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Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly, BSF) larvae meal has shown to be a good protein source in monogastric animal diets, but published data regarding its immunomodulatory properties is limited. For this purpose, a study has been conducted to evaluate the effects of larvae meal on selected immune parameters and caecal bacterial counts of broiler quails. Hermetia illucens larvae were reared on two substrates (100% chicken feed, BSF-M, or 50% chicken feed + 50% fish offal, BSF-F) in order to manipulate the fatty acid profile of larvae meal by increasing the long-chain omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids which are known for their immunomodulatory properties. For immunological purposes, a total of 60 birds were randomly allocated to three dietary treatment groups (n = 20/treatment): control quail diet (CON), or quail diets including 10% of BSF-F or BSF-M larvae meal. Blood was collected 27 and 37 days after the trial commenced to determine the humoral immune response, serum lysozyme concentrations, serum bactericidal activity and protein fractions of the serum. The dietary inclusion of BSF-M meal resulted in an increased secondary humoral immune response compared to the CON treatment group (P < 0.01). Quails in the BSF-F treatment had significantly higher serum lysozyme activity compared to quails in the CON and BSF-M treatment group. Both larvae meals significantly increased cell-mediated immunity on day 37 (P < 0.001) but they had no effect on serum bactericidal activity. Both larvae meal sources resulted in higher α2-globulin levels on both sampling days, whereas γ-globulin levels were significantly lower in quails with the BSF-F treatment on day 27. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on caecal bacterial counts. In conclusion, the present study showed that the larvae meal had immunostimulatory effects in quails, but the rearing substrate of larvae strongly influenced the immunostimulatory properties of the larvae meal.

The aim of this study was to determine the suitable conservation treatments to control water erosion from skid trails in ShastKalate forests. Two longitudinal slopes of 20-40% and > 40% were considered as critical slopes for skid trails. Treatments of water diversion ruts, water diversion ruts filled with slash and stones were implemented on each slope. A rubber bar was installed at the end of the slope to convert runoff into collectors. Sampling was done during rainfall events in autumn and winter seasons. Findings indicated that the treatment of water diversion ruts filled with slash was better than the other treatments in the control of sediment and soil loss, especially in the slope class of 20-40%. In the slope class of > 40%, there was not any significant difference between treatments in sediment and soil loss control, but generally water diversion ruts filled with slash and stones were better in soil erosion control than water diversion ruts. In both slope classes, the rainfall intensity of 0.11 mm.h^-1 (2.64 mm in 24 h) was the threshold of soil erosion on skid trails. The control of water erosion of soil on skid trails by the operation of water diversions is a suitable treatment for conserving skid trails.

To study the effect of quinoa and canahua wholemeals on wheat flour quality, addition dosages of 10 and 20% wt. were tested. Both non-traditional materials lowered protein baking quality (Zeleny sedimentation), and present dietary fibre increased the Falling number. The fermentograph and maturograph tests showed differences in the optimal fermentation and proofing times, as well as in dough volumes during both tests (which were somewhat higher for the wheat-quinoa flour composites). Besides this, dough volumes in the third stage of fermentation simulated on the oven-rise apparatus decided about baking trial results; in this regard, wheat-canahua flour composites reached statistically better results. All obtained data together with sensory scores pointed to the maximal tolerable quinoa or canahua dosage up to 15% wt.

This study is aimed at describing the ovarian follicular dynamics, corpora lutea and their hormonal control during early pregnancy in Saanen goats. The ovaries of pregnant goats (n = 10) were monitored daily for follicles (≥ 2 mm) and corpora lutea by transrectal ultrasound over the 35 days after mating. Blood samples were collected by jugular venipuncture at the time of ultrasonography and were analysed for the concentrations of oestradiol (E₂) and progesterone (P₄), inhibin, FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone). The pattern of follicular growth was characterised by five (n = 2; 20 %), six (n = 5; 50 %) and seven (n = 3; 30 %) follicular waves during early pregnancy. The first corpora lutea (size 6.8 ± 0.4 mm, mean + SEM) were detected at 5.0 ± 0.3 days after the mating with a maximum diameter (12.2 ± 0.3 mm) observed on day 24.0 ± 1.1 of pregnancy. The dominant follicle diameter of waves 1 and 4, and the duration of waves 1-4 and 7 were maximal during the early pregnancy period (P < 0.05). In addition, the inter-wave interval of the 5 waves was significantly (P < 0.05) longer compared to the six and seven inter-wave intervals (7.0 ± 0.1, 5.8 ± 0.1 and 5.0 ± 0.2 days, respectively). Although the number of small and medium-sized follicles did not differ with the days post-breeding, the number of large-sized follicles in the same period significantly decreased between 16 and 26 days and was negatively correlated with the period of pregnancy (P < 0.05). The plasma LH and E₂ concentrations were negatively correlated with the P₄ concentration. The inhibin concentrations were negatively correlated with FSH, but positively correlated with the number of large-sized follicles. These results indicate that ovarian follicular growth during the first 35 days of pregnancy in goats was characterised by a wave-like pattern and there was a close relationship between the number of FSH peaks and the number of follicular waves.

The effects of fatty acid composition in artificial feed on the change in the fatty acid composition of carp muscles and the relationship between Δ6-Fad and Elovl5 genes participating in the regulation of fatty acid synthesis were studied. Juveniles were fed three semi-purified diets (D1-D3) for 6 weeks with different lipid sources: D1, fish oil with high highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA); D2, corn oil with high linoleic acid (18:2n-6, LA), D3, linseed oil with high α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3, LNA); then, samples were taken to explore the molecular mechanism and the factors which affect the synthesis of carp HUFA. The content of LA and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6, AA) in common carp fed Diet 2 was higher than in carp receiving D3 (P < 0.05), but the contents of eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3, DHA) were lower than in carp fed D1 and D2 (P < 0.05). The liver transcript abundance of Δ6-Fad and Elovl5 in fish fed D2 and D3 at the end of 6 weeks was generally higher than the abundance in the initial stage and in the fish fed D1 (P < 0.05). The results suggest that the common carp can biosynthesise HUFA, and the type and content of fatty acids in feed affected not only the composition and content of fatty acids in common carp muscles, but also the Δ6-Fad and Elovl5 gene expression involved in the biosynthesis of HUFA. Feeding high levels of n-3 HUFA diet can increase the body content of EPA and DHA in common carp. The results of this research may provide a theoretical basis for choosing an appropriate source of lipid for common carp feeds.

We studied the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC)-pool mineralisation in agricultural soil. A laboratory incubation experiment was conducted using the soil from a long-term experiment involving the following fertilisation regimes: no fertilisation (CK); mineral (NPK); organic (M), and combined organic-inorganic fertilisers (MNPK). SOC mineralisation rate decreased as follows: MNPK > M > NPK > CK. Cumulative SOC mineralisation (C_m) ranged between 730.15 and 3 022.09 mg/kg in CK and MNPK, respectively; 8.81% (CK) to 20.45% (MNPK) of initial SOC was mineralised after a 360-day incubation. Soil C_m values were significantly higher under NPK, M, and MNPK compared to those under the CK treatment. Dynamic variation in C_m with incubation time fitted a double exponential model. Active carbon pools accounted for 2.06-6.51% of total SOC and the average mean resistant time (MRT₁) was 28.76 days, whereas slow carbon pools accounted for 93.49-97.94% of SOC, with an average MRT₂ of 8.53 years. The active carbon pool in fertilised soils was larger than in CK; furthermore, it was larger in M- and MNPK- than under NPK-treated plots. SOC decomposed more easily in long-term fertilised plots than in non-fertilised plots.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the carcass weight and the level of skatole in boar back fat samples with descriptive sensory profiles (trained sensory panel) immediately after heating the fat samples (warm). A weak correlation was found between the carcass weight and skatole level in fat (P > 0.05). Between skatole levels in the fat of boars, whose carcass weight was below 70 kg, and of those with the carcass weight equal or above 70 kg, there was a statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The average content of skatole in the fat tissue of the boars < 70 kg, (0.18 ± 0.09 mg/kg fat, respectively) was below the commonly used respective thresholds for tainted meat (0.20 mg/kg fat), 53% of the samples showed the values of ≤ 20 mg/kg, and 73% of the samples the values of ≤ 25 mg/kg. In the group ≥ 70 kg (0.40 ± 0.39 mg/kg fat, respectively), 80% of the samples revealed the values of ≥ 20 mg/kg, and 66% of the samples the values of ≥ 25 mg/kg. Our results show that a positive, compelling and statistically highly significant correlation exists between the skatole level and the sensory assessment of skatole intensity in fat.

The present study was aimed at comparing the milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and milk fatty acid (MFA) compositions in Holstein cows with subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) to those values of Holstein cows that did not have SARA. Also, the correlations among rumen pH value and the compositions of MUN and MFA in milk were determined. Dairy cows (n = 16) with subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) (pH value 5.60 ± 0.02) and control dairy cows (n = 16) (control) (pH value 6.20 ± 0.04) were studied. The MUN concentrations (578 µg/l) of the dairy cows with SARA was lower than those (1 315 µg/l) of the control dairy cows (P < 0.001). In the milk of the dairy cows with SARA, the unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), thrombogenic index (TI), and hypocholesterolemic fatty acid index (hcFA) decreased; but the saturated fatty acids (SFA), atherogenic (AI) and hypercholesterolemic fatty acid (HcFA) indexes (P < 0.01) increased. The rumen pH value and the concentration of the MUN were positively correlated with the proportions of the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), omega-3 fatty acids (n-3), omega-6 fatty acids (n-6), omega-9 fatty acids (n-9), long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) and very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFA) and the n-3/n-6 ratio of the milk samples (P < 0.05). Consequently, the dairy cow with SARA that are in early-lactation can affect the carbohydrate fermentation, fatty acid hydrogenation and protein degradation. The MUN concentration in the dairy cows with SARA seriously decreased. The SARA changes the milk fatty acid composition and decreases the MUFA, PUFA, n-3, oleic acid and hypocholesterolemic fatty acids and the hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (h/H) values of milk. Therefore, the nutritional and functional quality for human nutrition decreases in the milk of dairy cows with SARA.

This study assessed the effect of a 24-hour bath with praziquantel (2 and 4 mg/l) on grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) by monitoring the haematological parameters, plasma biochemical profile, and oxidative stress indices. Fish were sampled at 24-, 48-, 72-, and 96-hours post-exposure (hpe). The haematological analysis revealed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in the white blood cell count immediately after treatment at both concentrations, with no subsequent changes. Within the plasma biochemical profile, a significant decrease (P < 0.05) was observed only in chloride (24 hpe at 2 mg/l; 72 hpe at both concentrations) and in magnesium (48 hpe at 2 mg/l). The oxidative stress responses indicated that the gill was the most responsive tissue. In the gill, the catalase and glutathione-S-transferase activities increased significantly (P < 0.05) at 48 hpe at 4 mg/l. Lipid peroxidation in the gill decreased at 48 hpe but increased at 72 hpe following exposure to 4 mg/l. In the hepatopancreas, the glutathione peroxidase activity significantly decreased at 48 hpe at 2 mg/l. In the plasma, significant changes (P < 0.05) were detected only in the ceruloplasmin activity, which decreased at 72 hpe in the 2 mg/l group. These findings provide essential baseline data supporting the potential future application of praziquantel in aquaculture.

Disturbance regimes in Central European mountain forests are changing under the ongoing climate change, raising questions about how protected areas should respond to increasingly frequent windthrow and bark beetle outbreaks. In Tatra National Park, a major windstorm in 2004 triggered a landscape-scale bark beetle eruption that challenged long-standing expectations that non-intervention alone could safeguard forest ecosystems. Using the Socio-Ecological Systems framework, we combined long-term field observations with archival sources and stakeholder interviews to examine how ecological dynamics, governance structures, and actor perspectives interacted during and after the outbreak. We show that warming, abundant post-storm breeding substrate, and legacy Norwegian spruce (Picea abies) monocultures reduced forest resilience and enabled successive beetle waves. Governance fragmentation led to delayed decision-making, allowing large volumes of wind-felled timber to remain untreated and facilitating its spread into high-naturalness stands. In contrast, evidence from other European countries suggests that timely, spatially focused measures can reduce outbreak duration without compromising conservation values. Our results indicate that in disturbance-prone, spruce-dominated forest systems experiencing climate change, a combination of strict protection in core areas and timely, selective measures in adjacent zones is more likely to maintain resilience and support conservation outcomes than strictly passive or fully interventionist approaches.

Premature ovarian failure (POF) is a significant cause of infertility and is often linked to autoimmune aetiologies. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation is a well-established model of autoimmune POF in rodents. Immunomodulatory treatments involving corticosteroids, frankincense, and targeted secondary antibodies have been hypothesised to mitigate the autoimmune response, reduce anti-ovarian antibody (AOA) levels, and restore ovarian function in an LPS-induced POF rat model. A POF model was established in female albino rats via the intraperitoneal injection of LPS. The rats were then divided into groups that received no treatment (LPS control), dexamethasone (DEX-treated LPS-treated rats), methylprednisolone (MP-treated LPS-treated rats), frankincense (Frankincense-treated LPS-treated rats), or secondary anti-ovarian antibodies (secondary Ab-treated LPS-treated rats) for 3 to 4 weeks. The serum levels of AOA, 17β-oestradiol, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and luteinising hormone (LH) were assayed via commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Ovarian tissues were examined histopathologically to assess structural damage and recovery. LPS induction successfully created a POF phenotype, as evidenced by significantly elevated AOA levels (P < 0.001), reduced 17β-oestradiol (P < 0.001), elevated FSH/LH (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively), and severe histopathological damage, including follicular atresia. All the treatments restored 17β-oestradiol levels. Secondary antibody therapy was most effective, normalising all hormonal parameters, significantly reducing AOA levels, and demonstrating complete histological recovery with healthy follicles and corpora lutea. MP potently suppressed AOA but paradoxically elevated FSH, without improving ovarian histology. DEX and frankincense showed intermediate efficacy, improving some hormonal and serological markers but failing to achieve full histological restoration. These findings demonstrate that targeted immunotherapy using secondary antibodies is superior to broad immunosuppression or anti-inflammatory treatment for restoring ovarian function in patients with autoimmune POF. While corticosteroids effectively reduce AOA titres, they may not reverse ovarian damage and can disrupt the hormonal balance. This underscores the need for precise, biomarker-guided therapies over nonspecific immunosuppression in patients with autoimmune ovarian insufficiency.

Protective cultures are selected microorganisms that inhibit undesirable microbiota through metabolic activity, thereby improving the safety and shelf life of dairy products. This study evaluated the effect of protective cultures on the physicochemical, microbiological, and sensory properties of fresh cheese during 21 days of storage at 6–8 °C. Three variants were prepared: a control with the starter culture CHN-19 and two experimental samples containing FreshQ^® Cheese 3 and FreshQ^® 9 (Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus). The application of protective cultures resulted in a slightly faster acidification but did not significantly affect dry matter or fat content. Microbiological analysis revealed higher counts of lactic acid bacteria and generally lower counts of psychrotrophic microorganisms in samples containing protective cultures on several storage days, while Escherichia coli and moulds were not detected. Sensory evaluation indicated that cheeses with protective cultures, particularly FreshQ^® 9, maintained a pleasant flavour and appearance even after 21 days of storage, whereas the control sample became sensorially unacceptable after approximately two weeks. The application of protective cultures therefore enhances the sensory stability and microbial safety of fresh cheeses without adversely affecting their technological characteristics.

Environmental valuation studies in the context of developing countries have become more frequent in recent years. However, literature which reviews and examines the environmental valuation studies is limited. Thus, this paper performed a literature review on forest contingent valuation studies conducted in the Ethiopian context in the past two decades (2000 to May 2022), focusing on two specific objectives: (i) to examine amounts of resources that households are willing to pay (WTP) for forest conservation, and (ii) to identify determinants of households' WTP. Results indicate the mean lower annual WTP of USD 0.41 (2.63 birr) and 7.04 man-days per household in money and labour time, respectively. Whereas the mean upper annual WTP of USD 53.52 per household in monetary payment and 94.34 man-days per household in labour time contribution are found for the management and conservation of forest in Ethiopia. The finding reveals that there is a limited proportion of the examined studies that included and estimated WTP in a non-monetary payment vehicle, implying a need for future researches on the topic. The result shows that demographic and socio-economic variables, physical assets ownership, institutional and infrastructural services and bid price variables were the main determinants of households' WTP. This suggests that the forest conservation intervention program involving public participation in the country needs to consider the identified determinants of WTP in design and implementation of the program. Moreover, the finding indicates the presence of mixed results on the effect and direction in which some determinants of WTP are affected. This recommends a pressing need for comprehensive future studies on the research theme.

This research was instigated by the fact that during the last decade annually repeated shallow disk tillage on the same field became frequent practice in Hungary. In order to study the changes of soil condition associated with disk tillage and to assess it is consequences, long-term tillage field experiments with different levels of nutrients were set up in 1991 (A) and in 1994 (B) on Chromic Luvisol at Gödöllö. The effects of disk tillage (D) and disk tillage combined with loosening (LD) on soil condition, on yield of maize and winter wheat, and on weed infestation were examined. The evaluation of soil condition measured by cone index and bulk density indicated that use of disking annually resulted in a dense soil layer below the disking depth (diskpan-compaction). It was found, that soil condition deteriorated by diskpan-compaction decreased the yield of maize significantly by 20 and 42% (w/w), and that of wheat by 13 and 15% (w/w) when compared to soils with no diskpan-compaction. Averaged over seven years, and three fertilizer levels, the cover % of the total, grass and perennial weeds on loosened soils were 73, 69 and 65% of soils contained diskpan-compaction.

Studies on the sustainability assessment of supply chain performance in tropical fruit still have limitations, whereas similar studies are more widespread in the manufacturing sector. This study aims to assess the sustainability performance of the tropical fruit supply chain in Indonesia. Performance evaluations were conducted for three producer organisations of tropical fruit with members ranging from 70 to 200 people in Banyuwangi Regency, the largest production centre in Indonesia. This study proposes a new approach, the best-worst method (BWM), to prioritise supply chain performance criteria derived from the SCOR (Supply Chain Operations Reference) model based on assessments by experts managing producer organisations. In the SCOR model, environmental and social criteria are added, resulting in seven criteria for evaluating supply chain performance, which include reliability, responsiveness, agility, cost, asset management, GreenSCOR, and social. Thus, the integration of BWM and SCOR can ensure higher consistency and reliability than traditional methods for assessing sustainable supply chain performance. The results revealed that reliability is the most important criterion for supply chain performance, which shows how important the maintenance of product quality is. In contrast, agility received the lowest score, indicating that there is a need to improve performance with respect to responding to high demand, managing safety stocks, and overtime in the shipping process. Moreover, this study gives a glimpse into the importance of evaluating sustainability performance for the tropical fruit sector, having perishable characteristics and great contributions to rural development. Hence, this study provides a solid practical guide for decision-makers in assessing the sustainable supply chain of tropical fruits in Indonesia.

This study reports layered double hydroxides (LDHs) modified wheat straw biochar (W-B), denoted as (LDH/W-B), as an efficient adsorbent material for removal of lead (Pb²⁺) ions from aqueous solution. This study also juxtaposes the adsorptive performance of LDH/W-B with W-B for Pb²⁺ removal. W-B was prepared via pyrolysis of wheat straw in a muffle furnace, using a controlled heating rate of 5 °C per min to reach 600 °C over a duration of three hours. Subsequently, LDH/W-B was synthesised using the co-precipitation method. Both resulting adsorbents were characterised for surface morphology and functional groups by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), respectively. The influence of key adsorption parameters on the adsorption efficiency of W-B and LDH/W-B was systematically evaluated. At 60 min, the maximum Pb²⁺ removal efficiency was observed to be 78.21% for W-B and 92.4% for LDH/W-B. An increase in adsorbent dosage from 0.05 to 0.7 g and at a contact time of 1 h further enhanced Pb²⁺ removal, achieving efficiencies of 97% for W-B and 99% for LDH/W-B. The optimal conditions for maximum Pb²⁺ removal were determined to be 0.3 g of adsorbent (W-B and LDH/W-B), an initial heavy metal concentration of 10 mg/L, and a contact time of 1 h. Pb²⁺ removal data of W-B and LDH/W-B best fitted to the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order kinetic model, which confirmed the dominance of chemisorption of Pb²⁺ ions. Additionally, the maximum theoretical adsorption capacity for Pb²⁺ is close to the experimentally obtained values, suggesting that the adsorption of Pb²⁺ primarily occurs through monolayer formation on the surface of both adsorbents. Overall, this study demonstrates that LDH/W-B is a highly promising adsorbent for Pb²⁺ removal in wastewater treatment applications.

This study examines height growth and its driving factors in stools and standard trees, the two key structural components of coppice-with-standards stands. We focused on sessile oak [Quercus petraea agg. (Matt.) Liebl.] stands over 90 years old at two contrasting sites near Brno (South Moravian Region, Czech Republic): one actively managed and one left unmanaged for more than 40 years as a strict nature reserve. Tree heights were analysed using two-factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) with post hoc tests and multinomial logistic regression. A total of 1 239 trees were measured (584 stools and 655 standards). Standard trees were the tallest on average (21.8 m), significantly exceeding all the stool categories, whereas managed triple-stem stools were the shortest (15.97 m). Across all categories, unmanaged stands generally reached greater heights than managed stands did, except for standard trees. The forest type, exposure and slope had significant effects on height class probabilities, whereas elevation was important only for smaller trees. Overall, the results demonstrate that both the tree type and site conditions strongly influence height growth in Q. petraea coppice-with-standards stands, with management history leaving a clear biological legacy in the present-day stand structure.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of papaya peel addition on the quality and in vitro ruminal digestion of napier grass silage. Fresh napier grass was mixed with papaya peel at 0% (control), 15%, 30%, and 45% of fresh weight and ensiled under anaerobic conditions. After fermentation, silages were analysed for pH, organic acids, ammonia-N, and nutrient composition. In vitro ruminal fermentation was conducted using the rumen fluid collected from buffaloes to assess gas production, volatile fatty acid profiles, and hydrogen release. The results showed that papaya peel addition significantly affected silage fermentation and nutrient composition. The inclusion at 15% lowered pH and increased lactic acid concentration compared with the control (P < 0.05). Higher inclusion levels (30% and 45%) reduced neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre content, increased total digestible nutrients and relative feed value (P < 0.05). In vitro ruminal fermentation showed that, compared with the control, hydrogen production was significantly reduced in the 15% treatment, and the acetate-to-propionate ratio was highest in the 45% treatment as a result of decreased propionate acid concentration (P < 0.05). Our results suggested that co-ensiling napier grass with papaya peel improved fermentation quality and feed value, with 15% addition yielding the most desirable balance of fermentation characteristics and ruminal fermentation outcomes. This approach provides a practical strategy for enhancing the forage preservation and utilising fruit-processing by-products in tropical livestock systems.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a key role in regulating the carbon cycle in terrestrial ecosystems. However, there is little information on how AMF inoculation affects the carbon fluxes of paddy fields, which are major sources of global carbon emissions. We, therefore, designed an experiment to study the effects of AMF inoculation on methane and carbon dioxide emissions from a paddy field. Results showed that: (1) Among the tested factors, the C/N ratio was the main environmental determinant of microbial community structure in the investigated soil; (2) compared with traditional fertilisation (control), the soil C/N ratio increased by 2.1~15.2% and 1.4~10.5% as a result of AMF application alone (M) or in combination with mineral fertiliser (FM) throughout the growing season, respectively. This change shifted microbial community composition to higher G⁺/G⁻ bacterial and fungal/bacterial ratios; (3) the microbial community change favoured soil carbon retention. Methane (CH₄) emission peaks were reduced by 59.4% and 76.0% versus control in the M treatment and by 52.5% and 29.4% in the FM treatment in the midseason and end-of-season drainage periods, and CO₂ emission peaks were reduced by 70.1% and 52.3% in the M plots and by 55.4% and 66.4% in the FM plots.

Developing natural herbicides offers a potential solution to mitigate the drawbacks associated with synthetic pesticides used in an excessive quantity to safeguard agricultural crops. In this study, essential oils extracted via hydrodistillation from Pinus ponderosa needles were investigated for their chemical composition and phytotoxic activity. Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry detection (GC/MS) identified twenty-three constituents, constituting 93.87% of the total oil. The predominant components were oxygenated monoterpenes (64.66%), with α-pinene (37.78%), β-pinene (24.32%), and sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons, particularly germacrene-D (7.26%). The phytotoxic effects of P. ponderosa essential oil were tested on Phalaris canariensis L., Trifolium campestre Schreb., and Sinapis arvensis L. The essential oil exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on seed germination and seedling growth in a dose-dependent manner. A low concentration of essential oil reduced the germination and seedling growth of all tested weeds. Additionally, the essential oil treatment impacted malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage in the seedlings. These preliminary findings suggest that essential oils from forest trees, particularly Pinus ponderosa, could serve as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical herbicides. This approach may contribute to addressing the challenges associated with synthetic pesticides while promoting sustainable and environmentally friendly agricultural practices.

Snails, which are high in protein, have the potential to be developed as a flavour enhancer through the hydrolysis process. However, consumer acceptance of the flavour enhancer needs to be fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to determine the consumer acceptance of a snail protein hydrolysate from different snail species (golden apple, apple, and freshwater) and at different hydrolysis durations (3, 6, and 9 h), and to identify the drivers of liking of snail protein hydrolysates through descriptive profiling using Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) method and consumer testing using Hedonic test. The RATA intensity data were subjected to analysis using analysis of variance, followed by a Tukey's post hoc test (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the sensory profile data were analysed using principal component analysis and preference mapping. Snail species and hydrolysis time influenced the sensory profile of snail protein hydrolysate, with the longer hydrolysis time being the most liked. The most liked flavour enhancer derived from golden apple snail with 9 h hydrolysis time had a strong savoury aroma, salty taste, umami taste, lingering mouthfeel, and yellow colour. Additionally, it exhibited a moderate intensity of seafood aroma, a garlic taste, an umami aftertaste, a liquid mouthfeel, and a salty aftertaste. However, it had a low intensity of bitter aftertaste and burnt taste, and a very low intensity of sweet aroma, sweet taste, bitter taste, and bland taste. Thus, these findings highlight the importance of evaluating the efficacy of flavour enhancers and facilitate the identification of the optimal snail species and hydrolysis time according to consumer preference.

The research was conducted in a long-term stationary experiment established on light grey forest surface-gleyed soil in 1965. Data presented in this study were collected during 2022–2024 growing seasons within the framework of this long-term experiment. The experiment is registered in the NAAS long-term field experiments registry (certificate No. 29) and the Global Long-Term Agricultural Experiments Network (GLTEN). The study examined the effect of growing red clover in a four-field crop rotation on nutrient balance at different fertiliser and lime doses and ratios. Red clover was used for feed and feed-green manure purposes. The research aimed to substantiate optimal methods of utilising this valuable forage crop and optimise fertilisation systems to ensure sustainable agricultural development. Growing the first cut of red clover for feed purposes and the second as green manure with fertilisation (N₁₀₅P₁₀₁K₁₀₁ + organic fertilisers + liming) ensures a positive surface balance of 402 kg/ha of nitrogen, 150 kg/ha of phosphorus, and 204 kg/ha of potassium. These data are almost twice higher than indicators under minimal fertilisation doses. Despite the reduction in symbiotic nitrogen fixation from 217 kg/ha to 147 kg/ha when growing red clover in crop rotation with intensive fertilisation, it remains an effective phytobiological ameliorant.

Recently, protected cultivation of bananas under subtropical conditions has gained popularity due to the impact of global climate change. Several factors influence the yield and quality of banana cultivation. Among these factors, variety plays an important role along with cultural practices. This study aimed to determine the performance of ‘Azman’, ‘Bango’, ‘Bonus’, ‘Grand Nain’, ‘Lider’, and ‘Paşa’ banana varieties in terms of morphological and yield characteristics under protected cultivation, as well as to elucidate the relationship between yield and factors affecting yield. The research was conducted between 2020 and 2022 in the Manavgat district of Antalya. The research findings showed that each morphological parameter examined varied significantly. However, the ‘Bango’ variety exhibited superior results in terms of finger circumference (13.23 cm), finger length (21.08 cm), bunch weight (39.33 kg), and yield per hectare (72 t/ha). Moderate to high-level phenotypic correlations were found between bunch weight and pseudo stem girth, pseudo stem height, number of fingers, finger weight, finger circumference, and finger length, with values of 0.544, 0.478, 0.326, 0.669, 0.581, and 0.543, respectively. Positive and significant phenotypic correlations were determined between finger length affecting export quality, bunch weight, finger weight, and finger circumference, with values of 0.543, 0.799, and 0.625, respectively. It can be concluded that the ‘Bango’ variety exhibited better results as compared to other varieties in terms of both yield and quality criteria. Additionally, positive phenotypic correlations were observed between bunch weight (which directly influences yield) and finger length (which affects export quality), as well as various morphological and pomological characteristics.

Mechanical sugarcane harvesting generates substantial material losses that are associated with the equipment age. This study evaluated the relationship between the harvester service life and the operational efficiency by analysing field losses and product contamination across machines with varying operational histories (1, 14, 16, and 17 years) in Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand, using a randomised complete block design. The results indicate that the 17-year-old machines exhibited 54% higher total losses (241.93 kg·ha^–1) compared to the newer equipment (156.90 kg·ha⁻¹). The field losses were attributed primarily to base cutting operations (36%) and roller mechanisms (34%), collectively accounting for 70% of the total losses. The contamination analysis revealed sugarcane tops as the predominant impurity source (57% The revenue loss analysis indicates excessive field losses from ageing equipment reducing the farm profitability by 12–18%. The non-linear relationship between the equipment age and performance demonstrates that maintenance practices significantly influence degradation patterns, providing critical insights for optimising mechanical harvesting systems.

In order to remove soil tetracycline residue and identify the effect of tetracycline on soil nematode community, agricultural waste returning was applied in a maize monocropping field, northeast China. The results showed that plant parasites were the dominant genera in high concentration of soil tetracycline; however, bacterivores were the dominant genera in all organic matter amendments. Maturity index, structure index and enrichment index showed the highest values in biochar and compost mixed amendments and these treatments had the highest tetracycline removal rate and the highest concentration of macro-aggregates, total organic C and available N, followed by biochar seperate amendments. Overall, biochar and compost mixed amendments efficiently reduced the risk of soil tetracycline pollution below the threshold, with the characteristics of cheap, improving soil fertility and above all, environmentally friendly.

Leaf rust is an important wheat disease that considerably reduces the wheat production in most wheat growing regions worldwide. This study aimed to identify leaf rust resistance genes in 42 wheat varieties to find genetic sources with the broadest spectrum of resistance against leaf rust pathotypes, to enable effective breeding for disease resistance. In this study, 42 wheat cultivars were inoculated with 18 pathotypes of Puccinia triticina Eriks. at the seedling stage to postulate the Lr genes in the cultivars. Resistance to leaf rust at the adult stage was then tested in field trials under natural infection during the 2019 to 2020 cropping seasons at Baoding, Hebei Province. Gene postulation together with molecular marker detection identified ten Lr genes (Lr1, Lr10, Lr14a, Lr26, Lr2a, Lr17, Lr20, Lr34, Lr37, and Lr46) among the 42 accessions.  Lr1 was present in 16 accessions, Lr14a in three accessions, Lr17 in five accessions, Lr2a in five accessions, Lr34 in one accession, Lr10 in two accessions, Lr37 in two accessions and Lr46 in 29 accessions. Additionally, 15 wheat accessions displayed adult-plant resistance or other unknown genes. These results suggest that a high level of leaf rust resistance can be achieved by combining known resistance genes and adult-plant resistance genes in wheat cultivars.

This study investigates the effects of salt stress and gamma irradiation on growth, biochemical, and physiological responses in three sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars. Control plants were irrigated with fresh water (EC = 1.1 dS/m), whereas salt stress was imposed with an irrigation of 9 dS/m. Seeds were irradiated with gamma rays (0, 50, 100, 200, 400 Gy) before sowing. Exposure to salt stress reduced root yield (RY), sugar yield (SY), chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD)). In contrast, oxidative damage increased, as indicated by elevated malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations. Interestingly, salt stress enhanced sugar content, with the Eudoro cultivar showing the greatest resilience, maintaining higher RY and SY and lower MDA compared to the other cultivars. Gamma irradiation at moderate doses (50–200 Gy) alleviated the effects of salt stress, with the strongest improvements in SY observed at 100 and 200 Gy. These treatments enhanced RY, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant activities, while also improving photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and cellular integrity. Higher doses (> 200 Gy) reduced sugar content, indicating dose-specific effects. Eudoro exhibited superior salt tolerance, maintaining higher root and sugar yields (RY, SY) and reduced oxidative damage (lower MDA) under salt stress. These findings demonstrate that gamma irradiation at optimal doses enhances salt tolerance in sugar beet, offering cultivar-specific benefits for breeding programmes in saline environments.

High-throughput molecular technology DArTseq generates markers for potential use in molecular breeding of crops. Using DArTseq, we analysed a comprehensive set of 333 European potato varieties reflecting the outcomes of long-term breeding history and representing a potential germplasm for future breeding of potatoes in the Central European region. The varieties were classified according to four factors: region of origin, breeder, earliness and utilisation mode, that may potentially reflect their genetic structure, and for which complete data were publicly available. The DArTseq analysis was performed by the service centre, the Diversity Array Technology (University of Canberra), which generated approximately 38 000 silicoDArT and 64 000 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) polymorphic markers. The discriminatory ability of the markers in relation to the factors was confirmed using neighbour-joining and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA), while the informativeness was assessed using the discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC). The analyses identified the 50 SNPs most strongly associated with each factor, along with their highly probable chromosomal localisation. Herein presented research contributes to the evaluation of potato genetic resources by adding the novel molecular data of active germplasm and implies their future utilisation in genome wide association studies and marker assisted selection.

Gyrodactylosis, caused by monogenean parasites of the genus Gyrodactylus, poses a significant threat to aquaculture, particularly under intensive farming conditions. This study evaluated the in vitro effectiveness of three veterinary anthelmintics – fenbendazole (FBZ), levamisole hydrochloride (LHC), and ivermectin (IVM) – against four Gyrodactylus species collected from wild cyprinid hosts. Parasite survival was monitored over 48 h at 6–7 °C. LHC showed the highest efficacy at both tested concentrations (30 and 50 mg/l), achieving near-complete mortality within 8 hours. FBZ and IVM were significantly less effective, with 23% and 33% of parasites surviving, respectively. Species-specific differences in drug susceptibility were observed, particularly with FBZ and IVM, with G. carassii showing consistently higher sensitivity than G. laevis, G. rutilensis, and G. vimbi. Lower water temperatures probably contributed to reduced drug efficacy and prolonged parasite survival. These findings highlight the importance of species-level evaluation and temperature considerations when selecting anthelmintic treatments for gyrodactylosis. In vitro testing under controlled conditions offers valuable insights into parasite susceptibility and complements in vivo approaches. Further research incorporating broader parasite diversity, temperature ranges, and pharmacological profiles is recommended to optimise treatment strategies in aquaculture.

The use of flours from the acorns of Quercus ilex and Quercus coccifera to produce gluten-free pasta was investigated in the current study. The latter evaluates the nutritional value, physical properties (minimum preparation time, water absorption index, cooking loss, and colour), textural properties (hardness, firmness, and stickiness), and sensory attributes of cooked rice pasta enriched with different dosages of acorn flour [25 g·(100 g)–1 and 50 g·(100 g)–1]. The results demonstrated that pasta produced from Quercus ilex acorn required the shortest cooking time, whereas pasta made from Quercus coccifera acorn exhibited the highest cooking losses. Pastes enriched with acorn displayed a more pronounced yellow colour. The combination of 50% rice flour and 50% acorn flour in pasta formulations significantly reduced cooking losses and yielded acceptable scores across all sensory attributes, resulting in the highest overall quality.