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Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) is grown in tropical and temperate regions and an economically important crop. Characterization studies of watermelon may provide valuable information for breeding and research programs. The objectives of this study were to determined of morphological, phytochemical, genetic diversity and population structure among the watermelons. Morphological and phytochemical variations including sugar contents were determined in 96 watermelon genotypes grown in the field. The average number of fruits per plant was determined as 2.52 ± 0.06, and the average yield was determined as 6.2 ± 0.11 kg/m2. The mean total sugar was determined as 6.27 ± 0.12 %, and the lowest value was measured in genotype 234 (1.1%); the highest value was measured in genotype number 184 (8.66%). A total of 62 SSR (Simple Sequence Repeat) primers were used in the molecular characterization study. The similarity coefficients among the 96 genotypes varied between 0.23 and 0.99. This study indicates that there is a wide morphological and sugar parameters variation among watermelon genotypes but narrow molecular genetic diversity. It also provides useful information for watermelon breeding studies.

The demand for beneficial, safe natural pigments is growing. Clitoria ternatea (CT) flowers are a promising source of natural blue colours and bioactive compounds. This study extracted intact CT flowers (CTFs) and their powders (CTFPs) with distilled water at various temperatures (30–90 °C) and durations (30–180 min). The total anthocyanin content (TAC) and total phenolic content (TPC) of the CT extracts were analysed by using the pH differential and Folin-Ciocalteu methods, respectively. The antioxidant activity was expressed as the ability to scavenge DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radicals. The results showed that different sample types significantly (P < 0.05) influenced the TAC, TPC, and antioxidant activity. The optimal TAC and TPC extraction for CTF was at 90 °C for 90 min, and for CTFP at 90 °C for 30 min. Using hot water instead of 60% alcohol organic solvent was feasible for extracting the phytochemicals, particularly with CTF. Ultrasound-assisted extraction was notably effective for anthocyanins from intact flowers. Higher heating temperatures and pH values increased the anthocyanin degradation rate constants, while a higher pH decreased the activation energy. Thus, blue aqueous CT flower extracts, rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, have the potential for use in foods and nutraceuticals with neutral and acidic pH values.

Carbohydrate digestive enzymes like α-amylase and α-glucosidase can be used to treat and manage diabetes. By inhibiting these enzymes, carbohydrate digestion slowed down, lowering the level of glucose entry into the bloodstream and preventing postprandial hyperglycemia. However, the effectiveness of current antidiabetic agents is limited due to their adverse effects. Therefore, the current study explored natural inhibitors from the methanol extract of rice to combat this issue. Through an integrated approach, four different rice cultivars were analysed and found that red rice methanol extract compounds stigmasterol and 1,2-benzenedicarboxylic acid interacted with α-amylase and α-glucosidase. Additionally, further research on stigmasterol directs the structure-activity relationship studies that aid in managing diabetic conditions.

This paper investigates the effect of pre-COVID credit constraints and the moderating role of government support on agribusiness resilience following the outbreak of COVID-19. Using a dataset covering 42 countries, we provide empirical evidence on how firm characteristics and credit constraints affect agribusinesses’ likelihood of survival and performance during the pandemic. On the enterprise level, size, foreign ownership and gender of the manager are found to display a statistically significant relationship with closure and sales performance. The findings reveal that pre-existing credit constraints tended to magnify the negative impacts of the pandemic. Specifically, agribusinesses with better access to finance were less likely to experience a decline in sales and exit from the market and, hence, were in a better position to withstand pandemic-induced shock. The results further highlighted the positive role of government support on agribusiness resilience, whereas obtaining government aid was found to have no significant effect on moderating the link between financial conditions and resilience. Finally, the results showed that financially constrained agribusinesses are more likely to suffer from liquidity/cash flow problems and experience overdue financial obligations during the pandemic. In coping with their liquidity shortfalls, these agribusinesses were less likely to access formal credit and more likely to delay payments to suppliers/workers.

This study was planned to investigate an alternative treatment modality in diabetic wound healing. In this experimental study, the efficacy of both cold atmospheric plasma/nitric oxide (NO) and NPH insulin ointment, recently known to have beneficial effects on wound healing, was investigated in diabetic wound healing. Twenty-four (24) diabetic rats were divided into four groups DC, DI, DNO and DINO (diabetic control, diabetic insulin, diabetic nitric oxide, diabetic insulin + nitric oxide groups). No treatment was applied to the DC group, NPH insulin was applied to the DI group, CAP/NO was applied to the DNO group, and CAP/NO + NPH insulin was applied to the DINO group once daily for 14 days. The wound area reduction and the wound contraction rate were calculated on the basis of the tissue sections taken, and histopathological and genetic analyses were carried out. Compared to the control group, exogenous NO gas was found to be a potent antibacterial agent in the diabetic wound healing, causing a reduction in the wound area (P = 0.034), an increased contraction rate (P = 0.021), epithelialisation (P = 0.02), collagen organisation (P = 0.006) and a reduction in the number of inflammatory cells (P = 0.002). A significant increase in the expression of IL-8 mRNA was observed (P = 0.026). It was concluded that NPH insulin alone contributes to wound healing, but it is not necessary to use it together with exogenous NO gas.

In order to provide a theoretical basis for the application of organic selenium (Se) in the production and cultivation of Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl. We investigated the effects of selenomethionine (SeMet) on the growth and physiological characteristics of S. ningpoensis seedlings. The results showed that SeMet significantly improved the antioxidant capacity by enhancing the activities of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in the leaves of S. ningpoensis, which significantly reduced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), as compared to the control. SeMet also significantly improved the water metabolism by increasing the transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, water use efficiency (WUE), relative water content, and water saturation deficit of S. ningpoensis leaves. Moreover, SeMet significantly enhanced photosynthetic performance by decreasing non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) and increasing the soil and plant analyser development (SPAD) value, net photosynthetic rate, PSII actual photochemical efficiency Y(II), photochemical quenching (qP), PSII photochemical effective quantum yield (F_v'/F_m') and apparent electron transport rate (ETR). Meanwhile, SeMet significantly improved the plant’s height, basal diameter, root/shoot ratio and dry weight of shoots and roots in S. ningpoensis. Various SeMet 30 and 60 mg/L SeMet concentrations demonstrated better effects on the growth and physiological characteristics of S. ningpoensis. The above results indicate that appropriate concentrations of SeMet can enhance the growth of S. ningpoensis and can be improved by increasing its antioxidant capacity, water metabolism, and photosynthetic performance. This provides a theoretical foundation for using organic selenium in growing and producing S. ningpoensis.

The article presents the results of research on the impact of Sawadaea bicornis (Wallr.) Miyabe on the state of photosynthetic apparatus in Acer platanoides L. seedlings using a technique of chlorophyll fluorescence induction (ChlF) measurement, which at the present time can be implemented through the use of biosensors. The research was conducted in September 2022 in the territory of the Botanical Garden of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University. To diagnose a violation of the native chlorophyll photosynthesis in fresh leaves of A. platanoides, a portable fluorometer 'Floratest' was used (the selected spectral range for fluorescence intensity measurement was 670–800 nm). The research was carried out on fresh leaves of Norway maple seedlings both not unaffected and affected with powdery mildew. Analysis of the data obtained indicates a high sensitivity of the parameters of chlorophyll fluorescence induction to damage by the disease regardless of environmental conditions of local growth of A. platanoides seedlings. The high informativeness of induction changes in chlorophyll fluorescence in the structural organisation of chloroplasts in Norway maple leaves determined by the parameters Fo, Fm, Fv, Fv/Fо, Fv/Fm, (Fm – Fst)/Fst, (Fp – Fо)/Fv was revealed. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of using the studied chlorophyll fluorescence parameters to detect severe stress in Norway maple seedlings caused by powdery mildew exposure when the fungus affects more than 50% of the leaf blade area. It is further necessary to conduct dynamic studies throughout the growing season to determine the effectiveness of using these parameters to detect mild stress in the early stages of infection.

Reproductive performance in pig production has gained genetic momentum resulting in large litters. Several strategies have been used to raise the number of piglets to address the challenge of a large litter size. This review provides a rationale for employing the nurse sow system as a biological way of handling large litters, exploring its step-by-step processes and its selected impacts. By exposing these steps, pig farmers will use the information to pinpoint their weak points in the chain and customize the procedures to meet their farm-specific goals for improved productivity. The nurse sow system helps to maximize pre-weaning survival by boosting the overall worth of low birth weight piglets. When piglets weaned per sow/year are used as a performance benchmark, nurse sows weaning double litters become economically advantageous. Extended time in lactation for nurse sows gives them an ample time for their uterus to involute before the next pregnancy. However, nurse sows lose their body reserves reflected in backfat thickness from high milk production. Prolonged confinement in lactation deteriorates the physical condition of nurse sows, resulting in leg ulcers and teat damage. Additionally, piglets are more distressed when taken away from their biological sow to a new sow.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a superior-quality perennial legume forage crop cultivated in China. However, fertiliser applications and the environmental factors affecting alfalfa yield and quality have not been well documented. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis using a dataset from 105 studies published between 2003 and 2023 to explore the effects of fertiliser application and environmental factors on the yield and quality of alfalfa. The results showed that compared to the non-fertiliser control levels, fertiliser application increased alfalfa yield by 24.61% and improved the quality of alfalfa by increasing crude protein by 11.63% and decreasing acid detergent fibre by 7.69% and neutral detergent fibre by 6.76%. Alfalfa yield and the crude protein effect size increased with increasing altitude but decreased with increasing latitude based on fertiliser application. The acid detergent fibre and neutral detergent fibre effect size were positively correlated with mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation. In conclusion, applying fertiliser is a productive approach to enhance the yield and grade of alfalfa, but environmental factors have an effect. This study provides comprehensive information on fertiliser applications and environmental factors that affect alfalfa yield and quality. These results provide insight into further improving alfalfa yield and quality and contribute to the development of alfalfa.

Weeds are the major menace to agriculture, which greatly impact crop growth and development, resulting in economic yield loss or crop failures. Therefore, it is indispensable to take up appropriate weed management practices to prevent the effects of weeds on crops. Chemical herbicides have immense potential for effective control of weeds, but, in the long run, the persistent nature of herbicides adversely affects the soil microbes and also that terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Bioherbicides are products derived from plant extracts, allelochemicals or microbes and their secondary metabolites with weed-suppressing abilities. Most microbial bioherbicides are based on fungi and its active ingredients, which successfully control weeds with different mode of actions. Moreover, the toxins or secondary metabolites the fungi produce also possess herbicidal properties. So, exploring the fungal pathogens and their toxins for managing weeds seems to be a feasible and eco-friendly way for the management of weeds. There is a wider scope for utilizing fungi and their secondary metabolites as mycoherbicides, which have the potential to replace hazardous chemical herbicides in the near future. This review article mainly emphasizes the scope of mycoherbicides and explores the fungal secondary metabolites for eco-friendly weed control.

Advancing agricultural carbon emission efficiency and farmers’ income simultaneously is crucial for the sustainable progress of agriculture. Our study centered on 31 provinces and cities in China and investigated regional variances and the dynamic evolution aspects of coordinated development in farmers’ income and agricultural carbon emission efficiency, utilising panel data from 2005 to 2021. The analysis revealed the following trends: Firstly, China’s overall agricultural carbon emission efficiency was steadily increasing, mainly because of technological advancements. Secondly, the correlation between farmers’ income and agricultural carbon emission efficiency in China had notably improved from 0.318 to 0.775. Throughout the observation period, disparities in the levels of coordinated development were observed in various provinces with a diminishing fluctuation, indicating regional disparities as the primary instigator. Thirdly, the level of coordinated development highlighted positive clustering attributes, demonstrating an ‘east high, west low’ pattern; the evolution of coordinated development levels exhibited stability in maintaining the current status. This study holds significant value for developing countries in enhancing farmers’ income and agricultural carbon emission efficiency in a coordinated manner.

In this study, three insect-resistant transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) oilseed rape events (GT1, GT5 and GT9) under field conditions were utilised to analyse the dynamics of Cry1Ac protein and the changes in soil enzyme activities in the rhizosphere soil of transgenic Bt plants during different growth stages over two successive cultivation years. The results indicated that compared to the non-transgenic control plant cv. Westar, the amount of Cry1Ac protein in the rhizosphere soil of the three transgenic oilseed rape events was significantly higher during the flowering and podding stages in the first cultivation year. Additionally, in the second cultivation year, transgenic GT1 and GT9 had significantly higher amounts of Cry1Ac protein in the rhizosphere soil during the flowering stage, and all three transgenic oilseed rape events had significantly higher amounts of Cry1Ac protein in the rhizosphere soil during the podding stage. Over the two successive cultivation years, the sucrase activity in the rhizosphere soil of transgenic events showed significant changes during bolting, flowering and podding stages, while all three transgenic events exhibited significant changes in phosphatase activity during the four different stages. Furthermore, different transgenic events showed varying significant changes in urease and protease activities during the bolting, flowering and podding stages of the first year, and all three transgenic events had significant changes in dehydrogenase activities during the four different stages of the second cultivation year. PCA and correlation analysis clearly demonstrated a strong correlation between the Cry1Ac protein and five soil enzyme activities, as well as a close interconnectedness among those five soil enzyme activities. These findings suggest that the amount of insecticidal crystal proteins in the rhizosphere soil of transgenic Bt (Cry1Ac) oilseed rape varies with different growth periods, and the enzyme activities in the rhizosphere soil of transgenic Bt oilseed rape plants undergo significant changes over two successive planting years.

Graphene-based materials (GBMs) have become potential soil pollutants due to their wide applications in agricultural environments. Although physiological mechanisms of plant responses to GBMs have been previously explored, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this paper, we analysed the physiological and transcriptomic changes of buckwheat (Fagopyrum spp.) roots exposed to 100 mg/L graphene oxide (GO) with different diameter. GO negatively affected root growth and higher diameters of GO caused more adverse effects on the root. In total 3 724 GO-responsive genes were identified in root by transcriptome analysis. 70 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in ROS detoxification, and 37 transporter-encoding genes were found to be involved in GO response. These transporters may regulate the uptake and transport of GO in buckwheat. The gene expression of 84 transcription factors (TFs) showed a response to GO stress in the root, which may regulate the transporters and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification-related genes. Finally, the difference in the transcriptomic response of the root to the three GO materials with different diameters was investigated. 49 GO-responsive genes may be involved in the difference in the toxicity of GO with different diameters. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of plant roots to GBMs.

This paper presents a dielectric spectroscopy approach for analysing the quality of food products. This study aimed to detect the adulteration in mustard oil using dielectric spectroscopy in the 1 to 10 MHz frequency range at a temperature of 30 to 50 °C. The dielectric data were used to predict the adulteration in oils at the given frequency range. The finding indicates that using data analysis techniques can further improve the capacity of dielectric sensing to detect adulterated edible oil. Using MATLAB R2021a, linear relationships between the frequency and adulteration percentage variables were obtained to predict the dielectric constant and dielectric loss factor values. A paired sample t-test was used to analyse the effects of the frequency and adulteration on the dielectric parameters, with a significance level of 0.05 being set for the differences. Correlation coefficients (R²) > 0.96 were established using regression equations relating the dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and adulteration.

The objective of the presented research was to create an average image of a harvester operator in Poland and to identify factors influencing the degree of mental workload. We used a survey of environmental assessments of workload. The creation of an electronic survey and the support of a company that indirectly employs operators (State Forests) made it possible to reach a large group of surveyed people. The respondents indicated the occurrence of ailments typical of sedentary work at the researched workstation. These included mainly monotony, back pain and numbness in the upper limbs. Stress at work was felt by the majority of respondents; hence the analyses of mental stress, which also translates into other diseases, should indicate key responses to questions regarding comprehensive ergonomic assessments at the researched workstation.

This study uses micro-financial data to examine the efficiency of agricultural enterprises in Germany and its neighbouring countries. The aim of the study is to introduce a model for the agricultural sector and conduct an efficiency analysis using these data, interpreting the results with specific knowledge in the management of an agriculture company. Both technical and allocative efficiencies were determined, and the companies were ranked. Possible correlations between company size, measured by turnover, and the determined efficiency were analysed. At present, there is a lack of studies in the agricultural sector with high aggregated financial data, which are the basis and necessity for well-founded decision support to increase efficiency. The data envelopment analysis method was used, as a non-parametric procedure from operations research and economics field. Both the constant returns to scale (CCR) and variable returns to scale (BCC) models were used to calculate the efficiency values. The results showed that large and very large companies achieved the highest levels of efficiency. Interestingly, very large companies lost efficiency compared to large companies, suggesting that the optimal efficiency level lies with the latter. Furthermore, the Netherlands was the absolute efficiency leader, while the other countries achieved similar lower efficiencies. This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive efficiency analysis in the agricultural sector based on financial data, thus offering a basis for future studies and political decisions.

Genetic diversity is referred to as any variation at the phenotypic, DNA or genomic level of an individual, population or species. The appraisal of diversity is important to understand its pattern and evolutionary relationships between germplasms or genotypes, which will aid in sampling the genetic resources in a more systematic manner for conservation and crop improvement. The present study employed 50 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers linked to the yield and fibre quality/colour traits for estimating the genetic diversity in 33 cotton genotypes of diploid and tetraploid species differing in fibre colour. The diversity analysis was performed in GenAlEx (Ver. 6.41) and Powermarker (Ver. 3.25) while DARwin (Ver. 6.0.21) software was used to establish the phylogenetic relationships following neighbour-joining (NJ) and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic (UPGMA) mean method. Markers generated 186 polymorphic loci as genotypic data with an average of 3.72 alleles and an average polymorphic information content (PIC) value of 0.59 per SSR locus. The NJ and UPGMA grouped 33 genotypes into three major clusters I, II and III consisting of 21 tetraploid Gossypium hirsutum, 10 G. arboreum coloured and 2 white cotton genotypes, respectively. In the PCA, the first two components (PC1 and PC2) explained 74.69% of the variation and the biplot plotted the 33 genotypes in three groups. The study established the diverse nature of 33 cotton genotypes based on their fibre colour and ploidy level. With confirmation of the prevalent genetic diversity, we suggest that hybridisation can be planned among diverse genotypes to unleash greater variation in the fibre colour or to derive superior cross combinations.

The present study was to determine the genotypic and environmental variability and stability in seed yield, oil content, oil yield, oleic and linoleic acid of 10 safflower lines derived from a cross of Dinçer 5-18-1 × Montola 2000 together with six cultivars under six environments at five locations. The effects of genotypes, environments and genotype × environment interactions were highly significant (P < 0.01) for seed yield and oil content. Averaged across all environments, the seed yield was lowest in the cultivar Olas (2 352 kg/ha), and highest in the line Bay-Er 5 (2 869 kg/ha). According to mean (x_i) and regression coefficient (b_i) values, the Bay-Er 16 was better adapted to unfavourable environmental conditions, whereas the Bay-Er 1, Bay-Er 5 and Bay-Er 14 were better adapted to favourable environmental conditions. The highest oil content across environments, over 35%, was recorded in the line Bay-Er 15 and the cultivars Olas and Linas. The best adaptability to the environments was observed in the cultivar Olas. The oleic acid content of genotypes increased and the linoleic acid contents decreased from the north to the south latitudes. The oil content of genotypes grown in Southeastern Anatolia was higher than in the other regions. Within the regions, seed yield and oil content was higher after autumn sowing than after spring sowing.

Powdery mildew (PM) is a fungus that causes disease in both the field and the greenhouse. Utilizing resistant cultivars is the most effective approach of disease management. To develop insertion-deletion (InDel) markers associated to this trait, the whole genomes of the PM resistant line M17050 (P1) and the PM-susceptible line 28-1-1 (P2) were sequenced. A total of 1 200 InDels, with an average of 100 markers per chromosome, were arbitrarily chosen from the sequencing data for experimental validation. One hundred InDel markers were ultimately selected due to their informative genetic bands. Further, an F₂ segregating population of melons generated from these two parents was inoculated by the PM pathogen. Based on bulk segregant analysis (BSA) using these 100 InDel markers, the powdery mildew resistance was associated with the genomic region LVpm12.1 on the melon chromosome 12. This region overlapped the previously described quantitative trait locus (QTL)-hotspot area carrying multiple PM-resistance QTLs. Moreover, conventional QTL mapping analysis was done, which located LVpm12.1 in the region between 22.72 and 23.34 Mb, where three highly polymorphic InDel markers MInDel89, MInDel92, and MInDel93 were detected. Therefore, these markers could be used to track this resistance locus in melon while the lines carrying this locus could be employed in PM melon resistance breeding programs after validation tests.

The present study aimed to determine the chemical composition and in vitro antimicrobial potential for the first time of essential oils (EOs) from six cultivars (Druzhba, Raya, Hebar, Hemus, Yubileina, Sevtapolis) of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) cultivated in Türkiye (Tekirdağ) against a panel of pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms. The chemical composition of EOs, analysed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), revealed 34 different components in the six cultivars. The results indicate that the main major constituents of all EOs were monoterpenoid linalool (47.60–64.13%) and linalyl acetate (12.92–26.08%). Based on principal component analysis (PCA) cvs. Druzhba, Raya and Hebar were situated in the centre right quadrant of the plot and were characterised by linalool and linalyl acetate in subgroup one. The results of antimicrobial assays revealed that lavender EOs were active against all strains of bacteria tested. For bacteria, the strongest activity of cv. Hemus was observed against Enterococcus faecalis (IZ = 19 ± 0.10 mm, MIC = MMC = 6.25 (µg/mL), while the weakest potency was seen against the gram-negative Salmonella enterica (IZ = 21 ± 1.00 mm, MIC = MMC = 31.25 (µg/mL). Based on PCA, the first subgroup of cvs. Hebar and Raya was characterised by Lactobacillus rhamnosus, E. faecalis and Lactobacillus pentosus and was situated in the bottom right quadrant of the plot.

Ohmic heating is an emerging technology currently in high demand for application in various processes. In this research, a prototype of a multipurpose ohmic heating apparatus was successfully designed, fabricated, and tested. This apparatus was designed based on low-cost and versatile sensors and components available worldwide. Three independent chambers could be operated parallelly and individually with different treatments. Parameter data, i.e., voltage, electrical current, the temperature of heated material and environmental humidity-temperature, could be recorded by an embedded data logging system. The sensor had been tested and validated by comparing all the sensors used with commercial standard instruments. The result showed that all sensors had high measurement accuracy, indicated by very low mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), with R² > 0.999. The performance test revealed that product temperature could be accurately maintained according to the set point temperature with a deviation value lower than 0.1 °C. The data logging system was able to record and store the parameter data in SD card memory for up  to several days without interruption. The prototype of the ohmic heating apparatus could be  an effective alternative to process many purposes such as pasteurisation, cooking, warming, and fermentation based on the ohmic heating principle.

The ecological and human health risks of heavy metal(loid)s (HMs) in soils around tungsten (W) mining sites have often disregarded the presence of W. In this study, we aimed to investigate the concentrations of 10 HMs (including W and other accompanying elements) in 18 agricultural soil samples obtained around a W mining site in southern Jiangxi, China. Furthermore, we determined the contamination status, source identification, and ecological and health risks of HMs in soils. Our findings revealed that HMs were extensively accumulated in soils within the study area, with the highest mean concentrations of W found. W concentrations were above background values at all sites. Multivariate analysis revealed that W mining activities, including extracting and transporting W ore, were the primary source of HMs in the soil (61.40%). The ecological risk assessment revealed that the potential ecological risk across the survey area exhibited a high risk, and the cadmium (Cd) and W should be prioritised as control pollutants for soils around the W mine site. The human health risk assessment displayed that 73.43% of children with an unacceptable non-carcinogenic risk, and W contributed the most to the overall non-carcinogenic risk (42.32%), followed by Cd and arsenic (As). In addition, 22.03% of children and 13.4% of adults were under a significant carcinogenic risk. Overall, our findings emphasise the importance of considering element W in future studies investigating the contamination of HMs around W mining areas. As such, we calculated a safe limit value for element W in soil (141.01 mg/kg) to facilitate the conservation and development of soils in W mining areas in China. Our study provides valuable information for pollution prevention and soil contamination risk mitigation in W mining areas.

In 2024, the journal Plant Protection Science (PPS) completes 60 years of publication (1965–2024). Its roots extend back to the year 1921. In recent years, PPS has developed into an international scientific journal focused on all aspects of plant protection science, published exclusively in English, and with an international editorial board. The publisher is the Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), celebrating its 100th anniversary (1924–2024). PPS is one of eleven agricultural journals published by CAAS. On its 50th anniversary, PPS published a detailed overview of its history and development. This latest critical review summarises developments during the last ten years; however, in special cases, also with a longer-term perspective. During the last decade, PPS has made impressive progress and is now among the world's key scientific journals. Recently, the journal has been added to the indexing and abstracts of many international databases, e.g. BIOSIS Previews, SCOPUS and Web of Science. In 2014, PPS had an impact factor of 0.597, but during the last few years, PPS's IF has ranged between 1.3 and 1.4 (for 2023, IF = 1.7), with the possibility of further increase. Each year, PPS is published quarterly, with a total of around 40 papers (original papers, reviews, short communications, biographical notices, and book reviews). Per year, about 70–80% of papers by authors/co-authors from abroad are published (Europe, America, Asia, Australia and Oceania). In the final part of this presentation, we describe some recent achievements and discuss key topics related to PPS's future development.

Many methods are used in a laboratory for packing sieved soil. Determination of soil properties is expected to vary with the applied packing method. The objective of this investigation was to test the impact of initial soil sieving duration and scraping of exposed soil surfaces on saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) of an initially air-dry loam soil determined by the simplified falling-head technique. Two sieving durations (5 and 30 min) were considered. A brush was used to scrape exposed surfaces for half of the tested soil columns. A long sieving yielded finer soil than a short sieving and 9–22% smaller values of K_s. Scraping the exposed soil surfaces yielded 4–17% smaller K_s values than those obtained on the not scraped columns. None of the observed differences was statistically significant. Therefore, sieving duration and treatment of the exposed soil surfaces were minor factors influencing the determination of K_s. Reaching general conclusions about sieving duration and scraping effects requires testing these factors with other soils, initial soil water conditions and K_s measurement techniques.

Fruits and vegetables form the basis of a nutritional diet for the population. In addition to the basic determinants, such as market prices and consumer income, other factors influence consumer demand.  This paper aims to investigate how the age and gender of consumers influence the demand for fruit and vegetables in different European countries. In this paper, the demand for fruit and vegetables is understood through the population’s preferences for fruit and vegetable consumption, i.e., the proportion of the population that prefers to consume fruit and vegetables five or more times a day. The paper uses data from Eurostat. Factor, cluster and correlation analyses were performed using the SPSS software. The results of the analyses showed that the gender significantly determines the demand for fruit and vegetables in favour of women. Regarding the effect of age, this determinant was positively correlated with the preference for 5FV consumption in most countries. Potential interventions to promote fruit and vegetable consumption should mainly target men aged 15–19 and 75+ in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Austria, Slovenia and Sweden, men aged 35–44 and 75+ in Croatia, Italy, Poland and Romania and women aged 15–19 and 55+ in Bulgaria and Romania, where their preference for 5FV was the lowest.

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.

The present study employed response surface methodology (RSM) to optimise the prevention of late blowing defects in cheese during storage. The aim was to enhance the inhibition of Clostridium sporogenes in cheese by manipulating three independent variables: Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (utilising two different strains, labelled as A and B, the total cheese inoculation rate was 2% overall and the A : B ratio ranging from 25% to 75%), and lysozyme (ranging from 0 to 0.2 mg·L^–1). The response variables considered in this model cheese study included the Clostridium count, pH, and titratable acidity. The results showed that the optimal conditions for inhibiting C. sporogenes and preventing late blowing defects in cheese were achieved with an L. plantarum A : B ratio of 49.54 : 50.46%, nisin at a concentration of 1.762 mg·L^–1, and lysozyme at 0.2 mg·L^–1. These results demonstrated not only effective inhibition of C. sporogenes, a pivotal contributor to late blowing defects in cheese but also indicated favourable outcomes in terms of acidity parameters, which are crucial quality criteria for cheese production. The application of Response Surface Methodology revealed that late blowing defects can be prevented using relatively lower concentrations of antimicrobial agents, along with a judicious selection of appropriate cultures. This research highlights the potential for more efficient and cost-effective strategies to maintain cheese quality by minimising the risk of late blowing defects.

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are commonly used in many European and Asian traditional fermented foods such as yogurt, cheese, sourdough, meat, fruit, vegetables, cereal products, sour spring rolls, fish sauce, sour shrimp, chao, ruou nep, tofu. They not only improve the flavour and texture of fermented products but also they inhibit the development of spoilage bacteria as antimicrobial agents. In this study, thirty-five traditional Vietnamese fermented products were collected for isolation, identification, and characterisation of LAB and bacilli. There were fifty-three species of LAB isolated from samples such as Lactococcus lactis, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum, Limosilactobacillus fermentum, Liquorilactobacillus nagelli, Companilactobacillus farciminis, Levilactobacillus brevis, Lactiplantibacillus pentosus, Lactococcus garvieae, Lactilactobacillus sakei, and twenty-one species of bacilli such as Priestia megaterium, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus pumilus, Metabacillus indicus. This study aimed to provide information about the occurrence of LAB and bacilli in traditional fermented foods in Vietnam and their brief characterisation.

Agriculture and energy are intricately connected, with agriculture being a significant energy consumer and supplier. In this comprehensive study, SPSS and Jupyter Notebook were used to model and predict the energy requirements of potato plants during cultivation. A system using deep learning methods, specifically the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), was also developed to accurately predict the classification of potato plant growth phases using image data. The CNN model, developed with 100 epochs and 5 layers, used 1 125 image data of potato plants, categorising them into two classes: the vegetative phase, with an energy requirement of 4 195.80 MJ·ha^–1, and the generative phase, with an energy requirement of 746.45 MJ·ha^–1. The model‘s accuracy in reflecting the actual data, with a mean absolute error of 0.11, mean square error of 0.01, and root mean square of 0.13, indicates no significant issues. The test predicted categorization with 99% precision, underscoring the thoroughness and validity of this study and reassuring the audience about the accuracy of the results. The study findings not only validate the use of deep learning in agriculture but also inspire the development of applications to predict the energy demand for each growth phase using plant image data.

Farms are key to agricultural advancement and carbon emission reduction. Understanding the influence of farm size on emissions is vital for eco-friendly farming. Our study used an econometric model with instrumental variable adjustments to examine the effect of farm size on greenhouse gas emissions, revealing an inverted U-shaped relationship. The findings revealed that emissions increased with farm size until a peak and then decreased. We identified an optimal farm size range (0.45 km² to 0.58 km²) for lower emissions, where the farm size maintaining the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per unit area was 0.58 km², while the lowest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per capita occured at a farm size of 0.69 km². Reducing emissions intensity per unit area is easier than reducing GHG emissions per person. Policymakers should prioritise promoting the expansion to moderately sized farms as a means of achieving emission reduction targets rather than solely increasing the number of farms. Overall, these insights offer policymakers novel approaches for ecological farm planning and the transition toward a low-carbon agriculture sector.