Agricultural Research Institute Research Articles

EVALUATION OF COMMERCIAL AND COLLECTION VARIETIES OF BARLEY FOR RESISTANCE TO MAJOR FUNGAL DISEASES IN FIELD CONDITIONS

Barley is an important grain feed crop. A significant amount of it is also used for the production of cereals and beer. Barley ranks fourth in the world in terms of sown area (about million hectares) and grain harvest. The volume of barley crops in the Republic of Kazakhstan is reaching 2 million hectare. In 2021-2023 on the experimental field of the Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Growing conducted a field assessment of the resistance of 216 varieties of winter and spring domestic barley origin to the most common fungal diseases in Kazakhstan Over three years of field research, it was possible to obtain objective data on the reaction to infection with a pathogen. Based on the results of phytopathological assessment, sources of resistance to major fungal diseases were selected among barley varieties. We divided the studied varieties into groups based on the degree of resistance (susceptibility) to the causative agents of fungal diseases, highly resistant (damage rate 0%) not detected, resistant: were discovered 59 varieties of winter and spring barley resistant to fungal diseases.

Changes in the biological and nutritional value of pea and bean grains as a result of their bioactivation

The relevance of the study is due to the need to improve the technology for processing peas and beans of domestic selection into plant-based drinks and their use in technologies for alternative products of complex raw materials for healthy, functional and specialized nutrition of various population groups. The purpose of the work is to study the influence of the developed technological modes of bioactivation on the nutritional and biological value, functional and technological properties of the protein-carbohydrate complex of pea and bean grains. The work examines the results of studies of changes occurring in pea grains bred at the Bashkir Research Institute of Agriculture and beans bred at the Omsk State Agrarian University during their bioactivation using the Smart Sprouter "Rosinka" installation, in particular the biochemical composition and inhibitory activity of grain of the studied varieties, a protein complex and amino acid composition, protein digestibility in vitro, functional and technological properties of the protein-carbohydrate complex of grain. The research has been carried out using generally accepted, modern instrumental methods for analyzing the properties of raw materials and finished products. It has been established that the use of the developed technological parameters of bioactivation leads to modification of the functional and technological properties of the structure-forming nutrients of grain, intensive accumulation of all amino acids, with the exception of threonine, make it possible to increase the protein content in pea grain by 15.32 % and beans by 14.96 %, relative to the initial values increase the degree of compliance of pea and bean grain protein with the FAO/WHO reference protein by 4.48 and 17.53 %, reduce the activity of grain protease inhibitors by 19.76 and 26.12 %, increase the digestibility of grain protein by 7.77 and 5.85 %. The research results prove the feasibility of using bioactivated pea and bean grains for the production of alternative products with a complex raw material composition, including plant-based drinks and products in the "dairy alternatives" segment.

Modern Drip Irrigation Technology on Tomato and Head Cabbage Production and Its Economic Feasibility at Misrak Silti District, Siltie Zone, Ethiopia

In Ethiopia various techniques were applied to improve on-farm irrigation water management under surface irrigation, especially on furrow irrigation system for last many years, however, it was very difficult to achieve threshold limit of water use efficiency, wisely use of scarce water resources in irrigated field, crop water productivity, precisely controlled application of irrigation water to plant roots, uniform water delivery to all plants, crop yield and its quality, regulate flow, deliver optimum crop water requirement, field water losses, groundwater withdrawal and save labor. It is great practical significance and series of measures using drip irrigation system to solve mentioned problems in irrigated field, because the irrigated agriculture is largest water-consuming sector in this area. This study was aimed to demonstrate drip irrigation technology, prove its economic feasibility and create skills of farmers and extension experts on implementation of the drip system on tomato (Galila 555) and head cabbage (Copen Hagen) productions within groundwater source area on Balo koriso main station in Misrak Silti woreda, Siltie zone, southern Ethiopia. The activity was done for four consecutive years (2019 to 2022 G. C) on fixed plot of 2500 square meter area in collaboration with Agricultural Research Institute and Techno serve project. During demonstration all the costs were considered to economic feasibility including initial investment cost. The study found that the use of drip irrigation saved 3690 m<sup>3</sup>/ha of water compared with use of furrow irrigation. This saved water may irrigate additional 2ha area of land by drip irrigation. This study also revealed that, a net income of 313066.04 ETB/ha in single irrigation season was obtained using modern drip irrigation technology. The farmers and local experts recognized noticeable saving water, fuel cost, irrigating time and labour, good crop performance from demonstrated drip irrigation system and shown interest to use the technology abundantly. Therefore, scaling up locally manageable drip irrigation system around the study area through comprehensive training of farmers and supportive staffs and allowing sufficient local market for drip kits and incentives or loan will be economically feasible and affordable to increase income and saves irrigation water.

Genetic variability and diversity analysis for some agronomic traits of a sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) collection: Insights for breeding superior genotypes

A study was conducted during the 2017 cropping season to assess the genetic variability of selected agronomic traits in sweet potato. A total of 355 sweet potato genotypes (351 from different countries of the world and four check varieties) were evaluated at Tuber Crops Research Sub Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institution, Bogura, Bangladesh. The experiment was conducted using an augmented randomized complete block design. Findings revealed positive correlations among five agronomic traits, namely the weight of marketable storage root per plant (MRW), weight of storage root per plant (RW), fresh weight of foliage per plant (FW), number of marketable storage root per plant (MRN) and number of storage root per plant (RN) suggesting their suitability for phenotypic selection. There was a positive skewness in most studied traits (FW, MRW, MRW and RW), indicating the presence of a few genotypes with exceptionally high values for those traits. By employing principal component analysis, the most influential traits in sweet potato genotypes were identified for first two components (Dim) showing significant contributions to Dim-1 and Dim-2 collectively accounting for 84.7 % of the total variance. Through cluster analysis, two main clusters (Cluster I and Cluster II) were identified among the studied genotypes, each characterized by distinct trait patterns. Cluster I demonstrated superior performance in all traits, while Cluster II exhibited lower values for all traits. Further sub-clustering within Cluster II (sub-clusters IIA and IIB) revealed additional variations of the collection. The Euclidean distance for inter-cluster (ranging from 7.94 to 11.39) and intra-cluster (ranging from 3.17 to 10.38) were determined utilizing the complete distance method. In restricted maximum likelihood (REML) model, all the traits were significantly influenced by genetic effects, with broad-sense heritability ranging from 32 % to 70 %. The REML displayed high selection accuracy, with values exceeding 91 % for studied traits. The Multi-Trait Genotype-Ideotype Distance Index (MGIDI) identified 18 genotypes, with Moz1.15 emerging as the best-performing genotype under a 5 % selection pressure. Among the selected genotypes, trait uniqueness was highest for FW (54 %), followed by RN (50 %), MRN (18 %), MRW (14 %), and RW (5 %). The selection gain for these top-ranked genotypes varied between 23.2 % and 69.2 %. Findings established the existence of useful genetic variability for selected agronomic traits of sweet potato that could be exploited for breeding, genetics study and conservation.

Method of obtaining and possibility of using of new complex fertilizers from flotation sludge – potassium-magnesium ore processing wastes

The results of research on properties of cinders obtained by high-temperature roasting of clay-salt waste (sludge) after processing K-Mg ores are presented. Cinders are used as complex fertilizers, ameliorant components and microelement fertilizers. Secondary wastes, after extraction of Pd, Pt, Ag from burnt sludge (cinder), consist of sludge after deslagging of crushed cinder and “tails” after sand enrichment. Mixing these products, moistening, granulating and sintering forms result in a sintering product (CP) that is ready for application as complex fertilizer, ameliorating additive and microfertilizer. A study of the chemical composition and composition of impurities of cinders and CP was carried out. The identity of the composition of cinders and CP has been established. Tests with cinders and CP as a complex of fertilizers, ameliorants and microfertilizers were carried out. The research was carried out on the experimental field of Perm Agricultural Research Institute, on sod-podzolic heavy loamy soil formed on the deluvium of Permian clays, this soil represents up to 70% of the arable lands of the Perm region, the studied crop was potato. The yield of potato when applying cinder as an ameliorant additive was higher by 6.05 t/ha compared to the control (the use of traditional fertilizers provided an increase of 3.56 t/ha). For the first time determination of chemical composition including trace elements studies was fulfilled in potato tubers from unfertilized variants, plots fertilized with traditional fertilizers and plots fertilized with cinders. Two components of tubers – peel and pulp – were analyzed using a mass spectral method, with decomposition in a closed system (autoclave). Most of the elements were characterized by a higher content in the peel (almost an order of magnitude) compared to the pulp. An inverse relationship was observed for P and S, their content was higher in pulp than in peel. In the variant with the use of cinder, a higher content of microelements, especially rare-earths elements, was observed compared to the control. A method for processing sludge to extract Pd, Pt, Ag, results in secondary wastes, that can be used as complex slow-release fertilizers, ameliorating additives and microelement-containing fertilizers.

MORPHOLOGICAL AND YIELD-RELATED POMOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF INTRODUCED OLIVE (OLEA EUROPEA) CULTIVARS IN RAINFED AREA OF POTHOWAR PUNJAB

This study aims at pomological characterizing of 09 olive cultivars planted in the field area of Barani Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Chakwal to estimate genetic variability in Ottobratica, Hamdi, FS-17, Gerboi, Arbequina, Persia, Nabali, Koroneiki and Earlik. Following pomological traits: fruit and stone weight (g), fruit and stone size (cm), fruit and stone shape index (length/width) and flesh to stone ratio were studied. Data for studied traits were collected in 2019 according to the International olive council descriptor. A significant genetic difference was noticed in the morphological characteristics of both fruit and stone. Different pomological characters were expressed by each cultivar. A wide range of variation was noticed in fruit weight (1.33-5.57g), stone weight (0.20-0.63g) and flesh/stone ratio (0.90-4.96). Based on their fruit shape, studied cultivars were classified into two groups i.e., ovoid and elongate. However, no significant difference was recorded for the stone shape, as all the studied cultivars had the same elongated stone shape. Concerning the fruit size, high fruit size (4-6g) was observed in FS-17, Hamdi, Earlik and Persia whereas Koroneiki, Nabali and Gerboi had the smallest ones (>2g). Based on our results, Earlik, Hamdi and FS-17 are suggested to be more appropriate for table olive production. Thus, an evaluation of genetic diversity through this study can help in the varietal development of olive for table and oil purposes.

Evaluation of Mung Bean Accessions for Salt Tolerance Based on Germination and Seedling Traits

Ten mung bean accessions collected from Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute were exposed to two salinity levels (control and 8 dS m−1) to observe the sensitivity of their germination and early seedling traits. The observations were recorded on germination percentage, rate of germination, coefficient of germination, shoot length, root length and seedling dry weight. The accessions, salinity levels and their interaction exhibited significant differences for all the traits. The mean performance of all the traits reduced under salt stress as compared to control. Salt tolerant accessions showed less reduction in their germination and seedling traits under salinity than the other accessions tested. Considering salt tolerance index (STI) based on seedling dry weight, the order of tolerance was BD- 6882 > BD-10022 > BD-10024 > BD-10026 > BD-10023 > BD-10027 > BD-6885 > BD-6887 > BD- 6884 > BD-6875. Based on relative total dry weight (RTDW), three accessions viz. BD-6882, BD- 10022 and BD-10024 were identified as salt tolerant and other seven as moderately salt tolerant. The identified salt tolerant accessions could be a useful stock for further breeding programs to develop salt tolerant mung bean genotype of considerable economic value. Bangladesh Agron. J. 2024, 26(2): 16-26

Analysis of hybrid potato populations in the conditions of the Magadan region

The priority direction in potato breeding in the Magadan region, given the short growing season and heat shortage, is the creation of predominantly early-ripening potato varieties. The article presents the results of the evaluation of potato breeding samples in terms of productivity and ripeness. Over two years, about three thousand samples of 67 hybrid combinations have been studied. The research was carried out in 2022–2023 on the experimental field of the Magadan Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture on floodplain, sod-alluvial, pebble-sandy loam soils. More than two thousand samples represented by 25 hybrid combinations were studied in the nursery of seedlings. Hybrid combinations characterized by a high frequency of selection of promising forms are identified, such as Arctica × Elbeida, Udacha × Bellarosa, Krone × Bellarosa, Charoite × Bellarosa, Krone × Labadia, Arctica × Gala. In these hybrid combinations, from 7.6 to 17.9% of the samples from the total number of the seedlings planted in the field were selected as clones. The samples with high productivity indicators were selected in the nursery of hybrids of the 1st year. The maximum weight of tubers of one plant was noted in the populations of Columba × Krepysh – 2010, Udacha × Bellarosa – 1820, Arctica × Elbeida – 1825, Charoite × Bellarosa – 1800. In the nursery of hybrids of the 2nd year, hybrids with productivity exceeding 1000 g/bush, such as Columba × Krepysh (2700 g/bush), Udacha × Bellarosa (1950 g/bush), Arctica × Krepysh (1670 g/bush), were identified in terms of yield and economically valuable characteristics. The frequency of selection of productive clones here exceeded 50%. These hybrid combinations are recommended for breeding research in the conditions of the Magadan region.

Effect of Pruning on the Growth and Yield of Indeterminate and Determinate Tomato Variety in the Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria

Pruning is a management practice that helps to increase fruit yield and quality of fruit, better aeration, better exposure of foliage to sunlight and photosynthetic. Pruning is not a common practice among tomato growers in Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria and most of the farmers have no idea about it. Field trials were conducted concurrently during the dry season of 2020 on the Research Farms of the Institute for Agricultural Research, Samaru (11o 11ꞌN, 07o 38ꞌE 686 m above sea level) and Farmers field in Kujama, (9o 34ꞌN, 8 o 18ꞌE 740m above sea level) in the Northern Guinea Savanna Ecological Zones of Nigeria; to determine the effect of pruning on the growth and yield of indeterminate and determinate hybrid tomato varieties. The experiment consisted of 12 treatments comprising of three pruning techniques (no-pruning, pruning on one stem and two stems) and four varieties of tomato (1 indeterminate hybrid tomato; Larisa F1, 2 determinate hybrid Delta F1, and Platinum F1), and one determinate open pollinated variety (UC82B). The four varieties of tomato with three pruning techniques were factorially combined and laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. The result at both locations showed varietal significant differences on growth parameters such as higher plant height, shoot dry weight, leaf area index, crop growth rate, relative crop growth rate, and yield attribute such as fruit diameter, fruits weight per plant, where Larisa F1 performed better than other varieties. Pruning tomato plant to two- stem and one-stem significantly increased growth parameters where two-stem pruned plants performed best. Variety × pruning interaction on total fresh fruit yield indicated that the combination of Larisa F1 with two-stem was found suitable for maximum fruit yield though at par with Larisa F1 one-stem and unpruned.

Revolutionizing Garden Pea Yield: A Synergistic Strategy with Plant Extracts, Bio-control Agents and Fungicides for Root Rot Disease Management and Optimal Productivity

Background: Pea, a vegetable crop cultivated in cooler regions globally, holds substantial economic significance in India. Unfortunately, root rot poses a significant challenge, especially during the early stages of plant growth, with Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi identified as the causative agent. To address this issue, a comprehensive study was conducted over two consecutive years, evaluating the efficacy of various plant extracts, bioagents and fungicides, both in field and laboratory settings, to control root rot in pea. Methods: A field experiment was conducted at Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Jaipur in the Rabi seasons of 2021-22 and 2022-23 aimed to develop a sustainable strategy to gather valuable insights and observations throughout the growing seasons to combat root rot in pea crops, specifically using the susceptible variety Arkel. Result: Among all fungicides, plant extracts and bio-control agents that demonstrated efficacy in laboratory settings were subsequently evaluated in real-field conditions. In field condition seed treatment with tebuconazole 50%+ trifloxystrobin 25% at 0.1% along with soil application of neem cake at 5q/ha was found best with minimum disease incidence and maximum pod yield (75.80 q/ha). Among these treatments, neem cake was the most effective in reducing the incidence of root rot in peas compared to the application of mustard cake.

Identification of Quantitative Trait Loci Associated with Plant Adaptation Traits Using Nested Association Mapping Population.

This study evaluated 290 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) of the nested association mapping (NAM) population from the UK. The population derived from 24 families, where a common parent was "Paragon," one of the UK's spring wheat cultivar standards. All genotypes were tested in two regions of Kazakhstan at the Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Industry (KRIAPI, Almaty region, Southeast Kazakhstan, 2019-2022 years) and Alexandr Barayev Scientific-Production Center for Grain Farming (SPCGF, Shortandy, Akmola region, Northern Kazakhstan, 2019-2022 years). The studied traits consisted of plant adaptation-related traits, including heading date (HD, days), seed maturation date (SMD, days), plant height (PH, cm), and peduncle length (PL, cm). In addition, the yield per m2 was analyzed in both regions. Based on a field evaluation of the population in northern and southeastern Kazakhstan and using 10,448 polymorphic SNP (single-nucleotide polymorphism) markers, the genome-wide association study (GWAS) allowed for detecting 74 QTLs in four studied agronomic traits (HD, SMD, PH, and PL). The literature survey suggested that 16 of the 74 QTLs identified in our study had also been detected in previous QTL mapping studies and GWASs for all studied traits. The results will be used for further studies related to the adaptation and productivity of wheat in breeding projects for higher grain productivity.

The future of the Chimborazo paper sector: Strategic Management, development and road infrastructure

Introduction: Chimborazo, a mountainous province in Ecuador, stood out as a major potato producer. Its climatic and geographical conditions favored the cultivation of this tuber, which not only fed the local population but also boosted the regional economy. However, the quality of the road infrastructure posed a significant obstacle to the sector's development. Methods: The research aimed to explore the situation of potato production in Chimborazo, highlighting its potential and the challenges it faced, particularly regarding road infrastructure. The methodology applied consisted of reviewing information from official sources such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, the National Institute of Agricultural Research, and the Provincial Government of Chimborazo. Results: The research determined that potato production in Chimborazo presented high potential, driven by favorable agroecological conditions and market demand. However, this potential was limited by poor road infrastructure, which led to harvest losses, increased transportation costs, and restricted marketing opportunities. Conclusions: It was concluded that investment in road infrastructure, including roads, bridges, drainage, and adequate signage, was essential to strengthen Chimborazo's potato sector. This would reduce losses, optimize transportation logistics, and expand market access possibilities

Caracterización morfoagronómica de poblaciones de maíz criollo (Zea mays L.), provincia de Manabí, Ecuador

Ecuador is a country with a wide genetic diversity of maize and there are populations of native maize conserved by farmers that have not yet been characterized. These genetic resources could be conserved and used in plant breeding programs. The objective of this research was to characterize the morpho-agronomic diversity of 38 populations of native maize from the province of Manabí, Ecuador, using 19 quantitative and 11 qualitative morpho-agronomic descriptors. During the dry season of 2022 (July - December) at the Portoviejo Experimental Station of the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INIAP), plots of 8 m2 were established for each population of native maize, with 0.3 m between plants and 0.8 m between furrows and each furrow was 5 m long. Cluster analysis showed the formation of four groups, where the populations of hard kernels with large ears and soft kernels with short ears were separated into different groups. The quantitative variables ear height, panicle length, percentage of lodging, number of kernels per row and biomass of the inflorescence rachis recorded "D" indices of 0.75, showing themselves as discriminant variables in the formation of the groups, while the most discriminating qualitative variables were kernel type (χ2 = 49.09***, P= 0.742, V= 0.64), kernel color (χ2= 51.955***, P= 0.75, V=0.64), row arrangement (χ2= 18.11*, P=0.56, V=0.39), and kernel surface shape (χ2 = 20.52*, P=0.58, V=0.41). The native maize races identified were Candela, Cubano, Tuxpeño, Tusilla, and Uchima, observing significant genetic diversity in the populations studied. It was concluded that the characterized native maize populations were a valuable genetic resource for the conservation and use of this cereal. Keywords: genotypes, landraces, genetic variability, conservation of genetic resources.

GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDY OF YIELD-RELATED TRAITS IN A NESTED ASSOCIATION MAPPING POPULATION GROWN IN KAZAKHSTAN

This study evaluated 290 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) from the Nested Association Mapping (NAM) population in the UK, consisting of 24 hybrid families. All genotypes were grown in southeastern Kazakhstan (Kazakh Research Institute of Agriculture and Plant Growing, Almaty region, 2021-2022) and northern Kazakhstan (Alexandr Barayev Scientific-Production Center for Grain Farming, Akmola region, 2020). The studied traits included six yield-related characteristics: spike length (SL, cm), number of productive spikes per plant (NPS, pcs), number of kernels per spike (NKS, pcs), weight of kernels per spike (WKS, g), thousand kernel weight (TKW, g), and yield per square meter (YM2, g/m2). The significant phenotypic variability among genotypes was observed, which was suitable for the genome-wide association study of yield-related traits. Pearson's index showed positive correlations among most yield-related traits, although a negative correlation was found between NKS and TKW in southeastern, and no correlation was recorded for northern regions. Top-performing RILs, surpassing local checks, were identified for NKS, TKW, and YM2, suggesting their potential for breeding programs. The application of GWAS allowed the identification of 72 quantitative trait loci (QTLs), including 36 QTLs in the southeastern region, 16 QTLs in the northern region, and 19 in both locations. Eleven QTLs matched those reported in previous QTL mapping studies and GWAS for studied traits. The results can be used for further studies related to the adaptation and productivity of wheat in breeding projects for higher grain productivity.

Moderating Effect of Strategic Linkages on Corporate Leadership and Organizational Performance in Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO)

The urgency of securing safe, affordable, reliable, and nutritious food amid a growing global population and shrinking land productivity underscores the pivotal role of corporate leadership in fostering strategic partnerships and organizational performance. This is crucial for organizations like Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) to enhance performance and drive agricultural innovation that ensure achievement of national targets and mandate. Understanding the dynamics between leadership effectiveness, strategic alliances, and organizational performance is essential for addressing food security challenges and optimizing the impact of agricultural research institutions worldwide. The projected 27% increase in global population by 2050 emphasizes the need for strong corporate leadership and strategic partnerships to ensure balanced diets for over half a billion smallholder farmers. Despite Kenya's higher productivity than East Africa and Africa averages, challenges remain in enhancing food security through effective leadership and strategic alliances, particularly within institutions like KALRO. The study explored the moderating influence of strategic linkages on the relationship between corporate leadership and the performance of KALRO. Rooted in organizational excellence, upper echelons, legitimacy, and stakeholder theories, the research employed a pragmatic philosophy, and mixed methods design to mitigate bias. The target population included 75 management organs, with 60 directors and 188 top leadership units as units of observation. Quantitative analysis, using a composite regression model and ANOVA, revealed a significant impact of strategic linkages on corporate leadership and KALRO's performance. The study verified consistent variances and normality across variables, supporting parametric analyses. Autocorrelation analysis indicated no significant autocorrelation. Multicollinearity tests showed acceptable values, ensuring the reliability of the regression model. No outliers were detected. Cronbach's alpha scores demonstrated strong internal reliability. Significant correlations confirmed associations between variables, aligning with previous research findings. Strategic linkages emerged as enhanced moderator, explaining 69.4% of the variance. In this case, the moderator variable amplified or strengthened the relationship between corporate leadership and organizational performance of KALRO. Rejecting the null hypothesis highlighted the positive impact of strategic linkages on performance. Conditional effects analysis revealed strong corporate leadership influence at low strategic linkages but diminishing at higher levels. Recommendations encompassed gender diversity, inclusive leadership development, regular performance appraisals, enhanced monitoring and evaluation system, and improved linkages. The findings provide valuable guidance for KALRO's leadership amid competing priorities and budgetary constraints.

Корневая гниль яровой пшеницы в условиях Зауралья, варианты оперативной защиты

Abstract. Root rot is a harmful and widespread disease of cereal crops. In the conditions of the Urals, Siberia, and Northern Kazakhstan, its causative agents are various species of fungi of the genus Fusarium and the fungus Bipolaris sorokiniana. The purpose of this study was to comparatively determine the effectiveness of microbiological, chemical and combined protection of spring wheat seeds. Field experiments were carried out on the experimental field of the Kurgan Scientific Research Institute of Agriculture – branch of the Ural Federal Agrarian Scientific Research Centre of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Kurgan SRIA – branch of FSBSI UrFASRC, UrB of RAS) in 2019, 2021, 2022. Scientific novelty lies in the determining the competitiveness of various methods of protecting spring wheat seeds in the conditions of the Trans-Urals within the framework of modern cultivation technology. The methods used are generally accepted in the Russian Federation. Results. In conditions of almost annual occurrence of negative natural phenomena for the growth and development of plants (droughts, frosts, sudden changes in temperature, dry winds, etc.), the use of seed treaters can be an additional stress for plants; the presence of the effect of shortening the underground internode can negatively affect field germination culture. To reduce these risks, as well as the pesticide load, we recommend using a combined method of seed protection. It involves the use of a mixture of a bacterial fungicide based on Bacillus subtilis with a chemical disinfectant at half the consumption rate. At the same time, the level of control of phytopathogens is maintained, there is no retardant effect, and economic efficiency is not inferior to the level of using a two-component chemical seed protectant (113–114 %). Chemical protection of seeds reduced the development of root rot pathogens by 63–72 %. The use of combined protection provided good control of phytopathogens, including the dominant fungi Fusarium. The predominant species from the genus Fusarium were the highly dangerous F. oxysporum, F. graminearum, F. sporotrichioides.

Estimation of Avoidable Yield Losses Due to Pest Complex in Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.

A field experiment was conducted during the Kharif seasons of 2022 and 2023 at the research farm of Rajasthan Agricultural Research Institute, Durgapura, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, to evaluate the yield losses caused by a pest complex on cowpea. The pooled study of both year revealed that the highest total avoidable loss was observed in the untreated control (NP) at 40.90%, followed by the PVS treatment (imidacloprid 17.8 SL) at 24.45%. The lowest avoidable loss was recorded in the PRS treatment (chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC) at 13.49%. The treatment PTS (imidacloprid 17.8 SL and chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC) showed the highest increase in cowpea seed yield over control, with a 69.24% increase, followed by PRS with a 46.29% increase. Conversely, the PVS treatment exhibited the lowest yield increase at 27.83%. Maximum yield of 1049.70 kg ha⁻¹ was achieved with the PTS treatment, while the lowest 620.40 kg ha⁻¹ in the NP treatment. The PVS and PRS treatments yielded 793.10 kg ha⁻¹ and 908.20 kg ha⁻¹, respectively.

ANALYZING WHEAT VARIETY NAWAB-21 FOR AGRONOMIC, PATHOLOGICAL AND ZINC BIOFORTIFICATION ATTRIBUTES UNDER MULTILOCATIONAL TRIALS

Wheat variety Nawab-21 is one of the elite genotypes of CIMMYT germplasm Harvest plus yield trial (7-HPYT, 2016-17) with high zinc contents and more yield potential as compared to earlier evolved biofortified and non-biofortified wheat varieties. The variety was initially screened out at the Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur, Pakistan in station yield trials, where it gave 5537 kg ha-1grain yield which was 11% higher than the check varieties. In multi-locational yield trials, the variety’s yield potential was recorded as 7007 kg ha-1 in Alipur region. The variety also came-up when tested in National Wheat Disease Screening Nursery’s (NWDSN) for disease (rusts) resistance in both years of national uniform wheat yield trials (NUWYT 2019-20 and 2020-21). Nawab-21 is medium in maturity with head emerging from the flag leaf between 90-95 days and matures within 140-145 days.

First Report of Rugonectria rugulosa Causing Dieback of Prunus salicina "Banbianhong" in China.

Banbianhong (Prunus salicina) is a valuable fruit crop cultivated in the southwestern regions of China for its high quality fruit and substantial economic benefits (Wang et al. 2021). In July 2023, dieback disease was observed in Banbianhong in Suijiang County, Zhaotong, Yunnan Province, with an incidence of up to 10%. The disease caused brownish nodules in the cortex of the infected plant, leading to dry cracking, and exposing grayish-brown xylem, which caused the plant to wither and die. Upon longitudinal cutting of twigs, lesions were evident and characterized by browning and necrosis of the cauline bundle and pith within the tissue. The diseased tissues were sectioned into 2 mm2 pieces and surface disinfected with 70% ethanol and 1% NaClO and rinsed with double distilled water. The tissue fragments were plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated for 7 days at 28°C. A total of six isolates were obtained, and two isolates (WG2-1 and WG2-3) were selected for morphological, molecular identification and pathogenicity testing. On PDA, the colony diameter of WG2-1 and WG2-3 were recorded as 5.50±0.56 mm/day and 6.08±0.37 mm/day, respectively. The microconidia of both isolates were zero-septate, smooth, greenish, subglobose to ellipsoidal, and measured 5 to 10 × 1.5 to 3 µm (n = 50) in size. However, macroconidia were not observed. The internal transcribed spacer rDNA (ITS) and β-tubulin 2 (TUB2) genes were amplified using the primer pairs ITS1/4 (White et al. 1989) and Bt2a/2b (Glass and Donaldson 1995). BLAST analysis of the obtained ITS sequences (accession Nos. PP581792) and TUB2 sequences (accession Nos. PP2815212) sequences showed 100% identity with Rugonectria rugulosa (accession nos. MG991753 for ITS and KM232007 for TUB2). Based on these characteristics, the isolates have been identified as R. rugulosa and have been deposited in the Agricultural Environment and Resource Research Institute plant pathogen lab at Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences. In this study, Pathogenicity tests were conducted on one-year-old Prunus salicina "Banbianhong" twigs to complete Koch's postulates. The twigs were wounded using a 1-mm sterile corking borer and 14-day-old mycelium plugs of isolate (WG2-1) were inoculated and covered with sealing films. Sterile PDA plugs were placed into the wounds of control twigs. Eighteen healthy twigs were inoculated with isolates or PDA plugs (n = 6 twigs/treatment, the size of the twigs: 8 cm length and diameter about 0.7 cm, with three replications) and were placed in a closed sterile tray with the wet filter papers in a thermostatic incubator (type, HYC-260) at 28°C, respectively. The twigs inoculated with the isolates exhibited brown lesions site of inoculation, whereas the controls remained asymptomatic. R. rugulosa was successfully reisolated from the lesions but not from these control wounds and was identified by the methods described above. R. rugulosa has been reported to be associated with the die-back disease of Falcataria moluccana in China (Wang et al. 2019). The occurrence and spread of R. rugulosa in growing areas of Prunus salicina "Banbianhong" in Suijiang county have caused severe economic losses. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the die-back disease of Prunus salicina "Banbianhong" caused by R. rugulosa. These results confirm the pathogenicity of R. rugulosa in Prunus salicina "Banbianhong" and provide valuable insights for developing disease management and prevention strategies.

Effect of Maximum Seasonal Temperature on Yield and Water Use Efficiency in Forage Corn in Consecutive Growing Seasons

High temperature negatively af fects plant growth and crop yield. The aim was to evaluate the ef fect of maximum temperature on yield and water use ef ficiency in forage corn with subsurface drip irrigation and surface irrigation in five consecutive growing seasons (spring and summer) in the comarca Lagunera. The study was carried out at the La Laguna Experimental Field, of the National Institute of Forestry, Agricultural and Livestock Research (INIFAP) in Matamoros, Coahuila. The research was carried out during summer 2019, spring 2020, summer 2020, spring 2022, and summer 2022 growing seasons. The variables were: maximum temperature, plant height, dry forage, water depth, and water use ef ficiency. The highest temperatures were recorded in spring 2022 and the lowest in the summer growing season of the same year. Overall, the highest plant heights occurred in the coolest growing season (summer 2022). A higher yield of dry forage (19 Mg ha-1) was in the 2022 summer growing season. The highest water depth was applied in the spring 2022 growing season (71 cm) and the lowest in summer 2020 (55 cm). This resulted in higher water use ef ficiency in summer. The variation in water use ef ficiency between growing seasons was due to higher temperatures in spring. Finally, water use ef ficiency tended to decrease by 19% as temperature increased from 30 to 38 degrees Celsius.