Plant Area Research Articles

Overlooked emerging polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and benzofuran derivatives in soil from coking plant

Coking releases large quantities of multiple polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), yet previous research has often focused on only a limited subset. This may not fully represent the overall risk posed by aromatic compounds. Here, a novel non-target analysis method was developed to identify more emerging PAHs and benzofuran derivatives. Beyond the 16 US Environmental Protection Agency priority PAHs (EPA PAHs), 56 emerging PAHs, 64 alkylated PAHs, and 32 furans were identified, with 69 compounds identified for the first time. The Σ16 EPA PAHs, Σ56 emerging PAHs, Σ64 alkylated PAHs, and Σ32 furans concentration ranges were 0.30–6910, 0.01–2187, 0.52–1649, and 0.06–588 μg/g, respectively. Emerging PAHs and furans had higher contributions in the plant area than the control area. Some PAHs and furans' concentrations were not significantly associated with the EPA PAHs; therefore, the EPA PAHs are insufficient to represent the totals PAHs concentration or risk. In the top 20 % of toxicological priority compounds, the emerging PAHs concentrations were 50 % of those of the EPA PAHs but posed 3.4 times the carcinogenic risk. Four of these compounds had higher carcinogenic risks than the EPA PAHs, while another nine had comparable risks. Thus, the risks of emerging PAHs cannot be ignored. Future monitoring and control of PAHs and furan emissions by the coking industry are highly recommended.

Novel records of Charophyta species for the south of West Siberia from Kolyvanskoe Lake

Nitella hyalina and Coleochaete nitellarum were found for the first time in the Siberia. Nitella wahlbergiana, a new species record for Altai Territory, was spotted in one of the southernmost localities of the species distribution range. All species were growing together with Chara braunii, C. virgata and Nitella syncarpa, rare species in Siberia. This association of rare species allowed recognition of Kolyvanskoe Lake as one of important plant areas for charophytes in North Asia.

Impact of continuous cropping on tobacco growth, stress resistance, and soil microecological structure

Tobacco fields have been continuously cropped for several years because of the high demand for tobacco leaves and limited land resources. To explore the effects of continuous cropping on tobacco growth and soil microecological community structure, this study compared the agronomic traits and physiological resistance characteristics of tobacco plants grown in noncontinuous cropping soil and soil with different continuous cropping years. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze and predict the microbial community structure and functional gene variation patterns of tobacco soil. The results demonstrated that continuous cropping significantly impacted the average height, leaf area, and stem diameter of tobacco plants, as well as the contents of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and glutathione in tobacco leaves that were continuously cropped. The relative abundances of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Gemmatimonadetes in tobacco soil decreased with an increase in continuous cropping years, while relative abundance of Acidobacteria increased. The biodiversity index of tobacco soil samples showed a decreasing trend with an increase in continuous cropping years, with the sample with the longest continuous cropping year (33 years) having the lowest biodiversity index. Prediction of the potential functions of soil samples with different continuous cropping years revealed that the Z-scores of each pathway in noncontinuous cropping soil samples ranged from 1.12 to 0.078, while those in 33-year continuous cropping samples decreased from −0.10 to −1.41. Our findings indicate that continuous cropping has negative impacts on soil health and microecology, leading to a reduction in beneficial microbial population and microbial diversity.

Impact of Live Mulch, Brown Manuring and Herbicides on Growth and Yield of Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) in Southern Midland Zone of Kerala, India

A field experiment was conducted during the rabi season of 2023 at the Farming System Research Station, Sadanandapuram, Kerala, to evaluate the effects of live mulch, brown manuring and herbicides effect as weed management method on growth and yield of sorghum. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with ten treatments, replicated thrice. The treatments included: Broadcasting cowpea seeds @ 15 kg ha -1 fb live mulch at 25 DAS, Broadcasting cowpea seeds @ 30 kg ha -1 fb live mulch at 25 DAS, Broadcasting cowpea seeds @ 15 kg ha -1 fb brown manuring with 2,4-D 1 kg ha-1 at 20 DAS, Broadcasting cowpea seeds @ 30 kg ha -1 fb brown manuring with 2,4-D 1 kg ha-1 at 20 DAS, PE pretilachlor 0.75 kg ha-1fb one HW at 25 DAS, fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 0.06 kg ha-1 at 20 DAS, T7:PoE 2,4-D 1 kg ha-1 at 20 DAS, HW at 20 DAS, Weed free control and Weedy check. Among the treatments, broadcasting cowpea seeds at 30 kg ha⁻¹ followed by live mulch at 25 DAS (T2) resulted the higher growth parameters, including plant height, number of leaves per plant, and dry matter production at 45 DAS and harvest. Leaf area per plant and leaf area index were also significantly higher in T2 at 30 and 45 DAS. Yield attributes, such as panicle length, number of grains per panicle, grain weight per panicle, grain yield, stover yield and harvest index were higher in T2. Broadcasting cowpea seeds @ 30 kg ha -1fb brown manuring with 2,4-D 1 kg ha-1 at 20 DAS, pre-emergence pretilachlor 0.75 kg ha⁻¹ fb hand weeding at 25 DAS, post-emergence fenoxaprop-p-ethyl 0.06 kg ha⁻¹ at 20 DAS and weed free control performed statistically comparable with T2 in terms of growth and yield attributes.

Genome-wide analysis of the HSF family in Allium sativum L. and AsHSFB1 overexpression in Arabidopsis under heat stress.

The heat shock transcription factor (HSF) family is one of the most widely studied transcription factor families in plants; HSFs can participate in the response to various stressors, such as heat stress, high salt, and drought stress. Based on garlic transcriptome data, we screened and identified 22 garlic HSFs. The HSF proteins of garlic and Arabidopsis can be divided into three (A, B, C) subfamilies. The phylogenetic relationship, chromosome localization, sequence characteristics, conserved motifs, and promoter analysis of the HSF family were analyzed through bioinformatics methods. RT-qPCR analysis showed that the nine selected genes had different degrees of response to heat stress. In addition, we isolated and identified a class B HSF gene, AsHSFB1, from garlic variety 'Xusuan No.6'. Subsequently, the AsHSFB1 gene was overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana. Under heat stress, the germination rate and growth of wild-type plants were better than that of transgenic plants. Moreover, after heat treatment, the contents of peroxidase, catalase, and chlorophyll a and b of transgenic plants were lower, but the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and leaf conductivity were higher. Nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) staining showed that the stained area of transgenic plant leaves was larger than that of the wild type. Further studies showed that AsHSFB1 overexpression inhibited the expression of related reverse resistance genes. These results indicate that AsHSFB1 might play a negative regulatory role in garlic resistance under high stress. Altogether, these findings provide valuable data for revealing the function of HSF genes and lay a foundation for the subsequent selection of heat-resistant garlic varieties.

Analisis Faktor-Faktor yang Memengaruhi Pendapatan Petani Mangga (Mangifera indica L.) di Desa Sumberjaya Kecamatan Tempuran Kabupaten Karawang

Mango is one type of fruit that has high economic value and is popular in many countries, including Indonesia. According to data from BPS Karawang Regency, Tempuran District is one of the largest mango producers in Karawang Regency. The decline in mango fruit production in Tempuran Subdistrict is one of the problems in mango fruit cultivation which causes a lack of net income received by mango farmers. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of land area, total production, selling price, labor, production costs, plant age and number of plants simultaneously and partially on the income of mango farmers. This research was conducted in Sumberjaya Village, Tempuran District, Karawang Regency. The research method used in this research is descriptive quantitative. The research data used are primary data and secondary data. Primary data used was obtained from interviews using a questionnaire. Secondary data used was obtained from books, journals, previous research reports and data from the Central Bureau of Statistics of Karawang Regency and related agencies. The sample was determined using the proportionate stratified random sampling method. The data analysis technique used was multiple linear regression analysis using SPSS 22. The results showed that the variables of land, amount of production, selling price, labor, production costs, plant age and number of plants had a significant influence simultaneously on the income of mango farmers. The variables of land, amount of production, and selling price partially have a significant positive effect. The variables of labor and production costs partially have a significant negative effect. The variables of plant age and number of plants partially do not have a significant influence on the income of mango farmers.

Influence of previous drought exposure on the 3D microstructure of the cambium and developing xylem in Eucalyptus clones: An X-ray CT investigation

Summary In plant biology research, X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been demonstrated to be useful for studying the complex tissues of trees qualitatively and quantitatively. The cambium plays a very important role in plant growth and development. However, this tissue is relatively poorly studied due to its complex nature and its localization between layers of xylem and phloem cells. Antecedent environmental conditions may have a substantial impact on plant responses to drought and recovery dynamics. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the impact of previous drought exposure on the 3D microstructure of two commercial Eucalyptus clones by monitoring the development of the cambium, in the same plant and same area of cambial tissue, during a 4-week trial consisting of well-watered, mild drought, severe drought, and rewatering phases. To track microstructural changes, the plants were imaged weekly with non-destructive X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT). On the last day of the experiment, X-ray nano-CT was also performed. Our results indicate that trees subjected to earlier well-watered conditions were more affected by the severe drought, compared to those previously exposed to mild drought conditions. Thus, previous exposure to water deficit may provide the benefit of increased drought tolerance during future water deficit. Previous mild drought exposure can facilitate morphological adjustments, which potentially enhances drought tolerance during subsequent drought events.

Application of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi for Improved Growth and Acclimatization of Micropropagated Fegra Fig (Ficus palmata Forssk.) Plantlets

Fegra fig (Ficus palmata) is an important fruit-yielding crop and potential rootstock for grafting Ficus carica. The acclimatization phase is a pivotal step during the micropropagation of plants. During this study, the mycorrhization of micropropagated fegra fig plants with two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF; Gigaspora margarita and Gigaspora albida) to enhance their growth and survival during the acclimatization stage was investigated. The AMF were mixed in equal proportions and the acclimatizing fegra fig plantlets were treated for 8 weeks. The leaf pigments, i.e., chlorophyll a [2.56 mg·g−1 fresh weight (FW)], chlorophyll b (1.08 mg·g−1 FW), total chlorophyll (3.67 mg·g−1 FW), and carotenoid (1.34 mg·g−1 FW), of AMF-treated plants were higher than those of non-AMF plants. The number of stomata per unit was higher in the AMF-treated plants (16.00), the density of stomata per unit area (88.40 mm2) of AMF-treated plants was similar to that of non-AMF treated plants, and the number of epidermal cells (79.00) was higher in the AMF-treated plants. The AMF-treated plants were taller and had more leaves, a greater leaf area, and higher shoot FW and dry weight. The AMF-treated plants also had the greatest total root length values, greatest surface areas of roots, and greatest total root volume and diameter compared to those of non-AMF plants. Additionally, the AMF-treated plants had a 100% survival rate, whereas a survival rate of 95% was recorded for non-AMF plants. These findings emphasize the importance of biological acclimatization of micropropagated fegra fig plants with AMF.

Variability and temporal stability of throughfall along a hillslope

Tree species composition, tree size, and microclimate can vary along hillslopes in forest ecosystems. This will affect the amount of throughfall (TF) that reaches the ground. However, few studies have focused on the effects of topography on the spatio-temporal variability of throughfall. We therefore, measured throughfall on a steep hillslope roughly 110 m long covered by European beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) in the Re della Pietra experimental catchment, Tuscany Apennines, Central Italy. Although the trees all have a similar age, the basal area, Plant Area Index (PAI), and canopy cover are higher on the lower part of the hillslope than the upper part of the hillslope. We installed 49 throughfall collectors in two 144 m2 square grids: one on the lower hillslope and one on the upper hillslope. In addition, we installed 29 collectors on a transect connecting the lower and upper grid. Throughfall was measured from all collectors at an approximately monthly interval and compared with gross precipitation (GP) measured in a nearby open area. The overall a TF/GP ratio for the 61 manual measurements during the period from July 2020 to September 2023 study period was 70 ± 3.4 %. It was higher for the growing season (71 ± 4.0 %) characterised by higher rainfall intensities than the dormant season (69 ± 2.7 %). TF/GP was lower for the lower grid than the upper grid (61 ± 5.1 vs 73 ± 6.0 % of GP, respectively). The differences between the measurements at the lower and upper grid were significant for almost all measurement days and reflect the differences in tree size and stand density. Temporal stability analysis indicated a high persistence of the spatial TF pattern for both grids, especially in the dormant season. The higher temporal stability for in the upper grid seems to be related to the lower variability in tree size. Although these results need to be confirmed by larger-scale studies at different hillslopes, they suggest that topographic differences in stand characteristics should be taken into account when determining the water balance for forested catchments.

Logistics Structure Analysis for Selayar Tangerine Supply Chain Mapping

Citrus fruits are in demand not only for their freshness, but also for their fiber content as nutrients and vitamins, especially vitamin C and vitamin A, which are beneficial for health. Selayar Islands Regency is a citrus development area in South Sulawesi Province. The citrus crop developed in Selayar Islands Regency is the tangerine variety. Along with the development of the citrus plant area, the population of citrus plants in Selayar Islands Regency increases every year. This study aims to describe the mapping of the Selayar tangerine supply chain structure through logistics cost analysis to map the distribution of income between supply chains. The number of respondents in this study was 45 people. This research uses descriptive analysis with convenience and snowball sampling methods to get an objective picture. This research uses logistics cost analysis using the Activity Based Costing method. The results showed that the levels involved in the supply chain are farmers, collectors, wholesalers, small traders, and consumers. The results of the logistics cost calculation show material handling costs as the highest cost of the entire Selayar tangerine supply chain cost.

Accuracy assessment of LAI, PAI and FCOVER from Sentinel-2 and GEDI for monitoring forests and their disturbance in Central Germany

ABSTRACT Forest monitoring benefits from biophysical parameters such as Leaf Area Index (LAI), Plant Area Index (PAI) and fractional vegetation cover (FCOVER) and can be obtained from optical and LiDAR remote sensing, such as Sentinel-2 (S2) and the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI). While GEDI-derived products consider all phyto-elements, those from S2 refer to green elements only. Apart from individual accuracies, systemic deviations among products are thus expectable. However, products from S2 and GEDI lack inter-comparison. We evaluated S2 and GEDI-derived LAI, PAI and FCOVER with digital hemispherical photography observations (DHP) in a forest disturbance hotspot in Germany across various forest conditions, including vital stands, standing deadwood and clearings. We found moderate to high agreement with in-situ data, with highest accuracy for S2-derived LAI (R2 = 0.54) and GEDI-derived FCOVER (R2 = 0.73). Agreements between S2 and GEDI products were low, which we attribute to systematic influences of woody components, GEDI’s limitations in sloped terrain, and saturation of optical signals in dense canopy. In conclusion, findings suggest that while GEDI is effective in dense canopies, S2 products are beneficial for monitoring forest recovery. We also see potential for synergistic use in monitoring standing deadwood for habitat mapping and fire risk assessment.

In bilico tra terra e acqua. Visioni e rotte di collisione su un tratto di fiume Po

Caorso Nuclear Power Plant area is extremely representative of the central Po River territorial system, which is characterized by a profound conflict between impactful infrastructures and semi-natural environments with high ecosystem value. In this context, the decommissioning of the Power Plant transcends the local scale, triggering reflections about the resurgence of the nature and the need to rethink our lifestyles and how they impact the planet.Starting from the outcomes of LOL2023 International Workshop by Politecnico di Milano, the article proposes methodological reasoning to investigate the potential that this decommissioning phase opens. In particular, the text investigates three design principles that can potentially be used to transform the Power Plant’s ‘dying’ energy landscape into an inviting habitat for a wide community of living beings, without, however, scarifying the spatial quality lent by design.

Prioritization of important plant areas for conservation of frailejones (Espeletiinae, Asteraceae) in the Northern Andes

AbstractThe tropical Andes region harbors areas that are highly significant for biodiversity at both global and local scales. However, despite the severe conservation threats that this region has to confront, conservation initiatives are limited, by funding and because of the need for more information to decide which areas are priorities for conservation. Identifying Important Plant Areas (IPAs) offers a valuable methodology for establishing conservation priorities, a particularly complex task in a mega-biodiverse region such as the northern Andean tropics. Due to its iconic recognition and conservation value, this study focused on the Espeletiinae subtribe (Asteraceae) as a model group; hence, the distribution data for 138 species was compiled from 5560 georeferenced records. Using the IPA methodology, we divided the study area, this is, the distribution area of the subtribe in the Andean tropics, into 220 Units of Analysis (UA) represented by 10 × 10 km plots. Refined species’ distribution areas, incorporating richness, threatened species, and ecosystem-based richness distributions, were analyzed using newly generated maps to evaluate the conservation value of each UA. Our analysis identified 176 UAs with some level of relevance using sub-criterion cA1 (with 59 species) and 51 UAs using sub-criterion cB (with 76 species). Integrating both criteria, we classified 11 UAs as high-priority, 62 as medium-priority, and 147 as low-priority, highlighting the IPAs that require focused conservation efforts. Two identified high-priority IPAs are located in Venezuela and nine in Colombia, predominantly associated with the Eastern Cordillera. These areas concentrate between 7 and 12 species. They are mainly linked to the páramo complexes of Colombia and the Sierra Nevada in Venezuela, primarily within Cool Temperate Moist Grassland ecosystems on mountains. Our results provide a spatial planning procedure and analytical tool for decision-makers to guide conservation management and actions across northern Andes.

Improving the application of Important Plant Areas to conserve threatened habitats: A case study of Uganda

AbstractImportant Plant Areas (IPAs) are a successful method of identifying priority areas for plant conservation. Assessment of IPAs, however, often relies on criteria related to species, while incorporation of habitats has been less consistent. Using Uganda as a case study, we test the application of the threatened habitat criterion—criterion C. We identified nationally threatened habitats using Red List of Ecosystems criteria and assess, for the first time, how differing application of thresholds under IPA criterion C can influence IPA network outcomes. Eleven threatened habitats were identified, with declines switching from predominantly forest to savanna types after the mid‐20th century. Significantly, we found current IPA guidance on use of criterion C needlessly limits the number of sites that qualify as IPAs. The “five best sites” IPA threshold is reserved for countries where quantitative data is unavailable; however, the application of the relevant percentage‐based thresholds to quantitative data largely generated fewer than five IPAs, comparably limiting conservation opportunities identified. We recommend, therefore, that the “five best” threshold is available for application on both qualitative and quantitative data. This will bolster the value of IPAs in conserving and restoring threatened and ecologically important habitats under the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The endemic plant species of Ebo Forest, Littoral Region, Cameroon, with a new Critically Endangered cloud forest shrub, Memecylon ebo (Melastomataceae-Olisbeoideae)

SummaryWe emphasise the urgent need to conserve the Ebo forest (Littoral Region, Cameroon), which holds 10 strict endemic plant species and 15 near endemics for a total of 25, a very high number far exceeding the threshold for its recent status as an Important Plant Area (IPA). We describe a further strict endemic species from the Ebo Forest, Memecylon ebo sp. nov. (Melastomataceae-Olisbeoideae), placed in sect. Afzeliana due to its ellipsoid, blue-green fruits. The yellow petals and jade green anther-connectives of M. ebo are unique in the genus Memecylon, which has >400 species ranging overall from Africa to the western Pacific. Memecylon ebo is assessed as Critically Endangered [CR], using the 2012 IUCN standard, due to its small range size and the extremely high and ongoing threats of logging at Ebo and also due to subsequent threats of potential oil palm plantation and mining projects. With the addition of Memecylon ebo, the tally of Critically Endangered plant species recorded from Ebo forest is now the highest of any IPA in Cameroon, equalling that of Ngovayang with 24 CR species.

Using spaceborne LiDAR to reveal drivers of animal demography.

Remote sensing can provide continuous spatiotemporal information about vegetation to inform wildlife habitat estimates, but these methods are often limited in availability or lack adequate resolution to capture the three-dimensional vegetative details critical for understanding habitat. The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) is a spaceborne light detection and ranging system (LiDAR) that has revolutionized the availability of high-quality three-dimensional vegetation measurements of the Earth's temperate and tropical forests. To date, wildlife-related applications of GEDI data or GEDI-fusion products have been limited to estimate species habitat use, distribution, and diversity. Here, our goal was to expand the use of GEDI-based applications to wildlife demography by evaluating if GEDI data fusions could aid in characterizing demographic parameters of wildlife. We leveraged a recently published dataset of GEDI-fusion forest structures and capture-mark-recapture data to estimate the density and survival of two small mammal species, Humboldt's flying squirrel (Glaucomys oregonensis) and Townsend's chipmunk (Neotamias townsendii), from three studies in western Oregon spanning 2014-2021. We used capture histories in Huggins robust design models to estimate apparent annual survival and density as a derived parameter. We found strong support that both flying squirrel and chipmunk density were associated with GEDI-fusion forest structures of foliage height diversity and plant area volume density in the 5-10 m strata for flying squirrels and proportionately higher plant area volume density in the 0-20 m strata for chipmunks, as well as other spatiotemporal factors such as elevation. We found weak support that apparent annual survival was associated with GEDI-fusion forest structures for flying squirrels but not for chipmunks. We demonstrate further utility of these methods by creating spatially explicit density maps of both species that could aid management and conservation policies. Our work represents a novel application of GEDI data to evaluate wildlife demography and produce continuous spatially explicit density predictions for these species. We conclude that aspects of small mammal demography can be explained by forest structure as characterized via GEDI data fusions.

Avian diversity across guilds in North America versus vegetation structure as measured by the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI)

Avian diversity, a key indicator of ecosystem health, is closely related to canopy structure. Most avian diversity models are based on either optical remote sensing or airborne lidar data, but the latter is limited to small study areas. The launch of the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) instrument in 2018 has opened new avenues for exploring the influence of vegetation structure on avian diversity. To examine how direct measurements of canopy structural characteristics explain bird diversity across North America, we analyzed 18 GEDI metrics from 2019 to 2022, along with corresponding Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) counts and AVONET morphological data, analyzing effects across broad regions and at varying spatial extents. We grouped 440 bird species into 20 ecological guilds under six guild categories and employed random forest algorithms to model avian diversity across eight spatial extents (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20, and 39.2 km). The models predicted six diversity indices, including species richness (sRich), functional richness (fRich), evenness (fEve), dispersion (fDis), divergence (fDiv), and redundancy (fRed) across eight spatial extents. The best-predicted guilds varied for each diversity index. The most accurate models were sRich (pseudo-R2 = 0.71, RMSE = 4.28) and fRed (pseudo-R2 = 0.60, RMSE = 0.13) for forest specialists guilds; fRich (pseudo-R2 = 0.55, RMSE = 0.18) for urban guilds; fEve (pseudo-R2 = 0.28, RMSE = 0.08) for insectivore guilds; and fDiv (pseudo-R2 = 0.38, RMSE = 0.12) and fDis (pseudo-R2 = 0.53, RMSE = 0.87) for short distance migrants guilds. Our results highlight the critical role of canopy structure, including its horizontal and vertical distribution and variation, in predicting avian diversity, as measured by the mean number of detected modes (num_detectedmodes), the standard deviation of foliage height diversity (FHD), num_detectedmodes, canopy cover, and plant area index (PAI) across the spatial extents centered on BBS routes. Therefore, we recommend incorporating the GEDI metrics into avian diversity modeling and mapping across North America, thereby potentially enhancing bird habitat management and conservation efforts.

Evaluation of the diversity of the morpho-agronomic characteristics of Corchorus olitorius L. cultivars developed in Saudi Arabia

Corchorus olitorius is considered a crop with high nutritional value. The C. olitorius crop is cultivated in many regions of Saudi Arabia. There is a lack of research on genetic diversity among these varieties. This work aimed to evaluate the diversity in the morphological characteristics of KSA jute germplasms and compare them to international germplasms. This study included 8 local jute germplasm seeds collected in Saudi Arabia and 16 international jute germplasm seeds from Asia, Africa and the USA. Twenty-one quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the jute samples from the stem, leaves, and fruits were evaluated. These characteristics were evaluated using many reliable statistical methods, such as multivariate analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Morphological traits, especially plant height, days to 50% flowering, leaf blade length, leaf blade width, leaf petiole length, pod pedicel length, pod length, pod width, number of pods per plant and leaf area, significantly differed among the jute samples. This is the first study to compare local jute germplasms in the KSA to international, to provide important information on their morphological diversity. This information can be used in crop improvement and conservation programs.

Reducing red light proportion in full-spectrum LEDs enhances runner plant propagation by promoting the growth and development of mother plants in strawberry.

Full-spectrum light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have gradually replaced narrow-spectrum LEDs and are widely used in plant factories with artificial lighting (PFALs). However, the specific effect of LED light quality on dry mass allocation in runner plant propagation remains unclear. Hence, we cultivated "Akihime" strawberries as mother plants for 115 days to conduct runner plant propagation experiment under white LEDs (W100), white and red LEDs (W84R16 and W55R45), red and blue LEDs (RB100), and red, blue and green LEDs (RB80G20) in PFALs, and determined key factors affecting dry mass accumulation and allocation among mother plants and runner plants based on growth component analysis. The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate and total leaf area in mother plants in W100 increased by 11% and 31%, respectively, compared with W55R45. In comparison to W84R16 and W55R45, W100 increased the dry mass (23%-30%) of runner plants mainly by increasing the total dry mass (TDM) (23%) of strawberry plants, without significantly affecting the fraction of dry mass partitioning to runner plants. However, the number of runners in W55R45 was 5.1 per plant, representing only 78% of that in W100. Compared with RB100, RB80G20 significantly increased the number of runner plants and runner numbers by 16% and 19% to 13.0 per plant and 5.8 per plant, respectively. The partial replacement of blue light with green light in RB80G20 induced a shade avoidance response in runner plants, resulting in a 55% increase in the total leaf area of runner plants compared with RB100. Data from growth component analysis showed that compared with red and blue LEDs, white LEDs increased the TDM of runner plants by 83% by increasing the plant TDM accumulation (44%) and the fraction of dry mass partitioning to runner plants (37%). Additionally, the dry mass (g) of runner plants per mol and per kilowatt-hour under in W100 were 0.11 and 0.75, respectively, significantly higher than other treatments. Therefore, reducing red light proportion in full-spectrum LEDs is beneficial for strawberry runner plant propagation in PFALs.

Automatic visual recognition, detection and classification of weeds in cotton fields based on machine vision

Crops and weeds are involved in a continuous competition for equal resources, which may result in a potential decrease in crop yields by up to 31% and an increase in the costs of agricultural inputs by up to 22% of cultivation. Weeds further impact crop production, and their detection is crucial for effective crop management. In this research, we targeted common weeds of cotton field, specifically i) Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop, ii) Amaranthus retroflexus L., iii) Acalypha australis, L., iv) Cephalanoplos segetum, and v) Chenopodium album L. Additionally, image processing techniques such as grayscale conversion, binarization, and Gaussian and morphological filters were also utilized. These methods are based on machine vision and facilitate rapid and straightforward weed detection by segmenting, scrutinizing, and comparing input images. The plant height and area were obtained during cotton planting within 32 days and fitted to develop the growth law concerning planting days for achieving the function of distinguishing cotton from weeds. We conducted recognition experiments by dividing images into four quadrants and categorizing weeds as either inter-row or intra-row. Meanwhile, the inter-row planting information was used to identify weeds, and the leaf pixel area and circularity were used as the identification methods for intra-row weeds, which reduced the algorithm's running time and improved real-time performance. The experimental results indicated that the inter-row weed recognition rate was 89.4%, with an average processing time of 102ms. Whereas in the case of intra-row weeds, the recognition rate was measured at 84.6%, and the overall recognition rate for cotton was 85.0%, with a mean time consumption of 437ms. Furthermore, the present research underscores recent advancements such as machine vision and high-resolution imaging, which have significantly improved the accuracy of automated weed identification in cotton fields while acknowledging ongoing challenges and outlining future opportunities. By Integrating state-of-the-art technology with sustainable agricultural practices, implementing an intelligent system offers a viable approach toward efficient and environmentally friendly weed management in modern agriculture.