Challenge For Modern Agriculture Research Articles

AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEM USING ARDUINO

This report investigates the implementation and benefits of an Automatic Sprinkler System driven by the Arduino Uno microcontroller in agricultural irrigation. The primary aim is to elucidate the functionality and practicality of this automated system in enhancing water efficiency and crop productivity. Through accessible language and technical explanations, the report explores the system's design, operation, and integration with sensors for optimal performance. Emphasis is placed on the system's ability to provide precise watering, customizable scheduling, and water conservation, thereby addressing critical challenges in modern agriculture. By examining the technical aspects and real-world implications, this report underscores the transformative potential of automated irrigation systems in promoting sustainable farming practices.. Keyword: Arduino Uno, IoT, microcontroller, moisture sensor, sensors, wireless module

Nano Fertilizers: New Vistas towards Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change Mitigation: A Review

To ensure the food and nutritional security of the burgeoning global population, food production needs to be doubled in developing countries by 2050. Currently, 30-40% of agriculture production predominantly relies on chemical fertilizers. Precise crop nutrition, low nutrient efficiency, maintaining soil fertility, less damage to soil flora and minimal environmental footprint are the major challenges in modern agriculture. Recent developments in the application of nanotechnology to produce agriculture inputs emerged as a sustainable solution for addressing the challenges in modern intensive agriculture by replacing synthetic bulk fertilizers with their nanoparticle size ( less than 100 nm), superior properties and smart delivery system. Nano fertilizers had the potential to fulfill the requirements of plant nutrition along with imparting sustainability in crop production without compromising the yield of the crops. Some of the current research studies have been reviewed in this paper with citation and these results showed that nano fertilizers have a substantial effect on plant growth, development and physiological parameters including chlorophyll content and photosynthetic activity, it depends on their composition, method and time of application. Their enhanced nutrient use efficiency, correlated with mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. Hence evolving as a cutting-edge approach for sustainable agriculture in climate change is enlightened in this review.

The Role of the Plant-Soil Relationship in Agricultural Production-With Particular Regard to PGPB Application and Phytoremediation.

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and other living organisms can help with the challenges of modern agriculture. PGPB offer ever-expanding possibilities for science and commerce, and the scientific results have been very advanced in recent years. In our current work, we collected the scientific results of recent years and the opinions of experts on the subject. Opinions and results on soil-plant relations, as well as the importance of PGPB and the latest related experiences, are important topics of our review work, which highlights the scientific results of the last 3-4 years. Overall, it can be concluded from all these observations that the bacteria that promote plant development are becoming more and more important in agriculture almost all over the world, thus, promoting more sustainable and environmentally conscious agricultural production and avoiding the use of artificial fertilizers and chemicals. Since many mechanisms of action, namely biochemical and operational processes, are still under investigation, a new emerging scientific direction is expected in the coming years with regard to PGPB, microbial, and other plant growth-stimulating substances, in which omics and microbial modulation also play a leading role.

Wi-Fi Module based Vegetable Plucking Robot

To overcome labor shortages and meet the increasing demand for high-quality yield, the agriculture field is moving towards technological solutions. The Wi-Fi module controlled vegetable plucking robot is a modern technology that can effectively automate the vegetable harvesting process. The proposed robot contains a Wi-Fi module which enables remote control from a computer or smartphone. It makes use of sensors and advanced algorithms to identify the ideal time for harvesting and to pluck vegetables gently to avoid hurting the plants. This technology has the possibilities to improve crop quality, enhance yield, and reduce labor expenditure for farmers. This Wi-Fi module controlled vegetable plucking robot set out as an outstanding example of how technology can address the current challenges in modern agriculture. Key Words: Wi-Fi module, sensors

Vertical farming for crop production

Vertical farming for crop production

Vermicompost Amendment in Soil Affects Growth and Physiology of Zea mays Plants and Decreases Pb Accumulation in Tissues

Minimization of the possible harmful effects of soil pollution on agricultural production and food safety are the major challenges in modern agriculture. There is great scientific interest in the detailed understanding of the physiology of lead uptake and toxicity in Zea mays, together with the search for approaches to minimizing Pb accumulation in tissues. The aim of the present study was to explore the possibility of reducing Pb accumulation in Z. mays plants cultivated in Pb-contaminated soil, by means of vermicompost amendment. Z. mays plants were cultivated at three soil vermicompost amendment rates (10, 20, and 30%), with the addition of 1000 mg L−1 of Pb in the form of Pb(NO3)2 or an equivalent amount of nitrogen in the form of NH4NO3. Additional nitrogen had a significant stimulatory effect on plant growth and physiology, but only for control plants, and at a low vermicompost amendment rate. Independently, Pb had an insignificant negative effect on plant growth and biomass partitioning, but significantly negatively affected the mineral nutrition of Z. mays plants. At a 10 and 20% soil vermicompost amendment rate, the Pb concentration in plant leaves and roots decreased by 65%, while plant biomass increased four to five times in comparison to soil-grown control plants, together with accelerated flowering. It was concluded that vermicompost is one of the most promising soil amendments for reducing heavy metal uptake and accumulation in crop plants, while also being an efficient organic fertilizer.

Soil resilience; Managing soil quality challenges in modern agriculture

Soil resilience; Managing soil quality challenges in modern agriculture

Stimuli-Free Transcuticular Delivery of Zn Microelement Using Biopolymeric Nanovehicles: Experimental, Theoretical, and In Planta Studies.

This paper reports one-step synthesis of polysaccharide-based nanovehicles, capable of transporting ionic zinc via plant cuticle without auxiliary stimulation. Delivery of highly hydrophilic nutritive microelements via the hydrophobic cuticle of plant foliage is one of the major challenges in modern agriculture. In traditional nutrition via roots, up to 80% of microelements permeate to soil and get wasted; therefore, foliar treatment is an environmentally and economically preferable alternative. Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) was modified to amphiphilic N-octylamide-derivative (CMC-8), which spontaneously self-assemble to nanovehicles. It was found that hydrophobic substituents endow a biopolymer with unexpected affinity toward a hydrophilic payload. CMC-8 nanovehicles effectively encapsulated ionic zinc (ZnSO4) and delivered it upon foliar application to pepper (Capsicum annuum) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants. Zinc uptake and translocation in plants were monitored by SEM-EDS and fluorescence microscopic methods. In planta monitoring of the carrier was done by labeling nanovehicles with fluorescent carbon dots. Three-dimensional (3-D) structural modeling and conformational dynamics explained the CMC-8 self-assembly mechanism and zinc coordination phenomenon upon introduction of hydrophobic substituents.

Solar Driven Agribot for farm irrigation

Agriculture accounts for a significant portion of India's GDP. Water shortages and high labour costs are two big challenges in modern agriculture. These problems can be solved by agriculture task automation, which promotes precision farming. In light of India's abundant sunlight, this paper discusses the design and creation of a solar-powered IoT-based Agribot that automates irrigation tasks and allows for remote farm monitoring. An Arduino microcontroller is used to create the Agribot. When it's not irrigating, it collects solar energy. It travels along a pre-determined path of a farm when performing irrigation, sensing soil moisture content and temperature at regular intervals. Data from multiple sensors is processed locally at each sensing point to determine the need for irrigation, and the farm is watered accordingly. Agribot also functions as an IoT system, transmitting data from multiple sensors to a remote server through a Wi-Fi connection. Raw data is processed at the remote server using signal processing operations like filtering, compression, and prediction. As a result, according to the user's request, the analysed data statistics are presented using an interactive interface.

Sustainable production of common beans: inoculation, co-inoculation and mineral fertilization in early-cycle cultivars

Using sustainable management to maximize crop yield without increasing production costs is one of the great challenges of modern agriculture. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of nitrogen (N) supply management, associating inoculation with Rhizobium tropici, co-inoculation schemes with Azospirillum brasilense and mineral top-dressing fertilization, on the agronomic and qualitative performance of early-cycle common bean cultivars. The experiment was installed in a randomized block design, in a 2 x 12 factorial scheme (2 cultivars and 12 N supply management), with four repetitions. The N supply management consisted of the association of mineral fertilization with N (45 and 90 kg ha−1 of N in top-dressing), inoculation of seeds with Rhizobium tropici and co-inoculation of seeds and leaves with Azospirillum brasilense. The agronomic and qualitative performance of common bean was affected by the nitrogen supply management and by the cultivars, and the response was independent of the interaction between cultivars and N supply management. Except for plant dry mass, all variables analyzed showed maximum response in the treatment of seed inoculation with Rhizobium tropici, leaf-spray of Azospirillum brasilense and mineral top-dressing fertilization with 90 kg ha−1 of N, which led to a 27% increase in yield compared to the control. The cultivar IAC Imperador has a superior agronomic performance (grain yield = 2,840 kg ha−1) compared to IPR Curió (2,484 kg ha−1). The results demonstrated the feasibility of using co-inoculation with Azospirillum brasilense as a tool to increase yield, grain quality and sustainability in common bean production systems.

Sulfur, Na2-EDTA and their mixture effects on phosphorus release from cow bone char in P-poor sandy soil

Abstract The high cost and environmental problems related to the production of phosphate fertilizers as well as their excessive and continuous applications represent great challenges in modern agriculture. Therefore, we conducted an incubation experiment using sandy soil to evaluate the effects of elemental sulfur, disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (Na2-EDTA) and their mixture with cow bone char as well as incubation periods on changes of phosphorus (P) availability, water soluble P, soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), soluble calcium (Ca) and soluble sulfate (SO4). Applying sulfur (S), Na2EDTA and their mixture with cow bone char improved significantly phosphorus availability in soil, Olsen-P value increased from 7.65 mg kg−1 (control) to 12.20 mg kg−1 (cow bone char + sulfur), 12.80 mg kg−1 (cow bone char + Na2-EDTA) and 13.07 mg kg−1 (cow bone char + sulfur + Na2-EDTA) at the end of incubation periods While, cow bone char + sulfur + Na2-EDTA treatment lead Olsen-P to decline significantly with increasing incubation periods. Amending soil by sulfur with cow bone char treatment caused significant increase in the Olsen-P with increasing incubation periods. Cow bone char + sulfur and cow bone char + Na2-EDTA showed non-significant differences in Olsen-P. Because of the increase in phosphate fertilizer prices, the results of this study demonstrated the great potential of cow bone char usage which is a promising way to improve phosphorus availability in P-poor soil as well as being a clean alternative and renewable source of phosphate fertilizer. Consequently, we recommend utilizing cow bone char with sulfur as slow release fertilizer with time due to their low cost and it is a safe source of phosphorus in sustainable agriculture, rather than using Na2-EDTA due to its high price.

Information technology as a factor of sustainable development of Serbian agriculture

Trend of population growth and the need for greater production of health-safe food, on the one hand, and environmental protection on the other hand, affect the change of production technologies in agriculture. Challenges of modern agriculture are reflected in the growth of productivity, but also the long-term sustainability of the agricultural sector. It is indisputable that information technology (IT) has a direct impact on the productivity of agriculture, and as the ultimate goal leads to the growth of the profit of agricultural producers. Precise agriculture, the application of state-of-the-art technical systems for satellite guidance and automatic management, as well as the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) lead to yield growth, but also affect the rational use of inputs, which leads to reduction of adverse effects on the environment. Accordingly, the implementation of new technologies in agriculture is an important factor in improving agricultural production, as well as the potential for sustainable development of this sector. The units of observation in this research are Serbia and all countries of the European Union. The aim of this research is to determine the position of Serbia in relation to the countries of the European Union in terms of the dimensions of sustainable development of agriculture, as well as to consider the current level of application of information technologies in the agriculture of these countries. The paper analyzes a set of indicators of economic, ecological and social sustainability and their connection with the implementation of information technologies in agriculture. The results of the research indicate that the current application of information technologies in Serbia's agriculture, compared to EU countries, is modest, primarily due to the unfavorable educational structure of agricultural producers, as well as limited financial resources, which significantly impedes the process of IT implementation.

Oxylipin dynamics in Medicago truncatula in response to salt and wounding stresses.

Multiple stresses are becoming common challenges in modern agriculture due to environmental changes. A large set of phytochemicals collectively known as oxylipins play a key role in responses to several stresses. Understanding the fine-tuned plant responses to multiple and simultaneous stresses could open new perspectives for developing more tolerant varieties. We carried out the molecular and biochemical profiling of genes, proteins and active compounds involved in oxylipin metabolism in response to single/combined salt and wounding stresses on Medicago truncatula. Two new members belonging to the CYP74 gene family were identified. Gene expression profiling of each of the six CYP74 members indicated a tissue- and time-specific expression pattern for each member in response to single/combined salt and wounding stresses. Notably, hormonal profiling pointed to an attenuated systemic response upon combined salt and leaf wounding stresses. Combined, these results confirm the important role of jasmonates in legume adaptation to abiotic stresses and point to the existence of a complex molecular cross-talk among signals generated by multiple stresses.

Phytase overexpression in Arabidopsis improves plant growth under osmotic stress and in combination with phosphate deficiency

Engineering osmotolerant plants is a challenge for modern agriculture. An interaction between osmotic stress response and phosphate homeostasis has been reported in plants, but the identity of molecules involved in this interaction remains unknown. In this study we assessed the role of phytic acid (PA) in response to osmotic stress and/or phosphate deficiency in Arabidopsis thaliana. For this purpose, we used Arabidopsis lines (L7 and L9) expressing a bacterial beta-propeller phytase PHY-US417, and a mutant in inositol polyphosphate kinase 1 gene (ipk1-1), which were characterized by low PA content, 40% (L7 and L9) and 83% (ipk1-1) of the wild-type (WT) plants level. We show that the PHY-overexpressor lines have higher osmotolerance and lower sensitivity to abscisic acid than ipk1-1 and WT. Furthermore, PHY-overexpressors showed an increase by more than 50% in foliar ascorbic acid levels and antioxidant enzyme activities compared to ipk1-1 and WT plants. Finally, PHY-overexpressors are more tolerant to combined mannitol stresses and phosphate deficiency than WT plants. Overall, our results demonstrate that the modulation of PA improves plant growth under osmotic stress, likely via stimulation of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems, and that beside its regulatory role in phosphate homeostasis, PA may be also involved in fine tuning osmotic stress response in plants.

Drift potential of UAV with adjuvants in aerial applications

The reduction of pesticide aerial spraying drift is still one of the major challenges in modern agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the drift potential of different types of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and adjuvant products for reducing spray drift in aerial applications. Three types of UAV (3WQF120-12 and 3CD-15 fuel oil powered single-rotor UAV and HY-B-15L battery powered single-rotor UAV) were selected in this study with regular application parameters to compare each spray drift, and 3WQF120-12 fuel oil powered UAV was selected to quantify spray drift of 6 adjuvants dissolved in water under field conditions. Solutions were marked with brillant sulfoflavin dye (BSF) at 0.1%. Petri dishes and rotary impactors were used to collect airborne and sediment drift, respectively. Drift deposits were evaluated by spectrophotometry in order to quantify deposits. The results showed that when the flight height was 1.5-2.0 m above the crop at the flight speed of 4-5 m/s and the average wind speed of 1.63-1.73 m/s, 3WQF120-12 fuel oil powered UAV had lower drift potential than the other two types; DV0.5 and percentage of droplets with diameter ≤75 μm had very significant effects on spray drift percentage (p=0.01); the risk of drift in agricultural spraying could be significantly decreased not only by reducing the percentage of fine droplets but also by changing droplet spectra. Compared to water, Silwet DRS-60, ASFA+B, T1602, Break-thru Vibrant, QF-LY and Tmax could reduce by 65%, 62%, 59%, 46%, 42%, and 19% spray drift, respectively. when water without adjuvants were sprayed, 90% of drift droplets were located within a range of 10.1 m of the target area while with 0.8% Silwet DRS-60 adjuvant in water, the distance was shortened to 6.4 m. Keywords: spray drift, UAV, adjuvant, aerial application, drift potential evaluation, droplet size DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20181105.3185 Citation: Wang X N, He X K, Song J L, Wang Z C, Wang C L, Wang S L, et al. Drift potential of UAV with adjuvants in aerial applications. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2018; 11(5): 54–58.

Transcription of putative tonoplast transporters in response to glyphosate and paraquat stress in Conyza bonariensis and Conyza canadensis and selection of reference genes for qRT-PCR.

Herbicide resistance is a challenge for modern agriculture further complicated by cases of resistance to multiple herbicides. Conyza bonariensis and Conyza canadensis are invasive weeds of field crops, orchards, and non-cropped areas in many parts of the world. In California, USA, Conyza populations resistant to the herbicides glyphosate and paraquat have recently been described. Although the mechanism conferring resistance to glyphosate and paraquat in these species was not elucidated, reduced translocation of these herbicides was observed under experimental conditions in both species. Glyphosate and paraquat resistance associated with reduced translocation are hypothesized to be a result of sequestration of herbicides into the vacuole, with the possible involvement of over-expression of genes encoding tonoplast transporters of ABC-transporter families in cases of glyphosate resistance or cationic amino acid transporters (CAT) in cases of paraquat resistance. However, gene expression in response to herbicide treatment has not been studied in glyphosate and paraquat resistant populations. In the current study, we evaluated the transcript levels of genes possibly involved in resistance using real-time PCR. First, we evaluated eight candidate reference genes following herbicide treatment and selected three genes that exhibited stable expression profiles; ACTIN, HEAT-SHOCK-PROTEIN-70, and CYCLOPHILIN. The reference genes identified here can be used for further studies related to plant-herbicide interactions. We used these reference genes to assay the transcript levels of EPSPS, ABC transporters, and CAT in response to herbicide treatment in susceptible and resistant Conyza spp. lines. No transcription changes were observed in EPSPS or CAT genes after glyphosate or paraquat treatment, suggesting that these genes are not involved in the resistance mechanism. Transcription of the two ABC transporter genes increased following glyphosate treatment in all Conyza spp. lines. Transcription of ABC transporters also increased after paraquat treatment in all three lines of C. bonariensis. However, in C. canadensis, paraquat treatment increased transcription of only one ABC transporter gene in the susceptible line. The increase in transcription of ABC transporters after herbicide treatment is likely a stress response based on similar response observed across all Conyza lines regardless of resistance or sensitivity to glyphosate or paraquat, thus these genes do not appear to be directly involved in the mechanism of resistance in Conyza spp.

Impacts of Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Temperature on Physicochemical and Nutrient Properties in Strawberries

Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) is one of the most popular edible fruit worldwide. Strawberries are generally cultivated in open fields or under protected cropping, and are available all year round. Consumers prefer fruit with a bright red color, sweet taste, and distinct aroma. Over the past two decades, strawberry has shown one of the highest growth rates in terms of fresh fruit consumption. Such increment in consumer demand for strawberry could be attributed to its high nutrient content and perceived health benefits. Phenolic compounds and vitamins are the main antioxidants in the strawberry phytochemical profile. However, the predicted climate changes in the near future are expected to cause major challenges in modern agriculture due to its significant potential negative impacts on both quantity and quality of various crops, including strawberry. Increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and ambient temperature are the key factors in a changing climate scenario. The effects of either high CO2 or high temperature on growth, development, yield, and quality of strawberry plant has been relatively well-investigated. However, information on the effects of combined high CO2 and temperature on strawberry is lacking. This review will examine the literature available about the relationship between climate changes and strawberry production and quality, and address the information needed in the future research in this area.

INNOVATIONS IN PLANT PRODUCTION AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR POLISH AGRICULTURE

The ability to efficiently implement innovations in agricultural holdings, acquire knowledge, and to make effective use of biological progress in plant production are all challenges in modern agriculture. Globalization processes are a catalyst for innovation transfer as well as technical, biological, and organizational progress promotion. The ability to utilize innovations in Polish agriculture will be decisive for its development opportunities and competitive position at the international level.

Development and testing of image processing algorithm to estimate weed infestation level in corn fields

The challenges of modern agriculture have led to the development of localized management tools which allow the rationalization of the use and application of pesticides, a reduction in production costs and the optimization of agricultural processes. This study was carried out to develop an algorithm capable of orienting weed control in the management of a corn crop, using digital image analysis to identify the level of weed infestation in the field. The seeds of six species of weed were sown in an experimental plot of corn, and daily images were captured for 40 days for the evaluation of the level of weed infestation (low, intermediate or high). The algorithm developed was able to target information about the plants and soil accurately and discriminate the residual information as referring to either the culture or weeds. The proposed algorithm has achieved 90% accuracy in identifying the level of infestation from images already evaluated by experts. The results can thus be used as part of weed control strategy, with the incorporation of the geographic coordinates of the image making possible the construction of a map of the level of weed infestation in the different areas where the crop is growing.

Iron nutrition, biomass production, and plant product quality.

One of the grand challenges in modern agriculture is increasing biomass production, while improving plant product quality, in a sustainable way. Of the minerals, iron (Fe) plays a major role in this process because it is essential both for plant productivity and for the quality of their products. Fe homeostasis is an important determinant of photosynthetic efficiency in algae and higher plants, and we review here the impact of Fe limitation or excess on the structure and function of the photosynthetic apparatus. We also discuss the agronomic, plant breeding, and transgenic approaches that are used to remediate Fe deficiency of plants on calcareous soils, and suggest ways to increase the Fe content and bioavailability of the edible parts of crops to improve human diet.