper and larger root system, which significantly improved maize grain yield by 14.2–38.5%, and the nitrogen use efficiency increased by 4.8–10.7%. The highest grain yield, nitrogen use efficiency and lowest lodging rate occurred in controlled-release urea placement depths of 15 cm. Hence, our study suggests that controlled-release urea placement depths of 15 cm were an efficient nitrogen fertiliser management strategy to improve crop productivity as well as lodging resistance in spring maize.

A suitable irrigation pattern is of great significance for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, field experiments and a denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) model were used to study the global warming potential based on CH₄, N₂O and CO₂ fluxes under flooding irrigation and controlled irrigation in paddy fields in the Erhai Lake basin. The results showed that the average value of CH₄ flux under controlled irrigation was lower than that under flooding irrigation, with a reduction range of 43.21% to 48.88%, however, the average value of the N₂O and CO₂ fluxes from paddy field under controlled irrigation were higher than those under flooding irrigation. Controlled irrigation patterns can significantly reduce the global warming potential in paddy fields based on CH₄, N₂O and CO₂ fluxes. Controlled irrigation can effectively reduce the global warming potential per unit yield. For water management in the Erhai Lake basin, it is recommended the controlled irrigation treatment of soil moisture with an upper limit of 100% and a lower limit of 75–85% with irrigation, and a maximum surface water depth of 150–200 mm lasting for five days after precipitation from the jointing-booting stage to the milk stage.

Water deficit (drought) is an important environmental factor affecting physiological processes in plants. The present work focuses on the study of changes in physiological responses of juvenile plants (plants in the vegetative phase of growth BBCH 14–16) of selected sorghum genotypes Dokok, 30485, Barnard Red and Ruzrok to water deficit and after rehydration. Water deficit affected the observed physiological parameters – gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence. Genotypic differences were also confirmed, with Dokok appearing to be the more sensitive genotype and Ruzrok and Barnard Red appearing to be tolerant. Following rehydration, these parameters increased but did not reach the levels of the control plants. A significant decrease in photosynthetic rate (P_n), transpiration (E) and fluorescence compared to the control was found in the water-deficient variant twice for 10 days and 6 days between rehydration periods. Only in the variant where water deficit (14 days) was followed by irrigation (10 days) transpiration increased in genotype 30485. Chlorophyll fluorescence (F_v/F_m) also decreased significantly in this cultivar. The results suggest that a rehydration period of 14 days is insufficient to restore the photosynthetic functions of stressed sorghum plants.

In this study, the effects of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and humic acid (HA) chelate applied to soils contaminated with heavy metals on the development, antioxidant defence system, and phytoremediation of forage turnip (Brassica rapa L.) were investigated for the first. Three doses of EDTA (E1: 5 mmol/kg, E2: 10 mmol/kg, E3: 15 mmol/kg) and three doses of HA (HA1: 500 mg/kg, HA2: 1 000 mg/kg, HA3: 2 000 mg/kg) were applied to soils contaminated with heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cr) in the pot. According to experiment results, HA application as chelate to the polluted soil caused a significant increase in the growth of forage turnip. Phytoremediation values of the plant for Cd heavy metal were found to be BCFshoot, BCFroot > 1, and translocation factor > 1. This result proved that forage turnip has Cd accumulating properties. Also, HA application caused a decrease in H2O2 (46%) and malondialdehyde (6%) levels and antioxidative enzyme activity in polluted soil. It has been concluded that humic acid improves the oxidative stress conditions in the plant and is more effective in the development and growth of the plant than EDTA, so that it can be used effectively in phytoremediation studies.