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The technological quality of the protein fraction of wheat white flour (WW) was determined by the lactic acid Solvent Retention Capacity and by the Gluten Performance Index (LA-SRC and GPI; AACC method 56-11.01). Parallelly, Perten's standard Gluten Index test (GI; AACC method 38-12.02) was performed with that wheat control. Consequently, the same methods were applied to 9 bi-composite blends mixed at ratios of 90 : 10, 80 : 20, 70 : 30, 60 : 40, 50 : 50, …, and 10 : 90 as WW replacement with one of the rye bread flours (RB), and the RB control itself. Unlike successful measurements in the case of the LA-SRC and GPI, washing gluten from the first 90 WW : 10 RB blend led to the clogging of the Glutomatic sieve, likely due to the interaction of wheat gluten with rye arabinoxylans. The discrepancy induced the development of a modification of the standard GI procedure; clogging was avoided by precipitating flour and centrifuging the swollen solid from suspension, similarly like in the SRC method. The settled residue transported to a standard sieve cassette was secondly centrifuged in the original apparatus Perten CF2015. The weighing of the overflow and underflow of the sieve and the calculation of the results were performed according to the original GI method. For the WW control, the standard GI value was 90% and the modified Gluten Index value (GI_modif) was 82%. As expected for WW-RB counterparts, the higher the portion of rye in the bi-composite blend, the lower the value of the GI_modif. For the 50 WW : 50 RB blend and the RB itself, the GI_modif values were 47% and 18% (the GPI values 0.66, 0.45, and 0.39, respectively). On the contrary, the LA-SRC demonstrated a convex course (118, 104, and 123%, respectively). In the plane of the principal components (PC), namely PC1 and PC2, the variables related to gluten quality formed 4 groups as a function of the stepwise change in the mixing ratio of WW and RB: i) flour protein content, GPI, and GI_modif; ii) LA-SRC; iii) dietary fibre content and ash content; iv) water, sucrose, and sodium carbohydrate SRCs. However, the modified test procedure should be revised in wheat varieties characterised by a wider spectrum of protein quality, mixed with different types of rye flour (especially wholegrain one).

The land in the South Tasikmalaya Regency is dominated by dry land with a steep and hilly land contour. In addition, the area has a shallow soil solum, so it has a high potential for erosion and landslides. Therefore, it is necessary to innovate an integrated cultivation system that is economically feasible, but still maintains environmental sustainability. In this research, the aim is to formulate a model for the development of integrated plantation polyculture farming (IPPF) for the welfare of farmers. The method in this study uses a mixed method design. The location of the research carried out is in the Tasikmalaya Regency. The data used are the results of interviews and questionnaires to 250 IPPF farmers. The data used were obtained by multistage cluster random sampling. The sustainable IPPF development model was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). This analysis is used to determine the various potential capital factors for agricultural development on the sustainable development of the IPPF and farmers’ welfare. The results of the study show that the potential development capital [natural resources (SDA) capital, economic capital, socio-cultural capital, physical capital, and multifunctional IPPF], jointly or partially affect the IPPF sustainability. Human resource capital has no effect on the sustainable IPPF development, while the sustainable IPPF development affects the farmers’ welfare levels, and the potential agricultural development capital and its multifunctionality affect the sustainable IPPF development and farmers’ welfare. The IPPF development model that improves the welfare of farmers is carried out through the development of specific local superior commodities, increasing the added value and cooperation, developing access to credit, regenerating farmers, sustainable assistance and infrastructure improvements. The results of this study are expected to be a reference for the government in improving IPPF sustainability to achieve the welfare of its farmers. Apart from that, the model that has been developed can make a contribution to science in the form of a comprehensive analysis of the factors that influence the sustainability of IPPF.

Wind erosion primarily affects sandy soil in arid areas.  However, the specific winter meteorological conditions (freeze-thaw cycles) lead to the disintegration of aggregates into erosion-risk fractions even on clay soils. These changes in the winter erodibility of clay soils were investigated in an area with frequent occurrences of wind erosion in southeastern Moravia (Czech Republic, Central Europe) between the years 2014/2015 and 2020/2021.  The percentage of non-erodible fraction (NEF) before and after winter was assessed. NEF was set as particles larger than 0.84 mm and also larger than 2.00 mm (based on field observations), while soils containing less than 40% NEF have the highest susceptibility to wind erosion. Autumn NEF_0.84 content was 80 and 95%, indicating significant resistance to wind, and although there was a significant decrease in spring to 65%, it still exceeded the 40% threshold. Autumn NEF_2.00 content of 60–70% also indicates a significant resistance to wind erosion. However, spring values were well below the 40% threshold (8 to 35%), indicating significant susceptibility to wind erosion. It showed a significant negative influence of winter on NEF2.00 content and, thus, a greater susceptibility to erosion in spring compared to NEF_0.84. Our results also document vegetation efficiency on the presence of NEF.

Grey poplar (Populus × canescens) is a natural hybrid of white poplar (Populus alba L.) and Eurasian aspen (Populus tremula L.). It could play a significant role in the afforestation of marginal sites which stretch out on ever more areas due to the negative effects of local climate change. Based on stand structure analyses of grey poplar stands grown on the sandy sites of Hungary, the following relations were found: There is a strong relationship between tree height and stand volume (R² = 0.7256), as well as between basal area per ha and stand volume (R² = 0.9158). There is a moderate relationship between diameter at breast height and stand volume (R² = 0.6175). The results could contribute to a more accurate assessment of applied silvicultural technologies.

In this article, we present applied research in the field of price transmission modelling with the generalised additive model. In line with recent studies on nonlinear time series models for price transmission, we introduce a nonparametric technique of generalised additive modelling to provide evidence of nonlinear patterns in price linkages and compare the degree of nonlinearity in price transmission between feed maize and poultry product markets in the Visegrád Group countries. The results of our empirical approach contribute to knowledge about market competitiveness in the Visegrád Group countries and provide information to policymakers.

In Central Europe, the most important pioneer species are silver birch and European aspen. Changes in disturbance regime and an economic interest for this species have led to studies on this species and stands. Two naturally regenerated dense stands of birch (Betula pendula Roth – silver birch monoculture) and aspen (Populus tremula L. – European aspen monoculture) were selected from a Querceto – Fagetum mesotrophicum site to observe responses under the same conditions in Central Europe. Both stands regenerated after the allochthonous Norway spruce stands dieback at the site in 1999. Within a 10 m × 25 m transect established in both stands, the diameter at breast height (DBH) of all the trees was measured between 2015 and 2020. In addition, the height and position were recorded for all trees, and sample trees of both species were felled for biomass measurement. A higher volume production of aspen at the beginning (107.48/96.80 m³) and at the end of the experiment (178.32/143.08 m³) was accompanied with a lower above-ground wood biomass (WAB). The WAB of birch increased from 81.9 t·ha^–1 to 103.3 t·ha^–1 and aspen allocated 79.5 t·ha^–1 to 94.8 t·ha^–1 of biomass. The current annual increment of biomass for these stands was 4.3 t·ha^–1 and 3.1 t·ha^–1 in the age range of 17 to 22 years. The culmination of the volume increment has not yet occurred in any of the stands, but the mean annual increment of wood biomass has already been reached for both stands. Furthermore, the aspen stand tended to be more dynamic in terms of biomass allocation and mortality. Also, the lower self-tolerance of aspen confirmed our hypothesis: the two native pioneer species differ in their social behaviour within monospecific stands.

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are artificially synthesized substances that control growth, development, and other various physiological processes in plants. Synthesized auxins, ethylene, abscisic acid, cytokinin, and gibberellins are only a few of the key PGRs that have been studied and used for quite a long period of time. brassinosteroids, salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, CPPU (N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N’-phenylurea), putrescine, hexanal, triacontanol, melatonin, and other chemicals have been added to the list of PGRs. These PGRs can be considered the new generation of plant growth regulators. These relatively novel hormones are critical for a plant’s growth and development. They aid in the increase of not only the quantity (fruit set, length, weight, yield, volume, pulp percentage, and so on) but also the quality of fruit crops (fruit colour, firmness, total soluble solids, total sugar, ascorbic acid content, etc). They also help to prolong the shelf life of certain fruits and minimize the losses after harvesting. As a result, these new-generation PGRs can be used to boost an orchard’s productivity and income while minimizing pre and post-harvest losses to the greatest extent possible. Hence, this extensive review discusses the impact of these new-generation PGRs on fruit crops.

The paper deals with a new method of innovative assessment of the supported effects and ecosystem services of forests using the actual amount of their increased costs. Among the most important research findings and significance of the new method is that it contributes to the body of knowledge on valuation and payment for ecosystem services. The focus of the research task is to help address the current difficult economic situation of forest owners resulting from the impacts of climate change. The study aims to determine what work quantifies the amount of compensation for the provision of supported ecosystem services that is sufficient for owners by using hypothesis testing. The evaluation of the supported effects was carried out in a case study in the area of the Chrudim-Podhůra Recreational Forests in the Czech Republic. The results of the evaluation were quantified in two experimental spreadsheets of the results, a comparative analysis of the evaluation results was performed, and hypothesis testing was conducted. The innovative methodological approach to the assessment of supported effects can be easily modified and used to assess the actual amount of increased costs of other ecosystem services of the forest.

This study focused on evaluating the effectiveness of seed treatments and different sugar beet varieties in controlling flea beetles (Chaetocnema tibialis) and sugar beet weevils (Asproparthenis punctiventris) in Croatia. The field trials were conducted in Vukovar-Sirmia County and targeted the developmental stages of sugar beet from BBCH 12 to BBCH 31. Although the sowing was done within the optimal period, no clear pattern between germination of the seeds and susceptibility was identified as the results showed different responses at different development stages and among the three variants. The experimental design comprised no insecticide, thiamethoxam + tefluthrin, cyantraniliprole, flupyradifurone and Beauveria bassiana + Metarhizium anisopliae. The results show that the treatments with thiamethoxam + tefluthrin effectively reduced pest damage only at the critical stages of development. The current findings suggest that While some of these alternative methods offer good control, they may prove insufficient when applied individually. Hence, integrating them into a comprehensive pest management approach could be necessary for effectively safeguarding sugar beet yields. Further studies should explore potential additive or synergistic benefits to enhance these strategies.

This research was carried out to evaluate the pedigree data of the Debrecen White rabbit breed. Pedigree information was supplied by the Debrecen White Rabbit Breeder Association. The final dataset contained all available information on animals registered by the breeding association up to 2023. The reference population was the active breeding stock in 2023. The estimated complete generation equivalent was 7.8, while the mean of maximum generations was 16.29 for the present stock. All individuals within the current population were inbred, with a 5.37% mean inbreeding coefficient. The division of the inbreeding coefficient showed that homozygosity is increasing in the current population. The genetic conservation index (GCI) was higher than 30 for 10.11% for the total population, and was above 38.69% for the current population.

Despite accumulating evidence for the adverse effects of magnesium (Mg) deficiency or excess on grain crops, how Mg imbalance affects plant growth and potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) nutrition in vegetable crops is still unclear. The aim of this study was to ascertain the response of plant growth, nutrient uptake and Mg-K-Ca interactions in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to various levels of Mg supply. The growth parameters and nutrient contents of hydroponic plants were measured under the Mg levels of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 3.0 mmol/L Mg²⁺ from seedling to fruit ripening stage. Results showed that both Mg deficiency (0 mmol/L Mg²⁺) and excess (3.0 mmol/L Mg²⁺) negatively affected shoot and root growth, leading to a noticeable decrease in total plant biomass across different stages (41.2–52.8% and 17.7–38.3%, respectively). Mg imbalance additionally altered leaf morphology and disrupted chloroplast structure. As a consequence of increased Mg levels, the Mg contents in various plant organs increased, whereas the Ca contents decreased substantially. The trend of K contents under different Mg levels was dependent on the plant growth stage. Although Mg levels did not prominently affect plant K contents during the early growth stage, they were significantly negatively correlated in the leaves and positively correlated in the fruit during the late growth stage. When translocated from roots to aboveground organs, Mg and Ca were mainly distributed in the leaves, with K preferentially distributed in the fruit. The findings of this study underscore that the symptoms of Mg imbalance generally develop from middle leaves in vegetable crops, exemplified by tomato, which is different from the pattern in common grain crops. Vegetable production necessitates nutrient supply for the middle and upper parts of Mg-deficient plants, and attention should be paid to the nutritional imbalance of Ca and K in plants under excessive Mg supply.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important soil characteristic as well as a way how to mitigate climate change. Information on its content and spatial distribution is thus crucial. Digital soil mapping (DSM) is a suitable way to evaluate spatial distribution of soil properties thanks to its ability to obtain accurate information about soil. This research aims to apply machine learning algorithms using various environmental covariates to generate digital SOC maps for mineral topsoils in the Liberec and Domažlice districts, located in the Czech Republic. The soil class, land cover, and geology maps as well as terrain covariates extracted from the digital elevation model and remote sensing data were used as covariates in modelling. The spatial distribution of SOC was predicted based on its relationships with covariates using random forest (RF), cubist, and quantile random forest (QRF) models. Results of the RF model showed that land cover (vegetation) and elevation were the most important environmental variables in the SOC prediction in both districts. The RF had better efficiency and accuracy than the cubist and QRF to predict SOC in both districts. The greatest R² value (0.63) was observed in the Domažlice district using the RF model. However, cubist and QRF showed appropriate performance in both districts, too.

Studded feed rollers are widely used in seed metering units of seed drills. The flow evenness is an important indicator of the performance of studded feed rollers. With this research, the effects of studded feed rollers with different stud numbers (27, 36, and 45 studs) on flow evenness were investigated both in the laboratory and by simulation in case of using different ground speeds (1.5, 2, and 2.5 m·s^–1). While the experiments were carried out on the seed drill model prepared in the laboratory, the simulation was done with the Rocky DEM software program. In the laboratory and simulation studies, it was determined that the flow evenness increased with the increase in the number of studs and the ground speed. The results obtained from the laboratory and simulation studies show parallelism with each other. However, it was seen that the results obtained in the laboratory were slightly higher than the results obtained from the simulation. With this study, it has been seen that it would be very beneficial to use the DEM model to improve the performance of the seed metering unit and to develop a new seed metering unit.

The unique structural and biological diversity found in plants renders them a distinctive and sustainable source for discovering new antibacterial, antifungal and antiparasitic compounds. In the present study, antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties of essential oils of citrus varieties of Northeast India were studied against selected foodborne pathogens using both in vitro and in silico approaches. These essential oils showed significant antimicrobial and antibiofilm activities against foodborne pathogens. i.e. Bacillus cereus MTCC430 and Yersinia enterocolitica MTCC859. It was observed that the treatment with essential oil disturbed the membrane integrity of the pathogens, thereby causing the release of nucleic acids. This study also postulated that active compounds of the essential oils interact with different target proteins of the pathogens and provide an explanation for the mechanisms of antimicrobial and antibiofilm action of the essential oils of citrus varieties against foodborne pathogens.

Amylases are one of the biotechnologically important enzymes that have multiple applications in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, textile, detergent, paper and pulp, bioremediation and nano-biotechnology industries. Amylases can be isolated from animals, plants and microbial regions, but nowadays enzymes from prokaryotic species have gained more importance. Among the microbes, amylases from Bacillus cereus have gained considerable demand in various industrial sectors. Growing industrial demand for enzymes compels the availability of enzymes in large quantities that can only be achieved by employing efficient fermentation techniques. Therefore, the current study is aimed at the statistical optimisation of the production conditions for extracellular amylase production from Bacillus strain AS2. In a recent study, the optimum amylase producing AS2 strain was identified on a molecular level, and it was found that it has close relation with the already reported strains of Bacillus cereus. The further enzyme production was optimised by using a statistical optimisation tool. A full-factorial central composite design (CCD) consisting of 53 experiments was designed using six significant variables (incubation period, pH, temperature, carbon and nitrogen source and metal ion). The analysis revealed that the optimal media concentrations were 54.34 g·L^–1 starch, 0.63 g·L^–1 CaCl₂, 1 g·L^–1 glycine, pH 7.0, 76 h, and 40 °C, respectively. A 1.23-fold increase in the enzyme yield (1 050 IU·mL^–1·min^–1) was noticed as compared to the original production level. The statistical optimisation approach gives the exact variables that influence the enzyme production and, hence, offers the best way to optimise the bioprocess. The optimised enzyme can be used in industries for various purposes such as de-sizing, de-inking, hydrolysing starch residues, etc.

Resistance to PPV and ESFY phytoplasma has been evaluated for Japanese plum (‘Aphrodite’, ‘Black Amber’, ‘Crimson Glo’, ‘Santa Rosa’) and pluot (‘Dapple Supreme’, ‘Flav Queen’, ‘Flav Supreme’) cultivars. Each cultivar was grafted by chip-budding on GF 305 peach rootstocks and infected with the virulent PPV-Rec or ESFY phytoplasma strain also by chip-budding. After bud break, cultivar evaluation consisted in observing presence or absence of symptoms on leaves, noting the symptom intensity on leaves and on the whole plant. Plants were studied in controlled conditions in a sealed screen-house for three consecutive growth periods. DAS-ELISA and RFLP-PCR analyses were also employed to verify the presence or absence of PPV, respectively ESFY phytoplasma. Results obtained in the context of this very severe biological test against PPV and ESFY phytoplasma confirm the high level of susceptibility of Japanese plum and pluot cultivars.

This paper analyses the market entry strategy of the Spanish wineries and their destination markets. For this purpose, channel adjustment was analysed. The novel aspect of this research is the use of exports on a winery level, basing the explanation of their export performance on a combination of internal decisions of the companies, and characteristics of the wine destination markets, in accordance with the purchasing patterns of their consumers. The results revealed the importance of strategic adjustment between winery and market destination, even though the importance of adjustment depends on the level of exports. Thus, channel adjustment is important for the probability of export and export intensity.

Geographical indication (GI) represents the specific good quality and reputation of the regional characteristics of agricultural products, which is a positive approach for stabilising the export of agricultural products, realising high quality and high prices for agricultural products and rural revitalisation. Based on the China-EU Geographical Indications Agreement, this paper discusses the differences between China and the European Union (EU) in terms of GI protection from three aspects: the institutional framework, the operational system, and the operational status of GIs. The purpose of the study is to identify the differences between China and the EU in the protection of GIs, China's shortcomings, and gaps, and to propose policy recommendations for China to protect GI products better, exploit the economic impact of GIs and enhance the competitiveness of China's exports.

We identify the factors affecting the participation in land accumulation of rural households by using a multinomial logit model and assess the income effects of participation in land accumulation by using the propensity score matching (PSM) method. We use household data from a rural survey in three provinces in the Red River Delta of Vietnam in 2019. Our results show that farmland accumulation is significantly correlated with age and gender of household head, as well as agricultural productive assets, non-farm income, saving and access to credit. The participation in farmland accumulation leads to an increase in total household income, although the effect is different between land increasing and land decreasing groups. We suggest enhancing access to credit and supporting non-farm activities to accelerate the accumulation of agricultural land and consequently improve household income.

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%.

Agro-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are currently receiving top priority among policymakers of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations  due to their great contribution to employment and GDP growth. This study examines the impact of financial literacy on the sustainable competitive performance of agro-based SMEs, with a focus on the mediating role of access to digital finance and the moderating role of business experience. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), we analysed data from 345 SME owner-managers. The results indicate that financial literacy positively affects sustainable competitive performance, with access to digital finance serving as a significant mediator. However, business experience does not moderate the relationship between financial literacy and access to digital finance. These findings suggest that improving financial literacy and enhancing digital finance access are critical for the sustainable development of agro-based SMEs in the SAARC region.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement is an important free trade agreement in the Asia Pacific region. The implementation of RCEP is greatly significant for ensuring the effective supply of agricultural products to member states. On the basis of the analysis of the agricultural product trade structure among China, Australia and New Zealand since 2000, we summarise in this article the potential consequences of tariff reduction for the agricultural products among the three countries under the RCEP framework. The Global Trade Analysis Project model has been used to analyse the effects of RCEP on the macroeconomic indicators, agricultural products trade and domestic agricultural output of the three countries. The research findings indicate that agricultural product trade among the three countries has grown rapidly since 2000. The results of the Global Trade Analysis Project simulations revealed that implementing RCEP will foster macroeconomic growth in the three countries. China’s imports of beef and dairy products and wheat from Australia and New Zealand will substantially increase, and China’s domestic production of this agricultural sector will decrease. Furthermore, India’s potential participation in RCEP will further affect China’s imports and exports of grain. These findings could guide the policymakers in the three countries in designing future agricultural production and trade strategies according to the different scenarios of international trade among the three countries and considering the potential of India joining.

Despite all the complications that arise with root research, such as slow, laborious, and unclear genetics, roots are a promising object of interest for breeders because many root traits are compatible with high yield potential. It is a great challenge for further research that there is a wide demand for information on the “hidden half of plant metabolism” from many research fields. We have summarized the main obstacles in root system research and sketched a solution for breeding in field conditions so that the result was more meaningful to the farmer. (i) The most important challenge in root research is linking the functional identification of root system properties with the aboveground parts. (ii) Field breeding is irreplaceable, and methods allowing the evaluation of roots under field conditions are indispensable. (iii) Low heritability of root system trait discourages breeders. However, root properties show broad genotypic variability, allowing the efficient use of these traits as selection criteria. (iv) The root traits are variable, and many fluctuate under the influence of environmental factors, which complicates efforts to define ideotypes and explains the different conclusions obtained by researchers from different environments. The breeding programs targeting the root system are sporadic even in a global context. This is a great reserve for breeding progress in the era of climate change, water scarcity, a possible shift to extensive farming systems, and in the era of environmental programs.

The work deals with the evaluation of the quality of curds produced in Slovakia and neighbouring countries (Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine) at the time of their purchase and at the time of the end of the warranty period. Significant differences in consistency (P < 0.05) were found between the model samples of cottage cheese after sensory evaluation. Differences in total porosity were noted between curds examined on the first and last day, storage reduced porosity and changed (reduced) grain size. There was a significant difference in colour between the samples (A1–E5) (P < 0.05). Colourimetric measurement confirmed the lightest colour in sample E4 (L* = 92.87, L* – lightness) from Ukraine, which showed the lowest fat content, and the darkest sample was sample C3 from Poland (L* = 88.62). The minimum value of dry matter content was found in sample E4 (15.79 ± 2.59%) and the maximum value in sample C3 (35.82 ± 2.59%). Towards the end of the use-by date, the dry matter values slightly decreased. Statistical significance was demonstrated between the first day of purchase and the expiration date in dry matter content (P < 0.05) and between fat content in dry matter (P < 0.05). The titration acidity was exceeded in two cases, in sample B2 (first day – FD 172 °SH / last day – LD 192 °SH) and B4 (FD 162 °SH / LD 167 °SH). During the guarantee period, the growth of micromycetes in curds was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

This study aimed to control land subsidence by improving the groundwater balance in the Varamin plain using the Groundwater Modelling System software and a multi-criteria decision model. For this purpose, aquifer level quantification and subsidence rate simulation were performed with the MODFLOW model and SUB package, respectively. The results showed a 6 m decrease in the aquifer level over a 5-year period and the subsidence rate in the central parts was 37 cm. Accordingly, the aquifer was evaluated by considering eight different restoration strategies based on reduced exploitation and artificial feeding. The results showed that the environmental criterion related to the subsidence adjustment index had the highest weight (0.27) and was introduced as the most important decision-making criterion. The evaluation of the results and priorities using the Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS) method showed that a 30% reduction in exploitation with artificial feeding is the best restoration strategy and can improve the subsidence rate and aquifer level by 36% and 76%, respectively, over a 5-year period (2024).

To achieve the coveted objectives of sustainable development, the Bangladesh government has devised a comprehensive strategy to promote the adoption of innovative agricultural practices capable of addressing the critical challenges at the intersection of food, energy, water, and ecosystems (FEWE). This plan prioritises the increased uptake of solar irrigation and recommended fertiliser application (SIRFA) technologies to enhance sustainable food production while effectively managing energy and water resources, and fostering ecological balance. Thus, this study analysed seven years of panel data (2015–2021) to assess the long-term impact of SIRFA technology adoption on production costs (PC) and return on investment (ROI) among Bangladeshi farmers cultivating the BRRI-dhan29 rice variety in the water-scarce, acidic soils of Dinajpur. Utilising the generalised estimating equation (GEE) with a population-averaged model, we investigated the determinants of adoption. Additionally, we applied a two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) method alongside six linear panel-data models to analyse the impact of SIRFA adoption. Our findings revealed that adopters experienced reduced production costs and enhanced ROI through SIRFA technology adoption. These results emphasised the urgent need for region-specific policy interventions to facilitate the broader adoption of SIRFA technologies.

Metabolomics analysis based on UPLC-MS/MS was used to investigate the influence of rain shelter (RS) conditions on metabolites of sweet cherry leaves. It was found that there were 134 differential metabolites. These differential metabolites were enriched in 40 metabolic pathways. Studies on the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory mechanisms of metabolites in sweet cherry leaves showed that low-light and drought stresses in RS plants were related to the amino acid biosynthesis metabolic pathway and that of flavone and flavonol biosynthesis. Sweet cherry trees exhibited improved tolerance to drought stress by regulating the increase in the content of metabolites, such as proline in the amino acid metabolic pathway and the content of flavonoids in the phenylpropane metabolic pathway. To cope with low-light stress, sweet cherry leaves can increase their photosynthetic efficiency by regulating the flavonol content in the flavone and flavonol biosynthetic pathway under the catalysis of a series of enzymes.

Frankincense trees (Boswellia spp.) worldwide are affected by a number of threats, including global warming and changing land management practices. On the Socotra Archipelago (Yemen), which harbours eleven endemic Boswellia species, grazing is generally assumed to be one of the main threats preventing natural regeneration. To test the impact of overgrazing on natural regeneration, we established an in situ experiment on four different Boswellia taxa in different areas of Socotra Island. Mortality and the height increment of seedlings were measured for a period of two/three years in five plots excluded from grazing (fenced) and in five paired control (unfenced) plots. Each plot was 50 m × 50 m in size and contained several adult trees as a source of viable seeds. Our results show that seedling mortality was significantly higher, and seedling height increment generally (4 out of 5 sites) lower in open compared to fenced plots. In the fenced plots, the number of seedlings for all species reached up to 772, with 560 surviving seedlings. In comparison, the control plots reached up to 296 seedlings, with 176 seedlings surviving after 2–3 years. The results of our experimental study indicate that grazing directly threatens the natural regeneration of the endemic Boswellia on Socotra Island. However, seedling mortality remained relatively high inside the exclosures as well, which indicates that even without the pressure of livestock grazing, other impacts remain a challenge for the future conservation of the archipelago's unique frankincense trees.

Due to increased climate change, crop productivity worldwide is in danger. Drought stress is considered one of the major environmental factors in relation to world food security. Previous studies showed that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation alleviates drought stress in various plants. However, whether AMF inoculation efficiency is based on gas exchange or water status and whether the effects differ among plants and AMF species remain unclear. To evaluate the effect of AMF on drought stress alleviation, a meta-analysis was conducted based on random-effect models accounting for effect size variation. Results revealed that photosynthetic rate had the highest effect size among gas exchange traits compared to stomatal conductance and transpiration rate. Our results also showed a significant positive impact on relative water content, water potential, and water use efficiency in AMF-inoculated plants compared to non-inoculated plants. Furthermore, among AMF species, Funneliformis mosseae, followed by Rhizophagus irrgularis, was an efficient AM fungi for drought stress alleviation. Therefore, this study suggests that a higher water use efficiency supports water transport to the leaf surface and keeps the stomatal opening, enhancing photosynthetic responses.

The high plasticity, or the ability to differentiate into various cell types, and capacity to become both gametes of early-stage germ cells (eGCs) allows them to be used for the long-term storage and recovery of genetic information. In this study, species-specific protocols (isolation period, enzymatic separation solution, incubation period, appropriate cryoprotectant, and cryopreservation protocol) were established for the isolation and long-term preservation of Black Sea trout eGCs. In addition, the difference between the application of cryopreservation to the whole gonad tissue and to the enzymatically separated cells has been shown in terms of viability and the number of cells obtained. According to the cell count made from the histological sections of the testicular tissue throughout the year, the period with the highest concentration of eGCs in the tissue is between May and June. To identify the optimal enzymatic dissociation solution, we subjected testicular tissues to digestion using various combinations of trypsin (T) and collagenase (C) (0.3–0.5% T and 0.1–0.3% C). Our findings revealed that the 0.3% C provided the highest yield of viable cells (90.9%). We cryopreserved the enzymatically dissociated cells (EDCs) using six different cryoprotectants (Dimethyl sulfoxide, Glycerol, and CryoSOfree™, in both L-15 and phosphate-buffered saline – PBS mediums). Additionally, whole tissue exclusively with CryoSOfree™. After storing the samples at –152 °C for two years, the group of EDCs cryopreserved in L15+Glycerol exhibited the highest viability at 93.3%. Meanwhile, the whole tissue group yielded the greatest number of cells per ml after thawing, with a count of 33 210 000 cells. When considering both the viability (91.11%) and the number of cells obtained (33 210 000 cells/ml), the whole tissue cryopreservation group outperformed all the other methods.