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To study the impact of parent-inbred lines on the heterosis expression of the agronomic characteristics in sunflower hybrids, 24 sunflower hybrids along with the parent lines were evaluated for their agronomic characteristics as a randomised complete block design with three replications in the 2018-2019 growing seasons in Karaj, Iran. According to the results, the hybrids R29 × A346, R19 × A346, R29 × A40 had the highest achene yield (4 159, 4 143 and 4 108 kg/ha, respectively), but the highest heterosis was observed in R29 × A212 and R19 × A212 (182 and 181%, respectively) suggesting that the incidence of heterosis is related to the relative performance of both the parents and hybrids. The results confirmed the heterosis expression for most of the agronomic traits. The heterosis for the days to flowering and maturity were negative. All the mid-parent heterosis (MPH) for the plant height, head diameter, stem diameter and achene number were positive, while only the plant height was positive for the best parent heterosis (BPH). Almost all the MPH and BPH of the crosses for the achene and oil yield were positive, which indicates a considerable heterosis for the achene and oil yield. The results showed that the relative impact of the restorer (R)-lines was higher than the cytoplasmic mail sterile (CMS)-lines on the heterosis expression for the days to maturity, stem diameter, achene number per head and achene and oil yield. The CMS-lines had more of an impact on the heterosis expression for the plant height and the relative impact of the R-lines and CMS-lines were almost similar for the days to flowering, head diameter, achene weight and oil content. Due to the higher relative impact of the paternal lines on the heterosis expression for half of the studied characteristics in this study, choosing suitable parental lines will have a crucial role in breeding the sunflowers for a desired trait.

The aim of the present study was to optimize the conventional method of sperm freezing in liquid nitrogen (LN₂) vapour for successful cryopreservation of Wallachian ram sperm, the genetic resources of the Czech Republic. Sperm in straws were frozen using the conventional freezing method via a static exposure of sperm doses to LN₂ vapour, or by four different modified freezing methods. Under modified freezing, straws were frozen by a discontinuous, time-dependent decremental change in the distance between the straws and the surface of LN₂. The viability of sperm was evaluated by flow cytometry after sperm equilibration, and immediately after thawing. Besides the observed inter-sire and daily variation, the obtained results suggest the methodological weakness of the conventional freezing method via the static exposure of sperm doses to LN₂ vapour. With the use of the optimized freezing procedure, all parameters of thawed sperm were significantly (P < 0.05) improved in comparison with the conventional method: percentage of thawed sperm viability increased up to 48.3%, percentage of sperm with plasma membrane damage after thawing decreased to 6.58%, percentage of sperm with acrosome damage decreased to 24.4%, and percentage of sperm with deteriorated mitochondrial activity decreased to 6.28%. In conclusion, our results suggest that an optimized freezing procedure should be routinely used instead of the conventional method to cryopreserve Wallachian ram sperm.

Identification of the associations of cow feeding behaviour with milk yield (MY) is important for supporting recommendations of strategies that optimize MY. The objective of this study was to identify associations between measures of rumination time (RT) and MY using data collated from 2 777 dairy cows on nine commercial dairy farms during the years 2017 to 2019. A database contained behaviour and daily MY data. Cows averaged (mean ± standard deviation) 2.7 ± 1.6 lactations, 153 ± 81 days in milk, and 23.2 ± 7.5 kg/day of MY during the observation period. Behavioural data included RT (504 ± 93 min/day), feeding time (FT) (479 ± 110 min/day), resting time (360 ± 94 min/day), and activity time (96 ± 45 min/day). The coefficient of variation for RT (min/day) was 18.5%. The behavioural differences observed in this study provide a new insight into the effects of RT and FT on MY. MY was positively associated with RT in early and mid-lactation dairy cows with correlation coefficients of 0.24 (P < 0.001) and 0.25 (P < 0.001), respectively. The mean level of rumination time (MRT) was shown to be correlated with total MY produced over the whole lactation (305 days). The differences in MY between the highest and lowest MRT groups of cows were 1 735 kg, 2 617 kg and 1 941 kg in the first, second and third lactation, respectively. High-yielding dairy cows in early (≥ 23 kg/day) and mid (≥ 30 kg/day) lactation achieved the highest RT (522 ± 3.54 min/day and 507 ± 3.17 min/day, P < 0.05) and the highest FT (457 ± 4.69 min/day and 496 ± 4.00 min/day, P < 0.05), respectively. Cows in the highest MY groups also had the lowest activity and resting times during the most productive (early and mid) phases of lactation (P < 0.05), which is in agreement with our finding that more productive cows spend a greater proportion of their time feeding and ruminating.

The success of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay depends on template deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) being sufficient with respect to both quantity and quality. Some biological materials contain compounds which inhibit the functioning of DNA polymerase and thus need to be removed as part of the DNA extraction procedure. The aim of the present experiments was to optimise the process of DNA isolation from various types of black, fruit and herbal teas. A comparison was made between two cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-based protocols and two commercially available DNA purification kits. The yield and integrity of the extracted DNA were monitored both spectrophotometrically and using agarose gel electrophoresis. The presence/absence of inhibitors in the DNA preparations was checked by running quantitative real-time PCRs. The optimal protocol was deemed to be the CTAB method described in ISO 21571:2005, so this method is recommended for the routine sample analysis of tea products.

The effect of agrotechnical elements (crop rotation, fertilisation, irrigation) on maize yield and various chemical characteristics of the soil (pHH2O, pHKCl, hydrolytic acidity (y1)) were examined in a long-term experiment (established in 1983) on calcareous Chernozem in the Hajdúság region of Hungary. The yield obtained in 2019 showed the favourable water supply of the crop year and outstanding nutrient utilisation of maize. In the control (non-fertilised) treatments, maize yield was 8 t/ha in monoculture, 11 t/ha in biculture and 12 t/ha in triculture, while the highest yield obtained with the optimum fertiliser treatment increased to 13, 13.5 and 14 t/ha, respectively. In the long-term experiment established 35 years ago, the pH values of the soil greatly decreased in comparison to the initial value. The following ranges were observed in monoculture: 5.57-6.49 (pHH2O), 4.69-5.34 (pHKCl), in biculture: 5.22-6.62 (pHH2O) and 4.36-5.68 (pHKCl), and in triculture: 5.46-6.29 (pHH2O), and 4.56-5.24 (pHKCl). Hydrolytic acidity values (mono y1 = 7.75-14.75, bi y1 = 11.50-23.00, tri y1 = 10.13-18.38) showed strong soil acidity. In the long-term experiment, a moderate (0.512xx, LSD0.01=xx) correlation between fertilisation and yield and a moderate (0.397xx) correlation between crop rotation and yield could be established on Chernozem. A moderately negative (pHH2O = -0.594xx, pHKCl = -0.543xx) correlation was found between the yield and pH values, while a moderately positive (y1 = 0.409xx) correlation was found between the hydrolytic acidity and yield.

As a source of renewable energy, agricultural by-products after pre-processing and cleaning in post-harvest lines can be used as a feedstock for the production of pellets or briquettes. This can be achieved by determining the physicochemical properties of the by-products. Groundnut pods, maize cobs and the husks of rice, millet and sorghum were considered, and their properties were determined, which were then compared with the standard properties of pellets and briquettes to ascertain their viability as a feedstock for the pellet or briquette production. The by-products were transported from Nigeria to the Czech Republic and the research was carried out at the Department of Technological Equipment of Buildings, the Faculty of Engineering, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague. The moisture content, ash content, calorific value, nitrogen content and sulfur content were the properties considered of the by-products. Groundnut pods and maize cobs with a calorific value of 17.48 MJ.kg^-1 and 16.25 MJ.kg^-1, an ash content of 3.46% weight and 1.79% weight, a nitrogen content of 1.24% weight and 0.44% weight and a moisture content of 7.92 weight and 7.56% weight, respectively, were discovered to fulfill all the requirements for graded non-woody pellets A. With the exception of rice husks and millet husks, which were discovered to have high ash contents and low calorific values, all the by-products fulfilled the standard requirements for one or more grade of pellet/briquette. They can, therefore, be used as a good feedstock for pellet or briquette production.

Microencapsulated linseed oil (MLO) has been used in diets to enhance the omega-3 fatty acid concentration of meat in beef cattle without negatively affecting ruminal microbials and digestion; however, the growth performance, meat quality, intramuscular fatty acid profile, and rumen characteristics in response to MLO have not been examined in sheep. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of microencapsulated or conventional linseed oil supplement on growth performance, meat quality, intramuscular fatty acid profile, rumen characteristics and serum parameters in Small-tailed Han sheep. Eighteen 5-months-old male sheep (25.31 ± 1.31 kg) were allocated to three groups. After seven days of adaptation to a basal diet, fed for 80 days, the treatments allocated were (1) basal diet (CON); (2) basal diet with added 2% linseed oil (LO); (3) basal diet with added 4% MLO. The results showed that treatments had no effects on growth performance (P ≥ 0.10). Compared to CON and MLO group, the pH_{24 h} of the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle in LO group was lower (P = 0.07), while the shear force was higher (P = 0.01). Compared to CON group, the addition of linseed oil increased proportions of C17:1, C18:2 n-6c, total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), PUFA/saturated fatty acids and total n-6, while it decreased the proportion of C17:0, C16:1 and C18:1 c-9 in LD muscle (P < 0.10). The lambs in LO and MLO group had higher proportions of C20:1, C18:3 n-3 and total n-3 in LD muscle than those in CON group (P < 0.10). Compared to CON group, the ruminal pH value of MLO group and the ruminal NH₃-N content of LO group were lower (P < 0.10). The total volatile fatty acid, proportion of acetate, and acetate/propionate were deceased in LO and MLO groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the two supplements significantly increased the proportions of propionate, butyrate and isovalerate (P < 0.05). Circulating cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were increased by linseed oil supplementation (P = 0.04). In conclusion, these results indicate that microencapsulated linseed oil did not exhibit any superior effects on muscle fatty acid composition and rumen fermentation of lambs.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a long-lived greenhouse gas that impacts climate change. Agricultural soils with intensive nitrogen (N) application are the main source of N2O emissions. Reducing N2O emissions from N-fertilised soils is, therefore, important for climate change mitigation. The application of urease inhibitor and/or biochar provides the potential for mitigating N2O emissions. However, the interactive effect of urease inhibitor and biochar on N2O emissions remains limited. In this study, an incubation experiment was performed to investigate the gradients of urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) (0, 0.08, 0.16, and 0.24%) and biochar additions (0, 2.5, and 5%) on N2O emissions from urea-fertilised Camellia oleifera soils. Results showed that urease inhibitor decreased, but biochar increased cumulative N2O emissions. No significant interactive effects were observed between urease inhibitor and biochar on the cumulative N2O emissions, but cumulative N2O emissions were decreased by NBPT under a 2.5% biochar addition rate. Soil N2O emission rates were negatively correlated with net ammonification and N mineralisation rates and positively correlated with net nitrification rates. This study indicates that NBPT, with the characteristic of delaying urea hydrolysis, can be better than biochar in mitigating N2O emissions from urea-fertilised soils of C. oleifera plantations.

Soil pH can affect the adsorption of mesotrione and exacerbate crop injury under non-acidic conditions. Soil samples collected from the same location were irrigated with water solutions of pH 7.5, 6.5, 5.5, and 4.5 and treated with 72, 36, 24, 18, 9, 4.5, 2.3, and 1.1 g a.i. (active ingredient) of mesotrione/ha. Bean growth was monitored over 28 days. Soil pH solution did not influence the effect of mesotrione on plant fresh weight, while herbicide-induced visual injury and reduction in carotenoid content were significantly mitigated under acidic conditions. The lowest rate (1.1 g a.i./ha) applied in slightly acidic soil (pH 6.5) caused visual injury of 45% 28 days after treatment, while visual injuries on plants grown in soils with pH 4.5 were only 20%. Further, bean plants grown at pH 4.5 showed only 3.3% lower carotenoid content compared to control plants since for those grown in a slightly alkaline environment (pH 7.5) reduction of this pigment was 35.5%. The mean effective dose (ED50 ± standard error) of mesotrione for inhibition of carotenoids were 5.25 ± 0.61 g a.i./ha at pH 7.5, 9.57 ± 0.74 g a.i./ha at pH 6.5, 13.07 ± 0.91 g a.i./ha at pH 5.5, and 14.98 ± 0.94 g a.i./ha at pH 4.5. Results indicate that the common bean is highly susceptible to the presence of mesotrione residue and that this sensitivity strongly depends on soil pH solution.

The role of preparations supporting plant growth is mainly to reduce the harmful effects of various stress factors on plants and to ensure high yields of good quality. This experiment compared the effect of the mineral stimulator Tytanit® and the biological preparation Effective Microorganisms (EM) on the physiological and biochemical activity, as well as the yield of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). The photosynthetic pigments, free proline and malondialdehyde were assayed and compared at three phenological phases of the bean: 15 BBCH, 24 BBCH, 65 BBCH. The yield parameters included the average number of pods per plant, as well as their fresh and dry mass. Additionally, the nutrient content in the pods was determined according to the atomic absorption spectrometry method. The study revealed a positive effect of both preparations on increasing the content of chlorophyll a, b, and the carotenoids in the bean leaves. Plants treated with Tytanit® were characterised by the highest content of malondialdehyde and proline, while EM maintained the aldehyde content on a similar level compared to the untreated plants and significantly reduced the proline content. Both preparations significantly decreased the Mn, Mg, P, and Ca content in the pods and did not have a substantial impact on the yield.

This paper constructs a minimum-variance portfolio of six agricultural futures. We make a full sample analysis as well as a pre-COVID and COVID examination. Using Markowitz portfolio optimisation, we find that soybean futures have the highest share (31%) in the full sample portfolio because it has the lowest variance. Both soybean oil and rice futures have the second highest weight in the full sample portfolio, in an amount of 24%, because soybean oil has the second lowest variance, whereas rice has, by far, the lowest average correlation with other agricultural futures. Soybean oil has the highest share of 35% in the pre-COVID period, whereas rice follows with 27%. On the other hand, in the COVID period, soybean has a very high share in an amount of 47% due to the lowest risk, while rice takes second place with 19%. Based on the results, investors should invest the most in soybean oil and rice in tranquil periods, while the choice should be soybean and rice in crisis periods. Rice is the choice in both sub-periods because rice has a very low correlation with other agricultural commodities, which happens due to the price stabilisation of rice that is often conducted by Asian countries.

To evaluate the impact of micelle silymarin (MS) on fattening pig growth, nutrient digestibility, toxic gas emissions and meat quality, 140 crossed fattening pigs were allocated to four treatments with seven repetition pens [(two barrows and three gilts)/pen] per treatment from the initial body weight of 51.0 kg (_SD 2.86). The pigs were fed the basal diet containing 0%, 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.2% MS for 10 weeks. The results showed a linear improvement in the average daily gain (ADG) of pigs during 5 to 10 weeks as the dietary MS dose increased (P = 0.041). The apparent total tract digestibility of nitrogen (N) was enhancive linearly (P = 0.017 and 0.031, respectively) in week 5 and week 10 as the dietary MS dose increased. The Lactobacillus populations in the faeces of pigs fed MS diets were linearly increased (P = 0.048) during week 5. The dietary supplement of MS decreased faecal H₂S concentrations in week 5 and NH₃ concentrations in week 10 (quadratic, P = 0.022 and 0.007, respectively). Moreover, dietary MS linearly diminished cooking loss (P = 0.010) and yellowness value at 45 min postmortem (P = 0.029), whereas the redness value linearly increased (P = 0.028 and 0.002, respectively) after 45 min and 24 h postmortem. Finally, the linear decrease (P < 0.001) of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) concentration and protein carbonyl in pigs fed MS diets was found, but a quadratic improvement (P < 0.031) of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) concentration was observed in the meat samples from MS-treated pigs. Taken together, supplementation of the graded level of MS to the basal diet exhibited dose-independent responses on ADG, N digestibility, toxic gas emissions and meat quality. Among the tested doses, 0.2% MS supplementation in the diet is found to be the most effective dose.

The effect of instant rice mash (IRC) addition to rice bread was evaluated. Six samples containing different amounts of IRC (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%) were added to rice dough. Quality parameters (baking loss, specific volume, and textural properties) were evaluated. Texture properties were analysed in fresh bread and in bread after 24 h of storage. Additions of 10% and 20% of IRC increased baking loss from 15% to 22%, and the specific volume of rice bread from 1.5 mL g^-1 to 2.1 mL g^-1 (10% of IRC) and 1.9 mL g^-1 (20% of IRC). Increasing additions of IRC significantly decreased the hardness and chewiness of both fresh bread and bread stored for 24 h. By adding IRC, the cohesiveness of rice bread was increased. These findings are useful for increasing the quality of rice bread by adding IRC to rice dough.

Potential of Trichoderma harzianum IS005-12 (TH-IS005-12) to promote seed germination and seedling growth of Italian ryegrass (IRG) forage was evaluated in vitro. Non-desiccated seeds and those pre-harvestly desiccated with total herbicide were treated 25 days (freshly harvested) and 178 days after harvest (mature) with TH-IS005-12 spore suspensions at 0 (T0), 1.8 × 10⁷ (T1) and 1.2 × 10⁹ (T2) spore/mL. TH-IS005-12 promoted the early and final germination and seedling growth in all non-desiccated and desiccated, freshly harvested as well as mature IRG seeds. It was more effective in pre-harvestly desiccated freshly harvested seeds where T2 treatment increased final germination rate for 24%, root number per seedling 1.6-fold and seedling vigour 1.9-fold compared to the untreated control. Moreover, TH-IS005-12 showed an inhibitory activity against seedborne fungi Alternaria alternata and A. ventricosa suppressing their growth in vitro by 82% and 77%, respectively.

This study investigated the expression levels of FAD2 genes important for the conversion of oleic acid to linoleic acid at cotyledon, root and leaf tissues of four different safflower cultivars (Olas, Remzibey, Dincer and Gokturk) subjected to B by qRT-PCR. Safflower species were grown in a controlled environmental growth chamber for 21 days and then exposed to different B concentrations ranging from 20 to 1 280 μmol for 24 h. RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis and RT-PCR analysis were performed on root, cotyledon and leaf tissues exposed to B stress for 24 h. It was determined that the expression levels of FAD2 genes decreased in the safflower cultivars exposed to increasing B concentrations. Under B stress conditions, the expression levels of FAD2 genes revealed an overall pattern of increase and reduction up to 160 μmol relative to the control group, and they reached the highest expression level. After 320 μmol, the activity of FAD2 genes was almost absent at increasing concentrations. All results show that the application of B causes significant changes in the expression of FAD2 genes and plays an important role in the defence mechanism against increased B toxicity.

In the last two decades, pulsed electric fields (PEF) have successfully been introduced into the food industry, as one of the most promising and "game changing" technologies. This review is devoted to the recent applications of pulsed electric fields used in processing potatoes. The potato processing market size was estimated to be ca. USD 24.83 billion (2018) and with an annual growth rate of 5.2%. The physicochemical characteristics of potatoes and the specificity of potato processing lines makes a pulsed electric field very versatile and flexible allowing one to achieve different technological aims by its implementation into technological lines. In this paper, a short analysis of the potato structure and its nutritional properties, applications of moderate electric fields, ohmic heating, and pulsed electric fields are presented. Moreover, the basic electroporation effects, metabolic responses, texture modification and different PEF assisted processes applied to the potato are discussed. Finally, some examples of commercial applications and a brief description of the available equipment for the PEF processing of potatoes are presented.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of digestible amino acid (DAA) based formulation strategy, and l-valine (l-Val), l-isoleucine (l-Ile) and l-arginine (l-Arg) supplementation to reduce the crude protein (CP) level of broiler diets on performance, carcass characteristics and protein efficiency ratio by comparing with the control diet formulated on total amino acid base. A total of 792 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were divided into 48 floor pens, with 24 pens containing 16 chicks and 24 pens containing 17 chicks. The experiment was organized in a completely randomized block design with four dietary treatments as follows; T1: formulated to meet minimum both total amino acid and DAA requirements without using l-Val, l-Ile, and l-Arg, T2: formulated to meet DAA requirements without using l-Val, l-Ile and l-Arg, T3: formulated to meet DAA requirements by using l-Val alone, T4: formulated to meet DAA requirements by using l-Val, l-Arg, and l-Ile. Each treatment had 12 replicates. Neither l-Val (T3) nor l-Val, l-Ile, and l-Arg supplemented (T4) low CP dietary treatments had any negative impact on growth performance, feed conversion ratio during experimental periods, as well as carcass parameters of broilers. Indeed, CP reduction by the addition of l-Val alone or l-Val, l-Ile, and l-Arg together even resulted in a significant improvement in protein efficiency ratio compared to T1 and T2 treatments. Supplementation of l-Val either alone or along with l-Ile and l-Arg to diets formulated based on DAA not only decreased dietary CP but also soybean meal inclusion. It can be concluded that maintained growth performance, and even improved protein utilization can be achieved due to the DAA based formulation strategy and supplementing broiler diets with l-Val alone or together with l-Ile and l-Arg.

This study aimed to evaluate the multiple-factor associative effects (AEs) of concentrate (C) to sunflower straw (SS) to alfalfa (A) ratios, concentrate to sunflower plate (SP) to alfalfa ratios, concentrate to sunflower seed shell (SSS) to alfalfa ratios at 40 : 60 : 0, 40 : 45 : 15, 40 : 30 : 30, 40 : 15 : 45, 40 : 0 : 60 and 30 : 70 : 0, 30 : 55 : 15, 30 : 40 : 30, 30 : 25 : 45, 30 : 10 : 60, 30 : 0 : 70, respectively, by using an in vitro gas production (GP) method. Thirty-three feed combinations and nine single feeds C, SS, A; C, SP, A; C, SSS, A were incubated respectively for 72 h in a GP tube. A total of 42 treatment combinations were tested, including 33 feed mix combinations [(5 + 6) × 3] and nine single raw materials, a total of 42 sample culture tubes. Each sample culture tube was repeated 20 times, totalling 840 (42 × 20) sample culture tubes. In this study, a total of 12 batches of in vitro culture tests were carried out. Seventy sample tubes and six blank tubes were cultured in each batch (eliminating systematic errors). A total of 912 sample culture tubes were used. The GP values of 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 h were recorded. The GP parameters a, b, c, a + b were calculated by a single exponential equation. The AE values were calculated based on 72 h GP and weighted estimation value of 33 feed combinations. In the incubation fluid pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH₃-N) and volatile fatty acids (VFA) after 72 h incubation were determined and dry matter digestibility (DMD), organic matter digestibility (OMD) were measured in the residue. The single-factor associative effects index (SFAEI) and multiple-factor associative effects index were calculated. The results indicated that groups 40 : 45 : 15 (C:SS:A), 30 : 25 : 45 (C : SS : A), 40 : 60 : 0 (C : SP : A), 40 : 45 : 15 (C : SP : A), 30 : 40 : 30 (C : SP : A), 40 : 45 : 15 (C : SSS : A), 40 : 30 : 30 (C : SSS : A), 30 : 25 : 45 (C : SSS : A) and 30 : 10 : 60 (C : SSS : A) had higher a, b, GP_72h, NH₃-N, DMD, OMD, moreover, higher SFAEI (the AE of GP_72h, NH₃-N, total VFA, DMD and OMD) than other groups (P < 0.05). It was concluded that the optimal feed combinations occurred when concentrate/sunflower straw/alfalfa ratios were 40 : 45 : 15 and 30 : 25 : 45; concentrate/sunflower plate/alfalfa ratios were 40 : 60 : 0, 40 : 45 : 15 and 30 : 40 : 30; concentrate/sunflower seed shell/alfalfa ratios were 40 : 45 : 15, 40 : 30 : 30, 30 : 25 : 45 and 30 : 10 : 60.

The present study was undertaken to investigate the possible stimulating effects of Nigella sativa (N. sativa) honey, natural Saudi Sider honey, and honeybee pollen to the in vitro maturation (IVM) medium of sheep oocytes on their subsequent development. Hence, immature oocytes were exposed to various concentrations of natural Nigella sativa (N. sativa), and Saudi Sider honey (5, 10, and 20%), as well as honeybee pollen (1, 10, 50 μg/ml) during an in vitro maturation period (24 hours). After the exposure time, the maturation rate, glutathione (GSH) concentration, and candidate gene expression (GDF-9, MPF, CMOS, IGF-1, and BAX) were evaluated. Our results showed that the maturation rate was higher in the groups challenged with the lowest level of the bee products (5% and 1 μg/ml) when compared with that in the control group; where the mean number of oocytes in the metaphase II stage reached 0.360 for the honeybee pollen-treated group, 0.293 for the N. sativa-treated group, and 0.203 for the natural Saudi Sider honey-treated group. The glutathione level was significantly increased in the group exposed to N. sativa honey when compared with the other groups. Concerning the gene expression results, the Saudi Sider honey treatment showed the best results for all the genes except the CMOS gene, which was significantly higher than the GI and GII groups and lower than the GIV group and the BAX gene which did not show a significant difference when compared with the other groups. In conclusion, the addition of natural honey and honeybee pollen at a low concentration to an IVM medium improved the in vitro maturation rate, increased the glutathione level, and gene expression of the in vitro matured ovine oocytes.

Arundo donax L. is an energy crop with the potential use as a renewable fuel. This study focused on the drying process of the canes in field and laboratory conditions to determine the effect of the harvest conditioning on the kinetics parameters of whole and slashed canes. The lab drying test was conducted in a thin layer dryer at temperatures between 30 and 80 °C and a 0.5 m.s^-1 air velocity. The whole and slashed canes showed faster water evaporation rates as the temperature increased, but the slashed canes achieved a lower final moisture content in a shorter time. The effective diffusion coefficient varied between 3.67 × 10^-12 and 1.28 × 10^-11 m².s^-1 and showed a significant effect of the temperature, but not between samples; its temperature dependence was determined by the Arrhenius equation giving activation energies of 24.4 and 20.2 kJ.mol^-1 for the whole and slashed canes respectively, not significantly different. The modelling of the experimental drying data to six thin layer drying models achieved good performance (R² > 95.9%), although the Logarithmic model showed the best fit for both samples (R² > 99.4%). In addition, a temperature dependent equation for the drying constant was included in the Logarithmic model for the whole and slashed canes which predicted with good performance (R² > 97%) the moisture loss. The developed tools constitute an adequate model for the simulation of the drying process of Arundo donax L. that could be useful for the design of various equipment and systems.

Weed invasion of crops contested for environmental resources alongside releasing a certain chemical into the soil and thereby lowering yield potential. The possible allelopathic influence of aqueous extract from leaves and shoots of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb., Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacq.) P.H. Raven and Persicaria hydropiper (L.) Delarbe on germination and seedling growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) was investigated in this study. To prepare the extract, powdered air-dried leaves and shoots of certain weeds were soaked in distilled water (1:10) for 24 h at room temperature, and a different dilution was made from the stock. Aqueous extracts from various plant parts were found to suppress seed germination and the development of rice seedlings. As the extract concentration increases, the intensity of inhibition on germination, shoot length, root length and dry matter reduction increases. The average percent inhibition (API) of leaf extract treatments, namely 8% and 10% A. philoxeroides, 8% and 10% L. octovalvis, and 10% P. hydropiper, was found to be greater than 45%. Shoot extracts containing 2% A. philoxeroides, 2% and 4% L. octovalvis, and 2% P. hydropiper have less than 15% average percent inhibition. According to the findings, different weeds contain allelochemicals of variable types and quantities, and different portions of the same weed have distinct effects on germination and rice seedling development.

Machine learning can handle an ever-increasing amount of data with the ability to learn models from the data. It has been widely used in a variety of disciplines and is gaining increasingly more attention nowadays. As it is challenging to map soil and hydrological information that are characterised with high spatial and temporal variability, applications of machine learning in soil science and hydrology (AMLSH) have become popularised. To better understand the current state of AMLSH research, a scientific and quantitative approach was performed to statistically analyse publication information from 1973 to 2021 archived in the Scopus database using scientometric analysis tools, including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the open-source R package “bibliometrix”. The results show a significant increase in the number of publications on AMLSH since 2006. The major contributions were identified based on country origins (China, the USA, and India), institutions (Hohai University, Islamic Azad University, and Wuhan University), and journals (Journal of Hydrology, Remote Sensing, and Geoderma). The keywords analysis of the AMLSH research demonstrates four research hotspots: neural network, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and soil. The most frequently utilised machine learning (ML) methods are neural networks, decision trees, random forests and other methods for image processing and predictive analysis. McBratney et al. 2003 is the most highly cited article. Our research sheds light on the research process on AMLSH and concludes with future research perspectives.

The present review deals with a particularly important topic: the use of functional amino acids in different categories of pigs. It is especially relevant in the context of the current efforts to reduce the use of antibiotics in pig farming and the search for possible alternatives to replace them. The review is based on the definition that functional amino acids (FAAs) are classified as dispensable amino acids, but with additional biological functions, i.e., not only are they used for protein formation, but they are also involved in regulating essential metabolic pathways to improve health, survival, growth, and development. We describe the mechanism of action of individual FAAs and their potential use in pigs, including glutamate, glutamine, arginine, branched-chain amino acids (i.e., leucine, isoleucine, and valine), tryptophan and glycine. The work is divided into three parts. The first part deals with the FAAs and their role in the overall health of sows and their offspring. The second part describes the use of functional amino acids in piglets after weaning. Part three examines the use of functional amino acids in growing and fattening pigs and their impact on meat quality.

The aims of this study were to examine bacterial communities in relation to the rumen digestion of rice straw and to understand how concentrate supplements affect gut bacteria involving the digestion of a rice straw-based diet. The substrates were rice straw (RS) alone (experiment 1) and RS with 25% concentrates (barley and kidney beans) (experiment 2). The genomic DNA was collected to determine bacterial diversity by conducting denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). V6–V8 region group-specific (Clostridium and Bacteroides) primers were employed in the analyses. The DGGE band pattern was subjected to cluster analysis to demonstrate the similarity and difference between dietary treatments and solid-liquid fractions. Fibre digestibility, gas production, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration were increased with incubation time. The differences between solid and liquid fractions were great in total bacteria, Clostridium, and Bacteroides communities. Clostridium and Bacteroides communities appeared unaffected by incubation time, whereas great differences existed between solid and liquid fractions throughout incubations (experiment 1). Barley and kidney bean supplements increased gas production and lowered rumen fluid pH, whereas changes in VFA concentration were significant only for kidney bean supplement. The Clostridium, and Bacteroides groups were affected by barley and kidney beans in the liquid fraction. However, the solid fraction was stable (experiment 2). These results indicate a rigid and stable community structure of Clostridium and Bacteroides groups involved in the digestion of rice straw-based diets in the rumen. Distinctive differences between solid and liquid fractions were described; hence, separate analyses of two fractions may greatly help understand the relationship between fermentation patterns and microbial communities in the rumen.

The Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict significantly affected wheat production and its export from Ukraine, mainly during the war outbreak. Since both countries rank among the major global wheat producers, the warfare disrupted wheat supplies, hastily pushing the prices. Based on the analysed data, we carried out research using multilayer perceptron networks. The findings suggest the biggest price increase between February and March 2022, witnessing wheat prices at about 1 400 USD per t. We predict a decline to the pre-war values until the end of 2025, estimating its rates between 600 USD and 800 USD per t. This price slump may involve signing an agreement on unblocking Ukrainian seaports, which would restore wheat exports. Yet, our survey is confined to historical data, which do not suggest any dramatic event that would alarmingly sway wheat prices.

To investigate the impact of different seedling transplanting times on rice growth, the present study evaluated seedling age and root pruning using treatments consisting of root pruning (RC20, RC30, and RC40) and no root pruning (CK20, CK30, and CK40). Quantitative analysis using curve fitting of the changes in dry matter accumulation (DMA) during the seedling and field stages was performed, and the changes in root parameters during the re-greening stage were observed. The results showed that the seedling stage could be divided into a gradual increase period, a rapid increase period, and a slow increase period. Transplanting at different time periods resulted in different transplanting shock effects. During the field stage, the DMA exhibited a slow-fast-slow "S" shaped curve as the developmental time progressed. However, significant differences were observed in growth parameters among the different treatments. Root injury promoted early maturity in young seedlings but also prolonged the whole growth period in older seedlings. The inhibitory effect of root pruning on rice root growth increased with young seedling age. The present results provide a theoretical basis for the design of seedling needle structure and the optimisation of rice seedling cultivation practices.

Praziquantel (PZQ) is a drug effective against several parasitic diseases of fish caused by Platyhelminthes. The study assesses the efficacy of selected in-feed PZQ doses in eliminating metacercariae Diplostomum pseudospathaceum in grass carp. The fish were infected with D. pseudospathaceum in laboratory conditions and subsequently treated with PZQ at daily doses of 30 (PZQ1), 50 (PZQ2), and 100 (PZQ3) mg/kg bw for seven days. The treatment trial was followed by a 23-day observation period during which the fish were parasitologically examined on days 0, 2, 8 and 23. Smaller fish were infected with a significantly higher (P < 0.05) number of metacercariae than bigger fish among three weight groups as follows: up to 7 g > 7 to 12 g > 12 g. The in-feed PZQ at doses of 30, 50 and 100 mg/kg bw for seven days was 47%, 84% and 88% effective against metacercariae D. pseudospathaceum, respectively. A significant decrease (P < 0.01) in moving and an increase (P < 0.01) in the immotile metacercariae in the eye’s lens were recorded in all the trial groups on each sampling day. An increasing proportion of motile metacercariae in the post-treatment observation period was seen in PZQ2 and PZQ3, indicating a decreasing trend in the actual efficacy in an environment with no reinfection possibility.

The experiments were carried out on 5 different bioproducts for control of Verticillium longisporum in oilseed rape. For in vitro trials, greenhouse trials and field trials, the bioproducts used were based on bacteria (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Pseudomonas veronii) and fungi (Pythium oligandrum, Trichoderma asperellum, Coniothyrium minitans). In in vitro trials, some products (based on Trichoderma asperellum) showed a 100% inhibition effect on the pathogen for a whole trial period of 45 days. The greenhouse trial showed significant differences in bioproducts effectiveness (P < 0.00723) compared to control. Three bioproducts (based on Coniothyrium minitans, Trichoderma asperellum and Pseudomonas veronii) showed a 100% inhibition effect against the pathogen. In field trials conducted in 3 locations, there were some differences in yield, which can be important for growers and practice use. The highest yield (19.1% higher than the control) was achieved with a bioproduct based on Trichoderma asperellum. In trials, it is possible to see that there are promising results that can be used for further testing.

Here, we report a rare case of concurrent primary splenic lymphoma and mammary gland tumour (MGT) with polycystic ovaries in a 10-year-old, intact female Jindo dog. The dog was presented with multiple masses in the fourth left mammary gland, the largest of which measured 6 cm in diameter, along with enlargement of the left inguinal lymph node on physical examination. Ultrasonography, radiography, and computed tomography scans revealed polycystic ovaries and a mass in the tail of the spleen, after total splenectomy and mastectomy with ovariohysterectomy, histopathological examination identified splenic diffuse large B cell lymphoma and malignant myoepithelioma of the mammary gland was found. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the concurrent occurrence of splenic lymphoma, MGT, and polycystic ovaries in a dog.