Fulltext search in archive

This paper examines changes in soil physical and chemical properties in relation to tree proximity on different slopes. Topsoil and subsoil were sampled at 12 research plots on four slope types, the soil pits being placed at the base of a tree (near tree, NT) and between the test tree and an adjacent tree (between trees, BT). We observed a significant decrease in vertical topsoil response to slope on lower, middle and upper slopes, and a decrease in fine roots (R < 2 mm) on flat ground. Overall, middle and lower slopes showed the highest similarity, and upper slopes and flat ground the least, with the greatest subsoil changes observed mainly on middle slopes and least on lower slopes. There was clear topographic dependence between subsoil water stable aggregates (WSA) and C dynamics, with BT total carbon (Ctot) higher on flat ground and lower on middle slopes; unlike topsoil, where the strongest WSA correlation was with distance from the tree. The highest N : OM (organic matter) ratios occurred on middle slopes facing north-west, and lowest on lower slopes facing north and flat ground. Our findings confirm the influence of slope type on soil characteristics, with NT soil supporting soil formation by transporting water to deeper layers, especially on slopes > 5°. These observations contribute to a better understanding of the dependence of soil properties on slope type and tree position when planning sustainable forest management.

Prior studies have noted the importance of measurement tools that track the contributions of the circular bioeconomy and other developments towards sustainable development. In this study, we examined the EU-27 as a whole and found that its circular bioeconomy, measured by the 41 indicators we used, generally progressed over the period 2004–2021. Research and development personnel and Persons employed in circular economy sectors were ranked as the most progressing indicators over the studied period, together with Patent applications to the European Patent Office, which supports the idea that the circular bioeconomy uses novel technologies and requires research to develop them.

The depletion of organic carbon in the topsoil and the reduction of the humic horizon leads to a decrease in soil productivity. This study focussed on evaluating the influence of water erosion on the quantity and quality of organic carbon (OC) in the topsoil. The determination of the differences in the OC with dependence on the soil thickness and the role of the soil texture in a depletion of OC in the humic horizon and its labile fractions were studied in four arable land localities (Haplic Chernozem, HC; Eutric Regosol, ER). The following carbon parameters were included: total organic carbon (TOC), labile carbon oxidisable by KMnO₄ (C_L), cold and hot water-extractable organic carbons (CWEOCs) and (HWEOCs), respectively. The higher the soil thickness was, the higher the OC contents were at a depth of up to 0.1 m (TOC; r =0.387, P < 0.01; C_L; r = 0.266, P < 0.01), which indicates a more pronounced organic and mineral material washing off. This process was more pronounced on the texturally finer HC than the coarser ER soil. In the case of water-extractable organic carbon (WEOC), the vertical movement was dominant, while in the case of C_L, the horizontal one was dominant. In the case of erosion, the spatial variability of the OC is not only the result of the erosion-accumulation activities, but also from the proportion of the OC forms. The erosion significantly interferes in the stabilisation mechanisms of organic substances, and even also influences one of the strongest factors – the soil texture.

This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of chitosan administration to total mixed ration (TMR) silage on ruminal fermentation characteristics and degradability by using both in vitro and in sacco methods. The completely randomized design (CRD) used in this study included five treatments and six replications. The treatments consisted of TMR silage with distilled water as control (SA), TMR with 1% acetic acid (SB), 0.5% chitosan in 1% acetic acid diluent (SC), 1% chitosan in 1% acetic acid diluent (SD), and 1.5% chitosan in 1% acetic acid diluent (SE). The variables observed were ruminal fermentation parameters, methane production and in sacco nutrient degradability. Results revealed that adding 1–1.5% chitosan (SD and SE treatments) reduced (P < 0.05) total protozoa, total gas production, methane production, the percentage of acetic acid, and the ratio of acetic acid to propionic acid, while it increased (P < 0.05) the proportion of propionic acid. The addition of chitosan (SE treatment) decreased (P < 0.05) the degradation of dry matter, but it increased (P < 0.05) the degradability of organic matter and crude protein, as determined by in sacco analysis.

The Karakılçık landrace is known for its quality traits, especially protein content. However, its high plant height causes lodging and yield loss, which limits the production area. A Levante × Karakılçık population developed by crossing the local Karakılçık wheat with the commercial variety Levante in order to eliminate the disadvantages of Karakılçık and adapt it to wider production areas. In the study, yield, quality, and some physiological traits were investigated in the population. The experiment was conducted in an augmented experimental design in the cropping seasons of 2021–2022 and 2022–2023. A total of 36 genotypes from Levante × Karakılçık population, parents and 2 controls were tested. The tested genotypes varied significantly for all investigated traits (P < 0.01). Principal component biplot analysis explained 69.3% of the variations and relationships between the traits and genotypes. Among the investigated traits, genotypes LK26, LK19 and LK3 outperformed their parents in 5 traits (spike length (SL), number of spikelets per spike (SNS), number of grain numbers per spike (GNS), protein content (PC) and wet gluten content (G)), 4 traits (SNS, grain weight per spike (GWS), GNS and PC) and 3 traits (grain yield (GY), GNS and test weight (TW)), respectively. The genotype LK3 for yield and the genotypes LK19 and LK26 for quality traits could be recommended to growers and breeders.

We examined the antibacterial efficacy of streptomycin, hibiscus acid, and their combination against multidrug-resistant Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and Salmonella Typhimurium in mice. We determined the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) for streptomycin, hibiscus acid, and their combination against STEC and Salmonella. Fifteen sets of six mice in each set were utilised: six groups were orally exposed to 4 log₁₀ colony forming units (CFUs) of S. Typhimurium and another six to STEC, and three acted as the controls. Six hours post-inoculation, specific groups of mice received either oral solutions containing hibiscus acid at 5 and 7 mg/ml; streptomycin at 50 and 450 µg/ml; hibiscus acid/streptomycin (5 mg/ml hibiscus acid and 50 µg/ml streptomycin); or isotonic saline. The study determined the MIC and MBC of 7 mg/ml of hibiscus acid; 300 and 450 µg/ml of streptomycin; and two concentrations of hibiscus/streptomycin (3 mg/ml / 20 µg/ml and 5 mg/ml / 50 µg/ml). Interestingly, the mice that were infected and subsequently treated with hibiscus acid at 7 mg/ml alone or in conjunction with streptomycin did not have either STEC or Salmonella in their faecal samples, and none of the mice died. In contrast, the untreated mice and those exclusively treated with streptomycin had the pathogens present in their stool, leading to the mortality of all the subjects.

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

Castanea sativa is a type of cultivated chestnut tree found in the Czech Republic, growing in both lowland and midland regions. These trees are usually planted individually or in pairs, with over half of the plantings located in urban areas. One-fifth of chestnut trees thrive in parks, while chestnut orchards or forest stands make up only one-tenth of the areas where chestnut trees are located. In the Czech Republic, approximately 30 ha are covered by chestnut trees. Regeneration of chestnut trees occurs in only 6% of the localities due to regular lawn mowing. However, 40% of the surveyed forests showed signs of regeneration, demonstrating the species' ability to regenerate under Central European climate conditions.

Water deficit (drought) is an important environmental factor affecting physiological processes in plants. The present work focuses on the study of changes in physiological responses of juvenile plants (plants in the vegetative phase of growth BBCH 14–16) of selected sorghum genotypes Dokok, 30485, Barnard Red and Ruzrok to water deficit and after rehydration. Water deficit affected the observed physiological parameters – gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence. Genotypic differences were also confirmed, with Dokok appearing to be the more sensitive genotype and Ruzrok and Barnard Red appearing to be tolerant. Following rehydration, these parameters increased but did not reach the levels of the control plants. A significant decrease in photosynthetic rate (P_n), transpiration (E) and fluorescence compared to the control was found in the water-deficient variant twice for 10 days and 6 days between rehydration periods. Only in the variant where water deficit (14 days) was followed by irrigation (10 days) transpiration increased in genotype 30485. Chlorophyll fluorescence (F_v/F_m) also decreased significantly in this cultivar. The results suggest that a rehydration period of 14 days is insufficient to restore the photosynthetic functions of stressed sorghum plants.

This study was conducted to evaluate the wound-healing activities of a Cannabis sativa L. plant extract and cannabidiol on incision wounds. An incision was created and sutured in rats under anaesthesia. Routine wound care procedures were applied for 10 days, followed by histological wound examinations. The cellular bioactivities of the hemp extract and CBD were assessed for MCP-1, EGF, BFGF, IL-8, and COL-1 using ELISA on the rat skin wound healing activity. A one-way ANOVA was used for the data analysis. The EGF values in the plasma were similar in the povidone-iodine, hemp seed oil, and hemp essential oil groups (P > 0.05). However, the EGF levels were lower in the CBD group compared to the other groups (P < 0.001, P < 0.005). The MCP-1 values in the hemp seed oil, hemp essential oil, and CBD were similar (P > 0.05), whereas povidone iodine exhibited lower MCP-1 levels compared to the other groups (P < 0.001, P < 0.005). It was determined that the plasma BFGF, IL-8, and COL 1 values of the groups were similar (P > 0.05). To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the effects of CBD, seed oil, and hemp leaf extract on incision wound healing. It demonstrates that hemp extract holds greater potential benefits for wound healing compared to CBD.

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

This study tested the impact of priming peanut seeds from the VD01-2 cultivar with either 6 mg/L of abscisic acid or 20 mg/L of sodium nitroprusside to prevent damage from drought stress. Throughout the development of peanuts under drought-stress conditions, various morphological, physiological, and biochemical changes were analyzed. According to the study, it was determined that priming with SNP had a more significant effect than priming with ABA. The use of sodium nitroprusside priming resulted in an improvement in both the yield and quality of peanuts when grown under drought conditions. Furthermore, the findings indicate that the use of sodium nitroprusside priming showed an increase in chlorophyll content, gas exchange capacity, and antioxidant activities while reducing lipid peroxidation.

Optimising the feed composition, especially the forage choice, and reducing costs are essential for improving dairy production efficiency. Different forage sources and proportions were used to formulate rations containing equal energy and protein, and their effects on rumen microbiota and milk production performance of dairy cows were evaluated in two experiments. In experiment 1, thirty lactating cows (235 ±13 d postpartum; milk production 29.1 ± 1.0 kg/day) were divided into Pangola and Bermuda groups. In experiment 2, twenty lactating cows (79.9 ± 8.1 d postpartum; milk production 34.7 ± 0.6 kg/day) were divided into Pangola and oat groups. In experiment 1, the Simpson index for rumen microbiota of the Pangola group was significantly higher than in the Bermuda group (P < 0.05). Analysis of the weighted unique fraction (UniFrac) distances indicated significant differences in the beta diversity of the community composition of rumen microbiota between Pangola, Bermuda and oat groups in both experiments (P < 0.001). The relative abundance of Prevotella brevis was significantly higher in the Pangola group than in the oat group in experiment 2 (P < 0.05). The somatic cell counts (SCCs), C18:0, and C18:1 in milk were significantly higher in the Bermuda group than in the Pangola group (P < 0.05) in experiment 1. On the other hand, milk crude protein (CP) and solids-not-fat (SNF) were significantly higher in the Oat group than in the Pangola group (P < 0.05) in experiment 2; however, milk urea nitrogen (MUN) was significantly higher in the Pangola group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, a switch of forage (Pangola vs Bermuda) at a lower proportion of the diet under the high forage level condition (experiment 1) caused only minor changes in rumen microbiota diversity (Simpson index, beta diversity) and milk production performance (milk SCCs, C18:0 and C18:1). On the other hand, a switch of forage (Pangola vs oat) at a higher proportion of the diet under the low forage level condition (experiment 2) resulted in greater changes in rumen microbiota diversity (beta diversity, relative abundances of bacterial taxa, P. brevis relative abundance) and milk production performance (milk CP, SNF, and MUN).

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.

The aim of this study was to determine the reference values of cartilage damage biomarkers in the blood and urine in 76 clinically healthy German Shepherd dogs. We grouped the dogs into 4 groups by age. All the groups were consistently made up of 19 dogs. The mean age and average body weight were established for all the dog groups. The blood was collected from the vena cephalica antebrachii or the vena saphena medialis and the urine sample was taken by us-guided cystocenthesis. The biomarkers were determined using quantitative sandwich ELISA kits. The mean values of the biomarkers ± SD were, for the urine biomarkers, CTX-I 3.29 ± 1.16 ng/ml, CTX-II 1 993.95 ± 777.04 ng/ml, and TIMP-I 392.80 ± 160.56 ng/ml, and for the blood biomarkers, MMP-9 89.85 ± 50.21 ng/ml and PIICP 19.19 ± 7.33 ng/ml. Based on the obtained values of the mean 95%, we expect a standard for CTX-I 5.05 ng/ml, CTX-II 3 204.26 ng/ml, TIMP-I 606.64 ng/ml, MMP-9 187.93 ng/ml, and PIICP 31.71 ng/ml.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of continuous application of rice straw and biochar for 10 years on soil humus composition and structure in paddy soil. A 10-year field experiment was conducted in a paddy field and included three treatments: rice straw biochar (SC); rice straw (RS), no biochar or rice straw. The elemental analyser, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum, and three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (3D EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy with fluorescence regional integration (FRI) analysis were used to study the soil humus composition and structure under different treatments. The results verified that the incorporation of rice straw and biochar significantly improved soil pH values and the soil organic carbon contents compared with the control. Rice straw significantly increased the contents of extractable humus, humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid in soil, while biochar only significantly affected HA and humic degree values. The molecular structure of HA affected by biochar is characterised by high humification and aromaticity, but rice straw increased the aliphaticity of the HA structure, as presented by elemental composition. Moreover, 3D EEM spectroscopy combined with FRI analysis showed that RS treatment formed soil humus had more aliphatic compounds, while SC treatment increased the aromatic components of humus. These results suggest that rice straw promotes the renewal of humus, and biochar enhances the humification degree of humus and the aromaticity of HA.

The presence of immature coffee beans reduces the quality of the coffee brew. This study evaluated how the acetic acid affected the aroma and taste of immature compared to mature Robusta coffee. The naturally processed immature Robusta green beans were immersed in acetic acid (0–5%) for 30–90 min. The naturally processed mature Robusta green beans were used as a control treatment. The samples were roasted at a medium level (240 °C, 14 min). The sensory analysis was evaluated by the cupping test by a trained and certified panellist (Q-Grader). Acetic acid immersion significantly improved the sensory quality of immature beans (P < 0.05). Specifically, immersion in 3% acetic acid for 90 min yielded the highest sensory score of 84.92. According to the Coffee Quality Institute (CQI) classification, this score falls into the 'Fine' Robusta classification. The 0% 30-min, 3% 30-min, and 3% 90-min treated immature samples and an untreated control mature sample were analysed for pH, caffeine, chlorogenic acid, and volatile compounds. The treatment significantly decreased the chlorogenic acid (P < 0.05) and increased the volatile compound concentration of furans, ketone, pyrrole, aldehyde, and ester while decreasing pyrazines, sulphur, phenol, and alcohol. This study effectively enhanced immature Robusta taste and aroma quality to a degree comparable with mature Robusta coffee beans.

Industrial dairy farms boast highly advanced health monitoring and disease diagnosis systems. But without easily accessible, user-friendly web platforms for real-time decision-making, most dairy farmers cannot proactively manage herd health management and optimize treatments based on disease prediction and prevention. To bridge this gap, we have developed a web application of a Decision support system (DSS) for dairy health management based on machine learning. The system architecture combines a Flask backend with a React frontend and scalable cloud data storage and includes preprocessing, data integration, predictive modelling, and cost analysis. DSS forecasts herd diseases with an accuracy 6.66 mean absolute error and 2.35 median absolute deviation across predictions. Its core predictive capabilities rely on long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks to forecast disease progression from historical records and on a linear trend model to project cuts in treatment costs. The system calculates medication dosages and cost per disease, streamlines supplier selection, and simulates various treatment scenarios, thereby identifying high-cost diseases with potential savings. In other words, this DSS application processes disease and treatment data by incorporating veterinary records into advanced data analytics and neural networks, thereby predicting diseases, optimizing disease prevention and treatment strategies, and reducing costs. As such, this DSS application provides dairy farmers with a tool for strategic decision-making, veterinary treatment planning, and cost-effective disease management towards improving animal welfare and increasing milk yield.

Plant viruses, and aphids as their vectors, are limiting factors in sugar beet production. Viral plant diseases are currently impossible to treat but knowing the flight patterns of aphids can help in reducing the number of potential virus vectors. Monitoring of aphid flight activities in sugar beet fields was done using yellow water traps from April to the end of November. During the two years of investigation, a total of 5514 specimens from 75 different taxa were collected. The highest number of individuals was recorded at the end of May/beginning of June at all localities. This is the period when sugar beet develops intensively, so the risk of virus infection is the highest. The most numerous species were Aphis fabae Scopoli, Aphis spiraecola Patch., Phyllaphis fagi (L.), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), Sitobion avenae (Fabr.), Acyrthosiphon pisum (Haris) and Therioaphis trifolii (Monell). The most important vectors are A. fabae, A. spiraecola and M. persicae. Aphis fabae is a species that feeds on sugar beet and causes significant damage both by feeding and by its vector activity. Myzus persicae was the most abundant in autumn, A. spiraecola was present throughout the whole flight-monitoring period. Among the caught aphids, twelve species alien to Europe were collected.

Assimilation (A) and photosystem II (PSII) efficiency value light response curves [A/PPFD and PSII/PPFD curves (PPFD – photosynthetic photon flux density)] of promising black locust clones (NK2 and PL251) and the registered Üllői clone were analysed to study the net assimilation rates and PSII efficiency within the function of PPFD levels. The natural logarithmic regression functions fitted well to the measured data points for A/PPFD, R² values varied between 0.9515–0.9884. For PSII/PPFD values, we used the exponential regression function with R² ranging from 0.9948 to 0.9989. Except for PL251, the A/PPFD curves of the tested clones increased steadily with increasing illumination levels but flattened at the 600 µmol·m^–2·s^–1 PPFD level due to the effect of photorespiration on the assimilation rate. For PL251, the A/PPFD curve decreased at the 1 200 µmol·m^–2·s^–1 PPFD level. Unlike A/PPFD results, the PSII/PPFD exponential curve decreased as the PPFD level increased. Europe is forecast to experience significant negative climate change factors, including increased drought, heat, and irregular precipitation. Under such conditions, relatively drought-tolerant tree species such as black locust will play a vital role in new afforestation and uninterrupted wood supply. Consequently, growing and improving newly bred black locust clones, including the ecophysiological studies of relatively drought-tolerant clones, is increasingly vital.

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 aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of feed restriction and the combination of feed restriction with pasture on the performance parameters of fast-growing chickens, the proportion of internal organs and the caecum microbiota. In the experiment, one-day-old Ross 308 chickens were divided into three groups. Group 1 was fed ad libitum (AL), group 2 was restricted on feed at a rate of 70% ad libitum (R), group 3 was restricted to the same age and level as group 2, and was restricted to 22 days on pasture (FR). Feed restriction and the combination of feed restriction and pasture significantly reduced body weight beginning at the age of 14 days and at the end of the experiment (at 35 days), mortality, and the European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF) but improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR) beginning at the 4^th week of age. Conversely, feed restriction and the combination of feed restriction and pasture significantly increased the proportion of liver, gizzard and Lactobacillus in the caecum. In summary, feed restriction and the combination of feed restriction in the free range had negative effects on growth, feed conversion ratio and economic profit, presumably because of the short realimentation period and because pasture did not have a beneficial effect.

Foliar application of selenium (Se) is an effective measure to increase Se concentrations in peanut pods. However, how the foliar application of amino acid-chelated selenite affects the photosynthetic characteristics of peanut leaves at the podding stage is still unclear. Here, the effects of Se on the activities of antioxidant enzymes, the concentrations of chlorophyll, soluble protein, soluble sugar, and reduced glutathione (GSH), photosynthetic parameters, and Se concentration of peanut leaves were investigated by spraying selenite, L-lysine-chelated selenite, and amino acid-chelated selenite solutions, respectively. The results indicated that foliar application of Se could significantly increase leaf Se concentration. The net photosynthetic rate (P_n), stomatal conductance (g_s), and transpiration rate (T_r) of leaves were significantly higher than those in the control. However, peanut leaves’ intercellular CO₂ concentration (c_i) decreased significantly. Further study found that the concentrations of chlorophyll, soluble protein, soluble sugar, and GSH in peanut leaves increased significantly, and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) in peanut leaves were significantly higher than those in control. However, there were no significant differences between the foliar application of selenite, L-lysine-chelated selenite, and amino acid-chelated selenite. Thus, foliar application of selenite, L-lysine-chelated selenite, and amino acid-chelated selenite could effectively enhance the photosynthetic functions of peanut leaves, which was closely associated with the improvement of antioxidant enzyme activities and the concentrations of soluble sugar, soluble protein, and GSH, resulting in inhibiting chlorophyll degradation and improving the photosynthetic functions of peanut leaves.

The study evaluates the results of a long-term research trial lasting 50 years in two research plots established in the 1970s aimed at solving the decline of the silver fir in the Czech Republic. A total of 103 different provenances occurring naturally across 12 countries were planted in research plots No. 67, Černovice (Českomoravská vrchovina), and No. 77, Nové Hrady (Novohradské hory). The total tree height, diameter at breast height (DBH) and assessment of the health status of all trees in the area were measured with the same methodology. Subsequently, the volume of large wood was calculated by the volume equation, and the growing stock per hectare was recalculated. Based on our analysis of average height growth, it was found that trees with the best growth came from provenances that included the Czech provenances CZ 70 – Ždírec nad Doubravou, CZ 82 – Vizovice, CZ 42 – Lukov, CZ 76 – Nýrsko, Suchý Kámen, and CZ 53 – Opočno. The last three mentioned provenances also dominated in other growth parameters (DBH and volume of large wood). Of the foreign provenances, D 146 – Schwarzwald mit Baar, S 9 – Kriváň, and S 6 – Čierny Váh produced trees that showed above-average values. The smallest growth in height was found in the trees from the provenances BG 132 – Rila, Borovets, F 104 – Departement de ľ Aude, I 228 – Vallombrosa, A 93 – Wörschachwald. Although some trees of Italian provenance achieve above-average volume, due to high mortality, they are not suitable for economic use in the forests of the Czech Republic. Based on the European zoning for forests, the units from the Central European region (3.11.0 – České Polabí, 3.32.0 – Schwarzwald with foothills and Baar, and 9.14.0 – Southern Apennine Mountains) were the best rated in all parameters. Specimens from 9.12.0 – Mountain forest of the northern Apennines, and 4.05.0 – Vosges showed the lowest parameters.

Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the main components of the hydrological cycle and plays a crucial role for water resources. It is sensitive to climate change, and therefore, estimating ET under changing climatic conditions is essential in comprehending hydrological processes, particularly in agricultural water management. In this study, the impact of climate change on ET in the Central Anatolia region of Türkiye was assessed. For this purpose, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 climate change scenarios based on two Earth System Models, HadGEM2-ES and MPI-ESM-MR, were employed for three future time periods: 2025–2049, 2050–2074, and 2075–2098. As a baseline period for comparison, the time interval spanning 1980–2000 was considered. ET values were computed by using the Penman-Monteith equation, recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization, along with five widely utilized methods. The study revealed a consistent increase in ET depending on the employed methods for the future period in response to climate change. The average of the ET amounts for the region was determined as 1089 mm for the reference period 1980–2000. As the average of the six methods utilized, amounts estimated by HadGEM RCP4.5, HadGEM RCP8.5, MPI RCP4.5, and MPI RCP8.5 models for the future period were obtained as 1 199, 1 285, 1 166, and 1 248 mm, respectively. Considering the results, it is found that the ET amount in the Central Anatolia region of Türkiye will increase by up to 11% by the end of this century under the optimistic RCP 4.5 scenario and by up to 19% under the extreme RCP 8.5 scenario. These findings regarding increased evapotranspiration play a significant role in water resource management and agricultural production planning in the region, holding crucial implications for sustainable agriculture.

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

Multifunctional landscapes, such as agroforestry, that improve soil health are essential in sustaining terrestrial life by supporting various ecosystem services (ESs). However, decision-making often requires more attention to soil health because its parameters have no market value. In this study, we aim to evaluate soil health parameters in cacao agroforestry and monoculture and their degradation due to erosion and to estimate their indirect use value (IUV). We develop a soil health economic valuation approach bridged by ESs because the economic valuation of ESs tends to be better studied. We estimated the IUVs of the eight soil health parameters by using the direct proxy revealed prevalence valuation method on the basis of the valuation of the four ESs they support: water regulation, climate regulation, nutrient retention and biodiversity. The total IUVs for cacao agroforestry were USD 633 with Endoaquepts and USD 723 with Dystrudepts and for cacao monoculture were USD 415 with Endoaquepts and USD 575 with Dystrudepts. Soil carbon has the highest contribution to IUV, followed by soil nitrogen. Agroforestry not only increases IUV but also minimises its decrease due to erosion. Despite economic valuations being subject to uncertainty, these results encourage the internalisation of soil health values in sustainable land management design.

Biochar has demonstrated potential for stabilising high yields and sequestering carbon in dryland farmland, but it is unclear whether biochar affects the carbon sequestration capacity and carbon balance of annual farmland ecosystems. For this purpose, we conducted a plot control trial in salinised farmland in 2019–2021, where we set three treatments, control, and two biochar rates, 0 (CK), 15 (B15), and 30 t/ha (B30). The results showed that biochar application decreased soil organic carbon stocks in the early part of the experiment (first freeze and freeze period); these increased in the later part, and overall, the biochar treatments increased soil organic carbon storage by 3–6% compared with the control. Compared with the control (CK), biochar inhibited the total soil respiration rate and microbial respiration rate significantly (P < 0.05) during the crop growing period compared with the freeze-thaw period. After two years of freeze-thaw cycling, biochar application increased sunflower plant carbon sequestration and net primary productivity and suppressed total soil microbial respiration, thereby increasing net ecosystem productivity. Therefore, the application of biochar is conducive to carbon sequestration in farmland ecosystems and presents a carbon sink effect, thus being a good choice for improving the soil carbon pool and reducing emissions in the northern dry zone.

Nowadays, the interest in research to determine the healthy compounds in fig fruits has increased, as many of them have been found to be beneficial to human health. This study aimed to determine the sugars, organic acids, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and volatile compounds in the fruits of 19 fig (Ficus carica L.) genotypes sampled from the Kahramanmaras province in Türkiye in 2018 and 2019. In the fruit of the fig genotypes, the total phenolic content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, the total antioxidant capacity was determined by the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhidrazil) method, the sugars, organic acids and volatile aroma compounds were determined chromatographically (HPLC/RID detector), (HPLC/UV detector) and headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometry (HS-GC/MS), respectively. The results showed that most of the biochemical contents and antioxidant capacities of the genotypes significantly differed from each other (P < 0.05). The total phenolic content and antioxidant properties of the fruits ranged from 50.29 to 580.59 mg gallic acid equivalent per 100 g fresh weight base (and 15.98 to 36.77% DPPH, respectively. Regarding the sugar content of the fig genotypes, the main sugar is fructose ranging from 3.35 to 7.37 g per 100 g. The highest fructose content of 7.37 g per 100 g was found in the genotype KMF12. A total of 58 volatile compounds were detected in the fruits of the 19 fig genotypes, including 18 aldehydes, 3 ketones, 6 esters, 2 terpenes, 17 alcohols, 1 acid and 11 other compounds. According to the obtained results, aldehydes, esters and ketones were found to be the major volatile compounds in the fig fruits. The genotypes with the highest values of the phytochemical and antioxidant properties among the genotypes were selected as candidates as a source of variation for breeders who want to develop new commercial varieties beneficial to human health.

Verticillium dahliae is a broad host-range pathogen that causes vascular wilt in plants. The Verticillium wilt disease severity assay on plants caused by V. dahliae mainly includes two methods, one is a plant disease grade classification based on disease severity statistics [namely the disease index (DI)], and the other is the V. dahliae biomass quantification in plants (namely the fungal biomass). In this study, the relationships of pathogenicity with the DI, pathogenicity with the biomass, and the correlation analysis of the DI and relative fungal biomass were analysed. The results showed that pathogenicity assessment of V. dahliae strains using the DI method was able to give an intuitive reflection of the pathogenic ability for defoliating and non-defoliating strains; moreover, the method of quantitative PCR for fungal biomass also had high repeatability and stability. As a whole, the correlation coefficient between the DI and fungal biomass values of 28 strains was 0.728, indicating that the two data sets were highly correlated; however, the correlation coefficients of the defoliating strains and non-defoliating strains were only 0.5384 and 0.4547, respectively. In conclusion, the correlation coefficient between the DI and the fungal biomass presented high consistency, which could provide some meaningful exploration for the more accurate pathogenicity identification of V. dahliae.