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Breadfruit's substantial carbohydrate content makes it a viable starch source, specifically resistant starch (RS) that helps prevent chronic diseases. This study investigated the effects of enzyme hydrolysis and microwave treatment (MT) on enriching type III RS in breadfruit. It also determined its structural and functional properties, including swelling power, solubility index, water absorption capacity, oil binding capacity, and syneresis. MT at 30 W·g^–1 for 3 min resulted in the highest RS content of 74.8%, significantly surpassing pullulanase hydrolysis (1.0 U·g^–1 dry basis for 12 h) at 17.3% RS. The breadfruit starch granules exhibited a regular shape, approximately 7.9 µm in length, whereas modified granules were less than 11 µm, along with observable deformation in their structural shape. In conclusion, the study demonstrates the efficacy of MT for enhancing RS content in breadfruit, highlighting its potential as a healthy functional ingredient and starch substitute.

Rosa damascena is one of the oldest valuable rose flower varieties that is almost drough tolerant. However, selecting and identifying landraces that are more tolerant to drought conditions will be effective in developing the cultivation of the plant under stress. The most important step in developing drought-tolerant plants is the evaluation and identification of resistant and susceptible genotypes. In this case, an experiment was performed under in vitro conditions using five levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 g/L) of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on four landraces of the Damask rose (Maragheh, Urmia, Pakdasht, and Kashan). Based on the findings, the resistance of the different landraces to a water deficit was measured by the Design-Expert software using the response level (RSM) method. The results showed that Maragheh, with the highest fresh and dry weight, total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, proline and an increase in the superoxide dismutase activity, had a high tolerance to drought stress. Moreover, Maragheh with a decreasing leaf number, height, malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide and having a higher membrane stability index, showed a better defence mechanism against oxidative stress than the other landraces. Also, after Maragheh, Pakdasht had the best performance compared to the other two landraces up to 75g/L of PEG, but not as well as Maragheh at the highest level of the tested PEG. Urmia and especially Kashan probably do not have much tolerance to drought stress regarding all the results and levels of desirability.

The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) serves as an alternative source of protein in poultry production. However, there is little available information on feeding live black soldier fly larvae (LBSFL) to hens. The present study filled this gap by testing the effect of dietary LBSFL on laying hen performance, feed economy, egg quality, and yolk fatty acid composition. In total, one hundred forty-four 25-week-old Charoen Pokphand Brown laying hens were assigned to four groups. Experimental birds were provided a basal diet supplemented with 0.0 (T1), 10.0 (T2), 20.0 (T3), or 30.0 (T4) g/kg LBSFL. Our results indicated that no effects on body weight gain, egg yield, egg weight, or egg mass (P > 0.05) were observed in any of the dietary LBSFL groups. The addition of 10.0 g/kg LBSFL decreased feed intake, feed conversion ratio, and feed cost (P < 0.05), contrary to two higher doses of LBSFL. Similarly, the egg quality parameters were not influenced (P > 0.05) by the dietary LBSFL except for the egg yolk colour which significantly decreased with increasing LBSFL levels. Furthermore, the values for lightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) of the egg yolk were different (P < 0.05) between the four treatments. Paler egg yolk was found in the 20.0 and 30.0 g/kg LBSFL groups compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Significantly lower deposition of C18:3n6 was found for 30.0 g/kg, whereas there was a significant decrease in deposition of C22:6n3 with all LBSFL groups (P < 0.05). C20:3n6 levels, on the other hand, increased significantly in the 20.0 g/kg LBSFL group (P < 0.05). Thus, feeding LBSFL has no potential to increase the proportion of anti-inflammatory n-3 fatty acids. From an economic point of view, it is advantageous to feed the hens a dose of 10 g/kg LBSFL.

The aim of this study is to present the seasonal variation of organic matter (OM), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in the bottom sediments of Marchica Lagoon, a post-restorated lagoon located in the Moroccan Mediterranean, and to estimate the potential role of the geochemistry and granulometry of bottom sediments in the retention of old eutrophication. The organic index of bottom sediment was found generally higher in old-eutrophic and enclosed areas. The surface sediments show variable levels of OM, TOC, TP, and TN; high in some cases (12.3%, 6.71%, 0.70%, and 0.30% respectively). These high levels were recorded in the central part of the lagoon and in areas subjected to high anthropogenic pressure, including wastewater discharges. Our results indicated that sediments are an excellent immobilizer of organic matter (C, N, and P), although, there was no correlation between sediment grain size and organic matter content. The absence of correlation might be explained by currentology and hydrodynamics, but also by the bathymetry of the lagoon. Therefore, sediments must be implicated in any lagoon restoration strategy and the site development plan.

The present study aimed to use a non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) to estimate the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in off-season cucumber-producing greenhouses in different farm level management systems in Iran. Data were collected using a questionnaire completed by 83 cucumber producers through face-to-face interviews. The results showed that the energy use rate was 75.1%, 82.6%, and 86.2% in small (0.5–0.9 ha), medium (0.9–2 ha), and large farms (≥ 2 ha), respectively. In all the farm levels, the greatest energy use shares belonged to electricity, chemical fertilisers, and human labour, respectively. The results of the DEA revealed that the technical, pure technical, and scale efficiencies of the large farms were 87.3%, 92.8%, and 97.1%, respectively, which were higher compared to other farm level management systems. The ratio of energy savings was estimated at 5.62% and 2.97% for small and large farms, respectively. The results also showed that electricity, chemical fertilisers, and diesel fuel were the most responsible for the GHG emissions. By optimising the energy use, pollution per one/ha one of off-season cucumbers can be mitigated by 1 614.5 and 1 315.0 kg of CO2/ha in small and large greenhouses; indicating more attention is required in managing the energy inputs in small-sized agro-ecosystems, especially for electricity.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of different live weights at slaughter (LWS) of Zwartbles lambs on their daily gain (DG), carcass traits (CT) and chemical and physical characteristics of the quadriceps femoris muscle (QFM). A total of four weight groups of lambs were evaluated: group A, LWS = up to 35 kg; group B, LWS from 35.1 to 40 kg; group C, LWS from 40.1 to 45 kg and group D, LWS from 45.1 to 50 kg. The LWS had a significant (P < 0.05) effect on DG and most CTs, when average DG and most weights of individual CTs increased with increasing LWS. The evaluation of the influence of LWS on the chemical and physical characteristics of QFM primarily shows that this factor had a significant (P < 0.05) effect only on the content of intramuscular fat (IMF) and redness index (RI), when in both cases the values of these traits increased (IMF: from 0.57 to 1.21%; RI: from 8.53 to 9.76) with increasing LWS. In conclusion, it can be stated that most of the monitored traits in all weight groups of Zwartbles lambs were comparable with their levels in specialized meat breeds of sheep.

We conducted a quantitative ex post analysis of the competitiveness of the Czech Republic’s agrifood exports to other European Union (EU) Member States between 2002 and 2020, using the constant market share (CMS) methodology. The application of this methodology to Czech agrifood exports is novel, as it allows for analysing the export competitiveness variation and its components. Although the findings are consistent with those of previous studies in which the investigators used alternative methodological approaches, we make three contributions to the existing literature. Firstly, the Czech Republic experienced an overall increase in its competitiveness in agrifood exports between 2002 and 2020. Secondly, the high territorial specialisation of Czech agrifood exports to other EU Member States, combined with a general slowdown in the growth of EU markets, has had a significant effect on the growth dynamics of the country’s agricultural exports. Thirdly, there is a problem with the specialisation profile of Czech agrifood exports in terms of commodity and territorial structure. The current composition does not allow the Czech Republic to reach its full potential for agrifood exports. These findings will help industrial, agricultural and trade policymakers to assess the nature of liberalisation and transformation of the Czech Republic’s agricultural sectors, with a view to improving or designing structures and instruments for the promotion of agrifood exports.

The physiological regulation of Welsh onion seedlings was explored under short- and long-term drought stress. The Welsh onion cultivar ‘Neicong 3’ was grown in pots under drought stress (22.5–25% soil water content) or controlled watering conditions (65–67.5% soil water content). Different lengths of drought stress (7, 14, 21, and 28 days) were studied to determine the effects of the drought on the levels of the osmoregulatory substances, including proline (Pro), free amino acids (FAAs), soluble sugar (SS), and soluble protein (SP); the membrane-damage indicator malondialdehyde (MDA); the endogenous hormones indoleacetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA), abscisic acid (ABA), and jasmonic acid (JA); and the activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). The soil water content was restored to the control level after the drought stress to analyse the physiological responses of the Welsh onion with regards to rehydration. The results showed that the Welsh onion responded to drought stress primarily by increasing the levels of the osmoregulatory substances and the activities of the protective enzymes. The drought stress resulted in the accumulation of Pro, FAA, SS, MDA, and ABA in the pseudostems, while the IAA and GA levels decreased. Short-term drought stress led to a decrease in the SOD activity and an increase in the CAT activity, whereas the long-term drought stress led to a decrease in the POD activity. The effects of the drought stress on the SP and JA contents were negligible. The rehydration demonstrated that the short-term drought stress (7 or 14 days) did not exceed the tolerance of the Welsh onion; the substances regulating the drought tolerance were restored to normal levels after the stress conditions were relieved. In contrast, after the severe drought stress (28 days), the substances regulating the drought tolerance in the seedlings could not return to normal levels. This study provides a theoretical basis for the cultivation of the Welsh onion under early drought conditions and for breeding of drought-resistant varieties.

In Spain, the leader in pesticide sales in the European Union, a high-tech and innovative company provides services to the wine industry to optimise phytosanitary work, reduce crop losses and lower production costs. Although the nature of its business encourages the transition to a sustainable agri-food system, it also involves risks associated with uncertainty. The objective of this article was to perform the valuation of the company through the real options approach, including an expansion option, analysing whether this company will be able to increase the value of its project by expanding its activity to a larger number of vineyards. Results showed that the application of the real options approach projected a higher result than the traditional net present value method, so that if the company makes additional investments in its precision agriculture project, these will increase the value by a 15%.

Diversity in the characteristics of agricultural locations has the potential to develop. Unfortunately, the weak transfer of technology based on the characteristics of the location indicates that this potential cannot grow properly. This research aims to synthesise a technology transfer model for an agricultural technology park (ATP) by considering site-specific conditions. This cross-case study was conducted at selected ATP locations. Model synthesis uses the system development life cycle stages of initiation, analysis, and design. The resource-based view approach was broken down into several variables during the analysis stage. Three location-specific technology transfer models were successfully developed: a technology transfer model based on highland specificity, a unique technology transfer model for urban farming, and a tourism village-based model.

Seed deterioration resulting from production and storage factors is the major cause of differences in the seed vigour that results in low seedling emergence in both the laboratory and in the field. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of seed invigoration by osmo-conditioning on the radicle emergence and the physiological parameters of naturally deteriorated seed lots of the true seed of shallots. The experiments were arranged in a completely randomised design with a repeated measurement for radicle emergence and a randomised complete block design for seedling vigour in the field with four replicates. The results indicated that the radicle emergence of the invigorated seed with ZnSO₄ correlated well with the seed viability and vigour parameters for seed lots stored under uncontrolled conditions. The radicle emergence of invigorated seeds stored under the uncontrolled condition were more predictive and strongly correlated with the seedling vigour parameters in the field, i.e., the field emergence, field emergence rate and mean emergence time with r = 0.968, r = 0.970 and r = –0.947, respectively. Furthermore, the coefficients of determination were significant (P < 0.05) with R² = 0.936 field emergence, R² = 0.941 field emergence rate and R² = 0.898 for the mean emergence time. Seed invigoration with 0.5% ZnSO₄ further significantly reduced the time of a single count of RE from 72 hours and 68 hours to 60 hours with field prediction rates ranging from 90–99%. It was concluded that the radicle emergence of TSS can be improved by invigorating the seeds with 0.5% ZnSO₄ thereby increasing the germination percentage, vigour index, and germination rate and reducing the mean germination time.

The study investigated whether omega-3 fatty acids could promote bacterial growth, acid and bile tolerance, and cell adhesion onto Caco-2 cells to develop a multifunctional enteric soft capsule containing probiotics and omega-3 fatty acids. The probiotic strains used were Enterococcus faecium IDCC 2102 and Bacillus coagulans IDCC 1201. Supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids did not significantly affect the growth and viability of either strain at lower concentrations (i.e. 0.5–1.0 w/w %). In comparison, the adhesion ability to Caco-2 cells of both strains was significantly increased (up to 107.5%). Furthermore, Bacillus coagulans IDCC 1201 [1 × 10¹⁰ CFU (colony forming unit) per capsule] contained together with omega-3 fatty acids (600 mg per capsule) in the enteric soft capsules showed a stability of over 95% during 12 months of storage at room temperature, which was similar to that of unencapsulated lyophilised probiotics. Thus, these results indicate that multifunctional food supplements in the form of enteric soft capsules are feasible.

The early detection of pests in plants and crops is essential for the production of good quality food. Computer vision techniques can be applied for the early detection of pests and which can minimise the pesticides used on the plants. Among many pests, white flies, mites, aphids and thrips are the most hazardous pests that affect the leaves. This paper presents an automated approach for the detection of different types of pests from leaf images of plants. The images of the plant leaves were acquired using a digital camera. Image pre-processing techniques, such as noise removal, filtering and contrast enhancement, are used for improving the quality of the images. Then, the k-means clustering method and global thresholding were used for segmenting the pests from the infected leaves. Textural features are extracted from those segmented images by statistical feature extraction methods. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Binary Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers were used to classify the unaffected leaf images from the pest affected leaf images and a multi-SVM classifier was used to identify the different types of pests.

Copper contamination stemming from copper-based pesticides poses a grave concern in vineyards and orchards, causing toxicity to soil organisms. Here, we present a comprehensive review of global data encompassing copper levels in these soils, coupled with variables such as the age of agricultural establishments, climate, soil organic matter content, soil pH, and farming practices (organic vs. conventional). The results suggest that there are three pivotal determinants driving copper content in vineyard and orchard soils: climate, the age of agricultural establishments, and soil organic matter content. It was impossible to estimate soil pH’s effect on soil copper content because of its dependence on precipitation. Copper content in vineyard and orchard soils worldwide follows a direct correlation with precipitation while inversely correlating with aridity (i.e. potential evapotranspiration divided by precipitation). Furthermore, a clear linkage emerges between farm age and increased copper content in soils globally. Intriguingly, the increased soil organic matter content has shown inverse impacts on soil copper levels. These effects of soil properties on soil copper contents were discussed in terms of copper losses from soil via surface runoff. However, no discernible disparities in soil copper content between organic and conventional farming systems were found. This worldwide survey not only underscores the established influence of climate on European vineyards but also sheds novel light on the historical legacy of copper contamination in these landscapes.

South African ‘Hass’ avocado fruit harvested early season are vulnerable to colour desynchronisation with softening during ripening, reducing their international and local market aesthetic value. So far, research has proven that ‘Hass’ avocado fruit exocarp colour desynchronization is an early season conundrum. However, there is insufficient literature on underlying factors causing exocarp colour desynchronisation. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the ripening temperature effect on early season ‘Hass’ avocado fruit exocarp colour development and pigments during ripening. Early season ‘Hass’ avocado fruit were stored at 5.5 °C for 28 days thereafter, ripened at 16, 21 and 25 °C and evaluated for firmness, visual and objective colour (L*, C* and h°), total chlorophyll and anthocyanin content. The results showed that the visual colour of fruit ripened at 25 °C was significantly higher compared to 21 and 16 °C after 2 and 4 ripening days. This study found that ripening temperature had no significant influence on chlorophyll degradation. However, fruit ripened at 25 °C accumulated significantly higher exocarp anthocyanin concentration compared to lower ripening temperatures. In conclusion, ripening early season ‘Hass’ avocado fruit at 25 °C resulted in improved exocarp colour development and anthocyanin accumulation.

We investigated the influence of poly-glutamic acid (PGA) on ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) metabolism in leaves of wheat seedlings under cadmium (Cd) stress. The results showed that Cd stress enhanced ascorbate peroxidase, dehydroascorbate reductase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase activities, and increased AsA and GSH contents. Whereas Cd reduced AsA/dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) and GSH/oxidised glutathione (GSSG) ratios and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage (EL). Meanwhile, Cd stress improved Cd accumulation and nonphotochemical quenching (q_N) and decreased soil and plant analyser development (SPAD) value, net photosynthetic rate (P_n), maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F_v/F_m), photochemical quenching (q_P), quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII), wheat height and dry biomass. Compared to Cd alone, PGA plus Cd stress reinforced AsA and GSH metabolism via the above enzymes and increased AsA and GSH contents and their redox status. PGA plus Cd stress also decreased MDA content and EL. Besides, PGA plus Cd stress decreased Cd accumulation and increased SPAD value, P_n, q_N, F_v/F_m, q_P, ΦPSII, wheat height and dry biomass. Moreover, PGA alone showed positive effects on the indicators mentioned above. Our results clearly indicated that PGA enhanced wheat Cd tolerance by preventing Cd uptake and enhancing AsA and GSH metabolism. Therefore, PGA can be applied to enhance wheat Cd tolerance in production.

The main research objective of this study is to present the dynamics of land productivity changes in EU agriculture in the years 2012–2020 and evaluate the influence of direct subsidies received by farmers on land productivity. The source data for 2012–2020 are secondary and come from Eurostat. The research results were prepared for the entire European Union (EU-28), and divided into ‘old’ countries (EU-15) and ‘new’ countries (EU-13). The results were developed using the method of assessing convergence (in terms of differences in land productivity in individual countries) using the coefficient of variation and the relative index of changes in individual Member States in relation to the EU average over the period under study. Results showed that between 2012 and 2020, average land productivity in the EU increased by 7%. At the same time, differences in land productivity between EU countries decreased. The correlation analysis confirmed a statistically significant relationship between land productivity and the amount of direct payments per ha of agricultural land. Additionally, results of the correlation between productivity per 1 ha and the total area of agricultural land in EU countries confirmed the law of decreasing marginal productivity of land.

Seaweed has an important role in the mitigation of enteric methane (CH₄) production by ruminant animals. The utilisation and its effectiveness in enteric CH₄ reduction require a preservation process. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of different drying processes on the effectiveness of seaweed Gracilaria spp. in reducing CH₄ production assessed through an in vitro method. Three drying techniques, sun-drying, oven-drying, and freeze-drying, were applied to produce a dried product of Glacilaria spp. Rice straw basal diets combined with concentrate at the 70 : 30% were used to test the inclusion of 4% of three differently dried products of Gracilaria spp. compared to the basal diet without seaweed (control group). Measurements were conducted on in vitro total and CH₄ gas production, nutrient degradability, ammonia (NH₃) and VFA concentration, and microbial population. Results showed that the three dried products of Gracilaria spp. significantly reduced in vitro CH₄ production compared to the control group (P ≤ 0.05). All drying techniques gave a similar effect on in vitro CH₄ reduction, but they did not affect dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) degradability (P ≤ 0.05) and significantly reduced neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradability (P ≤ 0.05) compared to the control group, with oven-dried treatments having the lowest NDF degradability among the treatments. It is concluded that the three different drying techniques had similar effects on enteric CH₄ reduction.

Dietary antioxidant supplementation has become popular for managing male infertility because of its impact on the antioxidant capacity of semen. This study evaluates the effect of dietary antioxidant supplementation on the seminal characteristics of Colombian Creole horses. Semen from six Colombian Creole stallions was collected using an artificial vagina. The stallions were randomly allocated to a control group (CG) or a supplementation group (SG) that received a multi-antioxidant supplement. A repeated measures design, with a wash out period of two weeks between treatments, was used. Sperm motility and kinematics were assessed using a computer-assisted semen analysis system, membrane integrity (MI) and the acrosomal integrity (AI) of sperm were assessed using fluorescent microscopy, abnormal morphology (AM) was analysed using supravital staining, and the functionality of the sperm membrane was assessed using the hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) test. A fraction of each ejaculate sample was centrifuged to obtain seminal plasma (SP). The reactive oxygen species and the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the SP were measured via spectrofluorimetry. Linear models were fitted, and comparison of means was performed using Tukey’s test. Dietary antioxidant supplementation increased sperm beat cross frequency. In addition, a higher AI was found for the SG. Supplementation also increased the TAC of the SP. Individual analysis revealed that dietary antioxidant supplementation increased the total and progressive motility of the semen of two horses in the SG; however, supplementation reduced these two parameters in two other individuals compared to the CG. It can be concluded that dietary antioxidant supplementation with a nutraceutical that provides vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and omega-3 for horses can increase sperm quality as well as the TAC of SP; however, this may be subject to the individual effect of each horse.

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is one of the most important cereals in the world; is an important source of bioactive compounds. The germination is a very useful tool to improve the nutraceutical value of cereals, associated with the reduction of chronic-degenerative diseases; the extrusion has a positive effect on microbiological stability and sensory properties. The response of the combined germination-extrusion processes applied under optimised conditions, on proximal composition, in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), total phenolic compounds (TPC), antioxidant activity (AoxA), hypoglycemic potential and microbiological quality of sorghum grains were studied. Sorghum was processed by germination (37 °C for 69 h) and extrusion [137 °C for 134 rpm (revolutions per minute)]. The germination increased protein content (+21%), insoluble dietary fibre (+50%), IVPD (+10%), TPC (+26%), AoxA (+97%). The extrusion increased soluble dietary fibre (+100%) and IVPD (+13%). The combined germination-extrusion processing reduced the content of total coliforms, total mesophilic aerobics and molds below the maximum limits established by the Mexican Official Standards NOM-147-SSA1-1994. Regarding hypoglycemic potential, germinated sorghum and germinated-extruded sorghum presented the best half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value. The combination of germination-extrusion processes is an effective strategy to increase bioactive compounds with antioxidant activity and inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes.

The improvement of rice production to meet food needs for the increasing population is a general problem faced in wetland development for agriculture. The use of industrial waste, such as coal fly ash (CFA), could effectively improve the soil properties of wetlands. In this study, CFA with an amount of 2% (weight/volume) or 240 g was added to 12 L of three different soils collected from the rice fields (peatland, swampland, and rainfed field) in a 15-L pot, and then incubated in the greenhouse for 15 days. The soil pH, concentrations of NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^–-N, exchangeable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) and available phosphorus in the soil were quantified following the completion of the incubation. Rice seedlings were planted in each pot, and after 90 days, the growth and yield variables were observed. The results showed that CFA application enhanced the concentrations of NH₄⁺-N, NO₃^–-N, and available phosphorus in peatland and swampland, the rice fields that contain high organic carbon (C), which ultimately leads to increasing rice growth and yield. The application of CFA to rice fields containing low organic carbon did not improve available nitrogen and phosphorus nor enhance the growth and yield of rice. Results of this study indicate an important role of soil organic C content in the rice fields in controlling the effect of CFA on nutrient availability, growth and yield of rice.

The Ellenberg quotient (EQ) is a climate index defined as a ratio of the hottest month's temperature and the average annual precipitation sum. The quotient indirectly expresses the relationship between climate and vegetation, and its application is related to the ecological niche of Fagus sp. Although the quotient was curated on the grounds of field research primarily on German vegetation, the possibilities of its utilisation are not limited to the Central European region. The objective of this study is (i) to compare the EQ values calculated for the forest vegetation zones in the Czech Republic with the published data using the ecological niche of Fagus sylvatica; and (ii) to compare the new EQ-based vertical model with field empirical mapping. The study area is the Czech Republic, Central Europe. We used climate data from 1970–2000 and the data of the National Forest Inventory, 2^nd cycle (2011–2015), representing an objective data design. Geospatial analytic methods, machine learning (boosting), and verification through statistical testing were performed. The results indicate higher EQ values between the two most substantial spatial frames – the Hercynicum and Carpaticum regions. By comparing empirical mapped units to their climatic potential (in the EQ), a match was found only within the Carpaticum region. The study presents a concretisation of the general climate index for a specific region, adds to the knowledge about the Fagus ecological niche in context with the Central European vegetation, and also points to the EQ's potential for evaluating the concept of vertical differentiation of forest communities, as well as a possible prediction tool for the vegetation migration in context with climate change.

This study aimed to observe the lingual morphology of the domesticated Asian small-clawed otter, Aonyx cinereus (A. cinereus), from Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Six domesticated A. cinereus adults were obtained from a local otter breeder in Yogyakarta, without regard to gender. The animals were acclimated to the laboratory for one day, followed by macroscopy identification and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) analysis. Macroscopically, the tongue of domesticated A. cinereus is divided into three parts: the apex, corpus and radix. The apex is the shortest part and can move freely. A median groove is bent along the corpus. Typically, the radix contains circumvallate papillae and the valleculae epiglottis. SEM and LM observations revealed that the lingual morphology of A. cinereus consisted of two types of papillae: mechanic papillae (horny filiform, leaf-like filiform, bifid filiform, trifid filiform, elongated leaf-like filiform, triangular filiform and conical papillae) and gustatory papillae (fungiform and circumvallate papillae). The lingual glands consists of Weber’s glands and von Ebner’s glands, which secrete acid and neutral mucins. Collagen fibre is found in the lamina propria and muscular layer. In conclusion, the papillae of the Asian short-clawed otter have the same structure as those of other Mustelidae family members.

The advances in the production traits of Oreochromis niloticus are due to the development of genetically superior broodstock animals. Understanding the genetic variability of fish stocks is crucial to any animal breeding program. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of genetic parameters that considers the variability between studies for economically important traits in the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) production. The final dataset from literature review contained 226 estimates of heritability and 53 estimates of genetic correlation across 37 peer-reviewed articles published between 2002 and 2022. Weighted genetic parameter estimates were obtained by fitting a random effect model for all traits studied. Heterogeneity across studies were assessed using the Q statistic and I² index. Heritability estimates ranged from low to moderate magnitude, indicating that a greater response to selection is expected for body length (0.37), body weight (0.29), body width (0.28), and daily weight gain (0.28), compared to the other traits, body height (0.25) and fillet yield (0.19). Genetic correlations ranged from moderate to high magnitude (0.47 to 0.94), which suggests that part of expression of traits is regulated by the same gene groups. The meta-analysis study provided reliable genetic parameter estimates and these findings may be served as the baseline reference for new Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) breeding programs.

Coumarins and pyridines are a promising class of naturally occurring bioactive heterocycles with unique physical and chemical properties. Compounds containing the coumarin framework possess a wide range of pharmacological, biological, and physiological activities, which makes them important for application in medicine, the food industry and agriculture. Among all coumarins' properties, it was found that coumarins may prevent fungal growth, depending on substituents linked to the coumarin core. Therefore, many coumarin derivatives have been investigated as potentially powerful agents in preventing and controlling fungal pathogens. This review summarises the latest research on coumarins and their antifungal activity to provide useful information for further developing more efficient coumarin-based fungicides.

The aim of this study was to determine the heavy metals concentrations in soil, inflorescences of Brassica napus and rapeseed honey sampled from some regions of north-eastern Bulgaria. Thirteen locations were selected for experimental studies. The soils, plants and honeys samples were taken from conventional beekeeping areas away from major industrial pollutants. The median amounts of elements in the soil samples (mg/kg DW) are 1.1246 for Fe(s), 0.7048 for Al(s), 0.5636 for Pb(s), 0.1658 for Cu(s) and 0.0148 for Zn(s). The median amounts of heavy metals measured in the inflorescences of Brassica napus (mg/ kg DW) are 5.5430 for Fe(p), 2.9095 for Zn(p), 1.3225 for Pb(p), 0.2593 for Cu(p) and 0.2105 for Al(p). The median heavy metals concentrations in  tested honey (mg/kg DW) are 1.0026 for Fe(h), 0.1849 for Al(h), 0.1832 for Pb(h), 0.1250 for Zn(h), 0.0702 for. Cu(h). The relationship between the heavy metal in soil, plants and honey was investigated using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Significant differences in the concentrations of Fe(s), Al(s) and Pb(s) in soils, Fe(p) and Zn(p) in the plant samples, Fe(h) in honey samples from the different locations were found. The heavy metal content tested in honey did not pose a risk to human health.

Soil erosion resistance is influenced by intrinsic soil properties and multiple external factors. This study investigated the effect of tea planting age on soil resistance to flowing water erosion (reflected by rill erodibility (K_r) and critical shear stress (τ_c)) in Three Gorges Reservoir Area. One slope farmland (as the control) and five tea plantations cultivated for 3 to 34 years were selected for sampling sites. The results indicated that bulk density (BD), soil cohesion (Coh), water stable aggregate (WSA), mean weight diameter (MWD), soil organic carbon (SOC), litter density (LD), and root mass density (RMD) increased generally with tea planting age. Compared to the control, K_r of tea plantations reduced by 71.1%–85.3%. The temporal variation in soil erosion resistance was controlled greatly by the variations in most near-surface characteristics. K_r decreased with WSA, Coh, LD, RMD, and SOC following a power function (P < 0.01); τ_c increased with MWD, LD, RMD, and SOC as an exponential function, with BD a power function, and Coh a logarithmic function (P < 0.01). In this study, K_r could be simulated well by WSA and LD with a power function, and τ_c could be simulated well by MWD and RMD with an exponential function.

Oestrus detection is currently at the top of the factors limiting the success of artificial insemination in dairy herds. This limitation becomes more pronounced as milk production increases because of higher metabolic clearance rates of steroid hormones leading to low circulating oestradiol concentration near oestrus. The standard OvSynch has overcome this problem by enabling fixed-time artificial insemination, for it synchronises follicular wave emergence, luteolysis, and ovulation. However, it did not improve fertility compared to cycles with spontaneous ovulation, which motivated the development of “fertility programs”. These later are nothing but improved OvSynch protocol. This article explains what went wrong with the original OvSynch protocol, discusses the improvements made by “fertility programs”, and highlights the advantages and limits of the newly tested molecules.

Effect of pre-harvest calcium chloride (CaCl2) treatment on fruit quality attributes of three apple cultivars (‘Golden Delicious Reinders®’, ‘Granny Smith’ and ‘Red Chief’) at harvest and after two and four months of cold storage during two consecutive years was studied. Trees were sprayed four times starting from the beginning of June at 20-day intervals. After harvest, fruits were stored in a regular atmosphere (RA) for further analysis. Measurements included fruit weight, weight loss, firmness, total soluble solids (TSS), titrable acidity (TA), total sugars (TS), TS/TA, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (AA). CaCl2 had a positive impact on fruit firmness of all cultivars in both years. Higher values of TSS and TS of ‘Golden Delicious Reinders®’ were determined in CaCl2 treatment in both years. TSS, TS and TS/TA were increased by prolonging storage in ‘Red Chief’ in CaCl2 treatment and control, in both years. TSS and TS proved similarly stable in ‘Granny Smith’ during storage in CaCl2 treatment and control in the second year of examination, but a decrease of TA and TS/TA has been detected in both years of storage. The AA of cultivars ‘Golden Delicious Reinders®’ and ‘Red Chief’ was stronger affected by the storage compared to CaCl2 treatment. Through a comprehensive analysis of apple cultivars it can be concluded that pre-harvest application of CaCl2 in cultivars ‘Golden Delicious Reinders®’ and ‘Red Chief’ can be used to improve fruit quality during storage.

With a long tradition of brewing history, Chinese strong-flavour Baijiu (SFB) developed prosperously in the southwest, especially in Luzhou, and has existed for more than 300 years building craftwork and brewing techniques. As a product of the distillation of fermented grains, its production involves many microbial communities. During this time, microbial communities within production have burgeoned and evolved throughout the development history, enhancing unique texture and flavour. Meanwhile, environmental factors are critical constituents in the production, which provide the optimal conditions for processing procedures and various microorganisms, including externally controlled macro-environment and micro-environment of fermentation. By studying the correlation with environmental factors from macro and micro perspectives, we illustrated the bond with environmental symbiotic and holistic patterns of the intrinsic microbial community and fermentation characteristics. This review is essential to study and control the whole ecological conditions of the Baijiu fermentation process, aiming to gain insight into the dynamics of the microorganisms and ensure a traditional fermentation environment for quality control.