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Pinus pseudostrobus Lindl. is a species endemic to Mexico and is widely used in reforestation programmes, as it is highly adapted to poor, shallow, limestone soils and has high commercial importance. However, it is necessary to preserve this genetic material since it is in trouble due to high rates of deforestation, land use change, and forest fires, so it is necessary to have effective strategies to obtain good quality seedlings. Due to the properties of LED (light emitting diode) lamps used for illumination in the production of in vitro plants, the effects of two different lighting systems (LED and fluorescent) on an in vitro culture were analysed for the morphological characteristics of the growth and photosynthetic pigment content in P. pseudostrobus seedlings. The length and root size of the seedlings were affected by the type of illumination, where a red LED light was the most effective at 30 days of evaluation. However, a blue LED light was equally effective as a red LED light at 60 days of seedling development. On the other hand, the fluorescent light was better in terms of the number of needles in the first stage, but we found the blue LED light to be better in the second stage. For the photosynthetic pigment content, the highest values were found with the blue LED light. The results showed that the LED lighting system favours the growth, development, and photosynthetic pigment content of the species under study.

The extremely dynamic development of calamities caused by the effects of global climate change followed by the spread of under-bark insect pests mainly in coniferous stands and the ongoing incidental felling have raised concerns in the woodworking industry about the developments in the source material with respect to ensuring production in a short-term view. Since the overall standing stock in spruce stands of all age classes in the Czech Republic amounts to 399.6 million m³ (2017-2026) and the theoretical outlook of the logging potential based on the percentage of logging accounts for 112.62 million m³ (2017-2026), the concerns might be deemed justified. The article presents an updated view of the current situation based on official statistics and offers an analytic prediction of the possible development, considering the possible consequences, even in the production of the forestry sector. The statistical data on the current situation have been compiled for the last two decades of development. The results show that with a continued high rate of bark beetle calamities, assuming a total annual cutting with a permanent limitation on the planned harvests of more than 30 million m³, the complete stands of spruce from age class 5 onwards could be harvested in approximately 14-16 years.

Current efforts are focused on the search for efficient methods of pathogen management that will not result in damage to the environment or cause an imbalance in the existing biota. One of the strategies for this is the use of nanoparticles in agriculture for disease management. This review presents a summative view on the various applications of nanoparticles in conferring disease resistance to crops and the possibility of using nanoparticles as carriers of genetic material for the generation of disease resistant crops. Nanoparticles are directly being used for the control of pathogens. Nanoparticles have been used as antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial agents. The nano-encapsulation of pesticides in controlled release matrices is one of the most promising research areas for the future. Nano-encapsulation has been shown to increase the efficiency of pesticides, reduce their volatilisation and decrease the toxicity and environmental contamination in crops. Nano-encapsulated agrochemicals or biomolecules can be engineered to be released in a controlled manner and in a target-specific location. Nanoparticles also have great scope in the field of transgenics vis-à-vis pathogen resistance. The field of agriculture can be revolutionised by the use of nanoparticles for imparting disease resistance in crops. The field is so versatile that the possibilities are endless.

The aim of the study was to determine the influence of herbicide application with biostimulants on total glycoalkaloid (TGA) content in potato leaves and tubers. The study was based on a two-factor field experiment established in a split-plot arrangement in three replications. The factors were as follows: factor I - two cultivars of edible potato - Oberon and Malaga; factor II - five methods of using herbicide and biostimulants: 1. control object; 2. herbicide clomazone + metribuzin (Avatar 293 ZC); 3. herbicide clomazone + metribuzin and biostimulant PlonoStart; 4. herbicide clomazone + metribuzin and biostimulant Aminoplant; 5. herbicide clomazone + metribuzin and biostimulant Agro-Sorb Folium. The herbicide clomazone + metribuzin significantly increased the concentration of glycoalkaloids in potato leaves, and the herbicide used together with the biostimulant Aminoplant significantly reduced the content of TGA in potato leaves compared to the control. The herbicide whether applied with the biostimulants (PlonoStart, Aminoplant, Agro-Sorb Folium) contributed to a reduction in the concentration of glycoalkaloids in tubers compared to the control. Leaves and tubers of the cultivar Malaga were characterised by a significantly lower TGA content than the cultivar Oberon.

With the need to obtain new methods to protect seed material from Ditylenchus dipsaci (Kühn, 1857) nematodes, a study was conducted to evaluate the nematicidal effects of several plants' essential oils on the mortality of D. dipsaci. Tests were performed under in vitro conditions; a concentration of 2 000 ppm was tested, nematodes were added into diluted oils, and numbers of living/dead nematodes were scored after 4 and 24 h. The results show a significant effect of several plant essential oils on D. dipsaci mortality, with the highest efficacy found for oil from Cinnamomum cassia ((L.) J. Presl), with 100% mortality observed even after 4 h.

Soil and water losses in purple soil area is becoming an increasingly severe problem, bringing enormous challenges to environmental protection in rural areas. In this study, simulated rainfall experiments were conducted to analyse the effects of rainfall and the slope conditions on the soil and water loss. Purple soil from a typical slope in the Beibei District of Chongqing was selected as the experimental soil. Twenty rainfall scenarios with varying rainfall intensities and slope conditions were created in the simulation. The results indicate that the runoff initiation time shortened with an increased rainfall intensity and slope gradient. There was a logarithmic relationship between the effect of the rainfall amount on both the runoff intensity and sediment yield intensity. Generally, both the runoff and sediment yield showed a positive linear relationship with the rainfall intensity under different slope gradient conditions. In terms of the same rainfall intensity, both the runoff intensity and sediment yield intensity increased with the slope. Furthermore, a critical slope gradient for the soil and water loss was found between 20° and 25°. This study aimed to provide a reference for soil and water conservation research in a purple soil area.

Influenza is a serious infectious disease, which is life-threatening especially in children, seniors and immunocompromised patients. In addition to vaccination, the development of new anti-influenza agents represents a crucial defence strategy to combat seasonal and pandemic influenza strains. At present most attention is paid to the development of inhibitors of influenza neuraminidase, which has been established as a key drug target for the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza infections. However, the emergence of drug-resistant influenza variants highlights the need of continuously innovative strategies for the development of new drugs with improved antiviral effects, higher safety and increased tolerability. In this review article, an analysis of publications describing anti-influenza agents indexed in the Web of Science^® database has been carried out. The most important publications are presented in tables and are characterised by several key words, abstracts and references. The presented publications have been sorted according to five basic criteria: (i) review articles, (ii) design, synthesis and evaluation of new anti-influenza drugs, (iii) major classes of anti-influenza drugs, (iv) combination therapy of influenza infections and (v) influenza drug resistance. The design of this review article allows us to offer a complex overview of known antiviral agents targeting influenza viruses, facilitates easy and rapid orientation in numerous publications written on this subject, and aids the gathering of required data.

Capparis spinosa is cultivated for several proprieties and the different parts of the plant (flower buds, fruits, leaf and seeds) have been employed in drugs, foods and cosmetics. This study aimed to explore the antioxidant potential effect and to assess the anthelmintic efficacy of an aqueous extract of Capparis spinosa. In vitro antioxidant activity of aqueous extracts from the fresh leaves and flower buds of C. spinosa was measured by determining free radical-scavenging activity against DPPH and ABTS radical cations. In vitro anthelmintic activities against eggs and adult worms of Haemonchus contortus from sheep were investigated in comparison to albendazole. DPPH and ABTS activities of both aqueous extracts increased in a dose dependent manner. The IC₅₀ values of aqueous extracts from fresh leaves, flowers buds and ascorbic acid in the DPPH radical scavenging assay were 101.40; 70.40 and 57.56 μg/ml, respectively. The IC₅₀ values of aqueous extracts fresh leaves, flowers buds and ascorbic acid in the ABTS radical scavenging assay were 110; 87.89 and 58.17 μg/ml, respectively. Both plant extracts showed ovicidal activity at all tested concentrations. The aqueous extract from flower buds (IC₅₀ = 2.76 mg/ml) showed higher inhibitory effects (P < 0.05) than aqueous extract from leaves (IC₅₀ = 8.54 mg/ml) in the egg hatching assay. The aqueous extract from flower buds inhibited more worms than the aqueous extract from leaves at all tested concentrations. After 6 h of exposure, the highest tested concentrations of aqueous extracts from flower buds and leaves induced 100 and 41.66% inhibition of motility, respectively. These results show for the first time that C. spinosa possesses in vitro anthelmintic properties which may be related to its high content of phenolic compounds such as flavonoids and tannins.

Oedema disease of weaned piglets is caused by shigatoxigenic Escherichia coli (STEC), typically harbouring the stx2e gene and F18 adhesins. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a commercially available oedema disease vaccine on the zootechnical performance, mortality and individual antibiotic treatment in a herd, in which non-typical STEC strains without F18 adhesin have been identified. The zootechnical performance (average daily gain, total weight gain), mortality and individual antibiotic treatment were compared between vaccinated and non-vaccinated control piglets in a monocentric field efficacy study, which was performed using two groups in a parallel, randomised design. A significantly higher average daily gain and total weight gain were recorded in the vaccinated piglets in comparison to the controls. The lower morbidity, mortality and antibiotic treatment in piglets in the vaccine group were not statistically significant. As a conclusion, the positive effect of the vaccination was confirmed in the herd with prevalent STEC not harbouring F18 adhesin. The vaccine was, therefore, also effective against oedema disease caused by such unusual STEC isolates, under the conditions of this study.

The study aimed to assess the effects of a therapeutic bath of five different antiparasitic drugs, in different baths and durations: fenbendazole (25 mg l^-1, 12 h and 2 × 12 h), formaldehyde (0.17 ml l^-1, 15 min), ivermectin (0.031 mg l^-1, 1 h), mebendazole (1 mg l^-1, 12 h) and levamisole (50 mg l^-1, 2 h and 3 × 1 h) on the reduction on the intensity and prevalence of a monogenean infection (Dactylogyrus anchoratus) in juvenile carp. The best effect on reducing the parasite number was achieved with the bath in formaldehyde (0.17 ml l^-1, 15 min) and fenbendazole (25 mg l^-1, 2 × 12 h with 24 h break), where the infection was reduced by more than 90%. Registered veterinary medicinal products (VMPs) with the active substance of fenbendazole can successfully replace the use of unregistered formaldehyde in the treatment of monogenean infections.

The characterisation of agricultural activity depends on what firms produce. In this article, we introduce the importance of the vegetative cycle in the prediction of bankruptcy of agricultural firms, analysing the financial ratios proposed by the classical models of Altman (1983), Ohlson (1980) and Zmijewski (1984). We consider a total of 2 228 Portuguese firms, with 83 failing between 2015 and 2019. The findings confirm that the differences between healthy and bankrupt firms depend on their vegetative cycle. Although predictors based on liquidity are helpful only in predicting the bankruptcy of non-perennial crop firms, activity predictors are better in identifying healthy perennial crop firms. In addition, we show substantial statistical differences in terms of liquidity and profitability, but only in healthy firms. The results encourage the topic of the vegetative cycle to be more present in the construction of more accurate bankruptcy prediction models.

Competitiveness is one of the key concepts in economic sciences, andit is defined as the ability of businesses to compete in the market. The aim of this study was to assess the competitiveness of dairy products in Poland. The competitiveness was evaluated in a macroeconomic approach by analysing the exports, imports, and the trade balance. The results were processed and presented with the use of tabular, graphic, and descriptive methods. After Poland joined the European Union (EU) in 2004, one of the key goals was to improve the quality, storage, and applicability of dairy products, and to promote trade in milk and dairy products. The Polish dairy industry reported a positive balance in the foreign trade of milk and dairy products, which contributed to positive values in the competitiveness indicators of dairy products. The values of the export specialisation index (SI), export revealed comparative advantage (XRCA), relative import penetration index (MRCA), foreign trade coverage ratio (CRK), and the Grubel-Lloyd intra-industry trade index (IITk) were positive, which attests to the competitiveness of Polish dairy products. We proved that the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the competitiveness of dairy enterprises in Poland.

In a contemporary globalised world, assuring food security in the conditions of developing a food self-sufficient economic structure represents not only a challenge in terms of the changing agricultural paradigm, but also an important instrument in assuring, in a long-term manner, societal resilience. However, while achieving self-sufficiency in food, China still faces challenges in terms of establishing sustainable food security and transitioning to a zero hunger state. Rapid economic growth and urbanisation have resulted in shifting food consumption patterns from crops towards more nutritious meat and dairy products and higher-qualitative imported foods. In this study, the current state of food security and production and trade in food and agricultural products in China during 2000-2020 have been analysed and an overview of the strategic directions of the domestic sustainable development, food security, and zero hunger policies are highlighted. The main aim of the study is dedicated to identifying the critical shortcomings and gaps in combating hunger and food insecurity in China and proposing policy recommendations regarding improving the stability of the food supply in the country and deigning new possible strategies to achieve it. The results highlight the major trends and shifts of the food security paradigm in the process of developing a food self-sufficient economy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate population parameters and to describe the genetic variability in the Lipizzan horse populations from stud farms in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) and Serbia (SRB), reported for the first time in the literature. Pedigree data were collected from the national studbooks. Pedigree data for 2 521 horses were used in the analysis, for a reference population covering live animals in the current population. The average generation interval was 10.78 ± 0.36 (BH) and 12.12 ± 0.59 (SRB) years. The equivalent complete generations ranged from 5.49 (BH) to 14.86 (SRB). The average inbreeding values were 3.96 (BH) and 2.12 (SRB), whereas the average relatedness values were 9.24 (BH) and 4.13 (SRB). Values for f_e, f_a, f_g and the f_e/f_a ratio were 21, 12, 6.031 and 1.75 in BH Lipizzan horses, and 79, 20, 9.766 and 3.95 in SRB Lipizzan horses. The number of ancestors explaining 50% of genetic diversity in the BH and SRB reference populations was five and eight, respectively. The effective population sizes obtained from regression on the birth dates were 43.67 (BH) and 211.78 (SRB). The investigated genetic variability parameters were higher in the SRB Lipizzan population than in the BH population. The results of pedigree and genetic structure research indicate the need for a comprehensive approach to monitoring to improve future breeding and genetic diversity in the BH and SRB Lipizzan populations.

Acetyl-coenzyme A (CoA) is a key metabolite produced by the acetyl-CoA synthetase (ACS) gene in energy metabolism and biosynthetic pathways. ACS is speculated to be the branching site of monacolin K (MK) and citrinin production and related to the metabolite production of Monascus. In this study, the ACS expression was inhibited by ribonucleic acid interference (RNAi). T7 was selected for a follow-up analysis of the lowest ACS expression, which was 0.401 times higher than that of the wild-type strain. The effects on the colony morphology of Monascus were determined. The morphological characteristics of mycelia and spores were observed under a scanning electron microscope. The contents of secondary metabolites, namely, MK and citrinin, were determined through high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Colour values were measured with a spectrophotometer. Results showed that the low ACS expression could inhibit the growth of Monascus colonies and the hypha and affect the formation and morphology of Monascus M1 spores. It could also inhibit the production of the main secondary metabolites, namely, MK, citrinin, and pigment.

To meet rapid and non-destructive identification of selenium-enriched agricultural products selenium-enriched millet and ordinary millet were taken as objects. Image regions of interest (ROI) were selected to extract the spectral average value based on hyperspectral imaging technology. Reducing noise by the Savitzky-Golay (SG) smoothing algorithm, variables were used as inputs that were screened by successive projections algorithm (SPA), competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS), uninformative variable elimination (UVE), CARS-SPA, UVE-SPA, and UVE-CARS, while sample variables were used as outputs to build support vector machine (SVM) models. The results showed that the accuracy of CARS-SPA-SVM was 100% in the training set and 99.58% in the test set equivalent to that of CARS-SVM and UVE-CARS-SVM, which was higher than that of SPA-SVM, UVE-SPA-SVM, and UVE-SVM. Therefore, the method of CARS-SPA had superiority, and CARS-SPA-SVM was suitable to identify selenium-enriched millet. Finally, 454.57 nm, 484.98 nm, 885.34 nm, and 937.1 nm, which were obtained by wavelength extraction algorithms, were considered as the sensitive wavelengths of selenium information. This study provided a reference for the identification of selenium-enriched agricultural products.

This study aimed to produce yogurt with Ganoderma lucidum residues and selected probiotic bacteria. To select the most potent GABA-producing strain (GABA - γ-aminobutyric acid), nine probiotic bacteria were subjected to the glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity assay. Limosilactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 was selected and used in preparing fresh yogurts, with and without supplementation of Ganoderma residues obtained after water extraction [GW (Ganoderma waste) 2% (w/v)]. A decrease in pH during fermentation and the occurrence of syneresis were investigated. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) viability and anti-Escherichia activity were estimated. Further, the cytotoxic effect of yogurt extracts on the human colon cancer cell line (HCT116) was surveyed. Besides functionality, the sensory attributes were evaluated. The pH values did not significantly change with the GW addition while increasing the LAB counts [up to 9.76 ± 0.11 log colony-forming units (CFU) mL^-1] and the cytotoxic effect on HCT116 cells. Yogurt produced with selected bacteria and GW had the most valuable anti-coli effect against E. coli 0157: H7 and E. coli ATCC 35218 (American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Maryland) (4.81 ± 0.62 and 5.64 ± 0.29 CFU mL^-1, respectively). Although the added GW increased the yogurt functionality, it had a slightly negative effect on the taste and texture of the partially modified recipe. Yogurts fortified with GABA-producing strain and GW could potentially reduce relapse rates of depressive disorders.

Sustainable global wheat production requires wheat varieties, that are sufficiently resistant to the main wheat diseases. The economically important fungal pathogens worldwide include powdery mildew (PM), yellow rust (YR), leaf rust (LR) and blotch causing pathogens including Septoria nodorum blotch (SNB) and Septoria tritici blotch (STB). Here, we present the evaluation of winter wheat varieties of diverse origin against the prevalent local populations of PM, YR, LR, STB and SNB under natural infection conditions through image-based phenotyping in two consecutive years (2019 and 2020). We found several varieties to be resistant against multiple diseases. Following the association mapping, we obtained a total of 206 marker trait associations for all the parameters scored which were condensed to 79 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) (eight QTLs for PM, 25 QTLs for LR, 11 QTLs for YR, 19 QTLs for SNB and eight QTLs for STB) based on the linkage disequilibrium among the molecular markers. The known genes present at these QTLs are discussed in detail. The varieties resistant to multiple diseases, identified with the QTLs and molecular markers can be considered as elite raw material for future wheat breeding.

Juglans pyriformis Liebm. (Juglandaceae) is a threatened and endemic tree that grows in the cloud forest of Mexico. Natural populations of this species have been reduced due to, among others, changes in land use, overexploitation, and logging, with probable effects on its genetic diversity and structure. To determine the levels of variation and genetic structure of two populations with different silvicultural regimes, six inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) primers were used to amplify DNA from 35 individuals from a high-logging population and 32 from a low-logging population. The results show a higher polymorphism in the low-logging population (81.5%) compared to the high-logging population (77.4%). The genetic differentiation coefficient (PhiPT) values (0.109), genetic distance (0.134) and STRUCTURE analysis (Fst = 0.2271, P = 0.04) show significant genetic differentiation between populations. Rare, private, and monomorphic bands were detected in both populations. These results confirm the trend of reduced genetic variation due to logging.

Exogenous carbon (C) not only regulates plant growth but also provides energy for microbes and improves the soil environment. We hypothesised that exogenous C could improve plant growth by affecting the soil environment. Therefore, pot experiments were conducted and peanut cvs. Huayu 22(H) and NN-1(B) were used under three different treatments (the control, single nitrogen (N), and N combined with glucose (CN)). The results showed that the abundance and diversity of N-fixing bacteria are obviously influenced by the C and N, and exogenous C can promote the restoration of microbial diversity. The relative abundances of Burkholderiales were increased under HCN and BCN to 9.8% and 9.5%, respectively, compared to the control (3.9%, 2.5%). The abundance of N fixation bacteria increased mainly due to the soil nutrient change. In comparison with the single N treatment, the addition of the C significantly decreased the soil NH4+-N and NO3--N contents by 31.0% and 13.3%, respectively. And the activities of soil urease and nitrogenase were significantly increased. Compared to the control, single N significantly limited the root development, while the addition of C played a promoting role in root growth. Plant N accumulation increased compared with the control, but there was no significant difference between N treatment and CN treatment. These results indicated that exogenous C promoted soil microorganism activity and strengthened plant growth by changing the soil environment.

The effect of soil selenate application to two different soils (Phaeozem and Cambisol) on biomass yield and selenium (Se) uptake by spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was investigated in a pot experiment. Additionally, organic amendment (fugate, i.e. liquid by-product from the biogas plant) was applied to assess (i) the effect of organic matter on the bioavailability of Se and (ii) the fugate (containing 2.3 mg/kg of Se) as a potential source of Se for plants. Selenium was applied at two levels: 6.4 µg/kg (Se1) and 32 µg/kg (Se2) of soil. The efficiency of biofortification and the distribution of selenium within individual plant compartments were assessed in this case. The highest Se contents in the grain were achieved in the treatments receiving NPK fertiliser together with selenate, 455 µg/kg (Se1) and 2 721 µg/kg (Se2) when wheat was planted in Phaeozem. Fugate in co-application with selenate significantly reduced Se content in wheat plants as compared to treatments enriched solely with selenate. The lower Se contents in the wheat plants growing in Phaeozem were due to the biodilution effect, whereas in Cambisol, the decrease in wheat Se uptake was not clearly driven by a particular factor.

The purpose of this research is  to design a rounding cylinder tube on a coffee roaster using an electric heating element that will be used to roast coffee. The roasting process also uses an electric motor to rotate the cylindrical drum so that the stirring process becomes even. The research was conducted using engineering methods including identification of problems, roasting machine design formulation, prototyping, functional testing, and performance testing. The data analysed are roasting capacity, roasting temperature and the need for electrical energy used. The results showed that the roasting capacity was 2.3 kg·h^–1. The serving of coffee for dark roast maturity levels can be ended when the temperature has reached a temperature of 201 °C. The need for electrical energy in the heater for roasting arabica coffee beans with a maturity level of  a dark roast for 1 hour 54 minutes obtained an average value of 3.4 kWh, with the need for electrical energy for roasting arabica coffee beans which is 1.35 kWh.

This study investigated an adenovirus infection in two consecutive breeding flocks in the same poultry hall. Thirty-six thousand one-day-old chickens of the ROSS 308 hybrid broiler type were kept together in one hall. The chickens in the first breeding flock during fattening did not show any clinical signs of the disease or increased mortality. Typical clinical signs of the adenovirus infection were seen in the second breeding flock. The signs included: depression, apathy, somnolence, a crouched position with a droopy head, fuzzy feathers, anaemic combs and wattles, sporadic nervous signs, and reduced weight gain. Increased mortality was recorded from 18 to 25 days of age, the higher mortality rate resulted from dehydration and exhaustion. The surviving chickens showed growth slightly below average by the end of the fattening period. The necropsies of the chickens in the first flock showed characteristic lesions for inclusion body hepatitis (IBH). Adenoviral gizzard erosions (AGE) were found mainly in the chickens of the second consecutive breeding flock. In both breeding flocks, FAdV-A was detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the liver and gizzard samples. The presence of fowl adenovirus B was not confirmed in the evaluated samples. The results showed lesions in the first flock typical for IBH, whereas the pathological changes in the second flock were characteristic of AGE.

If appropriately applied, tillage can positively affect the crop’s yield by enhancing the soil’s physical properties. Fertilisation also has beneficial effects on yield if applied at efficient rates by increasing available-to-uptake nutrients and improving soil’s chemical properties. A field experiment was carried out in Debrecen, Hungary, to evaluate the individual and the interaction effects of these 2 factors on sunflower and sweet corn. The cultivation methods applied were ploughing (C1), direct drilling (C2) and deep loosening (C3). In addition, 3 fertilisation rates were applied to each cultivation system: F1 (control, no fertilisation); F2 (100 : 50 : 70) kg NPK/ha and F3 (150 : 100 : 120) kg NPK/ha in a randomised complete block design (RCBD) with 4 replicates. Our results showed that fertilisation did not affect the yield of sweet corn measurably. However, C1 resulted in the highest yield, whereas C2 and C3 resulted in relatively similar yields. In sunflowers, the yields of both C1 and C2 were higher than that of C3. No significant differences were recorded between C1 and C2. The yields of both F2 and F3 were higher than the yield of F1. The differences between F2 and F3 were insignificant. It could be concluded that the cultivation method is a determining factor in the yield of sweet corn. The effects of both fertilisation and cultivation treatments were more detectable in sunflowers. The differences between the two fertilisation rates (F2 and F3) were insignificant in both species, indicating that the extra fertilisation levels might be unnecessary.

The effect of drip irrigation on the origin and size fraction of soil organic carbon was studied in the soils of an apple orchard (Malus domestica Borkh.) on hilly (20%) terrain in northeastern Slovenia in three slope positions (upslope, midslope and downslope), comparing irrigated with non-irrigated soils. Physical fractionation of soil organic carbon was performed on three soil layers (0–0.05, 0.05–0.15 and 0.15–0.30 m) in three size fractions: fraction A (> 0.0002 m), fraction B (0.0002‒0.00005 m) and fraction C (< 0.00005 m). Fraction A was the richest in soil organic carbon (7.7%), but fraction C was the dominant fraction in the total soil volume (86‒92%), making it the largest source of soil organic carbon (73%). The δ¹³C signature was performed to determine the existence of two different types (origins) of soil organic carbon: fresh and sedimentary. Fresh organic carbon dominates in the A fraction, while sedimentary organic carbon dominates in the C fraction and may contribute to higher structural stability, besides higher carbonates in the finest fraction. Irrigation mainly contributes to the higher stock of soil organic carbon (predominantly fresh and less sedimentary) in the coarse A fraction (21.14 t/ha in irrigated and 14.17 t/ha in non-irrigated soils).

In this study, the drying of bitter gourd slices with a halogen dryer was done at different thicknesses of bitter gourd (3, 5, and 7 mm) and temperatures (60, 65, and 70 °C). The effect of varying drying characteristics in the experiment was explored. Experimental results were evaluated based on the drying time and moisture content. The results indicate that the material drying thickness and drying temperature significantly impact the drying time and the equilibrium moisture content. Furthermore, the Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) model is also used to train and predict the moisture content of bitter gourd in this research. The temperature, thickness of the bitter gourd, and drying time were used as input parameters for the model. Two measures R² and Root Mean Ssquare Error (RMSE) were used to determine the accuracy of the trained MARS model. During training, the values of R² and RMSE obtained were 0.9846 and 3.7324, respectively. The test of trained MARS was successful, with a satisfactory correlation between experimental data points and predicted points. The results show that MARS can accurately predict the moisture content of bitter gourd in a halogen dryer.