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A continuous long-term field experiment (2008-2018) was conducted in Xinjiang, north-western China, to assess the impact of farmyard manure (FYM) and inorganic fertilisers on the sustainable biomass yield of sweet sorghum cultivar (Xingaoliang No. 3) and soil chemical properties. Seven treatments, associated with nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), FYM, and their different combination, were compared with the control plot (CK). As a result, the treatments NP, PK, NK, NPK and NPKM significantly increased the average biomass yields by 30-48% over CK. The 12 t/ha FYM per year with NPK (NPKM) increased both the yield and total soluble solids (T_SS) by 48% and 7.9%, respectively, while the 18 t/ha/year application rate of FYM had an adverse effect on yield. Stem T_SS, soil available N and K for all treatments decreased while soil organic carbon, soil total salt and the available P for FYM applied treatments increased over the years. The soil pH stabilised at 7.8-8.2 at the end. In conclusion, the 12 t/ha/year of FYM is the most efficient rate for a single application or incorporation with inorganic fertilisers. A more reasonable application rate of N and K fertiliser to increase the yield and irrigation rate to reduce soil salt needs for further investigation.

Maintaining nitrogen (N) balance and inhibiting N leaching loss in the soil-crop system is crucial to maintaining yield and reducing the environmental pollution. This study investigated the effects of soil NO₃^--N content and accumulation, eggplant yield, N leaching and balance response to biochar addition, including regular fertilisation and irrigation (W + F), biochar addition with regular fertilisation and irrigation (W + F + B), and biochar addition with 20% fertilisation and irrigation reduction (0.8W + 0.8F + B) treatments. Compared with W + F, W + F + B and 0.8W + 0.8F + B increased soil NO₃^--N content in 0-40 cm and soil NO₃^--N accumulation in 0-20 cm, and raised harvest index, N surplus and balance. Simultaneously, 0.8W + 0.8F + B compared to W + F enhanced N use efficiency and N partial factor productivity, conversely, it decreased N dry matter production efficiency, N surplus and balance. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that the effect of NO₃^--N leaching lasted in 60 cm under biochar addition in the first year, and lasted in 20 cm without biochar application in the next year. Altogether, biochar addition with 20% fertilisation and irrigation reduction is the most suitable management strategy to decrease N surplus and leaching, and maintain eggplant N uptake in a two-year cycle system on greenhouse vegetables in Mollisols.

This study aims to explore the effect of phosphorus (P) application on the economic yield, quality, P accumulation, and P utilisation efficiency of purple-fleshed sweetpotato and to provide a basis for the P efficient utilisation and high crop yield. Field experiments were conducted in 2018-2019, and five P application rates (0, 10.9, 21.8, 32.7, and 43.6 kg P/ha, expressed as P0, P1, P2, P3, and P4, respectively) were set. The results showed that P application significantly increased the yield and commodity potato yield of purple-fleshed sweetpotato, and that of P3 treatment was the highest, followed by P2 treatment. P application also increased the starch content in the storage root and increased the reducing sugar and soluble sugar (except for P2 treatment). P fertiliser supply significantly increased P accumulation and dry matter production of purple-fleshed sweetpotato during the growth period of 90 to 120 days. When the P application rate was over 21.8 kg/ha, the fertiliser investment rate, apparent P utilisation efficiency and P agronomic efficiency decreased with the increase of the application rate. Considering all the indexes, the supply of 21.8 kg/ha P fertiliser can meet the demand for high economic yield and P efficient utilisation in purple-fleshed type sweetpotato under the condition of this experiment.

In this study, Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, an iron (Fe)-reducing bacterium, was inoculated to a red soil, which was then incubated. Soil samples were taken regularly to analyse the variation of iron oxides and phosphorus (P) fractions. The results showed that the MR-1 inoculation increased the content of the free iron oxides, but decreased the activity of the iron oxides in the soil, and had no significant influence on the amorphous iron oxides. The MR-1 inoculation increased the resin-P and residual-P, decreased the NaHCO₃-extracted inorganic P (NaHCO₃-P_i) and NaOH-extracted inorganic P (NaOH-P_i), but did not significantly influence the diluted HCl-extracted inorganic P (D.HCl-P_i) and concentrated HCl-extracted inorganic P (C.HCl-P_i). The presence of MR-1 influenced the correlation between the free iron oxides and NaOH-P_i. In the CK where deactivated MR-1 was applied, there was a significant positive correlation between the free iron oxides and the NaOH-P_i; in the treatment with the live MR-1 inoculation, there was no correlation between them. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between the free iron oxides and the C.HCl-P_i, and there was a significant negative correlation between the NaHCO₃-P_i, resin-P, and residual-P. Therefore, the MR-1 inoculation improved the P availability by decreasing the activity of the iron oxides and consequently improved the P use efficiency in the red soil.

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 cypress jewel beetle Lamprodila (Palmar) festiva is a wood-boring pest posing a major threat to the phytosanitary conditions of several coniferous trees. Its unprecedented European expansion has triggered serious plant protection concerns in several new habitats. Parts of Chamaecyparis lawsoniana injured by L. festiva were collected and analysed by computed tomography in order to study the dimensions of the cavities caused by L. festiva larvae as well as the larval positions. It is concluded that computer tomography representing a non-invasive approach is a promising tool for the visual depiction of the position and the physical parameters of the cavities formed. According to our experimental data, the penetration into the cypress caused by larvae and, inherently, its depth depends on the diameter of the branch. Additionally, the developing larvae appeared to keep distance from each other, which also depended on the diameter of the attacked branch. Our approach provides new data to the biological traits of the species. The main benefit that our imaging method furnishes is the exact, stress-free measurement method of the hidden developing stages. Its additional advantage is the indirect pest identification, which is based on the predetermined pest-specific damage characters.

The present investigation was an attempt to compare the phytoceutic potential of ginger rhizome and ginger leaves of the Suravi variety. For this purpose, both rhizome and leaves were dried and used for the preparation of patties. After that, patties were assessed for colour tonality, texture, total phenolic content and hedonic response such as colour, taste, flavour, texture and overall acceptability. The results depicted that L* and b* values changed significantly during the storage interval; however, b* value was also affected by treatments whilst L* and a* values did not impart any momentous effect. For texture, the highest value was observed for patties with ginger rhizome powder (0.067 ± 0.0032 N) followed by patties with ginger leaf powder (0.060 ± 0.0029 N) and then control patties (0.057 ± 0.0026 N). For total phenolic content (TPC), maximum phenolic contents were observed as 84.80 ± 3.31 mg GAE 100 g^-1 in treatment T₂ followed by 75.68 ± 2.95 mg GAE 100 g^-1 in T₁ and 61.70 ± 2.41 mg GAE 100 g^-1 in T₀. For hedonic response, all the parameters changed significantly during the storage interval; however, flavour, taste and overall acceptability changed momentously with treatments. The findings of the current investigation demonstrated that ginger leaves have a higher antioxidant potential as compared to the ginger rhizome and control patties, and they should be incorporated into food products.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the changes in the motility and kinetic patterns of canine spermatozoa, capacitated and decapacitated, after the addition of seminal plasma protein fractions with different molecular weight. It has been proposed that proteins in seminal plasma support the survival of the spermatozoa and exert a dual effect: capacitation and decapacitation. The seminal plasma from fresh ejaculates was subjected to chromatographic separation and four protein fractions were obtained. Computer-assisted sperm analysis was used to determine the sperm subpopulations with specific motion and kinetic characteristics after incubation with each of the four protein fractions. Two-dimensional electrophoresis of the fractions that exhibit a significant effect on the capacitation and decapacitation was performed. By sperm class analyser, capacitation changes were observed in the sperm subpopulation with a high curvilinear velocity and amplitude of lateral head displacement incubated with the seminal plasma protein fraction with a high molecular weight, which was also reflected in the decreased linearity, straightness, and progressive motility. The sperm subpopulation incubated with the seminal plasma protein fraction with a low molecular weight seemed to undergo a process of decapacitation (decreasing of the curvilinear velocity, increasing of the linearity, straightness and showing progressive motility). Despite their ample panorama of actions, the role of seminal plasma proteins regarding capacitation and decapacitation is still undetermined.

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.

Afforestation is important for the EU forest management strategy. Afforestation of abandoned and marginal arable land is a favourable non-agricultural land use option for climate change mitigation. It may prevent threats of drought or erosion e.g. by affecting the water balance in soil via increased structural stability. The structural stability control in afforested soil is related to i.a. organic matter content, nutrient content, soil reaction, planted tree species prosperity, and amelioration. A four-year field small-plot experiment on afforestation was carried out with Chernozem covered with deciduous (oak), coniferous (pine) or mixed planting, amended with 3 doses (no-application, 0.5 kg×m^-2, and 1.5 kg×m^-2) of alginite. In 2013 and 2016, soil reaction pH_H2O, mean weight diameter (MWD), organic matter content (LOI) and total organic carbon (TOC) were determined and related to the soil structural stability to evaluate the soil precondition to sustain drought twice per vegetation period (spring and autumn). Afforestation significantly improved MWD compared to the field soil between 2013 and 2016 from 1.63 ± 0.04 mm to 1.85 ± 0.05 mm. Tree planting significantly neutralized the soil pH_H2O, mixed planting appeared to improve LOI and TOC. Four-year afforestation led also to higher structural stability, less alkaline pH and deciduous tree-related increase in LOI, which may indicate better soil sustainability to drought.

Atrazine is still widely used in China. Atrazine residue (1.86-1 100 mg/kg) in the soil has exceeded the allowable limit (1.0 mg/kg), affecting soil structure and soil aggregate composition. To understand the long-term application of atrazine on soil aggregates and the binding agent, four treatments were established in cornfield planted since 1998, including without atrazine applied (AT₀), atrazine applied (28% atrazine, 1 200-1 350 mL/ha/year) once a year from 2012 to 2018 (AT₆, 167 mg/kg), from 2008 to 2018 (AT₁₀, 127.64 mg/kg) as well as from 2002 to 2018 (AT₁₆, 102 mg/kg) with three replications. Along with the increase of atrazine application time, the mass fraction of soil aggregates > 5 mm and 2-5 mm decreased significantly while the mass fraction of soil aggregates 0.5-2 mm and < 0.5 mm increased gradually, and the change of aggregate binding agents contents were the same as that of aggregates. The contents of soil organic carbon (SOC) and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) in the aggregates > 5 mm and 2-5 mm were significantly negatively correlated with the years of atrazine application. Our results show that although atrazine residue in the soil does not increase with the increased yearly application, its concentration is still markedly higher than the permitted limit value and seriously affected the content of SOC and GRSP of aggregates > 2 mm, which can lead to a decrease of soil aggregate stability and soil quality.

Open-cast coal mining presents a big global issue because of the large areas the mines occupy, which get entirely changed. Their ecosystems lose most of their functions, and a huge amount of fertile soil gets utterly destroyed. Reclamation is a process of returning the functions of the soil after the excavation is finished, most commonly achieved by establishing vegetation, which can sometimes be very difficult. This happens due to the physical, chemical and biological changes that occur on these sites, which are described in this paper. Also, some directions for mitigating these problems are given. Once the vegetation is successfully introduced, natural cycles that were compromised by the mining are established once again, and the process of soil formation begins. Some trends and problems related to pedogenesis research on reclaimed mine sites are presented and discussed, along with presumptions of how the process of soil formation evolves on afforested clayey Technosols of central Europe. The potential future research which would confirm these presumptions is discussed, with the emphasis on the need of research performed on older reclamation sites, as well as sites with similar ecological conditions and different tree species cover.

The study focused on natural regeneration of European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and European larch (Larix decidua) within very small and four times bigger size gaps following a disturbance at a mixed temperate forest in the Czech Republic. In spring 2013, experimental gap design starts, when 1 m2 circular sampling plots along transects were delineated within four selected naturally occurring canopy openings with size below 20 m2. In December 2013, these initial canopy openings were artificially enlarged by felling to 226 m2 for small and 904 m2 for big gaps. Regeneration was monitored in the next two consecutive growing seasons after disturbance. Light conditions were measured before and after disturbance. Results indicated that four times larger gaps increased twice levels of light conditions, and that diffuse light starts to equilibrate to direct light there. Large gaps were favouring larch regeneration. Beech regeneration was predominant, independently on gap size as the study area belongs naturally to Beech Forest Vegetation Zone, however, the decline of spruce regeneration was presumably linked to drought. Gap size explained variation of larch regeneration in gaps. Contrarily, gap size could not be associated with the prolific regeneration of beech and abysmal regeneration performances of spruce in gaps.

The article presents the results of homogeneity assessments for selected food mixes based on computer image analysis. The study was conducted on müsli and condiment mixes standardly available on the consumer market. A total of 40 different ready-for-use products were analysed. Collected samples from three package of each product were placed in a special chamber and then photographed. Photographs were then subjected to computer image analysis to acquire information on the percentage content of individual components. Homogeneity assessment was based on the contents of a selected component called tracer and the coefficient of variation (CV). Lower CV values (3.02-27.31%) and thus better homogeneity was observed for condiment mixes as compared to müsli mixes (3.57-59.15%). Fourteen of twenty condiment mixes had adequate (acceptable at CV ≤ 10%) mixing degree. For the müsli, only six of the tested mixes had appropriate homogeneity. The presented results are a preliminary to developing an image-based methodology for determining the uniformity of granular dry food mixes.

A patellar luxation and concomitant cranial cruciate ligament rupture is a common pathology in dogs. Diagnosis is based on clinical evidence of a patellar luxation and stifle joint instability. However, diagnostic imaging is required to assess the number of skeletal deformities and signs of instability. Surgical options include both soft tissue and osseous techniques, although, in most cases, a combination of multiple procedures is necessary to correct the patellar luxation and restore the stifle joint stability. Complication rates are generally low, but can include reluxation and implant-associated complications. This article describes the patellar luxation and cranial cruciate ligament rupture signs in dogs, including the clinical presentation and diagnosis, and discusses current treatment options.

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 this study, the relationships of temperature humidity index (THI) with milk yield and some physiological responses in dairy cattle were investigated. Our goal in the meta-analysis was to find the parameter(s) primarily affected under heat stress. A total of 16 studies with the temperature humidity index value higher than 72, which is an important factor in determining the effect of heat stress, were included in the meta-analysis. The variables of interest in the meta-analysis included: milk yield (kg/day), respiratory rate (breaths/min), rectal temperature (°C). In addition to the meta-analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) was also performed. In the meta-analysis, high variation or heterogeneity (I² > 99%) was determined between the results of the studies. This may depend on many factors (climate, region, number of samples and management etc.). Heterogeneity is desirable in the meta-analysis, because it provides accurate and reliable interpretations of the variances of parameters. Due to high heterogeneity, the results of the studies were combined according to the mixed model. According to the mixed model and PCA results, a linear relationship was determined between the temperature humidity index and these physiological parameters. According to the meta-analysis, at THI > 72, the mean effect size of milk yield was 50%, and the effect sizes of respiratory rate and rectal temperature were approximately 65% and 38%. All three parameters have a significant effect under heat stress (P < 0.000 1). As a result, there is a linear relationship between temperature humidity index, milk yield and physiological parameters. According to the other characteristics, the respiratory rate was determined as the primary response parameter in parallel with the increase in temperature humidity index.

Land redistributive policies can be viewed as effective tools for reducing rural poverty mainly because agriculture continues to be a major source of rural livelihood and a contributor to rural economic growth. For the structural changes and economy-wide impacts, including behavioural changes of rural land distribution, to be assessed and captured through time, a South African Social Accounting Matrix can be used as a database to construct a dynamic computable general equilibrium simulation model to simulate the potential impact on household welfare in South Africa. This study seeks to assess how government redistributive policies may affect household welfare in short- and long-run, focusing on poverty and income distribution in South Africa by applying a dynamic computable general equilibrium microsimulation model. The results showed that rural land distribution increases poor household income through an increase in factor by an average of 0.828. However, for most macroeconomic variables, the impact is negative in the short-run with a gradual increase in the long-run. The results support the claim that rural land distribution coupled with agriculture investment and government support can be effective in improving household welfare.

Unstable conditions in the milk market in the Czech Republic (CR) and in the European Union (EU), mainly due to volatility of milk prices, are increasing pressure on dairy farmers to maximise production at the lowest possible production costs. Break-even point (BEP) analysis is a useful tool in dairy herd management for determining minimum requirements for profitability. BEP values for milk yield and milk price were calculated based on data obtained from 95 dairy farms in the CR. BEP values were estimated also for another eight EU countries based upon production and cost data from the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). With the milk price ranging from EUR 28 to EUR 38 per 100 L and while excluding subsidies, zero profitability would be achieved on Czech dairy farms with milk yields ranging from 6 706 L to 13 151 L per cow and from 7 450 L to 14 088 L per cow in Czech Fleckvieh (C) and Holstein (H) herds, respectively. In order to achieve 5% profitability, the milk yield would need to increase by 21%. Considerable variability exists among EU countries in estimated BEP values depending upon average milk yields, input prices, and milk prices in different countries.

The in vitro compatibility of the entomopathogenic fungus, Cladosporium cladosporioides BOU1, with the crude extract of three plants viz. Calotropis gigantea, Vitex negundo and Carissa macrocarpa at a concentration of 1% and 2% was investigated. The compatibility of the fungal isolate with the plant extracts was calculated using the biological index formula from the germination percentage, radial growth and spore production of BOU1. The compatibility of the plant extracts with the fungal isolate was also assessed based on the protease and lipase activities of the treated fungus. Both concentrations of plant extracts did not significantly inhibit the germination percentage, radial growth and spore production of BOU1 in a dose-depended manner. The average mean values of the biological index for the three plant extracts with two concentrations were more than 98%. The analyses of the data with the compatibility index formula suggest that irrespective of concentration, all three plant extracts were compatible with BOU1. When the plant extracts were added to the fungal isolate, the protease and lipase activities of the fungal isolate were not significantly inhibited compared to the untreated control. The reduction in all the variables of fungal growth and the enzymatic activity was less than 10% and 20%, respectively. From these findings, we can conclude that the fungal biocontrol agent C. cladosporioides BOU1 is compatible with the investigated plant extracts in terms of the fungal growth and enzymatic activities.

This study was conducted to evaluate the sufficiency of food safety practices in a catering company. The presence of some pathogenic and indicator bacteria was monitored in the samples collected from raw materials, food, food contact surfaces and workers' hands and various steps of the tas kebab (a Turkish meat stew) and salad processing lines. Bacillus cereus was found in ready-to-eat (RTE) tas kebab and RTE salad, while Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from RTE salad. Furthermore, it was observed that RTE salad contained coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus without staphylococcal enterotoxin production. The swab samples obtained from cutting board surfaces, knives and workers' hands contained high counts of total aerobic bacteria and some samples were contaminated with coliforms and coagulase-positive/negative staphylococci. The presence of B. cereus and L. monocytogenes in RTE foods is a serious threat to public health, especially in the catering business. Preventing the presence of toxin-producing bacteria in RTE food is a fundamental action. Also, the occurrence of L. monocytogenes in RTE salad and B. cereus in RTE tas kebab/salad samples showed insufficient cleaning/disinfection practices. As a result, hygiene practices and regular monitoring in the catering business are necessary for food safety.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcome of the treatment on twenty wild birds presenting with fractures that were stabilised with modified Meynard external fixators. The study material consisted of a total of twenty birds of eight different species, six white storks (Ciconia ciconia), one eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca), one European honey buzzard (Pernis apivorus), one long-legged buzzard (Buteo rufinus), three common buzzard (Buteo buteo), one northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis), one Armenian gull (Larus armenicus), and six yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis), which were diagnosed with fractures in their extremity bones following clinical and radiological examinations. The lesions of the twenty cases evaluated in the study were diagnosed as humerus fractures in nine cases, ulna fractures in three cases, tibiotarsus fractures in seven cases and a femur fracture in one case. The external fixators were removed between weeks five and nine postoperatively. While healing was seen in twelve of the twenty evaluated cases, the complete functional recovery occurred in six of these and they were released into nature. It was concluded that modified Meynard external fixator, which was made applicable for fractures in birds, could be an alternative method for fracture treatments in wild birds.

A 2-year-old, castrated, male Russian blue cat presented with acute dyspnoea, cyanosis, and lethargy. A thoracic radiography revealed a large cranial mediastinal mass; the computed tomography revealed caudal lobe atelectasis of the right lung with pericardial and pleural effusions. The cytodiagnostic tests revealed high-grade CD4⁺ CD8⁺ T-cell mediastinal lymphoma as clinical stage Vb; l-asparaginase-cyclophosphamide-doxorubicin-vincristine-prednisolone (l-CHOP)-based chemotherapy was initiated, following which the mass shrunk rapidly; 1 week after the initiation of chemotherapy, the appetite-related and respiratory symptoms improved dramatically, and the pleural and pericardial effusion resolved. The patient remains in complete remission three years after the initiation of the l-CHOP chemotherapy. Therefore, the accurate diagnosis and instantaneous initiation of chemotherapy may resolve life-threatening pleural and pericardial effusions in cats with high-grade aberrant T-cell mediastinal lymphoma.

The ameliorative effects and its mitigation mechanisms of selenium (Se) on cadmium (Cd) toxicity in cucumber seedlings were studied through hydroponic experiments. Cd and other mineral nutrient concentrations, antioxidant enzyme activities, and antioxidant contents in cucumber were studied. The results revealed that exogenous Se significantly decreased the Cd concentrations in all tissues, especially in the leaves. Moreover, exogenous Se (Cd + Se) could increase Zn, Na, leaf Cu, stem/root Fe, stem/root Ca, and stem/root Mg concentrations; and reduce leaf Mg concentration, compared with Cd alone treatment. Additionally, the application of Se ameliorated the toxicity of Cd by harmonising the activities of antioxidase, such as Cd + Se treatment reduced Cd-induced increase of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, leaf/stem ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities, which resulted in the significant decrease of the content of hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdialdehyde; increased root APX, and glutathione reductase activities. In addition, the content of nonenzymatic antioxidants such as root-reduced glutathione and oxidised glutathione was significantly increased by adding Se under Cd stress. Also, exogenous Se enhanced the total antioxidant capacity in terms of cupric-reducing antioxidant capacity and decreased total phenols, flavonoids, and leaf/root proline contents under Cd stress. In general, 3 μmol/L Se was conducive to plant growth and improved the cucumber's ability to alleviate Cd stress.

Sustainable crop production requires an efficient usage of fossil energy. This six-year study on a silt loam soil (chernozem) analysed the energy efficiency of four tillage systems (mouldboard plough 25-30 cm, deep conservation tillage 35 cm, shallow conservation tillage 8-10 cm, no-tillage). Fuel consumption, total energy input (made up of both direct and indirect input), grain of maize yield, energy output, net-energy output, energy intensity and energy use efficiency were considered. The input rates of fertiliser, herbicides and seeds were set constant; measured values of fuel consumption were used for all tillage operations. Total fuel consumption for maize (Zea mays L.) production was 81.6, 81.5, 69.5 and 53.2 L/ha for the four tillage systems. Between 60% and 64% of the total energy input (17.0-17.4 GJ/ha) was indirect energy (seeds, fertiliser, herbicides, machinery). The share of fertiliser energy of the total energy input was 36% on average across all tillage treatments. Grain drying was the second highest energy consumer with about 22%. Grain yield and energy output were mainly determined by the year. The tillage effect on yield and energy efficiency was smaller than the growing year effect. Over all six years, maize produced in the no-tillage system reached the highest energy efficiency.

Peatlands, as important global nitrogen (N) pools, are potential sources of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions. We measured N₂O flux dynamics in Hani peatland in a growing season with simulating warming and N addition for 12 years in the Changbai Mountains, Northeastern China, by using static chamber-gas chromatography. We hypothesised that warming and N addition would accelerate N₂O emissions from the peatland. In a growing season, the peatland under natural conditions showed near-zero N₂O fluxes and warming increased N₂O emissions but N addition greatly increased N₂O absorption compared with control. There was no interaction between warming and N addition on N₂O fluxes. Pearson correlation analysis showed that water table depth was one of the main environmental factors affecting N₂O fluxes and a positive relationship between them was observed. Our study suggests that the N₂O source function in natural temperate peatlands maybe not be so significant as we expected before; warming can increase N₂O emissions, but a high dose of N input may turn temperate peatlands to be strong sinks of N₂O, and global change including warming and nitrogen deposition can alter N₂O fluxes via its indirect effect on hydrology and vegetation in peatlands.

Climate change has increased attention paid in the research to forest soils and tree species composition, in respect to the potential for carbon sequestration. It is known that forest stands are able to store soil organic carbon (SOC), but little is known about the effect of forest naturalness on SOC content. This is important in relation of dying of unnatural spruce stands. It is necessary to determine a suitable composition of tree species which will replace them. This research is based on 248 plots with oak, beech, and spruce stands and mixtures of these species, with measured values of SOC. Our results show that autochthonous and mixed stands, in terms of tree species composition, in the study area had a higher SOC content than allochthonous and pure stands. In addition, it was found that autochthonous oak and beech stands, especially in mixtures, had a higher SOC content than allochthonous spruce stands (monocultures). On the basis of the presented results, it is possible to optimize the future tree species composition of stands in the study area, which currently have an allochthonous representation of spruce, to provide better function of carbon sequestration and resistance to climate change.

The pear psyllid [Cacopsylla pyri (L.), (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)] represents one of the most economically significant pests of pear in Serbia and worldwide. It causes direct damage throughout feeding on young stems and leaves, but also creates favourable conditions for the development of plant diseases. In this article susceptibility of C. pyri to spirodiclofen, spirotetramat, and their combinations with foliar fertilizer (carboxymethyl cellulose-boron, CMC-B) was investigated in order to assess their efficacy. Experiments were conducted in accordance with standard OEPP/EPPO methods, in field trials on two localities in the Republic of Serbia (Kula, Vrbas), during 2020/21. Results of the field trials indicate good efficacy for all variants in pear psyllid control in pear orchards. The high efficacy of spirodiclofen (87.4-95.4%), spirotetramat (82.5-91.8%), spirodiclofen + CMC-B (90.3-99.8%), spirotetramat + CMC-B (89.5-96.8%) was achieved at both localities seven days after treatment during 2020/21 field trials. Also, it can be concluded for examinations 14 days after treatment, where the efficacy of spirodiclofen (84.9-92.0%), spirotetramat (81.2-91.7%), spirodiclofen + CMC-B (88.9-97.5%), and spirotetramat + CMC-B (82.3-92.5%) was high at both of investigated localities. Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that the high efficacy of the researched insecticides is a good indicator of C. pyri susceptibility in pear orchards.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal, discharged into environments naturally or anthropogenically, where industrial and agricultural revolutions have led to serious Cd pollution into the environment. Poultry feed may be contaminated by Cd due to its presence in concentrates and supplements, and also in the machinery and equipment used in feed production and processing. After absorption in the digestive system, Cd largely accumulates in kidneys, liver, bones and other organs and causes irreversible damage to these organs. Higher doses of Cd in the poultry diet reduced feed intake, body weight, bone mineral density, egg production and eggshell quality. Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient and important component of a variety of antioxidant enzymes, with the ability to antagonize metal toxicity including Cd. Hence, in the current review, we try to summarize recent information about the toxicological effects of Cd and provide updated information about the role of Se as an effective strategy in reducing Cd toxicity in poultry.

This paper presents the important features of indigenous wild cherry genotypes suitable for processing. The research took place between 2017-2020, having ten Romanian wild cherry genotypes as study material. The harvesting maturity was recorded in the first decade of June for the early cultivar (G10) and decades two and three of June for the other studied genotypes, all of them with a middle season maturation. The number of days between the end of the flowering and the maturation was between 54 days (G10) and 66 days (G9). The average weight of the fruit and the equatorial diameter varied between 2.1 g and 13.80 mm for G4, respectively, and 5.5 g and 21.35 mm for G10. The proportion (%) between the pulp and waste (stone and peduncle) was measured as 81.95% pulp (G4) and 93.64% pulp (G10). The values of the soluble dry substance content were between 13.1-24.0 °Brix, the titratable acidity was between 0.48-1.16 mg malic acid/100 mL juice and the total content of the polyphenols was between 229.00-720.00 mg GAE/100 mL fresh juice. In terms of the bitter taste intensity, G10 has a weak intensity, G3, G7, G8 and G9 have an average intensity and G1, G3, G4, G5 and G6 have a high intensity.