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Sulphite is a food additive used worldwide. Globally, for concentrations above 10 mg·kg^–1, sulphite compounds must be labelled as sulphur dioxide (SO₂) on the packaging due to their potential health risks. This study compares spectrophotometric (S), titration (T) (modified optimised Monier-Williams, OMW), and reflectoquant (R) methods for measuring sulphur dioxide in twenty fruit and vegetable products. The samples comprise sulphited, unsulphited, and naturally sulphur-containing products (Allium genus such as garlic and onion). The article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the method used. Allium genus samples yielded false-positive results, especially in fresh garlic samples with average SO₂ concentrations of 46, 1 152, and 40 mg·kg^–1 obtained by titration, spectrophotometric, and reflectoquant methods, respectively, therefore, none of the methods is suitable for testing this type of vegetables or products containing a low proportion of them. For other types of samples, the methods showed acceptable working characteristics. Recovery tests showed 89.5, 82.0, and 75.2% recovery with 2.8, 3.9, and 13.2% repeatability and the limit of quantification of 1, 10, and 25 mg·kg^–1 in the spectrophotometric, titration, and reflectoquant methods. The result highlights the importance of method selection based on sample characteristics and regulatory compliance.

In recent pasts, high priority has been placed on encouraging the implementation of various climate change adaptation techniques to adapt to the disastrous effects of climate change. Like in other countries affected by climate change, Nigerian farmers were also encouraged by governmental and non-governmental organisations to implement techniques for adapting to climate change impact. In this study, we use a psychological approach to investigate how a mix of socioeconomic and psycho-cognitive factors affect smallholder farmers' decisions about various climate change adaptation strategies and the consequent impact of the adoption of adaptation strategies on crop yield. Following the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), the adoption decision of farmers was modelled using the partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) and the ordered probit model. The impact of adopting adaptation strategies on productivity was evaluated using multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR). The MESR helps to address endogeneity issues that might arise as a result of inconsistencies in the behavioural responses of the farmers. Our result indicates that psycho-cognitive factors like intentions and personal norms significantly predicted the number of climate change adaptation strategies the farmers ultimately embraced and implemented on their farms. We also found that the smallholder farmers' yield and income were most significantly impacted by the adoption of land restoration as a climate change adaptation strategy. The findings will assist in the design of more effective policy instruments to remove adoption hurdles as well as crafting tailored extension services that resonate with the realities of the farmer and thus help foster behavioural change.

Polyphenols and carotenoids are important bioactive compounds in potato tuber. Knowledge of these features makes it possible to select cultivars for cultivation, consumption, and processing with desirable properties. For this purpose, the content of polyphenols and carotenoids in edible potato tubers from different countries was analysed. The research material consisted of eight cultivars, including one light yellow – Eurostar, two with red flesh – Rote Emmalie and Herbie 26 and five cultivars with purple flesh – Provita, Salad Blue, Blue Annelise, Vitelotte Noire and Bora Valley. They were cultivated in a three-year, single-factor field experiment. The content of polyphenols in the analysed cultivars ranged from 165.0 to 283.8 mg/kg of fresh weight and depended on the cultivar, year of research and cultivar-year interactions. The highest average amounts of these compounds were noted in the Herbie 26, Rote Emmalie and Vitelotte Noire cultivars. The content of carotenoids ranged from 1.122 to 3.173 mg/kg of fresh weight and depended significantly on the cultivar, weather conditions in the years of the study and the interaction of cultivars with years. The highest amounts of carotenoids were determined in the purple-fleshed cultivars Blaue Annelise and Vitelotte Noire and the red-fleshed cultivar Rote Emmalie.

Probiotics, widely recognised for their benefits in gut health, have gained increasing attention for their comprehensive role in skin health maintenance and improvement. This review explores the multifaceted impact of food-derived probiotics on various aspects of skin health, including anti-aging, inflammation regulation, barrier function enhancement, and hydration. Probiotics exert protective effects against oxidative stress and inflammatory responses through modulation of the gut-skin axis, enhancement of the skin microbiome balance, and immunomodulatory properties. Additionally, functional foods enriched with probiotics have demonstrated efficacy in promoting skin hydration, elasticity, collagen production, and overall resilience. By synthesising recent research findings, this review highlights the potential of probiotic-enriched foods as a natural approach to supporting comprehensive skin health and addressing age-related skin changes. The implications for functional food development and dietary interventions are also discussed, providing insights into future research directions in probiotic-based holistic skin care strategies.

The brown rot of apple and stone fruits caused by Monilinia fructigena is a widespread disease causing serious losses in fruit production. The most common way the pathogen spreads is via airborne conidia. Therefore, air samplers can effectively monitor its occurrence. In this study, we have conducted a comparative sampling of two cheap air samplers – rotorod spore traps called ROTTRAP 52 and AMETRAP. An optimised quantitative real-time PCR assay with a hydrolysis probe evaluated samples. 14 concurrent samplings were positive in all cases, showing higher spore counts in almost all AMETRAP samples obtained under various weather conditions. The daily maximum air temperature was the only significant meteorological variable positively affecting the recorded spore counts. Both rotorod samplers are an efficient and economic option for horticulturists and researchers for M. fructigena air inoculum monitoring.

This article presents a doctrinal legal analysis of judicial practice concerning criminal tax offences in the Czech timber trade, with a primary focus on VAT fraud. Court decisions were examined thematically to identify key categories of fraud schemes, recurring evidentiary challenges, and patterns of judicial reasoning. Administrative and regulatory frameworks, such as the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), have played only a marginal role in Czech judicial practice, with a single decision explicitly referring to the EUTR. The findings highlight how courts rely on indicators such as fictitious supply chains, economically irrational transactions, and incomplete documentation to establish fraudulent intent. The study contributes to a better understanding of judicial reasoning in tax fraud cases and offers evidence-based recommendations for strengthening enforcement practice. The article focuses on Criminal Tax Law, i.e. examples of tax fraud in the timber trade that were not dealt with by the tax authorities as administrative offences but were assessed as criminal tax offences falling within the jurisdiction of criminal courts. Criminal Tax Law is a subfield of Czech Tax Law dealing with criminal activity in the area of tax and fee administration. (Lichnovský et al. 2020). The article contains all court decisions in the field of Criminal Tax Law dealing with the issue of timber trade. The article deals only with the criminal law aspects of tax law. No other court decisions were found in the Automated Legal Information System (ASPI). The ASPI legal information system contains only one court decision relating to the EUTR Regulation, which is cited below. Criminal cases in the field of forestry and timber industry constitute only a small part of the entire criminal tax law. In terms of the method of committing the criminal activity (issuing fictitious invoices, fictitious deliveries of goods), these are common frauds common to all economic activities.

The common vole (Microtus arvalis) is the main pest in agricultural areas of Central Europe. It is particularly important to monitor its numbers during spring, and if high numbers are detected, some form of pest management should be considered. In the Czech Republic, the number of active burrows is monitored using the burrow index, BI, which allows estimation of the total number of rodents, saves time and is easy to use. We aimed to assess the relationship between the burrow index and the relative abundance of the rodent species examined by snap trapping in crop fields. Bayesian MCMC algorithms with a zero-inflation model were used for this analysis. The positive relationship between BI and vole abundance occurred in the total sample of all fields and in alfalfa, winter wheat and barley crop fields. A positive relationship between BI and the abundance of the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), the second most common pest in the area, was only confirmed in barley, and this relationship was negative in winter rape. The positive influence of the degree of weed cover on BI was confirmed in the total sample and in winter rape and alfalfa, but weed cover has a negative effect on BI in barley and winter wheat. In contrast, weed cover did not affect the relative abundance of both rodent species in any of the sampled crops. The presence of shrubs and forests around the fields reduced BI in the whole sample, especially in alfalfa. The relative abundance of the voles was not affected by the presence of shrubs and forests around the crop. Still, a positive influence was confirmed for the abundances of mice in the whole sample and alfalfa. BI can be a reliable indicator of vole abundance in crops with high densities, but it is not very accurate at low densities and in crop fields rarely used by voles, such as sunflower and maize. 

Indonesia is presently ranked as the first crude palm oil producer in the world. However, the palm oil industry faces significant challenges, including extensive criticism related to environmental degradation and social impacts. The circular bioeconomy concept emphasises sustainable production and consumption through the repurposing, recycling, and regeneration of resources to address these challenges. Integrating palm and cattle farming represents a promising approach to enhancing resource efficiency and sustainability in agricultural systems. This study employs a system dynamics analysis to model the circular bioeconomy in the palm oil industry, with a specific focus on addressing cattle feed shortages. The results demonstrate that utilising oil palm biomass can yield a total of 21 204.52 tonnes of feed and generate a yearly revenue of USD 317 020.14. Key findings indicate that integrating palm by-products into cattle feed not only addresses feed shortages but also reduces waste and enhances overall farm productivity. The implications of this study suggest that adopting circular bioeconomy practices in the palm oil industry can promote more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices.

Robinia pseudoacacia L. is a deciduous tree planted almost all around the world for a wide variety of uses such as ornamental in urban ecosystems and forest trees in afforestation. This study aims to evaluate the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relations of R. pseudoacacia using some selected populations in Istanbul and Kocaeli cities. For this aim, molecular marker-assisted and DNA sequence-based analyses were performed. According to the results, nine of 15 inter simple sequence repeats (ISSR) primers gave clear and distinguishable bands with a total of 100 loci. The percentage of polymorphic loci (PPL) was calculated as 100% for multi-populations and ranged from 46% to 76% for single populations. Nei's gene diversity value was calculated between 0.165 and 0.251. The lowest and highest PPL were found in populations of Barbaros Boulevard and Dilovası District, respectively. Population structure analysis showed seven different genetic structures for five populations. Internal transcribed spacer 1 region (ITS1) and trnL-F intergenic spacer region were used to examine the phylogenetic relationships of R. pseudoacacia, and both regions showed a high discriminative power at the family level. Based on the findings, R. pseudoacacia, as a forest tree residing in the urban ecosystem, may face the risk of population decline in the upcoming years due to its moderate/low genetic diversity and susceptibility to environmental pressures.

The study aimed at the isolation of microorganisms from aminopyralid (AP)-contaminated soil, evaluation of their ability to degrade AP, and examination of the effects of AP on microbial growth. Geotrichum candidum, Cladosporium herbarum, Candida subhashii, and Paenarthrobacter nicotinovorans were isolated and identified using enrichment. None of those strains were able to degrade 100 ppm AP within 2–3 weeks. In contrast, collection strains Pleurotus ostreatus ‘Spoppo’ and Bacillus velezensis FZB42 reduced AP concentration by 35.1% and 47.8%, respectively. Low sensitivity of growth to AP (400 ppm) on the malt-extract-agar medium was observed; inhibition values for C. herbarum and G. candidum were 52.4% and 22.8%, respectively, compared to 33.7% inhibition found with P. ostreatus ‘Spoppo’. Promotion of fungal growth was observed at low AP concentrations in the Czapek-Dox medium, the highest effect being in G. candidum. The growth promotion effect was confirmed with P. ostreatus ‘Spoppo’growing on wheat straw contaminated with Mustang Forte and Corello herbicides; total fruiting body mass yield increased 1.25- and 1.37-fold, respectively. The study offers insight into future strategies for mitigating the environmental impact of synthetic auxin herbicides.

The basic characteristic and comparison of the community-led local development tools: Local Agenda 21, used in public administration generally, and of the LEADER method, used within Local Action Groups (LAGs), is presented in this paper. It analyses their application in the Czech Republic. It discusses the potential synergistic effects of the application of these tools in two rural locations - the areas of two towns (Chrudim and Litomerice), which are leaders in the application of Local Agenda 21 in the Czech Republic. Both towns are members of LAGs - LAG Chrudimsko and LAG Ceske Stredohori. This combination of Local Agenda 21 and LEADER method are mutually supportive. The conclusion discusses recommendations for the improvement of community-led development.

This study aimed to predict the germination of Penicillium roqueforti as one of the most important moulds in cake in certain environmental conditions that lead to cake spoilage. The germination rate of P. roqueforti was evaluated by culturing in the Yeast Extract Glucose Chloramphenicol Agar medium with different pH, water activity (a_w), and inoculum size at three levels of temperature (15, 25, 30 °C) during 60 days by the factorial experiment. The results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) proved that environmental conditions affect germination significantly (P < 0.05). Predictive modelling illustrated that the temperature did not affect germination significantly, while no germination was seen at a_w = 0.65. The minimum lag phase of germination was observed at a_w = 0.9, pH = 6.5, and inoculum size of 1 000 spores per mL. The logistic model was found to be more precise for fitting the data of P. roqueforti in cakes.

Vehicle collisions with wild animals are a common problem on roads, having a significant impact on road safety and wildlife populations. Collisions with wild animals are one of the most frequent road accidents. According to police statistics, there were nearly 16 000 road accidents caused by collisions with animals in the Czech Republic
in 2019. Collisions with deer are the most common. There are several technologies and measures that can help reduce the risk of a vehicle colliding with a wild animal. One of the technologies used is a night vision system based on infrared spectrum sensing. This technology is slowly becoming part of the equipment of, in particular, premium car brands dueto its high cost. This paper tested a low-cost solution using a commercially available thermal imaging camera and found a substantial reduction in the time to detect wild animals along the road, namely in the order of seconds.

The planting of branched nursery trees is an essential component of most high-density orchard planting systems to induce precocity. However, in apples, most cultivars do not produce the desired numbers of sylleptic shoots naturally due to the presence of apical dominance. Benzyladenine (BA) applications alter the apical dominance and consequently encourage sylleptic shoot formation in nursery trees. However, the response to an exogenous BA application can vary with the genotype. Currently, most nurseries produce branched apple nursery trees using the renewal leader method. However, apart from the renewal leader method, branched nursery trees can also be produced using the central leader method. A comparative study of these two methods had not been conducted previously, and this investigation aimed to determine the effects of both the central and renewal leader methods, as well as the genotype, on sylleptic branching in apple nursery trees in response to repeated BA sprays. The genotype showed significant variation in the sylleptic shoot numbers (5.25–9.41), their average length (26.86–33.34 cm), and crotch angle (48.95˚–54.27˚) in response to the BA application. Among the genotypes, ‘Shireen’ produced the highest number of sylleptic shoots, whereas the opposite results were obtained in ‘Top Red’. Furthermore, irrespective of the genotype, the central leader method was found to be more effective than the renewal leader for the development of high-quality branched nursery trees. The central leader method not only significantly increased the number of sylleptic shoots on the tree but also positively affected their length, final tree height, and diameter.

Growth inhibition and time-kill properties of Hallabong, Redhyang, Cheonhyehyang, and orange peel essential oils against foodborne pathogens were evaluated. Hallabong, Redhyang, Cheonhyehyang, and orange peel essential oils prolonged the lag phase of Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Shigella sonnei, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Vibrio vulnificus for > 24 h and extended the lag phase by 4–24 h against other food poisoning bacteria. Citrus fruit peel essential oil and their constituents after 12 and 24 h of incubation showed almost complete growth inhibition against all foodborne pathogens, except Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Hallabong, Redhyang, Cheonhyehyang, and orange peel essential oils exhibited > 40% killing activity against B. cereus, B. subtilis, and S. sonnei, V. parahaemolyticus, and V. vulnificus after 12 and 24 h of incubation. Additionally, B. subtilis showed the highest microbial killing rate of over 16% per hour, followed by Vibrio sp. Hallabong, Redhyang, Cheonhyehyang, and orange peel essential oil are anticipated to replace chemical preservatives against foodborne pathogens.

This study represents the first evidence of the bacterial blight caused by Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis (Xaj) on walnut trees in Podgorica (Montenegro). Disease symptoms appeared on leaves in the form of dark, angular leaf spots surrounded by yellow-green haloes and lesions spread across the whole leaf. Isolated bacteria were preliminarily identified using PCR with pathovar-specific primer pair XajF/XajR and further characterised based on multi-locus sequence analysis with nine housekeeping genes (fusA, gapA, gltA, gyrB1, lepA, rpoD, dnaK, fyuA, and gyrB2). Montenegrin walnut isolates were homogeneous among themselves and the most closely related to different X. arboricola strains originating from Juglans regia isolated elsewhere. The pathogenicity of isolates was confirmed on walnut leaves, fruits, and branches. All inoculations resulted in the formation of necrotic lesions that initially developed at the site of bacteria entry, with later developing chlorotic areas on leaves along the leaf veins. This finding of Xaj causing leaf blight symptoms on walnuts in Montenegro highlights its expanding distribution across Europe and indicates a potential threat to walnut plantations in Montenegro.

This study evaluated the effects of feeding European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) that developed from the fingerling to juvenile stage a diet supplemented with a blend of Padina sp. and GroBiotic^®-A over a 12-week period. A total of 480 fish (initial weight: 2.08 ± 0.06 g) were randomly allocated to four groups, each comprising three replicates. The fish were fed to satiation with diets containing varying proportions of Padina sp. and GroBiotic^®-A: 0% Padina sp. and 0% GroBiotic^®-A (0P0G), 1% Padina sp. and 1% GroBiotic^®-A (1P1G), 2% Padina sp. and 1% GroBiotic^®-A (2P1G), and 4% Padina sp. and 1% GroBiotic^®-A (4P1G). The 4P1G group demonstrated significant improvements in growth performance parameters, including final weight, weight gain, and specific growth rate (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found in other parameters including feed conversion ratio, visceral somatic index, and survival rate (P > 0.05). Histological analysis of liver and intestinal tissues showed no pathological alterations (P > 0.05); more likely, only adaptive and non-pathological morphological changes such as moderate lipid vacuolisation and preserved mucosal structure were noted. Furthermore, dietary supplementation of the Padina sp. and GroBiotic^®-A blend significantly upregulated the expression of growth-related genes, specifically growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the combination of Padina sp. and GroBiotic^®-A has a synergistic potential to enhance the growth performance without inducing digestive disturbances. Nevertheless, further studies are recommended to assess its effects on fish grown to market size before commercial application.

Oligopeptides constitute an important yet understudied component of soil’s dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) pool, representing a primary breakdown product of proteins. However, the mechanisms of oligopeptide uptake and utilisation by crop roots remain poorly understood in a plant nutrition context. We investigated the rate and spatial uptake pattern of ¹⁴C-labelled alanine and di- to pentapeptides of alanine in wheat and rice under sterile hydroponic conditions. Both species demonstrated the capacity to absorb N through amino acids and oligopeptides, with rice roots showing higher peptide uptake than wheat. Specifically, alanine absorption exceeded peptide uptake by 3–7-fold in rice and 6–9-fold in wheat. Using phosphor imaging, we demonstrated that alanine and oligopeptide uptake occurred throughout the root system, with the highest accumulation in the root tip and root hair regions. Further, spatial analysis revealed that peptide absorption rates in rice were 2–5 times higher in the 0–1 cm root section and 1.5–4 times higher in the 1–2 cm section compared to corresponding wheat root segments. We conclude that plants can directly take up amino acids and oligopeptides to acquire exogenous N, with marked differences occurring among species in both uptake efficiency and spatial uptake patterns.

Coinfection of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyo) causes major worldwide economic losses within the swine industry. This study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of a single dose of a bivalent vaccine containing PCV2d and M. hyo antigen (Cirbloc^® M Hyo) under field conditions. Two studies were performed under the GCP (Good Clinical Practice) requirements on farrow-to-finish farms in Hungary and Cyprus. On both farms, the presence of both PCV2 and M. hyo infection was demonstrated. For both studies, safety parameters were observed and measured from inclusion at 21 (±3) days of age until 14 days after vaccination. Efficacy parameters were observed and measured from inclusion until slaughter. Administration of the vaccine was safe in both studies, as no general, immediate, or local reactions were observed. The efficacy of the vaccine was confirmed in both studies as the following parameters were significantly reduced in the vaccinated groups compared to the control groups: viraemia, faecal shedding, viral load in lungs and in all collected lymphoid tissues, M. hyo-specific lung lesions, and average daily body weight gain. These results collectively support the vaccine’s potential as an effective tool for disease control.

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

This review evaluates the role of food waste reuse in sustainable food production, its associated health benefits, and technological advances in bioactive ingredient extraction. The research demonstrates that recycling bioactive food ingredients not only reduces food waste but also increases nutritional value, supports sustainability goals, and creates economic opportunities in the food industry. The process has been shown to enable the development of functional food ingredients, nutraceuticals (health-promoting food supplements), and biodegradable packaging solutions. The integration of biotechnological applications, microbial fermentation, and innovative processing methods has the potential to utilise food waste in the production of value-added products such as functional foods, biomaterials, and biofuels. The development of renewable technologies further enhances this potential. Overcoming safety risks, optimising extraction processes, and implementing global policies supporting food waste recycling are key to making sustainable solutions more effective and widespread. As new approaches emerge in research, the reuse of food waste and, therefore, achieving the zero waste goal will be facilitated by reducing the need for raw materials and increasing the added value in the food industry.

Sustainable cropping systems require efficient usage of fossil energy. This study performed on a long-term field experiment in the Pannonian Basis investigated the energy efficiency of four tillage systems (mouldboard plough (MP), deep conservation tillage (CT_d), shallow conservation tillage (CT_s) and no-tillage (NT)) for sugar beet and soybean production, taking fuel consumption, total energy input (made up of both direct and indirect inputs), crop yield, energy output, net-energy output, energy intensity and energy use efficiency into account. The input rates of fertiliser, chemical plant protection, and seeds were set constant across years; whereas measured values of fuel consumption were used for all tillage treatments. NT required a considerably lower energy input than MP and CT_d as no fuel is needed for tillage and just slightly more fuel for additional spraying of glyphosate. Anyhow, the energy efficiency parameters did not differ between tillage treatments, as theses parameters were mainly determined by energy output, which was considerably higher than the energy input. However, year effects on the energy efficiency were observed for both crops. Nitrogen fertilisation and diesel fuel consumption were identified as the most energy-intensive inputs. Consequently, the energy input for sugar beet was higher than that for soybean, which was identified as a low-input crop. But sugar beet attained a more than 4 times higher net-energy output, a 2.5 times higher energy use efficiency, and an energy intensity for yield production of less than 3 times those of soybean.

Strigolactones (SLs) are a comparatively novel class of phytohormones that are involved in the maintenance of plant architecture with key regulation of lateral branching. They are also reported to play an important role in regulating plant responses to various abiotic stresses. The potential of SLs to improve crop resilience and productivity needs to be effectively translated into agriculture. Therefore, both the endogenous biosynthesis of SLs and their exogenous application need to be thoroughly investigated to understand and exploit the mechanism underlying the alleviation of abiotic stress responses. Although several reviews have emphasised the biosynthesis of SLs in plants under abiotic stress, the mechanism underlying the alleviation of stress responses upon exogenous application has been less explored. Accordingly, in this review, although we have briefly discussed the beneficial effects of endogenous production of SLs in different sections, our main focus is to summarise the influence of exogenous SLs on the growth and development of different plant species grown under various abiotic stresses, including drought, nutrient, heavy metal, and salinity stress. Apart from providing an overview of the transcriptomic studies conducted to observe the alleviating effects of SLs on abiotic stress responses, the research gaps in this field were briefly discussed. The review provides insight for researchers to conduct further research on SLs and fill the gap so that they can be effectively used for sustainable agriculture.

Addressing social sustainability, gender dynamics, strengthening educational diversity and ensuring inclusive partnership structures are all key components of promoting inclusion, not only in the agricultural sector. Diversity management is a human resource trend based on respect for inclusive culture, gender and ethnic diversity, multifaceted equality or the use of virtual teams under the right working conditions, but when not applied correctly it may produce undesired effects in agribusinesses as well as in other economics sectors. This paper aims to identify effective approaches to setting working conditions used by organisations to promote inclusion, management diversity and the development of social sustainability. The data were obtained through quantitative research using the Computer Assisted Web Interviewing method (n = 202) and processed using the chi-square test at a 0.05 significance level as well as through qualitative research involving focus groups (n = 10). The study results have demonstrated that investment in diversity education remains crucial. Not only agricultural but also other businesses have begun to use metrics to monitor their diversity and inclusion progress. Organisations are beginning to use artificial intelligence (AI) to remove prejudices in recruitment, identify inequalities in remuneration and ensure inclusion in online communication.

Trehalose is a disaccharide composed of two glucose that can be found in various plant and animal species. Mammals are not able to synthesize trehalose but it is usually easily enzymatically broken down into 2 molecules of glucose. As a structural additive, trehalose can be used in food mainly for stabilizing proteins. Low trehalase activity (primary trehalase deficiency) leading to intolerance is rare but may appear manifest as a complication of enteropathy from other causes (celiac disease, Crohn's disease, etc.). We present the case of a young 27-year-old male with repeated tenesmus followed by enterorrhagia, weight loss, and elevated markers of inflammation caused by combined lactase and trehalase deficiency. Unique exome sequencing analysis of gene TREH was performed to distinguish between primary and secondary trehalase deficiency.

The tomato occupies a prominent place in the Philippines’ agricultural economy. However, tomato leaf diseases are challenges in tomato crop production leading to economic losses. Among the tomato leaf diseases, early blight and Septoria leaf spot are prevalent in the Philippines due to the climate. Thus, the accurate identification of diseases affecting tomato leaves is essential. Currently, a visual inspection is the primary method for diagnosing tomato leaf diseases which is time-consuming and inefficient. This study aims to develop a quantized Residual Network with convolutional 50 layer (ResNet-50) based model to classify tomato leaves as healthy or affected by Septoria leaf spot or early blight. Furthermore, to enhance the reliability of the models’ classification, gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) was implemented. In contrast with the visual inspection, a programmed system does not get tired and can provide consistent performance results. As a result, the original 32-bit floating point model attained an accuracy rate of 91.22%. The quantized 16-bit floating point model demonstrated comparable performance with 90.10% accuracy with a 50% reduction in the model size and inference time of 0.3942 seconds. The minimal accuracy loss of the 16-bit model relative to the 32-bit model is due to the post-training quantization. The reduction to 16-bit precision is significant for the future deployment of edge devices where resources are limited.

Cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CrCLR) is a common stifle joint pathology among dogs, leading to osteoarthritis and painfulness. Non-surgical treatment options often represent the usage of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for 14 days (NSAIDs), but autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) shows promising results in managing various orthopaedic conditions, decreasing inflammation, and improving the clinical outcome in dogs. This study aimed to determine the differences in MMP-3 serum levels and the clinical outcomes between differently treated cranial cruciate rupture cases. For this purpose, we used two different treatment methods for managing canine cranial cruciate ligament rupture (minimally invasive ACP injection or oral NSAIDs), and evaluated the clinical outcomes, indicating the quality of life, and the MMP-3 serum levels over a period of 28 days. The findings of this investigation indicate that ACP has better efficacy than two weeks of NSAIDs in inflammation reduction, clinical outcome improvement, and the allowance of a longer duration of activity after 28 days.

This review explores the diverse applications and health benefits of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) through biotechnological applications in the food industry. While all LAB are indispensable for the production of fermented foods thanks to their ability to produce lactic acid and bacteriocins that act as natural preservatives, specific strains of probiotic LAB offer targeted health benefits. In addition to general benefits of LAB, probiotic strains significantly enhance gut microbiota, enhance human immunity, and exhibit antimicrobial properties. This review also delves into the mechanisms of action of probiotic LAB, focusing on adhesion, colonisation, and antioxidant production, emphasising their potential to advance nutritional innovations. Beyond food production, the broader category of LAB has transformative potential in industrial applications, particularly in the sugar industry, where their metabolic activity can improve sucrose extraction processes, promote microbial management, and reduce unwanted by-products. By understanding these aspects, the review underscores the importance of probiotic LAB in promoting health, efficiency, and sustainability across sectors.

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

Soil water content is critical in plants’ morphological and physiological processes; therefore, water must always be available in appropriate quantities to meet plant growth needs. Soil moisture can be easily detected using sensors, which offer a practical solution for monitoring water content in the soil. However, using sensors for a long time, especially on agricultural land, will reduce sensor accuracy. This research aims to investigate the accuracy of soil moisture sensors during their use for cultivating crops. Using sensors in sandy clay soil can detect soil moisture levels with an accuracy of 93.80% and a precision of 90.81%. A reading deviation (error) of up to 49.74% with a precision level of 75.69% occurred when the sensor had been used for 40 days. Regular cleaning and calibration of the sensor are necessary to obtain accurate soil moisture readings. A copper-based sensor module kit can be used to detect soil moisture with reasonable accuracy during plant growth with a 5–6 weeks harvest time.