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Rice is a crucial food commodity worldwide, particularly in Asian countries. However, various factors, such as drought, floods, and pest attacks, can lead to the emergence of diseases in rice plants. Accurately identifying these diseases poses a significant challenge for farmers, often leading to significant yield losses. Conventionally, farmers rely on manual methods based on their experience and visual inspections to identify rice diseases. However, this approach is highly ineffective, time-consuming, and prone to error. This study aimed to address this issue by proposing advanced deep learning techniques, an ensemble learning method, to automate and enhance the identification of rice plant diseases. The ensemble learning method was proposed by leveraging two state-of-the-art pre-trained models: EfficientNetV2B0 and MobileNetV3-Large. The proposed Average Ensemble method demonstrates superior performance compared with single models. The proposed Average Ensemble achieved superior performance with an average precision of 0.9339, a recall of 0.9330, an F1-score of 0.9328, and a test accuracy of 0.9330. The results of this study can be used to aid farmers and researchers in accurately identifying rice diseases, ultimately supporting better disease management practices, and enhancing the agricultural productivity.

Gyrodactylosis, caused by monogenean parasites of the genus Gyrodactylus, poses a significant threat to aquaculture, particularly under intensive farming conditions. This study evaluated the in vitro effectiveness of three veterinary anthelmintics – fenbendazole (FBZ), levamisole hydrochloride (LHC), and ivermectin (IVM) – against four Gyrodactylus species collected from wild cyprinid hosts. Parasite survival was monitored over 48 h at 6–7 °C. LHC showed the highest efficacy at both tested concentrations (30 and 50 mg/l), achieving near-complete mortality within 8 hours. FBZ and IVM were significantly less effective, with 23% and 33% of parasites surviving, respectively. Species-specific differences in drug susceptibility were observed, particularly with FBZ and IVM, with G. carassii showing consistently higher sensitivity than G. laevis, G. rutilensis, and G. vimbi. Lower water temperatures probably contributed to reduced drug efficacy and prolonged parasite survival. These findings highlight the importance of species-level evaluation and temperature considerations when selecting anthelmintic treatments for gyrodactylosis. In vitro testing under controlled conditions offers valuable insights into parasite susceptibility and complements in vivo approaches. Further research incorporating broader parasite diversity, temperature ranges, and pharmacological profiles is recommended to optimise treatment strategies in aquaculture.

Wind erosion represents a locally significant soil degradation process in the Czech Republic, particularly in intensively farmed lowland regions. While areas susceptible to wind erosion have been previously identified, spatially explicit quantification of potential soil loss expressed in t/ha per year at the national scale has so far been lacking. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of potential wind-driven soil loss across the Czech Republic using the Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ). Special attention is given to the soil erodibility index (I), which was derived from extensive laboratory analyses of soil aggregates and evaluated using multiple statistical representations (Q₂₅, median, mean, Q₇₅, and Q₉₀). The resulting variants were used to quantify the sensitivity of modelled soil loss to erodibility assumptions and to compare exceedance of national (9 t/ha per year) and European (2 t/ha per year) reference limits. Results show substantial spatial variability in index I and associated soil loss estimates. Using the recommended median-based variant, approximately 10% of agricultural land exceeds the European reference limit, while only 0.8% exceeds the national threshold. Higher quantile scenarios (Q₇₅ and Q₉₀) identify erosion hotspots in dry lowland regions and are suitable for preventive planning. The presented outputs provide the first spatially consistent national framework for assessing potential wind erosion losses in the Czech Republic.

This study investigated the effectiveness of ohmic heating (OH) for the inactivation of pectin methylesterase (PME) in passion fruit juice. PME is a heat-resistant enzyme responsible for juice cloud loss and quality deterioration during storage and is therefore commonly used as an indicator of pasteurisation efficiency. Juice samples were initially heated from 20 to 70 °C and subsequently held at 70 °C for 10 s while being subjected to different electric field strengths (20–40 V·cm^–1) and frequencies ranging from 50 to 10 000 Hz. The highest PME inactivation was observed at 60 Hz, and increasing electric field strength further enhanced the inactivation effect. Based on these results, a frequency of 60 Hz and an electric field strength of 30 V·cm^–1 were selected for subsequent experiments. The effects of temperature (60–90 °C) and holding time (0–90 s) on PME inactivation during OH treatment were then evaluated and compared with conventional heating (CH). OH treatment at 90 °C for 70 s resulted in approximately 90% PME inactivation, which was 10.2% higher than that achieved by CH. In addition, OH treatment caused no significant additional degradation of ascorbic acid, total polyphenols, or antioxidant activity, indicating that the applied electric field did not adversely affect these bioactive compounds. These findings demonstrate that ohmic heating is a promising and mild pasteurisation technology for fruit juice processing.

Sunflower serves as a valuable rotational crop, suitable for snack processing or sunflower seed oil extraction, proving to be a lucrative cash crop. To address sunflower yield uncertainties, this study employs meta-analysis to examine the impact of fertilisation. Utilising 41 studies and 392 pairs of observations based on four criteria, we found an overall 27% increase in sunflower yield with fertiliser application. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) individually applied raised yield by 23.37, 20.92, and 11.63%, respectively. Combined fertilisers (NP, NK, NP, and NPK) enhanced yield by 29.69, 28.40, 17.35, and 41.91%, respectively. Sunflower type minimally affects yield, while planting density significantly influences it. Combining local soil conditions and environmental factors with appropriate planting densities ensures maximum sunflower yield, fostering economic benefits for farmers. This study holds constructive implications for sunflower cultivation in China, contributing to increased yield.

As a critical and universal soil physical property, soil water repellency significantly affects soil and water erosion and vegetation restoration, particularly in the karst region. This study analysed soil properties, namely, particle size distribution (PSD) in abandoned farmland and different plantations in karst areas, and their impact on water repellency to provide references for its ecological restoration. First, for the shaddock plantation, citrus plantation, ginkgo plantation, Robinia pseudoacacia plantation, and abandoned farmland, the research objects, soil particle size and water drop penetration time were measured, and the fractal parameters of soil PSD were computed. Soil PSD characteristics’ influence on water repellency was inferred according to, for example, correlation, redundancy, and stepwise regression analyses. Sand content in the shaddock plantation and clay content in the citrus plantation was the highest. The soil particles of abandoned farmland and plantations were primarily sand. The values of volume dimension D(0) in descending order were citrus plantation, shaddock plantation, ginkgo plantation, R. pseudoacacia plantation, and abandoned farmland. The values of information dimension D(1), correlation dimension D(2), and information dimension/volume dimension D(1)/D(0) in descending order were R. pseudoacacia plantation, ginkgo plantation, citrus plantation, abandoned farmland, and shaddock plantation. No significant differences were found in the symmetry degree Df, the spectral width Da of the singular spectral function, and the single fractal dimension D among the abandoned farmland and different plantations. Slight water repellency was observed in the abandoned farmland and different plantations. The degree of water repellency in descending order was R. pseudoacacia plantation > ginkgo plantation > abandoned farmland > citrus plantation > shaddock plantation. Significant correlations were found between fractal parameters and water repellency, and fractal parameters were suitable potential indicators for soil water repellency.

Cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis are zoonotic protozoan diseases with significant public health and economic concerns. In Algeria, epidemiological data on these parasites in livestock are limited. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia in dairy calves and broiler chickens and to identify the associated risk factors. A microscopic analysis of 200 faecal samples revealed a Cryptosporidium spp. prevalence of 56% in calves and 60% in broiler chickens, while the Giardia prevalence was 8% in calves and absent in chickens. In cattle, the data showed that age constituted a potential risk factor for both parasites (P < 0.000 1 for Cryptosporidium; P < 0.000 5 for Giardia). Interestingly, the risk of a Cryptosporidium infection decreased with age, while the Giardia infestation risk increased. The sex was not a significant factor for Cryptosporidium (P = 0.115 0), but was impactful for Giardia (P < 0.000 1), with males at higher risk. These results highlighted the distinct epidemiological characteristics of Cryptosporidium and Giardia infestations in Algerian livestock. The contrasting age-related risks and sex-specific susceptibility to Giardia underline the need for targeted, age and sex prevention strategies. This study provides valuable data to inform public health policies and to improve livestock management practices in Algeria, contributing to the wider understanding of these zoonotic parasites in North African agricultural farming.

Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a role in the reconstruction of hair follicles and in the formation and growth of cashmere fibres. One cashmere growth-associated lncRNA was successfully screened out at the early stage in the laboratory, which was named LncRNA MTC. In this study, the binding of galectin 3 (LGALS3) to LncRNA MTC was examined through RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP) in skin fibroblasts of Liaoning Cashmere goats. The pLenti-LGALS3-His-IRES-EGFP lentiviral overexpression vector was built, and the result of CCK8 indicated that the overexpression of LGALS3 significantly enhanced the viability of skin fibroblasts (P < 0.05). A total of 15 proteins interacting with LGALS3 were identified through co-immunoprecipitation (CO-IP) combined mass spectrometry, which were primarily rich in ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, PI3K-AKT, and other signalling pathways. Moreover, PIEZO1 refers to a mechanically sensitive ion channel protein that is capable of regulating the cell proliferation. As revealed by qPCR results, overexpression of LGALS3 significantly upregulated the expression of PIEZO1, which was effectively interfered by siRNA. The result of CCK8 indicated that siPIEZO1 significantly inhibited cell proliferation, whereas overexpression of LGALS3 protected cells from the suppression of siPIEZO1 (P < 0.01). This study revealed that LGALS3 is capable of stimulating the proliferation of skin fibroblasts by regulating PIEZO1. The effect of LGALS3 on the proliferation of skin fibroblasts from the protein interaction was explored, and this study is expected to lay a certain scientific basis for the research on the hair follicle development mechanism of Liaoning Cashmere goats.

To evaluate the effects of organic fertilizer and microbial agents on soil water and salt distribution, microorganisms, and crop yield on coastal saline-alkaline land, eight treatments were established, i.e., two maize varieties (Dajing Jiu 26 (J) and Quchen Jiu (Q)) and four organic fertilizer and microbial agent application methods (no organic fertilizer or microbial agent application (O₀M₀), single organic fertilizer application (O₁M₀), single microbial agent application (O₀M₁), and combined organic fertilizer and microbial agent application (O₁M₁)). The soil water content in the 40–50 cm soil layer under JO₁M₁ was 3.35% greater than that under JO₀M₀ at the mature stage. The soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil total nitrogen (STN) in the 0–10 cm soil layer under JO₁M₁ were 16.69% and 21.37% greater, respectively, than those under JO₀M₀ at the jointing stage. The actinomycete content was 58.79% greater in QO₁M₁ than in QO₀M₀. The urease activity was greater in O₁M₀ than in the other management practices. Compared with that in JO₀M₀ and QO₀M₀, the alkaline phosphatase activity in JO₁M₁ and QO₁M₁ was 47.36% and 33.97% higher, respectively. Compared with those of JO₀M₀, the catalase activity and sucrase activity of JO₁M₁ were 57.62% and 22.78% higher, respectively. Compared with JO₀M₀ and QO₀M₀, JO₁M₁ and QO₁M₁ increased the grain yield by 20.69% and 16.42%, respectively, and increased the biomass by 23.36% and 26.45%, respectively. In summary, organic fertilizer and microbial agents provide a scientific model for the rational use of saline soils and the development of their potential.

Lithium (Li) plays a significant role in human physiology and psychology; however, it is non-essential for plants. The extensive use of Li in industrial processes and battery-powered devices poses a potential global threat to living organisms. This study assessed the impact of varying soil Li concentrations (0, 20, 40, 60, and 80 mg/kg) on carrot (Daucus carota L.) plants. Results revealed that Li concentrations exceeding 40 mg/kg soil had detrimental effects on carrot growth. Compared to 0 mg/kg soil, Li concentrations of 60 and 80 mg/kg reduced shoot fresh biomass by 51% and 82%, respectively, and root fresh biomass by 68% and 89%, respectively. Elevated Li levels in the soil also increased hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) content in shoots and triggered enhanced activity of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). Additionally, soil Li disrupted the uptake and translocation of essential nutrients such as potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) from roots to shoots. This study concludes that while low Li levels may elicit a positive response in plants, higher concentrations significantly impair growth and could contribute to the accumulation of Li in the food chain.

Salt stress is a significant abiotic factor that limits crop growth and yield. Nano-fertilisers, effective even in small quantities, have gained prominence for their ability to enhance plant growth and stress tolerance. This study investigated the effects of silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) at different concentrations (0, 100, 200, and 400 mg/L solution) under varying saline water application levels (0.6, 1.2, 2.4, and 3.6 dS/m) on growth parameters, antioxidant enzyme activity, and nutrient uptake in lettuce. The greenhouse experiment followed a randomised complete block design with three replications. Results demonstrated that SiNPs effectively increased head diameter and plant height by approximately 8% and 14%, respectively, compared to the control. Similarly, dry matter content improved by 22% with SiNP-400. While salinity stress significantly increased electrolyte leakage and lipid peroxidation (as indicated by malondialdehyde (MDA) content), SiNPs reduced MDA levels by 21%, indicating lower oxidative damage. Soil-plant analysis development (SPAD) values improved by 6%, and leaf relative water content increased by 4% with the application of SiNPs. Enzyme activity analysis revealed that salinity stress enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, but SiNP-400 reduced SOD and CAT levels by 23% and 50%, respectively, suggesting a decrease in oxidative stress. Furthermore, SiNPs enhanced nutrient uptake, significantly increasing the contents of Mg, Fe, and Zn while reducing Na accumulation. The highest Mg, Zn, and K concentrations were recorded under the SiNP-400 treatment. These findings highlight the potential of silica nanoparticles in mitigating the effects of salt stress and improving plant resilience, highlighting their role in sustainable agriculture.

Indonesia, as a leading coconut producer, generates a substantial amount of coconut pulp from coconut milk extraction, which can be further processed into low-fat desiccated coconut. However, the drying process induces browning, reducing its whiteness and overall quality. Sodium metabisulphite is commonly used to prevent browning, but excessive use raises health concerns. In this study, the optimisation of the drying temperature and sodium metabisulphite concentration was conducted to minimise the browning while maintaining the quality of low-fat desiccated coconut. Using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a Central Composite Design (CCD), responses such as the browning index (BI), whiteness index (WI), moisture content, yield, free fatty acids (FFAs), ash, fat, protein, total phenolic content (TPC), and crude fibre were examined. The results showed that both the drying temperature and sodium metabisulphite concentration significantly influenced the physicochemical properties. The optimal conditions were identified at 62.505 °C and 380.059 ppm sodium metabisulphite, resulting in a whiteness index of 87.219, browning index of 5.1025, yield of 43.125%, moisture content of 2.3%, and free fatty acid content of 4.45%. These findings highlight an effective strategy for reducing the additive dependency while maintaining the physicochemical quality of low-fat desiccated coconut.

The genus Solanum comprises numerous wild and cultivated species that are important for potato breeding. This pilot-scale study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity in 44 accessions from Solanum sect. Petota, comprising wild species, Andean landraces, and modern cultivars, obtained from the Potato Research Institute Havlíčkův Brod, Ltd. and the Department of Crop Sciences and Agroforestry at the Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. Nuclear microsatellite markers (SSR, 29 loci) were applied via five multiplex PCR reactions and analysed using capillary electrophoresis. Binary data matrices were analysed using DARwin software to generate dendrograms reflecting allelic polymorphism. The SSR panel effectively differentiated cultivated accessions from wild types, consistent with the current taxonomy of the genus Solanum, with particularly clear clustering of Andean landraces and modern varieties. However, resolution among wild accessions was limited, likely due to their high genetic complexity and interspecific overlap. These results support the suitability of the SSR panel for analysing diversity in cultivated potatoes. while also highlighting the challenges in resolving wild Solanum taxa. This study contributes to germplasm characterisation and provides a molecular basis for future breeding programmes.

Soil salinity is a major environmental constraint that limits the growth and productivity of peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), a legume adapted to mildly acidic soils but highly sensitive to saline–alkaline conditions. Dehydration-Responsive Element Binding (DREB) transcription factors are key regulators of plant responses to abiotic stresses. In this study, the AhDREB gene from peanut was introduced into tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) to examine its functional role under salt stress. The transgenic lines (L32.2 and L37.2) exhibited strong induction of AhDREB expression upon exposure to 150 and 250 mM NaCl, with transcript levels increasing up to 2.34-fold compared with untreated controls (P < 0.001). Quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that AhDREB enhanced the transcription of two osmolyte-related genes, NtP5CS and NtSUSY. Under saline conditions, the expression of these genes was 1.20–1.89-fold higher in transgenic lines than in wild-type (WT) plants and 4.74–7.66-fold higher than in non-stress conditions (P < 0.001). Consistently, both lines accumulated greater amounts of proline and soluble sugars, showing 2.09–2.30-fold and 2.40–4.70-fold increases, respectively, compared with the WT. Relative to non-stress conditions, proline and sugar contents increased by 3.59–5.47 fold and 3.75–7.65-fold, respectively. Line L37.2 accumulated higher proline levels, whereas L32.2 exhibited greater sugar content, indicating distinct osmolyte regulation patterns. Overall, the AhDREB gene enhances salt tolerance in tobacco by transcriptionally activating osmolyte biosynthetic pathways and improving cellular osmotic adjustment, providing molecular evidence for its potential application in developing stress-tolerant peanut cultivars.

The use of flours from the acorns of Quercus ilex and Quercus coccifera to produce gluten-free pasta was investigated in the current study. The latter evaluates the nutritional value, physical properties (minimum preparation time, water absorption index, cooking loss, and colour), textural properties (hardness, firmness, and stickiness), and sensory attributes of cooked rice pasta enriched with different dosages of acorn flour [25 g·(100 g)–1 and 50 g·(100 g)–1]. The results demonstrated that pasta produced from Quercus ilex acorn required the shortest cooking time, whereas pasta made from Quercus coccifera acorn exhibited the highest cooking losses. Pastes enriched with acorn displayed a more pronounced yellow colour. The combination of 50% rice flour and 50% acorn flour in pasta formulations significantly reduced cooking losses and yielded acceptable scores across all sensory attributes, resulting in the highest overall quality.

This paper examines changes in soil physical and chemical properties in relation to tree proximity on different slopes. Topsoil and subsoil were sampled at 12 research plots on four slope types, the soil pits being placed at the base of a tree (near tree, NT) and between the test tree and an adjacent tree (between trees, BT). We observed a significant decrease in vertical topsoil response to slope on lower, middle and upper slopes, and a decrease in fine roots (R < 2 mm) on flat ground. Overall, middle and lower slopes showed the highest similarity, and upper slopes and flat ground the least, with the greatest subsoil changes observed mainly on middle slopes and least on lower slopes. There was clear topographic dependence between subsoil water stable aggregates (WSA) and C dynamics, with BT total carbon (Ctot) higher on flat ground and lower on middle slopes; unlike topsoil, where the strongest WSA correlation was with distance from the tree. The highest N : OM (organic matter) ratios occurred on middle slopes facing north-west, and lowest on lower slopes facing north and flat ground. Our findings confirm the influence of slope type on soil characteristics, with NT soil supporting soil formation by transporting water to deeper layers, especially on slopes > 5°. These observations contribute to a better understanding of the dependence of soil properties on slope type and tree position when planning sustainable forest management.

Optimising the feed composition, especially the forage choice, and reducing costs are essential for improving dairy production efficiency. Different forage sources and proportions were used to formulate rations containing equal energy and protein, and their effects on rumen microbiota and milk production performance of dairy cows were evaluated in two experiments. In experiment 1, thirty lactating cows (235 ±13 d postpartum; milk production 29.1 ± 1.0 kg/day) were divided into Pangola and Bermuda groups. In experiment 2, twenty lactating cows (79.9 ± 8.1 d postpartum; milk production 34.7 ± 0.6 kg/day) were divided into Pangola and oat groups. In experiment 1, the Simpson index for rumen microbiota of the Pangola group was significantly higher than in the Bermuda group (P < 0.05). Analysis of the weighted unique fraction (UniFrac) distances indicated significant differences in the beta diversity of the community composition of rumen microbiota between Pangola, Bermuda and oat groups in both experiments (P < 0.001). The relative abundance of Prevotella brevis was significantly higher in the Pangola group than in the oat group in experiment 2 (P < 0.05). The somatic cell counts (SCCs), C18:0, and C18:1 in milk were significantly higher in the Bermuda group than in the Pangola group (P < 0.05) in experiment 1. On the other hand, milk crude protein (CP) and solids-not-fat (SNF) were significantly higher in the Oat group than in the Pangola group (P < 0.05) in experiment 2; however, milk urea nitrogen (MUN) was significantly higher in the Pangola group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, a switch of forage (Pangola vs Bermuda) at a lower proportion of the diet under the high forage level condition (experiment 1) caused only minor changes in rumen microbiota diversity (Simpson index, beta diversity) and milk production performance (milk SCCs, C18:0 and C18:1). On the other hand, a switch of forage (Pangola vs oat) at a higher proportion of the diet under the low forage level condition (experiment 2) resulted in greater changes in rumen microbiota diversity (beta diversity, relative abundances of bacterial taxa, P. brevis relative abundance) and milk production performance (milk CP, SNF, and MUN).

Contract farming is regarded as an effective strategy for smallholder farmers in developing countries to enhance their agricultural competitiveness. However, limited research exists on its potential to promote green, sustainable development. This paper investigates the impact of contract farming participation on farmers' green technology efficiency using data from a sample of 627 vegetable growers in Shandong, China and employs the propensity score matching method. Our findings are as follows: i) Under the counterfactual assumption, participation in contract farming increases green technology efficiency from 0.560 to 0.614. The efficiency of contract production bases, ranked from highest to lowest, is as follows: self-owned base, stock-sharing base, and contractual base. ii) The provision of productive services serves as a significant mediating factor in enhancing green technology efficiency, with a more substantial impact than issuing planned instructions. iii) Increasing purchase prices, as an effective means of providing motivational incentives, significantly amplifies the effect of contract farming on green technology efficiency in self-owned and stock-sharing bases. As organisational models evolve toward greater integration, the enhancing effect of price incentives on green technology efficiency strengthens. This study concludes with several public policy and agricultural management recommendations.

The aim of the experiment was to determine the yield, content and uptake of macronutrients and their ratio in spring triticale, Milewo cultivar. The field experiment was conducted in the years 2014–2016 on Cambisols. The first experimental factor was a system of soil tillage (traditional (TRD) and reduced (RED)), and the second was sulphur fertilisation (0, 25 and 50 kg S/ha). Based on the study, it was found that the application of conventional tillage and the addition of sulphur fertilisation to NPK significantly increased spring triticale grain yield. The application of reduced tillage positively affected the increase in content and uptake in grain dry matter (DM) of N, S, P, K, Mg and Ca. Adding sulphur (S) to NPK fertilisation favourably increased the content and uptake of N, S, Mg, and Ca and did not affect the content of P and K. The application of reduced tillage expanded the ionic ratio of N : S, P : S while it narrowed the N : P ratio. However, the tillage system did not affect the ionic ratios Ca : P, K : Mg, K : (Ca + Mg) and molar K : (Ca + Mg). Adding sulphur to NPK fertilisation narrowed the N : S and P : S ratios while expanding the N : P and Ca : P ratios. Weather conditions during the 2016 growing season (relatively dry, k = 1.71) favoured spring triticale yield and uptake with dry grain weight of N, S, P, Mg and Ca. The highest N, S, P, K and Ca content in grain dry matter was shown in the 2014 season (relatively humid, k = 1.96). Numerous correlations were found between grain yield and the content, uptake and reciprocal ratios of elements in grain.

With the growing population, increasing income, and high-speed lifestyle, people pay more attention to a healthy diet and nutritional food. Organic food, also regarded as healthy, sustainable, or eco-friendly eating, has gained global popularity. This trend has been particularly amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a surge in demand for nutritious foods worldwide. Organic food originated in Europe, with the highest development globally. Its progress varies by country. China's organic food industry began decades ago, growing rapidly. As globalisation advances and China's economy accelerates, it is valuable to examine the organic food industries in Hungary and China. In order to understand the willingness of consumers to buy organic food, we conducted a survey for a month in 2021 from 581 respondents in Hungary (185), China (374), and other countries, compared the respondents' demographic data, organic food consumption and their buying willingness and attitude to recommend organic food to other consumers. The decision tree analysis was deployed to analyse the statistical data via SPSS software. It showed that organic food has a positive demand in both Hungary and China, but some purchase habits are different in these two countries.

Potassium (K) is crucial for rice yield and quality, but continuous yield increase reduces protein content, challenging the balance between high yield and quality. This study analysed 3 178 case studies (1994–2024) on K management impacts on rice yield, grain protein, and amylose content, evaluating effects of K fertiliser rates, base-topdressing ratios, planting regions, and soil properties. The results showed that K application significantly increased rice yield, protein content and amylose content by 11.6, 2.0 and 1.0%, respectively. Importantly, we identified targeted K fertilisation strategies tailored to different quality goals: optimising for eating quality, nutritional quality, or synergistic improvement of yield and comprehensive quality. This study provides a scientific basis for precision K management to help growers balance rice yield with specific quality needs.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of mannan-oligosaccharides (MOSs) in broiler chicken feed throughout the complete rearing cycle, focusing on zootechnical performance and lactic acid bacteria. Over a period of 49 days, a total of one thousand and eighty (1 080) day-old ISA 15 chicks were divided into two (control and experimental) groups of 540 subjects each (9 replicates of 60 chicks per treatment). They were fed the same basic diet, but only the experimental group received a yeast cell wall extract-based prebiotic (AGRIMOS^®, France), administered continuously at a dose of 2 g/kg throughout the different rearing phases. Under our local conditions, the prebiotic supplementation resulted in a significant increase in body weight gain (P < 0.01), reaching 1 559.82 ± 41.47 g during the growth phase and 913.20 ± 72.58 g during the finishing phase. Moreover, a significant reduction in the feed conversion ratio was observed throughout the rearing cycle (P < 0.05). Across all segments of the analysed intestinal tract (duodenum, ileum, and caecum), the data showed that chickens supplemented with the prebiotic had a significantly higher number of lactic acid bacteria than the control group at the start, growth, and finishing phases (P < 0.01). Our findings demonstrated a clear impact of the prebiotic on the feed utilisation under our rearing conditions, which required further studies to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of action.

Staphylococcus hyicus is one of the causative agents of exudative epidermitis in pigs. The aim of this study was to establish a porcine challenge model of a skin infection caused by S. hyicus to assess the effectiveness of a medicinal product intended for local application. Based on the results of the presence of toxin encoding genes and antimicrobial resistance (detected resistance to clindamycin, penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin and tetracycline), three field strains were selected for the trial. At D0, six surface defects were created on the back of six piglets. The defects were inoculated with bacteria at two different concentrations: 1 × 10⁸ or 1 × 10⁹ CFU/ml. Every day throughout the experiment, the pigs were monitored, and their rectal temperatures were measured. On D4, D9, and D14, a visual evaluation and indirect bacteriological imprints of the defects were performed. Crusts were present from D9, and a lower bacterial concentration led to reduced secretion and crust formation. Based on the results of bacterial cultivation of the indirect imprints, however, S. hyicus was present in greater amounts in the wound defects infected with the lower bacterial concentration. As there were differences in the obtained results among the strains used, it can be concluded that the strain marked as CAPM 6689 seems to be the most applicable and the lower concentration was enough for the infection development.

Ornamental perennials are highly popular and irreplaceable plants commonly used for enhancing public spaces and private gardens. One of the most frequently occurring pathogens is powdery mildew, a parasitic fungus that covers leaves, stems, and flowers with a whitish to light grey mycelium and reproductive structures. It significantly reduces not only the lifespan of plants but also their aesthetic value. A field survey of ornamental plants infected with powdery mildew was conducted during the growing seasons of 2021–2023 in the Czech Republic. Thirty-nine species and cultivars of infected plants from 17 families were collected from botanical gardens, private gardens, and city parks, and 26 species of powdery mildew were identified. Species identification was based on a combination of morphological and PCR-based molecular analyses. The most frequently represented genus was Golovinomyces (13 species and varieties of powdery mildew on 21 plant samples from eight families), followed by five species of the genus Erysiphe on seven plant species from five families, and seven species of the genus Podosphaera on ten plant species from five families. The species Neoërysiphe galeopsidis was identified on a single plant sample. Two new powdery mildew species (Golovinomyces savulescui, Erysiphe knautie) were identified in the Czech Republic, and the host range of several species was clarified. Golovinomyces bolayi was confirmed on Campanula lactiflora and Veronica longifolia, Erysiphe macleaye on Dicentra spectabilis, and Podosphaera xantii on Calendula officinalis, Chrysanthemum sp., Dahlia pinnata, and Gerbera × hybrida.

Concerns for human health and food safety are gaining momentum in emerging and developing nations as well as in food research due to the reputations that products have established over time. Understanding cross-cultural consumers’ purchasing behaviour for chicken meat (CM) could provide valuable insights into the global food sector since it is the most consumed meat worldwide. This study examines the effect of buying features (BF), culture factors, behavioural attitudes (BA), subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavioural control (BC) on CM actual purchase behaviour (APB) in China and Sierra Leone. Primary data were sourced from 588 Chinese and 410 Sierra Leonean participants. We adopt structural equation modelling (SEM) to verify the model and test the associations between the variables. The SEM results confirm that BF, BA, SN and BC stimulate customers’ intent and actual purchase of CM in both nations. The findings indicate that cultural factors (CF) significantly moderates the association between the independent constructs (BF, BA, SN and BC) and APB in Sierra Leonean markets. This study provides significant insights for chicken industry stakeholders that can help them increase CM sales along the supply chain via a marketing strategy focused on cultural and psychological factors.

Multifunctional landscapes, such as agroforestry, that improve soil health are essential in sustaining terrestrial life by supporting various ecosystem services (ESs). However, decision-making often requires more attention to soil health because its parameters have no market value. In this study, we aim to evaluate soil health parameters in cacao agroforestry and monoculture and their degradation due to erosion and to estimate their indirect use value (IUV). We develop a soil health economic valuation approach bridged by ESs because the economic valuation of ESs tends to be better studied. We estimated the IUVs of the eight soil health parameters by using the direct proxy revealed prevalence valuation method on the basis of the valuation of the four ESs they support: water regulation, climate regulation, nutrient retention and biodiversity. The total IUVs for cacao agroforestry were USD 633 with Endoaquepts and USD 723 with Dystrudepts and for cacao monoculture were USD 415 with Endoaquepts and USD 575 with Dystrudepts. Soil carbon has the highest contribution to IUV, followed by soil nitrogen. Agroforestry not only increases IUV but also minimises its decrease due to erosion. Despite economic valuations being subject to uncertainty, these results encourage the internalisation of soil health values in sustainable land management design.

This study aims to evaluate the perceptions of Spanish primary producers on waste management practices and different regulatory and administrative proposals. In addition, it identifies the socioeconomic and technical factors influencing these perceptions and highlights the types of agricultural residues that present the greatest management challenges for primary producers. To achieve these objectives, a survey was conducted among 396 primary producers throughout Spain. Results revealed two distinct groups of producers: younger, more educated individuals who showed higher awareness of waste management and older, less educated producers who perceived waste management as less critical. The study also analysed the magnitude of the relationships between these influencing factors and waste management perceptions. Agricultural plastics, biomass, and used oil emerged as the most problematic waste types. The findings suggest the need for a national strategy to improve agricultural waste management in Spain, including awareness campaigns, financial incentives, and stricter regulations to ensure sustainable practices.

To research the impact of free radical oxidation on myosin, we established a hydroxyl radical oxidation system using iron/hydrogen peroxide/ascorbic acid. By varying hydrogen peroxide concentrations (0, 0.5, 1, 5, 10, 20 mmol·L^–1), we achieved different oxidation levels of myosin and investigated the effects on its structural and functional characteristics. The results showed that when the H₂O₂ concentration was 20 mmol·L^–1, compared with the control group, the carbonyl content of myosin was 2.376 times higher, the sulfhydryl content was decreased by 37.02%, the surface hydrophobicity was increased by 59.13%, the solubility was decreased by 19.54%, and the turbidity was significantly increased (P < 0.05). Myosin emulsification, emulsification stability, and foaming capacity initially increased and then they diminished, and the maximum value was reached when the H₂O₂ concentration was 5 mmol·L^–1, whereas foaming stability remained relatively unchanged. Sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis research revealed increased crosslinking and protein polymerisation in oxidised myosin. The secondary structure of myosin measured by Fourier infrared spectroscopy showed that the α-helix content decreased by 14.41% and the β-fold content increased by 44.50%. These results suggested that oxidative modification alters the structural and functional properties of myosin, providing valuable insights for its structural and functional analyses.

The four-year field trial was conducted at the Rolnicze Gospodarstwo Doświadczalne Brody (Brody Experimental Farm), Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland. This study aimed to assess how different doses of gypsum and potassium (K) fertilisers influenced the nutritive value of the alfalfa-grass mixture. The following two experimental factors were duplicated: gypsum fertilisation – two levels (0 and 500 kg/ha) and K fertilisation – four levels (0, 30, 60, and 120 kg/ha). The sward was harvested three times at the full budding phase of alfalfa. The content of nutritive components: crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), crude ash (CA) and water-soluble sugars (WSC) by NIRS technique was assessed. The combined application of gypsum and K significantly increased the yields obtained only in the 1st and 3rd harvests of the sward. In the case of CP and WSC, the application of gypsum and K showed no significant effect on the content of these components in the sward. At the same time, it significantly influenced the higher content of CF and CA only in the case of the 2nd harvest. Analysing the influence of only the effect of K on the results obtained, a response of increasing CF content in the sward under the influence of increasing doses of this nutrient was noted. The average potassium content of the sward increased from a K0 fertilisation level to an application rate of K60. In the case of CA content, there was a successive increase with the application of successive fertilisation rates from K0 to a rate of K120. Based on the average yield results, a similar response was observed for the increase in yields obtained with increasing potassium fertilisation rates from K0 to K120. CP content increased due to gypsum fertilisation, as did the achieved sward yields of the alfalfa-grass mixture. The biomass of the alfalfa-grass mixture without gypsum fertilisation contained more WSC than the fertilised one.

A rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry (REIMS) method combined with intelligent knife (iKnife) method was developed to explore the geographical origin and characteristic differential components of Qianbei Ma lamb. The REIMS conditions were initially refined, with the cauterization duration of 3 seconds, and the auxiliary solvent flow rate set to 100 μL·min^–1 to prevent duplication. A database model was created from raw data through the proposed principal component analysis-linear discriminate analysis (PCA-LDA) in Live ID software, successfully applied to identify samples from 5 provinces in China and the real-time reliable identification rate with confidence higher than 99%. The obtained data by REIMS were used to establish the multivariate statistical models which using orthogonal projection to latent structures discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), provided strong the discrimination power between composition and content changes of 16 specific ions such as m/z 726.3952 and m/z 744.4050, etc., including fatty alcohols, fatty acids and phosphatidylserines in mutton of different origin and the model displayed validation [R²(Y) = 0.968, Q² = 0.924].