The genetic and phenotypic diversity of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L. Lam) germplasm collected from Luzon, Philippines, was assessed through integrated morphological and molecular approaches. A total of 264 accessions, including released varieties, advanced lines, and hybrids, were characterized. Morphological evaluation revealed distinct variability in vegetative and storage root traits. Leaf morphology ranged from triangular to semi-elliptical with pigmentation varying from green to purple, while lobe number reflected high phenotypic plasticity. Storage roots exhibited diverse shapes, from elliptic to oblong, and variable pigmentation (orange to purple), indicative of carotenoid and anthocyanin accumulation. Environmental conditions, particularly excessive soil moisture, influenced trait expression by reducing pigmentation intensity and inducing structural deformities such as grooves and constrictions. Phenotypic diversity analysis using the Shannon Diversity Index revealed high variability in vine pubescence and skin pigmentation (H′ ≥ 0.67) but limited diversity in mature leaf color and flesh pigmentation (H′ ≤ 0.33). Cluster analysis (UPGMA) grouped the genotypes into 10 clusters, reflecting both genetic variation and environmental effects. Complementary molecular characterization using 54 SSR primers, of which 33 were polymorphic, confirmed substantial allelic diversity. The mean polymorphic information content (PIC) was 0.909, demonstrating strong discriminatory power. SSR-based clustering grouped 156 genotypes into 12 clusters at a Jaccard similarity coefficient of 0.89, providing higher resolution than morphological analysis and delineating regional populations and hybrid groups. The integration of phenotypic and molecular data highlights the extensive diversity within Philippine sweetpotato germplasm. While morphological traits were environmentally influenced, SSR markers effectively resolved genetic relationships and population structure. This combined framework provided a robust basis for germplasm management and utilization. The findings underscored the importance of conserving diverse alleles and exploiting them for breeding programs focused on pigmentation, root quality, stress resilience, and yield improvement, thereby supporting sustainable sweet potato production in the Philippines.

Improvement of rice farming through use of biomass waste-derived biochar in combination with soil analysis-based fertilization (recommended by All-rice1 application) and alternate wetting and drying water management (AWD) is an important and essential approach for Thai agriculture and the utilization of biomass waste, especially in rice production, which is found to be the main occupation and an important economic crop of the country. For the use of 2,000 kg/ha biochar at the rate (All-rice1+AWD+Biochar) and not (All-rice1+AWD) in the farmer's paddy, both management forms were not affected the height of 35- and 65-day-old rice. In addition, the rice yield components of the All-rice1+AWD+Biochar rice cultivation were 100.32 grains/panicle, resulting in a rice yield (6,453.75 kg/ha), which increased by 10.04%. The All-rice1+AWD+Biochar had a higher total cost and variable cost than the rice cultivation according to the All-rice1+AWD, an average of 40,018.81 Thai baht/ha., It was found that All-rice1+AWD+Biochar rice cultivation had an average net loss of 15,121.25 Thai baht/ha. Although using biochar as a production factor in All-rice1+AWD+Biochar rice cultivation resulted in higher yields and total incomes more than All-rice1+AWD cultivation, it was still not worth the higher production costs of All-rice1+AWD+Biochar rice cultivation. For the environmental impact, the CC index of rice cultivation using biochar was 52.71% lower than without biochar. The AP index of the rice cultivation system slightly increased, with ammonia emissions (83.09% AP index) resulting from nitrogen fertilizer application, sulfur dioxide emissions (9.35% AP index), and nitrogen oxides (7.28% AP index).

Local banana germplasm accessions of Bengkulu Province, Indonesia, were studied to elucidate their similarity based on morphological performances using multivariate techniques. Low to medium correlation coefficients were found among 13 morphological characters of bananas, indicating that those traits are independent in nature. To facilitate interpretation of the results of principal component analysis, three PCAs, explaining 44.5% of the variability of the accessions, were adopted. PCA1 is characterized by pseudostem height, leaf blade length and peduncle length PCA2 is characterized by pseudostem color, bract apex shape, number of fruits and fruit length while PCA3 is characterized by peduncle length, fruit position, fruit length and immature fruit peel color. Using the three PCAs as the basis for clustering, the accessions can be grouped into four clusters to set apart their main habitats.

The application of organic planting materials influenced the physicochemical properties of growing media and significantly affected the growth and yield of Chinese kale cultivated in raised beds. Composted animal manures, particularly porcine and poultry manure, provided higher nitrogen and phosphorus levels, enhancing vegetative growth. Among the plant-based materials, rain tree leaves contained the highest nitrogen content; however, high nitrogen alone did not guarantee optimal growth, emphasizing the importance of nutrient balance and physical media structure. Rice husk biochar improved porosity, bulk density, and water-holding capacity, yet failed to achieve the highest yield when applied alone. The combination of filter cake or old mushroom lumps with porcine manure led to superior plant height, stem diameter, canopy width, leaf number, and leaf size. These treatments also showed higher leaf greenness, highest fresh and dry biomass, and lower root-to-shoot ratios, reflecting efficient biomass allocation toward harvestable parts. Although plant-based and animal-based materials showed significant individual effects, their interaction was not statistically significant, suggesting additive rather than synergistic effects. The superior performance of magnesium-rich materials such as filter cake highlighted the role of magnesium in chlorophyll synthesis and leaf development. Overall, integrating nutrient-dense animal manures with structurally beneficial plant-based materials improved the fertility and physical quality of growing media, resulting in enhanced growth and yield of Chinese kale. These findings demonstrated the potential of locally available organic resources, particularly combinations of porcine manure with filter cake or mushroom waste, as viable alternatives to chemical fertilizers for sustainable leafy vegetable production in raised bed systems.

The results showed that the three accessions of Clitoria ternatea had phenotypic diversity of flowers and flower colors, namely dark blue-double petal (CTE_002), light blue-single petal (CTE_006), and light purple-single petal (CTE_013. In addition, the three accessions of Clitoria ternatea also had total monomeric anthocyanin content, total phenolic content, and total flavonoid content determined in the ethanol extract of the sample. Accession CTE_002 with dark blue-double petals had a total monomeric anthocyanin, phenolic, and flavonoid content of 56.76 ± 1.32 mg/l. 40.82±1.40mg GAE/g DW, and 4.76±0.72 mg QE/g DW. Variability in the anthocyanin content of the three accessions was only found in flowers with values ​​ranging from 12.38±0.33 - 56.76±1.32 mg/l. The phenolic content of the three accessions ranged from 33.38 ± 0.37 - 40.82 ± 1.40 mg GAE/g DW. This shows that the three clitoria ternatea accessions in Bengkulu Province have high phenolic content and extract yield. Therefore, this accession can be used commercially in the food and cosmetics industry and shows high potential for medicinal plant breeding programs.

Results demonstrated that zeolite enhanced moisture removal efficiency, with significant reductions in moisture ratios which observed at higher temperatures. Specifically, at 40°C, the moisture ratio improved from 0.9175 to 0.8924, while at 80°C, it decreased from 0.8039 to 0.6275. Intermittent tempering further optimized moisture removal, achieving a moisture ratio of 0.4199 with a 20-minute tempering period at 60°C. The study employed the Henderson & Pabis model which achieved high predictive accuracy for drying characteristics. Notably, chlorophyll retention was maximized at lower temperatures and optimal tempering durations. Overall, this research underscored the potential of combining zeolite and intermittent drying techniques to enhance moisture removal and preserve chlorophyll, offering a practical solution for producing high-quality Moringa leaf powder in both small-scale and industrial settings.

A study on species compositions, distribution of phytoplankton and water quality in the Palian river, Trang province was carried out. The results showed that a total of 82 phytoplankton species were which diatom was dominant in both season. The total cell density of 20,504 unit/L was found in summer, highest in Palian estuary. The dominant species found in the summer were Cyclotella sp., Thalassiosira sp., Chaetoceros diversus, Chaetoceros lorenzianus, Bellerochea horologicalis, Thalassionema frauenfeldii, Thalassionema nitzschioides. And the total cell density of 20,138 unit/L was found in rainy season highest in Palian estuary. The dominant species found in the rainy season were Oscillatoria thiebautii, Amphora sp., Pleurosigma sp. and Bacillaria paxillifer. The concentrations of ammonia-nitrogen, nitrate-nitrogen and orthophosphate-phosphorus were higher in summer season (0.056±0.014, 0.081±0.045 and 0.082±0.011 mg/L, respectively). The diversity index, evenness index and richness index were in the range of 2.460-3.720, 0.344-0.506, and 1.279-2.135, respectively. The results can be used to evaluate primary production, including the production of aquatic animals in water sources which is used as an index to measure the abundance of the water source ecosystem in the Palian river, Trang province.

Water spinach (Ipomoea aquatica Forsk.) is important for its nutritional, economic, and environmental benefits. However, pathogen infections can impact its production. This study aimed to identify the fungal pathogen responsible for leaf spots on lowland water spinach. Infected leaves showed brown necrotic spots surrounded by yellow halos. Pathogenicity assays confirmed the virulence of the fungal pathogen WS1 in both lowland and upland water spinach. Through morphological, cultural, and molecular characterization, the pathogen was identified as Diaporthe batatas Harter & E.C. Field. Key characteristics of the fungal isolate included hyaline, septated, and branched hyphae, with conidia measuring 4.1 to 8.3 µm in length and 1.8 to 3.2 µm in width. The isolate displayed distinct growth patterns on various artificial media with transparent, flat, rhizoid mycelium on water agar; white, velvety mycelium with black pycnidia on malt extract agar and potato dextrose agar; and dark brown to black filamentous colonies on Sabouraud dextrose agar. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and β-tubulin genes matched reference sequences of D. batatas. The study identifies D. batatas as a fungal pathogen of water spinach.

According to the findings, UNIB C H23 outperformed the comparison varieties and the other tested hybrids. With a potential yield of 12.23 tonnes/ha, the UNIB C H23 hybrid is exhibited superiority in terms of growth (plant height, stem diameter, canopy width, and leaf length) and yield (flowering time, harvest age, fruit length, fruit diameter, fruit weight per fruit, fruit weight per plant, and fruit weight per plot). It is shown that the lowest incidence and severity of Pepper Yellow Leaf Curf Virus (PYLCV) disease (15%). With a potential output of 8.18 tonnes/ha, UNIB C H63 it outperformed other cultivators in terms of growth (plant height, canopy width), yield (fruit diameter, number of fruits per plant, number of fruits per plot), and disease severity (13%).

Bacillus subtilis strain was isolated from mangrove soil and evaluated for its biocontrol and plant growth-promoting potential. The strain exhibited key traits including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production, biofilm formation, and tolerance to high salinity (up to 10% NaCl). It showed broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, inhibiting the growth of both fungal and bacterial pathogens. Antifungal activity was demonstrated using well-diffusion and dual-overlay assays, effectively suppressing Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus arrhizus, and Mucor mucedo. Antibacterial effects were observed against Escherichia coli, Bacillus albus, and Xanthomonas sp. The cell-free supernatant of the isolate significantly inhibited fungal spore germination, as confirmed by turbidity assays. LC-MS analysis of the supernatant revealed the presence of antimicrobial compounds, including palmitic acid derivatives, fatty acid amides, and pyridine-based molecules. Bio-priming wheat seeds with this Bacillus sp. led to enhanced seed germination and increased shoot and root lengths, especially under saline soil conditions. These findings highlight the potential of this mangrove-derived B. subtilis strain as a promising bioinoculant for sustainable agriculture, particularly in salt-affected environments.