Agricultural Development Strategies Research Articles

Making Decisions on the Development of County-Level Agricultural Industries through Comprehensive Evaluation of Environmental and Economic Benefits of Agricultural Products: A Case Study of Hancheng City

This study aims to provide a scientific basis for the development of county-level agricultural industries through a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental and economic benefits of agricultural products. Focusing on Hancheng City in Shaanxi Province, this paper calculates and analyzes the carbon emission intensity per unit output value and the economic benefits of major agricultural products, assessing their comprehensive advantage indices. The research methods include data collection, data processing, and model construction, utilizing a bi-factor matrix analysis to explore the balance between environmental sustainability and economic profitability of different agricultural products. The results indicate that pepper and vegetables have the highest comprehensive advantages, demonstrating significant economic and environmental benefits, while soybeans show lower comprehensive advantages, requiring improvements in cultivation techniques and management practices. Based on the research findings, this paper proposes policy and management recommendations for different agricultural products, including focusing on the development of high-comprehensive-advantage products, improving cultivation techniques for low-comprehensive-advantage products, promoting green agricultural technologies, establishing a carbon footprint monitoring system for agricultural products, and strengthening agricultural infrastructure construction. The study’s conclusions provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the agricultural development strategies of Hancheng City and similar regions, contributing to the achievement of sustainable agricultural development and carbon reduction goals.

Development Strategy Of Agro-tourism For Sustainability Of Agricultural Business Entity: Case Study Of Sawangan Farm In Depok, West Java

Abstract The lack of net income that farmers receive often puts pressure on the sustainability of agribusiness businesses. This research aims to analyze the agricultural business development strategies through business diversification at an agricultural and livestock business in Depok City called Sawangan Farm Dairy. This study analyses the factors of internal and external environmental conditions that affect the increase in income and plans alternative business development strategies. The research method is descriptive-qualitative using internal factor evaluation (IFE), external factor evaluation (EFE). Analysis method were SWOT analysis and Quantitative Strategies Planning Matrix (QSPM). Sampling technic used were purposive sampling. The results of the IFE analysis show a score of 3.00, which means it is in the high category. This means that the Sawangan Farm business, from an internal aspect, has strategic value to continue to develop. The results of the EFE analysis got a score of 3.32, which is also included in the high category. This can indicate that the company has a strong external position to take advantage of opportunities and overcome existing threats to achieve company goals. The simulation results of the IFE and EFE analysis scores, or the IE matching stage, show that the company is in quadrant I. For the SWOT analysis, six strategies were found, and from the QSPM analysis, the first rank to be implemented was conducting tourism marketing through online media to potential market areas, namely the cities nearest major cities, with a value of 6.88.

Water Quality from Natural Sources for Sustainable Agricultural Development Strategies: Galapagos, Ecuador

Water is an essential element for agricultural sustainability. In volcanic islands, freshwater sources are limited, challenging the local farming water supply. Rainfall dependence in the Galapagos Islands limits continuous agriculture, and despite using natural water sources, their irrigation quality is little known. This study aimed to carry out a control–diagnosis of irrigation water quality of the natural sources of the four agrarian islands of the Galapagos, considering water quality parameters for the proposal of sustainability strategies in the water and agricultural context. The workflow included (i) freshwater supply situation diagnosis, (ii) physicochemical parameters measurement and hydrochemical characterisation, and (iii) irrigation analysis and sustainability strategies configuration. Results indicated that of the 34 sources analysed, 55.88% are suitable for irrigation and are located in San Cristobal and Santa Cruz. The remaining 44.12% showed problems with parameters such as faecal coliforms, salinity, metals, carbonates, BOD5, and COD above the national permitted limits. Six strategies for water and agricultural sustainability are proposed, including periodic water monitoring, academy–government–community projects, community water board creation, water sowing and harvesting systems, effective management of effluent, and agricultural strengthening. The study guides comprehensive hydric management initiatives to benefit agrarian development and food security, aligning with SDGs 2 and 6.

Utilizing Biofertilizer for Achieving Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy towards Vision 2040, Oman

Utilizing Biofertilizer for Achieving Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy towards Vision 2040, Oman

Constraints and Opportunities of Agricultural Development in Haor Ecosystem of Bangladesh

The Haors in Bangladesh are saucer-shaped, low-lying land depressions that form deep basins; they remain submerged for approximately half of the year, typically from June onwards. This fragile ecosystem spans over 2.0 million hectares in the northeastern region of the country, accounting for roughly 14% of the total areas, where approximately 19.4 million people reside. Factors including floods, flash floods, and low winter temperatures constrain agricultural productivity in the haor areas. It is a great challenge to change the haor areas from less productive to more productive land. This is a comprehensive analysis of the biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics of haors which also highlights the constraints and opportunities in agricultural production. It explores strategies for significantly increasing crop, livestock, and fish production within the haor ecosystem, in alignment with government policies. Some of the proposed agricultural development strategies for the haor areas include the development of short-duration, cold-tolerant crop varieties, such as Boro rice, utilizing relatively flood-free elevated lands and homesteads for vegetable production and promoting agricultural mechanization, livestock rearing, fisheries, and agribusiness development. The recommendations presented in this paper focus on enhancing crop yields, increasing cropping intensity, and boosting livestock and fish production; ultimately, they contribute to food security, poverty reduction, and improved livelihoods for the inhabitants of the haor areas.

The State of Agricultural Development and Industrial Prosperity Pathway and Strategy Design in the Context of Data-Driven and Rural Revitalization

Current advances in materials science are providing a huge variety of novel adsorbents that could be used for the transformation and storage of low-temperature heat, such as the heat generated by renewable energy sources.Achieving industrial prosperity is a key step in building an all-round well-off society and realizing agricultural modernization. In the process of industrial prosperity, there are also many problems: firstly, the long-term traditional farming in China has led to the information blockage and ideological constraint of most farmers in China, so that they are slow to accept new things and new ideas; secondly, due to the "one long and one short" characteristic of long growth cycle and short storage cycle of agricultural products, it is difficult for rural transportation and deep processing of agricultural products. Secondly, because of the "long and short" nature of the long growth cycle and short storage cycle of agricultural products, the demand for rural transportation and deep processing of agricultural products is high. This study is based on the problems related to sustainable agricultural development in traditional agricultural areas. The main purpose of this study is to clarify the sustainable development status of agricultural systems under different agricultural development paths in traditional agricultural areas, to establish a methodological system for studying regional agricultural development paths, to explore the optimal path for sustainable regional agricultural development, and orderly management of sustainable agricultural development in traditional agricultural areas, so as to promote the sustainable development of traditional agricultural areas with economic prosperity, social stability and ecological health. The experimental results prove that the optimized SGA algorithm has carried out good system dynamics modeling for the typical traditional agricultural area - the problem of choosing the agricultural development path, and the comprehensive evaluation of the simulation results.

Research on the Coupling between the Development Level and Efficiency of Green Agriculture in China

Accurately measuring the green development status of China's agriculture is of great significance for promoting the transformation of agricultural development modes, promoting green agricultural development models, and forming a sustainable modern agricultural production system. The purpose of this study is to provide scientific reference and practical guidance for the implementation of China's agricultural modernization and sustainable development strategy through in-depth analysis of the coupling between the development level of green agriculture in China and production efficiency. It has important theoretical and practical value for promoting the construction of agricultural ecological civilization. This article first analyzes the current situation and development efficiency of green agriculture in China. Then, the coupling between the development level and efficiency of green agriculture in China was analyzed. Finally, propose countermeasures and suggestions.

Land Use Changes and Agricultural Developments in the Tocantins-Araguaia Basin: 1985 to 2022

Objective: To evaluate land use changes and investigate agricultural expansion in the Tocantins-Araguaia basin from 1985 to 2022. Theoretical framework: The Tocantins-Araguaia basin has undergone significant changes in land use and occupation, mainly due to the rapid expansion of agriculture and livestock. This expansion, driven by factors such as the growing demand for food and agricultural commodities, has generated socio-environmental impacts and increased discussion about sustainable use practices in the basin. Methods: Images from the MapBiomas Project were used to generate land use maps and statistical analyses. Results and discussion: The results indicate changes in land use and cover in the basin over the analyzed period. There was a reduction in forest areas, most of which were converted into agricultural areas, which showed significant growth. Analysis of the evolution of agricultural production in the basin revealed an increase in the area allocated to agriculture, mainly for crops such as soybeans, sugar cane and other temporary crops. Research implications: Patterns of change in land use highlight the pressing need to adopt sustainable agricultural development strategies that reconcile food production with the conservation of natural ecosystems and the well-being of family farmers and local communities. Originality/Value: It is important to understand the trends and effects of changes in land use in the basin to guide sustainable natural resource management policies and minimize potential negative effects of these changes on the environment and local communities.

Analysis of the spatiotemporal velocity of annual precipitation based on random field

. Changes in precipitation directly impact river runoff volume, subsequently influencing food production, and the security of downstream urban areas. In this study, we introduce a random velocity field (RVF) capable of performing multi-step predictions while providing interpretable insights into precipitation variations. The RVF leverages the gradient of a Gaussian random field to learn spatiotemporal velocity patterns and employs a predictive process to reduce dimensionality and enable multi-step forecasting. Bayesian parameter estimation is obtained using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. Our analysis reveals a noticeable shifting trend in annual precipitation based on diverse real datasets. This trend serves as a valuable foundation for further exploration of urban flood control and agricultural development strategies.

Green Nanopesticide: pH Response and Molybdenum Selenide Carrier with Photothermal Effect to Transport Prochloraz to Inhibit Sclerotinia Disease.

Accurate pesticide delivery is a key factor in improving pesticide utilization, which can effectively reduce the use of pesticides and environmental risks. In this study, we developed a nanocarrier preparation method which can be controlled by pH/near-infrared response. Mesoporous molybdenum selenide (MoSe2) with a high loading rate was used as the core, poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) with acid response was used as the shell, and prochloraz (Pro) was loaded to form a pH-/near-infrared-responsive core-shell nanosystem (Pro@MoSe2@PAA NPs, abbreviated as PMP). Sclerotinia sclerotiorum infection secretes oxalic acid, forming an acidic microenvironment. In an acidic environment, PMP could quickly release Pro, and the cumulative release amount of Pro at pH = 5.0 was 3.1 times higher than that at pH = 7.4, and the efficiency of releasing Pro in the acidic environment was significantly enhanced. In addition, the release rate of PMP under near-infrared light irradiation was also significantly improved, and the cumulative release of Pro under simulated sunlight was 2.35 times higher than that under no light. The contact angles of PMP droplets on rapeseeds were reduced by 31.2 and 13.9% compared to Pro and MoSe2, respectively, which proved that the nanosystems had good wettability. In addition, PMP shows excellent adhesion and resistance to simulated rain washout. In the plate antibacterial experiment, the inhibitory effect of 0.5 μg/mL PMP on S. sclerotiorum was as high as 75.2% after 6 days, which showed a higher bactericidal activity than Pro. More importantly, PMP shows excellent biocompatibility and safety to plants, microorganisms, and cells. In a word, PMP is a green nanopesticide with a dual response of pH/near-infrared light, which provides a new strategy for the sustainable development of agriculture.

Redesigning a S-nitrosylated pyruvate-dependent GABA transaminase 1 to generate high-malate and saline-alkali-tolerant tomato.

Although saline-alkali stress can improve tomato quality, the detailed molecular processes that balance stress tolerance and quality are not well-understood. Our research links nitric oxide (NO) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) with the control of root malate exudation and fruit malate storage, mediated by aluminium-activated malate transporter 9/14 (SlALMT9/14). By modifying a specific S-nitrosylated site on pyruvate-dependent GABA transaminase 1 (SlGABA-TP1), we have found a way to enhance both plant's saline-alkali tolerance and fruit quality. Under saline-alkali stress, NO levels vary in tomato roots and fruits. High NO in roots leads to S-nitrosylation of SlGABA-TP1/2/3 at Cys316/258/316, reducing their activity and increasing GABA. This GABA then reduces malate exudation from roots and affects saline-alkali tolerance by interacting with SlALMT14. In fruits, a moderate NO level boosts SlGABA-TP1 expression and GABA breakdown, easing GABA's block on SlALMT9 and increasing malate storage. Mutants of SlGABA-TP1C316S that do not undergo S-nitrosylation maintain high activity, supporting malate movement in both roots and fruits under stress. This study suggests targeting SlGABA-TP1Cys316 in tomato breeding could significantly improve plant's saline-alkali tolerance and fruit quality, offering a promising strategy for agricultural development.

PROPOSING SOLUTIONS TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE TO ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE USING THE T-FANP MODEL

The aim of this study is to propose priority strategies for agricultural development amidst drought in Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam. In the context of drought, the agricultural sector faces significant challenges due to the impact of both natural and socio-economic factors. In order to conduct this research and propose effective strategies, the study utilized the SWOT analysis model via the TOWS matrix, delineating 15 strategies to pinpoint the most fitting approach for the agricultural sector. The study quantified and ranked factors within the SWOT analysis and prioritized strategies using the Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP). The outcomes identified advantageous strategies for agricultural production, emphasizing the evaluation and identification of drought while focusing on market development for economically valuable agricultural products based on primary crops. The step-by-step application of these prioritized strategies aims to contribute to the sustainable development of agricultural production in Ninh Thuan province and facilitate the utilization of a multi-criteria decision-making model in resource and environmental management.

Understanding the Chinese online fresh agricultural market through the extended technology acceptance model: the moderating role of food safety trust

PurposeThis study investigates how food safety trust works as a critical moderator in the Chinese online fresh agricultural market based on an extended technology acceptance model.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose a research model that integrates attributes from the technology acceptance model, perceived product quality, logistics service quality, risk, and food safety trust. Structural equation modeling was applied to estimate the causal relationships using data from 851 Chinese customers.FindingsThe results indicated that perceived usefulness, product quality, and logistics service quality significantly enhance Chinese customers' intention to shop online for fresh agricultural products. Further, the positive effects increase when customer trust in food safety changes from low to high. In contrast, perceived risk reduces Chinese customers' willingness to engage in online shopping, but the negative influence is weaker for customers with high trust in food safety than for those with low trust. However, perceived ease of use plays an insignificant role in predicting online purchase intention and the impact does not vary depending on food safety trust.Originality/valueThis study suggests managers should consider the important moderating role of food safety trust to make effective strategies for fresh agricultural e-commerce development in China.

Research progress on remediation of organochlorine pesticide contamination in soil.

Deteriorated soil pollution has grown into a worldwide environmental concern over the years. Organochlorine pesticide (OCP) residues, featured with ubiquity, persistence and refractoriness, are one of the main pollution sources, causing soil degradation, fertility decline and nutritional imbalance, and severely impacting soil ecology. Furthermore, residual OCPs in soil may enter the human body along with food chain accumulation and pose a serious health threat. To date, many remediation technologies including physicochemical and biological ways for organochlorine pollution have been developed at home and abroad, but none of them is a panacea suitable for all occasions. Rational selection and scientific decision-making are grounded in in-depth knowledge of various restoration techniques. However, soil pollution treatment often encounters the interference of multiple factors (climate, soil properties, cost, restoration efficiency, etc.) in complex environments, and there is still a lack of systematic summary and comparative analysis of different soil OCP removal methods. Thus, to better guide the remediation of contaminated soil, this review summarized the most commonly used strategies for OCP removal, evaluated their merits and limitations and discussed the application scenarios of different methods. It will facilitate the development of efficient, inexpensive and environmentally friendly soil remediation strategies for sustainable agricultural and ecological development.

EFFECT OF IRRIGATION SCHEDULING UNDER SURFACE AND SUB-SURFACELOCALIZED IRRIGATION SYSTEMS ON BEAN PRODUCTIVITY

The sustainable agricultural development strategy relies on optimizing field irrigation water use through modern systems that align with Egypts goal of efficient water utilization. Given limited water resources and the governments push for modern irrigation in existing farmland, this approach promises improved economic returns and better irrigation management regarding timing and quantity. To enhance water resource utilization for local bean crops in Egyptian conditions, our research aims to improve both subsurface and surface localized irrigation systems. Addressing water scarcity, especially in older farmlands, calls for transitioning from traditional surface localized irrigation to modern methods. We conducted a 2022-2023 open field experiment on clay soil at Giza Governorate. The research objectives were studying the impact of two irrigation methods surface localized irrigation method and subsurface localized irrigation method with three different levels of irrigation water applications, on moisture distribution, water productivity and some physiological indicators of crop plant length, number of branches, number of horns, number of seeds, plant weight and productivity. The results showed no significant difference between the treatment of surface localized irrigation with 100% water requirements and subsurface localized irrigation with 80% water requirement. Consequently, using subsurface localized irrigation with only 80% of irrigation requirements will achieve almost the same results with less irrigation water consumption. On the same regard, results showed that, the highest water productivity was obtained in the treatments A80 (4.7 kg/m³) compared to the treatments B80, C80 and A100where the water productivity were 4.5 kg/m³ 4.4 kg/m³ and 4.3 kg/m³ respectively, meanwhile the lowest water productivity was obtained in the treatment C100 which was 3.5 kg/m³.

PEMBANGUNAN SEKTOR PERTANIAN SEBAGAI UPAYA PENINGKATAN PEREKONOMIAN KABUPATEN SUMBAWA

This study aims to analyze the agricultural sector development strategy as an effort to improve the economy in Sumbawa District. This study used a descriptive method with a qualitative approach. The type of data used in this study is qualitative data in the form of research informants' perceptions regarding agricultural sector development strategies as an effort to improve the economy of Sumbawa District obtained through interviews. Informants in this study were determined using a purposive technique, namely determining informants based on certain criteria. The informants for this study consisted of the Head of the Agriculture Department, the Head of UPTD. Untir Iwes Sub-District, rice farmers and corn farmers. Data analysis in this study used the SWOT analysis technique. The results of this study showed that the SWOT analysis of agricultural sector development as an effort to improve the economy in Sumbawa District produces four alternative strategies, namely SO Strategy, ST Strategy, WO Strategy, and WT Strategy. In general, the results of this study describe that the agricultural sector in Sumbawa District has enormous potential to be developed as an effort to improve the economy in Sumbawa District. The priority of the agricultural sector development strategy as an effort to improve the economy in Sumbawa District is to increase the government's active role in the development of the agricultural sector and to collaborate with related agencies to design a program to accelerate the development of the region's leading agricultural sector.

Farmers’ Perceptions of Extension Officers’ Role in the Agricultural Development Strategy Command (KOSTRATANI) Program

Tantangan dalam program KOSTRATANI, antara lain adalah masalah koordinasi dan keterbatasan sumber daya, mempengaruhi persepsi petani. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui persepsi petani terhadap peran penyuluh pertanian pada Program Komando Strategi Pembangunan Pertanian (KOSTRATANI) di Boyolali. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah deskriptif analitis dengan pendekatan kuantitatif dan kualitatif. Lokasi penelitian dipilih secara purposif di Kecamatan Cepogo, Selo, dan Musuk yang anggota kelompok taninya lebih dari 200 orang. Sampel penelitian diambil secara simple random sampling, yaitu sebanyak 150 responden petani dilibatkan dalam penelitian ini. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan adanya variasi persepsi petani terhadap peran penyuluh pertanian, mayoritas responden setuju dengan kontribusi penyuluh pada aspek yang diteliti. Namun ada juga sebagian petani yang mempunyai persepsi negatif terhadap peran penyuluh. Untuk mengatasi persepsi negatif tersebut, diperlukan inovasi dan strategi yang dapat meningkatkan efektivitas konseling. Penyuluh pertanian perlu memperkuat pengetahuan dan keterampilannya dalam memberikan pendampingan kepada petani, khususnya dalam aspek ekonomi, sosial, dan lingkungan. Dalam hal ini penyuluh dapat melakukan pendekatan komunikasi yang lebih terbuka, melibatkan petani dalam pengambilan keputusan, dan memanfaatkan inovasi teknologi informasi dan komunikasi untuk meningkatkan akses petani terhadap informasi dan sumber daya. Rekomendasi kebijakan dan strategi tersebut diharapkan dapat memperkuat peran penyuluh pertanian dalam mendukung pembangunan pertanian berkelanjutan dan meningkatkan kesejahteraan petani.

აგრარული პოლიტიკის ფორმირების რეგიონული გამოწვევები საქართველოში

The modern world has entered an acute phase of irreversible changes and implementation of global economic transformation. In today's situation, a sensible, coherent, flexible and adaptable national economic strategic doctrine created by the state, delineating the proper role and function of the country's regional and agrarian policy, is becoming urgent. The Strategy of Agriculture and Rural Development of Georgia for 2021-2027 considers the creation of competitive products the main objective, however, the single action plan and the service programs available to the Ministry today do not leave the feeling that we have understood all the problems and challenges that arise at different stages, step or phase. Based on the foregoing, it is appropriate to raise the issue of policy options to promote production of agricultural products in the regions. Georgia's agriculture and regional development are moving absolutely haphazardly. It is this kind of inertia that needs to be stopped and urgently reformed and transformed, where the determination of the “rules of the game” of the institutional economy and the activity of regional structures in terms of statistical-analytical and situational-contextual studies become a prerequisite for targeted-program actions and the development of the field. It I safe to say that creating a regional agriculture and rural development strategy is an urgent and at the same time difficult task in today's situation. First of all, the problem is specified in the area of –administrative-territorial system and imperfections of legislation. As for the socio-economic aspects and the range of actions and thematic diversity here encourage us to think creatively and determine the advantages of causal programs. Contemporary world challenges in recent years show even more attention to issues of regionalization and the introduction of decentralization-deconcentration principles in the processes generally. The programs developed in the regions, which should be formed according to the “bottom-up” principle, fall under the institutional order network, because they become a continuation of the centripetal macroeconomic strategy of the government and create the needs of the centrist policy with the help of the principles of the regional economy. It is of the utmost importance that flexible and effective institutional changes appear in the regions, thus we will be able to analyze the resource potential and prospeects of the economy, motivate active behavior, which will replace evolutionary inertia and fragmentation with a complex, structurally-organizationally formed, technical-economically sound policy. The five directions of agricultural production optimization presented in the paper, starting from the land optimization formula and ending with the importance of introducing innovative technologies, are a single complex action module, where each has its own unique function-duty, and it is not unacceptable to disable or ignore them from a business and economical point of view.

Impact of membership in agricultural cooperatives on yield of smallholder tomato farmers in Nigeria

Tomatoes are one of the most significant fruit and vegetable crops in Nigeria. This could be ascribed to the fact that it helps many farmers support their way of life and improve their financial status. However, due to ineffective production management techniques, restrictions on the supply of pesticides and fungicides, access to information, market fluctuations, and crop shelf life, the yield of tomatoes is low. There is a need for powerful institutions like agricultural cooperatives to increase tomato yield. Agricultural cooperatives have been promoted in Nigeria as an agricultural development strategy that will increase crop yield and farmer income. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of membership in agricultural cooperatives on the yields of smallholder tomato farmers in rural Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure is used to collect data for the study. The Endogenous Treatment Regression model was used to analyze the data. According to the findings of the first regression (Probit regression), age, years of formal education, main occupation, years of farming experience, farm size, years of experience in tomato farming, aged dependents, distance to market, access to credit service and access to extension service have a positive and significant impact on the membership of farmers in the agricultural cooperative. The results of the endogenous treatment regression model reveal marital status, age, years of formal education, years of informal education, main occupation, years of farming experience, farm size, years of tomato farming, aged dependents, distance to market, access to credit services, cost of processing, access to extension service and agricultural cooperative membership are all statistically significant variables influencing tomato yield. According to the ATE estimate, the average farmer would produce 9.159 times more when he/she joined an agricultural cooperative. The conditional treatment effect (ATT), which assesses the impact of membership in agricultural cooperatives on tomato yield, was correspondingly approximately 9.447 and statistically significant at 1%. As a result, the typical farmer who is a member of an agricultural cooperative would produce a yield that is 9.447 times more than it would be if he/she was not a member of an agricultural cooperative. The study found that membership in agricultural cooperatives has a positive impact on tomato yield among smallholder farmers in rural Nigeria in contrast to what it would have been in the absence of being a member of agricultural cooperatives after adjusting for both observable and unobserved factors. Tomatoes farmers must be encouraged to join an agricultural cooperative to boost their yield.

Community Structure and Diversity of Endophytic Bacteria in Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Seeds

Endophytic bacteria play a crucial role in the life cycle of Spermatophyta, and exploring the beneficial interactions between seeds and endophytic bacteria is an effective strategy for sustainable agricultural development and improved crop productivity. In this study, we employed Illumina Hiseq high-throughput sequencing technology to analyze the amplified fragments of microbial 16S rRNA sequences from melon seeds of MR-1, HH and their F1 generation, which displayed varying levels of resistance to bacterial fruit blotch disease. Initially, we extracted endophytes from eight melon samples and performed sequencing, obtaining an average of 84,758 effective tags per sample. At the 97% similarity level, the number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) derived from melon seed endophytes ranged from 447 to 492. After filtering out low-level OTUs, we obtained an average of 65,866 valid tags from the eight samples, representing approximately 160 genera and 167 species across eight phyla. It was found that the composition of the endophyte communities in the eight samples was basically similar, and their abundance showed some variability. Furthermore, we utilized the KO and COG databases to functionally predict the genes of endophytes in melon seeds. The analysis revealed a significant enrichment of genes associated with pathways related to protein synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, substance transport, and metabolite synthesis. These findings greatly contribute to our understanding of endophytic bacteria in melon seeds and serve as a vital reference for the selection and breeding of high-quality melon seeds, as well as the prevention of seed diseases.