Agricultural Crops Research Articles

Plant Growth Promoting Microorganisms and Emerging Biotechnological Approaches for Sugarcane Disease Management

Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) is a highly valuable agricultural crop, cultivated globally in tropical and subtropical regions, primarily for its sugar content. Out of the 110 countries that grow sugarcane, India and Brazil together account for half of the world’s total production. Being an annual crop, it is prone to many diseases. The major diseases that can affect the sugarcane are red rot, wilt, sett rot, grassy shoot and pokkah boeng. Among the diseases Colletotrichum falcatum, Fusarium sacchari, Ceratocystis paradoxa, Candidatus Phytoplasma and Fusarium fujikuroi pathogen leads to more yield loss. Traditional disease management strategies, such as chemical treatments, conventional methods and biological control, offer limited protection throughout the crop cycle and raise concerns regarding environmental impact and sustainability. In recent years, plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPMs) have emerged as a promising alternative, offering environmentally friendly solutions to enhance plant health and manage diseases. RNAi has been explored to manage various diseases caused by viruses, fungi, and bacteria. By silencing key pathogenicity genes in the causal organisms, sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), smut, and leaf scald. The integration of PGPMs with RNAi emerging biotechnological tools and transcriptomics presents a sustainable approach to disease control, potentially reducing the dependency on chemical pesticides and promoting eco-friendly agricultural practices.

Seaweed extracts: enhancing plant resilience to biotic and abiotic stresses

Seaweeds are a natural marine resource containing many bioactive compounds such as amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, phytohormones, and antimicrobial compounds. Since ancient times, seaweeds have been used in various sectors, including medicine, food, and the cosmetic industry. Currently, seaweeds are a promising alternative to reduce the application of harmful chemicals in agriculture. Seaweed and its derived products have been utilized for plant growth promotion, immunity enhancement, and the reduction of biotic and abiotic stresses. In the current global scenario, synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides are commonly used to increase agricultural crop production to meet the growing demands of the world population. However, these chemicals pose significant threats to the health of people, livestock, plants, soil, and the entire environment. In contrast, seaweed-based products are emerging as a newer option for stress mitigation and reduction, offering an alternative to synthetic chemicals. This article explains the use of seaweed extracts to increase the tolerance of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. We also address the functions of various bioactive compounds present in seaweed extracts and the mechanisms by which they promote plant growth and induce defense against different stresses.

Sustainable bioethanol production by solid-state fermentation: a systematic review.

The escalation of the global population has accelerated the demand for sustainable energy sources such as bioethanol. Traditionally, bioethanol was obtained by the fermentation of sugar from agricultural crops and grains. However, this technique creates serious threats on the global food supplies, thus hindering the commercial production of bioethanol. Therefore, there is a need to develop new technologies and low-cost raw materials in order to ensure that bioethanol is economically comparable to the first generation of bioethanol. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) has been in the limelight within the scientific community because of its efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and promising technology to produce bioethanol. SSF involves the cultivation of microorganisms on a solid substrate in the absence of free-flowing water, which eliminates the need for sugar extraction and reduces wastewater production. This systematic review provides an overview of the applications of SSF in bioethanol production while presenting recent studies and advancements of this technology for producing sustainable and cost-effective bioethanol.

Cry1 resistance in a CRISPR/Cas9-mediated HaCad1 gene knockout strain of the Australian cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera conferta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

Helicoverpa armigera is a highly polyphagous species that causes huge losses to agricultural and horticultural crops worldwide. In the cotton industry, H. armigera, including the Australian subspecies Helicoverpa armigera conferta, is largely managed using genetically modified crops that express insecticidal toxins, such as Cry1Ac. Resistance to Cry1 proteins occurs and, in some cases, is mediated by changes to HaCad1, a gene that encodes the midgut protein cadherin. Around the world, numerous resistance-associated polymorphisms have been identified in the HaCad1 gene of H. armigera, but Cry1Ac resistance is rare in the Australian subspecies. We used CRISPR/Cas9 to disrupt the cadherin gene in H. armigera conferta and characterised the resulting phenotype with bioassays and transcriptomics. Compared to the parental strain, the newly generated HaCad1 knockout strain is 44-fold and 16-fold more resistant to Cry1Ac and Cry1A.105, respectively, while wild-type and knockout insects were equally insensitive to Cry1F. The disruption of the HaCad1 gene causes Cry1Ac resistance in Australian H. armigera conferta. However, Cry1Ac resistance remains rare in Australian field populations suggesting that Australia's approach to pest management in cotton has prevented widespread Cry1Ac resistance. © 2024 CSIRO. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluating Wheat Cultivation Potential in Ethiopia Under the Current and Future Climate Change Scenarios

Land suitability analyses are crucial for identifying sustainable areas for agricultural crops and developing appropriate land use strategies. Thus, the present study aims to analyze the current and future land suitability for wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivation in Ethiopia. Twelve variables including soil properties, climate variables, and topographic characteristics were used in the evaluation of land suitability. Statistical methods such as Rotated Empirical Orthogonal Functions (REOF), Coefficient of Variation (CV), correlation, and parametric and non-parametric trend analyses were used to analyze the spatiotemporal variability in current and future climate data and identified significant patterns of variability. For future projections of land suitability and climate, this study employed climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) framework, downscaled using regional climate model version 4.7 (RegCM4.7) under two different Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) climate scenarios: SSP1 (a lower emission scenario) and SSP5 (a higher emission scenario). Under the current condition, during March, April, and May (MAM), 53.4% of the country was suitable for wheat cultivation while 44.4% was not suitable. In 2050, non-suitable areas for wheat cultivation are expected to increase by 1% and 6.9% during MAM under SSP1 and SSP5 climate scenarios, respectively. Our findings highlight that areas currently suitable for wheat may face challenges in the future due to altered temperature and precipitation patterns, potentially leading to shifts in suitable areas or reduced productivity. This study also found that the suitability of land for wheat cultivation was determined by rainfall amount, temperature, soil type, soil pH, soil organic carbon content, soil nitrogen content, and elevation. This research underscores the critical importance of integrating spatiotemporal climate variability with future projections to comprehensively assess wheat suitability. By elucidating the implications of climate change on wheat cultivation, this study lays the groundwork for developing effective adaptation strategies and actionable recommendations to enhance management practices. The findings support the county’s commitment to refining agricultural land use strategies, increasing wheat production through suitability predictions, and advancing self-sufficiency in wheat production. Additionally, these insights can empower Ethiopia’s agricultural extension services to guide farmers in cultivating wheat in areas identified as highly and moderately suitable, thereby bolstering production in a changing climate.

Nano-fertilizers: The future of nutrient approaches for cereals

Nanotechnology offers a promising solution to address the nutrient demands of cereals, which are nutrient-intensive crops typically reliant on large amounts of inorganic fertilizers. These large quantities of nutrients are supplied to the crop by applying a huge amount of inorganic fertilizer as a soil application led to a decline in environmental systems, particularly affecting the soil health, lesser use efficiency of fertilizers and water resources contamination. In this context, nanotechnology serves as a potential solution. The huge demand for nutrients in cereal crops is met by nano-fertilizers. The nano-fertilizers are now playing a promising role in fulfilling the nutrient requirement of the crops by replacing the normal conventional fertilizers not only for cereals but also for other agricultural crops. The mechanism of action of nano-fertilizers is that they are smaller than the pore size of plant cell walls, allowing them to easily enter and reach the plasma membrane. Nano-fertilizers have 100 times greater surface area than conventional fertilizers, allowing them to easily interact with plant surfaces and increase the absorption of nutrients. Therefore, the nutrient-use efficiency of the crop is increased and shown a positive effect on the physiological and growth parameters of cereal crops, resulting in enhanced yield and improved drought tolerance. This review discussed, the effects and efficiency of nano-fertilizers on cereal crop growth and the correlation between physiological, qualitative, quantitative traits with nano-form of application in detailed manner. This review concludes that nano-fertilizers are the potential nutrient source for cereal crops like rice (Oryza sativa L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), maize (Zea mays) etc. and they are going to be a promising resource for nutrient management in agricultural crops.

Repeated Fed-Batch Culture Strategy for the Synthesis of Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) Biopolymers from Sugar Cane Juice Using Azotobacter vinelandii

In this research work, a main biopolymer group of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) in the form of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) was synthesised by a pure bacterial strain of Azotobacter vinelandii via repeated fed-batch fermentation. An agricultural crop, sugar cane, was used as the sole carbon source. Firstly, batch fermentation was investigated considering variations in incubation times (24 h, 48 h, and 96 h). The highest dry cell weight (DCW) and PHAs of 5.15 ± 0.04 g/L and 4.00 ± 0.04 g/L were obtained after 48 h of incubation time. The optimum time obtained was further varied to investigate the effect of the sugar concentrations in the medium. It was found that bacteria could grow very well and produced the highest DCW and PHAs (11.17 ± 0.15 g/L and 8.77 ± 0.06 g/L) when the culture medium with a 100 g/L sugar concentration was added. Later, repeated fed-batch fermentation was carried out to improve productivity. The results obtained revealed that PHA production was increased in the next cycle of the process. Furthermore, the final productivity (0.104 g/L·h) was increased 1.65-fold compared to the first cycle (0.063 g/L·h). Moreover, the culture strategy showed remarkable results, with reductions in both fermentation time and preparation cost.

The environmental and social opportunities of reducing sugar intake

Sugar is the largest agricultural crop by mass and has seen a rapid increase in consumption around the world. There are widespread public health efforts to curb sugar intake through targeted policies given its association with noncommunicable diseases. Although curbing sugar intake aligns with sustainable diets that meet essential environmental and health targets, such a shift may be challenging from a political economy perspective. Utilizing sugar for other purposes such as the production of microbial protein, biofuels, and bioplastics, or using sugar lands to grow other food items, or rewilding could provide health and environmental win–wins that could be more politically palatable. Here, we explore several potential scenarios to illustrate the option space from which national and international stakeholders could choose locally appropriate pathways for alternative utilization of sugar or its lands. While beneficial, such alternative pathways would require the integration of environmental, economic, and health policies to provide a smoother diet transition that reduces stakeholder tensions. Given the trade in sugar as a commodity crop, international approaches that compensate sugar producers for avoided production or incentivize them for redirecting sugars to other uses will be needed. Such approaches could borrow concepts from Just Transition Partnerships that have been applied to energy system transitions in ensuring a transition for major exporters of sugar cash crops across low- and middle-income nations.

Estimation of winter barley for loose smut resistance

In order to obtain high-quality seeds and high yields of agricultural crops, it is important to preserve crops until harvesting. Ear diseases cause the greatest harm, affecting the most valuable part of the plant. The studied causative agent of loose smut Ustilago nuda (C.N. Jensen) Rostr. destroys the ear completely, leaving only a black dusty mass. Winter barley is of great demand in production throughout the country, especially in the southern regions. Breeding varieties for resistance to this pathogen is still relevant today. The current paper has presented the results of the immunological characteristics of winter barley varieties undergoing competitive and inter-station variety testing. The purpose of the study was to identify winter barley varieties that were stably tolerant and resistant to the pathogen. The study was conducted at the infection plot of the FSBSI “ARC “Donskoy” in the period 2021–2023 using forced infection during the flowering period. There have been identified the varieties and lines of the ARC that demonstrated high and practical resistance to the pathogen. There has been identified a maximum number (102 samples) under the conditions of 2023, 78 samples under the conditions of 2022, and only 71 under the conditions of 2021. There were no highly susceptible samples in the studied material. The maximum damage was 34.9 % for the variety ‘Caprice’ under the arid conditions of 2022. There has been given characteristics of the varieties that have shown high resistance over all the years of the study, such as ‘Timofey’, ‘Step’, ‘Marusya’, ‘Kvant’, ‘Foks 1’, ‘Master’, ‘Samson’, ‘Sprinter’, ‘Dostoyny’, ‘Espada’, ‘Onega’. There has been noted that the breeding lines of the ARC ‘Parallelum 2019’, ‘Nutans 2137’, ‘Parallelum 2149’, ‘Parallelum 2136’, ‘Parallelum 2110’, ‘Parallelum 2131’ have shown high resistance to the pathogen.

Pilot Evaluation of Field Pea Accessions Under Water Deficit Conditions

Field pea, a key pulse crop for sustainable agriculture, faces significant production challenges due to drought, exacerbated by extreme climatic changes. This study evaluated 17 field pea plant introductions (PIs) and two commercial varieties under greenhouse conditions to assess their performance, determine the relationships between agronomic traits and grain yield (GY), and identify genotypes with stable yields under drought stress. Two water treatments were applied: 100% field capacity for well-watered (WW) and 60% field capacity for water deficit (WD) conditions, with drought stress imposed 21 days after planting. Significant genotypic variation was observed under both conditions. Water deficit significantly reduced GY, the number of pods per plant (NPP), plant height (PH), aboveground dry vegetative biomass (ADVB), and days to maturity (DTM) while increasing stomatal density on both adaxial (SD.ADX) and abaxial leaf surfaces (SD.ABX). Traits associated with GY in WW, such as NPP, PH, ADVB, and SD.ADX, showed stronger correlations under WD, with DTM being significantly associated with GY only in WD. Top-performing genotypes in both conditions exhibited higher pod numbers, increased aboveground dry vegetative biomass, late maturity, and lower adaxial stomatal density. Notably, PI 272215 was identified as a top performer under both conditions, with an 88% yield stability index. PI 180702 demonstrated comparable performance to PI 272215 but with no yield loss under the same conditions. These findings can be used for future field pea breeding programs aimed at developing drought-tolerant field pea varieties.

Comprehensive Review of Crop Water Requirement Estimation Techniques: Approaches, Challenges, and Future Directions

In order to meet the growing demand for water, water scarcity is a significant issue that needs attention. Agriculture crops are not getting enough water because of this problem. Consequently, figuring out how much water a given crop needs requires using the right method. Accurate crop water requirements must be measured in order to schedule irrigation effectively, which in turn leads to efficient crop water management. To restore the lost moisture and promote the best possible growth for plants, irrigation is used. Water management and irrigation scheduling fundamentally depend on an accurate calculation of the crop's crop water requirements (ETc). Accurate evapotranspiration measurements are necessary for effective irrigation water management. Evapotranspiration (ET), a process that measures the amount of water lost from soil and crops through transpiration and evaporation processes, respectively, is dependent on a variety of meteorological factors. A significant factor in determining crop water requirements and irrigation schedules is reference evapotranspiration. There exist multiple theories and methodologies for estimating reference evapotranspiration, ranging from empirical to physical based. Reference Evapotranspiration is referred to the idea behind ET is to calculate ET based on a reference surface that is comparable to a deep surface of green grass that is consistently growing, completely covering the surface with enough water, and looking stable. The goal of irrigation futures is to choose a suitable model for estimating reference crop evapotranspiration. In order to calculate the amount of water needed for a crop, multiply ETo by the crop coefficient (Kc), which is dependent on the phases and length of a crop's growth. Regression, fuzzy logic, Penman-Monteith, Blaney-Criddle, Hargreaves, ANN and WNN, and other conventional and non-traditional methods are used to estimate ETo.

Inhibition of the Growth of Four Phytopathogenic Fungi by Eucalyptus Wood Vinegar

Purpose: The objective of this work aimed to assess the wood vinegar (WV) from the carbonization of Eucalyptus wood in the inhibition in vitro of Fusarium sp., Ganoderma sp., Macrophomina sp., and Sclerotium rolfsii. Method: WV was added to a culture medium and poured onto Petri dishes. After, the fungi were picked up in 1-mm disks and placed in the center of each Petri dish. The experimental design had five treatments, T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5, with crescent concentrations of WV, respectively, 0 (control), 5, 10, 15, and 20 mL L-1. The variables evaluated were fungal growth, mycelial growth rate index, and percentage of mycelial growth inhibition. Results and Discussion: A gradual decrease in the mycelial growth, in the mycelial growth rate index, and an increase in the percentage of mycelial growth inhibition were determined for all assessed fungi in the concentration of 20 mL L-1 of WV. Hence, the conclusion was that eucalyptus WV presented fungi-toxic properties over the assessed fungi and the product can be considered as an alternative for the chemical control of the incidence of these pathogens in crops and forest plantations. Research Implications: The use of natural products with fungi toxic properties is becoming important for the control of pathogens that attack crops and forest plantations due to the harmful effects of the conventional fungicides on living organisms and the environment. The search for efficient alternative products is therefore a goal to be reached in the field of phytopathology. Originality/ Value: The use of natural products with fungitoxic properties has been gaining ground in the control of pathogens affecting agricultural and forestry crops. This intensifies the search for natural products that are efficient in the biocontrol of phytopathologies.

Analyzing the impact of climatic conditions on rainfed wheat yield in northwest Iran: a parametric and nonparametric approach

ABSTRACT It is essential to comprehend the relationship between agricultural yields and climatic conditions, especially concerning food security and the possible threats to crop output. Wheat is a crucial agricultural crop that covers a significant amount of rainfed production regions in Iran. This study utilized parametric and nonparametric approaches to assess rainfed wheat yield. The study centered on the Tabriz area in northwest Iran, examining precipitation patterns concerning rainfed wheat cultivation. The study focused on analyzing seasonal and distinct rainfall patterns during the cultivation period, utilizing widely recognized drought metrics such as the standardized precipitation index and the standardized precipitation–evaporation index. The study findings indicate a notable upward trend in rainfed wheat output over the analyzed period. The Mann–Kendall test resulted in a p-value of 0.031, indicating statistical significance for the observed rising trend. We conducted trend removal and normalized rainfed wheat yield figures based on seasonal precipitation to study the data more thoroughly. The second phase of the growing season was particularly notable, spanning from the completion of germination to the beginning of blooming. Instead of analyzing precipitation for the full growing season, concentrating on autumn precipitation or the time from germination to blooming might improve yield forecasts and determinations.

Smart Agriculture Crop Management Warehouse

In a developing country like India, agriculture is one the most important sectors in terms of financial gain and providing healthy foods to survive. Agriculture is the primary occupation in our country for ages and most of the population depend on it. Now-a-days farmers are facing huge losses due to some storage requirements, while storing agricultural products. A Farmer should have knowledge about the condition of their agricultural crops. Farmers are keeping their agricultural crops in warehouses to increase the lifetime of food grains. Food plays a significant vital role in life, once it involves food security that is littered with each food loss and food wastages. Reports suggests that almost fifty proportion of the food made world-wide doesn't even reach the individuals as they're wasted throughout harvest, transportation, or storage. One in all the point that threats to the farmers is that the loss throughout storage of crops in granaries and warehouses. If crop losses are reduced, it'll mechanically increase the number of food accessibility. To solve this problem one solution is that this project includes smart warehouse management and monitoring farming field, which includes temperature maintenance, humidity maintenance, fire alarms, stock measurement, Pest control. To assist and help the farmers who protects the crops by storing in warehouse, a fully automated enabled observation system is planned to be deployed in remote areas wherever the accessibility is incredibly minimum for farmers with smart storage facilities to scale back food losses and increase food safety. Keywords: Agricultural crops monitoring and controlling, fully automated technology, Sensors, Warehouse management system.

The Impact of Foreign Control on The Economic Factor in Southern Arabia Before Islam

Yemen's geographical location, which connects East to West, helped the recovery of its economy. Agriculture was one of the most important factors that characterized the economy of southern Arabia before Islam, as a result of its fertile soil and the availability of water in it, including rainwater, dams and valleys. The agricultural crops varied with Tayeb and incense were the top of Yemeni goods, so they called it the “land of Tayoub”. Yemen was also called “Green Yemen” because of its abundance of goods. The commercial factor also played an important role in raising the Yemeni economy as it served as a link between the countries of the old world. Various trade routes branched out, including land roads, as the incense road is one of the most famous roads that gained wide fame before Islam, as well as sea routes for the transport of commercial caravans. The industrial sector was equally important, with Yemeni workers excelling in diverse industries, the availability of raw materials in the country led to flourishing industries. All these factors contributed to the development of the economy, making it vulnerable to foreign ambitions. Several foreign powers, including the Romans, sought to acquire its wealth. Later, other external powers such as the Al-Ahbash, supported by the Byzantine Empire, and the Sassanid Empire extended their influence over Yemen's riches, ultimately affecting and leading to the demise of the Yemeni civilization. Economic factors were the main drivers of foreign control over southern Arabia.

Analisis Potensi Kawasan Pengembangan Lahan Pertanian Tanaman Padi Sawah di Kabupaten Tanah Datar

This study aims to determine 1) the level of suitability of wet-rice land on food agricultural land in Tanah Datar Regency, 2) existing land cover in Tanah Datar Regency and 3) potential wet-rice land development areas in Tanah Datar Regency. The method used is a descriptive approach with quantitative research. Data was processed using fuzzy logic, supervised classification, and spatial data analysis. The results of this study show 1) Tanah Datar Regency has 3 levels of land suitability with an index value of 0-0.59 which is classified at the level of unsuitable to less suitable for rice paddy agricultural crops, with an area of 7,583.9 Ha with a percentage of 5.5%. The second category of land suitability with an index value of 0.6-0.79 is classified as moderately suitable to suitable, with an area of 98,955.7 Ha with a percentage of 71.8%. The third category of land suitability with an index value of 0.8-1.0 which is classified as moderately - highly suitable for wetland agricultural crops, with an area of 31,267.7 Ha with a percentage of 22.7% of the total area of the study site. 2) Analysis of existing land cover using Landsat 8 satellite images in 2023 in Tanah Datar District shows that the structure of land cover in 2023 is as follows: dense vegetation cover covering 93,385.5 Ha with a percentage of 67.9%, followed by agricultural land covering 35,630.6 Ha with a percentage of 25.8%, settlements covering 1,828.3 Ha with a percentage of 1.4%, open land covering 137.6 Ha with a percentage of 0.09%, and waters.

Simulating Agricultural Water Recycling Using the APEX Model

Irrigation plays a vital role in many agricultural crop production regions. Drainage water recycling (DWR) is a popular irrigation water management system that collects excess water drained from cropland fields and stores it in on-site reservoirs for reuse. The efficacy of these systems varies by location, climate, irrigation frequency, and crop demands. Simulating this system would be beneficial for assessing the impact of water and land management practices on agriculture and natural resources. This study presents the development of computational algorithms for DWR simulation with the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model, along with the results for 39 testing sites where both reservoir and drainage systems are adopted. Simulating a DWR system with the revised reservoir module, the APEX model simulates irrigation water reuse ranging between 29% and 93%; sediment reduction of around 66%; nitrogen loss reduction of 23% and 73% for the mineral and organic forms, respectively; and phosphorus loss reduction of 22% and 79% for the soluble and sediment-transported forms, respectively. In conclusion, the results provided by the APEX model for sediment loss reduction align with field data, but discrepancies for nitrogen and phosphorus losses emerged from this test.

When “new” crops are not really new: California Indigenous communities and research and commercialization of elderberry

The article “Native blue elderberry in hedgerows bridges revenue and conservation goals” focuses on the commercial potential of western blue elderberry (Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea) plantings, primarily on private farmland in California. While blue elderberry is little known as a commercial agricultural crop, it is anything but new to the Indigenous people of this place. Many of the nearly 200 tribes that live in California have been in relationship with elderberry, and the land it grows on, since time immemorial, seeing all living beings as their own kin, rather than merely utilitarian resources. For non-Indigenous farmers and researchers working with elderberry, it is important to be aware of our state’s history of land dispossession and non-Native land management practices, which have often diminished California Native peoples’ access to and sovereignty over traditional foods, medicines and cultural materials.

Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on the Growth of Wheat Plant

Mycorrhiza is a symbiotic association between a green plant and a fungus. The current study was conducted to assess the effect of inoculation with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) on the growth of seeds of the wheat plant. Triticum aestivum, which is one of the plants that host the fungus, was studied by calculating the wet weight and dry weight of both the root system and the shoot system. In this experiment, roots colonized with AMF were used as a source of injection. Wheat seeds were injected with these roots and compared with other seeds without control injection. The injected plants and uninfected plants were allowed to grow for a period of 75 days. During this period, the plants were harvested over three periods 25, 50, and 75 days. Through this experiment, it was found that AMF have a high efficacy on the growth of the wheat crop, through a positive effect on the growth of the seeds of this host plant. Such studies on AMF are still rare in Libya, so we tried to follow up the previous studies, so we studied this kind of coexistence with this economically important agricultural crop in Libya and the world.

Microbiological activity of typical chernozem in cultivation of agricultural crops using agrobiotechnology

The article presents the results of a study of the microbial cenosis of typical slightly eroded chernozem under crops of corn for grain and oats under conditions of the use of agrobiotechnologies, including the treatment of seeds, soil, plants and post-harvest residues with microbiological preparations based on Trichoderma and Lactobacillus, as well as the use of nitrogen fertilizers and lime against the background of surface incorporation by-products. The research was carried out on the territory of the Federal State Budgetary Institution “Kursk FATS” (Medvensky district, Kursky district, Panino village) in two fields. In 2022, in the first field (grain crop rotation) oats (Avena sativa L.) variety “Borets” (predecessor – buckwheat) were cultivated, in the second (grain crop rotation) – hybrid corn (Zea mays L.) variety “Delitop” ( predecessor – winter wheat). The soil of the experimental field is typical low-humus, slightly eroded, heavy loamy chernozem on carbonate loess-like loam. It was established that during the harvesting phase under corn and oats, regardless of the factors (microbiological preparations, nitrogen fertilizers and lime) of the experiment, the soil was characterized by an increase in the number of saprophytic microflora and micromycetes compared to the phase of crop germination. The introduction of microbiological preparations based on Trichoderma and Lactobacillus with nitrogen fertilizers and by-products contributed to an increase in soil biogenicity, which on average during the growing season exceeded the control by 43.9 and 57.2%, respectively, under corn and oats. The maximum number of microscopic fungi was noted with the combined use of Trichoplant, SK and Biogor-Zh with mineral nitrogen, but the soil under oats in terms of the content of fungal microflora was 8.9 thousand CFU/g soils exceeded their amount under corn crops. The highest value of the transformation coefficient of organic matter was observed when by-products were inoculated with microbiological preparations with lime, regardless of the culture and timing of determination (phases of germination and harvesting of crops).