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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.

The tillage depth plays a critical role in solving soil compaction - a global problem of soil degradation. However, to date, there are few research reported about tillage depth, and the standard of optimum tillage depth is lacking. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to quantify the effect of tillage depths on crop yield across a global scale, and then to analysis their influence factors such as local climate, soil properties, and managements. Moreover, a global distribution of the optimal tillage depths was estimated by using a random-forest model. Overall, our result demonstrated that crop yield first increased within tillage depths from 25 to 35 cm, and then reduced under higher depth of deep tillage compared to conventional tillage, according to 1109 wheat, maize and soybean (WMS) yield observations from 202 studies and 109 publications. Visibly, 35 cm hence became the optimum tillage depth of WMS across the world, while it varies with different regions. Furthermore, higher crop yields observed in areas with a humid climate, high clay contents, and large bulk density under the optimal depth 40, 35 and 45 cm, respectively. In contrast, a lower yield was observed in areas with arid climates, silty and sandy soils, and lower bulk density within optimal depth of 25 cm, 30 cm, and 25 to 35 cm. Human management efforts, including fertilizer addition, irrigation, straw returning, and changing of cropping system or crop species mostly increased the crop yield under deep tillage. Particularly, our meta-analysis indicated that straw returning needs a greater depth. Finally, we predicted the distributions of optimum depths, which showed that 30 and 35 cm were the optimum tillage depths in the temperate and tropical regions, and the total crop yields of global WMS increased by 2689 million tons per year under the optimal tillage depth, compared with the conventional tillage.

Insects like housefly (Musca domestica L.) are future feed resources for economic animals because insects can improve growth performance by promoting the immune function and gut microbial balance. However, little is known about research reports on housefly larvae extracts containing an antibacterial peptide. This study investigated the effect of feeding diets supplemented with housefly larvae extract (HLE) containing antibacterial peptides on the growth performance of broiler chickens. Nine hundred broilers (Ross 308) were fed diets containing HLE for 35 days. Treatment groups consisted of CON (control without HLE), PC (positive control, 8 ppm of avilamycin), HLE50 (diet containing 50 ppm of HLE), HLE100 (diet containing 100 ppm of HLE), HLE150 (diet containing 150 ppm of HLE), and HLE200 (diet containing 200 ppm of HLE). Body weight gain and feed conversion ratio were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in HLE150 and HLE200 groups compared to those in the CON group. Spleen weights were higher in HLE150 and HLE200 groups than in the CON group. Caecal bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus counts were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in HLE150 and HLE200 groups whereas E. coli and coliform bacteria counts were higher in the CON group. Caecal acetic acid, propionic acid, and total short-chain fatty acid levels were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in HLE150 and HLE200 groups than in the CON group. These results show that feeding diets containing 150 ppm of HLE containing antimicrobial peptides could replace antibiotics to improve the growth performance of broiler chickens.

Agricultural products are highly perishable and, hence, we need to preserve these products after harvest. India is an agricultural country and, thus, the post-harvest storage of perishable agricultural products is important to reduce the gap between the demand and supply. Cold storage technologies have been developed and are used in India; however, these technologies are not popular in rural and remote areas due to the higher initial cost and the electrical energy requirement. Therefore, a number of low-cost technologies have been developed and, among these technologies, the evaporative cooling technology is gaining in popularity due to its simple design and lower initial cost. In this work, we have developed and tested a solar photovoltaic (PV) powered evaporative cooling system and used coconut coir as the cooling medium and compared the results with celdex pad. From this work, we observed that this system is an economical and efficient in reducing the temperature and increasing the relative humidity for the storage of agricultural products.

Biochar is a carbonaceous material derived from the pyrolysis of carbon-rich biomass that has attracted increasing research and attention because of its ability to enhance soil carbon storage, increase soil fertility, fix and transform pollutants in soil, and improve the soil environment. These enhancements directly or indirectly affect soil microorganisms’ metabolic activities and community structure. This paper reviews the effects of biochar on soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, nutrients, contaminants, and related microbial activities. In addition, this work summarises the possible mechanisms involved in the interaction between biochar and microorganisms and the potential hazards associated with biochar use. Finally, this study aims to provide a theoretical basis for future related research.

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the efficacy of use of the RITA^® temporary immersion system in the large-scale propagation of P. patula. The effects of four concentrations (0.00 µM, 4.50 µM, 9.00 µM, and 13.51 µM) of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) on 10 hypocotyl explants were studied using a completely randomised design with three replicates per treatment. Five hypocotyl explants were grown in 250 mL RITA^® containers of Woody Plant Culture Medium (WPM) supplemented with 20 g·L^–1 sucrose and 10 mg·L^–1 vitamins from Murashige and Skoog (MS) culture medium. The frequency of immersion of the explants into the culture medium was 2 min every 8 hours. The number of adventitious buds and calli formed, as well as shoot growth, were evaluated after 6 weeks of in vitro culture. The 4.50 µM concentration of BAP was the best treatment for shoot production (5 shoots per plant) and shoot length (1.32 cm). These results could help the widespread vegetative propagation of this important forest species.

This study aimed to compare patterns in the genetic structure of 27 mature stands and the natural regeneration of A. alba in the Eastern and Western Carpathians within the introgression zone of two refugial lineages from the Apennine and Balkan peninsulas. The distribution of the genetic diversity of fir stands was analysed using paternally inherited chloroplast DNA and five nuclear dominant inter simple sequence repeat markers (ISSRs). The study showed that the Balkan haplotype prevailed in both parental and progeny populations, and this haplotype was found in many mature Eastern Carpathian stands. Relatively high levels of genetic diversity were found in the mature stands (effective number of alleles Ne = 1.517, Shannon index I = 0.436, expected heterozygosity He = 0.295) and progeny (Ne = 1.515, I = 0.436 and He = 0.294) of silver fir. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed slight differences among the mature fir stands from the Western and Eastern Carpathians, with a value of 1.1%. According to principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and STRUCTURE analyses, the populations, including stands of mature and progeny trees, were genetically separated into two groups. Slight genetic differences between the mature and progeny populations in the Polish Carpathians indicate sound gene pool transmission, which is essential for creating new selection and breeding programmes.

Horsegram (Macrotyloma uniflorum) – an important, self-pollinated food legume, however due to limited genomic and genetic resources the genetic improvement could not be achieved as compare to other major legumes. Our work aims at finding novel microsatellite markers and their use for the construction of a linkage map from 157 individuals of F₉ recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of horsegram. The determinate growth habit and plant height are important traits for its suitability for different cropping systems. The genotypic data were generated by screening 2 395 molecular markers, of which 600 (25.05 %) polymorphic markers were selected. Two-hundred eighty-seven (287) markers were mapped on ten linkage groups (LGs) at a log of odds (LOD) of 3.5 straddling 796.76 cM with 2.78 cM of marker density. For the identification of the quantitative trait loci (QTLs), the phenotypic data recorded on the RILs for the plant height and growth habit were analysed using the statistical tools JoinMap®and Windows QTL cartographer, based on the composite interval mapping (CIM) technique. Across the ten linkage groups, we detected four QTLs (LOD ≥ 2.5) for four traits. All the traits were major QTLs as indicated by the percentage of phenotypic variance (PVE) (≥ 10%) that ranged from 13.5% to 40.3%, therefore, this is very important information which can be used in marker-assisted selection (MAS). The present genomic information generated in this orphan crop, thus, provides the base for genetic improvements by devising molecular breeding strategies.

This study aimed to determine the effect of tea planting age on stoichiometric ratios of microbial biomass carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN), and phosphorus (MBP) and soil microbial quotient (SMQ, expressed as qMBC, qMBN, and qMBP, respectively). A chronological sequence of tea plantations (3, 8, 17, 25, and 34 years) was selected in a small watershed in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, and a slope farmland was selected as control. The results showed that with the increase of tea plantation age, soil and microbial biomass C, N, P contents, soil C : N and C : P elevated significantly, while soil N : P overall declined; the MBC : P and MBN : P increased first and then decreased, but MBC : N varied insignificantly. The tea plantation age affected SMQ notably. qMBC first decreased and then increased following the tea planting age, while qMBN and qMBP went up in a fluctuating pattern. In this study, qMBC positively correlated with soil N : P and microbial biomass C : N : P, but negatively correlated with soil C : N and C : P; on the contrary, qMBN and qMBP negatively correlated with soil N : P and microbial biomass C : N : P, but positively correlated with soil C : N and C : P. Generally, the variations of soil microbial biomass and SMQ could reflect the soil quality of tea plantations.

In some cases, it is difficult to promote climax tree species in the forest stand composition. In the Czech Republic, silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) is a typical example. This study offers an evaluation of the use of two improving compounds for tree plantations in the initial stage of growth in Central Bohemia. In the experiment, we measured the initial growth performance of a young fir plantation treated with a brassinolide compound (concentration 1 : 100 and 1 : 200) and Bio-Algeen^® prior to planting and compared it with control treatment: we assessed height, root collar diameter, vitality and mortality rate during the period 2014–2019. Cumulative mortality rate of the plantation reached 25% at the end of the monitoring period, without any significant differences between variants. Height increment of the variant treated with Bio-Algeen^® was significantly (P < 0.05) lower than the growth of brassinolide-treated variants, all treated variants were comparable with the control variant. The plantation underwent a drought-stress period in 2014 and 2015, which resulted in worsened vitality and colour across variants. As a result of the simple economic analysis, the most expensive inputs are planting stock and labour, therefore the price and application of additional substances should not affect decision-making.

To explore the role of WRKY transcription factors (TFs) in the resistance process of Qingke (Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum Hook. f.), leaves of the leaf stripe disease-resistant variety Kunlun 14 and the susceptible variety Z1141 were sequenced by transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq). A differentially expressed gene HvnWKRY1 was identified, and its disease-resistance function was preliminarily analysed. The result showed that the open reading frame (ORF) of the gene was 1 062 bp and encoded 354 amino acids. It contained the conserved WRKY domain (273–351) and belonged to the WRKY protein family. The phylogenetic tree results showed that HvWRKY1 was most closely related to Hordeum vulgare L. The WRKY family of Qingke, barley, maize and rice were divided into categories I, II, and III, among which HvWRKY1 was located in group III. Results of the quantitative real-time fluorescence PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that the expression of HvWRKY1 was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in leaf stripe infected leaves of Kunlun 14 than that of Z1141. In Arabidopsis thaliana transformed with HvWRKY1, resistance to Botrytis cinerea was enhanced. The RNA-seq analysis showed there were 824 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Data of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment indicated, that a plant-pathogen interaction pathway was enriched. This study is expected to provide a theoretical basis for further studies of functioning of  the Qingke gene HvWRKY1 in resistance to the leaf stripe disease.

Jejunal haemorrhage syndrome (JHS) is a sporadic and fatal enterotoxaemic disease in dairy cows associated with acute development and poor prognosis despite treatment. A 5-year-old Holstein cow with no reported pregnancy, three calving numbers, and 303 days in milk presented with hypothermia, discomfort, and inappetence. Anaemia, dehydration, faeces with blood clots, and absence of rumen and bowel movements were observed. We identified the presence of neutrophilia, hyperglycaemia, hypoproteinaemia, azotaemia, hyperlactatemia, hypocalcaemia, hypermagnesemia, hypokalaemia, and hypochloraemia through blood analyses. Necropsy and histopathologic examination revealed a dilated bluish-purple jejunum, blood clots within the jejunum, neutrophil infiltration into the submucosa of the jejunum, and vascular necrosis. Retrospective examination revealed extraordinary patterns of rumination time, activity, rumen mobility, and rumen temperature using biosensors and decreased milk yield. The abnormalities in the affected cow were detected before recognition by farm workers. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report to examine data from biosensors in a cow with JHS. Our findings suggest that using biometric data may help understand the development of JHS.

This study investigates the effects of repeated applications of the non-ionic soil surfactant H2Flo (ICL-SF Inc., Israel) on the soil water content, hydraulic conductivity, nutrient distribution, and organic carbon fractions (OCFs) in non-hydrophobic loamy sand soils under subsurface drip irrigation. Our results indicate that H2Flo treatment reduces both saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity while promoting the uniform irrigation distribution, consistent with previous findings on surfactants’ effects on sandy soils. An increase in soil pH levels, organic carbon content, and extractable magnesium, calcium, and potassium was observed in treated soils, with elevated levels of potassium permanganate oxidizable organic carbon (POXC) implying accelerated decomposition rates. Notably, a positive linear relationship was found between POXC and the increased NO₃^–-N content of treated soils, suggesting induced conditions of nitrification. However, the carbon fractions water-soluble organic carbon (C_ws) and hot water-soluble organic carbon (C_hws) remained quantitatively unchanged, even though they exhibited a positive linear relationship with the soil’s hydraulic conductivity. The study highlights the crucial role of monitoring changes in OCFs and nutrient dynamics after surfactant application to optimize soil organic matter utilization and chemical fertilizer management.

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.

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.

Biochar-based fertiliser (BF) is beneficial to improve yield and quality, but the effect of BF on open field tomato remains unclear, especially in karst mountainous areas. The objective of this study was to identify the application effect and optimum application rate of BF. A field experiment was carried out in Southwestern China from 2019 to 2020 to study the effects of different application amounts of BF on the yield, quality, nutrients accumulation and fertiliser utilisation of open field tomatoes. The results showed that compared with the traditional fertilisation practice, BF can significantly increase the yield of open field tomato by 5-9% (2019) and 12-23% (2020), and significantly reduce nitrate content and increase vitamin C content of fruits. Meanwhile, nutrient accumulations, agronomic efficiency, and recovery efficiency of BF treatments were all significantly improved. In conclusion, the BF rate of 2 326 kg/ha improves yield and fertiliser utilisation in open-field tomatoes and could be recommended for tomato production in karst mountainous areas.

This research investigated the effect of different storage temperatures on the compositional changes, physicochemical characteristics, and functional properties of hawthorn berries. Storage at 25 °C resulted in the gradual decrease of the moisture, hardness, sugar, titratable acid, and colour of hawthorn berries. These changes decreased with decreasing storage temperature, and the minimal changes happened at frozen storage (–18 °C). Similarly, the decreasing rate of ascorbic acid, extractable polyphenol (EPP), and flavonoids during storage also decreased with reducing storage temperature (25 °C > 4 °C > –18 °C). Hydrolysable polyphenol (HPP) was relatively stable during the hawthorn storage, and non-extractable proanthocyanidins (NEPA) increased with decreasing temperature. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of EPP and HPP decreased at 25 °C, while polyphenolic oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD) activities decreased. Decreasing the storage temperature can improve the stability of the nutritional properties, antioxidant capacity, and enzyme activity of hawthorn. The specific storage temperature depends on the final processing conditions and the purposes of the hawthorn berries.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests belong to the most relevant forest types in the Western Ukrainian Roztochia area. The promotion of close-to-nature forest management in Ukraine in the framework of the forest strategy 2 035 supports natural regeneration and the application of diverse felling methods beyond clearcutting. In the present study, natural regeneration was analysed in mixed Scots pine stands on poor and relatively rich soils, after small clearcuts, shelterwood cutting and gap fellings (with or without soil preparation), with respect to tree species composition, species abundance and height growth. It could be shown that Scots pine is the most abundant species in all the felling systems, with on average more than 100 000 plants per ha on poor soils. Other admixed tree species only occur with small shares. Natural regeneration, especially of Scots pine, was less abundant on rich soils and in shelterwood, compared to a small clearcut. After the young plants have established, their abundance declined in the second and third year due to competing herbaceous plants and thick litter.

The paper analyses the effect of electronic-trading (e-trading) on the wholesale prices of select commodities in agricultural marketplaces to aid agrarian income levels. Post a literature review, the researcher performed a field survey to get the opinions of 371 farmers and traders. The researcher also conducted the descriptive statistical analysis, the difference in differences analysis, and the t-test analysis to show the wholesale price improvement after the e-trading platform implementation. The field survey findings and the statistical analysis suggest an increase in average wholesale prices of select agri-commodities in select markets of India due to the National Agriculture Market (eNAM) e-trading platform effect. The suggestions to practitioners and social policymakers highlight an improvement in the functioning of e-trading in terms of better prices for farmers, lowering transaction costs, increased transaction speed, reduced administrative hurdles, improved infrastructure and eventually higher income for a farmer. The knowledge base developed in this paper will help researchers reduce the knowledge gap in agricultural pricing.

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.

In recent years, progress has been made towards incorporating the sociocultural perspective in the assessment of ecosystem services (ES) to identify the relevant services according to the different needs and perceptions of the populations consulted. New sociocultural assessment methods are being explored to respond to this emerging line of research, without a generally accepted alternative being found thus far. Aiming to contribute to this line of research, this article proposes a new methodological approach for the sociocultural assessment of ES. The new methodological approach is based on combining two different measurement procedures: a traditional Likert scale and the Kano model. The case of ES provided by forests will be considered for its development and application. With the application of the proposed methodology, the sensitivity and consistency of sociocultural assessments of ES would be improved, and the development of longitudinal analysis would be facilitated.

Fourteen fungicides and three marine-derived fungi were tested for their activities in the promotion of rice seedling development and their efficacy in controlling rice sheath blight disease in two rice varieties, RD43 and KMDL105, under greenhouse conditions. The results showed that the rice seeds treated with carbendazim 50%SC and azoxystrobin 25%SC displayed the best promotion of rice growth in root length and shoot height at seven and 14 days in rice var. RD43. Rice seeds from var. KMDL105 treated with thiophanate-methyl 70%WP exhibited significant stimulation of rice seedling growth resulting in the greatest increase in root length and shoot height at seven and 14 days. In pot experiments with rice var. RD43, spraying with triforine 19%EC, propiconazole 25%EC, trifloxystrobin 50%WG, and validamycin 3%SL showed a high level of fungicidal activity in controlling sheath blight disease, with this evidenced by significant suppression of the disease severity by 71–75% and 61–73% at seven and 14 days after inoculation, respectively. The treatment of rice var. KMDL105 with validamycin 3%SL exhibited the best activity in controlling sheath blight disease by reducing disease severity by up to 62% and 64% at seven and 14 days, respectively. The antagonistic marine fungi tested in this study displayed low activity against sheath blight disease and low effects on rice seedling promotion compared to fungicides. Specifically, Trichoderma harzianum KUFA 0689 and T. asperellum KUFA 0677 reduced sheath blight disease severity by 42–46% and 27–37% at seven and 14 days, respectively.

The objective of this study was to investigate the diversity of 59 accessions of barley using inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR), conserved DNA-derived polymorphism (CDDP), and start codon targeted (SCoT) markers. A total of 391 amplified polymorphic bands were generated using 44 ISSR, 9 CDDP, and 12 SCoT primers that produced 255, 35, and 101 polymorphic bands, respectively. The average values of gene diversity were 0.77, 0.67, and 0.81 for ISSR, CDDP, and SCoT markers, respectively. The mean values of polymorphism information content for ISSR, CDDP and SCoT markers were 0.74, 0.63, and 0.80 respectively. The discrimination power of the three approaches for assessing allelic diversity in barley accessions ranked as follows: SCoT > ISSR > CDDP. The barley accessions were classified and clustered into two main groups. Molecular variance analysis revealed 15, 9, and 14% variability among populations with ISSR, CDDP, and SCoT markers, respectively. The Mantel test results revealed that the three molecular marker matrices had significant positive relationships. The SCoT markers might be useful tools for selecting appropriate parents for a breeding program.

Chilli peppers (Capsicum spp.) are important plants usually consumed as food or used as a spice or medicine. They contain a wide range of phytochemicals such as capsaicinoids, polyphenols (PPH), carotenoids (CC) and vitamins. This study aimed to quantify the contents of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, total PPH, phenolic acids (PHA) and total CC, and the antioxidant activities of the chilli peppers Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, Bhut Jolokia, Habanero Red, Habanero Maya Red, Habanero Red Savina, Jamaica Rosso, Serrano, and Jalapeño. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to quantify the contents of the bioactive compounds. The capsaicin contents in the peppers ranged from 2.1 to 124.2 mg·g^–1, the dihydrocapsaicin content ranged from 5.1 to 151.3 mg·g^–1, the total PPH content ranged from 3.53 to 25.9 mg GAE·g^–1, and the total CC content ranged from 114.7 to 1 390.8 μg·g^–1. The chlorogenic acid content was highest in Habanero Red (82.6 µg·g^–1). The 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl test of free-radical scavenging activity indicated that the ethanolic extract of the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion pepper had the highest antioxidant activity correlated with the contents of phenolic substances.

Industrial air pollution, particularly cement dust, affects the leaf water status and resource utilisation and finally decreases primary production. Evaluating the relative water content (RWC), leaf mass per unit area (LMA), specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf water per unit area (LWA) helps selecting more tolerant species for dusty polluted areas. In this study, we compare two species of Quercus castaneifolia C.A.Mey and Carpinus betulus L. in a polluted site (PL) around a cement factory, and a unpolluted site (UPL) in Mazandaran province, Northern Iran. Ten individual trees of each species were tagged at each site, and twenty fully developed leaves were collected for further analysis and calculation. Based on the results, RWC and LWA were significantly lower in the PL site (61.0% and 0.0075 g·cm^–2, respectively) compared to the UPL site (71.1% and 0.0114 g·cm^–2, respectively) for Q. castaneifolia. However, no significant differences were observed in selected variables between PL and UPL sites for C. betulus. Among the studied variables, SLA was significantly higher in C. betulus (259.1 cm²·g^–1) compared to Q. castaneifolia (189.8 cm²·g^–1). Our results indicated that C. betulus responds better to dust pollution in terms of leaf water variables.

Precision agriculture is increasingly relying on tractor auto-steer systems to boost productivity and optimize crop inputs. Identifying field variations and performance, on the other hand, is necessary for giving site-specific recommendations. This study reports the field operating performance indicators of manual (MG), semi-automatic (SG), and automatic (AG) tractor guidance for weed control in wheat production in Southern Italy. Performance indicators include effective worked area, overall working time, effective field capacity, field efficiency, fuel consumption, and product usage. The SG tractor guidance working times were similar to the MG, but with significant savings in the herbicide spray solution and work quality. In terms of all parameters examined, the AG outperformed the SG and MG. The AG was 54% faster than the MG, resulting in an increased area worked and effective field capacity of 5 and 46%, respectively. The total time (effective time plus non-productive time) was reduced by 28%, while overlapped areas by 88.9%. Herbicide and fuel input was reduced by 30 and 11.5%, respectively. A streamlined environmental analysis indicated that AG could reduce the energy and carbon intensity of the one-time weed control process by 25 and 27% for each hectare. Our results confirm that auto guidance provides numerous benefits (e.g., machining uniformity, increased work quality, reduced resource use, and reduced environmental burdens), supporting the larger goal of agricultural production sustainability.

Salt stress is a major challenge for reforestation in arid to semi-arid regions. Therefore the effect of salt stress was tested in 4-months-old saplings of Eucalyptus camaldulensis under controlled conditions. Individuals were subjected to three levels of salt stress (2, 8, 16 d.Sm^-1) and several traits describing growth and dry weight production/allocation, as well as physiological attributes were measured. The results showed that salt stress had no impact on plant height or stem diameter. Number of leaves, number of branches, and leaf chlorophyll content decreased significantly under high salt stress treatment. Leaf dry weight decreased significantly, but root dry weight increased significantly from 6.22 to 8.24 g under high salt stress treatment. Total plant dry weight remained similar while the root/shoot ratio increased significantly under high salt stress treatment. The net CO₂ assimilation rate remained stable at ~ 10.1 mmol.m^-2.s^-1 and stomatal conductance decreased significantly to 79 mmol.m^-2.s^-1 under high salt stress. Consequently, water use efficiency increased significantly to 3.25 mmol.mol^-1 under high salt stress. Therefore we may conclude that the young Eucalyptus camaldulensis saplings can tolerate moderate salt stress by increasing dry weight allocation towards the root system and sustaining the CO₂ assimilation rate.

There are several dietary supplements, particularly herbal foods, that have been used in an attempt to improve bone growth. In this study, we aim at determining the effects of low- and high-doses of Spirulina platensis, a "Superfood", on the bone growth and biomechanical indicators. Thirty Wistar rats, weighing 250 g, at the age of 7-8 weeks were assigned to three groups: The Control group (basal diet), Low-dose group (LDG; 500 mg/kg) and High-dose group (HDG; 1 000 mg/kg) of S. platensis. S. platensis was given daily by oral gavage in a 45-day-trial. At the end of the study, the right tibiae were collected and subjected to bone biomechanical tests (bone weight, bone length, maximum load, stiffness, breaking deflection, fracture toughness, post-yield displacement and yield load). Serum samples were also analysed for the calcium and phosphorus concentrations. There were significant increases in bone weight, bone length, maximum load, breaking deflection, work to fracture, post-yield displacement and yield load (P = 0.025, P = 0.019, P = 0.030, P = 0.015, P = 0.031, P = 0.028, P = 0.049, respectively), whereas stiffness non-significantly increased. However, there were no significant differences (P > 0.05) for any variables between the LDG and the HDG. Although the serum phosphorus concentrations showed no differences among any of the groups, the serum calcium concentration increased significantly in LDG compared to Control group (P = 0.009; 7.14 ± 0.47 and 9.45 ± 0.67, respectively). However, no differences were observed in HDG in terms of serum calcium. In conclusion, S. platensis had positive effects on the bone growth and biomechanical bone features. Therefore, our study supports the use of S. platensis as an alternative food additive for bone growth and health in growing animals.

In order to alleviate the potential damage from climate change and fulfil the requirements contracted in the Paris Agreement (COP 24), China has promulgated the mandatory regulation on ethanol-blend gasoline to reduce current levels of CO2 emissions. Since large-scale bioenergy development involves various aspects such as feedstock selection (energy crops, crop wastes), technology alternatives (conventional and cellulosic ethanol, pyrolysis), government subsidy (land use, energy crop subsidy) and carbon trade mechanism, an analysis that integrates economic, environmental, and social effects is necessary to explore the optimal biofuel strategy and social effects. This study proposes a price endogenous, partial equilibrium mathematical programming model to investigate how the selection of bioenergy crops and bioenergy technologies influences the amount of net bioenergy production, carbon sequestration, government subsidies, and cultivation patterns. We show that the conjunctive use of agricultural wastes can be an effective addition to current biofuel production. The results also indicate that at high gasoline and emissions prices, more land used for the energy crop program results in a significant change in government expenditure. In addition, net emissions reduction and emissions offset efficiency can vary substantially when different bioenergy techniques are adopted.

The novelty of this project is to describe how chronic diabetes altered the haematological and uterine indicators in a time dependent-manner that were reversed by camel milk (CM) therapy in pregnant and non-pregnant rat models. Fifty-four female rats were divided into three groups: Placebo (N), diabetic control (DC) and diabetic treated (DT) with CM at 40 ml/kg/24 h for 90 days. A single intact male was introduced into every group for mating at day 60 of the experiment. The sample collection was undertaken at day 30 and 60 of the non-pregnant rats and at day 90 immediately after parturition for the pregnant rats. At every collection, the dam's blood, as well as the uteri and neonatal kidneys were collected and subjected to a paraffin tissue preparation technique for a histological evaluation. The data revealed that at day 30, the uterine endo- and myometrium remained unaffected by diabetes, but at day 60, a significant reduction in the uterine indicators from diabetes was observed. However, the CM restored the uterine histology in the DT. At 90 day, chronic diabetes showed (P < 0.05) a harmful effect on the pregnant uterus which was reversed (P < 0.05) by the CM. The RBC (red blood cell) indices, platelets, and leucocyte counts were severely affected by the diabetes and protected by the CM at every point of collection. The kidney tissues of the neonate rats, delivered by the dams, in the DC presented a significant (P < 0.05) shrinkage in the cortex and glomeruli while the CM potentially reversed these changes. These results will help to understand the chronic diabetes effects on the uterus and neonate's renal genesis, and the role of camel milk in the management of chronic pre-gestational diabetes.